Do you often think that winning the lottery would be the dream answer to all your financial woes? Most people do, which is why lines for lottery ticket sales get long when the jackpot gets high.

So why then are there so many tragic stories of financial ruin following lottery windfalls?

According to experts, people who aren’t used to having money and then have “sudden money” aren’t prepared to handle it. Whether they are altruistic and want to solve all the financial problems of family and friends or whether they just overspend, invest poorly or live too highly, most winners are doomed to end up in worse circumstances than they were before they won the lottery.

An article from Bankrate.com featured on MSN Money details the stories of 8 lottery winners who ended up living on food stamps, deeper in debt, back to working for a living, and in many cases filing for bankruptcy.

Another story in the news recently is the sordid and tragedy-filled tale of Jack Whittaker, initally hailed as a benefactor in his small community in West Virginia and now claiming his inability to pay a judgement in a lawsuit because of his financial ruin.

If winning the lottery is part of your financial plan, the odds against it are probably enough to ensure you won’t have to deal with the problems attached to sudden wealth. Regardless, learning to handle your money now will lead to a more secure future and give you the tools to handle your income – even if it does suddenly increase.