Book

The SEC Data Playbook

How to Read SEC Filings, Build Scoring Models, and Analyze Stocks Like a Professional — Using Free Public Data

By Karthika G

Every publicly traded company in the United States discloses detailed financial data to the SEC — for free. Professional analysts at Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater, and Citadel build their models from this same data. The difference isn't access — it's knowing what to look for and how to use it. This book teaches you exactly that.

From 10-K annual reports to 13F institutional holdings, from XBRL financial tags to building composite quality scores — this practical guide covers the complete SEC data ecosystem with real examples using Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Vanguard, and more.

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Available in Kindle and paperback formats

Who This Book Is For

Self-Directed Investors

Understand what you own beyond surface-level metrics. See where Morningstar gets its data — and access it yourself for free.

Finance Students

Practical skills that complement academic theory. Compute P/E ratios from raw government filings for 9,000 companies simultaneously.

Early-Career Analysts

Build competency with primary data sources. These are the skills senior analysts assume you already have.

Tax Professionals

Understand how investment decisions intersect with IRC provisions. Bridges the gap between tax code and portfolio management.

What's Inside

The complete SEC filing ecosystem (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, 13F, N-PORT, Form 4)

How to read financial statements like a professional analyst

Building quality scoring models from raw EDGAR data

Following institutional money through 13F filings

ETF and mutual fund holdings analysis via N-PORT

Detecting material events in real-time from 8-K filings

Insider transaction patterns from Form 4

Combining SEC filings with price data for alpha signals

Portfolio construction strategies from public data

Excel templates and formulas for immediate use

Understanding XBRL — the language of financial data

Case studies: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Vanguard, Palo Alto

IRC and IRB tax planning for investors

200+ most useful XBRL tags reference

Chapter Overview

Part I: Understanding SEC Filings

1. The SEC Filing Universe
2. 10-K & 10-Q: Reading Financial Statements Like an Analyst
3. Financial Notes Bulk Data: 20,000 Companies in One Download
4. 13F: Following Institutional Money
5. N-PORT: ETF & Mutual Fund Holdings
6. 8-K: Material Events in Real Time
7. Form 4: Insider Transactions

Part II: Building Your Analytical Framework

8. Building Quality Scoring Models
9. Combining Filings with Price Data
10. Portfolio Construction from SEC Data
11. Excel Templates & Formulas

Part III: Advanced Topics

12. Resources & Next Steps
13. Understanding XBRL: The Language of Financial Data
14. Case Studies: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Vanguard, Palo Alto
15. IRC & IRB: Tax Planning for Investors
16. FAQ & Common Mistakes

Plus appendices: 200 Most Useful XBRL Tags & IRC Title 26 Key Sections for Investors

Start reading today

Learn the same data analysis techniques used by professional investment firms — using completely free, publicly available SEC data.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Karthika G is the author of The SEC Data Playbook. She wrote this book to help everyday investors interpret SEC stock and ETF filings, understand scoring models, make sense of XBRL financial data, and decode 13F institutional holdings and 8-K material event filings. The book focuses on equities, ETFs, and SEC filing analysis — it does not cover mutual funds at this time.

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This book is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or tax advice.