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Significant Accounting Policies (Annuity Deposits (Net of Coinsurance), By Product Type) (Details) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) NMOs | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) NMOs | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) NMOs
Product Information [Line Items] |  |  |
Fixed index annuities | $ 3,668,121 | $ 5,035,818 | $ 6,491,981
Annual reset fixed rate annuities | 74,572 | 63,582 | 44,715
Multi-year fixed rate annuities | 22,291 | 256,894 | 42,709
Single premium immediate annuities (SPIA) | 24,946 | 35,851 | 32,752
Annuity deposits, net of coinsurance | $ 3,789,930 | $ 5,392,145 | $ 6,612,157
National marketing organizations, number of organizations accounting for more than 10% of annuity deposits collected | NMOs | 2 | 1 | 1
National Marketing Organization, Greater than 10%, NMO 1 [Member] |  |  |
Product Information [Line Items] |  |  |
National marketing organizations, percent of annuity deposits collected individually | 14.00% | 15.00% | 22.00%
National Marketing Organization, Greater than 10%, NMO 2 [Member] |  |  |
Product Information [Line Items] |  |  |
National marketing organizations, percent of annuity deposits collected individually | 10.00% |  |

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- Definition Fixed Index Annuities + References No definition available. + Details
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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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- Definition Represents the percentage of American Equity Life production from National Marketing Organizations whose individual production was in excess of 10%. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of organizations whose production exceeded 10% of the annuity deposits collected during the period. + 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 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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- Details
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