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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])	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
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	7.50%	6.50%
Default rate	15.00%	8.00%
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	7.50%	7.70%
Default rate	15.00%	17.00%
Loss severity	50.00%	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	6.50%	6.00%
Default rate	11.00%	9.00%
Loss severity	50.00%	50.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2006 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate	7.40%	6.90%
Default rate	12.00%	16.00%
Loss severity	50.00%	50.00%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Prime Sector [Member] | Vintage Year 2007 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Vintage Year [Line Items]
Discount rate		6.50%
Default rate		12.00%
Loss severity		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%
Default rate		25.00%
Loss severity		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, 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	87.00%	15.00%
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	6.40%	8.70%
Default rate	87.00%	25.00%
Loss severity	2.00%	65.00%
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%
Default rate		38.00%
Loss severity		60.00%
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%
Default rate		52.00%
Loss severity		65.00%

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_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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

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

X

- Details

Name:	ael_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesVintageYearLineItems
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 Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 8A

-Subparagraph a.1.

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=SL6284381-111563

+ Details

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