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Investments (Significant Assumptions in Determining Credit Loss Component of Other Than Temporary Impairment on Residential Mortgage Backed Securities) (Details) (Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member])	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2003 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	5.10%
Default rate	2.00%
Loss severity	30.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2003 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	5.10%
Default rate	2.00%
Loss severity	30.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2005 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.50%	6.50%
Default rate	8.00%	9.00%
Loss severity	50.00%	50.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2005 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	7.70%	7.70%
Default rate	18.00%	18.00%
Loss severity	65.00%	50.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2006 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.00%	5.80%
Default rate	9.00%	9.00%
Loss severity	50.00%	40.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2006 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.90%	7.40%
Default rate	16.00%	19.00%
Loss severity	50.00%	55.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2007 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.20%	6.20%
Default rate	11.00%	11.00%
Loss severity	40.00%	40.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2007 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.70%	7.30%
Default rate	25.00%	38.00%
Loss severity	60.00%	60.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2008 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.60%
Default rate	16.00%
Loss severity	45.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2008 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.60%
Default rate	16.00%
Loss severity	45.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2009 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.80%
Default rate	17.00%
Loss severity	60.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2009 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.80%
Default rate	17.00%
Loss severity	60.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Alt-A Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2005 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	5.60%	5.60%
Default rate	15.00%	12.00%
Loss severity	2.00%	5.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Alt-A Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2005 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	8.70%	8.70%
Default rate	81.00%	27.00%
Loss severity	65.00%	55.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Alt-A Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2006 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate		6.00%
Default rate		32.00%
Loss severity		55.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Alt-A Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2006 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate		6.00%
Default rate		46.00%
Loss severity		60.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Alt-A Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2007 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.20%	6.20%
Default rate	38.00%	31.00%
Loss severity	60.00%	55.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Alt-A Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2007 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	6.90%	7.00%
Default rate	52.00%	55.00%
Loss severity	65.00%	60.00%

X

- Definition

This item represents the discount rate on the underlying assets in the security that was considered as one of the potential factors in reaching a conclusion that the investments in marketable securities are other than temporarily impaired and the amount of such impairment determined to be related to credit loss recognized in earnings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ael_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

This item represents the loss severity rate of the underlying assets in the security that was considered as one of the potential factors in reaching a conclusion that the investments in marketable securities are other than temporarily impaired and the amount of such impairment determined to be related to credit loss recognized in earnings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

This item represents the default rate of the underlying assets in the security that was considered as one of the potential factors in reaching a conclusion that the available-for-sale investments are other than temporarily impaired and the amount of such impairment determined to be related to credit loss recognized in earnings.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)

-Number FAS115-1/124-1

-Paragraph 18A

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

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