XML 100 R131.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.8

Collateral Finance Facility (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011 | Jun. 30, 2006
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Direct investment in subsidiary |  |  |  | $ 112,800,000
Assets held in trust and held in custody | 913,500,000 | 909,200,000 |  |
Amount Held In Debt Service Coverage Account | 20,500,000 | 33,200,000 |  |
Collateral Financing Expense | 10,449,000 | 12,197,000 | 12,391,000 |
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance | 35,000,000 |  |  |
Repurchased Subsidiary Debt | 160,000,000 |  | 198,500,000 |
Repayments of Secured Debt | 119,255,000 | 0 | 130,798,000 |
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt | 46,506,000 | 0 | 65,565,000 |
Timberlake Reinsurance Company [Member] |  |  |  |
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance | 51,500,000 | 33,100,000 |  |
Timerberlake Financial [Member] |  |  |  |
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument, Issuance Date | Jun. 01, 2006 |  |  |
Debt Instrument, Face Amount |  |  |  | 850,000,000.0
Collateral Financing Expense | 5,100,000 | 6,900,000 | 7,100,000 |
Repayments of Secured Debt | 112,000,000 |  | 130,800,000 |
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt | 46,500,000 |  | 65,600,000 |
Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance | $ 35,000,000 |  |  |

X
- Definition Amount Held In Debt Service Coverage Account + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rga_AmountHeldInDebtServiceCoverageAccount
Namespace Prefix: | rga_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | rga_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Collateral Financing Expense + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rga_CollateralFinancingExpense
Namespace Prefix: | rga_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Represents the face amount of debt repurchased by the company that was originally issued by one of the company's subsidiaries. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rga_RepurchasedSubsidiaryDebt
Namespace Prefix: | rga_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The total amount of cash and securities held by third party trustees pursuant to terms of debt instruments or other agreements as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, which can be used by the trustee only to pay the noncurrent portion of specified obligations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AssetsHeldInTrust
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 55 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584090&loc=d3e28878-108400 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Date the debt instrument was issued, in CCYY-MM-DD format. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 22 -Article 5 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentIssuanceDate1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition This element represents the aggregate cost of investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 12 -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentAggregateCost
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Difference between the fair value of payments made and the carrying amount of debt which is extinguished prior to maturity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 470 -SubTopic 50 -Section 40 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6850294&loc=d3e12317-112629 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 470 -SubTopic 50 -Section 40 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6850294&loc=d3e12355-112629 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash outflow to repay long-term debt that is wholly or partially secured by collateral. Excludes repayments of tax exempt secured debt. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3291-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Financing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_RepaymentsOfSecuredDebt
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of statutory capital and surplus (stockholders' equity) as of the balance sheet date using prescribed or permitted statutory accounting practices (rather than GAAP, if different) of the state or country. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.23(c)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 505 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486098&loc=d3e24708-158529 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 24 -Subparagraph c -Article 7 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatutoryAccountingPracticesStatutoryCapitalAndSurplusBalance
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant