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

State the example of price and price level, State the example of price and ...

State the example of price and price level Create a basket which contains all the goods sold by a specific store on a specific day. Price of this basket is then a price level -

Short-run economic decisions, Weston Industrial Manufacturing Products ("WI...

Weston Industrial Manufacturing Products ("WIMP") has the capability to produce a variety of industrial products, including a number of types of widgets. In the past, WIMP has manu

Diseconomies of scale, Diseconomies of Scale A rises in a firm's cost ...

Diseconomies of Scale A rises in a firm's cost of producing an additional unit as all another factors of production rising. Diseconomies of scale can be caused by poor and ine

Estimation of national income, ESTIMATION OF NATIONAL INCOME: In India...

ESTIMATION OF NATIONAL INCOME: In India, the first attempt to estimate national income and per capita income was made in the year 1867-68 by Shri Dadabhai Naoroji. This was fo

International economics., GIVE AND EXPLAIN IN DETAIL,ARGUMENTS GIVEN TO EXP...

GIVE AND EXPLAIN IN DETAIL,ARGUMENTS GIVEN TO EXPLAIN LEONTIEF''S EMPERICAL FINDINGS ON THE HECKSCHER-OHLIN MODEL OF TRADE.

Natural factors and availability of credit, Natural Factors: Seasonal va...

Natural Factors: Seasonal variations may affect the demand for a commodity at certain times of the year. For example, during the raining season, demand for commodities such as j

Determine the solution of the homogeneous system, The reduced row echelon f...

The reduced row echelon form of  A=    is equal to R = (a)  What can you say about row 3 of A? Give an example of a possible third row for A. (b)  Determine the values o

What is derived demand, The demand for every productive resources is a deri...

The demand for every productive resources is a derived demand.  By derived demand it is meant that it is the output of the resource and not the resource itself for which is a deman

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