Before deciding that you want to add small companies, emerging-markets stocks, or high-yield bond funds to your portfolio, find out how these new choices would work with and affect your current mix.

Many online financial Web sites offer tools that can help.

Once you see all of the holdings for your "aggressive" portfolio, answer a few questions:

• Is this new portfolio more likely to meet your goal than your old portfolio?
• How much more volatile is this portfolio? Can you handle that possible three-month loss?

You may be surprised by what you find. Becoming more aggressive doesn't always improve your chances of reaching your goal. And it'll almost always deepen your possible three-month loss. Make sure you can handle the volatility that comes with a more-aggressive portfolio.

Next: The Quiz >>