This book argues that, contrary to received wisdom, some adverse selection in insurance markets is beneficial to society as a whole.
Guy Thomas is an actuary and investor, and an honorary lecturer at the University of Kent, Canterbury. His academic publications have received prizes from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and the International Actuarial Association. He is also the author of Free Capital: How Twelve Private Investors Made Millions in the Stock Market.
Part I. Introduction: 1. The central ideas of this book; 2. Adverse selection: a history of exaggeration; Part II. Loss Coverage: 3. Introduction to loss coverage; 4. Basic mathematics of loss coverage; 5. Further mathematics of loss coverage; 6. Partial risk classification, separation and inclusivity; Part III. Further Aspects of Risk Classification: 7. A taxonomy of objections to risk classification; 8. Empirical evidence on adverse selection; 9. Myths of insurance rhetoric; 10. Myths of insurance economics; 11. Contexts where adverse selection may be stronger; 12. Risk classification and moral hazard; 13. Risk classification and big data; Part IV. Conclusion: 14. Summary and suggestions; Appendix A. Alternative demand functions; Appendix B. Multiple equilibria: a technical curiosity; References; Index.