Bank A offers three 10-year CDs with return characteristics as shown. If you had to invest your savings into only one of them, which would you choose?
One that pays 4% per year.
One that currently pays 4% and tracks market interest rates with protective bands that allow it to pay as little as 3% and as much as 6%.
One that currently pays 4% and tracks stocks with protective bands that allow it to pay as little as 2% and as much as 8%.

Bank B offers similar 10-year CDs but with higher rates and more uncertainty. Which one of these would you choose?
One that pays 4% per year
One that currently pays 5% and tracks market interest rates with protective bands that allow it to pay as little as 1% and as much as 8%.
One that currently pays 6% and tracks stocks with protective bands that allow it to pay as little as 0% and as much as 10%.

You can allocate assets into 2 investments. Investment X has averaged 5% returns with a worst year of 4% and a best year of 7%. Investment Y has averaged 8% annual returns with a worst year of minus 20% and a best year of plus 25%. Which of the following allocations would you prefer for the entirety of your retirement portfolio?

If someone invests 100% of his or her money in stocks, but only stocks of the largest 30 companies in the U.S., how would you categorize that portfolio?
Conservative, and not a bad place for 100% of my retirement assets
Moderate, and not a bad place for 100% of my retirement assets
Aggressive, and not a bad place for 100% of my retirement assets
Too conservative for me
Moderate, but not right for me
Too aggressive for me

What is the largest single year loss you would be willing to absorb in an investment without losing faith in that vehicle's viability and appropriateness for your portfolio?

What is your attitude toward international investing?
I do not distinguish. Wherever there is perceived value, grab it.
I am comfortable investing in advanced and developing countries, not third world enterprises.
I am only interested in investing in the most advanced economies like western Europe and Japan.
I do not want any of my assets invested abroad.

How would you describe your sophistication with investments?
I have never really paid attention. I just want something safe.
I do not pay much attention, but I want someone to do the right things for me, even with a little risk.
I have about average experience and seek yield and some growth prospects with little downside risk.
I have above average experience. I am comfortable accepting some risk with my investments.
I am fairly sophisticated and fully understand that higher risks come hand-in-hand with higher returns.

How would you classify yourself?
Ultra-conservative. I do not want to have losses. I do not mind accepting rates of return that may not keep up with inflation as long as the value of my accounts never decline.
Conservative. I do not like volatility and I certainly do not want to see my account fall over the course of a year, though I would like a chance to earn more than bank CD rates.
Moderately conservative. I want to beat inflation and maintain or even build the real value of my account. I hope that interest and dividends earned make up for any annual downside risk.
Moderate. I would like a good balance of income and growth. I hope to beat inflation with a combination of income and appreciation, though in any given period the portfolio might lose some value.
Moderately aggressive. I know that stocks have historically been the best vehicle with which to beat inflation and grow wealth. However, I want to keep some "powder dry" and have a bond component that will reduce my account's fluctuations, especially when the market declines.
Aggressive. I want my assets to have a chance to earn the highest rates of return possible. Of course, this means I will probably experience great volatility, and potentially long spells of negative returns. But in the long run, I trust this allocation will be best.

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