Optimal financing and dividend control of the insurance company with proportional reinsurance policy

We consider the optimal control problem of the insurance company with proportional reinsurance policy. The management of the company controls the reinsurance rate, dividends payout as well as the equity issuance processes to maximize the expected present value of the dividends minus the equity issuance until the time of bankruptcy. This is the first time that the financing process in an insurance model has been considered, which is more realistic. To find the solution of the mixed singular-regular control problem, we firstly construct two categories of suboptimal models, one is the classical model without equity issuance, the other never goes bankrupt by equity issuance. Then we identify the value functions and the optimal strategies corresponding to the suboptimal models depending on the relationships between the coefficients.     

An optimal reinsurance problem in the Cramér–Lundberg model

In this article we consider the surplus process of an insurance company within the Cramér–Lundberg framework with the intention of controlling its performance by means of dynamic reinsurance. Our aim is to find a general dynamic reinsurance strategy that maximizes the expected discounted surplus level integrated over time. Using analytical methods we identify the value function as a particular solution to the associated Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. This approach leads to an implementable numerical method for approximating the value function and optimal reinsurance strategy. Furthermore we give some examples illustrating the applicability of this method for proportional and XL-reinsurance treaties.     

Optimal investment and reinsurance for an insurer under Markov-modulated financial market

This study examines optimal investment and reinsurance policies for an insurer with the classical surplus process. It assumes that the financial market is driven by a drifted Brownian motion with coefficients modulated by an external Markov process specified by the solution to a stochastic differential equation. The goal of the insurer is to maximize the expected terminal utility. This paper derives the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation associated with the control problem using a dynamic programming method. When the insurer admits an exponential utility function, we prove that there exists a unique and smooth solution to the HJB equation. We derive the explicit optimal investment policy by solving the HJB equation. We can also find that the optimal reinsurance policy optimizes a deterministic function. We also obtain the upper bound for ruin probability in finite time for the insurer when the insurer adopts optimal policies.     

方差保费准则下的最优脉冲控制

本文研究保险公司在有再保险控制下的最优脉冲分红问题. 对保险公司的理赔损失, 假定有两家再保险公司参与分保, 且保险公司与两家再保险公司采取不同参数下的方差保费准则. 进一步, 假定保险公司有股东红利分配, 且每次分红有固定交易费和比例税收, 即脉冲分红. 在扩散逼近模型下, 本文应用随机动态规划方法研究破产前的最大期望折现分红, 给出值函数的解析表达式, 进而获得最优再保险策略和分红策略的具体形式.     

Optimal reinsurance and investment with unobservable claim size and intensity

We consider the optimal reinsurance and investment problem in an unobservable Markov-modulated compound Poisson risk model, where the intensity and jump size distribution are not known but have to be inferred from the observations of claim arrivals. Using a recently developed result from filtering theory, we reduce the partially observable control problem to an equivalent problem with complete observations. Then using stochastic control theory, we get the closed form expressions of the optimal strategies which maximize the expected exponential utility of terminal wealth. In particular, we investigate the effect of the safety loading and the unobservable factors on the optimal reinsurance strategies. With the help of a generalized Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation where the derivative is replaced by Clarke’s generalized gradient as in Bäuerle and Rieder (2007), we characterize the value function, which helps us verify that the strategies we constructed are optimal.     

A BSDE-based approach for the optimal reinsurance problem under partial information

We investigate the optimal reinsurance problem under the criterion of maximizing the expected utility of terminal wealth when the insurance company has restricted information on the loss process. We propose a risk model with claim arrival intensity and claim sizes distribution affected by an unobservable environmental stochastic factor. By filtering techniques (with marked point process observations), we reduce the original problem to an equivalent stochastic control problem under full information. Since the classical Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman approach does not apply, due to the infinite dimensionality of the filter, we choose an alternative approach based on Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (BSDEs). Precisely, we characterize the value process and the optimal reinsurance strategy in terms of the unique solution to a BSDE driven by a marked point process.     

Optimal debt ratio and dividend payment strategies with reinsurance

This paper derives the optimal debt ratio and dividend payment strategies for an insurance company. Taking into account the impact of reinsurance policies and claims from the credit derivatives, the surplus process is stochastic that is jointly determined by the reinsurance strategies, debt levels, and unanticipated shocks. The objective is to maximize the total expected discounted utility of dividend payment until financial ruin. Using dynamic programming principle, the value function is the solution of a second-order nonlinear Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. The subsolution–supersolution method is used to verify the existence of classical solutions of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. The explicit solution of the value function is derived and the corresponding optimal debt ratio and dividend payment strategies are obtained in some special cases. An example is provided to illustrate the methodologies and some interesting economic insights.     

Optimal impulse and regular control strategies for proportional reinsurance problem

We formulate a stochastic control problem on proportional reinsurance that includes impulse and regular control strategies. For the first time we combine impulse control with regular control, and derive the expected total discount pay-out (return function) from present to bankruptcy. By relying on both stochastic calculus and the classical theory of impulse and regular controls, we state a set of sufficient conditions for its solution in terms of optimal return function. Moreover, we also derive its explicit form and corresponding impulse and regular control strategies.     

Optimal excess-of-loss reinsurance and investment polices under the CEV model

This paper focuses on risk control problem of the insurance company in enterprise risk management. The insurer manages its financial risk through purchasing excess-of-loss reinsurance, and investing its wealth in the constant elasticity of variance stock market. We model risk process by Brownian motion with drift, and study the optimization problem of maximizing the exponential utility of terminal wealth under the controls of reinsurance and investment. Using stochastic control theory, we obtain explicit expressions for optimal polices and value function. We also show that the optimal excess-of-loss reinsurance is always better than optimal proportional reinsurance. And some numerical examples are given.     

Classical and Impulse Control for the Optimization of Dividend and Proportional Reinsurance Policies with Regime Switching

We consider the optimal proportional reinsurance and dividend strategy. The surplus process is modeled by the classical compound Poisson risk model with regime switching. Considering a class of utility functions, the object of the insurer is to select the reinsurance and dividend strategy that maximizes the expected total discounted utility of the shareholders until ruin. By adapting the techniques and methods of stochastic control, we study the quasi-variational inequality for this classical and impulse control problem and establish a verification theorem. We show that the optimal value function is characterized as the unique viscosity solution of the corresponding quasi-variational inequality.     

Optimal risk control and dividend policies under excess of loss reinsurance

We study the optimal reinsurance policy and dividend distribution of an insurance company under excess of loss reinsurance. The objective of the insurer is to maximize the expected discounted dividends. We suppose that in the absence of dividend distribution, the reserve process of the insurance company follows a compound Poisson process. We first prove existence and uniqueness results for this optimization problem by using singular stochastic control methods and the theory of viscosity solutions. We then compute the optimal strategy of reinsurance, the optimal dividend strategy and the value function by solving the associated integro-differential Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman Variational Inequality numerically.     

Optimal risk and liquidity management with costly refinancing opportunities

In this paper we study risk and liquidity management decisions within an insurance firm. Risk management corresponds to decisions regarding proportional reinsurance, whereas liquidity management has two components: distribution of dividends and costly equity issuance. Contingent on whether proportional or fixed costs of reinvestment are considered, singular stochastic control or stochastic impulse control techniques are used to seek strategies that maximize the firm value. We find that, in a proportional-costs setting, the optimal strategies are always mixed in terms of risk management and refinancing. In contrast, when fixed issuance costs are too high relative to the firm’s profitability, optimal management does not involve refinancing. We provide analytical specifications of the optimal strategies, as well as a qualitative analysis of the interaction between refinancing and risk management.     

Optimal proportional reinsurance and investment for stochastic factor models

In this work we investigate the optimal proportional reinsurance-investment strategy of an insurance company which wishes to maximize the expected exponential utility of its terminal wealth in a finite time horizon. Our goal is to extend the classical Cramér–Lundberg model introducing a stochastic factor which affects the intensity of the claims arrival process, described by a Cox process, as well as the insurance and reinsurance premia. The financial market is supposed not influenced by the stochastic factor, hence it is independent on the insurance market. Using the classical stochastic control approach based on the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation we characterize the optimal strategy and provide a verification result for the value function via classical solutions to two backward partial differential equations. Existence and uniqueness of these solutions are discussed. Results under various premium calculation principles are illustrated and a new premium calculation rule is proposed in order to get more realistic strategies and to better fit our stochastic factor model. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to obtain sensitivity analyses.     

On optimal proportional reinsurance and investment in a hidden Markov financial market

This paper investigates the optimal reinsurance and investment in a hidden Markov financial market consisting of non-risky (bond) and risky (stock) asset. We assume that only the price of the risky asset can be observed from the financial market. Suppose that the insurance company can adopt proportional reinsurance and investment in the hidden Markov financial market to reduce risk or increase profit. Our objective is to maximize the expected exponential utility of the terminal wealth of the surplus of the insurance company. By using the filtering theory, we establish the separation principle and reduce the problem to the complete information case. With the help of Girsanov change of measure and the dynamic programming approach, we characterize the value function as the unique solution of a linear parabolic partial differential equation and obtain the Feynman-Kac representation of the value function.     

On reinsurance and investment for large insurance portfolios

We consider a problem of optimal reinsurance and investment for an insurance company whose surplus is governed by a linear diffusion. The company’s risk (and simultaneously its potential profit) is reduced through reinsurance, while in addition the company invests its surplus in a financial market. Our main goal is to find an optimal reinsurance-investment policy which minimizes the probability of ruin. More specifically, in this paper we consider the case of proportional reinsurance, and investment in a Black-Scholes market with one risk-free asset (bond, or bank account) and one risky asset (stock). We apply stochastic control theory to solve this problem. It transpires that the qualitative nature of the solution depends significantly on the interplay between the exogenous parameters and the constraints that we impose on the investment, such as the presence or absence of shortselling and/or borrowing. In each case we solve the corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation and find a closed-form expression for the minimal ruin probability as well as the optimal reinsurance-investment policy.     

Optimal proportional reinsurance model with transaction costs

Based on the mixed control strategy (regular control and impulse dividend control strategy), we formulate a proportional reinsurance model with transaction costs. For getting the maximal return function and associated mixed control strategy, using Itô calculus and classical mixed control theory, we derive the quasi-variational inequality solution to this optimal problem. Furthermore, we obtain its closed forms under some assumptions.     

Optimal proportional reinsurance and investment with transaction costs, I: Maximizing the terminal wealth

We consider a problem of optimal reinsurance and investment with multiple risky assets for an insurance company whose surplus is governed by a linear diffusion. The insurance company’s risk can be reduced through reinsurance, while in addition the company invests its surplus in a financial market with one risk-free asset and n risky assets. In this paper, we consider the transaction costs when investing in the risky assets. Also, we use Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) to control the whole risk. We consider the optimization problem of maximizing the expected exponential utility of terminal wealth and solve it by using the corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. Explicit expression for the optimal value function and the corresponding optimal strategies are obtained.     

Optimal reinsurance policy: The adjustment coefficient and the expected utility criteria

This paper is concerned with the optimal form of reinsurance from the ceding company point of view, when the cedent seeks to maximize the adjustment coefficient of the retained risk. We deal with the problem by exploring the relationship between maximizing the adjustment coefficient and maximizing the expected utility of wealth for the exponential utility function, both with respect to the retained risk of the insurer.Assuming that the premium calculation principle is a convex functional and that some other quite general conditions are fulfilled, we prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions and provide a necessary optimal condition. These results are used to find the optimal reinsurance policy when the reinsurance premium calculation principle is the expected value principle or the reinsurance loading is an increasing function of the variance. In the expected value case the optimal form of reinsurance is a stop-loss contract. In the other cases, it is described by a nonlinear function.     

具有随机利率、随机变差的最优投资和联合比例-超额损失再保险

对跳-扩散风险模型,研究了最优投资和再保险问题.保险公司可以购买再保险减少理赔,保险公司还可以把盈余投资在一个无风险资产和一个风险资产上.假设再保险的方式为联合比例-超额损失再保险.还假设无风险资产和风险资产的利率是随机的,风险资产的方差也是随机的.通过解决相应的Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman(HJB)方程,获得了最优值函数和最优投资、再保险策略的显示解.特别的,通过一个例子具体的解释了得到的结论.     

Time-consistent reinsurance and investment strategies for mean–variance insurer under partial information

In this paper, based on equilibrium control law proposed by Björk and Murgoci (2010), we study an optimal investment and reinsurance problem under partial information for insurer with mean–variance utility, where insurer’s risk aversion varies over time. Instead of treating this time-inconsistent problem as pre-committed, we aim to find time-consistent equilibrium strategy within a game theoretic framework. In particular, proportional reinsurance, acquiring new business, investing in financial market are available in the market. The surplus process of insurer is depicted by classical Lundberg model, and the financial market consists of one risk free asset and one risky asset with unobservable Markov-modulated regime switching drift process. By using reduction technique and solving a generalized extended HJB equation, we derive closed-form time-consistent investment–reinsurance strategy and corresponding value function. Moreover, we compare results under partial information with optimal investment–reinsurance strategy when Markov chain is observable. Finally, some numerical illustrations and sensitivity analysis are provided.