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Significant Accounting Policies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Significant Accounting Policies | Significant Accounting Policies Consolidation and Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (“we”, “us” or “our”) have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring items, which are necessary to present fairly our financial position and results of operations on a basis consistent with the prior audited consolidated financial statements. Operating results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ended December 31, 2017. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The preparation of financial statements requires the use of management estimates. For further information related to a description of areas of judgment and estimates and other information necessary to understand our financial position and results of operations, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an accounting standards update ("ASU") related to the accounting for share-based payment transactions. The aspects of accounting guidance affected by this ASU are income taxes, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. We adopted this ASU on January 1, 2017. The adoption of this ASU resulted in an income tax benefit of $0.2 million and $1.8 million being recognized in operations during the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 due to the requirement under this standard to recognize excess tax benefits related to share-based payment awards in income tax expense. New Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued an ASU related to revenue arising from contracts with customers. This ASU, which replaces most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry specific guidance, prescribes that an entity should recognize revenue to reflect the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This ASU will be effective for us on January 1, 2018 and may be adopted using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach. While we are still evaluating the effect this ASU will have on our consolidated financial statements, we expect the impact will be insignificant as revenues related to insurance contracts and investment contracts are excluded from its scope. In January 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that, among other aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments, primarily requires equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. However, an entity may choose to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. Additionally, it changes the accounting for financial liabilities measured at fair value under the fair value option and eliminates some disclosures regarding fair value of financial assets and liabilities measured at amortized cost. This ASU will be effective for us on January 1, 2018. While we are still in process of evaluating the full impact this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements, we do not currently expect it to have a significant impact. In February 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that will require recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This ASU affects accounting and disclosure more dramatically for lessees as accounting for lessors is mainly unchanged. This ASU will be effective for us on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are in process of evaluating the impact this guidance may have on our consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that significantly changes the impairment model for most financial assets that are measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments from an incurred loss model to an expected loss model that requires these assets be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. In addition, credit losses on available for sale debt securities should be recorded through an allowance account. This ASU will be effective for us on January 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted. While we are still in process of evaluating the full impact this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements, we believe the new impairment model will lead to earlier recognition of credit losses for our commercial mortgage loans. In August 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that clarifies how certain cash receipts and cash payments are to be presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. This ASU will be effective for us on January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted. While we are still in process of evaluating the full impact this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements, we do not currently expect it to have a significant impact. In March 2017, the FASB issued an ASU that applies to certain callable debt securities where the amortized cost basis is at a premium to the price repayable by the issuer at the earliest call date. Under this guidance, the premium will be amortized to the first call date. This ASU will be effective for us on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are in process of evaluating the impact this guidance may have on our consolidated financial statements.

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