The Determinants of Financial Derivatives Use in the UK life Insurance Industry.

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of financial derivatives use in the United Kingdom (UK) life insurance industry. We estimate a probit regression model and a Heckman two-stage sample selection regression model using a sample of 88 UK life insurers in 1995. Our results indicate that the propensity to use derivative instruments is positively related to a firm’s size, leverage and international links, and negatively related to the extent of reinsurance. We also find that mutual life insurance firms have a greater propensity to use derivatives than proprietary firms. The positive relation with leverage and the negative relation with reinsurance support the hypothesis that UK life insurers use derivatives to offset risk, rather than as a speculative means of income generation.