Systems and methods for scheduling contributions to a retirement savings plan

• US 7,962,394 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IBIS Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: IBIS Software Corporation
• Inventors: Wagner, Gerald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fu; Hao
• Application Number:
  US12/637,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/36.R
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Computer-based systems and methods are described for generating personalized, automated contribution strategies for scheduling contributions to a retirement savings plan or other savings plan. Embodiments of the systems and methods provide visual and other educational displays to assist a client in choosing a suitable savings contribution strategy that may take into account at least one of the set consisting of: details of an employer-sponsored savings fund available to the client which may include opportunities for employer matching-funds, acceptable portion of standard-of-living increases derived from salary raises that the client is willing to contribute to a savings plan, client'"'"'s current savings behavior and value of savings portfolio, effects of the stochastic nature of future investment portfolio value, and changing federal tax regulations. Clients may use the systems for educational and planning purposes and/or may authorize automated triggering of contributions with scheduled increases and/or decreases as specified by the selected plan.

Claims

1. A system for generating, on behalf of a user, at least one proposed contribution schedule for a savings plan that includes an employer matching funds program having a limit, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising one or more computing devices;

an input/output interface configured to receive input about a user desiring a savings plan contribution schedule, said input including information selected from one or more of the following categories;

the user'"'"'s salary, the user'"'"'s expected raises, the user'"'"'s expected annual raise date, at least one standard-of-living increase from the user'"'"'s expected raises, the user'"'"'s expected retirement date, an available retirement savings plan, an available employer matching-funds program, the user'"'"'s current savings contribution schedule, and the user'"'"'s savings portfolio value;

a calculation engine implemented by the computer system, the calculation engine configured to;

receive the user input;

identify at least two different time periods in the user'"'"'s savings horizon, including at least a first time period that ends when the user'"'"'s savings contribution reaches a limit on the employer'"'"'s matching funds program, and a second time period that begins when the user'"'"'s savings contribution reaches the employer'"'"'s limit for matching funds; and

use the user input to generate a proposed savings contribution schedule in accordance with the user'"'"'s desired standard-of-living increase, the proposed savings contribution schedule specifying different savings contributions for the at least two identified time periods, the proposed savings contribution schedule for presentation to the user via the input/output interface, the input/output interface further configured to receive an authorization from the user for the proposed savings contribution;

a repository of client records configured to record the authorization in association with the user and the savings contribution schedule; and

a contribution management application configured to receive information about the authorized savings contribution schedule and to trigger automatic changes to contributions to a savings plan in accordance with the authorized savings contribution schedule.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a savings contribution for one time period is higher than savings contribution for a previous time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a savings contribution for one time period is lower than a savings contribution for a previous time period.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two time periods begins when an employer limit to pre-tax contributions is reached.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two time periods begins when a government limit to pre-tax contributions is reached.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation engine is further configured to calculate at least one proposed retirement savings contribution schedule that specifies a fixed dollar amount of total contribution increase per year.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation engine is further configured to calculate at least one proposed savings contribution schedule that specifies an increasing contribution rate as a percentage of the client'"'"'s salary, wherein the percentage increases at a fixed rate over time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation engine is further configured to calculate at least one proposed savings contribution schedule that specifies an increasing contribution rate as a percentage of the client'"'"'s expected raises.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation engine is further configured to access information about one or more expected inflation rates and to calculate at least one proposed retirement savings contribution schedule that specifies an increasing contribution rate as a percentage of the user'"'"'s real raises, the user'"'"'s real raises being calculated as differences between the user'"'"'s expected raises and at least one expected future inflation rate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation engine is further configured to access a portfolio expected arithmetic return value that predicts expected performance of a savings portfolio belonging to the user, the calculation engine further configured to use the portfolio expected arithmetic return value to calculate one or more confidence intervals of possible retirement savings portfolio outcomes related to the portfolio'"'"'s percentile probabilities for presentation to the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation engine is further configured to convert a possible savings portfolio value into a value expressing projected portfolio income by generating an annuity factor that considers one or more of the following categories of information:

the user'"'"'s current age, savings horizon, gender, state of health, improvements in mortality rates over the savings horizon, annuity return, survivor payouts, if any, and annual income escalation, if any.