FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Details 2) (USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Determination of fair values
Number of primary sources of information considered for determining fair value	1
Total number of primary sources of information available for determining fair value	3
Minimum percentage of the Company's fixed maturity securities priced by third party pricing services	90.00%
Number of independent non-binding broker quotes obtained per security	1
Percentage of derivatives excluding embedded derivatives that were priced using exchange prices or independent broker quotations	85.30%
Mortality (as a percent)	58.00%
Policy liabilities	2,700,000,000
Fair value of trading securities	3,100,000,000
Annuity account balances
Equity indexed annuities, discount rate for one month (as a percent)	0.96%
Equity indexed annuities, discount rate for five years (as a percent)	2.75%
Equity indexed annuities, discount rate for thirty years (as a percent)	4.44%
Asset-Backed Securities | Level 2
Determination of fair values
Carrying amount	3,800,000,000
Asset-Backed Securities | Level 3
Determination of fair values
Carrying amount	649,700,000
Investment grade credit rating (as a percent)	100.00%
Weighted-average market yield (as a percent)	1.10%
Par Value	643,800,000
Weighted-average stated maturity	12 years
Other asset-backed securities
Determination of fair values
Percentage of underlying collateral of student-loan backed auction rate securities guaranteed by the Federal Family Education Loan Program ("FFELP"), minimum	97.00%	97.00%
Other asset-backed securities | Level 3 | Trading Securities
Determination of fair values
Carrying amount	65,100,000
Percentage of underlying collateral of student-loan backed auction rate securities guaranteed by the Federal Family Education Loan Program ("FFELP"), minimum	97.00%
Corporate bonds, U.S. Government-related securities, States, municipals, and political subdivisions, and Other government related securities | Level 2
Determination of fair values
Carrying amount	23,000,000,000
Corporate bonds, U.S. Government-related securities, States, municipals, and political subdivisions, and Other government related securities | Level 3
Determination of fair values
Carrying amount	196,600,000
Investment grade credit rating (as a percent)	66.70%
Weighted-average market yield (as a percent)	4.40%
Weighted-average coupon (as a percent)	5.40%
Par Value	265,400,000
Weighted-average stated maturity	6 years 1 month 6 days
Equity securities | Level 2 and Level 3
Determination of fair values
Carrying amount	91,700,000
FHLB stock	64,600,000
Equity securities | Level 3
Determination of fair values
FHLB stock	68,500,000