DIVESTED BUSINESSES, HELD-FOR-SALE CLASSIFICATION AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 09, 2012 International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC)	Dec. 31, 2012 International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC)	Dec. 31, 2012 Discontinued operations	Dec. 31, 2011 Discontinued operations	Dec. 31, 2010 Discontinued operations	Aug. 18, 2011 Nan Shan	Jan. 12, 2011 Nan Shan	Dec. 31, 2011 Nan Shan	Feb. 28, 2011 Star/Edison Sale	Sep. 30, 2010 Star/Edison Sale	Dec. 31, 2010 Star/Edison Sale	Nov. 30, 2010 AGF	Aug. 10, 2010 AGF	Dec. 31, 2010 AGF	Dec. 31, 2012 AGF	Dec. 31, 2010 ALICO	Nov. 01, 2010 ALICO MetLife Inc. (MetLife) ALICO SPV	Nov. 01, 2010 ALICO MetLife Inc. (MetLife) ALICO SPV Common Stock	Nov. 01, 2010 ALICO MetLife Inc. (MetLife) ALICO SPV Participating convertible preferred stock	Nov. 01, 2010 ALICO MetLife Inc. (MetLife) ALICO SPV Equity Units	Jan. 31, 2011 ALICO MetLife Inc. (MetLife) ALICO SPV Equity Units	Mar. 07, 2010 ALICO and Delaware American Life Insurance Company MetLife Inc. (MetLife) Definitive agreement	Nov. 01, 2010 ALICO and Delaware American Life Insurance Company MetLife Inc. (MetLife) Closing	Dec. 31, 2010 ALICO and Delaware American Life Insurance Company MetLife Inc. (MetLife) Closing	Dec. 31, 2012 Assets held-for-sale
Assets:
Equity securities	$ 3,212,000,000				$ 3,624,000,000				$ 3,212,000,000	$ 3,624,000,000																											$ 1,000,000
Mortgage and other loans receivable, net																																					117,000,000
Flight equipment primarily under operating leases, net of accumulated depreciation					35,539,000,000					35,539,000,000																											34,468,000,000
Short-term investments	28,808,000,000				22,572,000,000				28,808,000,000	22,572,000,000																											1,861,000,000
Cash	1,151,000,000				1,474,000,000				1,151,000,000	1,474,000,000	1,558,000,000	4,400,000,000																									63,000,000
Premiums and other receivables, net of allowance	13,989,000,000				14,721,000,000				13,989,000,000	14,721,000,000																											308,000,000
Other assets	10,399,000,000				11,663,000,000				10,399,000,000	11,663,000,000																											1,864,000,000
Assets of businesses held for sale																																					38,682,000,000
Less: Loss Accrual																																					(6,717,000,000)
Total assets held for sale	31,965,000,000								31,965,000,000																												31,965,000,000
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	32,114,000,000				28,248,000,000				32,114,000,000	28,248,000,000																											3,043,000,000
Other long-term debt	48,500,000,000				75,253,000,000				48,500,000,000	75,253,000,000																											24,323,000,000
Total liabilities held for sale	27,366,000,000								27,366,000,000																												27,366,000,000
Percentage of common stock agreed to be sold													80.10%
Additional percentage of common stock under purchase option													9.90%
Additional consideration for common stock under purchase option													522,500,000
Period for exercising option to purchase additional common stock													10 days
Percentage of ownership interest retained													19.90%
Percentage of ownership interest retained on exercise of purchase option													10.00%
Percentage of reduction in ownership interest													1.00%
Economic interest (as a percent)																									80.00%
Voting interest (as a percent)																			97.57%						84.00%
Consideration in cash													4,200,000,000					2,150,000,000			4,800,000,000				125,000,000				7,200,000,000					6,800,000,000
Pre-tax gain (loss) reflected in Income (loss) from discontinued operations in the Income Statement															(6,733,000,000)	2,338,000,000	5,389,000,000			(1,000,000,000)	3,500,000,000					(1,700,000,000)		7,900,000,000
Amount of debt assumed by purchaser as part of total consideration received																					600,000,000
Goodwill impairment charge														23,000,000								1,300,000,000	1,300,000,000					3,300,000,000
Voting interest after sale (as a percent)																								16.00%
Carrying value shown as a cost method investment in Other invested assets																											30,000,000
Retained economic interest after sale (as a percent)																										20.00%
Aggregate stated value of consideration																																3,200,000,000		15,500,000,000	16,200,000,000
Common and preferred stock trading, at fair value	25,246,000,000				24,489,000,000				25,246,000,000	24,489,000,000																										6,500,000,000
Upward price adjustment in proceeds																													400,000,000
Number of shares received																														78,239,712	6,857,000	40,000,000
Number of shares receivable on participating convertible preferred stock on conversion																															68,570,000
Repayment of a portion of the liquidation preference and accrued return of the ALICO SPV																																	6,100,000,000
Revenues:
Premiums									38,011,000,000	38,990,000,000	45,319,000,000					5,012,000,000	18,296,000,000
Net investment income									20,343,000,000	14,755,000,000	20,934,000,000					1,632,000,000	6,924,000,000
Net realized capital gains (losses)									929,000,000	701,000,000	(716,000,000)				1,000,000	834,000,000	158,000,000
Aircraft leasing revenue															4,504,000,000	4,508,000,000	4,749,000,000
Other income									3,582,000,000	2,661,000,000	4,582,000,000				(18,000,000)	(48,000,000)	1,697,000,000
Total revenues	15,854,000,000	16,505,000,000	16,006,000,000	17,291,000,000	16,376,000,000	11,606,000,000	15,547,000,000	16,283,000,000	65,656,000,000	59,812,000,000	72,829,000,000				4,487,000,000	11,938,000,000	31,824,000,000
Benefits, claims and expenses, excluding Aircraft leasing expenses															1,596,000,000	7,910,000,000	30,458,000,000
Aircraft leasing expenses															2,587,000,000	3,876,000,000	4,050,000,000
Interest expense allocation									2,319,000,000	2,444,000,000	6,742,000,000					2,000,000	75,000,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations															304,000,000	150,000,000	(2,759,000,000)
Gain (loss) on sale															(6,733,000,000)	2,338,000,000	5,389,000,000			(1,000,000,000)	3,500,000,000					(1,700,000,000)		7,900,000,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, before tax expense (benefit)									(6,429,000,000)	2,488,000,000	2,630,000,000				(6,429,000,000)	2,488,000,000	2,630,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)									(2,377,000,000)	698,000,000	3,599,000,000				(2,377,000,000)	698,000,000	3,599,000,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income tax	(4,332,000,000)	37,000,000	179,000,000	64,000,000	94,000,000	(1,052,000,000)	41,000,000	2,707,000,000	(4,052,000,000)	1,790,000,000	(969,000,000)			4,400,000,000	(4,052,000,000)	1,790,000,000	(969,000,000)
Amount to be returned by the entity at the closing of the transaction in connection with the termination of intercompany arrangements														$ 1,100,000,000