Method for creating and delivering customized compliance information

Abstract

A method and system to create personalized investor information packages, based on investor information, to be delivered to the investor to satisfy both compliance regulations and investor preferences. The method and system may deliver information in a paper or electronic format.

1 . A system for distributing compliance information to a user, the system comprising: 
 a compliance information manager which gathers compliance information from one or more sources;    a preference database which stores data regarding delivery instructions for at least one user;    a distribution controller which determines how a user should receive compliance information based on said delivery instructions; and    a distribution manager which initiates publication of at least a portion of the compliance information to the user based on a determination made by the distribution controller.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the publication comprises sending a physical copy of the portion of the compliance information to the user.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the distribution controller is located on the same machine as the distribution manager.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the publication initiated by the distribution manager is executed by publishing the portion of the compliance information to the user in an electronic format.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the distribution controller determines how a user should receive compliance information further based on compliance rules governing said compliance information  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the portion of the compliance information is contained in the body of an e-mail message.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the portion of the compliance information is sent as an attachment to an e-mail message.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the portion of the compliance information in electronic format is located on an information storage device sent to the user.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the portion of the compliance information in electronic format is stored on a server which is accessed by the user.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the server is located on the same machine as the distribution manager.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the distribution manager formats the portion of the compliance information prior to publication.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the data regarding delivery instructions stored by the preference database includes preferences of the user.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the data regarding delivery instructions stored by the preference database includes preferences of a brokerage.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the compliance information comprises securities information.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the securities information comprises at least one mutual fund prospectus.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the compliance information gathered by the compliance information manager is obtained from EDGAR.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the compliance information gathered by the compliance information manager is obtained from a brokerage.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the compliance information gathered by the compliance information manager is obtained from a publicly traded corporation.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the distribution manager records the publication of at least a portion of the compliance information to the user.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the distribution manager reports the publication of at least a portion of the compliance information to the user to a brokerage.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the distribution manager reports the publication of at least a portion of the compliance information to the user to a compliance enforcing body.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the compliance enforcing body is the SEC.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the system further comprises a print manager, and wherein: 
 the distribution manager initiates publication of at least a portion of the compliance information to the user by sending a request to the print manger, and wherein the print server causes a physical copy of the at least a portion of the compliance information which conforms with the determination made by the distribution controller to be printed and sent to the user.    
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the print server prints and sends physical copies of portions of compliance information together in a manner which takes advantage of bulk rates.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the distribution manager and the print server are located on the same server.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the preferences of the user include one or more of the following types of information: 
 contact information,    holdings information,    display information, or    delivery preferences.    
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 12  or  26  wherein the preferences of the user are obtained from the user.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 12  or  26  wherein the preferences of the user are obtained from a brokerage.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the portion of compliance information is published to the user along with non-compliance information.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29  wherein the non-compliance information is published to the user in accordance with the delivery instructions.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the delivery instructions includes information regarding prior publications of compliance information to the user.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 1  wherein publication is initiated in response to a transaction by the user.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 1  wherein publication is initiated in response to a new or altered piece of compliance information.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the compliance information manager gathers compliance information daily.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 1  wherein an existence of a need to publish compliance information is determined daily.  
     
     
         36 . A method for distributing compliance information to a user, the method comprising: 
 obtaining compliance information from one or more sources;    obtaining delivery instructions for at least one user;    determining how a user should receive compliance information based on said delivery instructions; and    initiating publication of at least a portion of the compliance information to the user based on the determination.    
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the publication comprises sending a physical copy of the portion of the compliance information to the user.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the portion of the compliance information is published to the user in an electronic format.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the determining how a user should receive compliance information is further based on compliance rules governing said compliance information  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the portion of the compliance information is contained in the body of an e-mail message.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the portion of the compliance information is sent as an attachment to an e-mail message.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the portion of the compliance information in electronic format is located on an information storage device sent to the user.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the compliance information in electronic format is stored on a server which is accessed by the user.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the distribution manager formats the portion of the compliance information prior to publication.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the delivery instructions includes preferences of the user.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the delivery instructions includes preferences of a brokerage.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the compliance information comprises securities information.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein the securities information comprises at least one mutual fund prospectus.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 36  wherein at least a portion of the compliance information is obtained from publicly available materials.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 36  wherein at least a portion of the compliance information is obtained from EDGAR.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 36  wherein at least a portion of the compliance information is obtained from a brokerage.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 36  wherein at least a portion of the compliance information stored is obtained from a publicly traded corporation.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising recording the publication of the portion of the compliance information to the user.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising reporting the publication of the portion of the compliance information to the user to a brokerage.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising reporting the publication of the portion of the compliance information to the user to a compliance enforcing body.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the compliance enforcing body is the SEC.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the publishing comprises sending a physical copy of the portion of the compliance information to the user.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57  wherein physical copies of portions of compliance information are processed together in a manner which takes advantage of bulk rates.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 45  wherein the preferences of the user include one or more of the following types of information: 
 contact information,    holdings information,    display information, or    delivery preferences.    
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 45  or  59  wherein the preferences of the user are obtained from the user.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 45  or  59  wherein the preferences of the user are obtained from a brokerage.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 36  wherein non-compliance information is published to the user along with the portion of compliance information.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62  wherein the non-compliance information is published to the user in accordance with the delivery instructions.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the delivery instructions includes information regarding prior publications of compliance information to the user.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 36  wherein publication is initiated in response to a transaction by the user.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 36  wherein publication is initiated in response to a new or altered piece of compliance information.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 36  wherein compliance information is obtained daily.  
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 36  wherein an existence of a need to publish compliance information is determined daily.  
     
     
         69 . A method for providing securities information to a user, the method comprising: 
 obtaining user information;    obtaining securities information;    identifying, based on the user information, a portion of securities information to deliver to a user;    customizing, based on the user information, the portion of securities information; and    sending the customized portion of securities information to the user.    
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69  wherein the customized portion of securities information sent to the user is sent electronically.  
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 69  wherein the customized portion of securities information sent to the user is sent on paper.  
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 69 ,  70 , or  71  wherein the user information contains one or more of the following types of information: 
 contact information,    holdings information,    display preferences, or    delivery preferences.    
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 69  wherein the user information is obtained from the user.  
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 69  wherein the user information is obtained from a brokerage.  
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 69  wherein the securities information is obtained from EDGAR.  
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 69  wherein the securities information is obtained from a brokerage.  
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 69  wherein the securities information is obtained from a publicly traded corporation.  
     
     
         78 . A system for distributing securities information to a user, the system comprising: 
 a securities information manager which gathers securities information from one or more sources;    a preference database which stores data regarding delivery instructions for at least one user;    a distribution controller which determines how a user should receive securities information based on said delivery instructions; and    a distribution manager which initiates publication of at least a portion of the securities information to the user based on a determination made by the distribution controller.    
     
     
         79 . A method for distributing securities information to a user, the method comprising: 
 obtaining securities information from one or more sources;    obtaining delivery instructions for at least one user;    determining how a user should receive securities information based on said delivery instructions; and    initiating publication of at least a portion of the securities information to the user based on the determination.    
     
     
         80 . A method for distributing securities information to a user, the method comprising: 
 obtaining electronic securities information from EDGAR;    processing the electronic securities information according to securities holdings of a user;    providing to the user a portion of the electronic securities information related to the holdings of the user.    
     
     
         81 . A method for delivering compliance information to an investor, the investor participating in an investment plan, the investment plan offering a plurality of securities to the investor, the investor owning a first portion of the plurality of securities and not owning a second portion of the plurality of securities, the compliance information comprising data which an issuer of a security provides to an investor pursuant to SEC requirements, the method including acts of: 
 (A) selecting a body of compliance information which is related only to the first portion of the plurality of securities; and    (B) delivering the body compliance information to the investor.