INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 4) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) position	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Successor
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		$ 30,237,469
12 Months or More		0
Total		30,237,469
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(2,929,180)
12 Months or More		0
Total		$ (2,929,180)
Number of positions | position		2,547
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		$ 33,736,825
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		36,612,808
Non-income producing investments		27,100
Policy loans		$ 1,699,508
Interest rate on collateral loans on life insurance policies (as a percent)		13.64%
Successor | Minimum
Unrealized Loss
Interest rate on standard policy loans (as a percent)		3.00%
Successor | Maximum
Unrealized Loss
Interest rate on standard policy loans (as a percent)		8.00%
Successor | Below investment grade
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		$ 1,500,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,700,000
Securities in trading portfolio		288,200
Securities not publicly traded		928,700
Successor | Fixed maturities
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		32,843,049
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		35,725,810
Securities in trading portfolio		2,700,000
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax		(1,873,795)
Successor | Residential mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		977,433
12 Months or More		0
Total		977,433
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(17,112)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(17,112)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,765,273
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,773,099
Successor | Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		1,232,495
12 Months or More		0
Total		1,232,495
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(41,852)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(41,852)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,285,864
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,327,288
Successor | Other asset-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		633,274
12 Months or More		0
Total		633,274
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(18,763)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(18,763)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		797,051
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		813,056
Successor | U.S. government-related securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		1,291,476
12 Months or More		0
Total		1,291,476
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(34,532)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(34,532)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,532,177
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,566,260
Successor | Other government-related securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		17,740
12 Months or More		0
Total		17,740
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(743)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(743)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		17,740
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		18,483
Successor | States, municipals, and political subdivisions
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		1,566,752
12 Months or More		0
Total		1,566,752
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(126,814)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(126,814)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		1,603,600
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		1,729,732
Successor | Corporate bonds
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		24,235,121
12 Months or More		0
Total		24,235,121
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(2,681,020)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(2,681,020)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		25,778,657
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		28,433,530
Successor | Preferred Stock
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		34,685
12 Months or More		0
Total		34,685
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(1,867)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(1,867)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		62,687
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		64,362
Successor | Equity securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months		248,493
12 Months or More		0
Total		248,493
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months		(6,477)
12 Months or More		0
Total		(6,477)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		691,666
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost		684,888
Securities in trading portfolio		8,300
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax		$ 4,406
Predecessor
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			$ 2,232,805
12 Months or More			1,904,974
Total			4,137,779
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(96,859)
12 Months or More			(116,560)
Total			(213,419)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			34,824,298
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			31,763,413
Policy loans			1,758,237
Predecessor | Fixed maturities
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			33,937,420
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			30,898,028
Securities in trading portfolio			2,800,000
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax	$ 669,160		1,224,248	$ (1,269,277)
Predecessor | Residential mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			165,877
12 Months or More			67,301
Total			233,178
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(9,547)
12 Months or More			(2,717)
Total			(12,264)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			1,418,258
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			1,374,141
Predecessor | Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			49,908
12 Months or More			102,529
Total			152,437
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(334)
12 Months or More			(2,030)
Total			(2,364)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			1,177,252
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			1,119,979
Predecessor | Other asset-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			108,665
12 Months or More			537,488
Total			646,153
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(6,473)
12 Months or More			(29,477)
Total			$ (35,950)
Percentage of underlying collateral including student-loan backed auction rate securities guaranteed by the Federal Family Education Loan Program ("FFELP"), minimum			97.00%
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			$ 839,376
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			857,365
Predecessor | U.S. government-related securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			231,917
12 Months or More			280,803
Total			512,720
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(3,868)
12 Months or More			(5,414)
Total			(9,282)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			1,428,895
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			1,394,028
Predecessor | Other government-related securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			0
12 Months or More			0
Total			0
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			0
12 Months or More			0
Total			0
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			20,172
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			16,939
Predecessor | States, municipals, and political subdivisions
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			1,905
12 Months or More			10,481
Total			12,386
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(134)
12 Months or More			(297)
Total			(431)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			1,687,689
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			1,391,526
Predecessor | Corporate bonds
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			1,657,103
12 Months or More			776,863
Total			2,433,966
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(76,285)
12 Months or More			(62,690)
Total			(138,975)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			27,365,778
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			24,744,050
Predecessor | Equity securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months			17,430
12 Months or More			129,509
Total			146,939
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months			(218)
12 Months or More			(13,935)
Total			(14,153)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value			735,306
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost			713,813
Securities in trading portfolio			21,500
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax	$ 12,172		$ 33,642	$ (20,899)