EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jan. 01, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Market value of plan	$ 2,322,000,000	$ 2,322,000,000	$ 2,473,000,000	$ 2,401,000,000
Liability of plan	129,000,000	129,000,000	2,657,000,000	2,463,000,000
Capital contribution		211,000,000
Capital contribution, net of tax		137,000,000
Actuarial gains (losses)		6,000,000	(264,000,000)
Gain (loss) from curtailments		0	0	(3,000,000)
Unrecognized prior service cost (credit)	1,000,000	1,000,000	0
Accrued pension costs	43,000,000	43,000,000	184,000,000
PBO, immediately preceding the Transfer to AXA Financial	2,576,000,000	2,576,000,000	2,657,000,000
Unrecognized net actuarial gain (loss)	(49,000,000)	(49,000,000)	(1,144,000,000)
Estimated net actuarial gain (loss)		340,000
Estimated prior service cost (credit)		0
Actual return on plan assets		24,000,000	$ 250,000,000
Projected benefit obligation increase (decrease)	$ 4,000,000	$ 4,000,000
Discount rate (as a percent)	4.00%	4.00%	3.60%
Defined benefit plan, mortality projection rate (as a percent)	125.00%
Parent
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Curtailments				29,000,000
Benefit payments under non participating annuity contracts		$ 6,000,000	$ 10,000,000	10,000,000
AXA Equitable 401(k) Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized		$ 18,000,000	18,000,000	$ 0
Discount rate (as a percent)	3.66%	3.66%
AXA Equitable QP, immediately preceding Transfer to AXA Financial
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Market value of plan	$ 2,236,000,000	$ 2,236,000,000
Liability of plan	2,447,000,000	2,447,000,000
Actuarial gains (losses)		(1,193,000,000)
Actuarial gain (loss), net of tax		(772,000,000)
Unrecognized prior service cost (credit)	0	0
Unrecognized net actuarial gain (loss)	$ (1,193,000,000)	$ (1,193,000,000)
Discount rate (as a percent)	3.98%	3.98%
AXA Equitable QP, immediately preceding Transfer to AXA Financial | Parent
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation increase (decrease)	$ 83,000,000	$ 83,000,000	54,000,000		$ (25,000,000)
AB Qualified Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Market value of plan	$ 86,000,000	$ 86,000,000	$ 2,473,000,000
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations (as a percent)	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Real estate investment trust			$ 1,000,000
Discount rate (as a percent)	4.30%	4.30%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Return Seeking Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation range, minimum (as a percent)		30.00%
Target asset allocation range, maximum (as a percent)		60.00%
Target asset allocation (as a percent)		40.00%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Risk Mitigating Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation range, minimum (as a percent)		10.00%
Target asset allocation range, maximum (as a percent)		30.00%
Target asset allocation (as a percent)		15.00%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Diversifying Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation range, minimum (as a percent)		0.00%
Target asset allocation range, maximum (as a percent)		25.00%
Target asset allocation (as a percent)		17.00%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Dynamic Asset Allocation Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target asset allocation range, minimum (as a percent)		18.00%
Target asset allocation range, maximum (as a percent)		38.00%
Target asset allocation (as a percent)		28.00%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Market value of plan	$ 67,000,000	$ 67,000,000	$ 802,000,000
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations (as a percent)			32.40%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Market value of plan	19,000,000	19,000,000	$ 1,425,000,000
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations (as a percent)			57.60%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Market value of plan	$ 0	$ 0	$ 246,000,000
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations (as a percent)			10.00%
Actual return on plan assets			$ 22,000,000