If you win the lottery, it is crucial that you plan for how you will spend your winnings before spending them. Working with financial professionals who can ensure compliance with tax laws as well as helping to stretch out your money can make an enormous difference to its longevity, according to CNBC Make It contributor Farnoosh Torabi.
While some states permit winners to remain anonymous, others make them public. Colorado allows winners to remain anonymous; otherwise their first and last names and initial letters of their last names are published on the state lottery website; New York, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin publish both names and cities of winners; while in Arizona you may choose anonymity if your winnings exceed $100,000; otherwise all state prizes remain public; you can check lottery results by visiting the official Mega Millions game website; it’s free and you can even play the mobile app!