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OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
SimplyTrust forms
Letter of Instruction
Home→Financial Institutions→MetLife

Estate planning at MetLife

How to protect 14 MetLife accounts — manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust by mail, and file claims through MetLife's Individual Life Insurance Claims

MetLife

Subsidiary of MetLife, Inc.

metlife.com→
MetLife logo

Individual Life Insurance Customer Service

Phone1-800-638-5000
Toll-Free1-800-638-5000
Fax(908) 655-9586
Mailing Address

Individual life forms and requests: MetLife, P.O. Box 392, Warwick, RI 02887-0392

Other Individual Life Policies
1-833-642-1007
Individual Annuity Contracts
1-800-638-7732
Group Annuity Contracts
1-800-560-5001
Group Life Claims
1-800-638-6420
Group Benefits General
1-800-275-4638
General Inquiries (1-800-METLIFE)
1-800-638-5433
Brighthouse Financial — pre-2017 individual life and annuity policies
1-800-882-1292
WebsiteLearn more→

Individual Life Insurance Claims

Phone1-800-638-5000
Toll-Free1-800-638-5000
EmailINDlifeclaims@metlife.com
Fax(908) 655-9586
Mailing Address

Individual life claim: mail to the address printed in the claim kit (call 1-800-638-5000). Individual life forms and requests: MetLife, P.O. Box 392, Warwick, RI 02887-0392. Group life claims: MetLife Group Life Claims, P.O. Box 6100, Scranton, PA 18505-6100

Brighthouse Financial claims — pre-2017 individual policies (Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:30pm ET)
1-800-882-1292
Brighthouse — life policies ending US or FM
1-833-208-3017
Group Life Claims (Prompt 2)
1-800-638-6420
Individual Annuity Claims
1-800-638-7732
Group Annuity Contracts
1-800-560-5001
WebsiteLearn more→

Individual Life Insurance Claims

Phone1-800-638-5000
EmailINDlifeclaims@metlife.com
Fax(908) 655-9586
Mailing Address

Individual life claim mailing address is printed in the claim kit (call 1-800-638-5000). Group life claims: MetLife Group Life Claims, P.O. Box 6100, Scranton, PA 18505-6100 (1-800-638-6420, Prompt 2). Policies issued by a Brighthouse entity are paid by Brighthouse Financial (1-800-882-1292), not MetLife.

Brighthouse Financial — most pre-2017 individual life policies and annuities
1-800-882-1292
Brighthouse — policies ending US or FM
1-833-208-3017
Brighthouse — Met/Tower and GenAm policies
1-877-638-0411
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

MetLife offers 14 insurance products that play a central role in estate planning. Because policy proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries—bypassing probate entirely—keeping designations current is one of the highest-impact steps policyholders can take.

MetLife lets account holders update beneficiary designations online, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 10-15 minutes online; 15-20 minutes by mail; processed within 5 business days of receipt. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to name a trust as the policy beneficiary or establish an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT).

There are two sides to estate planning at MetLife: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.

Preparing your estate

Beneficiaries and trust funding

How to manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust by mail, and review 14 account types at MetLife.

View details →

When someone dies

Death claim process

Contact MetLife's Individual Life Insurance Claims to file a claim. 6-step process, 9 required documents, and contact information for survivors.

View details →

Reach MetLife's Individual Life Insurance Claims at 1-800-638-5000 for help with any of these procedures. Email inquiries can be sent to INDlifeclaims@metlife.com.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 12, 2026

Sources

  • metlife.com
  • eforms.metlife.com
  • brighthousefinancial.com
  • metlife.quadientcloud.com
  • mybenefits.metlife.com

Data sourced from MetLife primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.

MetLife

Subsidiary of MetLife, Inc.

metlife.com→
MetLife logo

Individual Life Insurance Customer Service

Phone1-800-638-5000
Toll-Free1-800-638-5000
Fax(908) 655-9586
Mailing Address

Individual life forms and requests: MetLife, P.O. Box 392, Warwick, RI 02887-0392

Other Individual Life Policies
1-833-642-1007
Individual Annuity Contracts
1-800-638-7732
Group Annuity Contracts
1-800-560-5001
Group Life Claims
1-800-638-6420
Group Benefits General
1-800-275-4638
General Inquiries (1-800-METLIFE)
1-800-638-5433
Brighthouse Financial — pre-2017 individual life and annuity policies
1-800-882-1292
WebsiteLearn more→

Individual Life Insurance Claims

Phone1-800-638-5000
Toll-Free1-800-638-5000
EmailINDlifeclaims@metlife.com
Fax(908) 655-9586
Mailing Address

Individual life claim: mail to the address printed in the claim kit (call 1-800-638-5000). Individual life forms and requests: MetLife, P.O. Box 392, Warwick, RI 02887-0392. Group life claims: MetLife Group Life Claims, P.O. Box 6100, Scranton, PA 18505-6100

Brighthouse Financial claims — pre-2017 individual policies (Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:30pm ET)
1-800-882-1292
Brighthouse — life policies ending US or FM
1-833-208-3017
Group Life Claims (Prompt 2)
1-800-638-6420
Individual Annuity Claims
1-800-638-7732
Group Annuity Contracts
1-800-560-5001
WebsiteLearn more→

Individual Life Insurance Claims

Phone1-800-638-5000
EmailINDlifeclaims@metlife.com
Fax(908) 655-9586
Mailing Address

Individual life claim mailing address is printed in the claim kit (call 1-800-638-5000). Group life claims: MetLife Group Life Claims, P.O. Box 6100, Scranton, PA 18505-6100 (1-800-638-6420, Prompt 2). Policies issued by a Brighthouse entity are paid by Brighthouse Financial (1-800-882-1292), not MetLife.

Brighthouse Financial — most pre-2017 individual life policies and annuities
1-800-882-1292
Brighthouse — policies ending US or FM
1-833-208-3017
Brighthouse — Met/Tower and GenAm policies
1-877-638-0411
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your MetLife accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your MetLife accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

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