This paper uses a novel numerical optimization technique – robust optimization – that is well suited to solving the asset-liability management (ALM) problem for pension schemes. It requires the estimation of fewer stochastic parameters, reduces estimation risk and adopts a prudent approach...

Seit der zweiten Hälfte der 1990er gab es drei gravierende Finanzkrisen, jeweils mit einer erheblichen Beteiligung der Rating-Agenturen (RAs). Im Lichte der erzielten Ergebnisse entsprechen RAs nicht ihren Leistungsversprechen. Sie erweisen sich als fehlbar und überfordert. Das ist angesichts...

Berkshire Hathaway has realized a Sharpe ratio of 0.76, higher than any other stock or mutual fund with a history of more than 30 years, and Berkshire has a significant alpha to traditional risk factors. However, we find that the alpha becomes insignificant when controlling for exposures to...

Annuities are perceived as being illiquid financial instruments, and this has limited their attractiveness to consumers and their inclusion in financial models. However, short positions in annuities can be replicated using life insurance and debt, permitting long positions in annuities to be...

This paper examines the spill-over effects of interest rate risk and return on Australian and US financial firms using a dynamic conditional correlation GARCH model. Australian banks exhibit negative exposure to changes in both domestic and US interest rates, and US interest rate volatility is...

The GM and Ford downgrade to junk status during May 2005 caused a wide-spread sell-off in their corporate bonds. Using a novel dataset, we document that this sell-off appears to have generated significant liquidity risk for market-makers, as evidenced in the significant imbalance in their quotes...

Using the widely-cited Lee-Carter mortality model, we quantify aggregate mortality risk as the risk that the average annuitant lives longer than is predicted by the model, and we conclude that annuity business exposes insurance companies to substantial mortality risk. We calculate that a markup...

This paper proposes and calibrates a consistent multi-factor affine term structure mortality model for longevity risk applications. We show that this model is appropriate for fitting historical mortality rates. Without traded mortality instruments the choice of risk-neutral measure is not unique...

This paper considers the pricing of European call options written on pure endowment and deferred life annuity contracts, also known as guaranteed annuity options. These contracts provide a guaranteed value at the maturity of the option. The contract valuation is dependent on the stochastic...

We consider a Heston type inflation model in combination with a Hull–White model for nominal and real interest rates, in which all the correlations can be non-zero. Due to the presence of the Heston dynamics our derived inflation model is able to capture the implied volatility skew/smile,...