Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Private placement securities		$ 75,041us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure	$ 50,046us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
Impairment on real estate held for sale	4,538us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate
FHLB stock held		30,000us-gaap_FederalHomeLoanBankStock	30,000us-gaap_FederalHomeLoanBankStock
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Private placement securities		75,041	50,046
Private placement \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Private placement securities		5,461,205	3,902,925
Account balances and future policy benefit reserves
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Funding agreement, balance		500,000	500,000
Amount of collateral		$ 655,031	$ 598,671

Amount of assets pledged to secure a debt instrument.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 470

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479336&loc=d3e64711-112823

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- 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 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 55

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400

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- Definition

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock represents an equity interest in a FHLB. It does not have a readily determinable fair value because its ownership is restricted and it lacks a market (liquidity).

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 325

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6478792&loc=d3e63345-112809

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- Definition

The charge against earnings in the period to reduce the carrying amount of real property to fair value.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 360

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391110&loc=d3e2921-110230

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- Definition

Fair value portion of investment securities, including, but not limited to, marketable securities, derivative financial instruments, and investments accounted for under the equity method.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Available-for-Sale Securities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505594

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Trading Securities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6526789

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

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-Section 25

-Paragraph 1

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

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph a, f, g

-Article 7

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

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