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Closed Block

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

10. Closed Block

On April 7, 2000 (the “Demutualization Date”), Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MLIC”) converted from a mutual life insurance company to a stock life insurance company and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. The conversion was pursuant to an order by the New York Superintendent of Insurance (the “Superintendent”) approving MLIC’s plan of reorganization, as amended (the “Plan”). On the Demutualization Date, MLIC established a closed block for the benefit of holders of certain individual life insurance policies of MLIC. Assets have been allocated to the closed block in an amount that has been determined to produce cash flows which, together with anticipated revenues from the policies included in the closed block, are reasonably expected to be sufficient to support obligations and liabilities relating to these policies, including, but not limited to, provisions for the payment of claims and certain expenses and taxes, and to provide for the continuation of policyholder dividend scales in effect for 1999, if the experience underlying such dividend scales continues, and for appropriate adjustments in such scales if the experience changes. At least annually, the Company compares actual and projected experience against the experience assumed in the then-current dividend scales. Dividend scales are adjusted periodically to give effect to changes in experience.

The closed block assets, the cash flows generated by the closed block assets and the anticipated revenues from the policies in the closed block will benefit only the holders of the policies in the closed block. To the extent that, over time, cash flows from the assets allocated to the closed block and claims and other experience related to the closed block are, in the aggregate, more or less favorable than what was assumed when the closed block was established, total dividends paid to closed block policyholders in the future may be greater than or less than the total dividends that would have been paid to these policyholders if the policyholder dividend scales in effect for 1999 had been continued. Any cash flows in excess of amounts assumed will be available for distribution over time to closed block policyholders and will not be available to stockholders. If the closed block has insufficient funds to make guaranteed policy benefit payments, such payments will be made from assets outside of the closed block. The closed block will continue in effect as long as any policy in the closed block remains in-force. The expected life of the closed block is over 100 years.

The Company uses the same accounting principles to account for the participating policies included in the closed block as it used prior to the Demutualization Date. However, the Company establishes a policyholder dividend obligation for earnings that will be paid to policyholders as additional dividends as described below. The excess of closed block liabilities over closed block assets at the Demutualization Date (adjusted to eliminate the impact of related amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income) represents the estimated maximum future earnings from the closed block expected to result from operations attributed to the closed block after income taxes. Earnings of the closed block are recognized in income over the period the policies and contracts in the closed block remain in-force. Management believes that over time the actual cumulative earnings of the closed block will approximately equal the expected cumulative earnings due to the effect of dividend changes. If, over the period the closed block remains in existence, the actual cumulative earnings of the closed block are greater than the expected cumulative earnings of the closed block, the Company will pay the excess of the actual cumulative earnings of the closed block over the expected cumulative earnings to closed block policyholders as additional policyholder dividends unless offset by future unfavorable experience of the closed block and, accordingly, will recognize only the expected cumulative earnings in income with the excess recorded as a policyholder dividend obligation. If over such period, the actual cumulative earnings of the closed block are less than the expected cumulative earnings of the closed block, the Company will recognize only the actual earnings in income. However, the Company may change policyholder dividend scales in the future, which would be intended to increase future actual earnings until the actual cumulative earnings equal the expected cumulative earnings.

Experience within the closed block, in particular mortality and investment yields, as well as realized and unrealized gains and losses, directly impact the policyholder dividend obligation. Amortization of the closed block DAC, which resides outside of the closed block, is based upon cumulative actual and expected earnings within the closed block. Accordingly, the Company’s net income continues to be sensitive to the actual performance of the closed block.

Information regarding the closed block liabilities and assets designated to the closed block was as follows:


	December 31,
	2011			2010
	(In millions)
Closed Block Liabilities
Future policy benefits	$	43,169		$	43,456
Other policy-related balances		358			316
Policyholder dividends payable		514			579
Policyholder dividend obligation		2,919			876
Current income tax payable		—			178
Other liabilities		613			627

Total closed block liabilities		47,573			46,032

Assets Designated to the Closed Block
Investments:
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale, at estimated fair value		30,407			28,768
Equity securities available-for-sale, at estimated fair value		35			102
Mortgage loans		6,206			6,253
Policy loans		4,657			4,629
Real estate and real estate joint ventures held-for-investment		364			328
Short-term investments		—			1
Other invested assets		857			729

Total investments		42,526			40,810
Cash and cash equivalents		249			236
Accrued investment income		509			518
Premiums, reinsurance and other receivables		109			95
Current income tax recoverable		53			—
Deferred income tax assets		362			474

Total assets designated to the closed block		43,808			42,133

Excess of closed block liabilities over assets designated to the closed block		3,765			3,899

Amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized investment gains (losses), net of income tax		2,394			1,101
Unrealized gains (losses) on derivative instruments, net of income tax		11			10
Allocated to policyholder dividend obligation, net of income tax		(1,897	)		(569	)

Total amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		508			542

Maximum future earnings to be recognized from closed block assets and liabilities	$	4,273		$	4,441

Information regarding the closed block policyholder dividend obligation was as follows:


	Years Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
	(In millions)
Balance at January 1,	$	876	$	—	$	—
Change in unrealized investment and derivative gains (losses)		2,043		876		—

Balance at December 31,	$	2,919	$	876	$	—

Information regarding the closed block revenues and expenses was as follows:


	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
	(In millions)
Revenues
Premiums	$	2,306		$	2,461		$	2,708
Net investment income		2,233			2,294			2,197
Net investment gains (losses):
Other-than-temporary impairments on fixed maturity securities		(14	)		(32	)		(107	)
Other-than-temporary impairments on fixed maturity securities transferred to other comprehensive income (loss)		3			—			40
Other net investment gains (losses)		43			71			327

Total net investment gains (losses)		32			39			260
Net derivative gains (losses)		8			(27	)		(128	)

Total revenues		4,579			4,767			5,037

Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims		2,991			3,115			3,329
Policyholder dividends		1,137			1,235			1,394
Other expenses		193			199			203

Total expenses		4,321			4,549			4,926

Revenues, net of expenses before provision for income tax expense (benefit)		258			218			111
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)		90			72			36

Revenues, net of expenses and provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$	168		$	146		$	75

The change in the maximum future earnings of the closed block was as follows:


	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
	(In millions)
Balance at December 31,	$	4,273		$	4,441		$	4,587
Less:
Closed block adjustment (1)		—			—			144
Balance at January 1,		4,441			4,587			4,518

Change during year	$	(168	)	$	(146	)	$	(75	)

(1)	The closed block adjustment represents an intra-company reallocation of assets which affected the closed block. The adjustment had no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

MLIC charges the closed block with federal income taxes, state and local premium taxes and other additive state or local taxes, as well as investment management expenses relating to the closed block as provided in the Plan. MLIC also charges the closed block for expenses of maintaining the policies included in the closed block.