Product and processes for managing life instruments

• US 8,396,724 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W., Hersch, Stuart A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Assistant Examiner(s): POE, KEVIN T
• Application Number:
  US12/767,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/35, 705/36.R
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Product and processes that comprise receiving a query for a settlement contract that is available for sale. The query is based on at least one field. The settlement contract comprises a sale of a policyholder'"'"'s death benefit in a life insurance policy in exchange for money. A first settlement contract that comprises information matching the at least one queried field is retrieved. A plurality of potential purchasers received communication that the first settlement contract is available for purchase. During a pre-determined period of time, a plurality of bids for the first settlement contract is received. Each of the plurality of bids comprises a bid price. It is determined that a first bidder has submitted a best bid price for the settlement contract. The first bidder and the policyholder are notified of an agreement to sell the first settlement contract at the best bid price.

Claims

1. A receiving, from a remote device, a settlement contract for exchange on a trading system, in which the settlement contract, in which the settlement contract comprises a futures contract for a of a death benefit of a life insurance policy

computing, via a processor, a rating of the settlement contract, in which the processor and the remote device are in communication over a network;

computing, via a processor based on the rating, an initial bid price for the settlement contract;

storing, via the processor, the settlement contract in a database that comprises a plurality of settlement contracts;

receiving, via a processor, a plurality of bids for a first settlement contract, in which each of the plurality of bids comprises a bid amount that is equal to or greater than the initial bid price;

selecting, via a processor from the plurality of bids, a winning bid to receive the settlement contract, in which the winning bid comprises a bid amount that is greater than the bid amounts submitted by each of the plurality of bids; and

transmitting to a remote device an indication that an agreement to exchange the settlement contract to the winning bid has been made.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an opportunity to rescind the agreement within a pre-determined period of time, in which the pre-determined period of time is determined in advance of receiving the settlement contract.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request to rescind the agreement.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request to rescind the agreement.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining that the request to rescind the agreement was received before expiration of a pre-determined period of time, in which the pre-determined period of time is determined in advance of receiving the settlement contract;

canceling, in response to the request to rescind, the agreement; and

transmitting an indication the agreement has been rescinded.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining that the request to rescind the agreement was received after expiration of a pre-determined period of time, in which the pre-determined period of time is determined in advance of receiving the settlement contract;

transmitting an indication the request to rescind has been denied.

7. The method of claim 4, in which the request to rescind is submitted by a policyholder of the life insurance policy.

8. The method of claim 4, in which the request to rescind is submitted by a seller of the settlement contract.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the settlement contract is being submitted by a policyholder of the life insurance policy.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the settlement contract is submitted by a seller who purchased the settlement contract from a policyholder of the life insurance policy.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a trading instrument that comprises at least two settlement contracts that are stored in the database.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving at least one bid for the trading instrument on the exchange.

13. The method of claim 1, in which computing the rating of the settlement contract comprises:

determining a life expectancy of a policy holder of the life insurance policy.

14. The method of claim 1, in which computing the rating of the settlement contract comprises:

determining a financial stability of a insurance company that is responsible for paying the death benefit.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the settlement contract comprises a futures contract for a portion of the death benefit of the life insurance policy.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication that a view button has been selected; and

in response to determining a selection of the view button, displaying a profile of the life insurance policy.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication that a trading history button has been selected; and

in response to determining a selection of the trading history button, displaying at least one previous transaction on the exchange.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication that an additional details button has been selected; and

in response to determining a selection of the additional details button, displaying an unique attribute of the settlement contract.

19. The method of claim 18, in which the unique attribute is an indication that the initial bid price of settlement contract is higher than a reasonable market value.

20. The method of claim 18, in which the unique attribute comprises an explanation for the higher than reasonable market value of the initial bid price.

21. The method of claim 18, in which the unique attribute comprises a legal requirement that is specific to a country of the life insurance'"'"'s provider.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to;

receive a settlement contract for exchange on a trading system, in which the settlement contract comprises a futures contract for a death benefit of a life insurance policy;

compute a rating of the settlement contract;

compute, based on the rating, an initial bid price for the settlement contract;

store the settlement contract in a database that comprises a plurality of settlement contracts;

receive a plurality of bids for the settlement contract, in which each of the plurality of bids comprises a bid amount that is equal to or greater than the initial bid price;

select, from the plurality of bids, a winning bid to receive the settlement contract, in which the winning bid comprises a bid amount that is greater than the bid amounts submitted by each of the plurality of bids; and

transmit an indication that an agreement to exchange the settlement contract to the winning bid has been made.

23. An article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, direct the processor to;

receive a settlement contract for exchange on a trading system, in which the settlement contract comprises a futures contract for a death benefit of a life insurance policy;

compute a rating of the settlement contract;

compute, based on the rating, an initial bid price for the settlement contract;

store the settlement contract in a database that comprises a plurality of settlement contracts;

receive a plurality of bids for the settlement contract, in which each of the plurality of bids comprises a bid amount that is equal to or greater than the initial bid price;

select, from the plurality of bids, a winning bid to receive the settlement contract, in which the winning bid comprises a bid amount that is greater than the bid amounts submitted by each of the plurality of bids; and

transmit an indication that an agreement to exchange the settlement contract to the winning bid has been made.