Systems and methods for providing access to an information account stored
in a central data repository. The information account is associated with a consumer
and is subject to the consumer's control and management. Consumer authentication
information is input by the consumer in connection with a first request for access
to the information account via a first web-site. Responsive to authentication of
the consumer, a single sign-on feature may be activated for automatically managing
subsequent authentications of the consumer so that the consumer will not be required
to again input the consumer authentication information upon initiating a second
request for access to the information account while interacting with a subsequent
web-site that is configured to provide access to the information account upon authentication
of the consumer. The single sign-on function may be deactivated upon the occurrence
of a terminating event, such as the expiration of a time-out interval.