This paper provides novel evidence on how risk exposure shapes the demand for index-based weather insurance. The focus is on Mongolia, where index insurance is offered as a commercially marketed product to pastoralists threatened by extreme weather events that cause high livestock mortality....

This paper uses stochastic simulations on calibrated models to assess the optimal degree of reliance on fun ded pensions and on a particular type of unfunded (PAYG) pension. Surprisingly little is known about the optimal split between funded and unfunded systems when there are sources of...

Purchasing life insurance is for the welfare of young children, par-ticularly preteens, who are liquidity constrained. In this paper, we present a life cycle model of life insurance that takes into account the ages of these young beneciaries. We show that, as the child ages, the need for...

This paper uses stochastic simulations on calibrated models to assess the optimal degree of reliance on funded pensions and on a particular type of unfunded (PAYG) pension. Surprisingly little is known about the optimal split between funded and unfunded systems when there are sources of...

We employ a novel approach to investigate the reasons for a low demand for agricultural insurance. We confirm that farmers systematically undervalue agricultural insurance. First, we find that private transfers, mainly from family members, explain under-valuation of agricultural insurance....

Im Zug der Verbreitung von Mikrokrediten und Mikrosparprodukten werden seit ungefähr einem Jahrzehnt auch Versicherungen an einkommensschwache Haushalte in Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern verkauft. Es besteht die Hoffnung, weite Teile der Bevölkerung, denen ein Zugang zu staatlichem...

Amartya Sen has argued that many development and freedom measures such as health, education, political and civil liberties are important constituents of human welfare. We concur with Sen and conjecture that an important reason these measures affect human welfare is because they allow individuals...

In tandem with the growth of microloans and microsavings, insurance policies geared towards low-income households have also become increasingly widespread over the past decade in developing and emerging countries. There is hope that microinsurance will allow large segments of the population who...

In tandem with the growth of microloans and microsavings, insurance policies geared towards low-income households have also become increasingly widespread over the past decade in developing and emerging countries. There is hope that microinsurance will allow large segments of the population who...