Brighthouse Financial
Brighthouse Financial is a U.S. life insurance and annuity carrier serving more than 2 million individual policyholders with index-linked, variable, fixed, and income annuities plus term and hybrid long-term care life products, distributed through licensed financial professionals and rated A by AM Best and S&P.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Brighthouse Financial does
Brighthouse Financial, Inc. is a U.S. life insurance and annuity carrier headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, operating through wholly-owned subsidiaries including Brighthouse Life Insurance Company, Brighthouse Life Insurance Company of NY, New England Life Insurance Company, Brighthouse Securities (a FINRA-member broker-dealer), Brighthouse Investment Advisors, and a captive reinsurance entity. The company serves more than 2 million individual policyholders with over 2 million annuity contracts and life insurance policies in force, targeting retirees and pre-retirees seeking guaranteed lifetime income, market-volatility protection, death benefits, and long-term care planning. It is one of the largest U.S. providers of annuities and life insurance by 2024 admitted assets, holding an A financial strength rating from AM Best, A- from Fitch, A3 from Moody's, and A from S&P, with a year-end 2025 RBC ratio of 456%.
The product portfolio centers on a full annuity suite (Shield Level II index-linked annuities, Shield Level Pay Plus II lifetime income annuities, variable annuities with FlexChoice Access, SecureKey fixed indexed annuities, fixed rate annuities, and income annuities) and a life insurance suite (Brighthouse SmartCare hybrid life/long-term care, Brighthouse SmartGuard Plus supplemental coverage, and term life insurance). The company's annuity book and its life insurance book are both in growth mode, with record full-year 2025 annuity sales of $10.3 billion (up 3% year-over-year) and record life sales of $143 million (up 19% year-over-year), and full-year 2025 net income of $331 million.
Brighthouse generates revenue through recurring premium payments, policy fees, and interest spread income on its in-force book, and distributes exclusively through a national network of licensed and appointed financial professionals rather than direct-to-consumer channels. The company began trading on NASDAQ under ticker BHF on August 7, 2017 following its spin-off from MetLife, which completed its full divestment in June 2018. In November 2025, Brighthouse agreed to be acquired by Aquarian Capital LLC for $4.1 billion ($70 per share) in an all-cash transaction, with shareholders approving the merger in February 2026 and closing expected in 2026 pending regulatory approval, transitioning the company to private ownership.
Brighthouse Financial firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brighthouse Financial
- Legal name
- Brighthouse Financial, Inc.
- Website
- https://brighthousefinancial.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Brighthouse Financial is a U.S. life insurance and annuity carrier serving more than 2 million individual policyholders with index-linked, variable, fixed, and income annuities plus term and hybrid long-term care life products, distributed through licensed financial professionals and rated A by AM Best and S&P.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brighthouse Financial industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Insurance & Annuities
- NAICS
- Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251), Other Insurance Funds (52519)
- SIC
- Life Insurance (6311), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory (FSAEABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services (FSAAANAC)
Keywords
Where Brighthouse Financial is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Brighthouse Financial business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Annuity Products: Brighthouse Financial generates revenue primarily through the sale of annuity products including index-linked annuities, variable annuities, fixed indexed annuities, fixed rate annuities, and income annuities. These products generate revenue through premium payments, fees, and interest spread income.
- Life Insurance Products: The company offers life insurance products including term life insurance, permanent life insurance, and hybrid life/long-term care products like SmartCare. Revenue is generated through premium payments on insurance policies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Brighthouse Financial product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brighthouse Financial provides annuities and life insurance products to individuals through licensed financial professionals, focusing on retirement income protection, market volatility protection, and death benefit coverage. The company was spun off from MetLife in 2017 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Product overview
Brighthouse Financial is a specialized annuity and life insurance provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of retirement income and protection products. The annuity suite includes Shield Level II (index-linked with downside protection), Shield Level Pay Plus II (guaranteed lifetime income), Variable Annuities with FlexChoice Access, SecureKey Fixed Indexed Annuities, Fixed Rate Annuities, and Income Annuities—collectively designed to address market volatility protection, income security, and wealth accumulation needs. The life insurance portfolio features Brighthouse SmartCare (a hybrid life and long-term care product), Brighthouse SmartGuard Plus (supplemental protection), and Term Life Insurance. The company operates as one of the largest U.S. providers of annuities and life insurance, with over 2 million customers and 2 million annuity contracts and policies in force as of March 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Shield Level Annuities: Index-linked annuity products offering protection against market volatility
- Shield Level Pay Plus II Annuities
- SecureKey Fixed Indexed Annuities
- Brighthouse SmartCare
- Brighthouse SmartGuard Plus
- Brighthouse Securities, LLC
Products and services
- Annuity Products Fixed and variable annuity contracts designed to provide individuals with guaranteed retirement income streams, principal protection, and tax-deferred growth.
- Index-Linked Annuities Annuity products that link returns to a market index, allowing individuals to participate in market gains while limiting downside exposure.
- Life Insurance Life insurance policies providing death benefit protection and, depending on the contract, accumulation value for individuals and their beneficiaries.
- Long-Term Care Insurance Insurance coverage intended to help individuals pay for long-term care services, including nursing home, assisted living, and home health care.
Quantifiable outcome
- Record annuity sales of $10.3 billion in 2025, up 3% year-over-year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Brighthouse Financial
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Brighthouse Financial technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Brighthouse Financial partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Brighthouse Financial competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MetLife: Brighthouse's former parent and one of the largest U.S. life insurance and annuity providers, offering a comparable product suite across group and individual annuities, life, and dental. As the spin-off parent, MetLife is the most direct historical and structural comparable.
- Nationwide Financial: Diversified U.S. insurer and retirement plan provider offering comparable individual and group annuity products, life insurance, and retirement income solutions through financial professionals.
- New York Life: Large mutual life insurer with a broad portfolio of life insurance, annuities, and long-term care products, including hybrid life/LTC solutions that directly parallel Brighthouse's SmartCare offering.
Direct peers
- Prudential Financial: Major U.S. life insurer and annuity provider with comparable product breadth in indexed, variable, and fixed annuities plus individual life insurance, serving retirement and protection needs through similar advisor distribution.
- Lincoln National: Direct competitor in individual annuities (variable, indexed universal life) and life insurance, with similar advisor-led distribution and an overlapping retirement income value proposition for U.S. consumers.
- Corebridge Financial: AIG's life and retirement spin-off that competes head-to-head with Brighthouse in individual retirement, fixed and variable annuities, and life insurance products, distributed through financial professionals.
- Jackson Financial: Annuity-focused peer spun off from Prudential in 2021, specializing in variable, fixed, fixed indexed, and immediate annuities with similar index-linked and guaranteed lifetime income offerings.
- Voya Financial: U.S. retirement, investment, and insurance company with overlapping individual annuity and life insurance products, distributed through similar advisor and institutional channels.
- Athene Holding: Leading U.S. retirement services company specializing in fixed indexed, fixed, and immediate annuities, with a capital-light reinsurance-heavy model and broad advisor distribution that competes directly with Brighthouse's fixed annuity franchise.
- American Equity Investment Life: Pure-play fixed indexed and fixed annuity provider with a similar retail advisor distribution model and product focus on retirement income and principal protection.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Brighthouse Financial social profiles
Digital presenceBrighthouse Financial compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Brighthouse Financial financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brighthouse Financial leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Brighthouse Financial subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Brighthouse Financial funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brighthouse Financial M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brighthouse Financial
What does Brighthouse Financial do?
Brighthouse Financial provides annuities and life insurance products to individuals through licensed financial professionals, focusing on retirement income protection, market volatility protection, and death benefit coverage. The company was spun off from MetLife in 2017 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Is Brighthouse Financial a public or private company?
Brighthouse Financial is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Brighthouse Financial founded?
Brighthouse Financial was founded in 2017. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Brighthouse Financial based?
Brighthouse Financial is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brighthouse Financial make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Annuity Products are the primary driver. The others are life Insurance Products.
Who are Brighthouse Financial's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are MetLife, Nationwide Financial and New York Life. Direct peers are Prudential Financial, Lincoln National, Corebridge Financial, Jackson Financial, Voya Financial, Athene Holding and American Equity Investment Life.
Does Brighthouse Financial have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brighthouse Financial.
What industry is Brighthouse Financial in?
Brighthouse Financial's product category is Life Insurance & Annuities. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAH, Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAAANAC, Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services. Its NAICS code is 52411 and its SIC code is 6311.