Cash flow management system

• US 20030187762A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert L. Coyle
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Coyle
• Inventors: Coyle, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

An integrated cash flow management system and associated worksheets, including an expense worksheet and a money flow worksheet. The expense worksheet comprises a first medium having: a 3-circles block that includes alpha expenses (i.e., expenses paid every month or more frequently), a right rectangle block that include beta expenses (i.e., expenses paid less frequently than every month), and additional expenses blocks that include both alpha expenses and beta expenses. The 3-circles block may include expenses for long-term savings, investments, and insurance. The right rectangle block may include expenses for car replacement, vacations, gifts, and emergencies. The money flow worksheet comprises a second medium having: a debt workblock, a save-to-spend workblock, a savings icon, an investment icon, an insurance icon, a first directional flow indicator from the savings icon to the investment icon, and a second directional flow indicator from the insurance icon to the investment icon.

Claims

1. An expense worksheet, comprising a medium having:

a 3-circles block for listing 3-circles expenses, wherein the 3-circles expenses include alpha expenses;

a right rectangle block for listing right rectangle expenses, wherein the right rectangle expenses include beta expenses;

additional expenses blocks for listing additional expenses, wherein the additional expenses include both alpha expenses and beta expenses;

wherein the alpha expenses and the beta expenses are differentiated by a time interval.

2. The expense worksheet of claim 1, wherein the time interval is a month.

3. The expense worksheet of claim 1, wherein the right rectangle expenses includes an emergencies expense.

4. The expense worksheet of claim 3, wherein the right rectangle expenses further include at least one of a car replacement expense, a vacations expense, and a gifts expense.

5. The expense worksheet of claim 1, wherein the 3-circles expenses include a long-term savings expense and an investments expense.

6. The expense worksheet of claim 5, wherein the 3-circles expenses further include an insurance expense.

7. A money flow worksheet, comprising a medium having:

a debt workblock;

a save-to-spend workblock;

a savings icon;

an investment icon;

an insurance icon;

a first directional flow indicator from the savings icon to the investment icon; and

a second directional flow indicator from the insurance icon to the investment icon.

8. The worksheet of claim 7, wherein the save-to-spend workblock includes:

a remaining red check mark items column or row; and

an emergencies column or row.

9. The worksheet of claim 8, wherein the save-to-spend workblock further includes at least one of a car replacement column or row, a vacations column or row, and a gifts column or row.

10. The worksheet of claim 7, wherein the medium further comprises:

an income icon;

a checking icon;

a third directional flow indicator from the income icon to the save-to-spend workblock;

a fourth directional flow indicator from the income icon to the checking icon;

a fifth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the debt workblock;

a sixth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the savings icon;

a seventh directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the investments icon; and

an eighth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the insurance icon.

11. The worksheet of claim 10, wherein the medium further comprises:

a remaining alpha expenses icon; and

a ninth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the remaining alpha expenses icon.

12. An integrated cash flow management worksheet set, comprising:

an expense worksheet including a first medium having;

a 3-circles block for listing 3-circles expenses wherein the 3-circles expenses include alpha expenses,

a right rectangle block for listing right rectangle expenses wherein the right rectangle expenses include beta expenses,

additional expenses blocks for listing additional expenses, wherein the additional expenses include both alpha expenses and beta expenses,

wherein the alpha expenses and the beta expenses are differentiated by a time interval; and

a money flow worksheet including a second medium having;

a debt workblock,

a save-to-spend workblock,

a savings icon,

an investment icon,

an insurance icon,

a first directional flow indicator from the savings icon to the investment icon, and

a second directional flow indicator from the insurance icon to the investment icon.

13. The worksheet set of claim 12, wherein the worksheet set further comprises an expense analysis worksheet including a third medium having:

an alpha workblock that lists the alpha expenses of the expense worksheet and does not list any beta expense of the expense worksheet; and

a beta workblock that lists the beta expenses of the expense worksheet and does not list any alpha expense of the expense worksheet.

14. The worksheet set of claim 13, wherein the third medium further includes a seed money workblock for specifying seed money to pay a portion of a first beta expense listed in the beta workblock.

15. The worksheet set of claim 13, wherein the third medium further includes a pre-funding workblock for providing an indication of the magnitude of unpredictable expenses associated with at least one of said right rectangle expenses.

16. The worksheet set of claim 13, wherein the third medium further includes a predictable withdrawals workblock for making a calendar of predictable withdrawals from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet to pay predictable beta expenses in the beta workblock.

17. The worksheet set of claim 13, wherein the third medium further includes:

a seed money workblock for specifying seed money to pay a portion of a first beta expense listed in the beta workblock;

a pre-funding workblock for providing an indication of the magnitude of unpredictable expenses associated with at least one of said right rectangle expenses; and

a predictable withdrawals workblock making a calendar of predictable withdrawals from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet to pay predictable beta expenses in the beta workblock.

18. The worksheet set of claim 17, wherein the worksheet set further comprises a scorecard worksheet for showing money withdrawals from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet.

19. The worksheet set of claim 13, wherein the worksheet set further comprises a scorecard worksheet for showing money withdrawals from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet.

20. The worksheet set of claim 12, wherein the worksheet set further comprises a scorecard worksheet for showing money withdrawals from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet.

21. A method for forming an expense worksheet, said method comprising forming a medium having:

a 3-circles block for listing 3-circles expenses, wherein the 3-circles expenses include alpha expenses;

a right rectangle block for listing right rectangle expenses, wherein the right rectangle expenses include beta expenses;

additional expenses blocks for listing additional expenses, wherein the additional expenses include both alpha expenses and beta expenses;

wherein the alpha expenses and the beta expenses are differentiated by a time interval.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the time interval is a month.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the right rectangle expenses includes an emergencies expense.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the right rectangle expenses further include at least one of a car replacement expense, a vacations expense, and a gifts expense.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the 3-circles expenses include a long-term savings expense and an investments expense.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the 3-circles expenses further include an insurance expense.

27. A method for forming a money flow worksheet, said method comprising forming a medium having:

a debt workblock;

a save-to-spend workblock;

a savings icon;

an investment icon;

an insurance icon;

a first directional flow indicator from the savings icon to the investment icon; and

a second directional flow indicator from the insurance icon to the investment icon.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the save-to-spend workblock includes:

a remaining red check mark items column or row; and

an emergencies column or row.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the save-to-spend workblock further includes at least one of a car replacement column or row, a vacations column or row, and a gifts column or row.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the medium further includes:

an income icon;

a checking icon;

a third directional flow indicator from the income icon to the save-to-spend workblock;

a fourth directional flow indicator from the income icon to the checking icon;

a fifth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the debt workblock;

a sixth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the savings icon;

a seventh directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the investments icon; and

an eighth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the insurance icon.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

a remaining alpha expenses icon; and

a ninth directional flow indicator from the checking icon to the remaining alpha expenses icon.

32. A method for forming a worksheet set, said method comprising:

forming an expense worksheet, including forming a first medium having;

a 3-circles block for listing 3-circles expenses wherein the 3-circles expenses include alpha expenses,

a right rectangle block for listing right rectangle expenses wherein the right rectangle expenses include beta expenses,

additional expenses blocks for listing additional expenses, wherein the additional expenses include both alpha expenses and beta expenses,

wherein the alpha expenses and the beta expenses are differentiated by a time interval; and

forming a money flow worksheet, comprising forming a second medium having;

a debt workblock,

a save-to-spend workblock,

a savings icon,

an investment icon,

an insurance icon,

a first directional flow indicator from the savings icon to the investment icon, and

a second directional flow indicator from the insurance icon to the investment icon.

33. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising forming an expense analysis worksheet, including forming a third medium having:

an alpha workblock that lists the alpha expenses of the expense worksheet and does not list any beta expense of the expense worksheet; and

a beta workblock that lists the beta expenses of the expense worksheet and does not list any alpha expense of the expense worksheet.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the third medium further includes a seed money workblock for specifying seed money to pay a portion of a first beta expense listed in the beta workblock.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the third medium further includes a pre-funding workblock for providing an indication of the magnitude of unpredictable expenses associated with at least one of said right rectangle expenses for specifying pre-funding money to pay a first beta expense listed in the beta workblock, and wherein the first beta expense occurs at unpredictable times.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the third medium further includes a predictable withdrawals workblock for making a calendar of predictable withdrawals from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet to pay predictable beta expenses in the beta workblock.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the third medium further includes:

a seed money workblock for specifying seed money to pay a portion of a first beta expense listed in the beta workblock;

a pre-funding workblock for providing an indication of the magnitude of unpredictable expenses associated with at least one of said right rectangle expenses; and

a predictable withdrawals workblock making a calendar of predictable withdrawals from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet to pay predictable beta expenses in the beta workblock.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the worksheet set further comprises a scorecard worksheet for showing money withdrawals made from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the worksheet set further comprises a scorecard worksheet for showing money withdrawals made from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the worksheet set further comprises a scorecard worksheet for showing money withdrawals made from a save-to-spend workblock of the money flow worksheet.

41. An integrated cash flow management method, comprising:

providing a specification of an average income for a time interval;

delineating alpha expenses and beta expenses for the time interval;

summing the alpha expenses to calculate a total alpha expense for the time interval;

summing the beta expenses to calculate a total beta expense for the time interval;

summing the total alpha expense for the time interval and the total beta expense for the time interval to calculate an average total expense for the time interval; and

calculating a cash flow for the time interval by subtracting the average total expense for the time interval from the average income for the time interval.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein delineating alpha expenses and beta expenses includes obtaining said alpha expenses and said beta expenses from an expense worksheet, said expense worksheet comprising a medium having:

a 3-circles block for listing 3-circles expenses, wherein the 3-circles expenses include alpha expenses;

a right rectangle block for listing right rectangle expenses, wherein the right rectangle expenses include beta expenses;

additional expenses blocks for listing additional expenses, wherein the additional expenses include both alpha expenses and beta expenses;

wherein the alpha expenses and the beta expenses are differentiated by a time interval.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein delineating alpha expenses and beta expenses includes obtaining said alpha expenses and said beta expenses from an expense analysis worksheet, said expense analysis worksheet comprising a medium having:

an alpha workblock that lists the alpha expenses of the expense worksheet and does not list any beta expense of the expense worksheet; and

a beta workblock that lists the beta expenses of the expense worksheet and does not list any alpha expense of the expense worksheet.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the beta expenses include right rectangle expenses.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the right rectangle expenses includes an emergencies expense.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the right rectangle expenses further include at least one of a car replacement expense, a vacations expense, and a gifts expense.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the alpha expenses include 3-circles expenses.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the 3-circles expenses include a long-term savings expense and an investments expense.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the 3-circles expenses further include an insurance expense.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein the beta expenses include right rectangle expenses and 3-circles expenses.

51. A computer system algorithm for performing integrated cash flow management, said computer system comprising an algorithm adapted to:

access a specification of an average income for a time interval;

access a delineation of alpha expenses and beta expenses for the time interval;

sum the alpha expenses to calculate a total alpha expense for the time interval;

sum the beta expenses to calculate a total beta expense for the time interval;

sum the total alpha expense for the time interval and the total beta expense for the time interval to calculate an average total expense for the time interval; and

calculate a cash flow for the time interval by subtracting the average total expense for the time interval from the average income for the time interval.

52. The computer system of claim 51, wherein the beta expenses include right rectangle expenses.

53. The computer system of claim 52, wherein the right rectangle expenses includes an emergencies expense.

54. The computer system of claim 53, wherein the right rectangle expenses further include at least one of a car replacement expense, a vacations expense, and a gifts expense.

55. The computer system of claim 51, wherein the alpha expenses include 3-circles expenses.

56. The computer system of claim 55, wherein the 3-circles expenses include a long-term savings expense and an investments expense.

57. The computer system of claim 56, wherein the 3-circles expenses further include an insurance expense.

58. The computer system of claim 51, wherein the beta expenses include right rectangle expenses and 3-circles expenses.

59. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein wherein the computer readable program code comprises an algorithm adapted to:

access a specification of an average income for a time interval;

access a delineation of alpha expenses and beta expenses for the time interval;

sum the alpha expenses to calculate a total alpha expense for the time interval;

sum the beta expenses to calculate a total beta expense for the time interval;

sum the total alpha expense for the time interval and the total beta expense for the time interval to calculate an average total expense for the time interval; and

calculate a cash flow for the time interval by subtracting the average total expense for the time interval from the average income for the time interval.