Contingencies and Commitments	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]
Contingencies and Commitments	10. Contingencies and Commitments See “Contingencies and Commitments” in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements in our 2010 Form 10-K for a discussion of commitments and contingencies, which information is incorporated herein by reference. Regulatory bodies, such as state insurance departments, the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and other regulatory bodies regularly make inquiries and conduct examinations or investigations concerning our compliance with, among other things, insurance laws, securities laws, laws governing the activities of broker-dealers and unclaimed property laws. In the ordinary course of its business, LNC and its subsidiaries are involved in various pending or threatened legal proceedings, including purported class actions, arising from the conduct of business. In some instances, these proceedings include claims for unspecified or substantial punitive damages and similar types of relief in addition to amounts for alleged contractual liability or requests for equitable relief. After consultation with legal counsel and a review of available facts, it is management's opinion that these proceedings, after consideration of any reserves and rights to indemnification, ultimately will be resolved without materially affecting the consolidated financial position of LNC. However, given the large and indeterminate amounts sought in certain of these proceedings and the inherent difficulty in predicting the outcome of such legal proceedings, it is possible that an adverse outcome in certain matters could be material to our operating results for any particular reporting period. Our life insurance subsidiaries are currently being audited on behalf of multiple states' treasury and controllers' offices for compliance with laws and regulations concerning the identification, reporting and escheatment of unclaimed contract benefits or abandoned funds. The audits focus on insurance company processes and procedures for identifying unreported death claims, and their use of the Social Security Master Death File to identify deceased policy and contract holders. In addition, our life insurance subsidiaries are the subject of multiple state Insurance Department inquiries and market conduct examinations with a similar focus on the handling of unreported claims and abandoned property. The audits and related examination activity may result in additional payments to beneficiaries, escheatment of funds deemed abandoned under state laws, administrative penalties and changes in our procedures for the identification of unreported claims and handling of escheatable property. We are not currently able to estimate the amount of benefits which may become payable as a result of any such unreported claims or the potential increase in the cost of implementing related changes in procedures.

Contingencies and Commitments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

10. Contingencies and Commitments

See “Contingencies and Commitments” in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements in our 2010 Form 10-K for a discussion of commitments and contingencies, which information is incorporated herein by reference.

Regulatory bodies, such as state insurance departments, the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and other regulatory bodies regularly make inquiries and conduct examinations or investigations concerning our compliance with, among other things, insurance laws, securities laws, laws governing the activities of broker-dealers and unclaimed property laws.

In the ordinary course of its business, LNC and its subsidiaries are involved in various pending or threatened legal proceedings, including purported class actions, arising from the conduct of business. In some instances, these proceedings include claims for unspecified or substantial punitive damages and similar types of relief in addition to amounts for alleged contractual liability or requests for equitable relief. After consultation with legal counsel and a review of available facts, it is management's opinion that these proceedings, after consideration of any reserves and rights to indemnification, ultimately will be resolved without materially affecting the consolidated financial position of LNC. However, given the large and indeterminate amounts sought in certain of these proceedings and the inherent difficulty in predicting the outcome of such legal proceedings, it is possible that an adverse outcome in certain matters could be material to our operating results for any particular reporting period.

Our life insurance subsidiaries are currently being audited on behalf of multiple states' treasury and controllers' offices for compliance with laws and regulations concerning the identification, reporting and escheatment of unclaimed contract benefits or abandoned funds. The audits focus on insurance company processes and procedures for identifying unreported death claims, and their use of the Social Security Master Death File to identify deceased policy and contract holders. In addition, our life insurance subsidiaries are the subject of multiple state Insurance Department inquiries and market conduct examinations with a similar focus on the handling of unreported claims and abandoned property. The audits and related examination activity may result in additional payments to beneficiaries, escheatment of funds deemed abandoned under state laws, administrative penalties and changes in our procedures for the identification of unreported claims and handling of escheatable property. We are not currently able to estimate the amount of benefits which may become payable as a result of any such unreported claims or the potential increase in the cost of implementing related changes in procedures.