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Life Insurance: Regulation As Contract Enforcement

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  • Alan D. Morrison

Abstract

Debating the minutiae of insurance regulation without a clear understanding of why insurance companies are regulated is futile. In this article I discuss the economic rationale for insurance business regulation and conclude that the appropriate role of the regulator is to enforce contracts which might otherwise be broken. I argue that if this is the case, regulation should be optional, and that it need not be a monopoly activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Alan D. Morrison, 2004. "Life Insurance: Regulation As Contract Enforcement," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 47-52, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecaffa:v:24:y:2004:i:4:p:47-52
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0270.2004.00515.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alan Morrison & Lucy White, 2002. "Crises and Capital Requirements in Banking," Economics Series Working Papers 2002-FE-05, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    2. Alan Morrison & Lucy White, 2004. "Is Deposit Insurance a Good Thing, and If So, Who Should Pay for It?," Economics Series Working Papers 2004-FE-08, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    3. Douglas W. Diamond & Philip H. Dybvig, 2000. "Bank runs, deposit insurance, and liquidity," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 24(Win), pages 14-23.
    4. J. Kornai & E. Maskin & G. Roland, 2004. "Understanding the Soft Budget Constraint," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 11.
    5. Alan D. Morrison & Lucy White, 2004. "Is Deposit Insurance a Good Thing, and If So, Who Should Pay for It?," OFRC Working Papers Series 2004fe08, Oxford Financial Research Centre.
    6. Ray Rees & Hugh Gravelle & Achim Wambach, 1999. "Regulation of Insurance Markets," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 24(1), pages 55-68, June.
    7. Mayers, David & Smith, Clifford W, Jr, 1988. "Ownership Structure across Lines of Property-Casualty Insurance," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(2), pages 351-378, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin Lorent, 2006. "Raisons fondamentales d'une régulation prudentielle du secteur des assurances," Brussels Economic Review, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 49(3), pages 203-244.

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