System and method for creating and administering an investment instrument
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for enabling investors to participate in a market index and preserve principal, said method comprising:
- offering for sale, via a host computer, an investment instrument, wherein said investment instrument includes a face value, term and date of maturity;
accepting funds, via said host computer, from a purchaser for said investment instrument;
allowing, via said host computer, said purchaser of said investment instrument to select a return-generating model for said investment instrument from at least two different return-generating models, at least one of said return-generating models being based on at least one of full and partial investment in a market index;
calculating, via said host computer, a return earned by said investment instrument at an end of at least one of said term and said date of maturity according to said return-generating model selected by said purchaser;
adding said return, via said host computer, to said face value of said investment instrument to calculate said principal of said investment instrument;
guaranteeing said principal against losses; and
distributing to said purchaser a monetary equivalent of at least one of said principal and said return.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method for creating and administering an investment instrument. More specifically, the present invention provides a system and method for creating and administering an investment instrument that may be cleared through a depository company, that has relatively short terms and/or that enables investors to participate in financial market activity while protecting their principal investments. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an investment instrument preserves an investor'"'"'s principal and offers a choice of several models for generating return. Return-generating models may allow an investor to participate fully in market movement, participate partially in market movement with a guaranteed minimum return, or receive a fixed return without participating in market movement.
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Citations
76 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for enabling investors to participate in a market index and preserve principal, said method comprising:
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offering for sale, via a host computer, an investment instrument, wherein said investment instrument includes a face value, term and date of maturity; accepting funds, via said host computer, from a purchaser for said investment instrument; allowing, via said host computer, said purchaser of said investment instrument to select a return-generating model for said investment instrument from at least two different return-generating models, at least one of said return-generating models being based on at least one of full and partial investment in a market index; calculating, via said host computer, a return earned by said investment instrument at an end of at least one of said term and said date of maturity according to said return-generating model selected by said purchaser; adding said return, via said host computer, to said face value of said investment instrument to calculate said principal of said investment instrument; guaranteeing said principal against losses; and distributing to said purchaser a monetary equivalent of at least one of said principal and said return. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system configured to enable investors to participate in a market index and preserve principal, said system comprising:
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a module configured for offering for sale an investment instrument, wherein said investment instrument includes a face value, term and date of maturity; a module configured for accepting purchase funds from a purchaser of said investment instrument; at least two return-generating models for said investment instrument configured to allow said purchaser to chose at least one of said return-generating models, at least one of said return-generating models being based on at least one of full and partial investment in a market index; a first module configured for calculating a return earned by said investment instrument at an end of at least one of said term and said date of maturity according to said return-generating model selected by said purchaser; a second module configured for calculating said principal of said investment instrument by adding said return to said face value; a module configured for guaranteeing said principal against losses; and a module configured for distributing to said purchaser a monetary equivalent of at least one of said principal, and said return at said end of at least one of said term and said date of maturity. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A computer-implemented method of investing, in which the investor participates in a market index while protecting principal, comprising:
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purchasing, via a host computer, an investment instrument, wherein said investment instrument includes a certain face value, term and date of maturity; selecting, via said host computer, a return-generating model for said investment instrument from at least two different return-generating models, at least one of said return-generating models being based on at least one of full and partial investment in a market index; earning interest on said investment instrument in accordance with said return-generating model; and receiving the monetary equivalent of said face value and said interest at the end of at least one of said term and said date of maturity. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A computer-implemented method for enabling investors to participate in a market index and preserve principal, said method comprising:
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offering for sale, via a host computer, an investment instrument, wherein said investment instrument includes a face value, term and date of maturity; allowing, via said host computer, a purchaser of said investment instrument to select a return-generating model for said investment instrument from at least two different return-generating models, at least one of said return-generating models being based on at least one of full and partial investment in a market index; accepting, via said host computer, from said purchaser, a purchase order and purchase funds for said investment instrument; issuing, via said host computer, said investment instrument in a name of said purchaser upon receipt of said purchase order and said purchase funds; calculating, via said host computer, a return earned by said investment instrument at an end of at least one of said term and said date of maturity according to said return-generating model selected by said purchaser; adding, via said host computer, said return to said face value of said investment instrument to calculate said principal of said investment instrument; guaranteeing said principal against losses; and distributing the monetary equivalent of at least one of said principal and said return to said purchaser at the end of said term. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification