Social security is already in danger and people are looking for other means of savings and investments that can offer them better returns and greater securities. President Donald Trump is now getting into the long standing discussion about moving US public companies from quarterly to semi-annual earnings reporting.
For a moment, one might not understand how one is related to the other, but it definitely is.
There are many people who support this idea of a semi annual report as they believe that this will take pressure off the companies and they can focus on the long term. However, retirement savers might face unexpected challenges if this policy goes into effect.
BREAKING: Trump: companies and corporations should no longer be forced to “Report” on a quarterly basis pic.twitter.com/DHNQL8OA5r
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) September 15, 2025
Quarterly earnings reports offer investors a chance to peek into the company’s financial health. It tells investors about the profit, losses, and growth trends. These reports, in turn, help them decide if they want to keep investing in the company or diversify their portfolio.
For retirement savers, especially those with 401(k)s, IRAs, or mutual funds, these updates are very important as they give primary information regarding investment opportunities. However, if reports are released only twice a year, many savers will struggle to understand the growth trends, which will make it difficult for them to monitor and plan their investments. They may also miss the early signs of financial loss.
Susan Martinez is a financial advisor who is not exactly in favour of semi-annual reporting.
“Quarterly reporting allows investors to stay informed about the companies in their retirement portfolios,” she said. “Cutting back on that frequency could increase uncertainty and make timely investment decisions more difficult.”
Companies may prefer this approach as it will lower the administrative costs and bring US practices in sync with that of Europe and many Asian countries. In the UK too, firms report semi-annually.
Still, for retirement savers, this potential advantage comes with drawbacks. Those who have put the money in the company and do not monitor the ups and downs may not pay much attention to the importance of the regular updates.
However, those who are actively involved in the investment planning and buy and sell stocks and update their portfolio regularly for retirement savings, will feel handicapped while making important decisions.
Investors could face more fluctuations in their retirement portfolios since financial information would come less often. This could make it tougher to predict declines or increases in stock prices.
Analysts have warned that less transparency could harm smaller investors.This will especially be detrimental to those who use retirement accounts. Large institutions will have private guidance and insiders briefings at their expense, regular small investors couple miss out on important information.
For retirement accounts that depend on steady growth and careful allocation, the lack of timely information might result in delayed reactions and missed chances.
