ABSTRACT
Fair value estimates from external third-party sources are generally considered more reliable than internal estimates based on managerial inputs. However, even externally sourced estimates ...are subject to managerial opportunism, because firms can switch from one external source to another. In the context of life insurance companies that mostly rely on external sources, we posit that such source switches could be driven by managerial incentive either to faithfully report fair values (objective valuation) or to inflate estimates to avoid OTTI (opinion shopping). Our results support both motives. In instances in which the two incentives yield conflicting predictions for source switching, we find the opinion-shopping motive dominates. We also find that switches that increase fair value estimates are associated with a reduced OTTI likelihood and magnitude, especially for high-impairment-risk securities. On balance, our evidence suggests that opportunism with respect to source switching can compromise the reliability of externally sourced fair value estimates.
Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.
JEL Classifications: G22; M41.
This study examined the influence of trust dimensions on customer engagement, and the resultant impact of customer engagement on customer loyalty in the context of life insurance. Furthermore, it ...investigated the mediating role of customer engagement in the relationships between trust dimensions and customer loyalty. A total of 452 valid responses from life insurance customers in Ghana were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that trust in service provider, trust in the regulator, economy-based trust, and information-based trust significantly influence customer engagement, with trust in service provider and trust in the regulator driving a higher level of customer engagement. The results also uncovered that customer engagement significantly enriches customer loyalty and mediated the relationships between the trust dimensions and customer loyalty. The findings highlight the importance of building convincing customer trust to advance customer engagement and customer loyalty.
This paper introduces a contingent claim model, offering a financial perspective on the global climate policy challenge. The model prioritizes the use of carbon tariffs to prevent carbon leakage and ...cap-and-trade initiatives to incentivize carbon emission reductions. In this model, manufacturers in an exporting country's supply chain collaborate with a life insurance company to acquire carbon allowances through the cap-and-trade mechanism. The importing country enforces carbon tariffs to protect its import-substitution industries and to prevent carbon leakage, assessed by the effective carbon tariff rate. Our findings show that increasing carbon tariffs on final products and intermediate goods reduces equity for both the life insurance company and the importer but strengthens carbon tariff protection. Conversely, a stricter regulatory cap within the exporting country's cap-and-trade system bolsters equity for the life insurance company and the importer but weakens carbon tariff effectiveness in the importing country. This dilemma underscores the urgent need for global collaboration in managing carbon emissions. Our research highlights the complex challenges of global climate policies. It is suggested to foster efficient and sustainable international cooperation in shaping climate policies to address these challenges.
•We use a contingent claim model to study international climate policy dilemmas.•Raising carbon tariffs reduces equity for both the insurance company and the importer.•Raising tariffs on Intermediate and final products enhances carbon tariff protection.•Higher regulatory cap weakens carbon tariff effectiveness in the importing country.•We advocate for international coordination to tackle climate policy challenges.
The use of bank‐owned life insurance (BOLI) has more than tripled since 2001 and has caught the attention of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. I find increases in BOLI lead to higher ...levels of liquidity risk, credit risk, and interest rate risk. Robustness tests confirm these results and suggest over‐ and underinvestment in BOLI and use of BOLI as a tax shelter contribute to risk increases. Results indicate that the concerns expressed by regulators are warranted, and suggest insurance may not always have the intended effect of reducing firm risk because of unintended consequences or misuse.
When Is a Premium Not a Premium? Weber, Richard M
Journal of financial service professionals,
11/2023, Volume:
77, Issue:
6
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Life insurance policies can be straightforward (10-year term) or more complicated (indexed universal life with.a proprietary index and a 50-page illustration), and there are many policy styles in ...between. When considering what type of product is suitabie and in the client's best interest one of the most difficult aspects of the buying process is appreciating that the illustration is not the policy. Policy illustrations are a presentation of nonguaranteed premiums, policy credits, policy debits, and death benefits reflecting a single scenario in which crediting rates don't vary, policy expenses don't deviate from the original nonguaranteed schedule, and customers always pay the planned premium into the policy (and may or may not borrow)-as the illustration assumes. This is not how life insurance works in the real world.
This study aims to analyze and compare the efficiency between conventional life insurance companies and Islamic life insurance companies in Indonesia over the period of 2014-2018. The sample of this ...study was taken from 10 conventional life insurance companies and 10 shariah life insurance companies that were selected based on the purposive sampling technique. Measurement of efficiency in this study was conducted using the method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on Bankers-Charnes-Cooper (BCC) and Charnes-Cooper-Rhodes (CCR) models of the value-added approach. This was followed by testing the hypothesis using a different Mann-Whitney U-test. Input variables used are assets, capital, general and administrative costs, and commission expenses. Meanwhile, the output variables are premiums and investment income. The results showed that conventional life insurance companies are more efficient than Islamic life insurance companies based on the BCC and CCR models. Furthermore, the results of different tests using the Mann-Whitney U-test showed an insignificant difference in efficiency between conventional life insurance companies and Islamic life insurance companies during the study period. The results of the comparison of the average efficiency value with the DEA method indicated that the efficiency level of a conventional life insurance company was better than a shariah life insurance company.===Studi Perbandingan Efisiensi antara Asuransi Jiwa Konvensional dengan Syariah Menggunakan Data Envelopment Analysis. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis perbandingan efisiensi perusahaan asuransi jiwa konvensional dengan perusahaan asuransi jiwa syariah di indonesia pada periode 2014-2018. Sampel penelitian ini adalah 10 perusahaan asuransi jiwa konvensional dan 10 perusahaan asuransi jiwa syariah yang dipilih berdasarkan teknik purposive sampling. Pengukuran efisiensi dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode data envelopment analysis (DEA) dengan model BCC dan CCR berdasarkan pendekatan nilai tambah. dilanjutkan dengan melakukan uji hipotesis menggunakan uji beda mann-whitney u-test. Variabel input yang digunakan adalah aset. modal. biaya administrasi dan umum. dan beban komisi. Sedangkan variabel outputnya adalah premi dan pendapatan investasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perusahaan asuransi jiwa konvensional lebih efisien dibandingkan perusahaan asuransi jiwa syariah berdasarkan pengukuran dengan model BCC maupun model CCR. Selanjutnya hasil uji beda menggunakan uji mann-whitney u- test menunjukkan bahwa tidak terdapat perbedaan efisiensi yang signifikan antara perusahaan asuransi jiwa konvensional dan perusahaan asuransi jiwa syariah selama periode penelitian ini. Hasil perbandingan nilai efisiensi rata-rata dengan metode DEA menunjukkan bahwa tingkat efisiensi perusahaan asuransi jiwa konvensional lebih baik daripada perusahaan asuransi jiwa syariah.
In Estate of Blount, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals held that life insurance proceeds used to redeem a shareholder's shares are not counted in the fair market value of the company when valuing ...those shares. Given the very different conclusions reached by the 11th Circuit in the Blount case and the 8th Circuit in the case of Connelly v. United States, if it is not feasible for shareholders to have a cross-purchase agreement, having an insurance-funded stock-redemption agreement may present a valuation challenge. The larger, exemptions now applicable under the estate tax law may insulate many owners of closely held businesses from valuation-concerns. However, those owners of corporations who are concerned about estate tax planning should seek the advice of qualified appraisers and attorneys to structure a buy-sell agreement and a business appraisal that takes into account insurance funding if a stock-redemption format is the owners' preference.