Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

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 nonqualified 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 U.S. retired employees.

The components of net periodic benefit costs were as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2017						2016
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	61		$	1		$	72		$	2
Interest costs	108			19			111			21
Curtailment costs (1)	—			—			—			30
Expected return on plan assets	(132		)	(18		)	(127		)	(18		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	49			—			49			2
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	—			(5		)	—			(3		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	86		$	(3	)	$	105		$	34

__________________

(1) During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company recognized curtailment charges on certain postretirement benefit plans in connection with the sale to MassMutual. See Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 2016 Annual Report.