International Adverse Selection in Life Insurance and Annuities

This paper evaluates the extent of adverse selection in life insurance and annuities in international markets. We examine the extent of adverse selection in group and individual life insurance. In addition we also compare results with prior analyses of adverse selection in international annuity markets, focusing on the US, UK and Japan. Our results may be used to assess the extent to which life insurers can hedge mortality exposure by writing both life insurance and annuities, and to determine a normal range for adverse selection in international insurance markets.