XML 106 R58.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.3.0.814

Investments (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) securities	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) securities	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) securities	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings, Credit Losses on Debt Securities Held	$ 7,284		$ 7,284		$ 7,284	$ 7,284	$ 7,284	$ 11,696
Policy Loans Percent Of Total Investments	3.70%		3.70%			3.50%
Mortgage Loan To Value Ratio on Approval			75.00%
Mortgage Loan Percent Of Cash And Invested Assets	8.10%		8.10%			7.40%
Proceeds From Sale Of Available For Sale Securities Sold At Loss	$ 404,100	$ 225,600	$ 1,255,000	$ 683,500
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Losses	$ 22,186	$ 6,355	$ 50,257	$ 19,815
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions | securities	1,640		1,640			932
Securities As Percentage Of Consolidated Stockholder Equity	10.00%		10.00%
Securities Borrowed Or Pledged, Minimum Fair Value Percentage			100.00%
Minimum Collateral Balance of Cash Received Fair Value			105.00%
Collateral Obtained Percent Of Fair Value Reverse Repurchase Agreements			100.00%
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	100.00%		100.00%			100.00%
Funds Withheld At Interest Percent Of Total Investments	14.60%		14.60%			16.10%
Funds withheld at interest	$ 5,675,174		$ 5,675,174			$ 5,922,561
Funds Held Under Reinsurance Agreements Asset Specific Client	$ 4,100,000		$ 4,100,000
Other Invested Assets Percent Of Cash And Invested Assets	3.00%		3.00%			3.30%
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Repurchase Liability						$ 101,400
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Fair Value of Collateral	$ 0		$ 0			107,158
Investment in mortgage loans
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due	$ 0		$ 0			$ 0
CALIFORNIA
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	21.50%		21.50%			18.70%

X

- Definition

Collateral Obtained Percent Of Fair Value Reverse Repurchase Agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_CollateralObtainedPercentOfFairValueReverseRepurchaseAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Funds Withheld At Interest concentrated with one client.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_FundsHeldUnderReinsuranceAgreementsAssetSpecificClient
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Funds Withheld At Interest As A Percentage Of Total Investments

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_FundsWithheldAtInterestPercentOfTotalInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_InvestmentNarrativeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The required minimum percentage fair value collateral balance that the Company must maintain of the cash received in repurchase programs in which securities are pledged to a third party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_MinimumCollateralBalanceofCashReceivedFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Mortgage Loans as a Percent Of total Cash And Invested Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_MortgageLoanPercentOfCashAndInvestedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

The maximum loan-to-value ratio at the time of mortgage loan approval.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_MortgageLoanToValueRatioOnApproval
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The amount represents the total percentage of each property type in comparison to the total of mortgage loans whose balance represents the amount of loans that are secured by real estate mortgages, offset by the reserve to cover probable credit losses on the loan portfolio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerNetPercentageOfTotal
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Other Invested Assets as a Percent Of total Cash And Invested Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_OtherInvestedAssetsPercentOfCashAndInvestedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Policy Loans as a percentage of total investments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_PolicyLoansPercentOfTotalInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

The cash inflow associated with the sale of debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale securities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_ProceedsFromSaleOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesSoldAtLoss
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Securities as percentage of consolidated stockholder equity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_SecuritiesAsPercentageOfConsolidatedStockholderEquity
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Securities Borrowed Or Pledged, Minimum Fair Value Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rga_SecuritiesBorrowedOrPledgedMinimumFairValuePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	rga_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount to be repaid to the counterparty to the repurchase agreement when the carrying amount (or market value, if higher than the carrying amount) of securities or other assets sold under the repurchase agreement exceeds 10 percent of total assets.

+ 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.(m)(1)(i)(A)(ii))



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseRepurchaseLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

This item represents the gross loss realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef



-Publisher FASB



-Name Accounting Standards Codification



-Topic 320



-SubTopic 10



-Section 50



-Paragraph 9



-Subparagraph (a)



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Number of investment positions in available-for-sale investments in a continuous unrealized loss position for which an other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) has not been recognized in the income statement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef



-Publisher FASB



-Name Accounting Standards Codification



-Topic 320



-SubTopic 10



-Section 50



-Paragraph 6



-Subparagraph (b)(3)



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27290-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Recorded Investment in financing receivables that are past due at the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef



-Publisher FASB



-Name Accounting Standards Codification



-Topic 310



-SubTopic 10



-Section 50



-Paragraph 7A



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953401-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentPastDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Amount of the reinsurer's funds held on its behalf by the ceding insurer, including funds held in trust, under reinsurance treaties or contracts with the assuming insurer as security for the payment of the obligations thereunder.

+ 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 210.7-03.2,10)



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FundsHeldUnderReinsuranceAgreementsAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

The cumulative amount of credit losses recognized in earnings related to debt securities held for which a portion of an other than temporary impairment (OTTI) was recognized in other comprehensive income (a component of shareholders' equity).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef



-Publisher FASB



-Name Accounting Standards Codification



-Topic 320



-SubTopic 10



-Section 50



-Paragraph 8



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27340-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentCreditLossesRecognizedInEarningsCreditLossesOnDebtSecuritiesHeld
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Fair value of securities pledged as collateral against securities sold under agreement to repurchase.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef



-Publisher FASB



-Name Accounting Standards Codification



-Topic 210



-SubTopic 20



-Section 55



-Paragraph 12



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226013-175313



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef



-Publisher FASB



-Name Accounting Standards Codification



-Glossary Repurchase Agreement Accounted for as a Collateralized Borrowing



-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49203159

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseFairValueOfCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_MortgageReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentGeographicRegionAxis=stpr_CA
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: