Reinsurance (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reinsurance
Reinsurance ceded offset other revenues	$ 87,000,000	$ 79,000,000	$ 71,000,000
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Ceded	229,000,000	201,000,000	201,000,000
Reinsurance recoverables	2,200,000,000	2,100,000,000
Future policy benefits and claims for assumed reinsurance arrangements	597,000,000	615,000,000
Premiums Earned [Abstract]
Premiums	1,282,000,000	1,223,000,000	1,220,000,000
Life Insurance Product Line [Member]
Reinsurance
Reinsurance Retention Policy, Reinsured Risk, Percentage	90.00%
Maximum amount of life insurance risk retained by the entity on a single life and on any flexible premium survivorship life policy	1,500,000.0
Maximum Amount of Survivorship Life Policy Risk Retained by Entity	1,500,000.0
Amount of traditional life and universal life insurance in force aggregated	194,100,000,000	191,400,000,000
Amount life insurance reinsured at the year end	142,100,000,000	138,600,000,000
Long Term Care
Reinsurance
Percentage of risk ceded on a coinsurance basis to subsidiaries of Genworth	50.00%
Reinsurance recoverable from Genworth	1,700,000,000	1,600,000,000
Disability Income
Reinsurance
Maximum amount of life insurance risk retained by the entity on a single life and on any flexible premium survivorship life policy	5,000
Property and Casualty Personal Insurance
Reinsurance
Maximum amount of life insurance risk retained by the entity on a single life and on any flexible premium survivorship life policy	750,000
Number of types of reinsurance agreements associated with auto and home insurance	3
Maximum recovery per loss	5,000,000
Catastrophe Reinsurance, Amount of auto and home insurance risk retained by the entity per event	20,000,000	20,000,000
Maximum recovery per event catastrophe insurance	125,000,000	110,000,000
Percentage of personal umbrella loss ceded	80.00%
Maximum personal umbrella recovery per loss	5,000,000
IUL
Reinsurance
Reinsurance Retention Policy, Reinsured Risk, Percentage	50.00%
TrioSource UL insurance [Member]
Reinsurance
Reinsurance Retention Policy, Reinsured Risk, Percentage	50.00%
Long duration contracts
Premiums Earned [Abstract]
Direct premiums	650,000,000	661,000,000	707,000,000
Reinsurance ceded	(220,000,000)	(219,000,000)	(214,000,000)
Premiums	430,000,000	442,000,000	493,000,000
Short duration contracts
Premiums Written, Net [Abstract]
Direct Premiums Written	900,000,000	814,000,000	756,000,000
Ceded Premiums Written	(16,000,000)	(13,000,000)	(14,000,000)
Premiums Written, Net	884,000,000	801,000,000	742,000,000
Premiums Earned [Abstract]
Direct premiums	868,000,000	795,000,000	741,000,000
Reinsurance ceded	(16,000,000)	(14,000,000)	(14,000,000)
Premiums	$ 852,000,000	$ 781,000,000	$ 727,000,000