Public records guide
Congress Financial Disclosures: How to Find and Read Them
A practical map of the House and Senate disclosure systems, the forms inside them and the limitations readers should carry into every story.
Which filing answers which question?
Congress financial disclosures are a group of records, not one live portfolio statement.
Annual report
A broad snapshot of reportable assets, income, liabilities, positions and transactions for a covered period.
New filer report
An initial disclosure for a new member, candidate or covered employee. It can reveal holdings before the next annual cycle.
Periodic transaction report
A transaction-specific filing that reports covered purchases, sales and exchanges after they occur.
Five checks before publishing a number
A defensible article preserves the record instead of manufacturing precision.
Confirm the person
Names can repeat. Match the chamber, state or district and reporting year.
Read the owner field
Separate self, spouse, child and joint ownership when the form supplies an ownership code.
Keep the bracket
Write $15,001 to $50,000 when that is the published range. Do not turn it into an exact balance.
Check amendments
A later amendment may correct an asset name, value range, date or omission.
Link the record
A source link lets readers inspect the form and makes future corrections possible.
Reader questions
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find House financial disclosures?
The Office of the Clerk maintains the public House Financial Disclosure portal. Search by last name, filing year and report type.
Where can I find Senate financial disclosures?
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics provides access to Senate financial disclosure reports through its public disclosure system.
Do disclosure ranges show net worth?
No. A set of asset ranges is not a complete or exact net-worth statement. Debts, excluded assets, ownership interests and valuation dates can materially change the picture.