Policyholder Liabilities (Significant Inputs and Assumptions) (Details) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefits	$ 2,598,320	$ 2,666,860
Ceded market risk benefits	$ 627,822	$ 659,217
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	0.0185
Minimum \| Risk-Free Interest Rate \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0331	0.0298
Minimum \| Nonperformance Risk \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0039	0.0053
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	0.4737
Maximum \| Option Budget \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0275	0.0275
Maximum \| Risk-Free Interest Rate \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0504	0.0476
Maximum \| Nonperformance Risk \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0259	0.0266
Maximum \| Mortality \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.4600	0.4600
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	0.0654	0.0655
Weighted Average \| Option Budget \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0230	0.0229
Weighted Average \| Risk-Free Interest Rate \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0365	0.0335
Weighted Average \| Nonperformance Risk \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0191	0.0198
Weighted Average \| Mortality \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0399	0.0397
Weighted Average \| Lapse \| Discounted cash flow
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market risk benefit, measurement input	0.0364	0.0370

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: