Device and method for financial services contact management

• US 20050010507A1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Russell Straub
• Original Assignee: Russell Straub
• Inventors: Straub, Russell
• Application Number:
  US10/618,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

The present invention teaches that financial services, in particular mortgage lending/brokerage services may be offered on-line via a consumer contact management system which impels faster responses on the part of mortgage professionals. In particular, when a consumer provides a contact to a financial professional, the information provided is mediated by a central computer system/server/site and divided into specific contact information (such as name, E-mail address, telephone number, etc) and general financial information (such as loan amount, property value, credit history, age, income, etc). The central system then forwards the general financial information to the financial professional but withholds the specific contact information until the professional responds (by way of the same system), at which time specific contact information is provided. Statistics on response effectiveness by any one professional may also be maintained by this device.

Claims

1. A financial services consumer contact management device comprising:

a first computer network site oriented to consumers and offering the services of financial service professionals;

a first communication connection allowing consumers to provide to the first site a consumer contact for a financial service professional, the consumer contact consisting of specific contact information and general financial information;

a receiving module able to receive a consumer contact, separate the specific contact information and the general financial information, and forward the general financial information to the financial service professional;

a second communication connection allowing the financial service professional to provide to the first site a response to the forwarding of the consumer contact;

a monitoring module able to receive the response, and forward the specific contact information to the financial professional.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first computer network site further comprises an Internet website maintained on a server computer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the specific contact information comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, E-mail address, website address, instant messenger name and combinations thereof.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the general financial information comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

loan amount, purchase price, property value, loan type, credit history, assets, liabilities, income, employment, age, marital status, rental history, property ownership, net worth, and combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first communication connection comprises one member selected from the group consisting of:

E-mail, telephone, facsimile, SMS, mail, web page, web address, Internet postings, computer chat, and combinations thereof.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a professional management module able to maintain a database of contact statistics.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein such database of contact statistics further comprises data selected from the group consisting of:

contact demographics, contact method, method of offering services responded to, contact financial information, specific contact information, response content, response time, financial service professional identity and combinations thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the response to the forwarding of the consumer contact comprises one member selected from the group consisting of:

a communication from the professional to the consumer, an indication that the first communication has been received, an indication of the status of the contact, and combinations thereof.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the monitoring module further comprises a sub-module able to forwarding the professional'"'"'s response to the consumer contact to the consumer.

10. A method for financial service professionals to manage consumer contacts, comprising the steps of:

a) offering a first computer network site offering the services of such financial professionals to consumers, such site offering consumers the ability to generate a consumer contact for such financial service professionals;

b) receiving the consumer contact from such a consumer on behalf of financial service professionals, the consumer contact comprising both specific contact information and general financial inquiry information;

c) separating the specific contact information from the general financial inquiry information;

d) forwarding to such financial service professional the general financial inquiry information;

e) awaiting a confirmation that such financial service professional has responded to such consumer contact; and

f) after the confirmation, forwarding to such financial service professional the specific contact information.

11. The method of step 10, wherein the step e) of awaiting a confirmation that such financial service professional has responded to such contact further comprises:

e1) providing to such financial service professional the ability to respond to such contact;

e2) receiving from such financial service professional such response; and

e3) forwarding such response to the consumer.

12. The method of step 10, further comprising:

g) maintaining a database of contact statistics.

13. The method of step 12, wherein such database of contact statistics further comprises data selected from the group consisting of:

contact demographics, contact method, method of offering services responded to, contact financial information, specific contact information, response content, response time, financial service professional identity and combinations thereof.

14. A method and system for tracking and managing contacts between consumers and financial services professionals, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

a) receiving a contact consisting of specific consumer contact information and general financial information;

b) separating the specific contact information and the general financial information;

c) forwarding the general financial information to the financial service professional;

d) monitoring an action taken by the financial service professional;

prior to

e) forwarding the specific contact information to the financial professional.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving the specific consumer contact information and general financial information further comprises one member selected from the group consisting of:

receiving the consumer contact information and financial information manually via telephone, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via E-mail, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information from a financial professional supervisory individual, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information from a second financial professional, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via facsimile, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via SMS, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via mail, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via web page, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via web address, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via Internet postings, receiving the consumer contact information and financial information via computer chat, and combinations thereof.