Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Revenues
Premiums	$ 9,693	$ 9,253
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,344	2,394
Net investment income	4,559	5,461
Other revenues	487	495
Net investment gains (losses)	15	286
Net derivative gains (losses)	1,335	821
Total revenues	18,433	18,710
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,993	9,596
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,326	1,995
Capitalization of DAC	(981)	(968)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	995	1,025
Amortization of negative VOBA	(99)	(100)
Interest expense on debt	312	298
Other expenses	3,965	3,805
Total expenses	15,511	15,651
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	719	896
Net income (loss)	2,203	2,163
Operating Segments
Revenues
Premiums	9,267	9,253
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,151	2,294
Net investment income	4,706	4,982
Other revenues	487	503
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	16,611	17,032
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,593	9,447
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,301	1,331
Capitalization of DAC	(876)	(968)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	881	953
Amortization of negative VOBA	(67)	(90)
Interest expense on debt	312	297
Other expenses	3,710	3,800
Total expenses	14,854	14,770
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	422	594
Operating earnings	1,335	1,668
Operating Segments | Americas
Revenues
Premiums	7,083	6,983
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,682	1,772
Net investment income	3,926	4,106
Other revenues	423	445
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	13,114	13,306
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	8,071	7,856
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	949	958
Capitalization of DAC	(388)	(400)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	491	499
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	4	0
Other expenses	2,352	2,389
Total expenses	11,479	11,302
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	497	623
Operating earnings	1,138	1,381
Operating Segments | Retail
Revenues
Premiums	1,740	1,749
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,149	1,236
Net investment income	1,880	1,980
Other revenues	215	251
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	4,984	5,216
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	2,458	2,449
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	522	542
Capitalization of DAC	(255)	(247)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	373	375
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	2	(1)
Other expenses	1,149	1,176
Total expenses	4,249	4,294
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	203	269
Operating earnings	532	653
Operating Segments | Group, Voluntary & Worksite Benefits
Revenues
Premiums	4,294	4,117
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	185	188
Net investment income	447	478
Other revenues	131	113
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	5,057	4,896
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	4,034	3,835
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	37	37
Capitalization of DAC	(36)	(36)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	40	41
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	712	664
Total expenses	4,787	4,541
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	96	127
Operating earnings	174	228
Operating Segments | Corporate Benefit Funding
Revenues
Premiums	358	418
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	80	54
Net investment income	1,342	1,430
Other revenues	70	71
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	1,850	1,973
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	962	991
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	310	293
Capitalization of DAC	0	(6)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	5	5
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	2	1
Other expenses	120	124
Total expenses	1,399	1,408
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	156	196
Operating earnings	295	369
Operating Segments | Latin America
Revenues
Premiums	691	699
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	268	294
Net investment income	257	218
Other revenues	7	10
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	1,223	1,221
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	617	581
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	80	86
Capitalization of DAC	(97)	(111)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	73	78
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	371	425
Total expenses	1,044	1,059
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	42	31
Operating earnings	137	131
Operating Segments | Asia
Revenues
Premiums	1,658	1,752
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	350	397
Net investment income	618	684
Other revenues	17	28
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	2,643	2,861
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,236	1,340
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	319	337
Capitalization of DAC	(385)	(435)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	286	326
Amortization of negative VOBA	(64)	(86)
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	851	904
Total expenses	2,243	2,386
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	95	148
Operating earnings	305	327
Operating Segments | EMEA
Revenues
Premiums	500	508
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	95	102
Net investment income	80	83
Other revenues	20	10
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	695	703
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	261	239
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	29	30
Capitalization of DAC	(101)	(133)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	102	128
Amortization of negative VOBA	(3)	(4)
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Other expenses	333	362
Total expenses	621	622
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	11	11
Operating earnings	63	70
Operating Segments | Corporate & Other
Revenues
Premiums	26	10
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	24	23
Net investment income	82	109
Other revenues	27	20
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0
Total revenues	159	162
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	25	12
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	4	6
Capitalization of DAC	(2)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	2	0
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0
Interest expense on debt	308	297
Other expenses	174	145
Total expenses	511	460
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(181)	(188)
Operating earnings	(171)	(110)
Significant Reconciling Items
Revenues
Premiums	426	0
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	193	100
Net investment income	(147)	479
Other revenues	0	(8)
Net investment gains (losses)	15	286
Net derivative gains (losses)	1,335	821
Total revenues	1,822	1,678
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	400	149
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	25	664
Capitalization of DAC	(105)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	114	72
Amortization of negative VOBA	(32)	(10)
Interest expense on debt	0	1
Other expenses	255	5
Total expenses	657	881
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$ 297	$ 302