Grow Your Own Jackpot with Financial Planning and Win Big

Did you catch the news last week? Someone in sunny California just had their world turned upside down - in the best possible way! They won an astronomical $1.08 billion on the Powerball! Quite an extraordinary event, wouldn't you agree?

You might have noticed lately that these mammoth lottery jackpots are no longer rare anomalies. More and more of them either approach or eclipse that jaw-dropping billion-dollar mark. Now, isn't that peculiar? Well, it's not as mysterious as you might think. You see, it's been crafted this way by design!

Jackpots Keep Getting Bigger, But Are Harder to Win

So, you're thinking, "How is that?" Well, allow me to explain. You've probably noticed that if no one wins a particular draw, the jackpot just keeps growing like a snowball rolling downhill. It's all part of a clever strategy to make the game more enticing and convince more folks to buy a ticket. And hey, it works like a charm!

That's what happened with our Californian friend who pocketed a cool billion. But their stroke of fortune is just part of a bigger picture. Over the years, the Powerball game has become a bit more challenging to win. In 2015, they added more number combinations, which almost halved your odds of winning. But that's not their only technique.

The folks over at the nonprofit Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) - the group that oversees several lotteries, including our famous Powerball- have been directing more of their revenue from ticket sales toward the big jackpots, instead of the smaller prizes. MUSL has also expanded Powerball's footprint, and the game is now sold in 45 states. Talk about reaching more dreamers!

In 2017, MegaMillions decided to hop on the bandwagon and followed Powerball's lead by both hiking up ticket prices and introducing more number combinations. Unsurprisingly, these moves led to larger jackpot prizes, and alas, a jump in the odds of winning MegaMillions.

Rising Interest Rates and Ballooning Dreams

To top it all off, rising interest rates have helped to inflate these gigantic jackpot prizes even more. The headline-grabbing jackpot prize is based on the winner opting for a 30-year annuity payout. So, as interest rates have climbed, so too has the total payout to jackpot winners. On the flip side, the lump-sum cash option is directly derived from ticket sales.

The lottery operators seem to have hit the sweet spot by having the odds of winning roughly match the population served. The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot — no matter the size — stand near 1 in 292.2 million. Chances of taking home Mega Millions' top prize are even lower, at about 1 in 302.6 million. It means those headline-worthy jackpots are won less frequently… but just frequently enough to keep the tantalizing glimmer of hope alive! Clever, isn't it?

Isn't it fun to let our minds wander a bit? Buying a lottery ticket gives us a few moments to indulge in a delicious daydream about a life filled with private jets and beachside mansions. But let's not forget, while we may not win those billion-dollar jackpots, we can create our own jackpot by being diligent and disciplined.

What Does It Really Mean to Buy a Lottery Ticket?

Buying a lottery ticket allows all of us to have a moment to daydream. “Oh my, what life could be like if we won all that money!” Suddenly you start imaging a life that somehow always felt out of reach.

But I’ve got some news for you. Fortunately, you have a chance to make your own jackpot come true! Yes, you will likely accumulate a much smaller jackpot than advertised by the lottery, but your odds of building wealth are far better! Plus, you really don’t need a billion. You likely won’t spend all that you have saved if you stay focused on your goals.

You see, the odds are significantly better when you play the long-term game with consistent savings, smartly allocating your portfolio, avoiding paying high-commissions, and refraining from going all in on jackpot-like investment strategies. Compound interest may not be as flashy as a Powerball win, but it can indeed help you grow your very own jackpot.

And hey, we're here to chat about it whenever you want! Let's turn those daydreams into achievable financial goals with as high probability of success. After all, we all deserve to win our own version of the lottery. Until then, keep dreaming, keep planning, keep investing, and stay disciplined.

What does your lottery dream look like?

Ted Halpern

President