> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wpahelp.windhamlabs.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wpahelp.windhamlabs.com/optimization/risk-aversion.md).

# Risk Aversion

Risk aversion specifies how many units of expected return we are willing to forfeit in order to decrease risk (variance) by one unit. A higher risk aversion would suggest a conservative investor and would tilt the optimal portfolio away from highly volatile assets.