Employee Benefit Plans

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

12. 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 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, reported in other expenses, were as follows:

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2018						2017
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	58		$	2		$	61		$	2
Interest costs	96			15			106			19
Expected return on plan assets	(134		)	(18		)	(128		)	(18		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	44			(9		)	48			—
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	—			(4		)	(1		)	(6		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	64		$	(14	)	$	86		$	(3	)

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018						2017
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	118		$	3		$	122		$	3
Interest costs	192			26			212			38
Expected return on plan assets	(267		)	(36		)	(258		)	(36		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	88			(17		)	97			—
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	—			(9		)	(1		)	(11		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	131		$	(33	)	$	172		$	(6	)