Other Expenses (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]

Information on other expenses was as follows:



	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2017			2016			2017			2016
	(In millions)
Compensation	$	1,134		$	1,189		$	2,323		$	2,499
Pension, postretirement and postemployment benefit costs	78			103			158			243
Commissions	1,025			1,094			2,035			2,228
Volume-related costs	203			214			401			480
Capitalization of DAC	(821		)	(915		)	(1,617		)	(1,896		)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	704			121			1,237			1,116
Amortization of negative VOBA	(38		)	(67		)	(81		)	(166		)
Interest expense on debt	295			306			591			618
Premium taxes, licenses and fees	167			189			355			404
Professional services	431			398			818			728
Rent and related expenses, net of sublease income	71			98			152			195
Other	810			516			1,251			989
Total other expenses	$	4,059		$	3,246		$	7,623		$	7,438

Separation-related expenses, primarily related to fees for the terminations of financing arrangements and professional services, were $330 million and $407 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. Separation-related expenses, primarily related to fees for professional services, were $55 million and $58 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively. See Note 3 for further information on Separation-related expenses.

Restructuring and Related Costs [Table Text Block]

The Company commenced in 2016 a unit cost improvement program related to the Company’s refreshed enterprise strategy. This global strategy focuses on transforming the Company to become more digital, driving efficiencies and innovation to achieve competitive advantage, and simplified, decreasing the costs and risks associated with the Company’s highly complex industry to customers and shareholders. Restructuring charges related to this program are included in other expenses. As the expenses relate to an enterprise-wide initiative, they are reported in Corporate & Other. Such restructuring charges were as follows:



	Three Months Ended June 30, 2017			Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
	Severance
	(In millions)
Balance, beginning of period	$	38		$	35
Restructuring charges	11			22
Cash payments	(32		)	(40		)
Balance, end of period	$	17		$	17
Total restructuring charges incurred since inception of initiative	$	57		$	57