Your ‘Risk Score’ Isn’t a Plan: The Case for Goals-Based Planning

You’ve probably taken the risk questionnaire before.

A handful of quick questions. A couple hypotheticals about a market drop.
And then—almost instantly—you’re labeled “Moderate Growth.”

It feels like someone got to know you.
But most of the time, it’s just a category.

Risk questionnaires don’t really understand you.
They sort you.

And when you’re sorted, what comes next is often a standard solution—because the system was built for speed, not depth.

The questions shape the outcome

After 25 years in this industry, I’ve watched this play out over and over.
Many firms use similar questionnaires because they’re easy to scale and easy to defend.

The process usually looks like this: quiz → risk bucket → model portfolio.
It’s tidy. It’s consistent. It’s also incomplete.

Because the form can’t see what actually matters most: your life.
Your work, your family, your health, your plans, your fears, and your responsibilities.

At Sevey Wealth, we believe better questions lead to better advice.
And better advice leads to more confidence when markets inevitably get loud.

“Risk” isn’t just volatility

Most forms treat risk as a single idea: how much market movement you can tolerate.
But the risks that shape real outcomes usually live outside a pie chart.

Longevity: What if you live longer than expected?
Inflation: What if “normal life” costs more than your plan assumes?
Flexibility: What if you need to change direction quickly?
Taxes: What if your plan leaks value every year without you noticing?

A 20% drop isn’t just a number.
It feels different if it lands during a job change, a health event, or early retirement.

A questionnaire can’t hold that context.
A conversation can.

Your answers will change—and that’s normal

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: the same person will answer those questions differently in different markets.
That doesn’t make you irrational—it makes you human.

When things are going well, confidence rises.
When volatility hits, fear rises.

If your plan is built on a mood-based score, it won’t feel steady when you need it most.
We believe your plan should be built on what you value and what you’re trying to protect—not on how you feel after reading the news.

Our approach: start with you

We don’t start with a model portfolio.
We start with your story.

We ask questions like:

What money lessons did you learn the hard way?
What do you want this next chapter to feel like?
What would “enough” look like—and what would threaten that feeling?

Then we connect the dots: cash flow, taxes, decision timing, and the tradeoffs you actually care about.
The portfolio becomes a tool to support your plan—not a template you’re expected to tolerate.

The right portfolio isn’t the one that looks best on paper.
It’s the one you can stick with because you understand what it’s for.

Why this matters

“Moderate Growth” isn’t a plan.
It’s a label.

You deserve more than a label.
You deserve clarity.

If you want to see what goals-based planning looks like, schedule a consultation with Sevey Wealth Advisors.

Disclosure: Educational content only, not individualized investment advice.