Estimated fair value of invested assets transferred from affiliates.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Cash includes currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. It also includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits in that the customer may deposit additional funds at any time and effectively may withdraw funds at any time without prior notice or penalty. Cash equivalents, excluding items classified as marketable securities, include short-term, highly liquid Investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash, and so near their maturity that they present minimal risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify under that definition. Original maturity means original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months. Short-term investments, exclusive of cash equivalents, generally consist of marketable securities intended to be sold within one year (or the normal operating cycle if longer) and may include trading securities, available-for-sale securities, or held-to-maturity securities (if maturing within one year), as applicable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash Equivalents
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Reflects the sum of all other revenue and income realized from sales and other transactions (excluding transactions that are eliminated in consolidated or combined financial statements) with related party during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of selling, general and administrative expenses resulting from transactions, excluding transactions that are eliminated in consolidated or combined financial statements, with related party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Reflects, by transferred financial asset type, the amount of sales proceeds in excess of or deficient from the sum of the carrying amounts of transferred financial assets plus transaction costs, including those transactions in which the seller/transferor has continuing involvement with the financial assets that have been transferred.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64830801&loc=d3e107207-111719

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 10
-Section 40
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65892426&loc=d3e96813-111708

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Investments (Related Party Investment Transactions - Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Apr. 01, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015	Nov. 30, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party net investment income	$ 31	$ 16
Related party investment administrative services	85	68	$ 62
Commercial
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party net investment income		8	34
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Assets Transferred From Affiliates, Estimated Fair Value	5,428	928	132
Securitization or Asset-backed Financing Arrangement, Financial Asset for which Transfer is Accounted as Sale, Gain (Loss) on Sale	$ 27	16	79
Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Commercial
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Carrying value of related party loans			242
Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Other invested assets [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party net investment income			13
Related Party Loan One [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Commercial
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Carrying value of related party loans					$ 132
Related Party Loan Two [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Commercial
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Carrying value of related party loans						$ 120
Related Party Loan Three [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Commercial
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Carrying value of related party loans		$ 110
MetLife Investors USA Insurance Company [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Assets Transferred From Affiliates, Estimated Fair Value			520
Securitization or Asset-backed Financing Arrangement, Financial Asset for which Transfer is Accounted as Sale, Gain (Loss) on Sale			$ 45
Recapture MLUS [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments				$ 4,300
Contract Termination [Member] \| Recapture MLIC [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments				$ 4,300