Equity (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Equity [Abstract]

Schedule of Stock by Class

Preferred stock authorized, issued and outstanding was as follows at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Series	Shares Authorized	Shares Issued and Outstanding
Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A	27,600,000	24,000,000
5.25% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C	1,500,000	500,000
5.875% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D	500,000	500,000
5.625% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E	32,200	32,200
4.75% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F	40,000	40,000
3.85% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G	1,000,000	1,000,000
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock	10,000,000	—
Not designated	159,327,800	—
Total	200,000,000	26,072,200

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:

			Authorization Remaining at
Announcement Date	Authorization Amount		March 31, 2021
	(In millions)
December 11, 2020	$	3,000	$	1,835
July 31, 2019	$	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, 2021
	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	$	22,217	$	1,513	$	(3,795)	$	(1,863)	$	18,072
OCI before reclassifications	(7,978)		(1,442)		(753)		3		(10,170)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	1,946		310		(34)		—		2,222
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	16,185		381		(4,582)		(1,860)		10,124
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	30		174		—		14		218
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(7)		(37)		—		(2)		(46)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	23		137		—		12		172
Sale of subsidiary, net of income tax (2)	(14)		—		115		—		101
Balance, end of period	$	16,194	$	518	$	(4,467)	$	(1,848)	$	10,397
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
	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	$	18,283	$	1,698	$	(4,927)	$	(2,002)	$	13,052
OCI before reclassifications	(3,619)		3,687		(674)		—		(606)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	927		(810)		(26)		—		91
AOCI before reclassifications, net of income tax	15,591		4,575		(5,627)		(2,002)		12,537
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(187)		438		—		21		272
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	48		(96)		—		(4)		(52)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of income tax	(139)		342		—		17		220
Balance, end of period	$	15,452	$	4,917	$	(5,627)	$	(1,985)	$	12,757

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(1)See Note 6 for information on offsets to investments related to policyholder liabilities, DAC, VOBA and DSI.

(2)See Note 3 for further information on the sale of MetLife Russia.

Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

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

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021		2020
AOCI Components	Amounts Reclassified from AOCI				Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) Locations
	(In millions)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses):
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	$	(49)	$	204	Net investment gains (losses)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	(5)		(11)		Net investment income
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	24		(6)		Net derivative gains (losses)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses), before income tax	(30)		187
Income tax (expense) benefit	7		(48)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses), net of income tax	(23)		139
Unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives - cash flow hedges:
Interest rate derivatives	12		6		Net investment income
Interest rate derivatives	29		6		Net investment gains (losses)
Interest rate derivatives	1		1		Other expenses
Foreign currency exchange rate derivatives	3		—		Net investment income
Foreign currency exchange rate derivatives	(219)		(451)		Net investment gains (losses)
Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, before income tax	(174)		(438)
Income tax (expense) benefit	37		96
Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of income tax	(137)		(342)
Defined benefit plans adjustment: (1)
Amortization of net actuarial gains (losses)	(18)		(26)
Amortization of prior service (costs) credit	4		5
Amortization of defined benefit plan items, before income tax	(14)		(21)
Income tax (expense) benefit	2		4
Amortization of defined benefit plan items, net of income tax	(12)		(17)
Total reclassifications, net of income tax	$	(172)	$	(220)

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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 per share and aggregate dividends declared for MetLife, Inc.’s preferred stock were as follows:

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021				2020
Series	Per Share		Aggregate		Per Share		Aggregate
	(In million, except per share data)
A	$	0.250	$	6	$	0.253	$	6
C	$	9.479	5		$	—	—
D	$	29.375	15		$	29.375	15
E	$	351.563	11		$	351.563	11
F	$	296.875	12		$	—	—
G	$	19.785	19		$	—	—
Total			$	68			$	32