Computer System for Processing Interactions with Customer Systems and Payment Systems

Abstract

A computer system for facilitating communications among a customer computer system and a payment system includes a communications router, a payment system, and a one or more processors. The processors execute instructions stored in memory to receive a request for a benefit payment from a deferred variable annuity account during the accumulation phase form the customer computer system, via the communications router. The instructions cause the processors to determined, based or both of duration between a time one of the benefit payments was first available and a time of a first one of the benefit payments; and duration from a first one of the benefit payments until the period, a maximum available for withdrawal in accordance with a guarantee, and to communicate with the payment system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system for processing interactions with a customer computer system and a payment system, comprising:
 a communications device in communication with a customer computer system;   a payment system in communication with a data storage device and configured to effect payments;   a data storage device storing data including data relating to a deferred variable annuity, including: a payment base value, an annuity value, a withdrawal percent value, a withdrawal base value, and data indicative of a guarantee of available periodic benefit payments;   one or more computer processors in communication with the data storage device;   a memory in communication with the one or more computer processors, the memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:
 determine, in accordance with a formula, a value of a factor, the factor being at least 1, the formula causing the value of the factor to increase responsive to an increase in either or both of (1) duration between a time one of the benefit payments was first available and a time of a first one of the benefit payments; and (2) duration from a first one of the benefit payments until the period; 
 determine a maximum benefit payment available in a period in accordance with the guarantee based on a product of the withdrawal percent value, the withdrawal base value and the factor; 
 provide data indicative of the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period via the communications device to a customer computer system; and 
 provide data indicative of the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period to the payment system; 
   wherein the payment system is configured to effect one or more benefit payments to a user device.   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to determine whether cumulative withdrawals during a period are more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period and, responsive to determining that the cumulative withdrawals are not more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, maintain the payment base value without change. 
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to, responsive to determining that the cumulative withdrawals are more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, decrease the payment base value. 
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to increase the value of the factor incrementally responsive to milestones of duration between a time one of the benefit payments was first available and a first one of the benefit payments. 
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 4 , wherein the milestones are annual milestones. 
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to increase the value of the factor incremental responsive to milestones of duration between a time a first one of the benefit payments was received, and a current time. 
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to determine the factor based on a number of completed periods from a time one of the benefit payments was first available until a first one of the benefit payments and a predetermined factor to obtain an intermediate value, adding 1 to the intermediate value to obtain a sum, and raising the sum to a power based on the number of completed and partial periods from the first one of the benefit payments to the current period. 
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined factor is in the range of 0.0005 to 0.02. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method for processing interactions with a customer computer system and a payment system, comprising:
 receiving from a customer computer system, via a communications device, data indicative of a request for a withdrawal from a deferred variable annuity;   storing in a data storage device data including data relating to the deferred variable annuity, including: a payment base value, an annuity value, a withdrawal percent value, a withdrawal base value, and data indicative of a guarantee of available periodic benefit payments;   determining by one or more computer processors, in accordance with a formula, a value of a factor, the factor being at least 1, the formula causing the value of the factor to increase responsive to an increase in either or both of (1) duration between a time one of the benefit payments was first available and a time of a first one of the benefit payments; and (2) duration from a first one of the benefit payments until the period;   determining by the one or more computer processors a maximum benefit payment available in a period in accordance with the guarantee based on a product of the withdrawal percent value, the withdrawal base value and the factor;   determine, by the one or more computer processors, whether cumulative withdrawals during the period are more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period and,   provide, by the one or more computer processors, data indicative of the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, and the determination whether cumulative withdrawals during the period are more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, via the communications device, to the customer computer system;   provide, by the one or more computer processors, data indicative of the request for withdrawal to the payment system; and   processing, by the payment system, a payment in accordance with the request for withdrawal.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising, responsive to determining that the cumulative withdrawals are not more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, maintaining the payment base value without change. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising, responsive to determining that the cumulative withdrawals are more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, decreasing the payment base value, and providing to the customer computer system data indicative of the decrease in the payment base value. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising, determining the factor based on an intermediate value, the intermediate value being based on a number of completed periods from a time one of the benefit payments was first available until a first one of the benefit payments and a predetermined factor, and raising the intermediate value to a power based on a number of partial and completed periods subsequent to the first one of the benefit payments. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined factor is in the range of 0.0005 to 0.02. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising storing the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period in a database employing a database management system. 
     
     
         15 . A computer system for conducting communications among a customer computer system and a payment system, comprising:
 a central communications bus;   one or more computer processors in communication with the central communications bus;   a communications router in communication with the central communications bus;   a display device in communication with the central communications bus;   one or more data storage devices, in communication with the central communications bus, storing data including data relating to a deferred variable annuity during an accumulation phase, including: a payment base value, an annuity value, a withdrawal percent value, a withdrawal base value, and data indicative of a guarantee of available periodic benefit payments;   a payment system in communication with the central communications bus and configured to effect payments in response to receipt of data indicative of requests for withdrawals;   a memory in communication with the one or more computer processors, the memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:
 receive, via the communications router, a request for a withdrawal from a customer computer system; 
 determine, in accordance with a formula, a value of a factor, the factor being at least 1, the formula causing the value of the factor to increase responsive to an increase in either or both of (1) duration between a time one of the benefit payments was first available and a time of a first one of the benefit payments; and (2) duration from a first one of the benefit payments until the period; 
 determine a maximum benefit payment available in a period in accordance with the guarantee based on a product of the withdrawal percent value, the withdrawal base value and the factor; 
 provide data indicative of the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period via the communications router to the customer computer system; 
 provide data indicative of the request for withdrawal to the payment system for effecting payment; and 
 provide data indicative of the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period to the display device for display to a user. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to determine whether cumulative withdrawals during a period are more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period and, responsive to determining that the cumulative withdrawals are not more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, maintain the payment base value without change. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to, responsive to determining that the cumulative withdrawals are more than the determined maximum benefit payment available in the period, decrease the payment base value, and provide data indicative of the decrease to the display device for display to a user. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to increase the value of the factor incrementally responsive to milestones of duration between a time one of the benefit payments was first available and a first one of the benefit payments. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to determine the factor based on a number of completed periods from a time one of the benefit payments was first available until a first one of the benefit payments and a predetermined factor to obtain an intermediate value, adding 1 to the intermediate value to obtain a sum, and raising the sum to a power based on the number of completed and partial periods from the first one of the benefit payments to the current period. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 19 , wherein the predetermined factor is in the range of 0.0005 to 0.02.