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A post-mortem of the life insurance industry's bid for capital during the financial crisis

Author

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  • Michelle L. Barnes
  • James Bohn
  • Cynthia Martin

Abstract

The 2008-2009 financial crisis was the most serious shock to the U.S. financial system since the Great Depression of the 1930s. A number of large financial institutions failed during the crisis. Many institutions that survived did so only because of extraordinary actions undertaken by company management to maintain solvency, or through the extension of extraordinary support by the federal government and the Federal Reserve System. The impact of the financial crisis on the banking sector has been the subject of extensive research, discussion, and debate. Academic and policy researchers, as well as several government investigations, have examined the measures undertaken by bank managers, banking industry regulators, and governments in response to the crisis (Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission 2011, Stanton 2012). By comparison, relatively few studies have examined the experience of the life insurance sector during the crisis or the response of company managers and insurance regulators during the crisis period. This paper begins to fill that gap.

Suggested Citation

  • Michelle L. Barnes & James Bohn & Cynthia Martin, 2015. "A post-mortem of the life insurance industry's bid for capital during the financial crisis," Current Policy Perspectives 15-8, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedbcq:2015_008
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    File URL: http://www.bostonfed.org/economic/current-policy-perspectives/2015/cpp1508.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lawrence Powell & David Sommer, 2007. "Internal Versus External Capital Markets in the Insurance Industry: The Role of Reinsurance," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 31(2), pages 173-188, June.
    2. Scott E. Harrington, 2009. "The Financial Crisis, Systemic Risk, and the Future of Insurance Regulation," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 785-819, December.
    3. Lawrence S. Powell & David W. Sommer & David L. Eckles, 2008. "The Role of Internal Capital Markets in Financial Intermediaries: Evidence From Insurer Groups," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 75(2), pages 439-461, June.
    4. Stanton, Thomas H., 2012. "Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail: Governance and Management Lessons from the Crisis," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199915996.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Paulson & Richard Rosen, 2016. "The Life Insurance Industry and Systemic Risk: A Bond Market Perspective," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 8(1), pages 155-174, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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