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Reserve Management and Audit Committee Characteristics: Evidence from U.S. Property–Liability Insurance Companies

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  • Wen‐Yen Hsu
  • Yenyu (Rebecca) Huang
  • Gene Lai

Abstract

We examine the relation between reserve management and a set of audit committee characteristics of property–liability insurers, using reserve errors as a proxy for reserve management. We find that insurers with three audit committee characteristics have more conservative loss reserve estimations: larger audit committee size and more members with accounting expertise, and more audit committee meetings. Our results also find that three recommendations of the 1999 Blue Ribbon Committee can make corporate audit committees more effective: a minimum audit committee size, a minimum level of accounting expertise, and a minimum number of audit committee meetings. These results were obtained when we controlled for board of director characteristics, firm‐specific characteristics, and Sarbanes–Oxley. Some board composition variables (e.g., director ownership) also have an impact on reserve management during our study period. The evidence overall suggests that the audit committee and some board characteristics have an impact on reserve management (earnings management) even in a regulated environment such as the insurance industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Wen‐Yen Hsu & Yenyu (Rebecca) Huang & Gene Lai, 2019. "Reserve Management and Audit Committee Characteristics: Evidence from U.S. Property–Liability Insurance Companies," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 86(4), pages 1019-1043, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:86:y:2019:i:4:p:1019-1043
    DOI: 10.1111/jori.12251
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    Cited by:

    1. Chia-Ling Ho & Gene Lai & Sangyong Han & Licheng Jin, 2022. "Organisational structure, corporate governance and reinsurance decisions in the U.S. property-liability insurance industry," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 47(4), pages 737-784, October.
    2. Mercedes Rodríguez‐Fernández & Ana I. Gaspar‐González & Eva M. Sánchez‐Teba, 2020. "Sustainable social responsibility through stakeholders engagement," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2425-2436, November.
    3. Roberto Bomgiovani Cazzari & Guilherme Rodovalho Fernandes Moreira, 2022. "Uncertainty of Claims Provisions from the Analysis of Financial Statements," RAC - Revista de Administração Contemporânea (Journal of Contemporary Administration), ANPAD - Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração, vol. 26(3), pages 200400-2004.
    4. Jill Bisco & Kathleen McCullough & Hugo Moises Montesinos Yufa & Eleanor Tice Sirmans, 2023. "The impact of monitor choice on insurer loss reserves," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 26(1), pages 83-105, March.

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