INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH OUTSTANDING DEBT (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets:
Short-term investments	$ 22,557,000,000	$ 22,572,000,000
Other investments	387,558,000,000	387,866,000,000
Total investments	410,115,000,000	410,438,000,000
Cash	1,608,000,000	1,474,000,000	1,542,000,000	1,558,000,000
Debt issuance costs	468,000,000	493,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	138,532,000,000	139,955,000,000
Total assets	550,723,000,000	552,360,000,000
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	281,443,000,000	282,516,000,000
Other long-term debt	73,748,000,000	75,253,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	92,959,000,000	83,675,000,000
Total liabilities	448,150,000,000	441,444,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 11):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury		8,427,000,000
Other	159,000,000	96,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	159,000,000	8,523,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	101,666,000,000	101,538,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	748,000,000	855,000,000
Total equity	102,414,000,000	102,393,000,000	81,682,000,000	113,239,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	550,723,000,000	552,360,000,000
AIG (As Guarantor)
Assets:
Short-term investments	9,056,000,000	12,868,000,000
Other investments	12,418,000,000	6,599,000,000
Total investments	21,474,000,000	19,467,000,000
Cash	125,000,000	176,000,000	165,000,000	49,000,000
Loans to subsidiaries	38,402,000,000	39,971,000,000
Debt issuance costs	189,000,000	196,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	70,499,000,000	80,990,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	25,947,000,000	24,595,000,000
Total assets	156,636,000,000	165,395,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	36,626,000,000	35,906,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	17,256,000,000	15,635,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	1,088,000,000	12,316,000,000
Total liabilities	54,970,000,000	63,857,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 11):
Total AIG shareholders' equity	101,666,000,000	101,538,000,000
Total equity	101,666,000,000	101,538,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	156,636,000,000	165,395,000,000
Intercompany tax payable	10,000,000,000	9,800,000,000
Intercompany derivative liabilities	875,000,000	901,000,000
SAFG, Inc.
Assets:
Cash		13,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	43,235,000,000	32,361,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	257,000,000	2,704,000,000
Total assets	43,492,000,000	35,078,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	1,638,000,000	1,638,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	837,000,000	2,402,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	851,000,000	249,000,000
Total liabilities	3,326,000,000	4,289,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 11):
Total AIG shareholders' equity	40,166,000,000	30,789,000,000
Total equity	40,166,000,000	30,789,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	43,492,000,000	35,078,000,000
Intercompany tax receivable	205,000,000	128,000,000
Other Subsidiaries
Assets:
Short-term investments	15,611,000,000	14,110,000,000
Other investments	374,641,000,000	481,525,000,000
Total investments	390,252,000,000	495,635,000,000
Cash	1,483,000,000	1,285,000,000
Loans to subsidiaries	(33,862,000,000)	(39,971,000,000)
Debt issuance costs	279,000,000	297,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(31,570,000,000)	(11,463,000,000)
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	120,087,000,000	117,231,000,000
Total assets	446,669,000,000	563,014,000,000
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	281,731,000,000	282,790,000,000
Other long-term debt	34,982,000,000	138,240,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	84,586,000,000	75,132,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	2,727,000,000	(12,565,000,000)
Total liabilities	404,026,000,000	483,597,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 11):
Other	51,000,000	29,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	51,000,000	29,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	42,228,000,000	78,996,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	364,000,000	392,000,000
Total equity	42,592,000,000	79,388,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	446,669,000,000	563,014,000,000
Reclassifications and Eliminations
Assets:
Short-term investments	(2,110,000,000)	(4,406,000,000)
Other investments	499,000,000	(100,258,000,000)
Total investments	(1,611,000,000)	(104,664,000,000)
Loans to subsidiaries	(4,540,000,000)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(82,164,000,000)	(101,888,000,000)
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	(7,759,000,000)	(4,575,000,000)
Total assets	(96,074,000,000)	(211,127,000,000)
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	(288,000,000)	(274,000,000)
Other long-term debt	502,000,000	(100,531,000,000)
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	(9,720,000,000)	(9,494,000,000)
Loans from subsidiaries	(4,666,000,000)
Total liabilities	(14,172,000,000)	(110,299,000,000)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 11):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury		8,427,000,000
Other	108,000,000	67,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	108,000,000	8,494,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	(82,394,000,000)	(109,785,000,000)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	384,000,000	463,000,000
Total equity	(82,010,000,000)	(109,322,000,000)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (96,074,000,000)	$ (211,127,000,000)