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

Assignment, illustrate graphically the influence of an increase in immigran...

illustrate graphically the influence of an increase in immigrants on the market supply of labour

Price elasticities of demand, how to compute the price of a laptop increase...

how to compute the price of a laptop increase of 20% and there is a 40% drop in the aquantity demanded

Cross-price elasticity of demand, Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand is expla...

Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand is explained below: Cross price elasticity of the demand is the percentage change in the quantity demanded of a particular good, with respect t

Economic reforms and industrial growth, Economic Reforms and Industrial Gro...

Economic Reforms and Industrial Growth Economic reforms were mainly intended to remove obstacles so that investment in industry may be accelerated. With this end in view, indu

National income accounting, National income accounting: Final Goods: ...

National income accounting: Final Goods: Final goods are goods and services which are being purchased for final use and not for resale or further processing or manufacturing

Opportunity cost, there are 1 million hours of labor available for making c...

there are 1 million hours of labor available for making cars in the north, and another 1 million hours of labor available for making cars in the south. in a no-trade world, let''s

The Invisible Hand and Externalities, In markets, the invisible hand alloca...

In markets, the invisible hand allocates resources efficiently a. in all cases b. when there are positive externalities, but not when there are negative externalities c. when there

Need Homework help, If I submit an economics problem(Home work), How soon i...

If I submit an economics problem(Home work), How soon it will be answered?

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