SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADMINISTERING INSURANCE ACCOUNTS

• US 20100100399A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiss, Joseph M., Golembiewski, Keith E., Michalowski, Philip W.
• Application Number:
  US12/254,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100399A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A computer system for administering an insurance account includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The processor is adapted to: access from a memory storage device data indicative of a payment mode associated with premium payments to the account or payments from the account; access from the memory data indicative of a calculation associated with the account dependent on the payment mode; perform the calculation based on the accessed payment mode dependent data; and provide an output signal having data indicative of the performed calculation.

Claims

1. A computer system for administering a variable annuity account with an insurance entity, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storage device in communication with the processor;

the processor adapted to;

access from a memory storage device data relating to the variable annuity account;

access from the memory storage device data indicative of a payment mode associated with premium payments to or withdrawal payments from the variable annuity account;

access from the memory storage device data indicative of a factor in a formula associated with the account, a value of the factor being dependent on the payment mode;

perform, based at least in part on the accessed factor data, one or more calculations associated with the insurance account; and

provide an output signal comprising data indicative of a result of the one or more calculations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the payment mode is associated with premium payments to the variable annuity account;

the payment mode may be one of at least a first payment mode being payments from a money market account maintained by the insurance entity or a second payment mode being payments from sources other than the money market account;

the factor is a rate of a rider fee;

the value of the factor is a first value if the payment mode is the first payment mode and a second value, the second value being greater than the first value, if the payment mode is the second payment mode; and

the one or more calculations comprises a calculation of the amount of the rider fee based on the value of the factor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the payment mode is associated with payments from the variable annuity account;

the payment mode may be at least one of a first payment mode being one of payments to a liquid account maintained by the insurance entity, payments crediting a debit card and payments in the form of a gift card, and a second payment mode being payments in the form of a check or an electronic transfer to an account not associated by the insurance entity;

the factor is a payment augmentation rate;

the value of the factor is a first value if the payment mode is the first payment mode and a second value, the second value being less than the first value, if the payment mode is the second payment mode; and

the one or more calculations comprises a calculation of the amount of a payment to an annuitant from the variable annuity account.

4. A computer system for administering an insurance account, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

the processor adapted to;

access from the memory data indicative of a payment mode associated with premium payments to the account or payments from the account;

access from the memory data indicative of a calculation associated with the account dependent on the payment mode;

perform the calculation based on the accessed payment mode dependent data; and

provide an output signal comprising data indicative of a result of the performed calculation.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the payment mode relates to payments from the account, and the payment mode dependent data comprises payment augmentation data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the payment mode comprises crediting to a debit card.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the payment mode comprises providing a gift card to a payee.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the gift card may be redeemed for purchases at one and only one retailer.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the payment mode comprises crediting an account administered by a payor that administers the insurance account.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the credited account is a liquid account.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a web server, the web server adapted to, in response to a request from a client device, access and serve for display on the client device data related to the insurance account and, in response to a request from a client device, to access and serve for display on the client device data related to the liquid account.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the liquid account is a money market account.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein the insurance account is an annuity.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the insurance account is a single premium immediate annuity.

15. The system of claim 4, wherein the payment mode comprises crediting a money market account administered by a provider of the insurance account.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a web server, wherein, in response to a signal having data indicative of a user request, a signal is output by the web server and received at a processor, whereby funds are transferred from the money market account in accordance with the user request.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further adapted to access data indicative of a first payment mode associated with a first portion of a payment from the insurance account, and a second payment mode associated with a second portion of the payment, and determine an amount of an augmented payment based on the first portion of the payment and the payment augmentation data.

18. The system of claim 5, wherein the output signal comprises data indicative of the payment mode, and further comprising:

a payment determination system having a processor for;

receiving the output signal, determining a payor account and a payment method;

storing the determined payor account information and the determined payment method in a memory of the payment determination system;

outputting of a digital signal indicative of the stored payor account information, the stored payment method, amount information and payee information; and

a payment fulfillment system for receiving the digital signal from the payment determination system and for fulfillment of payment in accordance with the information conveyed by the digital signal from the processor of the payment determination system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the payment fulfillment system is a check printing and mailing system for printing and mailing a check drawn on the payor account in an amount and to a payee as determined by the information conveyed by the digital signal from the processor of the payment determination system.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the payment fulfillment system is a system for generating electronic funds transfer instructions for providing of an instruction to a bank determined by the payor account information to provide an electronic funds transfer from the payor account to a payee account in an amount determined by the information conveyed by the digital signal from the processor of the payment determination system.

21. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the payment mode is associated with premium payments to the insurance account;

the payment mode may be one of at least a first payment mode being payments from a designated liquid account or a second payment mode being payments from sources other than the liquid account; and

the calculation is a calculation of a fee, the fee being calculated at a first rate if the payment mode is the first payment mode and at a second rate, the second rate being greater than the first rate.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the insurance account is an annuity, and the fee is a rider fee.

23. A computer-implemented method for administering an insurance account, comprising the steps of:

accessing by a processor from a memory storage device in communication with the processor data indicative of a payment mode associated with premium payments to the account or payments from the account;

accessing by the processor from the memory storage device data indicative of a calculation associated with the account dependent on the payment mode;

performing by the processor the calculation based on the accessed payment mode dependent data; and

providing by the processor an output signal comprising data indicative of a result of the performed calculation.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the payment mode relates to payments from the account, and the payment mode dependent data comprises payment augmentation data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the output signal further comprises data indicative of the payment mode.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the payment mode is associated with premium payments to the insurance account;

the payment mode may be one of at least a first payment mode being payments from a designated liquid account or a second payment mode being payments from sources other than the liquid account; and

the calculation is a calculation of a fee, the fee being calculated at a first rate if the payment mode is the first payment mode and at a second rate, the second rate being greater than the first rate.

27. A computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

access from a memory storage device in communication with the processor data indicative of a payment mode associated with one or more premium payments to an insurance annuity account or one or more annuity or death benefit payments from the account;

if the payment mode is associated with the one or more premium payments, access from the memory storage device data indicative of a calculation of at least one of a rider fee or a mortality and expense charge associated with the annuity account dependent on the payment mode, wherein a first premium payment mode pertains to premium payments from a designated account, and a second premium payment mode pertains to premium payments from all other sources, wherein the rider fee or mortality and expense charge is lower for the first premium payment mode than the second premium payment mode;

if the payment mode is associated with one or more annuity or death benefit payments, access from the memory storage device data indicative of a calculation of the amount of the annuity or death benefit payment dependent on the payment mode, wherein a first outbound payment mode is to a debit card, gift card or insurance provider-designated account, and a second outbound payment mode is by check or electronic transfer to an account other than the designated account, a payment amount being larger if associated with the first outbound payment mode than the second outbound payment mode;

perform the calculation based on the accessed payment mode dependent data;

provide an output signal comprising data indicative of a result of the performed calculation.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to access from the memory demographic information relating to an annuitant or a beneficiary;

based on the accessed demographic information, to prompt a user to provide a selection of payment mode;

to receive a selection of a payment mode; and

to perform the calculation based on the received payment mode.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to prompt a user for the demographic information, and to store the received demographic information in the memory.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the demographic information includes age and address of the beneficiary or annuitant.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to prompt a user for a selection of a payment mode applying a payment to a premium payment for a presented property/casualty insurance product, the property/casualty insurance product being presented based on the demographic information.