Taking Stock Of Health: An Examination Of Health Insurance Expenditures By Employer Categories

This research uses the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX) data to examine the cost of health insurance coverage for government as well as private sector employees and for the self-employed. The findings show that, when compared with private-sector employees, the self-employed spend more and government employees spend less on health insurance premium payments. Factors such as education, marital status, region of residence, age, family size and educational attainment are significant determinants of the amount spent on health insurance. In addition, the likelihood of participation in Preferred Provider Option (PPO) health plans is lower for government employees and for self-employed individuals than for private sector employees

The Influence Of Birth Order On Financial Risk Tolerance

This study examines birth order as a predictor of financial risk tolerance. Three hundred sixty-eight individuals, drawn predominantly from a large university in the Southwestern United States, completed a psychometrically sound financial risk tolerance measure (Grable and Lytton, 1999). The results confirmed previous literature in regard to gender and education as predictors of risk tolerance. However, for the first time, firstborn individuals were shown to be significantly less risk tolerant than later-born individuals. Furthermore, it was shown that later-born males were more likely than the first-born to have a majority of their portfolios allocated in stock; additionally the later-born males were more likely than the later-born females to hold a greater proportion of their assets in stocks

Inter-Observer Risk-Tolerance Agreement Between Husbands And Wives

The purpose of this research was to test the extent to which variability in husbands’ and wives’ self-assessed financial risk can be attributed to variation in risk tolerance or observer bias resulting from measurement error. Using a sample of 188 well-educated married couples, scores from the Survey of Consumer Finances single risk-assessment item were used to evaluate the following null hypothesis: Husbands and wives do not agree on their level of financial risk tolerance. The hypothesis was tested using a percentage agreement test, a Kappa coefficient test, and a chi-square analysis. Findings led to a rejection of the null hypothesis. That is, couples exhibited general agreement in their assessment of financial risk tolerance, although the level of agreement was rather modest

The Impact Of Decision Power On Financial Risk Tolerance And Asset Allocation

This research considers the impact of decision power (Blood & Wolfe, 1960) and demographic variables within a couple’s relationship on risk tolerance and portfolio risk levels. Married couples (N = 175) separately completed a survey consisting of the Blood and Wolfe Decision Power Index, the Survey of Consumer Finances risk tolerance question, demographic information, and selected financial variables. Unlike their husbands, the study found an effect of decision power for wives and portfolio risk level, suggesting that the wife’s decision power affects portfolio risk levels. Decision power was found to be a significant factor in risk tolerance for both the husband and wife. Findings indicate that both portfolio risk levels and risk tolerance is determined by the education of the wife and not the husband. Further, a divergence in risk levels occurred when the husband owned a greater degree of assets than the wife

Determinants Of Risk Tolerance In The Baby Boomer Cohort

Using data from 26,759 respondents, this study examined the differences in financial risk tolerance among leading baby boomers and trailing baby boomers. The study also investigated differences between these two sub-cohorts in perceived risk tolerance and measured risk tolerance as determined by the FinaMetrica Risk Profiling System. The results of this study found that leading boomers were less risk tolerant than trailing boomers. Variables with a positive association with risk tolerance for both groups include higher educational attainment, income, net worth, and gender with men having higher risk tolerance than women. There was dissimilarity between married for leading boomer and trailing boomer. Being marred was negatively associated with risk tolerance for leading boomers and positive for trailing boomers. It was also found that leading boomers, those with less educational attainment, lower income earners and those with a greater number of financial dependents tend to underestimate their risk tolerance

Feasible US steps to strengthen NATO deterrence in the Baltics and Poland

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a renewed assessment of efforts by the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deter Russia from taking military action on NATO's eastern flank has become particularly salient. In the coming weeks, NATO leadership will meet to discuss what longer term force posture adjustments are required to create such a deterrent. This paper proposes several modest policy recommendations which will help inform the discussion and ultimately strengthen NATO's conventional deterrence postur

Interim security insights and implications from the first two months of the Russia-Ukraine war

Russia's ongoing struggles during its invasion of Ukraine have led some to suggest that the Russian military lacks the capability to credibly threaten the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its member states. However, narrowly focusing on Russia's tactical and operational struggles, while omitting the flawed Russian strategic decisionmaking which underpinned the invasion, is a dangerous approach. While Russia's significant losses in this war will clearly degrade its ability to conduct large scale offensive operations against NATO in the short term, it is too soon to write off the medium to long-term threat posed by Russia. Therefore, as the Russian invasion enters a new phase, it is useful to determine what lessons should and should not be derived from this conflict. In our subsequent analysis, we analyze these initial insights and provide policy recommendations for NATO to enhance its conventional capability and strengthen its ability to credibly deter future Russian aggression

Pharmacokinetics of Florfenicol in Serum and Synovial Fluid Samples After Regional Intravneous Perfusion in the Distal Limb of Cattle

This study included 6 healthy adult cows. Intravenous catheters were placed in the dorsal common digital vein (DCDV) and plantar vein of the lateral digit (DIG), and an intrasynovial catheter was placed in the metatarsophalangeal (SYN) joint of the left rear limb. Jugular vein samples (JUG) were collected via venipuncture. A pneumatic tourniquet was placed on the mid-metatarsus. Florfenicol was administered at 2.2 mg/kg into the DCDV. DIG, SYN and JUG samples were collected at 15, 30, and 45 minutes. The tourniquet was removed. Sample collection continued at 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 hours post infusion. Florfenicol analysis was performed by high performance liquid chromatography. Findings and Conclusions: The pharmacokinetic parameters of florfenicol following regional intravenous perfusion (RIVP) are shown (table). RIVP of florfenicol produced high concentrations in DIG and SYN samples while the concentration in JUG samples remained relatively low.Veterinary Pathobiolog