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Investments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015 Securities	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014 Securities
Investments [Abstract]
Fixed income securities with call features, percentage	34.00%ael_FixedIncomeSecuritiesWithCallFeaturesPercentage
Fixed income securities with call features, currently callable, percentage	0.60%ael_FixedIncomeSecuritiesWithCallFeaturesCurrentlyCallablePercentage
Fixed income securities with call features, currently callable, amount	$ 200,000,000ael_FixedIncomeSecuritieswithCallFeaturesCurrentlyCallableAmount
Fixed income securities with call features, callable during next 12 months, percentage	4.00%ael_FixedIncomeSecuritiesWithCallFeaturesCallableDuringNext12MonthsPercentage
Fixed income securities with call features, callable during next 12 months, amount	1,200,000,000ael_FixedIncomeSecuritieswithCallFeaturesCallableDuringNext12MonthsAmount
Fixed income securities with call features, not callable until within 6 months of stated maturity, percentage	60.00%ael_FixedIncomeSecuritieswithCallFeaturesNotCallableUntilWithin6MonthsofStatedMaturityPercentage
Percentage of fixed maturity portfolio rated investment grade based on NAIC designations	98.00%ael_PercentageOfInvestmentGradeFixedMaturitySecuritiesAtFairValue		98.00%ael_PercentageOfInvestmentGradeFixedMaturitySecuritiesAtFairValue
Number of individual securities with unrealized losses	213ael_IndividualSecuritiesWithUnrealizedLosses		402ael_IndividualSecuritiesWithUnrealizedLosses
Percentage of unrealized losses on fixed maturity securities where securities are rated investment grade	64.00%ael_FixedMaturitySecuritiesUnrealizedLossPositionClassifiedAsInvestmentGrade		78.00%ael_FixedMaturitySecuritiesUnrealizedLossPositionClassifiedAsInvestmentGrade
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Available for sale securities, amortized cost	31,443,319,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis		30,205,046,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Scheduled principal repayments, calls and tenders for available for sale securities	276,734,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromMaturitiesPrepaymentsAndCallsOfAvailableForSaleSecurities	208,747,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromMaturitiesPrepaymentsAndCallsOfAvailableForSaleSecurities
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Scheduled principal repayments, calls and tenders for available for sale securities	107,300,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromMaturitiesPrepaymentsAndCallsOfAvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember	152,700,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromMaturitiesPrepaymentsAndCallsOfAvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember
Alt-A Sector [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Available for sale securities, number of securities in unrealized loss positions	34us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 / us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = ael_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesAltASectorMember
Available for sale securities, amortized cost	235,800,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis / us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = ael_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesAltASectorMember
Available for sale, fair value	264,600,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = ael_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesAltASectorMember
Available For Sale Securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Proceeds from sales of available for sale securities	169,400,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfAvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember	56,100,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfAvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Available For Sale Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Available for sale, fair value	34,203,641,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember		32,445,202,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember
Available For Sale Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Available for sale, fair value	$ 1,729,315,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember		$ 1,751,345,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis = us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis = us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember / us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis = us-gaap_FixedMaturitiesMember

X

- Definition

Represents the amount of debt securities in the investment portfolio with call features that permit the issuer of the debt to repay before the stated maturity date (early retirement date) and are callable during the next 12 months.

+ References

No definition available.

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Represents the percentage of debt securities in the investment portfolio with call features that permit the issuer of the debt to repay before the stated maturity date (early retirement date) and are callable over the next 12 months.

+ References

No definition available.

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Represents the amount of debt securities in the investment portfolio with call features that permit the issuer of the debt to repay before the stated maturity date (early retirement date) and are currently callable.

+ References

No definition available.

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+ References

No definition available.

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Represents the percentage of debt securities in the investment portfolio with call features that permit the issuer of the debt to repay before the stated maturity date (early retirement date) and are not callable until within 6 months of their stated maturities.

+ References

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This item represents the percentage of unrealized losses on fixed maturity securities that is on securities classified as investment grade.

+ References

No definition available.

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Represents the number of individual securities in an unrealized loss position as of the reporting date.

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- Definition

Represents the percentage of fixed income securities at fair value rated investment grade (NAIC 1 or 2) compared to the entire fixed income security portfolio at fair value.

+ References

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This item represents the cost of debt securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments including accretion, amortization, collection of cash, previous other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)

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Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

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Number of investment positions in available-for-sale investments in a continuous unrealized loss position for which an other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) has not been recognized in the income statement.

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- Definition

The cash inflow associated with maturities (principal being due), prepayments and calls (requests of early payments) on securities not classified as either held-to-maturity securities or trading securities which are classified as available-for-sale securities.

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The cash inflow associated with the sale of debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale securities.

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