Abstract: A Payment Gateway interfaces, in one embodiment, with a merchant's website or a payment aggregator used by the merchant's website, for facilitating purchases made at the website by a wireless user. In one embodiment, purchases at the website are paid for by charging the wireless user's prepaid account maintained in the mobile operator. The Payment Gateway accepts messages in an HTTP based message from the website or payment aggregator and provides a gateway function to the wireless user's service provider, which is accessible only using SS7 based MAP protocols. The mobile gateway ascertains the proper message syntax to use in a MAP based USSD message based on the wireless carrier. The mobile gateway also receives messages from the mobile operator, typically using a GSM MAP based protocol and initiates HTTP based messages back to the merchant's website.

Abstract: An anonymous block trade matching system which allows users that who wish to cross large blocks of stock to submit orders, or indications of interest, with the option of utilizing market peg benchmarks or future price cross benchmarks. Orders submitted may be subject to minimum thresholds, including a threshold requiring that the order represent ‘X’ % of average daily volume. After submission of a firm order in the system, an alert is generated to provide the order data to other users with potential to cross the order. Visibility of order data by other users may be restricted based upon a data interaction group to which the ordering user or the other user belongs. The system provides users viewing order data with a capability of communicating with the submitting user via a restricted two-way messaging interface.

Abstract: Investment portfolios undergo a calibration procedure to improve their efficiency and stability. Any set of portfolios could be selected for calibration. If said portfolios represent a result of a portfolio optimization or asset allocation, then using original model inputs, an optimization procedure is performed to compute an original efficient frontier and a set of frontier portfolios is selected for calibration. A plurality of random samples of modified optimization inputs based on the original inputs is generated. For each random sample of inputs a modified efficient frontier is computed using the portfolio optimization model with modified inputs. Each portfolio selected for calibration is projected on the modified efficient frontier to create a corresponding modified calibration portfolio. Calibrated portfolio is created by averaging its calibrations. Calibrated efficient frontier is created by averaging all calibration portfolios for each selected portfolio on the original frontier.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products roll over unused credits. An available number of service units is provided during a billing cycle. The number of service units consumed during the billing cycle is compared to the available number of service units. When service units remain at an end of the billing cycle, then unused service units are rolled over to another billing cycle.

Abstract: Users of a communication system can initiate electronic payments during a communication session hosted by the communication system or via a social network identity page hosted by the communication system. The communication system detects a payment signal from a user of the communication system and the collects payment information details either by displaying a payment object interface in a communication application of the user or receiving payment information input directly from the user's communication device. The payment information includes sender and recipient payment account identifiers that are communicated to a payment processing system for processing and delivery of the designated payment amount to the recipient.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for facilitating control of a child's purchasing of products from a merchant using a credit card, debit card, gift card, secure token, mobile device, or the like. A payment provider, such as Paypal, Inc., can authorized the purchase of a product from the merchant if both the child and the parent are checked in with the same merchant via one or more social networks (thereby indicating that the child and the parent are in or near the same store). This requirement for proximity between the child and the parent can provide the parent with an opportunity to more closely monitor purchases made by the child.

Abstract: According to a commercial method of the present invention, a merchant forwards transaction data to a consumer. If the consumer accepts the transaction, a payment command is forwarded to a service provider. The service provider selectively applies authentication before approving payment. Once payment is approved, the service provider forwards a payment instruction, including consumer account information, to a payment service. The payment service forwards payment to the merchant and a payment confirmation is returned to the service provider and, through the service provider, to the consumer. The service provider stores information about each transaction performed by each subscriber. Consumer identity is protected because it is only exchanged between the service provider and the payment service, and is not made available to the merchant. In addition, the storage of the transaction information by various devices facilitates the return process and adds marketing capability to the service provider.

Abstract: A Personal Health Application (PHA) management system stores templates that are used to generate customized PHA documents. The PHA management system receives a request for a PHA document, where the request includes information that describes a new insurance policy or modification of a policy that an insurance consumer is requesting, that indicates the state or other area in which the insurance consumer lives, that indicates the reason that the consumer is requesting the new policy or modification, and/or other information. The PHA management system generates a PHA document based on a stored template and the information included in the request, and the generated PHA document may be provided to the insurance consumer.

Abstract: A managing platform for appending supplemental payment data to a transaction message receives a transaction message representative of a credit card transaction from a merchant or an associated financial institution. The managing platform uses the transaction data contained in the transaction message and other information to determine whether the transaction satisfies one or more payment rules previously established by the cardholder. If the transaction satisfies a payment rule, the managing platform appends supplemental payment data to the transaction message in a format specified by a financial institution associated with the cardholder. The supplemental payment data includes information identifying a secondary payment account associated with the satisfied payment rule. The managing platform subsequently transmits the appended transaction message to the financial institution associated with the cardholder.

Abstract: Systems and methods related to an online website wherein businesses seeking insurance can obtain quotations and be connected to a plurality of insurance providers are described herein. In some embodiments, the businesses are authenticated and verified by providing such details as, e.g., employer identification number (EIN) or tax identification number (TIN), and being registered with the system prior to requesting quotations. In some embodiments, the system has an online collaboration system where a business can ask or post questions and receive answers from insurance providers or agents who match their search criteria.

Abstract: A system and method comprises a defined contribution module for periodically receiving contributions and for accumulating value over a period of time by investing at least one of the contributions, the accumulated value being capable of: (1) being withdrawn at any time and reinvested, and (2) being paid out after a predetermined period of time; and wherein select investment options comprises investment products and at least one designated defined benefit investment option module for: (1) receiving at least one investment payment from the defined contribution module, the investment payment comprising at least one of the contributions and/or the accumulated value, (2) for paying out a guaranteed minimum income payment for life, after the predetermined period of time, based on a retirement income formula, and (3) increasing the income payment for life for excess performance over the formula.

Abstract: A business method. A dividend is calculated from: (i) a penalty assessed against a holder, of at least one share of a financial instrument, who sells the at least one share on a date of sale preceding an extinguish date associated with the financial instrument; and/or (ii) a premium lost by other purchasers of the financial instrument who sell, on dates of sale preceding an extinguish date associated with the financial instrument, shares of the financial instrument purchased by the other purchasers, wherein a premium consisting of an upfront fee against a purchaser of one or more shares of the financial instrument is assessed against the purchaser which entitles the purchaser to a future portion of the premium lost. The dividend is distributed, on a date subsequent to the date of sale, to all Holders of Record of the financial instrument on the date of sale.

Abstract: A method of tracking and aggregating all Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) “shelf” registration and all capital market activity related to those shelf registrations. The method includes the steps of accessing a first database containing data associated with investment registrations, wherein the data is organized as a series of individual filings. The method further includes the steps of retrieving data from the first database associated with selected ones of the filings, organizing the data into tables based on at least one aggregate aspect of the data common to multiple filings, and storing the retrieved data in at least one table.

Abstract: A system includes an insurance component selection platform that transmits data to and receives data from an insurance product component storage unit storing one or more self-descriptive components of an insurance coverage. Each of the stored components may have associated properties defining attributes of the component and one or more values associated with the properties. The components may be selected via a graphical interface generated by the component selection platform to be included in an insurance coverage product. The components may then be combined within constraints of the properties and values of the individual components. An insurance coverage policy may then be presented based on the combination of components.

Abstract: A strategic default score is determined for an entity that characterizes a likelihood of the entity voluntarily electing to default on a loan. Data characterizing credit data and valuation data of an asset owned by the entity is received. Using the received data, the strategic default score is generated which characterizes a likelihood of the entity to voluntarily elect to default on the loan when the entity is capable of paying-off the loan. Provision (e.g., display, transmission, storage, etc.) of the strategic default score is then initiated. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Abstract: Systems and methods related to an online website wherein businesses seeking insurance can obtain quotations and be connected to a plurality of insurance providers are described herein. In some embodiments, the businesses are authenticated and verified by providing such details as, e.g., employer identification number (EIN) or tax identification number (TIN), and being registered with the system prior to requesting quotations. In some embodiments, the system has an online collaboration system where a business can ask or post questions and receive answers from insurance providers or agents who match their search criteria.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying one or more waivers for waiving a fee associated with an account of a customer at a financial institution. The system and method may include identifying, based one or more criteria of the account, customer, and the like, one or more waivers applicable to the account, customer, and the like. The applicable waivers may be provided for selection. In some examples, a history of all waivers associated with the account or customer may also be provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that generally relate to enabling completion of secure transactions using mobile devices that may or may not have the needed or desired security features. A secure transaction may be partially completed by a secure computing device and partially completed by a less secure mobile device, where the secure computing device may be used to delegate a transaction operation to the less secure mobile device.

Abstract: A system and method providing a borrowing scheme. The method comprises the steps of: establishing an interest-free revolving amount or account using the computer processor; establishing a periodic payment for maintaining the interest-free revolving amount or account using the computer processor; and automatically revising the interest-free revolving amount or account or the periodic payment using the computer processor based upon at least one user performance metric over a predetermined period of time; wherein the interest-free revolving amount or account or the periodic payment for maintaining the interest-free revolving amount is determined by the user via the network.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to selectively restrict payment transactions. In one aspect, a system includes: a data storage facility to store restriction data in association with a phone number; and an interchange coupled with the data storage facility. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with mobile controllers. The converters are configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats and to communicate with the common format processor in a common format. In response to a payment request identifying the phone number and a merchant, the common format processor determines whether to reject the payment request based at least in part on the restriction data and the identity of the merchant. If the request is not rejected, the common format processor uses one of the converters to communicate with a telephonic apparatus at the phone number to confirm the payment request.