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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	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	$ 415	$ 1,082
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	45,372,989	41,060,494
Other Investments: Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	292,429	8,000
United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	11,876	11,805
United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,305,017	1,344,787
United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,166,812	3,926,950
Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	239,360	236,341
Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	29,878,971	27,114,418
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,105,567	1,254,835
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,544,850	5,365,235
Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,120,536	1,806,123
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	1,568,380	830,519
Cash and cash equivalents	1,434,045	791,266
Counterparty collateral	186,108	145,693
Assets	48,854,366	42,837,054
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	8,790,427	6,563,288
Liabilities	8,791,216	6,565,401
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	415	1,082
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	789	2,113
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other Investments: Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	292,429	8,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	11,876	11,805
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,305,017	1,344,787
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,166,812	3,926,950
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	239,360	236,341
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	29,878,971	27,114,418
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,105,567	1,254,835
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,544,850	5,365,235
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,120,536	1,806,123
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	1,434,045	791,266
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	1,724,690	796,653
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Other Investments: Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	285,000	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,640	5,381
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5	6
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	1,568,380	830,519
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	186,108	145,693
Assets	47,129,676	42,040,401
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	789	2,113
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	415	1,082
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	789	2,113
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other Investments: Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,429	8,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	6,236	6,424
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,305,017	1,344,787
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,166,812	3,926,950
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	239,360	236,341
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	29,878,966	27,114,412
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,105,567	1,254,835
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,544,850	5,365,235
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,120,536	1,806,123
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [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	8,790,427	6,563,288
Liabilities	8,790,427	6,563,288
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other Investments: Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	$ 0	$ 0

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