Methods and systems for actively optimizing a credit score and managing/reducing debt

• US 8,417,627 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2011
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Cerise, Nicholas, Rogers, Michael W., Grant, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holly, John H
• Application Number:
  US13/323,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/38, 705/40, 705/35, 705/39, 705/36.R, 705/34, 705/30, 705/45, 710/33, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/128 Check-book balancing, updating or printing arrangements

Abstract

The invention provides various systems and methods for actively optimizing a credit score and reducing debt. The method includes receiving a credit report including credit accounts, balances, interest rates, and rate types for the credit accounts. The method further receives bank account and payroll information, as well as fixed and variable expense information. The method then generates a financial report based on the received information. Based on the financial report, the method calculates a payment amount, and determines available unassigned income. An allocation of the available income for debt reduction and credit score optimization is received, and the method dynamically allocates the funds to pay the credit accounts, the fixed expenses, and variable expenses such that the customer'"'"'s debt is reduced and the customer'"'"'s credit score is improved.

Claims

1. A method for reducing debt for a customer, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system;

a credit report;

bank account information;

payroll information; and

expense information;

generating, with the computer system, a financial report based at least in part on an aggregation of;

the credit report;

the bank account information;

the payroll information; and

the expense information;

determining, with the computer system, available unassigned income based at least in part on the financial report; and

allocating, with the computer system, the available unassigned income to pay the customer'"'"'s expenses and one or more credit accounts such that the customer'"'"'s debt is reduced, wherein the allocating of the available unassigned income is based at least in part on;

an interest rate of at least one credit account;

an interest type of at least one credit account; and

a due date of at least one credit account.

2. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, further comprising:

sending the financial report to the customer;

receiving, in response to the customer receiving the financial report, additional financial information from the customer; and

incorporating the additional financial information into the financial report to create a revised financial report.

3. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 2, wherein determining available unassigned income is further based at least in part on the revised financial report.

4. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, further comprising:

offering the customer, based at least in part on the financial report, at least one of;

a debt consolidation offer;

a lower interest rate credit card offer;

a mortgage loan;

or

an automobile loan.

5. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 4, further comprising:

presenting the customer with a mechanism to accept the debt consolidation offer, the lower interest rate credit card offer, the mortgage loan, or the automobile loan; and

allocating funds according to the debt consolidation offer, the lower interest rate credit card offer, the mortgage loan, or the automobile loan, in response to the customer accepting.

6. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the customer via a user interface;

the bank account information;

the payroll information;

fixed expense information; and

variable expense information; and

determining the expense information based at least in part on the fixed expense information and the variable expense information.

7. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, wherein the bank account information includes one or more of the following:

an account type;

an issuer; and

a balance.

8. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, wherein the payroll information includes one or more of the following:

an amount; and

a frequency.

9. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, wherein:

expense information comprises fixed expense information and variable expense information, and the fixed expense information includes one or more of the following;

automobile payments;

insurance payments;

student loan payments;

mortgage payments; and

other fixed or variable loans.

10. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, wherein:

expense information comprises fixed expense information and variable expense information, and the variable expense information includes one or more of the following;

utility expenses;

groceries expenses;

entertainment expenses; and

other variable payment lines of credit.

11. The method for reducing debt for a customer as in claim 1, wherein the interest type includes one of the following:

a simple interest rate; and

a compound interest rate.

12. A system for reducing debt for at least one customer, the system comprising:

a payment center processor, wherein;

the payment center processor is in communication with;

at least one payee;

at least one credit institution;

at least one bank;

the payment center processor is configured to;

receive at least one bill for the at least one customer from the at least one payee;

receive at least one credit report from the credit institution, wherein the credit report includes;

an account identifier;

a balance;

an interest rate; and

an interest type;

receive pay information from the bank;

generate a financial report based at least in part on an aggregation of;

the at least one bill;

the at least one credit report; and

the pay information;

determining, with the computer system, available unassigned income based at least in part on the financial report;

and

allocating, with the computer system, the available unassigned income to pay the at least one bill.

13. The system for reducing debt for at least one customer as in claim 12, wherein the payment center processor is further configured to:

determine, based at least in part on the interest rate or the financial report, to offer the customer;

a debt consolidation offer;

a lower interest rate credit card offer;

a mortgage loan;

or

an automobile loan.

14. The system for reducing debt for at least one customer as in claim 12, wherein the payment center processor is further configured to:

cause the at least one bill to be paid, based at least in part on the financial report.

15. The system for reducing debt for at least one customer as in claim 12, wherein the payment center processor is further configured to:

send the financial report to the at least one customer;

receiving, in response to the at least one customer receiving the financial report, additional financial information from the at least one customer; and

incorporating the additional financial information into the financial report to create a revised financial report.

16. The system for reducing debt for at least one customer as in claim 15, wherein determining available unassigned income is further based at least in part on the revised financial report.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium having a set of instructions stored thereon for reducing debt of a customer which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive a credit report, bank account information, payroll information, and expense information;

generate a financial report based at least in part on an aggregation of the credit report, the bank account information, the payroll information, and the expense information;

determine available unassigned income based at least in part on the financial report; and

allocate the available unassigned income to pay the customer'"'"'s expenses and one or more credit accounts such that the customer'"'"'s debt is reduced, wherein the allocating of the available unassigned income is based at least in part on;

an interest rate of at least one credit account;

an interest type of at least one credit account; and

a due date of at least one credit account.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium as in claim 17, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to:

hold funds based on the determined the available unassigned income; and

remit the held funds to pay the one or more of the credit accounts and the customer'"'"'s expenses.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium as in claim 17, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to:

provide to the customer, based at least in part on the financial report;

a debt consolidation offer;

a lower interest rate credit card offer;

a mortgage loan;

or

an automobile loan.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium as in claim 19, wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

presenting the customer with a mechanism to accept the debt consolidation offer, the lower interest rate credit card offer, the mortgage loan, or the automobile loan; and

allocating funds according to the debt consolidation offer, the lower interest rate credit card offer, the mortgage loan, or the automobile loan, in response to the customer accepting.