re: What to do w/ $500,000

I just wrote a novel knowing you might not read it. And real estate is not for everyone. So here are more comments...that you might not read.

I tried to think of my money in 3 buckets over the years. Keep some in each bucket.

Short term money. Emergency fund and money I might need in the next year. Money market, CD, Bonds.

Medium term. 1-5 years. Stock market with a mix of individual stocks that I buy/sell depending on results and new opportunities. Keeps me paying attention to the market. Also, some indexes like VOO. Real estate spec houses.

Long term. 5+ years. Stock market indexes and mutual funds. Seldom change these. They increase nicely over time. Also, my consistent individual stock winners (AAPL, HD, BRK types). Rental properties if that works for you.