IP Library Granted Patent US 12,056,770
Granted Patent B2
US 12,056,770 · App. 18/178,354 · Granted Aug 6, 2024

Computing system for optimizing investment of liquid guaranteed income assets

Inventors: Matthew O'Hara (San Francisco, CA); Daniel Yem (New York, NY); Daniel Basile (New York, NY)
Assignee: BlackRock, Inc.
G06Q40/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,056,770
App. No.
18/178,354
Granted
Aug 6, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An investment manager engine automatically manages an investment fund. During an accumulation phase, the investment manager receives messages that include contributions to the investment fund. For each contribution, the investment manager determines an allocation of the contribution among securities and guaranteed income assets. The investment manager allocates at least a portion of the contribution to guaranteed income assets, according to the determined allocation. The guaranteed income assets provide a guaranteed annual income stream upon a predetermined date.

Claims (71)

1. A computer-implemented method for administering an investment fund, the method comprising:

maintaining, at an investment manager engine, one or more portfolios of the investment fund comprising at least one of stocks or bonds, and a guaranteed income portfolio comprising guaranteed income assets, wherein the guaranteed income assets are convertible to a guaranteed annual income stream and wherein a guaranteed income asset in the guaranteed income assets comprises a transactable price component and a guaranteed annual income component,

wherein the transactable price component is based on a unit valuation methodology comprising a formula based on a survival variable, a nominal cash flow, and a discount factor, and

wherein the guaranteed annual income component is a guaranteed annual income provided by a third-party distribution engine via the guaranteed annual income stream upon a redemption window;

causing to be displayed, on a graphical user interface display, an adjustable monetary contribution slider, wherein locations of the adjustable monetary contribution slider on the graphical user interface correspond to contribution amounts to the one or more portfolios;

causing a change in a location of the adjustable monitoring contribution slider on the graphical user interface, wherein the location of the adjustable monitoring contribution slider corresponds to a contribution amount from the contribution amounts to the one or more portfolios;

receiving, the contribution amount corresponding to the location of the adjustable monetary contribution slider on the graphical user interface display;

determining, at the investment manager engine, to add an additional guaranteed income asset to the guaranteed income portfolio; and

adding, at the investment manager engine, the additional guaranteed income asset to the guaranteed income portfolio based on a portion of the contribution.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining to add the additional guaranteed income asset to the guaranteed income portfolio further comprises:

determining, using an analysis module of the investment manager engine, a cost of an amount of guaranteed annual income based on a current transactable values of the guaranteed income assets;

comparing the determined cost to a guaranteed income cost estimate, wherein the guaranteed income cost estimate includes an estimate of cost of the amount of guaranteed annual income; and

determining that the comparing indicates at least a threshold difference by which the determined cost exceeds the guaranteed income cost estimate; and

wherein adding additional guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio is responsive to the determining that the comparison indicates at least the threshold difference.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guaranteed annual income component of the guaranteed income asset is immutable upon an addition of the guaranteed income asset to the guaranteed income portfolio.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a redemption window for the guaranteed income assets; and

converting the guaranteed income assets into a guaranteed income stream based on guaranteed income components in the guaranteed income assets.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

during the redemption window, generating a message to a distribution engine, the message comprising instructions to purchase a guaranteed income asset in the guaranteed income assets at a transactable price in a transactable price component of the guaranteed income asset to generate the guaranteed income stream based on a guaranteed income price in a guaranteed income component of the guaranteed income asset.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

causing to be displayed, on the graphical user interface display, an investment fund composition comprising a value of the one or more portfolios of the at least one of stocks or bonds and a value of the guaranteed income portfolio.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

causing to be displayed, on the graphical user interface display, a visual fund ring comprising investment fund allocations, wherein portions of the visual fund ring are in proportion to the investment fund allocations in the at least one of stocks or bonds and the guaranteed income assets.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

maintain guaranteed income assets in a guaranteed income portfolio of an investment fund, wherein the guaranteed income assets are convertible to a guaranteed annual income stream within a predefined time window and wherein a guaranteed income asset in the guaranteed income assets comprises a transactable price component and a guaranteed annual income component,

wherein the transactable price component is based on a net asset value of a reference benchmark, the reference benchmark including a set of assets agreed upon by an investment manager engine associated with the investment fund and a third-party distribution engine providing the guaranteed income asset, and

wherein the guaranteed annual income component is a guaranteed annual income provided by the third-party distribution engine via the guaranteed annual income stream upon the predefined time window;

cause to be displayed, on a graphical user interface display, an adjustable monetary contribution slider, wherein locations of the adjustable monetary contribution slider on the graphical user interface display correspond to different contribution amounts between a first limit and a second limit;

causing a change in a location of the adjustable monitoring contribution slider on the graphical user interface, wherein the location of the adjustable monitoring contribution slider corresponds to a contribution amount from the contribution amounts to the one or more portfolios;

receive a message that includes the contribution amount for the investment fund corresponding to the location of the adjustable monetary contribution slider on the graphical user interface display;

determine to add new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio; and

responsive to the determining, add the new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio using at least a portion of the contribution.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein determining to add the new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio comprises:

determine a cost of an amount of guaranteed annual income based on a current transactable value of the guaranteed income assets;

compare the determined cost to a guaranteed income cost estimate, wherein the guaranteed income cost estimate includes an estimate of cost of the amount of guaranteed annual income; and

determine that the comparison indicates at least a threshold difference by which the determined cost exceeds the guaranteed income cost estimate; and

add the new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio responsive to the determination of whether the comparison indicates at least the threshold difference.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the guaranteed annual income component of the guaranteed income asset is immutable upon an addition to the guaranteed income portfolio.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising:

during the predefined time window, generate a second message to a distribution engine, the second message comprising instructions to purchase a guaranteed income asset at a transactable price stored in a transactable price component of the guaranteed income asset to generate a guaranteed income stream based on a price in a guaranteed income component in the guaranteed income asset.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising:

cause to be displayed, on the graphical user interface display, an investment fund composition comprising a value of the one or more portfolios in the investment fund comprising at least one of stocks or bonds and a value of the guaranteed income portfolio in the investment fund comprising guaranteed income assets.

13. A system, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to execute instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising:

maintaining one or more portfolios of an investment fund, wherein the one or more portfolios comprise at least one of stocks and bonds and wherein the one or more portfolios are stored as software objects;

maintaining guaranteed income assets in a guaranteed income portfolio of the investment fund, wherein the guaranteed income assets are convertible to a guaranteed annual income stream within a predefined time window, wherein a guaranteed income asset in the guaranteed income assets comprises a transactable price component and a guaranteed annual income component,

wherein the transactable price component is based on a net asset value of a reference benchmark, the reference benchmark including a set of assets agreed upon by an investment manager engine managing the investment fund and a third-party distribution engine providing the guaranteed income asset, and

wherein the guaranteed annual income component is a guaranteed annual income provided by the third-party distribution engine via the guaranteed annual income stream upon the predefined time window, and wherein the guaranteed income portfolio is stored as a guaranteed income software object;

causing an adjustable monitoring contribution slider to be displayed on a graphical user interface, wherein locations of the adjustable monetary contribution slider on the graphical user interface correspond to contribution amounts to the one or more portfolios;

causing a change in a location of the adjustable monitoring contribution slider displayed on the graphical user interface, wherein the location of the adjustable monitoring contribution slider on the graphical user interface corresponds to a contribution amount from the contribution amounts to the one or more portfolios;

receiving a message that includes the contribution amount for the investment fund;

determining to add new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio; and

responsive to determining, adding the new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio using at least a portion of the contribution.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein determining to add the new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio comprises:

determining a cost of an amount of guaranteed annual income based on a current transactable value of the guaranteed income assets;

comparing the determined cost to a guaranteed income cost estimate, wherein the guaranteed income cost estimate includes an estimate of cost of the amount of guaranteed annual income; and

determining that the comparison indicates at least a threshold difference by which the determined cost exceeds the guaranteed income cost estimate; and

wherein adding the new guaranteed income assets to the guaranteed income portfolio is responsive to the determination of whether the comparison indicates at least the threshold difference.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the guaranteed annual income component of the guaranteed income asset is immutable upon an addition to the guaranteed income portfolio.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the adjustable monetary contribution slider is located on the graphical user interface between a first location corresponding to a minimum value and a second location corresponding to a maximum value of the contribution.

17. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining a redemption window for the guaranteed income assets; and

converting the guaranteed income assets into a guaranteed income stream based on guaranteed income components in the guaranteed income assets.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

during the redemption window, generating a message to a distribution engine, the message comprising instructions to purchase a guaranteed income asset in the guaranteed income assets at a transactable price in a transactable price component of the guaranteed income asset to generate the guaranteed income stream based on a guaranteed income price in a guaranteed income component of the guaranteed income asset.

19. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:

causing to be displayed, on the graphical user interface display, an investment fund composition comprising a value of the one or more portfolios of the at least one of stocks or bonds and a value of the guaranteed income portfolio.

20. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:

causing to be displayed, on the graphical user interface display, a visual fund ring comprising investment fund allocations, wherein portions of the visual fund ring are in proportion to the investment fund allocations in the at least one of stocks or bonds and the guaranteed income assets.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 4, 2024
From: BLACKROCK, INC.; BANANA MERGER SUB, INC.
To: BLACKROCK FINANCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 069113/0616 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2023
From: O'HARA, MATTHEW; YEM, DANIEL; BASILE, DANIEL
To: BLACKROCK, INC.
Reel/Frame 062888/0131 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16789115 · Feb 12, 2020
Provisional Application 62804713 · Feb 12, 2019
Related Publication 20230206339A1 · Jun 29, 2023