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Retirement and Share-based Compensation Plans (Valuation Assumptions of Stock Options Granted to Officers, Directors and Employees) (Details) (Stock Option Plans, All Stock Option Plans For Officers, Directors And Employees [Member])	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012
Directors and Retirement Eligible Employees [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Average risk-free interest rate	0.76%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = ael_DirectorsAndRetirementEligibleEmployeesMember / us-gaap_PlanNameAxis = ael_StockOptionPlansAllStockOptionPlansForOfficersDirectorsAndEmployeesMember
Dividend yield	1.10%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = ael_DirectorsAndRetirementEligibleEmployeesMember / us-gaap_PlanNameAxis = ael_StockOptionPlansAllStockOptionPlansForOfficersDirectorsAndEmployeesMember
Average expected life (years)	5 years
Volatility	62.50%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = ael_DirectorsAndRetirementEligibleEmployeesMember / us-gaap_PlanNameAxis = ael_StockOptionPlansAllStockOptionPlansForOfficersDirectorsAndEmployeesMember
Non-Retirement Eligible Employees [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Average risk-free interest rate	1.36%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = ael_NonRetirementEligibleEmployeesMember / us-gaap_PlanNameAxis = ael_StockOptionPlansAllStockOptionPlansForOfficersDirectorsAndEmployeesMember
Dividend yield	1.30%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = ael_NonRetirementEligibleEmployeesMember / us-gaap_PlanNameAxis = ael_StockOptionPlansAllStockOptionPlansForOfficersDirectorsAndEmployeesMember
Average expected life (years)	8 years
Volatility	50.90%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = ael_NonRetirementEligibleEmployeesMember / us-gaap_PlanNameAxis = ael_StockOptionPlansAllStockOptionPlansForOfficersDirectorsAndEmployeesMember

X

- Definition

The estimated dividend rate (a percentage of the share price) to be paid (expected dividends) to holders of the underlying shares over the option's term.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (f)(2)(iii)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

Expected term of share-based compensation awards, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 14.D.2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (f)(2)(i)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 14

-Section D

-Subsection 2

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- Definition

The estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (f)(2)(ii)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (f)(2)(iv)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

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