by Tenielle Shallman

It might come as large inheritance, a bonus from work, a lottery jackpot, or a big gain on your stock options, but if you should be fortunate enough to receive a large windfall, you don’t want to let that money slip through your fingers.

Lottery winners, professional athletes, entertainers and entrepreneurs have all seen their fortunes come and go because they failed to take the proper steps to keep their fortunes in tact.

The first step you should take would be to put the money in a safe place, such as a money market account, while you sort out the options. You may also want to shift a large portion of your assets into tax-deferred retirement plans and tax-exempt investments. Most important, though, is to talk to your tax advisor and your financial advisor to get the appropriate advise on how to keep your new found fortune growing.