EC223 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Financial Intermediary, Moral Hazard, Adverse Selection

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26 Jan 2013

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Transaction costs are a major problem in financial markets. Financial intermediaries have evolved to reduce transaction costs and allow small savers and borrowers to benefit from the existence of financial markets. Bundle the funds of many investors together so that they can take advantage of economies of scale, the reduction in transaction costs per dollar of investment as the size of transactions increases. The presence of economies of scale in financial markets helps explain why financial intermediaries developed and have become such an important part of our financial structure. A mutual fund is a financial intermediary that sells shares to individuals and then invests the proceeds in bonds or stocks. Economies of scale are also important in lowering the costs of things such as computer technology that financial institutions need to accomplish their tasks. Financial intermediaries also arise because they are better able to develop expertise to lower transaction costs.

Related Questions

1-Principal __________________ fall into three categories: depository institutions (banks), contractual savings institutions, and investment intermediaries.

Financial markets security exchanges financial intermediariesâ investment funds

Savings institutions

bitcoin/annuity payments securities/investment advice

2-Deposits that are payable on demand but do not allow their owner to write checks are called _______________.

Restricted deposits savings deposits time sensitive deposits non-checkable deposits demand deposits

3-Deposit with fixed terms to maturity are called ___________.

Relative deposits term deposits fixed deposits restricted deposits time deposits

4-Commercial banks ___________ primarily by issuing checking deposits, savings accounts, and time deposits.

Increase profits decrease cost attract investors raise funds increase assets

5-A type of depository institution that over time has become more like commercial banks and are now more competitive with each other are called ______________ associations and mutual savings banks.

savings and loan contractual savings institutions, investment intermediaries

crowd funding sites deposit and loan

6-Credit unions are typically very small cooperative lending institutions organized around a particular _____________________: members of the same union, employees of a particular firm, and members of the same profession, such as teachers.

Type of investment corporation financial strategy risk avoidance strategy

group that have something in common

7-Insurance companies and pension funds are examples of ________________ institutions.

contractual savings depository institutions (banks), investment intermediaries entrepreneurial at risk

8-Contractual savings institutions (CSIâs) acquire funds at _______________ on a contractual basis.

Estate sales periodic intervals bankruptcy auctions liquidations initial offerings

9-CSIâs do not worry as much as banks about losing funds quickly because they can predict with reasonable accuracy how much they will have to pay out in ___________ in coming years.

Interest payments dividends bank notes benefits IOUâs

10-_______________ is not as important a consideration for CSIâs as it is for banks.

Types of customers adverse selection Liquidity of assets portfolio diversification liabilities

11-CSI investments are typically ____________ such as corporate bonds, stocks, and mortgages.

Short-term securities long-term securities 3-month term securities overnight securities short-term assets

12-Companies that insure people against financial hazards following a death and sell annuities are called ________________________.

Predatory companies over-the-counter companies risky companies life insurance companies depository companies

13-_________________ that people pay to keep their policies in force constitute the funds life insurance companies use to buy corporate bonds and mortgages.

Interest dividends installments late fees Premiums

14-Companies that ___________ their policyholders against loss from theft, fire, and accidents are called fire and casualty insurance companies.

Insure Hold harmless guarantee advise oversee

15-Fire and casualty insurance companies acquire funds through the _________________ for their policies.

Sale of stock liquidation of collection of premiums interest payments dividends

16-Because of the greater possibility of loss of funds if major disasters occur, fire and casualty companies buy more ________________ than life insurance companies do.

Comprehensive insurance liquid assets risky assets corporate insurance bankruptcy insurance

17-Private pension funds and state and local retirement funds provide _______________ in the form of annuities to employees who are covered by a pension plan.

Dividends revenue stock options retirement income loans

18-Pension funds acquire funds from _____________ from employers and employees.

Fees pledges contributions garnishments payroll deductions

19-The largest ______________ of pension funds are corporate bonds and stocks.

Liability holdings asset holdings interest payments dividend payments fees

20-_________________________ include; finance companies, mutual funds and money market mutual funds.

depository institutions (banks), contractual savings institutions, stock markets

bond markets Investment intermediaries

21-Finance companies raise funds by ___________ commercial paper and by ____________ stocks and bonds.

Issuing/selling selling/buying selling/ issuing buying/issuing discounting/shorting

22-Finance companies lend these funds to __________, who make purchases of such items as furniture, automobiles, and home improvements, and to small businesses.

-depository institutions (banks), consumers contractual savings institutions,

investment intermediaries corporations

23-It is common for a finance company to be organized by a parent corporation to help _______________, such as; ford motor credit company.

Diversify its portfolio acquire assets liquidate liabilities sell its product off set profits

24-Selling shares to many individuals and using the proceeds to purchase diversified portfolios of stocks and bonds describes how _______________ acquire funds.

depository institutions (banks), mutual funds contractual savings institutions

stock markets bond markets

25-Shareholders can sell shares at any time but shares are subject to value fluctuations therefore mutual fund investments can be _______.

risky Subject to high returns certain investments interest rate neutral misunderstood

26-Money market funds sell _______ like mutual funds and offer checking accounts like ___________.

Deposits/insurance companies bonds/banks shares/insurance companies

Shares/ banks stock options/crowd sourcing sites

27-Money market funds invest in ________ and very ____________ and interest on these assets is paid out to the shareholders.

High risk/non-liquid junk bonds/risky assets low risk/ liquid assets low risk/junk bonds sub-prime securities/liquid assets

28-Money market funds have experienced extraordinary growth primarily because people like the idea of having a checking account that ____________________.

Has no fees pays them interest offers overdraft protection pays dividends

always has money in it

29-Investment banks help a ______________ issue securities.

Person foreign country stock market corporation bond market

30-Investment banks advises the corporation on which type of ______________ to issue; stocks or bonds.

Insurance loans interest rates dividends products securities

31-Investment banks help sell the corporations securities by purchasing them from the corporation and _______ them in the market.

Discounting re-selling insuring advertising financing

32-Investment banks also act as ___________ and earn enormous fees by helping corporations acquire other companies through mergers or acquisitions.

Depositories money launders deal makers insurance companies entrepreneurs

Question 11 One potential remedy to the tragedy of the commons is to: never allow a single individual to consume more than one percent of the common resource. criminalize the usage of common resources. allow individuals to use a common resource as long as they receive some benefit from doing so. place a common resource under private ownership. 4 points Question 12 As a result of a positional externality: contestants have a tendency to invest in a series of mutually offsetting investments in performance enhancement. there is generally an underinvestment in performance enhancement. the market price of performance enhancement materials is too high. the quality of performance in competitive situations is lower than the socially optimal level. 4 points Question 13 Which of the following statements is true regarding health insurance? Economics shows that all health related procedures should be free to individuals because the health of an individual is priceless. Total economic surplus would be larger if individuals faced an incentive to only use services when the benefit exceeds their costs. Health maintenance organizations provide an incentive for doctors to prescribe expensive nonessential services. First dollar insurance coverage has likely had very little to do with rising healthcare expenditures since World War II. 4 points Question 14 A strategy that yields a higher payoff no matter what the other players in the game choose is known as a: prisoner's strategy. dominated strategy. dominant strategy. Nash strategy. 4 points Question 15 Based on the diagram below, if the costs of hospital care are constant at $200 per day, and the individual does not incur any cost for each day for hospital care, then: the individual will stay 7 days and there will be no loss in economic surplus. the individual will stay 3 days and there will be no loss in economic surplus. the individual will stay 7 days and there will be lost economic surplus. the individual will stay 3 days and there will be lost economic surplus. 4 points Question 16 Economic research by Manning and colleagues suggests that people with deductible health insurance policies: spend substantially less on health care and have substantially worse health outcomes compared to people with first-dollar insurance coverage. spend substantially more on health care and have substantially better health outcomes compared to people with first-dollar insurance coverage. spend basically the same amount on health care and have substantially worse health outcomes compared to people with first-dollar insurance coverage. spend substantially less on health care and have no measurable difference in health outcomes compared to people with first-dollar insurance coverage. 4 points Question 17 An efficient program for reducing pollution is one for which: all polluters incur the same total costs of abatement. all polluters pay the same amount in taxes to the government. all polluters have the same marginal costs of abatement. all polluters reduce their emissions by the same amount. 4 points Question 18 Given the information on pollution abatement costs of the two firms shown below, which of the following is an efficient combination of pollution reduction? Quantity of pollution abatement Firm A's MC of abatement Firm B's MC of abatement 1 $30 $25 2 $35 $30 3 $40 $35 4 $45 $40 Firm A reduces by 1 ton and Firm B reduces by 1 ton. Firm A reduces by 2 tons and Firm B reduces by 3 tons. Firm A reduces by 4 tons and Firm B reduces by 1 ton. Firm A reduces by 3 tons and Firm B reduces by 2 tons. 4 points Question 19 All of the following are characteristics of perfectly competitive markets except: there are a large number of firms. productive resources are mobile. all firms produce a differentiated product. buyers and sellers are well informed. 4 points Question 20 An advantage of the auction method to pollution abatement is that: it is very expensive to firms. regulators can achieve a desired abatement target without having detailed knowledge of the abatement technologies available to polluters. it requires all firms to reduce by exactly the same amount. it assures that eventually society will reach a level of zero pollution emissions. 4 points Question 21 There are 2 firms each emitting 200 tons of a pollutant. Firm A's abatement costs are constant at $20/ton, and Firm B's abatement costs are constant at $40/ton. The government's goal is to reduce pollution by half. If the government auctions 200 one ton permits to the highest bidder: Firm A will purchase all 200 permits. Firm B will purchase all 200 permits. each firm will buy 100 tons. there is no way to know who the highest bidder for any permit would equal. 4 points Question 22 As a result of economies of scale, as output expands: fixed costs are decreasing. average total costs are decreasing. marginal costs are increasing. total costs are decreasing. 4 points Question 23 Generally, when countries open their borders to free trade: both domestic producers and consumers of imported goods gain. both domestic producers and consumers of exported goods gain. domestic producers of imported goods and domestic consumers of exported goods gain. domestic producers of exported goods and domestic consumers of imported goods gain. 4 points Question 24 Which of the following is the best example of a tariff? South Korea bans imports of U.S. beef because of safety concerns. The U.S. requires toys imported from China to undergo testing for lead content. The U.S. imposes a tax on sugar imported from Brazil. The U.S. restricts the quantity of cars imported from Japan. 4 points Question 25 A means-tested program is a benefit program: in which benefits decline as a recipient's earned income increases. in which all individuals must undergo health screening to be eligible for benefits. in which all recipients exclusively receive benefits through in-kind transfers. that only affects the average income of a specific segment of the population. 4 points Save and Submit Click Save and Submit to save and submit. Click Save All Answers to save all answers.

1. Suppose that there is a tax of $1 per unit, and the elasticity of supply is 3 and the elasticity of demand is 2 (in absolute value). How much of the $1 tax is paid by sellers?

		$0.60
		$0.40
		$0.75
		$0.67

2. In Market X, the external benefit of consumption is $5. In Market Y, the external cost of consumption is $10. Efficiency in both markets could be achieved by:

		a tax of $5 in Market X and a subsidy of $10 in Market Y.
		subsidizing both markets.
		taxing Market Y and subsidizing Market X.
		taxing both markets.

3.Economic theory suggests that a natural monopoly should be:

		eliminated whenever it arises.
		regulated to take advantage of economies of scale.
		left alone to operate with excess capacity.
		taken over by the government.

4.When the size of the production is the most efficient:

		total cost is at the minimum.
		average cost is at the minimum.
		marginal cost is at the minimum.
		fixed cost is at the minimum.

5.A firm should exit the industry if which of the following conditions apply?

		TR > TC
		P < AC
		Lifetime expected profit is positive.
		Prices are low now but expected to rise.

6.Figure: Costs

Reference: Ref 11-6

(Figure: Costs) Use the figure. At a price of $20, the firm earns profit of:

		$75.
		$300.
		$225.
		$0, because P = MC at P = $20.

7.When external benefits are present, the market price is ________, however when external costs are present, the market price is ________.

		too low; too high
		equal to the efficient price; too low
		too high; too low
		equal to the efficient price; too high

8.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

I. The EPA's tradeable allowances program for sulfur dioxide establishes property rights to pollute and helps reduce transaction costs by distributing allowances, maintaining databases, and monitoring emissions.

II. One criticism of tradeable allowances is that they prohibit non-businesses and environmental groups from purchasing the allowances.

III. The tradeable allowances for sulfur dioxide have performed poorly because electricity output has increased, causing a rise in sulfur dioxide levels.

		I only
		II and III only
		I, II, and III
		III only

9.Price floors make it illegal to compete for more customers by lowering prices, so firms compete by offering customers:

		various options.
		more quantity.
		more discount.
		higher quality.

10.Figure: Government Price Controls

Reference: Ref 8-3

(Figure: Government Price Controls) Refer to the figure. If the government sets the price ceiling at $31, there will be:

		a shortage of 15 units.
		a surplus of 15 units.
		a supply of 20 units.
		no effect on the market.

11.In which of these instances does price function as a signal in the market?

		Suppliers invest more in exploration when the price of oil increases.
		Consumers complain of price gouging as the price of oil skyrockets.
		Government imposes price controls on the skyrocketing price of oil.
		All of the answers are correct.

12.Ethanol and sugar are both made from sugar cane, and ethanol can be used as substitute fuel for oil. Increasing oil prices cause the demand for ethanol to increase. This will cause the ______ sugar to ______ and its price to ______.

		demand for; decrease; decrease
		supply of; increase; increase
		supply of; decrease; increase
		demand for; increase; increase

13.Why do cotton growers spend billions of dollars to dam rivers and transport water hundreds of miles to grow cotton in California deserts?

		Cotton growers in California don't pay payroll taxes.
		The water used to grow California cotton is highly subsidized by the government.
		Cotton growers in California are mostly operated as nonprofit enterprises.
		The water used to grow California cotton is high in mineral contents, making for a bigger cotton yield.

14.Suppose that the equilibrium price in the market is $10. If the current market price is $7.50:

		the equilibrium price will fall to $7.50.
		competition among buyers will increase the current price.
		the current price will fall below $7.50 as sellers compete for market share.
		There is not enough information provided to answer the question.

15.Which of the following would increase the demand for beef?

		lower pork prices
		higher consumer income
		higher prices of feed grains used to feed beef cattle
		an increase in the price of beef

16.A change in quantity supplied is reflected by a movement along the same supply curve while a change in supply refers to a shift in the entire supply curve.

True

False

17.Table: Production in the United States and Germany

Labor units required to produce:

One Clock

One Sofa

United States		2	5
Germany		3	9

Reference: Ref 2-8

(Table: Production in the United States and Germany) According to the table, the opportunity cost of producing one sofa in the United States is _________, and the opportunity cost of producing one sofa in Germany is _______.

		two clocks; three clocks
		10 clocks; 27 clocks
		0.4 clocks; 0.33 clocks
		2.5 clocks; three clocks

18.Mark values his drum set at $800 and Ella values her guitar at $1,000. Suppose that Mark trades his drum set for Ella's guitar.

		This trade makes Ella worse off by $200.
		This trade makes Mark better off by $200.
		Mark must value Ella's guitar for at least $1,000, and Ella must value Mark's drum set for at least $800.
		This trade creates value by moving the guitar and drum set to people who value them more.

EC223 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Financial Intermediary, Moral Hazard, Adverse Selection

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