Congratulations. It takes personal discipline and planning to save money. The fact that you've already saved some money indicates that you're taking responsibility for your financial future. Before you jump into "investing" it's important to know what you want to invest for. For example, do you want to invest some money for a short-term goal like accumulating enough money for a down payment on a house? Or do you have a longer horizon for your investment needs such as building wealth for your retirement? Identifying what specific needs or wants you're investing for will serve as a guide for what types of things you want to invest in, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, Treasury bills, and more.

If you're interested in investing, it's a good idea to work with either a financial advisor or planner or a broker. A financial advisor or planner will help you pull together a full picture of your current financial situation and your future financial needs. Then he/she will be able to recommend specific investments to help you meet those needs. For example, if you are concerned about being able to pay for your children's education, he/she will help you determine how much you currently have saved (or could save) toward their education, what types of investments would work well (for example a 529 plan or UGMA account), and then help you create a savings plan to put a certain amount aside monthly or yearly to fund that account. A broker would be able to explain a variety of different investment products (such as mutual funds) that meet your investment criteria (meaning how much time you have to invest, how much risk you feel comfortable taking, etc.) and then set up those investments for you. Remember that some of these services may have fees attached.