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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.9


                              DECLARATION OF TRUST
                                       OF
                            METLIFE CAPITAL TRUST III

         THIS DECLARATION OF TRUST is made as of May 17, 2001 (this "Declaration
of Trust"), by and among MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as sponsor (the
"Sponsor"), Bank One Trust Company, N.A., a national banking association, as
trustee (the "Property Trustee"), Bank One Delaware, Inc., as trustee (the
"Delaware Trustee"), and Leland C. Launer, Jr., Ronald D. Nirenberg, Jr., and
William H. Nugent, as trustees (each an "Administrative Trustee" and
collectively, the "Administrative Trustees") (the Property Trustee, the Delaware
Trustee, the Administrative Trustees being hereinafter collectively referred to
as the "Trustees"). The Sponsor and the Trustees hereby agree as follows:

         1. The trust created hereby shall be known as MetLife Capital Trust III
(the "Trust"), in which name the Trustees or the Sponsor, to the extent provided
herein, may conduct the business of the Trust, make and execute contracts, and
sue and be sued.

         2. The Sponsor hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and sets over to the
Trust the sum of $10. It is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust
created hereby constitute a business trust under Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the
Delaware Code, 12 Del. C. Sections 3801, et seq. (the "Business Trust
Act"), and that this document constitute the governing instrument of the Trust.
The Trustees are hereby authorized and directed to execute and file a
certificate of trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the
provisions of the Business Trust Act.

         3. An amended and restated Declaration of Trust satisfactory to each
party to it, in such form as the parties thereto may approve, will be entered
into to provide for the contemplated operation of the Trust created hereby and
the issuance of the Preferred Securities and Common Securities referred to
therein. Prior to the execution and delivery of such amended and restated
Declaration of Trust, the Trustees shall not have any duty or obligation
hereunder or with respect to the trust estate, except as otherwise required by
applicable law or as may be necessary to obtain prior to such execution and
delivery any licenses, consents or approvals required by applicable law or
otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trustees may take all actions
deemed proper as are necessary to effect the transactions contemplated herein.
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         4. The Sponsor, as sponsor of the Trust, is hereby authorized, in its
discretion, (i) to prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") and to execute, in the case of the 1933 Act Registration
Statement and 1934 Act Registration Statement (as herein defined), on behalf of
the Trust, (a) a Registration Statement (the "1933 Act Registration Statement"),
including all pre-effective and post-effective amendments thereto, relating to
the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"),
of the Preferred Securities of the Trust, (b) any prospectus or supplement
thereto relating to the Preferred Securities of the Trust required to be filed
pursuant to the 1933 Act, and (c) a Registration Statement on Form 8-A or other
appropriate form (the "1934 Act Registration Statement"), including all
pre-effective and post-effective amendments thereto, relating to the
registration of the Preferred Securities of the Trust under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; (ii) if and at such time as determined by the
Sponsor, to file with the New York Stock Exchange or other exchange, or the
National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD"), and execute on behalf of
the Trust a listing application and all other applications, statements,
certificates, agreements and other instruments as shall be necessary or
desirable to cause the Preferred Securities of the Trust to be listed on the New
York Stock Exchange or such other exchange, or the NASD's Nasdaq National
Market; (iii) to file and execute on behalf of the Trust, such applications,
reports, surety bonds, irrevocable consents, appointments of attorney for
service of process and other papers and documents that shall be necessary or
desirable to register the Preferred Securities of the Trust under the securities
or "Blue Sky" laws of such jurisdictions as the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust,
may deem necessary or desirable; (iv) to execute and deliver letters or
documents to, or instruments for filing with, a depository relating to the
Preferred Securities of the Trust; and (v) to execute, deliver and perform on
behalf of the Trust an underwriting agreement with one or more underwriters
relating to the offering of the Preferred Securities of the Trust.

                  In the event that any filing referred to in this Section 4 is
required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the New York Stock
Exchange or other exchange, the NASD, or state securities or "Blue Sky" laws to
be executed on behalf of the Trust by the Trustees, the Administrative Trustee,
in his capacity as a trustee of the Trust, is hereby authorized to join in any
such filing and to execute on behalf of the Trust any and all of the foregoing,
it being understood that the Administrative Trustee, in his capacity as a
trustee of the Trust, shall not be required to join in any such filing or
execute on behalf of the Trust any such document unless required by the rules
and regulations of the Commission, the New York Stock Exchange or other
exchange, the NASD, or state securities or "Blue Sky" laws.


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         5. This Declaration of Trust may be executed in one or more counter
parts.

         6. The number of trustees of the Trust initially shall be five and
thereafter the number of trustees of the Trust shall be such number as shall be
fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed by the Sponsor which may
increase or decrease the number of trustees of the Trust; provided, however,
that to the extent required by the Business Trust Act, one trustee of the Trust
shall either be a natural person who is a resident of the State of Delaware or,
if not a natural person, an entity which has its principal place of business in
the State of Delaware. Subject to the foregoing, the Sponsor is entitled to
appoint or remove without cause any trustee of the Trust at any time. Any
trustee of the Trust may resign upon thirty days' prior notice to the Sponsor.

         7. This Declaration of Trust shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware (without regard to conflict
of laws principles).

         8. The Sponsor hereby agrees to indemnify the Trustees and any of the
officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustees (the "Indemnified
Persons") for, and to hold each Indemnified Person harmless against, any
liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part,
arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the
trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and expenses (including
reasonable legal fees and expenses) of defending itself against or investigating
any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of
its powers or duties hereunder.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Declaration of
Trust to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.


                                     METLIFE, INC., as Sponsor

                                     By:  /s/ Leland C. Launer, Jr.
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Name:   Leland C. Launer, Jr.
                                          Title:  Sr. V.P. and Treasurer




                                     BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
                                           as Property Trustee

                                     By:  /s/ Sandra L. Caruba
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Name:   Sandra L. Caruba
                                          Title:  Vice President




                                     BANK ONE DELAWARE, INC.,
                                           as Delaware Trustee

                                     By:  /s/ Sandra L. Caruba
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Name:   Sandra L. Caruba
                                          Title:  Vice President


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                                     Leland C. Launer, Jr.,
                                           as Administrative Trustee

                                     By:  /s/ Leland C. Launer, Jr.
                                          -------------------------------------
                                              Leland C. Launer, Jr.




                                     Ronald D. Nirenberg, Jr.,
                                           as Administrative Trustee

                                     By:  /s/ Ronald D. Nirenberg, Jr.
                                          -------------------------------------
                                              Ronald D. Nirenberg, Jr.





                                     William H. Nugent,
                                           as Administrative Trustee

                                     By:  /s/ William H. Nugent
                                          -------------------------------------
                                              William H. Nugent


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