DEBT AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended					0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 Credit facility	Dec. 31, 2013 2012 Credit Facility Administrative agent's prime rate	Dec. 31, 2013 2012 Credit Facility Federal funds rate	Dec. 31, 2013 2012 Credit Facility LIBOR One-Month Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Non-recourse funding obligations letters of credit, and other temporary borrowings	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-recourse funding obligations letters of credit, and other temporary borrowings	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-recourse funding obligations letters of credit, and other temporary borrowings	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate)	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate) Surplus Notes item	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate) Series A1 Surplus Notes	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate) Series A2 Surplus Notes	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate) Series A3 Surplus Notes	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate II Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate II)	Dec. 31, 2013 PLC 2012 Credit Facility	Oct. 10, 2012 Golden Gate V and Red Mountain	Oct. 10, 2012 Red Mountain	Dec. 31, 2013 Red Mountain	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate V	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate III Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate III) item	Aug. 07, 2013 Golden Gate III Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate III)	Apr. 23, 2010 Golden Gate III Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate III)	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate IV Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate IV)	Dec. 10, 2010 Golden Gate IV Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate IV)	Dec. 31, 2013 MONY Life Insurance Company
DEBT AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity			$ 750,000,000
Line of credit, amount outstanding																485,000,000
Base of floating rate interest payments				Administrative Agent's prime rate	Federal Funds rate	one-month LIBOR										LIBOR
Interest rate added to the base rate (as a percent)					0.50%	1.00%										1.20%
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity to be granted upon entity's request			1,000,000,000
Number of series of Surplus Notes											3
Outstanding Surplus Notes											800,000,000	400,000,000	100,000,000	300,000,000
Interest rate on Surplus Notes (as a percent)												7.375%	8.00%	8.45%
Outstanding non-recourse funding obligations															575,000,000
Non-recourse funding obligations held by external parties															269,900,000
Non-recourse funding obligations held by nonconsolidated affiliates															8,500,000
Non-recourse funding obligations held by consolidated subsidiaries of the Company															296,600,000
Transaction period of financing for reserves related to a block of universal life insurance policies with secondary guarantees																	20 years
Maximum amount to be financed for reserves related to a block of universal life insurance policies with secondary guarantees																	945,000,000
Initial principal amount of note for deposit to a reinsurance trust																		275,000,000
Maximum principal amount of note for deposit to a reinsurance trust																		945,000,000
Credit enhancement period for Red Mountain note																		20 years
Principal balance of note																			365,000,000
Future scheduled capital contributions to prefund credit enhancements fees amount																				144,300,000
Payments made under the agreements															0					0	0			0
Amount of collateralized support agreement obligations															300,000
Maximum principal amount of non-recourse funding obligation																				945,000,000
Non-recourse funding obligations	1,495,448,000	1,446,900,000								800,000,000					327,900,000					365,000,000						2,548,000
Year-to-date weighted-average interest rate of non-recourse funding obligations (as a percent)										7.86%					1.11%					6.25%						6.63%
Repurchase of outstanding non-recourse funding obligations	68,500,000	101,700,000
Pre-tax gain on repurchase of debt	15,400,000	32,000,000
Maximum LOC borrowing capacity																					715,000,000	710,000,000	505,000,000	700,000,000	270,000,000
Maximum stated amount up to which LOC may be increased prior to amendment																						610,000,000
Maximum stated amount up to which LOC may be increased																					720,000,000	720,000,000		790,000,000
Letter of credit term																					13 years 6 months			12 years
Future scheduled capital contributions amount																					149,800,000
Number of installments for payment of capital contributions amount																					3
Repurchase Program Borrowings
Term of repurchase borrowings	90 days
Fair value of securities pledged under the repurchase program	384,400,000
Repurchase obligation	350,000,000	150,000,000
Average borrowing rate (as a percent)	0.10%
Maximum outstanding balance	815,000,000	425,000,000
Average daily balance	496,900,000	266,300,000
Average daily borrowing rate (as a percent)	0.11%	0.14%
Outstanding balance related to repurchase program borrowings		150,000,000
Interest expense							111,400,000	92,900,000	90,800,000
Increase (decrease) in interest expense							$ 18,500,000														$ 17,300,000			$ 2,200,000