Schedule V - Valuation Allowances and Qualifying Accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	$ 300
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	196
Balance as of end of period	393
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	289
Balance as of end of period		$ 289
Fixed income securities
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	5
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	2
Balance as of end of period	3
Fixed income securities | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	0
Balance as of end of period		0
Mortgage loans
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	3	3	$ 3
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	39	0	0
Additions, Other additions	0	0	0
Deductions	17	0	0
Balance as of end of period	67	3	3
Mortgage loans | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	45
Balance as of end of period		45
Bank loans
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	28
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	14
Balance as of end of period	67
Bank loans | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	53
Balance as of end of period		53
Agent loans
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	3	2	2
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	0	1	0
Additions, Other additions	0	0	0
Deductions	0	0	0
Balance as of end of period	5	3	2
Agent loans | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	5
Balance as of end of period		5
Investments
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	72
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	33
Balance as of end of period	142
Investments | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	103
Balance as of end of period		103
Premium installment receivable
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	90	77	77
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	223	137	118
Additions, Other additions	0	0	0
Deductions	161	124	118
Balance as of end of period	153	90	77
Premium installment receivable | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	91
Balance as of end of period		91
Reinsurance recoverables
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	63	65	70
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	0	(2)	(5)
Additions, Other additions	0	0	0
Deductions	0	0	0
Balance as of end of period	74	63	65
Reinsurance recoverables | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	74
Balance as of end of period		74
Other assets
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	5
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	0
Balance as of end of period	23
Other assets | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	18
Balance as of end of period		18
Assets
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	300
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	194
Balance as of end of period	392
Assets | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	286
Balance as of end of period		286
Commitments to fund mortgage loans, bank loans and agent loans
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	0
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	2
Balance as of end of period	1
Commitments to fund mortgage loans, bank loans and agent loans | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	3
Balance as of end of period		3
Liabilities
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses	0
Additions, Other additions	0
Deductions	2
Balance as of end of period	1
Liabilities | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	3
Balance as of end of period		3
Deferred tax assets
Valuation allowances and qualifying accounts
Balance as of beginning of period	$ 0	0	0
Additions, Charged to costs and expenses		0	0
Additions, Other additions		0	0
Deductions		0	0
Balance as of end of period		$ 0	$ 0