XML 17 R54.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Fair Values of Financial Instruments (Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis by Fair Value Hierarchy) (Details) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member], USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Assets    
Derivative assets $ 731,113us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset $ 856,050us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
Cash and cash equivalents 701,514us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure 897,529us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
2015 notes hedges 30,291ael_NotesPayableHedgesFairValueDisclosure 107,041ael_NotesPayableHedgesFairValueDisclosure
Counterparty collateral 206,096us-gaap_OtherAssetsFairValueDisclosure 315,824us-gaap_OtherAssetsFairValueDisclosure
Assets 34,124,799us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure 28,801,484us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
Liabilities    
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative 30,291ael_NotesPayableEmbeddedDerivativeFairValueDisclosure 107,041ael_NotesPayableEmbeddedDerivativeFairValueDisclosure
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives 5,574,653ael_FixedIndexAnnuitiesEmbeddedDerivativeFairValueDisclosure 4,406,163ael_FixedIndexAnnuitiesEmbeddedDerivativeFairValueDisclosure
Liabilities 5,607,588us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure 4,513,204us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Interest Rate Caps [Member]
    
Assets    
Interest rate derivative assets 2,778us-gaap_InterestRateDerivativeAssetsAtFairValue
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Interest Rate Swap [Member]
    
Assets    
Interest rate derivative assets   712us-gaap_InterestRateDerivativeAssetsAtFairValue
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Liabilities    
Interest rate derivative liabilities 2,644us-gaap_InterestRateDerivativeLiabilitiesAtFairValue
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Equity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 7,805us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 138,460us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 1,393,890us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 3,723,309us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 193,803us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 21,490,292us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
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Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 2,807,620us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
Available for sale securities 946,483us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member]
    
Assets    
Derivative assets 0us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
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Cash and cash equivalents 701,514us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
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2015 notes hedges 0ael_NotesPayableHedgesFairValueDisclosure
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Assets 705,780us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
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Liabilities    
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative 0ael_NotesPayableEmbeddedDerivativeFairValueDisclosure
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
    
Assets    
Interest rate derivative assets 0us-gaap_InterestRateDerivativeAssetsAtFairValue
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
    
Assets    
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Liabilities    
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
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Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
    
Assets    
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Assets    
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Assets    
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Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
    
Assets    
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