Abstract: A contracts exchange system includes a liquid contracts exchange, traders trading on the exchange, a securities exchange listing shares of the trader, thereby enabling access to the capital markets, and a surety guaranteeing obligations of the trader. Methods are provided for transferring risk to the capital markets, for operating a liquid contracts exchange, for paying obligations under an exchange traded contract, for calculating sureties, for auditing traders, detecting errors, mistakes or fraud in a trader's financial statements, for assuring compliance by a trader, for estimating a franchise value of a trader, for making a contract tradable on an exchange, and for managing traders in the contract exchange system.

Abstract: A liquid insurance contract (LIC) comprises a security which is traded or tradable and which has cash flows to the issuer based upon a liability whose exact value is unknown at the time of issuance.

Abstract: A liquid insurance contract (LIC) comprises a security which is traded or tradable and which has cash flows to the issuer based upon a liability whose exact value is unknown at the time of issuance.

Abstract: A method of creating an index of residual values for leased assets such as vehicles, transferring residual value risk, and creating lease securitizations. The index of residual values includes valuation information pertaining to different types of vehicles, different models and submodels of vehicles, different combinations of vehicle options, different vehicle model years, etc. The residual value index is updated with subsequent valuations of the leased assets and is employed to facilitate the transfer of residual value risk and create lease securitizations via mechanisms such as residual value futures, options, bonds and insurance products.

Abstract: This application describes certain procedures for obtaining tax exempt status for interest paid on municipal bonds used to pay insurance premiums, approval procedures for bond issuance, and obtaining bond guarantees and ratings on bonds used to pay for insurance or finance a departure from self insurance or noninsurance.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for creating new types of securities, including equity dividend strips, equity dividend strip futures, equity dividend strip options, new index fund stocks, new mutual fund investments, and related securities are created in consideration of the cash dividends paid by companies issuing the original stock. Similar financial products are created for nondividend paying stock.

Abstract: A liquid insurance contract (LIC) comprises a security which is traded or tradable and which has cash flows to the issuer based upon a liability whose exact value is unknown at the time of issuance.

Abstract: Methods of providing fraud-resistant credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, identification, and access control on a variety of devices are provided. Various devices and combinations of devices can be used for a single card or account. Multiple cards or accounts, potentially with differing security arrangements, can be embodied on the same device. Variable account numbers and encryption algorithms compatible with current point of sale systems are disclosed. Methods of displaying information in forms readable by humans and machines are also disclosed, as well as methods for providing machine-readable information on smaller displays.

Abstract: A method for viewing images of one or more items which a user may be interested in buying and displaying candidate items with one or more images provided by the user, such as a room image, an image of a person, or an image of a car. Methods for replacing, recoloring, or filling all or part of a user's image are provided, such as could be used to simulate the appearance of installed paint, carpet, or wallpaper. Methods are also disclosed where at least one image is animated, moves, morphs, grows, or otherwise changes. Lighting conditions, size, scale, and perspective of one or more images can be adjusted.

Abstract: A system and method for replacing a self insurance with insurance, employing a premium financing mechanism with a payout pattern determined in consideration of an estimated payout of the self insurance to pay for the insurance, identifying employers for whom leaving self insurance may be desirable, and, in one preferred embodiment, analyzing data and generating documents and/or computer-readable data files pertaining to such a premium financing mechanism.

Abstract: A system and method for predicting, comparing, and presenting the cost of self insurance versus insurance for property, casualty, or employee benefit liabilities, and for creating bond financing when advantageous. For a self insured entity, the cost of insurance is estimated by reviewing available data from actuarial studies, claims audits, loss runs, similar self insureds, recent similar insurance deals and rating agencies. These preliminary pricing estimates are used to decide if pursuing insurance is likely to provide savings to the self insured. Suggested pricing estimates are also provided to facilitate marketing the program to insurance carriers. If a carrier offers an insurance program which provides savings and the insured entity requires bond financing, the system is adapted to calculate bond payments based on budget constraints or claims payout patterns.