Why I Use Riskalyze to Help You Invest with Confidence (Instead of Guesswork)
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One of the biggest challenges I’ve seen in helping people plan for retirement is this: risk is invisible until it shows up.
People often think they’re conservative investors—until the market drops 20% and they discover they’re not sleeping at night. Others think they’re aggressive investors—until they realize how anxious big losses make them feel.
That’s why I use Riskalyze, a powerful technology platform designed to help me measure your true risk tolerance and align your investments with your comfort level and goals. It takes the guesswork out of investing and replaces it with real numbers and personalized planning.
Why listen to me on this topic?
I’m not here to claim I’ve worked with thousands of people or throw around big credentials. Instead, I’ll simply say this: in my experience, I’ve found that most investors don’t truly know how much risk they’re taking until it’s too late. And I’ve seen how powerful it can be when people finally understand what kind of losses—or gains—they can realistically handle. That’s why I believe every retirement plan should include a clear, personalized look at risk.
Key Takeaways
Riskalyze turns “risk” from an abstract concept into a personal, measurable number.
It helps ensure your investments match your comfort level and retirement goals.
It allows us to run “what if” scenarios to show how your portfolio might perform in good and bad markets.
It reduces surprises, which can keep you on track during volatile times.
It’s an essential tool for building confidence in your retirement plan.
Why I Use Riskalyze with Clients
1. Because Risk is More Than Just a Word
In my experience, one of the biggest disconnects between investors and their portfolios is that risk sounds vague. People say things like:
“I’m a conservative investor.”
“I’m willing to take some risk for growth.”
“I don’t want to lose everything.”
But what do those words actually mean in dollars and cents?
Riskalyze changes this conversation. It assigns you a Risk Number®—a score between 1 and 99 that quantifies your comfort with investment risk. Instead of guessing what “moderate risk” means, you’ll see:
How much your portfolio might lose during a market downturn.
How much potential growth you could capture when markets rise.
The range of returns you might expect in a typical year.
Risk becomes tangible, not theoretical. In my experience, this makes clients feel more confident because they can finally see the tradeoffs clearly.
Of course, no tool can eliminate all uncertainty. But Riskalyze helps make those uncertainties visible—and manageable.
2. Because It Helps Align Your Portfolio to Your Reality
I’ve worked with people who discovered they were taking far more risk than they intended—or not enough. For example, I’ve seen clients with conservative goals holding portfolios with significant downside exposure simply because they didn’t know how aggressive their investments actually were.
Riskalyze helps us identify mismatches between your Risk Number® and your current investments. If you’re a 45 on the scale, but your investments line up closer to an 80, that’s a warning sign.
Once we identify that gap, we can adjust your portfolio to fit your comfort zone. In my experience, this alignment matters even more as you approach retirement because large market losses close to retirement can have an outsized impact on your long-term plan.
While the tool is powerful, it’s not a magic wand. Aligning your risk number to your investments still requires thoughtful conversation and planning.
3. Because It Prepares You for “What If?” Scenarios
One of the most valuable parts of Riskalyze, in my opinion, is its ability to simulate real-life market scenarios. Together, we can look at:
How your portfolio might perform if the market drops 20%.
What would happen in a sharp economic recovery.
The likely range of outcomes in an average year.
This helps you make informed decisions rather than reacting emotionally when markets swing.
For instance, Riskalyze might show that your portfolio has a 95% probability of staying within a range of -10% to +20% over the next six months. That’s much clearer than saying, “Well, markets might be volatile.”
While no projection can predict the future perfectly, I’ve found these scenarios give clients a realistic picture of risk, which can reduce anxiety and help them stay committed to their plan.
Want to learn how to retire without the worry of running out of money in retirement? Click here to watch this video
4. Because It Helps Keep Emotions in Check
In my experience, the biggest risk to many retirement plans isn’t the market—it’s the investor’s own emotions. Fear during a downturn can lead people to sell at the bottom. Greed during a rally can cause people to overextend into risky investments.
Riskalyze gives us a framework for revisiting your risk tolerance regularly. If markets drop and you feel nervous, we can review your Risk Number and remind ourselves why we chose your strategy. If markets soar, we can check to ensure your portfolio hasn’t drifted into a risk level you’re no longer comfortable with.
I’ve seen this process help clients avoid costly decisions driven by short-term emotion.
5. Because Confidence Matters in Retirement
Ultimately, I use Riskalyze because retirement planning is not just about numbers—it’s about confidence. It’s about knowing:
How much you could lose if markets turn south.
How much risk you’re truly comfortable taking.
How your plan might hold up under different scenarios.
When clients see their risk clearly and know it matches their goals, they’re less likely to panic when volatility hits. They stay invested. They follow their plan. And in my experience, that’s often the biggest driver of long-term success.
Riskalyze doesn’t remove risk, but it makes it visible. And in financial planning, knowledge is power.
Conclusion
Risk is part of investing—but it shouldn’t be a mystery. Tools like Riskalyze help me ensure that your investments reflect your comfort level and your retirement goals, so you can move forward with more confidence and fewer surprises.
From my experience, the investors who thrive are those who understand their risk, plan around it, and avoid making emotional decisions when markets become turbulent. Riskalyze is one of the most effective tools I’ve found to help make that possible.
If you’d like to see your own Risk Number—or if you’re curious how your current portfolio stacks up—I’d be happy to help you explore it.
Want to learn how to retire without the worry of running out of money in retirement? Click here to watch this video
FAQs
Q1. Is Riskalyze only for people who are nervous about investing?
No. Even confident investors can benefit. It’s about knowing your numbers and ensuring your portfolio matches your goals and comfort level.
Q2. Does Riskalyze guarantee I won’t lose money?
No. No tool can eliminate market risk completely. Riskalyze helps you understand your risk and plan accordingly, but markets are unpredictable.
Q3. How secure is my data in Riskalyze?
Riskalyze takes security seriously, using encryption and secure servers to protect data. I only use it with a client’s explicit permission, and I’m happy to discuss any concerns you might have.
Disclaimer: Case studies are hypothetical and do not relate to an actual client of Lock Wealth Management. Clients or potential clients should not interpret any part of the content as a guarantee of achieving similar results or satisfaction if they engage Lock Wealth Management for investment advisory services.