INVESTMENTS (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Other invested assets carried at fair value, Amortized Cost or Cost	$ 5,161,000,000	$ 5,155,000,000
Other invested assets carried at fair value, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,854,000,000	1,611,000,000
Other invested assets carried at fair value, Gross Unrealized Losses	(143,000,000)	(269,000,000)
Other invested assets carried at fair value, fair value	6,872,000,000	6,497,000,000
Total, Amortized Cost or Cost	251,684,000,000	257,745,000,000
Total, Gross Unrealized Gains	24,068,000,000	21,637,000,000
Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,919,000,000)	(5,280,000,000)
Total, fair value	272,833,000,000	274,102,000,000
Total, Other-Than-Temporary Impairments in AOCI	216,000,000	(856,000,000)
Bonds available for sale
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	244,790,000,000	250,770,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	20,958,000,000	18,121,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,734,000,000)	(4,910,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	263,014,000,000	263,981,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Other-Than- Temporary Impairments in AOCI	216,000,000	(856,000,000)
Other details of available-for-sale securities
Available for sale securities not rated or rated below investment grade	27,400,000,000	24,200,000,000
Bonds available for sale | U.S. government and government sponsored entities
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	3,665,000,000	5,661,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	355,000,000	418,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	4,017,000,000	6,078,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Obligations of states, municipalities and political subdivisions
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	34,597,000,000	35,017,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,717,000,000	2,554,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(60,000,000)	(73,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	37,254,000,000	37,498,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Other-Than- Temporary Impairments in AOCI	(24,000,000)	(28,000,000)
Bonds available for sale | Non-U.S. government
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	24,245,000,000	24,843,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,187,000,000	994,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(51,000,000)	(102,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	25,381,000,000	25,735,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Corporate debt
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	133,688,000,000	134,699,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	13,577,000,000	11,844,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(937,000,000)	(1,725,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	146,328,000,000	144,818,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Other-Than- Temporary Impairments in AOCI	109,000,000	115,000,000
Bonds available for sale | Mortgage backed, asset backed and collateralized
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	48,595,000,000	50,550,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,122,000,000	2,311,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,683,000,000)	(3,009,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	50,034,000,000	49,852,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Other-Than- Temporary Impairments in AOCI	131,000,000	(943,000,000)
Bonds available for sale | Residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS)
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	32,453,000,000	34,780,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,920,000,000	1,387,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(715,000,000)	(1,563,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	33,658,000,000	34,604,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Other-Than- Temporary Impairments in AOCI	179,000,000	(716,000,000)
Bonds available for sale | Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS)
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	8,931,000,000	8,449,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	535,000,000	470,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(675,000,000)	(973,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	8,791,000,000	7,946,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Other-Than- Temporary Impairments in AOCI	(167,000,000)	(276,000,000)
Bonds available for sale | Collateralized Debt Obligations/Asset Backed Securities (CDO/ABS)
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	7,211,000,000	7,321,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	667,000,000	454,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(293,000,000)	(473,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	7,585,000,000	7,302,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Other-Than- Temporary Impairments in AOCI	119,000,000	49,000,000
Equity securities available for sale
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	1,733,000,000	1,820,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,256,000,000	1,905,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(42,000,000)	(101,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	2,947,000,000	3,624,000,000
Equity securities available for sale | Common Stock
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	1,479,000,000	1,682,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,213,000,000	1,839,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(41,000,000)	(100,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	2,651,000,000	3,421,000,000
Equity securities available for sale | Preferred Stock
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	146,000,000	83,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	39,000,000	60,000,000
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	185,000,000	143,000,000
Equity securities available for sale | Mutual Funds
Reconciliation of amortized cost and fair value of available for sale securities and other invested assets carried at fair value
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost or Cost	108,000,000	55,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4,000,000	6,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Available for Sale Securities, fair value	$ 111,000,000	$ 60,000,000