SCHEDULE III - SUPPLEMENTARY INSURANCE INFORMATION (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
Successor
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired			$ 2,019,829				$ 1,558,808			$ 1,558,808	$ 2,019,829
Future Policy Benefits and Claims			30,511,085				29,703,897			29,703,897	30,511,085
Unearned Premiums			848,495				723,536			723,536	848,495
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds			15,309,500				13,921,256			13,921,256	15,309,500
Net Premiums and Policy Fees		$ 367,607	517,089	$ 512,315	$ 521,343	$ 542,468	507,654	$ 490,967	$ 486,844	1,853,072	2,093,215
Net Investment Income										1,632,948	1,942,456
Benefits and Settlement Expenses										2,539,943	2,880,435
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										94,056	149,064
Other Operating Expenses										676,828	860,451
Premiums Written										167,292	154,450
Successor | Life Marketing
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired			1,218,944				1,119,515			1,119,515	1,218,944
Future Policy Benefits and Claims			14,595,370				13,869,102			13,869,102	14,595,370
Unearned Premiums			119				135			135	119
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds			426,422				371,618			371,618	426,422
Net Premiums and Policy Fees										882,171	972,247
Net Investment Income										446,439	525,495
Benefits and Settlement Expenses										1,109,840	1,267,844
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										107,811	130,708
Other Operating Expenses										165,317	177,498
Premiums Written										148	122
Successor | Acquisitions
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired			106,532				(178,662)			(178,662)	106,532
Future Policy Benefits and Claims			14,693,744				14,508,877			14,508,877	14,693,744
Unearned Premiums			2,734				3,082			3,082	2,734
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds			4,247,081				4,254,579			4,254,579	4,247,081
Net Premiums and Policy Fees										690,741	832,083
Net Investment Income										639,422	764,571
Benefits and Settlement Expenses										1,067,482	1,232,141
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										2,035	8,178
Other Operating Expenses										89,960	118,056
Premiums Written										32,134	18,818
Successor | Annuities
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired			655,618				578,742			578,742	655,618
Future Policy Benefits and Claims			1,097,973				1,196,131			1,196,131	1,097,973
Unearned Premiums							0			0
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds			7,059,060				7,090,171			7,090,171	7,059,060
Net Premiums and Policy Fees										138,146	146,458
Net Investment Income										297,114	322,608
Benefits and Settlement Expenses										226,824	214,100
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										(41,071)	(11,031)
Other Operating Expenses										125,946	140,409
Successor | Stable Value Products
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired			5,455				2,357			2,357	5,455
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds			3,501,636				2,131,822			2,131,822	3,501,636
Net Investment Income										78,459	107,010
Benefits and Settlement Expenses										19,348	41,736
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										43	1,176
Other Operating Expenses										2,620	3,033
Successor | Asset Protection
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired			33,280				36,856			36,856	33,280
Future Policy Benefits and Claims			60,790				61,291			61,291	60,790
Unearned Premiums			844,919				719,516			719,516	844,919
Net Premiums and Policy Fees										128,338	128,687
Net Investment Income										17,459	22,082
Benefits and Settlement Expenses										101,881	106,668
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										25,211	20,033
Other Operating Expenses										113,974	125,957
Premiums Written										121,427	121,821
Successor | Corporate and Other
Supplementary insurance information
Future Policy Benefits and Claims			63,208				68,496			68,496	63,208
Unearned Premiums			723				803			803	723
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds			$ 75,301				$ 73,066			73,066	75,301
Net Premiums and Policy Fees										13,676	13,740
Net Investment Income										154,055	200,690
Benefits and Settlement Expenses										14,568	17,946
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired										27
Other Operating Expenses										179,011	295,498
Premiums Written										$ 13,583	$ 13,689
Predecessor
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired												$ 3,294,570
Future Policy Benefits and Claims												29,944,890
Unearned Premiums												1,524,077
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds												14,340,542
Net Premiums and Policy Fees	$ 171,910											1,924,171
Net Investment Income	175,180											2,197,724
Benefits and Settlement Expenses	267,287											2,791,610
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	4,072											257,309
Other Operating Expenses	68,368											771,364
Premiums Written	13,663											175,810
Predecessor | Life Marketing
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired												1,973,156
Future Policy Benefits and Claims												14,077,360
Unearned Premiums												722,880
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds												349,698
Net Premiums and Policy Fees	84,926											854,186
Net Investment Income	47,460											554,004
Benefits and Settlement Expenses	123,179											1,075,386
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	4,813											175,807
Other Operating Expenses	18,705											169,373
Premiums Written	12											151
Predecessor | Acquisitions
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired												600,482
Future Policy Benefits and Claims												14,740,562
Unearned Premiums												3,473
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds												4,770,181
Net Premiums and Policy Fees	62,343											772,020
Net Investment Income	71,088											874,653
Benefits and Settlement Expenses	101,926											1,247,836
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	5,033											60,031
Other Operating Expenses	9,041											122,349
Premiums Written	2,133											35,857
Predecessor | Annuities
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired												684,574
Future Policy Benefits and Claims												1,015,928
Unearned Premiums												120,850
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds												7,190,908
Net Premiums and Policy Fees	12,473											149,825
Net Investment Income	37,189											465,845
Benefits and Settlement Expenses	30,613											316,449
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	(7,706)											(4,651)
Other Operating Expenses	9,926											118,632
Predecessor | Stable Value Products
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired												621
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds												1,959,488
Net Investment Income	6,888											107,170
Benefits and Settlement Expenses	2,255											35,559
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	25											380
Other Operating Expenses	79											1,413
Predecessor | Asset Protection
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired												35,418
Future Policy Benefits and Claims												47,376
Unearned Premiums												675,984
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds												0
Net Premiums and Policy Fees	10,825											131,678
Net Investment Income	1,878											22,703
Benefits and Settlement Expenses	7,592											96,379
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	1,820											25,257
Other Operating Expenses	10,121											121,895
Premiums Written	10,172											123,413
Predecessor | Corporate and Other
Supplementary insurance information
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Businesses Acquired												319
Future Policy Benefits and Claims												63,664
Unearned Premiums												890
Stable Value Products, Annuity Contracts and Other Policyholders' Funds												70,267
Net Premiums and Policy Fees	1,343											16,462
Net Investment Income	10,677											173,349
Benefits and Settlement Expenses	1,722											20,001
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired	87											485
Other Operating Expenses	20,496											237,702
Premiums Written	$ 1,346											$ 16,389