FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES - LEVEL 3 UNOBSERVABLE INPUT RECONCILIATION (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Settlements			$ 0
Transfers into level 3			65,000,000	$ 13,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3			(28,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Level 3 | Corporate
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	$ 1,229,000,000	$ 1,014,000,000	1,139,000,000	845,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	3,000,000	3,000,000	5,000,000	4,000,000
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	3,000,000	3,000,000	5,000,000	4,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	6,000,000	(51,000,000)	(14,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Purchases	27,000,000	169,000,000	200,000,000	322,000,000
Sales	(99,000,000)	(39,000,000)	(215,000,000)	105,000,000
Settlements	0		0
Transfers into level 3	(2,000,000)	6,000,000	65,000,000	13,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3	(12,000,000)	(34,000,000)	28,000,000	5,000,000
Closing Balance	1,152,000,000	1,068,000,000	1,152,000,000	1,068,000,000
Level 3 | State and Political Sub- divisions
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	39,000,000	42,000,000	40,000,000	42,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	(1,000,000)	0
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	(1,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)	0
Settlements	0		0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	38,000,000	42,000,000	38,000,000	42,000,000
Level 3 | Commercial Mortgage- backed
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	0	324,000,000	0	349,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
Investment gains (losses), net	0	(9,000,000)	0	(20,000,000)
Subtotal	0	(8,000,000)	0	(19,000,000)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	7,000,000	0	19,000,000
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	(33,000,000)	0	59,000,000
Settlements	0		0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	0	290,000,000	0	290,000,000
Level 3 | Asset- backed
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	7,000,000	31,000,000	8,000,000	24,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	15,000,000	0	15,000,000
Subtotal	0	15,000,000	0	15,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,000,000)	(11,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Purchases	533,000,000	0	533,000,000	0
Sales	(1,000,000)	(18,000,000)	(2,000,000)	19,000,000
Settlements	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	(5,000,000)	0	1,000,000
Closing Balance	538,000,000	12,000,000	538,000,000	12,000,000
Level 3 | Redeemable Preferred Stock
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	0	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	0	0	0
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	0	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
Level 3 | Other Equity Investments
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	38,000,000	55,000,000	28,000,000	51,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	(1,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	(1,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	2,000,000	0	6,000,000	4,000,000
Sales	(2,000,000)	0	(2,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	(3,000,000)	(7,000,000)	(2,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Transfers into level 3	0	0	5,000,000	1,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3	(5,000,000)	0	(5,000,000)	0
Closing Balance	29,000,000	48,000,000	29,000,000	48,000,000
Level 3 | GMIB Reinsurance Asset
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	9,673,000,000	9,797,000,000	10,488,000,000	10,314,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	(382,000,000)	1,426,000,000	(1,224,000,000)	893,000,000
Subtotal	(382,000,000)	1,426,000,000	(1,224,000,000)	893,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	18,000,000	73,000,000	72,000,000	110,000,000
Sales	(21,000,000)	(36,000,000)	(48,000,000)	(57,000,000)
Settlements	(7,463,000,000)	0	(7,463,000,000)	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	1,825,000,000	11,260,000,000	1,825,000,000	11,260,000,000
Level 3 | Separate Accounts Assets
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	357,000,000	325,000,000	349,000,000	313,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0		18,000,000
Investment gains (losses), net	7,000,000	8,000,000	14,000,000	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	7,000,000	8,000,000	14,000,000	18,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	(1,000,000)	2,000,000	2,000,000	6,000,000
Sales	0	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Settlements	(2,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(3,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	361,000,000	333,000,000	361,000,000	333,000,000
Level 3 | GMxB Derivative Features Liability
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	(3,804,000,000)	(4,906,000,000)	(4,164,000,000)	(5,319,000,000)
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	407,000,000	231,000,000	847,000,000	721,000,000
Subtotal	407,000,000	231,000,000	847,000,000	721,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	(104,000,000)	(80,000,000)	(186,000,000)	(158,000,000)
Sales	1,000,000	0	3,000,000	1,000,000
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	(3,500,000,000)	(4,755,000,000)	(3,500,000,000)	(4,755,000,000)
Level 3 | Contingent Payment Arrangement
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	(11,000,000)	(17,000,000)	(11,000,000)	(18,000,000)
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	0	0	0
Settlements	0	0	0	1,000,000
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	$ (11,000,000)	$ (17,000,000)	$ (11,000,000)	$ (17,000,000)