Behavioral fitness · 3 minutes
How are you wired as an investor?
The best plan only works if you can execute it through decades of fear and greed. Two quick parts — who you are and how you react — then, if you want to go deeper, what you've lived through. Not a personality type, and never a view on what to buy. Answer honestly; there are no right answers.
Who you are
How true is each one for you? There are no right answers — just tap the words that fit.
1. The thought of locking in a loss is one of the hardest things about investing for me.
2. I'm usually confident I have a good read on where things are headed next.
3. I'd rather spread my money widely than bet big on a few things I believe in.
4. I assume I'm no better than average at picking winners.
5. I'm quickly drawn to new ideas and opportunities.
6. I'll stick with a boring plan even when something more exciting comes along.
7. I find it easy to choose saving for later over spending now.
8. I've dipped into long-term savings for something I wanted in the moment.
9. I put money toward my future consistently, no matter what's going on.
How you react
What you actually tend to do when things get emotional.
10. A big drop in my savings would bother me far more than an equal gain would please me.
11. I could calmly watch my investments fall for months without wanting to move to cash.
12. If something has done well lately, I take that as a good sign it will keep doing well.
13. A rough stretch in something I own doesn't make me doubt whether it belongs in my plan.
14. Recent ups and downs have little effect on how I feel about my long-term plan.
15. When I hear about something others are making money on, it's hard not to jump in.
16. If most people are pulling out, I find it hard not to pull out too.
17. I don't need the crowd to agree with me to feel sure of a decision.
18. I'm comfortable sticking with something that everyone around me is bailing on.
19. When things drop, I check my accounts much more than usual.
20. A bad stretch in the market can affect my mood or sleep.
21. Turbulence doesn't rattle me — I'm content to leave things alone.
22. After a painful loss, I tend to avoid that kind of thing entirely — even if it was a sound idea.
23. When I'm down, I feel the urge to make it back quickly with a bigger or bolder move.
24. After a setback, I can calmly get back to my original plan without overcorrecting.