Information provided in connection with outstanding debt of subsidiaries (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments	$ 60,928		$ 60,264
Cash	579		615		614	[1]	772
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable	5,026		4,147
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses	11,227		12,078
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits	218		241
Value of business acquired	536		614
Goodwill and other intangible assets	5,404		4,975
Investments in subsidiaries
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Other assets	10,592		9,611
Total assets	94,510		92,545
Unpaid losses and loss expenses	37,443		37,946		37,477		37,391
Unearned premiums	7,539		6,864
Future policy benefits	4,615		4,470
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Bank Overdrafts			0
Short-term debt	1,901		1,401
Long-term debt	3,807		3,360
Trust preferred securities	309		309
Other liabilities	10,071		10,664
Total liabilities	65,685		65,014
Total shareholders' equity	28,825		27,531		24,332
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	94,510		92,545
Scenario, Previously Reported
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments			60,264
Cash			615		614	[1],[2]	772	[2]
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable			4,147
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses			12,078
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits			241
Value of business acquired			614
Goodwill and other intangible assets			4,975
Investments in subsidiaries
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Other assets			9,611
Total assets			92,545
Unpaid losses and loss expenses			37,946
Unearned premiums			6,864
Future policy benefits			4,470
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Short-term debt			1,401
Long-term debt			3,360
Trust preferred securities			309
Other liabilities			10,664
Total liabilities			65,014
Total shareholders' equity			27,531
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			92,545
ACE limited (Parent Gurantor)
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments	32		31
Cash	0		103		106		308
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits
Value of business acquired
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Investments in subsidiaries	28,351		27,251
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net	844		204
Other assets	5		13
Total assets	29,232		27,602
Unpaid losses and loss expenses
Unearned premiums
Future policy benefits
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Bank Overdrafts	185
Short-term debt
Long-term debt
Trust preferred securities
Other liabilities	222		71
Total liabilities	407		71
Total shareholders' equity	28,825		27,531
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	29,232		27,602
ACE limited (Parent Gurantor) | Scenario, Previously Reported
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments			31
Cash			103		106		308
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits
Value of business acquired
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Investments in subsidiaries			27,251
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net			204
Other assets			13
Total assets			27,602
Unpaid losses and loss expenses
Unearned premiums
Future policy benefits
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Short-term debt
Long-term debt
Trust preferred securities
Other liabilities			71
Total liabilities			71
Total shareholders' equity			27,531
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			27,602
ACE INA Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer)
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments	10		14
Cash	16		2		5		33
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits
Value of business acquired
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Investments in subsidiaries	18,105		17,016
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Other assets	258		210
Total assets	18,389		17,242
Unpaid losses and loss expenses
Unearned premiums
Future policy benefits
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net	714		68
Bank Overdrafts			349
Short-term debt	500
Long-term debt	3,795		3,347
Trust preferred securities	309		309
Other liabilities	1,318		1,195
Total liabilities	6,636		5,268
Total shareholders' equity	11,753		11,974
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	18,389		17,242
ACE INA Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer) | Scenario, Previously Reported
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments			31,074
Cash			515		382		573
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable			3,654
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses			17,232
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits			1,187
Value of business acquired			610
Goodwill and other intangible assets			4,419
Investments in subsidiaries
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Other assets			7,563
Total assets			66,254
Unpaid losses and loss expenses			31,356
Unearned premiums			5,872
Future policy benefits			3,876
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net			384
Short-term debt			851
Long-term debt			3,360
Trust preferred securities			309
Other liabilities			8,272
Total liabilities			54,280
Total shareholders' equity			11,974
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			66,254
Other ACE Limited Subsidiaries and Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments	60,886		60,219
Cash	748	[3]	859	[3],[4]	651	[4]	431
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable	5,835		4,742
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses	20,057		20,935
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits	1,215		1,229
Value of business acquired	536		614
Goodwill and other intangible assets	5,404		4,975
Investments in subsidiaries
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Other assets	13,788		11,304
Total assets	108,469		104,877
Unpaid losses and loss expenses	45,714		46,109
Unearned premiums	9,242		8,248
Future policy benefits	5,612		5,458
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net	130		136
Bank Overdrafts
Short-term debt	1,401		1,401
Long-term debt	12		13
Trust preferred securities
Other liabilities	11,655		11,219
Total liabilities	73,766		72,584
Total shareholders' equity	34,703		32,293
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	108,469		104,877
Other ACE Limited Subsidiaries and Eliminations | Scenario, Previously Reported
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments			29,159
Cash			(3)	[4]	126		(109)
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable			493
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses			(5,154)
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits			(946)
Value of business acquired			4
Goodwill and other intangible assets			556
Investments in subsidiaries
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net
Other assets			2,035
Total assets			26,144
Unpaid losses and loss expenses			6,590
Unearned premiums			992
Future policy benefits			594
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net			(180)
Short-term debt			550
Long-term debt
Trust preferred securities
Other liabilities			2,321
Total liabilities			10,867
Total shareholders' equity			15,277
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			26,144
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments
Cash	(185)		(349)	[5]	(148)	[5]	0
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable	(809)		(595)
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses	(8,830)		(8,857)
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits	(997)		(988)
Value of business acquired
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Investments in subsidiaries	(46,456)		(44,267)
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net	(844)		(204)
Other assets	(3,459)		(1,916)
Total assets	(61,580)		(57,176)
Unpaid losses and loss expenses	(8,271)		(8,163)
Unearned premiums	(1,703)		(1,384)
Future policy benefits	(997)		(988)
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net	(844)		(204)
Bank Overdrafts	(185)		(349)
Short-term debt
Long-term debt
Trust preferred securities
Other liabilities	(3,124)		(1,821)
Total liabilities	(15,124)		(12,909)
Total shareholders' equity	(46,456)		(44,267)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	(61,580)		(57,176)
Consolidating Adjustments | Scenario, Previously Reported
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments
Cash				[5]	0		0
Insurance and reinsurance balances receivable
Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses
Reinsurance recoverable on policy benefits
Value of business acquired
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Investments in subsidiaries			(27,251)
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates, net			(204)
Other assets
Total assets			(27,455)
Unpaid losses and loss expenses
Unearned premiums
Future policy benefits
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates, net			(204)
Short-term debt
Long-term debt
Trust preferred securities
Other liabilities
Total liabilities			(204)
Total shareholders' equity			(27,251)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			$ (27,455)

[1] ACE maintains two notional multi-currency cash pools (Pools) with a third-party bank. Refer to Note 1 f) for additional information. At December 31, 2012, the cash balance of one or more entities was negative; however, the overall Pool balances were positive.

[2] ACE maintains two notional multi-currency cash pools (Pools) with a third-party bank. Refer to Note 1 f) for additional information. At December 31, 2010, the cash balance of one or more entities was negative; however, the overall Pool balances were positive.

[3] ACE maintains two notional multi-currency cash pools (Pools) with a third-party bank. Refer to Note 1 f) for additional information. At December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the cash balance of one or more entities was negative; however, the overall Pool balances were positive.

[4] Includes all other subsidiaries of ACE Limited and intercompany eliminations.

[5] Includes ACE Limited parent company eliminations and certain consolidating adjustments.