| As of December 2013 | ||||||||||||
| in millions |   | 
   Balance, beginning of year  | 
      | 
     | 
   Other comprehensive income/(loss) adjustments, net of tax  | 
      | 
     | 
   Balance, end of year  | 
      | 
   |||
| 
    Currency translation  | 
   $(314 | ) | $ (50 | ) | $(364 | ) | ||||||
| 
    Pension and postretirement liabilities  | 
   (206 | ) | 38 | (168 | ) | |||||||
| 
    Available-for-sale securities  | 
   327 | (327 | ) | — | ||||||||
| 
    Cash flow hedges  | 
   — | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| 
    Accumulated comprehensive income/  | 
   $(193 | ) | $(331 | ) | $(524 | ) | ||||||
| As of December 2012 | ||||||||||||
| in millions |   | 
   Balance, beginning of year  | 
      | 
     
  | 
   Other comprehensive income/(loss) adjustments, net of tax  | 
      
  | 
     | 
   Balance, end of year  | 
      | 
   |||
| 
    Currency translation  | 
   $(225 | ) | $ (89 | ) | $(314 | ) | ||||||
| 
    Pension and postretirement liabilities  | 
   (374 | ) | 168 | (206 | ) | |||||||
| 
    Available-for-sale securities  | 
   83 | 244 | 327 | 1 | ||||||||
| 
    Accumulated comprehensive income/  | 
   $(516 | ) | $ 323 | $(193 | ) | |||||||
| 1. | 
    As of December 2012, substantially all consisted of net unrealized gains on securities held by the firm’s Americas reinsurance business, in which a majority stake was sold in April 2013. See Note 12 for further information about this sale.  |