Business and Basis of Presentation (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) subsidiary	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number of Subsidiaries | subsidiary				2
ASSETS
Total investments		$ 7,997,205		$ 7,997,205			$ 10,193,098
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR		326,812	$ 171,501	326,812	$ 171,501		370,286	$ 214,952
Deferred policy acquisition costs		1,154,977		1,154,977			5,111,373
Reinsurance recoverables		30,853,161		30,853,161			22,546,361
Deferred sales inducements		0		0			684,844
Other assets		292,016		292,016			59,578
TOTAL ASSETS		153,890,313		153,890,313			148,643,945
Increase (decrease) in Cash and cash equivalents				(43,474)	(43,451)
Increase (decrease) in Deferred policy acquisition costs				(408,155)	7,934
Increase (decrease) in Reinsurance recoverables				326,993	767,317
Increase (decrease) in Deferred sales inducements				1,825	3,969
LIABILITIES
Future policy benefits		19,410,550		19,410,550			15,031,390
Income taxes		170,982		170,982			154,043
Other liabilities		766,609		766,609			935,662
TOTAL LIABILITIES		151,222,039		151,222,039			144,133,128
Increase (decrease) in Future policy benefits				659,730	753,124
Increase (decrease) in Income taxes				(78,531)	(14,390)
EQUITY
Retained Earnings(3)		1,438,695		1,438,695			3,663,539
Accumulated other comprehensive income		241,016		241,016			64,805
TOTAL EQUITY		2,668,274		2,668,274			4,510,817
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY		153,890,313		153,890,313			$ 148,643,945
Payments of Dividends				0	230,000
REVENUES
Premiums		(852,092)	23,482	(834,177)	39,119
Total realized investment gains (losses), net		860,462	(170,656)	915,613	(111,631)
TOTAL REVENUES		123,842	601,723	916,080	1,436,474
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Policyholders’ benefits		430,437	(57,266)	331,909	(115,667)
General, administrative and other expenses		133,138	(273,770)	(103,814)	(532,316)
TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES		565,465	(365,588)	(596,999)	(1,102,763)
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES		689,307	236,135	319,081	333,711
Income tax expense (benefit)		(5,499)	21,706	(49,594)	35,052
NET INCOME (LOSS)		694,806	$ 214,429	368,675	$ 298,659
Out Of Period Adjustment To Increase Reserves
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(40,000)
Prudential Financial
EQUITY
Payments of Dividends		2,600,000
Variable Annuity | Items Effected By Recapture And Reinsurance Transactions
ASSETS
Total investments	$ 7,149,000					$ 10,702,000
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR	508,000					496,000
Deferred policy acquisition costs	1,116,000					4,565,000
Reinsurance recoverables	28,736,000					24,781,000
Deferred sales inducements	0					550,000
Other assets	305,000					94,000
Income taxes	23,000					0
TOTAL ASSETS	148,508,000					151,859,000
LIABILITIES
Income taxes	108,000					91,000
Debt	1,000					1,385,000
Other liabilities	870,000					870,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES	146,187,000					147,554,000
EQUITY
Retained Earnings(3)	1,432,000					3,337,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income	101,000					180,000
TOTAL EQUITY	2,321,000					4,305,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	148,508,000					$ 151,859,000
REVENUES
Premiums		(880,000)
Total realized investment gains (losses), net		805,000
TOTAL REVENUES		(75,000)
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Policyholders’ benefits		(547,000)
General, administrative and other expenses		(211,000)
TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES		(758,000)
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES		683,000
Income tax expense (benefit)		(6,000)
NET INCOME (LOSS)		689,000
Variable Annuity | Items Effected By Recapture And Reinsurance Transactions | Pruco Re Purchase
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Fair Value		4,166,000		4,166,000
Book Value	4,200,000	4,166,000		4,166,000
APIC, Net of Tax Increase/(Decrease)		0		0
Realized Investment Gain/(Loss), Net		0
Derivative Gain/(Loss)		0
Variable Annuity | Items Effected By Recapture And Reinsurance Transactions | PALAC Sale
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Fair Value		(6,994,000)		(6,994,000)
Book Value		(6,872,000)		(6,872,000)
APIC, Net of Tax Increase/(Decrease)		0		0
Realized Investment Gain/(Loss), Net		122,000
Derivative Gain/(Loss)		0
Variable Annuity | Items Effected By Recapture And Reinsurance Transactions | Prudential Insurance Dividend
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Fair Value		(19,000)		(19,000)
Book Value		(19,000)		(19,000)
APIC, Net of Tax Increase/(Decrease)		(19,000)		(19,000)
Realized Investment Gain/(Loss), Net		0
Derivative Gain/(Loss)		0
Variable Annuity | Items Effected By Recapture And Reinsurance Transactions | Prudential Insurance Sale
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Fair Value		(717,000)		(717,000)
Book Value		(703,000)		(703,000)
APIC, Net of Tax Increase/(Decrease)		15,000		$ 15,000
Realized Investment Gain/(Loss), Net		0
Derivative Gain/(Loss)		0
Variable Annuity | Items Effected By Recapture And Reinsurance Transactions | PALAC | PALAC Sale
EQUITY
Fees and Commissions		3,600,000
Repayments of Debt		1,100,000
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Book Value	(7,000,000)
Variable Annuity | Items Effected By Recapture And Reinsurance Transactions | Prudential Insurance | Prudential Insurance Sale
EQUITY
Fees and Commissions		400,000
Repayments of Debt		100,000
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Book Value	(700,000)
Variable Annuity | Impacts of Recapture
ASSETS
Increase (decrease) in Total investments	4,166,000
Increase (decrease) in Cash and cash equivalents	0
Increase (decrease) in Deferred policy acquisition costs	0
Increase (decrease) in Reinsurance recoverables	(6,312,000)	(6,300,000)
Increase (decrease) in Deferred sales inducements	0
Increase (decrease) in Other assets	0
Increase (decrease) in Income taxes	0
Increase (decrease) in TOTAL ASSETS	(2,146,000)
LIABILITIES
Increase (decrease) in Income taxes	17,000
Increase (decrease) in Debt	0
Increase (decrease) in Other liabilities	0
Increase (decrease) in Liabilities	17,000
EQUITY
Increase (decrease) in Retained Earnings	(2,163,000)
Increase (decrease) in Accumulated other comprehensive income	0
Increase (decrease) in TOTAL EQUITY	(2,163,000)
Increase (decrease) in TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	(2,146,000)
REVENUES
Premiums		0
Total realized investment gains (losses), net		(2,146,000)
TOTAL REVENUES		(2,146,000)
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Policyholders’ benefits		0
General, administrative and other expenses		0
TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES		0
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(2,146,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)		17,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)		(2,163,000)
Variable Annuity | Impacts of Recapture | PALAC
EQUITY
Fees and Commissions		3,600,000
Repayments of Debt		1,100,000
Variable Annuity | Impacts of Recapture | Pruco Re
ASSETS
Increase (decrease) in Total investments		4,200,000
Variable Annuity | Impacts of Recapture | Prudential Insurance
EQUITY
Fees and Commissions		400,000
Repayments of Debt		100,000
Variable Annuity | Impacts of Reinsurance
ASSETS
Increase (decrease) in Total investments	(7,719,000)
Increase (decrease) in Cash and cash equivalents	12,000
Increase (decrease) in Deferred policy acquisition costs	(3,449,000)
Increase (decrease) in Reinsurance recoverables	10,267,000	10,300,000
Increase (decrease) in Deferred sales inducements	(550,000)
Increase (decrease) in Other assets	211,000
Increase (decrease) in Income taxes	23,000
Increase (decrease) in TOTAL ASSETS	(1,205,000)
LIABILITIES
Increase (decrease) in Income taxes	0
Increase (decrease) in Debt	(1,384,000)
Increase (decrease) in Other liabilities	0
Increase (decrease) in Liabilities	(1,384,000)
EQUITY
Increase (decrease) in Retained Earnings	258,000
Increase (decrease) in Accumulated other comprehensive income	(79,000)
Increase (decrease) in TOTAL EQUITY	179,000
Increase (decrease) in TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	$ (1,205,000)
REVENUES
Premiums		(880,000)
Total realized investment gains (losses), net		2,951,000
TOTAL REVENUES		2,071,000
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Policyholders’ benefits		(547,000)
General, administrative and other expenses		(211,000)
TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES		(758,000)
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES		2,829,000
Income tax expense (benefit)		(23,000)
NET INCOME (LOSS)		2,852,000
Variable Annuity | Impacts of Reinsurance | PALAC
ASSETS
Increase (decrease) in Total investments		(7,700,000)
Variable Annuity | Impacts of Reinsurance | Prudential Financial
EQUITY
Payments of Dividends		$ 2,600,000