Determining your Investor Profile is the first step in establishing your financial strategy.

Risk and reward are tied closely together in the world of investing. Generally, the higher an investment's potential reward, the higher its accompanying risk. Risk is the volatility (or up and down movement) of the investment over time. Balancing risk and reward is the key to establishing a successful strategy.

What kind of investor are you? Are you conservative, moderate or perhaps aggressive?
  » Go ahead, complete the Investor Profile Questionnaire.

Based on how you answer the Investor Profile Questionnaire, you will be able to determine your own Personal Investor Profile, which reflects your general comfort level with respect to risk. However, you may choose to invest your money more or less aggressively based on the plan in which it is invested. This decision may depend on the source of the funds, their objective and/or their value in proportion to your total holdings.

Time Horizon

An important factor in building your financial strategy is your Investment Time Horizon. Time Horizon is generally the length of time during which funds can accumulate before they must be converted to income.

Time Horizon is closely linked to your Personal Investor Profile as it is based on your ability to manage risk over the investment period.

	Usually, the longer your Investment Time Horizon, the more risk you can tolerate, as a longer period provides you with more time to smooth out market fluctuations. You may feel comfortable assuming more risk for a fund that you know won't be touched for many years.