FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Details 5) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	$ 2,328,000,000	$ (4,131,000,000)
Issuances	0	0
Transfers into Level 3 at end of reporting period, net gains (losses) not included in realized and unrealized gains and losses related to Level 3 for the period	15,000,000	143,000,000
Transfers out Level 3 at end of reporting period, net gains (losses) not included in realized and unrealized gains and losses related to Level 3 for the period.	44,000,000	92,000,000
Liabilities
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, liabilities	10,000,000	11,000,000
Sales, liabilities	(27,000,000)	(27,000,000)
Settlements, liabilities	(472,000,000)	887,000,000
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, liabilities	(489,000,000)	871,000,000
Policyholder contract deposits
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Sales, liabilities	(26,000,000)	(25,000,000)
Settlements, liabilities	228,000,000	33,000,000
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, liabilities	202,000,000	8,000,000
Derivative liabilities, net
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, liabilities	10,000,000	11,000,000
Sales, liabilities	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Settlements, liabilities	(738,000,000)	612,000,000
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, liabilities	(729,000,000)	621,000,000
Long-term debt
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Settlements, liabilities	38,000,000	242,000,000
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, liabilities	38,000,000	242,000,000
Collateralized Debt Obligations/Asset Backed Securities (CDO/ABS)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Securities purchased through FRBNY's auction of ML III assets		7,100,000,000
Assets
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	10,813,000,000	13,904,000,000
Sales, assets	(1,041,000,000)	(1,670,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(7,444,000,000)	(16,365,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	2,328,000,000	(4,131,000,000)
Bonds available for sale
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	9,146,000,000	5,330,000,000
Sales, assets	(865,000,000)	(1,342,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(3,912,000,000)	(3,549,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	4,369,000,000	439,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Obligations of states, municipalities and political subdivisions
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	541,000,000	477,000,000
Sales, assets	(138,000,000)	(219,000,000)
Settlements, assets		(174,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	403,000,000	84,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Non-U.S. government
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	9,000,000	5,000,000
Sales, assets		(3,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(6,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	3,000,000	1,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Corporate debt
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	487,000,000	283,000,000
Sales, assets	(114,000,000)	(75,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(549,000,000)	(184,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	(176,000,000)	24,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	4,424,000,000	2,308,000,000
Sales, assets	(266,000,000)	(723,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(2,340,000,000)	(1,901,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	1,818,000,000	(316,000,000)
Bonds available for sale | Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	1,023,000,000	1,137,000,000
Sales, assets	(188,000,000)	(318,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(460,000,000)	(183,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	375,000,000	636,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Collateralized Debt Obligations/Asset Backed Securities (CDO/ABS)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	2,662,000,000	1,120,000,000
Sales, assets	(159,000,000)	(4,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(557,000,000)	(1,106,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	1,946,000,000	10,000,000
Other bond securities
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	727,000,000	7,607,000,000
Sales, assets	(155,000,000)	(172,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(2,608,000,000)	(11,678,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	(2,036,000,000)	(4,243,000,000)
Other bond securities | Corporate debt
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Settlements, assets		(7,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets		(7,000,000)
Other bond securities | Residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	350,000,000
Sales, assets	(12,000,000)	(45,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(130,000,000)	(64,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	208,000,000	(109,000,000)
Other bond securities | Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	24,000,000	225,000,000
Sales, assets	(71,000,000)	(106,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(153,000,000)	(278,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	(200,000,000)	(159,000,000)
Other bond securities | Collateralized Debt Obligations/Asset Backed Securities (CDO/ABS)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	353,000,000	7,382,000,000
Sales, assets	(72,000,000)	(21,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(2,325,000,000)	(11,329,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	(2,044,000,000)	(3,968,000,000)
Equity securities
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	58,000,000	67,000,000
Sales, assets	(12,000,000)	(56,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(115,000,000)	(80,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	(69,000,000)	(69,000,000)
Mortgage and other loans receivable, net of allowance
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Settlements, assets		(1,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets		(1,000,000)
Other invested assets
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation
Purchases, assets	882,000,000	900,000,000
Sales, assets	(9,000,000)	(100,000,000)
Settlements, assets	(809,000,000)	(1,057,000,000)
Purchases, Sales, Issues and Settlements, Net, assets	$ 64,000,000	$ (257,000,000)