JP7843063B2 - Information processing method, program, and information processing device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an information processing method, a program, and an information processing apparatus.

Patent Document 1 discloses a device that performs a rebalancing process in which at least one stock is sold or purchased so that the market capitalization of each of the multiple stocks held by a user accounts for a specific ratio to the total market capitalization of all multiple stocks.

Patent No. 6105828

A new NISA (Nippon Individual Savings Account) system was launched in January 2024, significantly expanding the tax-free investment limit compared to the current system, including an increased annual investment limit and unlimited tax-free holding periods. Therefore, an increase in the number of users utilizing the NISA system is expected. However, for users with no investment experience, the NISA system is complex, making it a high hurdle to investing. While the device described in Patent Document 1 can perform rebalancing, it does not provide a service to support users investing using the NISA system.

This disclosure aims to provide information processing methods and other tools that can support users who invest using the NISA system.

An information processing method relating to one aspect of this disclosure involves a computer that determines whether or not to sell financial instruments held by a customer in a tax-exempt account, based on the book value and market value of the said financial instruments. If it determines to sell, the computer then sells the said financial instruments and uses the funds in the tax-exempt account to purchase the same or different financial instruments.

This disclosure can help users make investment decisions.

This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. This block shows an example configuration of a server and customer terminal. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a record layout for the customer database. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a deposit processing procedure. This is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for compressing the original file. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example screen for the transaction history within a specified timeframe. This is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase process. This is a flowchart showing an example of the withdrawal process. A flowchart showing an example of a replacement procedure. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example screen.

The information processing method, program, and information processing apparatus described herein will be described in detail below, based on the drawings illustrating their embodiments.

This embodiment describes an information processing system that buys and sells financial products held by a customer in an account opened by the customer at a financial institution, based on the customer's request. Financial products in this disclosure include securities such as stocks and bonds, as well as investment trusts. In this embodiment's information processing system, the customer holds a tax-exempt account (NISA account) for tax-free investments and a regular taxable account. Investment funds deposited by the customer are invested in at least one of the tax-exempt account and the taxable account.

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. This embodiment of the information processing system includes a server 10 managed by an asset management company that provides asset management services for managing customers' investment funds, and customer terminals 20 used by customers utilizing the asset management services provided by the server 10. Each device is communicated via a network N. The network N may be the Internet or a public telecommunications network, or it may be a LAN (Local Area Network) built within the facility where the server 10 is located.

Server 10 is an information processing device capable of various information processing and information transmission/reception, and can be a server computer, personal computer, etc. Customer terminal 20 is an information processing device capable of various information processing and information transmission/reception, and can be a smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc. The customer may be an individual or a corporation. In this embodiment of the information processing system, when Server 10 receives a request from Customer Terminal 20 to execute a deposit process to an account held by the customer (tax-exempt account and taxable account), it executes the deposit process from the account at the source financial institution to an account managed by the asset management company, according to the content of the received request. This allows the asset management company to receive the customer's investment funds into the customer's account managed by the company. Server 10 also purchases financial products using the customer's investment funds and automatically buys and sells the financial products held by the customer according to the status of the customer's account (for example, the book value and market value of the financial products held in each account). The account managed by the asset management company may be, for example, an account opened at a financial institution with which the asset management company has a partnership, or, if the asset management company is a financial institution, an account opened by the asset management company.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a server 10 and a customer terminal 20. The server 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an input unit 14, a display unit 15, a reading unit 16, etc., and these units are interconnected via a bus. The control unit 11 includes one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 11 performs various information processing and control processing that the server 10 should perform by appropriately executing programs 12P stored in the storage unit 12. Note that if the control unit 11 includes multiple processors, the control unit 11 may execute each process using a different processor.

The storage unit 12 includes RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, hard disk, SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage unit 12 pre-stores the program 12P (program product) executed by the control unit 11 and various data necessary for the execution of program 12P. The storage unit 12 also temporarily stores data generated when the control unit 11 executes program 12P. Furthermore, the storage unit 12 stores the asset management site 12S for providing asset management services via the network N. In addition, the storage unit 12 stores the customer database 12a. The storage unit 12 may be composed of multiple storage devices, and a portion of the storage unit 12 may be other storage devices connected to the server 10, or other storage devices that the server 10 can communicate with.

The communication unit 13 is a communication module for connecting to the network N via wired or wireless communication, and transmits and receives information with other devices via the network N. The input unit 14 receives user input and sends control signals corresponding to the operation to the control unit 11. The display unit 15 is a liquid crystal display or organic EL display, etc., and displays various information according to instructions from the control unit 11. The input unit 14 and the display unit 15 may be integrated into a single touch panel.

The reading unit 16 reads information stored on a portable storage medium 10a such as a CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, SD (Secure Digital) card, microSD card, or CompactFlash (registered trademark). The program 12P and various data stored in the storage unit 12 may be read from the portable storage medium 10a by the control unit 11 via the reading unit 16 and stored in the storage unit 12. Alternatively, the program 12P and various data may be written to the storage unit 12 during the manufacturing stage of the server 10, or downloaded from another device via the communication unit 13 and stored in the storage unit 12 by the control unit 11.

In this embodiment, the server 10 may be a multi-computer system consisting of multiple computers, or it may be a virtual machine virtually constructed by software within a single device. Furthermore, when the server 10 is configured as a server computer, it may be a local server installed within the facility where the server 10 is located, or it may be a cloud server connected via network N. Hereafter, the server 10 will be described as a single computer. Also, the program 12P may be deployed and executed on a single computer or at a single site, or it can be distributed across multiple sites and deployed to run on multiple computers interconnected by network N. Moreover, the input unit 14 and display unit 15 are not mandatory for the server 10; it may be configured to accept operations via a connected computer, or it may be configured to output information to be displayed to an external display device.

The customer terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, a display unit 25, etc., and these units are interconnected via a bus. The control unit 21, storage unit 22, communication unit 23, input unit 24, and display unit 25 of the customer terminal 20 have the same configuration as the control unit 11, storage unit 12, communication unit 13, input unit 14, and display unit 15 of the server 10, so their explanation is omitted. The storage unit 22 of the customer terminal 20 stores not only the program 22P (program product) executed by the control unit 21, but also an application program (hereinafter referred to as the asset management app 22AP) for using the asset management services provided on the asset management site 12S. Alternatively, the storage unit 22 may store a browser for viewing websites (e.g., the asset management site 12S) published via the network N, instead of the asset management app 22AP.

Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the record layout of the customer DB 12a. The customer DB 12a is a database that stores information of customers who have registered as users (members) in order to use the asset management service provided by the server 10. The customer DB 12a shown in Figure 3 includes columns such as customer ID, customer information, account information, and transaction information, and stores various information about the customer in association with the unique identification information (customer ID) assigned to each customer. The customer information column stores information about the customer, such as the customer's name, address or location, contact information, and authentication information used for login processing when using the asset management site 12S. The account information column stores information about the account held by the customer (an account managed by the asset management company), and the account information includes, for example, account type, account number, account holder name, and deposit/withdrawal information. As for the account type, information is stored indicating whether the taxable account is handled as a specified account or whether it is subject to tax exemption (whether it is a NISA account), etc. The deposit and withdrawal information stores the date and amount of each deposit to each account, and the date and amount of each withdrawal from each account. The transaction information column stores information about the status of financial product transactions using funds held by the customer in their accounts. Transaction information includes, for example, the purchase or sale date of the financial product, and the details of the purchase or sale transaction. Transaction details include the name of the financial product purchased or sold (redeemed), the transaction amount (or transaction unit price and transaction volume), and the reason for the transaction. Reasons for the transaction include, for example, when buying power becomes available in an account (taxable account or non-taxable account) or a non-taxable account (accumulation investment limit or growth investment limit) (buying power available), when the value of the financial product held declines (market value ratio falls below a predetermined value), when it becomes necessary to sell products held in a taxable account to raise funds in a non-taxable account (fundraising), and when there is a change in the financial products held in a taxable account and a non-taxable account (account change). Furthermore, transaction details for tax-exempt accounts include not only the name of the financial product and the transaction amount, but also information indicating whether the transaction falls under the regular investment plan or the growth investment plan. The contents stored in customer DB 12a are not limited to the example shown in Figure 3. For example, customer DB 12a may store the remaining amount of the customer's annual investment limit (annual investment amount), the remaining amount of the tax-exempt holding limit (lifetime usable amount), the book value (purchase price), market value, and market value-to-book value ratio (market value/book value) of financial products held in both tax-exempt and taxable accounts.

The following describes the processing performed by the server 10 in the information processing system of this embodiment. First, we will describe the processing performed by the server 10 when customer investment funds are deposited into an account managed by an asset management company. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the deposit processing procedure. The following processing is executed by the control unit 11 of the server 10 according to the program 12P stored in the storage unit 12.

In this embodiment of the information processing system, a customer accesses the server 10 using a customer terminal 20 and opens their own account in an account managed by the asset management company via the asset management site 12S. The customer also requests, via the asset management site 12S, to deposit funds from their own account at a financial institution to the newly opened account (the account managed by the asset management company). The server 10, in accordance with the customer's request, executes the deposit process from the source financial institution's account to the destination account (the account managed by the asset management company). During the deposit process, the server 10, for example, sends the customer's account information and authentication information to the server of the source financial institution (not shown) to request the execution of a transfer (remittance). If the source financial institution's server can authenticate the customer, it executes a process to deposit the specified amount from the customer's account to the destination account. This allows the asset management company to receive the customer's investment funds into the customer's account managed by the company. Other deposit methods include direct transfers from the customer's account at a financial institution to a bank account designated by the asset management company for the customer, or setting up automatic withdrawals from the customer's account to deposit funds into an account managed by the asset management company.

Furthermore, when customers open their accounts, they set up their investment schedule for regular investments. The regular investment schedule includes the period and amount of investment to be made. For example, a schedule can be set to purchase 10,000 yen every month. Server 10 retrieves the regular investment schedule set by the user and, based on the set investment schedule, formulates (creates) and stores a purchase plan for financial products within the regular investment limit for the future. Then, when a purchase capacity becomes available within the regular investment limit due to regular deposits, the server executes the purchase process for financial products according to the purchase plan. By performing the purchase process according to the purchase plan formulated before the regular deposits are made, regular investments can be made in accordance with the rules of the NISA system. In addition to when an account is opened, each customer's purchase plan may be updated at appropriate times, such as when the customer changes their investment policy, when the customer makes deposits or withdrawals, or when financial products are bought or sold. Furthermore, the investment schedule may include the customer's preferred industries and categories of products. In this case, server 10 can formulate a purchase plan targeting products in the customer's desired industries and categories. The investment schedule for regular contributions may also be set separately for contributions within a tax-exempt account and for contributions within a taxable account.

The control unit 11 of the server 10 determines whether or not it has received the customer's funds (S11). If it determines that it has not received the funds (S11: NO), it proceeds to step S16. The control unit 11 performs the deposit processing described above, and if it determines that it has received the customer's funds (S11: YES), it determines whether or not there is space available in the tax-exempt account of the customer who made the deposit (S12). A lifetime available amount (tax-exempt holding limit) is set for the tax-exempt account. In addition, the tax-exempt account has a regular investment limit and a growth investment limit, and an annual investment limit is set for each limit. Therefore, the control unit 11 calculates the remaining amount at this point relative to the lifetime available amount (remaining amount) and the remaining amount at this point relative to the annual investment limit for each of the regular investment limit and growth investment limit. If the remaining amount of the lifetime available amount is not 0, and the remaining amount of the annual investment limit for either the regular investment limit or the growth investment limit is not 0, it determines that there is space available in the tax-exempt account. On the other hand, the control unit 11 determines that there is no available space in the tax-exempt account if the remaining lifetime available amount is 0, or if the remaining annual investment amounts for both the regular investment limit and the growth investment limit are 0. Note that the remaining lifetime available amount and the remaining annual investment amounts for each of the regular investment limit and growth investment limit may be stored in the customer database 12a, or the control unit 11 may calculate them based on the transaction information stored in the customer database 12a. If the control unit 11 determines that there is no available space in the tax-exempt account (S12: NO), it proceeds to step S15.

If the control unit 11 determines that there is available space in the tax-exempt account (S12: YES), it allocates the deposited funds to the customer's tax-exempt account, up to the amount not exceeding the annual investment limit of the tax-exempt account (S13). For example, the control unit 11 allocates the remaining amount of the annual investment limit of the tax-exempt account from the deposited funds to the tax-exempt account. When funds are allocated to the tax-exempt account, buying power is generated in the tax-exempt account, and investment using the funds in the tax-exempt account begins. Once the allocation process to the tax-exempt account is complete, the control unit 11 stores the deposit date and amount, etc., as deposit information for the customer's tax-exempt account in the customer DB 12a. After the allocation process to the tax-exempt account, the control unit 11 determines whether there is a remaining balance in the funds received in step S11 (S14). If the control unit 11 determines that there is no remaining balance (S14: NO), i.e., that all funds have been allocated to the tax-exempt account, it proceeds to step S16. If it determines that there is a remaining balance (S14: YES), it allocates the remaining balance to the customer's taxable account (S15). When funds are allocated to the taxable account, buying power is generated in the taxable account, and investment using the funds in the taxable account begins. Here again, once the allocation of funds to the taxable account is completed, the control unit 11 stores the deposit information to the customer's taxable account in the customer DB 12a.

As a result of the above process, when customer funds are deposited, the funds are preferentially allocated to the tax-exempt account, so investments using the funds in the tax-exempt account are executed preferentially. Also, if funds exceeding the annual investment limit of the tax-exempt account are deposited, the excess funds are allocated to the taxable account, so investments using the funds in the taxable account are executed. The annual investment limit of the tax-exempt account is the investment limit for one year from January to December. In January, the annual investment limit (annual investment limit) is reset, and if there was a sale or redemption of securities in the tax-exempt account in the previous year, the lifetime investment limit is restored. Therefore, in January, there is a possibility that new vacancies will become available in the tax-exempt account. So, while performing the above process, the control unit 11 determines whether or not there are vacancies in the tax-exempt account (whether or not vacancies have occurred) (S16). Here, the control unit 11 determines that there is available funds in the tax-exempt account if, after deducting the planned consumption amount of the tax-exempt account through the set installment deposits, the remaining balance of the lifetime available funds is not zero, and the remaining balance of the annual investment amount for either the installment investment limit or the growth investment limit is not zero. On the other hand, the control unit 11 determines that there is no available funds in the tax-exempt account if the remaining balance of the lifetime available funds is zero, or if the remaining balance of the annual investment amount for both the installment investment limit and the growth investment limit is zero. If it determines that there is no available funds (S16: NO), the control unit 11 returns to step S11 and either accepts the deposit of funds or repeats the process from steps S11 to S16 until funds become available in the tax-exempt account.

If the control unit 11 determines that there is (or has become) free space in the tax-exempt account (S16: YES), it executes a process to sell or redeem financial products held in the taxable account (referred to as a sale process in Figure 4, and collectively as a sale below) in order to raise funds equivalent to the free space in the tax-exempt account (S17). For example, the control unit 11 sells financial products equivalent to the remaining amount of the annual investable limit in the tax-exempt account. If the customer does not hold financial products equivalent to the remaining amount of the annual investable limit in the tax-exempt account in the taxable account, the control unit 11 may sell all financial products held in the taxable account. If a trading server (not shown) that performs the sale and purchase of financial products is provided, the sale process is performed by the trading server, for example, when the control unit 11 sends a request to the trading server to execute the sale process for the financial products held by the customer in the taxable account. Alternatively, the server 10 may have the functionality of a trading server, in which case the control unit 11 of the server 10 executes the process related to the sale of financial products. When the sale process is completed, the control unit 11 stores the sale date and transaction details in the customer database 12a as transaction information for the customer's taxable account. The transaction details include the name of the financial product sold (canceled), the transaction amount (or transaction price and volume), and the reason for the transaction (the reason for the transaction). Here, the reason for the transaction is, for example, to raise funds in a tax-exempt account. The control unit 11 then allocates (transfers) the funds obtained from the sale process from the taxable account to the tax-exempt account (S18). When funds are transferred to the tax-exempt account in this way, buying power becomes available in the tax-exempt account, making investment possible using the funds in the tax-exempt account. Here, the control unit 11 stores the withdrawal information to the customer's taxable account and the deposit information to the tax-exempt account in the customer database 12a.

Subsequently, the control unit 11 returns to step S11 and executes the above-described process each time a new fund deposit is received or whenever a vacancy arises in the tax-exempt account. This allows for effective investment by selling financial instruments held in the taxable account to raise funds and transferring them to the tax-exempt account when a vacancy arises in the tax-exempt account, thereby utilizing the annual investment limit of the tax-exempt account. In the above-described process, instead of determining whether there is a vacancy in the tax-exempt account in step S16, the control unit 11 may determine whether it is January 1st, and if it determines that it is January 1st, it may determine whether the remaining lifetime available amount is zero. In this case, the control unit 11 may determine that it is January 1st and, if it determines that the remaining lifetime available amount at this point is not zero, then sell the financial instruments held in the taxable account and transfer the funds obtained from the sale to the tax-exempt account.

Through the process described above, if funds exceeding the annual investment limit of the tax-exempt account are deposited, the excess amount is initially allocated to the taxable account and used for investment. When a vacancy arises in the tax-exempt account, the funds are automatically transferred from the taxable account to the tax-exempt account. Therefore, customers only need to deposit funds when opening an account or when they have secured a lump sum; after that, investments utilizing the tax-exempt limit are made without any further action from the customer.

Next, we will explain the process by which server 10 reduces the principal of financial instruments by selling them in accordance with their market value in the tax-exempt account, and then purchasing the same financial instruments that were sold. Note that the financial instruments to be purchased may be the same as those sold, or other securities of the same type as those sold, or instruments with the same (or similar) industry, category, and expected return as those sold, or other similar instruments. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the principal reduction process. The control unit 11 of server 10 performs the following process for each customer periodically, for example, once every 12 hours, once a day, once a week, etc.

The control unit 11 of the server 10 retrieves information on the growth investment limit of a tax-exempt account held by a customer from the customer DB 12a (S21). For example, the control unit 11 reads from the customer DB 12a the remaining amount of the lifetime available amount for the tax-exempt account, the remaining amount of the lifetime available amount for the growth investment limit of the tax-exempt account, the remaining amount of the annual investment limit for the growth investment limit, the book value and market value of the financial products held in the growth investment limit, and the planned amount of consumption of the tax-exempt account through set-up deposits. Based on the retrieved information, the control unit 11 determines whether there are any financial products among the financial products held in the growth investment limit that meet the sale conditions (S22). The sale conditions are, for example, when the market value-to-book value ratio (market value-to-book value ratio = market value / book value), which shows the ratio of the market value to the book value of the financial product, is less than or equal to a predetermined value. The predetermined value used to determine whether the sale conditions are met may be an arbitrary number such as 0.9 or 0.8, or it may be arbitrarily changed according to instructions from the asset management company's representative or the customer. Therefore, the control unit 11 calculates the market-to-book value ratio of each financial instrument held in the growth investment framework based on the acquired information and determines whether there are any financial instruments whose market-to-book value ratio is below the predetermined value. The control unit 11 may also determine that the sale conditions are met if the difference (decrease) between the book value and market value of a financial instrument exceeds a predetermined value; this predetermined value may also be predetermined or arbitrarily changed.

If the control unit determines that there is a financial product that meets the sale conditions (S22: YES), the control unit 11 determines whether or not to immediately sell the financial product that meets the sale conditions (S23). The determination of whether or not to immediately sell can be made using, for example, the remaining amount of the lifetime available amount of the growth investment limit, the remaining amount of the annual available investment amount of the growth investment limit, or the buying power of the growth investment limit. For the remaining amount of the lifetime available amount and the remaining amount of the annual available investment amount of the growth investment limit, the criterion for determination can be whether each remaining amount is equal to or greater than the amount required to purchase the financial product that meets the sale conditions. Furthermore, for the buying power of the growth investment limit, the criterion can be whether or not there is buying power of a predetermined amount or more in the growth investment limit, and if there is buying power, it is determined that the product should be immediately sold. Here, the predetermined amount is the amount of money that can be used to purchase after selling the financial product that meets the sale conditions, and can be the difference between the amount obtained from selling the financial product and the amount required to purchase it (amount required to purchase - amount obtained from selling). Furthermore, since the timing of selling a financial product and the timing of purchasing it are not the same, the amount obtained from the sale and the amount required for purchase are not the same. If the growth investment framework has sufficient purchasing power to cover this difference, it can be determined that the product should be sold immediately. Therefore, based on the acquired information, the control unit 11 determines whether the remaining annual investment amount in the growth investment framework is less than or equal to the remaining lifetime investment amount in the growth investment framework, and whether it is greater than or equal to the amount required to purchase a financial product that meets the sale conditions. If these conditions are met, it determines that the product should be sold immediately. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may determine whether the financial product should be sold immediately based on whether the growth investment framework has purchasing power exceeding a predetermined percentage (e.g., 5%, 10%, etc.) of the amount obtained from selling the financial product that meets the sale conditions.

If the control unit 11 determines that the financial product should be sold immediately (S23: YES), that is, if the remaining annual investment amount of the growth investment limit after deducting the planned consumption amount of the tax-exempt account through the set installment deposits is less than or equal to the remaining lifetime investment amount of the growth investment limit, and is greater than or equal to the amount required to purchase a financial product that meets the sale conditions, then the control unit 11 executes the sale process for the financial product (S24). Here, the control unit 11 sends a request to the trading server to execute the sale process for the financial product held by the customer in the growth investment limit. As a result, the trading server executes the sale process, and when the sale process is completed, the control unit 11 stores the sale date and transaction details as transaction information for the customer's tax-exempt account (growth investment limit) in the customer DB 12a. The reason for the transaction here is, for example, a decline (the market value ratio falls below a predetermined value). Then, the control unit 11 executes a purchase process to purchase a financial product of the same security as the financial product that was sold in the growth investment limit (S25). In the purchase process, the control unit 11 sends a request to the trading server to execute the purchase of financial products using the customer's growth investment funds, which is then carried out by the trading server. Once the purchase process is complete, the control unit 11 stores the purchase date and transaction details in the customer database 12a as transaction information for the customer's tax-exempt account (growth investment fund). The reason for the transaction here may be a decline, similar to the sale process in step S24.

Through the process described above, if the criteria for deciding to sell immediately are met, the financial instrument held in the growth investment framework will be sold and a financial instrument of the same security will be purchased when the sale conditions are met. By performing the above process when the market value of a financial instrument falls below its book value, the book value of the financial instrument can be reduced, and as a result, the principal of the financial instrument can be reduced. In the NISA system, when securities etc. held in a tax-free account are sold, an amount equivalent to the book value is restored as lifetime available funds the following year, so the lifetime available funds of the tax-free account can be increased by the amount of the portion that was effectively reduced. For example, if a financial instrument purchased for 1 million yen is sold and repurchased when its market value falls to 700,000 yen, the principal (book value) of the financial instrument can be reduced from 1 million yen to 700,000 yen. This transaction temporarily increases the lifetime usage limit of the tax-exempt account to 1.7 million yen. However, the lifetime usage limit will be restored to its original book value of 1 million yen the following year, effectively increasing the lifetime usage limit of the tax-exempt account by 300,000 yen. Thus, by reducing the principal of the financial products held, it is possible to effectively increase the lifetime usage limit of the tax-exempt account. Therefore, this type of transaction will be referred to as a "limit reduction transaction" below.

If the control unit 11 determines that the financial product should not be sold immediately (S23: NO), that is, if the remaining amount of the annual investment limit in the growth investment framework after deducting the planned consumption amount of the tax-exempt account through the set installment deposits is less than or equal to the remaining amount of the lifetime investment limit, but less than the amount required to purchase a financial product that meets the sale conditions, the control unit 11 executes a sale reservation process and a purchase reservation process for the financial product (S26). The sale reservation process is a process in which, for example, a predetermined date (e.g., the first day, an intermediate day, or the last day, etc.) within the period in which the sale and settlement can be made within the year (December) from mid-December onwards is set as the scheduled sale date, and the control unit 11 stores in the storage unit 12 a reservation for the execution of a request to send the execution of the sale process for the financial product to the trading server on the scheduled sale date. As a result, the execution of the sale process is reserved, and when the scheduled sale date arrives, the control unit 11 sends the execution request to the trading server, thereby executing the sale process. Furthermore, the purchase reservation process sets a predetermined date in January of the following year (for example, the first day on which the financial product can be purchased) as the scheduled purchase date. The control unit 11 stores in the storage unit 12 a reservation for sending a request to the trading server to execute the purchase process for the financial product on the scheduled purchase date, provided that the sale process for the financial product has been executed. Thus, the execution of the purchase process is reserved, and when the scheduled purchase date arrives after the sale process for the financial product has been executed, the control unit 11 sends the purchase process request to the trading server, thereby executing the purchase process. The control unit 11 may also re-determine whether the financial product to be sold meets the sale conditions when the scheduled sale date arrives, and may perform the sale process if it determines that the conditions are met. The control unit 11 may also send a request to the trading server to execute the sale process for the financial product on the scheduled sale date without waiting for the scheduled sale date, or send a request to the trading server to execute the purchase process for the financial product on the scheduled purchase date after the sale, without waiting for the scheduled purchase date.

If the control unit 11 determines in step S22 that there are no financial products that meet the selling conditions (S22: NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S27. After processing in step S25 or step S26, the control unit 11 performs the same processing for the regular investment limit. Specifically, the control unit 11 obtains information on a customer's regular investment limit from the customer DB 12a (S27) and determines whether there are any financial products among the financial products held in the regular investment limit that meet the selling conditions (S28). Then, if the control unit 11 determines that there are financial products that meet the selling conditions (S28: YES), it determines whether the financial product should be sold immediately (S29). If the control unit 11 determines that it should be sold immediately (S29: YES), it executes the sale process for the financial product (S30), and then executes a purchase process to purchase a financial product of the same security as the sold financial product using the growth investment limit (S31). Here again, the control unit 11 sends a request to execute the sale process and a request to execute the purchase process to the trading server, and the sale process and purchase process are executed by the trading server. The control unit 11 then stores the transaction information for the completed sale and purchase transactions in the customer's tax-exempt account in the customer database 12a. Here, the control unit 11 stores the sale transaction information as transaction information for the regular investment limit and the purchase transaction information as transaction information for the growth investment limit. The reason for the transaction here can also be, for example, a decline (the market value-to-book value ratio falling below a predetermined value). Therefore, even with the regular investment limit, if there is sufficient buying power when the market value of a financial product falls below its book value, the principal of that financial product can be reduced by selling the product and purchasing the same product, effectively expanding the lifetime available amount in the tax-exempt account.

On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that the financial instrument should not be sold immediately (S29: NO), it executes the sale reservation process and the purchase reservation process for the financial instrument (S32). Therefore, even with the investment limit, if the market value of the financial instrument falls below its book value and there is no available funds to purchase it, the control unit 11 executes a sale reservation for the financial instrument and a purchase reservation for the same instrument. This ensures that the sale process is executed when the scheduled sale date arrives, and the purchase process is executed if the scheduled purchase date arrives after the sale process has been executed. If the control unit 11 determines in step S28 that there are no financial instruments that meet the sale conditions (S28: NO), it terminates the process. The control unit 11 executes the above process for each customer registered in the customer DB 12a, and if there are financial instruments that meet the sale conditions, it executes the sale process and purchase process, or the sale reservation process and purchase reservation process, for those financial instruments.

Through the process described above, if the market value of financial instruments held in a tax-exempt account falls below its book value, the principal of those financial instruments can be reduced through cost-saving transactions, effectively expanding the lifetime available amount in the tax-exempt account. In the process described above, steps S25 and S31 describe a configuration in which financial instruments of the same type as those sold in steps S24 and S30 are purchased, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which financial instruments of the same type as those sold but of a different type is also acceptable. Alternatively, a configuration in which financial instruments similar to those sold are purchased, such as those in the same industry, category, and with similar (or similar) expected returns. In this case, the configuration should be such that financial instruments of an amount roughly equivalent to the amount obtained by selling the financial instruments in steps S24 and S30 are purchased. The expected return is the rate of return that can be expected to be obtained in the future if an investment is made, and is calculated by an asset management company, etc., based on various information about the financial instruments and the economic growth rate. The expected return may be stored in the storage unit 12, or it may be obtained from another server via the network N. As mentioned above, purchasing the same, similar, or identical product to the one sold reduces the principal of the product whose market value has declined. However, it is also acceptable to purchase other products from different industries or categories than the financial instrument sold. Even in this case, the unrealized losses resulting from the decline in the market value of the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account are eliminated (the unrealized losses are realized), effectively leading to an increase in the lifetime available balance of the tax-exempt account, similar to limit-based trading.

The control unit 11 of the server 10 periodically performs the above-described process for each customer and automatically executes a limit-of-sale transaction when a financial product that meets the sales conditions becomes available. Customers can access the server 10 using the customer terminal 20 and check the transaction history of financial products held in their accounts via the asset management site 12S. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a limit-of-sale transaction history screen, where Figure 6A shows an example of displaying history information for a limit-of-sale transaction executed immediately, and Figure 6B shows an example of displaying reservation history information for a limit-of-sale transaction. In the example of Figure 6A, the execution date of the limit-of-sale transaction, the name of the financial product sold by the limit-of-sale transaction, the sale date, the book value and market value at the time of sale of the financial product sold, the name of the financial product purchased by the limit-of-sale transaction, the purchase date, the book value of the financial product purchased, etc. are displayed. In the example shown in Figure 6B, the reservation date for the limit-of-payment transaction, the name of the financial product to be sold through the limit-of-payment transaction, the planned sale date, the book value of the financial product to be sold, the name of the financial product to be purchased through the limit-of-payment transaction, the planned purchase date, and the market value of the financial product to be purchased at the time of the limit-of-payment transaction reservation are displayed. Furthermore, the screens in Figures 6A and 6B display the increase in the lifetime available balance (limit-of-payment effect) that is effectively increased due to the reduction of principal through the limit-of-payment transaction. Through these screens, customers can understand the execution history and planned execution status of limit-of-payment transactions for the financial products they hold. The control unit 11 may also display the reason for the limit-of-payment transaction on the screens in Figures 6A and 6B. For example, the reason for the limit-of-payment transaction may be displayed as the conditions for meeting the sale conditions, specifically, the market value-to-book value ratio falling below a predetermined value.

Next, we will describe the process by which server 10 purchases financial instruments when there is (or arises) sufficient buying power in at least one of the customer's taxable and non-taxable accounts. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase process.

The control unit 11 of server 10 determines whether a customer has buying power in their account (taxable account and/or non-taxable account) (S41). This determination of buying power is performed periodically, for example, once every few hours or once a day. For example, after funds are deposited into the non-taxable account in steps S13 and S18 of Figure 4, and after funds are deposited into the taxable account in step S15, the control unit 11 determines that there is buying power.

If the control unit determines that there is sufficient purchasing power (S41: YES), it determines whether the purchase requirements for financial products within the tax-exempt account's installment investment limit are met (S42). Here, the control unit determines whether it corresponds to a predetermined periodic purchase within the annual investment limit and lifetime available limit of the installment investment limit. If it determines that it corresponds to a periodic purchase, it determines that the purchase requirements for the installment investment limit are met. If it determines that the purchase requirements for the installment investment limit are met (S42: YES), the control unit allocates the amount of the purchasing power to the installment investment limit and executes a purchase process to purchase financial products within the installment investment limit (S43). Here, the control unit identifies the financial products to be purchased and the purchase quantity (transaction volume) within the scope of the purchasing power, based on the purchasing power (amount available to purchase products) of the installment investment limit and the portfolio of candidate financial products set for the customer, and executes a process to purchase the identified financial products. When the purchase process is completed, the control unit 11 stores the purchase date and transaction details in the customer database 12a as transaction information for the customer's investment plan. The reason for the transaction here could be, for example, "available funds for purchase."

If it is determined that the purchase requirements for the regular investment limit are not met (S42: NO), the control unit 11 determines whether the purchase requirements for financial products in the tax-exempt growth investment limit are met (S44). Here, the control unit 11 determines whether there is sufficient purchasing power within the annual investment limit and lifetime available limit of the growth investment limit, and if it determines that there is sufficient purchasing power within that range, it determines that the purchase requirements for the growth investment limit are met. If it is determined that the purchase requirements for the growth investment limit are met (S44: YES), the control unit 11 executes a purchase process to purchase financial products in the growth investment limit (S45). Step S45 is the same process as step S43, although the purchase limit for financial products is different, and executes a process to purchase financial products within the purchasing power of the growth investment limit. In addition, in the purchase process in the growth investment limit, the control unit 11 may obtain the expected return for each candidate financial product and execute the purchase process for products with the highest expected returns first. When the purchase process is completed, the control unit 11 stores the purchase date and transaction details in the customer database 12a as transaction information within the customer's growth investment framework, and the reason for the transaction is also recorded as having sufficient buying power.

If it is determined that the purchase requirements for the growth investment framework are not met (S44: NO), the control unit 11 executes a purchase process to purchase financial products in the taxable account (S46). Step S46 is similar to step S43, although the purchase account for the financial products is different; it executes a process to purchase financial products within the limits of the purchasing power in the taxable account. Once the purchase process is complete, the control unit 11 stores the purchase date and transaction details in the customer DB 12a as transaction information for the customer's taxable account. After the processing in step S43 or step S45, the control unit 11 returns to step S41, and if there is purchasing power in the customer's account, it repeats the process described above.

The control unit 11 terminates the above process if it determines that there is no available purchasing power (S41: NO), or after processing in step S46. As a result of the above process, when purchasing power becomes available in the customer's account, purchases are prioritized using the regular investment limit, followed by purchases using the growth investment limit, and only if purchases in the tax-exempt account are not possible are purchases in the taxable account. By prioritizing purchases in the tax-exempt account whenever possible, investments that effectively utilize the tax-exempt account limit can be realized. Furthermore, by prioritizing the regular investment limit, which has stricter usage conditions than the growth investment limit, the growth investment limit, which has looser usage conditions, can be kept open, ensuring greater flexibility for future transactions. Additionally, in the above process, when purchasing financial products using the growth investment limit, the expected tax cost on taxable financial products can be minimized by prioritizing the purchase of products with high expected returns.

Next, we will explain the process by which server 10 withdraws funds from a customer's account (taxable and non-taxable accounts). Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the withdrawal process. The control unit 11 of server 10 identifies financial instruments that are candidates for sale among the financial instruments held in a customer's account (taxable and/or non-taxable account) (S61). For example, the control unit 11 identifies the financial instrument that most exceeds the target holding ratio among the financial instruments held by the customer as a candidate for sale. Alternatively, it may identify financial instruments whose market value-to-book value ratio is below a predetermined value as candidates for sale. The control unit 11 also identifies the planned sale quantity (transaction volume) for the financial instruments identified as candidates for sale.

The control unit 11 determines whether the financial product identified as a candidate for sale (the item to be sold) is held in a taxable account (S62). If it determines that it is held in a taxable account (S62: YES), it executes the sale process for the financial product identified as a candidate for sale held in the taxable account (S63). The control unit 11 sells the financial product identified as a candidate for sale held in the taxable account within the range of the specified planned sale volume for the financial product identified as a candidate for sale. Once the sale process is complete, the control unit 11 stores the sale date and transaction details (the reason for the transaction is, for example, a decline) in the customer DB 12a as transaction information for the customer's taxable account. If it determines that it is not held in a taxable account (S62: NO), the control unit 11 determines whether the financial product identified as a candidate for sale is held in the growth investment framework of a tax-exempt account (S64). If it determines that it is held in the growth investment framework (S64: YES), the control unit 11 executes the sale process for the financial product identified as a candidate for sale held in the growth investment framework (S65). Here, the control unit 11 sells the financial instruments that are candidates for sale, held within the growth investment framework, within the specified sales volume. Once the sale process is complete, the control unit 11 stores the sale date and transaction details (for example, the reason for the transaction being a decline) in the customer database 12a as transaction information within the customer's growth investment framework.

If the control unit 11 determines that the financial product identified as a candidate for sale is not held in the growth investment framework (S64: NO), it executes the sale process for the financial product held in the regular investment framework (S66). Here again, the control unit 11 sells the financial product held in the regular investment framework within the range of the identified planned sale quantity. Once the sale process is complete, the control unit 11 stores the sale date and transaction details (for example, the reason for the transaction was a decline) in the customer database 12a as transaction information for the customer's regular investment framework.

After processing in step S63 or step S65, the control unit 11 returns to step S61 and repeats the above-described process each time it identifies a potential product for sale among the financial instruments held in the customer's account. When a potential product for sale exists (or arises) in the customer's account through the above-described process, the sale of the potential product held in the taxable account is given top priority, followed by the sale of the potential product held in the growth investment framework, and finally, the sale of the potential product held in the regular investment framework. By prioritizing the sale of potential products in the taxable account if they exist there, the tax-exempt account framework can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, by prioritizing the sale of financial instruments held in the growth investment framework over the regular investment framework, free space can be preferentially created in the growth investment framework, which has less restrictive usage conditions, thus ensuring greater flexibility for future transactions.

Next, we will explain the process by which the server 10 replaces the financial instruments held in each account based on the expected returns of the financial instruments held by the customer in both taxable and tax-exempt accounts. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the replacement process. The control unit 11 of the server 10 obtains the expected returns of each financial instrument held in a customer's account (taxable account and/or tax-exempt account) (S81). The control unit 11 determines whether there are any financial instruments held in the taxable account whose expected return is greater than the expected return of the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account (S82). If it is determined that there are no financial instruments in the taxable account whose expected return is greater than the expected return of the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account (S82: NO), the control unit 11 terminates the process. Note that, for example, before step S81, the control unit 11 may determine whether there is available space in the customer's tax-exempt account (i.e., whether there is remaining funds in the lifetime available balance), and if it is determined that there is no space, it may execute the process from step S81 onwards. In this case, if there is space in the tax-exempt account, the purchase process in the tax-exempt account is performed according to the process shown in Figure 7.

Therefore, if the lifetime available balance in the tax-exempt account is insufficient, and the taxable account contains financial instruments with an expected return greater than the expected return of the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account (S82: YES), the control unit 11 identifies the financial instruments to be replaced (the instruments to be replaced) between the financial instruments held in the taxable account and the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account (S83). For example, the control unit 11 identifies the financial instrument with the highest expected return among the financial instruments held in the taxable account and the financial instrument with the lowest expected return among the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account as the instruments to be replaced.

The control unit 11 then executes a sale process for financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account that have been identified as targets for replacement (S84), and executes a sale process for financial instruments held in the taxable account that have been identified as targets for replacement (S85). Furthermore, the control unit 11 executes a purchase process to buy the same financial instruments that were sold in step S85 and held in the taxable account using funds from the tax-exempt account (S86), and executes a purchase process to buy the same financial instruments that were sold in step S84 and held in the tax-exempt account using funds from the taxable account (S87). Here again, the control unit 11 may purchase not only the same financial instruments that were held in the taxable account or the tax-exempt account, but also financial instruments similar to the sold financial instruments or other financial instruments. Note that in steps S84 and S85, the control unit 11 may execute the sale process for the financial instruments to be replaced, for example, after mid-December, and in steps S86 and S87, it may execute the purchase process for the financial instruments to be replaced in the tax-exempt account after the lifetime available balance of the tax-exempt account has recovered in the following year. Furthermore, when performing a purchase using funds from a tax-exempt account in step S86, the control unit 11 executes the purchase process after determining whether there is sufficient purchasing power (available purchase amount) in the tax-exempt account (installment investment limit or growth investment limit). Here again, if the sale process is completed, the control unit 11 stores the sale date and transaction details (transaction reason, e.g., account transfer) in the customer DB 12a as transaction information for each account or tax-exempt account of the customer. If the purchase process is completed, the control unit 11 also stores the purchase date and transaction details (transaction reason, e.g., account transfer) in the customer DB 12a as transaction information for each account or tax-exempt account of the customer.

Through the process described above, if the expected return of financial instruments held in a taxable account is greater than the expected return of financial instruments held in a tax-exempt account, the expected tax cost on taxable financial instruments can be minimized by swapping the financial instruments held in the taxable and tax-exempt accounts.

In this embodiment of the information processing system, the server 10 executes the processes shown in Figures 4-5 and 7-9 in parallel or sequentially. If a customer needs to sell a financial product they hold, the server 10 performs a sale process; if they need to purchase a new financial product, the server 10 performs a purchase process. This enables the automatic buying and selling of financial products. Therefore, customers can invest effectively using their tax-free account limit simply by making a deposit, without having to understand the complex NISA system. Furthermore, by setting different conditions for the sale conditions in steps S22 and S28 in Figure 5 and the sale candidate conditions in step S61 in Figure 8, the processes in Figure 5 and Figure 8 can be executed separately. Also, in this embodiment of the information processing system, if the server 10 determines that a sale or purchase process should be executed, it may notify the customer via the customer terminal 20 of the planned execution of the sale or purchase process, and then execute the sale or purchase process after obtaining permission from the customer.

Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example screen. Customers can access the server 10 using the customer terminal 20 and check the buying and selling history (transaction history) of financial products held in their account via the asset management site 12S. In the example shown in Figure 10, the purchase or sale date of the financial products held by the customer, the name of the financial product purchased or sold, the transaction details, and the reason for the transaction are displayed. Transaction reasons include, for example, the creation of buying power in a taxable or non-taxable account (buying power available), or the decline in the value of the held financial product (market value ratio falling below a predetermined value). Through such a screen, customers can understand the financial products they hold and also understand their past buying and selling history, along with the reasons for each transaction.

The matters described in the embodiments above can be combined with each other. Furthermore, the independent and dependent claims described in the claims can be combined with each other in any combination, regardless of the form of reference. Moreover, while the claims use a multi-claim format (claims referencing two or more other claims), this is not the only option. A multi-claim format (multi-multi-claim) that references at least one other multi-claim may also be used.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not in the sense described above, and is intended to include all modifications in the sense and scope equivalent to the claims. Therefore, various design modifications are possible, and all such modifications are included within the present invention.

10 Server 11 Control Unit 12 Storage Unit 13 Communication Unit 20 Customer Terminal 21 Control Unit 22 Storage Unit 23 Communication Unit 12S Asset Management Site

Claims (12)

Based on the book value and market value of financial instruments held by the customer in a tax-exempt account, the ratio of the market value to the book value of said financial instruments is calculated.
Depending on whether the calculated ratio meets the sale conditions, a decision will be made as to whether or not to sell the financial product.
If a decision is made to sell, a decision will be made on whether or not to immediately sell the financial instrument, depending on whether or not the conditions for immediate sale of the financial instrument are met.
An information processing method in which, if it is determined to sell immediately, the computer performs the following process: sell the aforementioned financial instrument and purchase the same or a different financial instrument with funds from the tax-exempt account in an amount roughly equivalent to the amount obtained from selling the aforementioned financial instrument . The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the computer performs a process to determine to sell the financial product if the calculated ratio is less than or equal to a predetermined value. If it is decided to sell the aforementioned financial product, it will be determined whether there is sufficient purchasing power in the growth investment limit of the customer's tax-exempt account to purchase an amount greater than or equal to a predetermined amount.
The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, if it is determined that there is sufficient purchasing power, the computer performs the process of selling the financial instrument at the time it is determined that there is sufficient purchasing power, and purchasing the same or a different financial instrument with the funds in the tax-exempt account. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein, if it is determined that there is no purchasing power, the computer performs the process of selling the financial product during a predetermined period from mid-December onwards, and purchasing the same or a different financial product with the funds in the tax-exempt account during a predetermined period in the following year. Upon receiving the deposit of funds from the aforementioned customer, an amount not exceeding the annual investable limit in the customer's tax-exempt account will be allocated to the customer's tax-exempt account, and the remaining funds will be allocated to the customer's taxable account.
The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, if there is available space in the annual investment limit of the customer's tax-exempt account, the computer performs the process of selling financial products held in the customer's taxable account and allocating the funds obtained from the sale to the customer's tax-exempt account, to the extent that it does not exceed the annual investment limit of the customer's tax-exempt account. The information processing method according to claim 5, wherein when purchasing financial products using funds allocated to the tax-exempt account, the computer performs the process of purchasing the financial products using the growth investment framework after purchasing the financial products using the regular investment framework in the tax-exempt account. When purchasing multiple financial products using funds allocated to the aforementioned tax-exempt account, the expected return of each of the aforementioned financial products is obtained.
The information processing method according to claim 5, wherein the computer performs the process of purchasing financial products with a high expected return within the growth investment framework of the tax-exempt account. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, if the financial product to be sold is held in the tax-exempt account, the computer performs the process of selling the financial product held in the growth investment framework, and then selling the financial product held in the regular investment framework. The expected return of the financial instruments held in the aforementioned tax-exempt account and the expected return of the financial instruments held in the aforementioned customer's taxable account are obtained.
The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein if the expected return of the financial instruments held in the taxable account is greater than the expected return of the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account, the computer performs the following steps: sell the financial instruments held in the taxable account, purchase the same or similar financial instruments with the funds from the tax-exempt account, sell the financial instruments held in the tax-exempt account, and purchase the same or similar financial instruments with the funds from the taxable account. Obtain the investment schedule for your regular investment,
Based on the aforementioned investment schedule obtained, a plan for purchasing financial products within the investment limit of the aforementioned tax-exempt account will be created.
The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the computer performs the process of purchasing financial products based on the purchase plan when purchasing financial products within the aforementioned investment limit. Based on the book value and market value of financial instruments held by the customer in a tax-exempt account, the ratio of the market value to the book value of said financial instruments is calculated.
Depending on whether the calculated ratio meets the sale conditions, a decision will be made as to whether or not to sell the financial product.
If a decision is made to sell, a decision will be made on whether or not to immediately sell the financial instrument, depending on whether or not the conditions for immediate sale of the financial instrument are met.
A program that, if it is decided to sell immediately, causes a computer to execute a process of selling the aforementioned financial instrument and purchasing the same or a different financial instrument with funds from the aforementioned tax-exempt account for an amount roughly equivalent to the amount obtained from selling the aforementioned financial instrument . In an information processing device having a control unit,
The control unit,
Based on the book value and market value of financial instruments held by the customer in a tax-exempt account, the ratio of the market value to the book value of said financial instruments is calculated.
Depending on whether the calculated ratio meets the sale conditions, a decision will be made as to whether or not to sell the financial product.
If a decision is made to sell, a decision will be made on whether or not to immediately sell the financial instrument, depending on whether or not the conditions for immediate sale of the financial instrument are met.
An information processing device that, upon deciding to sell immediately, sells the aforementioned financial instrument and purchases the same or a different financial instrument using funds from the aforementioned tax-exempt account for an amount roughly equivalent to the amount obtained from selling the aforementioned financial instrument .