WE’LL GET THERE, TOGETHER 2014 ANNUAL AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT GUIDING YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE PROTECT WHO PLAN FOR PLAN FOR MATTERS MOST MY FINANCIAL FUTURE RETIREMENT PLAN FOR EVALUATE WHAT MY OFFER MY EMPLOYEES COLLEGE BUSINESS IS WORTH MEANINGFUL BENEFITS For more information about how MassMutual can help you reach your financial goals, visit us at massmutual.com. YOUR GOALS, YOUR FUTURE. WE’LL HELP YOU GET THERE®. For more than 160 years, MassMutual has helped its customers achieve their goals and plan their future. Our nationwide network of highly skilled financial professionals – combined with a business and investment strategy that has contributed to our financial strength – has enabled us to deliver on our purpose: to help you secure your future and protect the ones you love. 2014 ANNUAL AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT 1 DEAR FELLOW POLICYOWNERS AND CUSTOMERS, Every day, people ask themselves where they want to go in life. For many, finding the answer means choosing the right partner to help them get there. For generations, MassMutual has been that partner, helping millions of people answer life’s biggest financial questions. For us, getting there starts and ends with you. As a mutual company, we operate for the benefit of our members and participat- ing policyowners, and we’re committed to being there when you need us most. In 2014, we continued to honor that commitment. Through our people, our solutions and our support, we helped you take action toward a more secure financial future while building a better company for you and our next generation of policyowners and customers. Roger W. Crandall Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer 2 MassMutual Strengthening Our Company the most highly capitalized companies in our industry. Admired list for the second year in a row. Perhaps The U.S. economy continued its slow but steady rebound Assets under management, including MassMutual most meaningful to you, we continued to hold among in 2014. In many cases, each good headline was kept in subsidiaries, exceeded $650 billion, another record for us. the highest financial strength ratings of any company check by one we’d rather not see. Equity markets were in any industry. up, but only after a somewhat volatile year. U.S. gross We accomplished all this while returning exceptional domestic product growth was a modest 2.4 percent, value to our eligible participating policyowners. While While we’re proud of our results and accolades, we’re even while geopolitical events and slowing growth in Japan, dividends are not guaranteed, our estimated $1.6 billion more proud of delivering on our commitments. In 2014, China, areas of Europe and emerging markets all weighed dividend payout for 2015 – another record – reflects a we paid $3.9 billion in insurance and annuity benefits, on the global economy. The federal deficit dipped below dividend interest rate of 7.1 percent,1 the highest among providing our policyowners, customers, and their families $500 billion, but slow economic growth, an aging popula- our mutual competitors. with financial security for a broad range of needs. tion and rising health care costs all point to an increase in the future. Add in stagnant wages and continued strain How have we continued to deliver results like this? Our We helped more than 18,000 people leave a legacy for on the middle class, and for many, it doesn’t feel like a performance is driven by the strong operating fundamen- their families. We enabled nearly 7,000 people to protect normal recovery. tals of our domestic insurance and retirement businesses, a portion of their income while they were unable to work. as well as substantial contributions from our global asset And we met with more than 210,000 retirement plan I’m pleased to share that MassMutual defied these management and insurance subsidiaries. This combination participants, helping them take action toward a better plan sluggish trends and continued our string of record provides a diverse earnings stream that has proven resilient for their future. As you can see, in every stage of life, we results in core markets. Whole life insurance and in even the most turbulent conditions. It is a unique provide the guidance and solutions to help you get there. retirement plan sales each increased by more than competitive advantage that others cannot easily replicate. 20 percent compared to the prior year, significantly Building for the Future outpacing industry growth. This strong track record of performance continued to win These results tell only part of our story in 2014. We also us accolades and recognition. MassMutual was a top continued to build a better company by reaching more We also continued to increase our financial strength. Total 100 company on the FORTUNE® 500 for the ninth time, people, providing better solutions, and investing in new adjusted capital reached historic levels, $16.4 billion at the and the top mutual company in the life and health insur- and innovative ways to grow. end of 2014 and up 13 percent, as we remained one of ance industry category on the FORTUNE® World’s Most 1The dividend interest rate is not the rate of return on the policy. Dividends consist of an investment component, a mortality component and an expense component. Therefore, dividend J interest rates should not be the sole basis for comparing insurers or policy performance. 2014 BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS RECORD WHOLE LIFE SALES RECORD RETIREMENT PLAN SALES RECORD TOTAL ADJUSTED CAPITAL RECORD ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT 9th consecutive year of record Record retirement plan sales – Total adjusted capital, most Exceeded $650 billion in assets weighted2 whole life sales – $9.1 billion significant indicator of financial under management – highest $418 million strength, reaches record year-end amount ever in $16.4 billion MassMutual history 2Weighted sales are based on annualized new premium, with single premium payments calculated at 10 percent. 2014 ANNUAL AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT 3 One of our truest measures of success is our ability established multicultural sales units in the top U.S. to help as many people as we can to achieve financial markets, and continued to earn praise for our diverse security. And today, more than ever, people need our and inclusive workplace, from the Human Rights help. More than half of Americans say their family income Campaign to DiversityInc to Working Mother magazine. has fallen behind the cost of living, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey. Persistently low interest Building a better company also means ensuring we have rates are hampering people’s ability to save. And too the right mix of solutions, tools and services to meet We continued to build a better many are underinsured, haven’t saved nearly enough, evolving needs. In 2014, we introduced a flexible whole company by reaching more people, and are worried about how they will afford retirement. life insurance product that allows people to pay for long- “ providing better solutions, and term care as they get older, and enhanced our 401(k) Our national network of financial professionals brings product for smaller employers, so even more American investing in new and innovative clarity and solutions to help people feel more confident workers can have access to a retirement plan. ways to grow.” about their financial future. In addition to expanding to an all-time high of more than 5,500 at the close of 2014, And whether it’s our tools used by plan sponsors that our network is growing to reflect the demographics that measure the effectiveness of a retirement plan, or our That’s why last fall we launched Society of Grownups, are quickly changing before our eyes. streamlined life insurance application with e-signature a MassMutual learning initiative near Boston, to meet that makes it easier to get our products, or the people the needs and address the questions of millennials. One in two babies born in the U.S. today is non-white, in our call centers who continue to garner industry Here, people can get one-on-one financial advice or according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The millennial accolades, we are committed to delivering an take classes on a broad range of topics to help them generation is the most diverse in our nation’s history, outstanding customer experience. be successful in both finances and in life. We also with children of immigrants driving population growth. established MassMutual Ventures, a $100 million It’s in our nature to think long term, and that’s why we’re Of course, we know that today, expectations are higher corporate venture arm that invests in startups and positioning our company to best meet the needs of a than ever. The world demands that companies be nimble entrepreneurial businesses to help us reach people changing America. We’ve more than doubled the number and flexible, and boldly test and experiment with new in new and better ways. of multicultural financial professionals since 2008, ways to better serve customers. 2014 BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS RECORD ESTIMATED DIVIDEND PAYOUT RECORD NET FIELD FORCE A WORLD’S MOST ETHICAL COMPANY AMONG THE BEST PLACES TO WORK Announced a record $1.6 billion Net field force reached more Recognized as a 2014 World’s Among the Human Rights Campaign’s estimated dividend payout to than 5,500, the highest level Most Ethical Company by the 2014 Best Places to Work for creating an eligible participating policyowners in MassMutual’s history Ethisphere® Institute for ongoing inclusive environment for lesbian, gay, commitment to ethical leadership bisexual and transgender employees and behavior 4 MassMutual Contributing to Our Communities Along with education, we know that building strong we make. And it rang as true in our 163rd year as it did Our innovative approaches extend to our desire to improve communities means job creation and community vitality.