Changing Your Risk Level: What to Do When Your Financial Situation Shifts

Your risk level on Stash is built from several pieces of information you provide during onboarding. These are things like your income, financial goals, how you view risk, and other brokerage and investing-related questions. These details help Stash understand your overall financial picture and determine a risk level that guides certain parts of your account, including how managed accounts like Smart Portfolio are allocated, as well as how investment recommendations are made and advice is provided.

Because your risk level influences real investment decisions, it’s important to update it only when your financial situation has genuinely changed, not based on short-term market optimism, fear, or curiosity.

When should you update your risk profile?

Only when there’s been a meaningful shift in your life or finances.
Here are examples of changes that may warrant a new assessment:

• A major change in income (promotion, new job, reduced hours)

• Moving to a new city with a different cost of living

• Getting married or entering a long-term partnership

• Having a child

• Buying a home

• Taking on (or losing) significant financial responsibilities

• Preparing for retirement

If none of these or something similar applies, it’s usually best to leave your profile as-is. Your long-term financial plan benefits from consistency.

How to update your risk profile

If you’ve experienced a major shift and need your risk level reassessed, here’s how to update your answers:

In the Stash app

1. Tap your initials (iOS) or the menu icon (Android) in the upper-left corner.

2. Tap Financial profile.

3. Tap General investing questions.

4. Tap Update in the upper-right corner and follow the prompts.

On the web

1. Click your name in the upper-right corner.

2. Click View financial profile.

3. Select the checkbox, then click Confirm.

Update your answers in the Financial Profile section.