Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, offers term life and permanent life insurance (which includes whole life, universal life, and variable universal life insurance) to individuals, small businesses, and large corporations. It is the leading life insurer in the United States.

Contacting MetLife

MetLife's History

MetLife began in 1863 as the National Union Life & Limb Insurance. Initially, it only offered insurance to Civil War soldiers. In 1868, the company changed its focus to insuring middle class families. It also changed its name to Metropolitan Life Insurance, as it had found most of its success in the "metropolitan" area of New York City. By 1909, the company had become the largest insurer in the country, a title it still holds today. In 2000, the company went public.

MetLife is the largest insurer in terms of policies "in force" in North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico). MetLife also serves customers in the Americas, Asia and Europe.

MetLife Ratings

MetLife is a member of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA), a voluntary group designed to uphold high standards in the insurance industry. To gain membership to IMSA, companies must adopt the association's code of ethics. You can also find ratings information about MetLife from Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's, A.M. Best, and Fitch Ratings.