Since the odds of winning the Powerball lottery are ridiculously small, preparing for the unexpected should be high on everyone’s list of financial priorities. For example, if you’ve been living paycheck to paycheck, you can use any windfall you receive, to set up an emergency fund for the unforeseen, such as a divorce or job loss. That fund should be large enough to cover all living expenses for at least three months; six or more is recommended. Without the reserve you would probably be paying those unexpected bills via credit cards, putting yourself deeper in the hole. When the emergency occurs, the current low zero percent teaser rates might no longer be available. So you might want to “invest” some of the windfall into this hedge against uncertainty.
J Pat Carter/AP
