INVESTMENTS - Investments in Consolidated Variable Interest Entities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, amortized cost	[1]	$ 81,607
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, fair value	[1]	89,033
Equity securities	[2],[3]	1,108
Other investments	[4]	5,073	$ 3,402
Asset derivatives		797	331
Assets, fair value		95,018	89,215
Liability derivatives		353	474
Liabilities		123,069	112,619
Liabilities, fair value disclosure		353	474
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, amortized cost	[5],[6]	4,695	4,538
Securities available for sale, fixed maturities, fair value	[5],[6]	5,431	5,509
Available-for-sale equity securities, amortized cost basis			606
Equity securities, FV-NI, cost		760
Equity securities		760
Available-for-sale securities, equity securities			753
Other investments	[7]	3,994	2,341
Other investments, fair value	[7]	3,974	2,328
Asset derivatives, amortized cost	[8]	241	151
Asset derivatives	[8]	241	151
Assets, amortized cost		9,690	7,636
Assets, fair value		10,406	8,741
Liability derivatives, amortized cost	[8]	86	128
Liability derivatives	[8]	86	128
Liabilities		86	128
Liabilities, fair value disclosure		$ 86	$ 128

[1] Includes perpetual securities, categorized in accordance with their respective economic maturities (the expected maturity date created by the combination of features in the financial instrument)

[2] Includes perpetual securities

[3] Includes perpetual securities ($71 at fair value)

[4] Includes $3,994 in 2018 and $2,341 in 2017 of loan receivables and limited partnerships from consolidated variable interest entities

[5] Includes perpetual securities

[6] Includes perpetual securities, see Notes 1 and 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

[7] Consists of TREs, CMLs, MMLs, and alternative investments in limited partnerships

[8] Consists entirely of derivatives