Patent ID: 8249983

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, by a financial management system comprising one or more computers, electronic data comprising login credentials from a user; logging, by the financial management system, a user into the financial management system using the login credentials; receiving, by the financial management system, a request from the user to access an account at a financial institution, wherein the request includes account identification information and account access information; querying, by the financial management system, the user for user information, wherein user information comprises one or more of a social security number, a name, an address, a phone number, a date of birth, or a driver's license number; receiving a response from the user comprising received user information; obtaining, by the financial management system, data comprising corresponding user information via a network, wherein obtaining comprises receiving the corresponding user information from third parties in real-time using the received user information on the user's behalf, the third parties including, a credit reporting service, government agencies, or a department of motor vehicles, wherein items of the corresponding user information correspond to items of the received user information, and wherein different third parties provide different items of obtained user information to the financial management system; authenticating, by the financial management system, the user's ability to access the account based on the corresponding information, wherein authenticating comprises verifying the user's identity by comparing the received user information with the respective corresponding user information; if authentication fails, wherein failure comprises a failed comparison, querying, by the financial management system, the user for additional user information, wherein querying comprises asking the user questions in real-time, wherein the questions comprise questions that require the user to input a response and; executing, by the financial management system, a transaction at the request of the user, comprising the financial management system remotely accessing more than one user account at the financial institution and performing a transfer of funds, comprising the financial management system initiating a debit transaction, and initiating a separate credit transaction through an intermediate financial institution distinct from the financial institution, wherein the credit transaction comprises one of a credit transaction involving the financial institution, and a credit transaction involving another financial institution.