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                                                                    EXHIBIT 4.17
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                      COMMON SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT

                            METLIFE CAPITAL TRUST III

                           DATED AS OF _________, 2001



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                                TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                            Page
                                                                            ----
ARTICLE I
      DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS.....................................    2

ARTICLE II
      GUARANTEE...........................................................    4
      SECTION 2.1    Guarantee............................................    4
      SECTION 2.2    Waiver of Notice and Demand..........................    4
      SECTION 2.3    Obligations Not Affected.............................    4
      SECTION 2.4    Rights of Holders....................................    5
      SECTION 2.5    Guarantee of Payment.................................    6
      SECTION 2.6    Subrogation..........................................    6
      SECTION 2.7    Independent Obligations..............................    6

ARTICLE III
      SUBORDINATION ......................................................    6

ARTICLE IV
      TERMINATION.........................................................    7

ARTICLE V
      MISCELLANEOUS.......................................................    7
      SECTION 5.1    Successors and Assigns...............................    7
      SECTION 5.2    Amendments...........................................    7
      SECTION 5.3    Notices..............................................    7
      SECTION 5.4    Benefit..............................................    8
      SECTION 5.5    Governing Law........................................    8


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                      COMMON SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT

      This GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (the "Common Securities Guarantee"), dated as of
_______, 2001 is executed and delivered by MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Guarantor") for the benefit of the Holders (as defined herein) from time
to time of the Common Securities (as defined herein) of MetLife Capital Trust
III, a Delaware statutory business trust (the "Issuer").

      WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the
"Declaration"), dated as of _______, 2001 among the trustees of the Issuer named
therein, the Guarantor, as sponsor, and the holders from time to time of
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer, the Issuer is
issuing on the date hereof _______ preferred securities, liquidation amount
$____ per preferred security, having an aggregate liquidation amount of $_______
designated the ___% Preferred Securities (the "Preferred Securities");

      WHEREAS, pursuant to the Declaration, the Issuer is issuing on the date
hereof _______ common securities, liquidation amount $_____ per common security,
having an aggregate liquidation amount of $_______ designated the ___% Common
Securities (the "Common Securities");

      WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the Common Securities,
the Guarantor desires irrevocably and unconditionally to agree, to the extent
set forth in this Common Securities Guarantee, to pay to the Holders the
Guarantee Payments (as defined herein) and to make certain other payments on the
terms and conditions set forth herein; and

      WHEREAS, the Guarantor is also executing and delivering a guarantee
agreement (the "Preferred Securities Guarantee") in substantially identical
terms to this Common Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the holders of the
Preferred Securities, except that if an event of default under the Indenture (as
defined herein), has occurred and is continuing, the rights of Holders of the
Common Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under this Common Securities
Guarantee are subordinated to the rights of holders to receive Guarantee
Payments under the Preferred Securities Guarantee.

      NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each Holder, which
purchase the Guarantor hereby agrees shall benefit the Guarantor, the Guarantor
executes and delivers this Common Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the
Holders.
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                                    ARTICLE I
                         DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS


      In this Common Securities Guarantee, unless the context otherwise
requires:

      (a)   capitalized terms used in this Common Securities Guarantee but not
            defined in the preamble above have the respective meanings assigned
            to them in this Article I;

      (b)   a term defined anywhere in this Common Securities Guarantee has the
            same meaning throughout;

      (c)   all references to "the Common Securities Guarantee" or "this Common
            Securities Guarantee" are to this Common Securities Guarantee as
            modified, supplemented or amended from time to time;

      (d)   all references in this Common Securities Guarantee to Articles and
            Sections are to Articles and Sections of this Common Securities
            Guarantee, unless otherwise specified;

      (e)   a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the same meaning when
            used in this Common Securities Guarantee, unless otherwise defined
            in this Common Securities Guarantee or unless the context otherwise
            requires; and

      (f)   a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice versa.


      "Affiliate" has the same meaning as given in the Indenture.

      "Debenture Issuer" means the Guarantor in its capacity as the issuer of
the Debentures.

      "Debentures" means the series of debentures of the Guarantor designated [
           ] held by the Property Trustee (as defined in the Declaration) of
the Issuer.

      "Distribution" has the same meaning as given in the Declaration.


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      "Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on any of its payment
or other obligations under this Common Securities Guarantee.

      "Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or distributions,
without duplication, with respect to the Common Securities, to the extent not
paid or made by the Issuer:

            (i) any accrued and unpaid Distributions (as defined in the Declara-
      tion) that are required to be paid on such Common Securities to the extent
      the Issuer shall have funds available therefor, and

            (ii) upon a voluntary or involuntary dissolution, winding-up or
      termination of the Issuer (other than in connection with the distribution
      of Debentures to the Holders in exchange for Common Securities as provided
      in the Declaration), the lesser of (a) the aggregate of the liquidation
      amount of such Common Securities plus all accrued and unpaid Distributions
      on such Common Securities to and including the date of payment, to the
      extent the Issuer shall have funds available therefor, and (b) the amount
      of assets of the Issuer remaining available for distribution to Holders in
      liquidation of the Issuer (amounts in clause (a) or (b), the "Liquidation
      Distribution").

            If an event of default under the Indenture has occurred and is
      continuing, the rights of Holders of the Common Securities to receive
      payments under this Common Securities Guarantee Agreement are subordinated
      to the rights of holders of Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee
      Payments under the Preferred Securities Guarantee Agreement.

      "Holder" shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and records of
the Issuer, of any Common Securities.

      "Indenture" has the same meaning as given in the Declaration.

      "Majority in liquidation amount of the Common Securities" means, except as
provided by the Trust Indenture Act, a vote by Holders of Common Securities,
voting separately as a class, of more than 50% of the aggregate liquidation
amount (including the stated amount that would be paid on liquidation or
otherwise) of all Common Securities.


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                                   ARTICLE II
                                    GUARANTEE

SECTION 2.1 Guarantee

      The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in full to the
Holders the Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts theretofore paid
by the Issuer), as and when due, regardless of any defense, right of set-off or
counter claim that the Issuer may have or assert. The Guarantor's obligation to
make a Guarantee Payment may be satisfied by direct payment of the required
amounts by the Guarantor to the Holders or by causing the Issuer to pay such
amounts to the Holders.

      If an event of default under the Indenture has occurred and is continuing,
the rights of Holders of the Common Securities to receive Guarantee Payments
under this Common Securities Guarantee are subordinated to the rights of holders
to receive Guarantee Payments under the Preferred Securities Guarantee.

SECTION 2.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand

      The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Common Securities
Guarantee and of any liability to which it applies or may apply, presentment,
demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first against the Issuer
or any other Person before proceeding against the Guarantor, protest, notice of
nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all other notices and
demands.

SECTION 2.3 Obligations Not Affected

      The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Guarantor under
this Common Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected or impaired by
reason of the happening from time to time of any of the following:

            (a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or otherwise, of the
      performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or implied
      agreement, covenant, term or condition relating to the Common Securities
      to be per formed or observed by the Issuer;

            (b) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of
      the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or
      remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Common
      Securities, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or
      extension of any kind;


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            (c) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of
      any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the
      benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or
      readjustment of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the
      Issuer or any of the assets of the Issuer;

            (d) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in, the Common
      Securities;

            (e) the settlement or compromise of any obligation guaranteed hereby
      or hereby incurred; or

            (f) any other circumstance whatsoever that might otherwise
      constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor, it
      being the intent of this Section 2.3 that the obligations of the Guarantor
      hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all
      circumstances.

      There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to, or obtain
the consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.

SECTION 2.4 Rights of Holders

      (a) The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of Common Securities
may by vote, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Common Securities, waive any
past Event of Default and its consequences. Upon such waiver, any such Event of
Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall
be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Common Securities
Guarantee, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or
Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

      (b) Any Holder may institute a legal proceeding directly against the
Guarantor to enforce its rights under this Common Securities Guarantee, without
first instituting a legal proceeding against the Issuer or any other Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Guarantor has failed to make a Guarantee
Payment, a Holder may directly institute a proceeding against the Guarantor for
enforcement of the Common Securities Guarantee for such payment. The Guarantor
waives any right or remedy to require that any action on this Common Securities
Guarantee be brought first against the Issuer or any other person or entity
before proceeding directly against the Guarantor.


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SECTION 2.5 Guarantee of Payment

      This Common Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of payment and not of
collection.

SECTION 2.6 Subrogation

      The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights, if any, of the Holders
against the Issuer in respect of any amounts paid to such Holders by the
Guarantor under this Common Securities Guarantee; provided, however, that the
Guarantor shall not (except to the extent required by mandatory provisions of
law) be entitled to enforce or exercise any right that it may acquire by way of
subrogation or any indemnity, reimbursement or other agreement, in all cases as
a result of payment under this Common Securities Guarantee, if, at the time of
any such payment, any amounts are due and unpaid under this Common Securities
Guarantee. If any amount shall be paid to the Guarantor in violation of the
preceding sentence, the Guarantor agrees to hold such amount in trust for the
Holders and to pay over such amount to the Holders.

SECTION 2.7 Independent Obligations

      The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are independent
of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Common Securities, and that
the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor hereunder to make
Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this Common Securities Guarantee
notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to in subsections (a)
through (f), inclusive, of Section 2.3 hereof.

                                   ARTICLE III
                                  SUBORDINATION

      This Common Securities Guarantee will constitute an unsecured obligation
of the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior in right of payment to
all other liabilities of the Guarantor, except those obligations or liabilities
ranking equal or subordinate to the Common Securities Guarantee by their terms,
(ii) equally with any other securities, liabilities or obligations that may have
equal ranking by their terms; and (iii) senior to the Guarantor's Common Stock,
$0.01 par value.


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                                   ARTICLE IV
                                   TERMINATION

      This Common Securities Guarantee shall terminate upon (i) the distribution
of the Debentures to all Holders or (ii) full payment of the amounts payable in
accordance with the Declaration upon liquidation of the Issuer. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this Common Securities Guarantee will continue to be effective or
will be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any Holder must restore
payment of any sums paid under the Common Securities or under this Common
Securities Guarantee.

                                    ARTICLE V
                                  MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 5.1 Successors and Assigns

      All guarantees and agreements contained in this Common Securities
Guarantee shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and
representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Holders
of the Common Securities then outstanding.

SECTION 5.2 Amendments

      Except with respect to any changes that do not adversely affect the rights
of Holders (in which case no consent of Holders will be required), this Common
Securities Guarantee may only be amended with the prior approval of the Holders
of at least a Majority in liquidation amount of the outstanding Common
Securities. The provisions of Section 12.2 of the Declaration with respect to
meetings of Holders apply to the giving of such approval.

SECTION 5.3 Notices

      All notices provided for in this Common Securities Guarantee shall be in
writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and shall be delivered by
registered or certified mail, as follows:

            (a) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor's mailing address
      set forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice of
      to the Holders):

            MetLife, Inc.
            One Madison Avenue


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            New York, New York 10010-3690
            Attention:  Corporate Treasurer

            with a copy to:

            Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
            Four Times Square
            New York, New York 10036-6522
            Attention:  Phyllis G. Korff, Esq.
                        Susan J. Sutherland, Esq.

      (b) If given to any Holder, at the address set forth on the books and
records of the Issuer.

      All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when received in
person, or mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid except that if a notice
or other document is refused delivery or cannot be delivered because of a
changed address of which no notice was given, such notice or other document
shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date of such refusal or inability
to deliver.

SECTION 5.4 Benefit

      This Common Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit of the Holders
and is not separately transferable from the Preferred Securities.

SECTION 5.5 Governing Law

      THIS COMMON SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS
PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS.


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      THIS COMMON SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day and year first
above written.

                                          METLIFE, INC,
                                          as Guarantor


                                          By: ________________________________
                                              Name:
                                              Title:


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