Patent ID: 7277864

Claim:
In a computer-implemented rating system having access to a database populated with data concerning at least one non-economic factor for a company, a method comprising: providing an interface for displaying at least a portion of the data; enabling a user to input at least one coefficient value and an alert-input through the interface, the alert-input including at least one monitored holding and a personalized criteria concerning a sustainability score of the monitored holding; associating each said coefficient value with a respective data concerning the at least one non-economic factor; computing a sustainability score using the at least one coefficient value and the data, the sustainability score utilizing the at least one non-economic factor in a formula that applies the associated coefficient value to the respective data concerning the at least one non-economic factor; monitoring the at least one monitored holding; testing the computed sustainability score against the personalized criteria for each monitored holding; permitting the user to view the formula through the interface; outputting the sustainability score, the sustainability score defining a rating of the company which incorporates the at least one non-economic factor; generating an alert for each of the monitored holdings that satisfies the personalized criteria; and transmitting the alert to the user in response to satisfaction of the personalized criteria.