What type of investor am I?

If you answered mostly A's
You appear to have a cautious attitude to investment with little or no experience of investing in shares.

If you have less than 5 years to retirement this cautious attitude is a sensible approach, as you need to protect the funds you've built up over the years. Consider investing in Minimal Risk funds.

If you have between 5 and 10 years to retirement this cautious approach may mean that you've a reduced amount of money to live on in retirement, because your investments may not keep up with inflation. Consider investing in Minimal or Low Risk funds, or opting for the Lifestyle Profile which aims for growth in the early years but will automatically switch your pension fund to more cautious investments near to your retirement date.

If you have more than 10 years to retirement you must be aware that your cautious investments may not give you enough money to live on in retirement. Consider investing in Medium Risk funds in order to benefit from the potential of longer-term growth, moving to more cautious investments as you near retirement, or opting for the Lifestyle Profile which aims for growth in the early years but will automatically switch your pension fund to more cautious investments near to your retirement date.

If you answered mostly B's
You appear to be comfortable taking some risks with your investments in order to create a suitably sized pension fund for your retirement.

If you have less than 5 years to retirement and your pension fund will form the majority of your retirement income, you may want to consider more cautious funds near to your retirement. Consider investing in Low Risk funds, progressing to Minimal Risk funds.

If you have between 5 and 10 years to retirement and you're comfortable taking higher risks, consider Medium Risk and High Risk funds for now, but move your funds to more cautious investments as you near retirement. Or consider opting for the Lifestyle Profile which aims for growth in the early years but will automatically switch your pension fund to more cautious investments near to your retirement date.

If you have more than 10 years to retirement and you're comfortable taking higher risks and are looking to take advantage of the long term growth offered by higher risk investments, consider High Risk funds, moving to more cautious investments as you near retirement. You could also consider investing in the Lifestyle Profile which aims for growth in the early years but will automatically switch your pension fund to more cautious investments near to your retirement date.

If you answered mostly C's
You appear to be comfortable taking investment risks with your pension fund.

If you have less than 5 years to retirement this is a high-risk strategy given the number of years until your retirement. Consider Low Risk or Minimal Risk funds to protect the money you've built up.

If you have between 5 and 10 years to retirement continue with this strategy and consider Medium and High Risk funds, moving to more cautious investments as you near retirement.

If you have more than 10 years to retirement continue with this strategy and consider High Risk funds, moving to more cautious investments as you near retirement.

If you answered mostly D's
You appear to be an active investor, wanting to gain the best growth for your pension fund.

If you have less than 5 years to retirement consider Low and Minimal Risk funds.

If you have between 5 and 10 years to retirement consider investing some of your fund in Medium and High Risk funds, moving to more cautious investments as you near retirement.

If you have more than 10 years to retirement continue with this strategy and consider High Risk funds.

HSBC Life (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.