A.I.G. is often called the largest insurance entity in the world. A.I.G.'s total assets were $860 billion on 12/31/2008 (dwarfing any other insurance entity) with 116,000 employees, operating in 130 countries, with 71 U.S. based insurance companies, and 176 other companies representing non U.S. insurers and other financial services. Many regulatory issues are raised by A.I.G.'s structure: regulatory arbitrage in its multitude of companies and countries and its selection of a Gramm-Leach-Bliley regulator; its extreme unregulated systemic risk; and its complete lack of regulation of certain "insurance-like" components.

Review the paper titled: On the Financial Regulation of Insurance Companies written by Viral V. Acharya, John Biggs, Mathew Richardson and Stephen Ryan and answer the following questions. It is also strongly suggested you complete additional reading as is relvevant.

1. Describe A.I.G's business model and structure and why it was considered a systemic risk?

2. Identify and discuss the main factors that led to the failure of A.I.G.

3. Describe how moral hazard and adverse selection materialized during the financial failure of A.I.G?

4. How did A.I.G and monoline insurers aid commercial and investment banks in avoiding capital adequacy requirements?