CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fixed Maturity Securities [Abstract]
Available-for-sale at fair value (amortized cost of $28,322,977 and $23,105,597)	$ 29,642,905	$ 25,480,972
Mortgage loans on real estate (net of allowances of $6,813 and $6,471)	3,129,951	2,712,238
Policy loans	1,468,796	1,284,284
Funds withheld at interest	5,880,203	5,922,561
Short-term investments	558,284	97,694
Other invested assets	1,298,120	1,198,319
Total investments	41,978,259	36,696,068
Cash and cash equivalents	1,525,275	1,645,669
Accrued investment income	339,452	261,096
Premiums receivable and other reinsurance balances	1,797,504	1,527,729
Reinsurance ceded receivables	637,859	578,206
Deferred policy acquisition costs	3,392,437	3,342,575
Other assets	712,366	602,957
Total assets	50,383,152	44,654,300	[1]
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Future policy benefits	19,612,251	14,476,637
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities	13,663,873	12,591,497
Other policy claims and benefits	4,094,640	3,824,069
Other reinsurance balances	296,899	306,915
Deferred income taxes	2,218,328	2,365,817
Other liabilities	1,165,071	994,230
Long-term debt	2,297,548	2,297,704
Collateral finance and securitization notes	899,161	773,979
Total liabilities	$ 44,247,771	$ 37,630,848
Commitments and contingent liabilities (See Note 12)
Stockholders Equity:
Preferred stock (par value $.01 per share; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock (par value $.01 per share; 140,000,000 shares authorized; shares issued: 79,137,758 at December 31, 2015 and 2014)	791	791
Additional paid-in-capital	1,816,142	1,798,279
Retained earnings	4,620,303	4,239,647
Treasury stock, at cost - 13,933,232 and 10,364,797 shares	(1,010,139)	(672,394)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	708,284	1,657,129
Total stockholders’ equity	6,135,381	7,023,452
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 50,383,152	$ 44,654,300

[1] Total assets for the Corporate and Other segment have been updated to conform with current period presentation for the adoption of the accounting standard update "Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs."