[tedmiston]

I'm a big fan of index funds or robo advisors (on top of index funds) for the bulk of one's investments. A little individual stocks on the side and a high-interest checking / savings account are a decent way to round it out.

If you're looking at investing five figures or more and unsure of allocation, it's worth doing a bit of research or sitting down with a financial professional.

Also remember that everyone has their own risk tolerances. If people give you advice like "never buy individual stocks", that's just their way of saying that their risk tolerance is below average. It's worth feeling out how much you'd be comfortable losing in exchange for potentially greater rewards.