Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/71895 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
Bonn Econ Discussion Papers No. 22/2010
Publisher: 
University of Bonn, Bonn Graduate School of Economics (BGSE), Bonn
Abstract: 
We study the valuation of unit-linked life insurance contracts with surrender guarantees. Instead of solving an optimal stopping problem, we propose a more realistic approach accounting for policyholders’ rationality in exercising their surrender option. The valuation is conducted at the portfolio level by assuming the surrender intensity to be bounded from below and from above. The lower bound corresponds to purely exogenous surrender and the upper bound represents the limited rationality of the policyholders. The valuation problem is formulated by a valuation PDE and solved with the finite difference method. We show that the rationality of the policyholders has a significant effect on average contract value and hence on the fair contract design. We also present the separating boundary between purely exogenous surrender and endogenous surrender. This provides implications on the predicted surrender activity of the policyholders.
Subjects: 
Unit-linked life insurance contracts
surrender guarantee
limited rationality
fair contract analysis
JEL: 
G13
G22
C65
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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