INVESTMENTS - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012 investment		Jun. 30, 2012 investment	Mar. 31, 2012 investment	Sep. 30, 2011 investment		Jun. 30, 2011 investment	Mar. 31, 2011 investment	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	$ 97	[1]			$ 166	[2]			$ 643	[1]	$ 1,100	[2]
Reclassified investments from the held-to-maturity portfolio to the available-for-sale portfolio, number of investments	1		5	1	0		0	8
Reclassified investments from the held-to-maturity portfolio to the available-for-sale portfolio, amortized cost	206		842	122				1,600	206
Reclassified investments from the held-to-maturity portfolio to the available-for-sale portfolio, aggregate unrealized gain (loss)			(268)	(23)				(270)
Fair value of investments in an unrealized loss position	28,450								28,450				29,310
Total Unrealized Losses	1,874								1,874				3,536
Amortized Cost	57,500								57,500				52,275
Unrealized gains (losses) on securities available for sale	3,491								3,491				1,761
Realized investment gains (losses) on sales and redemptions	288				307				358		49
Percentage that the lending policy requires that the fair value of the securities and/or unrestricted cash received as collateral be of the fair value of the loaned securities	102.00%								102.00%
Banks/financial Institutions
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Fair value of investments in an unrealized loss position	8,600								8,600
Total Unrealized Losses	1,100								1,100
Banks/financial Institutions | Europe, excluding the United Kingdom
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									33.00%
Banks/financial Institutions | United States
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									23.00%
Banks/financial Institutions | United Kingdom
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									8.00%
Banks/financial Institutions | Japan
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									8.00%
Banks/financial Institutions | Other Countries
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									28.00%
Variable Interest Entity, Not Consolidated
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Number of issuers of VIEs not-consolidated									156
Investment grade | Banks/financial Institutions
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Percentage of unrealized losses attributable to securities that were investment grade	70.00%								70.00%				80.00%
Investment grade | Public Utilities
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Percentage of unrealized losses attributable to securities that were investment grade	56.00%								56.00%				77.00%
Investment grade | Sovereign and Supranational
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Percentage of unrealized losses attributable to securities that were investment grade	41.00%								41.00%				100.00%
Investment grade | Other Corporate
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Percentage of unrealized losses attributable to securities that were investment grade	63.00%								63.00%				73.00%
Investment grade | Parent Company
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale fixed-maturity securities, amortized cost	138								138
Available-for-sale fixed maturity securities, fair value	162								162
Below Investment Grade | Banks/financial Institutions
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Fair value of investments in an unrealized loss position	1,000								1,000
Total Unrealized Losses	325								325
Number of Issuers									3
Percentage of unrealized losses attributable to a certain number of securities	98.00%								98.00%
Perpetual Securities
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	27				122				243		306
Perpetual securities, interest coupons that were fixed at issuance subsequently change to a floating short-term interest rate									floating short-term interest rate of 125 to more than 300 basis points above an appropriate market index
Maturity date (in years)									25 years
Fair value of investments in an unrealized loss position	1,884								1,884				2,507
Total Unrealized Losses	293								293				633
Amortized Cost	4,828								4,828				6,897
Perpetual Securities | Lower Limit
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Perpetual securities, floating short-term interest rate basis point above market index	1.25%								1.25%
Perpetual Securities | Minimum Upper Limit
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Perpetual securities, floating short-term interest rate basis point above market index	3.00%								3.00%
Perpetual Securities | Europe, excluding the United Kingdom
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									64.00%
Perpetual Securities | United Kingdom
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									11.00%
Perpetual Securities | Japan
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									15.00%
Perpetual Securities | Other Countries
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Geographic concentration of credit risk for issuer of investments owned									10.00%
Perpetual Securities | Investment grade
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Percentage of unrealized losses attributable to securities that were investment grade	99.00%								99.00%				73.00%
Severity and duration of decline in fair value impairment
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	27								27
Change in intent impairment
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	0								251
Credit-related impairment
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	70								365
Tier I | Perpetual Securities
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	1,294								1,294				2,268
Tier I | Perpetual Securities | A
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	60								60				0
Upper Tier II | Perpetual Securities
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	3,189								3,189				4,285
Upper Tier II | Perpetual Securities | A
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	504								504				2,108
BBVA Subordinated Capital
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	$ 52

[1] Includes $70 and $365 for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012, respectively, for credit-related impairments; $0 and $251 for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012, respectively, from change in intent to sell securities; and $27 for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012 for impairments due to severity and duration of decline in fair value

[2] Consisted completely of credit-related impairments