You Got a Lump Sum of Cash… Should You Invest It All Right Now?
Beyond the Advisor Podcast
<p>In this month's episode of Beyond the Advisor, Nina Breen, CFP®, RICP®, CPWA®, Senior Wealth Planner, and Micah Alsobrook, CPFA®, MBA, Retirement Plan Consultant, walk through one of the most common — and emotionally loaded — questions in financial planning: when you receive a large sum of money, do you invest it all at once, or spread it out over time?</p>
<p>Using a hypothetical client scenario — a married couple in their early 50s who received a $1 million inheritance and are hesitant to invest — Nina and Micah break down the research on lump sum vs. dollar cost averaging, explain the account types available for a windfall (and the ones that won't work the way you'd expect), and walk through what really happens when you invest and the market drops shortly after.</p>
<p><strong>Key Topics Include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Lump sum investing vs. dollar cost averaging — what the research actually says</li>
<li>How your timeline to retirement changes the strategy</li>
<li>Why you can't just drop an inheritance into your 401(k)</li>
<li>What to do with money you might need in the next few years</li>
<li>How to protect yourself from being forced to sell at the wrong time</li>
<li>The behavioral side of investing — and why working with an advisor you trust matters</li>
</ul>