How should a 24-year-old invest a $500,000 inheritance?

Losing both parents young and inheriting a large sum at 24 is a heavy combination, and this piece meets a reader in exactly that spot: an early-career engineer in Toronto on a starting salary, suddenly responsible for half a million dollars. The question is how to invest it well, but the deeper thread is how a windfall this size can quietly reshape a life if it's handled with care. The thinking it explores is the kind that comes before picking any fund, sorting out which accounts to fill first so the money grows tax-efficiently, deciding how much risk fits someone with decades ahead, and resisting the urge to rush. It also weighs the pull between long-term investing and nearer-term goals like a first home. It's a thoughtful read for young people who come into money unexpectedly and want to make a sound, unhurried start rather than a flashy one.