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 September 30,
	2017						2016
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	62		$	1		$	67		$	4
Interest costs	106			19			101			20
Divestitures and curtailment costs (1)	3			2			(1		)	(1		)
Expected return on plan assets	(129		)	(18		)	(138		)	(19		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	46			—			45			2
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	—			(6		)	—			(1		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	88		$	(2	)	$	74		$	5

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2017						2016
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	184		$	4		$	212		$	8
Interest costs	318			57			316			62
Divestitures and curtailment costs (1)	3			2			(1		)	15
Expected return on plan assets	(387		)	(54		)	(388		)	(56		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	143			—			143			7
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	(1		)	(17		)	—			(5		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	260		$	(8	)	$	282		$	31

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(1)	For the nine months ended September 30, 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.