If you’ve experienced a sudden financial windfall, you’re probably bursting with excitement! But, you likely also have a million questions swirling around in your head about what to do next. That’s okay, we’ll walk through what you need to know to get your money, stay safe from pushy outsiders and settle in financially.
It’s OK to celebrate your lucky day — just keep the news to yourself. When people come into a small fortune, they often become overwhelmed by the attention they draw. Long-lost friends and acquaintances from decades ago have a knack for showing up right when you acquire a lot of money. This is precisely the time when you don’t want to be the center of attention. You’ll first want to square away professional help to keep from making unwise decisions.
Because policies for claiming lotto prizes differ depending on where you live, the first step after winning is to contact the lottery organization in your province or territory to find out what its exact requirements are for making a claim. You’ll likely be required physically go to a nearby lottery office to present 2 pieces of ID (one of which has to have your photo on it, like a passport or driver’s license) and have publicity photos taken.
Important!Whoever signs the back of the lottery ticket gets the money. Be sure to sign your ticket and keep it safe, because it won’t officially belong to you until you’ve given it your autograph.
You typically have 1 year to claim your winnings, but lottery tickets often have expiry dates printed on them – so if it’s past that date, you cannot claim the prize.
You may also have the option to choose between receiving winnings as a lump sum (all at once) or as an annuity (smaller payments split over many years), although annuities are not as prevalent in Canada as in the US. If you win a lottery advertised as “cash for life” or something similar, your winnings are automatically disbursed as an annuity.
After you’ve collected your windfall, you can lay the foundation for a solid financial future. Here are a few wise things to do.
If you won more than $100,000, consider spreading your money out across multiple banks because the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) only insures up to $100,000 per account owner per bank. The amount of coverage may differ for credit unions.
If you need to get your money back into a bank account internationally or send money to family overseas, compare international money transfer services that are best equipped to help you with a large transfer.
Work with your financial adviser to get your funds into your trust or bank account before you start spending it.
The longer you hold onto debt, the more interest you’ll accrue over the long run. Now is the perfect time to pay off everything you owe: credit cards, student loans, mortgages and more. It’s a responsible first step that will save you money over time.
Work with your financial adviser to assemble an investment strategy. This strategy should be consistent with your tolerance for risk.
To get your feet wet, you might first look at investments like short-term corporate bonds, government securities and short-term municipal bonds. These are considered relatively safe investments. Depending on the size of your windfall, you may generate more than you would expect off of these low-risk investments alone.
After consulting with your financial adviser, you could expand your investment portfolio to include investments in stocks or real estate. Your financial adviser can help you create a portfolio with the right mix of stocks, bonds and other securities.
See our comprehensive guide to investing
The only thing better than winning a jackpot is making money on those winnings. Whether you want to have a financial advisor invest for you, use a robo-advsior to manage your portfolio, or handle things yourself through a self-directed trading account, you’ll need to make sure your trading account is up and running. Keep in mind that any gains you earn on your winnings within a TFSA or RRSP are tax-exempt and tax-deferred, respectively, but there are annual limits to contributions to these accounts.
See our beginner’s guide to open a trading account and buy stocks online
Now that you’ve taken care of your short-term needs, your goal is to protect your earnings for the long term.
You might be surprised by how many lottery winners end up broke. Whether through poor spending habits or plain bad luck, it’s easy to squander a large windfall. So plan accordingly and create a backup fund.
A rainy-day fund is typically stocked with 6 months’ worth of your salary. Since you’ve just received a large sum of money, you may instead want to put a percentage of the windfall into an emergency fund. To find the right amount to save, speak with a financial adviser.
Once you’ve accepted the money, paid off your debts, created an emergency fund and handled any immediate expenses, consider doing absolutely nothing. Your winnings aren’t going anywhere.
Many financial advisers recommend letting the excitement die down before taking any other actions. You might want to live as you normally would for the at least a few months or even a year. This will give you time to carefully plan out your next steps.
For example, work with your financial adviser to determine how much of your windfall you’ll give to family and friends. You may even consider meeting with a personal counselor to help you deal with the emotions and confusion that can come with receiving a large sum of money.
With the right planning and help from wise and qualified professionals, it’s possible to live the rest of your life without any financial worries.
You may want your children and relatives to enjoy the same comfort, so begin the process of estate planning. In short, this means you’ll decide what happens to your assets when you pass away.
Work with a financial adviser, tax professional and a highly experienced estate planning lawyer to settle matters of your estate — preferably sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, maintaining your privacy isn’t quite as simple as asking the lottery to mail you a cheque. Lottery organizations often require that winners take publicity photos in order to prove to the public that the lottery has real winners and isn’t a scam.
According to rules set by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, or ILC (which jointly owns all 5 provincial lottery organizations), winners are not entitled to receive prizes unless, upon request, they consent to the publication of their name, address and a recent photograph reflecting their true appearance. By buying a lotto ticket, you’re agreeing to those terms and conditions.
The dangers of winning the lotteryThe threat is no less real in Canada, where police managed to catch a man before he invaded the home of a couple in Quebec who had won a $27 million jackpot – investigators alleged that he intended to commit murder. Fortunately, the couple and their 3-year-old daughter were out of town at the time, and the plan was foiled.
Winners may also have to be on the lookout for people nursing a grudge against them or who want to get revenge. Doctors and other medical people often try to remain anonymous to avoid a sudden onslaught of malpractice lawsuits from former, unsatisfied patients.
Furthermore, police members, private investigators and people with abusive spouses have sometimes been known to get a pass on lotto publicity requirements to protect them and their families from being targeted.
If you win the lottery, don’t take you or your family’s safety for granted. Act cautiously, and speak to your local police if you believe there is any threat to your safety or the safety of anyone you know.
Provinces and territories have differing standards for enforcing publicity rules, which may afford you some privacy in the event of winning the lottery. Below is a quick summary of the privacy laws in each province and territory with regards to large prizes. Smaller prizes – often under $1,000 – can usually be claimed at lottery retailers or by cheque from the lotto organization itself.
Speak with a representative of the lottery organization in your province or territory to find out exactly what rules apply to you.
| Place | Can you remain private? |
|---|---|
| British Columbia |
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| Alberta |
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| Saskatchewan |
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| Manitoba |
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| Ontario |
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| Quebec |
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| New Brunswick |
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| Newfoundland & Labrador |
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| Prince Edward Island |
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| Nova Scotia |
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| Yukon |
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| Northwest Territories |
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| Nunuvut |
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You might have seen photos of past lotto winners wearing masks or even full-body costumes while receiving their cheques. Far from eccentric, these winners are trying to accept their winnings while avoiding unwanted public attention. While wearing a mask for publicity photos may not stop general information about winners’ (like their names) from being published, it may help reduce the scrutiny from strangers.
However, as per the ILC’s rules, winners may still be required to allow the publication of their true photos, names and other basic personal information before collecting their prizes. So you may not have the option to wear anything that disguises your true identity.
In Canada, lottery winnings are tax free! However, this is not the case in the States, so if you visit the US and buy a lottery ticket there, you’ll have to pay the IRS a withholding tax of around 30% if you win. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to claim tax credits in Canada for this payment.
If you can prove you have experienced gambling losses, you may be able to file a tax return in the US (a 1040NR) to get back some of the American taxes you paid.
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