Risk
In the famous board game Risk, players navigate a board that looks like a map of the world. Through a series of battles, players try and occupy territories until eventually one player ‘takes over the world’ and wins the game.
I’ve always thought the title of the game was very appropriate. Determining the level of risk that should be taken to accomplish short-term and long-term goals becomes the primary focus of every player. If a player is too aggressive and makes a “risky” move too early, they might run out of pieces to accomplish the task. If a player is too safe and doesn’t engage soon enough, they might miss their window of opportunity and be playing catch-up the rest of the game.
The game of Risk simply becomes a game where each player must allocate their resources and wealth to balance the various risks in front of them.
The Principle of Risk
The principle of risk can sometimes be misunderstood. Risk is neither a bad nor a good thing; it simply is what it is. Risk means you have exposure to a potential outcome, at the trade-off of something else. Risk is usually discussed in terms of a trade-off. You trade off one thing, for the potential benefit of another thing, but at the expense of something else.
Our job is to help you navigate risk in the financial markets and with money decisions.
With investing, there are two primary risks that investors must balance when deciding what to do with their money, as follows:
- Inflation Risk: The risk that the value, or purchasing power, of your money will erode due to the government printing more money.
- Volatility Risk: The risk that the price of your investment moves up or down in an unpredictable way causing stress and fear.
The dilemma that all investors face is that, generally, as you mitigate one of these risks, you amplify the other. It’s sort of like a seesaw – as one goes down, the other goes up.
For example, cash and money market funds “feel safe” because they are generally considered to have little to no price volatility. The reality is they are the most prone to losing their value to the ‘hidden tax’ known as inflation.
On the opposite end, stocks are often considered a volatile investment because their price changes every day but have historically been able to outpace inflation.
Thus, the dilemma and tradeoff investors face in their decisions related to these two risks.
Recent Events
April 2025 was a classic example of how quickly markets can turn volatile. It was a month for the history books in financial markets. Due to the announcement of tariffs and other economic factors, we experienced extreme short-term volatility, the likes of which, in some cases, haven’t been seen in generations. By May 1st, markets had recovered and were nearly back to April 1st levels. It was quite the ride.
While the volatility of April 2025 was rare from a historical lens, it still nonetheless happened, and is a good reminder of how sharp these market moves can occur.
Our job is to help you navigate these markets and find the right balance of risk to help you meet your specific financial goals. Our stated mission is to help you make better decisions with your money. This is what we do. Please reach out.
DISCLAIMER: This material is for informational purposes only. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.