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Regulations, institutions and income smoothing by managing technical reserves: international evidence from the insurance industry

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  • Gaganis, Chrysovalantis
  • Hasan, Iftekhar
  • Pasiouras, Fotios
Abstract
This paper investigates the role of technical reserves in the income smoothing behavior of insurance companies. This is one of the first attempts in the literature to trace such relationship in the insurance industry, especially at a multi-country setting. The experience of 770 insurance firms operating in 87 countries over the period 2000-2009 reveals that there is a significant evidence of income smoothing. The paper also finds that institutional characteristics, e.g., the rule of law, common law legal origin, economic freedom, and regulations relating to technical provisions and supervisory power constrain income smoothing but other factors such as capital requirements, tax deductibility of provisions, auditing, and corporate governance do not have a significant effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaganis, Chrysovalantis & Hasan, Iftekhar & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2015. "Regulations, institutions and income smoothing by managing technical reserves: international evidence from the insurance industry," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 15/2015, Bank of Finland.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:bofrdp:rdp2015_015
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    3. Jan Hájek, 2020. "Effect of tax deductibility on technical reserves recognized by Czech and Slovak insurance companies [Vliv daňové uznatelnosti na výši technických rezerv tvořených českými a slovenskými pojišťovnam," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(3-4), pages 25-37.
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    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • M40 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - General
    • M48 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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