Schedule V - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details) - Valuation Allowance on Mortgage Loans [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ (14,142)	$ (22,633)	$ (26,047)
Charged to costs and expenses	(4,846)	1,018	(6,052)
Translation adjustment	0	0	0
Write-offs/payments/other	10,561	7,473	9,466
Ending balance	$ (8,427)	$ (14,142)	$ (22,633)

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the allowances and reserves, which consist of the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs, from adjustments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-09)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e24092-122690

+ Details

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- Definition

Total of allowances and reserves, the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset (in order to value it at its carrying value) or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs.

+ References

+ Details

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Amount of increase in the allowances and reserves, which consist of the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs, from charges to costs and expenses.

+ References

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Total of the deductions in a given period to allowances and reserves, the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset (in order to value it at its carrying value) or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs, representing receivables written off as uncollectible and portions of the reserves utilized, respectively.

+ References

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