[dubhrosa]

I went through something similar a few years ago. Briefly, the things that stand out for me now are: depending on your circumstances and where you live, and your goals for the future, this windfall may not be as big a deal as you think at first. Create a spreadsheet and calculate how much you want to set aside for your kids, do you want to at least give them the option of studying at a top US University on full fees? Do you want to get them a foot on the property ladder? Do you want to fund a trust for them and your wife that matures at some point in the future and provides meaningful means for them to live on? What investments do you want to make in order to feel secure? For some people, this only comes through ownership of physical assets like land and buildings in juristictions that are stable and have well developed legal systems. Once you've got a handle on the long term goals, then make a habit of keeping a budget for your spending, there are lots of tools for this. It keeps you grounded and reminds you that every decision to spend money on something impulsively means you are taking money out of some other category. This doesn't change just because you have "lots" of money. I've seen many people (working in finance in London) who regularly got annual bonuses in the millions, who are now having to live very modestly because they allowed their lifestyles to expand unfettered and forgot the basics of long term planning and daily budgeting. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you are "rich", you have the means to have funded some of your long term goals but only if you are disciplined in future and continue to be diligent about money.

Best benefit of all is if this helps you spend more time with your family, and doesn't add stress to your life. Having lots of investments can be a lot more stressful than just having an adequate income and living within your means. Be careful of bankers selling your "wealth management" services.