Economic and Market Predictors of Insolvencies in the Life-Health Insurance Industry

• DOI: 10.2307/253868
• Publication Date: 2006-06-17T06:02:42Z
• Authors: Mark J. Browne; James M. Carson; Robert E. Hoyt
• Keywords: 0502 economics and business; 05 social sciences; 8. Economic growth

This study identifies factors exogenous to individual insurers that are statistically related to the overall rate of life-health insurer insolvencies. This is a departure from the methodologies of prior studies, which have focused primarily on firm-specific characteristics in assessing insolvency risk. Empirical analysis is based on quarterly data from 1972 through 1994. Results indicate that life-health insurer insolvencies are positively related to increases in long-term interest rates, personal income, unemployment, the stock market, and to the number of insurers, and negatively related to real estate returns. Findings support the hypothesis that economic and market variables are important predictors of life-health insurer failure rates.