Patent ID: 8355983

Claim:
An automated method of determining a ranked list of finance sources for purchase of an article by a buyer using a computer system comprising: capturing data associated with the buyer into the computer system, the data associated with the buyer including a finance application that includes buyer personal information, buyer income, a requested loan amount, and an intended down payment, and responses to a series of predetermined questions relevant to the purchase of the article, and a credit history of the buyer obtained from each of multiple credit bureaus; capturing finance requirements for each of a plurality of finance sources into the computer system, the finance requirements for each of the plurality of finance sources being provided by each finance source and including usable credit score, minimum credit score allowable, and whether that finance source allows each of foreclosures, bankruptcies, and tax liens; and executing an algorithm configured to match the buyer with any of the plurality of finance sources, using the computer system, by: determining whether the buyer meets the finance requirements of any of the plurality of finance sources by comparing the certain of data associated with the buyer to the finance requirements established by each of the finance sources, thereby resulting in eligible finance sources; obtaining a fit score between the buyer and each of the eligible finance sources, the fit score obtained by automatically determining the fit score based upon a comparison of responses to lending requirements of each of the eligible finance sources, wherein the fit score is a percentage determined by dividing a total number of the responses answered in the affirmative by a total number of questions and wherein the series of responses answered in the affirmative include: that an estimated payment to income is less than a payment to income maximum of the finance source; that the buyer income is great than a minimum income required by the finance source; and that the buyer resides at a residence for longer than a minimum residence time required by the finance source; ranking the eligible finance sources based on the fit score associated with each of the eligible finance sources; and generating the ranked list of the eligible finance sources.