Investments - Composition of US and Foreign Corporate Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Communications
Available-for-sale Securities Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$ 983	$ 1,002
Gross Unrealized Capital Gains	201	156
Gross Unrealized Capital Losses	1	0
Fair Value	1,183	1,158
Financial
Available-for-sale Securities Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	2,560	2,650
Gross Unrealized Capital Gains	389	302
Gross Unrealized Capital Losses	7	0
Fair Value	2,942	2,952
Industrial and other companies
Available-for-sale Securities Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	6,956	7,053
Gross Unrealized Capital Gains	896	667
Gross Unrealized Capital Losses	35	11
Fair Value	7,817	7,709
Energy
Available-for-sale Securities Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	1,562	1,675
Gross Unrealized Capital Gains	178	185
Gross Unrealized Capital Losses	41	18
Fair Value	1,699	1,842
Utilities
Available-for-sale Securities Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	2,968	2,913
Gross Unrealized Capital Gains	433	294
Gross Unrealized Capital Losses	2	1
Fair Value	3,399	3,206
Transportation
Available-for-sale Securities Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	852	856
Gross Unrealized Capital Gains	80	78
Gross Unrealized Capital Losses	19	2
Fair Value	913	932
Total
Available-for-sale Securities Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	15,881	16,149
Gross Unrealized Capital Gains	2,177	1,682
Gross Unrealized Capital Losses	105	32
Fair Value	$ 17,953	$ 17,799

Amount, before tax, of unrealized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121645371&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before tax, of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121645371&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121645371&loc=d3e27161-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121558606&loc=SL82898722-210454

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(6))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121558606&loc=SL82898722-210454

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121553693&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121645371&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Available-for-sale Securities, Including Securities Pledged [Line Items]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vriac_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesIncludingSecuritiesPledgedLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	vriac_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=vriac_CommunicationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=vriac_FinancialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=vriac_IndustrialAndOtherCompaniesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=vriac_EnergyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=vriac_UtilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=vriac_TransportationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=vriac_USAndForeignCorporateSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: