Previous studies have found a positive association between the costs of switching providers and market power in the banking sector. We believe a similar association exists in the Swedish home insurance industry, given that Finansinspektionen's (2022) previous findings indicate price walking, a premium paid by loyal customers, is prevalent in the market. We therefore investigate whether there exists a positive association between switching costs and market power in the Swedish home insurance market using a panel data approach between the years of 2012-2022. We employ Shy's (2002) measure to estimate switching costs and the Lerner index to estimate market power. The results reveal a statistically significant association between switching costs and market power, indicating that reducing switching costs could help reduce market power, potentially benefiting consumers. These results are robust between model choices, period, and measure of price and costs. The findings also imply that decreases in switching costs could lower consumer prices by increasing competition and reducing profit margins. To reduce switching costs, we propose investigating the effects of standardizing insurance policies for easier comparison and exploring the potential effects of discouraging cumulative discounts that deter customers from changing providers.

Previous studies have found a positive association between the costs of switchingproviders and market power in the banking sector. We believe a similar associationexists in the Swedish home insurance industry, given that Finansinspektionen’s(2022) previous findings indicate price walking, a premium paid by loyal customers,is prevalent in the market. We therefore investigate whether there exists a positiveassociation between switching costs and market power in the Swedish homeinsurance market using a panel data approach between the years of 2012-2022. Weemploy Shy’s (2002) measure to estimate switching costs and the Lerner index toestimate market power. The results reveal a statistically significant association betweenswitching costs and market power, indicating that reducing switching costscould help reduce market power, potentially benefiting consumers. These resultsare robust between model choices, period, and measure of price and costs. Thefindings also imply that decreases in switching costs could lower consumer pricesby increasing competition and reducing profit margins. To reduce switching costs,we propose investigating the effects of standardizing insurance policies for easiercomparison and exploring the potential effects of discouraging cumulative discountsthat deter customers from changing providers.

Submitted by Tatiana Branco Belizario Williams (tatibbw@gmail.com) on 2018-08-29T01:49:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Tatiana Williams_final.pdf: 1033978 bytes, checksum: 2512428601f42dba8a0f96891a8b5cf1 (MD5) / Rejected by Joana Martorini (joana.martorini@fgv.br), reason: Tatiana, bom dia. Seu trabalho foi rejeitado, segue abaixo os ajustes que deverá realizar: A palavra "Getulio" não tem acento O titulo do seu trabalho deverá estar em letra maiúscula (completo) Os nomes dos professores deverá estar completos: FERNANDO DANIEL CHAGUE BRUNO CARA GIOVANNETTI RODRIGO DE LOSSO DA SILVEIRA BUENO Após a realização dos ajustes, por gentileza submeter novamente na biblioteca digital. Att, Joana Martorini on 2018-08-29T15:13:06Z (GMT) / Submitted by Tatiana Branco Belizario Williams (tatibbw@gmail.com) on 2018-08-30T01:51:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Tatiana Williams_final.pdf: 1032688 bytes, checksum: 1cccf7842338ac2ac6429e6fe478c87b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Joana Martorini (joana.martorini@fgv.br) on 2018-08-30T13:15:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Tatiana Williams_final.pdf: 1032688 bytes, checksum: 1cccf7842338ac2ac6429e6fe478c87b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Suzane Guimarães (suzane.guimaraes@fgv.br) on 2018-08-30T14:27:38Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Tatiana Williams_final.pdf: 1032688 bytes, checksum: 1cccf7842338ac2ac6429e6fe478c87b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-30T14:27:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Tatiana Williams_final.pdf: 1032688 bytes, checksum: 1cccf7842338ac2ac6429e6fe478c87b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-10 / O objetivo do trabalho é investigar o papel dos custos de informação para explicar a dinâmica da captação em fundos multimercado brasileiros, por meio da criação de um modelo que incorpora os dados do Assets under Management (AuM) do gestor e da performance passada, adaptando o estudo feito por Huang, Wei e Yan (2007). O argumento principal estabelece que divulgar os bons resultados obtidos pelos fundos, reduzindo assim os custos de informação associados ao investimento, parece ser fundamental para atrair novos recursos, pois a observação da performance passada é o critério principal de análise do investidor. Neste sentido, o AuM dos gestores foi utilizado como uma proxy da sua capacidade de investir em marketing e esforços de divulgação e distribuição. A hipótese do trabalho é que, para o fundo apresentar uma boa resposta de captação frente à performance observada, existem duas possibilidades: ou o fundo se destaca frente aos concorrentes ou o gestor tem capacidade de investir dar visibilidade ao produto. No caso dos fundos com baixos custos de informação, os investidores podem se interessar pelo investimento, mesmo que a performance passada não seja espetacular. Dessa forma, o fluxo de captação seria mais sensível à níveis medianos de performance. Os resultados foram obtidos utilizando-se uma amostra de 583 fundos, no período de 2004 a 2017 e indicaram que, até um período em que a distribuição de fundos no Brasil era predominantemente feita pelos grandes bancos e instituições financeiras, há evidências de que o AuM do gestor era relevante para influenciar a sensibilidade do fluxo de captação em níveis intermediários de performance. No entanto, quando se considera os dados a partir de 2013, constata-se que o AuM do gestor deixou de ser significativo para influenciar o fluxo de captação. Esse resultado pode ser atribuído ao contexto atual da oferta de fundos no país, marcado pela forte presença de players independentes dos grandes bancos de varejo. / This paper aims to investigate the role of information costs to explain the dynamics of fund flows in Brazilian multimercado investment funds by creating a model that incorporates the Assets under Management (AuM) data and past performance, adapting the study that was done by Huang , Wei and Yan (2007). The main idea is that disclosing the good results obtained by the funds, thus reducing the information costs associated with the investment, seems to be fundamental to attract new resources, since the observation of past performance is the main criterion of investor’s analysis. In this sense, the AuM was used as a proxy for their ability to invest in marketing and advertising efforts. The hypothesis is that, for the fund to present a higher flow sensitivity to the observed performance, there are two possibilities: either the fund stands out from the competitors or the manager has the capacity to invest, providing visibility to the product. In the case of funds with low information costs, investors may be interested in the investment, even if past performance is not spectacular. In this way, the fund flows is more sensitive to medium levels of performance. The results were obtained by using a sample of 583 funds, from 2004 to 2017, pointing that, until a period in which the funds distribution in Brazil was predominantly held by large banks and financial institutions, there is evidence that manager’s AuM was relevant to influence the sensitivity of the fund flows to intermediate levels of performance. However, when considering the data from 2013, it is verified that the manager's AuM is no longer significant to influence the uptake flow. This result can be attributed to the current context of the funds offering in Brazil, characterized by the strong presence of independent players from large retail banks.

Magister Artium - MA / The study concludes that the existence of HTAs in the USA is explained by the socially enforced institution of the hijos del pueblo (sons of the town) having a duty to help their hometowns, as well as the private benefits of preserving Garífuna traditions and the possibility of helping repatriate dead immigrants. Fulfilling this duty (and the consequent prestige attained) provides the incentives to send CRs home. In the cases studied, CRs were used to partly finance potable water projects, electricity projects, road paving, a community centre and the construction of a Catholic temple. In most of the cases HTAs worked with a local development organisation, known as Patronato, which formed specific committees for executing projects, for example the water and the electricity committees. For the construction of the temple, a religious organisation known as Pastoral was the local partner. The term Collective Remittances (CRs) refers to the money sent by migrant associations, known as Hometown Associations (HTAs), to Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in their hometowns for financing public works projects. Few cases of CR are known in Honduras. The only ones reported are among the Garífunaethnic group living on the Caribbean Coast, and with a large migrant community in New York City (NYC). This mini-master’s thesis is the first study written on CRs in Honduras. It studies CR experiences in four Garífuna hometowns and their corresponding HTAs in NYC. It answers three questions: How do CRs work in each case? What are the determinants for HTAs to provide CRs to the hometowns? And what are the determinants for local CBOs in the hometowns to use the CRs effectively to provide public goods in the hometowns? CR is conceptualised as a that chooses which local group and project to finance, and the local CBO, which is the agent