EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS - Fair Value of Plan Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	$ 2,322	$ 2,473	$ 2,401
AB Qualified Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	86	2,473
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	67	802
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	19	1,425
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	0	246
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Corporate
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		833
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Corporate | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		833
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | U.S. Treasury, government and agency
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		358
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | U.S. Treasury, government and agency | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		358
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | States and political subdivisions
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		18
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | States and political subdivisions | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		18
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Other structured debt
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	9	12
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Other structured debt | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	9	9
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Other structured debt | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		3
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Common and preferred equity
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	24	920
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Common and preferred equity | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	24	743
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Common and preferred equity | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		177
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	43	46
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Mutual funds | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	43	46
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Private real estate investment funds
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		1
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Private real estate investment funds | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		1
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Private real estate investment trusts
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	10	252
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Private real estate investment trusts | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	$ 10	10
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Private real estate investment trusts | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		242
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Cash and cash equivalents
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		13
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Cash and cash equivalents | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		13
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Short-term investments
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		20
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Short-term investments | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		0
AB Qualified Retirement Plan | Short-term investments | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		$ 20