Lotto Powerball $43m: What the secret winners book says you should do

Photo: Michael Bradley / NZH
Photo: Michael Bradley / NZH
Winning millions with Lotto would be a major shock to the system, luckily there is a secret book given to winners which is filled with loads of useful advice.

And it could be in your hands soon, with $43 million up for grabs in tomorrow night's Lotto Powerball draw.

The 60-odd-page winners' book has a timetable for action, shares previous winners' advice, and even includes interesting facts about previous big winners.

A constant message throughout the book - among winners too - is people should seriously think about how they will spend their millions.

The book advises people to step back and take a look at the big picture of their current financial situation and do a little life planning.

Knowing your financial situation means calculating your net worth - the value of your assets and what you owe - to find out where you stand financially.

Assets can include your house, car, investments, savings, lottery winnings. Debts can include mortgages, unpaid credit cards and other loans.

By deducting your total debts from your total assets, you are able to figure out your net financial worth.

However, the book says it is important to figure out your income and outgoings each month, from work payments to expenditures like groceries and transport.

Elsewhere, when thinking about investing any of the winnings it is key for people to figure out what investments are right for them.

Different investment options will depend on what goals people set for themselves, which is something you can discuss with a financial adviser.

Wherever winners decide to put their money, the book suggests the best protection is to spread it across a number of different investment areas.

"This is called diversification, which basically means you don't have all your eggs in one basket," text from the book says.

"By not putting all your money into one thing or a single type of investment, you reduce the overall risk you are exposing your money to."

Lotto NZ has a checklist to help winners decide on whether financial advisers have the right qualifications and experience to suit individuals.

Winners should also think about updating their will and getting insurance - if you don't already - within a few months of claiming the money, the book also suggests.

If the $43m prize is won by an individual ticket holder, it will be the second-biggest Powerball prize in Lotto NZ's history.

The biggest prize of $44.1m went to a Hibiscus Coast couple in 2016.

Elsewhere, the $50m jackpot from earlier in the year was won by two ticket holders who both claimed $25m each.