patrick.net

I would also take the lump sum, then do two chicks at once.

(obligatory Office Space movie reference).

Let's look into the numbers,

500,000 pre-tax present value vs. 50,000 pre-tax annuity over 20 years, that is a discount rate of about 9%. It takes ten years to receive 500K and still have 500K left over a period of 20 years. 9% is signicantly above inflation and about twice the rate AAA rated bonds.

500,000 pre-tax lump sum, the bulk of it is in the 33% fed and 9.8% state tax bracket, I have no chance to keep a lot of money away from uncle Sam and auntie Sally. with the 50,000 installments I have a chance to at least shelter them into the lower tax brackets and allow inflation indexing to work it's magic on years income are light and/or semi retired.

I'll take the installments thank you. Most likely in real life, the discount rates is around 4.5% (or a lump sum value of around 650K which makes the decision more agonzing). There are ways to work around inflation hedge other than taking the lump sum (in your example) which seems to be a poor choice.

many people take the lump sum and blow the whole thing. but people who take the payments usually screw themselves too. You get $500k a year, after taxes is $250k. You get $20k a month. Your mansion loan is $10,000 (you live in a reasonable area in my scenario), your cars & misc purchases are $5,000, your give away money is $5k, and you're broke. People crawl outta the woodwork just to be your friend.

But I'd take the money anyway. already got mine spent. :)

Many of us could handle it,...winning that is. In my case, I like gambling, on occasion, and especially a good poker game, but I don't play the lotto. I had an aunt who said, "hey,...somebody has to win."

A euro may only get you $1.29 these days, but the question has to be what the $1.29 buys.

There's been a significant amount of inflation in my daily expenses since I got here in 2000.

Basically the Club Card prices in Safeway are what the normal prices used to be, or worse even.

Yes but the inflation you speak of has nothing to do with classic supply and demand.

The reality is there has been a serious deflation that is masked by manipulating market and low employment.

TechGromit says

Just because you have two tickets with unique numbers, you can’t divide 2 into 1,000,000 to get 1 in 500,000 odds.

Yep--pretty sure you can.

tatupu70 says

TechGromit says

Just because you have two tickets with unique numbers, you can’t divide 2 into 1,000,000 to get 1 in 500,000 odds.

Yep–pretty sure you can.

I was told there'd be no math... I mean, I just buy a ticket every now & then, and hope I win.

I think the financial advisers are correct. You forget to mention inflation.

After the first few years, the fixed amounts they agreed to pay you will, especially in the current economic climate, rapidly become worth substantially less in inflation adjusted dollars.

If I win the lottery, the first thing I would do is buy myself a nice castle somewhere. 20 years down the line, no matter what happens to the currency, if you sell the castle it will still be worth more than half of what I paid, even if I trash it. The cash however won't be.

So, even if you spend your money on things you enjoy (as long as you spend most of it on goods that have some long term value), it's pretty hard to do worse than the returns they offer you.

Think about it - if the lotto company can invest your money and guarantee you those returns, why can't you? Just hire the same investment guy the lotto company uses - duh! They are not in the business of taking risks, so if they promise you a particular return, it's because there is NO risk of them doing worse than that, which means the return is TERRIBLE.

Despite what you say above, I still think you CAN'T really do worse, and your logic above leaves out quite a few other aspects of this.

zzyzzx says

I would also take the lump sum, then do two chicks at once.

(obligatory Office Space movie reference).

Classic! +1.

I don't know about mega and how it pays out, but i was reading about powerball... it pays p&i, so you receive more than your stated winnings at the end.

But in this case, when I win, I'm buying a new throw rug. :)

Potatoes!

And of course, inviting ApocalypseFuck to train and outfit my minions.

Vicente says

And of course, inviting ApocalypseFuck to train and outfit my minions.

No elliemae to tend to your critters? I'm hurt... gonna stew by the cement pond and think of ways to get back at you.

The first thing I would do is become a republican. jk

First: Find a really mean, angry, lezbian, Demoncrat, lawyer. Hire her to protect me.
Second: Give away ALOT of money to faith based orgs, Boy Scouts, Wounded Warriors, build a few parks and play areas.
Third: I'd keep working at my job. I love my job and I am needed here, so I would keep doing it until a good replacement is found.
Fourth: I'd open a family business so my kids and their kids will always have a job. I'm thinking something in the way of family fun center or pizza place, or gym, not sure. My kids would not be rich, I would be rich. When I die, then my kids can be rich.
And then I'd continue to avoid death and taxes for as long as possible.

p.s. I'd buy ellie the rug store that carries the rug she wanted.

I changed my mind.

I'd open a bar like this one:

I expect Patnet readers would feel at home.

I don't play lotto much. Once I did and scanned the ticket at a 7-11. "Congratulations you are a winner" I was so happy.
I won $1.
I had no idea you could win one lousy dollar. What a let down.
If I won lotto I would really cherry out my Toyota let me tell you.
Lump sum of course.

No math wiz here but buying 2 tickets does not decrease the odds of losing by half. The odds of winning tonight are approximately 176 Million:1 buy two tickets and the odds of winning are 176M:2 and not 88M:1.

then, wouldn't it be wise to invest in 176M individual unique tickets of every combination when the prize is 600M?

or, are there more combinations than that?

By the way,....d'oh !

marcus says

But technically, Buster's right too.

Wrong Marcus.

Not sure what I was thinking.

2/176,000,002 is the same as 1/88,000,001 buster was wrong.

I see where multiple winners would cause a reduction to below the 176M buy in.

So, in my simple mind it makes sense for the lotto winning to cap each winner ticket at 176M, with multiple drawn tickets based on possible purse.
What I mean is to draw a single set of numbers for any purse up to 176M. Draw a second set of numbers for a second winning set for any purse bewteen 176 and 352M. Yes, the first series on numbers would win the full amount, the second series is for the residual up to an equal 176M before triggering a third series on numbers to be drawn for any purse between 352M and 528M ... any chance you guys follow that idea?? The point being it keeps the possible unique entries to a match to the purse, and will trigger MUCH more participation due to increased chances to win at every draw over 176M.