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Significant Accounting Policies (Premiums and Annuity Deposits, By Product Type) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Product Information [Line Items]
Fixed index annuities	$ 3,911,109ael_FixedIndexAnnuities	$ 3,864,990ael_FixedIndexAnnuities	$ 3,430,436ael_FixedIndexAnnuities
Annual reset fixed rate annuities	56,647ael_FixedRateAnnuitiesAnnualReset	71,162ael_FixedRateAnnuitiesAnnualReset	98,190ael_FixedRateAnnuitiesAnnualReset
Multi-year fixed rate annuities	21,125ael_FixedRateAnnuitiesMultiYear	41,578ael_FixedRateAnnuitiesMultiYear	49,915ael_FixedRateAnnuitiesMultiYear
Single premium immediate annuities (SPIA)	24,580ael_SinglePremiumImmediateAnnuitiesSpias	52,142ael_SinglePremiumImmediateAnnuitiesSpias	164,657ael_SinglePremiumImmediateAnnuitiesSpias
Life insurance	10,810us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNetLife	10,556us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNetLife	12,877us-gaap_PremiumsEarnedNetLife
Premiums and annuity deposits, net of coinsurance	$ 4,024,271ael_PremiumsAndAnnuityDeposits	$ 4,040,428ael_PremiumsAndAnnuityDeposits	$ 3,756,075ael_PremiumsAndAnnuityDeposits

X

- Definition

Fixed Index Annuities

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Deposits collected on annual reset fixed rate annuities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Deposits collected on multi-year fixed rate annuities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Premiums and Annuity Deposits

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_PremiumsAndAnnuityDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Single Premium Immediate Annuity deposits collected during period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_SinglePremiumImmediateAnnuitiesSpias
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount, after premiums ceded to other entities and premiums assumed by the entity, of life premiums earned.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913



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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 1

-Article 7



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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 605

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486662&loc=d3e27175-158546



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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 605

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b),(c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

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- Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration