Why most Lotto winners end up broke

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how a windfall can mess with your money mindset, and how to fix that. Hosted by Frances Cook.

It’s a daydream that many of us have had. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Millions fall out of the sky and into your lap, and suddenly, the world is your oyster.

It might be more on your mind lately after Lotto powerball jackpotted to $37 million.

And yet, if it happens, it can actually ruin lives.

There are plenty of people who have a lottery win and end up poorer than they started, in only a few short years.

Think I’m ruining the daydream? You could actually end up in this situation one day.

A lotto win can be similar to what happens if you get a big inheritance, or the moment you finally get to crack open your KiwiSaver or retirement fund nest egg.

Suddenly having access to a big whack of cash can throw all of our sense out of the window, and actually ruin our finances.

So how should you handle it instead?

For the latest podcast, I talked to Nick Crawford, financial adviser from The Private Office.

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