Schedule - Supplementary Insurance Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	$ 14,100	$ 12,517	$ 12,328
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	213,258	169,726	133,249
Unearned Premiums	2,792	945	795
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	141,920	140,355	109,825
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	69,843	28,225	21,561
Net Investment Income	13,661	13,124	11,865
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	71,541	30,821	24,683
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	1,504	2,695	1,085
Other Operating Expenses	11,094	10,605	8,309
Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	13,688	12,055	11,804
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	162,419	118,303	81,617
Unearned Premiums	2,792	945	795
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	129,244	129,360	101,137
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	67,026	25,307	18,554
Net Investment Income	10,508	9,910	8,618
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	65,938	24,629	18,960
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	1,466	2,658	1,039
Other Operating Expenses	10,542	10,033	7,738
Closed Block [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	412	462	524
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	50,839	51,423	51,632
Unearned Premiums	0	0	0
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	12,676	10,995	8,688
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	2,817	2,918	3,007
Net Investment Income	3,153	3,214	3,247
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	5,603	6,192	5,723
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	38	37	46
Other Operating Expenses	552	572	571
U S Retirement Solutions And Investment Management Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	4,036	2,586	3,232
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	52,657	20,127	15,986
Unearned Premiums	2,142	323	241
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	56,282	57,878	57,178
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	34,744	2,854	2,742
Net Investment Income	4,079	4,087	4,238
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	36,125	5,103	5,168
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	(324)	1,742	267
Other Operating Expenses	4,262	3,948	3,506
U S Individual Life And Group Insurance Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	3,297	3,323	3,352
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	10,064	9,264	8,430
Unearned Premiums	187	178	171
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	18,663	16,939	15,963
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	6,884	6,616	6,068
Net Investment Income	1,619	1,553	1,476
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	6,326	6,147	5,571
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	424	141	176
Other Operating Expenses	1,819	1,576	1,456
International Insurance Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	6,589	6,141	5,294
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	96,412	86,756	55,344
Unearned Premiums	462	443	382
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	54,289	55,066	29,000
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	25,015	15,549	9,494
Net Investment Income	4,245	3,725	2,450
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	22,431	12,903	7,906
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	1,167	879	627
Other Operating Expenses	3,474	3,369	1,688
Corporate and Other [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(234)	5	(74)
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	3,286	2,156	1,857
Unearned Premiums	1	1	1
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	10	(523)	(1,004)
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	383	288	250
Net Investment Income	565	545	454
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	1,056	476	315
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	199	(104)	(31)
Other Operating Expenses	987	1,140	1,088
Individual Annuities [Member] | U S Retirement Solutions And Investment Management Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	3,829	2,389	3,019
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	5,360	4,462	1,244
Unearned Premiums	0	0	0
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	10,608	11,932	12,398
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	2,140	1,881	1,475
Net Investment Income	770	791	878
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	776	1,511	883
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	(397)	1,667	215
Other Operating Expenses	1,581	1,395	1,142
Retirement [Member] | U S Retirement Solutions And Investment Management Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	207	197	213
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	47,297	15,665	14,742
Unearned Premiums	2,142	323	241
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	45,674	45,946	44,780
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	32,604	973	1,267
Net Investment Income	3,203	3,178	3,236
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	35,349	3,592	4,285
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	49	50	27
Other Operating Expenses	896	927	920
Asset Management [Member] | U S Retirement Solutions And Investment Management Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	0	0	0
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	0	0	0
Unearned Premiums	0	0	0
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	0	0	0
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	0	0	0
Net Investment Income	106	118	124
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	0	0	0
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	24	25	25
Other Operating Expenses	1,785	1,626	1,444
Individual Life [Member] | U S Individual Life And Group Insurance Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	3,115	3,191	3,213
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	5,144	4,487	3,971
Unearned Premiums	0	0	0
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	10,590	9,507	8,780
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	1,976	1,668	1,691
Net Investment Income	1,033	978	902
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	1,570	1,443	1,404
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	419	135	166
Other Operating Expenses	995	841	765
Group Insurance [Member] | U S Individual Life And Group Insurance Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	182	132	139
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	4,920	4,777	4,459
Unearned Premiums	187	178	171
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	8,073	7,432	7,183
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	4,908	4,948	4,377
Net Investment Income	586	575	574
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	4,756	4,704	4,167
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	5	6	10
Other Operating Expenses	824	735	691
International Insurance [Member] | International Insurance Division [Member] | Financial Services Business [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	6,589	6,141	5,294
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, Expenses	96,412	86,756	55,344
Unearned Premiums	462	443	382
Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	54,289	55,066	29,000
Premiums, Policy Charges and Fee Income	25,015	15,549	9,494
Net Investment Income	4,245	3,725	2,450
Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	22,431	12,903	7,906
Amortization of Deferred Acquisition Costs	1,167	879	627
Other Operating Expenses	$ 3,474	$ 3,369	$ 1,688