Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Financial Instruments where Carrying Amounts and Fair Values May Differ) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity	[1]	$ 1,933		$ 2,013
Assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities	[1]	21,597		21,254
Commercial mortgage and other loans	[1]	63,559		59,830
Policy loans		12,096		12,016
Other invested assets	[1]	15,606		14,526
Short-term investments		5,467		6,469
Cash and cash equivalents		16,327	[1]	15,353	[1]	$ 14,490
Accrued investment income	[1]	3,330		3,318
Liabilities:
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		9,681		9,950
Cash collateral for loaned securities		4,213		3,929
Short-term debt		1,933		2,451
Long-term debt		18,646		17,378
Fair Value
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity		2,302		2,372
Assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities		16		0
Commercial mortgage and other loans		65,665		59,215
Policy loans		12,096		12,016
Other invested assets		36		40
Short-term investments		1,531		976
Cash and cash equivalents		7,321		5,875
Accrued investment income		3,330		3,318
Other assets		3,316		2,813
Total assets		95,613		86,625
Liabilities:
Policyholders’ account balances—investment contracts		102,156		98,428
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		9,681		9,950
Cash collateral for loaned securities		4,213		3,929
Short-term debt		1,953		2,512
Long-term debt		21,324		17,972
Notes issued by consolidated VIEs		474		360
Other liabilities		6,982		6,848
Separate account liabilities-investment contracts		101,541		92,936
Total liabilities		248,324		232,935
Carrying Amount
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity		1,933		2,013
Assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities		16		0
Commercial mortgage and other loans		63,331		59,067
Policy loans		12,096		12,016
Other invested assets		36		40
Short-term investments		1,531		976
Cash and cash equivalents		7,321		5,875
Accrued investment income		3,330		3,318
Other assets		3,315		2,813
Total assets		92,909		86,118
Liabilities:
Policyholders’ account balances—investment contracts		101,241		99,829
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		9,681		9,950
Cash collateral for loaned securities		4,213		3,929
Short-term debt		1,933		2,451
Long-term debt		18,646		17,378
Notes issued by consolidated VIEs		474		360
Other liabilities		6,982		6,848
Separate account liabilities-investment contracts		101,541		92,936
Total liabilities		244,711		233,681
Level 1 | Fair Value
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity		0		0
Assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities		16		0
Commercial mortgage and other loans		0		0
Policy loans		0		0
Other invested assets		0		0
Short-term investments		1,492		951
Cash and cash equivalents		6,278		4,871
Accrued investment income		0		0
Other assets		147		141
Total assets		7,933		5,963
Liabilities:
Policyholders’ account balances—investment contracts		0		0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		0		0
Cash collateral for loaned securities		0		0
Short-term debt		0		0
Long-term debt		1,950		1,734
Notes issued by consolidated VIEs		0		0
Other liabilities		0		0
Separate account liabilities-investment contracts		0		0
Total liabilities		1,950		1,734
Level 2 | Fair Value
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity		2,217		1,468
Assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities		0		0
Commercial mortgage and other loans		107		109
Policy loans		0		0
Other invested assets		36		40
Short-term investments		39		25
Cash and cash equivalents		1,043		1,004
Accrued investment income		3,330		3,318
Other assets		2,526		2,189
Total assets		9,298		8,153
Liabilities:
Policyholders’ account balances—investment contracts		32,940		31,422
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		9,681		9,950
Cash collateral for loaned securities		4,213		3,929
Short-term debt		1,748		1,854
Long-term debt		18,188		15,057
Notes issued by consolidated VIEs		0		0
Other liabilities		6,403		6,338
Separate account liabilities-investment contracts		77,134		66,914
Total liabilities		150,307		135,464
Level 3 | Fair Value
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity		85		904
Assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities		0		0
Commercial mortgage and other loans		65,558		59,106
Policy loans		12,096		12,016
Other invested assets		0		0
Short-term investments		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0
Accrued investment income		0		0
Other assets		643		483
Total assets		78,382		72,509
Liabilities:
Policyholders’ account balances—investment contracts		69,216		67,006
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		0		0
Cash collateral for loaned securities		0		0
Short-term debt		205		658
Long-term debt		1,186		1,181
Notes issued by consolidated VIEs		474		360
Other liabilities		579		510
Separate account liabilities-investment contracts		24,407		26,022
Total liabilities		96,067		95,737
Prudential Netting Agreement | Fair Value
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity		5,401		4,879
Liabilities:
Long-term debt		10,158		9,095
Prudential Netting Agreement | Carrying Amount
Assets:
Fixed maturities, held-to-maturity		4,998		4,879
Liabilities:
Long-term debt		$ 9,749		$ 9,095

[1] See Note 4 for details of balances associated with variable interest entities.