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moral hazard

moral hazard

6 7.2
Someone takes more risk because they are safe from losses, often because of insurance
  • noun
  • /ˈmɔrəl ˈhæzərd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : riesgo moral
  • Many experts believe that the government's intervention in the economy may lead to a significant moral hazard among large corporations.
  • moral hazard problem
  • create a moral hazard
  • moral hazard and adverse selection

In the case of Chinese lending markets, moral hazard underpins everything.

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Examples

  • Now there is, I think, growing concern that there's quite a bit of moral hazard in the workers comp program.

  • I think the more insidious impact of moral hazard is on the creditors and lenders.

    Blog text (8)
  • Of course, there is a lot of moral hazard built into government actions as well.

    Blog text (2)
  • These are efforts to solve the moral hazard problem and to manage risks.

  • In addition, it can create a moral hazard problem with respect to controlling government spending.

    Academic text (1997)
  • So here's a model, a simple model of moral hazard investment choices.

  • The OBR scheme reduces moral hazard while enabling the financial system to continue to function during a crisis.

    Academic text (2016)
  • As a result of this moral hazard problem, the expected costs of contamination are not minimized.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Among the better-known impediments to effective top-down control are "moral hazard" and "information asymmetry."

    Academic text (2014)
  • Researchers examining special servicers identify the determinants of foreclosure workout strategies and examine the moral hazard problem.

    Academic text (2016)

Surface Forms

moral hazard singular
moral hazards plural

Morphology

moral + hazard

The constituents 'moral' (ethical) and 'hazard' (risk) give a clue that the phrase concerns risky or problematic behavior, so a learner can guess something about risk and behavior. However, the specific economic sense — that people take greater risks because they are protected from consequences (e.g., by insurance) — is a specialized, non-obvious inference not directly derivable from the words alone, so prior exposure or explanation is usually needed.

Etymology

The term moral hazard comes from old insurance talk: moral here means a person's behaviour and hazard means a danger or 'risk'. If someone is 'protected' by insurance or a bailout, they may act less carefully and take more risks, so the phrase means 'a situation where protection makes people take more risks'.