You Got a Lump Sum of Cash… Should You Invest It All Right Now?

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?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.Key Topics Include:Lump sum investing vs. dollar cost averaging — what the research actually saysHow your timeline to retirement changes the strategyWhy you can't just drop an inheritance into your 401(k)What to do with money you might need in the next few yearsHow to protect yourself from being forced to sell at the wrong timeThe behavioral side of investing — and why working with an advisor you trust matters