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Schedule V - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Level 1 (Notes) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract] |
Schedule of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Text Block] | Schedule V—Valuation and Qualifying Accounts AMERICAN EQUITY INVESTMENT LIFE HOLDING COMPANY
| Balance January 1, |  | Charged to Costs and Expenses |  | Translation Adjustment |  | Write-offs/Payments/Other |  | Balance December 31,
| (Dollars in thousands
Year Ended December 31, 2012 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowance on mortgage loans | $ | (32,964 | ) |  | $ | (16,832 | ) |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 15,562 |  |  | $ | (34,234 | )
Year Ended December 31, 2011 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowance on mortgage loans | $ | (16,224 | ) |  | $ | (30,770 | ) |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 14,030 |  |  | $ | (32,964 | )
Year Ended December 31, 2010 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowance on mortgage loans | $ | (5,266 | ) |  | $ | (15,225 | ) |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 4,267 |  |  | $ | (16,224 | )
See accompanying Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for any allowance and reserve accounts (their beginning and ending balances, as well as a reconciliation by type of activity during the period). Alternatively, disclosure of the required information may be within the footnotes to the financial statements or a supplemental schedule to the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 09 -Article 12 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e24092-122690 + Details
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