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MetLife Introduces QLAC for Qualified Individual Retirement Accounts

MET | July 20, 2015

MetLife announced today its Guaranteed Income Builder^℠deferred income annuity is now available as a qualifying longevity annuity contract (QLAC) for individual clients. Guaranteed Income Builder provides a pension-like stream of income for life, helping to address a top concern of today’s retirees: running out of money in retirement. By using Guaranteed Income Builder as a QLAC, clients now have the flexibility to defer a portion of their required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their qualified IRA to a later date.

“In 2016, the first of the retired Baby Boomers are set to begin taking their RMDs,” said Elizabeth Forget, executive vice president of MetLife Retail Retirement & Wealth Solutions. “Even though RMD rules require that individuals begin taking distributions from IRAs once they reach age 70½, not everyone will need these funds at that stage in their life. In fact, many Boomers will increase their taxable income when taking RMDs at age 70½, because they are required to take these funds or face a penaltyⁱ. By using Guaranteed Income Builder as a QLAC, clients can defer income payments until their chosen start date, which can be as late as age 85.”

When a client purchases Guaranteed Income Builder as a QLAC, the portion of their IRA balance that they used to buy it is excluded from the funds used to calculate the RMDs they are required to take beginning at age 70½. Clients can then begin income payments at a chosen start date, which can be as late as age 85. The maximum amount that can be used for a QLAC is the lesser of 25% of the individual’s IRA balance or $125,000ⁱⁱ.

“At MetLife, we are committed to providing clients and financial advisors with flexible products that can be tailored to help meet clients’ individual financial goals,” said Forget. “By allowing clients to defer payments from their IRAs, Guaranteed Income Builder as a QLAC gives them a significant level of flexibility to manage both their assets and tax obligations—further enhancing their ability to retire with confidence.”

MetLife offers a broad portfolio of retirement solutions designed to meet clients’ diverse retirement planning needs. Today’s announcement that Guaranteed Income Builder is now available as a QLAC follows the launch of the company’s Retirement Income Insurance^® QLAC product for the institutional market on May 27.

For more information, please visit http://metlife.com/income.

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

The MetLife Guaranteed Income Builder is issued by MetLife Insurance Company USA ("MetLife") on Policy Form 6-1001-1 (05/14); 11225 North Community House Road, Charlotte, NC 28277. Product features and availability may vary by state.

ⁱ Any discussion of taxes is for general informational purposes only and does not purport to be complete or cover every situation. MetLife, its agents and representatives may not give legal, tax or accounting advice and this document should not be construed as such. You should confer with your qualified legal, tax and accounting advisors as appropriate
ⁱⁱ The sum of all Purchase Payments to a qualifying longevity annuity contract (QLAC) may not exceed the lesser of (i) $125,000, less the sum of all premiums previously made to other QLACs, and (ii) 25% of the aggregate of the previous year end fair market values of all IRAs (including QLAC IRAs, but excluding Roth IRAs), less premiums previously paid to other QLAC IRAs, or as otherwise prescribed by guidance from the Secretary of the Treasury.