VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets:
Trading securities	$ 24,481,000,000	$ 24,364,000,000
Mortgage and other loans receivable	19,519,000,000	19,489,000,000
Other invested assets	37,209,000,000	40,744,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	76,096,000,000	75,253,000,000
Real estate and investment funds
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Off-balance sheet exposure associated with VIEs	300,000,000	400,000,000
Consolidated VIE
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Off-balance sheet exposure associated with VIEs	100,000,000	100,000,000
VIE Assets	10,800,000,000	22,800,000,000
VIE Liabilities	2,000,000,000	2,600,000,000
Assets:
Available for sale securities	500,000,000	400,000,000
Trading securities	1,000,000,000	1,300,000,000
Mortgage and other loans receivable	500,000,000	500,000,000
Other invested assets	4,900,000,000	17,200,000,000
Other asset accounts	3,900,000,000	3,400,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	1,100,000,000	1,700,000,000
Other liability accounts	900,000,000	900,000,000
Consolidated VIE | AIA/ALICO SPVs
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
VIE Assets	1,800,000,000	14,200,000,000
VIE Liabilities	100,000,000	100,000,000
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	1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000
VIE Liabilities	400,000,000	400,000,000
Consolidated VIE | Commercial paper conduit
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
VIE Assets	200,000,000	500,000,000
VIE Liabilities		200,000,000
Consolidated VIE | Affordable housing partnerships
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
VIE Assets	2,500,000,000	2,500,000,000
VIE Liabilities	200,000,000	100,000,000
Consolidated VIE | Other
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
VIE Assets	4,800,000,000	4,100,000,000
VIE Liabilities	1,300,000,000	1,800,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Total VIE Assets	38,700,000,000	47,500,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	9,500,000,000	9,700,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, Off-Balance Sheet	200,000,000	300,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	9,700,000,000	10,000,000,000
Assets:
Trading securities	7,000,000,000	7,100,000,000
Other invested assets	2,500,000,000	2,600,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE assets in balance sheet	9,500,000,000	9,700,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	0
Other liability accounts	0
Unconsolidated VIE liabilities in balance sheet	0
Unconsolidated VIE | Real estate and investment funds
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Total VIE Assets	17,200,000,000	18,300,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	2,000,000,000	2,100,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, Off-Balance Sheet	200,000,000	300,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	2,200,000,000	2,400,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | Affordable housing partnerships
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Total VIE Assets	500,000,000	600,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	500,000,000	600,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	500,000,000	600,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | Maiden Lane II and III interests
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Total VIE Assets	20,000,000,000	27,100,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	6,900,000,000	7,000,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	6,900,000,000	7,000,000,000
Unconsolidated VIE | Other
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Total VIE Assets	1,000,000,000	1,500,000,000
Maximum Exposure to Loss, On-Balance Sheet	100,000,000
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 100,000,000