Abstract: A system and method of applying price changes which minimizes price look-up file access attempts by using a separate file for daily price change information, including a new price, a date, a start time, and an end time. The system includes an electronic price label associated with the item and a computer for reading a record for the item in a price file, for obtaining daily price change information for the item from the record, for adding the daily price change information to another file different from the price file, and for processing the daily price change information in the other file by reading the daily price change information from the other file, sending a first message to the electronic price label at the start time including a command to display the new price, and sending a second message to the electronic price label at the end time including a command to display a regular price for the item from the price file.

Abstract: An integrated credit card data processing method that allows transactions to be processed either as a payment or as a receipt of payment. The new process is a combination of the regular data processing method for consumer purchases of goods and services similar to those used by credit/charge cards, debit cards, and smart cards and a merchant processing method that allows acceptance of such payments. The second part of the invention is a method to execute an order on the manner of disposition of the proceeds of sale, such as payment by check, application of the excess cash to outstanding debts, investment into a plurality of investment accounts, or retention of the proceeds as a credit to the account. The third part of the invention is a method to provide a report of both purchases and sales itemized together for an account holder.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deferred award instrument plan by identifying at least one participant in the deferred award plan, retrieving financial data related to stock options corresponding to the identified participant, computing a spread associated with the retrieved stock options, establishing a rabbi trust with the spread, determining whether a life insurance policy has been purchased by the participant, determining whether a split dollar agreement has been executed, monitoring and paying at least one premium for the life insurance policy and notifying the participants that a payment associated with the life insurance policy has been paid.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for closed loop, automatic processing of typical financial transactions, including loans, setting up checking, savings and individual retirement accounts, obtaining cashier's checks, ordering additional checks, issuing credit and debit cards, wire transfering money, and so on. The transactions are provided from a kiosk and controlled by a computer controller interacting with the consumer. In the case of loans, a computer controller helps the consumer in the completion of the application, performs the underwriting, and transfers funds. The computer controller obtains the information needed to process the application, determines whether to approve the loan, effects electronic fund transfers to the applicant's deposit account and arranges for automatic withdrawals to repay the loan.

Abstract: A plurality of near-optimum solutions to allocations of resources to demand information are provided by consideration of different combinations of sources of resource information such as inventory and performance/production capacity of a provider and/or other providers by the use of one or more algorithm/agents and a problem formulator which selects algorithms to be applied and provides selected information from selected sources of resource information thereto. The effects of actions or allocations specified in the solutions are presented to a user for comparison, modification and selection for implementation. Effects of modified solutions are also projected for comparison with other solutions or modified solutions.