Grandcider,
Without knowing anything about you or your situation I can only give general investment advice:
1) Learn how to invest it yourself. It would probably be your best investment.
2) I don't really rate any of the above mainstream institutions, their purpose is to sell you stuff. However, it wouldn't hurt to visit them and see how they recommend investing your money for you, if you gave it to them.
3) You should be going for a diversified approach of stocks, mutual funds, bonds (depending on your age) and/or property and definitely not a life insurance plan.
4) Check my other finance/investment related posts for more information (but market circumstances have moved since then).
It really depends on your age, how much you've already got, what investments (if any) you already have, your risk profile, needs, etc.