Pay yourself first

• US 7,797,208 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Consumer and Merchant Awareness Foundation
• Inventors: Thomas, Tracey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): POE, KEVIN T
• Application Number:
  US10/709,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 41
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The invention encourages users to not only pay themselves first, but to pay themselves first in the largest amounts possible, even if they are not able to fully pay outstanding debts. In general, the invention obtains information related to the user'"'"'s income, income sources, user'"'"'s debts (e.g., bills) and user'"'"'s goals, then provides recommendations related to the prioritization of paying certain bills and the amount to pay for each bill based upon, for example, savings goals, minimum amounts due, due dates and available income. The invention also determines a payment hierarchy which includes transferring funds to the user'"'"'s savings account prior to paying all or a portion of certain bills.

Claims

1. A method of allocating user income to a user savings account of a user and to payees, said method including:

receiving, by said computer-based system for maximizing savings, user financial information, wherein said user financial information comprises user savings goal information, user debt information and user income information;

determining, by said computer-based system and based upon said user savings goal information and said user income information, a savings amount to be transferred from said user income to a user savings account, wherein said savings amount is at least a portion of user income;

analyzing, by said computer-based system, said user debt information to determine a plurality of outstanding debt payments;

determining, by said computer-based system, a plurality of penalties by analyzing, for each of said plurality of outstanding debt payments, a penalty associated with at least one of a payment amount and a payment timing;

determining, by said computer-based system and in response to said savings amount to be transferred from said user income to said user savings account, a payment hierarchy based upon said savings amount, said plurality of penalties and at least one of said payment information, said user savings goal information and said user income information, wherein said payment hierarchy minimizes said plurality of penalties.

2. The method of claim 1, further including transferring, based at least in part upon the payment hierarchy, at least a portion of the user income to a payee associated with a first debt, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of debt payments comprise the first debt.

3. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing a balance of funds based upon said user income information and allowing transfer of said user savings amount in response to confirmation of sufficient funds.

4. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing a balance of funds based upon said user income information and disallowing transfer of said user savings amount in response to confirmation of insufficient funds.

5. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing a balance of funds based upon said user income information and, upon confirmation of insufficient funds, at least one of requesting said user to modify said payment hierarchy, suggesting modifications to said payment hierarchy and automatically modifying said payment hierarchy.

6. The method of claim 1, further including notifying at least one of said user, payee and third party regarding at least one of said determining steps.

7. The method of claim 2, further including notifying at least one of said user, said payee and a third party prior to at least one of transferring said savings amount and said transferring to said payee.

8. The method of claim 7, further including obtaining authorization from at least one of said user, payee and third party prior to allowing a transfer.

9. The method of claim 1, further including providing a recommendation including suggestions for minimizing user debt payments and maximizing user savings, wherein said recommendation is generated by said computer-based system, and providing a user interface configured to allow said user to view at least one of said recommendations, said payment hierarchy and transfer information.

10. The method of claim 1, further including providing statements to said user, wherein said statements include at least one of user savings account balance, user savings account deposits and user debt payments.

11. The method of claim 1, further including receiving at least one of pre-approval of all transfers and approval of each transfer.

12. The method of claim 1, further including tracking at least one of said user income, user savings goal information and transfers of user income.

13. The method of claim 9, further including revising said user savings goal information based in part on said recommendation.

14. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing user savings goal information based upon at least one of user income information, user debt information and financial planning information.

15. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing user savings goal information and providing suggested revisions to said goal information.

16. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing user savings goal information using probability modeling.

17. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing user savings goal information using probability modeling, wherein said probability modeling includes forecasting, monitoring, simulating, designing and testing.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving user financial information includes receiving user financial information from at least one of said user and a third party database.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving user financial information includes receiving said user income and depositing user income in a user account.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving user financial information includes receiving said user income from at least one of said user and a user income source.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving user financial information includes receiving said user financial information via webpage entries.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving user financial information includes receiving said user financial information via a menu driven interactive procedure.

23. The method of claim 9, wherein said providing a recommendation includes providing a recommendation which includes at least one of prioritizing payment of bills, partial payment of bills, determining when to pay a bill and determining an amount to pay for a bill.

24. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of providing a recommendation includes providing a recommendation based upon at least one of bill priority information, said user savings goal information, said user debt information, minimum amounts due, penalties, interest rates, due dates, available user income, user override selection and user historic selections.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said payment hierarchy includes at least one of said user, guardian, government entity and third party establishing at least a portion of said payment hierarchy.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said payment hierarchy includes providing a capability to alter said payment hierarchy.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said payment hierarchy includes pre-established hierarchy requirements.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said payment hierarchy includes establishing said payment hierarchy to include rules related to the amount of a bill to be paid.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring user income including receiving a combined remittance which includes a debt payment and a savings amount.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring user income including receiving a combined remittance which includes a debt payment and a savings amount, applying hierarchy rules to said combined remittance to determine a portion to be allocated to said user debts and a portion to be allocated to said user savings account, wherein said hierarchy rules are associated with said payment hierarchy.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring said user income including allowing said user to transfer said user income.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein said user income includes at least one of monetary income, non-monetary income, asset, benefit, paycheck, salary, bonuses, commissions, purchase rebate, tax rebates, property, goods, social security, welfare, alimony, child support, rental income, securities-related income, gambling winnings, credits, loyalty points, reward points, coupons, and entry passes.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein said user income is obtained from at least one of said user and a third party.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein said user income information includes at least one of income source demographic data, income amount, days of month when income received, date when receive income, income source routing data, amount of income during a particular timeframe, bonus information, tax refund information, estimated commission information, estimate of the amounts of non-periodic income and dates when non-periodic income will be received.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of outstanding debt payments include at least one of monetary liability, non-monetary liability, bills, car payments, loans, mortgages, purchases, voluntary payments, alimony, child support, payment plans, lines of credit, financial losses, gambling losses, and responsibilities.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein any of a plurality of outstanding debt information includes at least one of bill information, name and address of payees, payee account routing information, amount of bills, minimum amounts due, due date, and periodic payment plan information.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein any of said plurality of outstanding debt payments may be owed by at least one of said user and a third party.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein said user savings goal information includes at least one of amounts the user desires to pay himself, a financial amount, a limit, milestone, threshold, objective, aspiration, amount of money needed for a vacation, a major purchase, holiday gifts, education, retirement, a common goal for a group.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein said user savings goal information includes at least one of a one-time total amount, a pre-established amount for a limited time period, a pre-established amount for a continuing time period, a periodic amount which results in a total savings by a certain date, increasing amount, and decreasing amount.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein said user savings goal information is created by at least one of user entry, random generation, a formula, system selection and a third party.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein said user savings goal information is entered before at least one of entering user debt information and entering income amounts.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein said user financial information includes at least one of income source data, date of income deposit, date of income receipt, amounts owed from particular income sources, amounts deposited in the user savings account, and dates of deposits in user savings account.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein said user savings account includes at least one of a financial account, savings account, checking account, money market account, loyalty account, a security, a financial transaction instrument, stored value card, charge card, smart card, transponder, negotiable instrument, and coupon.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein said user savings account restricts check-writing privileges, withdrawals, loans, and purchases.

45. A system for maximizing savings comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory, said network interface configured to receive user financial information, wherein said user financial information comprises user savings goal information, user debt information and user income information;

said memory communicating with a processor; and

said processor, when executing a computer program, is configured to;

receive user financial information, wherein said user financial information comprises user savings goal information, user debt information and user income information;

determine, based upon said user savings goal information and said user income information, a savings amount to be transferred from said user income to a user savings account, wherein said savings amount is at least a portion of user income;

analyze said user debt information to determine a plurality of outstanding debt payments;

determine a plurality of penalties by analyzing, for each of said plurality of outstanding debt payments, a penalty associated with at least one of a payment amount and a payment timing;

determine, in response to said savings amount to be transferred from said user income to the user said savings account, a payment hierarchy based upon said savings amount, said plurality of penalties and at least one of said payment information, said user savings goal information and said user income information, wherein said payment hierarchy minimizes said plurality of penalties.

46. A tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer-based system for maximizing savings, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by said computer-based system for maximizing savings, user financial information, wherein said user financial information comprises user savings goal information, user debt information and user income information;

determining, by said computer-based system and based upon said user savings goal information and said user income information, a savings amount to be transferred from said user income to a user savings account, wherein said savings amount is at least a portion of user income;

analyzing, by said computer-based system, said user debt information to determine a plurality of outstanding debt payments;

determining, by said computer-based system, a plurality of penalties by analyzing, for each of said plurality of outstanding debt payments, a penalty associated with at least one of a payment amount and a payment timing;

determining, by said computer-based system and in response to said savings amount to be transferred from said user income to the said user savings account, a payment hierarchy based upon said savings amount, said plurality of penalties and at least one of said payment information, said user savings goal information and said user income information, wherein said payment hierarchy minimizes said plurality of penalties.