Discontinued Operations and Business Dispositions Level 4 (Details) - USD ($)		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 02, 2013	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Loans, Gross, Insurance Policy		$ 1,446,000,000	$ 1,430,000,000
Equity securities, AFS		459,000,000	514,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Securities		24,657,000,000	25,436,000,000
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Net		2,918,000,000	3,109,000,000
Revenue
Premiums Earned, Net		92,000,000	32,000,000	$ 184,000,000
Net Investment Income		1,456,000,000	1,543,000,000	1,683,000,000
Realized Investment Gains (Losses)		(146,000,000)	577,000,000	326,000,000
Benefits, losses and expenses
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Net		1,402,000,000	1,460,000,000	1,758,000,000
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Present Value of Future Profits, Amortization		69,000,000	206,000,000	228,000,000
Discontinued Operation, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operation During Phase-out Period, Net of Tax				10,000,000
Net realized capital losses on disposal, net of tax				(51,000,000)
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal		28,000,000	23,000,000	(1,491,000,000)
Separate Accounts, Liability		120,111,000,000	134,689,000,000
Retirement Plans and Individual Life Businesses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Available for sale securities, Fair Value	$ 15,015,000,000
Hartford Life International Limited [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Consideration				285
Benefits, losses and expenses
Net realized capital losses on disposal, net of tax				0
Retirement Plans [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Fees and Commissions				0
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal				0
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit				0
Policyholder Funds	9,200,000,000
Separate Accounts, Liability	26,300,000,000
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Assets	100
Individual Life [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Assets supporting the modified coinsurance agreement, not transferred to prudential	1,400,000,000
Benefits, losses and expenses
Goodwill impairment					$ 0
Fees and Commissions	0			0
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal				0
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	0
Policyholder Funds				8,300,000,000
Separate Accounts, Liability				5,300,000,000
Gain (Loss) on Investments				0
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Liabilities	1,900,000,000
Retirement [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Loans, Gross, Insurance Policy	542,000,000
Equity securities, AFS	28,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Securities	16,000,000
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Net	1,288,000,000
Benefits, losses and expenses
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets	16,889,000,000
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Member] | Retirement Plans [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal				0
Reinsurance Loss on Dispositions [Member] | Retirement Plans [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal				0
Net Income Impact [Member] | Retirement Plans [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal				0
Reinsurance Loss on Dispositions [Member] | Individual Life [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal				0
Prudential [Member] | Individual Life [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets	7,600,000,000
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Assets	1,800,000,000
Mass Mutual [Member] | Retirement Plans [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets	9,300,000,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Available for sale securities, Fair Value	14,400,000,000
Equity securities, AFS		25,000,000	55,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Securities		22,909,000,000	23,339,000,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Available for sale securities, Fair Value	$ 0
Equity securities, AFS		38,000,000	48,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Securities		$ 1,625,000,000	$ 2,025,000,000
Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale [Member]
Revenue
Premiums Earned, Net				(23,000,000)
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Income				14,000,000
Net Investment Income				136,000,000
Realized Investment Gains (Losses)				(14,000,000)
Total revenues				113,000,000
Benefits, losses and expenses
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Net				2,000,000
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Present Value of Future Profits, Amortization				0
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Expense				(33,000,000)
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Operating Expense				108,000,000
Income before income taxes				5,000,000
Discontinued Operation, Tax Effect of Discontinued Operation				(5,000,000)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax				(41,000,000)
Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale [Member] | International Annuity [Member]
Benefits, losses and expenses
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Net				139,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities [Member] | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale [Member]
Revenue
Net Investment Income				(3,000,000)
Equity Securities [Member] | Trading Securities [Member] | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale [Member]
Revenue
Net Investment Income				$ 139,000,000