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INVESTMENTS - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
investment
Mar. 31, 2014
investment
Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]      
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net $ 6us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet [1] $ 3us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet [1]  
Reclassified investments from the held-to-maturity portfolio to the available-for-sale portfolio, number of investments 0afl_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesTransferredToAvailableForSaleSecuritiesNumberOfInvestments 1afl_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesTransferredToAvailableForSaleSecuritiesNumberOfInvestments  
Reclassified investments from the held-to-maturity portfolio to the available-for-sale portfolio, amortized cost   63us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesTransferredSecurityAtCarryingValue  
Reclassified investments from the held-to-maturity portfolio to the available-for-sale portfolio, aggregate unrealized gain (loss)   (8)us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesTransferredToAvailableForSaleSecuritiesUnrealizedGainLoss  
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%afl_CollateralRequirementsMinimumPercentageCollateralToFairValueOfSecuritiesLoanedUnderSecurityLendingTransactions    
Parent Company      
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]      
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, amortized cost 476us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, fair value 498us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Perpetual securities:      
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]      
Perpetual securities, interest coupons that were fixed at issuance subsequently change to a floating short-term interest rate floating short-term interest rate after some period of time.    
Variable Interest Entity, Not Consolidated      
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]      
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, amortized cost 6,159us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
  6,104us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, fair value $ 7,089us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
  $ 6,937us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Number of issuers of VIEs not-consolidated 180afl_NumberOfIssuers
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
   
[1] Includes $6 and $3 for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, from change in intent to sell securities