Customized performance benchmarks for stable value funds

1. A method using a computer for calculating a performance benchmark customized for a stable value fund, which fund is invested in a number of strategy portfolios, which portfolios are wrapped in a number of wrap contracts or insurance separate account contracts comprising:

(a) calculating using the computer the return performance of the stable value fund, and the corresponding market-value-book-value ratio;

(b) selecting an appropriate benchmark index for each strategy portfolio;

(c) calculating using the computer a benchmark crediting rate for the customized performance benchmark, as if the stable value fund had been invested in the appropriate benchmark indexes instead of the actual strategy portfolios;

(d) applying using the computer the benchmark crediting rate and appropriate benchmark index returns to calculate a custom return performance benchmark and corresponding market-value-book-value ratio; and

(e) comparing the actual performance of the stable value fund to the performance of the customized performance benchmark, and comparing the stable value fund market-value-book-value ratio to the customized performance benchmark market-value-book-value ratio.

2. The method in claim 1 further comprising:

calculating, using the computer, at one time, the custom return performance benchmark and corresponding market-value-book-value ratio, for a series of consecutive monthly periods.

3. The method in claim 1 , wherein the crediting rate for the customized performance benchmark is calculated using the equation:

CR=(1+Yield)×(MV/BV)^(1/Duration)−1

where CR is the crediting rate, Yield is the annualized yield of the underlying market-value investments, MV is the market value of the underlying investments, BV is the book value of the wrap or separate account, and, Duration is the duration of the underlying market-value investments.

4. The method in claim 1 , wherein the benchmark crediting rate for the customized performance benchmark is calculated using an equation that is a member of the group comprising:

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)−ContractFees±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))−ContractFees±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)−ContractFees±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))−ContractFees+ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)*(1+AEY)−ContractFees−1

wherein the following definitions apply:

P=Previous month end period

C=Current month end

MV=Market Value

BV=Book Value

NCF=Net Cash Flow

MVR=Market Value Return

BVR=Book Value Return

MVCF=Market Value Cash Flow

BVCF=Book Value Cash Flow

CR=Crediting Rate

AEY=Annualized Yield

DUR=Effective Duration

ContractFees=Contract Fee on wrap contract or insurance separate account contract

DurationFactor=factor applied to duration when MV/BV ratio drops

InvMgmtFees=Investment Management fees

ADJ=catch-all field to allow for any miscellaneous adjustments to a crediting rate.

5. The method in claim 1 , wherein the following equations are applied:

MV C =MV P *(1+MVR C )+MVCF C /2*MVRC C +MVCF C   (Equation 1)

BV C =BV P *(1+CR C )^(1/12)+BVCF C /2*(CR C /12)+BVCFC  (Equation 2)

BVR C =(BV C −BV P −NCF C )/(BV P +NCF C )  (Equation 3)

Wherein the following definitions apply:

P=Previous month end period

C=Current month end

MV=Market Value

BV=Book Value

NCF=Net Cash Flow

MVR=Market Value Return

BVR=Book Value Return

MVCF=Market Value Cash Flow

BVCF=Book Value Cash Flow

CR=Crediting Rate

AEY=Annualized Yield

DUR=Effective Duration

ContractFees=Contract Fee on wrap contract or insurance separate account contract

DurationFactor=factor applied to duration when MV/BV ratio drops

InvMgmtFees=Investment Management fees

ADJ=catch-all field to allow for any miscellaneous adjustments to a crediting rate.

6. A method using a computer for calculating a customized performance benchmark book value return for a stable value fund for a period, comprising:

(a) determining a list of effective month end dates;

(b) determining for each effective date all transactions over the period for the stable value fund and for each component of the stable value fund;

(c) calculating using the computer benchmark weightings for each date in the period;

(d) calculating using the computer blended benchmark statistics for each wrap component and for the overall customized performance benchmark as of each effective date;

(e) calculating using the computer market values for each underlying market value index;

(f) calculating using the computer current book values for each component of the customized performance benchmark;

(g) calculating using the computer current crediting rates for each component; and

(h) calculating using the computer the book value return for the customized performance benchmark.

7. The method in claim 6 , wherein a benchmark crediting rate for the customized performance benchmark is calculated using an equation that is a member of the group comprising:

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))−ContractFees±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)±ADJ

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))±ADJ

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)−ContractFees±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))−ContractFees±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)−1)±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*DUR))±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)−ContractFees±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))−ContractFees+ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=((1+AEY)*(MV/BV)^(1/(DUR*DurationFactor))−1)±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(AEY+(MV−BV)/(MV*(DUR*DurationFactor)))±ADJ−InvMgmtFees

CR=(MV/BV)^(1/DUR)*(1+AEY)−ContractFees−1

wherein the following definitions apply:

P=Previous month end period

C=Current month end

MV=Market Value

BV=Book Value

NCF=Net Cash Flow

MVR=Market Value Return

BVR=Book Value Return

MVCF=Market Value Cash Flow

BVCF=Book Value Cash Flow

CR=Crediting Rate

AEY=Annualized Yield

DUR=Effective Duration

ContractFees=Contract Fee on contract

DurationFactor=factor applied to duration when MV/BV ratio drops

InvMgmtFees=Investment Management fees

ADJ=catch-all field to allow for any miscellaneous adjustments to a crediting rate.

8. The method in claim 6 , wherein the following equations are applied:

MVC=MVP*(1+MVRC)+MVCFC/2*MVRCC+MVCFC  (Equation 1)

BVC=BVP*(1+CRC)^(1/12)+BVCFC/2*(CRC/12)+BVCFC  (Equation 2)

BVRC=(BVC−BVP−NCFC)/(BVP+NCFC)  (Equation 3)

Wherein the following definitions apply:

P=Previous month end period

C=Current month end

MV=Market Value

BV=Book Value

NCF=Net Cash Flow

MVR=Market Value Return

BVR=Book Value Return

MVCF=Market Value Cash Flow

BVCF=Book Value Cash Flow

CR=Crediting Rate

AEY=Annualized Yield

DUR=Effective Duration

ContractFees=Contract Fee on contract

DurationFactor=factor applied to duration when MV/BV ratio drops

InvMgmtFees=Investment Management fees

ADJ=catch-all field to allow for any miscellaneous adjustments to a crediting rate.

9. A computer system for calculating a performance benchmark customized for a stable value fund, which fund is invested in a number of strategy portfolios, which portfolios are wrapped in a number of wrap contracts, separate accounts or other investments, the computer system comprising:

(a) a computer memory;

(b) a programmable processor in electronic communication with the memory, the processor configured to execute the method comprising:

(i) calculating using the computer the return performance of the stable value fund, and the corresponding market-value-book-value ratio;

(ii) selecting an appropriate benchmark index for each strategy portfolio;

(iii) calculating using the computer a benchmark crediting rate for the customized performance benchmark, as if the stable value fund had been invested, in the appropriate benchmark indexes instead of the actual strategy portfolios;

(iv) applying using the computer the benchmark crediting rate and appropriate benchmark index returns to calculate a custom return performance benchmark and corresponding market-value-book-value ratio; and

(v) comparing the actual performance of the stable value fund to the performance of the customized performance benchmark, and comparing the stable value fund market-value-book-value ratio to the customized performance benchmark market-value-book-value ratio.

10. The computer system in claim 9 , the processor further configured to execute the step comprising:

calculating, using the computer, at one time, the custom return performance benchmark and corresponding market-value-book-value ratio, for a series of consecutive monthly periods.

11. The computer system in claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the crediting rate for the customized performance benchmark using the equation:

CR=(1+Yield)×(MV/BV)^(1/Duration)−1

where CR is the crediting rate, Yield is the annualized yield of the underlying market-value investments, MV is the market value of the underlying investments, BV is the book value of the wrap or separate account, and, Duration is the duration of the underlying market-value investments.

12. A computer system for calculating a customized performance benchmark book value return for a stable value fund for a period, the computer system comprising:

(a) a computer memory;

(b) a programmable processor in electronic communication with the memory, the processor configured to execute the method comprising:

(i) determining a list of effective month end dates;

(ii) determining for each effective date all transactions over the period for the stable value fund and for each component of the stable value fund;

(iii) calculating using the computer benchmark weightings for each date in the period;

(iv) calculating using the computer blended benchmark statistics for each wrap component and for the overall customized performance benchmark as of each effective date;

(v) calculating using the computer market values for each underlying market value index;

(vi) calculating using the computer current book values for each component of the customized performance benchmark;

(vii) calculating using the computer current crediting rates for each component; and

(viii) calculating using the computer the book value return for the customized performance benchmark.

13. The method in claim 1 , further comprising calculating and attributing, using the computer, the contributions to the performance of the customized performance benchmark between market performance of underlying investments and impact of client-driven cashflows.

14. The method in claim 13 , wherein the contributions are calculated and attributed according to the equations:

P Total =F ret −B ret

P Market ={tilde over (F)} ret −{tilde over (B)} ret

P CF =P Total −P Market =F ret −B ret −{tilde over (F)} ret +{tilde over (B)} ret

wherein F ret is the total return of the stable value fund over a period of time, B ret is the total return of the customized performance benchmark over the period of time, {tilde over (F)} ret is a modified total return of the stable value fund calculated omitting any influence of client-driven cashflows, {tilde over (B)} ret is a modified total return of the customized performance benchmark calculated omitting any influence of client-driven cashflows, P Total is the customized performance benchmark relative performance of the stable value fund, P Market is the customized performance benchmark relative performance of the stable value fund attributed to market performance of underlying investments, and P CF is the customized performance benchmark relative performance of the stable value fund attributed to client-driven cashflows.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the contributions are calculated and attributed according to the equations:

Δ

MV

BV

=

F

MV

BV

-

B

MV

BV

Δ

Market

=

F

~

MV

BV

-

B

~

MV

BV

Δ

CF

=

Δ

MV

BV

-

Δ

Market

wherein

F

MV

BV

 is the actual final market-to-book value ratio of the stable value fund,

B

MV

BV

 is the actual final market-to-book value ratio of the customized performance benchmark,

F

~

MV

BV

 is the market-to-book value ratio of the stable value fund due to market driven factors in isolation with no cashflows,

B

~

MV

BV

 is the market-to-book value ratio of the customized performance benchmark due to market driven factors in isolation with no cashflows,

Δ

MV

BV

 is the market-to-book value difference between the stable value fund and the customized performance benchmark, and Δ Market is the portion of

Δ

MV

BV

due to underlying market performance, and Δ CF is the portion of

Δ

MV

BV

due to client-driven cashflows.