The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than was paid in.

Your attitude to risk

By making the decision to invest, you're giving your money more chance to potentially grow than if you're just saving it. How much risk you take can affect your potential growth so it's important to understand how much you're willing and able to take.

How to assess your attitude to risk

This questionnaire can help you understand your attitude to risk but there are some limits:

  • The questionnaire is designed to help you decide for yourself and shouldn’t be taken as advice
  • The questionnaire doesn't consider your age, your financial goals or how much money you'd be comfortable losing i.e. your capacity for loss.
  • You should also consider how long you plan to invest for and when you think you might need access to your money.

If you're not sure how to invest, it may be worth speaking to your financial adviser. If you don't have an adviser, the government's MoneyHelper service has a useful guide to help you find a financial adviser.

If you would like to understand more about investment risk, our guide to investment risk explains what investment risk is and can help you understand how much risk you're comfortable taking with your investment.