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I would contact my investment advisor and tell them about it. Take their advice and invest it for future retirement security.

I'd put the money in CDs mature at different years and distribute the matured CD in the next 15 years to my favorite non-profit organizations; such as WTTW, NPR, Tzu Chi, local soup kitchens, Food Bank, etc.

The first thing I would do is talk to a good financial adviser and tax advisor. Then formulate a financial plan that would add to existing
retirement accounts. I would use a portion to pay
off or pay down debt.

Many people are erroneous in thinking that they can invest in a roth ira. This $100 K would be counted as income, therefore if you are single you have exceeded the $90000 income limit to contribute to a roth ira, now if you are married with no other income you may be able to make it. I would invest all of it after giving $15000 to charity,

Hire a Trust Attorney, personal trainer and chef and invest the rest.

$70000 pay sons' student loans
$30000 pay toward daughter's graduate school

$75k on school loans; $25k on a down payment for a home.

This is a tough question. I have a job, no debt and comfortable. I am not rich. If I have no worries about healthcare expenses (sky high now) explosion in future, I would donate all of it to charity - soup kitchen first. There are a lot of people suffering now.

Pay off my college tuition for the next year 10k
Buy New Car 20k
Put 10k in a bank account
CD the remaining 60,000

1. Pay off home equity loan - $17k
2. Complete emergency fund - $13k
3. Max out retirement contributions for '08 - $14k
4. Add to kids' college fund - Remaining $56k
With my newly liberated cash flow, I'd invest as heavily as I could in this oversold market.

Obviously, this is going to vary depending on every individual's current financial situation, their investment style, risk tolerance, and stated goals.

For me, I would beef up my emergency fund, car fund, and house fund.

100k would be quite a boost, but really, no change in my financial road map. It would just help me get there faster.

So, where can I collect my winnings? :-D

[...]Back in February, SmartMoney.com listed the best places to invest $100,000–real estate, charity, a new career, art, your home, or a hobby. Of course, we were immediately interested in their comments about real estate. While the authors maintain i...[...]

$4600 - 4 Front Row Outfield Season Tickets, Tampa Bay Rays
$2400 - 1964 Fender Deluxe Reverb Guitar Amp
$2000 - 1996 Fender Relic '60 Stratocaster Guitar
$3000 - 1968 Gibson Dove Acoustic Guitar
$2000 - 1942 Gibson Banner Logo LG-0 Acoustic Guitar
$7000 - 1982 Fender USA Reissue 62 Strat, 57 Strat, 52 Tele, 62 Jazz Bass
$3000 - 1975 Gibson Les Paul Custom Guitar, White
$2000 - 1993 Gibson '57 Reissue Les Paul Guitar, Goldtop
$2000 - 1991 Gibson Les Paul Classic Guitar, Cunburst Flametop
$3500 - 1968 Gibson ES-335 Guitar, Cherry
$3500 - 1964 Gibson SG Special, Cherry
$2000 - 1962 Hammond A-100 Organ
$40,000 - 1/3 Acre Lot w/Canal Access To St John's River, Florida
$15,000 - Used Houseboat
$2000 - Small Boat, 2 Kayaks, Fishing Gear
$1000 - 2 Metal Detectors
$3000 - 2000 Ford Windstar Minivan

Rent out the houseboat for $1000/week. Spend free time searching for world record largemouth bass, giving guitar lessons, hu...(Read more of this comment)nting for treasures, watching baseball games.




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Pay off Car: 30K
Invest: 50K
pay Taxes: 20K

I got a decent bonus last year, not $100K, but close, and I decided to stay home for 6 months. It's the best thing I've ever done for my health, my family and myself. will have to get back to work soon, but this was priceless.

From: A.D.
After tax: 50% to grandchidren's 529 college funds, 25% to charity/church, 25% I would go to department stores, grocery stores, etc., watch people shop, pick out those who look needy and pay their bill for them.

Own a stake in some Asian massage palors in New York, New Jersey. They reap $4million a year Tax free!
Then buy the investments.

What i would do if i was offered 10k, my goodness a lot i say. First i will pay Tithe to God which is the giver of everything. Secondly i would invest the rest of the 10k in real Esates, Stock so that it would generate more more and make me a better investor and above all a risk taker.

Well, since the govt. always gets it's taxes, I would only have about $40,000-$45,000 to spend , unless it's an insurance policy like life then there aren't any taxes on it.I would give 25% of anything after taxes to this 1 ministry that helps Romania's poor.I would next pay any bills we owe and have not been able to pay,probably $10,000 or less. I would next check into spending my time working with different missions and humanitarian projects worldwide. I want to be able to alleviate some of the struggles that people are going through being actively involved and living like the local people do , wherever I am.

Wow atowncubsfan1 you are the most generous (or insane) person in the world. Since you are giving away $62K of the $100K, how about $10K for me?

50k to charity/church/world missions
25k would be invested in equities
13k would get spent partly on an engagement ring/honeymoon
12k would go to parents debt payments

Since I don?t have any debt at all, I would just put part of the $100K into an income investment and part into equities like I have done with the other many $100Ks I have accumulated by not living like the typical stupid, must have it now, American, i.e. used cars for last 30 years, Kmart clothing, no cable TV, no bottled water, no Starbarf coffee and lunches out every day, no over the top vacations, etc., etc., etc. Just make do, make do and you can have lots of money too!

10K Tithes
18K Used C5 Corvette
10K Gift towards close family members
16K Towards getting my car dealers license and funding other business ideas
10K High interest yielding account
30K 1st Home down payment
6K Pay off debt and rebuild credit

I think the best bang for my buck would be to pay off the mortgage.
I worked part time for five years after retiring, invested all the money
and paid my house off this Spring.
So, I would invest the whole $100,000 and spend any capital
gains on indulgences such as vacations, a sun room or whatever.

Invest it, now is the time.

I would pay all my bills and take all the rest and bury it in my back yard!

$7k small business loans
$10k student loans
$10k in money market for my junior/senior year (im 24)
$10k in money market for rainy day fund
$63k split evenly between VV, IWC, EFA, GWX, VWO

might ladder bonds so that about 5k of the 63k per year matures, then sock that into my roth ~5k at a time as the years go by.

I would try to figure why anyone in their right mind would have credit card debt in the first place. I just can't imagine paying on a balance at interest rates between 12 and 25%!!!

I would write a sponsored blog or website intended to teach young people about handling finances and not using credit lines as a source of debt except in extreme emergencies- Not to buy the big screen TV.

Publish a book on handling money prudently.

Hire someone to do the kitchen and roofing. Help my friend move to be with family. Invest half in stocks. Take a small vacation (havent in over 20 years)
Have rest as 'play it as it lays' money.

I would buy a 100k of the construction materials this clown says has dropped 40% in the past 2 yrs. Then I would take the 140k and follow the advice of the average poster rather than this fantasy land financial fiction by Mr. Brad Reagan. Please oh please let me know of this/these materials you speak of.

W/ daily needs paid for and a retirement fund maxed-out, I would get very bold and invest opposite my normal conservative self just to see the outcome. Load up on foreign/speculative funds and watch the results.

pay off $34,000.00 mortgage.
keep $20,000.00 in interest bearing saving account for 'rainy day ' expenses.
buy $40,000. in high interest preferred stock.
Donate $1,000.00 to charity.

Buy 300 shares of BIDU for $75K.
Buy 3 Jan 2010 protective puts for $22,200.
Sell 3 covered calls every money for income of $2700 x 3 = $8,100.

Every 10 months, you have $81,000 additional dollars to invest minus your $22k protective put insurance (which you only buy every 2 years). Repeat above, now with 75% more money to invest. $8100 x 1.75 = $14,175 monthly income.

Every 2 years, buy the next two year out protective put to protect yourself. After the first 13 months, you're already living on someone else's money.

Retire, with ever increasing income, flip Social Security 'the bird'...

Payoff Credit Cards (2700)
Payoff HELOC (34,300)
Add to Emergency fund (15,000)
Buy a New Car (35,000)
Spend (Family & Me) (13,000)

Put the money in an existing money market fund. Would not touch the stock market with a ten foot pole. Too many ignorant traders/investors afraid of their own shadow screwing up the market.

100,000 huh. Well let's see

10,000 to my church.
20,000 to current debt
60,000 to savings (stocks, mutual funds, etc..)
10,000 to go to Argentina with my girl friend, most likely the waterfalls of Iguazu. Any of you ever been there? They are amazing. Oh - and whatever is left over would go to her parents. Maybe they would like me a little more. HAHAHA

For medium to long term investing in the stock market, I'd go with Dimensional Funds. Since they don't advertise and you can't buy the funds 'conventionally', we don't see much press. But, check it out at www.dfaus.

Invest in a new prtfolio, last year's was up 137%. Thanks to your magazine.
Leave my wife and run away to a tropical island with my girlfriend.

Instead of the usual stories about paying off debt or investing in the market NOW,I would buy $ 100,000 worth of beer, enjoy it for as long as possible. Then after getting my $ 100,000 worth of enjoyment, I would redeem the empty cans and receive a solid and unwavering return of 5% (a nickel per can)- $ 5,000; a rate of return which now beats most CD's issued by financial institutions. :-)

Pay off car ($4300)
Pay off 2 credit cards ($7000)
Down payment on 1st home ($20000)
Set up 529 for my niece ($10000)
Max out Roth IRA ($4000)
Deposit left over amount ($54700) into a high yield savings account or money market and go from there!!

Donate $50K to charity organization for abused children/women. Invest $50K in oil stocks as long term investment strategy for growth.

Put it in a money market account which pays a great interest rate(mine presently pays 4.4%) and watch as the value of equities continues to decline. When bargains appear in the next 24-36 months, buy beaten down large cap stocks.

Pay off credit cards ($7000)
Fund emergency savings ($15,000)
Fund 529 ($20,000)
Fund Roth IRA for this year and last year ($8000)
Fund regular checking ($5000)
House upgrades ($15,000)
Buy a reliable used car ($8000)
Non-retirement fund ($12,000)
Vacation to Ireland ($10,000)

Pay off my wife's $70,000 in mostly private student loan debt.
Pay off our 2 cars ($25K left).
Go on a vacation to blow the rest.

Buy a mix of out of favor financial stocks and bonds