Senate Stock Trackers: ETFs, Funds & Bots That Follow Congressional Trades
Ever wondered what stocks US Senators and Congress members are buying? Thanks to transparency laws and innovative financial products, you can now invest alongside politicians through specialized ETFs, mutual funds, and automated trading systems that track congressional stock disclosures in real-time.
Best ETF Option: NANC ETF tracks Nancy Pelosi's disclosed trades with professional management and daily liquidity.
Best Tracking Platform: Unusual Whales provides real-time congressional trading data with advanced filtering and alerts.
Auto Trading: Several platforms offer automated copying of congressional trades, though with inherent delays due to disclosure requirements.
Bottom Line: Congressional tracking can provide insights, but remember that politicians often have 45+ day disclosure delays, and past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
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Start Tracking NowWhy Track Congressional Trades? The Information Advantage
Members of Congress have access to information that can significantly impact markets before it becomes public. While the STOCK Act of 2012 requires disclosure, it doesn't prohibit trading, creating an opportunity for retail investors to follow their moves.
Historical Performance Data
| Politician/Group | Reported Annual Return | S&P 500 Comparison | Time Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nancy Pelosi | ~65% (2019-2021) | +45% vs S&P | 2019-2021 |
| Senate Average | ~12% | +2% vs S&P | 2012-2020 |
| House Average | ~13% | +3% vs S&P | 2012-2020 |
| Top 10 Performers | ~25% | +15% vs S&P | 2012-2020 |
- Information Access: Politicians receive briefings on economic policy, regulations, and industry developments
- Committee Insights: Members on banking, technology, and healthcare committees often trade related stocks
- Regulatory Foresight: Early knowledge of upcoming legislation can impact specific sectors
- Network Effects: Access to industry leaders and insider perspectives
ETFs & Mutual Funds That Track Congressional Trades
1. NANC ETF - The Nancy Pelosi Tracker
Unusual Whales Subversive Democratic Trading ETF (NANC)
| Ticker: | NANC |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.75% |
| Strategy: | Tracks Nancy Pelosi's disclosed stock trades |
| Launch Date: | May 2022 |
| Assets Under Management: | ~$50 million |
How it Works: NANC replicates trades disclosed by Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi, with professional portfolio management to handle timing and position sizing.
2. KRUZ ETF - The Republican Tracker
Unusual Whales Subversive Republican Trading ETF (KRUZ)
| Ticker: | KRUZ |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.75% |
| Strategy: | Tracks Republican congressional members' trades |
| Launch Date: | September 2022 |
| Focus: | Diversified Republican trading patterns |
How it Works: KRUZ follows disclosed trades from multiple Republican congress members, providing broader exposure than single-politician tracking.
3. BINY ETF - Bipartisan Approach
Unusual Whales Subversive Bipartisan Trading ETF (BINY)
| Ticker: | BINY |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.75% |
| Strategy: | Combines both Democratic and Republican trades |
| Diversification: | Highest among political tracking ETFs |
How it Works: BINY provides the most diversified approach by tracking successful trades from both parties, reducing political bias in investment decisions.
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1. Iris by Unusual Whales
Iris - Congressional Trading Bot
- Real-time Alerts: Instant notifications when congress members file trades
- Auto-copying: Automatically replicate trades in your brokerage account
- Filtering: Choose which politicians to follow based on performance
- Risk Management: Built-in position sizing and stop-loss features
- Cost: $49-99/month depending on features
2. Capitol Trades API
Capitol Trades - Developer Platform
- API Access: Raw congressional trading data for custom bots
- Historical Data: Complete trading history since 2012
- Real-time Updates: New filings within hours of disclosure
- Integration: Works with popular trading platforms
- Cost: $29-199/month based on usage
3. Quiver Quantitative
Quiver Quant - Alternative Data Platform
- Congressional Tracking: Part of broader alternative data suite
- Sentiment Analysis: Combines trading data with social media sentiment
- Backtesting: Historical performance analysis tools
- Multiple Data Sources: Congress, insider trading, social sentiment
- Cost: $99-299/month for full access
Disclosure Delays: Congressional trades are disclosed 30-45 days after execution, meaning you're always trading on old information. Market Impact: Popular trades may be crowded by the time you can act on them.
1. Unusual Whales (Free Tier)
- Congressional Dashboard: Real-time tracking of all congressional trades
- Performance Metrics: Historical returns by politician
- Sector Analysis: Which sectors politicians are buying/selling
- Trade Alerts: Email notifications for new filings
2. Capitol Trades (Free Version)
- Basic Tracking: View recent congressional trades
- Search Function: Find trades by politician or stock symbol
- Trade Details: Transaction amounts and dates
- Limited History: 30-day lookback on free tier
3. House Stock Watcher
- Open Source: Community-driven tracking project
- GitHub Integration: Transparent data collection methods
- Basic Interface: Simple table view of recent trades
- No Frills: Raw data without analysis or alerts
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Join the DiscussionLegal Framework: Understanding the STOCK Act
The STOCK Act of 2012
The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act requires members of Congress to disclose stock trades within 45 days and prohibits insider trading based on non-public information obtained through their official duties.
Key Requirements:
- Disclosure Timeline: Trades must be reported within 30-45 days
- Transaction Threshold: Trades over $1,000 must be disclosed
- Family Members: Spouse and dependent children's trades included
- Public Access: All filings are publicly available online
- Penalties: $200 fine for late filings (rarely enforced)
Current Debate and Proposed Changes
| Proposal | Status | Impact on Tracking |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Trading Ban | Under Discussion | Would eliminate tracking opportunities |
| Blind Trust Requirement | Proposed | Would reduce transparency |
| Faster Disclosure (7 days) | Gaining Support | Would improve tracking effectiveness |
| Real-time Disclosure | Unlikely | Would revolutionize tracking |
Performance Analysis: Do Congressional Trackers Work?
ETF Performance (Since Launch)
| ETF | 1-Year Return | vs S&P 500 | Max Drawdown | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NANC | -15.2% | -5.8% | -35% | High |
| KRUZ | -8.7% | +0.7% | -28% | Medium |
| BINY | -12.1% | -2.7% | -31% | Medium |
| S&P 500 | -9.4% | Benchmark | -25% | Low |
- Mixed Results: Congressional tracking ETFs have underperformed during market downturns
- Timing Issues: 45-day disclosure delays reduce effectiveness
- Concentration Risk: Heavy weighting in tech stocks hurt performance in 2022
- Market Conditions: Strategy may work better in bull markets
Risks & Considerations
Key Risks to Understand
Disclosure Delays
Congressional trades are disclosed 30-45 days after execution, meaning you're always trading on stale information. Markets may have already moved by the time you can act.
Concentration Risk
Many politicians favor tech stocks, creating concentration risk. NANC, for example, has heavy exposure to NVIDIA, Tesla, and other volatile growth stocks.
Market Impact
As congressional tracking becomes popular, the trades themselves may move markets, reducing the information advantage.
Regulatory Changes
Proposed legislation could ban congressional trading entirely, eliminating the strategy's viability.
Ethical Considerations
- Information Asymmetry: Following congressional trades may perpetuate unfair advantages
- Market Manipulation: Politicians might be incentivized to make trades for publicity
- Democratic Concerns: Should elected officials profit from their positions?
- Transparency vs Privacy: Balance between public accountability and personal privacy
Ethical Investing Discussions on MarketPlays
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Explore Ethical InvestingHow to Get Started with Congressional Tracking
Step 1: Choose Your Approach
| Method | Difficulty | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy ETFs (NANC/KRUZ/BINY) | Easy | 0.75% expense ratio | Passive investors |
| Manual Tracking | Medium | Free | DIY investors |
| Automated Bots | Hard | $50-300/month | Active traders |
| API Integration | Very Hard | $30-200/month | Developers |
Step 2: Set Up Tracking (Manual Method)
- Choose a Platform: Start with Unusual Whales or Capitol Trades free tier
- Select Politicians: Focus on 3-5 high-performing congress members
- Set Alerts: Enable notifications for new trade disclosures
- Create Watchlists: Track the stocks they're buying/selling
- Paper Trade First: Test your strategy without real money
Step 3: Risk Management
- Position Sizing: Never risk more than 2-5% on any single congressional trade
- Diversification: Don't put all your money in congressional tracking
- Time Limits: Set maximum holding periods for tracked trades
- Stop Losses: Use stop-loss orders to limit downside risk
For Beginners: Start with 5% allocation to BINY ETF for diversified exposure, then gradually learn manual tracking.
For Experienced Investors: Use free tracking tools to identify patterns, then selectively copy high-conviction trades with proper risk management.
- STOCK Act of 2012 - Public Law 112-105
- Senate Office of Public Records - Financial Disclosure Database
- House Committee on Ethics - Financial Disclosure Reports
- Unusual Whales Congressional Trading Data
- Capitol Trades Historical Analysis
- Quiver Quantitative Research Reports
- SEC Form 4 Filings and Analysis
- Academic Studies on Congressional Trading Performance
- ETF Prospectuses for NANC, KRUZ, and BINY
Investment Disclaimer: This analysis is for educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment advice. Congressional tracking strategies carry significant risks, including potential total loss of investment. Past performance of politicians' trades does not guarantee future results. Regulatory changes could eliminate this investment strategy entirely. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The author may hold positions in the mentioned securities or ETFs.
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