<prompt> Human: Im receiving a 160k personal injury settlement. I have the option to take the lump sum and invest it myself or take some upfront cash and keep the rest in a protected annuity account. Lump sum plan:20k for debtauto loan payoff15k for emergency fund30k savings for last three years of collegeInvest the remaining 95k into vanguard index fundsAnnuity plans:Keep same 65k for reasons aboveLife annuity company will keep the 95k tax free risk free--- nobody can sue me and take that money, wont be lost in divorce if that ever happens, dont pay taxes on gains, etc. But the return would only be about 3.2, so Id see either 134.6k when Im 35 or 163k when Im 40. There are other ways I could set it up, but these two seemed like the best payout options. Im leaning toward lump sum and investing it into vanguard index funds. I feel like even if theres a downturn in the market for a number of years, Ill still come out significantly ahead of 3.2 returns. Im super young, so I feel like I can take the risk. I need to make a decision by end of day tomorrow, so any advice is greatly appreciated.  <response>: Youre going to want to have immediate access to that money if you find in eighteen months you have a significant medical expense associated with the injury that got you a payout.Also, yeah, based on historical data if you invest it yourself in low-fee index funds you will beat 3.2 literally every time. 