Updated 2026-09-27 · Global · General education
Before asking what to buy
Decide what jobs the money needs to do. An inheritance, property sale, business payment or accumulated bonus may need to support several goals with very different deadlines.
Give your money jobs
$200,000 illustrative lump sum
One illustrative lump sum can serve emergency reserves, near-term spending, long-term investing, retirement, property, legacy and education.
Read the purpose cards clockwise from the top. These details belong to the same illustrative lump sum, with no amounts assigned to individual purposes.
Purpose first. Amounts depend on your plan.
An illustrative $200,000 is not one decision
| Possible job | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Emergency and accessible reserve | What would keep the household flexible if income changed? |
| Known spending in 1–3 years | What amounts have a firm deadline? |
| Medium-term objectives | Can the date or amount change? |
| Long-term investing and retirement | How much can genuinely remain invested, and for how long? |
| Property or business opportunity | How quickly might access be needed? |
| Legacy | Who is the money intended to benefit, and how is it owned? |
These are possible jobs, not recommended allocations. The appropriate amounts depend on your commitments, other assets and ability to tolerate loss.
Cash and investment each have a role
Cash can protect near-term access and reduce the need to sell investments during a fall. Longer horizons introduce inflation and opportunity-cost considerations. Investing all at once and phasing contributions create different market exposure and cash drag; neither removes uncertainty.
Liquidity and access
Match the money to the timeline
Liquidity: access without a significant loss in value
The shorter the deadline, the more access usually matters.
Build a plan around the usable time
For information and guidance only. Results are illustrative, based on your assumptions, and are not personalised financial advice. Methodology & limitations