It's Friday the 13th, but possibly one American will be the lucky winner of the next Mega Millions Jackpot after the drawing on Friday night. The prize is $1.35 billion, the second-highest in the game's history, and the sheer size of the winnings is pushing some reluctant gamblers to buy a ticket.
"To be honest, I'm not much of a lottery guy, but I'm jumping on the bandwagon this week," said Tom from New Rochelle, New York, from a deli counter.
What will he buy if he wins? "A couple of Lamborghinis… maybe the New York Giants."
But figuring out your first big purchase is just one of many things to consider if you hit the jackpot. Rebecca Walser, a financial planner and author of Wealth Unbroken: Growing Wealth Uninterrupted by Market Crashes, Taxes, and Even Death, offered three tips.
— "Number one, tell nobody and do not sign your ticket. Make sure you take selfies with it and make copies of it, but put it in a secure location. Only tell potentially your spouse."
— "Number two, come up with a financial budget. Most lottery winners actually declare bankruptcy within three to five years of their winnings." (Check out this MIT study from 2011 if you need any convincing.)
— "Number three, make sure that you hire a team of legal experts, tax lawyers, and financial experts to not only implement your legal strategy for accepting your winnings but also to come up with a financial budget."
In short, she said, "seek professional and legal help immediately."
Monday marks 60 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington.
Cheddar News checks in with a coast-to-coast forecast of the weather for Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.
Yale says it will modify its policies regarding medical leaves of absence, including streamlining the reinstatement process for students who return to campus when they are ready.
Hawaiian Electric Co. had not insulated miles of wires, which can spark on contact, or replaced old, leaning wooden utility poles not built for strong winds.
Camp Pendleton, CA - December 05: A MV-22 Osprey aircraft is used during the annual Steel Knight training exercise on Monday, December 5, 2022 at Camp Pendleton. (Photo by Mindy Schauer/MediaNewsGroup/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
The original march in 1963 drew as many as 250,000 people and helped pave the way for the passage of federal civil rights and voting rights legislation in the next few years.
The 21-year-old man used a handgun and an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle — both if which were purchased legally earlier this year — to kill three Black people.
Idalia could approach Florida on Wednesday with winds of up to 100 mph (160 kph), according to the latest forecasts from the Hurricane Center. That would make it a Category 2 hurricane.
A judge in West Virginia ruled that abortion pill sales can be restricted.
Cheddar News checks in with a coast-to-coast forecast of the weather for Friday, August 25, 2023.
