use the standard dashboard (not riverdashboard) and set some default widgets. Problem solved, no cost.
Well, not if you need more sophistication ...
There are various plugins in the community that, used in conjuction, would help you acheive what you want.
Jeroen's Widget Manager (For controlling what appears on Home Page, Profile and Dashboard)
http://community.elgg.org/pg/plugins/project/384604/developer/jdalsem/widget-manager
Jeroen's Login Redirector (For controlling which page appears after login)
http://community.elgg.org/pg/plugins/project/384766/developer/jdalsem/loginredirector
Ejucovy"s First Login Redirector and first time events plugins (For controlling which page appears following members' very first login)
http://community.elgg.org/pg/plugins/project/384864/developer/ejucovy/first-login-redirector
Also its worth checking out different versions of the riverdashboard.
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