Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

In economics and finance, risk refers to the possibility of an investment or loan not yielding the expected return or being repaid. This includes default risk, the chance a borrower won't repay a loan, and trading risk, where investment returns may vary from expectations. Most people prefer to minimize risk, a concept known as risk aversion. However, the economy encourages risk-taking for innovation and growth.1

Institutions like the insurance industry help manage risk by allowing participants to transfer or pool it. Banks also manage various risks, including credit risk (borrowers failing to repay), interest-rate risk, market risk, and foreign-exchange risk. Systematic risks, such as political changes, interest rate fluctuations, and economic outlook, affect the entire market and cannot be diversified away. Non-systematic risks, conversely, impact specific companies or sectors.234

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.