Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 22,507	$ 23,559
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	0	54
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	142	471
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities	152	459
Cash	$ 0	$ 12
Other liabilities (includes variable interest entity liabilities of $0 and $12)	1,000	1,000
Common stock: shares authorized	1,000	1,000
Common stock: shares issued	1,000	1,000
Common stock: shares outstanding	$ 5,690	$ 5,690
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 0	$ 1
Equity Securities [Member]
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		178
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities		178
Fixed Maturities [Member]
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	0	49
Equity Securities [Member]
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		293
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities	0	281
Short-term Investments [Member]
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	0	2
Commercial Loan [Member]
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate	19	19
Cash [Member]
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	$ 0	$ 0

The reserve to cover probable credit losses related to specifically identified fixed maturity real estate loans as well as probable credit losses inherent in the remainder of that loan portfolio.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6873192&loc=d3e21338-158488

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the cost of debt securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments including accretion, amortization, collection of cash, previous other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27161-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the cost of equity securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments for other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor as trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65884222&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 320
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957658&loc=d3e62557-112803

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquitySecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face amount or stated value per share of common stock.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The maximum number of common shares permitted to be issued by an entity's charter and bylaws.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total number of common shares of an entity that have been sold or granted to shareholders (includes common shares that were issued, repurchased and remain in the treasury). These shares represent capital invested by the firm's shareholders and owners, and may be all or only a portion of the number of shares authorized. Shares issued include shares outstanding and shares held in the treasury.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of shares of common stock outstanding. Common stock represent the ownership interest in a corporation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CondensedBalanceSheetStatementsCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying amount of the consolidated Variable Interest Entity's assets included in the reporting entity's statement of financial position.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (bb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64801991&loc=d3e5710-111685

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying amount of the consolidated Variable Interest Entity's liabilities included in the reporting entity's statement of financial position.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_ShortTermInvestmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis=us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_CashMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: