Equity (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

Equity [Abstract]

Schedule of Stock by Class

Preferred stock authorized, issued and outstanding was as follows at both March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018:

	March 31, 2019
Series	Shares Authorized	Shares Issued	Shares Outstanding
Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A	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
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	—	—
Not designated	160,367,800	—	—
Total	200,000,000	26,032,200	26,032,200

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Class of Treasury Stock [Table Text Block]

MetLife, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors authorized common stock repurchases as follows:

Announcement Date	Authorization Amount		Authorization Remaining At March 31, 2019
	(In millions)
November 1, 2018	$	2,000	$	770
May 22, 2018	$	1,500	$	—
November 1, 2017	$	2,000	$	—

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 March 31, 2019
	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	$	7,042		$	1,613		$	(4,905	)	$	(2,028	)	$	1,722
OCI before reclassifications	6,721			(11		)	(36		)	1			6,675
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(1,516		)	6			(6		)	—			(1,516		)
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	12,247			1,608			(4,947		)	(2,027		)	6,881
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(2		)	(24		)	—			29			3
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	—			12			—			(6		)	6
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	(2		)	(12		)	—			23			9
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles	4			22			—			—			26
Deferred income tax benefit (expense), cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles	(1		)	(4		)	—			—			(5		)
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles, net of income tax (2)	3			18			—			—			21
Balance, end of period	$	12,248		$	1,614		$	(4,947	)	$	(2,004	)	$	6,911
	Three Months Ended March 31, 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	(3,811		)	(352		)	552			(4		)	(3,615		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	835			58			3			1			897
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	9,781			611			(3,835		)	(1,848		)	4,709
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	45			(165		)	—			31			(89		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(10		)	27			—			(7		)	10
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	35			(138		)	—			24			(79		)
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles	(425		)	—			—			—			(425		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense), cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles (3)	1,473			210			36			(382		)	1,337
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles, net of income tax (3)	1,048			210			36			(382		)	912
Sale of subsidiary (4)	—			—			92			—			92
Balance, end of period	$	10,864		$	683		$	(3,707	)	$	(2,206	)	$	5,634

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(1) See Note 5 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 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 2018 Annual Report for further information on adoption of new accounting pronouncements.

(4) See Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 2018 Annual Report.

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 March 31,
	2019			2018
	(In millions)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses):
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	$	(24	)	$	(101	)	Net investment gains (losses)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	4			3			Net investment income
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	22			53			Net derivative gains (losses)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses), before income tax	2			(45		)
Income tax (expense) benefit	—			10
Net unrealized investment gains (losses), net of income tax	2			(35		)
Unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives - cash flow hedges:
Interest rate derivatives	5			4			Net investment income
Interest rate derivatives	(6		)	—			Net investment gains (losses)
Interest rate derivatives	—			21			Net derivative gains (losses)
Interest rate derivatives	1			—			Other expenses
Foreign currency exchange rate derivatives	(2		)	—			Net investment income
Foreign currency exchange rate derivatives	25			—			Net investment gains (losses)
Foreign currency exchange rate derivatives	—			139			Net derivative gains (losses)
Foreign currency exchange rate derivatives	—			1			Other expenses
Credit derivatives	1			—			Net investment gains (losses)
Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, before income tax	24			165
Income tax (expense) benefit	(12		)	(27		)
Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of income tax	12			138
Defined benefit plans adjustment: (1)
Amortization of net actuarial gains (losses)	(36		)	(36		)
Amortization of prior service (costs) credit	7			5
Amortization of defined benefit plan items, before income tax	(29		)	(31		)
Income tax (expense) benefit	6			7
Amortization of defined benefit plan items, net of income tax	(23		)	(24		)
Total reclassifications, net of income tax	$	(9	)	$	79

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(1) These AOCI components are included in the computation of net periodic benefit costs. See Note 11.

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 three months endedMarch 31, 2019 and 2018:

Declaration Date	Record Date	Payment Date	Preferred Stock Dividend
			Series A				Series C				Series D				Series E
			Per  Share		Aggregate		Per Share		Aggregate		Per Share		Aggregate		Per Share		Aggregate
			(In millions, except per share data)
March 5, 2019	February 28, 2019	March 15, 2019	$	0.250	$	6	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
February 15, 2019	February 28, 2019	March 15, 2019	—		—		—		—		29.375		15		351.563		11
Total			$	0.250	$	6	$	—	$	—	$	29.375	$	15	$	351.563	$	11
March 5, 2018	February 28, 2018	March 15, 2018	$	0.250	$	6	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—

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 three months endedMarch 31, 2019 and 2018:

Declaration Date	Record Date	Payment Date	Common Stock Dividend
			Per Share		Aggregate
			(In millions, except per share data)
January 7, 2019	February 5, 2019	March 13, 2019	$	0.420	$	405
January 5, 2018	February 5, 2018	March 13, 2018	$	0.400	$	416