Equity Level 4 Statutory Net Income (Loss) and Statutory Surplus (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock	$ 282,000,000	$ 202,000,000	$ 175,000,000
Statutory Net Income (Loss)
Statutory Net Income (Loss)	1,643,000,000	3,361,000,000	1,475,000,000
Statutory surplus
Statutory Capital and surplus	15,226,000,000	14,661,000,000
Statutory Accounting Practices, Risk Based Capital Requirements Compliance Assertion	All of the Company's operating insurance subsidiaries had RBC ratios in excess of the minimum levels required by the applicable insurance regulations. On an aggregate basis, the Company's U.S. property and casualty insurance companies' RBC ratio was in excess of 200% of its Company Action Level as of December 31, 2014 and 2013. The RBC ratios for the Company's principal life insurance operating subsidiaries were all in excess of 425% of their Company Action Levels as of December 31, 2014 and 2013
Restrictions on Parent Company's Ability to Pay Dividends	no
Amount of Restricted Net Assets for Consolidated and Unconsolidated Subsidiaries	21,000,000,000
U.S. life insurance subsidiaries, includes domestic captive insurance subsidiaries
Statutory Net Income (Loss)
Statutory Net Income (Loss)	415,000,000	2,144,000,000	592,000,000
Statutory surplus
Statutory Capital and surplus	7,157,000,000	6,639,000,000
Property and casualty insurance subsidiaries
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Amount Received as Dividend Distribution From Subsidiary to Fund Holding Company	2,500,000,000
Statutory Accounting Practices, Dividends Paid with Approval of Regulatory Agency	1,400,000,000
Statutory Net Income (Loss)
Statutory Net Income (Loss)	1,228,000,000	1,217,000,000	883,000,000
Statutory surplus
Statutory Capital and surplus	8,069,000,000	8,022,000,000
JAPAN
Statutory surplus
Statutory Capital and surplus		1,200,000,000
International Life Insurance Subsidiaries [Member]
Statutory surplus
Statutory Accounting Practices, Risk Based Capital Requirements Compliance Assertion	All of the Company's international insurance subsidiaries have solvency margins in excess of the minimum levels required by the applicable regulatory authorities.
Property and Casualty Insurance Subsidiaries [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Amount Received as Dividend Distribution From Subsidiary to Fund Intercompany Note	97,000,000
Scenario, Forecast [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock				0
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Property and casualty insurance subsidiaries
Statutory surplus
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Amount Available for Dividend Payments without Regulatory Approval					1,500,000,000
Amount Anticipated to be Received as Dividend Distribution from Subsidiary					600,000,000
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Hartford Life Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Dividends Paid with Approval of Regulatory Agency						500,000,000
Statutory surplus
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Amount Available for Dividend Payments without Regulatory Approval					0
Amount Anticipated to be Received as Dividend Distribution from Subsidiary					500,000,000
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Dividends Paid with Approval of Regulatory Agency						100,000,000
Statutory surplus
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Amount Available for Dividend Payments without Regulatory Approval							155,000,000
Amount Anticipated to be Received as Dividend Distribution from Subsidiary					$ 100,000,000