For the neophyte investor, pinning down your investment style is about as clear as a pot of coffee that's been sitting on the warmer for 9 hours. How much risk can you handle? When do you think you will need the money? How involved do you want to be in day-to-day decisions? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? The answers to these questions are not always clear because of factors that can be relative to so many other things.

So perhaps it would be simpler to relate your investing style to something else entirely. Since eating is something everyone can relate to, I'd like to suggest the following guidelines based on your dining style. This may seem quite silly, but I would argue that it is not too much more unreasonable than any other method.

Dining style: Even if the New York style cheesecake is sitting right next to your peas and carrots, you wait until the end of the meal to indulge in dessert.
Investing style: Certain, delayed gratification CDs or Bonds.

Dining style: At the buffet, a line usually starts forming behind you because you think everything is good and take a little of everything, sometimes needing a second plate.
Investing style: Diversification at all costs Mutual funds or Index funds

Dining style: You brown bag your lunches and drink water during the week to save enough money to go to the fancy restaurant on the weekend and splurge on a steak and a nice Cabernet.
Investing style: Long-term, methodical dreamer - IRAs

Dining style: You explore every trendy restaurant and order the most exotic item on the menu in search of that one dish that will blow you away.
Investing style: Crazy gambler - Penny stocks on margin

Dining style: You know what you like and order the same thing, maybe sometimes mixing it up with a new side dish, if it is not too out-of-the-ordinary.
Investing style: Risk averse, but open Large Cap Stocks

Dining style: You eat whatever is put in front of you and don't like to be bothered with shopping, cooking, cleaning, or even ordering out. In fact, you'd pay someone to bring the food to your open mouth.
Investing style: Let someone else do it get a personal financial manager

Dining style: You don't want anyone touching your food. You hide food around the house so that you're never too far away from your next meal... in case something were to happen.
Investing style: Paranoid find yourself a nice under-stuffed mattress to stash your cash.

So now I've either given you an idea of what your investing personality is like or I've made you very hungry. So go grab a sandwich and get in the game... and don't take yourself too seriously.

Learn more about this author, Nathan Kim.
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