<prompt> Human: Posted this in rfinance, but was told to post here fingers crossedI am going to receive a check for 8000. The thing is I definitely dont want to spend it. Not ONE penny. I know I should invest, but I have NO idea how or even where to begin. Ive been told to buy stocks, buy gold, get a CD, Roth IRA, and more I couldnt keep track of.Anyone with expertise in this matter? Useful tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.  <response>: If you dont have an adequate emergency fund, then start one. Just a savings account that is there for financial emergencies only, such as losing a job, unexpected deaths, posting bail, etc.If you have high interest debt, pay that off.If both of the above are already taken care of, then start a Roth IRA and put 5k in a target retirement fund and add the other 3k next year you can only contribute 5kyr. I recommend Vanguard. 