Many of us dream of hitting the lottery and how wonderful it would be to have that much wealth. Realistically, we may not ever receive a life-altering amount of money, but there is always a chance that you will inherit a sum of money that could make your current situation better.
It is not always prudent to run to a financial professional to invest that money. A lot of financial professionals will use anything less than $100,000 for a nice commission check. Instead, find a FEE-ONLY advisor, one that you will have to write a check to, to give you advice. Fee-Only advisors are not compensated by commissions, only by the fee you pay them. This can lead to conflict-free advice on what to do with your sudden wealth event.
This checklist goes over many of the non-investment-related topics you should cover with your Fee-Only advisor and/or tax professional.