We study the optimal insurance demand in the μ,σ space when the decision-maker faces a first-order risk increase. In particular, we investigate the effect of an increase in the expected damage when the variance is held constant. An unambiguous result is derived on insurance demand that differs...

The majority of risk adjusted performance measures (RAPM) currently in use – e.g., Treynor ratio, (?/?)) ratio, Omega index, RoVaR, ‘coherent’ preference criteria, etc. – are incompat- ible with any sensible utility function and would be best avoided. We argue instead for the assessment...

This interdisciplinary paper explains how mathematical techniques of stochastic optimal control can be applied to the recent subprime mortgage crisis. Why did the financial markets fail to anticipate the recent debt crisis, despite the large literature in mathematical finance concerning optimal...

Generalizations of traditional preference criteria such as the Sharpe ratio, the information ratio and the Jensen alpha are obtained by maximizing a certain equivalent excess return (CER) under relevant investment conditions. They are increasing functions of CERs and therefore equivalent...

Risk exposure can be efficiently optimized in practical situations, using a new apporach to identification of investor's risk aversion.

We consider the original Arrow-Lind framework in which a government undertakes a risky project to be shared among many taxpayers. In our model, the taxpayers decide the level of participation in the risky project. Moreover, the amount of taxes collected by the government fully finances the...

A stochastic solution is proposed for a general problem of demand for risks with both value-maximizing firms and risk averse agents. Explicit solutions are possible for both models when the interesting risk is perceived to be fairly-priced by the two decision makers

The term “equity premium puzzle” was coined in 1985 by economists Rajnish Mehra and Edward C. Prescott. The equity premium puzzle in considered one of the most significant questions in finance. A number of papers have explored the fundamental questions of why the premium exists and has not...

Models of rational lottery play assume that lottery winners are risk-seekers. Models of skewness preference are not an exception to this. Skewness preference is not, in general, sufficient to make risk-averse individuals play, if one does not assume a risk-seeking attitude at windfall gains. In...