Q1) An expected utility maximiser owns a car worth £60000£60000 and has a bank account with £20000£20000. The money in the bank is safe, but there is a 50%50% probability that the car will be stolen. The utility of wealth for the agent is u(y)=ln(y)u(y)=ln⁡(y) and they have no other assets.   Q2) Consider the setup from Question 1. A risk-neutral insurance company is willing to insure the car at the premium of π=£2/3π=£2/3 for every one pound of coverage. Q3) Consider the setup from Questions 1 and 2. How much profits, in expectation, does the insurance company earn on insuring the individual?

Microeconomic Theory
12th Edition
ISBN:9781337517942
Author:NICHOLSON
Publisher:NICHOLSON
Chapter18: Asymmetric Information
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 18.6P
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Q1) An expected utility maximiser owns a car worth £60000£60000 and has a bank account with £20000£20000. The money in the bank is safe, but there is a 50%50% probability that the car will be stolen. The utility of wealth for the agent is u(y)=ln(y)u(y)=ln⁡(y) and they have no other assets.

 

Q2) Consider the setup from Question 1. A risk-neutral insurance company is willing to insure the car at the premium of π=£2/3π=£2/3 for every one pound of coverage.

Q3) Consider the setup from Questions 1 and 2. How much profits, in expectation, does the insurance company earn on insuring the individual?

 

Consider the setup from Questions 1-3. Suppose that the firm is not charging the agent per unit of indemnity. Instead, it can propose to give the
agent the total wealth r1 in the 'good state' and the total wealth x2 in the 'bad state' in return for the agents entire wealth
W = 60 000 + 20 000 = 80 000 and W – L= 80 000 – 60 000 = 20000, respectively. Below, we shall refer to the pair (a1, x2) as a
contract.
Given the coverage chosen by the individual in Question 2, which of the following statements is correct?
O a.
There is a contract that is preferable to the outcome selected in Question 2 for both by the consumer and the firm.
Ob.
There is NO contract that is preferable to the outcome selected in Question 2 for both the consumer and the firm.
O C.
Any contract that the agent would be willing to accept must be equal to the outcome selected in Question 2.
O d.
Any contract that the agent would be willing to accept must be Pareto efficient.
Transcribed Image Text:Consider the setup from Questions 1-3. Suppose that the firm is not charging the agent per unit of indemnity. Instead, it can propose to give the agent the total wealth r1 in the 'good state' and the total wealth x2 in the 'bad state' in return for the agents entire wealth W = 60 000 + 20 000 = 80 000 and W – L= 80 000 – 60 000 = 20000, respectively. Below, we shall refer to the pair (a1, x2) as a contract. Given the coverage chosen by the individual in Question 2, which of the following statements is correct? O a. There is a contract that is preferable to the outcome selected in Question 2 for both by the consumer and the firm. Ob. There is NO contract that is preferable to the outcome selected in Question 2 for both the consumer and the firm. O C. Any contract that the agent would be willing to accept must be equal to the outcome selected in Question 2. O d. Any contract that the agent would be willing to accept must be Pareto efficient.
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