Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Revenues
Premiums	$ 9,873	$ 9,158	$ 19,092	$ 18,309
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,458	2,371	4,879	4,662
Net investment income	5,259	5,282	10,294	11,359
Other revenues	490	490	968	970
Net investment gains (losses)	(125)	110	(536)	424
Net derivative gains (losses)	311	(1,690)	654	(2,320)
Total revenues	18,266	15,721	35,351	33,404
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	10,385	9,289	20,012	18,997
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,709	1,846	3,178	4,436
Capitalization of DAC	(1,032)	(1,212)	(2,078)	(2,468)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1,062	958	2,120	1,782
Amortization of negative VOBA	(111)	(138)	(226)	(284)
Interest expense on debt	312	321	624	642
Other expenses	3,991	4,096	7,945	8,491
Total expenses	16,316	15,160	31,575	31,596
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	574	53	1,058	305
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of income tax	1,376	508	2,718	1,503
Operating Segments [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	9,853	9,157	19,070	18,260
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,360	2,281	4,683	4,492
Net investment income	5,095	5,057	10,180	10,139
Other revenues	493	500	984	981
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	17,801	16,995	34,917	33,872
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,964	9,174	19,337	18,199
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,425	1,521	2,826	3,075
Capitalization of DAC	(1,031)	(1,212)	(2,077)	(2,468)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1,025	1,105	2,075	2,121
Amortization of negative VOBA	(99)	(124)	(202)	(255)
Interest expense on debt	299	287	593	575
Other expenses	3,979	4,009	7,930	8,092
Total expenses	15,562	14,760	30,482	29,339
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	618	619	1,222	1,260
Operating earnings	1,621	1,616	3,213	3,273
Operating Segments [Member] | Americas [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	7,316	6,591	14,011	13,103
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,809	1,708	3,601	3,348
Net investment income	4,196	4,142	8,398	8,223
Other revenues	453	434	880	862
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	13,774	12,875	26,890	25,536
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	8,243	7,467	15,923	14,831
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	987	1,036	1,958	2,101
Capitalization of DAC	(396)	(493)	(754)	(1,022)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	500	518	1,048	968
Amortization of negative VOBA	(1)	0	(1)	(1)
Interest expense on debt	2	5	4	6
Other expenses	2,361	2,349	4,653	4,726
Total expenses	11,696	10,882	22,831	21,609
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	687	666	1,330	1,307
Operating earnings	1,391	1,327	2,729	2,620
Operating Segments [Member] | Retail [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	1,812	1,581	3,536	3,128
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,256	1,238	2,503	2,405
Net investment income	1,963	1,987	3,977	3,948
Other revenues	265	257	510	500
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	5,296	5,063	10,526	9,981
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	2,438	2,272	4,845	4,425
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	561	589	1,116	1,168
Capitalization of DAC	(249)	(344)	(483)	(718)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	378	396	807	727
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	1	0	1
Other expenses	1,177	1,265	2,319	2,543
Total expenses	4,305	4,179	8,604	8,146
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	339	303	658	628
Operating earnings	652	581	1,264	1,207
Operating Segments [Member] | Group, Voluntary & Worksite Benefits [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	4,038	3,797	8,040	7,671
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	181	170	358	350
Net investment income	458	472	911	925
Other revenues	104	105	211	213
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	4,781	4,544	9,520	9,159
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	3,789	3,514	7,570	7,154
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	39	39	79	78
Capitalization of DAC	(36)	(35)	(70)	(68)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	35	33	71	67
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	1	0	1
Other expenses	638	578	1,266	1,166
Total expenses	4,465	4,130	8,916	8,398
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	111	139	211	256
Operating earnings	205	275	393	505
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate Benefit Funding [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	686	503	987	919
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	55	65	112	133
Net investment income	1,443	1,402	2,853	2,792
Other revenues	75	67	143	140
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	2,259	2,037	4,095	3,984
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,273	1,080	2,161	2,097
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	287	305	565	648
Capitalization of DAC	(18)	(6)	(19)	(23)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	6	6	10	17
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	2	2	4	4
Other expenses	134	116	254	255
Total expenses	1,684	1,503	2,975	2,998
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	201	188	391	346
Operating earnings	374	346	729	640
Operating Segments [Member] | Latin America [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	780	710	1,448	1,385
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	317	235	628	460
Net investment income	332	281	657	558
Other revenues	9	5	16	9
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1,438	1,231	2,749	2,412
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	743	601	1,347	1,155
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	100	103	198	207
Capitalization of DAC	(93)	(108)	(182)	(213)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	81	83	160	157
Amortization of negative VOBA	(1)	0	(1)	(1)
Interest expense on debt	0	1	0	0
Other expenses	412	390	814	762
Total expenses	1,242	1,070	2,336	2,067
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	36	36	70	77
Operating earnings	160	125	343	268
Operating Segments [Member] | Asia [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	1,913	1,980	3,803	3,978
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	400	442	789	886
Net investment income	717	723	1,410	1,455
Other revenues	24	28	51	41
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	3,054	3,173	6,053	6,360
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,425	1,433	2,822	2,848
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	394	437	781	879
Capitalization of DAC	(457)	(522)	(951)	(1,068)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	362	392	700	793
Amortization of negative VOBA	(92)	(113)	(186)	(226)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	976	1,054	1,966	2,148
Total expenses	2,608	2,681	5,132	5,374
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	127	162	274	323
Operating earnings	319	330	647	663
Operating Segments [Member] | Europe, the Middle East and Africa [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	584	558	1,181	1,125
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	117	96	226	187
Net investment income	134	120	257	248
Other revenues	11	34	27	61
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	846	808	1,691	1,621
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	271	256	532	493
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	35	37	69	72
Capitalization of DAC	(170)	(192)	(346)	(369)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	160	195	324	360
Amortization of negative VOBA	(6)	(11)	(15)	(28)
Interest expense on debt	0	(1)	0	0
Other expenses	446	460	902	908
Total expenses	736	744	1,466	1,436
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	17	(4)	44	30
Operating earnings	93	68	181	155
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate & Other [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	40	28	75	54
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	34	35	67	71
Net investment income	48	72	115	213
Other revenues	5	4	26	17
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	127	139	283	355
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	25	18	60	27
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	9	11	18	23
Capitalization of DAC	(8)	(5)	(26)	(9)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	3	0	3	0
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	297	283	589	569
Other expenses	196	146	409	310
Total expenses	522	453	1,053	920
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(213)	(205)	(426)	(400)
Operating earnings	(182)	(109)	(344)	(165)
Significant Reconciling Items [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	20	1	22	49
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	98	90	196	170
Net investment income	164	225	114	1,220
Other revenues	(3)	(10)	(16)	(11)
Net investment gains (losses)	(125)	110	(536)	424
Net derivative gains (losses)	311	(1,690)	654	(2,320)
Total revenues	465	(1,274)	434	(468)
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	421	115	675	798
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	284	325	352	1,361
Capitalization of DAC	(1)	0	(1)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	37	(147)	45	(339)
Amortization of negative VOBA	(12)	(14)	(24)	(29)
Interest expense on debt	13	34	31	67
Other expenses	12	87	15	399
Total expenses	754	400	1,093	2,257
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$ (44)	$ (566)	$ (164)	$ (955)