[Fern]

Excellent list! Very focused. I wish i were so on the ball when i was your age.

Ditto what sweepstakes said about the 401k. You should be ready to contribute enough so that you get the maximum benefit from your employer's match. It's FREE $$$ and would be a shame to lose it. You can always split contributions between the 401k and your emergency fund.

As for the Roth IRA, if you can, make your contribution earlier in the year rather than later, so you can get maximum benefit from the tax-deferred advantages.

What savings vehicle will you be using for your house money? I'd pick something on the conservative side, to protect your nest egg, but not a savings or money market account since they pay a pittance. If you like mutual funds, T. Rowe Price Equity Income Fund has excellent returns and low ris. This fund family as a whole has lower than industry average annual expenses, which bite into your returns.

On the taxable investment accounts, there are a lot of choices to minimize taxes. Some fund families, like TRP, offer funds specifically designed to do this. Or, if you invest in a Fortune 500 INdex Fund, expenses are also typically very low compared to other funds.