This study tests the relation between liability system environment and costs of the tort system. We employ a unique measure of liability environment calculated using responses from a survey conducted for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Measures of liability system costs are regressed on the...

Using data collected from the annual statements of 571 life insurers, separate models are estimated for the probability and degree of use of futures and options by life insurers for the purpose of hedging economic risk. The results support the informational economies hypothesis, the bankruptcy...

There are large, upfront, fixed costs to writing a life insurance policy. Both agent commission and direct underwriting costs (e.g., fees for physicals and blood tests) are fully paid a few years into contracts that can last 10-30 years. Because of these upfront costs, insurers can actually lose...

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is the approach of managing all risks faced by a firm in an integrated, holistic fashion. This research analyzes factors that influence a firm's decision to start an ERM program. We argue that top management's decision to adopt ERM is influenced by managerial...

We test the hypothesis that practicing Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) reduces firms' cost of reducing risk. Adoption of ERM represents a radical paradigm shift from the traditional method of managing risks individually to managing risks collectively allowing ERM-adopting firms to better...

Insurers operate in a complex market in which many firms compete for business. In this context, we examine the use of contingent commission compensation arrangements for independent agents and we explore whether the use of contingent commission compensation arrangements is justified for this...

Insurance fraud, which adds an estimated $85 billion per year to the total insurance bill in the U.S., is an extremely serious problem for consumers, regulators, and insurance companies. This paper analyzes the effects of state legislation and market conditions on automobile insurance fraud from...