Patent ID: 8036968

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: setting at a processor a base interest rate to be applied to a financial account for an initial period; setting at the processor a benchmark interest rate as of an initial date; setting at the processor a benchmark interest rate as of a subsequent date; determining at the processor a second interest rate to be applied to the financial account for a subsequent period by comparing the benchmark interest rate as of the initial date to the benchmark interest rate as of the subsequent date and: if the benchmark interest rate as of the subsequent date is less than or equal to the benchmark interest rate as of the initial date, setting the second interest rate to the base interest rate; and if the benchmark interest rate as of the subsequent date is greater than the benchmark interest rate as of the initial date, computing the increase in the benchmark interest rate by subtracting the benchmark interest rate as of the initial date from the benchmark interest rate as of the subsequent date and computing the second interest rate to be the sum of the base interest rate and a factor that is associated in a preset manner to the increase in the benchmark interest rate.