INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	$ 9,868,841,000	$ 1,574,080,000
12 Months or More	1,020,842,000	793,440,000
Total	10,889,683,000	2,367,520,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(489,624,000)	(68,035,000)
12 Months or More	(114,680,000)	(72,622,000)
Total	(604,304,000)	(140,657,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	32,661,058,000	27,214,682,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	31,535,388,000	24,104,126,000
Securities in trading portfolio	2,800,000,000
Non-income producing investments	26,400,000
Policy loans excluding MONY acquisition	985,900,000
Interest rate on collateral loans on life insurance policies (as a percent)	13.64%
Minimum
Unrealized Loss
Interest rate on standard policy loans (as a percent)	3.00%
Maximum
Unrealized Loss
Interest rate on standard policy loans (as a percent)	8.00%
Below investment grade
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	1,600,000,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	1,600,000,000
Securities in trading portfolio	333,900,000
Securities not publicly traded	543,800,000
Fixed maturities
Unrealized Loss
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	31,999,267,000	26,762,670,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	30,843,333,000	23,654,002,000
Securities in trading portfolio	2,800,000,000	3,000,000,000
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax	(1,269,277,000)	819,152,000	761,738,000
Residential mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	332,812,000	100,412,000
12 Months or More	209,818,000	166,000,000
Total	542,630,000	266,412,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(14,050,000)	(9,578,000)
12 Months or More	(10,486,000)	(9,769,000)
Total	(24,536,000)	(19,347,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	1,445,068,000	1,839,330,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	1,435,349,000	1,766,260,000
Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	429,228,000	50,506,000
12 Months or More	13,840,000
Total	443,068,000	50,506,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(18,467,000)	(598,000)
12 Months or More	(1,238,000)
Total	(19,705,000)	(598,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	970,656,000	869,823,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	963,461,000	797,844,000
Other asset-backed securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	175,846,000	479,223,000
12 Months or More	497,512,000	242,558,000
Total	673,358,000	721,781,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(14,555,000)	(28,179,000)
12 Months or More	(54,993,000)	(33,245,000)
Total	(69,548,000)	(61,424,000)
Percentage of underlying collateral including student-loan backed auction rate securities guaranteed by the Federal Family Education Loan Program ("FFELP"), minimum	97.00%	97.00%
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	871,983,000	975,013,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	926,396,000	1,023,649,000
U.S. government-related securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	891,698,000	106,806,000
12 Months or More	6,038,000
Total	897,736,000	106,806,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(53,508,000)	(591,000)
12 Months or More	(570,000)
Total	(54,078,000)	(591,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	1,507,890,000	1,168,446,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	1,529,818,000	1,097,501,000
Other government-related securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	10,161,000	14,955,000
Total	10,161,000	14,955,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(1,000)	(45,000)
Total	(1,000)	(45,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	51,427,000	100,778,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	49,171,000	93,565,000
States, municipalities, and political subdivisions
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	172,157,000	11,526,000
12 Months or More	335,000
Total	172,492,000	11,526,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(8,113,000)	(264,000)
12 Months or More	(178,000)
Total	(8,291,000)	(264,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	1,410,829,000	1,443,653,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	1,315,457,000	1,188,019,000
Corporate bonds
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	7,480,163,000	775,593,000
12 Months or More	271,535,000	363,128,000
Total	7,751,698,000	1,138,721,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(353,069,000)	(23,630,000)
12 Months or More	(38,744,000)	(24,765,000)
Total	(391,813,000)	(48,395,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	25,741,414,000	20,365,627,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	24,623,681,000	17,687,164,000
Equity securities
Fair Value
Less Than 12 Months	376,776,000	35,059,000
12 Months or More	21,764,000	21,754,000
Total	398,540,000	56,813,000
Unrealized Loss
Less Than 12 Months	(27,861,000)	(5,150,000)
12 Months or More	(8,471,000)	(4,843,000)
Total	(36,332,000)	(9,993,000)
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	581,209,000	354,160,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost	611,473,000	352,272,000
Securities in trading portfolio	21,200,000	19,600,000
Change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax	$ (20,899,000)	$ 8,484,000	$ (13,292,000)