Method and system for processing data related to a deferred annuity having a minimum contract value

• US 8,266,055 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talcott Resolution Life Insurance Co. (DSG)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiss, Joseph M., Tatro, Charles D., Andrade, Maria Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPEN, KELLY SCAGGS
• Application Number:
  US13/113,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/35, 705/36.R, 705/36.T, 705/37, 705/38, 705/39, 705/40
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A computer-implemented process for processing data related to an investment product having a guarantee of withdrawals available on a periodic basis includes receiving by a processor data indicative of a request for a withdrawal from an account of the investment product, the amount of the withdrawal, aggregated with amounts of any other withdrawals during a current time period, being no more than a maximum amount available for withdrawal during the time period in accordance with the guarantee. The processor determines based on the current account value and data indicative of the guarantee whether the entire amount of the withdrawal is to be deducted from the account value, and responsive to determining that less than the entire amount is to be deducted, determines the amount to be deducted from the account value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for processing data related to an annuity having a guarantee of available periodic withdrawals, comprising:

receiving by a processor data indicative of a request for a withdrawal from the annuity during a time period, the amount of the withdrawal, aggregated with amounts of any other withdrawals from the annuity during the time period, being no more than an available withdrawal amount for the time period in accordance with the guarantee;

accessing by the processor from a memory device in communication with the processor a current account value of the annuity;

determining by the processor whether, based on the current account value and data indicative of the guarantee, the data indicative of the guarantee comprising data indicative of a greater than zero minimum account value, an entire amount of the withdrawal is to be deducted from the account value;

responsive to determining that less than the entire amount of the withdrawal is to be deducted from the account value, determining an amount of the withdrawal to be deducted from the account value, and providing an output signal having data indicative of the determined amount to be deducted from the account value;

receiving by the processor data indicative of an amount of a fee charged periodically for the guarantee; and

determining by the processor an updated account value by deducting the amount of the fee from the account value.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining that the current account value is not more than the greater than zero minimum account value, determining that the amount of the withdrawal to be deducted from the account value is zero.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the current account value is above the greater than zero minimum account value, determining by the processor whether reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be reduced below the greater than zero minimum account value; and

responsive to determining that reduction of the account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be reduced below the greater than zero minimum account value, providing by the processor an output signal having data indicative that the account value is to be changed to the greater than zero minimum account value as a result of payment of the withdrawal.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the current account value is above the greater than zero account value, determining by the processor whether reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be reduced below the greater than zero minimum account value; and

responsive to determining that reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be at or above the greater than zero minimum account value, providing by the processor an output signal having data indicative that the account value is to be changed to the current account value less the amount of the withdrawal.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the greater than zero minimum account value is based on investments in the annuity less a factor based on withdrawals during a time period in excess of the available withdrawal amount.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the annuity is a deferred annuity during the accumulation phase.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising effecting a payment to a recipient in accordance with the requested withdrawal amount by a payment module in communication with the processor.

8. A computer system for processing data related to an annuity having a guarantee of available withdrawals on a periodic basis, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device in communication with the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive data indicative of an amount of a requested withdrawal from the annuity, the amount of the withdrawal, aggregated with amounts of any other withdrawals from the annuity during a current time period, being no more than a maximum amount available for withdrawal on a periodic basis in accordance with the guarantee;

access from the memory device a current account value of the annuity;

determine whether the current account value of the annuity is at or below a greater than zero minimum account value;

responsive to determining that the current account value of the annuity is at or below the greater than zero minimum account value, provide an output signal having data indicative that the current account value is not to be changed as a result of payment of the requested withdrawal;

receive data indicative of an amount of a fee charged periodically for the guarantee; and

determine an updated account value by deducting the amount of the fee from the account value.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

responsive to determining that the current account value of the annuity is above the greater than zero minimum account value, determine whether reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be reduced below the greater than zero minimum account value;

responsive to determining that reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be reduced below the greater than zero minimum account value, provide an output signal having data indicative that the account value is to be changed to the greater than zero minimum account value as a result of payment of the withdrawal; and

responsive to determining that reduction of the account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be at or above the greater than zero minimum account value, provide an output signal having data indicative that the account value is to be changed to the current account value less the amount of the withdrawal.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the annuity is a deferred variable annuity during the accumulation phase, the guarantee provides that withdrawals are available periodically up to an amount based on a current payment base value, and the processor is further configured to determine the greater than zero minimum account value based on a product of the current payment base value and a factor.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the annuity is a deferred variable annuity during the accumulation phase, and the processor is further configured to determine an amount of a death benefit payable to a beneficiary upon death of a relevant life, the amount of the death benefit being not less than the greater than zero minimum account value, the death benefit amount being stored in the memory device.

12. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising, in communication with the processor, a payment module, for effecting payment of the requested withdrawal.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to a request for a withdrawal from the annuity, an amount of the withdrawal being greater than the maximum amount available for withdrawal on a periodic basis, determine a decrease in the account value to a value less than the greater than zero minimum account value.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the annuity is a deferred variable annuity during the accumulation phase, and the maximum amount available for withdrawal on a periodic basis is between 5 and 10 percent of a payment base value, and the greater than zero minimum account value is a greater percentage of the payment base value.

15. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising a display module, in communication with the processor via a communications bus, for displaying a user-readable indication that the current account value is not to be changed as a result of payment of the withdrawal.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein computer-readable instructions, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

responsive to receipt of data indicative of a request for a withdrawal from an annuity during a time period, the amount of the withdrawal, aggregated with amounts of any other withdrawals from the annuity during the time period, being no more than maximum amount available for withdrawal on a periodic basis in accordance with a guarantee;

determine whether a current account value of the annuity is at or below a greater than zero minimum account value; and

responsive to determining that the current account value is at or below the greater than zero minimum account value, provide an output signal having data indicative that the current account value is not to be changed as a result of payment of the withdrawal;

receive data indicative of an amount of a fee charged periodically for the guarantee; and

determine by the processor an updated account value by deducting the amount of the fee from the account value.

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

responsive to determining that the current account value of the annuity is above the greater than zero minimum account value, determine whether reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be reduced below the greater than zero minimum account value;

responsive to determining that reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be reduced below the greater than zero minimum account value, provide an output signal having data indicative that the account value is to be changed to the greater than zero minimum account value as a result of payment of the withdrawal; and

responsive to determining that reduction of the current account value by the amount of the withdrawal would cause the account value to be at or above the greater than zero minimum account value, provide an output signal having data indicative that the account value is to be changed to the current account value less the amount of the withdrawal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the annuity is a deferred variable annuity during the accumulation phase, and the guarantee provides that withdrawals are available periodically up to an amount based on a current payment base value.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

responsive to receipt of data indicative of an amount of a fee associated with the annuity, determine whether the current account value is at or below the greater than zero minimum account value; and

responsive to determining that the current account value is at or below the greater than zero minimum account value, provide an output signal having data indicative that the fee is not to be deducted from the account value.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the annuity is a deferred variable annuity during the accumulation phase, and the fee is one of a rider fee or an account maintenance fee.