<prompt> Human: Hi Personal Finance,My Uncle decided when my sisters an I were born he would put money in a savings account instead of buying us birthday presents ect. I turned 18 in May and a few months later he gifted me with a check for the amount in the savings, 6,500. Needless to say I was ecstatic! Anyways, my uncle is an economy professor at a pretty prestigious university in California and he suggests I reinvest the money in a stock market, I cashed the check and since about August the money has been sitting in my Etrade account, My dad suggests I invest in a few ETFs that have dividends. To be honest I dont really know what that means but I told him id look into it. Can anyone here provide me with info on that and give me their 2 cents on what how to invest it? Thanks!  <response>: I wouldnt do ETFs or ETrade, instead just invest it all in a Vanguard Total stock market index fund or SP 500 index fund. Not as exciting I suppose but you will make more money in the long run. 