SHORT-TERM DEBT (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) line_of_credit
Short-term Debt [Abstract]
Total short-term debt	$ 689,000,000	$ 584,000,000
Alliance Bernstein
Short-term Debt [Abstract]
Commercial paper (with interest rates of 0.5% and 0.3%)	$ 489,000,000	$ 584,000,000
Commercial paper interest rate (as a percent)	0.30%	0.50%
AXA Equitable
Short-term Debt [Abstract]
Surplus Notes, 7.7%, due 2015	$ 200,000,000	$ 0
Surplus notes interest rate (as a percent)	7.70%
Revolving Credit Facility | Commercial Banks and Other Lenders | Alliance Bernstein
Short-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]
Maximum borrowing capacity		1,000,000,000
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	$ 0	0
Incremental amount in principal allowed (up to)		250,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Commercial Paper | Alliance Bernstein
Short-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]
Maximum borrowing capacity		$ 1,000,000,000
Line of Credit | Financial Institutions | Alliance Bernstein
Short-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]
Number of uncommitted lines of credit | line_of_credit		3
Line of Credit | Financial Institutions | SCB LLC
Short-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	$ 0	$ 0
Number of uncommitted lines of credit | line_of_credit		3
Incremental amount in principal allowed (up to)		$ 200,000,000
Number of lines of credit with aggregate borrowing capacity | line_of_credit		2
Number of lines of credit with no stated credit limit | line_of_credit		1