Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Revenues
Premiums	$ 9,158	$ 9,161	$ 18,309	$ 18,290
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,371	2,097	4,662	4,175
Net investment income	5,282	4,719	11,359	10,919
Other revenues	490	393	970	990
Net investment gains (losses)	110	(64)	424	(174)
Net derivative gains (losses)	(1,690)	2,092	(2,320)	114
Total revenues	15,721	18,398	33,404	34,314
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,289	9,263	18,997	18,710
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,846	1,022	4,436	3,579
Capitalization of DAC	(1,212)	(1,315)	(2,468)	(2,679)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	958	1,479	1,782	2,193
Amortization of negative VOBA	(138)	(181)	(284)	(336)
Interest expense on debt	321	342	642	700
Other expenses	4,096	4,450	8,491	9,218
Total expenses	15,160	15,060	31,596	31,385
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	53	1,038	305	763
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of income tax	508	2,300	1,503	2,166
Operating Segments [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	9,157	9,139	18,308	18,246
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	2,281	1,999	4,492	4,008
Net investment income	5,104	5,172	10,236	10,249
Other revenues	500	426	981	878
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	17,042	16,736	34,017	33,381
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	9,204	9,132	18,310	18,071
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,521	1,525	3,075	3,064
Capitalization of DAC	(1,212)	(1,313)	(2,468)	(2,675)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	1,105	1,162	2,121	2,180
Amortization of negative VOBA	(124)	(164)	(255)	(301)
Interest expense on debt	287	297	575	612
Other expenses	4,014	4,051	8,101	8,294
Total expenses	14,795	14,690	29,459	29,245
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	623	583	1,269	1,179
Operating earnings	1,624	1,463	3,289	2,957
Operating Segments [Member] | Americas [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	6,591	6,434	13,151	12,836
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,708	1,537	3,348	3,064
Net investment income	4,183	4,047	8,309	8,094
Other revenues	434	397	862	783
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	12,916	12,415	25,670	24,777
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	7,497	7,302	14,942	14,527
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	1,036	1,061	2,101	2,138
Capitalization of DAC	(493)	(558)	(1,022)	(1,156)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	518	563	968	1,062
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	(1)	(1)	(3)
Interest expense on debt	5	2	6	5
Other expenses	2,354	2,368	4,735	4,794
Total expenses	10,917	10,737	21,729	21,367
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	668	550	1,312	1,124
Operating earnings	1,331	1,128	2,629	2,286
Operating Segments [Member] | Latin America [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	710	652	1,385	1,338
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	235	196	460	392
Net investment income	281	283	558	582
Other revenues	5	3	9	8
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1,231	1,134	2,412	2,320
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	601	568	1,155	1,160
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	103	90	207	190
Capitalization of DAC	(108)	(71)	(213)	(155)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	83	54	157	109
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	(1)	(1)	(3)
Interest expense on debt	1	0	0	1
Other expenses	390	323	762	649
Total expenses	1,070	963	2,067	1,951
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	36	36	77	86
Operating earnings	125	135	268	283
Operating Segments [Member] | Asia [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	1,980	2,064	3,978	4,103
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	442	352	886	714
Net investment income	723	760	1,455	1,441
Other revenues	28	(3)	41	13
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	3,173	3,173	6,360	6,271
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,433	1,435	2,848	2,795
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	437	426	879	855
Capitalization of DAC	(522)	(555)	(1,068)	(1,142)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	392	419	793	792
Amortization of negative VOBA	(113)	(128)	(226)	(259)
Interest expense on debt	0	4	0	5
Other expenses	1,054	1,153	2,148	2,344
Total expenses	2,681	2,754	5,374	5,390
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	162	140	323	301
Operating earnings	330	279	663	580
Operating Segments [Member] | Europe, the Middle East and Africa [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	558	627	1,125	1,279
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	96	71	187	151
Net investment income	120	127	248	284
Other revenues	34	27	61	63
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	808	852	1,621	1,777
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	256	343	493	686
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	37	26	72	59
Capitalization of DAC	(192)	(200)	(369)	(377)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	195	180	360	326
Amortization of negative VOBA	(11)	(35)	(28)	(39)
Interest expense on debt	(1)	1	0	1
Other expenses	460	422	908	893
Total expenses	744	737	1,436	1,549
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(4)	37	30	78
Operating earnings	68	78	155	150
Operating Segments [Member] | Retail [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	1,581	1,576	3,128	3,200
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	1,238	1,119	2,405	2,233
Net investment income	1,987	1,894	3,948	3,805
Other revenues	257	217	500	426
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	5,063	4,806	9,981	9,664
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	2,272	2,212	4,425	4,440
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	589	590	1,168	1,186
Capitalization of DAC	(344)	(446)	(718)	(922)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	396	477	727	881
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	1	0	1	0
Other expenses	1,265	1,355	2,543	2,752
Total expenses	4,179	4,188	8,146	8,337
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	303	210	628	450
Operating earnings	581	408	1,207	877
Operating Segments [Member] | Group, Voluntary & Worksite Benefits [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	3,797	3,683	7,671	7,268
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	170	165	350	331
Net investment income	472	439	925	875
Other revenues	105	112	213	220
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	4,544	4,399	9,159	8,694
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	3,514	3,391	7,154	6,704
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	39	43	78	85
Capitalization of DAC	(35)	(33)	(68)	(64)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	33	28	67	58
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	1	0	1	0
Other expenses	578	570	1,166	1,145
Total expenses	4,130	3,999	8,398	7,928
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	139	133	256	256
Operating earnings	275	267	505	510
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate Benefit Funding [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	503	523	967	1,030
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	65	57	133	108
Net investment income	1,443	1,431	2,878	2,832
Other revenues	67	65	140	129
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	2,078	2,076	4,118	4,099
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	1,110	1,131	2,208	2,223
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	305	338	648	677
Capitalization of DAC	(6)	(8)	(23)	(15)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	6	4	17	14
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	2	2	4	4
Other expenses	121	120	264	248
Total expenses	1,538	1,587	3,118	3,151
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	190	171	351	332
Operating earnings	350	318	649	616
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate & Other [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	28	14	54	28
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	35	39	71	79
Net investment income	78	238	224	430
Other revenues	4	5	17	19
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	145	296	366	556
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	18	52	27	63
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	11	12	23	12
Capitalization of DAC	(5)	0	(9)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	0	0	0	0
Amortization of negative VOBA	0	0	0	0
Interest expense on debt	283	290	569	601
Other expenses	146	108	310	263
Total expenses	453	462	920	939
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	(203)	(144)	(396)	(324)
Operating earnings	(105)	(22)	(158)	(59)
Significant Reconciling Items [Member]
Revenues
Premiums	1	22	1	44
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees	90	98	170	167
Net investment income	178	(453)	1,123	670
Other revenues	(10)	(33)	(11)	112
Net investment gains (losses)	110	(64)	424	(174)
Net derivative gains (losses)	(1,690)	2,092	(2,320)	114
Total revenues	(1,321)	1,662	(613)	933
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends	85	131	687	639
Interest credited to policyholder account balances	325	(503)	1,361	515
Capitalization of DAC	0	(2)	0	(4)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA	(147)	317	(339)	13
Amortization of negative VOBA	(14)	(17)	(29)	(35)
Interest expense on debt	34	45	67	88
Other expenses	82	399	390	924
Total expenses	365	370	2,137	2,140
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)	$ (570)	$ 455	$ (964)	$ (416)