<prompt> Human: Ill try to give as much information as I can.Almost 30 years old. I have been working a professional job for the last 5 years, with a majority of the last 5 years living with my parents.I started at 45k, and after a few job hops, only recently started earning 90k a year.Student loans paid off, no debts.I didnt know much about investing and was scared to invest. I only did up to the match at a majority of the companies I was at to a Roth 401k. This would have been anywhere from 4-6 depending on the company. With the lower salaries I was making, this wasnt much.I only recently switched to doing Traditional 401k and maxing it out to 18,000 a year. I also opened up a Roth IRA last year and maxed it out for last year and this year.The rest of the money I just stashed in a savings account. I am now at 140k.I know, I know. I am an idiot and if I put it in the market I could have double the amount now. I know. But thats the past, I was ignorant, and we now look to the future.I still have to consoldate my retirement accounts. Closing 401k accounts from old jobs and moving pre tax money to the new 401k, and roth money to my Roth IRA.Once that is done, I expect it to look something like this:Savings: 140kTraditional 401k: 12k Target date fundRoth IRA: 27k Target Date FundI dont really know what to do with the 140k in savings and it is causing me anxiety. I am pretty much lost in terms of what I want for my future. My life is pretty much on auto pilot at this point.I THINK I would like to buy a home in 5 years. Im currently renting. My monthly expenses hit about 1300-1500 a month.I take home after taxes and all 401k, healthcare, etc deductions, roughly 4100 a month. After I pay everything, I have about roughly 2500 left over to save and do whatever I want with, give or take.My very risk averse parents extremely risk averse are suggesting that I take 100k and put it in a 5 year CD making 3 a year. This is all they know in terms of investing. Trying to discuss index funds, etc goes over their head and they get angry saying I could lose everything.Anyways, my dads reasoning is that the 100k could be my base. Something I can always fall back on while it grows a small amount, and then whatever I continue to earn and save, I can do whatever I want with, its my business.If I went this route, it would leave me with 40k. I was then thinking of opening up a brokerage account and throwing in 10k into one of the recommended portfolios, or a another target date, or SP500 index, or whatever. The remaining 30k would be my emergency fund. I would then take the 2500 that I have left over every month and put 1000 a month into the brokerage account indefinitely for very long term.Take the remaining 1500 and keep throwing it into the emergency fund until I have enough for probably another house down payment. I dont know.Then after the CD matures, take the 115k or whatever it ends up becoming and reevaluate what I want to do with it, while continuing the plan I put in above.All this time also continuing to max out my 401k and Roth IRA.After 5 years, if I am committed to the plan, Id have 60k principle in the brokerage account. Who knows what the actual sum would be with the interest, maybe closet to another 100kBy this time I also expect to be earning even more salary wise.Does this sound like a decent plan for someone who is kind of risk averse?It causes me anxiety because I feel like I could leverage the money I have in a much better way and be on the road to never have to worry about money for the rest of my life and maybe even early retirement. However I am afraid of throwing a large sum into the market. I sort of like the idea of having the 100k as a base level that Ill always have, keep it safe with CDs and then slowly start investing in the market with the money I continue to earn from now on.Through lurking this sub, I just get the feeling that if Im not super aggressive in the stock market that Im a loser and will never have any financial success in my life. I know that isnt necessarily true, but its another cause of my anxiety. I feel like Im an idiot for doing what I have been doing up to this point, but like I said, thats the past.I also wonder how long I can keep this up. Right now I have no girlfriend and no kids. Based on the way I live and how life has been up to this point, I dont know if I ever see myself being with anyone never had a girlfriend, nor getting married and having kids.Least I can do is take advantage of it and become a wealthy loner.Id like to get your advice.  <response>: I know, I know. I am an idiotyoure not an idiot. idiots dont save 140k in cash. I just get the feeling that if Im not super aggressive in the stock market that Im a loser and will never have any financial success in my life. on his personal finance show, Dave Ramsey tells the story occasionally of a young NFL player who came in for some financial advice. the guy was sitting on several million cash, in savings accounts and CDs. he earned massive NFL money and saved almost all of it. but he was embarrassed, thinking he was too simple and unsophisticated. they said he was smart: most of the guys in the NFL end up broke and blow their money on crap in a few years. the guy knew his limitations, and just sat on the cash until he was ready to take another step and invest or buy property. he actually managed it pretty well, especially in comparison to many of his peers. so dont be too hard on yourself. having a big pile of cash is never exactly a bad idea. 