Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2022 USD ($)
Other Commitments [Line Items]
FHLB funding agreements outstanding	$ 200.0
Fixed maturity security investments pledged for FHLB	940.7
Limited Partnerships
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Unfunded commitments	1,200.0
Fixed Maturity Securities
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Unfunded commitments	$ 13.4

Amount of borrowings as of the balance sheet date from the Federal Home Loan Bank, which are primarily used to cover shortages in the required reserve balance and liquidity shortages.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479118&loc=d3e64650-112822

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of other commitment not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Excludes commitments explicitly modeled in the taxonomy, including but not limited to, long-term and short-term purchase commitments, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, supply commitments, registration payment arrangements, leases, debt, product warranties, guarantees, environmental remediation obligations, and pensions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherCommitment
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

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The carrying amount as of the date of the latest financial statement presented of securities which are owned but transferred to serve as collateral for FHLB debt obligations, and for which the transferee does not have the right by contract or custom to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109249958&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PledgedFinancialInstrumentsNotSeparatelyReportedSecuritiesForFederalHomeLoanBank
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis=ael_OtherCommitmentsLimitedPartnershipsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis=ael_OtherCommitmentsFixedMaturitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: