The problem is that there is no rational mapping between feelings and the imagined or realized short-term or long-term outcome of investments. And there is certainly no guidance from answering one or two ordinal scale items: "I don't like to lose my money, 1=who cares ... 10 = not even a penny!" For that reason, I have found that the best way to deal with my anxiety about the future is to be informed. Although meetings with TIAA counselors and WMAs can't take away all dis-ease, it helps, for me at least. Acting on your feelings can sometimes be self-destructive, and I think the TIAA game of risk assessment may not be the best way to plan a retirement investment or payout strategy. Risk assessment has nothing to do with the data -- it's all inside.

Henry