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Fair Values of Financial Instruments (Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis by Fair Value Hierarchy) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	$ 44,601,297	$ 41,060,494
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	11,935	11,805
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,302,075	1,344,787
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,093,632	3,926,950
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	240,400	236,341
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	29,675,924	27,114,418
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,146,822	1,254,835
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,532,483	5,365,235
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	2,598,026	1,806,123
Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,427	8,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	1,235,125	830,519
Cash and cash equivalents	1,285,662	791,266
Counterparty collateral	125,940	145,693
Assets	47,255,821	42,837,054
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	8,069,105	6,563,288
Liabilities	8,070,792	6,565,401
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	370	1,082
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	1,687	2,113
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	11,935	11,805
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,302,075	1,344,787
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,093,632	3,926,950
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	240,400	236,341
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	29,675,924	27,114,418
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,146,822	1,254,835
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,532,483	5,365,235
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	2,598,026	1,806,123
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,427	8,000
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	1,285,662	791,266
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	1,291,373	796,653
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,704	5,381
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7	6
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	1,235,125	830,519
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	125,940	145,693
Assets	45,964,448	42,040,401
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	1,687	2,113
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	370	1,082
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	1,687	2,113
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	6,231	6,424
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,302,075	1,344,787
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,093,632	3,926,950
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	240,400	236,341
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	29,675,917	27,114,412
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,146,822	1,254,835
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,532,483	5,365,235
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	2,598,026	1,806,123
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,427	8,000
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	0	0
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	8,069,105	6,563,288
Liabilities	8,069,105	6,563,288
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	$ 0	$ 0

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Fair value portion of probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

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Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
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Fair value of financial and nonfinancial obligations.

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