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Investments (Investments in Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities Available-for-Sale by Sector) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Sep. 30, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
--- | --- | ---
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | $ 21,418,741 | $ 18,924,711
Estimated Fair Value | $ 22,535,830 | $ 19,619,084
% of Total | 100.00% | 100.00%
Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | $ 33,889,968 | $ 30,211,787
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 2,650,578 | 2,243,037
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 158,804 | 361,199
Estimated Fair Value | $ 36,381,742 | $ 32,093,625
% of Total | 100.00% | 100.00%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 275 | $ 100
Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 116,392 | 285,579
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 945 | 3,440
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 4,406 | 13,658
Estimated Fair Value | $ 112,931 | $ 275,361
% of Total | 100.00% | 100.00%
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | $ 21,418,741 | $ 18,924,711
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 1,209,999 | 911,618
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 92,910 | 217,245
Estimated Fair Value | $ 22,535,830 | $ 19,619,084
% of Total | 61.90% | 61.10%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 0 | $ 0
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 2,850,982 | 2,561,605
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 1,142,635 | 1,085,982
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 2,432 | 3,541
Estimated Fair Value | $ 3,991,185 | $ 3,644,046
% of Total | 11.00% | 11.40%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 0 | $ 0
Residential mortgage-backed securities | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 1,645,379 | 1,258,039
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 42,202 | 33,917
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 8,276 | 13,380
Estimated Fair Value | $ 1,679,305 | $ 1,278,576
% of Total | 4.60% | 4.00%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 0 | $ 375
Asset-backed securities | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 1,680,918 | 1,443,822
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 18,713 | 9,350
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 5,063 | 23,828
Estimated Fair Value | $ 1,694,568 | $ 1,429,344
% of Total | 4.70% | 4.50%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 275 | $ 275
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 1,293,296 | 1,342,440
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 25,471 | 28,973
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 5,445 | 7,759
Estimated Fair Value | $ 1,313,322 | $ 1,363,654
% of Total | 3.60% | 4.20%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 0 | $ 0
US Treasury and Government [Member] | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 1,621,053 | 1,518,702
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 13,614 | 12,644
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 30,998 | 63,044
Estimated Fair Value | $ 1,603,669 | $ 1,468,302
% of Total | 4.40% | 4.60%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 0 | $ 0
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 614,099 | 566,761
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 52,919 | 37,499
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 5,987 | 12,464
Estimated Fair Value | $ 661,031 | $ 591,796
% of Total | 1.80% | 1.80%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 0 | $ 0
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] | Fixed maturity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 2,765,500 | 2,595,707
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 145,025 | 123,054
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 7,693 | 19,938
Estimated Fair Value | $ 2,902,832 | $ 2,698,823
% of Total | 8.00% | 8.40%
Other-than-temporary impairments in AOCI | $ 0 | $ 0
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] | Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | 41,878 | 55,812
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 312 | 1,648
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 3,289 | 6,337
Estimated Fair Value | $ 38,901 | $ 51,123
% of Total | 34.40% | 18.60%
Other equity securities | Equity securities |  |
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items] |  |
Amortized Cost | $ 74,514 | $ 229,767
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax | 633 | 1,792
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax | 1,117 | 7,321
Estimated Fair Value | $ 74,030 | $ 224,238
% of Total | 65.60% | 81.40%

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- Definition Accumulated other comprehensive loss related to portion of other than temporary impairment (OTTI) due to factors other than credit losses on debt securities categorized as available-for-sale that an entity does not intend to sell and which it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before recovery of the amortized cost basis of the debt security. The amount represented by this item is net of tax, as applicable. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 9A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82896770&loc=SL6284427-111562 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (aaa) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27161-111563 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 14A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84228862&loc=SL7669686-108580 + Details
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