Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a financial instrument includes a first tax-deferred account and first, second, and third guarantees. The first tax-deferred account has an account balance based in part on a deduction from wages paid to an employee. The first guarantee is a guarantee of a first protected value based upon a deposit growing at a minimum growth rate The second guarantee is a guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of the employee. The third guarantee is a guarantee that the first protected value may be transferred with the first tax-deferred account to a separate financial instrument including a second tax-deferred account, a fourth guarantee of a second protected value, and a fifth guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of the employee.

Abstract: A computer system for administering a life insurance policy is configured to, responsive to receipt of certification that the insured has either loss of ability to perform two activities of daily living or cognitive impairment, provide instructions to pay an owner of the policy, in periodic payments, an accelerated benefit, the accelerated benefit being in an amount less than the death benefit, a first of the periodic payments being for a time period commencing on a date of receipt of the certification, and continuing until the insured no longer has the loss of ability to perform two activities of daily living or cognitive impairment. The system is further configured to, responsive to each of the periodic payments, determine a reduction of the amount of the death benefit by an amount of each of the periodic payments.

Abstract: A computer system for administering applications for life insurance has a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive data indicative of an application and an initial premium payment from a proposed insured for life insurance; based on the received data, determine whether the proposed insured is uninsurable; responsive to a determination that the proposed insured is not uninsurable, generate an output signal having data indicative of a decision to respond to the application by issuing a policy and commencing a comprehensive underwriting process; receive data indicative of a result of the comprehensive underwriting process; based on the result of the comprehensive underwriting process, determine a rating of the proposed insured; and, based on the rating, provide an output signal indicative of a same or changed premium for the policy.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a benefits contract includes an agreement to provide a plurality of benefits for at least one person. The agreement provides for an account including a plurality of units. Each unit is associated with multiple benefits. For example each unit may be associated with multiple benefits such as life insurance, health insurance, supplemental health insurance, long-term care insurance, short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, prescription drug insurance, a plurality of income payments, a withdrawal benefit, an annuity, a property and casualty benefit, or other similar benefits. The agreement is such that a person associated with the benefits contract may choose to exercise a particular unit, or fraction thereof, to receive only one of the three or more benefits; and such that the benefits account (or plurality of units) may be purchased tax-free using funds from a tax-deferred retirement account.

Abstract: A printer for connection to a network to print documents residing on parts of the network has a connector for connection to the network, a log-in facility for a user to log in to the printer, a display for displaying a list of documents stored on a selected portion of a storage device on the network, and a print initiator to cause a selected document from the list of documents to be printed. The log-in facility, the display and the print initiator can be an integral part of the printer. Alternatively they can be a part of an apparatus connected between the network and the printer with the apparatus being other than a general purpose computer. A mobile telephone can have an application thereon for causing printing of documents by executing the steps of logging on, displaying a list of documents, and initiating printing of a selected document.

Abstract: A computer system for administering applications for life insurance has a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive data indicative of application data and data indicative of a health of a proposed insured; based on the received data, determine whether the proposed insured is eligible, and generate an output signal to cause a policy to be generated and comprehensive underwriting to commence. Upon completion of comprehensive underwriting, additional policy documents may be determined. Calculations of commissions and reinsurance premiums may be made upon issue of a policy and recalculated upon completion of comprehensive underwriting.

Abstract: A computer system for processing data relating to a life insurance policy issued by an insurance company to an owner includes a data storage device storing data relating to the life insurance policy, including data indicative of a face amount, a benefit account, an investment account and a death benefit factor, and a processor configured to access data indicative of the face amount, a value of the investment account, a value of the benefit account and a value of the death benefit factor; determine a first value based on a sum of the face amount and the value of the investment account; determine a second value based on the benefit account value, the investment account value and the value of the death benefit factor; and determine an amount of a death benefit of the life insurance policy to be the greater of the first value and the second value.

Abstract: A computer system for administering applications for life insurance has a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive data indicative of an application and an initial premium payment from a proposed insured for life insurance; based on the received data, determine whether the proposed insured is eligible for life insurance issued before completion of comprehensive underwriting; responsive to a determination that the proposed insured is eligible, generate an output signal having data indicative of a decision to respond to the application by issuing a policy and by commencing a comprehensive underwriting process. The processor may be configured to receive data indicative of a result of the comprehensive underwriting process and based on the result of the comprehensive underwriting process, provide an output signal indicative of policy changes.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is a method for providing a financial instrument including determining a current account balance for a financial account, calculating a liability ratio for the financial account, and determining whether to transfer at least a portion of the account balance from a variable sub-account to a low-risk sub-account based on the liability ratio.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a current net amount at risk associated with a life insurance policy is determined. The life insurance policy may, for example, have been previously issued to a consumer for a given face death benefit amount. At least one applicable cost of insurance rate may then be automatically selected based at least in part on the determined net amount at risk. The applicable cost of insurance rate can then be applied to the current net amount at risk for the policy. For example, a first cost of insurance rate may be applied to a first portion of the current net amount at risk, and the applicable cost of insurance rate may be applied to a second portion of the current net amount at risk.

Abstract: A method for providing retirement income using mutual fund longevity insurance is provided. A current or prospective retiree can purchase a mutual fund coupled with a longevity product. The longevity product insures against the early exhaustion or termination of the mutual fund, superannuation, or poor market performance of the mutual fund, and could be funded using a qualified annuity, a Roth Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA), or a non-qualified annuity to provide tax advantages. Retirement income is provided for the retiree beginning at retirement. During the life of the mutual fund, periodic withdrawals are taken from the mutual fund and invested in the longevity product. If the retiree reaches a threshold age, the retiree can choose to receive income from the longevity product.

Abstract: Pursuant to some embodiments, a computer system for pricing a paycheck term policy is provided which includes a processor, a communication device in communication with the processor the communication device configured to receive an input data set, the input data set including at least an issue age of an insured associated with the policy, a desired death benefit payment amount, an underwriting class associated with the insured, and an interest rate factor.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is a method for providing a financial instrument including determining a current account balance for a financial account and on a first periodic basis: determining a specified percentage of the value of the financial account, determine the greater of a particular limit and the highest value of the financial account multiplied by the specified percentage on a second periodic basis, and in response to a determination that the highest value of the financial account multiplied by the specified percentage on the second periodic basis is greater than the particular limit, stepping-up the particular limit to equal the highest value of the financial account multiplied by the specified percentage on the second periodic basis.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for facilitating the management of a financial instrument includes determining an account balance for a financial account. The financial account includes an investment portfolio and a springing guarantee of an income base for a retirement income. The retirement income includes periodic monetary transfers to be commenced at a target retirement date. Each periodic monetary transfer has a respective value based on the income base. The springing guarantee of the income base may be activated on an activation date. The account balance is stored in memory of the data processing system. The stored account balance is periodically updated based at least in part on market performance of the investment portfolio. Using a computing system, the activation date is determined based at least in part on the target retirement date and the income base is determined. A respective value is outputted for each one of the periodic monetary transfers.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for allocating assets among a plurality of investments to guarantee a predetermined value at the end of a predetermined time period. A computer program controls the allocation of assets in the investment vehicle, which allows the investor to initially invest one hundred percent of the initial deposit in non-secure, high risk investments. At the end of the each trading day, the computer program determines if assets should be reallocated from the non-secure investments to the secure investments, from the secure investments to the non-secure investments, or if no reallocation is necessary.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for maximizing retirement income using bridge annuities and deferred Social Security income. Financial information about a client is gathered, in addition to financial information about the client's spouse, if applicable. A variety of income scenarios are modeled using the financial information and a plurality of income models, each model including income from a bridge product and deferred Social Security income. Alternate funding approaches are projected using the financial information, and the modeled scenarios are compared to the alternate funding approaches to determine the optimal scenario for maximizing retirement income. The client can then purchase a bridge product in accordance with the optimal scenario.

Abstract: A data processing system for managing an annuity account associated with a first provision entitling a beneficiary to monetary transfers for a duration of time extending for the life of a first designated party and a second provision granting an option to modify the duration of time. The data processing system includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices storing logic. The logic is operable when executed by the one or more processors to determine whether an option has been elected and, based at least in part on the determination, process one or more monetary transfers to the beneficiary.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for administering a financial instrument includes storing a balance of an employee retirement plan account created for an employee and owned by an employer of the employee. The employee retirement plan account includes one or more variable investments. The balance of the employee retirement plan account is based, at least in part, on an initial deposit into the employee retirement plan account from a deduction from wages paid by the employer to the employee. The method also includes storing a minimum positive growth rate. The method further includes updating the stored balance of the employee retirement plan account based on market performance of the one or more variable investments. The method further includes calculating a protected value, and, upon occurrence of one or more events, transferring ownership of the employee retirement plan account from the employer to the employee.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for allocating assets among a plurality of investments to guarantee a predetermined value at the end of a predetermined time period. A computer program controls the allocation of assets in the investment vehicle, which allows the investor to initially invest one hundred percent of the initial deposit in non-secure, high risk investments. At the end of the each trading day, the computer program determines if assets should be reallocated from the non-secure investments to the secure investments, from the secure investments to the non-secure investments, or if no reallocation is necessary.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for managing a group life insurance policy with a plurality of certificates is provided. The group life insurance policy is at least partially funded by a financial account comprising one or more payments paid by a sponsor. The one or more payments are expected to fund the group life insurance policy for a multi-year period. The group life insurance policy is configured to provide life insurance coverage for a plurality of persons pursuant to the plurality of certificates.