Abstract: A mortgage loan is provided with mortgage payment insurance that provides payments to a lender upon borrower default. The mortgage loan is underwritten based on the mortgage payment insurance. The mortgage payment insurance policy providing that if a borrower defaults, without any further conditions, in its payment obligation under the mortgage, the insurer will make one or more insurance payments to borrower's payee, such payments to be made during the period the mortgage loan is in default.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for implementing variable financial plans. The methods can include identifying an account, and accessing an account planning tool. Characteristics associated with the account are presented to the account planning tool, and an account plan is developed using the planning tool. Based at least in part on the account plan, a funds transfer is facilitated from a source of funds to the account. Activity in the account is monitored, and the account plan is modified in response to activity detected in the account plan.

Abstract: A new class of instruments extends the use or operation of futures contracts to encompass specific deliverable products on a daily settlement basis. These new instruments can be created to cover a wide range of market sectors and financial classes. The new instruments are exchange traded instruments that define exactly and exclusively the instrument to be exchanged at the end of the trading period.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an extendable swap is provided. In a preferred embodiment, two parties enter into an ISDA Master Agreement and then negotiate one or more OTC derivative transaction agreements, including interest rate swaps, cross-currency swaps, commodity swaps, equity swaps and/or currency swaps. The parties negotiate terms including conditions precedent to the automatic extension of the extendable swap. Where the condition(s) precedent are met at the end of a period, the agreement automatically renews for another period (with the same terms), up to a final termination date. Where the conditions precedent are not met, the contract in not renewed, and the agreement terminates on the relevant anniversary date. Such a swap enables a party to offer better pricing due to period valuations and probabilities that are used to calculate the price of the swap.

Abstract: System and method for validating a payment. The method can include obtaining a first account identifier, accessing a database containing a plurality of risk scores, each one of the plurality of risk scores being associated with one of a plurality of account identifiers, obtaining a first risk score from the plurality of risk scores, the first risk score being associated with the first account identifier, and determining an acceptance decision by comparing the first risk score against a risk threshold value.

Abstract: A system and method for news-based trading are developed. According to one method, a trader can pre-define a trading strategy including a number of trading rules to be applied based on a comparison of one or more estimated event values to the respective actual event values to be released at some later time. The example method further includes, upon receiving one or more actual event values via a user input or directly from outside sources, executing one or more predefined trading rules selected based on the comparison of the received actual event values to the respective estimated indicator values.

Abstract: A method of generating a purchase order includes receiving purchasing data for the item to be purchased in a computerized system and generating the purchase order based on received purchasing data for the item to be purchased, determining whether a sufficient amount of funds is available for the purchase order, submitting the purchase order for a remedial action to obtain the sufficient amount of funds if the sufficient amount of funds is not available, determining a supplier for the item to be purchased from a plurality of potential suppliers using an automated auction system if a sufficient amount of funds is available, and modifying the purchase order to include data from the automated auction regarding the supplier.

Abstract: Managing risks of crop production can be performed by understanding the relative performance of different agricultural inputs under the same or similar environmental conditions. In addition, managing of crop production risks can be performed by understanding variations in the performance of the same agricultural inputs over a range of environmental conditions. By being able to describe and understand these variations in performance, decisions can be made which are consistent with overall business and/or production objectives and limit risk associated with variations in environmental conditions. In addition to producers there are other stakeholders in the crop production process, such as financial institutions, insurance providers, users of crops produced, and input suppliers. These and other stakeholders can provide financial incentives to producers for managing crop production risks through use of environmental classification and/or genotype-by-environment information.

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: 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 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: 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: 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: A method for assembling and shipping an item using a security cleared space connected to a port authority, comprising the steps of: leasing the security cleared space to a user; obtaining at least one component for assembly of the at least one item; assembling the at least one component in the security cleared space; screening at least one person for entry to the security cleared space; readying the assembled item for shipment to a destination by entering data related to the assembled item into a processor with computer instructions that direct the processor to move the assembled item to a designated storage area or to an aircraft for shipment. A method for receiving an assembled item and disassembling the item into components for storage or shipment is also contemplated.

Abstract: Increased efficiency and lower cost job scheduling is provided by a system and method that optimizes for cost instead of makespan, and minimizes fluctuations in resource utilization. A schedule is constructed using a workflow scheduling system that includes a load leveler, a cost minimizer, and a manpower planner. The load leveler minimizes makespan, subject to resource limits, and then lowers the resource limits, repeating the process in order to create a flatter schedule. The cost minimizer generates an initial solution, and then incrementally improves it, using the manpower planner to evaluate the different possible solutions. The manpower planner calculates, for a given schedule, the optimal hire/fire decisions to minimize total cost.

Abstract: A financial advisory system is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, return scenarios for optimized portfolio allocations are simulated interactively to facilitate financial product selection. Return scenarios for each asset class of a plurality of asset classes are generated based upon estimated future scenarios of one or more economic factors. A mapping from each financial product of an available set of financial products onto one or more asset classes of the plurality of asset classes is created by determining exposures of the available set of financial products to each asset class of the plurality of asset classes. In this way, the expected returns and correlations of a plurality of financial products are generated and used to produce optimized portfolios of financial products. Return scenarios are simulated for one or more portfolios including combinations of financial products from the available set of financial products based upon the mapping.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for performing a tax-deferred transaction involving an Investor owning a Relinquished Property according to structures depending on the form of ownership. One structure can involve an Individual Investor, and another structure can involve an Investor Partnership. The structure involving the Individual Investor as the owner of Relinquished Property can include the steps of: (1) the Investor selling the Relinquished Property; (2) the Investor acquiring as a Replacement Property, directly or indirectly from a REIT or its affiliate for example, an interest in Like Kind Property; and (3) the Investor transferring such interest to the Operating Partnership of the REIT in exchange for DCX Units.

Abstract: A new class of instruments extends the use or operation of futures contracts to encompass specific deliverable products on a daily settlement basis. These new instruments can be created to cover a wide range of market sectors and financial classes. The new instruments are exchange traded instruments that define exactly and exclusively the instrument to be exchanged at the end of the trading period.

Abstract: Method for establishing an investment mandate and for managing institutional investment funds associated with equity-based investments, bond-based investments and other investments.

Abstract: A method for managing display of quotes for securities in an electronic market includes entering a quote into a system for trading securities, a portion of the entered quote being displayable and another portion of the entered quote being held as reserved quote interest, executing a portion of the displayable quote portion against interest in the market, aggregating an unexecuted displayable quote portion, with a portion of the reserved quote, if the unexecuted displayable quote portion is less than a round lot, and displaying the aggregate.