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Risk preference heterogeneity and multiple demand for insurance

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  • Thomas, RA
  • Li Donni, P

Abstract

We examined the relationship between unobserved risk preferences and four insurance purchase decisions: health Medigap insurance, long-term insurance, life insurance and annuity. Standard economic theory assumes that individuals take decision over a set of risky domains according to their own risk preferences which are stable across decision contexts. This assumption of context-invariant risk preference has caused debate in the literature concerning its validity. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we exploit latent class analysis to identify conditional on predicted and realized risk how heterogeneity in risk preferences affects multiple insurance demand. Our results provide evidence of the existence of domain general component of risk preferences, although non-preference factors - such as context specificity - play also an important role. JEL Classi_cation Numbers G11, Keywords
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  • Thomas, RA & Li Donni, P, 2014. "Risk preference heterogeneity and multiple demand for insurance," Working Papers 18674, Imperial College, London, Imperial College Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:imp:wpaper:18674
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets

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