Christopher Bruce
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Alternatives to the Minor Injury Regulation
In our first article, Alternatives to the Minor Injury Regulation, Chris Bruce identifies numerous alternative policies that could reduce automobile insurance premiums, not by reducing benefits, but by reducing the incidence and severity of automobile accidents. Continue reading
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Examination of Expert Witnesses
This article is based on Chris Bruce and Derek Aldridge’s experience as panelists at a Legal Education Society of Alberta seminar on examination of expert witnesses. The article offers some recommendations regarding the examination of expert economists. Continue reading
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Premiums, Profits, and Costs of Business in Alberta’s Automobile Insurance Industry, 1996-2006
In February 2008, Economica was retained by the Canadian Bar Association to prepare a series of reports on automobile insurance premiums in five provinces: Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. We have now completed this work, having prepared two reports on Alberta and one on each of the other four provinces.… Continue reading
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The Discount Rate Revisited (Spring 2008)
This article reports on our latest survey of discount rates. We conclude that no changes to our existing discount rate assumptions are warranted, though a reduction in our long-term rate may be necessary in the future if the observed long-term rates remain significantly lower than our assumed rate. Continue reading
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The Impact of Poor Health on Retirement Age
In this article Christopher Bruce examines the evidence supporting a claim that poor health will lead to earlier retirement. Continue reading
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The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on the Educational Attainment and Adult Earnings of Canadian Women
This article concerns sexual abuse cases and the difficult task of determining the impact that the harm has had on the plaintiff’s earning capacity. Christopher Bruce and his colleague from the University of Calgary, Daniel Gordon, found that, on average, sexual abuse is not associated with lower educational levels or lower adult incomes among victims. Continue reading
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Forecasting the long-term interest rate on Government of Canada bonds: “market-based” versus “conservative” investment
In the article Christopher Bruce examines a subtle issue relating to interest rates. He explains the difference between the interest rates realised by buying bonds and holding them to maturity, and selling and re-buying before maturity. These approaches will result in different estimates of historical interest rates. Continue reading
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The Cost of Household Services, Alberta, 2006: A Survey
The article reports the results of a survey we conducted in late 2005 and early 2006. We obtained housecleaning, handyman, landscaping and snow removal, child care, and home care/meal preparation rates from a large sample of agencies and individuals in both Calgary and Edmonton, and housecleaning rates for smaller samples in Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, and… Continue reading
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Estimating non-discriminatory lifetime earnings for young females
This articles examines the sources of male/female earnings differentials that might arise from differences between the sexes in labour force participation rates, part-time hours, and retirement ages. It concludes that, even in the absence of labour market discrimination, women may earn 25 to 35 percent less than men. Continue reading
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Death and Retirement: Allowing for Uncertainty
In this article Christopher Bruce explains how experts deal with situations in which there is uncertainty about the plaintiff’s future income path – such as when it is not known whether the plaintiff will recover from his or her injuries. He also comments on an error that experts often make when dealing with such uncertainty. Continue reading