SIGNIFICANT ACCOUTNING POLICIES - Schedule of Restatements made to the Consolidated Statements of Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Other equity investments	$ 1,337			$ 1,323
Trading securities, at fair value	12,053			9,134
Other invested assets	2,515			2,226
Investments	63,523			58,427
Deferred policy acquisition costs	4,550	$ 4,516	$ 4,491	4,666	$ 4,876	$ 4,852	$ 4,936	$ 4,996
Amounts due from reinsurers	5,016			4,664
Guaranteed minimum income benefit reinsurance contract asset, at fair value	10,933			10,309
Other assets	4,258			4,260
Total Assets	219,069	215,358	209,551	204,169	209,432	207,460	200,475	195,220
Policyholders’ account balances	42,679			38,825
Future policy benefits and other policyholders’ liabilities	29,423	29,556	28,649	28,859	31,469	31,632	30,120	28,435
Current and deferred income taxes	3,148	3,183	2,581	2,714	4,473	4,715	4,396	3,592
Other liabilities	2,869			2,108
Total liabilities	202,669	198,897	194,907	189,387	191,520	189,487	183,074	179,677
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	441			403
Retained earnings	7,265	7,301	5,700	5,941	7,910	7,897	7,914	6,963
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	362	452	137	1	1,529	1,516	908	185
Total AXA Equitable’s equity	12,990	13,116	11,181	11,283	14,754	14,733	14,141	12,471
Noncontrolling interest	2,969			3,096
Equity	15,959	11,100	14,227	14,379	17,764	17,744	17,183	15,530	$ 16,387
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, As Revised		16,109			17,766	17,744	17,182
Total Liabilities and Equity	$ 219,069	215,358	209,551	204,169	209,432	207,460	200,475	195,220
As previously reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Other equity investments		1,477	1,463	1,408	1,454	1,447	1,398	1,477
Trading securities, at fair value		0	0	9,134	8,702	7,843	7,124	6,805
Other invested assets		2,622	2,050	2,186	2,192	2,811	2,462	1,788
Investments		62,111	60,406	58,416	60,968	60,979	56,581	52,527
Deferred policy acquisition costs		4,141	4,068	4,301	4,516	4,496	4,505	4,469
Amounts due from reinsurers		4,870	4,639	4,635	4,550	4,523	4,605	4,466
Guaranteed minimum income benefit reinsurance contract asset, at fair value				10,309				10,570
Other assets		0	0	4,260		4,501	4,516	4,634
Total Assets		214,941	209,098	203,764	209,034	207,042	199,983	194,626
Policyholders’ account balances		41,531	40,308	38,782	36,920	35,661	33,710	33,033
Future policy benefits and other policyholders’ liabilities		26,799	25,496	25,358	26,191	26,131	25,272	24,531
Current and deferred income taxes		4,000	3,523	3,816	6,160	6,421	5,833	4,647
Other liabilities			0	2,108			2,841	2,586
Total liabilities		196,972	192,712	186,945	188,005	185,800	179,802	177,018
Retained earnings		8,779	7,411	7,983	10,954	11,030	10,561	8,958
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		493	179	7		1,637	1,014	228
Total AXA Equitable’s equity		14,635	12,934	13,331	17,882	17,987	16,894	14,509
Noncontrolling interest		2,973	3,035	3,085	3,001	3,026	69	3,086
Equity		12,608	15,969	16,416	20,883	21,013	19,963	17,595	18,108
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, As Revised		17,617				21,013
Total Liabilities and Equity		214,941	209,098	203,764	209,034	207,042	199,983	194,626
Impact of Revision
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Other equity investments		(21)	(23)	(29)	(93)	(100)	(120)	(81)
Trading securities, at fair value		0	0	0	65	73	81	81
Other invested assets		32	34	40	39	38	39	0
Investments		11	11	11	11	11	0	0
Deferred policy acquisition costs		(135)	(88)	(175)	(123)	(126)	(59)	(36)
Amounts due from reinsurers		31	19	29	27	49	48	46
Guaranteed minimum income benefit reinsurance contract asset, at fair value				0				8
Other assets		0	0	0		2	13	13
Total Assets		(93)	(58)	(135)	(85)	(64)	2	31
Policyholders’ account balances		(15)	(16)	43	(76)	(108)	(89)	(138)
Future policy benefits and other policyholders’ liabilities		56	45	123	109	160	213	332
Current and deferred income taxes		(50)	(34)	(109)	(46)	(6)	14	(2)
Other liabilities			0	0			(50)	(52)
Total liabilities		(9)	(5)	57	(13)	46	88	140
Retained earnings		(95)	(64)	(203)	(83)	(66)	(45)	(62)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		0	0	0		(29)	(14)	(20)
Total AXA Equitable’s equity		(95)	(64)	(203)	(83)	(95)	(59)	(82)
Noncontrolling interest		11	11	11	11	(15)	(27)	(27)
Equity		(84)	(53)	(192)	(72)	(110)		(109)	(100)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, As Revised		(84)				(110)	(86)
Total Liabilities and Equity		(93)	(58)	(135)	(85)	(64)	2	31
As Revised
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Other equity investments		1,456	1,440	1,379	1,361	1,347	1,278	1,396
Trading securities, at fair value		0	0	9,134	8,767	7,916	7,205	6,886
Other invested assets		2,654	2,084	2,226	2,231	2,849	2,501	1,788
Investments		62,122	60,417	58,427	60,979	60,990	56,581	52,527
Deferred policy acquisition costs		4,006	3,980	4,126	4,393	4,370	4,446	4,433
Amounts due from reinsurers		4,901	4,658	4,664	4,577	4,572	4,653	4,512
Guaranteed minimum income benefit reinsurance contract asset, at fair value				10,309				10,578
Other assets		0	0	4,260		4,503	4,529	4,647
Total Assets		214,848	209,040	203,629	208,949	206,978	199,985	194,657
Policyholders’ account balances		41,516	40,292	38,825	36,844	35,553	33,621	32,895
Future policy benefits and other policyholders’ liabilities		26,855	25,541	25,481	26,300	26,291	25,485	24,863
Current and deferred income taxes		3,950	3,489	3,707	6,114	6,415	5,847	4,645
Other liabilities			0	2,108			2,791	2,534
Total liabilities		196,963	192,707	187,002	187,992	185,846	179,890	177,158
Retained earnings		8,684	7,347	7,780	10,871	10,964	10,516	8,896
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		493	179	7	1,613	1,608	1,000	208
Total AXA Equitable’s equity		14,540	12,870	13,128	17,799	17,892	16,835	14,427
Noncontrolling interest		2,984	3,046	3,096	3,012	3,011	42	3,059
Equity		12,524	15,916	16,224	20,811	20,903	19,877	17,486	18,008
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, As Revised		17,533			20,811	20,903	19,876
Total Liabilities and Equity		214,848	209,040	203,629	208,949	206,978	199,985	194,657
Impact of Revision
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Deferred policy acquisition costs		510	511	540	483	482	490	563
Total Assets		510	511	540	483	482	490	563
Future policy benefits and other policyholders’ liabilities		2,701	3,108	3,378	5,169	5,341	4,635	3,572
Current and deferred income taxes		(767)	(908)	(993)	(1,641)	(1,700)	(1,451)	(1,053)
Total liabilities		1,934	2,200	2,385	3,528	3,641	3,184	2,519
Retained earnings		(1,383)	(1,647)	(1,845)	(2,961)	(3,067)	(2,602)	(1,933)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		(41)	(42)	(6)	(84)	(92)	(92)	(23)
Total AXA Equitable’s equity		(1,424)	(1,689)	(1,845)	(3,045)	(3,159)	(2,694)	(1,956)
Equity		(1,424)	(1,689)	(1,845)		(3,159)	(2,694)	(1,956)	$ (1,621)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, As Revised		(1,424)			(3,045)	(3,159)
Total Liabilities and Equity		$ 510	$ 511	$ (3,150)	$ 483	$ 482	$ 490	$ 563