Abstract: A first user, second user, and third user are registered. Names of a first, second, and third item are stored a website for the first, second, and third users. The items can be tangible items or intangible items. The first user requests the second item. A first credit is removed from the first user and a second credit is stored for the second user when the first user receives the second item. The second user requests the third item. The second credit is removed from the second user and a third credit is stored for the third user when the second user receives the third item. The first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represents a right to request a future swappable tangible or intangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible or intangible item.

Abstract: An electronic transaction method, funds transfer apparatus and method for facilitating a funds transfer. The methods comprise sending information from a purchaser or payor to a funds transfer system separate from a vendor system or payee, validating and confirming personal financial information at the funds transfer system, and transferring funds from a purchaser or payor account to the vendor or a payee account without exposing either party's financial and account information to the other. Additionally, a funds transfer apparatus is disclosed comprising connections to a payor and payee system and mechanisms for receiving and validating party and transaction information and a mechanism for transferring funds from one party to the other.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for determining performance bonds for fixed payoff products, i.e. contracts which payoff a fixed amount based on the outcome of an underlying event regardless of the value thereof. The worst outcome of the overall portfolio, which may contain more multiple instruments, is calculated, allowing the portfolio to have both long and short positions on the same underlying event and offsets among instruments within the portfolio. A universe of outcomes is constructed including single events with single outcomes, and the probability thereof, and single events with multiple outcomes, each with a probability thereof. Each outcome has an associated price and probability. Low probability events will have low values, resulting in a lower margin requirement. The margin requirement is then the amount of the maximum loss that the portfolio can sustain for any possible outcome of the underlying event, adjusted for the probability thereof.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide tools for multi-broker order routing based on net position at a broker. The net position of a user at a broker to receive a portion of a trade order is considered when allocating the quantity for the trade order to multiple brokers.

Abstract: A new type of general obligation bond, called Ed-Tech bonds, is structured to provide on-going funding for a district's technology needs, match the term of the underlying bonds to the useful short-term life of technology assets to be purchased with bond proceeds, and address federal restrictions regarding use of bond proceeds. Further, techniques are described for determining the appropriate financing parameters for the Ed-Tech bonds.

Abstract: A system and method for providing promotional pricing is disclosed. One or more pricing offers may be provided to a plurality of credit accounts, wherein the pricing offers may be directed to transactions associated with particular products and/or merchants. It may be determined whether a transaction associated with a credit account qualifies for certain pricing offers based on predetermined criteria. A balance incurred through a transaction may be assigned to a promotional bucket associated with a particular pricing offer if the transaction qualifies for the particular pricing offer, or the balance may be assigned to a default bucket if the transaction does not qualify for any pricing offer, thereby causing a total balance to be distributed among the default bucket and the promotional buckets. Payments associated with the credit account may be allocated to the default bucket and the one or more promotional buckets according to a payment hierarchy.

Abstract: A asset planning and tracking system plans and tracks progress towards a savings goal and analyzes the consumption of assets that are being used to satisfy the savings goal. The system may further be configured to analyze a user's periodic (e.g., monthly, quarterly, yearly) transactions and provide suggested transactions if the user has excess income for the period. An asset planning and tracking system may be implemented in the context of a retirement planning system to aid a non-retired user in planning for his or her retirement and to aid a retired user in tracking the consumption of retirement assets.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to business methods and systems for retail marketing, and specifically to Retail Customer Referral Compensation Programs for using Performance-Driven criteria to award Production Points for creating a Position Changing Point Driven matrix and determining a Referring Customer's position and compensation within that matrix.

Abstract: A system for determining risks and/or valuations associated with financial products, comprises a data processing system having computer(s), database(s), financial product data record creating for creating one or more financial product data records, financial product data records identifying a particular financial product by a transaction credit or serial number, and financial product risk data software for creating one or more risk data records associated with the financial product data records.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating the execution of transactions in a decentralized market are provided herein. The decentralized market includes a number of execution points each associated with and maintained in a secure environment by a single participant. Each participant is able to control the amount of data that is made publicly available, if at all, regarding any transactions that are conducted at that participant's execution point.

Abstract: An electronic product registration (ER) system which enables a retailer, preferable in cooperation with its vendors, to provide a customized return/warranty program for customers on a product-by product basis. The original policy(ies) in the ER system can be modified for a particular product and the modified policy is stored in the ER system so that the modified policy can be accessed if the product is again presented for a return/warranty transaction.

Abstract: A broadcast signal having reward and broadcast (programming and/or advertising) content is broadcast, and viewers provide reward responses in response to queries in the broadcast content. Viewers also provide consumer data associated with the reward response provided. Rewards may then be awarded based on the accuracy of the reward response as well as the utilization of the associated consumer data provided.

Abstract: A system for generating recommendation data includes an assessment unit and an evaluation unit. The assessment unit is configured to receive transaction data for a plurality of transactions and to assess each transaction and generate assessment data based thereon. The evaluation unit is coupled with the assessment unit and configured to receive an evaluation request including a proposed transaction, and generate recommendation data including a certainty indicator which indicates a level of certainty that the proposed transaction will be successful according to predetermined criteria.

Abstract: Described is a system including a memory arrangement and a processor for graphically representing in a space data representing at least one portfolio. The memory arrangement stores a Multi-Criteria Financial Optimization (“MCFO”). The processor solves the MCFO to generate data corresponding to a set of portfolios. The processor selects vertex points corresponding to a set of components of the portfolios. The processor defines coordinates of the vertices on a chart and plots the vertices as points on the chart. The processor defining a projection vector-function using coordinates of the vertices and selecting a subset of the portfolios on the chart. The processor computing coordinates for the portfolios in the subset using the projection vector-function and a weighting corresponding to the portfolios. The processor plotting points corresponding to the portfolios in the subset on the chart using the computed coordinates.

Abstract: One or more application providers supply primary data and user interface rendering information to a computing system. The computing system comprises modules that mange the received data and generate a user interface using the received rendering information. Data may be managed by resolving conflicts in the primary data as between the one or more application providers. Data may also be managed through the creation of derived data based at least in part on the received primary data. A user interface may be generated that has several applications displayed in an application cluster. The applications may be generated based on the rendering information. A user may interact with the user interface and may be able to edit the primary data. If the primary data is modified, the computing system communicates the modifications to the one or more application providers that supplied the original, primary data.

Abstract: The present application is directed to methods and systems of facilitating a transfer of donation money from individuals to charitable organizations. The transfer of money occurs through a first transfer of money from at least one mobile phone carrier to a facilitating organization and through a second transfer of money from the facilitating organization to the charitable organization. The facilitating organization enables the money transfer by transmitting web-based and mobile phone communications regarding donations on behalf of charitable organizations and enabling individuals to respond to such communications and communicate donation solicitations to other individuals.

Abstract: An emergency tracking system and method is disclosed that determines location information of individuals based upon travel information and financial transaction information, receives crisis information related to a crisis and determines a subset of individuals potentially impacted by the crisis based on the location information. The system may also notify a third party regarding the subset of individuals and send message to the subset of individuals, wherein the message includes alternative arrangements to at least one of minimize or avoid the crisis. The system also allows an employer to enter search criteria to locate certain types of employees and view such employees on a graphical display of a map.

Abstract: A computer-based insurance claim processing system (500) provides for the formation and segregated storage of associations (510) that link various active insurance claims (506) to one another. In addition, if desired, the associations can comprise additional information regarding, for example, the nature or type of association and/or other information as a user may wish to include to inform, control, or otherwise characterize the association and/or the associated claims.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting data about merchants or service establishments that accept credit cards or charge cards as payment for goods and services, segmenting the merchants into groups, generating risk scores for the merchants based upon each merchants' group and, based upon the risk scores, providing information to a card issuer to take remedial action for merchants that are at higher risk for entering into a debit balance.

Abstract: A system and method for risk analysis of a portfolio of derivative products is disclosed which is conducted based on a set of flexible rules. The system and method allow creating predefined sets of products for the purpose of future risk offsets. If a futures trade as a subset of that set of products that met a threshold level, then the subset is assigned the offset value (or a pro rata or other portion of the offset value) of the predefined set. For example, assume that the predefined set consists of one S&P 500 futures, one NASDAQ futures, one S&P Midcap 400 futures and one Russell 1000 futures and the threshold is three. If the futures trader holds any three of those four futures, the three futures can be grouped, assigned an offset value, and this group can be used as one asset for purpose of further risk offsets.