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Investments (Narrative) (Detail) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Security
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 27, 2015
Apr. 30, 2015
Apr. 14, 2015
Investment [Line Items]            
Total number of fixed maturities 33,429ace_FixedMaturitiesTotalNumber          
Largest single unrealized loss in the fixed maturities $ 3,000,000ace_FixedMaturitiesLargestSingleUnrealizedLoss          
Number of equity securities in an unrealized loss position 78ace_EquitySecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionNumber          
Total number of equity securities 306ace_EquitySecuritiesTotalNumber          
Largest single unrealized loss in the equity securities 1,000,000ace_EquitySecuritiesLargestSingleUnrealizedLoss          
Restricted assets in fixed maturities and short-term investments 16,500,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedInvestments   16,300,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedInvestments      
Restricted assets in cash 102,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents   117,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents      
Moodys Historical Mean Recovery Rate 42.00%ace_MoodysHistoricalMeanRecoveryRate          
Company Assumed Recovery Rate 32.00%ace_CompanyAssumedRecoveryRate          
Net unrealized depreciation included in AOCI 2,000,000ace_NetUnrealizedDepreciationIncludedInAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncome   3,000,000ace_NetUnrealizedDepreciationIncludedInAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncome      
Investments in partially-owned insurance companies 590,000,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures   504,000,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures      
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) included in OCI (4,000,000)ace_NetUnrealizedAppreciationIncludedInOtherComprehensiveIncome (4,000,000)ace_NetUnrealizedAppreciationIncludedInOtherComprehensiveIncome        
Number of fixed maturities in an unrealized loss position 3,313ace_FixedMaturitiesInUnrealizedLossPositionNumber          
Credit losses recognized in net income for mortgage-backed securities 0ace_MortgageBackedSecuritiesCreditLossesRecognizedInNetIncome 0ace_MortgageBackedSecuritiesCreditLossesRecognizedInNetIncome        
Credit losses recognized in net income for corporate securities 4,000,000ace_CorporateSecuritiesCreditLossesRecognizedInNetIncome 4,000,000ace_CorporateSecuritiesCreditLossesRecognizedInNetIncome        
Percentage of mortgage-backed securities represented by investments in US government agency bonds 82.00%ace_MortgageBackedSecuritiesPercentageUnitedStatesGovernmentAgencyBonds   83.00%ace_MortgageBackedSecuritiesPercentageUnitedStatesGovernmentAgencyBonds      
ABR Reinsurance Capital Holdings Ltd. [Member]            
Investment [Line Items]            
Investments in partially-owned insurance companies       70,000,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ace_ABRReinsuranceCapitalHoldingsLtd.Member
   
Warrants & Rights Outstanding       0.50%ace_WarrantsRightsOutstanding
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ace_ABRReinsuranceCapitalHoldingsLtd.Member
   
Subsequent Event [Member]            
Investment [Line Items]            
Fair value of securities transferred from AFS to HTM         1,800,000,000ace_FairvalueofsecuritiestransferredfromAFStoHTM
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
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Subsequent Event [Member] | ABR Reinsurance Capital Holdings Ltd. [Member]            
Investment [Line Items]            
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage           11.30%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ace_ABRReinsuranceCapitalHoldingsLtd.Member
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Investments in partially-owned insurance companies           $ 20,000,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ace_ABRReinsuranceCapitalHoldingsLtd.Member
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember