INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 3) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded	$ 1,789,000	$ 13,670,000	$ 3,129,000	$ 48,090,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded in earnings	4,000,000	13,608,000	8,584,000	32,372,000
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded in other comprehensive income (loss)	(2,211,000)	62,000	(5,455,000)	15,718,000
Fixed income securities
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments related to debt or equity securities that the Company intended to sell or expected to be required to sell	0	0	0	0
Other-than-temporary impairments of investments recorded	1,800,000	13,700,000	3,100,000	48,100,000
Impairments of investments	700,000		1,000,000
Credit losses on debt securities
Beginning balance	63,183,000	88,352,000	122,121,000	69,719,000
Additions for newly impaired securities	618,000	3,619,000	1,615,000	19,473,000
Additions for previously impaired securities	1,568,000	9,499,000	3,054,000	12,278,000
Reductions for previously impaired securities due to a change in expected cash flows	(6,049,000)		(67,470,000)
Reductions for previously impaired securities that were sold in the current period	(7,488,000)		(7,488,000)
Ending balance	51,832,000	101,470,000	51,832,000	101,470,000
Equity securities
Investment operations
Other-than-temporary impairments related to debt or equity securities that the Company intended to sell or expected to be required to sell	0	0	0	0
Impairments of investments	$ 1,100,000		$ 2,100,000