Method and apparatus for conducting financial transactions

A computer-implemented method for conducting a financial transaction, comprising:

• receiving, via a data communications channel, a solicitation for the financial transaction;
• presenting, on a user workstation, an alert indicating that the solicitation has arrived;
• receiving from the user workstation an activation signal, generated in response to an input of a user, indicating that the user has selected the solicitation for dealing;
• and
• responsive to the generation of the activation signal,
• displaying the financial transaction to the user,
• receiving a transaction term from the user for the financial transaction, and
• sending the transaction term over the data communications channel.

A system for conducting a financial transaction, comprising:

• means for receiving, via a data communications channel, a solicitation for the financial transaction;
• means for presenting, on a user workstation, an alert indicating that the solicitation has arrived, the user workstation being configured to generate an activation signal, responsive to the input of a user, indicating that the user has selected the solicitation for dealing;
• means, responsive to the input of the user, for displaying the financial transaction to the user;
• means, responsive to the input of the user, for accepting a transaction term from the user for the financial transaction;
• and
• means, responsive to the receiving means, for sending the transaction term over the first data communications channel.

A user interface for conducting a proposed financial transaction, comprising:

• a first display region configured to display
• an alert in response to a receipt of a solicitation to execute a proposed financial transaction, and
• a user-activatible control configured to generate a signal that a user has selected the solicitation for dealing;
• and
• a second display region configured to show, in response to the generation of the signal, a deal ticket summarizing the proposed financial transaction;
• wherein the deal ticket is configured to receive a transaction term from the user for the proposed financial transaction.

Computer-executable software code, stored on a computer-readable medium, for conducting a financial transaction, comprising:

• code configured to receive, via a data communications channel, a solicitation for the financial transaction;
• code responsive to the receipt of the solicitation, configured to present, on a user workstation,
• an alert indicating that the solicitation has arrived, and
• a user-activatible control configured to generate an activation signal, responsive to the input of a user, and
• code responsive to the generation of the activation signal,
• to display the financial transaction to the user,
• to receive a transaction term from the user for the financial transaction, and
• to send the transaction term over the data communications channel.

A computer-readable storage medium encoded with a program executable by a computer to conduct a financial transaction, the program comprising:

• code configured to receive, via a data communications channel, a solicitation for the financial transaction;
• code configured to present, on a user workstation,
• an alert indicating that the solicitation has arrived, and
• a user-activatible control configured to generate an activation signal, responsive to the input of a user, indicating that the user has selected the solicitation for dealing, and
• code responsive to the generation of the activation signal,
• to display the financial transaction to the user,
• to receive a transaction term from the user for the financial transaction, and
• to send the transaction term over the data communications channel.

A computer-implemented method for conducting a financial transaction, comprising:

• receiving a solicitation for the financial transaction from a first user;
• presenting the solicitation to a second user;
• receiving from the second user a transaction term responsive to the solicitation;
• transmitting the transaction term to the first user;
• receiving from the first user an offer to deal responsive to the transaction term;
• transmitting the offer to deal to the second user;
• receiving from the second user a deal completion signal responsive to the offer to deal;
• sending the deal completion signal to the first user;
• executing the financial transaction;
• and
• sending a confirmation.

A programmed computer for conducting a financial transaction, comprising:

• a processor configured to receive, via a data communications channel, a solicitation for the financial transaction, and for presenting an alert indicating that the solicitation has arrived;
• and
• a memory having at least one region for storing computer-executable program code;
• wherein the program code is configured to generate an activation signal in response to an input of a user, the input indicating that the user has selected the solicitation for dealing;
• and
• the processor, responsive to the generation of the activation signal, is configured to display the financial transaction to the user,
• to receive a transaction term from the user for the financial transaction, and
• to send the transaction term over the data communications channel.