INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH OUTSTANDING DEBT (Details 2) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Revenues:
Change in fair value of ML III										$ (646,000,000)	$ 1,792,000,000	$ 419,000,000
Other income										64,883,000,000	75,734,000,000	75,028,000,000
Total revenues		17,409,000,000	12,716,000,000	16,676,000,000	17,436,000,000	21,202,000,000	19,455,000,000	18,314,000,000	18,555,000,000	64,237,000,000	77,526,000,000	75,447,000,000
Expenses:
Interest expense on FRBNY Credit Facility										70,000,000	4,028,000,000	10,292,000,000
Other interest expense										3,801,000,000	3,953,000,000	4,066,000,000
Net losses on extinguishment of debt	(484,000,000)	(484,000,000)		79,000,000	3,313,000,000	104,000,000				2,908,000,000	104,000,000
Other expenses										58,523,000,000	51,505,000,000	75,396,000,000
Total benefits, claims and expenses										65,302,000,000	59,590,000,000	89,754,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit)										(1,065,000,000)	17,936,000,000	(14,307,000,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)										(18,036,000,000)	5,859,000,000	(1,489,000,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations										16,971,000,000	12,077,000,000	(12,818,000,000)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations		140,000,000	(221,000,000)	(37,000,000)	1,653,000,000	2,037,000,000	(1,833,000,000)	(2,611,000,000)	343,000,000	1,535,000,000	(2,064,000,000)	505,000,000
Net income (loss)		19,921,000,000	(3,945,000,000)	2,057,000,000	473,000,000	11,710,000,000	(2,013,000,000)	(2,115,000,000)	2,431,000,000	18,506,000,000	10,013,000,000	(12,313,000,000)
Less: Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests:
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests		96,000,000	145,000,000	141,000,000	252,000,000	403,000,000	388,000,000	508,000,000	519,000,000	634,000,000	1,818,000,000	140,000,000
Other		27,000,000	19,000,000	64,000,000	(55,000,000)	112,000,000	104,000,000	20,000,000	119,000,000	55,000,000	355,000,000	(1,576,000,000)
Total net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests		123,000,000	164,000,000	205,000,000	197,000,000	515,000,000	492,000,000	528,000,000	638,000,000	689,000,000	2,173,000,000	(1,436,000,000)
Income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests										19,000,000	54,000,000	72,000,000
Total net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests										708,000,000	2,227,000,000	(1,364,000,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to AIG		19,798,000,000	(4,109,000,000)	1,840,000,000	269,000,000	11,176,000,000	(2,517,000,000)	(2,656,000,000)	1,783,000,000	17,798,000,000	7,786,000,000	(10,949,000,000)
AIG
Revenues:
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										5,222,000,000	18,040,000,000	(1,477,000,000)
Change in fair value of ML III										(723,000,000)		(1,401,000,000)
Other income										1,088,000,000	3,046,000,000	4,166,000,000
Total revenues										5,587,000,000	21,086,000,000	1,288,000,000
Expenses:
Interest expense on FRBNY Credit Facility										72,000,000	4,107,000,000	10,381,000,000
Other interest expense										2,845,000,000	2,279,000,000	2,496,000,000
Net losses on extinguishment of debt										2,847,000,000	104,000,000
Other expenses										867,000,000	1,664,000,000	1,637,000,000
Total benefits, claims and expenses										6,631,000,000	8,154,000,000	14,514,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit)										(1,044,000,000)	12,932,000,000	(13,226,000,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)										(17,909,000,000)	5,144,000,000	(2,277,000,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations										16,865,000,000	7,788,000,000	(10,949,000,000)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations										933,000,000	(2,000,000)
Net income (loss)										17,798,000,000	7,786,000,000	(10,949,000,000)
Less: Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests:
Net income (loss) attributable to AIG										17,798,000,000	7,786,000,000	(10,949,000,000)
Intercompany income										489,000,000	2,600,000,000	3,400,000,000
Intercompany expense										700,000,000	28,000,000	27,000,000
SAFG, Inc.
Revenues:
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										122,000,000	1,683,000,000	(303,000,000)
Other income										1,616,000,000	246,000,000	199,000,000
Total revenues										1,738,000,000	1,929,000,000	(104,000,000)
Expenses:
Other interest expense										281,000,000	378,000,000	355,000,000
Total benefits, claims and expenses										281,000,000	378,000,000	355,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit)										1,457,000,000	1,551,000,000	(459,000,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)										(116,000,000)	(105,000,000)	15,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations										1,573,000,000	1,656,000,000	(474,000,000)
Net income (loss)										1,573,000,000	1,656,000,000	(474,000,000)
Less: Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests:
Net income (loss) attributable to AIG										1,573,000,000	1,656,000,000	(474,000,000)
Other Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Change in fair value of ML III										77,000,000	1,792,000,000	1,820,000,000
Other income										63,368,000,000	75,100,000,000	74,100,000,000
Total revenues										63,445,000,000	76,892,000,000	75,920,000,000
Expenses:
Other interest expense										1,864,000,000	3,950,000,000	4,652,000,000
Net losses on extinguishment of debt										61,000,000
Other expenses										57,656,000,000	49,841,000,000	73,759,000,000
Total benefits, claims and expenses										59,581,000,000	53,791,000,000	78,411,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit)										3,864,000,000	23,101,000,000	(2,491,000,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)										(11,000,000)	820,000,000	773,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations										3,875,000,000	22,281,000,000	(3,264,000,000)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations										604,000,000	(1,983,000,000)	594,000,000
Net income (loss)										4,479,000,000	20,298,000,000	(2,670,000,000)
Less: Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests:
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests												96,000,000
Other										55,000,000	355,000,000	(1,576,000,000)
Total net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests										55,000,000	355,000,000	(1,480,000,000)
Income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests										19,000,000	54,000,000	72,000,000
Total net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests										74,000,000	409,000,000	(1,408,000,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to AIG										4,405,000,000	19,889,000,000	(1,262,000,000)
Reclassifications and Eliminations
Revenues:
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										(5,344,000,000)	(19,723,000,000)	1,780,000,000
Other income										(1,189,000,000)	(2,658,000,000)	(3,437,000,000)
Total revenues										(6,533,000,000)	(22,381,000,000)	(1,657,000,000)
Expenses:
Interest expense on FRBNY Credit Facility										(2,000,000)	(79,000,000)	(89,000,000)
Other interest expense										(1,189,000,000)	(2,654,000,000)	(3,437,000,000)
Total benefits, claims and expenses										(1,191,000,000)	(2,733,000,000)	(3,526,000,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit)										(5,342,000,000)	(19,648,000,000)	1,869,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations										(5,342,000,000)	(19,648,000,000)	1,869,000,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations										(2,000,000)	(79,000,000)	(89,000,000)
Net income (loss)										(5,344,000,000)	(19,727,000,000)	1,780,000,000
Less: Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests:
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests										634,000,000	1,818,000,000	44,000,000
Total net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests										634,000,000	1,818,000,000	44,000,000
Total net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests										634,000,000	1,818,000,000	44,000,000
Net income (loss) attributable to AIG										$ (5,978,000,000)	$ (21,545,000,000)	$ 1,736,000,000