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Investments (Fixed Maturity Securities by Contractual Maturity) (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost Basis [Abstract]    
Available for sale, due in one year or less, amortized cost $ 65,783us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithinOneYearAmortizedCost  
Available for sale, due after one year through five years, amortized cost 1,483,940us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterOneThroughFiveYearsAmortizedCost  
Available for sale, due after five years through ten years, amortized cost 8,523,008us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterFiveThroughTenYearsAmortizedCost  
Available for sale, due after ten years through twenty years, amortized cost 7,251,089ael_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTenYearsThroughTwentyYearsAmortizedCostBasis  
Available for sale, due after twenty years, amortized cost 7,637,740ael_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTwentyYearsAmortizedCost  
Available for sale, securities with a single maturity date, amortized cost 24,961,560us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesSingleMaturityDateAmortizedCostBasis  
Available for sale, amortized cost 30,205,046us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis 26,527,730us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Available for sale, due in one year or less, fair value 67,404us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithinOneYearFairValue  
Available for sale, due after one year through five years, fair value 1,638,259us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterOneThroughFiveYearsFairValue  
Available for sale, due after five years through ten years, fair value 8,738,123us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterFiveThroughTenYearsFairValue  
Available for sale, due after ten years through twenty years, fair value 7,914,212ael_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTenYearsThroughTwentyYearsFairValue  
Available for sale, due after twenty years, fair value 8,581,756ael_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTwentyYearsFairValue  
Available for sale, securities with a single maturity date, fair value 26,939,754us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesSingleMaturityDate  
Available for sale, fair value 32,445,202us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities 26,610,447us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Net Carrying Amount [Abstract]    
Held for investment, due in one year or less, amortized cost 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithinOneYearNetCarryingAmount  
Held for investment, due after one year through five years, amortized cost 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterOneThroughFiveYearsNetCarryingAmount  
Held for investment, due after five years through ten years, amortized cost 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterFiveThroughTenYearsNetCarryingAmount  
Held for investment, due after ten years through twenty years, amortized cost 0ael_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTenYearsThroughTwentyYearsNetCarryingAmount  
Held for investment, due after twenty years, amortized cost 76,432ael_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTwentyYearsNetCarryingAmount  
Held for investment, securities with a single maturity date, amortized cost 76,432us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesSingleMaturityDateAmortizedCostBasis  
Held for investment, amortized cost 76,432us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecurities 76,255us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecurities
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Held for investment, due in one year or less, fair value 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithinOneYearFairValue  
Held for investment, due after one year through five years, fair value 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterOneThroughFiveYearsFairValue  
Held for investment, due after five years through ten years, fair value 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterFiveThroughTenYearsFairValue  
Held for investment, due after ten years through twenty years, fair value 0ael_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTenYearsThroughTwentyYearsFairValue  
Held for investment, due after twenty years, fair value 75,838ael_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesAfterTwentyYearsFairValue  
Held for investment, securities with a single maturity date, fair value 75,838us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesSingleMaturityDateFairValue  
Held for investment, fair value 75,838us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesFairValue 60,840us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesFairValue
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]    
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost Basis [Abstract]    
Available for sale, securities without a single maturity date, amortized cost 1,616,846us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Available for sale, securities without a single maturity date, fair value 1,751,345us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Net Carrying Amount [Abstract]    
Held for investment, securities without a single maturity date, amortized cost 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateNetCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Held for investment, securities without a single maturity date, fair value 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]    
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost Basis [Abstract]    
Available for sale, securities without a single maturity date, amortized cost 2,720,294us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Available for sale, securities without a single maturity date, fair value 2,807,620us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Net Carrying Amount [Abstract]    
Held for investment, securities without a single maturity date, amortized cost 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateNetCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Held for investment, securities without a single maturity date, fair value 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]    
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost Basis [Abstract]    
Available for sale, securities without a single maturity date, amortized cost 906,346us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateAmortizedCost
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Available for sale, securities without a single maturity date, fair value 946,483us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Net Carrying Amount [Abstract]    
Held for investment, securities without a single maturity date, amortized cost 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateNetCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Held-to-maturity Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]    
Held for investment, securities without a single maturity date, fair value $ 0us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesDebtMaturitiesWithoutSingleMaturityDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember