Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	$ 1,384	$ 1,957	$ 2,186	$ 1,469	$ 2,186
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	6	14		2	32
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	16		(4)	8
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		17	9
Transfers out of Level 3	(221)	(73)		(294)	(157)
Sold in LBL disposition		(347)			(347)
Purchases	37			125
Purchases/Issues	0	49		0	147
Sales	(21)	(83)		(100)	(310)
Settlements	(53)	(47)		(83)	(82)
Balance at end of period	1,132	1,486	1,957	1,132	1,486
Fair Value Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation
Balance at the beginning of the period	(326)	(549)	(553)	(323)	(553)
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	9	(12)		5	3
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		230			230
Purchases	0			0
Purchases/ Issues		(2)			(17)
Sales	0	0		0	0
Issues	0			1
Settlements	2	2		4	6
Balance at the end of the period	(315)	(331)	(549)	(315)	(331)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, gain (loss) included in earnings
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses) included in net income, recurring Level 3 assets and liabilities	15	2		7	35
Other investments: Free-standing derivatives	2	3		2	3
Free-standing derivatives, liabilities	9	8		9	8
Realized capital gains and losses
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	(2)	(9)		(4)	(29)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, gain (loss) included in earnings
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)		3		(2)
Net investment income
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	(4)	(4)		6	(6)
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, gain (loss) included in earnings
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)	4	4		6	6
Interest credited to contractholder funds
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	(9)	10		5
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, gain (loss) included in earnings
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)	9	(10)		5
Life and annuity contract benefits
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, gain (loss) included in earnings
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)		(1)			4
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, gain (loss) included in earnings
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)					(4)
Loss on disposition of operations
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Total gains (losses) included in: net income				2
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Sold in LBL disposition			4
Fixed income securities
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	1,287	1,570	1,697	1,387	1,697
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	4	8		0	9
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	(2)	16		(8)	21
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		17	5
Transfers out of Level 3	(221)	(73)		(294)	(155)
Sold in LBL disposition		0			4
Purchases	0			75
Purchases/Issues	0	37		0	102
Sales	(21)	(41)		(100)	(139)
Settlements	(52)	(46)		(82)	(73)
Balance at end of period	995	1,471	1,570	995	1,471
U.S. government and agencies
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	5	6	7	6	7
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	0	0		0	0
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			0
Purchases/Issues	0	0		0	0
Sales	0	0		0	0
Settlements	0	0		(1)	(1)
Balance at end of period	5	6	6	5	6
Municipal
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	238	335	343	270	343
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	2	0		2	(4)
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	(6)	6		(4)	11
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	(2)	(17)		(2)	(17)
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			0
Purchases/Issues	0	0		0	1
Sales	(16)	(17)		(49)	(26)
Settlements	(1)	(5)		(2)	(6)
Balance at end of period	215	302	335	215	302
Corporate
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	878	999	1,109	891	1,109
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	3	8		0	13
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	2	9		(6)	10
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		5	0
Transfers out of Level 3	(208)	(12)		(208)	(37)
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			60
Purchases/Issues	0	16		0	32
Sales	0	(24)		(46)	(111)
Settlements	(49)	(31)		(70)	(51)
Balance at end of period	626	965	999	626	965
Asset-backed securities (“ABS”)
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	137	174	192	196	192
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	(1)	0		(2)	0
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	2	1		2	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		12	0
Transfers out of Level 3	(11)	(44)		(84)	(101)
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			10
Purchases/Issues	0	20		0	64
Sales	(5)	0		(5)	0
Settlements	(2)	(9)		(9)	(13)
Balance at end of period	120	142	174	120	142
Residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	1	2	2	1	2
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	0	0		0	0
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			0
Purchases/Issues	0	0		0	0
Sales	0	0		0	0
Settlements	0	(1)		0	(1)
Balance at end of period	1	1	2	1	1
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”)
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	28	54	43	23	43
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	0	0		0	0
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	5
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			4
Purchases	0			5
Purchases/Issues	0	1		0	5
Sales	0	0		0	(1)
Settlements	0	0		0	(1)
Balance at end of period	28	55	54	28	55
Redeemable preferred stock
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period		0	1		1
Total gains (losses) included in: net income		0			0
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI		0			0
Transfers into Level 3		0			0
Transfers out of Level 3		0			0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases/Issues		0			0
Sales		0			(1)
Settlements		0			0
Balance at end of period		0	0		0
Equity securities
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	93	17	132	83	132
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	1	2		1	22
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	2	0		4	(15)
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	12			20
Purchases/Issues	0	2		0	3
Sales	0	(2)		0	(123)
Settlements	0	0		0	0
Balance at end of period	108	19	17	108	19
Short-term investments
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	10	30	0	5	0
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	0	0		0	0
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	25			30
Purchases/Issues	0	10		0	40
Sales	0	(40)		0	(40)
Settlements	0	0		0	0
Balance at end of period	35	0	30	35	0
Free-standing derivatives, net
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	(7)	(7)	(5)	(7)	(5)
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	1	3		1	1
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			0
Purchases/Issues	0	0		0	2
Sales	0	0		0	0
Settlements	(1)	(1)		(1)	(3)
Balance at end of period	(7)	(5)	(7)	(7)	(5)
Other assets
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period	1	0	0	1	0
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	0	1		0	1
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			0
Purchases/Issues	0	0		0	0
Sales	0	0		0	0
Settlements	0	0		0	0
Balance at end of period	1	1	0	1	1
Assets held for sale
Fair Value Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation Rollforward
Balance at beginning of period		347	362		362
Total gains (losses) included in: net income		0			(1)
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI		0			2
Transfers into Level 3		0			4
Transfers out of Level 3		0			(2)
Sold in LBL disposition		(347)	(4)		(351)
Purchases/Issues		0			0
Sales		0			(8)
Settlements		0			(6)
Balance at end of period		0	347		0
Liabilities held for sale
Fair Value Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation
Balance at the beginning of the period		(230)	(246)		(246)
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	0	0		0	17
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI		0			0
Transfers into Level 3		0			0
Transfers out of Level 3		0			0
Sold in LBL disposition		230			230
Purchases/ Issues		0			(4)
Sales		0			0
Settlements		0			3
Balance at the end of the period		0	(230)		0
Derivatives embedded in life and annuity contracts
Fair Value Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation
Balance at the beginning of the period	(326)	(319)	(307)	(323)	(307)
Total gains (losses) included in: net income	9	(12)		5	(14)
Total gains (losses) included in: OCI	0	0		0	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0		0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0		0	0
Sold in LBL disposition		0			0
Purchases	0			0
Purchases/ Issues		(2)			(13)
Sales	0	0		0	0
Issues	0			1
Settlements	2	2		4	3
Balance at the end of the period	(315)	$ (331)	$ (319)	(315)	$ (331)
Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) | Recurring
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis, gain (loss) included in earnings
Other investments: Free-standing derivatives	2			2		$ 2
Free-standing derivatives, liabilities	$ 9			$ 9		$ 9