DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS - Nature and Accounting Treatment of Derivative Instruments (Details) - Successor - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	$ 11,437,051	$ 8,037,250
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	533,433	323,570
Notional amount, Other liabilities	11,719,182	9,380,020
Fair value, liabilities	674,048	522,225
Foreign Currency Swaps | Cash flow hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	117,178	0
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	132	0
Interest rate swaps | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	1,135,000	1,435,000
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	71,644	66,408
Notional amount, Other liabilities	575,000	475,000
Fair value, liabilities	10,208	16,579
Modco trading portfolio
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	2,573	1,215
Fair value, liabilities	141,301	178,362
Modco trading portfolio | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	64,123	64,593
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	2,573	1,215
Notional amount, Other liabilities	2,450,692	2,473,427
Fair value, liabilities	141,301	178,362
Embedded derivative - GLWB
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	64,064	49,007
Fair value, liabilities	71,082	67,528
Embedded derivative - GLWB | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	2,045,529	1,723,081
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	64,064	49,007
Notional amount, Other liabilities	1,849,400	1,834,308
Fair value, liabilities	71,082	67,528
Interest rate futures | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	102,587	282,373
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	894	1,537
Notional amount, Other liabilities	993,842	793,763
Fair value, liabilities	6,611	1,539
Equity futures | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	654,113	262,485
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	5,805	1,275
Notional amount, Other liabilities	102,667	233,412
Fair value, liabilities	2,907	2,599
Currency futures | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	340,058	226,936
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	7,883	2,499
Notional amount, Other liabilities	0	46,692
Fair value, liabilities	0	1,115
Equity options | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	3,944,444	2,198,340
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	328,908	179,458
Notional amount, Other liabilities	2,590,160	1,205,204
Fair value, liabilities	157,253	22,167
Interest rate swaptions | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	225,000	225,000
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	2,503	3,663
Other derivatives | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	212	242
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	149	347
Inflation | Cash flow hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other liabilities	0	0
Fair value, liabilities	0	0
Funds withheld derivative
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Fair value, liabilities	91,267	102,378
Funds withheld derivative | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other liabilities	1,557,237	1,149,664
Fair value, liabilities	91,267	102,378
Embedded derivative - FIA
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Fair value, liabilities	147,368	100,329
Embedded derivative - FIA | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other liabilities	1,496,346	1,110,790
Fair value, liabilities	147,368	100,329
Embedded derivative - IUL
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Fair value, liabilities	46,051	29,629
Embedded derivative - IUL | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other liabilities	103,838	57,760
Fair value, liabilities	46,051	29,629
PLC | Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Notional amount, Other long-term investments	2,808,807	1,619,200
Fair Value, Other long-term investments	$ 48,878	$ 18,161