Synthetic funds having structured notes

• US 7,610,231 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Freund, Peter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): APPLE, KIRSTEN SACHWITZ
• Application Number:
  US11/262,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/36.R
• US Class Current: 705/36.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• 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 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present invention relates to synthetic funds for purchase by investors. A structured note is structured to provide customized equity returns/exposure. Terms of each structured note may be specified by the purchaser and the structured notes may be unsecured liabilities of the obligor, e.g., there are no underlying assets upon which the structure note is based. Thus, there will be no limits on the use of structured note proceeds and management of assets and liabilities will be left entirely to the obligor'"'"'s discretion. Structured note payment obligations may be related to the performance of an objective valuation, but structured note holders will depend on the good credit of the obligor for payment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for creating and issuing a structured note, the structured note comprising a contract that permits an obligor to offer an exposure to a requestor, wherein the exposure is to at least one objective valuation measure, the process comprising:

displaying customization components using one or more computer processors, the customization components providing customization capabilities allowing the requestor to customize the exposure of the structured note, the customization capabilities comprising (a) an initial selection capability allowing the requestor to make an initial selection of the exposure to the at least one objective valuation measure, and (b) a post-issuance capability allowing the requestor unilaterally to alter the initial selection of the exposure;

receiving and processing, using the one or more computer processors, a request from the requestor to purchase at least one structured note from the obligor, the request including an initial selection of the exposure to the at least one objective valuation measure made through the customization components, the structured note having an investment return based on terms of the structured note including the at least one objective valuation measure, where the request comprises;

an amount of the at least one structured note; and

at least one objective valuation measure of the at least one structured note;

generating, using the one or more computer processors, the at least one structured note based on the request, wherein the at least one structured note represents a portfolio of one or more assets with market exposures wherein the market exposures are objectively valued;

receiving payment for the at least one structured note;

issuing to the requestor, using the one or more computer processors, a confirmation of the at least one structured note; and

subsequently displaying, using the one or more computer processors, a user interface providing for entry of a request to modify the structured note through the customization components, the modification request including alteration of the initial exposure selection,

wherein the obligor creates a liability and asset mismatch between structured note liabilities defined by the portfolio and offsetting hedge instruments, thus incurring increased risk, thereby enabling the investment return produced to exceed potential return achievable through direct exposure.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the portfolio relates to market exposures of the at least one structured note.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the portfolio relates to market risk exposures of an obligor.

4. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

modifying an investment amount associated with the at least one structured note, as desired by a note holder.

5. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

modifying at least one market exposure associated with the at least one structured note, as desired by a note holder.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the market exposures include at least one equity exposure, the equity exposure based on a generic equity index.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein an underlying asset of the least one structured note comprises one or more passive assets.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the passive assets comprise at least one index fund.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein an obligor'"'"'s transaction costs associated with the at least one structured note are reduced versus one or more referenced underlying funds.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein one or more parameters associated with the at least one structured note is selected for customizing one or more of associated risk and return characteristics of the at least one structured note.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein the one or more parameters comprise market conditions.

12. The process according to claim 11, wherein a structured note portfolio market exposure risk return is shaped regarding one or more underlying assets of the at least one structured note.

13. The process according to claim 11, wherein changes in the value of one or more assets or market conditions change one or more of character, risk and value of one or more unrelated assets in the at least one structured note.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein performance of the at least one structured note is customized by an obligor without acquiring a direct interest in a corresponding underlying asset.

15. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing an ability by an obligor to short performance of the at least one structured note.

16. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing an ability for a note holder to leverage or short performance of at least one of a mutual fund, hedge fund, individual equities, bond, commodities, fund-of-funds or other underlying asset, wherein the asset is passive or active.

17. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing an ability to an obligor to buy and manage at least one asset of the portfolio differently from an underlying asset market exposure sold in the at least one structured note.

18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the underlying asset comprises a customized fund-of-funds.

19. The process according to claim 17, wherein the underlying asset comprises an aggregation of underlying assets, such that a percentage contribution of the underlying asset or other assets are different from the offsetting hedge instruments.

20. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing an ability to an obligor to establish a hedge position for the at least one structured note.

21. The process according to claim 1, wherein performance of the at least one structured note corresponds to a customized fund-of-funds without requiring corresponding purchase of each fund of the customized fund-of-funds.

22. The process according to claim 1, wherein performance of the at least one structured note corresponds to establishing for an obligor a short position in market exposure for at least one of a mutual fund, hedge fund, individual equities, bonds, commodities, fund of funds or other underlying asset.

23. The process according to claim 1, wherein performance of the at least one structured note corresponds to establishing a long position in at least one passive asset of the portfolio.

24. The process according to claim 1, wherein an obligor chooses to manage a short position of the performance of the at least one structured note to reduce net market exposure.

25. The process according to claim 1, wherein performance of the at least one component of the at least one structured note is customized to mimic a desired fund-of-funds.

26. The process according to claim 25, further comprising the step of:

modifying the portfolio by adding or subtracting individual exposures to an underlying fund or fund of funds.

27. The process according to claim 1, wherein the portfolio is modified to duplicate a desired fund-of-funds or other referenced aggregation of underlying assets but for a changed weighting of at least one underlying position.

28. The process according to claim 1, wherein the obligor establishes a pure short position in the least one structured note.

29. A process for creating and issuing a structured note, the structured note comprising a contract that permits an obligor to offer an exposure to a requestor, wherein the exposure is to at least one objective valuation measure, the process comprising:

displaying a first user interface through implementation of one or more computer processors, the first user interface providing selectable options enabling the requestor to select a fund-of-funds composition representing a portfolio including one or more assets with market exposures, the assets including passive and active assets, wherein the market exposures are objective valuation measures, the selectable options including an investment amount selection option for selecting a total investment amount and a weighting option for enabling distribution of the total selected investment amount across the assets in accordance with a requestor selection;

receiving and processing, using the one or more computer processors, a request to purchase at least one structured note, where the request comprises an amount of the at least one structured note and at least one objective valuation measure of the at least one structured note;

generating, using the one or more computer processors, the at least one structured note based on the request;

receiving payment for the at least one structured note;

issuing confirmation of the at least one structured note through implementation of the one or more computer processors; and

subsequently displaying a second user interface using the one or more computer processors, the second user interface facilitating requestor-selectable modification of the purchased structured note, available requestor selectable modifications including an overall investment amount modification and a weighting modification for enabling market exposure to be redistributed by modification of a percentage of the overall investment amount corresponding to one or more selected assets;

wherein performance of the at least one structured note is customized by the obligor, providing an ability to the obligor to buy and manage at least one asset differently from requestor selected market exposure of the structured note, thereby providing an ability by the obligor to short performance of the structured note and to establish a hedge position for the structured note and providing an ability for the requestor to leverage or short performance of at least one of the selected assets.