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Reinsurance and Policy Provisions (Hannover Financing Arrangements) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
2013 Hannover Reinsurance Agreement [Member] |  |  |
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items] |  |  |
Waived surrender charges on penalty free withdrawals and deaths on certain business, percentage | 45.60% |  |
Reserve credit | $ 638.1 | $ 480.7 |
Risk charges | $ 27.7 | 21.0 |
2011 Hannover Reinsurance Agreement [Member] |  |  |
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items] |  |  |
Risk charge rate | 1.25% |  |
Risk charges |  | 0.3 | $ 0.8
Net pretax statutory surplus benefit | $ 49.2 |  |
Reduction in pretax statutory surplus, current period |  | $ 10.3 | $ 10.8

X
- Definition Item represents the statutory surplus benefit recognized as a result of the reinsurance agreement net of initial expenses for risk charges and reinsurers fee. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ael_ReinsuranceNetPretaxStatutorySurplusBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | ael_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Item represents the reduction to pretax statutory surplus recorded during the current reporting period based upon the Loss Carry Forward schedule, interest rate, and risk charges per the subject reinsurance agreement. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ael_ReinsuranceReductionInPretaxStatutorySurplusCurrentPeriod
Namespace Prefix: | ael_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition This amount represents a statutory reserve credit taken related to a reinsurance agreement that is accounted for as reinsurance in accordance with statutory accounting principles. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ael_ReinsuranceReserveCredit
Namespace Prefix: | ael_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Item represents a risk charge percentage that is applied to the oustanding loss carry forward (LCF) to determine the amount due at the end of each accounting period (quarter). + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ael_ReinsuranceRiskCharge
Namespace Prefix: | ael_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Item represents the rate applied to the outstanding loss carry forward amount at each accounting period (quarterly) to determine the risk charge that is to be paid by the ceding icompany. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ael_ReinsuranceRiskChargeRate
Namespace Prefix: | ael_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Item represents the percentage of coverage provided by the 2005 Hannover Reinsurance Agreement on certain business of waived surrender charges related to penalty free withdrawals and deaths. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ael_ReinsuranceWaivedSurrenderChargesOnPenaltyFreeWithdrawalsAndDeathsOnCertainBusinessPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | ael_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CededCreditRiskLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis=ael_Reinsurance2013HannoverReinsuranceAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis=ael_Reinsurance2011HannoverReinsuranceAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |