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Retirement and Share-based Compensation Plans (Incentive Plans) (Details)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Short-Term Performance Incentive Plan [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Award vesting period 3 years    
Participant age for full vesting 65 years    
Requisite service period for full vesting 10 years    
Shares issued in period   33,489us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_ShortTermPerformanceIncentivePlanMember
51,810us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_ShortTermPerformanceIncentivePlanMember
Short-Term Performance Incentive Plan [Member] | Restricted Stock [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Shares issued in period   23,681us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_ShortTermPerformanceIncentivePlanMember
37,369us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_ShortTermPerformanceIncentivePlanMember
2009 Employee Incentive Plan [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Award vesting period 3 years    
Participant age for full vesting 65 years    
Requisite service period for full vesting 10 years    
Shares issued in period 18,239us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
26,087us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
 
Number of shares authorized 2,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
   
Number of shares available for future grant 1,623,928us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
   
Duration of award 10 years    
2009 Employee Incentive Plan [Member] | March 2010 Option Grant [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Duration of award 6 years    
2009 Employee Incentive Plan [Member] | Restricted Stock [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Shares issued in period 14,869us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
20,889us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
 
2009 Employee Incentive Plan [Member] | Restricted Stock Units [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Award vesting period 3 years    
Equity instruments granted 54,718us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNonOptionEquityInstrumentsGranted
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
78,260us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNonOptionEquityInstrumentsGranted
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
 
Duration used to measure performance and threshold goals 3 years    
2009 Employee Incentive Plan [Member] | Restricted Stock Units [Member] | Threshold Goals, Vesting Percentage [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Award vesting rights, percentage 50.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentage
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
/ us-gaap_VestingAxis
= ael_VestingSharebasedPaymentAwardThresholdGoalsVestingPercentageMember
   
2009 Employee Incentive Plan [Member] | Restricted Stock Units [Member] | Target Performance Goals, Vesting Percentage [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Award vesting rights, percentage 100.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentage
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2009EmployeeIncentivePlanMember
/ us-gaap_VestingAxis
= ael_VestingSharebasedPaymentAwardTargetPerformanceGoalsVestingPercentageMember
   
2013 Director Equity And Incentive Plan [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Award vesting period 1 year    
Shares issued in period 24,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2013DirectorEquityAndIncentivePlanMember
40,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2013DirectorEquityAndIncentivePlanMember
 
Number of shares authorized 250,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2013DirectorEquityAndIncentivePlanMember
   
Number of shares available for future grant 186,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ael_A2013DirectorEquityAndIncentivePlanMember