Is anyone rich here?

I'm looking for financial advice from someone who is successful at investing in mutual funds. I'm 54 and broke, but have $12k to start as an initial investment and also am going to add in 15% of my work pay every month (about $1000). I'm hoping to have enough in the account to retire with when I reach 65. I would need any info to be dummied down to a poor guy level, because if I already knew how to do it then I would be rich already.. Does anyone here know about this stuff? I'd previously posted this question in another car forum and got no help because all the other car guys were just as poor as I was because they spent all their money on their car hobby. So I'm just giving this a shot...