Financial Instruments Investment Segment and Holding Company Narrative (Details) (Investment Funds [Member], USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum payout amounts relating to put options written	$ 8,800,000,000	$ 1,700,000,000
Open Option Contracts Written, Covered Put Options on Existing Short Positions	8,100,000,000	1,400,000,000
Unrealized gains on open option contracts written	112,000,000	24,000,000
Fair value of derivative instruments with credit-risk related contingent features in a liability position	92,000,000	42,000,000
Cash collateral posted for derivative positions	530,000,000	257,000,000
Credit default swaps [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Term of credit default swaps	1 year	2 years
Maximum exposure related to credit default swaps, percentage of notional amounts	37.10%	48.00%
Credit default swaps [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum notional amount of credit default swaps	$ 8,000,000	$ 8,000,000

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives, Percentage of Notional Amounts

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- Definition

Open Option Contracts Written, Covered Put Options on Existing Short Positions

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The maximum payout of the open option contracts written for the investment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The aggregate fair value of assets that are already posted, at the end of the reporting period, as collateral for derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 133

-Paragraph 44D

-Subparagraph c

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4H

-Subparagraph (d)

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- Definition

Fair value as of the balance sheet date of credit risk derivative liabilities, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and non-hedging relationships that are recognized as liabilities on the balance sheet.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 10

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7491637&loc=d3e13433-108611

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 133

-Paragraph 17

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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- Details

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- Definition

Maximum period covered by credit risk derivative contract, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4K

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7476318&loc=SL5708775-113959

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- Definition

Aggregate notional amount of credit risk derivatives.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1A

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7476318&loc=SL5579245-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Notional Amount

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6519104

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1B

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7476318&loc=SL5580258-113959

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- Definition

The net change in the difference between the fair value and the carrying value, or in the comparative fair values, of derivative instruments, including options, swaps, futures, and forward contracts, held at each balance sheet date, that was included in earnings for the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 95

-Paragraph 28

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6943989&loc=d3e3602-108585

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