System and method for facilitating unified trading and control for a sponsoring organization's money management process

A computer system for facilitating a sponsoring organization's money management process using at least one asset manager to manage the sponsoring organization's investment portfolios, the computer system comprising:

• an order entry system comprising a computer-based graphical user interface and associated software program configured to receive, through a computer-based communications network, orders from an asset manager, each order comprising a number of shares to buy or sell for a security;
• a high touch-low touch engine configured to determine, for each order, whether the sponsoring organization or the asset manager is assigned discretion for facilitating execution of the each order, wherein the sponsoring organization is assigned discretion for low-touch orders expected to have low market impact and the asset manager is assigned discretion for high-touch orders expected to have high market impact;
• and
• one or more order management systems collectively configured to:
• facilitate, based on the assignment of discretion, execution of the high-touch orders by at least one trading organization, and
• facilitate, based on the assignment of discretion, execution of the low-touch orders by at least one trading organization.

A method for facilitating a sponsoring organization's money management process using at least one asset manager to manage the sponsoring organization's investment portfolios, the method comprising:

• receiving, through a computer-based communications network, orders from an asset manager, each order comprising a number of shares to buy or sell for a security;
• and
• for each order, using a computerized rules-based logic engine:
• determining an expected market impact of the each order,
• categorizing the each order as either high-touch or low-touch based on the expected market impact,
• assigning to the sponsoring organization discretion for facilitating execution of the each order if the each order is categorized as a low-touch order, and
• assigning to the asset manager discretion for facilitating execution of the each order if the each order is categorized as a high-touch order.

A computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method for facilitating a sponsoring organization's money management process using at least one asset manager to manage the sponsoring organization's investment portfolios, the method comprising:

• receiving, through a computer-based communications network, orders from an asset manager, each order comprising a number of shares to buy or sell for a security, wherein the orders are received through an order entry system comprising a computer-based graphical user interface and associated software program;
• and
• for each order:
• determining an expected market impact of the each order,
• categorizing the each order as either high-touch or low-touch based on the expected market impact,
• assigning to the sponsoring organization discretion for facilitating execution of the each order if the each order is categorized as a low-touch order, and
• assigning to the asset manager discretion for facilitating execution of the each order if the each order is categorized as a high-touch order.

A method for facilitating a sponsoring organization's money management process using at least one asset manager to manage the sponsoring organization's investment portfolios, the method comprising:

• inputting orders of an asset manager into an order entry system comprising a computer-based graphical user interface and associated software program, wherein the order entry system is in communication with a high touch-low touch engine, and wherein each order comprises a number of shares to buy or sell for a security;
• sending the orders to the high touch-low touch engine, which determines, for each order, whether the sponsoring organization or the asset manager is assigned discretion for facilitating execution of the each order, wherein the sponsoring organization is assigned discretion for low-touch orders expected to have low market impact and the asset manager is assigned discretion for high-touch orders expected to have high market impact;
• facilitating, based on the assignment of discretion, execution of the high-touch orders by at least one trading organization;
• and
• facilitating, based on the assignment of discretion, execution of the low-touch orders by at least one trading organization.