New Unadopted Accounting Guidance	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
New Accounting Pronouncements And Changes In Accounting Principles [Abstract]
New Unadopted Accounting Guidance	Note G—New Unadopted Accounting Guidance Revenue recognition: The FASB issued Accounting Standard Update No. 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09), to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue, to provide more consistency and comparability in revenue recognition practices, and to simplify recognition requirements along with other improvements. ASU 2014-09 will be effective for Torchmark beginning in calendar year 2017. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance. Torchmark’s revenues consist of insurance premium and revenues related to financial instruments. These forms of revenue are not within the scope of ASC 2014-09 because they are addressed by other guidance. Therefore, Torchmark does not expect that the implementation of this guidance will result in any significant change in the manner it recognizes its revenue. Low income housing tax credits: The FASB has issued new accounting guidance, Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures: Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects (ASU 2014-01). This accounting guidance replaces the effective yield method of accounting with respect to investments in qualified affordable housing projects and, if certain conditions are present, provides for a new method of accounting. The new method of accounting allows an investor to amortize the cost of its investment based on the proportion of the tax credits/benefits received during the year to the total expected tax credits/benefits to be received over the life of the investment and will be recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as a component of “Income tax expense.” Additional disclosures are required concerning investments in qualified affordable housing. The new guidance is effective for Torchmark beginning January 1, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The guidance continues to permit the effective-yield method for investments held as of the date of adoption. Adoption is required on a retrospective basis. Torchmark is currently evaluating the impact of adoption but does not expect that adoption will have a material impact on net income or shareholders’ equity. Share-based performance awards: New accounting guidance has also been issued pertaining to share awards with performance targets. This standard, entitled Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could be Achieved After the Requisite Service Period (ASU 2014-12), is effective for Torchmark beginning in calendar year 2016, with early adoption permitted. The new guidance provides that the Company must take into account the performance target in the recognition of compensation expense once the achievement of the performance target is probable. Torchmark has a limited number of such instruments, but currently accounts for these items consistent with the new guidance. Therefore, no material impact is expected from adoption.

Note G—New Unadopted Accounting Guidance

Revenue recognition: The FASB issued Accounting Standard Update No. 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09), to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue, to provide more consistency and comparability in revenue recognition practices, and to simplify recognition requirements along with other improvements. ASU 2014-09 will be effective for Torchmark beginning in calendar year 2017. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance. Torchmark’s revenues consist of insurance premium and revenues related to financial instruments. These forms of revenue are not within the scope of ASC 2014-09 because they are addressed by other guidance. Therefore, Torchmark does not expect that the implementation of this guidance will result in any significant change in the manner it recognizes its revenue.

Low income housing tax credits: The FASB has issued new accounting guidance, Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures: Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects (ASU 2014-01). This accounting guidance replaces the effective yield method of accounting with respect to investments in qualified affordable housing projects and, if certain conditions are present, provides for a new method of accounting. The new method of accounting allows an investor to amortize the cost of its investment based on the proportion of the tax credits/benefits received during the year to the total expected tax credits/benefits to be received over the life of the investment and will be recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as a component of “Income tax expense.” Additional disclosures are required concerning investments in qualified affordable housing.

The new guidance is effective for Torchmark beginning January 1, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The guidance continues to permit the effective-yield method for investments held as of the date of adoption. Adoption is required on a retrospective basis. Torchmark is currently evaluating the impact of adoption but does not expect that adoption will have a material impact on net income or shareholders’ equity.

Share-based performance awards: New accounting guidance has also been issued pertaining to share awards with performance targets. This standard, entitled Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could be Achieved After the Requisite Service Period (ASU 2014-12), is effective for Torchmark beginning in calendar year 2016, with early adoption permitted. The new guidance provides that the Company must take into account the performance target in the recognition of compensation expense once the achievement of the performance target is probable. Torchmark has a limited number of such instruments, but currently accounts for these items consistent with the new guidance. Therefore, no material impact is expected from adoption.