I believe the Ethereum team recommends using official clients, like Mist or Geth. This makes sense.

I recommend that people use whatever tool they can understand best and use with confidence. I do NOT believe that recommending someone who has never used command line to use geth. There's too much room for error and it deters people from investing and getting involved. 

Regardless of what tool you use to create an account/wallet, you should always safely store all of the necessary information in multiple places. Multiple places means multiple physical locations. If your house burns down, that computer and piece of paper are both gone. 

For example: on your computer, on a USB at your house and a safety deposit box, and written on a piece of paper at your office.

###Here is a list of wallets I've put together.

**Official**

- [Geth (go implementation)](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/geth): Command Line, Official

- [Eth (c++ implementation)](https://github.com/ethereum/webthree-umbrella/releases): Command Line, Official 

- [Mist Ethereum Wallet](https://github.com/ethereum/mist/releases/): GUI, Official, Full Node, App, Supports ETH, Generic Token Interface, Generic Contract Interface

**Unofficial**

- [MyEtherWallet.com](http://www.myetherwallet.com/): by tayvano/insomniasexx (me) and kvhnuke, GUI, Client-Side, Website, Can be Downloaded, Open-Source, Supports ETH, DAO, DGD. [Also has Chrome Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/myetherwallet-cx/nlbmnnijcnlegkjjpcfjclmcfggfefdm?hl=en) 

- [JAXX](http://jaxx.io/): by Kyptokit, GUI, Multi-Platform (chrome extension, phone apps, etc), Client-Side, Partially Open-Source, Supports BTC, ETH, DAO

- [Icebox](https://www.reddit.com/r/ethereum/comments/431fns/introducing_icebox_a_cold_storage_ether_wallet/): by christianlundkvist @ ConsenSys, Primarily for Cold Storage, Downloaded, Open-Source

- [EthAddress.org](https://ryepdx.github.io/ethaddress.org/): by ryepdx, GUI, Client-Side, Website, Can be Downloaded, Open-Source

- [ethereumwallet.com](http://ethereumwallet.com/): By Kryptokit, GUI, Website, no longer under development (see Jaxx)

- [EtherLi](https://www.ether.li/): Multi-sig Ethereum Web Wallet, GUI, Website, online

### Regardless of which wallet, you need to...

1. Create a new wallet.

2. Back the wallet up in at least two physically different places. (Having a USB drive in your desk drawer where you computer is does not count as 2 different places).
  
    - Mist: Backup Keystore file & password. [Read here](http://ethereum.stackexchange.com/questions/946/how-to-backup-mist-wallets/1981#1981).
    - Jaxx: Backup mnemonic seed.
    - MyEtherWallet: Backup keystore file + password or private key or paper version. Read #2a or #2b (cold storage) [here](https://www.myetherwallet.com/#help). 

3. Verify you have access to this new wallet and have correctly backed up all necessary information.

   - This means sending & receiving a small amount and verifying that the private key or seed or keystore file you have on your *backup device* is actually correct. No use in having a backup if it contains the wrong information.

4. Finally, you can transfer Ether to this new wallet.