Income Tax	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax	13. Income Tax The Company’s effective tax rates differ from the U.S. statutory rate typically due to non-taxable investment income, tax credits, and foreign earnings taxed at different rates than the U.S. statutory rate. The Company’s year-to-date results include tax charges of $69 million related to the non-deductible loss incurred on the mark-to-market and disposition of FVO Brighthouse Common Stock, $17 million related to a tax adjustment in Chile and $5 million in Colombia to establish a deferred tax liability due to a change in tax status, partially offset by tax benefits of $36 million related to a non-cash transfer of assets from a wholly-owned U.K. investment subsidiary to its U.S. parent and $7 million related to the settlement of an audit. The Company’s prior period results include tax-related benefits of $554 million related to the Separation and $27 million from the finalization of certain tax audits, partially offset by a net tax charge of $180 million. This charge was the result of the repatriation of approximately $3.0 billion of cash following the post-Separation review of the Company’s capital needs, partially offset by a tax benefit associated with dividends from the Company’s non-U.S. operations. The Company’s prior period results also include a tax benefit of $9 million related to the settlement of an audit in Argentina. On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law U.S. Tax Reform. U.S. Tax Reform includes numerous changes in tax law, including a permanent reduction in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, which took effect for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018. U.S. Tax Reform moves the United States from a worldwide tax system to a participation exemption system by providing corporations a 100% dividends received deduction for dividends distributed by a controlled foreign corporation. To transition to that new system, U.S. Tax Reform imposed a one-time deemed repatriation tax on unremitted earnings and profits at a rate of 8.0% for illiquid assets and 15.5% for cash and cash equivalents. In accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 118 issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in December 2017, the Company recorded provisional amounts for certain items for which the income tax accounting is not complete. For these items, the Company recorded a reasonable estimate of the tax effects of U.S. Tax Reform. The estimates will be reported as provisional amounts during the measurement period, which will not exceed one year from the date of enactment of U.S. Tax Reform. The Company may reflect adjustments to its provisional amounts upon obtaining, preparing, or analyzing additional information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the enactment date that, if known, would have affected the income tax effects initially reported as provisional amounts. At December 31, 2017, the Company recorded provisional estimates for the deemed repatriation transition tax, global intangible low-tax income, compensation and fringe benefits, alternative minimum tax credits, and tax credit partnerships. At September 30, 2018, updates were made to the provisional amounts for tax credit partnerships, as described in the following paragraph. No other updates to provisional estimates were made. Certain tax credit partnership investments derive returns in part from income tax credits. The Company recognizes changes in tax attributes at the partnership level when reported by the investee in its financial information. The Company did not receive the necessary investee financial information to determine the impacts of U.S. Tax Reform on the tax attributes of its tax credit partnership investments until the third quarter of 2018. Accordingly, prior to the third quarter of 2018, the Company applied prior law to these equity method investments in accordance with SAB 118. After receiving the information, an after tax reduction in tax credit partnerships’ equity method income of $32 million was included in net investment income for both the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018. See Note 18 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 2017 Annual Report for further information regarding SAB 118 items.

The Company’s effective tax rates differ from the U.S. statutory rate typically due to non-taxable investment income, tax credits, and foreign earnings taxed at different rates than the U.S. statutory rate. The Company’s year-to-date results include tax charges of $69 million related to the non-deductible loss incurred on the mark-to-market and disposition of FVO Brighthouse Common Stock, $17 million related to a tax adjustment in Chile and $5 million in Colombia to establish a deferred tax liability due to a change in tax status, partially offset by tax benefits of $36 million related to a non-cash transfer of assets from a wholly-owned U.K. investment subsidiary to its U.S. parent and $7 million related to the settlement of an audit. The Company’s prior period results include tax-related benefits of $554 million related to the Separation and $27 million from the finalization of certain tax audits, partially offset by a net tax charge of $180 million. This charge was the result of the repatriation of approximately $3.0 billion of cash following the post-Separation review of the Company’s capital needs, partially offset by a tax benefit associated with dividends from the Company’s non-U.S. operations. The Company’s prior period results also include a tax benefit of $9 million related to the settlement of an audit in Argentina.

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law U.S. Tax Reform. U.S. Tax Reform includes numerous changes in tax law, including a permanent reduction in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, which took effect for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018. U.S. Tax Reform moves the United States from a worldwide tax system to a participation exemption system by providing corporations a 100% dividends received deduction for dividends distributed by a controlled foreign corporation. To transition to that new system, U.S. Tax Reform imposed a one-time deemed repatriation tax on unremitted earnings and profits at a rate of 8.0% for illiquid assets and 15.5% for cash and cash equivalents.

In accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 118 issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in December 2017, the Company recorded provisional amounts for certain items for which the income tax accounting is not complete. For these items, the Company recorded a reasonable estimate of the tax effects of U.S. Tax Reform. The estimates will be reported as provisional amounts during the measurement period, which will not exceed one year from the date of enactment of U.S. Tax Reform. The Company may reflect adjustments to its provisional amounts upon obtaining, preparing, or analyzing additional information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the enactment date that, if known, would have affected the income tax effects initially reported as provisional amounts.

At December 31, 2017, the Company recorded provisional estimates for the deemed repatriation transition tax, global intangible low-tax income, compensation and fringe benefits, alternative minimum tax credits, and tax credit partnerships. At September 30, 2018, updates were made to the provisional amounts for tax credit partnerships, as described in the following paragraph. No other updates to provisional estimates were made.

Certain tax credit partnership investments derive returns in part from income tax credits. The Company recognizes changes in tax attributes at the partnership level when reported by the investee in its financial information. The Company did not receive the necessary investee financial information to determine the impacts of U.S. Tax Reform on the tax attributes of its tax credit partnership investments until the third quarter of 2018. Accordingly, prior to the third quarter of 2018, the Company applied prior law to these equity method investments in accordance with SAB 118. After receiving the information, an after tax reduction in tax credit partnerships’ equity method income of $32 million was included in net investment income for both the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

See Note 18 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 2017 Annual Report for further information regarding SAB 118 items.