Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Revenues
Premiums	$ 9,094	$ 9,096	$ 27,403	$ 27,386
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,372	2,131	7,034	6,306
Net investment income	5,026	5,517	16,385	16,436
Other revenues	476	455	1,446	1,445
Net investment gains (losses)	(85)	22	339	(152)
Net derivative gains (losses)	(546)	(718)	(2,866)	(604)
Total revenues	16,337	16,503	49,741	50,817
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,784	9,298	28,781	28,008
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,600	2,102	6,036	5,681
Goodwill impairment	0	1,868	0	1,868
Capitalization of DAC	(1,153)	(1,302)	(3,621)	(3,981)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	841	1,008	2,623	3,201
Amortization of negative VOBA	(126)	(170)	(410)	(506)
Interest expense on debt	317	326	959	1,026
Other expenses	4,098	4,383	12,589	13,601
Total expenses	(15,361)	(17,513)	(46,957)	(48,898)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(3)	53	(308)	(710)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of income tax	973	(957)	2,476	1,209
Operating Segments [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	9,094	9,080	27,402	27,326
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,276	2,048	6,768	6,056
Net investment income	5,043	5,048	15,279	15,297
Other revenues	486	435	1,467	1,313
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	16,899	16,611	50,916	49,992
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,316	8,995	27,626	27,066
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,472	1,589	4,547	4,653
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(1,153)	(1,301)	(3,621)	(3,976)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	979	1,051	3,100	3,231
Amortization of negative VOBA	(113)	(155)	(368)	(456)
Interest expense on debt	288	286	863	898
Other expenses	4,031	4,120	12,132	12,414
Total expenses	(14,820)	(14,585)	(44,279)	(43,830)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(549)	(579)	(1,818)	(1,758)
Operating earnings	1,530	1,447	4,819	4,404
Operating Segments [Member] | Americas [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	6,556	6,417	19,707	19,253
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,704	1,540	5,052	4,604
Net investment income	4,165	4,100	12,474	12,194
Other revenues	438	388	1,300	1,171
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	12,863	12,445	38,533	37,222
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	7,542	7,254	22,484	21,781
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,018	1,078	3,119	3,216
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(460)	(564)	(1,482)	(1,720)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	419	524	1,387	1,586
Amortization of negative VOBA	(1)	(1)	(2)	(4)
Interest expense on debt	2	(1)	8	4
Other expenses	2,369	2,328	7,104	7,122
Total expenses	(10,889)	(10,618)	(32,618)	(31,985)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(656)	(597)	(1,968)	(1,721)
Operating earnings	1,318	1,230	3,947	3,516
Operating Segments [Member] | Retail [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	1,607	1,604	4,735	4,804
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,257	1,132	3,662	3,365
Net investment income	1,928	1,930	5,876	5,735
Other revenues	267	221	767	647
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	5,059	4,887	15,040	14,551
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	2,234	2,228	6,659	6,668
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	582	598	1,750	1,784
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(318)	(430)	(1,036)	(1,352)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	315	438	1,042	1,319
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	(1)	0	0	0
Other expenses	1,245	1,308	3,788	4,060
Total expenses	(4,057)	(4,142)	(12,203)	(12,479)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(343)	(253)	(971)	(703)
Operating earnings	659	492	1,866	1,369
Operating Segments [Member] | Group, Voluntary & Worksite Benefits [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	3,767	3,753	11,438	11,021
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	171	166	521	497
Net investment income	459	450	1,384	1,325
Other revenues	103	100	316	320
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	4,500	4,469	13,659	13,163
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	3,527	3,449	10,681	10,153
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	38	42	116	127
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(37)	(38)	(105)	(102)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	37	40	104	98
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	1	1	1
Other expenses	595	547	1,761	1,692
Total expenses	(4,160)	(4,041)	(12,558)	(11,969)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(114)	(145)	(370)	(401)
Operating earnings	226	283	731	793
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate Benefit Funding [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	490	450	1,457	1,480
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	54	53	187	161
Net investment income	1,424	1,421	4,302	4,253
Other revenues	68	64	208	193
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	2,036	1,988	6,154	6,087
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,144	1,070	3,352	3,293
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	292	339	940	1,016
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(2)	(13)	(25)	(28)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	4	4	21	18
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	3	2	7	6
Other expenses	134	120	398	368
Total expenses	(1,575)	(1,522)	(4,693)	(4,673)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(161)	(163)	(512)	(495)
Operating earnings	300	303	949	919
Operating Segments [Member] | Latin America [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	692	610	2,077	1,948
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	222	189	682	581
Net investment income	354	299	912	881
Other revenues	0	3	9	11
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1,268	1,101	3,680	3,421
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	637	507	1,792	1,667
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	106	99	313	289
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(103)	(83)	(316)	(238)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	63	42	220	151
Amortization of negative VOBA	(1)	(1)	(2)	(4)
Interest expense on debt	0	(4)	0	(3)
Other expenses	395	353	1,157	1,002
Total expenses	(1,097)	(913)	(3,164)	(2,864)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(38)	(36)	(115)	(122)
Operating earnings	133	152	401	435
Operating Segments [Member] | Asia [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	1,922	2,112	5,900	6,215
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	438	388	1,324	1,102
Net investment income	696	709	2,151	2,150
Other revenues	22	4	63	17
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	3,078	3,213	9,438	9,484
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,506	1,455	4,354	4,250
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	407	468	1,286	1,323
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(515)	(579)	(1,583)	(1,721)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	393	396	1,186	1,188
Amortization of negative VOBA	(99)	(128)	(325)	(387)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	5
Other expenses	1,040	1,206	3,188	3,550
Total expenses	(2,732)	(2,818)	(8,106)	(8,208)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(89)	(136)	(412)	(437)
Operating earnings	257	259	920	839
Operating Segments [Member] | Europe, the Middle East and Africa [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	586	536	1,711	1,815
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	100	82	287	233
Net investment income	124	122	372	406
Other revenues	21	35	82	98
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	831	775	2,452	2,552
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	243	255	736	941
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	37	32	109	91
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(173)	(158)	(542)	(535)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	166	130	526	456
Amortization of negative VOBA	(13)	(26)	(41)	(65)
Interest expense on debt	0	2	0	3
Other expenses	443	440	1,351	1,333
Total expenses	(703)	(675)	(2,139)	(2,224)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(43)	(38)	(73)	(116)
Operating earnings	85	62	240	212
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate & Other [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	30	15	84	43
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	34	38	105	117
Net investment income	58	117	282	547
Other revenues	5	8	22	27
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	127	178	493	734
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	25	31	52	94
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	10	11	33	23
Goodwill impairment	0	0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC	(5)	0	(14)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1	1	1	1
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	286	285	855	886
Other expenses	179	146	489	409
Total expenses	(496)	(474)	(1,416)	(1,413)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	239	192	635	516
Operating earnings	(130)	(104)	(288)	(163)
Significant Reconciling Items [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	0	16	1	60
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	96	83	266	250
Net investment income	(17)	469	1,106	1,139
Other revenues	(10)	20	(21)	132
Net investment gains (losses)	(85)	22	339	(152)
Net derivative gains (losses)	(546)	(718)	(2,866)	(604)
Total revenues	(562)	(108)	(1,175)	825
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	468	303	1,155	942
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	128	513	1,489	1,028
Goodwill impairment	0	1,868	0	1,868
Capitalization of DAC	0	(1)	0	(5)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	(138)	(43)	(477)	(30)
Amortization of negative VOBA	(13)	(15)	(42)	(50)
Interest expense on debt	29	40	96	128
Other expenses	67	263	457	1,187
Total expenses	(541)	(2,928)	(2,678)	(5,068)
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$ 546	$ 632	$ 1,510	$ 1,048