Policyholder Liabilities (Significant Inputs and Assumptions) (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefits	$ 2,206,392	$ 2,225,621
Ceded market risk benefits	$ 578,292	$ 604,615
Minimum \| Utilization \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0004	0.0004
Minimum \| Option Budget \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0185	0.0165
Minimum \| Risk-Free Interest Rate \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0363	0.0251
Minimum \| Nonperformance Risk \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0066	0.0006
Minimum \| Mortality \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0001	0.0001
Minimum \| Lapse \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0025	0.0025
Maximum \| Utilization \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.4737	0.7875
Maximum \| Option Budget \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0275	0.0250
Maximum \| Risk-Free Interest Rate \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0544	0.0490
Maximum \| Nonperformance Risk \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0300	0.0327
Maximum \| Mortality \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.4600	0.4400
Maximum \| Lapse \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.4000	0.4000
Weighted Average \| Utilization \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0562	0.0424
Weighted Average \| Option Budget \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0229	0.0231
Weighted Average \| Risk-Free Interest Rate \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0405	0.0331
Weighted Average \| Nonperformance Risk \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0221	0.0259
Weighted Average \| Mortality \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0373	0.0344
Weighted Average \| Lapse \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0369	0.0365

Market Risk Benefit, Reinsurance Recoverable, after Increase (Decrease) from Instrument-Specific Credit Risk

No definition available.

Name:	ael_MarketRiskBenefitReinsuranceRecoverableAfterIncreaseDecreaseFromInstrumentSpecificCreditRisk
Namespace Prefix:	ael_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before effect of reinsurance and after accumulated increase (decrease) in instrument-specific credit risk, of contract or contract feature in long-duration contract issued by insurance entity that both protects contract holder from other-than-nominal capital market risk and exposes insurance entity to other-than-nominal capital market risk.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 65
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480016/944-40-65-2

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 29G
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480046/944-40-55-29G

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7B
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480081/944-40-50-7B

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480112/944-40-45-3

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MarketRiskBenefitAfterIncreaseDecreaseFromInstrumentSpecificCreditRisk
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 29G
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480046/944-40-55-29G

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7B
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480081/944-40-50-7B

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MarketRiskBenefitLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Value of measurement input used to measure contract or contract feature in long-duration contract issued by insurance entity that both protects contract holder from other-than-nominal capital market risk and exposes insurance entity to other-than-nominal capital market risk.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-2

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MarketRiskBenefitMeasurementInput
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MeasurementInputTypeAxis=us-gaap_MeasurementInputUtilizationRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationTechniqueAxis=us-gaap_ValuationTechniqueDiscountedCashFlowMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MeasurementInputTypeAxis=ael_MeasurementInputOptionBudgetMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MeasurementInputTypeAxis=us-gaap_MeasurementInputRiskFreeInterestRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MeasurementInputTypeAxis=ael_MeasurementInputNonperformanceRiskMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MeasurementInputTypeAxis=us-gaap_MeasurementInputMortalityRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MeasurementInputTypeAxis=us-gaap_MeasurementInputLapseRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_WeightedAverageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: