Interactive systems and methods for insurance-related activities

• US 8,930,228 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
• Original Assignee: Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
• Inventors: Ball, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Felten, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/476,372
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/35, 705/36.R, 705/38
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing insurance related activities are provided. Software can be implemented to provide an application that includes an interactive interface for use by insurance professionals in managing clients, marketing insurance, and storing information. The application can include multiple layers directed to particular stages of the insurance-client relationship. Aggregation services can also be incorporated into the application. Interactive insurance-and-client specific display pages can be incorporated to aid in understanding a client'"'"'s current insurance information and to generate presentations. “Value” calculators may be implemented to illustrate a comparison of a client'"'"'s current level of protection to a client'"'"'s current financial state. Interactive tools for evaluating a customer'"'"'s financial condition during retirement and how life insurance affects a customer'"'"'s financial condition are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of providing an interactive financial planning tool with a personal biography section, comprising:

receiving a user request, wherein the user request triggers the display of a corresponding personal biographical information collection page, wherein the corresponding personal biographical information collection page provides one or more input areas, wherein the one or more input areas includes one or more selection tools configured to receive user input;

receiving user input that results from user interaction with at least one of the input areas or at least one of the selection tools, wherein at least a portion of the user input is representative of a user'"'"'s attitude toward financial decisions associated with a particular financial domain;

generating a personal financial biography report using a computer, wherein at least one portion of the personal financial biography report is associated with a particular financial domain, wherein the at least one portion includes information that describes a user'"'"'s attitude toward at least one financial decision; and

,

providing the generated personal financial biography report for display on a client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input area includes a list of selections pertaining to at least one theme or a region to input text related to a theme that is not already listed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection tool includes a slider.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

influencing the comparison by moving the slider in order to adjust one or more aspects of four interdependent financial domains.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed personal biographical information collection page includes one or more of the following pages:

a my story page, a family matters page, a life defined page, a legacy of significance page, and/or a living balance sheet page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is the period of time the user will be in retirement.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the comparison illustrates periods during retirement that the user needs to consider with regard to the lifestyle a user wants to maintain and assets the user wants to maintain during retirement to provide for the user'"'"'s legacy at death.

8. A method of providing an interactive tool including a personal biography portion, comprising:

providing a personal biography page;

providing a plurality of input areas on the personal biography page for inputting personal biographical information about a user, wherein a first input area is configured to receive user input that is representative of a user'"'"'s attitude toward financial decisions associated with a particular financial domain, wherein a second input area is configured to receive a request for personal biographical information; and

,

providing a personal financial biography report using a computer wherein at least one portion of the personal financial biography report is associated with a particular financial domain, wherein the at least one portion includes information that describes a user'"'"'s attitude toward at least one financial decision associated with a particular financial domain.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the input area includes a list of selections pertaining to at least one theme and/or a region to input text related to a theme that is not already listed.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving a user input that results from user interaction with one or more of the input areas,

wherein a series of one or more inputs builds a personal financial biography that captures the unique experiences, philosophies, and accomplishments that define a user'"'"'s life and create a legacy of significance.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

determining a hypothetical lifestyle income objective to maintain during a predetermined period of time.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

generating a comparison between the personal financial biography and a hypothetical lifestyle income objective that visually conveys a relationship that exists between the personal financial biography and a hypothetical lifestyle income objective.