Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation (Out-of-period-correction) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Quantifying Misstatement in Current Year Financial Statements [Line Items]
Management and financial advice fees	$ 1,739	$ 1,639	$ 5,099	$ 4,694
Distribution fees	470	435	1,403	1,301
Net investment income	386	372	1,201	1,154
Premiums	363	348	1,063	1,035
Other revenues	358	232	950	802
Total revenues	3,316	3,026	9,716	8,986
Banking and deposit interest expense	24	12	60	34
Total net revenues	3,292	3,014	9,656	8,952
Distribution expenses	920	850	2,727	2,504
Interest credited to fixed accounts	178	176	499	509
Benefits, claims, losses and settlement expenses	729	474	1,858	1,652
Amortization of deferred acquisition costs	25	48	180	189
Interest and debt expense	50	52	181	154
General and administrative expense	802	781	2,379	2,325
Total expenses	2,704	2,381	7,824	7,333
Pretax income	588	633	1,832	1,619
Income tax provision	85	126	273	316
Net income	$ 503	507	$ 1,559	1,303
Income Tax Provision [Member]
Quantifying Misstatement in Current Year Financial Statements [Line Items]
Benefit related to an out-of-period correction for a reversal of a tax reserve				20
Previously reported [Member]
Quantifying Misstatement in Current Year Financial Statements [Line Items]
Management and financial advice fees		1,626		4,669
Distribution fees		437		1,310
Net investment income		372		1,154
Premiums		348		1,035
Other revenues		210		733
Total revenues		2,993		8,901
Banking and deposit interest expense		12		34
Total net revenues		2,981		8,867
Distribution expenses		850		2,505
Interest credited to fixed accounts		176		509
Benefits, claims, losses and settlement expenses		474		1,652
Amortization of deferred acquisition costs		48		189
Interest and debt expense		52		154
General and administrative expense		753		2,244
Total expenses		2,353		7,253
Pretax income		628		1,614
Income tax provision		125		315
Net income		503		1,299
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member] | Effect of change [Member]
Quantifying Misstatement in Current Year Financial Statements [Line Items]
Management and financial advice fees		13		25
Distribution fees		(2)		(9)
Other revenues		22		69
Total revenues		33		85
Total net revenues		33		85
Distribution expenses		0		(1)
General and administrative expense		28		81
Total expenses		28		80
Pretax income		5		5
Income tax provision		1		1
Net income		$ 4		$ 4