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Reinsurance (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum retention per single insured life on fixed and VUL insurance contracts | $ 20 |  |
Percent of mortality risk reinsured on newly issued non-term life insurance contracts | 25.00% |  |
Percent of total individual life in-force amount reinsured | 38.00% | 41.00% |
Reserves associated with modified coinsurance reinsurance arrangements | $ 530 | $ 571 |
Reinsurance receivable | 4,900 | 5,300 |
Liabilities for funds withheld | 1,761 | 1,976 |
Swiss Re [Member] |  |  |
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items] |  |  |
Reinsurance receivable | 1,800 | 2,100 |
Trust funded by Swiss Re to support reinsurance receivable | 2,500 |  |
Liabilities for funds withheld | 269 |  |
Liabilities for reinsurance related embedded derivatives | 46 |  |
Amount of amortization, after-tax, of deferred gain on business sold to Swiss Re | $ 15 | $ 48 | $ 48

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- Definition Amount, after-tax, of deferred gain on business sold through reinsurance amortized into income during the period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Maximum amount retained per single insured life issued on fixed and VUL insurance contracts. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of the percentage of mortality risk that is reinsured on newly issued non-term life insurance contracts. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of the approximate amount of our total individual life in-force amount that is reinsured. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Embedded derivatives within certain modified coinsurance and coinsurance with funds withheld reinsurance arrangements related to the withheld assets of the related funds. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of reserves associated with modified coinsurance reinsurance arrangements for portions of the Company's deferred annuity business. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Funds held in trust by the reinsurer to support the sale of the Entity's reinsurance business through an indemnity reinsurance agreement. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of funds held as security for payments to be received under reinsurance contracts. + 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(c)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 + Details
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- Definition The sum for all reinsurance arrangements of the known and estimated amount recoverable as of the balance sheet date from a given reinsurer for claims paid or incurred by the ceding insurer and associated claims settlement expenses for each reinsurance arrangement (or, the sum of all cases determined individually, probably applying different assumptions to each arrangement). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 310 -Section 45 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6485522&loc=d3e21412-158489 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 310 -Section 45 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6485522&loc=d3e21409-158489 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 210.7-03.6) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 + Details
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- Details
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