Reinsurance (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 agreement	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Reinsurance
Reinsurance percentage of death benefit liability		90.00%
Maximum percentage of death benefit liability not reinsured by the company		10.00%
Maximum amount of life insurance risk retained by the entity on a single life		$ 1,500,000
Maximum amount of life insurance risk retained by the entity on any flexible premium survivorship life policy		1,500,000
Percentage of reinsurance for long-term care policies retained by the company		50.00%
Percentage of reinsurance for long term care policies ceded to subsidiaries of Genworth Financial, Inc.		50.00%
Maximum risk per life on disability income policies sold retained by entity per month		5,000
Amount of traditional life and universal life insurance in force aggregated		191,200,000,000	192,000,000,000
Amount life insurance reinsured at the year end		136,200,000,000	134,000,000,000
Number of types of reinsurance agreements associated with auto and home insurance		3
Maximum recovery per loss		5,000,000
Amount of auto and home insurance risk retained by the entity per loss		750,000
Catastrophe Reinsurance, Amount of auto and home insurance risk retained by the entity per event	20,000,000	10,000,000
Maximum recovery per event catastrophe insurance	110,000,000	90,000,000
Percentage of personal umbrella loss ceded	90.00%
Maximum personal umbrella recovery per loss		5,000,000
Effect of reinsurance on premiums
Direct premiums		1,421,000,000	1,382,000,000	1,317,000,000
Reinsurance ceded		(201,000,000)	(203,000,000)	(219,000,000)
Net premiums		1,220,000,000	1,179,000,000	1,098,000,000
Reinsurance ceded offset other revenues		71,000,000	67,000,000	62,000,000
Reinsurance recovered from reinsurers		201,000,000	172,000,000	174,000,000
Reinsurance recoverables		2,000,000,000	1,900,000,000
Reinsurance recoverable from Genworth		1,500,000,000	1,400,000,000
Future policy benefits and claims for assumed reinsurance arrangements		$ 629,000,000	$ 657,000,000