| [April 23, 2012] |
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MetLife Resolves Multi-State Examinations
NEW YORK --(Business Wire)--
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) issued the following statement today regarding
its resolution of multi-state examinations related to unclaimed property
and the company's use of the Social Security Death Master File:
The company has been working with regulators to develop industry best
practices and is pleased to announce new processes that will provide an
even stronger safety net for the limited number of beneficiaries who do
not submit a claim to the company in the normal course of business.
MetLife paid approximately $12 billion in total life insurance claims in
2011 and its records indicate that over 99 percent of life insurance
claims are submitted by beneficiaries and routinely paid in a timely and
accurate manner.
MetLife has undertaken a variety of proactive steps over many decades to
locate the small percentage of policyholders who have lost contact with
the company, including using the Social Security Death Master File as
part of this process to match virtually all of its administrative
records in 2011. MetLife agrees that periodic matching of administrative
records against available external sources such as the Social Security
Death Master File is a best practice, and the company is implementing a
monthly matching process which it believes will be effective in
identifying the small proportion of deaths where a claim is not
submitted.
In addition, the company has made the decision to implement further
steps to reconnect with many of MetLife's oldest insureds (generally
over age 90), many of whom either did not have a Social Security number
or did not provide the company with a date of birth at the time their
policies were issued. These steps include offering certain of these
policyholders an option to receive the value of their life insurance
policy sooner than provided for in the policy.
The total insurance in force for these "industrial" policyholders is
approximately $438 million, for which the company is appropriately
reserved. The company expects that $188 million of the total will be
paid out in 2012, with the remainder paid over the next 17 years. In the
first quarter of 2012, the company recorded a $52 million post-tax
charge representing a multi-state examination payment related to
unclaimed property and MetLife's use of the Social Security Death Master
File, as well as the expected acceleration of benefit payments to
policyholders under the settlement.
In addition to the proactive outreach that MetLife is doing, the company
created an online system to help customers find their policies.
Individuals can go to www.metlife.com/policyfinder
to enter the insured's name along with additional information.
These measures are in keeping with the company's longstanding efforts to
keep its promises to customers and their families, and pay benefits to
those who are entitled to them.
MetLife, Inc. is a leading global provider of insurance, annuities and
employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers in over 50
countries. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife holds
leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America,
Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.
This press release may contain or incorporate by reference iformation
that includes or is based upon forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements give expectations or forecasts of future
events. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not
relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as
"anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan,"
"believe" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection
with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. In
particular, these include statements relating to future actions,
prospective services or products, future performance or results of
current and anticipated services or products, sales efforts, expenses,
the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings, trends in
operations and financial results.
Any or all forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They can
be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and
uncertainties. Many such factors will be important in determining the
actual future results of MetLife, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates.
These statements are based on current expectations and the current
economic environment. They involve a number of risks and uncertainties
that are difficult to predict. These statements are not guarantees of
future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those
expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Risks,
uncertainties, and other factors that might cause such differences
include the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in
MetLife, Inc.'s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "SEC (News - Alert)"). These factors include: (1) difficult conditions in the
global capital markets; (2) concerns over U.S. fiscal policy and the
trajectory of the national debt of the U.S., as well as rating agency
downgrades of U.S. Treasury securities; (3) uncertainty about the
effectiveness of governmental and regulatory actions to stabilize the
financial system, the imposition of fees relating thereto, or the
promulgation of additional regulations; (4) increased volatility and
disruption of the capital and credit markets, which may affect our
ability to seek financing or access our credit facilities; (5) impact of
comprehensive financial services regulation reform on us; (6) economic,
political, legal, currency and other risks relating to our international
operations, including with respect to fluctuations of exchange rates;
(7) exposure to financial and capital market risk, including as a result
of the disruption in Europe and possible withdrawal of one or more
countries from the Euro zone; (8) changes in general economic
conditions, including the performance of financial markets and interest
rates, which may affect our ability to raise capital, generate fee
income and market-related revenue and finance statutory reserve
requirements and may require us to pledge collateral or make payments
related to declines in value of specified assets; (9) potential
liquidity and other risks resulting from our participation in a
securities lending program and other transactions; (10) investment
losses and defaults, and changes to investment valuations; (11)
impairments of goodwill and realized losses or market value impairments
to illiquid assets; (12) defaults on our mortgage loans; (13) the
defaults or deteriorating credit of other financial institutions that
could adversely affect us; (14) our ability to address unforeseen
liabilities, asset impairments, or rating actions arising from
acquisitions or dispositions, including our acquisition of American Life
Insurance Company and Delaware American Life Insurance Company
(collectively, "ALICO") and to successfully integrate and manage the
growth of acquired businesses with minimal disruption; (15) uncertainty
with respect to the outcome of the closing agreement entered into with
the United States Internal Revenue Service in connection with the
acquisition of ALICO; (16) the dilutive impact on our stockholders
resulting from the settlement of common equity units issued in
connection with the acquisition of ALICO or otherwise; (17) MetLife,
Inc.'s primary reliance, as a holding company, on dividends from its
subsidiaries to meet debt payment obligations and the applicable
regulatory restrictions on the ability of the subsidiaries to pay such
dividends; (18) downgrades in our claims paying ability, financial
strength or credit ratings; (19) ineffectiveness of risk management
policies and procedures; (20) availability and effectiveness of
reinsurance or indemnification arrangements, as well as default or
failure of counterparties to perform; (21) discrepancies between actual
claims experience and assumptions used in setting prices for our
products and establishing the liabilities for our obligations for future
policy benefits and claims; (22) catastrophe losses; (23) heightened
competition, including with respect to pricing, entry of new
competitors, consolidation of distributors, the development of new
products by new and existing competitors, distribution of amounts
available under U.S. government programs, and for personnel; (24)
unanticipated changes in industry trends; (25) changes in assumptions
related to investment valuations, deferred policy acquisition costs,
deferred sales inducements, value of business acquired or goodwill; (26)
changes in accounting standards, practices and/or policies; (27)
increased expenses relating to pension and postretirement benefit plans,
as well as health care and other employee benefits; (28) exposure to
losses related to variable annuity guarantee benefits, including from
significant and sustained downturns or extreme volatility in equity
markets, reduced interest rates, unanticipated policyholder behavior,
mortality or longevity, and the adjustment for nonperformance risk; (29)
deterioration in the experience of the "closed block" established in
connection with the reorganization of Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company; (30) adverse results or other consequences from litigation,
arbitration or regulatory investigations; (31) inability to protect our
intellectual property rights or claims of infringement of the
intellectual property rights of others; (32) discrepancies between
actual experience and assumptions used in establishing liabilities
related to other contingencies or obligations; (33) regulatory,
legislative or tax changes relating to our insurance, banking,
international, or other operations that may affect the cost of, or
demand for, our products or services, or increase the cost or
administrative burdens of providing benefits to employees; (34) the
effects of business disruption or economic contraction due to disasters
such as terrorist attacks, cyberattacks, other hostilities, or natural
catastrophes, including any related impact on our disaster recovery
systems, cyber-or other information security systems and management
continuity planning; (35) the effectiveness of our programs and
practices in avoiding giving our associates incentives to take excessive
risks; and (36) other risks and uncertainties described from time to
time in MetLife, Inc.'s filings with the SEC.
MetLife, Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or
update any forward-looking statement if MetLife, Inc. later becomes
aware that such statement is not likely to be achieved. Please consult
any further disclosures MetLife, Inc. makes on related subjects in
reports to the SEC.

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