Brighthouse Financial carrier profile.
The former MetLife retail annuity business, spun out as a standalone public company in 2017, best known for the Shield Level RILA. Its AM Best rating has been under review with negative implications.
The issuer behind the guarantee.
An annuity guarantee is a promise from one company, sometimes lasting forty years. The product matters less than the balance sheet standing behind it.
| AM Best rating | A (Excellent) |
|---|---|
| Rating status | Reported under review with negative implications |
| Spun off from | MetLife, 2017 |
| Listed | NYSE: BHF |
| Flagship product | Shield Level annuity (RILA) |
| Product categories | RILA, variable, fixed, income |
Checked against public sources on 19 August 2026. Ratings change without notice — a rating without a date is not a rating.
Brighthouse's rating has been reported under review with negative implications
Under review with negative implications is a stronger signal than a negative outlook. It means the agency has identified something specific and is actively reassessing, with a resolution expected in the near term rather than over a normal review cycle. Ratings under review can be affirmed, downgraded, or withdrawn. Confirm the current status directly at AM Best before you place premium, because this is exactly the kind of status that changes between publication and purchase.
Three things to understand about Brighthouse.
Shield Level is a RILA, which means a buffer and not a floor
The Shield series absorbs losses only down to a defined buffer level. Past that point you take the remainder. It is a genuinely different product from a fixed indexed annuity, where index losses do not reach your principal at all, and the higher caps are the price of that difference.
A spin-off inherits the book but not the parent
Brighthouse holds the legacy MetLife retail annuity block but MetLife does not stand behind it. If you bought a MetLife annuity before 2017 and now receive statements from Brighthouse, the issuing entity for guarantee purposes is Brighthouse, and that is the balance sheet to evaluate.
Check the rating status the week you buy, not the month
This is the practical takeaway. A rating under review is a moving target. Look it up at AM Best on the day you sign, and if the status has resolved in either direction, that resolution is more informative than anything written here.
How to read any carrier.
Palm Wealth Capital publishes independent annuity research and education. No carrier pays for placement on this site. Nothing here is individualized investment, tax, or legal advice, and no page on this site is a recommendation to buy or avoid any contract. Annuity guarantees rely on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
Holding a Brighthouse Financial contract — or being shown one?
Send the illustration or statement. We will check Brighthouse Financial’s current AM Best rating and outlook against the date on this page, read the surrender schedule and any market value adjustment, price the riders, and tell you what the guaranteed terms are rather than the illustrated ones. If the answer is that you don’t need it, that is the answer you get — there is nothing here for us to sell you.