Is MetLife a Good Insurance Company?
At Diversified Insurance Brokers, we evaluate insurers through the lens of retirement-income readiness, product clarity, and guarantee strength. If you’re asking, “Is MetLife a good insurance company?” the answer is yes for many core products—but when it comes to maximizing guaranteed income or selecting the best annuity for retirement, you’ll benefit from comparing their offerings with carriers more narrowly focused on annuities.
Compare MetLife vs Other Carriers
See current fixed, bonus, and fixed-indexed annuity options and rate comparisons.
Lifetime Income Calculator
Use this tool to estimate guaranteed lifetime income based on premium, age, and start date.
Company Overview & Financial Profile
MetLife is one of the largest global providers of insurance, annuities and employee benefits. Founded in 1868, the company serves millions of customers across more than 40 markets. It boasts a long history and a major infrastructure—all positive indicators when evaluating an insurer’s ability to fulfill long-term commitments. That said, for individuals seeking the best guaranteed income from an annuity or retirement product, the nuances of product design are just as important as company size.
What MetLife Does Very Well
- Broad product mix: MetLife offers life insurance, group benefits, property/casualty elements and retirement solutions—helpful if you prefer working with one provider for multiple coverages.
- Global scale and brand strength: A large, well-recognized company often means robust processes, strong reserves, and greater oversight.
- Access to retirement and employee-benefit solutions: If you are using a former employer’s benefit plan, rollover strategy, or group program, MetLife may be a core part of your transition.
Areas Where You Should Compare Closely
Having established the foundation, if you’re specifically looking at annuities or guaranteed income solutions, here are key items to review:
- Income Rider and Payout Rates: How does the lifetime withdrawal factor compare to carriers focused on income-first designs? We cover this in our guide on what is a GLWB?
- Surrender and Liquidity Terms: Check withdrawal rules, partial access, free‐withdrawal years and penalty structure. See our breakdown of annuity free withdrawal rules.
- State Availability & Product Versions: MetLife’s product availability and terms vary by state and segment. Confirm the exact contract offered in your state versus alternatives.
- Roll-over Coordination: If you’re moving a 401(k) or IRA into an annuity, you’ll want a product that fits your timeline and tax situation. See our article on how to transfer a 401(k) to an annuity.
How It Fits Into a Retirement Strategy
Most retirees follow a three-layer strategy: 1) essential living expenses (covered by guaranteed income), 2) discretionary expenses (flexible portfolio), 3) legacy or estate goals. In this model, an annuity from MetLife can serve layer 1—but we always compare to carriers that may offer higher income for the same premium. We also explore hybrid solutions combining fixed indexed annuities and income riders—for example, see our section on fixed indexed vs variable annuities.
Suppose you’re 65, ready to secure $250,000 from a former employer plan. You ask your advisor to test a MetLife annuity versus other carriers specializing in income. You compare starting payout, flexibility, surrender terms, inflation protection (see our article on annuity with inflation protection) and whether beneficiary death benefits are meaningful. Our job is to make sure your dollars are positioned for the long haul, not just “safe.”
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very large, established company with deep resources and global reach.
- Wide variety of product lines—life, disability, employee benefits, annuities and more.
- Strong infrastructure and reputation for reliability.
Potential Trade-Offs
- When focusing solely on guaranteed income, smaller specialized carriers sometimes deliver higher initial payout factors or more flexible access.
- Because availability and terms vary by state and segment, you may be comparing apples to oranges if you don’t review the exact contract.
- Large companies can have more “standard” product designs; if you want advanced features (bonus credits, enhanced income riders, health-based acceleration), you may find fewer innovations compared to niche carriers.
Is MetLife the Right Fit for You?
If your focus is consolidation, product breadth, and working with a familiar global brand, MetLife is a strong choice. If your primary goal is locking in maximum guaranteed retirement income with minimum trade-offs, we recommend comparing their annuity offerings directly against carriers built for that purpose. We encourage you to run the numbers through our income calculator above and let us provide side-by-side quotes.
Ready to compare guaranteed income in your state? We’ll pull quotes from MetLife plus top-competitor carriers and show you the best options.
Related Pages
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FAQs: Is MetLife a Good Insurance Company?
Is MetLife financially strong?
Yes. MetLife is a large, long-standing insurer with broad operations and a strong global profile.
Does MetLife offer annuities for individuals?
MetLife does offer annuity products, but availability for new life, long-term care or annuities to individuals varies and some lines may be limited in certain states.
Are MetLife’s annuity income payouts competitive?
They can be solid, but when maximizing guaranteed income is your goal, we often see higher payout options from niche annuity-income carriers—so comparison is important.
Is working with MetLife good for retirement planning?
Yes if you value brand, scale and wide product access. If your goal is only guaranteed retirement income, we’ll help you evaluate MetLife versus carriers built primarily for that purpose.
What should I ask before purchasing an annuity with MetLife?
Ask what the guaranteed withdrawal income factor is, what surrender and liquidity terms apply, whether inflation protection is available, and how the contract compares with alternatives.
