FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES - LEVEL 3 UNOBSERVABLE INPUT RECONCILIATION (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Settlements			$ 0
Transfers into level 3			65,000,000	$ 6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3			(28,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Level 3 | Corporate
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	$ 1,152,000,000	$ 1,068,000,000	1,139,000,000	845,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	3,000,000	2,000,000	8,000,000	6,000,000
Investment gains (losses), net	(4,000,000)	0	(4,000,000)	0
Subtotal	(1,000,000)	2,000,000	4,000,000	6,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,000,000)	6,000,000	(15,000,000)	0
Purchases	36,000,000	196,000,000	236,000,000	518,000,000
Sales	(52,000,000)	(119,000,000)	(267,000,000)	224,000,000
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	65,000,000	6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3	0	7,000,000	28,000,000	5,000,000
Closing Balance	1,134,000,000	1,146,000,000	1,134,000,000	1,146,000,000
Level 3 | State and Political Sub- divisions
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	38,000,000	42,000,000	40,000,000	42,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	(1,000,000)	0
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	1,000,000
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	38,000,000	41,000,000	38,000,000	41,000,000
Level 3 | Commercial Mortgage- backed
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	0	290,000,000	0	349,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	1,000,000
Investment gains (losses), net	0	(9,000,000)	0	(29,000,000)
Subtotal	0	(9,000,000)	0	(28,000,000)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	8,000,000	0	27,000,000
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	(40,000,000)	0	99,000,000
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
Closing Balance	0	248,000,000	0	248,000,000
Level 3 | Asset- backed
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	538,000,000	12,000,000	8,000,000	24,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	(1,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	15,000,000
Subtotal	(1,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)	15,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	1,000,000	(3,000,000)	0	(10,000,000)
Purchases	0	0	533,000,000	0
Sales	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(3,000,000)	20,000,000
Settlements	0	0		0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	1,000,000
Closing Balance	537,000,000	8,000,000	537,000,000	8,000,000
Level 3 | Redeemable Preferred Stock
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	0	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	0	0	0
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	0	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
Level 3 | Other Equity Investments
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	29,000,000	8,000,000	28,000,000	11,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	(4,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(4,000,000)
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	0	(4,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(4,000,000)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	1,000,000	0	7,000,000	5,000,000
Sales	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(3,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	(1,000,000)	0	(3,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Transfers into level 3	0	0	5,000,000	1,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	(5,000,000)	0
Closing Balance	28,000,000	3,000,000	28,000,000	3,000,000
Level 3 | GMIB Reinsurance Asset
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	1,825,000,000	11,260,000,000	10,488,000,000	10,313,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	(255,000,000)	(393,000,000)	(1,488,000,000)	500,000,000
Subtotal	(255,000,000)	(393,000,000)	(1,488,000,000)	500,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	12,000,000	55,000,000	83,000,000	165,000,000
Sales	(11,000,000)	(22,000,000)	(49,000,000)	(79,000,000)
Settlements	0	0	(7,463,000,000)	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	1,571,000,000	10,900,000,000	1,571,000,000	10,900,000,000
Level 3 | Separate Accounts Assets
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	361,000,000	333,000,000	349,000,000	313,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	6,000,000	4,000,000	19,000,000	22,000,000
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	6,000,000	4,000,000	19,000,000	22,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	1,000,000	1,000,000	4,000,000	7,000,000
Sales	0	0	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Settlements	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(4,000,000)	(4,000,000)
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	1,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	367,000,000	337,000,000	367,000,000	337,000,000
Level 3 | GMxB Derivative Features Liability
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	(3,534,000,000)	(4,889,000,000)	(4,256,000,000)	(5,473,000,000)
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	(534,000,000)	396,000,000	394,000,000	1,169,000,000
Subtotal	(534,000,000)	396,000,000	394,000,000	1,169,000,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	(96,000,000)	(100,000,000)	(305,000,000)	(290,000,000)
Sales	7,000,000	3,000,000	10,000,000	4,000,000
Settlements	0	0	0	0
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	(4,157,000,000)	(4,590,000,000)	(4,157,000,000)	(4,590,000,000)
Level 3 | Contingent Payment Arrangement
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Opening Balance	(11,000,000)	17,000,000	(11,000,000)	18,000,000
Total gains (losses), realized and unrealized, included in:
Net investment income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Investment gains (losses), net	0	0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Subtotal	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Purchases	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	0	0	0
Settlements	0	(5,000,000)	0	(6,000,000)
Activity related to consolidated VIEs	0	0	0	0
Transfers into level 3	0	0	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0	0	0
Closing Balance	$ (11,000,000)	$ 12,000,000	$ (11,000,000)	$ 12,000,000