Patent ID: 7487130

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for providing access to consumer information comprising: associating consumer authentication information with an information account comprising consumer information elements stored in a data repository using a server, the server conditioning access to the information account by the consumer upon receipt and verification of the consumer authentication information by the server; associating a temporary authorization with the information account using an authentication module running on the server; receiving the temporary authorization from an authorized party who is not the consumer, the temporary authorization having been provided to the authorized party by the consumer, the authorized party including at least one person, business, enterprise, and entity that makes products available for or provides services to consumers; comparing the temporary authorization to data in an authentication table associated with the information account using the authentication module in order to determine at least one of: whether the temporary authorization is being used by the authorized party who is not the consumer, whether the temporary authorization has expired, and what level of access to the information account is associated with the temporary authorization; and granting the authorized party a level of access to the consumer information elements in the information account by the authentication module based on the temporary authorization.