<prompt> Human: Hi everyone, so my mom died, still feels very surreal. She left me with 500,000 in life insurance money which will be paid out as a check soon. I dont know how to best invest that money. I dont want to spend any of it and instead invest it with a low to medium amount of risk so that it can safely grow over the coming years. How would you invest the money as a financial beginner? Are there any tax implications I should know about from inheriting this amount of money? Reddit, Im am overwhelmed and I dont know what to do or where to start. Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you. Using a throwaway account for privacy.Edit: Because it was asked, I am 26 and have no debt just paid off my student loans last year. My mom also didnt have debts.  <response>: Im so sorry for your loss. I cant imagine that happening or what you must be feeling emotionally. Its slightly off topic, but when it comes to protecting this money, Id also like to point out that the less people who know about it, the less people can try to take advantage of the situation. Youd be surprised what a little chunk of change does to some people. 