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The Demise of the Mutual Organizational Form: An Investigation of the Life Insurance Industry

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  • OTGONTSETSEG ERHEMJAMTS
  • J. TYLER LEVERTY

Abstract

We investigate the role of organizational structure in financial services markets by examining the U.S. life insurance industry. Traditionally, stock and mutual life insurers were equally represented, but now the industry is mainly composed of stock firms. We find operational efficiency, access to capital, and tax savings are important determinants for this shift. The incentive to demutualize differs by the type of conversion: full demutualization is chosen for efficiency and access to capital reasons and partial conversion, using a mutual holding company, is chosen for tax savings. Firm operational efficiency improves after conversion. We also find the efficiency of the stock organizational form dominates that of the mutual structure during our sample period, 1995 to 2004.

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  • Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts & J. Tyler Leverty, 2010. "The Demise of the Mutual Organizational Form: An Investigation of the Life Insurance Industry," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(6), pages 1011-1036, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jmoncb:v:42:y:2010:i:6:p:1011-1036
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1538-4616.2010.00318.x
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    3. Antti Talonen & Harri Talonen & Jari Stenvall & Iiro Jussila, 2020. "Communicating the economic value of customer ownership in insurance: A qualitative analysis of annual reports," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 23(3), pages 243-267, September.
    4. Jakša Krišto & Antti Talonen & Hrvoje Pauković, 2021. "Analysis of community‐owned mutual insurers' prospects of development in CEE countries: Outlining research agenda," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 24(3), pages 243-261, September.
    5. Greg Niehaus, 2023. "Personal taxes, cost of insurer equity capital, and the case of offshore hedge fund reinsurers," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 90(2), pages 249-281, June.

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