Equity (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

Schedule of Stock by Class

Preferred stock authorized, issued and outstanding was as follows:

	September 30, 2018			December 31, 2017
Series	Shares Authorized	Shares Issued	Shares Outstanding	Shares Authorized	Shares Issued	Shares Outstanding
Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A	27,600,000	24,000,000	24,000,000	27,600,000	24,000,000	24,000,000
5.25% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C	1,500,000	1,500,000	1,500,000	1,500,000	1,500,000	1,500,000
5.875% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D	500,000	500,000	500,000	—	—	—
5.625% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E	32,200	32,200	32,200	—	—	—
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock	10,000,000	—	—	10,000,000	—	—
Not designated	160,367,800	—	—	160,900,000	—	—
Total	200,000,000	26,032,200	26,032,200	200,000,000	25,500,000	25,500,000

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Dividend Payment Restrictions

The table below sets forth the dividends permitted to be paid in 2018 by MetLife, Inc.’s primary insurance subsidiaries without insurance regulatory approval and the respective dividends paid during the nine months endedSeptember 30, 2018:

Company	Paid (1)				Permitted Without Approval (2)
	(In millions)
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company	$	2,424	(3	)	$	3,075
American Life Insurance Company	$	2,200	(4	)	$	—
Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company	$	—			$	125
Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company (5)	$	—			$	73
General American Life Insurance Company (5)	$	—			N/A

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(1) Reflects all amounts paid, including those requiring regulatory approval.

(2) Reflects dividend amounts that may be paid during 2018 without prior regulatory approval. However, because dividend tests may be based on dividends previously paid over rolling 12-month periods, if paid before a specified date during 2018, some or all of such dividends may require regulatory approval.

(3) Represents ordinary dividends of $1.7 billion and an extraordinary dividend of $705 million that was paid with regulatory approval. The extraordinary dividend was paid in cash with proceeds from the sale to an affiliate of certain property, equipment, leasehold improvements and computer software that were non-admitted by MLIC for statutory accounting purposes. The affiliate received a capital contribution in cash from MetLife, Inc. to fund the purchase.

(4) Represents extraordinary dividends.

(5) In April 2018, Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company (“MTL”) merged with General American Life Insurance Company (“GALIC”). The surviving entity of the merger was MTL, which re-domesticated from Delaware to Nebraska immediately prior to the merger. Effective as of the re-domestication, MTL is subject to the dividend restrictions under Nebraska law, which are based on amounts reported in MTL’s stand-alone statutory financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Information regarding changes in the balances of each component of AOCI attributable to MetLife, Inc., was as follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
	Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses), Net of Related Offsets (1)			Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivatives			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment			Total
	(In millions)
Balance, beginning of period	$	8,538		$	1,165		$	(4,670	)	$	(2,179	)	$	2,854
OCI before reclassifications	(1,953		)	(295		)	(240		)	131			(2,357		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	436			(22		)	15			(27		)	402
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	7,021			848			(4,895		)	(2,075		)	899
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(30		)	4			—			31			5
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	7			96			—			(7		)	96
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	(23		)	100			—			24			101
Balance, end of period	$	6,998		$	948		$	(4,895	)	$	(2,051	)	$	1,000
	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses), Net of Related Offsets (1)			Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivatives			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment			Total
	(In millions)
Balance, beginning of period	$	13,469		$	1,569		$	(4,679	)	$	(1,923	)	$	8,436
OCI before reclassifications	803			(166		)	193			2			832
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(270		)	56			(6		)	2			(218		)
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	14,002			1,459			(4,492		)	(1,919		)	9,050
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(360		)	(307		)	—			40			(627		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	126			107			—			(17		)	216
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	(234		)	(200		)	—			23			(411		)
Disposal of subsidiary (3)	(2,286		)	(305		)	51			28			(2,512		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	800			107			(19		)	(10		)	878
Disposal of subsidiary, net of income tax	(1,486		)	(198		)	32			18			(1,634		)
Balance, end of period	$	12,282		$	1,061		$	(4,460	)	$	(1,878	)	$	7,005

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
	Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses), Net of Related Offsets (1)			Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivatives			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment			Total
	(In millions)
Balance, beginning of period	$	12,757		$	905		$	(4,390	)	$	(1,845	)	$	7,427
OCI before reclassifications	(8,860		)	(506		)	(657		)	130			(9,893		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	1,977			77			24			(27		)	2,051
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	5,874			476			(5,023		)	(1,742		)	(415		)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	98			309			—			93			500
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(22		)	(47		)	—			(20		)	(89		)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	76			262			—			73			411
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles	(425		)	—			—			—			(425		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense), cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles	1,473			210			36			(382		)	1,337
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles, net of income tax (2)	1,048			210			36			(382		)	912
Sale of subsidiary (3)	—			—			92			—			92
Balance, end of period	$	6,998		$	948		$	(4,895	)	$	(2,051	)	$	1,000
	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses), Net of Related Offsets (1)			Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivatives			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment			Total
	(In millions)
Balance, beginning of period	$	10,785		$	1,865		$	(5,312	)	$	(1,972	)	$	5,366
OCI before reclassifications	4,796			37			710			(17		)	5,526
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(1,675		)	(14		)	110			7			(1,572		)
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	13,906			1,888			(4,492		)	(1,982		)	9,320
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(211		)	(965		)	—			125			(1,051		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	73			336			—			(39		)	370
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	(138		)	(629		)	—			86			(681		)
Disposal of subsidiary (3)	(2,286		)	(305		)	51			28			(2,512		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	800			107			(19		)	(10		)	878
Disposal of subsidiary, net of income tax	(1,486		)	(198		)	32			18			(1,634		)
Balance, end of period	$	12,282		$	1,061		$	(4,460	)	$	(1,878	)	$	7,005

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(1) See Note 6 for information on offsets to investments related to future policy benefits, DAC, VOBA and DSI, and the policyholder dividend obligation.

(2) See Note 1 for further information on adoption of new accounting pronouncements.

(3) See Note 3.

Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Information regarding amounts reclassified out of each component of AOCI was as follows:

AOCI Components	Amounts Reclassified from AOCI												Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) Locations
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
	(In millions)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses):
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	$	101		$	303		$	(36	)	$	386		Net investment gains (losses)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	9			(1		)	9			—			Net investment income
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	(80		)	55			(71		)	(89		)	Net derivative gains (losses)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	—			3			—			(86		)	Discontinued operations
Net unrealized investment gains (losses), before income tax	30			360			(98		)	211
Income tax (expense) benefit	(7		)	(126		)	22			(73		)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses), net of income tax	23			234			(76		)	138
Unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives - cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps	1			9			18			23			Net derivative gains (losses)
Interest rate swaps	4			5			13			12			Net investment income
Interest rate swaps	—			—			—			2			Discontinued operations
Interest rate forwards	(3		)	(1		)	—			(5		)	Net derivative gains (losses)
Interest rate forwards	1			—			2			2			Net investment income
Interest rate forwards	—			—			1			1			Other expenses
Interest rate forwards	—			—			—			3			Discontinued operations
Foreign currency swaps	(6		)	294			(342		)	915			Net derivative gains (losses)
Foreign currency swaps	(1		)	—			(2		)	(1		)	Net investment income
Foreign currency swaps	—			—			1			1			Other expenses
Foreign currency swaps	—			—			—			11			Discontinued operations
Credit forwards	—			—			—			1			Net derivative gains (losses)
Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, before income tax	(4		)	307			(309		)	965
Income tax (expense) benefit	(96		)	(107		)	47			(336		)
Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of income tax	(100		)	200			(262		)	629
Defined benefit plans adjustment: (1)
Amortization of net actuarial gains (losses)	(37		)	(46		)	(108		)	(143		)
Amortization of prior service (costs) credit	6			6			15			18
Amortization of defined benefit plan items, before income tax	(31		)	(40		)	(93		)	(125		)
Income tax (expense) benefit	7			17			20			39
Amortization of defined benefit plan items, net of income tax	(24		)	(23		)	(73		)	(86		)
Total reclassifications, net of income tax	$	(101	)	$	411		$	(411	)	$	681

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(1) These AOCI components are included in the computation of net periodic benefit costs. See Note 12.

Preferred Stock

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Dividends Declared [Table Text Block]

The declaration, record and payment dates, as well as per share and aggregate dividend amounts, for MetLife, Inc.’s preferred stock were as follows for the nine months endedSeptember 30, 2018 and 2017:

Declaration Date	Record Date	Payment Date	Preferred Stock Dividend
			Series A Per  Share		Series A Aggregate		Series C Per Share		Series C Aggregate		Series D Per Share		Series D Aggregate		Series E Per Share		Series E Aggregate
			(In millions, except per share data)
August 15, 2018	August 31, 2018	September 17, 2018	$	0.256	$	6	$	—	$	—	$	28.233	$	14	$	394.531	$	12
May 15, 2018	May 31, 2018	June 15, 2018	$	0.256	7		$	26.250	39		$	—	—		$	—	—
March 5, 2018	February 28, 2018	March 15, 2018	$	0.250	6		$	—	—		$	—	—		$	—	—
					$	19			$	39			$	14			$	12
August 15, 2017	August 31, 2017	September 15, 2017	$	0.256	$	6	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
May 15, 2017	May 31, 2017	June 15, 2017	$	0.256	7		$	26.250	39		$	—	—		$	—	—
March 6, 2017	February 28, 2017	March 15, 2017	$	0.250	6		$	—	—		$	—	—		$	—	—
					$	19			$	39			$	—			$	—

Common Stock

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Dividends Declared [Table Text Block]

The declaration, record and payment dates, as well as per share and aggregate dividend amounts, for MetLife, Inc.’s common stock were as follows for the nine months endedSeptember 30, 2018 and 2017:

Declaration Date	Record Date	Payment Date	Common Stock Dividend
			Per Share		Aggregate
			(In millions, except per share data)
July 6, 2018	August 6, 2018	September 13, 2018	$	0.420	$	419
April 24, 2018	May 7, 2018	June 13, 2018	$	0.420	428
January 5, 2018	February 5, 2018	March 13, 2018	$	0.400	416
					$	1,263
July 7, 2017	August 7, 2017	September 13, 2017	$	0.400	$	427
April 25, 2017	May 8, 2017	June 13, 2017	$	0.400	431
January 6, 2017	February 6, 2017	March 13, 2017	$	0.400	437
					$	1,295