Abstract: An system for and method of repurchasing stock is presented. The system and method improve upon prior art techniques by limiting risk to an investment bank that enables an accelerated stock repurchase. More particularly, such risk is reduced in the event that the repurchasing company announces higher than expected dividends on the stock during the term of the accelerated repurchase transaction.

Abstract: A utility for comparing two objects in an object-oriented operating system that also records the differences so that they may be put into human-readable form. In one exemplary embodiment of this invention, two JAVA objects are compared by calling one of the equality methods. If the selected equality method indicates that there is a difference between the two objects, then get . . . ( ) methods of each object are invoked in turn. The results get . . . ( ) methods are compared. If there are differences, the differences are stored in an XML document. The get . . . ( ) method is recursively invoked until the Class of the result has no more get . . . ( ) methods to decompose.

Abstract: The invention provides a currency selectable stored value instrument, whose currency may be chosen or converted at the time value is loaded, after load but prior to redemption of value, at the time of redemption, or at other times. One embodiment of the system is configured so that the stored value instrument may be a plastic card with a magnetic stripe, compatible with card readers on Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) or other terminals. In one embodiment, U.S. dollars may be converted to Mexican pesos when the stored value instrument is loaded at an ATM or other location in the United States. A user may subsequently redeem that value for legal tender in pesos at an ATM located in Mexico, for example, or for goods, services, or cash in other currencies.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating financial transactions, which may involve credit requests, is provided. Credit requests are categorized into three tiers: the third-tier is for requests capable of being processed by computers, the second-tier is for requests that meet predefined criteria and cannot be categorized as third-tier requests, and the first-tier is for requests that cannot be categorized as second-tier or third-tier requests. The first-tier requests are manually reviewed by a credit executive. The second-tier requests are delegated to more junior credit personnel via an inventive pre-approval procedure. The third-tier requests are processed, at least in part, by computers. Additionally, requests that exceed a credit line, or limit, may be approved by reallocating credit from other credit lines.

Abstract: Network-based systems and methods for hosting and operating a network-based platform that allows clients to open and build a portfolio-swap account that is subdivided into a plurality of client sub-accounts or funds. The methods and systems of the invention allow the client to sub-allocate equity-swap transactions among its various client sub-account or funds as the client deems appropriate.

Abstract: A system and method that provides a JPeX client that opens up a socket on which it listens for connections from the local host. External applications on the desktop are able to connect to the server socket in the client and use XML to execute commands on the client.

Abstract: A plurality of option value prices are determined for employee stock options and provided to employees during a first part of a decision period. A stock price corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of option value prices is determined and provided to the employees during the second part of the decision period. A plurality of transfer periods for employee stock options are provided, with a plurality of decision periods during each transfer period. An option value determined by an option value pricing formula is provided during each decision period.

Abstract: A risk analysis method uses a multi-dimensional risk representation that allows a standard OLAP engine to perform analysis on multi-dimensional data corresponding to a portfolio of financial positions. The analysis includes context-dependent, heterogeneous aggregation functions. The multi-dimensional data is represented as a multi-layered multi-dimensional cube (“outer” cube), which consists of dimensions and cells. Each cell includes a set of coordinates and an inner multi-dimensional cube (“inner” cube). Dimensions of the inner cube include all dimensions required for aggregations. Dimensions of the outer cube include only dimensions needed for context (or reporting). An aggregation is performed on the set of measures of the inner cube based on a context for the aggregation provided by the outer cube.

Abstract: A method of providing a user with education financing information, includes the acts of: maintaining an electronic site on a computer network to which the user may connect; sending data to the user over the network for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains financial award information concerning a potential student of an educational institution, the financial award information including a monetary award which may be used for the student to attend the educational institution; and sending data to the user over the network when requested for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains cost projection information, the cost projection information being a function of the award and including an amount of money required for the student to attend the educational institution.

Abstract: In a system for generating dividend information, detailed information regarding trades is stored in a data storage system. The detailed information may include, without limitation, book information, depot information, counterparty information, a trade direction (e.g., buy or sell), and a number of shares traded. Based upon the detailed trade information, dividend information is generated that may be used for both PNL purposes and for accounting purposes. The detailed trade information may also include whether the trade is an “ex-div” trade, a “cum-div” trade, or neither. Trades normally eligible for a dividend are excluded from dividend information generation when identified as an ex-div trade. Trades not normally eligible for a dividend are included in dividend information generation when identified as a cum-div trade.

Abstract: A system and method for distributed database data and file access and retrieval, and managing assets of a company can include the steps of obtaining one or more data elements, storing each of the data elements, determining one or more factors related to a manner in which each of the data elements was obtained, associating a confidence index with each factor, and calculating a confidence index for each of the stored data elements, as well as a composite confidence index for the entire data store, based on the confidence index score for the individual data elements. The system and method can include calculating a confidence index for each of the stored data elements. The factors can include the date that the data elements were obtained. The factors can include from which of one or more sources the data elements were obtained.

Abstract: The invention comprises a system and method for converting initial financial transactions into final financial transactions entailing lower transaction fees or which are otherwise more advantageous. According to one embodiment of the invention, a card not present (CNP) transaction is conducted for a remote consumer buying goods/services. When the consumer later arrives at a point of authentication (POA), the consumer is presented with an opportunity to have the CNP transaction effectively converted to a card present (CP) transaction using the same card instrument or a different card instrument. The merchant benefits because the transaction fees are much reduced for the CP transaction compared to the CNP transaction. The consumer may benefit from rewards/rebates or other inducements to authorizing the subsequent transaction.

Abstract: A system is disclosed according to the present invention that manages the process of providing a client access to a secured service. In the exemplary embodiment, the secured service is a computer system that allows the client to trade financial instruments. Management of this process includes managing execution of tasks that can be automatically executed and delegating tasks that require manual execution; communicating with entities outside of the process management system; and handling “demands,” or unexpected problems that arise in the middle of the client connectivity process.

Abstract: The invention comprises a system and method for converting initial financial transactions into final financial transactions entailing lower transaction fees or which are otherwise more advantageous. According to one embodiment of the invention, a card not present (CNP) transaction is conducted for a remote consumer buying goods/services. When the consumer later arrives at a point of authentication (POA), the consumer is presented with an opportunity to have the CNP transaction effectively converted to a card present (CP) transaction using the same card instrument or a different card instrument. The merchant benefits because the transaction fees are much reduced for the CP transaction compared to the CNP transaction. The consumer may benefit from rewards/rebates or other inducements to authorizing the subsequent transaction.

Abstract: A portfolio of debt instruments, managed by an asset manager according to the terms of an asset management agreement between the asset manager and a sponsor, is a debt index. Multiple deals, as collateralized obligations, are linked to the debt index. Changes to the index by the asset manager are reflected in the linked deals. A break in the linkage to the index can be triggered by different events.

Abstract: A method of implementing buyer and seller transactions is provided. A set of rules for accepting information into a document is received from the buyer. Also defined is the form of the presentation of an interface to the seller for creating the seller's invoice. The seller also receives address information from the buyer. The rules for accepting information, the rules regarding presentation and the address information are stored in a storage resource. The rules regarding presentation are accessed from the storage resource, and an interface is presented to the seller based on those rules. The rules for accepting information are accessed from the storage resource, and information for the document based on those rules is accepted through the interface. The address information is accessed from the storage resource, and the document with the accepted information is sent to the buyer.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating financial transactions, which may involve credit requests, is provided. Credit requests are categorized into three tiers: the third-tier is for requests capable of being processed by computers, the second-tier is for requests that meet predefined criteria and cannot be categorized as third-tier requests, and the first-tier is for requests that cannot be categorized as second-tier or third-tier requests. The first-tier requests are manually reviewed by a credit executive. The second-tier requests are delegated to more junior credit personnel via an inventive pre-approval procedure. The third-tier requests are processed, at least in part, by computers. Additionally, requests that exceed a credit line, or limit, may be approved by reallocating credit from other credit lines.

Abstract: A system and method for issuance of a financial network-based payment card (generally known as a “credit card”) almost instantaneously after application, wherein an applicant applies for a credit card by entering data into a data entry system, advantageously by filling in a plurality of predefined forms in a computer-based data entry system. The applicant's data is sent via a data network to a central decision center, which approves or disapproves the application. If the application is approved, data is generated and delivered to a card production system, which embosses and magnetically encodes a card blank. The card is then delivered to the applicant.

Abstract: A method and a system for allowing computer-executable applications to efficiently and securely obtain credentials required to access data from a protected Web service utilizes an ID token. The ID token is associated with an IP address of a user's computer, and is validated before providing the credentials to the user's computer.

Abstract: A vision system (10) for a vehicle (14) includes a light source (46) that generates an illumination beam (20). A receiver (62) generates a first image signal and a second image signal. The first image signal is generated in response to a reflected portion of the illumination beam (20). A controller is coupled to the light source (46) and the receiver (62). The controller generates an image in response to the first image signal and the second image signal.