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

Monopsony, What are the advantages and disadvantages of monopsony?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of monopsony?

The demand for big mac, illustration for demand of big macs using indiffere...

illustration for demand of big macs using indifference curve and budget line

Find the price elasticity of demand of good, Consider a consumer with the f...

Consider a consumer with the following Cobb-Douglass utility function: U (x, y) = x α y 1-α a)  Find the Marshallian Demand for both goods. b)  Find the Price Elasticit

Comparative economics system, Identify path of growth and development to ec...

Identify path of growth and development to economic maturity.

Example of consumer surplus, Example: The Value of Clean Air Air is fre...

Example: The Value of Clean Air Air is free in sense that we do not pay to breathe it. Question: Are benefits of cleaning up air worth the costs? People pay extra to buy

Social cost of monopoly, Price Discrimination: occurs when the same produc...

Price Discrimination: occurs when the same product is sold at different prices to different consumers. A monopolist divided his consumers into groups and sells his product at vary

Participation in global system of production, Participation in Global Syste...

Participation in Global System of Production: As national economies are getting more inter-linked, the share of foreign components in most manufactured products is progressiv

Name the actors in the basic neoclassical model of economics, Name the two ...

Name the two actors in the basic neoclassical (or traditional microeconomic) model of economics, and identify the assumptions the model makes of these two actors. Firms and hou

Markets, What are markets types of markets

What are markets types of markets

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