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Too risk averse to purchase insurance?

Author

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  • Antoine Bommier
  • François Grand

Abstract

This paper suggests a new explanation for the low level of annuitization, which is valid even if one assumes perfect markets. We show that, as soon there is a positive bequest motive, sufficiently risk averse individuals should not purchase annuities. A model calibration accounting for lifetime risk aversion generates a significantly smaller willingness-to-pay for annuities than the one generated by a standard time-additive model. Moreover, the calibration predicts that riskless savings finance one third of consumption, in line with empirical findings. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Antoine Bommier & François Grand, 2014. "Too risk averse to purchase insurance?," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 135-166, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrisku:v:48:y:2014:i:2:p:135-166
    DOI: 10.1007/s11166-014-9190-3
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    Cited by:

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    2. Drouhin, Nicolas, 2015. "A rank-dependent utility model of uncertain lifetime," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 208-224.
    3. Svetlana Pashchenko & Ponpoje Porapakkarm, 2022. "Value of life and annuity demand," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 89(2), pages 371-396, June.
    4. Tobias Huber, 2022. "Comparative risk aversion in two periods: An application to self‐insurance and self‐protection," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 89(1), pages 97-130, March.
    5. Hippolyte d’Albis & Emmanuel Thibault, 2018. "Ambiguous life expectancy and the demand for annuities," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 85(3), pages 303-319, October.
    6. Eric André & Antoine Bommier & François Le Grand, 2022. "The impact of risk aversion and ambiguity aversion on annuity and saving choices," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 33-56, August.
    7. M. Martin Boyer & Philippe De Donder & Claude Fluet & Marie-Louise Leroux & Pierre-Carl Michaud, 2020. "Long-Term Care Insurance: Information Frictions and Selection," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 134-169, August.
    8. Lambregts, Timo R. & Schut, Frederik T., 2020. "Displaced, disliked and misunderstood: A systematic review of the reasons for low uptake of long-term care insurance and life annuities," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    9. Dennis W. Jansen & Liqun Liu, 2022. "Portfolio choice in the model of expected utility with a safety-first component," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 45(1), pages 187-207, June.
    10. Maria Alexandrova & Nadine Gatzert, 2019. "What Do We Know About Annuitization Decisions?," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 22(1), pages 57-100, March.
    11. Xiao Hu & Zhengjie Wang & Jun Liu, 2022. "The impact of digital finance on household insurance purchases: evidence from micro data in China," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 47(3), pages 538-568, July.
    12. Emmanuelle Augeraud-Véron & Marc Leandri, 2023. "Optimal self-protection and health risk perception: bridging the gap between risk theory and the Health Belief Model," EconomiX Working Papers 2023-12, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    13. Emmanuelle Augeraud‐Véron & Marc Leandri, 2024. "Optimal self‐protection and health risk perceptions: Exploring connections between risk theory and the Health Belief Model," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(7), pages 1565-1583, July.
    14. Milevsky, Moshe A. & Salisbury, Thomas S., 2022. "Refundable income annuities: Feasibility of money-back guarantees," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 175-193.
    15. Andreas Richter & Jörg Schiller & Harris Schlesinger, 2014. "Behavioral insurance: Theory and experiments," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 85-96, April.
    16. Walid Merouani & Claire El Moudden & Nacer-Eddine Hammouda, 2018. "Social Security Entitlement in Maghreb Countries: Who is Excluded? Who is not Interested?," Working Papers 1264, Economic Research Forum, revised 03 Dec 2018.
    17. Bommier, Antoine & Schernberg, Hélène, 2021. "Would you prefer your retirement income to depend on your life expectancy?," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    18. Anna Kaliciak & Radoslaw Kurach & Walid Merouani, 2016. "Who is Eager to Save for Retirement – the Cross-Country Evidence," LWS Working papers 23, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    19. Walid Merouani & Claire El Moudden & Nacer Eddine Hammouda, 2021. "Social Security Enrollment as an Indicator of State Fragility and Legitimacy: A Field Experiment in Maghreb Countries," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-25, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Annuity puzzle; Insurance demand; Bequest; Intergenerational transfers; Risk aversion; Multiplicative preferences; D11; D81; D91;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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