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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	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	$ 1,063	$ 415
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	44,799,370	45,372,989
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	11,355	11,876
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,249,440	1,305,017
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,174,182	4,166,812
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	228,613	239,360
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	28,272,532	29,878,971
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,207,606	1,105,567
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,331,174	5,544,850
Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,324,468	3,120,536
Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities		292,429
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	847,243	1,568,380
Cash and cash equivalents	1,259,722	1,434,045
Counterparty collateral	123,055	186,108
Assets	47,213,736	48,854,366
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	8,351,151	8,790,427
Liabilities		8,791,216
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	1,063	415
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	850
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		789
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	11,355	11,876
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,249,440	1,305,017
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,174,182	4,166,812
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	228,613	239,360
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	28,272,532	29,878,971
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,207,606	1,105,567
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	5,331,174	5,544,850
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,324,468	3,120,536
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	182,433	292,429
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	1,259,722	1,434,045
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	1,440,234	1,724,690
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities		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]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		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	5,502	5,640
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	10	5
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	175,000	285,000
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	847,243	1,568,380
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	123,055	186,108
Assets	45,773,502	47,129,676
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities		789
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	1,063	415
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	850
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		789
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	5,853	6,236
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	1,249,440	1,305,017
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	4,174,182	4,166,812
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	228,613	239,360
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	28,272,522	29,878,966
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	1,207,606	1,105,567
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	5,331,174	5,544,850
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	4,324,468	3,120,536
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,433	7,429
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	8,351,151	8,790,427
Liabilities		8,790,427
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]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		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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