J. Francois Outreville

An International Analysis of Underwriting Cycles in Property-Liability Insurance

Most prior analyses of underwriting cycles have explained cycles as a supply-side phenomenon involving irrational behavior on the part of insurers. This paper proposes instead that insurance prices are set according to rational expectations. Although rational expectations per se would be inconsistent with an underwriting cycle, the authors hypothesize that cycles are “created” in an otherwise rational market through the intervention of institutional, regulatory, and accounting factors. Empirical evidence is presented indicating that underwriting profits in several industrialized nations are consistent with the hypothesis.

The relative impact of economics journals: A cross-country survey and comparison

Abstract This study provides a ranking journals according to their quality and impact as perceived by academic economists stratified by countries (U.S.A., U.K., France, Quebec and languages (English, French). Although the results tend to agree with the most recent findings, they also indicate differences between economists of different countries and of different languages.

What Are the Major Journals That Members of ARIA Read

The purpose of this study is to provide a ranking of journals based on their relative quality and impact as perceived by members of the American Risk and Insurance Association.

The Transactions Demand for Cash Balances by Property and Liability Insurance Companies

The critical nature of the deimanid for cash balances by firms has generated a considerable amount of theoretical and emiipirical research, although muchl controversy remains. The study developed in thiis paper provides empirical evidence in the insurance sector tihat is consistent with the literature o)n the exislence of economilies of scale in the demand for cash balanices anld the inifluence of initerest rates.

More Evidence on the Systematic Underwriting Risk in Automobile Insurance

Based on an analysis of underwriting returns by line of insurance and by province in Canada during 1970-1981, a comparative economic analysis of the underwriting risk in automobile insurance is presented. The results suggest that since 1978 and the implementation of a no-fault automobile plan in the province of Quebec, the underwriting risk has increased in the province and in that province only.

Some microeconomic evidence concerning the determinants of saving through private pension funds in the U.S.

Abstract This note presents some new evidence about determinants affecting the contributions to private pension plans. Through the bargaining process, employer decisions about pensions reflect employee preferences. According to our estimation results on a time series basis, there is a clear significant relationship between the firm variables, Social Security taxes and Saving through private pension plans.