Abstract: A user may be identified and authenticated to an institution system and may adjust the annual miles driven estimate for their vehicle. The annual miles driven estimate is used in the determination of the premium for the vehicle insurance for the vehicle. The premium for the vehicle insurance may be revised based on the adjustment by the user to the annual miles driven estimate. In an implementation, the user may reduce the annual miles driven estimate to zero to indicate that they are not driving the vehicle. The user may keep some elements of the vehicle insurance coverage and the vehicle insurance policy may remain active although the annual miles driven estimate is zero.

Abstract: In an automated trading system wherein orders in an instrument in a specified currency are received and a trade in the instrument is performed when, for a certain volume of the instrument, a bid price matches an ask price, a method is provided for automatically generating an order in the instrument in said specified currency. The method comprised the steps of receiving from e.g. a currency market or a market maker a current exchange rate between a currency other than said specified currency and the specified currency; receiving from a trader an order in the instrument in said other currency; calculating a price of the order in the specified currency based on the received order and the current exchange rate; and generating the order in the instrument in the specified currency.

Abstract: A trading system such as an anonymous trading system for trading financial and other instruments can vocalize trading data to trader workstations as well as display it on a screen. Where a trader selects to receive vocal announcements, a trading floor identifier unique to his trading floor is also announced at random intervals.

Abstract: Software implemented system has a guarantee valuation engine and methodology that configures a processor with code which enables a fund that is continuously offered and always fully invested in traditional assets that correlate to a benchmark and which is subject to a guarantee with respect to net asset value on a specified future date to be re-priced on a daily basis and to have the effect of such re-pricing in the reported NAV of the fund.

Abstract: A method for prioritizing features that can be incorporated into a product, the method including: issuing a weighting factor to each stakeholder having an economic interest in the product, a size of the weighting factor being proportional to a size of a budget for each stakeholder; bidding an amount of the weighting factor for each feature by each stakeholder, a total amount bid by each stakeholder is not to exceed the size of the weighting factor issued to each stakeholder; summing the amounts bid for each feature to provide a total feature bid for each feature; and prioritizing the features in order from highest total feature bid to lowest total feature bid.

Abstract: Transaction information is received and applied to multiple fraud risk mathematical models that each produce a respective raw score, which are transformed with respective sigmoidal transform functions to produce optimized likelihood of fraud risk estimates to provide to a merchant. Respective fraud risk estimates are combined using fusion proportions associated with the respective risk estimates, producing a single point risk estimate, which is transformed with a sigmoidal function to produce an optimized single point risk estimate. The sigmoidal functions approximate a relationship between risk estimates produced by fraud risk detection models and a percentage of transactions associated with respective risk estimates; the relationship is represented in terms of real-world distributions of fraudulent and non-fraudulent transaction.

Abstract: A market map interface displays market information and trader-related information associated with at least two tradable objects. In one embodiment, the at least two graphical interfaces may be linked, and a user may define one or more adjustment parameters to be used to adjust the view of information being displayed via the linked graphical interfaces. For instance, a user may initiate repositioning of one of the linked graphical interfaces, thus, effectively, causing other linked graphical interfaces to be repositioned according to the defined adjustment parameters.

Abstract: A benchmark price reflective of trading in a financial instrument for benchmarking sell-side traders performance is provided by calculating based on received trades a buy volume weighted average price and a sell volume weighted average price for every contra-side party trading in a selected security during a period of time. Ineligible contra-parties are filter out from the determined buy and sell volume weighted average prices and the remaining contra-parties are ranked based on the determined volume weighted average prices from best price to worst to produce ranked, buy volume weighted average prices and ranked sell volume weighted average prices.

Abstract: An interface for trading multiple tradeable objects includes a price axis or scale. A first indication of quantities represented in a market for a first tradeable object is displayed in association with the price axis or scale. A second indication of quantities represented in the market for a second tradeable object is displayed in association with the price axis or scale. The first tradeable object may be different than the second tradeable object. Alternatively, the first tradeable object and the second tradeable object may be the same, but the indications of quantity may be provided from different sources, such as different exchanges.

Abstract: A method and system are provides for an auction with interest rate bidding. The system receives a starting interest rate and a maximum interest rate for an interest-paying (IP) item at a computer. The system publishes the IP item for sale at the starting interest rate, initiates a declining auction and receives bids in the declining auction for the IP item. The system terminates the declining auction based on a predetermined period of time and identifies one or more bids that respectively include an interest rate that is lower than the maximum interest rate. Finally, the system selects a lowest interest rate bid from the one or more bids as a winning bid.

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 for structuring a repurchase agreement matchbook (“repo matchbook”) includes in one aspect, separating a repo matchbook from other capital market businesses of a company (such as a dealer). In one embodiment, an independent broker-dealer is created for the sole use of such a dealer. In another embodiment, an independent broker-dealer is created to gain profit by an independent group of investors. Another aspect of the system provides a method for creating a multi-tiered, varied risk capitalization structure for the creation of a new company, which in some embodiments is the independent broker-dealer. A method of risk management that may be applied to the operation of the repo matchbook or another business includes setting out strict operational guidelines for risk mitigation.

Abstract: A method of providing a variable credit account to a consumer (12) is provided. The method includes the steps of: offering, by a credit issuer (14), a variable credit account to a consumer (12) by telephone, electronically, mail or at an in-store location; accepting, by the consumer (12), the offer; opening, by the credit issuer, the variable credit account (18) for the consumer (12), where the account includes an open-ended loan portion (22) and a close-ended loan portion (20). The method may further include the steps of initially activating the open-ended loan portion (22) when the initial offer is made electronically, by mail or at an in-store location; and initially activating a close-ended loan portion (20) of the account when the initial offer is made at any point-of-sale. A system and apparatus for providing a variable credit account to a consumer (12) is also discussed.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for processing financial information such that securities backed by tax-exempt bonds may be issued. In one embodiment, the method includes establishing a senior class of securities, such that the senior class of securities includes a guarantee feature; establishing a junior class of securities, such that the junior class of securities serves as collateral for the senior class of securities; and issuing the senior and junior classes of securities, such that the junior and senior classes of securities are backed by assets of a single trust.

Abstract: To process financial articles of trade, real time data is collected from a plurality of liquidity destinations in trading at least one of securities, commodities, options, futures and derivatives, the real time data including information on submitted transactions of financial articles of trade. The real time data collected from the plurality of liquidity destinations is aggregated. The real time data is streamed in a standardized form. User criteria are established to identify relevant portions of the streamed real time data. The streamed real time data is analyzed according to the user criteria. The analyzed real time data is consolidated into a computer data base.

Abstract: An improved method of funding and delivering benefits to the retired participants of a defined benefit pension plan. The method does this by having the plan purchase cash value life insurance with respect to each retired plan participant, and then entering into separate agreement(s) with institutional third parties to exchange a portion of the future death benefits from those policies for periodic cash payments that could be used to make pension benefit payments to plan participants as they become due. Such modified funding and delivery mechanism could result in significant cost savings to the defined benefit plan as it may be able to deliver more benefits per dollar of contribution to plan assets, thereby improving the financial health and prospects of the defined benefit plan, while also offering sufficient profit potential to other third parties to induce them to play a necessary role in the funding and delivery of plan benefits.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for identifying markdown prices for items. As an example, a system and method can include identifying for each item an optimal markdown plan containing a markdown price for the item. Also, the method and system can be configured to identify for each item an optimal delay plan. For each item, a delay cost and a markdown spend are calculated, and a comparison is performed of the item's delay cost with respect to the item's markdown spend. The comparison is used to determine whether to mark down an item based upon the item's determined markdown price.

Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a method of electronically receiving data from a first external source regarding the creation a first financial account or an update to the first financial account and storing the data from the first external source in a database. Further, the method includes determining whether the data from the first external source represents the creation of the first financial account or an update to the first financial account and if the data from the first external source represents the creation of the first financial account, then electronically transferring to a second external source the data from the first external source.

Abstract: A method of providing an account is provided. The method includes receiving identification information associated with a user during a communication session and communicating a request for credit information, the request including at least a portion of the identification information. The requested credit information is received and an account is approved and opened based at least on the received credit information. During the communication session, a request made using the opened account to place a first order to trade a first product is received. A risk value for the first order is determined. One or more current balances for the account are also determined. The method further includes determining whether to approve the first order based at least on the risk value determined for the first order and one or more of the current balances for the account, and if the first order is approved, placing the first order.

Abstract: In one method embodiment of the present methods and systems, a computer-assisted method is provided for analyzing at least one financial instrument associated with a financial institution. The financial instrument has an associated collateral. The method includes receiving at least one collateral margin record from a collateral data source, wherein the collateral margin record includes information related to at least one collateral margin condition of the financial instrument; comparing at least a portion of the collateral margin record to at least one criterion; and, generating at least one of a report and a notification based on the step of comparing the collateral margin record to the criterion. Various aspects of the present method embodiments discussed herein can also be provided in accordance with various computer-readable media embodiments and system embodiments.