CONTINGENCIES, COMMITMENTS AND GUARANTEES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Nov. 29, 2012 Chartis U.S. item	Apr. 08, 2013 CFPB Subsequent event	Sep. 30, 2012 Consolidated 2008 Securities Litigation defendant complaint	Mar. 31, 2013 Consolidated 2008 Securities Litigation	Mar. 20, 2009 Consolidated 2008 Securities Litigation complaint	Mar. 19, 2009 ERISA Litigation II complaint	Mar. 31, 2013 Canadian Securities Class Action claim	Mar. 22, 2013 Starr International Litigation class	Mar. 31, 2013 Starr International Litigation	Mar. 31, 2013 Brookfield litigation related to AIGFP	Mar. 31, 2013 Fitzpatrick matter	Mar. 31, 2013 False Claims Act complaint multiple	Feb. 25, 2010 False Claims Act complaint individual	Jun. 30, 2012 2006 Regulatory Settlements	Feb. 28, 2006 2006 Regulatory Settlements	Mar. 31, 2013 2006 Regulatory Settlements	Mar. 31, 2012 2006 Regulatory Settlements	Dec. 17, 2010 2006 Regulatory Settlements	Jan. 31, 2012 Consolidated 2004 Securities Litigation	Jul. 31, 2010 Consolidated 2004 Securities Litigation	Mar. 31, 2013 Consolidated 2004 Securities Litigation fund individual shareholder Objector	Mar. 31, 2013 Consolidated 2004 Securities Litigation Minimum	Mar. 31, 2013 The Multi-District Litigation class conspiracy case action complaint defendant state	May 20, 2011 The Multi-District Litigation	Mar. 31, 2013 The Heritage Corp. of South Florida v. National Union Fire Ins. Co. item	Feb. 29, 2012 Workers' compensation Premium Reporting plaintiff	May 31, 2007 Workers' compensation Premium Reporting	Mar. 31, 2013 Workers' compensation Premium Reporting	Mar. 31, 2013 Caremark complaint	Sep. 30, 2012 Use of SSDMF
LITIGATION, INVESTIGATIONS AND REGULATORY MATTERS
Increase (decrease) in estimated litigation liability	$ 1,300,000
Number of purported class action complaints				4		8	8																							2
Notice period for purported class action complaints consolidated					30 days
Damages claimed								500,000,000																						3,200,000,000
Punitive damages claimed								50,000,000
Percentage of ownership in AIG received by Department of the Treasury										80.00%
Maximum contractual loss											1,500,000,000
Damages claimed, amount currently due												196,000,000
Damages claimed, potential future amounts												78,000,000
Range of loss, minimum												0
Range of loss, maximum												274,000,000
Number of individuals (Relators) seeking to assert claims														2
Damages sought, multiple of damages sustained													3
Payments made or placed in escrow accounts initial amount																1,640,000,000
Portion of payments which represented fines and penalties																225,000,000
Deposits into fund under the supervision of the SEC, subsequently disbursed																800,000,000
Workers Compensation Fund escrow, included in Other Assets																	450,000,000	597,000,000	338,000,000
Payment released workers compensation escrow accounts in satisfaction of fines, penalties and premium tax obligations															147,000,000
Settlement amount total																					725,000,000			37,000,000
Number of objectors to class action suit settlement																						2
Number of shareholders who have submitted timely and valid requests to opt out of the class																						25
Shareholders maximum ownership percentage who have requested to opt out of the class																						1.50%
Number of investment funds controlled by the same investment group who have submitted timely and valid requests to opt out of the class																						7
Shares held by investment group who have submitted timely and valid requests to opt out of the class																							1,000
Amount paid under the terms of the separate settlement agreement with Florida																				4,000,000
Number of objectors appealing the final approval of the settlement																						2
Minimum number of conspiracies alleged																								1
Number of separate derivative actions filed																								24
Number of parallel actions																								2
Number of defendants who have settled																								3
Number of states asserted antitrust law violations																								48
Number of purported classes									2															2
Accrued loss contingency																									7,000,000
Number of consolidated actions																										2
Damages sought, in excess																										75,000	3,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Number of cases that have proceeded																								4
Number of intervening plaintiffs																											7
Settlement agreement, escrow																													450,000,000
Settlement agreement, amount which can be paid out of the remaining balance in Workers Compensation Fund																													191,000,000
Payments for regulatory assessment																															11,000,000
Settlement agreement, number of jurisdictions		50
Civil penalty paid		$ 50,000,000	$ 4,500,000
Number of named defendants				8