Mortgage Matching System and Method

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed for rewarding mortgage customers of a financial institution with a reward payment amount. The method includes providing enrollment in a mortgage matching system to eligible mortgage customers, wherein eligibility requirements include the requirement that eligible mortgage customers hold both a mortgage account and a checking account with the financial institution. The method additionally includes enabling the customer to make periodic mortgage payments from the checking account to the mortgage account and monitoring continued compliance with the eligibility requirements and submission of the periodic payments using a monitoring engine implemented by at least one computer processor. The method further includes determining a reward payment amount to be made by the financial institution to each complying mortgage customer using a fulfillment engine implemented by the at least one computer processor, wherein the reward payment amount is a predetermined percentage of principal and interest paid by each complying mortgage customer during a predetermined time period. The method further includes transferring the calculated reward payment amount to a pre-selected location for each complying mortgage customer, wherein the pre-selected location is accessible to the corresponding complying mortgage customer.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A computer-implemented method for implementing a mortgage matching program for rewarding mortgage customers of a financial institution with a reward payment amount, the method comprising:
 providing access to a mortgage matching computing system linked to financial institution account processing systems, the mortgage matching computing system including at least one computer processor and at least one computer memory storing eligibility rules, compliance rules, and rewards calculation rules;   providing an interface enabling customer computing systems to communicate over a network with the mortgage matching computing system and the financial institution account processing systems;   implementing the computer processor of the mortgage matching computing system to execute instructions in order to perform steps responsive to customer inquiries over the network, the steps including:
 determining customer eligibility for the mortgage matching program by applying the stored eligibility rules to retrieved customer records from the financial institution account processing systems, wherein the eligibility rules include a requirement that eligible mortgage customers hold at least one mortgage account and at least one additional account with the financial institution and that each monthly mortgage payment be paid from the additional account; 
 enrolling eligible mortgage customers in the mortgage matching program; 
 monitoring continued compliance with eligibility requirements by applying the stored compliance rules to the customer record and terminating enrollment of non-compliant mortgage customers in the rewards program; 
 determining the reward payment amount to be made by the financial institution to each complying mortgage customer enrolled in the mortgage matching program using a fulfillment engine implemented by the at least one computer processor, wherein determining the reward payment amount includes calculating the reward payment amount by applying the stored reward calculation rules to each complying customer account, wherein the reward calculation rules specify calculation based on a percentage of mortgage principal and interest paid by the complying mortgage customer during a predetermined time period; 
 transferring the calculated reward payment amount to a pre-selected location for each complying mortgage customer, wherein the pre-selected location is accessible to the corresponding complying mortgage customer. 
   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein calculating the reward payment amount includes determining a number of mortgage accounts held by a compliant mortgage customer and adjusting the percentage based on the number of mortgage accounts. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein calculating the reward payment amount includes determining a number or type of additional accounts, and adjusting the reward payment amount based on the number or type of additional accounts. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein calculating the reward payment amount includes determining a balance of the additional account and adjusting the percentage based on the balance. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising providing the customer with multiple selectable locations for depositing the calculated reward payment amount to allow the customer to pre-select a location. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the multiple selectable locations comprise at least two of the mortgage account, a home equity account, a credit account, an investment account and a checking account, and a savings account 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising enrolling the customer in an auto-payment system for making regular periodic mortgage payments. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the pre-selected location is the customer mortgage account. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the pre-selected location is the additional account. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the predetermined percentage is one percent and is calculated over a twelve month period. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the additional account includes one of a checking account, a savings account, an investment account, a premier account, and a platinum account. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising imposing an annual cap on rewards and adjusting annual cap based on the types of accounts linked to the system. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the mortgage customer has a home equity account in addition to the mortgage account and the eligible mortgage customer makes periodic payments from the additional account to the home equity account, wherein the reward payment amount is based on the payments to the home equity account. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the eligible mortgage customer has at least one additional account with the financial institution and calculating the reward payment amount includes increasing the percentage because of the existence of the additional account. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising transferring the rewards to a credit card rewards program. 
     
     
         48 . A computer-implemented system for implementing a mortgage matching program for rewarding mortgage customers of a financial institution with a reward payment amount, the system comprising:
 a mortgage matching computing system linked to financial institution account processing systems, the mortgage matching computing system including at least one computer processor and at least one computer memory storing eligibility rules, compliance rules, and rewards calculation rules; and   an interface enabling customer computing systems to communicate over a network with the mortgage matching computing system and the financial institution account processing systems, wherein the computer processor of the mortgage matching computing system executes instructions in order to perform steps responsive to customer inquiries over the network, the steps including:
 determining customer eligibility for the mortgage matching program by applying the stored eligibility rules to retrieved customer records from the financial institution account processing systems, wherein the eligibility rules include a requirement that eligible mortgage customers hold at least one mortgage account and at least one additional account with the financial institution and that each monthly mortgage payment be paid from the additional account; 
 enrolling eligible mortgage customers in the mortgage matching program; 
 monitoring continued compliance with eligibility requirements by applying the stored compliance rules to the customer record and terminating enrollment of non-compliant mortgage customers in the rewards program; 
 determining the reward payment amount to be made by the financial institution to each complying mortgage customer enrolled in the mortgage matching program using a fulfillment engine implemented by the at least one computer processor, wherein determining the reward payment amount includes calculating the reward payment amount by applying the stored reward calculation rules to each complying customer account, wherein the reward calculation rules specify calculation based on a percentage of mortgage principal and interest paid by the complying mortgage customer during a predetermined time period; 
 transferring the calculated reward payment amount to a pre-selected location for each complying mortgage customer, wherein the pre-selected location is accessible to the corresponding complying mortgage customer. 
   
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein calculating the reward payment amount includes determining a number of mortgage accounts held by a compliant mortgage customer and adjusting the percentage based on the number of mortgage accounts. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein calculating the reward payment amount includes determining a number or type of additional accounts, and adjusting the reward payment amount based on the number or type of additional accounts. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein calculating the reward payment amount includes determining a balance of the additional account and adjusting the percentage based on the balance. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 48 , further comprising an interface providing the customer with multiple selectable locations for depositing the calculated reward payment amount to allow the customer to pre-select a location. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52 , wherein the multiple selectable locations comprise at least two of the mortgage account, a home equity account, a credit account, an investment account and a checking account, and a savings account 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 48 , further comprising enrolling the customer in an auto-payment system for making regular periodic mortgage payments. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the pre-selected location is the customer mortgage account. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the pre-selected location is the additional account. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the predetermined percentage is one percent and is calculated over a twelve month period. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the additional account includes one of a checking account, a savings account, an investment account, a premier account, and a platinum account. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 48 , further comprising imposing an annual cap on rewards and adjusting annual cap based on the types of accounts linked to the system. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the mortgage customer has a home equity account in addition to the mortgage account and the eligible mortgage customer makes periodic payments from the additional account to the home equity account, wherein the reward payment amount is based on the payments to the home equity account. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the eligible mortgage customer has at least one additional account with the financial institution and calculating the reward payment amount includes increasing the percentage because of the existence of the additional account. 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 48 , further comprising transferring the rewards to a credit card rewards program.