EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans Net Periodic Pension Expense

Components of net periodic pension expense for the Company’s qualified plans were as follows:

	2017			2016			2015
	(in millions)
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	8
Interest cost	6			6			93
Expected return on assets	(5		)	(5		)	(159		)
Actuarial (gain) loss	1			1			1
Net amortization	—			—			110
Net Periodic Pension Expense	$	2		$	2		$	53

Schedule of Accumulated and Projected Benefit Obligations

Changes in the PBO of the Company’s qualified plans were comprised of:

	December 31,
	2017			2016
	(in millions)
Projected benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	132		$	129
Interest cost	6			6
Actuarial (gains) losses	14			2
Benefits paid	(6		)	(5		)
Projected Benefit Obligation	146			132
Transfer to AXA Financial	—			—
Projected Benefit Obligation, End of Year	$	146		$	132

Schedule of Net Funded Status

The following table discloses the changes in plan assets and the funded status of the Company’s qualified pension plans. The fair value of plan assets supporting the AXA Equitable QP liability was not impacted by the Assumption Transaction and the payment of plan benefits will continue to be made from the plan assets held in trust for the exclusive benefit of plan participants.

	December 31,
	2017			2016
	(in millions)
Pension plan assets at fair value, beginning of year	$	87		$	86
Actual return on plan assets	14			4
Contributions	4			—
Benefits paid and fees	(4		)	(3		)
Pension plan assets at fair value, end of year	101			87
PBO	146			132
Excess of PBO Over Pension Plan Assets	(45		)	(45		)
Transfer to AXA Financial	$	—		$	—
Excess of PBO Over Pension Plan Assets, end of year	$	(45	)	$	(45	)

Schedule of Net Periodic Benefit Cost Not yet Recognized

The following table discloses the amounts included in AOCI at December 31, 2017 and 2016 that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic pension cost.

	December 31,
	2017		2016
	(in millions)
Unrecognized net actuarial (gain) loss	$	55	$	51
Unrecognized prior service cost (credit)	1		1
Total	$	56	$	52

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets

At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the total fair value of plan assets for the qualified pension plans was approximately $101 million and $87 million, respectively, all supporting the AB qualified retirement plan.

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Fixed Maturities	15.0	%	18.0	%
Equity Securities	66.0		61.0
Other	19.0		21.0
Total	100.0	%	100.0	%

Schedule of Fair Values of Plan Assets Within Fair Value Hierarchy

December 31, 2017:	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Asset Categories	(in millions)
Common and preferred equity	$	24	$	—	$	—	$	24
Mutual funds	55		—		—		55
Total assets in the fair value hierarchy	79		—		—		79
Investments measured at net assets value	—		—		—		22
Investments at fair value	$	79	$	—	$	—	$	101
December 31, 2016:
Asset Categories
Common and preferred equity	$	21	$	—	$	—	$	21
Mutual funds	47		—		—		47
Total assets in the fair value hierarchy	68		—		—		68
Investments measured at net assets value	—		—		—		19
Investments at fair value	$	68	$	—	$	—	$	87

Schedule of Actuarial Computations Used to Determine Net Period Costs

Actuarial computations used to determine net periodic costs were made utilizing the following weighted-average assumptions:

	Year ended December31,
	2017		2016		2015
Discount rate on benefit obligations	4.55	%	4.75	%	4.30	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	6.0	%	6.5	%	7.0	%

Schedule or Description of Weighted Average Discount Rate

As described above, AXA Equitable refined its calculation of the discount rate for the year ended December 31, 2015 valuation of its defined benefits plans to use the discrete single equivalent discount rate for each plan as compared to its previous use of an aggregate, weighted average practical expedient.

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Discount rates:
Other AXA Equitable defined benefit plans	3.17	%	3.48	%
AB Qualified Retirement Plan	4.55	%	4.75	%
Periodic cost	3.48	%	3.7	%
Expected long-term rates of return on pension plan assets (periodic cost)	6.0	%	6.5	%

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

These estimates are based on the same assumptions used to measure the respective benefit obligations at December 31, 2017 and include benefits attributable to estimated future employee service.

	Pension Benefits
	(in millions)
2018	$	7
2019	7
2020	5
2021	6
2022	8
Years 2023-2027	40