Financial accounting methods and systems to account for assets and liabilities

Abstract

A method to calculate true ex-ante operating income, via a present value calculation and posting in a double-entry bookkeeping framework based upon credits and debits, is disclosed. The ultimate object is a true ex-ante net income accounting measurement that better serves financial statements users.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented financial accounting method, said method comprising:
 providing a computer system, wherein the system comprises a computer usable medium with a computer readable program code being executed to perform the following steps:
 electronically receiving, at the computer system, at least one credit and one debit posting, said at least one credit and one debit posting comprising an identification of an account to be credited, an identification of an account to be debited, a future date, and a first posting value, said first posting value to be used to credit said account to be credited and to be used to debit said account to be debited; 
 providing a Future Flow Table being defined to include at least columns Account, Date, CdType, Amount; 
 automatically posting said first posting value to said Future Flow Table; 
 automatically calculating a first present value of said first posting value contained in said Future Flow Table using said future date; 
 automatically updating at least one position account based upon said calculated first present value, said at least one position account being either an asset or a liability account; 
 automatically updating at least one revenue, expense, Market Income, or Market Moves account based upon said calculated first present value;
 wherein Market Income is obtained for the following Equation:
   Market Income=(obtained balance for said at least one position account)*(1−[1/(1 +r )]); and
 
 where r is an expected rate of return. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 making data contained in said Future Flow Table available for a Consumer to view using an internet connection. 
 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 using an internet connection to access data contained in said Future Flow Table. 
 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of calculating said first present value of said first posting value using said future date further includes the step of accessing a probability value and using said accessed probability value to calculate said first present value. 
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 calculating a second present value using said first posting value contained in said Future Flow Table and using said future date, wherein said second present value is taken at a date subsequent to the date when said first present value is taken; 
 obtaining the balance of said at least one position account; 
 calculating the difference between said second present value and said obtained balance of said at least one position account; and 
 updating said at least one position account based upon said calculated difference; and updating at least one revenue, expense, Market Income, or Market Moves account based upon said calculated difference. 
 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 5  further comprising:
 making data contained in said Future Flow Table available for a Consumer to view using an internet connection. 
 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 5  further comprising:
 using an internet connection to access data contained in said Future Flow Table. 
 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 5 , wherein said step of calculating said second present value of said first posting value using said future date further includes the step of accessing a probability value and using said accessed probability value to calculate said second present value. 
     
     
         9 . A computer implemented financial accounting method, said method comprising:
 providing a computer system, wherein the system comprises a computer usable medium with a computer readable program code being executed to perform the following steps:
 inputting into the computer system at least one credit and one debit posting, said at least one credit and one debit posting comprising an identification of an account to be credited, an identification of an account to be debited, a future date, and a first posting value, said first posting value to be used to credit said account to be credited and to be used to debit said account to be debited; 
 providing a Future Flow Table being defined to include at least columns Account, Date, CdType, Amount; 
 automatically posting said first posting value to said Future Flow Table; 
 automatically calculating a first present value of said first posting value contained in said Future Flow Table using said future date; 
 automatically updating at least one position account based upon said calculated first present value, said at least one position account being either an asset or a liability account; 
 automatically updating at least one revenue, expense, Market Income, or Market Moves account based upon said calculated first present value;
 wherein Market Income is obtained for the following Equation:
   Market Income=(obtained balance for said at least one position account)*(1−[1/(1 +r )]); and
 
 where r is an expected rate of return. 
 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 9  further comprising:
 making data contained in said Future Flow Table available for a Consumer to view using an internet connection. 
 
     
     
         11 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 9  further comprising:
 using an internet connection to access data contained in said Future Flow Table. 
 
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of calculating said first present value of said first posting value using said future date further includes the step of accessing a probability value and using said accessed probability value to calculate said first present value. 
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 9  further comprising:
 calculating a second present value using said first posting value contained in said Future Flow Table and using said future date, wherein said second present value is taken at a date subsequent to the date when said first present value is taken; 
 obtaining the balance of said at least one position account; 
 calculating the difference between said second present value and said obtained balance of said at least one position account; and 
 updating said at least one position account based upon said calculated difference; 
 and updating at least one revenue, expense, Market Income, or Market Moves account based upon said calculated difference. 
 
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 13  further comprising:
 making data contained in said Future Flow Table available for a Consumer to view using an internet connection. 
 
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 13  further comprising:
 using an internet connection to access data contained in said Future Flow Table. 
 
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented financial accounting method according to  claim 13 , wherein said step of calculating said second present value of said first posting value using said future date further includes the step of accessing a probability value and using said accessed probability value to calculate said second present value.