Well, my Cobra is worth 4.5 mil, Type 6 over 1 mil and got 7 mils in the bank (going to test ASP before the wipe). Got Novice ranking in combat (about 100 bounties collected), im hostile in Federation (still trading in the middle of it). Scout ranking in exploring, 100 systems explored, 200k reward. Same amount of cash from smuggling. Merchant ranking, earned 17 mil cr, best transaction profit 165k cr. No glitches abused.
I expect the wipe, but i guess i tried every type of career (also mining in the beta, im not impressed), so i have a clear idea what and how to do after the release. One conclusion: trade grind is inevitable, every A class module for Cobra costs about 1.6 milions, but now i can face pythons without a shame. Having a pure pirate, explorer of bounty hunter career will make you stay poor.
My advice is first to get a decent trading ship (startwinder-> hauler -> cobra -> type 6), then buying and upgrading ships of your choice. My main concern now is the necesity to find a decent home system, as i intend to own a whole fleet of ships... I cant imagine sticking to one ship, one needs to have a trader and a fighter, you just need some fun after brain cells killing trading runs...