US20140317020A1 - Management method and system for a user - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a system, method, machine readable program and a graphical user interface for managing multiple accounts associated with a user. The method includes receiving a first set of information associated with identification of a user, in response to the first set of information, identifying a second set of information relating to a financial account associated with the user, the financial account being associated with a financial institution, in response to the first set of information. The method also includes identifying a third set of information relating to a health account associated with the user, the health account being associated with a healthcare institution. A fourth set of information is generated based upon the second set of information and the third set of information. The method also includes sending a signal representative of the fourth set of information. The signal may be sent to the user or a designee of the user.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/489,213 filed on Jul. 19, 2006. The present application also claims priority to and the benefit of International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/2007/013623 filed on Jun. 7, 2007. Both applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
• A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates to a method, system, and machine readable program that may include a graphical user interface for assisting a user, such as a consumer. Particularly, the present invention is directed to an integrated system that can facilitate management of the financial, health, and other affairs of a consumer, as desired.
• 2. Description of Related Art
• A variety of computer implemented systems including graphical user interfaces are known in the art for helping users, such as consumers, manage various aspects of their lives. For example, service providers, such as financial institutions that provide banking services, frequently provide online access to a user so that the user can view the balances of their accounts with the institution. Online access to personal information specific to institutions offering various services has been growing, and has started to become very common. For example, it is becoming more common for a user to access personal health related information online, such as from a website built by their health insurance provider. Indeed, many services have become available online.
• While the availability of services online has initially presented many advantages to the user, it is not without its problems. For example, so many aspects of management of a user's affairs have gone online that it has become cumbersome and difficult for a user to keep track of user names and passwords for accounts for multiple bank accounts and brokerages, auto and health insurance accounts, tax accounts, online learning accounts, mortgages, credit cards, and the like. As can be seen, while online access has solved certain problems and created convenience, it has also created confusion and a highly segmented view of a consumer's state of affairs.
• Moreover, with the internet boom, nearly every kind of information one can think of has become available online as well. For example, financial advice, health advice and legal advice, among myriad others, can all be found by a user online. As so much information is available, it is difficult for a user to find the correct information that they need, let alone determine which information is the most accurate and therefore useful to the user.
• At the same time, new dynamics are reshaping the Wealth Management industry. Because of online access, potential customers for services have become more empowered than ever before. For example, over the past twenty years, retirement responsibilities have shifted largely from institutions to individuals. Indeed, nearly seventy percent of U.S. households now have two or more financial relationships that they manage. These financial relationships are managed through checking, savings, money market, retirement, 401k, stock and other accounts. Although the internet and online access have created some confusion as described above, the Internet has also provided unprecedented transparency to wealth management performance and shifted decision maker power to the end client.
• Compounding the above, the “baby boomer” population is aging and starting to think about retirement. Nearly 76 million baby boomers account for one-third of the total US population. Two-thirds of baby boomers, or about 46 million people, will likely retire before 2013. As investors become more sophisticated, they require access to multi-asset class solutions, including fixed income and alternative investments. Baby boomers will drive more assets into the investable asset market, possibly thirty trillion dollars by 2010. The baby boomer generation will then move from “saving” to “income preservation,” requiring increased tax planning.
• Self management for retirement and healthcare is becoming increasingly complex. As the population continues to age, there will be a shift to self-managed retirement plans. Most customers are now in defined contribution plans, as evidenced by the expanding 401K market which reached $1.6 trillion in assets in 2003. There has also been a shift to self-managed healthcare planning: Healthcare costs account for nearly 26% of all retirement funds. This percentage of funds will likely grow with increasing health care costs as time progresses.
• As shown above, while there has been a shift to systems that can permit more convenient management of an individual's personal affairs online, the nature of what an individual needs to manage is growing increasingly complex. Moreover, while the availability of information that would be useful to such individuals has been growing, finding and distilling the information useful for an individual presents a problem. As such, there exists a strong and growing need for a system that can help an individual collect and manage myriad information relating to their affairs. The present invention provides a solution for these and other needs, as described herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in and apparent from the description that follows. Additional advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the methods and systems particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well as from the appended drawings.
• To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied herein, the invention includes a method for managing multiple accounts associated with a user. The method includes receiving a first set of information associated with identification of a user. The method also includes identifying, in response to the first set of information, a second set of information relating to a financial account associated with the user. The financial account is associated with a financial institution. The method also includes identifying, in response to the first set of information, a third set of information relating to a health account associated with the user. The health account is associated with a healthcare institution. The method further includes generating a fourth set of information based upon the second set of information and the third set of information. Additionally, the method includes sending a signal representative of the fourth set of information. The signal may be sent to the user or a designee of the user, for example.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the first set of information may include information selected from the group including an account number such as a user's social security number, taxpayer identification number, bank account number, website username, email address, telephone number, a date and combinations thereof. The financial account may be selected from the group including a bank account, a tax account, a mortgage account, education account, credit account, brokerage account and a retirement account, for example. The health account may be selected from the group including a benefits record, a health insurance account, a disability insurance account, a long term care insurance account, a medical record account and a pharmaceutical record account, among others. Transactions performed using data relating to the health of the user may be transacted in accordance with a preselected standard. For example, the preselected standard may be one established in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the fourth set of information may be an amalgamation of the second set of information and the third set of information. If desired, the fourth set of information may be a subset of an amalgamation of the second set of information and the third set of information. If desired, a fifth set of information may be identified in response to the first set of information. The fifth set of information may relate to the financial account, or a second financial account of the user. The second financial account may be associated with the financial institution or a second financial institution. If desired, the fourth set of information may be generated using the fifth set of information and at least one of the second and third sets of information. If desired, multiple financial accounts may be accessed by the user from a single or multiple financial institutions.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a sixth set of information may be identified in response to the first set of information, the sixth set of information relating to a second health account of the user, the second health account being associated with a second health institution. If desired, the fourth set of information may be generated using the sixth set of information and at least one of the second, third sets of information. If desired, multiple health accounts may be accessed by the user from a single or multiple health institutions.
• In accordance with still a further aspect of the invention, the second set of information may further include information relating to a financial advisor of the user. If desired, the financial advisor may be selected from the group including a stockbroker, a financial planner, an accountant, a credit analyst, a real estate agent, and an attorney, among others. The second set of information may include information relating to the credentials of the financial advisor, among other things.
• In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, the third set of information may further include information relating to a health advisor of the user. The health advisor may be selected from the group including a doctor, a health insurance agent, a physical therapist, a psychologist, a nutritionist, a therapist and a spiritual advisor, among others. The second set of information may include data relating to the credentials of the health advisor.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the signal may be related to a set of actionable information. An operation can be performed on the set of actionable information. The operation may be performed by using a decision support tool selected by the user. Preferably, the decision support tool permits computation of a financial projection, a health projection or a lifestyle projection. By way of example, the decision support tool may be selected from the group consisting of a retirement calculator, a college savings calculator, a drug cost saving calculator, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the actionable information relates to at least one of a financial or a healthcare decision.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the method further includes receiving a decision associated with the user in response to the set of actionable information. The second and/or third sets of information may be updated based upon the decision. The decision may include an affirmative response, a negative response or another response, as appropriate. For example, a user can be asked to postpone any decision.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the signal representative of the fourth set of information may be forwarded as an alert to the user. The alert may relate to a health decision or a financial decision. The alert may be sent to the user by way of electronic mail. If desired, alert may include a financial projection that computes the effect of costs of the health or lifestyle of the user on the user's finances. An alert differs from a set of actionable information in that the alert does not require an action on the part of the user. A user taking action can include, for example, a user electing taking action at the time the actionable information is first reviewed by the user, by a user declining to take action, and by a user deciding to be reminded to take action at a time in the future, among other actions.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the user may permit an advisor to access desired profile information relating to the user in a database. The advisor may be a financial advisor and the profile information may include financial information relating to the user. If desired, the user may specify a subset of the profile information that the advisor can access. The advisor may be a health advisor and the profile information may include health information relating to the user.
• In further accordance with the invention, a system for managing multiple accounts associated with a user is provided. The system includes means for receiving a first set of information associated with identification of the user. The system also includes means for identifying a second set of information in response to the first set of information, the second set of information relating to a financial account associated with the user, the financial account being associated with a financial institution. The system also includes means for identifying a third set of information in response to the first set of information, the third set of information relating to a health account associated with the user, the health account being associated with a healthcare institution. The system also includes means for generating a fourth set of information based upon the second set of information and the third set of information, and means for sending a signal representative of the fourth set of information to the user or a designee of the user.
• In further accordance with the invention, a machine readable program on a computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a system for managing multiple accounts associated with a user is provided. The program includes a first computer code segment for processing a first set of received information associated with identification of the user and a second computer code segment for identifying a second set of information in response to the first set of information, the second set of information relating to a financial account associated with the user, the financial account being associated with a financial institution. The program further includes a third computer code segment for identifying a third set of information in response to the first set of information, the third set of information relating to a health account associated with the user, the health account being associated with a healthcare institution. The program also includes a fourth computer code segment for generating a fourth set of information based upon the second set of information and the third set of information, and a fifth computer code segment for sending a signal representative of the fourth set of information to the user or a designee of the user.
• In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a graphical user interface for controlling a system for managing multiple accounts associated with a user is provided. The graphical user interface includes a first field for receiving a first set of information associated with identification of the user and a second field for specifying a second set of information relating to a financial account associated with the user, the financial account being associated with a financial institution. The interface further includes a third field for specifying a third set of information relating to a health account associated with the user, the health account being associated with a healthcare institution. The interface also includes a fourth field for requesting generation of a fourth set of information based upon the second set of information and the third set of information, and a fifth field for displaying a signal representative of the fourth set of information to the user or a designee of the user.
• It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, are included to illustrate and provide a further understanding of the method and system of the invention. Together with the description, the drawings serve to explain the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first representative embodiment of a system made in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic view of security aspects of the system depicted inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing how a content provider can contribute content to the system depicted inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 is a summary view depicting exemplary functionality of the system depicted inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is a summary view depicting selected functionality of the system depicted inFIG. 1 that may be used by a consumer.
• FIG. 6 is a summary view depicting selected functionality of the system depicted inFIG. 1 that may be used by an advisor.
• FIGS. 7(A)-7(C) are schematics illustrating further aspects of systems made in accordance with the invention.
• FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary graphical user interface made in accordance with the invention depicting a summary view for a consumer.
• FIG. 9 depicts a portion of the graphical user interface ofFIG. 8 displaying a goal tracker page.
• FIG. 10 depicts a portion of the graphical user interface ofFIG. 8 displaying the consumer's health profile.
• FIG. 11 depicts a portion of the graphical user interface ofFIG. 8 displaying a summary of the consumer's pharmaceutical prescriptions.
• FIG. 12 depicts a further view of the summary depicted inFIG. 11.
• FIG. 13 depicts a portion of the graphical user interface ofFIG. 8 displaying results of a health cost calculator.
• FIG. 14 depicts a portion of the graphical user interface ofFIG. 8 displaying certain aspects of a drug cost calculator.
• FIG. 15 depicts a portion of the graphical user interface ofFIG. 8 displaying a summary of advisors of the consumer.
• FIG. 16 depicts a portion of the graphical user interface ofFIG. 8 displaying a page for adding an advisor to the consumer's list of advisors.
• FIG. 17 depicts a further view of the portion of the interface depicted inFIG. 16.
• FIG. 18 depicts an updated view of the summary depicted inFIG. 15.
• FIG. 19 depicts and updated view of the summary depicted inFIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
• Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The method and corresponding steps of the invention will be described in conjunction with the detailed description of the system, machine readable program and graphical user interface as described herein.
• The devices and methods presented herein may be used to assist a user, such as a consumer in making financial and health related decisions. The present invention is particularly well suited for assisting a user, such as a consumer to study the interaction between their health and their finances. It will be appreciated that the user can include a consumer, as well as a designee of the consumer, such as a legal designee (e.g, guardian or parent), as well as an advisor of the consumer as described herein. Thus, the user can be considered to be anyone capable of using the system described herein to help accomplish a useful, tangible end result.
• Thus, in accordance with the invention, a system and associated method for managing multiple accounts associated with a user, such as a consumer, is provided. It will be understood that an account “associated with” a “user” can refer to an account that belongs to a consumer (as such, the account is “associated with” the consumer). Similarly, an account of a consumer may be “associated with” an advisor of the consumer by the consumer giving the advisor access to view the account of the consumer by way ofsystem100.
• For purposes of illustration and not limitation, as depicted inFIG. 1, a schematic representation of an overview of a system made in accordance with the invention is designated generally byreference character100. As depicted inFIG. 1,system100 includes aclient layer110, aweb interface120, abusiness logic layer130, a data access layer140 and a backend services layer150. Other embodiments of a system in accordance with the invention, or aspects thereof, are provided inFIGS. 2-19, as will be described.
• Thus, in accordance with the invention, the system includes means for receiving a first set of information associated with identification of the user.
• For purposes of illustration and not limitation, as embodied herein and as depicted inFIG. 1,system100 is provided with aclient layer110.Client layer110 is preferably adapted to receive a first set of information associated with identification with the user.Client layer110 ofsystem100 preferably includes libraried data stored on aclient terminal112 at a client location. However, it will be recognized thatsystem100 can be configured so that a user can access the system without storing files at the location of the user. As depicted inFIG. 1,client layer110 can be provided with abrowser114 adapted and configured to interact with amultibrowser library116.Multibrowser library116 permits a user to have a similar experience across different types of browsers. For example, a variety of conventional internet browsers may be used, or other web interfaces may be used, such as various interfaces provided by different personal digital assistants, as well as portable telephones, television based web access, and the like.
• If desired,system100 can be adapted to deliver alerts to a user relating to financial and/or health information. Alerts can be delivered in a variety of forms, such as by way of electronic mail, pop-up alerts, text messaging, voice mail messages, and the like.
• Interactions between a user andsystem100 are preferably facilitated by way of a graphical user interface (“GUI”)200, described in detail below and as depicted inFIGS. 8-19. The first set of information associated with identification with the user can include a variety of elements. For example, such information can include an identifier such as a custom username and password of the user, a user's social security number, a taxpayer identification number, a bank account and/or routing number, passport number, drivers license number and employee identification number, among others as known to those of skill in the art. If appropriate, customized logins may be provided for users based in other countries based the country of origin. Likewise, login information may be based on membership with an organization (e.g., AARP) or club or professional organization or other affiliation. Any suitable means can be used that permits unique and secure identification of the user. Generally, it will be understood that, as depicted, whileGUI200 ofclient layer110 receives information from a user first, such information may subsequently be received byweb interface portion120,business logic portion130, andportions140 and150 ofsystem100, depending on howsystem100 is configured.
• As further depicted inFIG. 1, aweb interface120 is provided.Web interface120 is adapted and configured to create and format content into web pages to form thegraphical user interface200 observed by the user.Web server120 can include aprogramming interface121, such as the Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) of Internet Information Services (IIS), commercially available from Microsoft Corporation.Programming interface121 facilitates communication between system applications (such as integrated applications122) andweb servers123 that make assembled web pages available to a user over the internet.Integrated applications122 are provided that are integrated throughbusiness logic layer130, described in detail below.Web interface120 also manages the content and context of web pages delivered to a user usingcontent manager124 andcontext manager125. For example, whilecontent manager124 manages the substance of information that is directed to a user,context manager125 controls how the information is displayed. For example, context manager can add corporate logos and modify the appearance ofgraphical user interface200. Thus,content manager124 can specifically tailor the appearance ofGUI200 for specific users (e.g.,users accessing system100 through an open web system such as Yahoo®, or from a customized system at a private company such as IBM®) by taking generic “white label” content controlled bycontent manager124 and formatting it to have a custom look and feel usingcontext manager125.
• Web interface120 also includes aproxy component126 that interfaces with aproxy server127 to permit use ofexternal applications139, as contrasted tointegrated applications122. A user can thus view external applications within a frame, for example inGUI200 by such information being imported and integrated intosystem100 viaproxy server127 andproxy component126.
• As further depicted inFIG. 1,system100 further includes abusiness logic layer130. As depicted,business logic layer130 includesframework servers131 that run programs which provide the data to populategraphical user interface200.Framework servers131 house and run anonline framework engine132, abusiness logic engine133 and achannel syndication engine134.
• Online framework engine132 delineates the framework that applies across all applications being run. For example,framework engine132 designates entitlements to users. Entitlements can include, for example, permissions that a user can grant to an advisor, such as the user's accountant to grant the accountant access to selected records of the user to assist the accountant in performing services for the user. Entitlements can also be established more generally by a system administrator, to designate which applications and/or portions of applications a user has access to, and in what capacity. For example, based on a certain level of service, a user may be entitled to receive stock market quotes on a periodic or delayed basis as contrasted to a real time basis. Thus, even thoughsystem100 may be able to access real time stock market quotes as needed by way of backend services layer150 that contains such data, if the user is not entitled to such data at the user's designated service level, such data will not be provided to the user.
• Online framework engine132 also controls segmentation of data and applications to tailor appropriate content forGUI200 depending on the particular user. For example, depending on the demographics of a user (e.g., gender, age, marital status, retirement, income bracket, health condition, geography, group affiliation (e.g., AARP) and the like stored in a user profile),framework engine132 can specify content that is appropriate to the user. For example, ifsystem100 includes a profile for a user indicating that the user has high cholesterol, is near retirement and has children in college, the available data that could be sent to the user is segmented to filter out data such as news releases, advertisements, services and the like that may be of interest to the user such as those directed to managing high cholesterol, retirement savings and managing college expenses. As such, content segmentation can be customized by market segment, product subscription, client tiers and groups. Framework engine provides dynamic evaluation of entitlements and role membership and adjusts content, system behaviors and basic site functionality accordingly.
• Online framework engine132 also controls aspects relating to system security. For example, online framework engine may include controls for determining which user data (such as account numbers) is encrypted. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, as depicted inFIG. 2, security insystem100 is composed of multiple layers or zones including physical infrastructure. Platform, communications, application and integration protocols are utilized to facilitate communication withinsystem100, as are known in the art. Physical infrastructure, platforms and communications security may include multiple network zones171-175,firewalls176 and other intrusion detection devices, proxies for potentially vulnerable integration points and platform features (e.g., UrlMon, .NET request validation) for specific vulnerabilities.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the embodiment ofFIG. 1, the online application includes additional security features, including (but not limited to) mandatory input filtering that restricts data flowing to components, extensive logging, standards for data validation and manipulation to minimize common vulnerabilities, encrypted configurations, and non-persistence of operating data on Web and Application tiers ofsystem100.
• Business logic engine133 contains the system logic for running theintegrated applications122 described above. Moreover,business logic engine133 can identify information stored for example, inlayer150 in response to a user request. For example, business logic engine can retrieve information relating to financial and health accounts of a user, each account being associated with a corresponding financial or health institution. Business logic engine also includes means (e.g., software) for generating a set of information based upon the financial and health data. A resulting amalgamation of the financial and health data can be sent through theweb interface120 to be displayed to the user or advisor, for example, or can be embodied into an alert, if desired, and sent to the user.
• Thus, if a user requests that a cost/benefit projection be computed, for example,business logic engine133 controls the application to make the computation, and provides the requested result toweb interface120 which, in turn sends a signal toclient layer110 where a user sees the requested result.
• If desired, a signal generated using information from the financial and health accounts can be related to a set of actionable information—that is to say, information can require action of a user. For example,business logic engine133 ofsystem100 can generate actionable information in the form of a prompt requesting that the user review the amount of coverage of life insurance to see if it is adequate.
• If desired, a user can perform an operation can be performed on the set of actionable information. For example, the user can press a button on the prompt including actionable information to review the amount of insurance coverage at that time, or can press a button declining the invitation. If desired, other myriad options can be provided, such as requesting a reminder to revisit the issue later. By way of a further example, the user can select an option to use a decision support tool selected by the user. Preferably, the decision support tool permits computation of a financial projection, a health projection or a lifestyle projection relevant to the actionable information. By way of example, the decision support tool may be selected from the group consisting of a calculator, a goal tracker, a college savings calculator, a drug cost saving calculator, health and disease cost calculators that can project the lifetime cost of a particular health condition, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the actionable information relates to at least one of a financial or a healthcare decision.
• A decision associated with the user in response to the set of actionable information can thus be received. The financial and/or health information may be updated inlayer150 based upon the decision of the user.
• If desired, an alert can be programmed by the user or advisor to remind the user of action that the user should take, or to inform the user about available products or services, for example. The alert may relate to a health decision or a financial decision, for example. The alert may be sent to the user by way of electronic mail, pop-up messages, or text messaging, among others. An alert may be contrasted from actionable information, at least to the extent that actionable information requires a user to take a step to respond, whether that be clicking on a prompt, responding within or after a certain period, and the like.
• It will be appreciated that a hybrid prompt can be provided in the form of an alert that includes actionable information that must be acted upon within a predetermined time period (e.g., ten seconds). Failure to respond within the time period could remove the option to respond, but leave the alert portion of the message on the screen for display to the user.
• Any suitable subject matter may be made the subject of an alert. By way of further example, quality indicators or alerts can also be provided. Specifically, personal health record information may be combined with information from drug-to-drug interaction databases (supplied, for example by Micromedex® databases owned by Thomson Healthcare) to identify drug interactions that would be applicable to individual consumers.
• In a similar vein,system100 can be equipped with fraud prevention measures to protect users of the system. For example,system100 can be adapted to monitor accounts (e.g., financial and health) of the user (e.g., consumer/advisor) to detect unusual activity. Detected unusual activity can be reported to a consumer user and/or their advisor by way of actionable item and/or alerts as described herein. If an advisor is suspected of engaging in unscrupulous activity, or for other reasons, any activity relating to accounts to which a consumer has entrusted some degree of control to an advisor can be reported to the consumer for monitoring purposes.
• The financial account viewed usingsystem100 may be any financial account that can be viewed on a computer. For example, the financial account may include a bank account, a tax account, a mortgage account, education account, credit account, brokerage account, a trust account and a retirement account, for example. The health account may include any health account that can be viewed using a computer, such as a benefits record, a health insurance account, a disability insurance account, a long term care insurance account, a medical record account, a health savings account, and a pharmaceutical record account, among others. Moreover, the health or financial accounts can include government provided information, such as social security accounts, Medicaid or Medicare accounts, tax withholding accounts and the like. In addition, other governmental information can be integrated and processed with the financial and/or health information such as court judgments, governmental and private liens, and the like.
• It will be further understood that systems made in accordance with the invention can combine information from any number of financial, health and other accounts to create a useful end result for the user using any one of a variety of system tools. System tools can include calculators, projectors, charting applications, portfolio builders, indices, and the like, as are known in the art.
• In accordance with a further aspect of system, transactions can be performed at the request of the user or the user's designee (e.g., relative or advisor). If desired, transactions performed using data relating to the health of the user may be transacted in accordance with a preselected standard. For example, the preselected standard may be one established in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) or other governmentally or privately instituted standards.
• Moreover, to the extent that any information contained in or processed bysystem100 is subject to privacy laws, rules, contractual obligations, and/or regulations, well known procedures can be implemented to comply with all applicable national, international and foreign laws, rules, contractual obligations, and/or regulations and to safeguard the information, as are known in the art.
• Channel syndication engine134 provides the ability to “syndicate” any of the content onsystem100 for display to a user in accordance with predetermined conditions. For example, syndication engine provides a means for customizing generic “white label” content for a particular end user. Thus, if the content is to be provided through a customized platform, style guides housed insyndication engine134 accordingly facilitate “rebranding” of the “white label” content to suit a particular situation.
• As mentioned above,external application139 can also be accessed bysystem100.External application139 can take on myriad forms and is suitable for incorporation intosystem100 as long as they can be displayed throughGUI200. For example,external application139 can be used to manipulate data such as by computing financial projections. Moreover,external application139 can be an external advertisement serving application that distributes particular advertisements to a user based on their demographics, such as their health condition and corresponding pharmaceuticals that a given consumer may be using.
• As depicted inFIG. 1, data access layer140 separatesbusiness logic layer130 from backend services layer150 for added security. Data access layer includes a distributed data bus142 and acache management engine144. Data access layer140 also acts as a liaison between business logic layer and backend services layer150. Specifically,cache management engine144 accesses content in the form of data and/or services through bus142 from servers or other sources, for example, in backend services layer150. Thecache management engine144 then formats and normalizes the content received so that it can be processed bybusiness logic layer130.Cache management engine144 also intelligently manages the content that it obtains fromlayer150. For example, if a stock quote is requested by a user, thecache management engine144 will examine the request to see if a real time quote has been requested, or if a delayed quote would be sufficient. If a real time quote is needed,cache management engine144 will request an updated quote from a database inlayer150. If a delayed stock quote is acceptable (e.g., a quote that can be up to 20 minutes old),cache management engine144 can compare the stock quote stored in the cache and determine if it is recent enough to be sent to the user in response to the user request. If the quote is sufficiently recent, it can be sent in response to the request. However, if the quote stored in cache is too old, a new quote will be requested by cache management engine fromlayer150.
• As further depicted inFIG. 1,system100 also includes backend services layer150. As depicted,layer150 includesonline data stores152,proprietary data services154, anentitlements database156 andclient systems158.Online data stores152 can include one or more databases containing a variety of data content, such as data relating to profiles of users, market financial data, and other data, as desired.Proprietary data services154, such as those provided by a company that managessystem100, can also be provided. Anentitlements database156 can also be provided to store entitlements relating to particular users and advisors, as discussed above to permit access to only selected information.Client systems158 can include, for example, third party systems from which other proprietary data and services are obtained, such as services that aggregate accounts of a user, health and/or financial databases on which user information is stored, and the like.
• Client system content can be managed by integrating a client's Document Management System (“DMS”) or other workflow system intosystem100. Such integration permits a client to directly publish content to a website generated bysystem100.FIG. 3 depicts the flow of such publication. As depicted, instep1, content authors upload or otherwise create content inclient DMS160. Authors will tag content to specify who has permission to view the content. A communication link is then established betweenclient DMS160 and anonline receiver162 ofsystem100 to upload the content tosystem100. Content is then directed to aserver group164 that formats and organizes the data into a form thatcontent management servers166 can use.Server group164 can run software such as Microsoft® BizTalk® server software, or other appropriate software. Content is then directed to end users, such as consumers, by way of parallelredundant servers168.
• FIGS. 4-6 depict flow charts depicting how end users such as a consumer and a consumer's advisor may interact withsystem100.
• FIGS. 4-5 depict how a user, such as a consumer, can interact with an advisor through the functionality ofsystem100. As depicted inFIG. 4,content182 is provided toportal180 internally throughback end layer150 and/or throughexternal applications139, as described herein. Aconsumer184 can log intoportal180 in a variety of manners as are known in the art. Once logged in,consumer184 can access myriad services and functions ofsystem100. For example,consumer184 can perform a search of anadvisor database190 to identify a trusted advisor, or to find a new or additional advisor. The consumer can then entitle one or more advisors to view selected portions of the consumer's personal data using anentitlement application191. The consumer can review an aggregation of their accounts, such as financial and health accounts using anaggregation function192. If desired, a consumer can upload images or other data to a personal file or “lock box”193 that can permit sharing of the data with one or more trusted advisors, as specified by the consumer. The consumer can also apply tools andresources194 to analyze their finances, and the effect of their health or lifestyle thereon. For example, planning applications can be provided such as cost calculators and projectors to permit a user to plan their budget, retirement plans, education plans, and the like, for example. Moreover, health information of a user can be imported into a health insurance calculator to assist a user in obtaining or replacing health insurance. Analerts engine195 can also be accessed by the consumer to specify if and when the consumer can receive alerts related to their health or finances, for example. Adecision support portal196 is also provided to supply the consumer with any research or other information needed to help the consumer make decisions relating, for example to health and finances. The consumer can also actively manage financial portfolios and the like using portfolios as desired on an ongoing basis, and engage in financial or health related transactions, for example, usingportal180.
• As further depicted inFIGS. 4-6,item182 depicts exemplary content that may be accessed and manipulated by aconsumer184 or their designee throughportal180. While the content can be managed by way of third party relationships between the administrator ofsystem100 and third party information vendors, it will be recognized that other content sources can be used. For example, if desired,system100 can be adapted to incorporate information from the internet (such as by way of an internet search engine). Moreover, if desired, a consumer can specify that a particular vendor be used to supply information that the administrator ofsystem100 does not have a pre-established relationship with. For example, the user can request information from online sources such as newspapers, or private networks such as educational libraries, or other online information stores, as desired.
• FIG. 5 depicts additional detail regarding possible consumer workflow.Consumer184 is provided with agraphical user interface200 that can initially present the consumer with a summary or “dashboard”210, described in detail below. Briefly stated,dashboard210 is a webpage that preferably includes a summary of pertinent information relating to the user's overall financial, health and lifestyle picture.Dashboard210 can include an account summary window that may include an aggregation of multiple client accounts, a news window that includes particular news of interest to consumer that has preferably been segmented as described herein based on a profile of the consumer relating to their demographics. An alerts window may also be provided that includes alerts from advisors relating to health and/or financial information, for example, or from other sources, as desired. A message window may also be provided listing messages from one or more advisors, as specified in accordance with a consumer's preferences.
• As further depicted inFIG. 5, based on information ondashboard210, a consumer may wish to take action, for example, in response to changes in account balances, news, alerts or a message from an advisor. Accordingly, a variety of client actions may be carried out by consumer as depicted inFIG. 5, and as described in detail with respect toFIG. 4.
• A user such as anadvisor186, on the other hand, can also log intosystem100 to access records of and/or communicate with one or more clients as depicted inFIGS. 4 and 6.Advisor186 may select a client from aclient list188 in order to access information relating to a particular client. When logged intoportal180,advisor186 can access a suite of functions. For example, an advisor can upload credentials intoadvisor database190 to make suitable potential clients aware of their services. Client information can be accessed byadvisor186 if they have been given permission by the consumer to view their pertinent information by way ofentitlement application191. If given permission by the client consumer,advisor186 may view the complete financial picture ofconsumer184 to permit advisor to give the most appropriate advice to the consumer.Advisor186 can be granted permission byconsumer184 to review various information inlock box193 to assistadvisor186 in advisingconsumer184. Advisor has access tosimilar tools194 asconsumer184, and can use such tools to review proposals made byconsumer184, and to modify or otherwise create plans forconsumer184 to review further.Alerts engine195 can similarly be configured byadvisor186 to send alerts to one or more clients. Advisor can also have access to the latest news and research to assist advisor in advising clients viadecision support portal196. It will be recognized that varying levels of service may be provided to consumer and advisor, as appropriate. For example, a baseline level of services can be provided to a consumer or advisor for a minimal fee or no fee, with the possibility to upgrade to higher levels of service for a fee. If given permission by a consumer,advisor186 can monitor various portfolios forconsumer184 and engage in appropriate transactions.
• A variety of advisors can be given access to a user's account as the user desires. For example, financial and health advisors can be given access tosystem100. For example, financial advisors, such as stockbrokers, financial planners, accountants, credit analysts, real estate agents, attorneys, guardians, an individual with a power of attorney, and the like may be granted access by a user. The health advisor may include, for example, a doctor, a health insurance agent, a physical therapist, a psychologist, a nutritionist, a therapist and a spiritual advisor, among others. Information such as credentials and relevant experience of an advisor can be provided inadvisor database190 to assist a user in selecting an advisor.
• As depicted inFIG. 6,advisor186 is provided with system functionality that is analogous to, and complements that provided to a consumer as depicted inFIG. 4. As depicted,advisor186 is similarly provided with a dashboard202 including a client account portal including information relating to one or more clients of the advisor. Dashboard202 also includes a news portal listing news of relevance to the advisor. Dashboard further includes an alert portal and a message portal, including messages from the advisor's clients, for example. As depicted inFIG. 6, depending on what information is presented on the dashboard202, the Advisor may elect to take action in a variety of ways. For example, theadvisor186 may have received a message from a client and needs to mock up a scenario to return to the client. On the other hand, theadvisor186 may have been alerted that a required compliance form is due and now must start working to submit it on time. Theadvisor186 could have just finished looking over a client document and is ready to place it in theLock Box193 for the client to review. Theadvisor186 might also notice that he holds only two-thirds of his clients' assets and is thus motivated to capture the remaining third, for example. To facilitate these actions, the advisor can access any one of the functions made available to him bysystem100.
• It will be appreciated that whilesystem100 as embodied herein supports direct relationships between individuals (e.g., consumer-advisor), it will be understood that systems made in accordance with the invention can support multiple relationships, particularly in a non-hierarchical fashion, as depicted inFIGS. 7(A)-7(C). For example,FIG. 7(A) illustrates thatsystem100 may result in creation of multiple parallel relationships between one ormore advisors186 and one ormore consumers184. As depicted inFIG. 7(B), from the standpoint ofconsumer184,multiple advisors186 andvarious content182 may be accessed, as desired. Conversely, as depicted inFIG. 7(C), from the standpoint of aadvisor186, multiple consumers/clients184 may be accessed, as well asvarious content182 as disclosed herein.
• As depicted inFIGS. 8-19, an exemplary embodiment of a consumer'sgraphical user interface200 is depicted. As depicted inFIG. 8, when a user logs in, they are presented with a dashboard or summary view,210, as mentioned above. In the embodiment ofFIG. 8, a user may select among a plurality of tabs along the top ofGUI200 to view theirhealth profile230, theirwealth profile260, theirgoals270, tools andcalculators290,advisors300,transactions320 andrecommendations340.
• As depicted inFIG. 8,dashboard210 includes aconsumer profile window212. Consumer profile may include pertinent information about the consumer including members of the consumer's family, if desired. Such information can include vital statistics, such as a user's current health conditions, height, weight, family health history, current prescriptions, inoculations, other aspects relating to preventive care, and the like.Relative indices212acan be provided comparing the relative health and wealth of a user and/or their household with an average or percentile value, as desired. As further depicted inFIG. 8,dashboard210 further includes a summarybalance sheet window214. As depicted,balance sheet window214 depicts household and/or individual net worth, major assets and their corresponding values, as well liabilities and their related balances. It will be appreciated thatbalance sheet window214 can be adapted and configured to include any asset or liability that may impact net worth, as well as income. As depicted,dashboard210 further includes awindow216 displaying news and alerts for a consumer.Window216 includes analert portion217 and anews portion218. A user can redefine what types of alerts it receives by selecting “edit”options217a,218aon each respective window.Alert window217 can include alerts specified by the user and/or an advisor of the user relating, for example to any suitable aspect of their finances, health and/or lifestyle. As depicted, the user has been informed that there has been a chance in the status of a goal of the user.News window218 can similarly include news relating to any topic of interest to a user. The user and orsystem100 may specify what news and alerts the user sees inwindow216.Dashboard210 further includes aretirement account window220 showing the types of assets contained in the user's retirement account. As depicted, dashboard also includes a goaltracker summary window222. Goaltracker summary window222 can be configured by the user to track whatever goals that the user may have that appear ingoal window270, described in detail below. As depicted inFIG. 8, the goal tracker has been configured to send an alert to the alert window if a change in status occurs with respect to achieving one of the user's goals. As depicted inFIG. 8, the user has been informed that there has been a change in the status of one of their goals, so the user selects to view thegoal window270.
• As depicted inFIG. 9, the user's goals are depicted in agoal window270. The user's goals can include further detail on the goals appearing in goaltracker summary window222, as well as other goals, if desired. In the embodiment ofFIG. 9, thegoal window270 includes a tabbed menu from which the user can select to view their wealth goals by selecting awealth goal tracker272, ahealth goal tracker274 and anet worth tracker276. Agoal index window280 is provided disclosing a goal index, to give the user an indication of his progress in achieving his goals. It will be appreciated that any financial, wellness, lifestyle or other goals (e.g., professional, educational, spiritual, scheduling goals and the like) may be established ingoal window270 and tracked accordingly. In the particular example depicted inFIG. 9, the user has been informed that one of his goals will not be met. Thesystem100 recognizes that the user needs to conserve expenses, and suggests a recommended wealth strategy inrecommendation window282 by advising the user to explore lowering his insurance costs.System100 further directs an advertisement intoadvertisement window278 directed to saving money on car insurance accordingly. The user then clicks on hishealth profile230.
• As depicted inFIG. 10, the user'shealth profile230 is displayed.Health profile230 includes a summaryhealth profile window232 including basic biographical information, health plan and associated cost information, adrug summary window234 listing the medications the user is currently on including refill dates, a health andwellness index window236 providing a health risk score based in part on whether the user has been current in seeking preventive care, adisease profile window238 indicating health conditions the user has as well as a healthhistory summary window240 listing recent doctor visits. It will be appreciated that any suitable number of windows directed to any desired topics relating to be the health of a user may be displayed inhealth profile230. The health profile also includes asubmenu242 from which the user can select to view more detailed information regarding their health. In the particular example ofFIG. 10, the user elects to view further details on his current prescriptions by viewing “Medication Details.”
• A Medication Detailswindow244 is presented inFIG. 11. Medication detailswindow244 includes aprescription summary245 indicating the dosage, quantity, refill dates, and refill and annual costs for each medication. A total annual medication cost is presented belowsummary245. Amedication alerts tab246 may be selected by the user to establish alerts relating to the users prescriptions, or to store alerts relating to pertinent topics, such as drug interactions. In the example ofFIG. 11, the user deletes Nexium from his list of medications and recomputes his total annual medication cost. As depicted inFIG. 12, the user then selects a tools link247 and selects ahealth cost calculator248 to create a projection of his possible future health care costs. As depicted inFIG. 13, the health cost calculator indicates to the user that his family's annual household healthcare costs could rise to about $35,000 by 2045 and that his personal healthcare costs could be about $47,000 annually when he reaches an age of 90 years.
• As depicted inFIG. 13,system100 further prompts the user by supplying information directed to related tools inwindow249. An advertisement inadvertisement window250 reminds the user that he is due for a medical screening. In accordance with the example ofFIG. 13, we are further informed that the user selects adrug cost calculator252 to determine if there are any additional medication options available to him.
• Drug cost calculator252 is presented inFIG. 14. As depicted, the user enters the name, type and dosage of the drug he wants to research. In response, the drug cost calculator returns an alternative drug having a much lower cost.
• As depicted inFIG. 14, a drug cost savings calculator is provided. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the invention described herein more broadly provides useful algorithms and methods to support the identification of potential cost savings for a consumer. By way of further example, in the insurance context, it may be determined that a consumer could save money by changing their auto or health insurance. For example,system100 could be provided with data relating to past traffic incidents by user to help them find the most suitable, lowest price auto insurance, or by providingsystem100 with pertinent health data about the consumer, system could identify potential health insurance cost savings.
• With further reference toFIG. 14, in response to discovering a lower cost possible alternative drug, the user decides to look up the doctor that treats his underlying condition requiring the medication to give the doctor access to his health information onsystem100. The user begins by selecting the appropriate tab to view his “Advisors”window300.System100 can also indicate to the user whether any possible replacement drug may have any potential adverse interactions with other prescriptions or medicaments that user currently takes. Similarly, information relating to other health information such as allergies (such as to medications) as well as other allergies can be entered into and accounted for by system in making recommendations to the user.
• FIG. 15 depicts theAdvisors window300. As depicted, theAdvisors window300 lists the user's two designatedadvisors302,304. As depicted, the user has granted his financial advisor access to login to the user's account to view the user's 401k, IRA and mutual fund information. The user decides to add his doctor to his list of advisors, so the user selects “Add”button306 to add his doctor. As shown inFIG. 15, similar options exist for adding another advisor, such as an attorney or accountant. Afurther selection field308 is present to permit the user to select an additional category of advisor.
• As depicted inFIG. 16, after selectingoption306, the user is presented with ascreen310 includingfields312 to add a doctor to the user's list of advisors. The user enters the doctor's name and then, by selecting asearch option314, searches to determine if the doctor already has an account onsystem100. In response, as shown inFIG. 17, aresult field316 presents possible matches to the search request. The user notes that the user's doctor already has an account, and chooses to add the doctor to the user's list of advisors, as depicted inFIG. 18. After completing this task, the user selects the dashboard tab to display thedashboard210, and, as shown inFIG. 19, selects the transacttab320 to view his online accounts.
• In further accordance with the invention, a machine readable program on a computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a system for managing multiple accounts associated with a user is provided. For purposes of illustration and not limitation, the machine readable program is adapted to be read by processors, for example inframework servers131 as depicted inFIG. 1, and preferably comprises a portion ofbusiness logic133. The computer program may be embodied either in software or in hardware, such as a memory chip thesystem100 forframework servers131 to access when needed. Computer program is preferably embodied in software and run fromframework servers131.
• The computer program may be written using techniques well known in the art. The computer program in accordance with the invention has instructions therein for operating a system, such assystem100 described herein. The program can include, for example, a first computer code segment for processing a first set of received information associated with identification of the user. The first set of information can include a variety of means for uniquely identifying the user, as described herein. The program also includes a second computer code segment for identifying a second set of information in response to the first set of information, the second set of information relating to a financial account associated with the user, such as the types of financial accounts disclosed herein. The program further includes a third computer code segment for identifying a third set of information in response to the first set of information, the third set of information relating to a health account associated with the user. As with the system of the invention described herein, any one of a variety of health accounts may be accessed by the program of the invention. The program also includes a fourth computer code segment for generating a fourth set of information based upon the second set of information and the third set of information. The fourth set of information can comprise, for example, an amalgamation of financial and health information or a subset thereof, as described herein. Program also includes a fifth computer code segment for sending a signal representative of the fourth set of information to the user or a designee of the user. The signal can be sent in the form of an actionable message, an alert or the like.
• The computer program provided in accordance with the invention can accomplish a variety of functions. By way of example, the computer program can facilitate all functions ofsystem100 described herein (and similar systems) and may be used to control the form and function ofgraphical user interface200 as embodied herein.
• All statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
• The block diagrams herein, such as those depicted inFIGS. 1-6, represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry and software embodying the principles of the invention. Thus the functions of the various elements shown in the Figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. The functions of those various elements may be implemented by, for example, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), read-only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile storage. Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.
• In the claims hereof any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements which performs that function or b) software in any form, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function. The invention as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. Applicants thus regard any means which can provide those functionalities as equivalent to those shown herein.
• Similarly, it will be appreciated that the system flows in the flow charts depicted inFIGS. 4-6, for example, shown herein, represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer-readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown. Moreover, in the flowcharts shown herein, the various blocks can be understood as representing not only processing and/or other functions but, alternatively, as blocks of program code that carry out such processing or functions.
• Systems made in accordance with the invention herein can be constructed, for example, using techniques similar to those described in copending U.S. patent application titled “Pay-For-Access Legal Research System With Access To Open Web Content” bearing Ser. No. 11/422,281, filed Jun. 5, 2006, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
• The methods and systems of the present invention, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for a method, system, machine readable program and graphical user interface with superior functionality that can facilitate the management of wealth. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention include modifications and variations that are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (23)

1-20. (canceled)

21. A method for managing multiple accounts associated with a user, the method comprising:

receiving into a computer system a first machine readable data signal that identifies a user;

in response to the first machine readable data signal that identifies the user, obtaining financial data from a financial investment account maintained by a financial institution using the computer system, the financial data identifying assets or liabilities of the user;

in response to the first machine readable data signal that identifies the user, obtaining information relating to a health account associated with the user using the computer system, the health account being associated with a healthcare institution and unassociated with the financial investment account;

generating a financial projection, using the financial data and the information relating to the health account associated with the user, that computes effects of health or lifestyle costs of the user on the user's finances; and

generating a second machine readable signal using the computer system to display the financial projection to the user or to a designee of the user.

22. The method ofclaim 21, wherein:

the financial investment account is selected from a group consisting of: a bank account, a mortgage account, a tax account, an education account, a credit account, a brokerage account and a retirement account; and

wherein the health account is selected from a group consisting of: a benefits record, a health insurance account, a disability insurance account, a long term care insurance account, a medical record account and a pharmaceutical record account.

23. The method ofclaim 21, wherein:

obtaining financial data from the financial investment account maintained by the financial institution using the computer system includes obtaining the financial data using a back end services layer within the computer system;

obtaining information relating to the health account associated with the user using the computer system includes obtaining the information relating to the health account using the back end services layer within the computer system;

generating the financial projection includes using a business logic layer within the computer system; and

generating the second machine readable signal includes generating the second machine readable signal using the business logic layer within the computer system.

24. The method ofclaim 23, wherein the computer system includes a data access layer that separates the back end services layer from the business logic layer, wherein the data access layer is configured to act as a liaison between the business logic layer and the back end services layer for added security, and wherein the method further comprises passing the financial data and the information relating to the health account from the data access layer to the business logic layer through the data access layer.

25. The method ofclaim 24, wherein passing the financial data and the information relating to the health account from the data access layer to the business logic layer through the data access layer includes altering a format of the financial data and the information relating to the health account, using the data access layer, to match a format required by the business logic layer.

26. The method ofclaim 21, wherein the information relating to the health account associated with the user is a first set of information relating to a first health account associated with the user, the method further comprising:

obtaining a second set of information relating to a second health account associated with the user,

wherein generating the financial projection that computes effects of health or lifestyle costs of the user on the user's finances includes generating the financial projection using the financial data, the first set of information relating to the first health account associated with the user, and the second set of information relating to the second heath account associated with the user.

27. The method ofclaim 26, wherein the financial data from the financial investment account maintained by the financial institution is a first set of financial data from a first financial investment account, the method further comprising:

obtaining a second set of financial data from a second financial investment account, the second set of financial data identifying additional assets or liabilities of the user,

wherein generating the financial projection that computes effects of health or lifestyle costs of the user on the user's finances includes generating the financial projection using the first set of financial data, the second set of financial data, the first set of information relating to the first health account associated with the user, and the second set of information relating to the second heath account associated with the user.

28. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising:

receiving user input regarding a change to the financial investment account or to the health account; and

updating the financial projection using the change.

29. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising:

receiving a first user input regarding a change to the financial investment account;

receiving a second user input regarding a change to the heath account; and

updating the financial projection using the first user input regarding the change to the financial investment account and the second user input regarding the change to the heath account.

30. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising:

generating a graphical user interface that uses the second machine readable signal to display the financial projection to the user or to a designee of the user along with the financial data and the healthcare data.

31. A server for generating a graphical user interface for managing multiple accounts associated with a user, the server comprising:

a financial module configured to transmit identification information for a user in order to obtain financial information relating to a financial investment account associated with the user, the financial investment account being associated with a financial institution;

a heath module configured to transmit identification information for the user in order to obtain health information relating to a health account associated with the user, the health account being associated with a healthcare institution and unassociated with the financial investment account;

a goal module configured to receive user input regarding a financial goal or a heath goal, the goal module being further configured to determine progress towards the financial goal or the health goal using both the financial information from the financial module and the health information from the module; and

a user interface module configured to generate and display a user interface that includes a financial window in which the financial information is displayed, a health window in which the health information is displayed, and a goal window in which the process towards the financial goal or the heath goal is displayed.

32. The server ofclaim 31, wherein the goal module is configured to determine recommended changes to the financial information or the health information that enables the user to reach the financial goal or the heath goal more quickly, and wherein the user interface module in configured to display those recommended changes through the user interface.

33. The server ofclaim 32, wherein the user interface module is configured to receive user input through the user interface regarding the recommended changes, and wherein the financial module is configured to convey the user input to the financial institution and the health module is configured to convey the user input to the health institution.

34. The server ofclaim 32, wherein the goal module is configured to determine recommended changes to the health information that enables the user to reach the financial goal more quickly.

35. The server ofclaim 32, wherein the goal module is configured to determine recommended changes to the financial information that enables the user to reach the health goal more quickly.

36. The server ofclaim 31, wherein the user interface further includes a projection window through which a financial projection, a health projection or a lifestyle projection is displayed.

37. The server ofclaim 31, further comprising a fraud detection module configured to monitor the financial information and the health information to detect fraudulent actions, and wherein the user interface is configured to convey a notification of detected fraudulent actions to the user.

38. The server ofclaim 31, wherein the server includes a business logic layer and a back end services layer that are separated by a data access layer, wherein the back end services layer includes the financial and health modules, the business logic layer includes the goal module and the user interface module, and the data access layer is configured to act as a liaison between the business logic layer and back end services layer for added security.

39. The server ofclaim 31, further comprising a portal module configured to securely transmit selected information from the health module, the financial module, or the goal module to a third party.

40. A method for analyzing information from independent accounts associated with a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, identification information for a user;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, a first set of information relating to a financial investment account associated with the user using the identification information for the user, the financial investment account being associated with a financial institution;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, a second set of information relating to a relating to a health account associated with the user, the health account being associated with a healthcare institution and unassociated with the financial investment account;

analyzing the first and second sets of information, using the one or more processors, to identify interactions between health and finances of the user;

generating and displaying a user interface conveying the interactions.

41. The method ofclaim 40, wherein the user interface includes a prompt for user input, the method further comprising:

receiving user input identifying changes to the first or second sets of information; and

analyzing the changes to update the interactions between the health and finances of the user.

42. The method ofclaim 41, wherein the prompt for user input is part of a decision support tool, and wherein the decision support tool is selected from a group consisting of:

a retirement calculator, a college savings calculator, a drug cost saving calculator, a goal tracker, and combinations thereof.

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