OPERATING SEGMENTS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended							11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2014	Feb. 01, 2015
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Income before income tax	$ 1,182									$ 399,842	$ 593,997	$ 583,289
Successor
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues		$ 722,327	$ 1,116,987	$ 1,123,646	$ 1,116,401	$ 1,126,913	$ 1,008,988	$ 960,593	$ 1,018,761	3,710,669	4,483,947
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										484,440	503,369
Realized investment gains (losses)—investments										(185,153)	48,551
Realized investment gains (losses) - derivatives										100,555	42,077
Income before income tax		92,827	120,415	133,079	168,661	171,842	122,845	87,260	96,910	399,842	593,997
Income tax (expense) benefit		(29,966)	(48,148)	(39,785)	(56,541)	(56,494)	(41,654)	(26,853)	(33,070)	(131,543)	(200,968)
Net income		62,861	72,267	93,294	112,120	115,348	81,191	60,407	63,840	268,299	393,029
Adjusted operating income tax (expense) benefit										(161,153)	(169,247)
After-tax adjusted operating income										323,287	334,122
Realized gain (losses) on investments
Investment (losses) gains										(193,879)	72,911
Less: amortization related to DAC/VOBA and benefits and settlement expenses										(8,726)	24,360
Realized investment gains (losses)—investments										(185,153)	48,551
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Derivatives gains (losses)										29,997	(40,288)
Less: VA GLWB economic cost										(70,558)	(82,365)
Realized investment gains (losses) - derivatives										100,555	42,077
Income tax (expense) benefit on adjustments										29,610	(31,721)
Other-than-temporary impairments			10,856	3,308	967	2,617				26,993	17,748
Net investment income		$ 288,872	496,150	$ 482,729	$ 488,460	$ 475,117	467,165	$ 440,620	$ 436,291	1,632,948	1,942,456
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										94,056	149,064
Operating Segment Assets
Investments and other assets			71,501,997				65,552,315			65,552,315	71,501,997
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			2,019,829				1,558,808			1,558,808	2,019,829
Other intangibles			688,083				645,131			645,131	688,083
Goodwill			793,470				732,443			732,443	793,470		$ 735,700
Total assets			75,003,379				68,488,697			68,488,697	75,003,379
Successor | Life Marketing
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										107,811	130,708
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			1,218,944				1,119,515			1,119,515	1,218,944
Successor | Acquisitions
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										2,035	8,178
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			106,532				(178,662)			(178,662)	106,532
Successor | Annuities
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										(41,071)	(11,031)
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			655,618				578,742			578,742	655,618
Successor | Stable Value Products
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										43	1,176
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			5,455				2,357			2,357	5,455
Successor | Asset Protection
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										25,211	20,033
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			33,280				36,856			36,856	33,280
Successor | Corporate and Other
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										27
Successor | Operating
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues										3,710,669	4,483,947
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										484,440	503,369
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income										1,632,948	1,942,456
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										94,056	149,064
Successor | Operating | Life Marketing
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues										1,426,090	1,627,848
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										57,414	39,745
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income										446,439	525,495
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										107,811	130,708
Operating Segment Assets
Investments and other assets			14,050,170				13,258,639			13,258,639	14,050,170
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			1,218,944				1,119,515			1,119,515	1,218,944
Other intangibles			301,399				319,623			319,623	301,399
Goodwill			200,274				200,274			200,274	200,274
Total assets			15,770,787				14,898,051			14,898,051	15,770,787
Successor | Operating | Acquisitions
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues										1,333,430	1,676,017
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										194,654	260,511
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income										639,422	764,571
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										2,035	8,178
Operating Segment Assets
Investments and other assets			19,679,690				19,879,988			19,879,988	19,679,690
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			106,532				(178,662)			(178,662)	106,532
Other intangibles			37,103				39,658			39,658	37,103
Goodwill			14,524				14,524			14,524	14,524
Total assets			19,837,849				19,755,508			19,755,508	19,837,849
Successor | Operating | Annuities
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues										443,419	574,934
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										180,231	213,293
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income										297,114	322,608
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										(41,071)	(11,031)
Operating Segment Assets
Investments and other assets			20,243,333				19,926,108			19,926,108	20,243,333
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			655,618				578,742			578,742	655,618
Other intangibles			183,449				196,780			196,780	183,449
Goodwill			336,677				336,677			336,677	336,677
Total assets			21,419,077				21,038,307			21,038,307	21,419,077
Successor | Operating | Stable Value Products
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues										79,670	114,580
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										56,581	61,294
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income										78,459	107,010
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										43	1,176
Operating Segment Assets
Investments and other assets			3,373,646				2,006,263			2,006,263	3,373,646
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			5,455				2,357			2,357	5,455
Other intangibles			8,722				9,389			9,389	8,722
Goodwill			113,813				113,813			113,813	113,813
Total assets			3,501,636				2,131,822			2,131,822	3,501,636
Successor | Operating | Asset Protection
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues										261,693	269,145
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										20,627	16,487
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income										17,459	22,082
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										25,211	20,033
Operating Segment Assets
Investments and other assets			1,013,399				897,326			897,326	1,013,399
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			33,280				36,856			36,856	33,280
Other intangibles			143,865				79,681			79,681	143,865
Goodwill			128,182				67,155			67,155	128,182
Total assets			1,318,726				1,081,018			1,081,018	1,318,726
Successor | Operating | Corporate and Other
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues										166,367	221,423
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)										(25,067)	(87,961)
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income										154,055	200,690
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										27	0
Operating Segment Assets
Investments and other assets			13,141,759				9,583,991			9,583,991	13,141,759
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired			0				0			0	0
Other intangibles			13,545				0			0	13,545
Goodwill			0				0			0	0
Total assets			$ 13,155,304				$ 9,583,991			$ 9,583,991	$ 13,155,304
Predecessor
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	340,909											4,403,572
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	28,485											652,194
Realized investment gains (losses)—investments	89,815											207,307
Realized investment gains (losses) - derivatives	(117,118)											(276,212)
Income before income tax	1,182											583,289
Income tax (expense) benefit	327											(198,414)
Net income	1,509											384,875
Adjusted operating income tax (expense) benefit	(9,228)											(222,532)
After-tax adjusted operating income	19,257											429,662
Realized gain (losses) on investments
Investment (losses) gains	80,672											198,127
Less: amortization related to DAC/VOBA and benefits and settlement expenses	(9,143)											(9,180)
Realized investment gains (losses)—investments	89,815											207,307
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Derivatives gains (losses)	(123,274)											(346,878)
Less: VA GLWB economic cost	(6,156)											(70,666)
Realized investment gains (losses) - derivatives	(117,118)											(276,212)
Income tax (expense) benefit on adjustments	9,555											24,118
Other-than-temporary impairments	481											7,275
Net investment income	175,180											2,197,724
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	4,072											257,309
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired												3,294,570
Predecessor | Life Marketing
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	4,813											175,807
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired												1,973,156
Predecessor | Acquisitions
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	5,033											60,031
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired												600,482
Predecessor | Annuities
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	(7,706)											(4,651)
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired												684,574
Predecessor | Stable Value Products
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	25											380
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired												621
Predecessor | Asset Protection
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	1,820											25,257
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired												35,418
Predecessor | Corporate and Other
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	87											485
Operating Segment Assets
Deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired												319
Predecessor | Operating
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	340,909											4,403,572
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	28,485											652,194
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income	175,180											2,197,724
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	4,072											257,309
Predecessor | Operating | Life Marketing
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	145,595											1,549,351
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	(1,618)											121,448
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income	47,460											554,004
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	4,813											175,807
Predecessor | Operating | Acquisitions
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	139,761											1,720,179
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	20,134											254,021
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income	71,088											874,653
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	5,033											60,031
Predecessor | Operating | Annuities
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	7,884											533,404
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	13,164											227,611
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income	37,189											465,845
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	(7,706)											(4,651)
Predecessor | Operating | Stable Value Products
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	8,181											127,653
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	4,529											73,354
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income	6,888											107,170
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	25											380
Predecessor | Operating | Asset Protection
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	21,953											276,011
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	2,420											32,480
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income	1,878											22,703
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	1,820											25,257
Predecessor | Operating | Corporate and Other
Summarized financial information for the company's segments
Revenues	17,535											196,974
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)	(10,144)											(56,720)
Realized gain (losses) on derivatives
Net investment income	10,677											173,349
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	$ 87											$ 485