CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Separate account balances	$ 9,601,417,000	$ 6,741,959,000
GMWB
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Separate account balances	7,200,000,000
Annuity account balances
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Mortality rate assumed (as a percent)	57.00%
Annuity account balances | CALIC
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Number of insurance companies that manufactured and administered traditional life insurance and annuity products	5
Number of non-insurance companies	4
Average attained age of contract holders	64 years
Percentage of variable annuity business of Chase Insurance Group reinsured	100.00%
Annuity account balances | Acquisitions | CALIC
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Guaranteed amount payable	20,900,000
Annuity account balances | Guaranteed minimum death benefits (GMDB)
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Interest rate at which last anniversary date account value is compounded (as a percent)	5.00%
Mean investment performance (as a percent)	6.54%
Mortality rate assumed (as a percent)	57.00%
Lapse rate, low end of the range (as a percent)	0.80%
Lapse rate, high end of the range (as a percent)	38.70%
Average discount rate (as a percent)	6.20%
Separate account balances	9,600,000,000
Guaranteed amount payable	149,800,000
Average attained age of contract holders	67 years
Guaranteed amount payable with GMDB reserve	19,606,000	9,798,000	6,412,000
Activity relating to GMDB reserves (excluding those 100% reinsured under the Modco agreement)
Balance at the beginning of the period	9,798,000	6,412,000	342,000
Incurred guarantee benefits	14,087,000	7,171,000	11,799,000
Less: Paid guarantee benefits	4,279,000	3,785,000	5,729,000
Balance at the end of the period	19,606,000	9,798,000	6,412,000
Annuity account balances | Guaranteed minimum death benefits (GMDB) | Annuities
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Guaranteed amount payable	129,300,000
Guaranteed amount payable with GMDB reserve	19,300,000
Activity relating to GMDB reserves (excluding those 100% reinsured under the Modco agreement)
Balance at the end of the period	19,300,000
Annuity account balances | Guaranteed minimum death benefits (GMDB) | Acquisitions
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Guaranteed amount payable	20,500,000
Guaranteed amount payable with GMDB reserve	300,000
Activity relating to GMDB reserves (excluding those 100% reinsured under the Modco agreement)
Balance at the end of the period	$ 300,000
Annuity account balances | GMWB
CERTAIN NONTRADITIONAL LONG-DURATION CONTRACTS
Mortality rate assumed (as a percent)	57.00%