Yes — a MetLife universal life policy can be sold in a life settlement, and universal life is in fact the most commonly settled policy type in the entire secondary market. You do not need MetLife’s or Brighthouse’s consent: the policy is your property, the buyer purchases the contract from you, and the servicing company simply processes the ownership change. What determines whether you get an offer is the policy itself — buyers generally want a death benefit of $100,000 or more and an insured in their senior years or with significant health history.
If the name on your statements has changed over the years, here is why: MetLife spun off its U.S. retail life insurance business into Brighthouse Financial in 2017, and most individual MetLife policies — universal life included — are now administered by Brighthouse. Your rights under the contract did not change.
This guide covers the reason older universal life policies are prime settlement candidates — rising cost-of-insurance charges — plus the documents you need, the process, and how to weigh an offer. Pine Lake Life Solutions is not affiliated with MetLife or Brighthouse Financial. A free review starts with just your policy’s cover page.
In This Article
- Why Universal Life Dominates the Settlement Market
- Brighthouse Now Services Most MetLife Retail Policies
- What a MetLife UL Policy Might Sell For
- Documents to Gather Before You Ask for Offers
- The Settlement Process for a UL Policy, Start to Finish
- When Selling Is the Wrong Move
- Other MetLife Policy Types Sell Differently
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Universal Life Dominates the Settlement Market
Universal life separates the insurance cost from the savings element: each month, the insurer deducts cost-of-insurance (COI) charges from your accumulated value, and your premiums are flexible as long as the account stays funded. That flexibility is the product’s appeal — and its trap at advanced ages.
COI charges rise with age, and on older blocks of business they can climb sharply in a policyholder’s late 70s and 80s. Policies that were illustrated decades ago at optimistic interest rates often have not earned enough to absorb those rising charges. The result is a familiar story: a policyholder in their 80s gets a notice that premiums must jump — sometimes dramatically — or the policy will lapse.
That squeeze is exactly why universal life is the most-settled policy type. Buyers can model the future premium stream precisely, and a policy the owner can no longer afford to feed often still has substantial value based on its death benefit. If you have received a premium-increase or lapse-warning notice on a MetLife/Brighthouse UL policy, do not let it lapse before getting it reviewed — a lapse hands the insurer the full death benefit for nothing.
Brighthouse Now Services Most MetLife Retail Policies
In 2017, MetLife spun off its U.S. retail life business into Brighthouse Financial. If you bought an individual universal life policy from MetLife, odds are Brighthouse now administers it, sends your statements, and processes any service requests — even though the contract itself still says MetLife. Owners are often genuinely confused about who holds their policy; the safest move is to call the number on your most recent annual statement and confirm, as of 2026, which company services it.
For a settlement, this only affects logistics. The in-force illustration your buyer needs comes from the servicing company, and the change-of-ownership paperwork goes to them at closing. Nothing about the spinoff limits your right to sell. Separately, if the policy predates 2000, note that MetLife demutualized that year and eligible policyholders received stock or cash — a distinct asset worth tracking down if it was never claimed, and unaffected by any sale of the policy.
What a MetLife UL Policy Might Sell For
No honest company quotes a price without seeing the policy, but the market’s broad parameters are well documented. The federal Government Accountability Office (GAO-10-775) found that sellers typically received roughly 10% to 35% of the policy’s face value — on average about 4 to 8 times what surrendering would have paid. Universal life policies with modest accumulated value and rising premiums often sit at the heart of that range, because their surrender value is low while their death benefit remains large.
Pricing inputs include the insured’s age and health, the death benefit, the projected COI-driven premium schedule from the in-force illustration, and any outstanding policy loans (which reduce offers dollar for dollar). Compare every offer against the alternatives — surrender, premium reduction via a lower face amount, or letting the policy lapse — using real numbers. Our guides to settlement vs. surrender and cash surrender value show the math side by side.
| Factor | Why It Matters for a MetLife/Brighthouse UL Settlement |
|---|---|
| Death benefit ($100k+ preferred) | The asset the buyer is purchasing; larger faces draw more competitive offers |
| Cost-of-insurance trajectory | Rising COI at advanced ages is the main reason UL policies become unaffordable — and settleable |
| Accumulated / surrender value | Sets the floor to beat; low surrender value with a big death benefit often prices well |
| In-force illustration | Projects premiums needed to keep the policy alive — the core pricing document |
| Outstanding loans | Reduce any offer dollar for dollar |
| Insured’s age and health | Drive life-expectancy estimates and therefore offer size |
| Servicing company | Most individual MetLife policies administered by Brighthouse since the 2017 spinoff — confirm before requesting documents |
Documents to Gather Before You Ask for Offers
Two documents drive a universal life settlement review:
- The most recent annual statement from Brighthouse/MetLife, showing face amount, accumulated value, surrender value, loan balance, and recent monthly deductions.
- A current in-force illustration — request it from the servicing company. For UL this is essential: it projects how long the policy survives at current funding and what premiums keep it in force to various ages. Buyers price off this schedule.
To find out whether the policy is even a candidate, you need only the cover page — insurer, policy number, face amount, issue date. That is what Pine Lake’s free policy review starts with. Later steps add a HIPAA authorization for medical records so buyers can estimate life expectancy; sign only releases that are specific, time-limited, and revocable.
The Settlement Process for a UL Policy, Start to Finish
Expect the whole arc to run 60 to 120 days:
- Screening. A specialist reviews the cover page and basic facts — often same-week feedback on whether to proceed.
- Underwriting. In-force illustration, medical records, and third-party life-expectancy estimates. This is the slowest stretch.
- Offers. Written offers arrive; if a broker is involved, insist on seeing gross and net-of-commission figures.
- Closing. Purchase agreement, escrow funding, and change-of-ownership forms filed with Brighthouse/MetLife. Your payment releases from independent escrow once the insurer confirms the transfer, and most states provide a rescission window afterward.
Your legal footing throughout is over a century old: Grigsby v. Russell (1911) established that a life insurance policy is transferable personal property. The mechanics of each exit path are covered in how the policy options work.
When Selling Is the Wrong Move
A settlement is not automatically the answer, even for a UL policy under premium pressure. Keep the policy if heirs genuinely depend on the death benefit and the premiums remain affordable. Consider a face-amount reduction with Brighthouse/MetLife if you want smaller, cheaper coverage rather than cash. Ask about accelerated death benefit riders if the insured is seriously ill — those can pay from the policy without a sale. And if the accumulated value is unusually rich, a 1035 exchange into a different product might serve better; that is a question for your own financial professional, not a settlement company.
Where a settlement shines is the common senior-care scenario: coverage that has outlived its purpose, premiums crowding out other needs, and a family that needs cash for assisted living, home care, or a Medicaid spend-down. Selling at fair market value converts a lapsing asset into funding — see what policies qualify.
Other MetLife Policy Types Sell Differently
The universal life playbook does not transfer wholesale to other MetLife products. Whole life carries guaranteed cash value that changes the surrender-versus-settle comparison — see selling a MetLife whole life policy. Term insurance usually must still be convertible to be sellable, guaranteed UL is priced off its no-lapse guarantee, variable UL adds securities considerations, and group certificates typically require conversion within a short window after leaving an employer. Each has its own guide in this series.
Whatever the type, the first step is identical and free: send the policy cover page for a no-obligation review, or call (305) 209-7183. More background lives in our Education Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell my MetLife universal life policy?
Yes, if you and the policy qualify. Universal life is the most commonly sold policy type in the life settlement market. The buyer purchases the contract from you as personal property — MetLife’s or Brighthouse’s permission is not required, only their processing of the ownership change at closing.
Why did my MetLife policy statements start coming from Brighthouse?
MetLife spun off its U.S. retail life insurance business into Brighthouse Financial in 2017. Most individual MetLife policies are now administered by Brighthouse, though the contract terms are unchanged. Call the number on your latest statement to confirm your policy’s servicer as of 2026.
My premiums are jumping and the policy may lapse. Should I still get it reviewed?
Yes — urgently, and before it lapses. Rising cost-of-insurance charges at advanced ages are exactly what makes older UL policies strong settlement candidates. If the policy lapses first, you receive nothing. A review takes days and costs nothing, so get it done while the policy is still in force.
How much do universal life settlements typically pay?
The GAO’s market study (GAO-10-775) found sellers typically received about 10% to 35% of face value, averaging roughly 4 to 8 times cash surrender value. UL policies with low surrender value and large death benefits often benefit most from that gap. Your actual offer depends on age, health, and the premium schedule.
What documents will the buyer need?
Start with just the policy cover page for a free review. If the policy is a candidate, the buyer will need your latest annual statement and a current in-force illustration from Brighthouse or MetLife, plus a HIPAA authorization to obtain medical records for life-expectancy estimates.
Does a policy loan stop me from selling?
Usually not, but the loan balance reduces any offer dollar for dollar, and a heavily loaned policy may not clear the surrender-value floor. Disclose the loan up front so offers are realistic. The in-force illustration will show how the loan affects the policy’s projected survival.
How long does the process take?
Typically 60 to 120 days from initial review to funded payment. Medical records and the in-force illustration are the usual bottlenecks. Funds should be held by an independent escrow agent and released when the insurer confirms the ownership change, with a rescission window afterward in most states.
Is Pine Lake affiliated with MetLife or Brighthouse?
No. Pine Lake Life Solutions is independent and not affiliated with MetLife or Brighthouse Financial. We review policies from any carrier and explain your options, including keeping the policy when that is the better answer. The review is free and carries no obligation.
Find out what your policy is worth — free, confidential, no obligation.
A 15-minute educational review covers your eligibility, every alternative, and a realistic view of what each path would net you.
Related Reading
- Life Settlement Vs Surrender
- Cash Surrender Value Life Insurance
- What Policies Qualify For Life Settlement
- How It Works Policy Options
- Sell My Metlife Whole Life Policy
- Sell My Metlife Guaranteed Universal Policy
Pine Lake Life Solutions does not purchase life insurance policies and does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. Information provided is for educational purposes only. Eligibility for any option, including life settlements, is not guaranteed and depends on individual circumstances, policy terms, underwriting, and market conditions. Consult independent legal, tax, or financial professionals before making decisions regarding a life insurance policy.