This paper compares the shareholder-value-maximizing capital structure and pricing policy of insurance groups against that of stand-alone insurers. Groups can utilise intra-group risk diversification by means of capital and risk transfer instruments. We show that using these instruments enables...

Insurance guarantee schemes aim to protect policyholders from the costs of insurer insolvencies. However, guarantee schemes can also reduce insurers' incentives to conduct appropriate risk management. We investigate stock insurers' risk-shifting behavior for insurance guarantee schemes under the...

This paper compares the shareholder-value-maximising capital structure and pricing policy of insurance groups against that of stand-alone insurers. Groups can utilise intra-group risk diversification by means of capital and risk transfer instruments. We show that using these instruments enables...

The Solvency II standard formula employs an approximate value-at-risk approach to define risk-based capital requirements. This paper investigates how the standard formula’s stock risk calibration influences the equity position and investment strategy of a shareholder-value-maximising insurer...

The standard formula of the Solvency II framework employs an approximate value-at-risk approach to define risk-based capital requirements. The parameterization of the standard formula determines how much additional capital insurers need in order to back investments in risky assets. This paper...

Insurance regulation is typically aimed at policyholder protection. In particular, regulators attempt to ensure the financial safety of insurance firms, for example, by means of capital regulation, and to enhance the affordability of insurance, for example, by means of price ceilings. However,...

Depending on the point of time and location, insurance companies are subject to different forms of solvency regulation. In modern regulation regimes, such as the future standard Solvency II in the EU, insurance pricing is liberalized and risk-based capital requirements will be introduced. In...

This paper analyzes how capital-related frictional costs (e.g., corporate or personal taxes) influence insurers' optimal pricing and safety level decisions. Frictional costs are modeled with an innovative generic approach that is compatible with many realistic forms of taxation. I show that in...