My Retirement Benefit FAQs

Your former employer transferred to MetLife your retirement benefits. Going forward we will guarantee your benefit payment and manage all the services related to your benefit.^1,2

Yes. You should receive our welcome package, welcoming you to the MetLife family and providing you with information about your retirement benefits. We will also provide you with an annuity certificate describing your benefits. You’ll receive this certificate from us after we receive all the necessary information from your former employer. Your certificate may be sent several months following your first payment. 

No, there will be no changes to the timing or amount of your benefit payment.

No, but it’s important that you review the information provided in the welcome package you received from us. Please call us at 1-800-638-5656 if any information appears incorrect. 

If the transition took place any day other than January 1st, you would receive two tax forms - one from us for benefits paid during the time we made payments to you, and one from your prior benefit payor.

You can call us at 1-800-638-5656. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 9:00pm Eastern Time.

You can create a MyBenefits account to view and manage your benefit information.

If you already have an account for other MetLife benefits, you can add your retirement benefit by logging in using your existing username and password. To add your retirement benefit, select the ‘Don’t see all your policies?’ link. Then select ‘I obtained my policy/benefit through my employer, an association or a court ordered settlement’ and enter Retirement Income as your employer name when prompted.

IMPORTANT: If your former employer is still transitioning your benefit to us, you may not be able to see your account information. Try again after you receive your first payment.

You can submit documents by:

Mail:
Retirement & Income Solutions
PO Box 14710
Lexington, KY 40512-4710

Fax:
1-866-855-2773

Email:
ARSDocuments@metlife.com

This benefit is an annuity that your former employer purchased on your behalf. We are now responsible for the payments promised to you and for providing all services related to this benefit.^1,2

No, you cannot change the form of your annuity, unless changes are permitted by the group annuity contract. If you believe that there is a mistake in the form of your annuity, please contact us at 1-800-638-5656.

No, you cannot make changes to the Survivor you named when you elected the Joint and Survivor Annuity, unless changes are permitted by the group annuity contract. 

No, we do not mail monthly statements confirming direct deposit. For information about your payments, please register on MyBenefits.

Not at this time.

You can make most changes through your MyBenefits account or over the phone. If you’d like to add or update a beneficiary, you can complete and submit a Beneficiary designation form. For any other related questions, you can call us at 1-800-638-5656.

Please call us 1-800-638-5656 to report any updates to your personal information including divorce, remarriage or death of a spouse. Depending on your circumstances, we can determine any change to your benefit and advise if additional documentation is required.

We send all 1099 tax forms yearly, post-marked by January 31st. If you need to request a replacement tax form, please call us at 1-800-638-5656.

You can call us at 1-800-638-5656 or submit an Income Verification Request form

An annuity certificate is a document that summarizes the terms of the annuity payments purchased for you.

A group annuity contract is a type of insurance contract issued by an insurance company¹ to the Plan Sponsor of
a tax-qualified defined benefit retirement plan which guarantees benefit payments to individuals covered under the contract.² Annuity certificates are issued to the individuals under a group annuity contract. The certificate and other communications will include a contract number also referred to as Group Number.

An annuitant is an individual who’s entitled to an annuity benefit as evidenced by an annuity certificate. The term annuitant is used to describe the primary person who receives payments as well as a survivor who may receive payments under the terms of the annuity.

Single Life Annuity means you will receive benefit payments for your lifetime only. Upon your death, benefit payments end. No benefits will be payable to a spouse or beneficiary.

In a Joint and Survivor Annuity, benefits are payable as long as either you or your survivor is alive. When you die, your survivor, if living, will receive a percentage of the original benefit payment amount for their lifetime. If you elected this type of benefit, you cannot make changes to the Survivor you named when you elected the Joint and Survivor Annuity, unless changes are permitted by the group annuity contract.

In a Term Certain and Life Annuity, benefit payments are paid to you for your lifetime and are guaranteed for a specific period (Term Certain).²

• If you’re still living at the end of the guaranteed period, payments will continue for your lifetime only.
• If you die before the guaranteed period ends, your beneficiary will receive the remaining guaranteed payments.
• If you die after the guaranteed period ends, your beneficiary won't receive any benefits.

Visit us at metlife.com/about-us.

Learn more at metlife.com/retirement-and-income-solutions.

Insurance companies are regulated by state law and are required to maintain enough capital to satisfy their financial obligations to their policyholders.