Questionnaire | What's Your Investment IQ?

1.I only put a small portion of my net worth into any single investment. This statement applies to me —

2.When I’m with friends, other investors or investment professionals, I like to talk about my own investments or investment ideas. This statement applies to me —

3.When I take a profit I feel relieved. This statement applies to me —

4.When I’ve decided to buy or sell, I call my broker (or go online) and place the order as soon as possible. This statement applies to me —

5.I feel that my life was a lot simpler when I didn’t have any investments to worry about. This statement applies to me —

6.The best source of investment advice is an investment professional who’s ‘close to the action’ — the closer the better. This statement applies to me —

7.My broker or investment advisor has let me down more than once. This statement applies to me —

8.Whenever I buy an investment, I know exactly what factors will cause me to sell - whether the price goes up or down. This statement applies to me —

9.When there’s cash in my portfolio but I can’t find anything to invest in, I get anxious. This statement applies to me —

10.When I place an order I know exactly how many shares I’m going to buy or sell and at what price. I do not make any changes to that order while I’m on the phone or online. This statement applies to me —

11.The most exciting thing about investing is developing my own original investment idea (or refinement to my current method of investing). This statement applies to me —

12.The more money I have to invest, the simpler my life becomes. This statement applies to me —

13.If the market crashes (as it did in 1929, 1987, 1998, and 2008)...

it won’t bother me at all
I’ll feel a little anxiety, but pick myself up right away
I’ll feel anxious
I’ll panic
I’ll go into a state of total shock

14.One reason I like my broker is he gives me interesting investment ideas. This statement applies to me —

15.I have a detailed investment plan. This statement applies to me —

16.Whenever one of my investments shows a profit, I start to worry that my profit will shrink or disappear. This statement applies to me —

17.When I’m convinced I’m onto a sure thing, I’ll borrow some money or margin my account to buy more. This statement applies to me —

18.If you ask me about any of my investments I can tell you exactly why I bought it at the price I paid and how it fits in to my portfolio. This statement applies to me —

19.I believe that the only way to make huge investment profits is to take big risks. This statement applies to me —

20.I like to hear what other investors are doing with their money. This statement applies to me —

21.If the value of my portfolio dropped 20% overnight, I know exactly what I would do. This statement applies to me —

22.I only use my credit card when I know I have enough money in the bank to pay for it in full. This statement applies to me —

23.Changes in interest rates, inflation, and the economic outlook can cause me to change my investment decisions. This statement applies to me —

24.I’m happy to sit indefinitely on a pile of cash until I find an investment that fully meets my criteria. This statement applies to me —

25.Whenever I discover that I’ve broken one of my investment rules, I take steps to make sure it won’t happen again. This statement applies to me —

26.It can be really hard for me to figure out the best way to invest my money. This statement applies to me —

27.I feel the need to discuss my investment ideas with someone before making a final decision. This statement applies to me —

28.Whenever I realise I’ve made a mistake, I sell that investment immediately. This statement applies to me —

29.When I think about it, I’d be a lot happier if I sold all my investments and just put all my money in the bank. This statement applies to me —

30.When I bank a profit I celebrate by buying something I’ve always wanted. This statement applies to me —

31.If I suddenly received a bequest of $500,000, I know exactly how I would go about investing it. This statement applies to me —

32.I enjoy talking with friends about the profits I’ve made in the past. This statement applies to me —

33.I think it’s important to keep brokerage fees and other transaction costs as low as possible. This statement applies to me —

34.I love digging into annual reports, economic statistics, industry trends, or other significant data that would impact on my investments. This statement applies to me —

35.I pay my credit card bills in full. This statement applies to me —

36.Thinking about my investments makes me feel secure and comfortable. This statement applies to me —

37.Whenever I lose money I analyse what I did to see if I can find a flaw in my investment thinking. This statement applies to me —

38.I let my investment advisor handle my investments and rarely think about them. This statement applies to me —

39.When my investments are showing a profit I start dreaming about things I could buy. This statement applies to me —

40.I’d rather pass on an opportunity completely than expose myself to the risk of losing money. This statement applies to me —

41.If you’d bought stock in Widgets Inc at $2 per share and it’s now $1 per share what would you do (check the answer that most applies to you):

Average down
Wait till it gets back to $2 before selling out
I already sold at $1.80
I already sold at $1.80 and went short
I don’t want to think about it
I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do
Maybe I’ll sell at $1.10
I thought it was a bargain at $2, so at $1 I’m scooping it up with both hands

42.I get most of my investment ideas from (check all that apply):

43.A good friend calls, excited about a stock that he’s convinced will go up five to ten times over the next year. He makes an appealing case, and you can’t help but feeling excited too. You... (check the answer that most applies to you)

Listen politely and go back to whatever you were doing before the phone rang
Take a “flyer” and buy a few thousand dollars worth of the stock
Do your own investigation to discover whether his story has any foundation
Arrange to meet him later so he can tell you more
Get annoyed with your friend for bothering you with another one of his pie-in-the-sky investment “opportunities”

44.A famous investment adviser has just written a damning report on one of your favorite stocks, and is urging his followers to sell the stock short. The price fell 10% immediately. You... (check the answer that most applies to you)

Sell out before the price collapses
Check the reasons that led you to make the investment to see if you made a mistake
Feel anxious and call your broker, friends and other investors you know to see what they think
Ignore him - he doesn’t know his arse from his elbow
Get a copy of the analyst’s report to see if there’s any foundation for his comments

45.How often do you check the prices of your investments (check all that apply):

46.Over the past five years, which of the following investments have you bought or sold (check all that apply):

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