re: First time investor, advice

Great post. Thanks for the input.

I do not have PMI. I am currently 6 months into a 30 year mortgage at 3.375% interest. I am currently paying an extra $300 per month towards the principal. If I can get my rate down to 2.5% would it be advisable to just go ahead and refinance?

The Roth IRA sounds like a no brainer that I need to open in concert with my 401k. I would also like to have some liquid investments that I can have accessible when needed. I presume Roth IRA contributions are best left untouched until penalty free age for withdrawals so what sorts of liquid investments could I conservatively make with some of my remaining savings account funds? I would like to keep a decent emergency fund in my savings account but currently my money is wasting away at a dismal savings interest rate that appears to be decreasing all the time.