Dividends & Income Digest: What Investment Risks Are You Taking?

I'm sure I'm not alone here: The older I get, the less of a risk taker I become. I look back at things I did 10 or 20 years ago and am in awe of my younger self! I was brave and bold - and in some cases downright reckless - in ways I cannot fathom today.
Part of it is that as we age and gain more experience, we become more aware of danger and consequence. I see this happening already in my sons. At age 2, my eldest just barely made the height requirement to ride the kiddie roller coaster at a local amusement park, yet he boarded it without fear, as if he'd ridden it 100 times before. I was white-knuckled the whole ride, while beside me he just laughed. A year later, though, at the wise old age of 3, he took one look at that roller coaster and gave it a hard pass. Way too scary, now that he had a slightly better sense of what was at stake.
Part of it, too, is the burden of responsibility. I'm a wife, a mother, and a breadwinner. These roles define me in ways the younger me could only dream of. When I take risks now, I in turn put my family at risk, financially or otherwise.
So I'll admit I don't take a lot of risks these days, investments included. Not long ago, my husband and I bit our nails over the purchase of a bitcoin. A single bitcoin. We didn't want to risk missing out on the ride, but I imagine 20 years ago we would have just jumped right on that roller coaster with our hands in the air.
Certainly, there's plenty for investors... Read more