With the Powerball jackpot now an estimated $1.8 billion for Saturday night's drawing , there's lottery fever in the air. If you're the lucky one whose $2 ticket ends up worth millions, what do you do with all that money?
Jackpot winners have the option to either take a lump sum payment of the estimated cash value — in this case, roughly $826.4 million — or they can opt to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years. In either case, those totals are before the Internal Revenue Service takes a cut, as do most states .
Should you take a lump sum payment or annuity option?
Dan Geltrude, a certified public accountant in New Jersey, told CBS News: "I personally would take the lump sum payment because I feel comfortable in how I can invest my mon