The world of investing is very subjective--the investment plan that’s right for you depends largely upon the level of comfort that you have when it comes to risk. We'd like our clients from Aflac to remember that you can’t completely avoid risk when it comes to investing, but it's possible for you to manage it.

There are two aspects of risk tolerance for Aflac employees to consider: (1) the capacity of your investment plan itself to absorb losses, and (2) how comfortable you are personally with risk. The first aspect can be quantified--the more flexibility your investment plan has when it comes to potential loss, the more risk your plan can tolerate. For example, as we’ve discussed, a long investment time horizon may allow you to take on more risk than a short time horizon.

The second aspect, how comfortable you are personally with risk, is more of an emotional measure, and depends on many factors, including your objectives, life stage, personality, and investment experience. Some investors are comfortable with a high degree of risk, while others can tolerate only minimal risk. Individual risk tolerance is an important factor for Aflac employees in deciding which individual investments are appropriate for them, as well as how their investment dollars should be allocated among different investment classes.

Investors are typically grouped into three categories for purposes of discussing risk tolerance: aggressive (those who have a high degree of risk tolerance); moderate (those willing to accept some degree of risk), and conservative (those who are risk averse).

Before finalizing any estate plan, it is worth examining how Aflac's employer-sponsored benefits fit into the broader picture. It is important to note that Aflac maintains a defined benefit pension plan that has been frozen to new benefit accruals -- meaning the plan no longer accumulates future benefits for most employees, but those who were already vested may still be entitled to receive the pension benefit they accrued prior to the freeze, subject to the vesting requirements described in their plan documents - this means the plan no longer accumulates future benefits for most employees, but those who were already vested may still be entitled to receive the pension benefit they accrued prior to the freeze, subject to the vesting requirements described in their plan documents. Aflac also offers retiree healthcare benefits to eligible employees, which can provide meaningful coverage for those who retire before reaching Medicare eligibility at age 65. Because the specifics of your pension benefit, retiree healthcare eligibility, and any matching contributions depend on your individual employment history and plan documents, We encourage you to review your Summary Plan Description (SPD) or speak with Aflac's HR or benefits team for the most current details.