The New Commonsense Guide to Your 401(k): Rebuilding Your Portfolio From The Bottom up

Chapter 43. What Do You Have to Lose/Gain?

YOUR FINANCIAL circumstances affect the risk you can take, too. If you are young and can set your money aside for a long time, you can afford to be aggressive. Knowledge, too, can increase your capacity for risk taking.

1. If your age is. . .	Give yourself
a. under 30	5 points
b. over 30 and under 40	4 points
c. over 40 and under 50	3 points
d. between 50 and 65	2 points
e. over 65	1 point
2. If your major investment goals are	Give yourself
a. zero to two years away	1 point
b. two to five years away	2 points
c. five to ten years away	3 points
d. more than ten years away	4 points
3. If your future earning power	Give yourself
a. keeps pace with inflation, if you're lucky	1 point
b. keeps you a few points ahead of inflation	2 points
c. far exceeds inflation (big bucks ahead)	4 points
d. includes an expected inheritance or some other big chunk of money	5 points
4. Pick the statement that best describes you	Give yourself
a. I never save or invest.	1 point
b. I do my best to tuck away a few dollars here and there.	2 points
c. I save regularly.	3 points
d. I put aside 5 percent of my income no matter what.	5 points
5. Give yourself 1 point for each thing you do:
a. skim the financial pages from time to time
b. read the daily financial news
c. keep abreast of markets
d. subscribe or use at least one financial Web site
e. watch investment and financial programs on TV
f. subscribe to an investment newsletter
6. Pick the statement that best describes you	Give yourself
a. I am a knowledgeable ...