投资前，搞明白这3个问题非常重要！

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of having a clear investment plan and understanding three fundamental questions: maximum loss tolerance, expected annual return, and investment duration. These questions serve as the foundation for successful investing and help avoid blind chasing of market trends [1][18]. Group 1: Maximum Loss Tolerance - Understanding maximum loss tolerance is crucial for risk management, which is the cornerstone of investing. Investors often focus on potential gains without considering how much loss they can endure [2][8]. - Risk tolerance directly influences investment strategy and asset allocation. Different individuals have varying levels of comfort with market fluctuations based on their financial situations and psychological resilience [8][9]. - Establishing a clear maximum loss threshold provides a safety net for investors, allowing them to make informed asset choices and weight allocations without succumbing to panic during market downturns [8][9]. Group 2: Expected Annual Return - Setting realistic return expectations is essential and should be based on the investor's risk tolerance. Many investors aim for unrealistic returns without understanding the associated risks [9][12]. - Historical data suggests that a balanced asset allocation can yield reasonable returns with manageable volatility. For instance, a balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds has shown an annualized return of approximately 7.8% over five years with a volatility of 7.3% [12][13]. - Unrealistic return expectations can lead to disappointment and frequent portfolio adjustments, ultimately resulting in suboptimal outcomes. Aligning return goals with risk tolerance is vital for effective investment planning [13][19]. Group 3: Investment Duration - The investment horizon significantly impacts risk and return dynamics. Longer investment periods generally allow for better risk smoothing and the benefits of compounding [14][17]. - Short-term investments are often subject to high volatility, while long-term holdings tend to stabilize returns. For example, the probability of positive returns on the CSI 300 index increases from 60% over one year to nearly 100% over ten years [17]. - Understanding the investment timeline helps avoid liquidity issues and ensures that investors are not forced to liquidate positions prematurely, which can hinder potential gains [17][18]. Group 4: Application to Gold Investment - The article applies the three fundamental questions to the current inquiry about investing in gold. It suggests that if an investor can tolerate a maximum loss of 10%, gold may not be suitable for a significant allocation due to its historical volatility [21]. - Expected annual returns from gold are projected at 5%-6%, making it challenging to achieve an 8%-10% return solely from gold investments. Instead, gold should be part of a diversified portfolio [21][22]. - A proposed investment strategy for a hypothetical investor with a medium risk tolerance includes a 45% allocation to stocks, 50% to bonds, and 5% to commodities, including gold, to balance risk and return [21][32].