Executor information checklist: the records your family should be able to find

What should an executor information folder do?

It should help an authorised person discover what exists, where to find the evidence and whom to contact. Start with an index rather than a large collection of unlabelled scans. The index can point to originals, secure digital copies and the professional who holds a document.

This is a records-preparation checklist for Australian families, not a sequence of legal instructions for administering an estate. Requirements depend on the circumstances and jurisdiction. A solicitor can explain the relevant authority, probate requirements and steps before assets are dealt with.

What belongs on the first page of an emergency financial folder?

Put the folder's purpose, the date last reviewed and the location of the fuller records on the first page. Add the contact details of the person who maintains the information and relevant professional contacts, with their role. Use a short note explaining how an authorised person can request access.

Avoid placing passwords, PINs, recovery phrases or full identity-document numbers on a widely shared cover sheet. A useful starting page can say “Home loan: provider and statement location recorded in the property register” without exposing the full account details.

Which financial records should I list?

Use recognisable labels, the relevant person or entity and a source date. Treat the following as an inventory to adapt, not proof that every estate requirement has been met.

1. Banking and savings: provider, account description, named holder and statement location.
2. Property and loans: address or record label, recorded owner, lender, balance date and source documents.
3. Investments and superannuation: provider or fund, holder, statement location and any nomination information to review separately.
4. Insurance: insurer, policy type, policyholder, renewal information and policy schedule location.
5. Other debts and commitments: provider, purpose, latest statement and any relevant recurring payment details.
6. Professional contacts: solicitor, accountant, adviser or other relevant contact, with the reason to contact them.

Where should I record wills and other formal documents?

Record where the current signed documents are held and who can explain them. An ordinary app entry, scanned copy or folder label does not establish that a document is valid or that someone has authority to act.

ASIC Moneysmart describes wills, powers of attorney and other estate-planning arrangements as different parts of planning. Superannuation may require its own beneficiary arrangements. Use the estate-preparation software and wills guide to understand the distinction, then ask a suitably qualified professional about your situation.

What about companies, trusts and jointly held records?

Keep the name on the record visible. A company asset, a trust-related asset and a personal asset should not become indistinguishable in one household list. Note the source document and professional contact that can clarify the relationship.

Do not assume a household total is a list of assets that will all pass under one will. The folder helps someone locate information; legal ownership, control and succession need separate consideration. Start with the trust and company records guide when your records involve several entities.

How should digital accounts and subscriptions be recorded?

List the provider, the purpose of the account and whether you have set up a provider-supported legacy or inactive-account arrangement. Record where the instructions are kept, without putting secrets into a general inventory.

Keep essential communications and records in mind before deleting or cancelling accounts. An email account or phone number may be connected to another service's recovery process. Read the digital legacy and financial information guide and check each provider's current procedure.

How can I check that the folder will be useful?

Ask the intended trusted person to find one non-sensitive sample while you are available. Can they identify the provider, find the source document and explain whom they would contact? This small rehearsal often reveals an unclear label or an inaccessible storage location.

For example, “Unit mortgage, lender statement, September 2026, held with property records” gives a practical route to evidence. “Mortgage, see laptop” leaves the next person guessing. Neither note is an instruction to access an account without the appropriate authority.

When should I review the information?

Choose a review interval you can maintain and revisit the index after a material change, such as a new account, property, adviser or family arrangement. Mark old records as superseded so a reader does not confuse them with the current version.

Review the access arrangements too. Someone's name in a contact list does not show that they can open a file or that you still want them to. Confirm the scope of any app sharing separately from formal legal arrangements.

How can Financial Portfolio support this preparation?

Financial Portfolio can help maintain the links between records, people and documents and provide selected read-only viewer access. Supporting documents require explicit sharing. The product does not make a will, appoint an executor or grant authority to deal with an estate.

Use the financial records readiness check to find gaps, build a document and policy checklist, then read the family handover guide. If you explore the app, check the current plan and access details before deciding what to store.