What to do if you win the $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot

It’s hard to believe, but no one has won the Powerball in six months! The record-breaking $1.9 billion jackpot is up for grabs on Monday night.

Played in 45 states including Washington D.C., the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, the odds of winning a jackpot are 1-in-229,000,000.

But you can’t win if you don’t play, right? Truth be told, I haven’t purchased a ticket at all … until today. Do I expect to win? No. But dreaming about going dark, paying off debt, and helping out friends and family gives me goosebumps.

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So let’s say you win tonight’s drawing at 10:59 p.m. EST when the announcer calls out all six of your numbers, what’s next?

As a former licensed financial educator, after you pick yourself up off the floor and/or receive resuscitation, you will want to share the news with everyone on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. I say no, no, no!

The guys in the office and I have spoken about this at length and asked me to come up with a list of what to do and what not to do if you win the jackpot tonight or any night thereafter.

1. Do not under any circumstances tell anyone (other than your spouse/partner) that you have won the Powerball jackpot.
2. Ascertain a Lottery Attorney immediately.
3. Do not call the store you bought the ticket from or go to the store you bought the ticket from and claim the prize.
4. Do not sign the back of the ticket just yet.
5. Make a copy of the lottery ticket for your records and get the copy notarized ASAP. The attorney’s office should be able to do this for you.
6. Protect the ticket at all costs. You will want to go to the bank and open up a lockbox.
7. Leave the ticket in the lock box until you and your attorney notify the lottery commission.

Now, here’s where it can get dicey. Only seven states allow lottery winners to remain anonymous: Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Texas, Ohio, and South Carolina. And six states allow winners to form a trust to claim prize money anonymously. California does not allow lottery winners to remain anonymous at all.

If you are in a state where you can remain unidentified, do it. I am not trying to scare you, and it’s not an urban legend, however, there have been situations where people have come forward to claim a prize, only to be murdered days later for far less money.

If you can’t remain anonymous, ask your Lottery Attorney what you should do.

1. When it comes time to claim your winnings, take the lump sum option, and here’s why: Let’s say you die two days later. The annuity winnings do not get transferred to your family. The money is then forfeited. If you take the lump, you will be able to create a will and trust and you can leave behind a legacy to whomever you want. The lump sum for this particular jackpot is $929,000,000.
2. Still haven’t told anyone about your winnings? Good! Keep it that way. It’s for your protection.
3. Hire a trusted financial advisor.

Believe it or not, 70% of lottery winners lose their money within three to five years. So, now that you have your winnings, what are you going to do with all that money?

1. Buy life insurance policies for yourself and your loved ones. This is very important. Make sure to ask for tax code 7702A. If your life insurance agent doesn’t understand the tax code, find one who does. Trust me, you will thank me later.
2. Don’t just blow your money on your heart’s desire. Follow the advice of your financial advisor; hopefully they are big fans of high-return index accounts with a floor for added protection.
3. Create a trust for your family and begin to dole out some money to your favorite family members and friends.
4. Did I mention investing? Let me say this again. Find a reputable financial advisor and life insurance agent and protect your money and your future tax imprint.
5. Hire security to protect you. (You think I am joking, but I am not).

That about sums it all up. If I missed something you thought of, please let me know. It’s fun to think about what you would do if you win the lottery, however, winning could actually turn out to be a nightmare, and that’s what I hope to help you avert.

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