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Significant Accounting Policies (Premiums and Annuity Deposits, By Product Type) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
Product Information [Line Items] |  |  |
Fixed index annuities | $ 5,035,818 | $ 6,491,981 | $ 3,911,109
Annual reset fixed rate annuities | 63,582 | 44,715 | 56,647
Multi-year fixed rate annuities | 256,894 | 42,709 | 21,125
Single premium immediate annuities (SPIA) | 35,851 | 32,752 | 24,580
Life insurance | 9,946 | 10,917 | 10,810
Premiums and annuity deposits, net of coinsurance | $ 5,402,091 | $ 6,623,074 | $ 4,024,271

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- Definition Fixed Index Annuities + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Deposits collected on annual reset fixed rate annuities. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Deposits collected on multi-year fixed rate annuities. + References No definition available. + Details
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Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Definition Premiums and Annuity Deposits + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Single Premium Immediate Annuity deposits collected during period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount, after premiums ceded to other entities and premiums assumed by the entity, of life premiums earned. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 605 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b),(c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 605 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486662&loc=d3e27175-158546 + Details
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Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

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- 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
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