Thomson Reuters
Here are the winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball jackpot, which hit $ 700 million:
6, 7, 16, 23, 26, and Powerball number is 4.
The jackpot is the second-largest in US history. The record was in 2016 for a $ 1.5 billion jackpot.
Powerball drawings happen every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. There have been 21 consecutive drawings without a winner — the latest was on Saturday, August 19.
If no one wins, the next Powerball drawing will be on Saturday.
If you won tonight’s Powerball drawing, try to resist the urge to tell everyone you know — there will be many people who want a piece of the pie. Hire a lawyer who can help you figure out how to claim your winnings and protect your privacy.
You’ll have a choice to claim your winnings in the form of a lump sum or an annuity. The annuity is a series of 30 annual payments, which increase by 5% each year.
Choosing the lump sum might sound tempting, but do note that you’ll get less than the face value of the prize. The current value of the cash payout is $ 443.3 million.
Business Insider’s resident personal finance expert, Lauren Lyons Cole, recommends taking the series of payouts, as opposed to the lump sum.
“Most people would do better to choose the annuity rather than the lump sum,” she writes. “Unless you’re supremely good with money and already have a team of advisers who have proved themselves over time, the annuity is the more cautious choice.”
The billionaire Mark Cuban agrees.
There have been plenty of stories about lottery winners who have seen their lives fall apart after the cash windfall. And some research shows that lottery winners often have a hard time finding enjoyment in life after winning.
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