A method is disclosed for determining whether a transaction involving a financial instrument is in compliance with investment objectives associated with an investment portfolio. The method includes the step of providing a rule pertaining to an investment objective, wherein the rule contains a reference to a dynamic database having one or more related entries. The method also includes the steps of applying the rule to an investment request regarding a transaction involving a financial instrument, referring to the dynamic database to incorporate each related entry into the rule, and determining whether the investment request complies with the rule.