INVESTMENTS - Investments in Consolidated Variable Interest Entities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Sep. 30, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities, amortized cost		$ 76,252	[1],[2]	$ 75,132	[3]
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities	[4]	82,296	[1],[2]	84,313	[3]
Equity securities	[4],[5]	1,059
Available for sale securities, equity securities				1,023
Other investments	[6]	7,009		3,402
Asset derivatives		430		331
Assets, fair value disclosure		87,216		89,215
Liability derivatives		497		474
Liabilities		114,707		112,619
Liabilities, fair value disclosure		497		474
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities, amortized cost	[7],[8]	4,045		4,538
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities	[7],[8]	4,853		5,509
Available-for-sale equity securities, amortized cost basis				606
Equity securities, FV-NI, cost		179
Equity securities		179
Available for sale securities, equity securities				753
Other investments	[9]	5,388		2,341
Other investments, fair value	[9]	5,369		2,328
Asset derivatives, amortized cost	[10]	190		151
Asset derivatives	[10]	190		151
Assets, amortized cost		9,802		7,636
Assets, fair value disclosure		10,591		8,741
Liability derivatives, amortized cost	[10]	101		128
Liability derivatives	[10]	101		128
Liabilities		101		128
Liabilities, fair value disclosure		$ 101		$ 128

[1] Includes perpetual securities ($1,408 at amortized cost and $1,591 at fair value)

[2] 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)

[3] Includes perpetual securities ($1,462 at amortized cost and $1,789 at fair value)

[4] Includes perpetual securities

[5] Includes perpetual securities ($66 at fair value)

[6] Includes $5,388 in 2018 and $2,341 in 2017 of loan receivables and limited partnerships from consolidated variable interest entities

[7] Includes perpetual securities

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

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

[10] Consists entirely of derivatives