cloeren13 said:
As for a stated goal I guess it would just be to build wealth.
building wealth is a long term endeavor. If you have no intentions of touching this money until you retire see my note above about opening a ROTH IRA. If this money has a purpose in 3-5 years then put it in a taxable account. if you intend to use it to purchase a home then keep it in cash.
If your goal is to honestly build wealth then this is what I would do:
Open brokerage account - triggers a taxable account to be open
Open ROTH IRA
put all 15K in taxable account cash holding
From taxable account fund your ROTH IRA with the full 2017 amount - $5,500
Let the balance cash sit until 1/1/2018
January 1, 2018 - Fund your ROTH from the taxable account to the 2018 limit $5,500
With the remaining cash left over buy mutual fund.
the remainder of 2018 I would auto fund/purchase more shares of the same mutual fund in your taxable account. If your budget can afford it I would aim for an amount per month greater than or equal to $5,500/12 = $458.33
January 1, 2019 - Redirect $458.33 of your auto funding from the taxable account into the ROTH to meet end of year contribution limit over the span of the year.
Continue funding the taxable account with whatever extra money you can spare.
At this point you can set it an forget it, you are accumulating wealth.