Financial risk is normally any risk associated with any form of financing. Risk is probability of unfavorable condition; in financial sector it is the probability of actual return being less than expected return. There will be uncertainty in every business; the level of uncertainty present is called risk.

Investment related

Depending on the nature of the investment, the type of 'investment' risk will vary. High risk investments have greater potential rewards, but also have greater potential consequences.

A common concern with any investment is that the initial amount invested may be lost (also known as "the capital"). This risk is therefore often referred to as capital risk.

If the invested assets are being held in another currency, there is a risk that currency movements alone may affect the value. This is referred to as currency risk.

Many forms of investment may not be readily salable on the open market (e.g. commercial property) or the market has a small capacity and may therefore take time to sell. Assets that are easily sold are termed liquid: therefore this type of risk is termed liquidity risk.