INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded	$ 66,188,000	$ 62,332,000	$ 75,341,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded in earnings	58,886,000	47,442,000	41,510,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded in other comprehensive income (loss)	7,302,000	14,890,000	33,831,000
Pre-tax other-than-temporary impairments related to debt securities that the entity does not intend to sell and does not expect to be required to sell		52,800,000
Pre-tax other-than-temporary impairments credit losses related to debt securities that the entity does not intend to sell and does not expect to be required to sell recorded in earnings		37,900,000
Pre-tax other-than-temporary impairments credit losses related to debt securities that the entity does not intend to sell and does not expect to be required to sell recorded in other comprehensive income (loss)		14,900,000
Fixed income securities
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded	66,200,000	62,300,000	72,800,000
Other-than-temporary impairments related to debt or equity securities that the Company intended to sell or expected to be required to sell		9,500,000
Credit losses on debt securities
Beginning balance	69,719,000	39,427,000	25,076,000
Additions for newly impaired securities	26,961,000	12,731,000	27,029,000
Additions for previously impaired securities	25,441,000	20,650,000	4,970,000
Reductions for previously impaired securities that were sold in the current period		(3,089,000)	(17,648,000)
Ending balance	122,121,000	69,719,000	39,427,000
Equity securities
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded			$ 2,500,000