What Is Form 13F? Who Files It, What It Shows and When
Form 13F is a quarterly report that institutional investment managers with $100 million or more in “Section 13(f) securities” must file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It lists the US exchange-traded stocks, ETFs and certain options and convertibles the manager held on the last day of the quarter, and it becomes public on SEC EDGAR within 45 days.
Key takeaways
- Who: managers with investment discretion over $100 million or more in Section 13(f) securities — hedge funds, mutual fund advisers, banks, insurers, pension funds and others.
- What: long positions in securities on the SEC’s Official List of Section 13(f) Securities, as of the quarter’s last day.
- When: due within 45 days after each calendar quarter ends (next business day if that falls on a weekend or holiday).
- Not included: short positions, cash, most bonds, mutual fund shares and shares that trade only outside the US.
Why Form 13F exists
Congress added Section 13(f) to the Securities Exchange Act in 1975 to make the securities holdings of large institutional investors publicly available. The idea was that more disclosure would increase investor confidence in US markets. Today the filings are one of the few free, standardized windows into what professional money managers own.
Who has to file a 13F?
An institutional investment manager must file if it exercises investment discretion over $100 million or more in Section 13(f) securities. According to the SEC, the category is broad:
- Investment advisers that manage hedge funds, mutual funds, pension assets or private accounts.
- Banks and bank trust departments, insurance companies and broker-dealers.
- Corporations and pension funds that manage their own portfolios, including government-sponsored ones.
- Foreign managers that use US markets and meet the same threshold.
A person investing only their own money is not an institutional investment manager, so wealthy individuals do not file 13Fs for their personal accounts. The threshold is tested on the last trading day of each month; once a manager crosses it, it must file four consecutive quarterly reports.
What does a 13F filing show?
Each filing has a cover page, a summary page and an information table. For every reported position the table includes:
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Name of issuer and class | The company and the type of security (common stock, class A shares, a put or call option, a convertible note). |
| CUSIP | A 9-character security identifier. Since 2023 filers may also add a FIGI, but not instead of the CUSIP. |
| Value | Fair market value at the end of the quarter, rounded to the nearest dollar (before January 2023 it was reported in thousands). |
| Shares or principal amount | How many shares (or how much principal) the manager held; options also show PUT or CALL. |
| Investment discretion | SOLE, DEFINED (shared with an affiliate) or OTHER. |
| Voting authority | How many shares the manager can vote: sole, shared or none. |
Swipe the table to see all columns.
Learn how to turn these fields into useful information in How to read a 13F filing.
Which securities count as “Section 13(f) securities”?
The SEC publishes an Official List of Section 13(f) Securities shortly after each quarter. It mainly includes US exchange-traded stocks, closed-end fund shares and ETF shares, plus certain convertible debt, equity options and warrants. Mutual fund shares are not on the list and are not reported. Shares of a foreign company count only if they trade on a US exchange.
When are 13F filings due?
A 13F is due within 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter. When the 45th day falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. That is why the Q3 2026 deadline is Monday, November 16, 2026. The SEC does not grant extensions. See every date through 2028 in our 13F filing calendar.
Types of 13F filings
- 13F-HR (holdings report): the manager lists its positions. A “combination report” also uses this form type when some holdings are reported by another manager.
- 13F-NT (notice): only a cover page; all holdings are reported by another manager, who is named.
- 13F-HR/A (amendment): corrects an earlier filing or adds positions that were previously kept confidential.
Are 13F filings checked for accuracy?
Not in the way many readers assume. The SEC says an EDGAR acceptance message only confirms the filing was received; it “does not address the substantive accuracy or correctness of the filing.” Filers are expected to review and amend their own reports. That is one reason Clear13F links every number to the original filing and shows the filing date next to it. Read more in What 13F filings don’t show.
Where to find 13F filings
All public 13F filings are free on SEC EDGAR. Our step-by-step guide shows how to search them: How to find 13F filings on SEC EDGAR.
Source: SEC, Frequently Asked Questions About Form 13F (updated March 6, 2026; accessed November 6, 2026). Educational content, not investment advice.