Equity (Statutory Equity & Income - Narrative) (Details) (Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New England Life Insurance Company and General American Life Insurance Company [Member])	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New England Life Insurance Company and General American Life Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Description of Regulatory Capital Requirements under Insurance Regulations	in excess of 350%	in excess of 350%

For insurance companies, a description of the minimum regulatory capital requirements imposed by state insurance regulators, and restrictions on dividend payments.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 505

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486098&loc=d3e24708-158529

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