Whether it's from an inheritance, legal settlement, business sale, or unexpected bonus, a sudden windfall can happen in different ways. Sudden wealth can also leave you feeling unprepared to deal with it emotionally and practically. We've all heard the stories of the lottery winner who ends up worse off than before. Or the superstar professional athlete who goes broke a couple of years after retiring. There's, of course, a smattering of reasons for this, some preventable, some not. However, we can all agree that a little strategy can go a long way.

In this guide, we'll discuss thoughtfully approaching a sudden financial windfall, from the initial mindset to long-term financial planning strategies.