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Condensed Financial Information (Parent Company) (Details Textuals) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]      
Effective date of acquisition     Nov. 01, 2010
Parent Company [Member]
     
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]      
Loans to Subsidiaries, Repayment Amount $ 175,000,000 $ 1,275,000,000 $ 300,000,000
Loans to subsidiaries 750,000,000 0  
Long Term Debt Aggregate Maturities, Year One 750,000,000    
Long Term Debt Aggregate Maturities, Year Two 1,800,000,000    
Long Term Debt Aggregate Maturities, Year Three 1,300,000,000    
Long Term Debt Aggregate Maturities, Year Four 1,700,000,000    
Long Term Debt Aggregate Maturities, Year Five 500,000,000    
Long Term Debt Aggregate Maturities, After Year Five 12,800,000,000    
Parent Company [Member] | Interest Income [Member]
     
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]      
Loans to Subsidiaries, Interest Income 1,000,000 40,000,000 63,000,000
Parent Company [Member] | Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Capital Note [Member]
     
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]      
Loans to Subsidiaries, Repayment Amount   500,000,000  
Parent Company [Member] | Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Surplus Note [Member]
     
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]      
Loans to Subsidiaries, Repayment Amount   775,000,000 300,000,000
Parent Company [Member] | MetLife Reinsurance Company of Delaware Surplus Note [Member]
     
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]      
Loans to subsidiaries $ 750,000,000    
Loans to subsidiaries, maturity date Sep. 30, 2032    
Loans to subsidiaries, debt instrument, interest rate, effective percentage 5.13%