Patent ID: 7401040

Claim:
A method for providing online, web-based financial counseling over the Internet comprising: providing a plurality of unique service levels, each including a unique combination of available computer coaching and live coaching, the live coaching being performed by a financial advisor; developing a service agreement with a user for a desired service level of financial counseling services, including: prompting the user to input personal financial information; receiving from the user a desired service level selected from the plurality of available unique service levels; estimating profitability based on the financial information; and negotiating fees to be charged to the user based upon estimating profitability and the desired level of service prior to providing services under the service agreement; analyzing, with the services provided by the service level, the financial needs of the user based on the financial information of the user, including processing the user's intended financial state, analyzing the user's investment portfolio, calculating the user's future income and expenses, assets, and liabilities, and factoring in risk events; providing the financial advisor with the personal financial information and analysis of the financial needs of the user, detailing areas of the financial needs that require attention; developing a financial model for the user to address the financial needs of the user by utilizing the computer coaching and the live coaching, including permitting the user to enter a dialogue with a computer-generated coach and the financial advisor over the Internet as determined by the service level agreement, and permitting the user to initiate communication with the financial advisor to obtain live coaching during the computer coaching dialogue; and using the financial model utilizing said computer coaching and said live coaching as determined by said service level.