MetLife is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world, selling life insurance, annuities, dental and disability coverage to both individual consumers and through employer-sponsored group benefits programs. Life insurance profitability depends on actuarial assumptions about mortality and how long policyholders will live, along with the investment returns MetLife earns on the premiums it collects well before claims are eventually paid. The company also runs a significant group benefits business, providing life, dental and disability insurance that employers offer as part of workplace benefits packages, a steadier business tied to employment levels rather than individual insurance purchasing decisions. MetLife's earnings are sensitive to both interest rates, since it invests premium income in bonds and other fixed-income assets, and to broader market performance, which affects returns on variable annuity products tied to investment markets.