Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Revenues
Premiums	$ 9,417	$ 9,312	$ 19,110	$ 18,565
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,286	2,434	4,630	4,828
Net investment income	4,887	4,947	9,446	10,408
Other revenues	487	518	974	1,013
Net investment gains (losses)	266	(133)	281	153
Net derivative gains (losses)	(2,099)	(912)	(764)	(91)
Total revenues	15,244	16,166	33,677	34,876
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	10,598	9,683	20,591	19,279
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,500	1,298	2,826	3,293
Capitalization of DAC	(915)	(927)	(1,896)	(1,895)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	121	897	1,116	1,922
Amortization of negative VOBA	(67)	(92)	(166)	(192)
Interest expense on debt	306	308	618	606
Other expenses	3,801	3,886	7,766	7,691
Total expenses	15,344	15,053	30,855	30,704
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(214)	(6)	505	890
Net income (loss)	114	1,119	2,317	3,282
Operating Segments
Revenues
Premiums	9,417	9,313	18,684	18,566
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,173	2,335	4,324	4,629
Net investment income	4,881	5,185	9,587	10,167
Other revenues	484	527	971	1,030
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	16,955	17,360	33,566	34,392
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	10,385	9,503	19,978	18,950
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,314	1,342	2,615	2,673
Capitalization of DAC	(915)	(927)	(1,791)	(1,895)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1,015	1,001	1,896	1,954
Amortization of negative VOBA	(61)	(83)	(128)	(173)
Interest expense on debt	303	307	615	604
Other expenses	3,659	3,882	7,369	7,682
Total expenses	15,700	15,025	30,554	29,795
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	285	539	707	1,133
Operating earnings	970	1,796	2,305	3,464
Operating Segments | Americas
Revenues
Premiums	7,204	6,953	14,287	13,936
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,683	1,795	3,365	3,567
Net investment income	4,076	4,293	8,002	8,399
Other revenues	422	461	845	906
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	13,385	13,502	26,499	26,808
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	8,753	7,855	16,824	15,711
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	959	972	1,908	1,930
Capitalization of DAC	(381)	(397)	(769)	(797)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	605	531	1,096	1,030
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	(1)	0	(1)
Interest expense on debt	4	1	8	1
Other expenses	2,291	2,450	4,643	4,839
Total expenses	12,231	11,411	23,710	22,713
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	319	648	816	1,271
Operating earnings	835	1,443	1,973	2,824
Operating Segments | Retail
Revenues
Premiums	1,695	1,747	3,435	3,496
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,156	1,252	2,305	2,488
Net investment income	1,950	2,003	3,830	3,983
Other revenues	224	263	439	514
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	5,025	5,265	10,009	10,481
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	2,937	2,373	5,395	4,822
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	525	551	1,047	1,093
Capitalization of DAC	(245)	(257)	(500)	(504)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	487	400	860	775
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	1	0	3	(1)
Other expenses	1,124	1,220	2,273	2,396
Total expenses	4,829	4,287	9,078	8,581
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	12	288	215	557
Operating earnings	184	690	716	1,343
Operating Segments | Group, Voluntary & Worksite Benefits
Revenues
Premiums	4,276	4,104	8,570	8,221
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	197	183	382	371
Net investment income	458	481	905	959
Other revenues	117	114	248	227
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	5,048	4,882	10,105	9,778
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	3,990	3,805	8,024	7,640
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	37	38	74	75
Capitalization of DAC	(39)	(36)	(75)	(72)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	39	39	79	80
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	1	0	1	0
Other expenses	685	681	1,397	1,345
Total expenses	4,713	4,527	9,500	9,068
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	114	124	210	251
Operating earnings	221	231	395	459
Operating Segments | Corporate Benefit Funding
Revenues
Premiums	517	319	875	737
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	61	59	141	113
Net investment income	1,421	1,526	2,763	2,956
Other revenues	72	77	142	148
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	2,071	1,981	3,921	3,954
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,181	933	2,143	1,924
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	313	294	623	587
Capitalization of DAC	(1)	(4)	(1)	(10)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	4	6	9	11
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	2	1	4	2
Other expenses	109	130	229	254
Total expenses	1,608	1,360	3,007	2,768
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	161	215	317	411
Operating earnings	302	406	597	775
Operating Segments | Latin America
Revenues
Premiums	716	783	1,407	1,482
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	269	301	537	595
Net investment income	247	283	504	501
Other revenues	9	7	16	17
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1,241	1,374	2,464	2,595
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	645	744	1,262	1,325
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	84	89	164	175
Capitalization of DAC	(96)	(100)	(193)	(211)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	75	86	148	164
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	(1)	0	(1)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	373	419	744	844
Total expenses	1,081	1,237	2,125	2,296
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	32	21	74	52
Operating earnings	128	116	265	247
Operating Segments | Asia
Revenues
Premiums	1,681	1,809	3,339	3,561
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	370	400	720	797
Net investment income	678	679	1,296	1,363
Other revenues	16	28	33	56
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	2,745	2,916	5,388	5,777
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,324	1,375	2,560	2,715
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	324	328	643	665
Capitalization of DAC	(426)	(398)	(811)	(833)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	304	336	590	662
Amortization of negative VOBA	(57)	(78)	(121)	(164)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	877	869	1,728	1,773
Total expenses	2,346	2,432	4,589	4,818
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	140	59	235	207
Operating earnings	259	425	564	752
Operating Segments | EMEA
Revenues
Premiums	519	525	1,019	1,033
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	95	114	190	216
Net investment income	83	84	163	167
Other revenues	19	19	39	29
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	716	742	1,411	1,445
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	283	265	544	504
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	30	34	59	64
Capitalization of DAC	(106)	(132)	(207)	(265)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	103	133	205	261
Amortization of negative VOBA	(4)	(4)	(7)	(8)
Interest expense on debt	0	0	0	0
Other expenses	336	389	669	751
Total expenses	642	685	1,263	1,307
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	10	7	21	18
Operating earnings	64	50	127	120
Operating Segments | Corporate & Other
Revenues
Premiums	13	26	39	36
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	25	26	49	49
Net investment income	44	129	126	238
Other revenues	27	19	54	39
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	109	200	268	362
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	25	8	50	20
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1	8	5	14
Capitalization of DAC	(2)	0	(4)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	3	1	5	1
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	299	306	607	603
Other expenses	155	174	329	319
Total expenses	481	497	992	957
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(184)	(175)	(365)	(363)
Operating earnings	(188)	(122)	(359)	(232)
Significant Reconciling Items
Revenues
Premiums	0	(1)	426	(1)
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	113	99	306	199
Net investment income	6	(238)	(141)	241
Other revenues	3	(9)	3	(17)
Net investment gains (losses)	266	(133)	281	153
Net derivative gains (losses)	(2,099)	(912)	(764)	(91)
Total revenues	(1,711)	(1,194)	111	484
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	213	180	613	329
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	186	(44)	211	620
Capitalization of DAC	0	0	(105)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	(894)	(104)	(780)	(32)
Amortization of negative VOBA	(6)	(9)	(38)	(19)
Interest expense on debt	3	1	3	2
Other expenses	142	4	397	9
Total expenses	(356)	28	301	909
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$ (499)	$ (545)	$ (202)	$ (243)