Big 3: Objectives, Time Horizon, and Risk Tolerance

When presented with a suitability question on the Series 7 Exam, try to think as you will once you get your license. First, what are the goals of the investor? What are her investment objectives? Investment objectives include: capital preservation, income, growth & income, growth, and speculation. If the individual is in his 30’s and is setting up a retirement account, he probably needs growth to build up his net worth before reaching retirement age. If he’s already in retirement, he probably needs income. He might need income almost exclusively, or, to protect his purchasing power, he might also need growth. And, as you might expect, this is where growth & income funds come in very handy. But, any blue chip stock that pays regular dividends would fit that bill, also. Or, even a bond that is convertible—that would be income plus potential growth. This test—you’ll see—likes to make you think way outside the box. Some firms separate growth from aggressive growth.  Aggressive growth investments include international funds, sector funds (healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, etc.) and emerging market funds (China, India, Brazil, etc.). For speculation, there are options and futures, and most investors should limit their exposure to these derivatives to maybe 5-15% of their portfolio.Some folks are already rich, and they wisely just want to preserve their capital (capital preservation). We won’t tell them about buying US Treasury securities all on their own, without commissions. Instead, we’ll put them into a US Treasury mutual fund. Even though the fund is not guaranteed, the securities the fund owns are.Need Help Passing the 7?