Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees of obligations of a related party, before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

No definition available.

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2013
Assets
Other Long-term Investments	$ 491,282,000us-gaap_OtherLongTermInvestments	$ 424,481,000us-gaap_OtherLongTermInvestments
Short-term investments	246,717,000us-gaap_OtherShortTermInvestments	133,025,000us-gaap_OtherShortTermInvestments
Total investments	45,583,964,000us-gaap_Investments	43,655,922,000us-gaap_Investments
Cash	268,286,000us-gaap_Cash	345,579,000us-gaap_Cash	269,582,000us-gaap_Cash	169,775,000us-gaap_Cash
Accounts and premiums receivable	81,137,000us-gaap_PremiumsAndOtherReceivablesNet	101,324,000us-gaap_PremiumsAndOtherReceivablesNet
Deferred policy acquisition cost	2,653,065,000us-gaap_DeferredPolicyAcquisitionCosts	2,720,604,000us-gaap_DeferredPolicyAcquisitionCosts	2,493,729,000us-gaap_DeferredPolicyAcquisitionCosts
Other Assets	398,574,000us-gaap_OtherAssets	501,302,000us-gaap_OtherAssets
Total assets	69,992,118,000us-gaap_Assets	68,269,798,000us-gaap_Assets
Liabilities
Future policy benefits and claims	29,944,477,000	29,771,958,000
Other Liabilities	1,178,962,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilities	945,911,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilities
Deferred income taxes	1,611,864,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities	1,041,420,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities
Total liabilities	64,160,967,000us-gaap_Liabilities	63,579,372,000us-gaap_Liabilities
Total equity	5,831,151,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	4,690,426,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	5,687,213,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	4,877,350,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Total liabilities and shareowner's equity	69,992,118,000	68,269,798,000
PLC
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Guarantee of synthetic lease financing	75,000,000
Affiliates
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Lease revenues	4,900,000	4,900,000	4,700,000
Cost of services	206,300,000	170,900,000	154,700,000
Intercompany payables	19,500,000	27,600,000
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Golden Gate \| PLC
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Outstanding surplus notes	800,000,000
Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Premiums and policy fees or other amounts for insurance and investment products, interest on bonds and commissions on securities underwriting	33,400,000	40,000,000	59,100,000
Certain corporations with which the parent's directors were affiliated \| PLC
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Commission, interest on debt and investment products and fees	16,500,000	16,400,000	13,000,000
Shades Creek
Assets
Other Long-term Investments					34,093,000
Short-term investments					745,000
Total investments					34,838,000
Cash					44,963,000
Accounts and premiums receivable					16,036,000
Deferred policy acquisition cost					123,847,000
Other Assets					48,953,000
Total assets					268,637,000
Liabilities
Future policy benefits and claims					1,626,000
Other Liabilities					178,321,000
Deferred income taxes					2,459,000
Total liabilities					182,406,000
Total equity					86,231,000
Total liabilities and shareowner's equity					268,637,000
Shades Creek \| Letter of Credit
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Outstanding letters of credit (LOC)	55,000,000
Borrowings outstanding	$ 0