Abstract: A method of settling trades includes the steps of obtaining an authenticated delivery instrument, wherein the authenticated delivery instrument is authenticated by a first exchange and may be used to settle a trade undertaken on the first exchange. An electronic proxy is issued for the delivery instrument, wherein the electronic proxy may be exchanged for the authenticated delivery instrument and where the electronic proxy is used to settle a trade undertaken on a second exchange.

Abstract: An automated benefit administration system and methods of use and doing business. The full system includes a wide range of features including application of business rules to enrollment, eligibility, and maintenance data input, making of business decisions based on the specific data entered, and issuing of notices based on business rule discrepancies including notices to third parties when deemed appropriate.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing a recurrent bidding process is disclosed.

Abstract: An insurance program for funding benefits by maintaining assets in the insurance program that includes an employer or employee owned trust account and at least one life insurance contract obtained directly or indirectly from a captive insurance company. The life insurance contract is purchased with assets from the trust account and the captive insurance company is a least partially owned by the employer. When paying or reimbursing benefits, the employer or the trust may pay the benefit and if the employer pays the benefit, the trust may reimburse the employer.

Abstract: A system and method of providing a client with cashflow monitoring during a transfer of services (e.g. pre-authorized debits and credits) from a first account to a second account, the method comprising the steps of: (i) determining an effective date for the transfer of each service, said effective dates creating a transfer window; (ii) determining cashflows for said first account and said second account during said transfer window; (iii) adjusting effective dates for transfer of each services to avoid cashflow interruptions in said first and said second accounts; and (iv) providing a cashflow analysis to the client that lists all the effective dates for each service transfer and predicted cashflows for said first and said second account during said transfer window.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a desirous funding source and/or sources based upon at least one of user information, home information and portfolio information, wherein said desirous funding source(s) is/are based, at least in part, upon maximization of a user's assets.

Abstract: Disclosed is a computer with a user interface, the computer including central processing units, memories, and network interfaces, a program code that performs a search and transaction based on user input, the interface displaying in conjunction with code execution, an input environment adapted to search criteria input, the criteria defining a search for desired entities, the program code establishing a search engine that searches on different web sources to generate a search result, the engine searching using a combination of different input entities, a first entity and a second entity includable in the different entities, the engine searching for the configuration, the different entities being purchasable from different web sources, the engine searching on different web sources for the combination, and presenting found configurations, the engine providing at least one order input determined by at least one found configuration, the system taking mutual dependencies between the entities into consideration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to synthetic funds for purchase by investors. A structured note is structured to provide customized equity returns/exposure. Terms of each structured note may be specified by the purchaser and the structured notes may be unsecured liabilities of the obligor, e.g., there are no underlying assets upon which the structure note is based. Thus, there will be no limits on the use of structured note proceeds and management of assets and liabilities will be left entirely to the obligor's discretion. Structured note payment obligations may be related to the performance of an objective valuation, but structured note holders will depend on the good credit of the obligor for payment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for managing a financial account. The method involves directing a primary transaction request to a holding account controlled by an account owner, evaluating the primary transaction request based on a selected rule to obtain an evaluation, routing the primary transaction request, based on the evaluation, from the holding account to the financial account of a plurality of financial accounts.

Abstract: A stock trading application program which executes within an Internet browser is provided for capturing user specified subjective information concerning user rationale and logic for purchasing or selling financial instruments such as securities, options, etc. The subjective information is stored as data records which can be examined, analysed and correlated to assist a user in determining whether to engage in particular trades.

Abstract: A method of creating a price prediction model that forecasts short-term price fluctuations in financial instruments by collecting, analyzing and classifying financial news for a financial instrument into categories. Distributions for the changes in price of the financial instrument for a set period of time and distributions for the changes in price of the financial instrument as a result of the financial news for each news category for a set period of time are then obtained. If the distributions for the changes in price of the financial instrument are statistically significantly different than the distributions for the changes in price of the financial instrument for a particular news category, and the mean for the change in price is greater or less than zero, a signal is produced indicating the trading action that should be taken for the financial instrument.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a personal financial management system and method for personal financial management. A user interface attached to a computer may interact with the user and/or financial institutions to acquire information regarding fiscal behavior and asset allocations and performance. These may be compared with budgetary guidelines. The budgetary guidelines may be determined from a personal finance code. The personal finance code may be a set of desired source and use of funds allocations, asset allocations, and future fiscal events. A comparison of the budgetary guidelines and the fiscal behavior may be projected and compared to the personal finance code to determine a state of personal finances.

Abstract: A system and method for assigning taxability codes to purchases, and processing tax invoices, by company groups. A user, identified to one of a group of companies, inputs a requisition. Tax code and tax location are identified in a front end process applicable to the object of the requisition and converted into a converted tax code and tax jurisdiction and fed to a back end processor. Responsive to converted tax code and the tax jurisdiction for the corresponding company group, the back end prepares a purchase order which is transmitted to a supplier. Responsive to an invoice from the supplier and company group and tax code indicia from the purchase order, the back end processes and selectively pays, short pays, or rejects the invoice.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer are disclosed for managing a financial transaction associated with a financial account, wherein the transaction would cause an outstanding balance of the financial account to exceed a credit limit. The method comprises determining a merchant type for a merchant which is a party to the transaction. A merchant credit risk associated with the determined merchant type is determined. The merchant credit risk is compared to a threshold value defining an acceptable credit risk. The transaction is approved based on the comparison of the merchant credit risk with the threshold value.

Abstract: A method of multi-enterprise optimization at a buyer computer (20) includes accessing a forecasted demand for at least one item and generating one or more proposed flexible trade contracts (500, 530, 560) using the forecasted demand for the item. The proposed flexible trade contract (500, 530, 560) is communicated to a seller computer (40) and subsequently executed after acceptance of the proposed flexible trade contract (500, 530, 560) at the seller computer (40) to create a flexible trade contract (500, 530, 560). Each proposed flexible trade contract (500, 530, 560) may be a forward contract (500), an option contract (530), or a flexible forward contract (560).

Abstract: A procedure is a template that specifies trigger conditions and what to do when the trigger conditions occur, or do not occur within a specified time. Generally, a procedure corresponds to an order handling strategy used by a trader. A menu of standard procedures exist, and custom procedures are accommodated after being qualified for use in the present system. An interest represents an intent to trade. In contrast, an order is a definite commitment to buy or sell a certain amount. Generally, an institution or professional trader will know that they wish to trade when conditions are right, but will not be quite ready to submit an order. The institution or trader thus represents untapped market liquidity. By representing such liquidity as interests, the liquidity can be more efficient coupled to markets.

Abstract: A computerized system that will allow healthcare providers to access the commercial paper market by “selling” their patient claims to asset backed commercial paper conduits. The system generates the statistical information on the historic collection experience of the provider's claims required by both the rating agencies and the sponsors of the conduits. This statistical information has two pieces: the net collectible value matrix showing the percentage of the claim actually paid by individual payers; and a collection histogram showing the timing of the payers payments from the date of initial billing. The system also generates the accounting detail necessary for controlling and auditing the provider's participation in the commercial paper conduit program. The system tracks “periodic pools” of claims so as to be able to reconcile advances, collections, interest expense, third party fees and cash settlements between conduits and providers.

Abstract: An improved method for simulating noise-varying risk factor values in a parametric simulation comprises analyzing historical data to determine the actual value of the risk factors and other attributes in the model and using this data to generate historical residual values which reproduces the historical price when used in the model with corresponding historical attribute values. The set of historical residual values is standardized and can be bootstrapped to increase the number of members in the set or vary the sets properties. Values of the historical residuals are then selected, e.g., at random, and used in place of the random noise components to produce simulated risk factor values which are used in the parametric model to simulate the evolution of the instrument price.

Abstract: A method for detecting a tracking error in a process of tracking a groove track on a recording medium includes the steps of: irradiating a first light spot onto a groove track on a recording medium as a focused light beam for carrying out recording, reproducing, or erasing of information on the groove track of the recording medium; and irradiating a second and a third light spots onto an area around the groove track on the recording medium as focused light beams simultaneously with the irradiation of the first light spot, the second and third light spots are irradiated onto an area around the groove track on one side of the first light spot in a manner such that each of the second and third light spots covers both an inside and outside of the groove track.