you don't know much about investment or you don't have time to take care of your investment, you can just put your money in mutual fund. it's not safe heaven, sometime you may lose as much as you play stock. it can be scare too. it may give you some profit, but no guarantee at all. management fee on mutual fund is high, and no matter the fund appreciate or depreciiate, you will have to pay management fee.
mutual fund pays dividend. only moneymarket fund and t-bill fund pay interest which is slightly higher than saving account.