Abstract: The present invention relates to synthetic funds for purchase by investors. A structured note is structured to provide customized equity returns/exposure. Terms of each structured note may be specified by the purchaser and the structured notes may be unsecured liabilities of the obligor, e.g., there are no underlying assets upon which the structure note is based. Thus, there will be no limits on the use of structured note proceeds and management of assets and liabilities will be left entirely to the obligor's discretion. Structured note payment obligations may be related to the performance of an objective valuation, but structured note holders will depend on the good credit of the obligor for payment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to synthetic funds for purchase by investors. A structured note is structured to provide customized equity returns/exposure. Terms of each structured note may be specified by the purchaser and the structured notes may be unsecured liabilities of the obligor, e.g., there are no underlying assets upon which the structure note is based. Thus, there will be no limits on the use of structured note proceeds and management of assets and liabilities will be left entirely to the obligor's discretion. Structured note payment obligations may be related to the performance of an objective valuation, but structured note holders will depend on the good credit of the obligor for payment.

Abstract: A self-service terminal (14) is described The terminal is associated with an organization (18) having individuals (36) under its supervision, each individual having a sponsor, whereby the terminal provides the individuals with access to financial services provided by a financial institution in accordance with rules established by the sponsor and the organization. A method of providing financial transactions via a self-service terminal (14) is also described, the method comprising the steps of: maintaining a financial account for an organization, providing a self-service terminal in premises used by the organization, maintaining a financial account for an individual under the supervision of the organization, allowing a sponsor and/or the organization to establish rules governing use of the financial account by the individual, and only fulfilling a transaction requested by the individual at the terminal if the transaction is consistent with the established rules for that individual.

Abstract: An investment management system in communication with a data vendor and an accounting system. The system includes an application server, the application server has logic configured to perform at least one of the following upon a user request: portfolio analysis of an investment portfolio; portfolio monitoring of the investment portfolio; trade calculation and rebalancing; scenario analysis; reporting at least one holding of the investment portfolio; and linking at least one publication to at least one holding of the investment portfolio. The system also includes a database server in communication with the application server.

Abstract: A monetary account, such as a prepaid account or credit account, that is used as payment for purchases is divided into categories of purchased items. When a purchase is attempted, a request to apply the monetary account specifies the category of the item being purchased. Rules associated with each of the categories of the account are applied in response to the request to determine whether to approve or deny the purchase. Rules may vary from one category to the next. As one example, a rule may include a remaining monetary value of the category where a determination is made whether the cost of the item being purchased is no more than the remaining monetary value. As another example, a rule may include whether a time of the purchase matches an allowable time for the category of the item being purchased. Other examples include rules that allow for borrowing from one category for purchases from another, for specific allocations, and for event triggers to generate alarms.

Abstract: A method and system for real-time online search processing over inter-connected computer networks, in which an offline database information is maintained for a plurality of vendor sites from the inter-connected computer networks. The information includes URLs, search form URLs, description of domains, and vendor descriptions, and while the vendor descriptions comprise generalized rules about how product information is organized on each of the vendor sites. Parameters are processed for a price comparison request for a desired product using the information maintained in the offline database whereas price comparison request is received from an online user or buyer and/or from the system of the present invention. Real-time price and product information is then extracted from identified ones of the plurality of vendor sites, wherein the extracted price and product information are in a native language of the site; and the extracted price and product information are displayed to the user.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and apparatus for providing a user rating service for online auctions is disclosed. Objective criteria, such as credit information, are combined with subjective ratings to create a user profile. Using objective criteria to supplement user ratings treats new users more fairly and prevents auction participants from inflating their ratings collusively. The user profile may be shared among online auction services, so that a user's aggregate transaction and ratings history may be used at a number of sites.

Abstract: A scenario manager allows users to define document-based choreography and simulate the behavior of a trading partner in a computer system. Rules are utilized to orchestrate the transaction sequence to test the functionalities and performances of the system as a whole and trading partners that participate in a scenario. Each scenario is defined with one or more steps, each of the steps having a condition and/or an action, wherein the condition defines prerequisites for the step to be executed and the action defines what happens if the step is executed. All the steps that have no conditions are executed first, resulting in one or more responses being received from trading partners. Then all steps having conditions that are satisfied in light of any responses received are performed. This is then repeated until no more conditions are satisfied or there are no steps left to perform.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for global address verification of a transaction, such as a transaction card purchase. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the system verifies a billing address and/or an alternate address (e.g., shipping address) in a single transaction. The billing address and/or the alternate address are associated with a transaction card purchaser. If the billing and/or alternate addresses are verified, then the transaction card issuer may offer a payment guarantee to the merchant. The merchant may choose to ship the purchased item to either a billing address or an alternate address. If the address is not verified, then the transaction card issuer may choose not to offer a payment guarantee to the merchant, and the merchant may choose not to ship the item to the alternate address.

Abstract: The present invention provides an auction system that allows bond issue sales to be offered in an open and transparent manner, wherein, a certain percentage (up to 100%) of bonds in a bond issue can be offered to qualified bidders at a “buy now” pre-auction price, set by an issuer and/or lead manager. Investors can be allowed to “bid some bonds out of the auction process” and thus guarantee their allocation and also allow bidders to participate in an open auction for other bonds. Bonds to be offered in a bond issue can include a subset of pre-auction price bonds and a subset of auction price bonds. The pre-auction price bonds are offered to pre-auction bidders at a pre-auction price, and auction bonds are generally sold to the highest bidder. Pre-auction sales can serve as a catalyst for generating enthusiasm for an associated bond issue auction.

Abstract: A system and method of facilitating a transfer of a refund amount from an educational institution to a student. A refund controller receives from an educational institution a request for authorization of an instant paper check of a payment amount equal to at least a portion of a total refund amount associated with the student of the educational institution student. The refund controller verifies the payment amount is equal to or less than an amount of funds available to the student and transfers funds equal to the payment amount to an instant issuance account. The refund controller authorizes the educational institution to issue an instant paper check for the payment amount to the student. The instant paper check draws from the instant issuance account.

Abstract: A system and method for defining and processing timed orders are defined. According to one embodiment, a trader may define a timed order by defining an intra-day time trigger or a time period when the timed order should be automatically modified, such as deleted or cancelled/replaced with a new order. In one embodiment, the intra-day time trigger or time period may be dynamically changed to a later time, for example, upon receiving a predetermined user input. Also, the time trigger and time period may be configured to dynamically vary based on any user configurable formula. Also, the timed order may be associated with one or more actions to be taken once the order is deleted, such as sending a new order, for example.

Abstract: A method of communicating a message from a sender to a recipient in possession of a unique identifier by use of which the recipient can perform a transaction at a transaction terminal includes: receiving the message from the sender, the message including a reference to the unique identifier; storing the message in a computer memory; detecting performance by the recipient of a transaction at the transaction terminal; and transmitting the message from the computer memory in which it is stored to the transaction terminal for display to the recipient incidental to the transaction performed, the message being independent of the transaction performed.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, systems and methods are provided to facilitate a transfer of a refund amount from an educational institution to a student. For example, a refund controller may receive from an educational institution an indication of a refund amount associated with a student of the educational institution student. The refund controller may then determine a method of refund delivery associated with the student and automatically arrange for the refund amount to be provided to the student in accordance with the determined method of delivery.

Abstract: A system and method for defining and processing timed orders are defined. According to one embodiment, a trader may define a timed order by defining an intra-day time trigger or a time period when the timed order should be automatically modified, such as deleted or cancelled/replaced with a new order. In one embodiment, the intra-day time trigger or time period may be dynamically changed to a later time, for example, upon receiving a predetermined user input. Also, the time trigger and time period may be configured to dynamically vary based on any user configurable formula. Also, the timed order may be associated with one or more actions to be taken once the order is deleted, such as sending a new order, for example.

Abstract: A computer data processing system executing a method for selecting an auction methodology for a buyer/supplier procurement process, wherein the method comprises determining an auction scope in the data processing system, determining an auction interaction in the data processing system, determining an auction control in the data processing system, determining an auction pricing in the data processing system, determining a set of auction closing rules in the data processing system, determining an auction iteration in the data processing system, and selecting an auction methodology based on the auction scope, the auction interaction, the auction control, the auction pricing, the auction closing rules, and the auction iteration.

Abstract: In an e-commerce context, a method and system are provided for exchanging documents in transactions between partners. The partners are joined in an exchange network and are communicating with each other via a hub entity. The documents are transformed from one partner's native format to another partner's native format via an interim standard document to which a common process is applied. The common process applies partner-specific rules to the standard document.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for minimizing risks associated with meteorology dependent activity. Such activity may include operation of renewable power sources and the delivery of power output from those renewable sources for sale on a market. The system and method identify risks to market participants in the event of possible shortfall, and provide metrics and mitigation processes for addressing the risks before the contractual breaches occurs for failure to deliver power, or imbalances occurred in grid operations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting a bank in meeting all or a portion of the bank's requirements under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) on a tax-advantaged basis. New or existing cash value life insurance policies on the lives of employees of the bank or an affiliate of the bank are provided. The cash-value life insurance policies designate the bank, the affiliate or a trust as owner and beneficiary. The assets which support the cash value of the life insurance policies are maintained in a separate account that is protected from general creditors of an issuer of the life insurance policies. The assets in the separate account are used to purchase (i) bank-eligible securities that are qualified investments, which promote community development, as defined under the CRA or (ii) whole loans that are CRA qualified loans, or community development loans, as defined under the CRA.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a computer program for analyzing private equity investments. The program includes instructions that access public equity data identifying performance of a set of more than one public equities. The instructions also access private equity data identifying one or more characteristics of different private equity investments. The program analyzes a private equity investment based, at least in part, on the public equity data and the private equity data of other private equity investments.