Who owns MetLife now?

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The parent company and holding corporation for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is MetLife, Inc.

Corporate Overview

  • Parent Organization: MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), a publicly traded holding corporation.
  • Primary Operating Subsidiary: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC).
  • Headquarters: New York, NY.
  • Core Business: Global provider of insurance, annuities, employee benefit programs, and asset management.

What was the MetLife insurance scandal?

The MetLife insurance scandal refers to a major 1993–1994 controversy where sales agents deceptively sold life insurance policies as high-yield retirement savings plans.

What Happened

  • Deceptive Sales: Agents in Tampa, Florida, and later across the United States marketed life insurance products to consumers—including nurses—disguised as tax-free or retirement savings accounts without mentioning they were insurance policies.
  • Policy Churning: Agents encouraged customers to replace their existing policies with new ones to generate higher commissions, a controversial practice known as churning.

The Aftermath

  • Settlements and Fines: The widespread deception led to numerous lawsuits and regulatory investigations. MetLife paid tens of millions of dollars in fines and class-action settlements.
  • Corporate Overhaul: The scandal damaged the company's credit ratings and earnings, forcing MetLife to overhaul its marketing, sales practices, and internal supervision.

How is MetLife doing financially?

MetLife, Inc. is performing strongly, backed by solid earnings momentum, growing segment revenues, and disciplined execution of its "New Frontier" strategy.

Recent Earnings and Performance

  • Second Quarter 2026: Reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.43, beating analyst expectations of $2.37.
  • Adjusted Return on Equity (ROE): Reached 17% for the second straight quarter, landing at the top of the company's target range.
  • Holding Company Cash: Stood at $3.4 billion in liquid assets at the end of Q2 2026, staying comfortably within the target range.

Segment Highlights

  • Group Benefits: Adjusted earnings increased by 25% year-over-year to $503 million.
  • Asia: Adjusted earnings rose 21% to $420 million.
  • Latin America: Adjusted earnings grew 15% to $268 million.
  • Retirement and Income Solutions (RIS): Adjusted earnings ticked up 2% to $377 million.
  • EMEA & Investment Management: EMEA earnings grew 8% to $108 million, while MetLife Investment Management grew 6% to $57 million.

Shareholder Returns and Market Outlook

  • Dividends and Buybacks: The company maintains a dividend yield of roughly 2.5% and continues returning capital to shareholders via consistent share repurchases.
  • Analyst Consensus: Major financial firms maintain a consensus "Buy" rating on MetLife (NYSE:MET) with an average price target hovering around $104.69.

What company bought MetLife?

MetLife, Inc. is a publicly traded company and has not been entirely bought out, but specific major parts of its business have been acquired by other companies over the years.

Key Business Acquisitions from MetLife

  • MetLife Auto & Home: Farmers Insurance (specifically the Farmers Exchanges and Farmers Group, Inc., backed by Zurich Insurance Group) completed a $3.94 billion acquisition of MetLife's U.S. property and casualty insurance business on April 7, 2021.
  • U.S. Retail / Individual Business: MetLife spun off its retail life insurance and annuity business in 2017 into an independent, publicly traded company named Brighthouse Financial.
  • MetLife Bank: MetLife exited the banking industry in 2013 after selling its banking operations to GE Capital.

Is MetLife no longer selling life insurance?

MetLife no longer sells new individual life insurance policies to consumers through agents.

What Changed

  • Individual Sales Ended: MetLife stopped selling individual retail life insurance, annuities, and disability policies in the United States around 2017.
  • Brighthouse Financial: The company spun off its U.S. retail insurance business into an independent company named Brighthouse Financial. Existing individual policies issued back then are handled or administered through them.
  • Group Insurance Continues: MetLife still sells and manages group life insurance through employers as part of workplace benefits packages.

Shape the Future of Technology at MetLife

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What is the new name for MetLife?

MetLife did not change its entire corporate name, but it spun off and rebranded its U.S. retail life insurance and annuity business as Brighthouse Financial.

Key Details

  • Parent Company: MetLife, Inc. still operates under the MetLife name globally.
  • The Spin-Off: In 2017, MetLife completed a corporate separation of its retail life insurance and annuity operations into an independent company.
  • Name Changes: MetLife Insurance Company USA became Brighthouse Life Insurance Company, and First MetLife Investors Insurance Company became Brighthouse Life Insurance Company of NY.

Is MetLife a reliable insurance company?

Yes, MetLife is a financially reliable insurance company with strong backing, though customer service and claims experiences for individuals can vary.

Financial Strength

  • High Ratings: MetLife holds an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best and solid marks from other major financial agencies like Moody's and S&P, indicating an exceptional ability to pay out claims.
  • Industry Scale: Founded in 1868, it remains one of the largest and most established institutional and group benefits providers in the world.

Products and Availability

  • Workplace Focus: Most of MetLife's current offerings—such as group life, dental, vision, and disability insurance—are accessed through employers or unions rather than individual retail markets.
  • Retail Shift: MetLife spun off its individual U.S. retail life and annuity business into Brighthouse Financial, meaning new standalone retail policies are limited.

Customer Satisfaction and Complaints

  • Mixed Reviews: While digital platforms make routine tasks easy, customer feedback on consumer platforms like ConsumerAffairs and the Better Business Bureau highlights frustrations with complex claims, communication delays, and bureaucratic hurdles.
  • Complaint Index: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks a lower-to-average complaint index for the company relative to its massive size.

Who is MetLife's biggest competitor?

Prudential Financial is widely considered MetLife's biggest direct competitor in the United States based on total assets, market scale, and insurance offerings.

Key Competitors

  • Prudential Financial: Often ranks closely with MetLife and holds the largest total assets among U.S. life insurers.
  • New York Life Insurance Co.: Leads the U.S. life insurance market share by direct premiums, making it a major peer in individual life and financial services.
  • Northwestern Mutual: Competes heavily in individual life insurance and wealth management, frequently trading top market positions with MetLife.
  • MassMutual (Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company): Matches MetLife in overall asset size and comprehensive insurance portfolios.
  • AIG (American International Group): Competes on a global scale across insurance and retirement services.

How much does the CEO of MetLife make a year?

MetLife CEO Michel A. Khalaf receives an annual total compensation package valued at approximately $21.3 million to $22.4 million, depending on the accounting realization of multi-year equity awards.

According to MetLife's latest disclosures, his compensation breaks down as follows:

  • Base Salary: $1,500,000
  • Annual Cash Bonus / Non-Equity Incentive: $4,600,000
  • Stock Awards: $14,797,601
  • Pension Changes & Other Perks: $371,486 to $1,095,186

The vast majority of his pay package (roughly 93%) is performance-based and tied directly to the value of the company’s stock and long-term financial targets. This compensation aligns with a CEO pay ratio of approximately 278:1 compared to the median MetLife employee.

Why is MetLife stock dropping?

You can view real-time quotes and updates for MetLife, Inc. Stock Price on Perplexity Finance.

MetLife (NYSE: MET) shares have faced downward pressure due to a combination of broader macroeconomic factors and profit-taking by investors.

Key Factors Causing the Pullback

  • Broader Market Sentiment: A general risk-off environment across equities and financial stocks driven by surging Treasury yields and hawkish Federal Reserve commentary.
  • Valuation Concerns: Some investors have been locking in gains, questioning whether higher analyst forecasts and increased valuation multiples have run ahead of near-term fundamentals despite strong underlying reports like those covered by TipRanks.
  • Macro Pressures: Spiking oil prices and geopolitical tensions have added overall volatility to large-cap financial assets.