Risk Tolerance Worksheet - Free Printable

This isn’t a math or logic problem with one right answer — it’s a personal investment risk tolerance questionnaire. Each question asks you to choose the option that best matches your own feelings, goals, and experience about investing.

Since there’s no “correct” answer key (like in math), the goal is for *you* to pick what feels true for you. But since you’re asking me to “solve” it, I’ll show you how to think through each question so you can choose wisely — and then I’ll give you an example set of answers based on a moderate-risk investor (someone who wants growth but doesn’t want to lose sleep over market swings).

Let’s go step by step:

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Question 1: How long do you plan to hold a long-term investment?

→ Think: Are you saving for something soon (like college in 2 years) or far away (like retirement in 30 years)?
→ Longer time = more points = more willing to wait out ups and downs.
→ Example: If you’re okay waiting 7–8 years, pick “d” (4 points).

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Question 2: What would you do if your investment dropped 20% quickly?

→ This tests your emotional reaction to loss.
→ Selling everything = scared of loss (low risk tolerance).
→ Buying more = confident it will bounce back (high risk tolerance).
→ Most balanced choice: “Sell nothing” (3 points) — you stay calm and wait.

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Question 3: Do you prefer stable investments even if they earn less?

→ “Strongly agree” = you hate risk → low points.
→ “Strongly disagree” = you’re okay with wild swings for higher returns → high points.
→ Moderate person might say “I disagree” (3 points) — they want some growth, not total safety.

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Question 4: How experienced are you with stocks and bonds?

→ Be honest! If you’ve never bought a stock, pick “a” or “b”.
→ If you’ve done research or invested before, pick “c”, “d”, or “e”.
→ Example: If you’ve read about investing but haven’t done much, pick “Somewhat experienced” (3 points).

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Question 5: How optimistic are you about the economy long-term?

→ Pessimistic = worry things will get worse → low points.
→ Optimistic = believe things will improve → high points.
→ Most people pick “Somewhat optimistic” (3 points) — hopeful but realistic.

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Question 6: How much higher do you hope your portfolio will be in 10 years?

→ “A little higher” = conservative → 1 point.
→ “Substantially higher” = aggressive → 3 points.
→ Balanced goal: “Moderately higher” (2 points) — you want growth without gambling.

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Now, let’s add up an example score for a moderate investor:

Q1: d → 4
Q2: c → 3
Q3: c → 3
Q4: c → 3
Q5: c → 3
Q6: b → 2

Total = 4 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 18 points

That’s a solid middle-of-the-road score — not too risky, not too safe.

But remember: YOUR answers should match YOUR life, goals, and comfort level. There’s no grade here — just self-awareness.

Final Answer:
There is no single correct answer — this is a personal risk assessment. Choose the options that truly reflect your own views. For example, a moderate investor might select: 1-d, 2-c, 3-c, 4-c, 5-c, 6-b (totaling 18 points).