Reinsurance and indemnification - Premiums earned and life premiums and contract charges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Property and casualty insurance premiums
Reinsurance
Property and casualty insurance premiums earned	$ (289)	$ (260)
Life premiums
Reinsurance
Life premiums and contract charges	$ (44)	$ (63)

Amount of earned premiums ceded to other entities.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 235
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-17(Column C))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34713774&loc=d3e574992-122915

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116637232&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167274&loc=d3e27175-158546

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Name:	us-gaap_CededPremiumsEarned
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration