Abstract: A system for and method of investing a lump sum amount in order to return N periodic installments at a specified confidence level. A set of candidate investment instruments is selected from a universe of investment instruments. Data regarding the returns of the candidate investment vehicles during preceding periods is collected. Based on the data, minimum expected returns at the confidence level (MER) from each investment vehicle at the return date of each installment is compiled. Investment vehicles are selected for each of the N periods, with the selection criteria maximizing the MER for each of the respective periods. A normalization factor is developed that is based on the MERs of the selected investment vehicles, for the associated respective periods.

Abstract: A memory cache interface (12) serially accesses each way in an M-way set asociative memory cache (11) when it performs a read operation. The memory cache returns a data quantum and a tag corresponding to each presented input. The memory cache interface presents a portion of a main memory address and a new value of a way signal to the memory cache until it finds a match between the output tag and the remainder of the main memory address. The memory cache interface allows set-associative caches to be constructed from simple memory blocks for use with devices in which the memory cache interface may be incorporated. The memory cache interface may be incorporated into such devices as data processors and microcontrollers.