Congressional Trade Range Uncertainty Calculator
Never collapse a reported range into a precise trade amount. Keep minimum, maximum, owner, transaction date, and filing date attached to the record.
What it calculates
Congressional financial disclosures report transaction values as ranges rather than exact amounts. This tool preserves that uncertainty by showing the midpoint, width, and maximum possible share of an assumed portfolio. The midpoint is a convenience, not evidence of the actual transaction value.
How this congressional trade range uncertainty calculator works
The calculator preserves both endpoints, subtracts them to show the uncertainty width, and reports a simple midpoint for sensitivity analysis. It also divides the maximum by an assumed portfolio value for context.
Formula
Range width = reported maximum − reported minimum; midpoint = (minimum + maximum) ÷ 2
Disclosures do not reveal exact execution price, exact amount, current ownership, investment rationale, or a complete real-time portfolio.
Primary specifications
Before you use the result
Assumptions
- • The endpoints are transcribed from the official filing.
- • The assumed portfolio value is illustrative and may be incomplete.
- • The transaction is not treated as a current holding or recommendation.
Quick start
- 1. Enter the official disclosed range without rounding it into one value.
- 2. Use an assumed portfolio only for transparent scenario context.
- 3. Review owner, filing delay, amendments, and the source PDF before interpreting the trade.
Inputs and units
| Input | Unit | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Reported range minimum | US dollars | $15,001 |
| Reported range maximum | US dollars | $50,000 |
| Assumed portfolio valueOptional context; disclosures do not reveal a complete live portfolio. | US dollars | $1,000,000 |
Worked example (hypothetical)
Congressional Trade Range Uncertainty Calculator: worked example
Hypothetical example using the calculator's default inputs. The numbers are illustrative, not a forecast or a quote.
| Reported range minimum | $15,001 |
|---|---|
| Reported range maximum | $50,000 |
| Assumed portfolio value | $1,000,000 |
| Uncertainty width | $34,999 |
|---|---|
| Mechanical midpoint | $32,501 |
| Maximum assumed portfolio share | 5.00% |
With these inputs, the uncertainty width is $34,999.
Frequently asked questions
Why not use the midpoint as the transaction amount?
The midpoint is not disclosed fact. It is only one possible value within the official range.
Does a purchase mean the politician still owns the asset?
No. Later sales, amendments, transfers, or other activity may change the position.
Whose transaction can be reported?
A filing may identify the member, spouse, dependent child, joint owner, or another reportable ownership category.
The math is easy. The macro is hard.
Congressional Trade Range Uncertainty Calculator shows the arithmetic. Members get the monthly call that decides which inputs matter, plus written breakpoints when the facts move. $39/month or $249/year.
Members-only research
$39/mo or $249/yr · cancel future renewals anytime · sources included