RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Details) (USD $)						12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2013 PLC	Dec. 31, 2013 Affiliates	Dec. 31, 2012 Affiliates	Dec. 31, 2011 Affiliates	Dec. 31, 2013 Golden Gate PLC	Dec. 31, 2013 Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated	Dec. 31, 2012 Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated	Dec. 31, 2011 Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated	Dec. 31, 2013 Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated PLC	Dec. 31, 2012 Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated PLC	Dec. 31, 2011 Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated PLC	Mar. 31, 2013 Shades Creek
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Lease revenues						$ 4,900,000	$ 4,700,000	$ 4,600,000
Cost of services						170,900,000	154,700,000	143,000,000
Intercompany payables						27,600,000	10,300,000
Intercompany receivables						0	6,000,000
Premiums and policy fees or other amounts for insurance and investment products, interest on bonds and commissions on securities underwriting										40,000,000	59,100,000	51,000,000
Commission, interest on debt and investment products and fees													16,400,000	13,000,000	4,600,000
Outstanding surplus notes									800,000,000
Guarantee of synthetic lease financing					75,000,000
Assets
Other long-term investments	424,482,000	378,821,000														34,093,000
Short-term investments	133,024,000	216,787,000														745,000
Total investments	43,641,685,000	36,859,834,000														34,838,000
Cash	345,579,000	269,582,000	169,775,000	236,998,000												44,963,000
Accounts and premiums receivable	128,115,000	67,891,000														16,036,000
Deferred policy acquisition cost																123,847,000
Other assets	501,509,000	343,925,000														48,953,000
Total assets	68,296,542,000	57,157,583,000														268,637,000
Liabilities
Future policy benefits and claims	29,780,958,000	21,626,065,000														1,626,000
Other liabilities	944,429,000	1,210,579,000														178,321,000
Deferred income taxes	1,060,646,000	1,783,713,000														2,459,000
Total liabilities	63,606,116,000	51,470,370,000														182,406,000
Total equity	4,690,426,000	5,687,213,000	4,877,350,000	4,072,113,000												86,231,000
Total liabilities and shareowner's equity	$ 68,296,542,000	$ 57,157,583,000														$ 268,637,000