22 year old looking for some help

[MattC]

Hey all,

I am 22 years old and just graduated from college. I have quite a bit of money saved up from poker, around 250k or so. I'm gonna make roughly 300k this year, and will hopefully put up similar results for a few years to come.

I really want to penny pinch now and want to invest it all (including all of what I make in the future), really want to save it all towards a house + nice car in the future. Maybe for when I'm around 30~35.

Right now, I have it all in savings but am looking to be more actively and seriously investing it. I have been asking my parents and friends for advice so far. I studied a bit of finance at my university but still feel pretty lost with all of it. I have heard that the market might crash/go into recession. To be honest, I have no idea with the truth of these statements but it's something I've heard from more then one source.

I know there are a lot of smart people on 2+2 so I figured it was worth listening to what anyone is willing to tell me, if anything just to get ideas.

Thanks in advance to anyone who is willing to give me advice.

[TheMetetron]

First, max out every tax-deferred account available to you.

Second, keep 3-6 months living expenses in a tax-exempt money market or bond fund.

Third, invest the rest into taxable mutual funds or ETFs. I recommend the Vanguard Tax-Managed funds, but most index funds will be fine. Go to www.fundadvice.com and check out their sample portfolios and articles for a good place to start.