Which one of the following is true about risk and return? a) riskier assets will, on average, earn lower returns. b) the reward for bearing risk is known as the standard deviation. c) based on historical data, there is no reward for bearing risk. d) an increase in the risk of an investment will result in a decreased risk premium. e) in general, the higher the expected return, the higher the risk.

E) In general, the higher the expected return, the higher the risk.

Explanation:

In order to attract potential investors, investments that bear a higher risk must offer a higher expected return. This is known as the risk-return tradeoff principle. Abiding by that same logic, investments with lower associated risk tend to offer lower expected returns since they are a "safe bet".

Therefore, the answer is E) In general, the higher the expected return, the higher the risk.