Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenues
Premiums	$ 9,253	$ 9,219
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,394	2,421
Net investment income	5,461	5,035
Other revenues	495	478
Net investment gains (losses)	286	(411)
Net derivative gains (losses)	821	343
Total revenues	18,710	17,085
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,596	9,627
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,995	1,469
Capitalization of DAC	(968)	(1,046)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1,025	1,058
Amortization of negative VOBA	(100)	(115)
Interest expense on debt	298	312
Other expenses	3,805	3,954
Total expenses	15,651	15,259
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	896	484
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of income tax	2,163	1,342
Operating Segments
Revenues
Premiums	9,253	9,217
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,294	2,323
Net investment income	4,982	5,085
Other revenues	503	491
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	17,032	17,116
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,447	9,373
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,331	1,401
Capitalization of DAC	(968)	(1,046)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	953	1,050
Amortization of negative VOBA	(90)	(103)
Interest expense on debt	297	294
Other expenses	3,800	3,951
Total expenses	14,770	14,920
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	594	604
Operating earnings	1,668	1,592
Operating Segments | Americas
Revenues
Premiums	6,983	6,710
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,772	1,792
Net investment income	4,106	4,129
Other revenues	445	427
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	13,306	13,058
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	7,856	7,692
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	958	971
Capitalization of DAC	(400)	(376)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	499	548
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	2
Other expenses	2,389	2,321
Total expenses	11,302	11,158
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	623	576
Operating earnings	1,381	1,324
Operating Segments | Retail
Revenues
Premiums	1,749	1,724
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,236	1,247
Net investment income	1,980	1,994
Other revenues	251	245
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	5,216	5,210
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	2,449	2,407
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	542	555
Capitalization of DAC	(247)	(234)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	375	429
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	(1)	0
Other expenses	1,176	1,142
Total expenses	4,294	4,299
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	269	275
Operating earnings	653	636
Operating Segments | Group, Voluntary & Worksite Benefits
Revenues
Premiums	4,117	4,002
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	188	177
Net investment income	478	456
Other revenues	113	107
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	4,896	4,742
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	3,835	3,781
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	37	40
Capitalization of DAC	(36)	(34)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	41	36
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	664	628
Total expenses	4,541	4,451
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	127	101
Operating earnings	228	190
Operating Segments | Corporate Benefit Funding
Revenues
Premiums	418	301
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	54	57
Net investment income	1,430	1,382
Other revenues	71	68
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	1,973	1,808
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	991	888
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	293	278
Capitalization of DAC	(6)	(1)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	5	4
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	1	2
Other expenses	124	115
Total expenses	1,408	1,286
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	196	182
Operating earnings	369	340
Operating Segments | Latin America
Revenues
Premiums	699	683
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	294	311
Net investment income	218	297
Other revenues	10	7
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	1,221	1,298
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	581	616
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	86	98
Capitalization of DAC	(111)	(107)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	78	79
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	425	436
Total expenses	1,059	1,122
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	31	18
Operating earnings	131	158
Operating Segments | Asia
Revenues
Premiums	1,752	1,890
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	397	389
Net investment income	684	700
Other revenues	28	27
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	2,861	3,006
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,340	1,397
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	337	387
Capitalization of DAC	(435)	(494)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	326	338
Amortization of negative VOBA	(86)	(94)
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	904	991
Total expenses	2,386	2,525
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	148	148
Operating earnings	327	333
Operating Segments | Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Revenues
Premiums	508	597
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	102	109
Net investment income	83	107
Other revenues	10	16
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	703	829
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	239	261
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	30	34
Capitalization of DAC	(133)	(176)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	128	164
Amortization of negative VOBA	(4)	(9)
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	362	464
Total expenses	622	738
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	11	20
Operating earnings	70	71
Operating Segments | Corporate & Other
Revenues
Premiums	10	20
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	23	33
Net investment income	109	149
Other revenues	20	21
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	162	223
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	12	23
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	6	9
Capitalization of DAC	0	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	0	0
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	297	292
Other expenses	145	175
Total expenses	460	499
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(188)	(140)
Operating earnings	(110)	(136)
Significant Reconciling Items
Revenues
Premiums	0	2
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	100	98
Net investment income	479	(50)
Other revenues	(8)	(13)
Net investment gains (losses)	286	(411)
Net derivative gains (losses)	821	343
Total revenues	1,678	(31)
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	149	254
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	664	68
Capitalization of DAC	0	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	72	8
Amortization of negative VOBA	(10)	(12)
Interest expense on debt	1	18
Other expenses	5	3
Total expenses	881	339
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$ 302	$ (120)