Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014 contract	Dec. 31, 2013 contract
Derivative Financial Instruments
Assumed recoveries under sale of credit protection	$ 0
Securities pledged in the form of margin deposits	6
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	221	1,649
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	10,998	10,760
Total derivatives, Notional amount	11,219	12,409
Total asset derivatives, Number of contracts	9,022	10,662
Total liability derivatives, Number of contracts	7,905	10,035
Total derivatives, Number of contracts	16,927	20,697
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	156	254
Asset derivatives, Gross asset	168	266
Asset derivatives, Gross liability	(12)	(12)
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(661)	(741)
Total derivatives, Fair value, net	(505)	(487)
Liability derivatives, Gross asset	8	11
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(669)	(752)
Number of stock warrants held by the company related to derivative contracts (in shares)	837,100	837,100
Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	205	1,633
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	10,869	10,628
Total asset derivatives, Number of contracts	9,022	10,662
Total liability derivatives, Number of contracts	7,905	10,035
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	155	253
Asset derivatives, Gross asset	167	265
Asset derivatives, Gross liability	(12)	(12)
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(645)	(726)
Liability derivatives, Gross asset	8	11
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(653)	(737)
Interest rate swap agreements | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	85	85
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	4	4
Liability derivatives, Gross asset	4	4
Other contracts | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other assets
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	4	4
Foreign currency swap agreements | Derivatives designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other investments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	16	16
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	1	1
Asset derivatives, Gross asset	1	1
Foreign currency swap agreements | Derivatives designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	129	132
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(16)	(15)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(16)	(15)
Interest rate swaption agreements | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other investments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount		1,420
Interest rate swaption agreements | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	5,000	4,570
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet		1
Liability derivatives, Gross asset		1
Interest rate cap agreements | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other investments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	56	61
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	1	2
Asset derivatives, Gross asset	1	2
Interest rate cap agreements | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	233	262
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	4	4
Liability derivatives, Gross asset	4	4
Financial futures contracts - Equity and index contracts | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other assets
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Number of contracts	1,117	627
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	1
Asset derivatives, Gross asset	1
Options and warrants | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other investments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount		3
Total asset derivatives, Number of contracts	7,905	10,035
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	163	261
Asset derivatives, Gross asset	163	261
Options and futures | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount		55
Total liability derivatives, Number of contracts	7,905	10,035
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(89)	(165)
Liability derivatives, Gross asset		2
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(89)	(167)
Foreign currency forwards | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other investments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	47	47
Credit default swaps | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Fixed income securities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	12	12
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	(12)	(12)
Asset derivatives, Gross liability	(12)	(12)
Guaranteed accumulation benefits | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Contractholder funds
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	711	738
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(39)	(43)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(39)	(43)
Guaranteed withdrawal benefits | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Contractholder funds
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	493	506
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(12)	(13)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(12)	(13)
Equity-indexed and forward starting options in life and annuity product contracts | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Contractholder funds
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	1,755	1,693
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(264)	(247)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(264)	(247)
Equity-indexed and forward starting options in life and annuity product contracts | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Liabilities held for sale
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	2,239	2,363
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(230)	(246)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(230)	(246)
Other embedded derivative financial instruments | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Contractholder funds
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	85	85
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(4)	(4)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(4)	(4)
Credit default swaps - buying protection | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other investments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	1	1
Credit default swaps - buying protection | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	168	171
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(3)	(2)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	(3)	(2)
Credit default swaps - selling protection | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other investments
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total asset derivatives, Notional amount	85	85
Total asset derivatives, Fair value, net	2	2
Asset derivatives, Gross asset	2	2
Credit default swaps - selling protection | Derivatives not designated as accounting hedging instruments | Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total liability derivatives, Notional amount	100	100
Derivative liabilities net amount on balance sheet	(12)	(15)
Liability derivatives, Gross liability	$ (12)	$ (15)