Author Question: An individual has an initial wealth of 35,000 and might incur a loss of 10,000 with probability p. ... (Read 60 times)

sammy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 818
An individual has an initial wealth of 35,000 and might incur a loss of 10,000 with probability p. Insurance is available that charges gK to purchase K of coverage.
 
  What value of g will make the insurance actuarially fair? If she is risk averse and insurance is fair, what is the optimal amount of coverage?

Question 2

The above figure shows the market demand curve for telecommunication while driving one's car (time spent on the car phone). The current price is 35 per minute. What is the consumer surplus at the current price?
 
  A) 924.5
  B) 1075
  C) 301
  D) 1250



mistyjohnson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 331
Answer to Question 1

The insurance company's expected payoff is:
p(gK  K) + (1  p)(gK)
Fair insurance requires:
p(gK  K) + (1  p)(gK)=0
Which means the g = p
If she is risk averse, she will purchase full coverage (K = 10,000 ). Formally, she will choose K to maximize her expected utility:
EU = pU(25,000 + (1  p)K) + (1  p)U(35,000  pK)
The Necessary Condition for Maximum is:
U'(25000 + (1 - p)K) = U'(35,000  pK)
which requires that:
25000 + (1  p)K = 35000  pK.
Solving yields K = 10,000.
For this to be a maximum (not a minimum), the expected utility function must be concave, which is assured from the fact that the utility function is concave (risk averse).

Answer to Question 2

A



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Studies show that systolic blood pressure can be significantly lowered by taking statins. In fact, the higher the patient's baseline blood pressure, the greater the effect of statins on his or her blood pressure.

Did you know?

The senior population grows every year. Seniors older than 65 years of age now comprise more than 13% of the total population. However, women outlive men. In the 85-and-over age group, there are only 45 men to every 100 women.

Did you know?

Persons who overdose with cardiac glycosides have a better chance of overall survival if they can survive the first 24 hours after the overdose.

Did you know?

Barbituric acid, the base material of barbiturates, was first synthesized in 1863 by Adolph von Bayer. His company later went on to synthesize aspirin for the first time, and Bayer aspirin is still a popular brand today.

Did you know?

Blood in the urine can be a sign of a kidney stone, glomerulonephritis, or other kidney problems.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library