Everyone has dreamt of winning the lottery at least at one point in their lives. We would also imagine all the opportunities that would come with winning the lottery. But winning the lottery in actuality is so much more different than all the things we conjure up in our minds. Winning the lottery comes with a lot of responsibilities than one would imagine. This is why we have come up with some essential tips that people should be mindful of when they do end up winning the lottery.
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Making sure the ticket is safe
Believe it or not, there have been some very unfortunate incidents in the past where lottery winners have lost their tickets which is literally the worst possible thing that could happen. So if you do end up winning the jackpot, the first thing you should do is keep the ticket safe as possible till you claim the winnings.
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Keeping it to yourself
While it may be tempting to tell everyone of your good fortunes, our advice is that you should keep it to yourself. Because the second the word gets out, people will be lined up at your doorstep asking you to share your winnings with them. So if you want to avoid that from happening, make sure that you only tell it to some of your closest friends and family members who you really trust.
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Getting legal advice
One would think that actually winning the lottery is where the hard part ends but there is a lot of paperwork when it comes to actually winning. You will need proper legal advice, as well as information about taxation when winning a lottery. So after you know you are a lottery winner, the next step is to consult with some legal advisors who will tell you what you have to do next.
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Take the whole amount
You can claim your lottery winnings in two ways. You either take the whole amount at once, or have it paid to you in instalments over a certain period of time. If you are okay with the instalment option maybe because you are scared of spending it all at once, then go for that option. But we would advise you take the whole amount at once in order to avoid changes in taxes as well as interest rates. If you don’t want to use the money right away, you can invest it somewhere, which will ensure you get good value for your money.
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Hold the money before you know what to do with it
It can be quite overwhelming when you actually do end up winning the lottery. This is why you need to keep the money safe somewhere and figure out a plan on how to spend it. The last thing you want to do is aimlessly spend all the money away on shopping.
