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Retirement and Share-based Compensation Plans (Schedule of Stock Options Outstanding, By Exercise Price Range) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]        
Stock options outstanding, number of awards 4,044,175us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber 3,976,725us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber 5,732,450us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber 4,844,850us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
Stock options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 15.02us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice $ 10.86us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice $ 10.35us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice $ 10.13us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice
Exercise Price Range I [Member]        
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]        
Exercise price range, lower range limit $ 5.07us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeLowerRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIMember
     
Exercise price range, upper range limit $ 8.02us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeUpperRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIMember
     
Stock options outstanding, number of awards 506,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIMember
     
Stock options outstanding, remaining life (yrs) 2 years 8 months 23 days      
Stock options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 7.39us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIMember
     
Stock options vested, number of awards 506,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIMember
     
Stock options vested, remaining life (yrs) 2 years 8 months 23 days      
Stock options vested, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 7.39us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIMember
     
Exercise Price Range II [Member]        
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]        
Exercise price range, lower range limit $ 9.27us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeLowerRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiMember
     
Exercise price range, upper range limit $ 11.35us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeUpperRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiMember
     
Stock options outstanding, number of awards 1,220,550us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiMember
     
Stock options outstanding, remaining life (yrs) 3 years 11 months 9 days      
Stock options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 10.23us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiMember
     
Stock options vested, number of awards 1,136,550us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiMember
     
Stock options vested, remaining life (yrs) 3 years 8 months 9 days      
Stock options vested, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 10.21us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiMember
     
Exercise Price Range III [Member]        
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]        
Exercise price range, lower range limit $ 11.87us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeLowerRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiiMember
     
Exercise price range, upper range limit $ 24.79us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeUpperRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiiMember
     
Stock options outstanding, number of awards 2,317,625us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiiMember
     
Stock options outstanding, remaining life (yrs) 5 years 2 months 24 days      
Stock options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 19.22us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiiMember
     
Stock options vested, number of awards 2,297,625us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiiMember
     
Stock options vested, remaining life (yrs) 5 years 2 months 5 days      
Stock options vested, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 19.22us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeIiiMember
     
Exercise Price Range, All Options [Member]        
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]        
Exercise price range, lower range limit $ 5.07us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeLowerRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeAllOptionsMember
     
Exercise price range, upper range limit $ 24.79us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeUpperRangeLimit
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeAllOptionsMember
     
Stock options outstanding, number of awards 4,044,175us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeAllOptionsMember
     
Stock options outstanding, remaining life (yrs) 4 years 6 months 12 days      
Stock options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 15.02us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeAllOptionsMember
     
Stock options vested, number of awards 3,940,175us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableNumber
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeAllOptionsMember
     
Stock options vested, remaining life (yrs) 4 years 5 months 6 days      
Stock options vested, weighted-average exercise price per share $ 15.10us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= ael_ExercisePriceRangeAllOptionsMember