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The first rule of windfalls is to understand that everyone will handle coming into some extra cash differently. People have varying obligations, responsibilities and personal styles.

“We have 73 households that we work with,” says James Bryan, a certified financial planner with Hyland Lake Partners in Edina, Minnesota. “The answer is going to be different for each and every one of them.”

That said, there are some helpful rules of thumb: Don’t start spending money right away, for instance.

“I’d suggest the person take a step back to soa

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