How would you invest if you were about to come into over $100,000? What are some surefire ways?

I am about to receive a settlement for over $100K and I am interested to know what I should do with the money. I do plan on paying off all of my debt plus my car payment. The remainer I would like to invest into a variety of options. I am leery of stocks. I do have a 401k plan at work which I plan on investing more and I also have some ING accounts which I will probably get more. I am interested in seeing a financial planner. $100K isn't much but I would like it to grow. I am not in a bind to where I need the money. I just want to make wise choices i.e. IRA's, money market accounts, small trust fund for my neices and nephew, savings, etc. I do plan on making a donation to charity and start a small scholarship in my name of course.

What should I do with this money?

I should add that I am not looking to buy a house since I still wouldn't be able to afford it in the area where I live. I could possibly put down some funds on a house and flip the property but that costs a lot of money to do.

Not sure how old you are... you sound young. First.. dont pay off all your bills...you want to always keep a line of credit open. If you must pay some, fine, but keep making car payments. Why would you open trust funds for your neices and nephews? Dont they have parents. I guess i am questioning you because, 100,000 isnt all that great a deal. Why dont you purchase a home. real estate is almost always a good place to invest money. When you are ready to marry and have a family of your own.. you can sell, make a nice profit and move into a larger home. Why not start your own business, investing in your own future by building a company can also turn into a career and legacy for your children. Sorry if i am mistaken about your age.

2 words..merly lench!!!! i have almost tripped my inital start account..which was right around to where u are...

hire a financial advisor

Send half to me and I'll "advise" you

.Saving bonds

Diversify the money. Go see at least three different professionals and get their advise. Look at real estate and all other avenues. Compare potential income and look at the funds history very carefully. Be wise with the money. Make sure that 10% is money you have access to and can be cashed in just in case of an emergency.

Put it in bonds. Stocks are dangerous in some cases, unless you are very confident in where to buy. Bonds are safe and trustworthy. I'm sure you know what they are, but you basically lend money to a company up and coming, and they pay you back with a nice interest rate.

100.000$ is not enough to buy a house. What other investment you want? You need at least 500.000 to start thinking of some serious investment.

Think of the one thing that always goes up in value? Real Estate! Buy a house, fix it up and sell it for a profit. make sure the repairs you have to do are minor, look for homes that havbe been on the market for a while. You would be surprised to find that many people don't clean or paint their house before selling and that alone can cause people not to want the house!

It depends on how old you are. The older you are, the more conservative you should be.

It sounds like you are interested in guaranteed returns, so you should consider a money market account, or annuity.

Not to brag but I have about $250,000, IN THE BANK, in various CD accounts. I know they dont pay a lot right now but I can sleep at nights and not worry about loosing it. By the way, I did not inherit it, I earned it in real estate.

Don't hire an advisor. They don't really want to mess with the amount of money you have. CD's are doing well right now--I have some at 5.25% which is as much as many stocks are doing plus the CDs are insured. If you have about 6 months expenses some place insured, mutual funds might be a good idea. Some places don't charge much for starting. T.RowePrice and Fidelty are good companies (I have investments there) but there are other good companies too.
You might want to check out the Suze Orman website or buy one of her books.

I would give the money to me. That's a surefire way to make me richer.

my personnel choice in TAX FREE bonds. The interest is a little less than other investments,but just as safe. Plus the income is TAX FREE from fed taxes. Also if u live in a state that has an income tax u might look for investments that are also free of state taxes. I have been dong this with my broker for years and I just love being able to make money and not LEGALLY pay income taxes on that income.

Seek professional advice on what the RISK free investments are available out there. Their return may not be the highest but at least they are CERTAIN or safe. Investing in property could be a good proposition but DO NOT GO INTO BUSINESS VENTURES. You will lose it all !!! Do not go for 'clever' schemes. They never work. Do not be a sucker_, basically. Best adviser, your local bank manager. If he tells you to invest in things like government bonds, if these things still exist, then do it. What I would really advise to do is NOT to think about GREAT returns but to think about protecting your money from INFLATION. Bank manager of a reputable bank, is your best bet. Money brings problems and headaches so Good luck.
I have just read the advice "onehanginglo" is giving you. It sounds pretty solid to me. And "sparkler" is telling you about real estate and that sounds great too.
Please do not be one of these:
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Savi...

try being a lender on prosper.com ... you gain interest on the money you lend... look into it!

u must have missed me ..