Abstract:
The embodiments described herein are directed to a method of obtaining credit life insurance for an individual by means of a service organization. In detail, the steps include: registering the individual with the service organization via a computer system in a computer network; accessing credit information on the individual by means of the computer system in the computer network and determining the total debt of the individual; determining the amount of debt to be covered by credit life insurance benefits; creating a data base including insurance companies that provide credit life insurance benefits, the data base further including the premiums that the insurance companies charge for issuing their credit life insurance; selecting specific coverage with required specific premiums; obtaining the individual&#39;s approval of the required specific premiums via the computer system in the computer network; and obtaining credit life insurance benefits for the individual.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/117,275, filed May 8, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/724,315, filed Nov. 26, 2003, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/429,951, filed Nov. 27, 2002 each of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The embodiments described herein relate to the field of credit life insurance benefits and, in particular, to an online (Internet) based method of purchasing credit life insurance benefits. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0003]    Typically, when an individual purchases goods, property, or services on credit, the individual may also purchase a credit life insurance benefits policy wherein the policy&#39;s premium is based upon the amount of indebtedness incurred for that purchase. If the individual dies before the indebtedness is paid, the insurance company will pay the full balance then owed. Depending on the type of credit life insurance benefits policy, if the individual is hospitalized or laid off from work before the indebtedness is paid, the insurance company will make the periodic debt payments during the hospitalization or lay off from work period pursuant to the terms of the policy. 
         [0004]    If the individual takes out a mortgage, the individual may purchase credit life insurance to cover the mortgage payments. If the individual purchases an automobile on credit, the individual may purchase credit life insurance to cover the loan payments. If the individual purchases furniture or appliances on credit, the individual may purchase credit life insurance on the loan payments. In some instances the individual may purchase credit life insurance to cover the balance owed on certain credit cards without regard to the nature of the purchases, which comprise the balance owed. 
         [0005]    Each granting of credit can be covered by a separate credit life insurance policy. In some cases the respective lender or credit grantor requires the credit life insurance as a condition of making the loan or granting the credit. In many cases, the credit life insurance is not factually mandatory, but the individual is led to believe that credit life insurance is mandatory and therefore purchases the insurance. Typically, the premiums for credit life insurance policies are astronomically high when compared to other life insurance policies. 
         [0006]    In applicant&#39;s co-pending application Ser. No. 09/846,616 “Card Management System and Method Therefore” filed on May 1, 2001, a card management system was disclosed and is herewith incorporated into this application by reference. Embodiments of this application disclose a method and system for online credit card and social card management, wherein the card is issued to an individual who is a card user by a card issuing organization. The individual, using his own computer, interfaces through the Internet with a card management organization to a computer system within the card management organization and requests certain activities pertaining to his card such as: change of address, request for change in credit limit, dispute over a billing, etc. The computer system includes a computer program that processes the individual&#39;s requests pertaining to the individual&#39;s cards and informs the card issuer and/or credit reporting bureaus of the individual&#39;s requests via the Internet. The computer system thereafter informs the individual via the Internet that the card issuer and/or credit-reporting bureau has received the request. 
         [0007]    These embodiments of co-pending application Ser. No. 09/846,616 allow an individual to establish contact with credit grantors via the Internet. However it does not provide a means for obtaining the individual&#39;s credit report, or for obtaining a consolidated report of the individual&#39;s total indebtedness. 
         [0008]    The embodiments described herein provide an online (Internet based) method for determining an individual&#39;s total indebtedness. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the embodiments described herein to provide an online (Internet based) method for purchasing credit life insurance benefits consolidation services. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the embodiments described herein to provide a method of allowing a card and/or a credit management organization or a credit watch or credit monitoring organization, which have a means to obtain credit information from credit reporting bureaus, to provide credit life insurance benefits consolidation services for an individual. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The embodiments described herein are directed to a method of obtaining credit life insurance benefits for an individual by means of a service organization. In detail, the steps include: 
         [0012]    1. Registering the individual with the service organization via a computer system in a computer network. An additional accomplishment during registration is providing authorization to the service organization by the individual to authorize a charge, and charge service organization fees and credit life insurance premiums to the individual&#39;s valid credit card. 
         [0013]    2. Providing authorization to the service organization from the individual to contact a credit reporting bureau to secure credit data providing the total debt of the individual. This step includes the accessing of periodic credit balance (total indebtedness on the credit report) information of the individual by means of the computer system in the computer network and determining the total debt of the individual based on the credit report. 
         [0014]    3. Determining the amount of debt to be covered by credit life insurance benefits. 
         [0015]    4. Creating and periodically updating a data base identifying insurance companies that may provide credit life insurance, the data base further including the premiums that the insurance companies charge for issuing their credit life insurance policies; 
         [0016]    5. Selecting a specific insurance company with required specific premiums. 
         [0017]    6. Obtaining the individuals approval of the required specific premiums via the computer system in the computer network. 
         [0018]    7. Requesting that the insurance company underwrite the credit life insurance benefits as determined by the collective selected indebtedness of all the individuals covered by the service organization for that state. 
         [0019]    Upon application, the initial premium will be calculated from the selected debt balances on the credit report, and the selected credit card charged. The step of accessing credit information of the individual by means of the computer system in the computer network and determining any change in the total debt of the individual is periodically repeated and the value of the premium owed by the individual is adjusted based upon the change in total debt. Of course, the database is periodically updated to include any new insurance companies and to update the charges that previously entered insurance company&#39;s charge for issuing their credit life insurance. 
         [0020]    The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the embodiments described herein, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the accompanying drawings. It is to expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits or scope of the embodiments described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1A  is a first part of an overall flow chart of the credit life insurance benefits consolidation services organization&#39;s computer program. In particular,  FIG. 1A  is the flow chart for an individual to subscribe to the service. 
           [0022]      FIG. 1B  is a second part of an overall flow chart of the credit life insurance benefits consolidation services organization&#39;s computer program. In particular,  FIG. 1B  is the flow chart for the determination of an individual&#39;s debt, determination of credit insurance benefits premium and the storage of information in a database. 
           [0023]      FIG. 1C  is a third part of an overall flow chart of the credit life insurance benefits consolidation services organization&#39;s computer program. In particular,  FIG. 1C  is the flow chart allowing an individual to view actions taken on behalf of the individual, to change or terminate coverage, etc. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a computer terminal screen for signing on to the program. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a computer terminal screen for registering personal information and providing billing information. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a computer terminal screen authorizing the service organization to obtain the individual&#39;s total indebtedness from their credit file provided by the credit bureau(s) and agreeing to accept the terms and conditions of the service and the credit life insurance benefits. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a computer terminal screen for displaying current debt coverage. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is an Email message notifying the individual of a change in debt coverage. 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a computer terminal screen for displaying updated indebtedness information. 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is a computer terminal screen for accepting new credit life insurance benefits 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a computer terminal screen for displaying indebtedness history. 
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is an email message for informing the individual that the credit card designated during registration has insufficient funds to cover fees and or premiums. 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  is a computer terminal screen for informing the individual that the credit life insurance benefits has lapsed and offering the individual the opportunity to reregister for new credit life insurance benefits. 
           [0034]      FIG. 12  is an email message informing the individual that the credit life insurance benefits have lapsed and providing instructions about reregistering for new credit life insurance benefits. 
           [0035]      FIG. 13  is a computer terminal screen for updating billing information for the individual. 
           [0036]      FIG. 14  is a computer terminal screen for the individual to cancel the credit life insurance benefits. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0037]    The embodiments described herein cover an Internet online method wherein an individual using his own personal computer may register with a service organization, which determines from the individual&#39;s credit report all of the individual&#39;s credit life insurance benefits needs to be covered under a single account premium. The amount will have a floating premium based upon the total indebtedness for the premium period. The premium period, to be selected by the individual or determined by the service organization, which can be weekly, monthly or quarterly, or any other, agreed upon period of time. 
         [0038]    Most credit life insurance companies will be unconcerned that the total indebtedness is comprised of multiple items, because the premium is based upon the total indebtedness during the premium period. Generally, the larger the total amount of indebtedness being covered by a single credit life insurance benefit policy, the smaller the premium per dollar of indebtedness. In other words, an individual can expect to pay a significantly smaller premium for a single $10,000 policy than for ten $1,000 policies. 
         [0039]    In detail, the method as illustrated in  FIG. 1  is comprised of the following steps which will be accomplished online (Internet) using the individual&#39;s own personal computer in conjunction with the credit life insurance consolidation service organization&#39;s computer and database. The credit life insurance service organization establishes a database consisting of insurance companies that provide credit life insurance in each state and the premiums the insurance company&#39;s charge for issuing their credit life insurance benefits. The information is stored in the Database indicated by numeral  20  in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C. The individuals account history (to be subsequently discussed) is also stored in the database. 
         [0040]    The individual calls up the web page and the screen shown in  FIG. 2  appears. The individual can log in or if not a member the individual can subscribe by selecting Register, which brings them to the screen shown in  FIG. 3 . Once the individual registers they can select a password for further access to the individual&#39;s account. Thereafter, the following steps take place: 
         [0041]    Step  22 . Individual Registers—The Individual registers online with the service organization. The registration includes the individual&#39;s personal information  22 A as well as credit-card information  22 B as may be necessary to cover the service organization fees for servicing the individual&#39;s credit life insurance benefits needs and to cover the premiums for credit life insurance benefits. Note that the screen in  FIG. 3  provides for entering a credit card number. This credit card will be used to pay service organization&#39;s fees and any insurance premiums. 
         [0042]    Step  24 . Individual Accepts Terms of Service—Individual authorizes the service organization to obtain the individual&#39;s Total Indebtedness Credit Report (TICR) from one or more credit reporting bureaus. The TICR may also be required to delineate the various debts, which comprise the individual&#39;s total indebtedness. The computer terminal screen for the individual to authorize the service organization to obtain the necessary information is shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0043]    Step  26 . Request Credit Information—The service organization requests the TICR from the credit reporting bureaus, indicated by numeral  27 . 
         [0044]    Step  28 . Indebtedness Determined—Using the information received from the individual&#39;s TICR, service organization determines the amount of indebtedness, which should be insured. 
         [0045]    Step  30 . Determine Premium—Using the individual&#39;s state and total amount of insurable indebtedness as a basis, service organization refers to its insurance company data base and determines the insurer and premium for single credit life insurance benefits to cover all of the individual&#39;s indebtedness during a pre-selected insurance period. 
         [0046]    Step  32 . Advise Individual—Service organization advises the individual of the appropriate premium for credit life insurance benefits to cover the individual&#39;s total indebtedness as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0047]    Step  36 . Individual Authorizes Policy—The individual authorizes service organization to obtain selected amounts of credit life insurance benefits and to charge the premium to the pre-designated credit card. In the event the individual desires more than the total amount of indebtedness, the individual may elect to add certain clear categories of indebtedness i.e. home mortgage indebtedness is to be covered by the credit life insurance benefits. 
         [0048]    Step  38 . Check Credit Card—In the event the individual&#39;s pre-designated credit card company advises service organization that the individual has insufficient credit available to cover the premium charge, the service organization will immediately notify the individual and request an alternative source of credit as shown in  FIG. 10 . If no acceptable credit source becomes available, the credit life insurance benefits account will be cancelled and the individual notified. 
         [0049]    At this point the individual has obtained credit life insurance benefits. Once the individual is initially covered there is an on-going update program in operation. Referring to  FIG. 1B   
         [0050]    Step  40 . Update Insurance Information—The insurance companies  41  are periodically contacted to obtain latest credit insurance benefits and premium changes. 
         [0051]    Step  42 . Update Credit Information—The credit reporting bureau(s)  27  are periodically contacted to obtain updated credit reports to obtain TICR. 
         [0052]    Step  44 . Calculate New Indebtedness (TICR) Step  46 . Determine New Premium—Results added to database. 
         [0053]    Step  48 . Individual Periodically Billed—The individual&#39;s credit card is automatically billed. 
         [0054]    The individual is informed and the following information is stored in the database  20 : 
         [0055]    Step  50 . Insufficient Funds—The individual is notified via the Internet that the credit card has reached its limit or otherwise will not accept charges. The E-mail message is provide in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0056]    Step  52 . Benefits Lapsed—The individual is notified via the Internet that the benefits have lapsed for some reason. The E-mail message is shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0057]    Step  54 . Premium Change—The individual is notified via the Internet that the premium has changed due to a change in the TICR and/or credit insurance benefit rates. The E-mail message is shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0058]    Referring to  FIG. 1C , the individual can log onto the web site via the Internet thereafter by pressing Log In Button  56  shown in  FIG. 2 , computer terminal screen. Thereafter: 
         [0059]    Step  58 . Summary of Account—The individual is presented with the computer terminal screen depicted in  FIG. 7 . By clicking on the appropriate button, the individual can bring up four separate screens from the database  20 . 
         [0060]    Step  60 . Individual Cancels Insurance—The account is closed and the E-mail message shown in  FIG. 14  is sent to the individual. 
         [0061]    Step  62 . View Details of Credit History—The computer terminal screen shown in  FIG. 9  appears. 
         [0062]    Step  64 . View Details of Premium Details—The computer terminal screen shown in  FIG. 6  appears. 
         [0063]    Step  66 . Billing Information Change—The computer terminal screen shown in  FIG. 13  appears. 
         [0064]    Credit life insurance benefits generally includes insurance benefits for the individual in the event of one or more of the following, but are not limited to: natural or accidental death, unemployment, layoff, medical withdrawal or hospitalization, dread disease or critical illness, dismemberment, short-term or long-term disability, natural disaster, etc. While only a few events for which the credit insurance benefits provide protection for are discussed above, one skilled in the art would know that other types of events could be covered by the credit life insurance benefits. 
         [0065]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the service organization also presents information to the individual related to the debt of the individual and also presents information which classifies the debt into a plurality of debt categories. This service organization also allows the individual to select which of the plurality of debt categories the credit balance insurance benefits will be set to cover. These debt categories can include, but are not limited to: revolving loans, credit card debt, short-term loans, long-term loans, secured and unsecured real estate loans, mortgages, auto loans, payday loans and business loans. While these are only a few of the debt categories that can be used, one skilled in the art would know that any type of debt found in a credit report could be classified and presented as a debt category. 
         [0066]    At step  28 , the amount of the individual&#39;s indebtedness which should be insured, includes, but is not limited to, the total credit balance, portions of the total credit balance, monthly payments due or minimum monthly payments due. Therefore, at step  30 , the service organization determines the insurer and premium for credit life insurance benefits to cover the total credit balance or portions of the total credit balance such as periodic payments due (i.e., monthly payments) or minimum periodic payments due (i.e., minimum monthly payments) and thereby maintain an individual&#39;s access to credit. 
         [0067]    Thus it can be seen that the embodiments described herein allow an individual to secure credit life insurance benefits. Furthermore, the benefits are automatically increased or decreased periodically depending upon the individual&#39;s total indebtedness. This protection continues until the individual cancels the benefits or their credit card can no longer accept charges. 
         [0068]    The information obtained from the credit reporting bureau can come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, credit reports and summary reports. For example, in one embodiment, the information obtained from the credit reporting bureau used to determine the amount of debt owed by the individual is taken from a summary report that does not include actual payment data. 
         [0069]    While the embodiments herein have been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it should be understood that the embodiment is merely illustrative, as there are numerous variations and modifications, which may be made by those skilled in the art. Thus, the embodiments described herein are to be construed as being limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.