Derivative Financial Instruments and Off-balance sheet Financial Instruments (Details 3) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Derivative Financial Instruments and Off-balance sheet Financial Instruments
Cash flow hedge losses to be reclassified from AOCI during the next twelve months	$ 2
Hedge ineffectiveness in realized gains	0	0	0
Gain (loss) recognized in OCI on derivatives during the period	12	3	(6)
Gain (loss) recognized in OCI on derivatives during the term of the hedging relationship	2	(13)	(17)
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			264
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	47	98	263
Net investment income
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			0
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	(1)
Net investment income | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Cash flow hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Loss reclassified from AOCI into income	(1)	(1)	0
Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			35
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	14	14	35
Realized capital gains and losses | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Cash flow hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Loss reclassified from AOCI into income	(2)	0	(1)
Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			36
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	15	74	36
Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			193
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	22	16	193
Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			0
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(4)
Interest rate contracts
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives in fair value accounting hedging relationships, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			(1)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(7)	(3)	2
Interest rate contracts | Net investment income
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives in fair value accounting hedging relationships, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			(1)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Interest rate contracts | Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives in fair value accounting hedging relationships, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			0
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(3)	3	2
Interest rate contracts | Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives in fair value accounting hedging relationships, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			0
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Interest rate contracts | Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives in fair value accounting hedging relationships, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			0
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Interest rate contracts | Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives in fair value accounting hedging relationships, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			0
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(4)	(6)	0
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives		(6)	0
Equity and index contracts
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	37	94	56
Equity and index contracts | Net investment income
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Equity and index contracts | Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(1)	0	0
Equity and index contracts | Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Equity and index contracts | Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	38	94	56
Equity and index contracts | Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Embedded derivative financial instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	1	(2)	190
Embedded derivative financial instruments | Net investment income
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Embedded derivative financial instruments | Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	(1)	20
Embedded derivative financial instruments | Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	15	74	36
Embedded derivative financial instruments | Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(14)	(75)	134
Embedded derivative financial instruments | Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0		0
Foreign currency contracts
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	10	(2)	(2)
Foreign currency contracts | Net investment income
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Foreign currency contracts | Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	10	(2)	(2)
Foreign currency contracts | Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Foreign currency contracts | Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Foreign currency contracts | Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Credit default swaps
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	8	14	15
Credit default swaps | Net investment income
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Credit default swaps | Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	8	14	15
Credit default swaps | Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Credit default swaps | Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Credit default swaps | Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Other contracts
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(2)	(3)	3
Other contracts | Net investment income
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Other contracts | Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Other contracts | Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	0
Other contracts | Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	(2)	(3)	3
Other contracts | Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0