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Notes Payable Level 3 (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Convertible Notes Payable [Abstract] |
Convertible Notes Payable [Table Text Block] | The liability and equity components of the 2024 notes and 2029 notes are accounted for separately in the consolidated balance sheets. The liability component of the 2015 notes and the liability and equity components of the 2024 notes and 2029 notes are as follows:
|  | December 31, 2012 |  | December 31, 2011
|  | September 2015 Notes |  | December 2029 Notes |  | December 2024 Notes |  | September 2015 Notes |  | December 2029 Notes |  | December 2024 Notes
|  | (Dollars in thousands) |  | (Dollars in thousands)
Notes payable: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount of liability component |  | $ | 200,000 |  |  | $ | 115,839 |  |  | $ | 28,243 |  |  | $ | 200,000 |  |  | $ | 115,839 |  |  | $ | 28,243 |
Unamortized discount |  | (21,944 | ) |  | (12,269 | ) |  | — |  |  | (28,906 | ) |  | (17,568 | ) |  | — |
Net carrying amount of liability component |  | $ | 178,056 |  |  | $ | 103,570 |  |  | $ | 28,243 |  |  | $ | 171,094 |  |  | $ | 98,271 |  |  | $ | 28,243 |
Additional paid-in capital: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Carrying amount of equity component |  |  |  | $ | 15,586 |  |  | $ | 22,637 |  |  |  |  | $ | 15,586 |  |  | $ | 22,637 |
Amount by which the if-converted value exceeds principal |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 30,382 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 8,846 |  |  | $ | — |

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- Definition Tabular presentation of convertible debt elements (principal amount outstanding, unamortized debt discount, net carrying amount of liability component, carrying amount of equity component and amount by which the if-converted value exceeds principal outstanding). + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ael_ConvertibleNotesPayableTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | ael_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration