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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 | Sep. 30, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
--- | --- | ---
Assets |  |
Derivative assets | $ 180,649 | $ 731,113
Cash and cash equivalents | 523,614 | 701,514
2015 notes hedges |  | 30,291
Counterparty collateral | 30,880 | 206,096
Assets | 36,134,310 | 34,124,799
Liabilities |  |
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative |  | 30,291
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives | 5,731,117 | 5,574,653
Liabilities | 5,735,645 | 5,607,588
Interest Rate Caps [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Interest rate derivative assets | 1,492 | 2,778
Interest Rate Swap [Member] |  |
Liabilities |  |
Interest rate derivative liabilities | 4,528 | 2,644
Equity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 7,833 | 7,805
United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 37,681 | 138,460
United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 1,314,748 | 1,393,890
United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 3,760,888 | 3,723,309
Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 216,987 | 193,803
Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 23,459,748 | 21,490,292
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 1,556,308 | 1,751,345
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 3,941,863 | 2,807,620
Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 1,101,619 | 946,483
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Derivative assets | 0 | 0
Cash and cash equivalents | 523,614 | 701,514
2015 notes hedges |  | 0
Counterparty collateral | 0 | 0
Assets | 529,183 | 705,780
Liabilities |  |
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative |  | 0
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives | 0 | 0
Liabilities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Interest rate derivative assets | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] |  |
Liabilities |  |
Interest rate derivative liabilities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Equity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 5,549 | 4,255
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 20 | 11
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Derivative assets | 180,649 | 731,113
Cash and cash equivalents | 0 | 0
2015 notes hedges |  | 30,291
Counterparty collateral | 30,880 | 206,096
Assets | 35,605,127 | 33,418,644
Liabilities |  |
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative |  | 30,291
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives | 0 | 0
Liabilities | 4,528 | 32,935
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Interest rate derivative assets | 1,492 | 2,778
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] |  |
Liabilities |  |
Interest rate derivative liabilities | 4,528 | 2,644
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Equity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 7,833 | 7,805
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 32,132 | 134,205
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 1,314,748 | 1,393,890
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 3,760,888 | 3,723,309
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 216,987 | 193,803
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 23,459,728 | 21,490,281
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 1,556,308 | 1,750,970
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 3,941,863 | 2,807,620
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 1,101,619 | 946,483
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Derivative assets | 0 | 0
Cash and cash equivalents | 0 | 0
2015 notes hedges |  | 0
Counterparty collateral | 0 | 0
Assets | 0 | 375
Liabilities |  |
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative |  | 0
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives | 5,731,117 | 5,574,653
Liabilities | 5,731,117 | 5,574,653
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Interest rate derivative assets | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] |  |
Liabilities |  |
Interest rate derivative liabilities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Equity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 375
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | 0 | 0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] |  |
Assets |  |
Available for sale securities | $ 0 | $ 0

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