Predictive advisor system and method for communicating with a user regarding a payment account in a computer network

1 . A networked computer system for communicating with a user about spending associated with a payment account of the user, the system comprising:

a user;

a payment account of the user;

a web interface for communicating with the user, and

a predictive advisor system comprising a predictive advisor engine for monitoring spending activity related to the payment account and for providing financial and savings advice to the user via the web interface.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a database for storing data related to the payment account of the user.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a database computer application.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predictive advisor engine comprises at least one of a computer-implemented rule, trend, option, goal or warning related to the spending activity associated with the payment account of the user.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the payment account is a stored-value account, a financial account, or a combination thereof.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the web interface is a computer, a personal data assistant, a mobile device, a netbook, or an automated-teller machine (ATM).

7 . A networked computer system for communicating with a user about a financial account of the user and spending activity associated with the financial account of the user, said system comprising:

a user; and

a financial institution comprising a financial account of the user and a predictive advisor system, wherein the predictive advisor system comprises a predictive advisor engine for monitoring spending activity related to the financial account and for providing financial and savings advice to the user via a web interface in the networked computer system.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the predictive advisor engine comprises at least one of a computer-implemented rule, trend, option, goal or warning related to the spending activity associated with the payment account of the user.

9 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the payment account is a stored-value account, a financial account, or a combination thereof.

10 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the web interface is a computer, a personal data assistant, a mobile device, a netbook, or an automated-teller machine (ATM).

11 . A method for monitoring a payment account of a user and advising on spending activity related to the payment account, the method comprising:

enrolling a user in a computer-based predictive advisor system;

obtaining account information about a payment account of the user to communicatively connect the payment account to the predictive advisor system so as to provide the predictive advisor system access to the payment account in a computer-based network;

inputting spending information related to the payment account into the predictive advisor system based upon pre-determined spending categories or based upon individualized spending categories created by the user;

setting a rule, a goal, or a combination thereof for the user in the predictive advisor system;

monitoring by predictive advisor system spending activity associated with the payment account of the user; and

notifying the user via a web interface when the rule is broken, when the goal is met, or when within a range of the rule being broken or the goal being reached.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the payment account is a financial account.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the payment account is held by a financial institution.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the financial institution that holds the financial account also monitors the spending activity associated with the payment account of the user in the predictive advisor system.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the financial institution notifies the user via a web interface when the rule is broken, when the goal is met, or when within a range of the rule being broken or the goal being reached.

16 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the user is notified by instant messaging, telephone, e-mail, or a combination thereof.

17 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein an additional notification is requested by the user through the web interface.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the additional notification is in response to a user request for a status update of the payment account relative to the rule or goal.

19 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising monitoring potential fraudulent activity associated with the spending activity associated with the payment account.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , further comprising notifying by the predictive advisor system the user upon detection of potential fraudulent activity.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the notification is provided to the user via the web-interface.

22 . The method according to claim 19 , further comprising notifying a fraud department responsible for overseeing the payment account of the user.

23 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising responding by the predictive advisor system to a request by the user to predict financial status of the user after a pre-determined amount of time.

24 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising responding by the predictive advisor system to a request by the user to generate a recommendation as to how to change spending patterns of the user.

25 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising responding by the predictive advisor system to a request by the user to generate a recommendation as to how to increase savings of the user.

26 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising monitoring by the predictive advisor system for a missing historical or regular periodic payment.

27 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the user is a customer of the financial institution.