System, method and program product for administering fund movements

Abstract

A method, system and program product, the method comprising: accessing, one or more electronic databases, comprising: (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions, with one or more of the recipient depository institutions with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account having at least one associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility; and (ii) client account information for each of a plurality of the respective client accounts; obtaining client account transaction information; obtaining a respective net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the respective source institutions; for at least one or more of the sub periods of time where the net transfer amount requires a first withdrawal/transfer amount selecting at least one of the recipient depository institutions that has at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility based at least in part on one or more selection rules; generating first transfer data reflecting a wire or other electronic transfer that uses the overdraft facility; generating second transfer data reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one recipient depository institution of at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount in partial of full settlement of the overdraft; allocating amounts of funds from multiple of the client accounts among multiple of the recipient depository institutions to substantially match the transfer of funds; and updating one or more of the electronic databases.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a system, method and program product for administering fund movements, such as sweep programs. In one or more embodiments, the present invention generally relates to using overdraft facilities. In one or more embodiments, the present invention generally relates to using a method that generates data for transfers by forming depository institutions into groups based at least in part on different cutoff times for participants in the system.

SUMMARY OF ONE OR MORE EMBODIMENTS

In one or more embodiments, a method, comprises: accessing, using one or more computers, one or more electronic databases, stored on one or more computer-readable media, comprising: (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions, comprising a balance of funds held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts, wherein funds from a plurality of client accounts are aggregated with funds of other client accounts in the aggregated deposit accounts, with one or more of the recipient depository institutions with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account having at least one associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility; (ii) client account information for each of a plurality of the respective client accounts comprising at least a respective balance of funds from the respective client account held in each of one or more recipient depository institutions in the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts holding funds of the respective client account; obtaining client account transaction information for each of multiple of the client accounts, the client account transaction information comprising credit information and/or debit information applied to or against a respective client account for one or more sub periods of time; obtaining, using the one or more computers, a respective net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the respective source institutions; selecting at least one aggregated deposit account in one or more of the depository institutions to which to deposit/transfer or to withdraw/transfer funds to or from their respective one or more aggregated deposit accounts, and comprising, for at least one or more of the sub periods of time where one or more of the net transfer amounts require a first withdrawal/transfer amount during a month period, selecting at least one of the recipient depository institutions that has at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility based at least in part on one or more selection rules; generating first transfer data reflecting a wire or other electronic transfer that uses the overdraft facility of the at least one aggregated transaction account of the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected for the first withdrawal/transfer amount, with the withdrawal/transfer of the first withdrawal/transfer amount using the respective overdraft facility to occur prior to a partial or whole settlement of that respective overdraft from the one or more respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts of the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected; generating second transfer data reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one recipient depository institution of at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount from the one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts in the at least one depository institution that was selected to the respective at least one aggregated transaction account in the at least recipient depository institution that was selected in partial of full settlement of the overdraft; allocating, using the one or more computers, amounts of funds from multiple of the client accounts among multiple of the recipient depository institutions, so that the respective balance of funds for the one or more sub periods of time in each of the aggregated deposit accounts of the depository institutions, after taking into consideration the fund transfer amounts for the one or more sub periods of time, will substantially match a sum of the respective balances of funds from the multiple of the respective client accounts allocated to this respective aggregated deposit account; and updating, using the one or more computers, one or more of the electronic databases to update the respective balances of client account funds held in one or more of the recipient depository institutions in one or more aggregated deposit accounts therein.

In a further embodiment, an operation is performed of selecting for the allocation from among prospective of the recipient depository institutions multiple recipient depository institutions, each with at least one respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit account and at least one respective aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility for the withdrawal/transfer of respective first withdrawal/transfer amounts based at least in part on the one or more selection rules; and the generating first transfer data for each of the multiple recipient depository institutions, using the one or more computers.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises making a selection based at least in part on a cutoff time of the prospective recipient depository institution for fund transfers relative to one or more time thresholds or relative to the cutoff times of one or more other of the recipient depository institutions or other entities in a fund transfer chain.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprise making a selection at least in part to obtaining a partial or substantially full reciprocity for source funds of the prospective recipient depository institution held in one or more of the aggregated deposit accounts held in one or more of the other recipient depository institutions.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises making a selection at least in part based on an amount of source funds of the prospective recipient depository institution held in one or more of the aggregated deposit accounts held in one or more other of the recipient depository institutions relative to an amount of source funds of another one of the recipient depository institutions held in one or more of the aggregated deposit accounts held in one or more other of the recipient depository institutions.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises making a selection at least in part based on whether an amount of client account funds of a particular one of the client accounts already held in the prospective respective recipient depository institution will exceed a threshold amount and/or client account instructions for the particular client account after the allocation.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises making a selection at least in part based on maintaining a target reciprocity for one or more of the recipient depository institutions based at least in part on an amount of source funds contributed to the program by the respective recipient depository institution.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises making a selection at least in part based on whether a prospective withdrawal/transfer or deposit/transfer will comply with a respective maximum cap and/or a respective minimum cap associated with the prospective recipient depository institution or with another of the respective recipient depository institutions.

In a further embodiment, wherein there is a reciprocity target for at least one of the recipient depository institutions, and wherein one of the one or more selection rules comprises determining whether a prospective withdrawal/transfer or a deposit/transfer will comply with a respective maximum cap and/or a respective minimum cap associated with the prospective recipient depository institution or with another of the respective recipient depository institutions, the steps of performing a pseudo-transfer of a proposed transfer of the at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount to determine whether the reciprocity target for the at least one recipient depository institution will be met by the proposed transfer; and if the reciprocity target will not be met, then changing one or more of the respective maximum caps and/or the respective minimum caps to change the at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount to the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account held in the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected.

In a further embodiment, the obtaining a net transfer amount step further comprises calculating, using the one or more computers, a net of one or more deposit/transfer amounts, and one or more withdrawal/transfer amounts to obtain the net transfer amount for at least one source institution.

In a further embodiment, the further step may be performed of communicating the second transfer data, to have the second withdrawal/transfer amount withdrawn/transferred from the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account held by at least one recipient depository institution that was selected to the aggregated transaction account held by the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected, for delivery by a messenger to the respective recipient depository institution that was selected.

In a further embodiment, a step may be performed of aggregating respective first withdrawal/transfer amounts from respective overdraft facilities of respective aggregated transaction accounts held in multiple of respective recipient depository institutions to obtain an aggregated amount, for subsequent transfer.

In a further embodiment, the first withdrawal/transfer amount and the second withdrawal/transfer amount are substantially equal for the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected.

In a further embodiment, the government backed-insured interest-bearing aggregated deposit account is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

In a further embodiment, the second transfer data reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected of the second withdrawal/transfer amount comprises instructions for presentation to the at least one recipient depository institution using one or more of methods that count against the 6 withdrawal limit imposed by Federal regulations no more than 6 times in a month, and comprising presenting instructions using one or more of the methods of: in person, or by mail, or by messenger, or by telephone and distributed by mail, or by automated teller machine, or a combination thereof for other withdrawals/transfers during the month.

In a further embodiment, an operation may be performed of sending, using the one or more computers, instructions to the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected to make a substantially immediate wire transfer of the first withdrawal/transfer amount using the overdraft facility from its aggregated transaction account.

In a further embodiment, operations may be performed of transmitting by wire instructions to a delivery service for delivery by messenger of the second transfer data reflecting the second withdrawal/transfer amount by the at least one recipient depository institution of the second withdrawal/transfer amount from the one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in the respective at least one recipient depository institution to the aggregated transaction account in the respective at least one recipient depository institution.

In a further embodiment, the client transaction information comprises one or more deposit/transfer amounts and/or withdrawal/transfer amounts or nets thereof of one or more client accounts.

In a further embodiment, the client transaction information comprises at least funds from a source financial institution that is a recipient depository institution.

In a further embodiment, operations may be performed of processing, using the one or more computers, client account transaction data comprising transaction data for one or more deposits/transfers for one or more client accounts and/or transaction data for one or more withdrawals/transfers from one or more of said client accounts, with the transaction data comprising a respective amount for each respective deposit/transfer and each respective withdrawal/transfer and/or a net of one or more of such amounts over a period of time, and wherein the obtaining a net transfer amount step further comprises calculating, using the one or more computers, a net of the one or more deposit/transfer amounts, and/or the one or more withdrawal/transfer amounts from multiple of the client accounts to obtain the net transfer amount.

In a further embodiment, each a plurality of the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts has an associated aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises selecting from among prospective recipient depository institutions the at least one recipient depository institution with the respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit account and the at least one respective aggregated transaction account with the overdraft facility, only if the prospective recipient depository institution has a recorded security interest in deposits of the one or more respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held therein.

In a further embodiment, an operation may be performed of generating one or more instructions to debit/transfer funds to one or more payment entities.

In a further embodiment, an operation may be performed of determining if an overdraft remains in the aggregated transaction account of the at least one recipient depository institution at a time subsequent to a transfer of one of the second withdrawal/transfer amounts from the one or more aggregated transaction accounts held therein.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises selecting only a recipient depository institution with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account that has an associated aggregated transaction account that has an overdraft balance of less than a threshold amount.

In a further embodiment, an operation may be performed of maintaining data in the one or more databases on a respective positive or negative balance held in one or more of the respective aggregated transaction accounts with respective overdraft facilities of recipient depository institutions in the program.

In a further embodiment, the second transfer data reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one of the one or more recipient depository institutions of the second withdrawal/transfer amount is communicated to a broker-dealer.

In a further embodiment, the first transfer data reflecting a wire or other electronic transfer of the one or more first withdrawal/transfer amounts using the overdraft facility of the at least one aggregated transaction account of the at least one recipient depository institution, reflects a transfer to one or more clearance accounts in one or more clearance institutions.

In a further embodiment, an operation may be perforated of making direct telephone or electronic communication with one of the one or more clearance institutions to provide instructions to withdraw/transfer funds from the clearance account therein to one or more of the source institutions and/or to one or more of the program recipient depository institutions and/or to one or more payment entities.

In a further embodiment, at least some of the funds for the second withdrawal/transfer for the partial or full settlement of the overdraft are withdrawn/transferred from one or more money funds.

In a further embodiment, at least some of the funds for the second withdrawal/transfer for the partial or full settlement of the overdraft are withdrawn/transferred from one or more aggregated investment vehicles that are not insured.

In a further embodiment, one of the one or more selection rules comprises making a selection at least in part based on directing a respective net transfer amount for a respective one of the source institutions to a one of the recipient depository institutions that is affiliated with the respective source institution.

In a further embodiment, a system is disclosed, comprising: one or more computers comprising memory wherein the memory stores computer-readable instructions comprising program code that, when executed, cause the one or more computers to perform the steps: accessing, using the one or more computers, one or more electronic databases, stored on one or more computer-readable media, comprising: (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions, comprising a balance of funds held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts, wherein funds from a plurality of client accounts are aggregated with funds of other client accounts in the aggregated deposit accounts, with one or more of the recipient depository institutions with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account having at least one associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility; (ii) client account information for each of a plurality of the respective client accounts comprising at least a respective balance of funds from the respective client account held in each of one or more recipient depository institutions in the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts holding funds of the respective client account; obtaining client account transaction information for each of multiple of the client accounts, the client account transaction information comprising credit information and/or debit information applied to or against a respective client account for one or more sub periods of time; obtaining, using the one or more computers, a respective net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the respective source institutions; selecting at least one aggregated deposit account in one or more of the depository institutions to which to deposit/transfer or to withdraw/transfer funds to or from their respective one or more aggregated deposit accounts, and comprising an electronic capability, for at least one or more of the sub periods of time where one or more of the net transfer amounts require a first withdrawal/transfer amount, selecting at least one of the recipient depository institutions that has at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility based at least in part on one or more selection rules; generating first transfer data reflecting a wire or other electronic transfer that uses the overdraft facility of the at least one aggregated transaction account of the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected for the first withdrawal/transfer amount, with the withdrawal/transfer of the first withdrawal/transfer amount using the respective overdraft facility to occur prior to a partial or whole settlement of that respective overdraft from the one or more respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts of the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected; generating second transfer data reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one recipient depository institution of at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount from the one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts in the at least one depository institution that was selected to the respective at least one aggregated transaction account in the at least recipient depository institution that was selected in partial of full settlement of the overdraft; allocating, using the one or more computers, amounts of funds from multiple of the client accounts among multiple of the recipient depository institutions, so that the respective balance of funds for the one or more sub periods of time in each of the aggregated deposit accounts of the depository institutions, after taking into consideration the fund transfer amounts for the one or more sub periods of time, will substantially match a sum of the respective balances of funds from the multiple of the respective client accounts allocated to this respective aggregated deposit account; and updating, using the one or more computers, one or more of the electronic databases to update the respective balances of client account funds held in one or more of the recipient depository institutions in one or more aggregated deposit accounts therein.

The above and related objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred, albeit illustrative, embodiments, of the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a schematic block diagram of another exemplary system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary representation of a time sequence for an exemplary method in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart of an exemplary method in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention discloses a deposit management system 160, a method, and a program product for implementing a deposit sweep program for accommodating banks and other types of financial entities with early cutoff times for fund movements and/or with varying processing and/or staffing schedules, while permitting fund movements for one or more programs using an overdraft facility, and/or using a method that generates data for transfers by forming depository institutions into groups based at least in part on cutoff times. In this system, a deposit sweep program includes source institutions, recipient depository institutions, and intermediaries, among others.

Source institutions may, by way of example, be banks, credit unions, registered investment advisors, broker dealers, asset managers, and other types of financial institutions, to name a few. Typically, the source institutions are the institutions that interact with the clients that are placing or authorizing the respective clients' funds to go into and/or be managed by the system. Note that a source institution can include one or more clearing institutions for other source institutions, investment advisors, and/or intermediaries for other source institutions. These terms will be discussed below.

Recipient depository institutions are typically banks or other types of deposit institutions whose accounts are backed by some form of insurance, such as government-backed insurance, like Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance in the case of banks, or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) in the case of credit unions. However, note that some recipient depository institutions may hold financial instruments that are not insured.

One or more intermediary institutions may be used to facilitate the movement of funds between the source institution(s) and the recipient depository institution(s), and/or to perform various recordkeeping functions. Such intermediaries may perform record keeping and/or fund transfer functions, and may include a bank or clearance bank through which fund transfers may be facilitated, a clearing firm, an administrator that performs recordkeeping functions and/or provides data to facilitate fund transfers, and/or other entities that perform fund transfer or recordkeeping functions. Note that one or multiple entities may also fulfill a single function or role and/or multiple functions or roles.

With respect to some types of source institutions, the source institution itself may clear its own client accounts or it may use another entity to clear its client accounts. If a source institution is a clearing entity, it may provide clearing services to other source institutions, such as broker-dealers, banks, financial advisors, to name a few. Such entities for which clearing services are performed by another entity are sometimes referred to as “correspondents.” Under some guidelines, when a clearing entity is used to clear funds for one or more correspondents, the funds of the clearing entity and the one or more correspondents may be held together in an aggregated account such as an interest-bearing aggregated money market deposit account or an aggregated demand deposit account. In one or more embodiments, the funds from each different correspondent may be segregated in a separate aggregated account.

In some deposit sweep systems, one entity may play the role of one or more of the above. For example, a source institution, such as a bank, may also be a recipient depository institution. Similarly, a source institution, like a broker-dealer, or a bank, may be affiliated with one or more of the recipient depository institutions. In one or more embodiments, there may be no affiliation between the institutions, or an affiliation between only some of the institutions.

Further, the administrator may also be either a source institution, a recipient depository institution, a clearance bank, or another entity participating in deposit sweep functions. Further, in one or more embodiments one entity may play part of one role and another part of another role. For example, when a bank is an intermediary it may be used to facilitate the transfer of funds, but also may be a source and/or recipient institution. Such a bank, may or may not use a separate record keeper.

Likewise, a particular program may have one source institution or multiple source institutions. Similarly, a particular program may have one recipient depository institution or multiple recipient depository institutions.

A “program” comprises a deposit arrangement to make available government-backed insurance through one or more aggregated accounts, wherein such program can provide government-backed insurance in an amount greater than an insurance limit for funds held in a single depository institution, through the use of a plurality of aggregated deposit accounts, with the aggregated deposit accounts in different program depository institutions. Each program may include one or more insured deposit products, with one or more of the programs having different attributes, such as different insurance levels, different tier options and rates paid, and services. In one embodiment, the rates paid may be determined by such factors as the balance in the client's insured account, or can be determined by the total value of the client's brokerage account, or can be determined by the total value of a group of accounts for a particular household together, or can be determined by relationship pricing based on the number of products a client uses though a source institution (SI) or affiliated source institutions, to name a few. Each source institution may have a plurality of client accounts, S.C.A.'s, that invest in particular products that make up part of a particular program. The client accounts, S.C.A., may be for individuals or corporations or government entities, or any other form of entity. Thus, for example, a source institution may manage a number of programs PROGRAM SI1-1, PROGRAM SI1-2, . . . PROGRAM SI1-p, where each client account, S.C.A., of the source institution SI1 invests in at least one of the products under at least one of the programs PROGRAM SI1-1-PROGRAM SI1-p. Examples of different kinds of programs that may be offered, include a program with cash management services, a program for high net worth individuals with a higher minimum balance required, a program paying a lower rate and offering more services, a no frills program with a higher rate and no services where for a fee, the client could get other services, to name a few. Note that in one or more embodiments, a program may also manage some client funds that are held in investment instruments that are not government-backed insured instruments.

Each source institution may have one or more programs of its own, and/or may participate in one or more programs of other institutions. A client may also have one or more of its own programs operating out of one or more source institutions. Each client may participate in one or more programs from a single source institution, or may participate in programs in several different institutions, and/or may participate in one or more of the client's own programs.

The present invention may be used in the context of these exemplary or other fund movement systems.

In the description to follow, the term “client account” refers to an account associated with client funds, such as, for example, consisting of funds of the client designated or determined for management by the deposit management system, to be described.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the present invention generally relates to a system, method and/or program product for administering a deposit sweep program wherein funds are received/swept from or deposited back to one or more source institutions 100, 110, e.g., financial institutions, such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisors, intermediaries and/or other financial institutions, under instruction of a deposit management system 160 (“DMS”), to or from government-insured interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts in one or more recipient depository institutions, e.g., banks 130-150 participating in the deposit sweep interchange program. In one or more embodiments, a portion of the client account funds may also be deposited in other investment vehicles held in or directed by another respective recipient depository institution. Note that in one or more embodiments, a respective source institution may hold one or more of these aggregated accounts and may also function as a recipient depository institution.

The deposit management system 160, comprises one or more computers, which can be configured to perform one or more of the following tasks:

(a) obtaining information regarding transactions applied to client accounts at source institutions 100, 110 in a particular time period, such as over a particular time period, such as a range of hours, day, week, month or the like. Such information may be in the form of detailed individual transactions, summary transactions or combinations thereof. Transactions could include sweeps, checks, transfers to cover, e.g., securities transactions or margin accounts, debit card transactions, credit card transactions, on-line bill paying transactions, touch tone bill paying data, ACH transactions, wire transactions, to name a few. In one or more embodiments, such information may be obtained directly by processing one or more transactions, or indirectly by other means.

In embodiments, such information may be received electronically in the form of a sweep file which can contain either detailed or summary information for each client account which has activity in a given time period. In embodiments, such information may be received in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means, and entered by keying or scanning such information. One or more items of information may be obtained by one or more of these exemplary methods.

(b) obtaining net transfer information associated with the movement of funds from and/or to source institutions, clearance institutions and/or recipient institutions. Such net transfer information may be received electronically either in connection with a sweep file and/or separately, received in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means and entered by keying or scanning such information, and/or by calculating or by verifying the net transfer information by the deposit management system 160. The net transfer information can reflect one net transfer per institution, and/or multiple net transfers reflecting each separate transfer to be conducted between institutions. For example, a net transfer could reflect a single net transfer between a source institution and a clearance institution to reflect transactions occurring during a particular time period, such as a range of hours, day, week, month or the like. A net transfer could also or alternatively reflect a plurality of net transfers between a clearance institution and different recipient institutions associated with a particular transfer of funds relating to transactions occurring during one or more particular time periods.

(c) obtaining allocation information associated with the allocation of funds among various recipient institutions. The allocation information may be received electronically either in connection with a sweep file and/or separately, received in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means and entered by keying or scanning such information, and/or may be calculated and/or may be verified by the deposit management system 160. The allocation information may be calculated based at least in part on one or more criteria. Examples of such criteria are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,107, and U.S. application Ser. No. 12/638,544, filed on Dec. 15, 2009, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The allocation information may be used in generating the net transfer information to and/or from recipient depository institutions.

(d) generating recommended and/or actual withdrawal/transfer amount(s) and/or instructions and/or deposit/transfer amount(s) and/or instructions to and/or from source institutions and/or recipient institutions. In embodiments, the system may generate recommended and/or actual instructions to be carried out by source institutions, agents of source institutions, intermediaries and/or others. In embodiments, intermediaries may up load or otherwise provide instructions to be approved, executed and/or performed by others.

(e) obtaining allocation information regarding funds held in particular aggregated deposit accounts at recipient depository institutions associated with particular client accounts. In one or more embodiments, the allocation information may be calculated based at least in part on one or more criteria. In embodiments, the record keeper performs such allocations in accordance with one or more parameters.

As noted, each of a plurality of these recipient depository institutions 130-150n in the deposit sweep management system 160 holds one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts 134, 144 and 154 (for example, an aggregated money market deposit account, e.g., MMDA, for holding funds associated with a plurality of clients accounts in the program. In embodiments, these aggregated deposit accounts can be insured, for example with government-backed insurance, such as Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance in the case of, e.g., a bank, or National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) insurance in the case of, e.g., a credit union, to name a few. Note that in one or more embodiments, some of the funds managed by the program may be held in other investment vehicles, such one or more money funds, or one or more aggregated investment vehicles that are not insured.

In embodiments using an overdraft facility, one or more, of the recipient depository institutions with the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts 134, 144, 154, may also hold a transaction account 132, 142, 152, with an overdraft facility, such as a demand deposit account (DDA) or a NOW account, for facilitating withdrawals from the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account 134, 144, 154, in the respective recipient depository institution. This transaction account with the overdraft facility may be used to extend the time of day in which the source institutions and/or the recipient depository institutions and/or intermediary institutions may place into and/or withdraw from and/or reallocate funds in a program, as well as to accommodate institutions with relatively earlier wire deadlines/cutoff.

In an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, information for a plurality of client accounts (107A, 107B, . . . 107N) associated with a source institution 100 is held in one or more databases, with each of a plurality of the respective client accounts held on behalf of different clients and comprising client funds managed by a program. In one or more embodiments, the deposit management system 160 may maintain electronic records corresponding to client accounts (107A, 107B, . . . 107N) in the one or more databases. In one or more embodiments, the respective source institution 100 has a control operating account. In one or more embodiments, the control operating account 105 may be at the respective source institution 100. Alternatively or in addition, in one or more embodiments, the control operating account for the source institution 100 may be at another financial institution, such as a clearance account 125 held in a clearance bank 120. In one or more embodiments, funds flow in and out of the client accounts (107A, 107B, . . . 107N), via the control operating account 105 and/or via control operating account 125. Alternatively, in one or more embodiments, the funds in one or more of the client accounts may flow directly between institutions without an internal and/or an external control operating account. In one or more embodiments, fund flows may be via a combination of one or more control operating accounts and directly between institutions without using an external control operating account.

Fund movement data may be received by the deposit management system 160, via a sweep file comprising fund transfer data swept from or to one or more of client accounts of a source institution 100, or via fund transfer data from another entity (e.g., a payment or credit vendor such as a debit card or credit card processor), or from a client, or from a fund reallocation determined by or for the deposit management system 160, or from any other source. The fund movement data may be received electronically by wire, or via Facsimile or telephone, for example, so that the data may need to be manually keyed, optically scanned, or otherwise entered into the deposit management system 160, and/or it may be verified and/or in some cases, calculated. The fund transfers may comprise data for individual check deposit data, wire deposit data, electronic ACH deposit data, electronic debit card transaction files, electronic credit card transaction files, check presentment data, ACH debit data, touch tone bill paying data, Internet bill paying data, a sweep file, and/or a net of a plurality of deposit/transfers for one client account or multiple client accounts, and/or a net of one or more of withdrawals/transfers for one client account or multiple client accounts, and/or a net of one or more deposits/transfers and one or more debits/transfers from one client account or multiple client accounts, to name a few.

FIG. 1B illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the overall system in a hub and spoke context, for ease of explanation. At the center or hub is the deposit management system 160, and a control operating account 125. The deposit management system 160 and control operating account 125 could be at the same or different institutions, consistent with the present invention. The source institutions 100 and 110 are illustrated as spokes, with each source institution comprising client accounts, as reflected in FIG. 1A. One or more of the source institutions may optionally also include a control operating account associated therewith in one or more embodiments. The control operating account associated with the respective source institution may be at the respective source institution, or at another institution affiliated with the source institution, or at a different institution entirely. A source institution may also be the same as or affiliated with one or more institutions associated with the deposit management system 160, the control operating account 125, or the recordkeeper for the system. The recipient depository institution 130, with its transaction account 132, and MMDA 134, is shown as another spoke in the figure. Institutions 170 and 180 are illustrated as yet other spokes in the figure. Institutions 170 and 180 operate as both source institutions in some fund transfers, and recipient depository institutions in other fund transfers. Institution 170 comprises multiple client accounts 172, as well as an aggregated transaction account 174 and an MMDA 176. Likewise, institution 180 comprises multiple client accounts 182, as well as an aggregated transaction account 184 and an MMDA 186. The deposit management system 160 may keep electronic records associated with the multiple client accounts 172, 182, and the like.

Other forms of deposit sweep systems may also be used with the present invention.

FIG. 2 comprises an illustrative timeline of operations for one embodiment of the invention using an overdraft facility. However, note that the operation timing in one or more embodiments may vary, and the order of the steps and timing may vary, and additional steps may be added, or omitted, as desired.

At a time T1 in the timeline of FIG. 2, source institution fund transfer data is generated. Note that how and where this data is generated is not limiting on the invention. For example, the fund transfer data may be generated by respective source institutions, and/or by the deposit management system 160 as part of a reallocation of funds among recipient depository institutions. See the discussion of the fund transfer data obtained by the deposit management system 160, above.

Fund transfer data, such as a sweep report, or payment entity report, or fund reallocation data, or client communications, may be received electronically either in connection with a sweep file and/or separately, received in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means and entered by keying or scanning such information, and/or calculated or verified by the deposit management system 160. For example, the fund transfer data may represent information about respective client funds to be transferred out of the deposit management system or to be transferred to recipient depository institutions in the deposit management system. In one or more embodiments, this information may comprise a net for each client account, of client transactions crediting/transferring funds to, and/or debiting/transferring funds from, the respective client account, determined over a period of time. In another embodiment, the transfer data may comprise a net of a plurality of fund transactions for a plurality of client accounts of a source institution. T2 in the timeline of FIG. 2 represents receipt by the deposit management system 160 of fund transfer data for a source institution, whether transferred electronically, or keyed manually into the system, and/or verified, and/or calculated by the deposit management system 160.

The one or more computers of the deposit management system 160 (DMS) may verify the transfer amount. This verification is represented by time T3 in the timeline of FIG. 2.

In embodiments, the one or more computers of the deposit management system 160 can be configured with programming code to select one or more of the recipient depository institutions, e.g., banks 130-150n, in the deposit management system 160, for deposits/transfers and/or withdrawal/transfers, based at least in part on the fund transfer data and on one or more parameters. In one or more embodiments, the one or more recipient depository institutions for the transfer are preselected, or deselected, by the source institution, or by the one or more recipient depository institutions or by the clients or by the deposit management system 160. In one or more embodiments, a selection of recipient depository institutions may be performed using real-time processing, by computers of the deposit management system 160 or another entity, based at least in part on one or more parameters. In another embodiment, a selection of recipient depository institutions may not be performed using real-time processing. The respective one or more fund transfer amounts can then be allocated to one or among a plurality of the identified or selected or provided recipient depository institutions.

In one or more embodiments, the allocation may be based, at least in part, on the fact that a given recipient depository institution has contributed source funds to the deposit management system (when operating as a source institution), or based, at least in part, on an amount of source funds contributed by the given prospective recipient depository institution (when operating as a source institution from its client accounts and/or other of its source institution funds), to interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts or other accounts associated with the program. Note that such reciprocity may be one-to-one, or may be based at least in part on something other than one-to-one, and may be determined using an algorithm, or other means of determining the amount. In one or more embodiments, the algorithm may be implemented electronically. In one or more embodiments, it may be manually applied. Also, the reciprocity may only be applied for funds of a given set of client accounts, or a given type of client accounts, such as accounts with municipal or other governmental funds. Examples of such arrangements are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,350, and application Ser. No. 11/641,046, filed Dec. 19, 2006, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

Another parameter that may be used to select one or more recipient depository institutions and to determine and allocate deposit/transfer amounts and/or withdrawal/transfer amounts, may be an amount of funds of a given client account already held in the particular recipient depository institution in the management system relative to a deposit limit associated with available insurance protection, such as a government-backed insurance like FDIC insurance or NCUSIF insurance, to name a few, or some other deposit limit set either by the program, the program participants, or otherwise, or relative to one or more client or source institution or intermediary institution selected parameters relating to an amount or a percentage of funds from that client account that may be held by a given recipient depository institution in the management system. Examples of such parameters are discussed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,672,886 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,680,734, U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,107, U.S. Pat. No. 7,668,771, U.S. application Ser. No. 12/638,544, filed on Dec. 15, 2009, which are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. This operation is represented in the timeline of FIG. 2 by T4.

The deposit management system 160 can generate and/or send an electronic message or other communication to be received by the one or more recipient depository institutions with information about a prospective deposit/transfer or withdrawal/transfer, allocated to the respective recipient depository institution. This information may comprise the amount of the prospective deposit/transfer or withdrawal/transfer allocated to the respective recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, this message may be generated and transmitted in person, by messenger, over the telephone, or by electronic wire either directly or indirectly. This operation is represented as T5 in the timeline of FIG. 2.

At T6 in the timeline of FIG. 2, in the context of a withdrawal/transfer, the transfer data is generated and/or transmitted by the deposit management system 160 directly and/or in conjunction with other agents to provide instructions to promptly transfer funds from an aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility (e.g., DDA and/or NOW account) in one or more of the recipient depository institutions by wire or other comparably fast method, directly to one or more source institutions, and/or alternatively, to an internal control operating account 105 or to a control operating account 125 in a clearance bank 120. These withdrawn/transferred funds may then be transferred to one or more accounts in one or more source institutions, or one or more accounts in one or more recipient depository institutions, or to one or more payment entities. Note that the transfer data for the transaction account with an overdraft facility may be sent directly by wire or other means to the recipient depository institution, or may be sent to the relevant source institution for subsequent communication to the respective recipient depository institution. The resulting wiring or other prompt transfer of funds from the aggregated transaction account 132 with the overdraft facility occurs before transfer to the aggregated transaction account 132 of an amount from the interest-bearing aggregated account 134 (e.g. an MMDA) or other account in the respective recipient depository institution actually holding the funds for the withdrawal amount. In embodiments, the aggregated transaction account 132 can maintain a zero balance or near zero balance, so that the funds for the withdrawal may be taken completely or substantially completely from the overdraft facility for the aggregated transaction account. In another embodiment, a balance may be maintained in the aggregated transaction account, so that some of the withdrawal amount is taken from this balance, and some of the amount for the withdrawal is taken from the overdraft facility. In another embodiment, the balance may fluctuate.

In embodiments, a reverse wire or draw-down message or instruction may be sent from the source entity, e.g., a source institution or intermediary institution, to directly execute the withdrawal/transfer from the overdraft facility of the respective aggregated transaction account.

At time T7 in the timeline, transfer data for the insured interest-bearing aggregated deposit account or other account holding funds may be generated by the deposit management system 160 to settle in whole or in part the overdraft balance of the aggregated transaction account. This transfer data is then communicated either directly or indirectly to the recipient institutions. In one or more embodiments, the transfer data may be for presentation in a manner that does not count against the six transfer limit per month imposed by Federal regulations on interest bearing accounts, e.g., either in person, or by mail, or by messenger, or by telephone and distributed by mail, or by automated teller machine, or a combination thereof, so that the insured and interest-bearing status of the aggregated deposit accounts may be preserved. This manner of making embodiment can be implemented by ensuring that no more than some predetermined number of withdrawals are made using a method that implicates the 6 withdrawal limit and that all other withdrawals from that account during the month are made in a manner that does not count against the six transfer limit per month. In one or more embodiments, the instructions may be generated electronically, and communicated in some convenient way to a messenger service, followed by a subsequent messenger delivery to the recipient depository institution. For example, the transfer data may be communicated electronically by wire, and/or be sent by Fax and/or by email and/or hand delivery and/or by a telephone call for confirmation, an in person presentation, and/or a messenger delivery of instructions for a fund transfer to the recipient depository institution to perform a book or other transfer of a respective allocated withdrawal amount of funds from the MMDA 134 or other aggregated deposit account actually holding the funds to be withdrawn in the respective recipient depository institution, to the aggregated transaction account 132 in the respective recipient depository institution, in order to settle all or most of the overdraft balance to bring the aggregated transaction account to zero or to another amount. Note that a communication of the instructions to the messenger service may occur at the same time as the electronic communication of instructions at T6 for the wire or other prompt transfer from the transaction account with the overdraft facility, or may occur before or afterward. Note that in one or more embodiments, the fund transfer data may be communicated by the deposit management system 160 to the respective source institution for provision to the messenger service.

At T8 in the timeline, client account amounts are reallocated/reshuffled among the recipient depository institutions to substantially match the one or more fund transfers, and one or more databases may be updated to reflect the one or more withdrawals/transfers from the one or more of the recipient depository institutions.

At T9, the overdraft from the transaction account may be settled. The settlement may be performed by the respective recipient depository institution, or another recordkeeping entity, or the deposit management system 160, to name a few.

Accordingly, a deposit management system 160 may be established in some embodiments with a system processing timeline for withdrawals/transfers that can be configured to meet requirements of deposit management system operations and may be amenable to the processing/business hours of as many other financial and recordkeeping institutions as possible with varying cutoff times and/or across various regions/time zones. In one or more embodiments, the selection of recipient depository institutions, the timing of communicating the transfer data, and the determination of withdrawal/transfer amounts from those selected recipient depository institutions may be based, at least in part, on a time of receipt of the fund transfer data, and/or on the respective fund transfer cutoff times for respective recipient depository institutions and/or source institutions or other entities involved in the fund transfer, and/or the type of funds involved (e.g. from municipal accounts), and/or the affiliation and/or clearing designations for the respective source institutions sending the data. In one or more embodiments, the selection of recipient depository institutions and the determination of withdrawal/transfer amounts from those selected recipient depository institutions may be based, at least in part, on reciprocity. Reciprocity, in this context, means that the deposit management system 160 takes into consideration the fact that the prospective recipient depository institution has sent deposits (when operating as a source institution) into the program, and/or takes into account the amount of source fund deposits that the prospective recipient depository institution (when operating as a source institution) has sent to the program, to determine the fact and/or amount of the withdrawal that will be transferred out. This reciprocity consideration may be based at least in part on some or all of the funds held in other recipient depository institutions that originated from client accounts of the respective recipient depository institution (when functioning as a source institution). Alternatively, the reciprocity may be based at least in part on funds of only some client accounts of the recipient depository institution, such as municipal, state, federal or other governmental entity client accounts, or accounts of local businesses, in the recipient depository institution, sourced to the program.

The present invention may be useful for facilitating withdrawal/transfer and/or deposit/transfer of fund amounts to and from the program, for purposes such as servicing client account withdrawals/transfers and/or deposit/transfers, and/or for fund reallocation determined by the deposit management system or another entity. It may be advantageous where the withdrawal/transfer or deposit/transfer data may be received close to a cutoff time for the respective recipient depository institution, or source institution, or other entity that may be involved in the fund transfer, such as an entity in the recordkeeping or fund transfer chain, that may be subject to an early cutoff. Thus, in one or more embodiments, the invention may be useful in extending the program's transaction and settlement time (trade time) with the source institutions and other entities.

Accordingly, an advantage of some embodiments of the deposit management system of the invention may be a successful and timely movements of funds exchanged between institutions. Such timely movement of funds may facilitate local processing schedules and staffing schedules, that might be caused by different time zones, and/or for other reasons. Such timely movement of funds may facilitate receipt of instructions at a time before local cut-off times for wires (both outgoing and incoming), or at a time before cutoff for settlement with the Federal Reserve or correspondent bank for deposits and withdrawals and other transfers, or in some cases, before a time in which the institution can invest the funds. Such timely movement of funds may facilitate insuring deposits at intended recipient or source institutions. Such timely movement of funds may, in one or more embodiments, facilitate settlement functions with one or more of the source financial institutions or recipient depository institutions or other entities involved in the fund transfer operation or recordkeeping. Such timely movement of funds may facilitate customer withdrawals, deposits, and reallocation of funds, in the program, and may facilitate limiting a use of ‘automatic’ withdrawals (withdrawals that would count against the 6 withdrawal limit per month imposed by Federal Banking Regulations) from the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts in recipient depository institutions.

In one or more embodiments, the system may establish or have established or require establishment of an interest-bearing government-backed (e.g., FDIC, NCUSIF, etc.) insured aggregated deposit account, such as an aggregated money market deposit account (MMDA) at one or more depository institutions. The system may establish or have established or require establishment of a like-titled (titled to the same entity as the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account) aggregated transaction account, such as a DDA, or NOW account, at each of one or more of the recipient depository institutions, with the aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility. In one or more embodiments, the transaction account will not be funded, i.e., a zero balance account. In one or more embodiments, the transaction account may have a balance.

Accordingly, in one or more embodiments, the time for when the source institutions and/or the recipient depository institutions place funds into or withdraw funds from the deposit management system may be extended, e.g., the cutoff time for various institutions may be effectively pushed back through the respective recipient depository institution wiring or other prompt transfer of the funds from its aggregated transaction account, in part or in whole from its overdraft facility, promptly upon receipt of the instructions, and in one or more embodiments, immediately upon receipt of the emailed or other electronic transmission of instructions, without having the need to wait for a messenger/courier delivery of transfer instructions to the recipient depository institution to perform and the subsequent performance of the book or other transfer of funds from the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account in the recipient depository institution actually holding the funds. As noted, the wire amount from the respective recipient depository institution's program aggregated transaction account will be drawn in part or in whole against the aggregated transaction account overdraft facility, which may, in one or more embodiments be secured.

When the transfer instructions for the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account are delivered by the courier/messenger, the recipient depository institution will withdraw funds from the respective account (in one or more embodiments, an aggregated MMDA) and deposit those funds into the respective recipient depository institution's aggregated transaction account (e.g., via a book or other transfer) to thereby cover in whole or in part the overdraft. In the event that the messenger does not timely deliver the MMDA withdrawal instructions, the respective recipient depository institution may use one of the 6 electronic withdrawals during the month (or other prescribed period), as permitted in the Banking Regulations. In one or more embodiments, during a statement period, if there are 6 or less days in the statement cycle, a messenger may be unnecessary for any remaining withdrawals during that cycle, as taught by application Ser. No. 12/974,973, filed on Dec. 21, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

One non-limiting overdraft embodiment of a deposit management system for implementing the invention is shown in FIG. 3 and comprises one or more electronic databases 300 and one or more computers 310.

In one or more embodiments, the one or more electronic databases 300, stored on one or more computer-readable media, comprises: aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions participating in a program, and client account information.

The aggregated account information may comprise, in one or more embodiments, information on a balance of funds in the respective aggregated deposit account, and/or identification information for the respective depository institution holding the aggregated deposit account, and/or source institution information (as described below) for the funds held by the aggregated deposit account, to name a few. Each of multiple of the depository institutions in the deposit management system holds at least one of the government-backed insured interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts, wherein funds from a plurality of client accounts are aggregated with funds of other client accounts in the aggregated deposit accounts. In one or more embodiments, one or more of the banks or other depository institutions in the program with an government-backed insured interest-bearing interest-bearing aggregated deposit account may have at least one associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility.

As noted, in one or more embodiments, the aggregated account information for each of a plurality of the recipient depository institutions that are source institutions, may further comprise a balance of source funds from the respective recipient depository institution, where the source funds of a respective one of the recipient depository institutions comprises funds where the respective recipient depository institution may be a source of the funds into the deposit management program. In one or more embodiments, the source funds comprise funds of the institution held in one or more of the aggregated deposit accounts in the other recipient depository institutions in the program, and/or may be held in other investment vehicle accounts managed by the deposit management system 160.

In one or more embodiments, the client account information in the one or more databases may comprise, for each of a plurality of the respective client accounts, one or more or all of: (a) a respective balance in the respective client account; (b) deposit/transfer and/or withdrawal/transfer data for the respective client account, which may include individual credit and debit data and/or nets of such credit and debit data for the client account, as previously described; and (c) a respective balance of funds from the respective client account held in each of one or more banks or other recipient depository institutions in the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts holding funds of the respective client account. In one or more embodiments, the client account represents funds of a client held in one or more of the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held by the depository institutions in the program and any other investment vehicle accounts managed by the program.

In one or more embodiments, the one or more electronic databases may further comprise transaction account identifiers for the one of more aggregated transaction accounts with overdraft facilities held in the respective recipient depository institutions in the program, that are used to obtain prompt or immediate withdrawals/transfers from the respective recipient depository institutions.

The one or more computers 310 for the deposit management system, in one or more embodiments, may be operatively connected/accessible to computer-readable program code stored in memory, and may be capable of executing program code uploaded therefrom to configure the one or more computers into one or more special-purpose machines. The code, in one or more embodiments, may be comprised of programming modules or other software forms that implement functional components in the one or more computers. These modules or other software forms may be stored separately or in combination.

The one or more computers 310 may be configured, in one or more embodiments, with program code to form an obtaining component 320, for obtaining client account transaction information for each of multiple of the client accounts, the client account transaction information comprising credit information and/or debit information applied to or against a respective client account for one or more sub periods of time and/or other transfer information, and obtaining a respective net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the respective source institutions.

The client account transaction information for each of multiple of the client accounts may comprise information regarding transactions applied to client accounts at source institutions 100, 110, such as over a particular time period, such as a range of hours, days, weeks, month or the like. Such information may be in the form of detailed individual transactions, summary transactions or combinations thereof. Transactions could include sweeps, checks, transfers to cover, e.g., securities transactions or margin accounts, debit card transactions, credit card transactions, on-line bill paying transactions, touch tone bill paying data, ACH transactions, wire transactions, to name a few. In one or more embodiments, such information may be obtained directly by processing one or more transactions, or indirectly by other means. In one or more embodiments, such information may be received electronically in the form of a sweep file which can contained either detailed or summary information for each client account which has activity in the given time period. In one or more embodiments, such information may be received in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means, and entered by keying or scanning or other means of entry of such information. One or more items of information may be obtained by one or more of these exemplary methods. The other transfer information may comprise information generated by the deposit management system 160 or another entity as part of a fund reallocation, or may be generated by another entity, and may comprise depository institution opt-in or opt-outs, depository institution minimum caps and/or maximum caps, the addition or deletion of depository institutions based on various parameters, to name a few.

The respective net transfer amounts for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the respective source institutions may comprise net transfer information associated with the movement of funds from and/or to source institutions, clearance institutions and/or recipient depository institutions. Such net transfer information may be received electronically either in connection with a sweep file and/or separately, and/or may be received in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means and entered by keying or scanning or other means of entry of such information, and/or it may be calculated and/or may be verified by the deposit management system 160. The net transfer information can reflect one net transfer for a respective source institution, and/or multiple net transfers from a respective source institution.

The obtaining component 320, in one or more embodiments, may comprise a communication component, configured on one or more computers, for receiving electronically, via one or more electronic networks, the information on the respective one or more fund withdrawal/transfer amounts and/or one or more fund deposit/transfer amounts, to be transferred to or from one or more recipient depository institutions, to or from one or more source institutions or one or more other recipient depository institutions, and/or directly to credit card or other payment entities.

In one or more embodiments, the obtaining component 320, may be configured to perform a netting operation to calculate a respective net transfer amount for one or more sub-periods of time for one or more of the respective source institutions. Note that the net transfer amount may be received for other of the source institutions.

The one or more computers 310 for the deposit management system may be further configured with program code to comprise a selection engine 330 for selecting at least one aggregated deposit account in one or more of the depository institutions to which to deposit/transfer or to withdraw/transfer funds to or from their respective one or more aggregated deposit accounts, and comprising, for at least one or more of the sub periods of time where one or more of the net transfer amounts require a first withdrawal/transfer amount during a month period, selecting at least one of the recipient depository institutions that has at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility based at least in part on one or more selection rules.

In one or more of the embodiments, the selection by the selection engine 330 may be predetermined by the deposit management system 160 or predetermined by the source institution or predetermined by its clients, or by another third party, and/or may be based at least in part on a de-selection by the source institution or its clients, or the recipient depository institution or the deposit management system. In one or more embodiments, the selection engine 330 may select recipient depository institutions with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account and at least one transaction account in substantially real time, based at least in part on one or more parameters. In one or more embodiments, the selection of recipient depository institutions may not be performed using real-time processing.

In one or more embodiments, the selection engine 330 may perform the selection based at least in part on the fact of, and/or an amount of funds that the prospective recipient depository institution, when operating as a source institution, has provided to the program to be held in aggregated deposit accounts of other recipient depository institutions in the program relative to amounts sourced to the program from other prospective recipient depository institutions, and/or relative to one or more threshold amounts. In one or more embodiments, an operation is performed of comparing an updated amount of source funds of the prospective recipient depository institution (when operating as a source institution) to the updated source fund amounts of other prospective recipient depository institutions (when operating as source institutions). One or more other parameters may also be used in selecting the one or more recipient depository institutions, such as an amount of funds already held in the prospective recipient depository institution by one or more of the client accounts, based at least in part on such considerations as insurance limits, and/or client designated amounts, and/or percentages to be held in a given recipient depository institution. Another parameter may comprise complying with a respective minimum cap and/or a respective maximum cap associated in the one or more databases with a respective depository institution.

The one or more computers 310 for the deposit management system may be further configured, in one or more embodiments, with program code for a transfer data generator 340 for generating recommended and/or actual withdrawal/transfer amount(s) and/or instructions and/or deposit/transfer amount(s) and/or instructions, to and/or from source institutions and/or recipient institutions. In embodiments, the system may generate recommended and/or actual instructions to be carried out by source institutions, agents of source institutions, intermediaries and/or others. In embodiments, intermediaries may up-load or provide instructions to be approved, executed and/or performed by others.

In one or more embodiments, the transfer data generator 340 is configured for generating transfer data reflecting a wire, Fax, email, or other prompt method of transfer of the one or more second withdrawal/transfer amounts using the overdraft facilities of the respective one or more aggregated transaction accounts of the respective one or more recipient depository institutions, with the timing such that withdrawal/transfer of the one or more second withdrawal/transfer amounts using the one or more overdraft facilities is to occur prior to a withdrawal/transfer of one or more third withdrawal/transfer amounts from the respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit account of the one or more respective one recipient depository institutions to the respective one or more transaction accounts with the overdraft facilities. The transfers may be directly to other institutions, or via one or more clearing accounts of one or more clearance institutions, or to payment entities, to name a few.

In one or more embodiments, this transfer data may be communicated directly or indirectly via another entity, to respective one or more of the recipient depository institutions. The communication may be made by wire, email, Fax or other electronic means, or by telephone or other prompt communication to the respective one or more recipient depository institutions to promptly or immediately or, in any event, prior to the transfer from the respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit account held therein, make a withdrawal/transfer from the overdraft facility for the respective aggregated transaction account of the respective recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, the withdrawn/transferred funds from a plurality of the recipient depository institutions may then be aggregated by the deposit management system 160 or by a clearing institution, using one or more computers, into one or more withdrawal/transfer amounts for deposit in one or more source institutions and/or recipient depository institutions and/or sent directly or indirectly to one or more payment vendors.

The amount of the first withdrawal/transfer may be determined based at least in part on one or more parameters. As noted, a need for a first withdrawal/transfer amount may be caused by a single negative net transfer amount for one source institution, or may be caused by multiple net transfer amounts from the same source institution that are netted to obtain the first withdrawal/transfer amount. Alternatively, a need for a first withdrawal/transfer amount may be caused by a netting of net transfer amounts from multiple different source institutions. The amount(s) for the one or more transfers for the one or more selected recipient depository institutions may be received electronically either in connection with a sweep file and/or separately, and/or may be received in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means, and entered by keying or scanning such information, and/or the transfer amount(s) may be calculated based at least in part on one or more of the respective net transfer amounts, and/or the one or more transfer amount(s) may be verified, by the deposit management system 160. If the transfer information is calculated, it may be calculated based at least in part on one or more parameters. Examples of such parameters are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,107, and U.S. application Ser. No. 12/638,544, filed on Dec. 15, 2009, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. As noted, such one or more parameters may be based at least in part on obtaining a target reciprocity for one or more source institutions, and/or based at least in part on complying with maximum caps and/or minimum caps, and or to comply with client or source instructions regarding amounts or percentages to be held in one or more of the recipient depository institutions, and/or to stay within insurance limits. The first withdrawal/transfer amount may be communicated to a selected recipient depository institution, or may be distributed amount among multiple selected recipient depository institutions.

The deposit management system 160, via the transfer data generator 340, also may, in one or more embodiments, generate transfer data, reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the respective one or more recipient depository institutions of a respective second withdrawal/transfer amount from the one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts in the respective one or more depository institutions to their respective transaction accounts in the respective recipient depository institutions to reconcile all or part of the overdraft from the respective aggregated transaction accounts of the selected recipient depository institutions. In one or more embodiments, the transfer data generator 340 may generate transfer data for each of one or more of the recipient depository institutions, which may comprise an instruction to transfer a respective second withdrawal/transfer amount comprising all or a portion of the first withdrawal/transfer amount that was allocated to the respective recipient depository institution, from one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held by the respective recipient depository institution to the aggregated transaction account held by the respective recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, the withdrawal/transfer may be presented to the respective one depository institution in a manner that does not count against the 6 withdrawal limit imposed by Federal Reserve regulations, e.g., using one or more of the methods of: in person, or by mail, or by messenger, or by telephone and distributed by mail, or by automated teller machine, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, this transfer data may be communicated electronically. In one or more embodiments, the instructions for the third withdrawal/transfer amount from the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account may be provided by email or Fax or wire directly to the respective one depository institution, or to a messenger service for messenger delivery to the respective one recipient depository institution. Alternatively, the instructions for any of the withdrawals/transfers may be generated manually or generated by computer, and communicated to a source institution, or to an intermediary institution, or to another institution, that may, in turn, send the instruction to the one respective recipient depository institution, either directly or via a messenger.

The one or more computers 310 for the deposit management system may be further configured, in one or more embodiments, with program code to comprise an allocation and update component 350, for allocating, using the one or more computers, amounts of funds from multiple of the client accounts among multiple of the recipient depository institutions, so that the respective balance of funds for the one or more sub periods of time in each of the aggregated deposit accounts of the depository institutions, after taking into consideration the fund transfer amounts for the one or more sub periods of time, will substantially match a sum of the respective balances of funds from the multiple of the respective client accounts allocated to this respective aggregated deposit account. In one or more embodiments, the allocation information may be calculated based at least in part on one or more criteria. The component 350 may also update the one or more of the electronic databases with allocation information regarding funds of particular client accounts held in particular aggregated accounts at recipient institutions. In one or more embodiments, a record keeper performs such allocations and/or allocation calculations in accordance with one or more parameters.

A system bus 360 may further be provided to facilitate electronic data communication among the components.

An embodiment of a method of implementing the deposit management system of the invention is shown in FIG. 4. Note that the method may be performed in the context of a system that is only receiving withdrawal/transfer data, or may be performed in the context of a system that is receiving both withdrawal/transfer data and deposit/transfer data.

Block 400 comprises accessing, using one or more computers, one or more electronic databases, stored on one or more computer-readable media, as described previously, for carrying out one or more of the various operations of the system. For example, the one or more databases may comprises (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions, comprising a balance of funds held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts, wherein funds from a plurality of client accounts are aggregated with funds of other client accounts in the aggregated deposit accounts, with one or more of the recipient depository institutions with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account having at least one associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility; and (ii) client account information for each of a plurality of the respective client accounts comprising at least a respective balance of funds from the respective client account held in each of one or more recipient depository institutions in the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts holding funds of the respective client account;

Block 405 comprises an operation of obtaining client account transaction information comprising credit information and/or debit information applied to or against a respective client account for one or more sub periods of time and/or other transfer information. Note that the client account transaction information may be based at least in part on data from one or more respective source financial institutions. In one or more embodiments, the obtaining client account transaction information operation comprises receiving electronically a sweep file, and/or receiving client account transaction information in person, over the telephone, by fax or other distribution means and entering such information in the one or more databases by keying or scanning, and/or may be calculated, and/or may be verified by the deposit management system 160. In one or more embodiments, the client account transaction information may comprise a net of withdrawal/transfer amounts and/or deposit/transfer amounts from an individual client account over a period of time. The other transfer information may comprises transfer information from the management computer deposit management system 160 as part of a fund reallocation, or from another entity, for example.

Block 410 comprises an operation of obtaining, using the one or more computers, a respective net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the respective source institutions. The respective net transfer amount for a respective source institution may be comprised of a net of withdrawal/transfer amounts and fund deposit/transfer amounts from the respective source institution that may be accumulated and netted. The net transfer amount may be calculated in whole or in part, using the one or more computers of the deposit management system, and/or may be received through one or more electronic communication networks, and/or may be received manually and keyed and/or scanned into the system. The source and manner of obtaining the respective net transfer amount is not limiting on the invention.

Block 420 comprises an operation of selecting at least one aggregated deposit account in one or more of the depository institutions to which to deposit/transfer or to withdraw/transfer funds to or from their respective one or more aggregated deposit accounts, and comprising, for at least one or more of the sub periods of time where the net transfer amount requires a first withdrawal/transfer amount during a month period, selecting at least one of the recipient depository institutions that has at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility based at least in part one or more selection rules. Note that this operation does not preclude other deposit/transfers and/or withdrawal/transfers during the month to other recipient depository institutions that do not maintain aggregated transaction accounts with overdraft facilities. For the operation of selecting for at least one or more of the sub periods of time where the net transfer amount requires a first withdrawal/transfer amount during a month period at least one of the recipient depository institution that has at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility, only one such recipient depository institution may be selected, or multiple recipient depository institution may be selected that have that have at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility.

In one or more embodiments, one of the selection rules may comprise obtaining a partial or substantially full reciprocity for source contributions of funds to the program, as described above. Another selection rule may comprise maintaining an amount of client account funds in a respective recipient depository institution at or below an insurance limit, or relative to a prescribed amount or percentage to be held in a respective depository institution. Another selection rule may comprise client account instructions. Another rule may comprise making a selection based when transfer information is received and/or processed relative to a cutoff time of the recipient depository institutions for fund transfers, and/or relative to one or more time threshold times, and/or relative to the cutoff times of one or more other of the depository institutions or entities involved in the fund transfer chain. Another selection rule may comprise selecting a recipient depository institution for a withdrawal/transfer or a deposit/transfer in order to comply with a respective minimum cap and/or respective maximum cap associated in the one or more databases with the respective insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts or associated with the respective depository institution or with another of the recipient depository institutions. Another selection rule may comprise minimizing a number of withdrawals/transfers and/or deposits/transfers in a month period to hold balances held in one or more of the insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts substantially stable for some period of time. Another selection rule may comprise complying with a Federal Banking regulation 6 withdrawal/transfer limit per month for one or more of the respective depository institutions. Another selection rule may comprise a selection or de-selection of one or more of the recipient depository institutions by one or more of the clients and/or the source institutions, or by the depository institutions, or by another entity.

It should be noted that the use of the overdraft facility by the program may vary substantially among source institutions and depository institutions. For example, because the use of the overdraft facility may extend the time in which the individual source institutions must submit these client account transaction information to later in the day, some source institutions may make it a practice to use the overdraft facility substantially every day of the month in which there is a net withdrawal from one or more depository institutions. Alternatively, some of the source institutions may follow procedures to avoid using the overdraft facility except as a failsafe option for emergencies. In such cases, the overdraft facility may be established to be available, but may only be drawn upon occasionally. The program may use selection rules to use the same depository institution for all overdrafts for a given period of the day (e.g., the morning, or the afternoon), or over a period of hours, or in a day, or over several days, or over a week, or over a month, for example. Alternatively, the program may use selection rules to use a different depository institution for each use of an overdraft facility. The program may be set up where only one or some of the depository institutions have an overdraft facility, or where all the deposition institutions have an overdraft facility. In embodiments where one or more of the depository institutions are affiliated with one or more source institutions in a program, the affiliated depository institutions may be set up with an overdraft facility. In such embodiments, the affiliated institutions may have greater flexibility to direct deposits towards the affiliated depository institutions.

Block 430 comprises generating first transfer data reflecting a wire or other electronic transfer that uses the overdraft facility of the at least one aggregated transaction account of the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected for the first withdrawal/transfer amount. The withdrawal/transfer of the first withdrawal/transfer amount using the respective overdraft facility is to occur prior to a partial or whole settlement of that respective overdraft from the one or more respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts of the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected. In one or more embodiments, this operation comprises generating and sending directly to the recipient depository institution, using the one or more computers, an instruction to wire or otherwise electronically transfer the first withdrawal/transfer amount from an overdraft facility of its aggregated transaction account. In one or more embodiments, this operation comprises generating and sending to a broker-dealer or other source institution or other entity, using the one or more computers, an instruction to wire or otherwise electronically transfer the first withdrawal/transfer amount from an overdraft facility of the aggregated transaction account of one of the recipient depository institutions. In one or more embodiments, the transfers of the first amount may be directly to other institutions, or indirectly via one or more clearing accounts of one or more clearance institutions.

In one or more embodiments, this operation may further comprise aggregating a first withdrawal/transfer amount from one recipient depository institution with one or more other first withdrawal/transfer amounts from one or more other recipient depository institutions to obtain an aggregated amount, for subsequent transfer.

Block 440 represents an operation of generating second transfer data reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one recipient depository institution of at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount from the one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts in the at least one depository institution that was selected to the respective at least one aggregated transaction account in the at least recipient depository institution that was selected in partial of full settlement of the overdraft.

In one or more embodiments, this operation comprises generating and communicating the second transfer data to have the second withdrawal/transfer amount comprising all or a portion of the first withdrawal/transfer amount withdrawn/transferred from the at least one recipient depository institution via the overdraft facility of its at least one aggregated transaction account, withdrawn/transferred from one or more of the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held by the at least one recipient depository institution to the aggregated transaction account held by the at least one recipient depository institution in partial or full settlement of the respective overdraft. Note that in one or more embodiment, some of the funds for the partial or full settlement of the overdraft are withdrawn/transferred from one or more money funds, or other aggregated or non aggregated investment vehicles that are not insured. The source of funds to be used for the partial or full settlement of the overdraft is not limited.

In one or more embodiments, the second withdrawal/transfer instruction may be presented in a manner that does not count against the 6 withdrawal limit imposed by Federal Reserve regulations, e.g., presenting withdrawal/transfer instructions using one or more of the methods of: in person, or by mail, or by messenger, or by telephone and distributed by mail, or by automated teller machine, or a combination thereof. By way of example, the transfer information may be communicated to a messenger service for delivery by a messenger to the at least one recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, the transfer data may be generated by computer and emailed or faxed or wired or delivered in person, or otherwise communicated to the messenger service, for messenger delivery to the recipient depository institution. Note that in one or more embodiments, if a messenger does not deliver the transfer information before a prescribed time, then the recipient depository institution may transfer the allocated withdrawal/transfer amount from the insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit account held by the recipient depository institution to the transaction account held by the recipient depository institution based at least in part on a transfer instruction wired or otherwise communicated to the recipient depository institution. Note that this withdrawal/transfer may count as one of the six withdrawals permitted per month from an interest-bearing account under Federal banking regulations.

Block 450 represents an operation of allocating, using the one or more computers, amounts of funds from multiple of the client accounts among multiple of the recipient depository institutions, so that the respective balance of funds for the one or more sub periods of time in each of the aggregated deposit accounts of the depository institutions, after taking into consideration the fund transfer amounts for the one or more sub periods of time, will substantially match a sum of the respective balances of funds from the multiple of the respective client accounts allocated to this respective aggregated deposit account. This operation may be considered, in one embodiment, a re-shuffling of client account amounts to substantially match the one or more transfers to the aggregated deposit accounts.

Block 460 comprises an operation of updating, using the one or more computers, one or more of the electronic databases to update the respective balances of client account funds held in one or more of the recipient depository institutions in one or more aggregated deposit accounts therein.

Note that the embodiments above may be implemented with any combination or all of the following features.

In one or more embodiments, an operation is performed of determining a respective one or more withdrawal/transfer amounts to one or more respective recipient depository institutions based, at least in part, on maintaining a target reciprocity for one or more of the recipient depository institutions in the deposit interchange program based at least in part on the fact of, or on an amount of source funds contributed to the program by the respective recipient depository institutions (when operating as source institutions), and held in interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts, and in some embodiments, also in other investment accounts (which may be uninsured, e.g., money funds, etc.) in the program, in other of the recipient depository institutions in the program. In one or more embodiments, this target reciprocity may be complete reciprocity. In another embodiment, the target reciprocity may be determined based at least in part on one of more parameters, such as a total amount of source funds in the program from the respective recipient depository institution as compared to other recipient depository institutions, and/or as compared to one or more threshold amounts, and/or based at least in part on a total amount of source funds of a particular type contributed to the program from the respective recipient depository institutions (when operating as source institutions), e.g., municipal and/or state and/or Federal or other governmental funds, and/or based at least in part on a relationship parameter, and/or some other parameter.

In one or more embodiments, an operation is performed of determining at least one first withdrawal/transfer amount based, at least in part, on a net of deposit/transfer data and withdrawal/transfer data from one or more client accounts of one or more of the source institutions participating in the program and/or from the deposit management system 160 for fund reallocations.

In one or more embodiments, the client account transaction information comprises information for at least funds of one or more client accounts. In another embodiment, the client account transaction information comprises information for at least bank funds, or for only bank funds. In another embodiment, the client account transaction information comprises information for at least municipal or other governmental funds, or for only municipal or other governmental funds.

In one or more embodiments, the one or more computers 310 may be configured by programming code to administer clients' deposits/transfers to and/or withdrawals/transfers from client accounts associated with one or more of the source institutions. In one or more embodiments, the administering comprises processing transaction data comprising transaction data for one or more deposits/transfers for one or more client accounts and/or transaction data for one or more withdrawals/transfers from one or more of said client accounts, with the transaction data comprising a respective amount for each respective deposit/transfer and/or each respective withdrawal/transfer, and/or a net of such amounts over a period of time. For example, the transactions could include sweeps, checks, transfers to cover, e.g., securities transactions or margin accounts, debit card transactions, credit card transactions, on-line bill paying transactions, touch tone bill paying data, ACH transactions, wire transactions, other transfers, and/or nets thereof, to name a few. In such an embodiment, the one or more computers may then be used to calculate a respective net amount for each of one or more of the respective source institutions.

In one or more embodiments, an operation is performed of generating instructions and transmitting the instructions to a messenger service for delivery by messenger to the at least one recipient depository institution to have funds transferred from the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account of at least one respective recipient depository institution to the aggregated transaction account with the overdraft facility of the at least one recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, the transfer data generator 340 may be configured by programming code for generating and sending information to the at least one recipient depository institution by wire or other electronic communication, or by telephone, or by Fax, or other communication mode about a prospective withdrawal/transfer of funds from its one or more interest bearing aggregated deposit accounts to its respective transaction account in partial or full settlement of an overdraft. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, each of a plurality of the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts has an associated transaction account with an overdraft facility. In a further embodiment, all of the recipient depository institutions in the program maintain at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility.

In one or more embodiments, the allocation engine 330 may be configured by programming code in the one or more computers, with one or more selection rules to select only recipient depository institutions with an insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit account that have an associated aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility, and that have a recorded security interest in the deposits of the respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit account of the selected respective recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, the allocation engine 330 may be configured by programming code in the one or more computers, with one or more selection rules to select, after a predetermined time of day, only recipient depository institutions with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account and an aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility. In one or more embodiments, this aggregated transaction account may have a recorded security interest in the deposits of the respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit account of the selected recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, these operations may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, the instruction for the wire transfer or other electronic transfer of the first withdrawal/transfer amount from the aggregated transaction account may require an immediate wire transfer from the overdraft facility upon receipt of the instruction.

In one or more embodiments, wherein there is a reciprocity target for at least one of the recipient depository institutions, and wherein one of the one or more selection rules comprises determining whether a prospective withdrawal/transfer or a deposit/transfer will comply with a respective maximum cap and/or a respective minimum cap associated with the prospective recipient depository institution or with another of the respective recipient depository institutions, the one or more computers 310 may be configured with programming code for performing a pseudo-transfer of a proposed transfer of the at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount to determine whether the reciprocity target for the at least one recipient depository institution will be met by the proposed transfer; and if the reciprocity target will not be met by the pseudo transfer and the resulting pseudo end balances that would be held in the respective recipient depository institutions, then changing one or more of the respective maximum caps and/or the respective minimum caps to change the at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount to the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account held in the at least one recipient depository institution that was selected. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually. This operation may be advantageous for the one or more embodiments where transfer to the interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in the respective recipient depository institutions is controlled at least in part by maximum caps and/or minimum caps.

In one or more embodiments, the one or more computers 310 may be configured with programming code for generating and sending one or more instructions to a source institution to withdraw/transfer funds from the control operating account 125 held by the clearance bank 120 and to transfer those funds to one or more of the program source institutions and/or to one or more of the recipient depository institutions and/or to one or more payment entities. In one or more embodiments, a communication to the clearance bank by telephone, or by Fax, or in person, or other non-automated communication, may be performed.

In one or more embodiments, the one or more computers may be configured by programming code for making direct electronic communication with the control operating account 125 held by the clearance bank 120 to provide instructions to withdraw/transfer funds from the control operating account 125, and to send/transfer funds to one or more of the source institutions and/or to one or more of the recipient depository institutions and/or to one or more payment entities. In another embodiment, a communication to the clearance bank by telephone, or by Fax, or in person, or other non-automated communication, may be performed.

In one or more embodiments, the one or more computers may be configured with programming code for determining if an overdraft amount remains in the aggregated transaction account of at least one of the recipient depository institution at a time subsequent to a transfer of the one or more second withdrawal/transfer amounts, e.g., the next day, for example. In another embodiment, the one or more computers may be configured with programming code for performing a reconciliation process with the one or more transaction accounts of the respective recipient depository institutions to determine if there is an overdraft, and if so, to determine the overdraft amount for that respective aggregated transaction account, at a time subsequent (e.g., the next day) to sending the transfer data reflecting the second withdrawal/transfer amount made from the interest-bearing aggregated deposit account held in the respective recipient depository institution to the aggregated transaction account held by the respective recipient depository institution, to settle all or a portion of the overdraft. In one or more embodiments, data on overdraft amounts, overdraft limits/thresholds, and/or other records for the respective aggregated transaction accounts of the respective recipient depository institutions may be maintained in the one or more databases. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, the allocation engine 330 may be configured, by programming code in the one or more computers, with one or more selection rules for selecting only recipient depository institutions with a government backed insured interest-bearing aggregated deposit account that has an associated transaction account with an overdraft facility that has a zero balance therein, and/or has no current overdraft, or for selecting an aggregated transaction account with an overdraft amount below a threshold level. In one or more embodiments, the deposit management system 160 may maintain data in the one or more databases on a respective positive or negative balance held in one or more of the respective aggregated transaction accounts. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, the allocation engine 330 may be configured by programming code for determining multiple respective second withdrawal/transfer amounts to be allocated to respective recipient depository institutions, with each respective second withdrawal/transfer amount, based at least in part on one or more parameters. Example parameters have been set forth above, and may comprise reciprocity targets, maintaining maximum caps and/or minimum caps, maintaining client account funds fully insured, limiting fund transfers for one or more of the recipient depository institutions, to name a few. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In another embodiment, the allocation engine 330 may be configured by programming code for selecting recipient depository institutions and/or determining amount(s) of the respective withdrawals/transfers from the selected recipient depository institutions, based at least in part, on respective fund transfer cutoff times for respective recipient depository institutions and/or source institutions, and/or processing cutoff times for other entities involved in the fund transfer. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, the transfer data generator 340 may be configured with programming code for sending the transfer data to a source institution for subsequent transfer to one or more recipient depository institutions. In one or more embodiments, this operation may be performed manually.

In one or more embodiments, the program may use a plurality of control operating accounts at one or more clearance banks, to manage timing of deposit/transfers and withdrawals/transfer among the recipient depository institutions, the source institutions, and the payment entities.

As noted above, in one or more embodiments, a reverse wire draw-down operation may be used by a source institution, or by the deposit management system 160, or by another entity, to “pull” funds from one or more aggregated transaction accounts in respective recipient depository institutions with overdraft facilities, instead of initiating a “push” transfer via a wire or other electronic transfer, by the recipient depository institutions.

In yet another embodiment, a recipient depository institution, an intermediary institution, the deposit management system 160, and/or another entity, may perform a reverse wire draw-down operation to “pull” funds from one or more depository institutions/source institutions/clearance banks for a deposit/transfer to accelerate fund movement.

The present invention can be used in various kinds of deposit interchange programs and deposit sweep programs, as well as programs hereinafter developed. The present invention can also be used in the demand deposit marketplace, with insured deposit bank sweep products.

Note that the embodiment described in Ser. No. 13/032,456, filed on Feb. 22, 2011, titled “System, Method and Program Product for Administering Fund Movements Using Depository Institution Groups” may be combined with the embodiment using the overdraft facility of FIG. 4 to form a yet further embodiment. For example, in one or more embodiments, at least one of the one or more recipient depository institutions in a second group, per this Ser. No. 13/032,456, has an associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility. In this embodiment, the generating transfer data reflecting a transfer of at least one second transfer amount from at least one selected recipient depository institution in the second group of one or more recipient depository institutions comprises: generating withdrawal/transfer data reflecting a wire or other electronic transfer of the at least one second transfer amount using the overdraft facility of the aggregated transaction account of the selected at least one recipient depository institution in the second group, with the withdrawal/transfer of the second transfer amount using the overdraft facility to occur prior to a withdrawal/transfer of a third withdrawal/transfer amount from the respective interest-bearing aggregated deposit account of the selected at least one recipient depository institution to its respective transaction account to settle in whole or in part the overdraft; and generating transfer data reflecting a transfer by the selected at least one recipient depository institution in the second group of the third withdrawal/transfer amount from the one or more interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts in the selected at least one depository institution to the transaction account in the at least one recipient depository institution. In one or more embodiments, one or more of the second withdrawals/transfers may be directly or indirectly to one or more clearing accounts of one or more clearance institutions.

Embodiments within the scope of the present invention include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.

Embodiments of the invention have been described in the general context of method steps which may be implemented in one or more embodiments by a program product including machine-executable instructions, such as program code, for example in the form of program modules executed by machines in networked environments. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular data types. Multi-threaded applications may be used, for example, based on Java or C++. Machine-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represent examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps.

Embodiments of the present invention may be practiced with one or multiple computers in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers having processors. Logical connections may include a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN) that are presented here by way of example and not limitation. Such networked environments are commonplace in office-wide or enterprise-wide computer networks, and include intranets and the Internet, and may use a wide variety of different communication protocols. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such network computing environments will typically encompass many types of computer system configurations, including personal computers, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are perfotined by local and remote processing devices that are linked (either by hardwired links, wireless links, or by a combination of hardwired and wireless links) through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

It should be noted that although the flow charts provided herein show a specific order of method steps, it is understood that the order of these steps may differ from what is depicted. Also two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. It is understood that all such variations are within the scope of the invention. Likewise, software and web implementations of the present invention could be accomplished with programming techniques with rule based logic and other logic to accomplish the various database searching steps, correlation steps, comparison steps and decision steps. It should also be noted that the word “component” as used herein and in the claims is intended to encompass implementations using one or more lines of software code, and/or hardware implementations, and/or manual operations. It should also be noted that the phrase “a plurality” is intended to mean more than one, and is not intended to refer to any previous recitation of the word “plurality,” unless preceded by the word “the.”

While this invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for administering a deposit sweep program, comprising: accessing, by a deposit management computer system comprising one or more computers, one or more electronic databases stored on one or more computer-readable media, said one or more electronic databases comprising: (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions, said aggregated account information comprising a balance of funds held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts, wherein each aggregated deposit account aggregates funds from a plurality of client accounts of one or more source institutions, and wherein at least one of the plurality of aggregated deposit accounts in at least one of the recipient depository institutions is associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility;(ii) client account information for each of the plurality of client accounts, said client account information comprising a balance of funds of each client account held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts of each of the recipient depository institutions holding funds of said each client account;obtaining, by the deposit management computer system, client account transaction information for each of multiple of the client accounts of the one or more source institutions, the client account transaction information comprising credit information applied to and/or debit information applied against said each of the multiple of the client accounts for one or more sub-periods of time;obtaining, by the deposit management computer system, a net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the source institutions;when one or more of the obtained net transfer amounts requires a first withdrawal/transfer amount, selecting, via the deposit management computer system, at least one aggregated deposit account to which to withdraw/transfer funds from, said selecting comprising, selecting the at least one aggregated deposit account associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility, based at least in part on one or more selection rules including a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account having a cutoff time which facilitates the timely movement of funds to the one or more source institutions;generating first transfer data by the deposit management computer system, and communicating directly or indirectly at least one first transfer instruction to the at least one recipient depository institution holding the selected at least one aggregated deposit account with the associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility, wherein the at least one first transfer instruction instructs the at least one recipient depository institution to wire or electronically transfer using the overdraft facility all or part of the first withdrawal/transfer amount from the aggregated transaction account associated with the selected at least one aggregated deposit account to the one or more source institutions prior to any partial or whole settlement of each overdraft from the selected at least one aggregated deposit account;generating second transfer data by the deposit management computer system, and communicating directly or indirectly at least one second transfer instruction to the at least one recipient depository institution holding the selected at least one aggregated deposit account with the associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility, wherein the at least one second transfer instruction instructs the at least one recipient depository institution to withdraw/transfer all or part of a second withdrawal/transfer amount from the selected at least one aggregated deposit account to its associated aggregated transaction account in partial or full settlement of the overdraft therein, wherein if a withdrawal/transfer limit has been met by the selected at least one aggregated deposit account during the one or more sub-periods of time, the at least one second transfer instruction is presented in person, by mail, by messenger, by telephone and distributed by mail, by automated teller machine, or a combination thereof, so that the selected at least one aggregated deposit account preserves its interest-bearing status;reallocating, by the deposit management computer system, amounts of funds from multiple of the plurality of client accounts so that, after taking into consideration each net transfer amount, the balance of funds held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts matches a sum of the respective balances of funds of the client accounts allocated to said each of the aggregated deposit accounts; andupdating, by the deposit management computer system, said each balance of funds of said each client account of the multiple of the client accounts after and based at least in part on the reallocating step.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting of the at least one aggregated deposit account associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility comprises selecting multiple of such aggregated deposit accounts, from multiple of the recipient depository institutions; andwherein the communicating comprises communicating directly or indirectly the at least one first transfer instruction to each of the multiple of the recipient depository institutions.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising: aggregating partial first withdrawal/transfer amounts associated with each of the at least one first transfer instructions communicated to each of the multiple recipient depository institutions to obtain an aggregated amount, for subsequent transfer to the source institution requiring the first withdrawal/transfer amount.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one recipient depository institution holding the at least one aggregated deposit account associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility is also one of the source institutions and the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account at least in part based on obtaining a partial or full reciprocity for source funds contributed by the at least one recipient depository institution to the deposit sweep program and held in one or more aggregated deposit accounts of one or more other recipient depository institutions.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one recipient depository institution holding the at least one aggregated deposit account associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility is also one of the source institutions and the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account at least in part based on an amount of source funds of the at least one recipient depository institution held in one or more aggregated deposit accounts of one or more other the recipient depository institutions relative to an amount of source funds of another recipient depository institution held in the one or more aggregated deposit accounts of the one or more other recipient depository institutions.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account at least in part based on whether an amount of client account funds of a particular one of the client accounts already held in the at least one recipient depository institution will exceed a threshold amount and/or client account instructions for the particular one of the client accounts.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account at least in part based on maintaining a target reciprocity for one or more of the recipient depository institutions based at least in part on an amount of source funds contributed to the deposit sweep program by the one or more recipient depository institutions.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account at least in part based on whether a transfer of the withdrawal/transfer amount, associated with the at least one first transfer instruction, will comply with a maximum cap and/or a minimum cap associated with the at least one recipient depository institution.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one recipient depository institution holding the at least one aggregated deposit account associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility is also one of the source institutions and has a reciprocity target, andwherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that determines whether a transfer of the withdrawal/transfer amount, associated with the at least one first transfer instruction, will comply with a maximum cap and/or a minimum cap associated with the one or more of the at least one recipient depository institution, andthe method further comprising: performing a pseudo-transfer of the withdrawal/transfer amount, associated with the at least one first transfer instruction, to determine whether the reciprocity target for the one or more of the at least one recipient depository institution will be met by the pseudo-transfer; andif the reciprocity target will not be met, then changing the maximum cap and/or the minimum cap for the one or more of the at least one recipient depository institution to change the withdrawal/transfer amount associated with the at least one first transfer instruction.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the net transfer amount for said each of the one or more source institutions comprises calculating a net of one or more client account deposit/transfer amounts and one or more client account withdrawal/transfer amounts.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the communicating of the at least one second transfer instruction comprises providing the at least one second transfer instruction for presentation by a messenger.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first withdrawal/transfer amount and the second withdrawal/transfer amount are equal for the at least one recipient depository institution holding the selected at least one aggregated deposit account.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein one or more of the government backed-insured interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one first transfer instruction instructs the at least one recipient depository institution to make an immediate wire transfer of said all or said part of the first withdrawal/transfer amount using the overdraft facility from the aggregated transaction account associated with the selected at least one aggregated deposit account.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the communicating of the at least one second transfer instruction comprises transmitting the at least one second transfer instruction by wire instructions to a delivery service for delivery by a messenger.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the client account transaction information comprises one or more deposit/transfer amounts and/or withdrawal/transfer amounts or nets thereof of one or more client accounts.

17. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the client account transaction information comprises information for at least funds of one of the source institutions that is one of the recipient depository institutions.

18. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the client account transaction information is obtained by processing, by the deposit management computer system, client account transaction data comprising transaction data for one or more deposits/transfers to one or more of the client accounts and/or transaction data for one or more withdrawals/transfers from one or more of the client accounts, said transaction data comprising an amount for each deposit/transfer and each withdrawal/transfer and/or a net of one or more of said deposit/transfer amounts and said withdrawal/transfer amounts over a period of time, andwherein the obtaining of the net transfer amount for said each of the one or more source institutions comprises calculating, by the deposit management computer, a net of the one or more deposit/transfer amounts and the one or more withdrawal/transfer amounts from said each of the multiple of the client accounts.

19. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of multiple of the aggregated deposit accounts has an associated aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility.

20. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account only if the at least one recipient depository institution has a recorded security interest in deposits of the at least one aggregated deposit account held therein.

21. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising: generating one or more instructions to one of the source institutions to withdraw/transfer funds to one or more payment entities.

22. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising: determining if an overdraft remains in the associated aggregated transaction account of the at least one recipient depository institution at a time subsequent to a transfer of said all or said part of the second withdrawal/transfer amount from the selected at least one aggregated deposit account held therein.

23. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account only from the at least one of the recipient depository institutions holding an aggregated deposit account with an associated aggregated transaction account that has an overdraft balance of less than a threshold amount.

24. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising: maintaining data in the one or more electronic databases on a positive or negative balance of each associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility.

25. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the communicating of the at least one second transfer instruction comprises communicating to a broker-dealer the at least one second transfer instruction reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one recipient depository institution of said all or said part of the second withdrawal/transfer amount.

26. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one first transfer instruction reflects a wire or electronic transfer, using the overdraft facility, said all or said part of the first withdrawal/transfer amount from the aggregated transaction account associated with the selected at least one aggregated deposit account to one or more clearance accounts in one or more clearance institutions of the one or more source institutions.

27. The method as defined in claim 26, further comprising: making direct telephone or electronic communication with one of the one or more clearance institutions to provide instructions to withdraw/transfer funds from the one or more clearance account therein to the one or more of the source institutions and/or to one or more of the recipient depository institutions and/or to one or more payment entities.

28. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, withdrawing/transferring at least some of the funds for the second withdrawal/transfer amount for the partial or full settlement of the overdraft from one or more money funds.

29. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, withdrawing/transferring at least some of the funds for the second withdrawal/transfer amount for the partial or full settlement of the overdraft from one or more aggregated investment vehicles that are not insured.

30. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account at least in part based on directing the net transfer amount for at least one of the source institutions to a recipient depository institution that is affiliated with the at least one source institution.

31. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising: transferring electronically, by the deposit management computer system, an amount of funds based at least in part on the at least one first transfer instruction using the overdraft facility of the aggregated transaction account associated with the selected at least one aggregated deposit account prior to said partial or said whole settlement of said each overdraft from the selected at least one aggregated deposit account.

32. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account while avoiding any deselected recipient depository institution.

33. A deposit management computer system for administering a deposit sweep program, comprising: one or more computers comprising memory wherein the memory stores computer-readable instructions comprising program code that, when executed, cause the one or more computers to perform the steps of:accessing one or more electronic databases stored on one or more computer-readable media, said one or more electronic databases comprising: (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions, said aggregated account information comprising a balance of funds held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts, wherein each aggregated deposit account aggregates funds from a plurality of client accounts of one or more source institutions, and wherein at least one of the plurality of aggregated deposit accounts in at least one of the recipient depository institutions is associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility;(ii) client account information for each of the plurality of client accounts, said client account information comprising a balance of funds of each client account held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts of each of the recipient depository institutions holding funds of said each client account;obtaining client account transaction information for each of multiple of the client accounts of the one or more source institutions, the client account transaction information comprising credit information applied to and/or debit information applied against said each of the multiple of the client accounts for one or more sub-periods of time;obtaining a net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the source institutions;when one or more of the obtained net transfer amounts requires a first withdrawal/transfer amount, selecting at least one aggregated deposit account to which to withdraw/transfer funds from, said selecting comprising, selecting the at least one aggregated deposit account associated with an aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility, based at least in part on one or more selection rules including a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account having a cutoff time which facilitates the timely movement of funds to the one or more source institutions;generating first transfer data and communicating directly or indirectly at least one first transfer instruction to the at least one recipient depository institution holding the selected at least one aggregated deposit account with the associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility, wherein the at least one first transfer instruction instructs the at least one recipient depository institution to wire or electronically transfer using the overdraft facility all or part of the first withdrawal/transfer amount from the aggregated transaction account associated with the selected at least one aggregated deposit account to the one or more source institutions prior to any partial or whole settlement of each overdraft from the selected at least one aggregated deposit account;generating second transfer data and communicating directly or indirectly at least one second transfer instruction to the at least one recipient depository institution holding the selected at least one aggregated deposit account with the associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility, wherein the at least one second transfer instruction instructs the at least one recipient depository institution to withdraw/transfer all or part of a second withdrawal/transfer amount from the selected at least one aggregated deposit account to its associated aggregated transaction account in partial or full settlement of the overdraft therein, wherein if a withdrawal/transfer limit has been met by the selected at least one aggregated deposit account during the one or more sub-periods of time, the at least one second transfer instruction is presented in person, by mail, by messenger, by telephone and distributed by mail, by automated teller machine, or a combination thereof, so that the selected at least one aggregated deposit account preserves its interest-bearing status;reallocating amounts of funds from multiple of the plurality of client accounts so that, after taking into consideration each net transfer amount, the balance of funds held in each of the aggregated deposit accounts matches a sum of the respective balances of funds of the client accounts allocated to said each of the aggregated deposit accounts; andupdating said each balance of funds of said each client account of the multiple of the client accounts after and based at least in part on the reallocating step.

34. The system as defined in claim 33, wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instructions comprising program code that, when executed, cause the one or more computers to perform the step of: transferring electronically an amount of funds based on the at least one first transfer instruction using the overdraft facility of the aggregated transaction account associated with the selected at least one aggregated deposit account, prior to said partial or said whole settlement of said each overdraft from the selected at least one aggregated deposit account.

35. The system as defined in claim 33, wherein the one or more selection rules includes a selection rule that selects the at least one aggregated deposit account while avoiding any deselected recipient depository institution.