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  <xs:element id="ael_DerivativeCounterpartyBankOfAmericaMember" abstract="true" name="DerivativeCounterpartyBankOfAmericaMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_DerivativeCounterpartyMorganStanleyMember" abstract="true" name="DerivativeCounterpartyMorganStanleyMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_WestNorthCentralUnitedStatesRegionMember" abstract="true" name="WestNorthCentralUnitedStatesRegionMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_OtherCommitmentsFixedMaturitySecuritiesMember" abstract="true" name="OtherCommitmentsFixedMaturitySecuritiesMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_ThirdPartyEquityInvestmentNumberOfStages" abstract="false" name="ThirdPartyEquityInvestmentNumberOfStages" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="instant" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="xbrli:integerItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_StockOptionsAndDeferredCompensationAgreementsMember" abstract="true" name="StockOptionsAndDeferredCompensationAgreementsMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_FinancingReceivableNonaccrualNumberOfLoans" abstract="false" name="FinancingReceivableNonaccrualNumberOfLoans" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="instant" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="xbrli:integerItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_OtherInvestmentsShortTermLoansFairValueDisclosure" abstract="false" name="OtherInvestmentsShortTermLoansFairValueDisclosure" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="instant" xbrli:balance="debit" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="xbrli:monetaryItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_DerivativeCounterpartyRoyalBankofCanadaMember" abstract="true" name="DerivativeCounterpartyRoyalBankofCanadaMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_RestrictedStockAndRestrictedStockUnitsMember" abstract="true" name="RestrictedStockAndRestrictedStockUnitsMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_ScheduleofCreditQualityofFixedMaturitySecurityPortfoliobyNAICDesignationTableTextBlock" abstract="false" name="ScheduleofCreditQualityofFixedMaturitySecurityPortfoliobyNAICDesignationTableTextBlock" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:textBlockItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_ThirdPartyOwnershipInterestInCompanysCommonStockPricePerShare" abstract="false" name="ThirdPartyOwnershipInterestInCompanysCommonStockPricePerShare" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="instant" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:perShareItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_OtherChangesinDifferenceBetweenPolicyBenefitReservesComputedUsingDerivativeAccountingVsLongDurationContractsAccountingMember" abstract="true" name="OtherChangesinDifferenceBetweenPolicyBenefitReservesComputedUsingDerivativeAccountingVsLongDurationContractsAccountingMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearOneOriginatedCurrentFiscalYearAverageLoanToValuePercentage" abstract="false" name="FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearOneOriginatedCurrentFiscalYearAverageLoanToValuePercentage" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="instant" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:percentItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_ContractDurationGroup4Member" abstract="true" name="ContractDurationGroup4Member" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_FinancingReceivableModificationsPeriodofTimeofDelayingPrincipalAndOrInterest" abstract="false" name="FinancingReceivableModificationsPeriodofTimeofDelayingPrincipalAndOrInterest" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="xbrli:durationItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_DerivativeCounterpartyWellsFargoMember" abstract="true" name="DerivativeCounterpartyWellsFargoMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_PacificUnitedStatesRegionMember" abstract="true" name="PacificUnitedStatesRegionMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_CashFlowModelingPeriod" abstract="false" name="CashFlowModelingPeriod" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="xbrli:durationItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_SecondPurchaseMember" abstract="true" name="SecondPurchaseMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_DebtServiceCoverageRatioGreaterThanOrEqualto1.5Member" abstract="true" name="DebtServiceCoverageRatioGreaterThanOrEqualto1.5Member" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_NAICClass1DesignationMember" abstract="true" name="NAICClass1DesignationMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:domainItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearTwoOriginatedFiscalYearBeforeCurrentFiscalYearAverageLoanToValuePercentage" abstract="false" name="FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearTwoOriginatedFiscalYearBeforeCurrentFiscalYearAverageLoanToValuePercentage" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="instant" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="dtr-types:percentItemType"/>
  <xs:element id="ael_ChangesInNetUnrealizedGainsLossesAdjustmentsForEffectOnOtherBalanceSheetAccounts" abstract="false" name="ChangesInNetUnrealizedGainsLossesAdjustmentsForEffectOnOtherBalanceSheetAccounts" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" xbrli:balance="credit" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" type="xbrli:monetaryItemType"/>
</xs:schema>
