Derivative Financial Instruments and Off-balance sheet Financial Instruments (Details 3) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Cash flow hedge gain (loss) to be reclassified from AOCI during the next twelve months	$ (2,000,000)
Hedge ineffectiveness in realized gains	0	$ 0	$ 0
(Loss) gain recognized in OCI on derivatives during the period	(1,000,000)	10,000,000	12,000,000
Gain recognized in OCI on derivatives during the term of the hedging relationship	5,000,000	10,000,000	2,000,000
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	33,000,000	25,000,000	47,000,000
Net investment income | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Cash flow hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Investment income, net	1,000,000	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Realized capital gains and losses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	5,000,000	10,000,000	14,000,000
Realized capital gains and losses | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Cash flow hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Investment income, net	3,000,000	3,000,000	(2,000,000)
Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	9,000,000	(7,000,000)	15,000,000
Interest credited to contractholder funds
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	19,000,000	22,000,000	22,000,000
Loss on disposition of operations
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	0	0	(4,000,000)
Interest rate contracts
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			(7,000,000)
Interest rate 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			(3,000,000)
Interest rate contracts | Contract benefits
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives			0
Interest rate 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
Interest rate 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			(4,000,000)
Equity and index contracts
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	14,000,000	(9,000,000)	37,000,000
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	(4,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)
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	18,000,000	(9,000,000)	38,000,000
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	10,000,000	24,000,000	1,000,000
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	0	0
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	9,000,000	(7,000,000)	15,000,000
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	1,000,000	31,000,000	(14,000,000)
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	0
Foreign currency contracts
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments, total gain (loss) recognized in net income on derivatives	6,000,000	6,000,000	10,000,000
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	6,000,000	6,000,000	10,000,000
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	3,000,000	4,000,000	8,000,000
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	3,000,000	4,000,000	8,000,000
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			(2,000,000)
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
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
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			(2,000,000)
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