While the question is simple, the answer is not. Below I have listed several factors where diversification plays a role in reducing risk in an investment portfolio. Asset allocation Most people think of asset allocation when considering if their portfolio is properly diversified. We allocate our monies across the following three (3) asset classes: equities, fixed income, and cash. The decision to include an asset class is based upon their historical correlation with other asset classes. Correlation measures the strength of the relationship between two asset classes, where the value can range from +1 (perfectly correlated) to 0 (no relationship) …