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Make your money meet your future goals
Your life goals will help you figure out how much you need to invest and when to start. They also give you motivation to meet your investment goals. For example, would you rather eat out every day or invest that money and go on a trip at the end of the year?
How much do you hope to make and when?
Some goals are short term, like buying a sofa for your apartment. Others are long term, like paying off your student debt. One thing to keep in mind when investing toward a certain goal is rate of return. That’s how much your investment will gain (or lose!) within a period of time.
How much risk can you take?
Risk is about the possibility of losing some or all of your original investment. Generally, the riskier an investment is, the higher the potential for return. The lower the risk, the lower the potential for return, but you can feel more confident knowing that your money will be there when you need it. At the end of the day, you should feel good about the amount of risk you’re taking.
Investment personalities
Your investment personality depends on your tolerance for risk, how much money you’ll need, and when you’ll need it. Here are 3 main investment personalities:
Conservative
Conservative investors are focused on protecting their money. They may need their money at a particular time or may not be comfortable with investments that go up or down in value by a lot. Too much risk keeps them up at night.
Balanced
Someone who’s a balanced investor is okay with taking some risk in order to see their money grow. Their investments are balanced which means they have a mix of risky and conservative products.
Aggressive
Aggressive investors have growth in mind. They’re willing to make riskier investments in order to see higher rates of return and won’t lose sleep over it.
Want to learn more about investing?
Investing 101
Understand the basics of investing and why it’s important to start early.
Managing your investments
Find tips on how to manage your investment portfolio.
CIBC Investor's Edge for students
Our online platform has educational tools to help you build your investment portfolio, even on a student budget.