v3.8.0.1

Policyholders' Liabilities (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Policyholders’ account balances | $ 148,189 | $ 145,205 |
Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Unpaid claims and claim settlement expenses interest rate | 2.60% |  |
Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Unpaid claims and claim settlement expenses interest rate | 6.40% |  |
Individual participating life insurance |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Participating policies direct in force | 3.00% | 4.00% |
Participating policies direct premiums | 14.00% | 14.00% | 16.00%
Individual participating life insurance | Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 2.50% |  |
Individual participating life insurance | Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 7.50% |  |
Individual nonparticipating life insurance |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Percentage of reserves based on interest rates in excess of 8 Percent (less than) | 1.00% |  |
Individual nonparticipating life insurance | Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 0.10% |  |
Individual nonparticipating life insurance | Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 9.50% |  |
Individual and group annuities and supplementary contracts |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Percentage of reserves based on interest rates in excess of 8 Percent (less than) | 1.00% |  |
Individual and group annuities and supplementary contracts | Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 0.10% |  |
Individual and group annuities and supplementary contracts | Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 11.30% |  |
Other contract liabilities | Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 1.00% |  |
Other contract liabilities | Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities for future policy benefits, interest rate | 7.30% |  |
Funding agreements |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Policyholders’ account balances | $ 4,631 | $ 4,794 |
Interest-sensitive life contracts |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Policyholders’ account balances | $ 36,879 | 34,452 |
Interest-sensitive life contracts | Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 0.00% |  |
Interest-sensitive life contracts | Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 7.5963% |  |
Other than interest-sensitive life contracts |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Less than 1% of policyholders' account balances have interest crediting rates in excess of 8% | 1.00% |  |
Other than interest-sensitive life contracts | Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 0.00% |  |
Other than interest-sensitive life contracts | Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 13.25% |  |
Delaware Statutory Trust | Funding agreements | Prudential Insurance |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Policyholders’ account balances | $ 4,165 | 3,758 |
Medium-term Notes, at amortized cost | 3,211 | 3,210 |
Commercial Paper | $ 957 | 550 |
Delaware Statutory Trust | Funding agreements | Minimum | Prudential Insurance |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 0.00% |  |
Weighted average maturity of outstanding commercial paper, in days | 7 days |  |
Delaware Statutory Trust | Funding agreements | Maximum | Prudential Insurance |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 2.60% |  |
Weighted average maturity of outstanding commercial paper, in days | 5 years |  |
Medium-term notes | Delaware Statutory Trust | Funding agreements | Prudential Insurance |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
FANIP maximum authorized amount | $ 15,000 |  |
Commercial Paper | Delaware Statutory Trust | Funding agreements | Prudential Insurance |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
FANIP maximum authorized amount | 3,000 |  |
Federal Home Loan Bank of New York | Funding agreements |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Policyholders’ account balances | $ 436 | $ 1,001 |
Federal Home Loan Bank of New York | Funding agreements | Minimum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 1.20% |  |
Weighted average maturity of outstanding commercial paper, in days | 5 years |  |
Federal Home Loan Bank of New York | Funding agreements | Maximum |  |  |
Liability for Future Policy Benefit, by Product Segment [Line Items] |  |  |
Liability for policyholder contract deposits, interest rate | 2.10% |  |
Weighted average maturity of outstanding commercial paper, in days | 7 years |  |

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- Definition Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of short-term borrowings using unsecured obligations issued by banks, corporations and other borrowers to investors. The maturities of these money market securities generally do not exceed 270 days. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(19)(a)(3)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(13)(2)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878 + Details
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- Definition Rate of interest used to calculate the liability for future policy benefits. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.13(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 40 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6482852&loc=d3e14931-158439 + Details
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- Definition Ratio with total life insurance premiums in numerator and total GAAP premiums in the denominator. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 18 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84177426&loc=d3e6351-108592 + Details
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- Definition Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value at the balance sheet date of a financial instrument used to receive debt funding on a regular basis with original maturities ranging from 5-10 years. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 946 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.6-04(13)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6488278&loc=d3e603758-122996 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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- Definition This percent places participating policies in the numerator and insurance contracts in force in the denominator. Participating insurance contracts allow policyholders to share in the experience of the entity, primarily through policy dividends. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.14(b)(1)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 50 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6483535&loc=d3e16392-158451 + Details
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