Direxion Semiconductor Bull ETF Drops 14% as Chip Sector Faces Sharp Selloff

One of the most important things new investors can do is assess their risk tolerance. That doesn't mean pigeonholing themselves in the long term, because risk-taking can and does evolve as market participants "stack days," gaining knowledge and experience.

Some investors are content to stick with conservative, low-volatility stocks, while others go for more exhilarating growth. Other market participants simply embrace low-cost, plain vanilla index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and call it a day. The point is the market serves up dishes for a variety of tastes, and investors are free to change their tastes over time.

For the "go big or go home crowd," there are leveraged, or geared ETFs. That's an expansive, seductive corner of the ETF realm, and it includes the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF (NYSEMKT: SOXL).

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