Method and system for creating and maintaining an index for tracking files relating to people
A computer system creates and maintains an index for tracking information relating to individuals. Such information can include, but is not limited to, social security numbers, names, address information, credit bureau identification numbers, and credit history information on individuals. The invention employs logical rules to this information in order to create and maintain a set of files for each individual. The logical rules can include social security rules, geography rules, and address ranking rules. The invention is designed to evaluate slight variations in information very carefully in order to insure that appropriate files are assigned the same index identification number or that appropriate records are assigned separate and different index identification numbers as a situation warrants. The present invention is designed to maintain numerous files for each individual being tracked instead of merging and purging files as is done in the conventional art.
1. A computer-implemented method for creating and maintaining an index for tracking mailing addresses of individuals who use credit or who are eligible for credit offers, comprising the step of:
Creating an index with data from a trusted data source by applying at least one rule from a set comprising at least one of a social security rule and a geographical rule, the rule comparing information between different files, the trusted data source comprising at least one of a government agency and a credit reporting agency;
Updating the index with national change of address data comprising information derived from change of address forms;
Updating the index with return mail data comprising information derived from mail that is not delivered; and
Updating the index with data from a non-trusted data source in a controlled manner, the non-trusted data source comprising a commercial demographic database, wherein the data from the trusted data source is retained while the data from the non-trusted data source is either retained or dropped.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating an index with data from a trusted data source further comprises ranking address information.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of ranking address information comprises ranking addresses by determining at least one of the following: whether an address is deliverable; whether a file comprising the address also includes a social security number; whether the address was change in an address for an individual; and which trusted data source supplied the address.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating an index further comprises comparing social security numbers between different files.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating an index comprises applying one or more rules that compares social security between different files.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of updating the index with data from a trusted data source.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of updating the index further comprises the steps of:
applying one or more rules that compares social security numbers between different files; and applying one or more rules that compares addresses between different files.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating an index further comprises the steps of: assigning a unique index identification number for each file received from the trusted data source; and replacing a first index identification number for a first file with an index number of a second file if a match occurs between one of social security numbers and addresses contained within the first and second files.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of creating an index further comprises the step of comparing fields of different files on a byte-by-byte scale to determine difference between the files.