Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Revenues
Premiums	$ 9,312	$ 9,873	$ 18,565	$ 19,092
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,434	2,458	4,828	4,879
Net investment income	4,947	5,259	10,408	10,294
Other revenues	518	490	1,013	968
Net investment gains (losses)	(133)	(125)	153	(536)
Net derivative gains (losses)	(912)	311	(91)	654
Total revenues	16,166	18,266	34,876	35,351
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,683	10,385	19,279	20,012
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,298	1,709	3,293	3,178
Capitalization of DAC	(927)	(1,032)	(1,895)	(2,078)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	897	1,062	1,922	2,120
Amortization of negative VOBA	(92)	(111)	(192)	(226)
Interest expense on debt	308	312	606	624
Other expenses	3,886	3,991	7,691	7,945
Total expenses	15,053	16,316	30,704	31,575
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(6)	574	890	1,058
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of income tax	1,119	1,376	3,282	2,718
Operating Segments
Revenues
Premiums	9,313	9,853	18,566	19,070
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,335	2,360	4,629	4,683
Net investment income	5,185	5,095	10,167	10,180
Other revenues	527	493	1,030	984
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	17,360	17,801	34,392	34,917
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,503	9,964	18,950	19,337
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,342	1,425	2,673	2,826
Capitalization of DAC	(927)	(1,031)	(1,895)	(2,077)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1,001	1,025	1,954	2,075
Amortization of negative VOBA	(83)	(99)	(173)	(202)
Interest expense on debt	307	299	604	593
Other expenses	3,882	3,979	7,682	7,930
Total expenses	15,025	15,562	29,795	30,482
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	539	618	1,133	1,222
Operating earnings	1,796	1,621	3,464	3,213
Operating Segments | Americas
Revenues
Premiums	6,953	7,334	13,936	14,044
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,795	1,809	3,567	3,601
Net investment income	4,293	4,126	8,399	8,255
Other revenues	461	453	906	880
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	13,502	13,722	26,808	26,780
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	7,855	8,249	15,711	15,941
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	972	987	1,930	1,958
Capitalization of DAC	(397)	(404)	(797)	(780)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	531	503	1,030	1,051
Amortization of negative VOBA	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Interest expense on debt	1	2	1	4
Other expenses	2,450	2,384	4,839	4,705
Total expenses	11,411	11,720	22,713	22,878
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	648	617	1,271	1,193
Operating earnings	1,443	1,385	2,824	2,709
Operating Segments | Retail
Revenues
Premiums	1,747	1,812	3,496	3,536
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,252	1,256	2,488	2,503
Net investment income	2,003	1,947	3,983	3,941
Other revenues	263	265	514	510
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	5,265	5,280	10,481	10,490
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	2,373	2,438	4,822	4,845
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	551	561	1,093	1,116
Capitalization of DAC	(257)	(249)	(504)	(483)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	400	378	775	807
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	0	(1)	0
Other expenses	1,220	1,181	2,396	2,323
Total expenses	4,287	4,309	8,581	8,608
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	288	294	557	569
Operating earnings	690	677	1,343	1,313
Operating Segments | Group, Voluntary & Worksite Benefits
Revenues
Premiums	4,104	4,038	8,221	8,040
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	183	181	371	358
Net investment income	481	465	959	921
Other revenues	114	104	227	211
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	4,882	4,788	9,778	9,530
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	3,805	3,789	7,640	7,570
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	38	39	75	79
Capitalization of DAC	(36)	(36)	(72)	(70)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	39	35	80	71
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	681	638	1,345	1,266
Total expenses	4,527	4,465	9,068	8,916
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	124	114	251	215
Operating earnings	231	209	459	399
Operating Segments | Corporate Benefit Funding
Revenues
Premiums	319	686	737	987
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	59	55	113	112
Net investment income	1,526	1,413	2,956	2,795
Other revenues	77	75	148	143
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1,981	2,229	3,954	4,037
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	933	1,273	1,924	2,161
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	294	287	587	565
Capitalization of DAC	(4)	(18)	(10)	(19)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	6	6	11	10
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	1	2	2	4
Other expenses	130	129	254	244
Total expenses	1,360	1,679	2,768	2,965
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	215	187	411	369
Operating earnings	406	363	775	703
Operating Segments | Latin America
Revenues
Premiums	783	798	1,482	1,481
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	301	317	595	628
Net investment income	283	301	501	598
Other revenues	7	9	17	16
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1,374	1,425	2,595	2,723
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	744	749	1,325	1,365
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	89	100	175	198
Capitalization of DAC	(100)	(101)	(211)	(208)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	86	84	164	163
Amortization of negative VOBA	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	419	436	844	872
Total expenses	1,237	1,267	2,296	2,389
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	21	22	52	40
Operating earnings	116	136	247	294
Operating Segments | Asia
Revenues
Premiums	1,809	1,913	3,561	3,803
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	400	400	797	789
Net investment income	679	724	1,363	1,424
Other revenues	28	24	56	51
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	2,916	3,061	5,777	6,067
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,375	1,425	2,715	2,822
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	328	394	665	781
Capitalization of DAC	(398)	(457)	(833)	(951)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	336	362	662	700
Amortization of negative VOBA	(78)	(92)	(164)	(186)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	869	977	1,773	1,968
Total expenses	2,432	2,609	4,818	5,134
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	59	128	207	276
Operating earnings	425	324	752	657
Operating Segments | Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Revenues
Premiums	525	584	1,033	1,181
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	114	117	216	226
Net investment income	84	112	167	219
Other revenues	19	11	29	27
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	742	824	1,445	1,653
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	265	271	504	532
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	34	35	64	69
Capitalization of DAC	(132)	(170)	(265)	(346)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	133	160	261	324
Amortization of negative VOBA	(4)	(6)	(8)	(15)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	389	456	751	920
Total expenses	685	746	1,307	1,484
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	7	6	18	26
Operating earnings	50	72	120	143
Operating Segments | Corporate & Other
Revenues
Premiums	26	22	36	42
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	26	34	49	67
Net investment income	129	133	238	282
Other revenues	19	5	39	26
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	200	194	362	417
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	8	19	20	42
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	8	9	14	18
Capitalization of DAC	0	0	0	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1	0	1	0
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	306	297	603	589
Other expenses	174	162	319	337
Total expenses	497	487	957	986
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(175)	(133)	(363)	(273)
Operating earnings	(122)	(160)	(232)	(296)
Significant Reconciling Items
Revenues
Premiums	(1)	20	(1)	22
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	99	98	199	196
Net investment income	(238)	164	241	114
Other revenues	(9)	(3)	(17)	(16)
Net investment gains (losses)	(133)	(125)	153	(536)
Net derivative gains (losses)	(912)	311	(91)	654
Total revenues	(1,194)	465	484	434
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	180	421	329	675
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	(44)	284	620	352
Capitalization of DAC	0	(1)	0	(1)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	(104)	37	(32)	45
Amortization of negative VOBA	(9)	(12)	(19)	(24)
Interest expense on debt	1	13	2	31
Other expenses	4	12	9	15
Total expenses	28	754	909	1,093
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$ (545)	$ (44)	$ (243)	$ (164)