Microeconomics, Microeconomics

Assignment Help:
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:- Microeconomics

Indifference curve, Jane receives utility from days spent travelling on vac...

Jane receives utility from days spent travelling on vacation domestically(D) and days

Producers and the efficiency, regis is hungry for a snack. Here is the valu...

regis is hungry for a snack. Here is the value he place on a cupcake: value of the first cupcake$5, value of the second cupcake $4, value of the third cupcake $3, and the value of

#question.Question: Answer all parts (a, Consider the following insurance m...

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

Employee communication, Employee Communication More widely called int...

Employee Communication More widely called internal communications, employee communication is must in retaining a happy and productive workforce. Internal communications to e

Consumer behaviour, Maurice has the following utility function: U (X; Y ) =...

Maurice has the following utility function: U (X; Y ) = 20X + 80Y ?? X2 ?? 2Y 2 where X is his consumption of CDs, with a price of $1, and Y is his consumption of movie videos, wit

True or false, economists would predict that if salaries increased for engg...

economists would predict that if salaries increased for engginieers and decreasded for mba braduates that fewer people would go to graduate school in business and more would go in

What is the benefit of economics in our life, What is the benefit (main wor...

What is the benefit (main work) of economics in our life?  Economics plays a very important role in development of a country. A country's economy shows the stability of that co

Finding concavity, my q is dat how can we find mathematically dat a product...

my q is dat how can we find mathematically dat a production function is concave?

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