Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies	Sep. 30, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies	Significant Accounting Policies Consolidation and Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company ("we", "us", "our" or the "Company") have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. The consolidated financial statements include variable interest entities (“VIE”) in which we are the primary beneficiary. All of the adjustments in the consolidated financial statements are normal recurring items which are necessary to present fairly our financial position and results of operations on a basis consistent with the prior audited consolidated financial statements. Operating results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other period, including for the year ended December 31, 2022. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The preparation of financial statements requires management estimates and assumptions using subjective and complex judgments that frequently require assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain. Our actual results could differ from these estimates. For further information related to a description of areas of judgment and estimates and other information necessary to understand our financial position and results of operations, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. Federal Home Loan Bank During the first quarter of 2022, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company (“American Equity Life”) became a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) which provides access to collateralized borrowings and other FHLB products. We may also issue funding agreements to the FHLB. Both the collateralized borrowings and funding agreements require us to pledge qualified assets as collateral. Obligations arising from funding agreements are used in investment spread activities and reported in Other policy funds and contract claims on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies for more information on the funding agreements issued. Entering into FHLB membership, borrowings and funding agreements requires the ownership of FHLB stock and the pledge of assets as collateral. See Note 2 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments and Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies for more information on the common stock purchased and assets pledged as collateral. Derivative Instruments During the second quarter of 2022, we entered into interest rate swaps which were designated as fair value hedges. A fair value hedge is a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of a recognized asset or liability, or of an unrecognized firm commitment, that are attributable to a particular risk. The accounting for a fair value hedge is determined at hedge inception. Hedge accounting can be applied if, at inception, and throughout the hedging period, the changes in the fair value of the derivative are highly effective at offsetting the changes in fair value of the hedged asset, liability or unrecognized firm commitment that are attributable to the risk being hedged. When hedge accounting is applied, the change in fair value of the hedged asset, liability or unrecognized firm commitment attributable to the hedged risk are reported in the same line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as the changes in fair value of the derivative instrument. For fair value hedges of fixed maturity securities, the change in fair value attributable to the risk being hedged is recognized in the Change in fair value of derivatives line item of the Consolidated Statements of Operations. For any change in fair value of our interest rate swaps that are excluded from hedge effectiveness, we have elected to recognize the change immediately in earnings rather than amortizing over the life of the hedge. At hedge inception, we formally document our risk management objective and strategy for entering into hedging relationships for any fair value hedge. We also quantitatively test for hedge effectiveness using statistical regression analysis on both a prospective and retrospective basis. The results of the testing determine whether we have a highly effective hedging relationship and can apply hedge accounting. Adopted Accounting Pronouncements There were no accounting pronouncements that were adopted during the current period. New Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the FASB issued an ASU that revises certain aspects of the measurement models and disclosure requirements for long duration insurance and investment contracts. The FASB’s objective in issuing this ASU is to improve, simplify, and enhance the accounting for long-duration contracts. The revisions include updating cash flow assumptions in the calculation of the liability for traditional life products, introducing the term ‘market risk benefit’ (“MRB”) and requiring all contract features meeting the definition of an MRB to be measured at fair value with the change in fair value recognized in net income excluding the change in fair value related to our own-credit risk which is recognized in AOCI and simplifying the method used to amortize deferred policy acquisition costs and deferred sales inducements to a constant level basis over the expected term of the related contracts rather than based on actual and estimated gross profits and enhancing disclosure requirements. While this ASU is effective for us January 1, 2023, the transition date (the remeasurement date) is January 1, 2021. We will adopt the guidance on a modified retrospective basis related to the future policy benefit and deferred acquisition costs. The guidance for market risk benefits will be applied retrospectively. While we continue to evaluate the impact of adopting this standard, we expect the adoption to have a material impact to our financial condition, results of operations, statements of cash flows, and disclosures. The estimated impact to stockholders' equity at January 1, 2021 is an increase between $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion, with most of this impact reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"). The impact to retained earnings is expected to be less than $100.0 million. The most significant drivers of the transition adjustment include changes related to MRBs including the impacts of our own-credit risk adjustment and removal of the deferred acquisition cost, deferred sales inducement, and policy benefit reserve balances recorded in AOCI related to changes in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on available for sale fixed maturity securities. We have created a governance framework and implementation plan for the adoption of this standard. We have designed and have started implementing internal controls related to the new processes created as part of implementing the updated standard. We will continue to refine the controls through the implementation date.