Market Risk Benefits - Rollforward of market risk benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Market Risk Benefit [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of year	$ 4,034	$ 7,034	$ 8,563
Balance, beginning of year, before effect of changes in our own credit risk	3,569	4,933	6,236
Issuances	718	288	275
Interest accrual	171	193	163
Attributed fees	866	934	879
Expected claims	(94)	(85)	(56)
Effect of changes in interest rates	(152)	(4,458)	(1,205)
Effect of changes in interest rate volatility	(72)	281	78
Effect of changes in equity markets	(1,345)	1,504	(1,617)
Effect of changes in equity index volatility	(19)	(74)	53
Actual outcome different from model expected outcome	195	161	114
Effect of changes in future expected policyholder behavior		(20)	17
Effect of changes in other future expected assumptions	(124)	(85)	0
Other, including foreign exchange	(3)	(3)	(4)
Balance, end of year, before effect of changes in our own credit risk	3,710	3,569	4,933
Effect of changes in our own credit risk	1,160	465	2,101	$ 2,327
Balance, end of year	4,870	4,034	7,034
Less: Reinsured MRB, end of period	(77)	(94)	(145)
Net	4,793	3,940	6,889	8,401
Combined
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	1,029	2,123	581
GMDB
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	918	1,986	843
GMWB
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	165	28	949
Individual Retirement
Market Risk Benefit [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of year	3,738	6,452	7,761
Balance, beginning of year, before effect of changes in our own credit risk	3,297	4,518	5,621
Issuances	681	263	247
Interest accrual	156	172	142
Attributed fees	803	864	805
Expected claims	(91)	(83)	(54)
Effect of changes in interest rates	(139)	(4,087)	(1,098)
Effect of changes in interest rate volatility	(69)	263	74
Effect of changes in equity markets	(1,236)	1,382	(1,414)
Effect of changes in equity index volatility	(14)	(75)	33
Actual outcome different from model expected outcome	188	164	106
Effect of changes in future expected policyholder behavior	(1)	(2)	53
Effect of changes in other future expected assumptions	(85)	(85)	0
Other, including foreign exchange	0	3	3
Balance, end of year, before effect of changes in our own credit risk	3,490	3,297	4,518
Effect of changes in our own credit risk	1,072	441	1,934	2,140
Balance, end of year	4,562	3,738	6,452
Less: Reinsured MRB, end of period	(77)	(94)	(145)
Net	$ 4,485	$ 3,644	$ 6,307	7,599
Net amount at risk
Average attained age of contract holders	70 years	70 years	70 years
Individual Retirement | Combined
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	$ 1,011	$ 2,084	$ 567
Individual Retirement | GMDB
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	758	1,615	684
Individual Retirement | GMWB
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	152	27	831
Group Retirement
Market Risk Benefit [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of year	296	582	802
Balance, beginning of year, before effect of changes in our own credit risk	272	415	615
Issuances	37	25	28
Interest accrual	15	21	21
Attributed fees	63	70	74
Expected claims	(3)	(2)	(2)
Effect of changes in interest rates	(13)	(371)	(107)
Effect of changes in interest rate volatility	(3)	18	4
Effect of changes in equity markets	(109)	122	(203)
Effect of changes in equity index volatility	(5)	1	20
Actual outcome different from model expected outcome	7	(3)	8
Effect of changes in future expected policyholder behavior	1	(18)	(36)
Effect of changes in other future expected assumptions	(39)	0	0
Other, including foreign exchange	(3)	(6)	(7)
Balance, end of year, before effect of changes in our own credit risk	220	272	415
Effect of changes in our own credit risk	88	24	167	187
Balance, end of year	308	296	582
Less: Reinsured MRB, end of period	0	0	0
Net	$ 308	$ 296	$ 582	$ 802
Net amount at risk
Average attained age of contract holders	64 years	64 years	63 years
Group Retirement | Combined
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	$ 18	$ 39	$ 14
Group Retirement | GMDB
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	160	371	159
Group Retirement | GMWB
Net amount at risk
Net amount at risk	$ 13	$ 1	$ 118