Separate Accounts, Death Benefits and Other Insurance Benefit Features (Details) (USD $) In Millions	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010
US GMDB [Member]
Changes in the gross U.S. GMDB, Japan GMDB/GMIB, and UL secondary guarantee benefits
Liability, balance as of January 1	$ 1,053	$ 1,233
Incurred	110	127
Paid	(95)	(155)
Unlock	(63)	107
Liability, balance as of June 30	1,005	1,312
Reinsurance recoverable asset, as of January 1	686	787
Incurred	65	74
Paid	(65)	(94)
Unlock	(27)	65
Currency translation adjustment	0
Reinsurance recoverable asset, as of June, 30	659	832
Japan GMDB/GMIB [Member]
Changes in the gross U.S. GMDB, Japan GMDB/GMIB, and UL secondary guarantee benefits
Liability, balance as of January 1	696	599
Incurred	61	62
Paid	(76)	(61)
Unlock	2	32
Currency translation adjustment	2	32
Liability, balance as of June 30	685	664
Reinsurance recoverable asset, as of January 1	36	51
Incurred	(3)	(2)
Paid	1
Unlock	6	(7)
Currency translation adjustment		2
Reinsurance recoverable asset, as of June, 30	40	44
UL Secondary Guarantees [Member]
Changes in the gross U.S. GMDB, Japan GMDB/GMIB, and UL secondary guarantee benefits
Liability, balance as of January 1	113	76
Incurred	27	20
Liability, balance as of June 30	140	96
Reinsurance recoverable asset, as of January 1	30	22
Incurred	5	4
Reinsurance recoverable asset, as of June, 30	$ 35	$ 26

Liabilities for guarantees on long duration contracts benefits unlock.

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- Definition

Reinsurance recoverable asset Currency translation adjustment.

+ Details

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- Definition

Reinsurance recoverable asset Incurred.

+ Details

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- Definition

Reinsurance recoverable asset paid.

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- Definition

Reinsurance recoverable asset Unlock.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of guaranteed minimum benefit payments to policyholders and contract holders, during the period presented, resulting in a decrease to the liability for expected guaranteed minimum benefits in excess of projected account values.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 03-1
-Paragraph 38

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 03-1
-Section Appendix C
-Paragraph 46
-Subparagraph C-1

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of expected guaranteed benefits in excess of the projected account balances for minimum guaranteed benefit contracts, as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of guaranteed minimum benefit expense incurred during the period presented, resulting in an increase to the liability for expected guaranteed minimum benefits in excess of projected account values.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Net amount of other increases or decreases to the liability for guaranteed minimum benefits on long-duration contracts occurring during the period.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ Details

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- Definition

Sum of the amount of guaranteed minimum benefits the ceding insurer expects to recover on insurance policies ceded to other insurance entities as of the balance sheet date for all guaranteed benefit types.

+ References

+ Details

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