Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

11. Employee Benefit Plans

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

Certain subsidiaries of MetLife, Inc. sponsor and/or administer various U.S. qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement employee benefit plans covering employees and sales representatives who meet specified eligibility requirements. These subsidiaries also provide certain postemployment benefits and certain postretirement medical and life insurance benefits for retired employees.

The components of net periodic benefit costs were as follows:

	Three Months   Ended   September 30,
	2015											2014
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits					Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
	U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans		U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	54		$	14		$	3		$	—	$	50		$	17		$	3		$	—
Interest costs	101			5			22			—		109			3			23			1
Settlement and curtailment costs	—			—			—			—		14			—			—			—
Expected return on plan assets	(134		)	(2		)	(19		)	—		(119		)	(2		)	(19		)	—
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	47			1			10			—		42			—			3			—
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	(1		)	—			—			—		—			—			—			—
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	67		$	18		$	16		$	—	$	96		$	18		$	10		$	1

	Nine Months   Ended   September 30,
	2015											2014
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits					Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
	U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans		U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	162		$	44		$	11		$	1	$	150		$	51		$	10		$	1
Interest costs	303			15			66			1		327			10			69			2
Settlement and curtailment costs	—			—			—			—		14			—			—			—
Expected return on plan assets	(403		)	(5		)	(59		)	—		(356		)	(6		)	(56		)	(1		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	141			2			31			—		127			—			9			—
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	(1		)	—			(2		)	—		1			—			(1		)	—
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	202		$	56		$	47		$	2	$	263		$	55		$	31		$	2