Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets:
Trading securities	$ 26,968,000,000	$ 26,182,000,000
Mortgage and other loans receivable	19,253,000,000	20,237,000,000
Other invested assets	43,763,000,000	42,210,000,000
Assets held for sale	61,593,000,000	107,453,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	79,461,000,000	85,476,000,000
Consolidated VIE
Variable Interest Entity
Off-balance sheet exposure associated with VIEs	100,000,000	100,000,000
VIE Assets	26,600,000,000	60,900,000,000
VIE Liabilities	4,000,000,000	4,800,000,000
Assets:
Available for sale securities	500,000,000	3,300,000,000
Trading securities	1,700,000,000	8,100,000,000
Mortgage and other loans receivable	1,000,000,000	700,000,000
Other invested assets	19,500,000,000	18,300,000,000
Other asset accounts	3,900,000,000	30,100,000,000
Assets held for sale		400,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	2,200,000,000	2,600,000,000
Other liability accounts	1,800,000,000	2,200,000,000
Consolidated VIE | AIA/ALICO SPVs.
Variable Interest Entity
VIE Assets	16,800,000,000	48,600,000,000
VIE Liabilities	500,000,000	900,000,000
Consolidated VIE | Real estate and investment funds
Variable Interest Entity
Off-balance sheet exposure associated with VIEs	100,000,000	100,000,000
VIE Assets	2,100,000,000	3,800,000,000
VIE Liabilities	900,000,000	1,200,000,000
Consolidated VIE | Commercial paper conduit
Variable Interest Entity
VIE Assets	600,000,000	500,000,000
VIE Liabilities	300,000,000	200,000,000
Consolidated VIE | Affordable housing partnerships
Variable Interest Entity
VIE Assets	2,700,000,000	2,900,000,000
VIE Liabilities	400,000,000	400,000,000
Consolidated VIE | Other
Variable Interest Entity
VIE Assets	4,400,000,000	4,700,000,000
VIE Liabilities	1,900,000,000	2,100,000,000
Consolidated VIE | VIEs of businesses held for sale
Variable Interest Entity
VIE Assets		400,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE
Variable Interest Entity
Total VIE Assets	54,600,000,000	62,800,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	10,900,000,000	11,200,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, Off-Balance Sheet	300,000,000	900,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	11,200,000,000	12,100,000,000
Assets:
Trading securities	7,800,000,000	7,700,000,000
Other invested assets	2,900,000,000	3,100,000,000
Other asset accounts		100,000,000
Assets held for sale	200,000,000	300,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE assets in balance sheet	10,900,000,000	11,200,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | Real estate and investment funds
Variable Interest Entity
Total VIE Assets	18,600,000,000	18,500,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	2,300,000,000	2,500,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, Off-Balance Sheet	300,000,000	300,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	2,600,000,000	2,800,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | Affordable housing partnerships
Variable Interest Entity
Total VIE Assets	600,000,000	600,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	600,000,000	600,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	600,000,000	600,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | Maiden Lane Interests
Variable Interest Entity
Total VIE Assets	33,400,000,000	40,100,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	7,700,000,000	7,600,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	7,700,000,000	7,600,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | Other
Variable Interest Entity
Total VIE Assets	1,800,000,000	1,600,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	100,000,000	100,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, Off-Balance Sheet		500,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	100,000,000	600,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | VIEs of businesses held for sale
Variable Interest Entity
Total VIE Assets	200,000,000	2,000,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	200,000,000	400,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, Off-Balance Sheet		100,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	200,000,000	500,000,000
Real estate and investment funds
Variable Interest Entity
Off-balance sheet exposure associated with VIEs	$ 400,000,000	$ 1,000,000,000