NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 01, 2009	Jan. 31, 2011	Jan. 14, 2011
A rollforward of noncontrolling interests
Balance, beginning of year				$ 611,000,000					$ 611,000,000
Contributions from noncontrolling interests									17,000,000	33,000,000	80,000,000
Distributions to noncontrolling interests									(147,000,000)	(81,000,000)	(167,000,000)
Consolidation (deconsolidation)									(99,000,000)		(27,000,000)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)	20,000,000	9,000,000	(37,000,000)	3,000,000	(5,000,000)	(40,000,000)	27,000,000	25,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	10,617,000,000				6,360,000,000				10,617,000,000	6,360,000,000
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									(5,000,000)	(16,000,000)	265,000,000
Balance, end of period	374,000,000				611,000,000				374,000,000	611,000,000
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests purchased from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York by AIG and transferred to the Department of the Treasury														20,300,000,000
Reduction in SPV balance due to sale of AIG Star Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (AIG Star), AIG Edison Life Insurance Company (AIG Edison), Nan Shan, and MetLife									147,000,000	81,000,000	167,000,000
International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) | Series A
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Dividend rate setting interval									49 days
International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) | Series B
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Dividend rate setting interval									49 days
Redeemable Noncontrolling interests
A rollforward of noncontrolling interests
Balance, beginning of year				30,000,000				334,000,000	30,000,000	334,000,000	8,523,000,000
Repayment to Department of the Treasury										0	(8,635,000,000)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests									1,000,000	48,000,000	36,000,000
Distributions to noncontrolling interests									0	(167,000,000)	68,000,000
Consolidation (deconsolidation)									(31,000,000)	(169,000,000)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)									0	2,000,000	222,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments									0	(16,000,000)	4,000,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments	0				(2,000,000)				0	(2,000,000)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0				(18,000,000)				0	(18,000,000)	4,000,000
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	(16,000,000)	226,000,000
Other										0	116,000,000
Balance, end of period	0				30,000,000				0	30,000,000	334,000,000
Reduction in SPV balance due to sale of AIG Star Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (AIG Star), AIG Edison Life Insurance Company (AIG Edison), Nan Shan, and MetLife									0	167,000,000	(68,000,000)
Redeemable Noncontrolling interests | Department of the Treasury.
A rollforward of noncontrolling interests
Balance, beginning of year											8,427,000,000
Repayment to Department of the Treasury											(8,635,000,000)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)											208,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests											208,000,000
Redeemable Noncontrolling interests | Other Minority Interests Holder
A rollforward of noncontrolling interests
Balance, beginning of year				30,000,000				334,000,000	30,000,000	334,000,000	96,000,000
Repayment to Department of the Treasury										0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests									1,000,000	48,000,000	36,000,000
Distributions to noncontrolling interests									0	(167,000,000)	68,000,000
Consolidation (deconsolidation)									(31,000,000)	(169,000,000)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)									0	2,000,000	14,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments									0	(16,000,000)	4,000,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments	0				(2,000,000)				0	(2,000,000)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0				(18,000,000)				0	(18,000,000)	4,000,000
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	(16,000,000)	18,000,000
Other										0	116,000,000
Balance, end of period	0				30,000,000				0	30,000,000	334,000,000
Reduction in SPV balance due to sale of AIG Star Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (AIG Star), AIG Edison Life Insurance Company (AIG Edison), Nan Shan, and MetLife									0	167,000,000	(68,000,000)
Non-redeemable Noncontrolling interests
A rollforward of noncontrolling interests
Balance, beginning of year				611,000,000				667,000,000	611,000,000	667,000,000	855,000,000
Contributions from noncontrolling interests									17,000,000	33,000,000	(87,000,000)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests									(147,000,000)	(81,000,000)	(27,000,000)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)									(5,000,000)	5,000,000	40,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments									0	0	5,000,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments	0				(5,000,000)				0	(5,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0				(5,000,000)				0	(5,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									(5,000,000)	0	39,000,000
Other									(3,000,000)	(8,000,000)	(113,000,000)
Balance, end of period	374,000,000				611,000,000				374,000,000	611,000,000	667,000,000
Reduction in SPV balance due to sale of AIG Star Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (AIG Star), AIG Edison Life Insurance Company (AIG Edison), Nan Shan, and MetLife									147,000,000	81,000,000	27,000,000
Non-redeemable Noncontrolling interests | Other Minority Interests Holder
A rollforward of noncontrolling interests
Balance, beginning of year				611,000,000				667,000,000	611,000,000	667,000,000	855,000,000
Contributions from noncontrolling interests									17,000,000	33,000,000	(87,000,000)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests									(147,000,000)	(81,000,000)	(27,000,000)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)									(5,000,000)	5,000,000	40,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments									0	0	5,000,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments	0				(5,000,000)				0	(5,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0				(5,000,000)				0	(5,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests									(5,000,000)	0	39,000,000
Other									(3,000,000)	(8,000,000)	(113,000,000)
Balance, end of period	374,000,000				611,000,000				374,000,000	611,000,000	667,000,000
Reduction in SPV balance due to sale of AIG Star Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (AIG Star), AIG Edison Life Insurance Company (AIG Edison), Nan Shan, and MetLife									147,000,000	81,000,000	27,000,000
Special purpose vehicles (SPVs)
A rollforward of noncontrolling interests
Distributions to noncontrolling interests													(12,400,000,000)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests												(25,000,000,000)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Number of wholly owned businesses transferred to newly created SPVs									2
Number of newly created special purpose vehicles (SPVs)									2
Voting interest held in SPVs (as a percent)									100.00%
Repayment of a portion of the liquidation preference and accrued return of the ALICO SPV													6,100,000,000
Reduction in SPV balance due to sale of AIG Star Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (AIG Star), AIG Edison Life Insurance Company (AIG Edison), Nan Shan, and MetLife													12,400,000,000
Preferred interests liquidation preference	$ 25,000,000,000								$ 25,000,000,000
Preferred return on preferred interests through September 22, 2013 (as a percent)									5.00%
Preferred return on preferred interests after September 22, 2013 (as a percent)									9.00%