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Investments (Schedule Of Available-For-Sale Securities Whose Value Is Below Amortized Cost) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
security
Dec. 31, 2013
security
Available For Sale Securities In Unrealized Loss Position With Loss Severity Greater Than 20 Percent [Line Items]    
Fair Value $ 87,069us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities $ 80,976us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Gross Unrealized Losses 460lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax 1,265lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Total 10,962us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue 20,161us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
Fair Value Decline, Greater Than 20% [Member]    
Available For Sale Securities In Unrealized Loss Position With Loss Severity Greater Than 20 Percent [Line Items]    
Fair Value 298us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
416us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Gross Unrealized Losses 98lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
115lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Gross Unrealized OTTI 59us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsAvailableforsaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
81us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsAvailableforsaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Number of Securities 97lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1] 101lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1]
Fair Value Decline, Greater Than 20% [Member] | Less than six months    
Available For Sale Securities In Unrealized Loss Position With Loss Severity Greater Than 20 Percent [Line Items]    
Fair Value 48us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan6MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
1us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan6MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Gross Unrealized Losses 19lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan6MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
1lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan6MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Number of Securities 12lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan6MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1] 4lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan6MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1]
Fair Value Decline, Greater Than 20% [Member] | Six months or greater, but less than nine months    
Available For Sale Securities In Unrealized Loss Position With Loss Severity Greater Than 20 Percent [Line Items]    
Fair Value 8us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionMoreThan6MonthsAndLessThan9MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
7us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionMoreThan6MonthsAndLessThan9MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Gross Unrealized Losses 7lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionMoreThan6MonthsAndLessThan9MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
3lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionMoreThan6MonthsAndLessThan9MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Number of Securities 3lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionMoreThan6MonthsAndLessThan9MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1] 1lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionMoreThan6MonthsAndLessThan9MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1]
Fair Value Decline, Greater Than 20% [Member] | Nine months or greater, but less than twelve months    
Available For Sale Securities In Unrealized Loss Position With Loss Severity Greater Than 20 Percent [Line Items]    
Fair Value   59us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Gross Unrealized Losses   19lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Number of Securities   4lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1]
Fair Value Decline, Greater Than 20% [Member] | Twelve months or greater    
Available For Sale Securities In Unrealized Loss Position With Loss Severity Greater Than 20 Percent [Line Items]    
Fair Value 242us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
349us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Gross Unrealized Losses 72lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
92lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Gross Unrealized OTTI $ 59us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsAvailableforsaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
$ 81us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsAvailableforsaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
Number of Securities 82lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1] 92lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions
/ us-gaap_EligibleItemOrGroupForFairValueOptionAxis
= lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= lnc_FairValueDeclineGreaterThanTwentyPercentMember
[1]
[1] We may reflect a security in more than one aging category based on various purchase dates.