Dynamic credit score alteration

• US 7,814,005 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Miritz Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Apollo Enterprise Solutions, Inc. (Apollo Enterprise Solutions, Ltd.)
• Inventors: House, William J. III, Imrey, G. Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US11/372,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705 38- 40, 235/375, 235379-380, 902/41
• US Class Current: 705/38
• 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

Abstract

A method for providing credit score information for a user to the user is provided. The method comprises offering the user an option to obtain information related to a credit score via a computer networking arrangement. The method further determines credit score information once the option is selected by the user, and providing the credit score information determined to the user via the computer networking arrangement.

Claims

1. A method executed using a server comprising:

receiving communications from a user at the server, the server configured to provide information to the user via a user computing device regarding a debt owed by the user to a third party;

providing information to the user regarding the debt via the user computing device;

causing the server to contact a credit bureau, wherein said causing the server to contact the credit bureau results in user credit score increase information being provided by the credit bureau to the server;

providing, from the server, an estimate of a specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved;

causing the server to provide the user with the estimate of the amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved and at least one offer to settle the debt, via the user computing device, the at least one offer to settle the debt selectable by the user to resolve the debt; and

when the user selects at least one offer establishing resolution of the debt, causing the server to provide a positive resolution indication to the credit bureau to facilitate the credit bureau raising the user'"'"'s credit score.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to select whether the user wishes to receive user credit score information separate from an ability to select at least one offer establishing settlement of the debt.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing the server to contact further comprises:

providing user information to the credit bureau;

providing information regarding a potential debt resolution to the credit bureau; and

receiving, at the server, an estimate of an increase in user credit score if the debt is resolved in a manner as provided to the credit bureau.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimate of the specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase is provided from the server to the user for display at the user computing device at the same time as the at least one offer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimate of the specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase comprises an anticipated change in credit score over an existing credit score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing the server to contact comprises obtaining the user'"'"'s current credit score, and the method further comprises:

computing an estimated increase in the user'"'"'s current credit score estimated by an entity other than the credit bureau, said computing occurring after contacting the credit bureau.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said contacting the credit bureau occurs over a communication network connecting the user computing device with the server; and

said contacting the credit bureau is initiated by said server.

8. A method for settling a transaction executed using a server comprising:

receiving communications from a user at the server, the server configured to provide information to the user via a user computing device regarding a debt owed by the user to a third party;

providing information to the user regarding the debt via the user computing device;

causing the server to contact a credit bureau to determine user credit score information, wherein said causing the server to contact a credit bureau causes the server to provide user specific credit information to the credit bureau and results in the credit bureau providing user credit score increase information to the server;

determining at the server an estimate of a specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved based on the user credit score information provided from the credit bureau to the server;

providing the user, via the user computing device, with the estimate of the specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved and at least one offer to settle the debt; and

when the user selects at least one offer establishing settlement of the debt using the user computing device, causing the server to provide a positive resolution indication to the credit bureau to facilitate the credit bureau increasing the user'"'"'s credit score.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the causing the server to contact comprises the server contacting the credit bureau with information pertaining to the debt contemplated to be settled and obtaining information related to an amount the user'"'"'s credit score would increase if the debt is settled as indicated.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling the user to purchase the user'"'"'s credit score information.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the causing the server to contact comprises:

initially contacting a credit bureau to obtain the user'"'"'s credit score;

determining an improvement to the user'"'"'s credit score separate from and without further contacting the credit bureau.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the causing the server to contact comprises:

providing user information to the credit bureau; and

providing information regarding a potential debt resolution to the credit bureau.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved comprises an improved credit score.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved comprises an anticipated change in credit score over an existing credit score.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling the user to select whether the user wishes to receive user credit score information separate from an ability to select at least one offer establishing settlement of the debt.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said offering occurs over a communication network connecting the user with a server; and

said providing is performed by the server.

17. A method executed using a server configured to provide credit score information for a user to the user via a user computing device, the method comprising:

receiving communications from a user at the server, the server configured to provide information to the user via the user computing device regarding a debt owed by the user to a third party;

providing information to the user regarding the debt via the user computing device;

offering the user an option to obtain information related to a credit score as part of a debt resolution transaction of a preexisting debt owed by the user to a third party;

causing the server to contact a credit bureau to determine user credit score information based on user selection of the option, wherein said causing the server to contact the credit bureau causes the server to provide user specific credit information to the credit bureau and results in the credit bureau providing user credit score increase information to the server;

determining an estimate of a specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved based on the user credit score information provided from the credit bureau to the server;

providing the user, via the user computing device, with the estimate of the specific numerical amount the user'"'"'s credit score will increase when the debt is resolved and at least one offer to settle the debt; and

when the user selects at least one offer establishing settlement of the debt using the user computing device, causing the server to provide a positive resolution indication to the credit bureau to facilitate the credit bureau increasing the user'"'"'s credit score.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the causing the server to contact comprises contacting the credit bureau with information pertaining to the transaction contemplated to be settled and obtaining credit bureau credit score information.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising enabling the user to select whether the user wishes to receive user credit score information separate from an ability to select at least one offer establishing settlement of the debt.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the causing the server to contact comprises:

providing user information to the credit bureau;

providing information regarding a potential the resolution to the credit bureau; and

receiving an estimate of an increase in user credit score if the debt is resolved in a manner as provided to the credit bureau.