Advisor referral tool

• US 7,752,054 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DALBAR, Inc., Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harvey, Louis S., Anthony-Hoppe, Trudy K., Skovron, John D., Lavoie, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/565,274
• Time in Patent Office: 3,715 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/1.1, 707/3
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

An apparatus and method for an advisor referral tool for objectively matching professional services between users and advisors in an on-line or computer based environment. The advisor referral tool matches users with professional advisors by executing an advisor matching algorithm to select a subset of advisors from an advisor database based on user selected search criteria. A server computer calculates a percent match value for each advisor in the subset of advisors that corresponds to consumer responses to predetermined psychographic/profile questions. The server computer then creates a best fit advisor list of advisors from the subset of advisors that is based on the calculated percent match value. The best fit advisor list is then transmitted to and displayed on the user'"'"'s computer.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, responsive to being executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to:

create a first search criteria from first search criteria questions, the first search criteria corresponding to a user response to the first search criteria questions;

create a first advisor subset from the first search criteria;

display information about the first advisor subset;

in response to the display of the information, receive a first indicator whether to further limit the first advisor subset and receive a second indicator whether to create another search criteria from a revised response to the first search criteria questions;

in response to receipt of the first indicator, repeat creation of the first search criteria, creation of the first advisor, display of the information, receipt of the first indicator, and receipt of the second indicator;

in response to receipt of the second indicator, create a second search criteria to further query the first advisor subset, the second search criteria comprising at least one user response to a series of predetermined profile questions, the series of predetermined profile questions comprising at least one question that is different from the first search criteria questions;

create a second advisor subset from the second search criteria;

apply a preference to an advisor having a specified minimum qualification rating;

execute an advisor matching algorithm to calculate a percent match value for each advisor in the second advisor subset; and

display a best fit advisor list.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the best fit advisor list contains advisors listed in descending order of percent match value.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first search criteria comprises at least one of:

a professional service desired;

a qualification rating;

a rating profile based on a chosen professional service;

an advisor matching profile;

a compensation method;

a primary residence;

an advisor search area; and

a travel distance.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the qualification rating comprises a DALBAR Rating, a state certification, or an organization membership.

5. A method of matching users with advisors comprising:

inputting a first user search criteria responsive to first search criteria questions, the first search criteria corresponding to a user response to the first search criteria questions;

querying an advisor database based on the first user search criteria;

creating a first advisor subset from the advisor database;

displaying information about the first advisor subset;

in response to display of the information, receiving a first indicator whether to further limit the first advisor subset and receiving a second indicator whether to create another search criteria from a revised response to the first search criteria questions;

in response to receipt of the first indicator, repeating input of the first user search criteria, query of the advisor database, creation of the first advisor subset, display of the information, receipt of the first indicator, and receipt of the second indicator;

in response to receipt of the second indicator, inputting a second user search criteria responsive to second search criteria questions, the second search criteria questions comprising at least one question that is different from the first search criteria questions;

querying the first advisor subset based on the second user search criteria;

creating a second advisor subset from the second user search criteria;

applying a preference to an advisor having a specified minimum qualification rating;

executing an advisor matching algorithm to calculate a percent match value for each advisor in the second advisor subset based on user and advisor responses to profile statements;

creating a best fit advisor list based on the calculated percent match value; and

displaying the best fit advisor list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first user search criteria comprises at least one of:

a professional service desired;

a qualification rating;

a rating profile based on a chosen professional services;

an advisor matching profile;

a compensation method;

a primary residence;

an advisor search area; and

a travel distance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the qualification rating comprises a DALBAR Rating, a state certification, or an organization membership.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, responsive to being executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to:

create a first search criteria from first search criteria questions, the first search criteria corresponding to a user response to the first search criteria questions;

transmit the first search criteria to a server;

create, on the server, a first advisor subset from the first search criteria;

display information about the first advisor subset;

in response to display of the information, receive a first indicator whether to further limit the first advisor subset and receive a second indicator whether to create another search criteria from a revised response to the first search criteria questions;

in response to receipt of the first indicator, repeat creation of the first search criteria, transmission of the first search criteria, creation of the first advisor, and display of the information;

in response to receipt of the second indicator, create a second search criteria from second criteria questions, the second criteria questions comprising at least one question that is different from the first search criteria questions;

transmit the second search criteria to the server;

create, on the server, a second advisor subset from the second search criteria;

apply a preference to an advisor having a specified minimum qualification rating;

execute an advisor matching algorithm to calculate a percent match value for each advisor in the second advisor subset based on user and advisor responses to profile statements;

create a best fit advisor list based on the percent match value;

transmit the best fit advisor list from the server to a client computer; and

display a best fit advisor list on a monitor for the client computer.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the best fit advisor list contains advisors listed in descending order of percent match value.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first search criteria comprises at least one of:

a professional service desired;

a qualification rating;

a rating profile based on a chosen professional service;

an advisor matching profile;

a compensation method;

a primary residence;

an advisor search area; and

a travel distance.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the qualification rating comprises a DALBAR Rating, a state certification, or an organization membership.

12. A method of matching users with advisors comprising:

inputting a first user search criteria at a client computer in a browser web page responsive to first search criteria questions, the first search criteria corresponding to a user response to the first search criteria questions;

transmitting the first user search criteria to a server;

querying, at a server, an advisor database based on the first user search criteria;

creating a first advisor subset from the database query;

displaying information about the first advisor subset;

in response to display of the information, receiving a first indicator whether to further limit the first advisor subset and receiving a second indicator whether to create another search criteria from a revised response to the first search criteria questions;

in response to receipt of the first indicator, repeating input of the first user search criteria, transmission of the first user search criteria, query the advisor database, creation of the first advisor subset, display of the information, receipt of the first indicator, and receipt of the second indicator;

in response to receipt of the second indicator, inputting a second user search criteria, at the client computer, in the browser web page responsive to second search criteria questions, the second search criteria questions comprising at least one question that is different from the first search criteria questions;

transmitting the second user search criteria to the server;

querying, at the server, the first advisor subset;

creating a second advisor subset based on the second user search criteria;

applying a preference to an advisor having a specified minimum qualification rating;

executing an advisor matching algorithm to calculate a percent match value for each advisor in the second advisor subset based on user and advisor responses to profile statements;

creating, at the server, a best fit advisor list from the advisor records retrieved based on the percent match value; and

displaying the best fit advisor list.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first search criteria comprises at least one of:

a professional service desired;

a qualification rating;

a rating profile based on a chosen professional service;

an advisor matching profile;

a compensation method;

a primary residence;

an advisor search area; and

a travel distance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the qualification rating comprises a DALBAR Rating, a state certification, or an organization membership.

15. A method of matching users with advisors, the method comprising:

creating a first search criteria from first search criteria questions, the first search criteria corresponding to a user response to the first search criteria questions;

receiving, from a server, a first advisor subset corresponding to the first search criteria;

displaying information about the first advisor subset;

in response to display of the information, receiving a first indicator whether to further limit the first advisor subset and receiving a second indicator whether to create another search criteria from a revised response to the first search criteria questions;

in response to receipt of the second indicator, creating a second search criteria based on the first indicator to further query the first advisor subset, the second search criteria comprising at least one user response to a series of predetermined profile questions, the series of predetermined profile questions comprising at least one question that is different from the first search criteria questions;

receiving, from the server, a second advisor subset corresponding to the second search criteria;

applying a preference to an advisor having a specified minimum qualification rating; and

displaying a best fit advisor list.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the best fit advisor list contains advisors listed in descending order of percent match value.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first search criteria comprises at least one of:

a professional service desired;

a qualification rating;

a rating profile based on a chosen professional service;

an advisor matching profile;

a compensation method;

a primary residence;

an advisor search area; and

a travel distance.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the qualification rating comprises a DALBAR Rating, a state certification, or an organization membership.

19. A method of matching a user with advisors, the method comprising:

receiving, with a server, a first search criteria responsive to first search criteria questions, the first search criteria corresponding to a user response to the first search criteria questions;

creating a first advisor subset corresponding to the first search criteria with the server;

transmitting, to a user computer, information about the first advisor subset;

in response to transmission of the information, receiving a first indicator whether to further limit the first advisor subset and receiving a second indicator whether to create another search criteria from a revised response to the first search criteria questions;

in response to receipt of the first indicator, repeating receipt of the first search criteria, creation of the first advisor subset, transmission of the information, receipt of the first indicator, and receipt of the second indicator;

in response to receipt of the second indicator, receiving, from the user computer, a second search criteria based on the information about the first advisor subset to further query the first advisor subset, the second search criteria comprising at least one user response to a series of predetermined profile questions, the second search criteria questions comprising at least one question that is different from the first search criteria questions;

creating a second advisor subset corresponding to the second search criteria with the server;

applying a preference to an advisor having a specified minimum qualification rating;

executing an advisor matching algorithm to calculate a percent match value for each advisor in the second advisor subset; and

transmitting to the user computer a best fit advisor list.