Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

13. Employee Benefit Plans

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

Certain subsidiaries of MetLife, Inc. sponsor and/or administer various 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,
	2016						2015
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	67		$	4		$	68		$	3
Interest costs	102			21			106			22
Curtailment costs (1)	(1		)	(1		)	—			—
Expected return on plan assets	(140		)	(19		)	(136		)	(19		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	44			3			48			10
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	—			(1		)	(1		)	—
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	72		$	7		$	85		$	16
	Nine Months   Ended   September 30,
	2016						2015
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	212		$	8		$	206		$	12
Interest costs	322			63			318			67
Curtailment costs (1)	(1		)	26			—			—
Expected return on plan assets	(394		)	(56		)	(408		)	(59		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	143			7			143			31
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	—			(5		)	(1		)	(2		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	282		$	43		$	258		$	49

__________________

(1) The Company recognized curtailment charges on certain postretirement benefit plans in connection with the U.S Retail Advisor Force Divestiture. See Note 3.