Risk tolerance – on a scale of 1 to 100 – is the primary factor driving the ultimate performance of your investment strategy. If you deposit $100,000 today and let it sit for 10 years, a low risk strategy might grow to $130,000 while a high risk could grow to $210,000. On the other hand, in a down market the low risk could decline to $92,500 while a high risk strategy could decline to $70,000.