Your age combined with your financial situation, including assets and debt, amount of income and the stability of that income, are important when determining how much risk you can take on with investment products. The questions in this section deal with these aspects in relation to your capacity for risk. The maximum score for this section is 68.
Interpreting the results:
The scores for each section of this Investor Profile Questionnaire (IPQ) are meant to help inform the completion of your Know Your Client form – specifically, Time Horizon, Investment Knowledge, Investment Objective, and Risk Tolerance. Based on your scores in each of these categories, this IPQ also provides general KYC guidelines and a suggested asset mix.
The scores with respect to Risk Capacity and the resulting allocation on the KYC Risk Tolerance and asset mix recommendation will rely on interpretation and judgement. While scoring 30+ indicates that you have some capacity for risk and exposure to some aggressive growth products may be appropriate, it is the starting point in determining the appropriate amount and should not be interpreted as accepting 100% high risk.
It should not be inferred that a score of 30+ means that you are an aggressive investor and want substantial exposure to high-risk securities, but rather that it may be appropriate to recommend that a portion of your asset mix be in some high-risk securities.
The following table provides basic guidelines as to the suggested allocation to Risk Tolerance on your Know Your Client form based on the score in this category:
Risk Capacity Score |
Guidelines for Risk Tolerance Allocation |
30-34 |
Up to 10% in MH or H |
35-39 |
Up to 15% in MH or H |
40-44 |
Up to 20% in MH or H |
45-49 |
Up to 30% in MH or H |
50-54 |
Up to 40% in MH or H |
55-59 |
Up to 50% in MH or H |
60+ |
50%+ in MH or H |
If the Risk Capacity Score is in the 60+ range, which would potentially allow for 50% or more in a higher risk tolerance allocation on your KYC form, it is important to go back and reflect on the responses to each of the questions in the Risk Capacity and Risk Attitude sections before making the final assessment. Consider your age. What’s your investment knowledge and experience with investing? What’s your net worth, and what percent does this plan represent to your liquid assets and to your net worth? A 50% or more risk allocation in Medium/High or High Risk investments is a significant amount of risk to undertake. The utmost care must be taken when arriving at the amount that is suitable for you.