REINSURANCE (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2008	Dec. 31, 2005	Mar. 31, 2010 Lender's Indemnity line of business	Dec. 31, 2006 Lender's Indemnity line of business	Dec. 31, 2012 Life insurance in-force	Dec. 31, 2011 Life insurance in-force	Dec. 31, 2010 Life insurance in-force	Dec. 31, 2012 Life insurance	Dec. 31, 2011 Life insurance	Dec. 31, 2010 Life insurance	Dec. 31, 2012 Accident/health insurance	Dec. 31, 2011 Accident/health insurance	Dec. 31, 2010 Accident/health insurance	Dec. 31, 2012 Property and liability insurance	Dec. 31, 2011 Property and liability insurance	Dec. 31, 2010 Property and liability insurance
REINSURANCE
Percentage of the face value of life insurance in-force reinsured	60.00%
Percentage of the face value of life insurance in-force reinsured with concentration of reinsurers	26.00%
Life insurance in-force reinsured, concentrated number of reinsurers	3
Amount of insurance retained on the life of any one person before revision					$ 500,000
Amount of insurance retained on the life of any one person				2,000,000	1,000,000
Effect of reinsurance on premiums written and earned
Direct premiums	2,481,501,000	2,507,787,000	2,435,582,000					706,415,969,000	728,670,260,000	753,518,782,000	2,226,614,000	2,245,359,000	2,153,318,000	38,873,000	43,161,000	49,520,000	216,014,000	219,267,000	232,744,000
Reinsurance assumed	317,889,000	276,346,000	173,775,000					30,470,432,000	32,812,882,000	18,799,243,000	281,711,000	248,467,000	166,606,000	29,413,000	21,719,000	63,000	6,765,000	6,160,000	7,106,000
Reinsurance ceded	(1,310,098,000)	(1,363,913,000)	(1,380,712,000)					(444,950,866,000)	(469,530,487,000)	(495,056,077,000)	(1,228,444,000)	(1,278,273,000)	(1,284,504,000)	(12,065,000)	(14,415,000)	(17,323,000)	(69,589,000)	(71,225,000)	(78,885,000)
Net premiums	1,489,292,000	1,420,220,000	1,228,645,000					291,935,535,000	291,952,655,000	277,261,948,000	1,279,881,000	1,215,553,000	1,035,420,000	56,221,000	50,465,000	32,260,000	153,190,000	154,202,000	160,965,000
Percentage of amount assumed to net								10.40%	11.20%	6.80%	22.00%	20.40%	16.10%	52.30%	43.00%	0.20%	4.40%	4.00%	4.40%
Annuity policy fees											103,800,000	74,900,000	43,400,000
Reinsurance receivables	5,600,000	5,500,000
Ceded benefits which are recoverable from reinsurers	105,000,000	127,100,000
Receivables related to insurance assumed	66,100,000	64,900,000
Bad debt charges							27,100,000
Decrease in reserves related to final settlement in runoff line of business						$ 7,800,000