Insurance intermediaries can help consumers to economize on information and transaction costs in insurance markets. This book analyzes conduct and performance in the market for insurance information services by applying search theoretical and industrial organization approaches. Based on a sample of 927 insurance intermediaries, coverage empirically studies the factors that affect the quality of the information services provided by them.

The current European VAT legislation encompassing insurance and financial services, including intermediation thereof, dates back to the adoption of the Sixth VAT Directive in 1977. The definitions do not, however, encompass the current complexity of insurance and financial transactions. This has resulted in considerable confusion for fiscal authorities and for businesses when deciding upon the application of the VAT exemption. As the correct VAT treatment has a significant economic impact on businesses, a great number of cases have been referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. This is also the reason why the European Commission presented its proposal for the future treatment of insurance and financial services, including intermediation thereof, in November 2007. The political process has not yet been finalised and if the Commission's proposal is agreed upon, the question of understanding the definitions still exists. This book deals with the exemption for intermediation of insurance and financial services within European VAT. This implies analysing the methods of interpretation applied by the Court of Justice of the European Union when interpreting the provisions regarding insurance and financial services. Furthermore, the current definitions for intermediation of insurance and financial services as provided for in the VAT Directive are analysed and conclusions are made in order to define a single concept of intermediation. These analyses are followed by various practical scenarios from case law of the Member States concerning intermediation of insurance and financial services. Finally, comments based on the analyses carried out are given on the European Commission's proposal for amending the VAT Directive and the accompanying Regulation regarding intermediation of insurance and financial services.

Of benefit or interest to: Lawyers, Insurance companies, agents and brokers, Academics and students, Libraries.

Contemporary Financial Intermediation, 4th Edition by Greenbaum, Thakor, and Boot continues to offer a distinctive approach to the study of financial markets and institutions by presenting an integrated portrait that puts information and economic reasoning at the core. Instead of primarily naming and describing markets, regulations, and institutions as is common, Contemporary Financial Intermediation explores the subtlety, plasticity and fragility of financial institutions and credit markets. In this new edition every chapter has been updated and pedagogical supplements have been enhanced. For the financial sector, the best preprofessional training explains the reasons why markets, institutions, and regulators evolve they do, why we suffer recurring financial crises occur and how we typically react to them. Our textbook demands more in terms of quantitative skills and analysis, but its ability to teach about the forces shaping the financial world is unmatched. Updates and expands a legacy title in a valuable field Holds a prominent position in a growing portfolio of finance textbooks Teaches tactics on how to recognize and forecast fluctuations in financial markets

Insurance Intermediaries play a vital role in insurance distribution & services. Distribution channels are the extended arm of insurers. Physical sales forces and intermediaries are responsible for the majority of insurance distribution across geographies and lines of business. Insurance intermediaries serve as a bridge between consumers and insurance companies.

The book describes a valuation approach tailored to brokers and analyses insurance intermediary M&A revealing positive abnormal returns for acquirers. It provides a comprehensive analysis of insurance intermediaries including an up-to-date market perspective, pointing out performance drivers for tied agents.

Reinsurance cover can either be purchased directly or via an intermediating reinsurance broker. The importance of reinsurance brokers has increased steadily since the early nineties. The thesis thus aims to analyze the impact of the reinsurance broker on reinsurance market efficiency and to identify the reasons why primary insurers to an increasing extent contract via an intermediating reinsurance broker. As the reinsurance broker's intermediation services are costly for the primary, intermediation needs to increase the primary insurer's payoff or utility compared to the direct purchase of reinsurance cover. Otherwise, no primary would be willing to hire a broker firm for assistance in the reinsurance acquisition process. Chapter II clarifies the framework for reinsurance broker activity. Chapter III first gives an overview of the reinsurance broker market (III.2) with a special focus on the market concentration and the geographical importance of reinsurance brokers. In addition, the reinsurance broker's tasks before, during, and after the reinsurance contract conclusion (III.3) are introduced and the types of reinsurance broker remuneration frequently used (III.4) are outlined. Finally, the most prominent reinsurance broker regulatory frameworks (III.5) are introduced along with rationales for reinsurance broker regulation. Chapter IV is composed of five sections discussing the different aspects of the market function of the reinsurance broker. Chapter V gives a short summary of the main findings and concludes the thesis. By combining economic theory and market observations, this thesis addresses both scholars and reinsurance market specialists. Rückversicherung kann entweder direkt oder über einen vermittelnden Rückversicherungsmakler erworben werden. Die Bedeutung der Rückversicherungsmakler hat seit Anfang der 1990er Jahre international zugenommen. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Entwicklung untersucht die Autorin die Effizienz des Rückversicherungsmarktes und die Gründe, warum Erstversicherer in zunehmendem Maße Rückversicherung über einen vermittelnden Rückversicherungsmakler abschließen. Kapitel II klärt die Rahmenbedingungen für das Tätigwerden der Rückversicherungsmakler. Kapitel III gibt zunächst einen Überblick über den Rückversicherungsmakler-Markt (III.2) mit einem besonderen Fokus auf die Marktkonzentration und die geographische Verteilung der Rückversicherungsmakler. Darüber hinaus werden die Aufgaben der Rückversicherungsmakler vor, während und nach dem Vertragsabschluss (III.3) vorgestellt und die häufigsten Arten der Vergütung (III.4) behandelt. Schließlich werden die wichtigsten Regelwerke für Rückversicherungsmakler (III.5) erläutert. Kapitel IV befasst sich detailliert mit verschiedenen Aspekten des Rückversicherungsmarktes und der Funktion der Broker. Kapitel V fasst die Ergebnisse kurz zusammen. Die Autorin verbindet ökonomische Theorie mit Marktbeobachtungen und leistet einen wichtigen Beitrag zu einem wenig erforschten Themengebiet. Die Arbeit richtet sich sowohl an Wissenschaftler als auch an die im Rückversicherungsmarkt tätigen Spezialisten.