Loose-leaf Version for Economics & LaunchPad (Twelve Month Access)
Loose-leaf Version for Economics & LaunchPad (Twelve Month Access)
4th Edition
ISBN: 9781319035877
Author: Paul Krugman, Robin Wells
Publisher: Worth Publishers
Question
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Chapter 20, Problem 1BCQ
To determine

Whether AIG accurately assessed the default risk that it insured and reasons behind it.

Concept Introduction:

Insurance: Insurance refers to an amount of compensation that the government or an insurance company pays when a person incurs a loss specified in the insurance policy.

Default Risk: It is a situation when a company is not able to pay its debts to the person to whom it owes the amount that is the lender.

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Explanation of Solution

  • In the given case, AIG started selling a product named CDS. It is an insurance which covers the risk of bond investors. Bond investors were careless in giving loans because they were insured against the default.
  • AIG was expanding its profit and market without caring for risk. It was so confident that it avoided auditing books and there it went wrong.
  • In 2008, a huge crisis happened due to a mortgage loan default by the U.S. households. Investors were asking for their loss from AIG and hence, AIG got bankrupt. So, the central bank had to interfere by bailout package.
  • AIG did not accurately assess the default risk that it has insured. It is because the banks were going through huge losses by doing transactions with the company.
  • The company got the financial aid from the central bank in the form of bailout package.

Conclusion:

Thus, AIG did not assess the default risk that it has insured.

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