One of the reasons for the record $1.9 billion jackpot for the Powerball drawing Monday night is something you wouldn’t expect — the recent run of steep interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. That’s because the size of the advertised $1.9 billion top prize is the amount winners would get, which involves taking 30 equal payments of about $63 million spread out over the next 29 years. Those payments come from an annuity purchased by the lottery sponsors, and the payments factor in an average rate of return. But the thing is, the real prize is far more likely to be a much smaller lump sum, the “cash value” – in ... (full story)