insurance, Microeconomics

Assignment Help:
#question.Question: Answer all parts (a, b, c, d, e & f).

Consider the following insurance market. There are two states of the world, B and G, and two types of consumers, H and L, who have probabilities pH =0.5 and pL =0.25 (high and low risk) respectively of being in state B. They have common endowment e=(eG,eB) = (£900, £100). The individuals have expected utility preferences over state-contingent consumptions c=(cG,cB), with common utility function u(ci)=ln(ci), where i=B,G. Insurance firms are risk-neutral profit maximisers and offer contracts in exchange for the individuals’ endowments.

Suppose the market is competitive.

a) Outline the definition of a competitive equilibrium of this market and explain why every contract, offered by every firm, must earn zero profit in equilibrium. [7 marks]

b) Suppose the information concerning individuals’ types is symmetric, but void. It is commonly known, however, that the proportion of low risk consumers is 0.4. Derive the equilibrium set of contracts. [5 marks]

c) Find the equilibrium set of contracts when information is symmetric and perfect. [5 marks]

Now suppose that information is asymmetric; individuals know their own type but insurance firms cannot distinguish between types. (Note: there does exist an equilibrium set of contracts for this market. You may make use of this fact without proving it).

d) Explain why it must be that, if {cH,cL} is the equilibrium set of contracts, then
cH ? cL. [4 marks]

e) Explain and derive the equilibrium contract offered to high risk individuals. [3 marks]

f) Explain and derive the equilibrium contract offered to low risk individuals. [9 marks]

Related Discussions:- insurance

Why firm charges different prices to different consumer, Why firm charges d...

Why firm charges different prices to different consumer?  Every firm needs to maximize its profit. When goods are sold to different customers, each customer negotiate price of

Mixed strategies, Find the best response functions and the mixed strategies...

Find the best response functions and the mixed strategies Nash Equilibrium if each player randomizes over his actions.

What kinds of sustainability questions do raise, What two developments are ...

What two developments are demanding new ways of looking at the economic world in the 21st century?  What kinds of sustainability questions do they raise? Two developments that

Lnternational trade, state 3 major assumptions which a production posibilit...

state 3 major assumptions which a production posibility is based

Opportunity cost, discus how opportunity cost influence supplier''s decisio...

discus how opportunity cost influence supplier''s decision to supply labour

Nursing, Questions 1. Mrs Holt, 85 years old, has been admitted to acute ca...

Questions 1. Mrs Holt, 85 years old, has been admitted to acute care following a fall resulting in a fractured femur. She is a widow and lives alone with her three cats for compa

International monetary fund, International Monetary Fund: The Internat...

International Monetary Fund: The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the International Trade Organisation were conceived at the Brettonwoods Conference in Ju

Shortage, Shor tage A condition under that the quantity demanded fo...

Shor tage A condition under that the quantity demanded for a good or service exceeds the available supply for that good or service. Shortages usually cause a rise in price

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd