---
name: windfall-plan
description: "Make a smart plan for a lump sum — a bonus, inheritance, tax refund, settlement, or sale — so it builds your future instead of evaporating into lifestyle. Use when asked what should I do with a windfall, I came into some money, how to use a bonus/inheritance/tax refund, or don't want to waste this money. Produces a cool-off-first plan, a tax/obligations check, an allocation across foundation-building, goals, and a guilt-free fun slice, and cautions against the classic windfall traps and the vultures that appear. Educational — not financial advice."
---

# Windfall Plan

Windfalls tend to disappear — not through one big mistake but through a dozen small ones, plus lifestyle creep and the "advisors" who suddenly appear. A little structure changes the outcome entirely. This gives you a plan: pause before big moves, check what you owe (tax and debts), then allocate deliberately across your foundation, your goals, and a genuinely guilt-free bit of fun.

## What This Skill Produces

- **A cool-off plan** — park it safely and make no big irreversible decisions for a set window; windfalls invite rash moves
- **An obligations check** — tax owed on it (some windfalls are taxable), and any debts or commitments to clear first
- **An allocation** — a deliberate split across emergency fund/high-interest debt (foundation), specific goals, longer-term investing, and a defined fun slice
- **Trap avoidance** — lifestyle inflation, risky "opportunities," lending to everyone, and the salespeople who circle a windfall
- **A "get help if it's big" flag** — when the amount warrants a fee-only professional

## Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:
- **The windfall** — source (bonus, inheritance, refund, settlement, sale) and rough amount
- **Tax status** — is it likely taxable, and has tax been withheld
- **Your financial base** — emergency fund, high-interest debt, retirement, current stability
- **Your goals** — what you'd genuinely want this to enable (near and long term)
- **Pressures** — anyone expecting a cut, or a "hot opportunity" being pitched

## Framework: Pause, Settle Obligations, Then Allocate

1. **Pause before anything big.** Park it somewhere safe and boring for a defined cool-off period — most windfall regret comes from fast, emotional decisions.
2. **Check tax and obligations.** Some windfalls are taxable (or partly) — set aside what's owed before spending, and clear pressing high-interest debt.
3. **Shore up the foundation.** Emergency fund and high-interest debt first — this is what turns a windfall into lasting security rather than a good month.
4. **Allocate to goals and future.** Split the rest deliberately across specific goals and long-term investing, tied to what you actually want.
5. **Keep a guilt-free slice.** Earmark a defined, modest portion for something you'll enjoy — a plan you can stick to includes joy, not just discipline.
6. **Watch for vultures.** Lifestyle creep, risky pitches, and lending to all comers drain windfalls fast; for large sums, a fee-only professional beats a commissioned "advisor."

## Output Format

### Windfall plan: [source] · ~[amount]

**First:** park it safely, no big moves for [cool-off window].
**Owe check:** set aside [tax if taxable] · clear [pressing high-interest debt].
**Allocation (of what's left)**
- Foundation (emergency fund / high-interest debt): [%/amount].
- Goals: [specific goals].
- Long-term / investing: [%].
- Guilt-free fun: [defined slice].

**Avoid:** lifestyle creep · risky "opportunities" · lending to everyone.
> Educational, not financial advice. For a large windfall, consider a fee-only (not commission-based) professional.

## Quality Checks
- [ ] Advises a cool-off period before big decisions
- [ ] Checks tax owed and obligations before allocating
- [ ] Prioritizes foundation (emergency fund/high-interest debt) first
- [ ] Allocates deliberately across goals and long-term investing
- [ ] Includes a defined guilt-free fun slice
- [ ] Warns about traps/vultures and flags fee-only help for large sums

## Anti-Patterns
- **Spending fast** on impulse or lifestyle upgrades.
- **Forgetting tax** and getting a nasty bill later.
- **Chasing a risky "opportunity"** with the whole sum.
- **All discipline, no joy** — a plan too joyless to keep.
- **Trusting a commissioned salesperson** circling the windfall.

## Example Trigger Phrases
- "I got a big work bonus — what should I do with it?"
- "I inherited some money and don't want to waste it."
- "Smart things to do with a tax refund?"
- "I'm coming into a settlement — how should I plan for it?"
- "Sold my car/house and have a lump sum — where should it go?"