v3.8.0.1

Equity (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) |  |  |  | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Aug. 05, 2016 | Jan. 02, 2015 | Dec. 18, 2001 | Mar. 31, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Jun. 30, 2015
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 28,504,000,000 | $ 21,946,000,000 |  |
Class B Stock repurchase adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 119,000,000 | $ 0 |
Cost of Treasury Stock acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,250,000,000 | $ 2,000,000,000 | $ 1,013,000,000 |
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Prudential Financial |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 28,504,000,000 | $ 21,946,000,000 |  |
Cost of Treasury Stock acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,250,000,000 | 2,000,000,000 | $ 1,664,000,000 |
Cash and Short Term Investments at Carrying Value Excluding Intercompany Liquidity Account |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,376,000,000 |  |  |
Prudential Insurance |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unassigned Surplus |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8,450,000,000 |  |  |
Percentage of Statutory Surplus |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10.00% |  |  |
Statutory Surplus Balance |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 9,948,000,000 |  |  |
Dividend permitted to be paid without prior approval |  |  |  |  |  |  | 505,000,000 |  |  |
Statutory Net Income |  |  |  |  |  |  | (217,000,000) | 5,214,000,000 | 5,253,000,000 |
Statutory Capital and Surplus |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 9,948,000,000 | 11,290,000,000 |  |
RBC or solvency margin ratio multiple |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |
PALAC |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of Statutory Surplus |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10.00% |  |  |
Dividend permitted to be paid without prior approval |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 806,000,000 |  |  |
Statutory Net Income |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,911,000,000 | (2,018,000,000) | 340,000,000 |
Statutory Capital and Surplus |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8,059,000,000 | 5,718,000,000 |  |
RBC or solvency margin ratio multiple |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4.0 |  |  |
POJ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Japan Permitted Percentage of Statutory Earnings w/o approval |  |  |  |  |  |  | 83.00% |  |  |
Japan-Retained Earnings Level- Permitted Percentage of Prior Year Statutory Earnings |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |
RBC or solvency margin ratio multiple |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.50 |  |  |
Gibraltar Life |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Japan Permitted Percentage of Statutory Earnings w/o approval |  |  |  |  |  |  | 83.00% |  |  |
RBC or solvency margin ratio multiple |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.50 |  |  |
Prudential International Insurance Holdings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Dividends Received |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 248,000,000 |  |  |
Under June 2015 Board Of Directors Authorization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of Treasury Stock Shares Acquired |  |  |  |  |  | 6,100,000 |  |  |  |
Authorized repurchase amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,000,000,000
Cost of Treasury Stock acquired |  |  |  |  |  | $ 500,000,000 |  |  |  |
Under August 2016 Board of Director Authorization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized repurchase amount | $ 2,000,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized increase | $ 500,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Under December 2015 Board Of Directors Authorization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized repurchase amount |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,500,000,000 |  |  | 1,500,000,000 |
Under December 2016 Board Of Directors Authorization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized repurchase amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,250,000,000 |  |
Under December 2017 Board Of Directors Authorization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized repurchase amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,500,000,000 |  |  |
Permitted to be paid after June 2018 | Prudential Insurance |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividend permitted to be paid without prior approval |  |  |  |  |  |  | 995,000,000 |  |  |
Permitted to be paid after September 2018 | PALAC |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividend permitted to be paid without prior approval |  |  |  |  |  |  | 156,000,000 |  |  |
Permitted to be paid after December 2018 | PALAC |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividend permitted to be paid without prior approval |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 650,000,000 |  |  |
Common Stock | Under August 2016 Board of Director Authorization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of Treasury Stock Shares Acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | 25,100,000 |  |  |
Cost of Treasury Stock acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000,000 |  |  |
Common Stock | Under December 2016 Board Of Directors Authorization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of Treasury Stock Shares Acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,500,000 |  |  |
Cost of Treasury Stock acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,250,000,000 |  |  |
Common Stock | IPO |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Price Per Share (in dollars per share) |  |  | $ 27.50 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Common Class B Stock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of Treasury Stock Shares Acquired |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost of Treasury Stock acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 119,000,000 | 651,000,000 |
Common Class B Stock | Private Placement |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Price Per Share (in dollars per share) |  |  | $ 87.50 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of shares sold (in shares) |  |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Held In Treasury | Common Class B Stock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class B Stock repurchase adjustment |  | $ 651,000,000 |  |  | $ 770,000,000 |  |  |  | (651,000,000) |
Held In Treasury | Common Class B Stock | Prudential Financial |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class B Stock repurchase adjustment |  | 651,000,000 |  | $ 770,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained Earnings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class B Stock repurchase adjustment |  | (484,000,000) |  |  | $ (119,000,000) |  |  | $ 119,000,000 | 484,000,000 |
Retained Earnings | Prudential Financial |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class B Stock repurchase adjustment |  | (484,000,000) |  | $ (119,000,000) |  |  |  |  |  |
Additional Paid-in Capital |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class B Stock repurchase adjustment |  | (167,000,000) |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 167,000,000 |
Additional Paid-in Capital | Prudential Financial |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class B Stock repurchase adjustment |  | $ (167,000,000) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cumulative unrealized investment gains | Prudential Insurance |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unassigned Surplus |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 726,000,000 |  |  |

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