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Mortgage Loans on Real Estate (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015 loans portfolio_segment	Mar. 31, 2014 loans	Dec. 31, 2014
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Abstract]
Mortgage loans on real estate	$ 2,433,757,000us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerNet		$ 2,434,580,000us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerNet
Commitments outstanding	87,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableCommercialLoansInProcess
Number of portfolio segments that make up financing receivables	1ael_FinancingReceivableNumberofPortfolioSegments
Number of mortgage loans satisfied by foreclosure	0ael_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateNumberOfLoansSatisfiedByForeclosure	1ael_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateNumberOfLoansSatisfiedByForeclosure
Impaired mortgage loans, workout terms, interest only payments, six month terms	6 months
Impaired mortgage loans, workout terms, interest only payments, twelve month terms	12 months
Impaired mortgage loans, workout terms, cash flow sweep, number of months	12 months
Number of days past due, delinquent status	60 days
Number of days past due, non-accrual status	90 days
Outstanding principal of loans in a non-accrual status	$ 4,800,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentNonaccrualStatus		$ 6,000,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentNonaccrualStatus

X

- Definition

Number of days past due for loans to be considered delinquent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_DelinquentLoanStatusNumberofDays
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The number of portfolio segments which make up financing receivables.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

X

- Definition

Circumstances in which borrowers pay a protion of their loan payment into an escrow account that can be used for capital and tenant improvements of a period not more than 12 months.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_ImpairedMortgageLoansWorkoutTermsCashFlowSweepNumberofMonths
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Loan workout terms in which a borrower makes interest only payments on the commerical mortgage loan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_ImpairedMortgageLoansWorkoutTermsInterestOnlyPaymentsSixMonthTerms
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Loan workout terms in which a borrower makes interest only payments on the commerical mortgage loan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_ImpairedMortgageLoansWorkoutTermsInterestOnlyPaymentsTwelveMonthTerms
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the number of loans that were satisfied by taking ownership of the underlying collateral during the reporting period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateNumberOfLoansSatisfiedByForeclosure
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Number of days past due for loans to be placed on non-accrual status.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ael_NonAccrualStatusNumberofDays
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Recorded investment in financing receivables that are on nonaccrual status as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 7

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5111-111524

+ Details

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

X

- Definition

The undisbursed portion of the commercial loan receivable balance (loans in process) which is deducted separately from total loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
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X

- Definition

The balance represents the amount of loans that are secured by real estate mortgages, offset by the reserve to cover probable credit losses on the loan portfolio.

+ 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 210.7-03.1(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 1

-Subparagraph c

-Article 7

+ Details

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