SCHEDULE III - SUPPLEMENTARY INSURANCE INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired	$ 3,490,605				$ 3,225,356				$ 3,490,605	$ 3,225,356	$ 3,223,220
Future Policy Benefits and Claims	29,780,958				21,626,065				29,780,958	21,626,065	20,867,727
Unearned Premiums	1,500,394				1,352,872				1,500,394	1,352,872	1,218,258
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds	14,899,185				13,736,007				14,899,185	13,736,007	14,262,874
Net Premiums and Policy Fees	450,514	376,036	355,975	397,360	352,127	369,462	371,601	396,103	1,579,885	1,489,293	1,420,220
Net Investment Income									1,836,188	1,789,338	1,753,444
Benefits and Settlement Expenses									2,473,988	2,317,121	2,222,220
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired									154,660	192,183	249,520
Other Operating Expenses									553,523	487,177	461,570
Premiums Written									200,724	209,418	205,076
Life Marketing
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired	2,071,470				2,001,708				2,071,470	2,001,708	1,912,916
Future Policy Benefits and Claims	13,504,869				12,733,602				13,504,869	12,733,602	11,755,841
Unearned Premiums	812,929				698,862				812,929	698,862	589,027
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds	311,290				277,919				311,290	277,919	274,870
Net Premiums and Policy Fees									796,109	743,361	744,819
Net Investment Income									521,219	486,374	446,014
Benefits and Settlement Expenses									1,143,132	1,054,645	978,098
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired									25,774	45,079	87,461
Other Operating Expenses									46,263	31,816	32,258
Premiums Written									173	161	196
Acquisitions
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired	813,239				679,746				813,239	679,746	824,277
Future Policy Benefits and Claims	15,121,574				7,666,423				15,121,574	7,666,423	7,804,207
Unearned Premiums	4,680				8,367				4,680	8,367	6,792
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds	4,734,487				3,514,838				4,734,487	3,514,838	3,669,366
Net Premiums and Policy Fees									519,477	459,835	414,823
Net Investment Income									617,298	550,334	529,261
Benefits and Settlement Expenses									851,386	716,893	662,293
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired									72,762	77,251	75,041
Other Operating Expenses									78,244	51,714	55,792
Premiums Written									24,781	29,874	22,386
Annuities
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired	554,974				491,184				554,974	491,184	435,462
Future Policy Benefits and Claims	1,037,348				1,102,577				1,037,348	1,102,577	1,175,690
Unearned Premiums	102,734				103,316				102,734	103,316	103,314
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds	7,228,119				7,372,471				7,228,119	7,372,471	7,497,370
Net Premiums and Policy Fees									80,343	97,902	68,319
Net Investment Income									468,329	504,342	507,229
Benefits and Settlement Expenses									318,173	369,622	390,788
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired									31,498	45,319	57,201
Other Operating Expenses									110,266	100,848	84,996
Stable Value Products
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired	1,001				1,399				1,001	1,399	2,347
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds	2,559,552				2,510,559				2,559,552	2,510,559	2,769,510
Net Investment Income									123,798	128,239	145,150
Benefits and Settlement Expenses									41,793	64,790	81,256
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired									398	947	4,556
Other Operating Expenses									1,805	2,174	2,557
Asset Protection
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired	49,275				50,253				49,275	50,253	46,606
Future Policy Benefits and Claims	49,362				51,279				49,362	51,279	53,987
Unearned Premiums	578,755				540,766				578,755	540,766	517,274
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds	1,556				1,790				1,556	1,790	1,645
Net Premiums and Policy Fees									165,807	168,656	170,898
Net Investment Income									19,046	19,698	21,650
Benefits and Settlement Expenses									97,174	91,778	88,257
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired									23,603	22,569	22,607
Other Operating Expenses									155,857	170,034	154,831
Premiums Written									157,629	159,927	161,387
Corporate and Other
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired	646				1,066				646	1,066	1,612
Future Policy Benefits and Claims	67,805				72,184				67,805	72,184	78,002
Unearned Premiums	1,296				1,561				1,296	1,561	1,851
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds	64,181				58,430				64,181	58,430	50,113
Net Premiums and Policy Fees									18,149	19,539	21,361
Net Investment Income									86,498	100,351	104,140
Benefits and Settlement Expenses									22,330	19,393	21,528
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired									625	1,018	2,654
Other Operating Expenses									161,088	130,591	131,136
Premiums Written									$ 18,141	$ 19,456	$ 21,107