Read the form and the filing date

Different disclosure reports answer different questions. An annual report, a transaction notice and an amendment may describe different periods or events. Identify the filer, document type, reporting date and original publication before combining figures. An aggregator’s import timestamp is not the date an asset was acquired or sold.

Preserve published ranges

Some public disclosure systems report asset values or transactions in bands rather than exact dollar amounts. A range should remain a range. Adding band endpoints or choosing an arbitrary midpoint does not establish an official net-worth figure. Liabilities, jointly held assets and the scope of the reporting rules can also matter.