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Reinsurance and Policy Provisions (Equitrust Coinsurance Agreements) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Coinsurance deposits	3,044,342,000us-gaap_FundsHeldUnderReinsuranceAgreementsAsset	$ 2,999,618,000us-gaap_FundsHeldUnderReinsuranceAgreementsAsset
Equitrust Coinsurance Agreements, All Periods [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Number of coinsurance agreements	2ael_NumberOfCoinsuranceAgreements / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementsAllPeriodsMember
Coinsurance deposits	900,000,000us-gaap_FundsHeldUnderReinsuranceAgreementsAsset / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementsAllPeriodsMember	900,000,000us-gaap_FundsHeldUnderReinsuranceAgreementsAsset / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementsAllPeriodsMember
Reinsurance payable	15,200,000us-gaap_ReinsurancePayable / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementsAllPeriodsMember	$ 20,700,000us-gaap_ReinsurancePayable / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementsAllPeriodsMember
Equitrust Coinsurance Agreement, August 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Coninsurance percentage on certain annuities	70.00%ael_ConinsurancePercentageOnCertainAnnuities / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementAugust12001ToDecember312001Member
Equitrust Coinsurance Agreement, January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003 [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Coninsurance percentage on certain annuities	40.00%ael_ConinsurancePercentageOnCertainAnnuities / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementJanuary12002ToDecember312003Member
Equitrust Coinsurance Agreement, January 1, 2004 to July 31, 2004 [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Coninsurance percentage on certain annuities	20.00%ael_ConinsurancePercentageOnCertainAnnuities / ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis = ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementJanuary12004ToJuly312004Member

X

- Definition

Item represents the percentage of coinsurance provided under the coinsurance agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_ConinsurancePercentageOnCertainAnnuities
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Number of coinsurance agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_NumberOfCoinsuranceAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

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

X

- Definition

Amount of the reinsurer's funds held on its behalf by the ceding insurer, including funds held in trust, under reinsurance treaties or contracts with the assuming insurer as security for the payment of the obligations thereunder.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.2,10)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910



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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 2, 10

-Article 7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FundsHeldUnderReinsuranceAgreementsAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

The carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the known and estimated amounts owed to insurers under reinsurance treaties or other arrangements.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.13(a)(3),(c))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910



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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph a(3)

-Article 7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReinsurancePayable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis=ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementAugust12001ToDecember312001Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis=ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementJanuary12002ToDecember312003Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis=ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementJanuary12004ToJuly312004Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ael_CoinsuranceAgreementsAxis=ael_EquitrustCoinsuranceAgreementsAllPeriodsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Period Type: