Patent ID: 7433840

Claim:
A system having a processor and memory for multivariable comparison of financial information to generate search results based on user-selected quantitative search criteria and user-selected weighting criteria, comprising: a processor performing instructions for a client interface for a user to receive weightable search information, the weightable search information comprising user-selected quantitative search criteria and user-selected weighting criteria, the weighting criteria reflecting user-defined levels of importance for one or more of the quantitative search criteria; and a processor performing instructions for a search interface, communicating with the client interface, to interrogate at least one network-enabled information source according to the weightable search information to generate search results; wherein the financial information comprises a plurality of financial products, each having multiple quantitative variables associated therewith; a memory for storing the search results; the search interface being operative to compare the quantitative variables with the user-selected quantitative search criteria and the user-selected weighting criteria to generate search results comprising: a first set of financial products that do not satisfy all of the user-selected quantitative search criteria, but which satisfy the overall user-defined criteria based on the combination of the user-selected weighting criteria and the user-selected quantitative criteria, wherein the search results provide a quantitative indication of how well the search results match the weighted criteria; the search interface to perform subsequent searches within stored results of a prior search to restrict search results; the search interface operative to perform other subsequent searches to interrogate at least one network-enabled information source to expand search results; and the search interface operative to recalculate and re-present the result indicators which indicate the level the search results match the weighted criteria.