"The author studies annuity rates in Chile and relates them with industry competition. He finds (1) that annuity insurance companies paying higher broker commissions paid lower annuity rates; and (2) a structural break of the long-run elasticity of annuity rates to the risk-free rate in 2001....

In this paper we ask whether corporate governance practices at the firm level within a single country affect these firms` market valuation. This question is crucial in assessing the potential benefits for firms of changing their own practices, even though they cannot affect their country`s...