METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A DEFERRED VARIABLE ANNUITY WITH FLEXIBLE BENEFIT PAYMENTS

• US 20110131070A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A computer implemented data processing system and method processes data associated with a deferred variable annuity contract during the accumulation phase for a relevant life. The annuity contract has a payment base value, a contract value, and available benefit payments. The system stores data indicative of a payout period having a duration greater than a year and a maximum total withdrawal percent for the payout period. The product of the maximum total withdrawal percent and the payment base value is a maximum benefit payment amount that may be withdrawn during the payout period without reducing the payment base value.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing data associated with a deferred variable annuity contract during the accumulation phase, comprising:

a data storage device storing data associated with the deferred variable annuity contract, including data indicative of a contract value, a payment base value, a duration greater than a year of a payout period, a withdrawal percent value for the payout period, and a formula for determining a value of benefit payments available during the payout period in accordance with a guarantee; and

a processor in communication with the storage device, the processor configured to;

responsive to receipt of data indicative of a request during the payout period by a relevant life for a withdrawal, determine a value of withdrawals during the payout period;

compare the value of withdrawals during the payout period to the value of benefit payments available during the payout period; and

responsive to a determination that the value of withdrawals during the payout period is not more than the value of benefit payments available during the payout period, provide an output signal having data indicative of a reduction in the contract value and no reduction in the payment base value as a result of the requested withdrawal.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the value of benefit payments available during the payout period by multiplying the payment base value by the withdrawal percent.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the stored data comprises data indicative of durations greater than a year of a plurality of payout periods.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein each of the payout periods has a duration greater than a year.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the stored data comprises data indicative of a plurality of payout periods having at least two different durations.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the stored data further comprises a withdrawal percent value for a year during the payout period, the withdrawal percent value for the year during the payout period being less than the withdrawal percent value for the payout period.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a value of withdrawals during the current year of the payout period, and, responsive to a determination that the value of withdrawals during the current year of the payout period is greater than a product of the withdrawal percent for the current year of the payout period and the payment base value, provide an output signal having data indicative of a reduction in the contract value and a reduction in the payment base value.

8. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a payment module in communication with the processor for making withdrawal payments in accordance with instructions of a relevant life.

9. A computer-implemented data processing method for processing data associated with a deferred variable annuity contract during the accumulation phase, comprising:

storing in a data storage device data associated with the deferred variable annuity contract, including data indicative of a contract value, a payment base value, a payout period duration greater than one year and a withdrawal percent value for the payout period;

responsive to receipt by a processor in communication with the data storage device of data indicative of a request during the payout period by a relevant life for a withdrawal, determining by the processor a value of withdrawals during the payout period;

comparing by the processor the value of withdrawals during the payout period to the value of benefit payments available during the payout period; and

responsive to determining by the processor that the value of withdrawals during the payout period is not more than the value of benefit payments available during the payout period, providing by the processor an output signal having data indicative of a reduction in the contract value and no reduction in the payment base value as a result of the requested withdrawal.

10. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 9, further comprising determining by the processor, based on multiplying the withdrawal percent value for the payout period by the payment base value, the value of benefit payments available during the payout period.

11. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 9, wherein the withdrawal percent value for the payout period is equal to a product of a withdrawal percent value of one year during the payout period and a number of years of the payout period.

12. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 9, wherein the withdrawal percent value for the payout period is equal to a sum of the withdrawal percent values of each year during the payout period.

13. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 9, wherein the withdrawal percent value for the payout period is less than a sum of the withdrawal percent values of each year during the payout period, and the withdrawal percent value for each year in the payout period is less than the withdrawal percent value for the payout period.

14. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 9, wherein the stored data comprises data indicative of a moratorium period from a date of the annuity contract until a commencement of a first payout period, no benefit payments being available during the moratorium period.

15. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 9, further comprising, responsive to determining that the value of withdrawals during the payout period is greater than the value of benefit payments available during the payout period, providing by the processor an output signal having data indicative of a reduction in the contract value and a reduction in the payment base value.

16. A tangible computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

responsive to receipt of data indicative of a request by a relevant life for a withdrawal, during a current year of a multi-year payout period of the accumulation phase of a deferred variable annuity having a contract value, determine a value of withdrawals during the payout period and during the current year;

access data indicative of a maximum available withdrawal percent for the payout period, a withdrawal percent for the current year, and a payment base value of the annuity;

determine a maximum available benefit payment value for the payout period, and an available benefit payment value for the current year;

compare the value of withdrawals during the payout period to the maximum available benefit payment value for the payout period;

compare the value of withdrawals during the current year to the available benefit payment value for the current year, and

responsive to determining that the value of withdrawals during the payout period is not more than the maximum available benefit payment value for the payout period, and that the value of withdrawals during the current year is not more than the available benefit payment value for the current year, provide an output signal having data indicative of a reduction in the contract value and no reduction in the payment base value.

17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, further cause the processor to:

responsive to determining that the value of withdrawals during the payout period is more than the maximum available benefit payment value for the payout period, provide an output signal having data indicative of a reduction in the contract value and a reduction in the payment base value.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, further cause the processor to:

responsive to determining that the value of withdrawals during the current year is more than the available benefit payment value for the current year, provide an output signal having data indicative of a reduction in the contract value and a reduction in the payment base value.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the maximum available withdrawal percent for the payout period is greater than the withdrawal percent for the current year.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, further cause the processor to:

determine the maximum available benefit payment value for the payout period based on a withdrawal percent for the payout period and the payment base value, and determine the available benefit payment value for the current year based on a withdrawal percent for the current year and the payment base value.