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Earnings Per Share (Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share) (Details) (Stock Option [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Number of shares	1,215,450us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount	0us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount	1,522,100us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
Minimum [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Range of exercise prices	24.79ael_StockOptionsExcludedFromDilutedEarningsPerShareRangeofExercisePrices / us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember	0.00ael_StockOptionsExcludedFromDilutedEarningsPerShareRangeofExercisePrices / us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember	11.35ael_StockOptionsExcludedFromDilutedEarningsPerShareRangeofExercisePrices / us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember
Maximum [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Range of exercise prices	24.79ael_StockOptionsExcludedFromDilutedEarningsPerShareRangeofExercisePrices / us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember	0.00ael_StockOptionsExcludedFromDilutedEarningsPerShareRangeofExercisePrices / us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember	14.34ael_StockOptionsExcludedFromDilutedEarningsPerShareRangeofExercisePrices / us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember

X

- Definition

Item represents the range of exercise prices for stock options excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation because the exercise price is in excess of the average market price of the entity's common stock.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_StockOptionsExcludedFromDilutedEarningsPerShareRangeofExercisePrices
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 260

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257



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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Antidilution

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505113



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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Diluted Earnings Per Share

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510752



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Contingent Stock Agreement

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6508534

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration