Underwriting cycles are associated with a mystique that few topics in the area of risk and insurance share. Many explanations and theories have focused on underwriting cycles, but little research exists to discern the relative importance of these theories in explaining insurance pricing and...

This study examines whether property-liability insurers have an optimum capital structure by testing the tradeoff and pecking order theories for this industry. Capital structure is measured with the net premiums written to surplus ratio, and alternatively, with the liability to asset ratio. The...

This paper reviews the most pertinent literature on the sources and uses of equity capital in the U.S. property-casualty (P-C) insurance industry. P-C insurers serve a risk management and risk bearing function in the economy. Insurers create diversified risk pools consisting of large numbers of...

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the effects of no-fault automobile insurance on accident rates. As a mechanism for compensating the victims of automobile accidents, no-fault has several important advantages over the tort system. However, by restricting access to tort,...