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

Functions of money in any modern economy, Functions of money in any modern ...

Functions of money in any modern economy: A medium of exchange: Money facilitates the exchange of goods and services because, people exchange the goods and services they produ

Markets, Syndicated and organized oligopoly

Syndicated and organized oligopoly

Macroeconomics, A government is currently operating with an annual budget d...

A government is currently operating with an annual budget deficit of $40 billion. The government has determined that: • Every $10 billion reduction in the amount of bonds it issue

Externalities, What are corrective taxes? Why do economists prefer them to ...

What are corrective taxes? Why do economists prefer them to regulations as a way to protect the environment from pollution. Discuss

Determine the profit maximizing price and quantity, Determine the profit ma...

Determine the profit maximizing price and quantity A firm has segmented its market into the following demand functions: P1 = 500 – 50Q     P2 = 500 – 20Q     with a cost fu

Are markets the best way of solving the economic problem, Are markets the b...

Are markets the best way of solving the basic economic problem? Justify your answer. The core of the economic problem ( who, what, for whom) is something all societies must add

Role of money in a modern economic system, Normal 0 false fa...

Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Perfect competition in neoclassical economics, Q. Perfect Competition in ne...

Q. Perfect Competition in neoclassical economics? Perfect Competition: An abstract assumption, central to neoclassical economics, in that companies are so small that none can i

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