What do you do when windfall strikes?

Windfall gains bring in equal amounts of joy and anxiety, but with some research and planning, you can put it to good use.

One of my father’s old life insurance policies that he’d taken in my name matured recently. I found myself staring at a substantial amount of money against my name instead of my usually modest bank balance. The initial rush of seeing that number was quickly followed by anxiety: I didn’t have a plan for this amount. It wasn’t large enough for me to confidently go and buy a home with, for example, but it was large enough to warrant a double take. 

Investing in lump sum gains can be more challenging than the routine savings we’re accustomed to. The largeness …