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Interest credited to policyholder account balances that have been assumed from other insurers as a result of reinsurance agreements.

No definition available.

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Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Includes deferred acquisition costs, intercompany, selling, general and administrative expense assumed from other insurers as a result of reinsurance arrangements.

No definition available.

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Dividends paid or that became payable to participating policyholders on participating policies assumed from other insurers.

No definition available.

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Universal life and investment-type product policy fees ceded to other insurers as a result of reinsurance agreements.

No definition available.

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Interest credited to policyholder account balances that have been ceded to other insurers as a result of reinsurance agreements.

No definition available.

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Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Includes deferred acquisition costs, intercompany, selling, general and administrative expense ceded to other insurers as a result of reinsurance agreements.

No definition available.

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Dividends paid or that became payable to participating policyholders on participating policies ceded to other insurers.

No definition available.

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Fees, commissions and other revenues assumed from other insurers as a result of reinsurance arrangements.

No definition available.

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Fees, commissions and other revenues ceded to other insurers as a result of reinsurance agreements.

No definition available.

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Fees, commissions and other revenues earned from all insurance before adding amounts assumed from other insurers or subtracting amounts ceded to other insurers.

No definition available.

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Universal life and investment-type product policy fees for all insurance before adding amounts assumed from other insurers or subtracting amounts ceded to other insurers.

No definition available.

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Interest credited to policyholder account balances before adding interest credited to policyholder account balances that have been assumed from other insurers or subtracting interest credited to policyholder account balances that have been ceded to other insurers.

No definition available.

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Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Includes deferred acquisition costs, intercompany, selling, general and administrative expense before adding contracts assumed from other insurers or subtracting any amounts ceded to other insurers.

No definition available.

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Dividends paid or that became payable to participating policyholders before adding dividends paid or that became payable on participating policies assumed from other insurers or subtracting dividends paid or that became payable on participating policies ceded to other insurers.

No definition available.

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Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Includes deferred acquisition costs, intercompany, selling, general and administrative expense after subtracting amounts ceded to another insurer and adding premiums assumed from other insurers.

No definition available.

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Name:	met_PremiumsEarnedAbstract
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Income from agency and brokerage operations (includes sales of annuities and supplemental contracts); service charges, commissions, and fees from the sale of insurance and related services; and management fees from separate accounts, deferred annuities, and universal life products. May also include an entity's proportionate share of the income or loss before extraordinary items and other adjustments from its investments in: unconsolidated subsidiaries, associated companies, and corporate joint ventures, unincorporated joint ventures, general partnerships, and limited partnerships over which the entity exercises significant influence that are principally engaged in insurance underwriting, reinsurance, or insurance sales activities.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

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-Section S99

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-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.4)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 9

-Section 04

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph c, d

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 7

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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-Section S99

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-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.13(c),(d))

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Interest allocated to policyholders holding contracts under which the insurer must provide a guaranteed yield.

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-Publisher FASB

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-Number 210

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 97

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Reflects the sum of all other revenue and income recognized by the entity in the period not otherwise specified in the income statement.

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

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Total provision in the period for future policy benefits, claims incurred and costs incurred in the claims settlement process before the effects of reinsurance arrangements.

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Provision for benefits, claims and claims settlement expenses incurred during the period net of the effects of contracts assumed and ceded.

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Dividends paid or that became payable to policyholders in the period based upon the insurer's obligations under the policies and contracts in force.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 120

-Paragraph 5, 6

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-Publisher FASB

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-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

-Number 95-1

-Paragraph 14-18

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

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Premiums earned on the income statement for all insurance and reinsurance contracts after subtracting any amounts ceded to another insurer and adding premiums assumed from other insurers.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

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-Paragraph 1

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 113

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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The amount of the provision for the period for claims and benefits incurred on contract risks assumed from other (ceding) insurers under reinsurance arrangements.

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The reduction in the amount of the provision for the period for claims and benefits incurred on contract risks ceded to other insurers under reinsurance arrangements.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 113

-Paragraph 27, 113

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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Amount of premiums assumed from other companies.

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 17

-Article 12

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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Amount of premiums ceded to other companies.

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Gross amount of premium revenue.