Investors' Four Personality Groups

So once you've determined your "change personality," what's the next step? According to Prest, it's a little bit of reflection. Think about how you approach investment decisions, and what impact those decisions will have on your retirement planning. It's unlikely, for example, that a pursuer will do an about face and start taking more control over his investments, as his venturer friends do. But knowing your tendencies can help avoid chasing that sure-thing stock tip on CNBC.

Prest recommends investors build a well-diversified and well-allocated retirement savings plan. Such a plan may feel uncomfortable for some individuals. Anchored investors who can't stand the risk of losing money, for example, will likely bristle at adding stocks to their portfolio. But an anchored investor needs to balance the important role stocks play in a retirement planning strategy with her own emotions.

Understanding what kind of investor you are, says Prest, can help you reconcile, and balance, those competing feelings. "Sometimes just knowing who you are can allow you to breathe a sigh of relief," he says. "You know it's just how you're wired."