1. If your $10,000 investment drops 10% in a month due to market volatility, how would you feel?

A) Extremely upset—I'd sell immediately B) Very concerned—I'd consider selling C) Somewhat worried—I'd monitor D) Mildly bothered—stick to plan E) Not bothered at all—normal

2. How often do you delay non-essential purchases to align with retirement goals?

A) Rarely B) Sometimes C) Often D) Almost always E) Always

3. How carefully do you consider your health trajectory when planning retirement spending?

A) Barely at all B) Occasionally C) Somewhat D) Quite carefully E) Extremely carefully

4. When making financial decisions, do you prefer working alone or with a trusted advisor/spouse?

A) Strongly prefer alone B) Lean toward alone C) No preference D) Lean toward collaboration E) Strongly prefer collaboration

5. Before making an investment, how much time do you spend reading prospectuses or fact sheets?

A) None B) A few minutes C) 15–30 minutes D) 1–2 hours E) Several hours or more

6. How important is it that your advisor acts as a fiduciary (legally bound to put your interests first)?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Absolutely critical

7. How long can you comfortably hold an investment without selling, even if it underperforms initially?

A) A few months B) 6 months C) 1–2 years D) 3–5 years E) 5+ years

8. How much does your spouse's or partner's financial temperament influence your decisions?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Almost entirely

9. How comfortable are you analyzing financial ratios (P/E, debt-to-equity, etc.)?

A) Not comfortable at all B) Somewhat uncomfortable C) Neutral D) Fairly comfortable E) Very comfortable

10. A sudden 15% portfolio decline occurs. How upset would you be?

A) Devastated B) Very upset C) Moderately upset D) Slightly upset E) Not upset

11. How important is transparency in fee structures to you?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Extremely important

12. At what age do you plan/hope to live to when setting your financial plans?

A) 75 or younger B) 76–84 C) 85–89 D) 90–94 E) 95+

13. How often do you read investment news or research before making decisions?

A) Rarely B) Occasionally C) Regularly D) Frequently E) Almost daily

14. How important is it that your advisor adheres to recognized professional standards (CFP, CFA)?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Absolutely critical

15. How likely are you to adjust your financial plan if a significant health issue arises?

A) Unlikely B) Somewhat unlikely C) Neutral D) Somewhat likely E) Very likely

16. Your portfolio drops 5%. How long before you feel anxious enough to call your advisor?

A) Same day B) Within a week C) Within a month D) After 2–3 months E) Would not call

17. When evaluating an advisor, how much weight do you place on their personality and communication style?

A) Very little B) Some C) Moderate amount D) Quite a bit E) Most important factor

18. Do you prefer making financial decisions jointly with your spouse/partner or independently?

A) Strongly prefer independently B) Prefer independently C) No strong preference D) Prefer jointly E) Strongly prefer jointly

19. How important is it that your advisor discloses all potential conflicts of interest?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Non-negotiable

20. How patient are you with investments that take time to mature?

A) Not patient B) Somewhat impatient C) Moderately patient D) Very patient E) Extremely patient

21. How often do you use spreadsheets or calculators to model retirement scenarios?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Occasionally D) Regularly E) Frequently

22. How much do family or friends' opinions influence your investment choices?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

23. If the market drops 20%, how confident are you that it will recover?

A) Not confident B) Slightly confident C) Moderately confident D) Very confident E) Extremely confident

24. At what loss level would you become angry rather than just concerned?

A) 5% loss B) 10% loss C) 15% loss D) 20% loss E) 25%+ loss

25. When choosing an advisor, how important is personal rapport vs. credentials?

A) Credentials far more important B) Credentials somewhat more important C) Equally important D) Rapport somewhat more important E) Rapport far more important

26. How much longer do you expect to need your retirement savings to last?

A) <10 years B) 10–19 years C) 20–29 years D) 30–39 years E) 40+ years

27. How often do you consult your spouse/partner before making an investment move?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Sometimes D) Usually E) Always

28. How important is it that your advisor is legally required to act in your best interest?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Absolutely essential

29. Before investing, how thoroughly do you research historical performance?

A) Not at all B) Brief glance C) Moderate review D) Thorough analysis E) Exhaustive deep dive

30. How often do you think about potential long-term care costs in retirement?

A) Rarely B) Occasionally C) Sometimes D) Frequently E) Constantly

31. How long are you willing to wait for an underperforming stock to recover?

A) A few weeks B) A few months C) 1 year D) 2–3 years E) 5+ years

32. How much does it matter to you that an advisor follows a code of ethics?

A) Not much B) Somewhat C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Extremely important

33. Your portfolio loses 12% in a quarter. How upset are you?

A) Extremely upset B) Very upset C) Moderately upset D) Slightly upset E) Not upset

34. How important is your advisor's ability to explain complex topics in simple terms?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Critical

35. How comfortable are you calculating compound returns or present value?

A) Not comfortable B) Slightly uncomfortable C) Somewhat comfortable D) Fairly comfortable E) Very comfortable

36. How far into the future do you plan your retirement budget?

A) 1–2 years B) 3–5 years C) 6–10 years D) 11–20 years E) 21+ years

37. How much do you value having a financial advisor you can meet with in person?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Essential

38. How important is it that your advisor's compensation is transparent and understandable?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Absolutely critical

39. How often do you update your estate plan based on health changes?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Occasionally D) Regularly E) Whenever needed

40. At what loss percentage would you feel genuinely angry at your advisor?

A) 5% B) 10% C) 15% D) 20% E) 25%+

41. How often do you discuss financial goals with your spouse/partner?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Occasionally D) Frequently E) Constantly

42. How important is it that your advisor avoids commissions or kickbacks?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Non-negotiable

43. What is your expected lifespan when planning financially?

A) 70s B) Early 80s C) Late 80s D) Early 90s E) 95+

44. How thoroughly do you vet investment options before committing?

A) Minimal vetting B) Some vetting C) Moderate vetting D) Thorough vetting E) Exhaustive vetting

45. How much do you trust your spouse/partner's financial judgment?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Completely

46. How long would you hold a losing position hoping it rebounds?

A) Weeks B) A few months C) 6–12 months D) 1–2 years E) 3+ years

47. How important is your advisor's empathy and listening skills?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Extremely important

48. How much does it matter that your advisor has professional liability insurance?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

49. A 20% portfolio drop occurs. How upset are you?

A) Devastated B) Very upset C) Moderately upset D) Slightly upset E) Not upset

50. How many years do you budget for in retirement planning?

A) <15 years B) 15–24 years C) 25–34 years D) 35–44 years E) 45+ years

51. Before making a major financial decision, how much do you research?

A) Little to none B) Some C) Moderate D) Extensive E) Exhaustive

52. How aligned are you and your spouse/partner on risk tolerance?

A) Not aligned B) Slightly aligned C) Moderately aligned D) Well aligned E) Perfectly aligned

53. How important is it that your advisor is a fiduciary at all times?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Absolutely essential

54. How important is your advisor's ability to relate to your life stage?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Extremely important

55. How often do you factor potential medical expenses into your budget?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Sometimes D) Often E) Always

56. How comfortable are you reading financial statements (balance sheet, income statement)?

A) Not comfortable B) Slightly uncomfortable C) Somewhat comfortable D) Fairly comfortable E) Very comfortable

57. At what loss level do you transition from concern to anger?

A) 3–5% B) 6–10% C) 11–15% D) 16–20% E) 21%+

58. How long of a retirement are you planning to fund?

A) 5–10 years B) 11–20 years C) 21–30 years D) 31–40 years E) 41+ years

59. How often do you build financial models or projections yourself?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Occasionally D) Regularly E) Frequently

60. How much do close friends' investment successes/failures influence you?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

61. How much does it matter that your advisor doesn't sell proprietary products?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

62. How long are you comfortable holding an investment before seeing gains?

A) A few months B) 6 months C) 1 year D) 2–3 years E) 5+ years

63. How much time do you spend reviewing investment options before buying?

A) Minutes B) ~30 minutes C) 1–2 hours D) Several hours E) Many hours

64. How important is your advisor's responsiveness to calls/emails?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Critical

65. How much do you value joint decision-making with your advisor?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

66. Your account drops 8%. How upset are you?

A) Extremely upset B) Very upset C) Moderately upset D) Slightly upset E) Not upset

67. How frequently do you review your health insurance and Medicare options?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Annually D) Semi-annually E) Quarterly or more

68. How important is it that your advisor undergoes regular compliance audits?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Essential

69. How comfortable are you with statistical concepts like standard deviation or correlation?

A) Not comfortable B) Slightly uncomfortable C) Somewhat comfortable D) Fairly comfortable E) Very comfortable

70. At what loss level would you feel anger rather than just disappointment?

A) 2–5% B) 6–10% C) 11–15% D) 16–20% E) 21%+

71. To what age are you planning your retirement funds?

A) 75 B) 80 C) 85 D) 90 E) 95+

72. How important is your advisor's warmth and friendliness?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Extremely important

73. How often do you use Monte Carlo simulations or similar tools?

A) Never heard of them B) Heard but never used C) Used once or twice D) Use occasionally E) Use regularly

74. How much does your family's financial history influence your decisions?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

75. How important is it that your advisor has no conflicts of interest?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Absolutely critical

76. How patient are you with investments that underperform for 1–2 years?

A) Not patient B) Somewhat impatient C) Neutral D) Patient E) Very patient

77. How much due diligence do you perform before investing?

A) Minimal B) Some C) Moderate D) Thorough E) Exhaustive

78. Your portfolio declines 10%. How upset are you?

A) Extremely upset B) Very upset C) Moderately upset D) Slightly upset E) Not upset

79. What is the longest retirement duration you plan for?

A) 10 years B) 20 years C) 30 years D) 40 years E) 50+ years

80. How much does it matter that your advisor is subject to regulatory oversight?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

81. How important is your advisor's ability to simplify jargon?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Critical

82. How much do you value collaborative planning with your advisor?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

83. How often do you consider the impact of aging on your financial plan?

A) Rarely B) Occasionally C) Sometimes D) Often E) Constantly

84. At what loss percentage would anger override patience?

A) 5% B) 10% C) 15% D) 20% E) 25%+

85. How important is your advisor's cultural or regional understanding?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Extremely important

86. How much does it matter that your advisor follows best practices?

A) Not much B) Somewhat C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Extremely

87. How thoroughly do you investigate fees and expenses?

A) Not at all B) Briefly C) Moderately D) Thoroughly E) Exhaustively

88. How far into the future do you project your financial needs?

A) 5 years B) 10 years C) 20 years D) 30 years E) 40+ years

89. How often do you use quantitative tools (spreadsheets, calculators)?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Occasionally D) Regularly E) Frequently

90. How much do peer opinions affect your investment choices?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

91. How important is it that your advisor maintains professional designations?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Essential

92. How long would you wait for a position to recover before selling?

A) 1–3 months B) 4–6 months C) 7–12 months D) 1–2 years E) 3+ years

93. A 7% portfolio drop occurs. How upset are you?

A) Extremely upset B) Very upset C) Moderately upset D) Slightly upset E) Not upset

94. How important is your advisor's patience and listening?

A) Not important B) Slightly important C) Moderately important D) Very important E) Critical

95. How often do you update your plans based on health changes?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Occasionally D) Often E) Always

96. How much do you value co-creating strategies with your advisor?

A) Not at all B) Slightly C) Moderately D) Quite a bit E) Very much

97. How comfortable are you interpreting investment performance reports?

A) Not comfortable B) Slightly uncomfortable C) Somewhat comfortable D) Fairly comfortable E) Very comfortable

98. Your account loses 6%. How upset are you?

A) Devastated B) Very upset C) Moderately upset D) Slightly upset E) Not upset

99. How long do you plan for your money to last in retirement?

A) 10 years B) 20 years C) 30 years D) 40 years E) 50+ years

100. Anger at advisor error causing 3% underperformance?

A) Outraged B) Complain loudly C) Discuss firmly D) Note for review E) Assume good faith

101. How often do you forget appointments or meetings you've scheduled?

A) Never or very rarely B) Occasionally (few times a year) C) Sometimes (monthly) D) Often (weekly) E) Frequently (multiple times per week)

102. Have you noticed any changes in your ability to remember names of people you know well?

A) No, I remember names easily B) Very minor occasional lapses C) Some difficulty, but names come back D) Noticeable difficulty with familiar names E) Frequent trouble remembering names

103. How often do you misplace important items like keys, wallet, or phone?

A) Rarely or never B) A few times a month C) Weekly D) Several times a week E) Daily or multiple times daily

104. Do you ever find yourself forgetting what you were doing in the middle of a task?

A) Never B) Very rarely C) Occasionally D) Frequently E) Very frequently

105. How often do you have trouble following conversations in a group setting?

A) Never, I follow easily B) Rarely have difficulty C) Sometimes lose track D) Often find it challenging E) Frequently cannot keep up

106. Have you noticed changes in your ability to manage your checkbook or pay bills on time?

A) No changes, I manage well B) Minor occasional errors C) Some difficulty, need to be more careful D) Noticeable difficulty, sometimes miss payments E) Significant difficulty, need help

107. How often do you repeat questions or stories without realizing you've already asked or told them?

A) Never or very rarely B) Occasionally C) Sometimes, people remind me D) Often E) Frequently, family has mentioned it

108. Do you ever have difficulty remembering what day of the week or what month it is?

A) Never B) Very rarely C) Occasionally need to check D) Frequently confused E) Often disoriented about time

109. How often do you forget to take medications or take them twice by mistake?

A) Never, I have a reliable system B) Very rarely miss or double C) Occasionally forget D) Often forget or get confused E) Frequently have medication errors

110. Have you noticed any difficulty finding the right words when speaking?

A) No, words come easily B) Rarely have word-finding issues C) Occasional difficulty D) Frequent word-finding problems E) Significant difficulty expressing thoughts

111. How often do you get confused about directions to familiar places?

A) Never, I navigate easily B) Very rarely confused C) Occasionally need GPS for familiar routes D) Often get disoriented E) Frequently lost in familiar areas

112. Do you ever have trouble making decisions about everyday matters (what to wear, what to eat)?

A) Never, decisions are easy B) Rarely have difficulty C) Sometimes feel overwhelmed D) Often struggle with simple choices E) Frequently cannot decide

113. How often do you forget recent events or conversations from the past few days?

A) Rarely forget recent events B) Occasionally forget minor details C) Sometimes forget conversations D) Often forget recent discussions E) Frequently have no memory of recent events

114. Have family members or friends expressed concern about your memory or thinking?

A) No, never B) Very rarely, in passing C) Occasionally someone mentions it D) Yes, several people have expressed concern E) Yes, frequently and with worry

115. How often do you have difficulty concentrating on tasks like reading or watching TV?

A) Never, I concentrate well B) Rarely lose focus C) Sometimes have trouble D) Often cannot maintain attention E) Frequently unable to concentrate

116. Do you ever put items in unusual places and then can't remember why (like keys in the refrigerator)?

A) Never B) Very rarely C) Occasionally D) Frequently E) Very frequently, it concerns me

117. How often do you have trouble keeping track of multiple tasks or steps in a process?

A) Never, I manage multiple things easily B) Rarely have difficulty C) Sometimes get confused D) Often lose track E) Frequently overwhelmed by sequences

118. Have you noticed changes in your ability to learn new things or use new technology?

A) No, I learn new things easily B) Learning is slightly slower but manageable C) Noticeable difficulty with new information D) Significant struggle learning new things E) Very difficult or unable to learn new tasks

119. How often do you feel confused or disoriented in social situations?

A) Never B) Rarely C) Occasionally D) Often E) Frequently, I avoid social events

120. Do you find it harder now than in the past to handle your personal finances and understand financial statements?

A) No, finances are just as easy B) Slightly more challenging C) Noticeably more difficult D) Much harder, I struggle E) Very difficult, need significant help

Financial Behavior Questionnaire
For adults 55+ approaching or in retirement

Your Information (Optional)

Memory & Daily Function Questions

Financial Behavior QuestionnaireFor adults 55+ approaching or in retirement

Your Information (Optional)

Memory & Daily Function Questions

Financial Behavior Questionnaire
For adults 55+ approaching or in retirement