Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business

“MetLife” and the “Company” refer to MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation incorporated in 1999, its subsidiaries and affiliates. MetLife is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. MetLife is organized into six segments: Group Benefits; Retirement and Income Solutions (“RIS”); Asia; Latin America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”); and MetLife Holdings.

Basis of Presentation

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to adopt accounting policies and make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported on the interim condensed consolidated financial statements. In applying these policies and estimates, management makes subjective and complex judgments that frequently require assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain. Many of these policies, estimates and related judgments are common in the insurance and financial services industries; others are specific to the Company’s business and operations. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented in conformity with GAAP. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of full year performance. The December 31, 2023 consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements included in MetLife, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “2023 Annual Report”), which include all disclosures required by GAAP. Therefore, these interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the 2023 Annual Report.

Consolidation

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MetLife, Inc. and its subsidiaries, as well as partnerships and joint ventures in which the Company has a controlling financial interest, and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

The Company uses the equity method of accounting, unless the fair value option (“FVO”) is applied, for real estate joint ventures and other limited partnership interests (“investee”) when it has more than a minor ownership interest or more than a minor influence over the investee’s operations. The Company generally recognizes its share of the investee’s earnings in net investment income on a three-month lag in instances where the investee’s financial information is not sufficiently timely or when the investee’s reporting period differs from the Company’s reporting period.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Changes to GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) in the form of Accounting Standards Updates (each, an “ASU”) to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs. The following tables provide a description of ASUs recently issued by the FASB and the impact of their adoption on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

The table below describes the impacts of ASUs adopted by the Company.

Standard	Description	Effective Date and Method of Adoption	Impact on Financial Statements
ASU 2023-02, Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method	The amendments in this update permit reporting entities to elect to account for their tax equity investments, regardless of the tax credit program from which the income tax credits are received, using the proportional amortization method if certain conditions are met. In addition, disclosures describing the nature of the investments and related income tax credits and benefits will be required.	January 1, 2024. The Company adopted this update, applying a modified retrospective basis.	The Company has elected to use the proportional amortization method to account for its tax equity investments that meet the required criteria. The adoption of this update resulted in a decrease to retained earnings of $219 million, net of income tax, primarily related to the Company’s tax equity investments reported within other invested assets, as of January 1, 2024.

Future Adoption of Accounting Pronouncements

ASUs not listed below were assessed and either determined to be not applicable or are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or disclosures. ASUs issued but not yet adopted as of March 31, 2024 that are currently being assessed and may or may not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or disclosures are summarized in the table below.

Standard	Description	Effective Date and Method of Adoption	Impact on Financial Statements
ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures	Among other things, the amendments in this update require that public business entities, on an annual basis: (i) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation; and (ii) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold. In addition, the amendments in this update require that all entities disclose on an annual basis the following information about income taxes paid: (i) the amount of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) disaggregated by federal (national), state, and foreign taxes; and (ii) the amount of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) disaggregated by individual jurisdictions in which income taxes paid (net of refunds received) is equal to or greater than five percent of total income taxes paid (net of refunds received).	Effective for annual periods beginning January 1, 2025, to be applied prospectively with an option for retrospective application (with early adoption permitted).	The Company is evaluating the impact of the guidance on its consolidated financial statements.
ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures	The amendments in this update are intended to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The key amendments include: (i) disclosures on significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss on an annual and interim basis; (ii) disclosures on an amount for other segment items by reportable segment and a description of its composition on an annual and interim basis. The other segment items category is the difference between segment revenue less the significant expenses disclosed and each reported measure of segment profit or loss; (iii) providing all annual disclosures on a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets currently required by FASB ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting in interim periods; and (iv) specifying the title and position of the CODM.	Effective for annual periods beginning January 1, 2024 and interim periods beginning January 1, 2025, to be applied on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable (with early adoption permitted).	The Company is evaluating the impact of the guidance on its consolidated financial statements.