With that level of money I think my first thought would be pay down some debt. How's the credit card? What do you do for a car? If you're making payments maybe you just pay it off and then whatever you were paying a month can go into investment.

What you don't want to do is just drop a big check onto a single investment. Stock market is indeed low and volatile now, but that also makes it a good time for dollar cost averaging where you invest a constant amount at a constant rate (say, $100/month) and then as the price changes, you ride it out in number of shares. As the market begins to climb you'll be pleased with the results.

Oh, and one suggestion - break off a bit, a thousand or so, and take a trip. Seriously. Everybody I know that didn't travel a lot (myself included) always regrets it. Travel when you can.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar_cost_averaging

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A couple of scenarios.

Let's say you are in an unsatisfactory job or stalled in your career. You could invest this money in learning a new skill or getting an advanced degree. If you have a technical degree, add an art degree.

OK, so lets say you make a plenty of money and 13K isn't going to make or break you. Buy something beautiful that you can appreciate while it appreciates.

Need the money soon? Play it safe as noted above, CD's, etc but don't expect much more than stuffing it in a mattress.

Are you young with a lot of time? Forget market volatility, it doesn't mean anything. Take 10% and speculate on something. Take the balance and spread it across no more than 5 companies paying a 4% or higher dividend that have the profits to support that dividend. Don't buy all at once. Scale in by buying 50% now and 25% in later installments on a pull back from high prices.
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Go on vacation with 3 and put the rest in a savings account.
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Try Canadian, Siberian and Greenland land as the tundra melts making farmland available.

Also try railroads, natural gas, 3D printing companies, Michelin (maker of the Tweel), smartphone makers and maybe all cell phone manufacturers (computer use is going mobile).
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In the current low stock market, you could buy some stock very cheap. In addition, you could get involved in a money market account or a high interest savings account.
Source(s):
-experience
-http://www.franchiseopportunities.com

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