Methods, apparatus and articles-of-manufacture for marketing mortgage and/or credit services over the web

• US 20060031159A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Anderson, Chuck, Wagner, Ed, Young, Mike, Neat, Sonia, Brent, Charmaine, Moore, Deborah, Hargrove, Brian, Lium, Jeff, Minot, Hal, Peacock, Tracy
• Application Number:
  US11/202,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the present invention comprise a system and method for providing mortgage and/or credit services over the Internet. In one embodiment, a preferred method comprises: (a) selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs to an Internet-connected user; (b) receiving an indication of whether the user wishes to explore home financing options or home equity loan options; (c) receiving an indication of whether the user maintains an asset and/or brokerage account with a sponsor of the mortgage and/or credit services; (d) receiving an indication of the user'"'"'s residence; (e) receiving information concerning a property to be financed, (f) receiving information concerning the user'"'"'s investments; (g) processing the received information to determine mortgage and/or credit options that correspond to the user'"'"'s needs; and (h) presenting those mortgage and/or credit options to the user via the Internet.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A method for providing mortgage and/or credit services over the Internet, comprising:

selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs to an Internet-connected user;

receiving, from said Internet-connected user, an indication of whether said user wishes to explore home financing options or home equity loan options;

receiving, from said Internet-connected user, an indication of whether or not said user maintains an asset and/or brokerage account with a sponsor of said mortgage and/or credit services;

receiving, from said Internet-connected user, an indication of said user'"'"'s residence;

receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning a property to be financed, said information including at least location, expected holding period, and use of said property;

receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments;

processing said received indications and information to determine mortgage and/or credit option(s) that correspond to said user'"'"'s needs; and

presenting said mortgage and/or credit option(s) to said user via the Internet.

43. A method as in claim 42, wherein selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs includes selectively providing information concerning zero-down payment and conventional mortgage programs.

44. A method as in claim 42, wherein selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs includes selectively providing information concerning fixed-rate and adjustable-rate options.

45. A method as in claim 42, wherein selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs includes selectively generating pdf-format print files concerning selected mortgage and/or credit programs.

46. A method as in claim 42, wherein receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning a property to be financed includes receiving an indication of whether said property is a single family home, condominium, multi-family residence, or commercial property.

47. A method as in claim 42, wherein receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments includes receiving information concerning the aggressiveness of said investments.

48. A method as in claim 42, wherein receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments includes receiving information concerning the expected rate-of-return on said investments.

49. A method as in claim 42, wherein receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments includes receiving information concerning the value of non-retirement securities held by said user.

50. A method as in claim 49, wherein receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments further includes receiving information concerning the portion of said non-retirement securities already pledged as collateral by said user.

51. A method as in claim 42, wherein presenting said mortgage and/or credit option(s) to said user via the Internet includes providing a tabular comparison of at least three different down payment options.

52. A method as in claim 51, wherein providing a tabular comparison of down payment options includes providing a information concerning the costs/benefits of investing potential down payment funds.

53. A method as in claim 42, wherein presenting said mortgage and/or credit option(s) to said user via the Internet includes providing at least three options, each scored according to how well it meets the user'"'"'s needs.

54. A method as in claim 53, wherein s presenting said mortgage and/or credit option(s) to said user via the Internet further includes selectively providing explanatory information concerning why the first option is the best option for the user'"'"'s needs.

55. A method as in claim 42, wherein presenting said mortgage and/or credit option(s) to said user via the Internet includes selectively providing a comparison of one or more system-recommended option(s) with one or more user-selected option(s).

56. A computer-based system for providing mortgage and/or credit services over the Internet, comprising:

http-responsive means for selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs to an Internet-connected user;

http-responsive means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, an indication of whether said user wishes to explore home financing options or home equity loan options;

http-responsive means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, an indication of whether or not said user is an employee of the sponsor of said mortgage and/or credit services;

http-responsive means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, an indication of said user'"'"'s residence;

http-responsive means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning a property to be financed;

http-responsive means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments;

means for processing said received indications and information to determine at least three mortgage and/or credit options that best match said user'"'"'s needs; and

,

http-responsive means for presenting said mortgage and/or credit options to said. user via the Internet.

57. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said means for selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs includes means for selectively providing information concerning zero-down payment and conventional mortgage programs.

58. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said means for selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs includes means for selectively providing information concerning fixed-rate and adjustable-rate options.

59. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said means for selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs includes means for selectively generating pdf-format print files concerning selected mortgage and/or credit programs.

60. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning a property to be financed includes means for receiving an indication of whether said property is a single family home, condominium, multi-family residence, or commercial property.

61. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments includes means for receiving information concerning the expected rate-of-return on said investments over the expected holding period.

62. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said mean for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments includes means for receiving information concerning the value of non-retirement securities held by said user.

63. A computer-based system as in claim 62, wherein said means for receiving, from said Internet-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments further includes means for receiving information indicative of the portion of said non-retirement securities already pledged as collateral by said user.

64. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said means for presenting said mortgage and/or credit options to said user via the Internet includes means for providing a tabular comparison of at least three different down payment options.

65. A computer-based system as in claim 64, wherein the means for providing a tabular comparison of down payment options also provides information concerning the costs/benefits of investing potential down payment funds.

66. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein said means for presenting said mortgage and/or credit options to said user via the Internet includes means for presenting at least three options, each scored according to how well it meets the user'"'"'s needs.

67. A computer-based system as in claim 66, wherein said means for presenting said mortgage and/or credit options to said user via the Internet further includes selectively providing explanatory information concerning why the first option is the best option for the user'"'"'s needs.

68. A computer-based system as in claim 56, wherein the means for presenting said mortgage and/or credit options to said user via the Internet includes means for is selectively providing a comparison of one or more system-recommended option(s) with one or more user-selected option(s).

69. A method for providing mortgage and/or credit services via a computer network, comprising:

selectively providing information concerning a plurality of mortgage and/or credit programs via the network to a network-connected user;

receiving, via the network from said network-connected user, an indication of whether said user wishes to explore home financing options or home equity loan options;

receiving, via the network from said network-connected user, an indication of whether or not said user maintains an asset and/or brokerage account with a sponsor of said mortgage and/or credit services;

receiving, via the network from said network-connected user, an indication of said user'"'"'s residence;

receiving, via the network from said network-connected user, information concerning a property to be financed, said information including at least location, expected holding period, and use of said property;

receiving, via the network from said network-connected user, information concerning said user'"'"'s investments;

processing on a computer said received indications and information to determine mortgage and/or credit option(s) that correspond to said user'"'"'s needs; and

presenting said mortgage and/or credit option(s) to said user via the network.