MetLife To Pay Record Fine Of $25M
MetLife has agreed to pay $25 million to settle an investigation of abuses pertaining to variable annuities. That penalty is the greatest amount ever paid for violations regarding those products. From that $25 million, $20 million will go to FINRA as a fine and $5 million will be paid to customers for negligent misrepresentations and omissions, said FINRA. MetLife neither admitted nor denied any wrongdoing. According to Brad Bennett, FINRA's Chief of Enforcement, “Variable annuities are complex and expensive products that are routinely pitched to vulnerable investors as a key component of their retirement planning. Firms engaging in this business must ensure that the information on the costs and benefits of these products provided to customers is accurate.” Regulators have been scrutinizing variable annuities more and more. These products can combine securities investments with guaranteed income, an arrangement that may create attractive fees for insurers. According to FINRA, the investigation related to abuses from 2009 to 2014, [...]