If he's a taxpayer it makes sense to use up his annual cash ISA allowance - £3600 if he's under 50 and £5100 from April 5th next year. For the remainder, if he's not likely to need the money in the foreseeable future, is to look for a 1, 2 or 3 year Fixed Term Savings Bond with one of the Building Societies but he should check first whether money can be withdrawn in an emergency. (Or he could hedge his bets, split the money and take out out more than one bond for differing periods of time). . He should check out the Savings section of Moneysupermarket.com or the savings section on Moneysavingexpert.com. I would discourage him from putting it into the stockmarket at the moment. It's too volatile. Also, depending on his circumstances, if he's got a mortgage and a job, he needs to keep between 3 - 6 months expenses in an Easy Access account in case he's made redundant. If he's got a mortgage, the other option is to use some of the money to reduce his mortgage debt. Without knowing his individual circumstances it is impossible to suggest the best option.