Systems and methods for improved financial calculators

• US 8,484,109 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Nelson Deurmier, Jill Marie, Graschel, Richard Scott, Felan, John Xavier, Laquey, Christina Nicole
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Samica L
• Application Number:
  US11/862,652
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/25, 705/38, 434/307.R
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

In various embodiments, financial calculators with improved data security and data integration, collecting, managing and sharing data generated by a user are described. Selected financial data is accessed and shared with various financial tools in a centralized data store to provide a faster, easier calculator with fewer inputs. In one embodiment, a retirement calculator advises a user on how much to save in a corporate retirement plan, IRA and other investments, and the priority order in which to save. In another embodiment, a college savings calculator is disclosed that pre-fills anticipated college costs when a user selects a college.

Claims

1. A college education financial planning system, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions to;

configure a common data store comprising;

personalized information associated with a plurality of users and accessible to a plurality of financial calculators provided by a financial institution selectable by a user, further comprising individualized cost data associated with a plurality of college level institutions;

present, to the user, a web page that includes links to at least one of auto, home, life and financial planning services web pages, wherein the web pages have the plurality of financial calculators that each access the common data store;

receive a request from said user via said financial planning services web page selecting a college savings calculator from the plurality of financial calculators that each access the common data store for their financial calculations;

identify at least one input data element required by said college savings calculator, wherein said at least one input data element comprises at least one of said college level institutions;

search said data store for previously stored individualized college education cost data associated with said user and related to said at least one identified input data element;

populate the at least one identified input data element in the college savings calculator with the searched previously stored individualized college education cost data associated with said user and said at least one of said college level institutions, wherein the individualized cost data is previously estimated by the college savings calculator based on user entered personal information and institution-based cost information; and

send the requested financial planning services web page with the at least one identified populated input data element and said previously stored individualized college education cost data to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor issues further instructions to receive new data values from the user, store the new data values received from the user, receive new values for the at least one input data element, and receive new values for output data elements from the college savings calculator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor issues further instructions to receive at least one of:

a student'"'"'s first and last name, a student'"'"'s age, age a student will start college, number of years a student will attend college, or annual cost.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said data store is configured to store at least one of:

a user number, student name, student age, age to start college, estimated annual cost, number of years attending college, amount already saved, monthly contribution, expected rate of return percentage, institution, estimated shortfall amount, percentage of total cost currently planned, or recommended monthly amount to save.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor issues further instructions to receive estimated expenses for at least one of:

geographic location, institution name, institution type, base tuition, books and supplies, room and board, in-state cost vs. out-of-state cost, on-campus cost vs. off-campus cost, miscellaneous expenses, total expenses, amount already saved per student, monthly contribution the user is currently making or would like to make, or rate of return percentage the user is expecting to receive.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor issues further instructions to determine at least one of:

estimated future cost of education, estimated shortfall amount, recommended monthly amount to save, or inputs and assumptions used in calculating results.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor issues further instructions to provide at least one of:

an option to edit a current recommendation, an option to begin a new recommendation, an option to save the current recommendation, or an option to print the current recommendation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor issues further instructions to:

display a web page showing a graphical representation of a projected savings amount of the user and a goal amount;

receive on the web page, from the user, an input related to a monthly contribution towards the projected savings amount, wherein the input is adjustable on a sliding scale by the user; and

display on the web page, an adjusted projected savings amount using the user input related to the monthly contribution.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor issues further instructions to:

identify a second input data element optional in the college savings calculator, wherein the second input data element relates to data associated with the user generated by another calculator of the plurality of financial calculators;

search the common data store, shared by the plurality of financial calculators, for previously stored data associated with the user generated by the another calculator;

populate the second input data element in the college savings calculator with the previously stored data associated with the user generated by the another calculator; and

provide, to the user, the college savings calculator populated with the previously stored data associated with the user.

10. A processor-implemented college education financial planning method, comprising:

providing a common data store comprising personalized information associated with a plurality of users and accessible to a plurality of financial calculators provided by a financial institution selectable by a user, further comprising individualized cost data associated with a plurality of college level institutions;

presenting to the user a web page that includes links to at least one of auto, home, life and financial planning services web pages, wherein the web pages have the plurality of financial calculators that each access the common data store;

receiving a request from said user via said financial planning services web page selecting a college savings calculator from the plurality of financial calculators that each access the common data store for their financial calculations;

identifying at least one input data element required by said college savings calculator, wherein said at least one input data element comprises at least one of said college level institutions;

searching, via a processor, said data store for previously stored individualized college education cost data associated with said user and related to said at least one identified input data element;

populating the at least one identified input data element in the college savings calculator with the searched previously stored individualized college education cost data associated with said user and said at least one of said college level institutions, wherein the individualized cost data is previously estimated by the college savings calculator based on user entered personal information and institution-based cost information; and

sending the requested financial planning services web page with the at least one identified populated input data element and said previously stored individualized college education cost data to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving new data values from the user, storing the new data values received from the user, receiving new values for the at least one input data element, and receiving new values for output data elements from the college savings calculator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving at least one of:

a student'"'"'s first and last name, a student'"'"'s age, age a student will start college, number of years a student will attend college, or annual cost.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said data store is configured to store at least one of:

a user number, student name, student age, age to start college, estimated annual cost, number of years attending college, amount already saved, monthly contribution, expected rate of return percentage, institution, estimated shortfall amount, percentage of total cost currently planned, or recommended monthly amount to save.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving estimated expenses for at least one of:

geographic location, institution name, institution type, base tuition, books and supplies, room and board, in-state cost vs. out-of-state cost, on-campus cost vs. off-campus cost, miscellaneous expenses, total expenses, amount already saved per student, monthly contribution the user is currently making or would like to make, or rate of return percentage the user is expecting to receive.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining at least one of:

estimated future cost of education, estimated shortfall amount, recommended monthly amount to save, or inputs and assumptions used in calculating results.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing at least one of:

an option to edit a current recommendation, an option to begin a new recommendation, an option to save the current recommendation, or an option to print the current recommendation.

17. A computer readable non-transitory medium bearing processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions executed by a processor to:

configure a common data store comprising personalized information associated with a plurality of users and accessible to a plurality of financial calculators provided by a financial institution selectable by a user, further comprising individualized cost data associated with a plurality of college level institutions;

present, to the user a web page that includes links to at least one of auto, home, life and financial planning services web pages, wherein the web pages have the plurality of financial calculators that each access the common data store;

receive a request from said user via said financial planning services web page selecting a college savings calculator from the plurality of financial calculators that each access the common data store for their financial calculations;

identify at least one input data element required by said college savings calculator, wherein said at least one input data element comprises at least one of said college level institutions;

search said data store for previously stored individualized college education cost data associated with said user and related to said at least one identified input data element;

populate the at least one identified input data element in the college savings calculator with the searched previously stored individualized cost data associated with said user and said at least one of said college level institutions, wherein the individualized cost data is previously estimated by the college savings calculator based on user entered personal information and institution-based cost information; and

send the requested financial planning services web page with the at least one identified populated input data element and said previously stored individualized college education cost data to the user.

18. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 17, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further executed by the processor to receive new data values from the user, storing the new data values received from the user, receiving new values for the input data elements, and receiving new values for the output data elements from the calculator.

19. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 18, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further executed by the processor to receive at least one of:

a student'"'"'s first and last name, a student'"'"'s age, age a student will start college, number of years a student will attend college, or annual cost.

20. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 19 wherein said data store is configured to store at least one of:

a user number, student name, student age, age to start college, estimated annual cost, number of years attending college, amount already saved, monthly contribution, expected rate of return percentage, institution, estimated shortfall amount, percentage of total cost currently planned, or recommended monthly amount to save.

21. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 20, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further executed by the processor to receive estimated expenses for at least one of:

geographic location, institution name, institution type, base tuition, books and supplies, room and board, in-state cost vs. out-of-state cost, on-campus cost vs. off-campus cost, miscellaneous expenses, total expenses, amount already saved per student, monthly contribution the user is currently making or would like to make, or rate of return percentage the user is expecting to receive.