Monitoring and representing a financial target

A method of monitoring and representing a user's financial target by means of a self service terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

• identifying a user by means of a user identification token;
• communicating with a remote server to obtain details of a financial target associated with the user's identity, and a visual representation of that target;
• obtaining details of the user's financial status from a financial service provider;
• calculating the proximity of the user's financial status to the user's target;
• receiving instructions from the user of a financial transaction to be executed;
• determining a change in proximity to the target which would result from execution of the financial transaction;
• modifying the visual representation of the target dependent on the change in proximity;
• and
• displaying the modified representation to the user.

A self service terminal comprising:

• user identification means for reading a user identification token to identify a user;
• communication means for communicating with a remote server;
• memory storage means for storing data concerning a user's financial target, a visual representation of that target, and a user's financial status obtained from a remote server;
• first data processing means for calculating the proximity of the user's financial status to the target;
• user interaction means for receiving instructions of financial transactions to be executed from a user;
• second data processing means for calculating the effect of the financial transaction on the user's financial status and the proximity to the target;
• image processing means for modifying the visual representation of the target in accordance with the proximity to the target;
• and
• image display means for displaying a visual representation of the target to a user.

An apparatus for monitoring and representing a user's financial target, the apparatus comprising:

• means for identifying a user's financial target to be achieved;
• means for identifying a visual representation of the financial target;
• means for determining the user's financial status, and calculating the proximity of the financial status to the financial target;
• means for receiving instructions from the user of a financial transaction to be executed;
• means for determining the effect of the financial transaction on the proximity of the user's financial status to the financial target;
• means for modifying the visual representation of the financial target in accordance with the effect of the financial transaction on the proximity of the user's financial status to the target;
• and
• means for displaying the modified visual representation of the financial target to the user.