| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | Period [Axis] |
|---|
2016-01-01 - 2016-12-31 |
|---|
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Schedule of components of income tax provision (benefit) [Table Text Block] | The components of income tax provision attributable to continuing operations were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Years Ended December 31, | 2016 | | 2015 | | 2014 | (in millions) | Current income tax | | | | | | Federal | $ | 245 |
| | $ | 509 |
| | $ | 248 |
| State and local | 44 |
| | 36 |
| | 33 |
| Foreign | 23 |
| | 41 |
| | 36 |
| Total current income tax | 312 |
| | 586 |
| | 317 |
| | | | | | | Deferred income tax | | | | | | Federal | (36 | ) | | (124 | ) | | 202 |
| State and local | 3 |
| | (4 | ) | | 30 |
| Foreign | (1 | ) | | (3 | ) | | (4 | ) | Total deferred income tax | (34 | ) | | (131 | ) | | 228 |
| Total income tax provision | $ | 278 |
| | $ | 455 |
| | $ | 545 |
|
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Schedule of geographic sources of pretax income [Table Text Block] | The geographic sources of pretax income from continuing operations were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Years Ended December 31, | 2016 | | 2015 | | 2014 | (in millions) | United States | $ | 1,412 |
| | $ | 1,710 |
| | $ | 1,858 |
| Foreign | 180 |
| | 432 |
| | 689 |
| Total | $ | 1,592 |
| | $ | 2,142 |
| | $ | 2,547 |
|
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Reconciliation of the income tax provision [Table Text Block] | The principal reasons that the aggregate income tax provision attributable to continuing operations is different from that computed by using the U.S. statutory rate of 35% were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | Years Ended December 31, | | 2016 | | 2015 | | 2014 | Tax at U.S. statutory rate | 35.0 | % | | 35.0 | % | | 35.0 | % | Changes in taxes resulting from: | | | | | | Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | — |
| | (2.0 | ) | | (5.2 | ) | Dividends received deduction | (7.6 | ) | | (6.7 | ) | | (4.7 | ) | Low income housing tax credits | (4.2 | ) | | (3.0 | ) | | (2.1 | ) | Taxes applicable to prior years | (3.1 | ) | | — |
| | (0.2 | ) | Foreign taxes | (2.5 | ) | | — |
| | — |
| State taxes, net of federal benefit | 1.9 |
| | — |
| | 1.6 |
| Foreign tax credits, net of addback | (1.6 | ) | | (2.1 | ) | | (2.0 | ) | Tax-exempt interest income | — |
| | — |
| | (0.7 | ) | Other, net | (0.5 | ) | | 0.1 |
| | (0.3 | ) | Income tax provision | 17.4 | % | | 21.3 | % | | 21.4 | % |
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Schedule of significant components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities [Table Text Block] | The significant components of the Company’s deferred income tax assets and liabilities, which are included net within other assets or other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | December 31, | 2016 | | 2015 | (in millions) | Deferred income tax assets | Liabilities for policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims | $ | 1,177 |
| | $ | 1,391 |
| Deferred compensation | 439 |
| | 384 |
| Investment related | 253 |
| | 118 |
| Postretirement benefits | 62 |
| | 56 |
| Currency translation adjustments | 73 |
| | — |
| Other | 68 |
| | 87 |
| Gross deferred income tax assets | 2,072 |
| | 2,036 |
| Less: valuation allowance | 11 |
| | 11 |
| Total deferred income tax assets | 2,061 |
| | 2,025 |
| | Deferred income tax liabilities | Deferred acquisition costs | 717 |
| | 730 |
| Net unrealized gains on Available-for-Sale securities | 264 |
| | 233 |
| Depreciation expense | 146 |
| | 169 |
| Deferred sales inducement costs | 113 |
| | 125 |
| Intangible assets | 126 |
| | 113 |
| Goodwill | 74 |
| | 66 |
| Other | 2 |
| | 18 |
| Gross deferred income tax liabilities | 1,442 |
| | 1,454 |
| Net deferred income tax assets | $ | 619 |
| | $ | 571 |
|
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Reconciliation of gross unrecognized tax benefits (expense) [Table Text Block] | A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits was as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | 2015 | | 2014 | (in millions) | Balance at January 1 | $ | 161 |
| | $ | 242 |
| | $ | 209 |
| Additions based on tax positions related to the current year | 15 |
| | 18 |
| | 17 |
| Additions for tax positions of prior years | 33 |
| | 48 |
| | 35 |
| Reductions for tax positions of prior years | (87 | ) | | (147 | ) | | (19 | ) | Audit settlements | (7 | ) | | — |
| | — |
| Balance at December 31 | $ | 115 |
| | $ | 161 |
| | $ | 242 |
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