Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

13. Employee Benefit Plans

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

Certain subsidiaries of MetLife, Inc. sponsor and/or administer a U.S. qualified and various U.S. and non-U.S. 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. and non-U.S. retired employees.

The components of net periodic benefit costs, reported in other expenses, were as follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30,
	2019						2018
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	59		$	2		$	58		$	1
Interest costs	104			13			95			13
Expected return on plan assets	(122		)	(16		)	(133		)	(18		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	49			(13		)	46			(9		)
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	(4		)	(3		)	(1		)	(5		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	86		$	(17	)	$	65		$	(18	)

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2019						2018
	Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits			Pension Benefits			Other Postretirement Benefits
	(In millions)
Service costs	$	174		$	4		$	176		$	4
Interest costs	312			39			287			39
Expected return on plan assets	(367		)	(50		)	(400		)	(54		)
Amortization of net actuarial (gains) losses	145			(37		)	134			(26		)
Amortization of prior service costs (credit)	(12		)	(8		)	(1		)	(14		)
Net periodic benefit costs (credit)	$	252		$	(52	)	$	196		$	(51	)