"Winning the Jackpot!"

Its probably one of the most fun ideas to think about - winning the lottery! So, lets have some fun. Suppose you win the Powerball when the jackpot is at $300,000,000. You are given the option of a lump sum payment or an annuity. The lump sum means receiving the entire cash value at once, but the lump sum will be less than the $300,000,000. The annuity will be paid out in 30 payments over 29 years, which increase by 5% each year to keep up with the cost of living.

• In light of the above scenario, would you take the lump sum payout? Or would you take an annuity, and receive the payments over time? Provide a rationale for your response.