There are many options available to people wanting to invest a portion of their wealth. Investment possibilities range from purchasing stocks to financing a start-up company. Each type of investment comes with risk, and some investment options carry more risk than others. Individuals seeking to profit from high income investments must consider their risk tolerance. Risk tolerance is the investor's ability to deal with loss. A low risk investment is appealing because it incurs only small losses. However, low risk investments rarely produce large profits quickly. A high risk investment leaves the investor open for big losses, but also allows the possibility of big gains.