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Notes Payable and Amounts Due Under Repurchase Agreements (2015 Notes, 2015 Notes Hedges and 2015 Warrants Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2010
Sep. 30, 2010
Debt Instrument [Line Items]          
Interest expense on convertible notes $ 36,370,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt $ 38,870,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt $ 28,479,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt    
Convertible Debt [Member]          
Debt Instrument [Line Items]          
Interest expense on convertible notes 9,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtMember
26,400,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtMember
28,500,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtMember
   
2015 Notes Embedded Conversion Derivative [Member]          
Debt Instrument [Line Items]          
Derivative, liability, fair value at issuance 37,000,000ael_DerivativeLiabilityFairValueAtIssuance
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= ael_A2015NotesEmbeddedConversionDerivativeMember
       
September 2015 Notes [Member]          
Debt Instrument [Line Items]          
Principal amount of convertible senior notes payable at issuance         200,000,000ael_PrincipalAmountOfConvertibleSeniorNotesPayableAtIssuance
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
Interest rate 3.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
Deferred financing costs 6,800,000us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsGross
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
Debt instrument, number of days holders may convert 5 days        
Debt instrument, measurement period of convertible senior notes 10 days        
Debt instrument, face amount 1,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
Product of last reported common stock sale price and conversion rate 98.00%ael_ProductOfLastReportedCommonStockSalePriceAndConversionRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
Debt instrument, number of days to measure stock value against conversion value 20 days        
Debt instrument, consecutive trading day period to determine convertibility 30 days        
Stock price must exceed conversion price to allow conversion 130.00%ael_StockPriceMustExceedConversionPriceToAllowConversion
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
Debt instrument, convertible, number of equity instruments, shares     80.9486ael_DebtInstrumentConvertibleNumberOfEquityInstrumentsShares
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
80ael_DebtInstrumentConvertibleNumberOfEquityInstrumentsShares
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
 
Debt instrument, convertible, conversion price     $ 12.35us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
$ 12.50us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
 
Debt instrument, convertible, fundamental change stock price floor $ 10.00ael_DebtInstrumentConvertibleFundamentalChangeStockPriceFloor
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
Debt instrument, convertible, conversion rate increase upon fundamental change 20ael_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionRateIncreaseUponFundamentalChange
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
Extinguishment of debt, amount   108,000,000us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
     
Extinguishment of debt, cash paid   116,100,000ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtCashPaid
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
     
Extinguishment of debt, cash paid for shares of common stock   79,200,000ael_ExtinguishmentOfDebtCashPaidForSharesOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
     
Extinguishment of debt, shares issued   3,643,402ael_ExtinguishmentOfDebtSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
     
Extinguishment of debt, carrying value at extinguishment   99,600,000ael_ExtinguishmentOfDebtCarryingValueAtExtinguishment
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
     
Extinguishment of debt, gain (loss), net of tax   (15,200,000)us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtGainLossNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
     
Interest rate, effective percentage 8.90%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
       
September 2015 Notes [Member] | Private Exchange Offers [Member]          
Debt Instrument [Line Items]          
Extinguishment of debt, amount 69,600,000us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
/ ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtAgreementTypeAxis
= ael_PrivateExchangeOffersMember
       
Extinguishment of debt, cash paid 82,900,000ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtCashPaid
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
/ ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtAgreementTypeAxis
= ael_PrivateExchangeOffersMember
       
Extinguishment of debt, cash paid for shares of common stock 48,200,000ael_ExtinguishmentOfDebtCashPaidForSharesOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
/ ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtAgreementTypeAxis
= ael_PrivateExchangeOffersMember
       
Extinguishment of debt, shares issued 2,115,055ael_ExtinguishmentOfDebtSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
/ ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtAgreementTypeAxis
= ael_PrivateExchangeOffersMember
       
Extinguishment of debt, carrying value at extinguishment 66,000,000ael_ExtinguishmentOfDebtCarryingValueAtExtinguishment
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
/ ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtAgreementTypeAxis
= ael_PrivateExchangeOffersMember
       
Extinguishment of debt, gain (loss), net of tax $ (4,800,000)us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtGainLossNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
/ ael_ExtinguishmentofDebtAgreementTypeAxis
= ael_PrivateExchangeOffersMember
       
September 2015 Notes [Member] | Minimum [Member]          
Debt Instrument [Line Items]          
Debt instrument, convertible, threshold for adjustment of conversion rate and conversion price 1.00%ael_DebtInstrumentConvertibleThresholdForAdjustmentofConversionRateAndConversionPrice
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= ael_ConvertibleDebtIssuedIn2010Member
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