Abstract: In private equity and debt funding operations, resource providers define electronic data collection templates to be filled in by prospective resource consumers to form semi-homogeneous profiles. Providers and/or consumers can assign themselves and/or third parties various individualized levels of permissions to access and to perform activities on the profiles. Providers can organize profiles into portfolios to further manage the data. All accesses and activities, such as changes to the data, are tracked and recorded in logs useful for audit purposes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for trading securities trades on behalf of customers expressing orders in both share and dollar amounts. Where a brokerage receives orders from customers in both dollar and share amounts, the brokerage can combine the orders, e.g., by aggregating and netting, and executing the outstanding orders through a market maker. The number of shares to order through the market maker depends on the price at which the market maker can execute. By capturing the spread, the spread can be equitably distributed among buyers and sellers without regard for whether the order was received as a value-based order or a share-based order.

Abstract: In transactions between a consumer and a merchant where a merchant requires a deposit for participation, a method and system are provided for intermediating the transaction (10). The system enables a consumer to secure the required deposit amount for the transaction with funds deposited in one of a bank account (14) or a special deposit account (16). Fees are generated based on a percentage of the deposit amount secured with the deposited funds and/or by providing an interest rate on funds deposited in the special deposit account (16) with a fixed spread from a bank interest rate. The system assures merchants that deposit funds have been reserved for a particular transaction, and enables consumers to participate in such transactions without requiring an actual transfer of funds.

Abstract: A method for tracking status of an inventory shipment sent to a recipient includes monitoring whether the recipient has transmitted an electronic acknowledgment of the status of the shipment; and automatically transmitting a message to the recipient requesting acknowledgment of receipt of inventory if the electronic acknowledgment is not transmitted by the recipient within a first predetermined amount of time.

Abstract: An automated banking machine system and method includes ATMs which accept checks and dispense cash to users. The ATMs are operated to acquire image and magnetic data from deposited checks to determine the genuineness of checks and the authority of a user to receive cash for such checks. Cash is then dispensed to the user from the ATM in exchange for the deposited check. The ATMs dispense cash responsive to communications with a transaction host. The transaction host provides transaction identifying data to the ATM. The ATM sends the transaction identifying data and check images to an image and transaction data server for processing.

Abstract: An apparatus for routing trading orders comprises a memory and a processor. The memory stores first trading information associated with a first buy order placed with a first market center. The first buy order is associated with a product and the first trading information comprises a disclosed quantity of the product and a reserved quantity of the product. The memory also stores second trading information associated with a second buy order placed with a second market center. The second buy order is associated with the product and the second trading information comprises a disclosed quantity of the product and a reserved quantity of the product. The processor is coupled to the memory and receives a sell order associated with a quantity of the product. The processor further cancels at least a portion of the second buy order placed with the second market center for placement with the first market center.

Abstract: The invention comprises a system and method for hedging or mitigating mortality exposure risk in a portfolio of mortality-dependent instruments. A mortality risk or longevity risk of the portfolio is calculated or otherwise determined. Then the sensitivity of the portfolio to mortality risk or longevity risk is calculated or otherwise determined, in other words, how much is cost or value of the portfolio affected by a change in mortality rate. To account for that mortality exposure, a selection is made of building block mortality derivatives that include age-based mortality derivatives. The selected plurality of building block mortality derivatives are used to create a hedge against the mortality risk or longevity risk of the portfolio.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for settling over-the-counter financial instruments includes sampling over a periodic interval are disclosed. A volume weighted average price of the sampled process may be calculated and forward points may be applied to the volume weighted average priced to determine an associated spot exchange rate. Such a synthetic spot FX exchange rate may be published to subscribers. Over-the-counter financial derivatives may establish delivery obligations according to the spot exchange rate. In the event where a number of transactions during the sampling period is less than a threshold, a midpoint of bids and asks associated with orders for the exchange traded financial derivative may be used to determine an average of the midpoint, to which the forward points may be applied to determine the spot exchange rate. Alternatively, the time-weighted average of the bid and ask orders during a periodic interval may be used in computing the volume-weighted average price.

Abstract: A system and method of transformation bidding in an electronic auction system. The system acquires lot data including tooling information for a lot, receives a bid from a bidder, and transforms the lot data and the bid into a true cost of procuring the lot from the bidder. The system also presents the true cost to a sponsor.

Abstract: A system and method of selling reinsurance includes identifying a reinsurance product and a capacity of the reinsurance product to be sold and calculating a fair risk price for the reinsurance product. The reinsurance product is then offered to potential buyers via an electronic auction, wherein a minimum bid in the electronic auction is determined, at least in part, by the fair risk price. Bids are received from the buyers for portions of the capacity of the reinsurance product and are ranked in accordance with a calculated profitability value and/or time of receipt. Buyers are notified of a status of their respective bids, and particularly, whether bids have been tentatively accepted, partially accepted, or excluded, i.e., rejected. Upon notification of bid status, buyers are given the opportunity to modify bid parameters in an attempt to have their bids ranked at higher a level, thereby increasing the chance of the bid being accepted.

Abstract: A method and system of performing secure credit card purchases in the context of a remote commercial transaction, such as over the telephone, wherein only the customer, once generally deciding upon a product or service to be purchased, communicates with a custodial authorizing entity, such as a credit card company or issuing bank wherein such entity has previous knowledge of the credit card number as well as custodial control of other account parameters such as interest rate, payment history, available credit limit etc. The customer supplies the custodial authorizing entity with the account identification data such as the credit card number and a requested one of a possible plurality of predetermined payment categories which define the dollar amount for the purchase and specific, predetermined time parameters within which authorization by the custodial authorizing entity will remain in effect.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of managing trading is provided. In a market for a particular type of instrument, buy orders and sell orders are received from a plurality of traders. Each buy order has an associated bid price and each sell order has an associated offer price. A determination is made of whether the particular trading order is an outlying trading order by determining whether the particular trading order differs from at least one comparison price by more than a threshold value. If it is determined that the particular trading is an outlying trading order, a restrictive action is taken regarding the outlying trading order. For example, if a trader subsequently submits another trading order that would trade with the outlying trading order, an alert message may be sent to the trader and the subsequent trading order may be prevented from trading with the outlying trading order at least temporarily.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for automating insurance underwriting by integrating information from multiple online databases and creating decision making advice useful to insurance underwriters. One system includes a client, database, and server. The client allows an underwriter to enter applicant information, enter customized risk modifiers, and receive an underwriting decision. The database provides additional applicant information. This information can include one or more of prescription drug history, credit history, motor vehicle records, and geocentric mortality risk. The server obtains the applicant information, calculates the applicant's risk, makes an underwriting decision. Another system calculates a prescription drug risk for an applicant from pharmacy benefits management data, drug risk category data, and application data.

Abstract: A data distribution system and method are described herein to improve the distribution of market information to subscribing client devices. Market information updates are provided to subscribing devices over a communication link every time a change in the market occurs. If a bandwidth limitation is reached on the communication link, the preferred embodiments switch to a second mode of transmission such that the market information updates are provided only at predetermined intervals. The preferred embodiment monitors the bandwidth consumption to determine what mode of transmission to apply, and in response, it can dynamically change between modes of transmission. By dynamically adjusting the mode of transmission to comport with the current network bandwidth, the preferred embodiments may provide a network friendly, data intensive, and fast response market information feed.

Abstract: Property valuation that uses multiple transactions in predicting a value for a property. Instead of choosing only one prior transaction, valuation uses multiple transactions for a given property to provide a more accurate mark-to-market value. Preferably, a weighted combination of mark-to-market values provided by an HPI and individual ones of the multiple transaction records provide a predicted value for the given property. Weighting factors recency and transaction type to correct for both sources of potential inaccuracy.

Abstract: A method for facilitating the offset or contingent trading of commodity contracts comprising: providing a futures exchange wherein a futures or option contract based on a first commodity of a commodity type is traded; and automatically registering a trade of the futures or options contract on the futures exchange at a market price for the futures or options contract when an over the counter contract for a second commodity of the commodity type is traded.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for trading a trading strategy defined for at least one tradeable object in an electronic trading environment. More specifically, one example method includes using a first pay-up tick value to determine a first acceptable price level for an order associated with the trading strategy, automatically modifying the first pay-up tick to a second pay-up tick value in response to detecting a predefined condition, and using the second pay-up tick value to determine a second acceptable price level for the order associated with the trading strategy.

Abstract: A method for providing a financial instrument includes determining an initial account balance associated with a financial instrument based upon an initial deposit amount, wherein the financial instrument includes an account with an account balance that changes over time. The method further includes establishing a first guarantee of a protected value, the protected value including at least an amount based upon the initial account balance growing at a minimum growth rate for a defined period of time or until one or more defined events occur, whichever is sooner; and establishing a second guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of a designated party, wherein the amount comprises a percentage of the protected value at the time of a particular event, provided that the amount may vary based upon withdrawals from the account in excess of a first particular limit.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an asset allocation mutual fund comprises assets invested, at any one time, substantially 100% in one of stocks, bonds or cash equivalents. As market conditions change, as indicated by changes in the output of stock and bond models, substantially all of the assets may be shifted from one of these three asset classes to another. A method for allocating assets in a mutual fund, among the three asset classes, according to one embodiment includes, first determining whether a buy signal has been given on stocks using a stock model. If a buy signal has been given on stocks, substantially all assets of the mutual fund may be invested in stocks. If a buy signal on stocks is not indicated, it is determined whether a buy signal has been given on bonds using a bond model. If a buy signal has been given on bonds, substantially all assets of the mutual fund may be invested in bonds. If a buy signal on bonds is not indicated, substantially all assets of the mutual fund may be invested in cash equivalents.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to allow traders to submit midprice orders to trade at a price within a spread of a market, preferably at the midpoint of a spread market, while maintaining anonymity of the midprice order. A midprice order is anonymous because other traders do not know whether the submitted midprice orders are orders to buy or orders to sell. A midprice order may remain active until it is traded with a contra midprice order or until a parameter associated with the order is breached, thereby resulting in cancellation of the midprice order.