[Hardastarboard]

Steve - the advice from Catmom above is as good as any you will get from a professional investment adviser, especially "Watch your spending." Realize that you are buying in near the peak of the market, and don't panic when it eventually drops by a large amount, as it always does. People lose more from panic than from bad investments, selling when it drops, forgetting that it ALWAYS comes back.

Two other points to make - always be investing, every chance you get. It's called Dollar Cost Averaging. That way you're buying in when the market's up, and when it's down, so you never have to try to time the market (it can't be done, no matter what the @$$ wipes on talk radio who are trying to sell you investments or advice tell you). And pay attention to your allocation (stocks versus bonds). Look up the recommended ratios for your age on the internet.

Finally, direct answer to your question - put the money into a mutual fund that is a stock market index (owns stocks from the Fortune 500 / 1000) with any of the major investment companies, and make SURE you buy No Load funds, with the lowest percent of fees you can find. Good Luck

[yldstrk]

the only problem with mutual funds is over the long term you need information about your basis for taxes which for some reason is a hassle and that is why we are totally out of mutual funds.

[Catmom]

;) Thank you!