How to Track Congressional Stock Trading
Members of Congress are required to disclose their stock trades. Here's where those disclosures live and how to monitor them without missing a filing.
Thanks to the STOCK Act, every senator and representative must publicly report securities transactions over $1,000. The data is open to everyone — the challenge is that it's spread across two government systems and filed as individual documents.
Step 1: Know the source
Congressional trades become public through Periodic Transaction Reports (PTRs) filed under the STOCK Act. Members have up to 45 days from a trade to file, and the reports cover the member, their spouse, and dependent children.
Step 2: Search the official portals
Disclosures are split by chamber:
- House of Representatives — filings are published by the Clerk of the House's financial disclosure portal.
- Senate — filings are published through the Secretary of the Senate's electronic disclosure system.
Both are free and authoritative, but neither was built for fast browsing or alerts.
Step 3: Read the report
A PTR lists the asset (often a stock ticker), whether it was a purchase or sale, the transaction date, and a dollar range rather than an exact figure — for example, "$1,001–$15,000."
Step 4: Watch for committee overlap
One of the most-watched patterns is a lawmaker trading in an industry their committee oversees — for instance, a member of a defense or health committee trading in that sector. It doesn't prove anything on its own, but it's the kind of context worth noting.
Step 5: Monitor members over time
Checking two portals by hand for dozens of members isn't realistic. A tracker lets you follow specific politicians, view their full trade history, and get notified when a new disclosure posts.
Track Congress in one place
Mimic aggregates STOCK Act disclosures from 115+ members of Congress into a clean feed — with real photos, party and state context, and alerts when they trade.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to track congressional stock trades?
Yes. STOCK Act disclosures are public records published by the House and Senate. Anyone can read, search, and aggregate them.
Where are congressional trades disclosed?
On the official House and Senate financial disclosure websites, where members file Periodic Transaction Reports within 45 days of a trade.
Why is there a delay in seeing congressional trades?
The STOCK Act allows up to 45 days to file a report, so the public usually sees a trade weeks after it occurred.