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Originally Posted by Debfrommaine
I really appreciate the feedback. It's a lot to figure out when I have no expertise in this area. I am trying to learn but need guidance to go in the right direction.
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Please be very careful and don;t rush into anything.
No on banks. That's pretty much universal.
Finding a fee only financial planner is good advice, but might be more difficult than it sounds.
I am not a fan of annuities. Opinions differ. I just read a book by a retirement expert that explained annuities and how they are constructed - it did not change my opinion one bit -
Going to Fidelity or Vanguard is good advice. Their products do not carry what is known as a front end load, which in many cases is over 5%. I have some money in Fidelity - they do not manage my account, but the local support I receive from them has been phenomenal.
Without reaching too far, it appears you may be single, or recently single. In addition to a financial plan, or part of it, you need to shield your money from any upcoming "relationships" you might get into. That would be an estate planner. There are plenty of them here as well. Do a search for Amy Pittman to get an idea of what services they provide.
Advice to do it yourself is ill advised. If by now you have not developed expertise or confidence in this arena, you definitely need help to construct a plan to grow and protect your assets.
God Luck