NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET - News) announced today that three of its life insurance subsidiaries (Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New England Life Insurance Company and General American Life Insurance Company) will pay an aggregate amount of approximately $1.7 billion in policy dividend payments to eligible life insurance policyholders for 2008.

“I am pleased to announce that we have maintained our record high dividend level of $1.7 billion for the second straight year,” said Lisa Weber, President of Individual Business. “Our public-company discipline continues to create efficiencies that we can pass on to our eligible policyholders.”

Eligible life insurance policyholders include MetLife clients with in-force permanent life insurance policies, primarily whole life and certain term life insurance.

Life insurance policy dividends are based on the performance of participating policies, including investment returns, mortality, persistency and expenses, among other factors.

MetLife, Inc. is a leading provider of insurance and financial services with operations throughout the United States and Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Through its domestic and international subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches more than 70 million customers around the world and MetLife is the largest life insurer in the United States (based on life insurance in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals, as well as group insurance, reinsurance and retirement & savings products and services to corporations and other institutions. For more information, please visit www.metlife.com.