Short-Term and Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Capital Securities [Member]
Principal balance	$ 1,200
Risk based capital ratio threshold	175.00%
Five-year revolving credit facility [Member]
Maximum Issuance Of Line of Credit	$ 2,500
Current borrowing capacity	2,500
Borrowing capacity available to reimburse the banks for drawn LOCs	1,750
Minimum consolidated net worth	$ 9,400
Percentage of aggregate net proceeds of equity issuances	50.00%
Debt to capital ratio (low end of range)	0.35%
Debt to capital ratio (high end of range)	1.00%

The maximum issuance of lines of credit under various credit facility agreements entered into with third-party lenders.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Percentage of aggregate net proceeds of equity issuances received by the entity that is added to the specified level of net worth in calculating total minimum net worth to be maintained in accordance with the terms of the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lnc_PercentageOfAggregateNetProceedsOfEquityIssuances
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total Aggregate Indebtedness divided by Net Capital, high end of range.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lnc_RatioOfIndebtednessToNetCapitalHighEnd
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total Aggregate Indebtedness divided by Net Capital, low end of range.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lnc_RatioOfIndebtednessToNetCapitalLowEnd
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the minimum risk based capital requirement for the entity's primary life insurance subsidiary as one of the trigger events of capital securities covenants that require the Company to make an interest payment in accordance with an alternative coupon satisfaction mechanism ("ACSM").

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lnc_RiskBasedCapitalRatioThreshold
Namespace Prefix:	lnc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The maximum amount of borrowing capacity under a line of credit that is available as of the balance sheet date for a specific purpose other than for financing goods acquired for inventory or imminent delivery to a customer.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCapacityAvailableForSpecificPurposeOtherThanForTradePurchases
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ 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 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The lowest amount of net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) required by secondary market investors or state-imposed regulatory mandates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6490092&loc=d3e47080-110998

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6490092&loc=d3e47304-110998

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinimumNetWorthRequiredForCompliance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=lnc_CapitalSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAxis=lnc_FiveYearRevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: