Notes and Loan Payable	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Notes and Loan Payable	Notes and Loan Payable On September 30, 2016, we entered into a credit agreement with six banks that provided for a $150 million unsecured revolving line of credit (the "Revolving Facility") that terminates on September 30, 2021 and a $100 million term loan (the "Term Loan") that terminates on September 30, 2019 and can be prepaid prior to maturity without penalty. We utilized the proceeds from the Term Loan to make a contribution to the capital and surplus of our subsidiary, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company ("American Equity Life"). Any proceeds from the Revolving Facility will be used to finance our general corporate purposes. Interest is paid quarterly on the Term Loan. The interest rate for all borrowings under the credit agreement is floating at a rate based on our election that will be equal to the alternate base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus the applicable margin or the adjusted LIBOR rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus the applicable margin. We also pay a commitment fee based on the available unused portion of the Revolving Facility. The applicable margin and commitment fee rate are based on our credit rating and can change throughout the period of the borrowings. Based upon our current credit rating, the applicable margin is 0.75% for alternate base rate borrowings and 1.75% for adjusted LIBOR rate borrowings, and the commitment fee is 0.275%. Under this agreement, we are required to maintain a minimum risk-based capital ratio at our subsidiary, American Equity Life, of 275%, a maximum ratio of adjusted debt to total adjusted capital of 0.35, and a minimum level of statutory surplus at American Equity Life equal to the sum of 1) 80% of statutory surplus at June 30, 2016, 2) 50% of the statutory net income for each fiscal quarter ending after June 30, 2016, and 3) 50% of all capital contributed to American Equity Life after June 30, 2016. The Revolving Facility contains an accordion feature that allows us, on up to three occasions and subject to credit availability, to increase the credit facility by an additional $50 million in the aggregate. We also have the ability to extend the maturity date of the Revolving Facility by an additional one year past the initial maturity date of September 30, 2021 with the consent of the extending banks. There are currently no guarantors of the Revolving Facility or the Term Loan, but certain of our subsidiaries must guarantee our obligations under the credit agreement if such subsidiaries guarantee other material amounts of our debt. No amounts were outstanding under the Revolving Facility at September 30, 2016. As of September 30, 2016, $445.0 million is unrestricted and could be distributed to shareholders and still be in compliance with all covenants under this credit agreement. The preceding replaced a $140 million unsecured revolving line of credit agreement with five banks dated November 22, 2013 that was scheduled to terminate on November 22, 2017. As part of our investment strategy, we enter into securities repurchase agreements (short-term collateralized borrowings). The maximum amount borrowed was $40.6 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2015. When we do borrow cash on these repurchase agreements, we pledge collateral in the form of debt securities with fair values approximately equal to the amount due and we use the cash to purchase debt securities ahead of the time we collect the cash from selling annuity policies to avoid a lag between the investment of funds and the obligation to credit interest to policyholders. We earn investment income on the securities purchased with these borrowings at a rate in excess of the cost of these borrowings. Such borrowings averaged $0.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. We had no borrowings under repurchase agreements during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and the three months ended September 30, 2015. The weighted average interest rate on amounts due under repurchase agreements was 0.39% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015.

Notes and Loan Payable

On September 30, 2016, we entered into a credit agreement with six banks that provided for a $150 million unsecured revolving line of credit (the "Revolving Facility") that terminates on September 30, 2021 and a $100 million term loan (the "Term Loan") that terminates on September 30, 2019 and can be prepaid prior to maturity without penalty. We utilized the proceeds from the Term Loan to make a contribution to the capital and surplus of our subsidiary, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company ("American Equity Life"). Any proceeds from the Revolving Facility will be used to finance our general corporate purposes. Interest is paid quarterly on the Term Loan. The interest rate for all borrowings under the credit agreement is floating at a rate based on our election that will be equal to the alternate base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus the applicable margin or the adjusted LIBOR rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus the applicable margin. We also pay a commitment fee based on the available unused portion of the Revolving Facility. The applicable margin and commitment fee rate are based on our credit rating and can change throughout the period of the borrowings. Based upon our current credit rating, the applicable margin is 0.75% for alternate base rate borrowings and 1.75% for adjusted LIBOR rate borrowings, and the commitment fee is 0.275%. Under this agreement, we are required to maintain a minimum risk-based capital ratio at our subsidiary, American Equity Life, of 275%, a maximum ratio of adjusted debt to total adjusted capital of 0.35, and a minimum level of statutory surplus at American Equity Life equal to the sum of 1) 80% of statutory surplus at June 30, 2016, 2) 50% of the statutory net income for each fiscal quarter ending after June 30, 2016, and 3) 50% of all capital contributed to American Equity Life after June 30, 2016. The Revolving Facility contains an accordion feature that allows us, on up to three occasions and subject to credit availability, to increase the credit facility by an additional $50 million in the aggregate. We also have the ability to extend the maturity date of the Revolving Facility by an additional one year past the initial maturity date of September 30, 2021 with the consent of the extending banks. There are currently no guarantors of the Revolving Facility or the Term Loan, but certain of our subsidiaries must guarantee our obligations under the credit agreement if such subsidiaries guarantee other material amounts of our debt. No amounts were outstanding under the Revolving Facility at September 30, 2016. As of September 30, 2016, $445.0 million is unrestricted and could be distributed to shareholders and still be in compliance with all covenants under this credit agreement.

The preceding replaced a $140 million unsecured revolving line of credit agreement with five banks dated November 22, 2013 that was scheduled to terminate on November 22, 2017.

As part of our investment strategy, we enter into securities repurchase agreements (short-term collateralized borrowings). The maximum amount borrowed was $40.6 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2015. When we do borrow cash on these repurchase agreements, we pledge collateral in the form of debt securities with fair values approximately equal to the amount due and we use the cash to purchase debt securities ahead of the time we collect the cash from selling annuity policies to avoid a lag between the investment of funds and the obligation to credit interest to policyholders. We earn investment income on the securities purchased with these borrowings at a rate in excess of the cost of these borrowings. Such borrowings averaged $0.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. We had no borrowings under repurchase agreements during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and the three months ended September 30, 2015. The weighted average interest rate on amounts due under repurchase agreements was 0.39% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015.