Investments (Reconciliation Of Available-For-Sale Securities From Cost Basis To Fair Value) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	$ 81,010	$ 79,412
Gross unrealized gains	9,100	8,230
Gross unrealized losses	368	460
Gross Unrealized OTTI	121	113
Fair value	89,621us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities	87,069us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Equity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	192	216
Gross unrealized gains	18	16
Gross unrealized losses		1
Fair value	210	231
Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	80,818	79,196
Gross unrealized gains	9,082	8,214
Gross unrealized losses	368	459
Gross Unrealized OTTI	121	113
Fair value	89,411	86,838
Corporate Bonds [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	68,807	67,153
Gross unrealized gains	7,482	6,714
Gross unrealized losses	320	409
Gross Unrealized OTTI	59	42
Fair value	75,910	73,416
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	1,097	1,087
Gross unrealized gains	91	86
Gross unrealized losses		1
Gross Unrealized OTTI	35	42
Fair value	1,153	1,130
U.S. Government Bonds [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	388	379
Gross unrealized gains	65	56
Gross unrealized losses	1
Fair value	452	435
Foreign Government Bonds [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	481	473
Gross unrealized gains	80	68
Fair value	561	541
RMBS [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	3,910	3,979
Gross unrealized gains	283	268
Gross unrealized losses	4	3
Gross Unrealized OTTI	17	18
Fair value	4,172	4,226
CMBS [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	485	554
Gross unrealized gains	26	27
Gross Unrealized OTTI	9	11
Fair value	502	570
CLOs [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	420	375
Gross unrealized gains	4	2
Gross unrealized losses		2
Gross Unrealized OTTI	1
Fair value	423	375
State And Municipal Bonds [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	3,783	3,723
Gross unrealized gains	927	874
Gross unrealized losses	5	4
Fair value	4,705	4,593
Hybrid And Redeemable Preferred Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	859	886
Gross unrealized gains	114	108
Gross unrealized losses	38	40
Fair value	935	954
VIEs' Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity AFS Securities [Member]
Amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, losses, OTTI and fair value of AFS securities
Amortized cost	588	587
Gross unrealized gains	10	11
Fair value	$ 598	$ 598

Name:	lnc_AmortizedCostGrossUnrealizedGainsLossesOttiAndFairValueOfAfsSecuritiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount before tax of unrealized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before tax of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lnc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unrealized other than temporary impairment losses, investments, available-for-sale securities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lnc_UnrealizedOtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsAvailableForSaleSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28360136&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph (aa)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6871852&loc=d3e26610-111562

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the cost of debt and equity securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments including accretion, amortization, collection of cash, previous other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=lnc_HybridAndRedeemablePreferredSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=lnc_VariableInterestEntitiesFixedMaturitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CollateralizedLoanObligationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CorporateBondSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_USGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_USStatesAndPoliticalSubdivisionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: