Startup Co-Founder, Board Director, Writer, Investor, MS Clinical Mental Health (current)
Type 6 Investor
With racing minds that seek constant assurance, Type Sixes (Skeptics) tend to be circumspect, seeking safe haven investments and ways to protect themselves.
01
Core Motivation: Safety First
Type 6 investors seek safety in everything, including financial decisions. Active Type 6 investors will almost always gravitate towards more secure asset classes. Subjectivity, however, comes into play here. Some may view American dollars as the steadiest form of asset. Others will think gold to be most dependable. Or they may put all their money in real estate, which is the largest asset class in the world. Safety in numbers confers a deep sense of security.
02
Trigger: Lack of Support
Like how Type 6 investors find safety in numbers, when market tides turn against them and they are made to feel like they are the only ones holding the bag, capitulation becomes likely. Doubts fill their minds quicker than others; without safety in numbers, downside scenarios may overwhelm their thinking.
03
Primary Focus: Downside
Type 6 investors tend to be cautious by nature and they possess high mental acuity that scans across a spectrum of possible outcomes when assessing investment opportunities. Because they always have lingering doubts on their minds, Type 6 investors are hyper-vigilant and tend to ask for external opinions to test theirs. Skepticism in a healthy dose can be a powerful tool in personal investing, preventing one from getting swept up in a bull market.
04
Blind Spot: Upside
Personal investing requires a fundamental faith that the future will be better than the present. That portfolio valuation will at least outpace inflation to create a financial safety net on retirement. Type 6 investors who focus too much on downside risks may be underestimating their abilities to take control of their financial future. That is fine if they still deploy towards safer asset classes, but if everything is hoarded in cash, it will be detrimental to both their finances – due to inflation – and self-confidence.
05
Key Avoidance: Lone Voice
Type 6 investors are usually not the ones to back early-stage companies (unless they find safety in numbers co-investing with large institutions) or being a contrarian. They may avoid situations in which they feel their viewpoints to be unsupported by others in the room.
06
Pivots: Types 3 and 9
Taking a page from a Type Three performer playbook to become more goal-oriented is something that Type 6 investors may find inspiring. In addition, leaning into the harmonious nature of a Type Nine peacemaker to find support can help calm their anxious minds.