The origins of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company go back to 1863, when a group of New York City businessmen raised US$100,000 to found the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company. In 1868, after several reorganizations and five difficult years, the company decided to focus on the life insurance business. A new company was chartered to sell "ordinary" insurance to the middle class. The founders chose the name because they had been most successful in New York City, or the "Metropolitan" District.

MetLife, Inc. is a leading provider of insurance and financial services with operations throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. Through its affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches more than 70 million customers around the world, is the largest life insurer in the United States with 140 years of experience, and serves more than 90 of the top one hundred FORTUNE 500 companies. The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, automobile and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals, as well as group insurance, reinsurance and retirement and savings products and services to corporations and other institutions.

Commitment to serve customer needs

The MetLife companies serve both individual and institutional customers with financial service solutions, including protection planning, finance advice and investments, providing innovative solutions and responsive service to help people build financial freedom.

The MetLife companies are a leader in group benefits, and ranked no.1 in the United States in most group product areas, including life, auto and home, long-term care insurance as well as institutional annuities.

In the retirement arena, the MetLife companies are helping individuals realize their goals of achieving a financially secure retirement, as well as offering pension plans to small businesses, government entities, non-profit organizations, and corporations.

For our future success, we can draw on the reservoir of history that has produced an enduring set of corporate values based on 140 years of integrity, social responsibility, strong leadership, financial strength, and innovative products and responsive services and solutions to help people build financial freedom.