Depends on who is winning the jackpot (how young they are, irresponsible, healthy, smart etc.).
50K/yearly for life makes the most sense for young people that might not necessarily be good with large sums of money.
Look at it this way, if the person doesn't hold a job from here on in and collects 50K/year, after taxes the 50K becomes about 35K (depending on the state, it could be more or less).
35K divided into 12 months tuns out to be $2,916/month (+/- $500 depending on state).
That's not too shabby for someone that didn't have much to begin with.
Now, assuming you are a smart investor, know how to handle wealth and are not too old, take the lump sum.
If you take $650K as a lump, you will be taxed at around 50% (Federal around 39.6% + depending on your state, it could be more or less around 8-10%, here in NY it ends up being 52% Fed+ State) and you end up with about $325,000.
Now, the winner can put that $325,000 into a low-moderate risk portfolio, which typically would return anywhere around 2.5-3.5%. This would end up giving the winner a nice $9,750/year (going by a 3% return to play safe), which if divided by 12 months would provide you with $812/month.
I know it seems like a no-brainer, why take the lump sum that results in $812/month versus the 50K/year, which results in $2,916/month?
Well, because with the lump sum, you have that principal of $325,000 sitting there collecting interests and immediately available to you on a rainy day. With the 50K annuity, you don't have that strong base immediately available and what you see monthly is ultimately all that you will get.
Pick the lump sum, invest wisely and you will be fine.
"1"
damn near word for word what I was gonna say, except for the risk-tolerance for investment. I'd spread it in high yield etf's ranging from 5%-13% and try to average 8-9%. of course, I've been out of the market for over two years now and dont' know up to date dividend returns.
I'd take the 50k.
assuming you're living well BEFORE you win the money (living well = paying all your bills and spending less than you bring in each month), now you have $3k EXTRA DOLLARS to invest each month.
so, assuming you take home $2500/month before the win, now you have $5500/month, over $60k/yr.
you can still live pretty well off that.
rent a decent condo while you save for a house ($100k downpayment on a $500k home) and pay $1000/month
2010 S550 $1000/month with insurance and gas (after a 20% downpayment).... or pick up a 2011 Hyundai Genesis for 1/2 that
food $500/month
gas $200/month
soo.... that's rent, car/gas/insurance, and food for 2500-3000/month. leaving 2500-3000 left over that's over 30k/yr savings. bite the bullet for 3-4yrs and you'll own a house.
hell, you could afford to go to school, rent a shitty apt for 6 years, drive a CPO Hyundai Sonata, cook most your own food, and you can have an MBA and hopefully double your non-lottery take-home.
..... of course I'd spend the years first $30k on Kilo's of test, deca, tren, masteron, eq, dbol, drol, winny, methyltrienolone, adex, clomid, nolva, and Viagra, and re-start a website and that first $30k into $800k, well, actually I'd move it in bulk to resellers at 50%, so we'll call it $400k.... and that's going into a bank account of a property management company in Nevada (who owns the house I rent, from myself. lol), as well as the AMG S63 I drive. lol. IRS can eat a dick.