Half a million is nothing nowadays. You probably need at lease 360 billion to get anywhere.

I wouldn't turn it down.

But you're correct. A friend of mine back in New England actually won a million bucks in the lottery about 10 years ago (no joke - cool story). It basically means he never has to pay a mortgage, but he still works for a living and is basically just an average guy other than that.

I've heard that profit from gold sales are taxed at a higher rate.

Waterfront property and some .....................don't ask me I'm poor.:mad:

This is like asking the guy on a bar stool next to you for sound advise.

Some smart guys on the forum, wait until they chime in and ignore the rest of us.;)

Retire. That would do it for me... then I could go out in the hangar and play with the cars, motorcycles and airplanes more often!

I'd pay my third quarter estimated tax payment:D

Pay off the house and student loans. Invest the rest, and sleep well at night.

Buy a larger sailboat and start spending my summers on the eastern seaboard and my winters in the carribean.

Invest it for retirement.
I know, I know, I should spend it like a drunk sailor on leave instead of being responsible, but I'm not one of them.

pay off debt, spend a little of what's left, and then invest the rest.

First have you build me 2 motors: an MFI SCRS 3.0 and a screamer S 2.0.

how much do I have left?:D

Let's see... I've replastered the pool, paid of all revolving debt, bought a 250cc honda dirt bike, loaned my sister $5K, am currently putting in hardwood floors through out the house, remodeled a bathroom, there is something else, but I can't remember what it is. Oh, yeah, the rest is in 90 day CDs.

Buy a house free and clear in a small town. Invest the rest and get a job at the hardware store.

Who asks a question like this? ;) :D

So, Scott, what's up?

I would definitely pay off any loans except the mortgage and then buy property. I would make my full time job a property manager and hope for positive cash flow within a few years. I could retire then. 500K is not a lot so you'd have to make it work hard for you.

Isn't that a bit contradictory? After all, they (and the state) are taking a hefty chunk of it away. Not very kind, IMO.

I'm too young for half a mil to do much. Clearly not something like retire or even pay off a house (which I don't even own). Heck, $500K is just a down payment around here.

So I'd opt for something boring. Take the wife on a little vacation, and put the rest into investments, whether retirement, college savings, or said house downpayment nest egg.

Own the house I'm buying outright, and invest the rest. I know it's boring, but that's what I'd do.

Horde ammo.

No hardware stores left in this small town. Home Depot (in a town 15 miles away) and WAL-MART killed them off.

Scott...Berkshire A stock? Hmmm...Warren Buffett isn't getting any younger. Plus...diversify, young man, diversify.

Oh...what I'd do? Probably not much...just disperse it into our portfolio...

fast women, old cars, lawyers, guns and hootch...(and I guess I would set a little aside for the kids)

Invest most of it... not sure in what, would have to do some research...

Quit my job, become a professional artist/musician, do some volunteer work, take some classes.

Sorry, thought you said "half a milf". As in, *timeshare* or something. :)

Half a million worthless U.S. dollars? People fantisise about that? I thought that the average professional on this board had more wealth than that in their home equity. Isn't this kind of like the villain in "Austin Powers" when he asks for a million dollars?

Don't get me wrong, it's not an insignificant amount of money. It's just that when I dream, I dream a little bigger than that. If it's a serious question about investing vs. spending, I'd put it somewhere it will grow. People can piss-away $500Gs in a heartbeat where I live. :cool: