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Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Document And Entitiy Information [Abstract]
Document type	10-K
Document period end date	Dec. 31, 2016
Amendment flag	false
Entity registrant name	REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA INC
Entity central index key	0000898174
Entity current reporting status	Yes
Entity voluntary filers	No
Current fiscal year end date	--12-31
Entity filer category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity well known seasoned issuer	Yes
Common Shares Outstanding		64,334,902
Entity public float			$ 6.2
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fixed Maturity Securities [Abstract]
Available-for-sale at fair value (amortized cost of $30,211,787 and $28,322,977)	$ 32,093,625	$ 29,642,905
Mortgage loans on real estate (net of allowances of $7,685 and $6,813)	3,775,522	3,129,951
Policy loans	1,427,602	1,468,796
Funds withheld at interest	5,875,919	5,880,203
Short-term investments	76,710	558,284
Other invested assets	1,591,940	1,298,120
Total investments	44,841,318	41,978,259
Cash and cash equivalents	1,200,718	1,525,275
Accrued investment income	347,173	339,452
Premiums receivable and other reinsurance balances	1,930,755	1,797,504
Reinsurance ceded receivables	683,972	637,859
Deferred policy acquisition costs	3,338,605	3,392,437
Other assets	755,338	712,366
Total assets	53,097,879	50,383,152
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Future policy benefits	19,581,573	19,612,251
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities	14,029,354	13,663,873
Other policy claims and benefits	4,263,026	4,094,640
Other reinsurance balances	388,989	296,899
Deferred income taxes	2,770,640	2,218,328
Other liabilities	1,041,880	1,165,071
Long-term debt	3,088,635	2,297,548
Collateral finance and securitization notes	840,700	899,161
Total liabilities	46,004,797	44,247,771
Commitments and contingent liabilities (See Note 12)
Stockholders Equity:
Preferred stock (par value $.01 per share; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding)	0	0
Common stock (par value $.01 per share; 140,000,000 shares authorized; shares issued: 79,137,758 at December 31, 2016 and 2015)	791	791
Additional paid-in-capital	1,848,611	1,816,142
Retained earnings	5,199,130	4,620,303
Treasury stock, at cost - 14,835,256 and 13,933,232 shares	(1,094,779)	(1,010,139)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	1,139,329	708,284
Total stockholders’ equity	7,093,082	6,135,381
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 53,097,879	$ 50,383,152

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS PARENTHETICAL - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Available for Sale at Fair value - Amortized cost	$ 30,211,787	$ 28,322,977
Preferred stock par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock shares authorized	140,000,000	140,000,000
Common Stock, Shares, Issued	79,137,758	79,137,758
Common stock shares outstanding	64,302,502	65,204,526
Treasury Shares Held	14,835,256	13,933,232
Allowances for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate	$ 7,685	$ 6,813

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues
Net premiums	$ 9,248,871	$ 8,570,741	$ 8,669,854
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,911,886	1,734,495	1,713,691
Investment related gains (losses), net:
Other-than-temporary impairments on fixed maturity securities	(38,805)	(57,380)	(7,766)
Other-than-temporary impairments on fixed maturity securities transferred to other comprehensive income	74	0	0
Other investment related gains (losses), net	132,926	(107,370)	193,959
Total investment related gains (losses), net	94,195	(164,750)	186,193
Other revenues	266,559	277,692	334,456
Total revenues	11,521,511	10,418,178	10,904,194
Benefits and expenses
Claims and other policy benefits	7,993,375	7,489,382	7,406,641
Interest credited	364,691	336,964	451,031
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	1,310,540	1,127,486	1,391,433
Other operating expenses	645,509	554,044	538,415
Interest expense	137,623	142,863	96,700
Collateral finance and securitization expense	25,827	22,644	11,441
Total benefits and expenses	10,477,565	9,673,383	9,895,661
Income before income taxes	1,043,946	744,795	1,008,533
Provision for income taxes	342,503	242,629	324,486
Net income	$ 701,443	$ 502,166	$ 684,047
Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 10.91	$ 7.55	$ 9.88
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	10.79	7.46	9.78
Dividends declared per share	$ 1.56	$ 1.40	$ 1.26

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Comprehensive income
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	$ 701,443	$ 502,166	$ 684,047
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	8,610	(262,998)	(125,236)
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	419,336	(689,076)	804,528
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturity securities	(947)		(1,698)
Defined benefit pension and postretirement plan adjustments	3,099	3,229	(27,770)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	431,045	(948,845)	651,522
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$ 1,132,488	$ (446,679)	$ 1,335,569

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock Member	Additional Paid In Capital Member	Retained Earnings Member	Treasury Stock Member	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Member
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 5,935,527	$ 791	$ 1,777,906	$ 3,659,938	$ (508,715)	$ 1,005,607
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	684,047			684,047
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	651,522					651,522
Dividends to stockholders	(87,256)			(87,256)
Purchase of treasury stock	(201,525)				(201,525)
Reissuance of treasury stock	(41,137)		(20,373)	(17,082)	(37,846)
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2014	7,023,452	791	1,798,279	4,239,647	(672,394)	1,657,129
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	502,166			502,166
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	(948,845)					(948,845)
Dividends to stockholders	(93,381)			(93,381)
Purchase of treasury stock	(384,519)				(384,519)
Reissuance of treasury stock	(36,508)		(17,863)	(28,129)	(46,774)
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2015	6,135,381	791	1,816,142	4,620,303	(1,010,139)	708,284
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	701,443			701,443
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	431,045					431,045
Dividends to stockholders	(100,371)			(100,371)
Purchase of treasury stock	(122,916)				(122,916)
Reissuance of treasury stock	(48,500)		(32,469)	(22,245)	(38,276)
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 7,093,082	$ 791	$ 1,848,611	$ 5,199,130	$ (1,094,779)	$ 1,139,329

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Cash flows from operating activities
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	$ 701,443	$ 502,166	$ 684,047
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Accrued investment income	(18,761)	(48,458)	(855)
Premiums receivable and other reinsurance balances	(156,836)	(313,882)	(136,710)
Deferred policy acquisition costs	31,024	(66,633)	101,493
Reinsurance ceded receivable balances	(53,221)	(11,740)	39,345
Future policy benefits, other policy claims and benefits, and other reinsurance balances	810,474	1,867,488	1,625,561
Deferred income taxes	293,777	148,996	170,731
Other assets and other liabilities, net	(98,675)	(55,345)	(17,244)
Amortization of net investment premiums, discounts and other	(93,952)	(77,303)	(102,459)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	26,853	31,103	15,309
Investment related (gains) losses, net	(94,195)	164,750	(186,193)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement	(162)	(2,963)	3,011
Other, net	117,949	(49,564)	140,119
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,465,718	2,088,615	2,336,155
Cash flows from investing activities
Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	4,584,828	5,461,687	4,309,985
Principal payments on mortgage loans on real estate	472,435	439,640	539,789
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Equity	434,518	81,319	361,831
Proceeds from Sale and Collection of Mortgage Notes Receivable	442,755	383,828	479,908
Principal payments on policy loans	88,840	21,322	63,785
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities	(7,414,647)	(5,874,309)	(6,129,956)
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities, Equity	(584,532)	(95,834)	(72,593)
Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	(1,092,876)	(810,092)	(721,836)
Payments to Fund Policy Loans	(47,646)	(52,207)	(103,599)
Cash invested in funds withheld at interest	(32,597)	(339,062)	(86,588)
Purchase of businesses, net of cash acquired of $69,823	0	(145,235)	0
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment	(44,642)	(23,553)	(88,361)
Increase (Decrease) in Payables under Repurchase Agreements	0	(101,203)	101,203
Change in short-term investments	465,628	(470,002)	38,060
Change in other invested assets	(97,790)	91,960	(2,573)
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,825,726)	(1,431,741)	(1,310,945)
Cash flows from financing activities
Dividends to stockholders	(100,371)	(93,381)	(87,256)
Repayment of collateral finance and securitization notes	(64,571)	(19,732)	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Secured Debt	0	164,220	300,000
Proceeds from long-term debt issuance	799,984	0	100,000
Debt issuance costs	(8,766)	(4,748)	(4,260)
Principal payments of long-term debt	(2,479)	(2,380)	(772)
Purchases of treasury stock	(122,916)	(384,519)	(201,525)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement	162	2,963	(3,011)
Exercise of stock options, net	15,321	11,151	9,246
Change in cash collateral for derivative positions and other arrangements	26,413	52,381	162,435
Deposits on universal life and other investment type policies and contracts	1,041,623	277,280	150,922
Withdrawals on universal life and other investment type policies and contracts	(529,011)	(711,517)	(681,338)
Net cash used in financing activities	1,055,389	(708,282)	(255,559)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(19,938)	(68,986)	(47,629)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(324,557)	(120,394)	722,022
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	1,525,275	1,645,669	923,647
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	1,200,718	1,525,275	1,645,669
Supplementary information:
Interest paid	156,727	148,124	136,499
Income taxes paid, net of refunds	61,085	41,577	70,342
Transfer to Investments	120,500	2,092,558	2,001,439
Capital Expenditures Incurred but Not yet Paid	0	253	24,458
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities	0	3,894,940	0
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Assets	$ 0	$ 4,040,175	$ 0

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS PARENTHETICAL - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Cash Acquired from Acquisition	$ 0	$ 69,823	$ 0

Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Business and Basis of Presentation	Dec. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business and Basis of Presentation	BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Business Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (“RGA”) is an insurance holding company that was formed on December 31, 1992. The consolidated financial statements herein include the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of RGA and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned (collectively, the “Company”). The Company is engaged in providing traditional reinsurance, which includes individual and group life and health, disability, and critical illness reinsurance. The Company also provides financial solutions, which includes longevity reinsurance, asset-intensive products, primarily annuities, and financial reinsurance. Reinsurance is an arrangement under which an insurance company, the reinsurer, agrees to indemnify another insurance company, the ceding company, for all or a portion of the insurance risks underwritten by the ceding company. Reinsurance is designed to (i) reduce the net liability on individual risks, thereby enabling the ceding company to increase the volume of business it can underwrite, as well as increase the maximum risk it can underwrite on a single life or risk; (ii) stabilize operating results by leveling fluctuations in the ceding company’s loss experience; (iii) assist the ceding company to meet applicable regulatory requirements; and (iv) enhance the ceding company’s financial strength and surplus position. Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant estimates include those used in determining deferred policy acquisition costs, premiums receivable, future policy benefits, incurred but not reported claims, income taxes, valuation of investments and investment impairments, and valuation of embedded derivatives. Actual results could differ materially from the estimates and assumptions used by management. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of RGA and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned, and any variable interest entities where the Company is the primary beneficiary. Entities in which the Company has significant influence over the operating and financing decisions but are not required to be consolidated are reported under the equity method of accounting. The Company evaluates variable interest entities in accordance with the general accounting principles for Consolidation. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. There were no subsequent events, other than as disclosed in Note 20 - “Subsequent Events”, that would require disclosure or adjustments to the accompanying consolidated financial statements through the date the consolidated financial statements were issued.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Investments

Fixed Maturity Securities

Fixed maturity securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value and are so classified based upon the possibility that such securities could be sold prior to maturity if that action enables the Company to execute its investment philosophy and appropriately match investment results to operating and liquidity needs.

Unrealized gains and losses on fixed maturity securities classified as available-for-sale, less applicable deferred income taxes as well as related adjustments to deferred acquisition costs, if applicable, are reflected as a direct charge or credit to accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) in stockholders’ equity on the consolidated balance sheets.

Investment income is recognized as it accrues or is legally due. Realized gains and losses on sales of investments are included in investment related gains (losses), net, as are credit impairments that are other-than-temporary in nature. The cost of investments sold is primarily determined based upon the specific identification method.

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate

Mortgage loans on real estate are carried at unpaid principal balances, net of any unamortized premium or discount and valuation allowances. Interest income is accrued on the principal amount of the mortgage loan based on its contractual interest rate. Amortization of premiums and discounts is recorded using the effective yield method. The Company accrues interest on loans until it is probable the Company will not receive interest or the loan is 90 days past due. Interest income, amortization of premiums, accretion of discounts and prepayment fees are reported in investment income, net of related expenses in the consolidated statements of income.

A mortgage loan is considered to be impaired when, based on the current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the mortgage agreement. Although all available and applicable factors are considered in the Company’s analysis, loan-to-value and debt service coverage ratios are the most critical factors in determining impairment.

Valuation allowances on mortgage loans are established based upon inherent losses expected by management to be realized in connection with future dispositions or settlement of mortgage loans, including foreclosures. The Company establishes valuation allowances for estimated impairments on an individual loan basis as of the balance sheet date. Such valuation allowances are based on the excess carrying value of the loan over the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s original effective interest rate, the value of the loan’s collateral if the loan is in the process of foreclosure or is otherwise collateral-dependent, or the loan’s market value if the loan is being sold. Non-specific valuation allowances are established for mortgage loans based upon several loan factors, including the Company’s historical experience for loan losses, defaults and loss severity, loss expectations for loans with similar risk characteristics and industry statistics. These evaluations are revised as conditions change and new information becomes available. In addition to historical experience, management considers qualitative factors that include the impact of changing macro-economic conditions, which may not be currently reflected in the loan portfolio performance, and the quality of the loan portfolio.

Any interest accrued or received on the net carrying amount of the impaired loan will be included in investment income or applied to the principal of the loan, depending on the assessment of the collectability of the loan. Mortgage loans deemed to be uncollectible or that have been foreclosed are charged off against the valuation allowances and subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the valuation allowances. Changes in valuation allowances are reported in investment related gains (losses), net on the consolidated statements of income.

The Company evaluates whether a mortgage loan modification represents a troubled debt restructuring. In a troubled debt restructuring, the Company grants concessions related to the borrower’s financial difficulties. Generally, the types of concessions include: reduction of the contractual interest rate, extension of the maturity date at an interest rate lower than current market interest rates and/or a reduction of accrued interest. The Company considers the amount, timing and extent of the concession granted in determining any impairment or changes in the specific valuation allowance recorded in connection with the troubled debt restructuring. Through the continuous monitoring process, the Company may have recorded a specific valuation allowance prior to when the mortgage loan is modified in a troubled debt restructuring. Accordingly, the carrying value (after specific valuation allowance) before and after modification through a troubled debt restructuring may not change significantly, or may increase if the expected recovery is higher than the pre-modification recovery assessment.

Policy Loans

Policy loans are reported at the unpaid principal balance. Interest income on such loans is recorded as earned using the contractually agreed-upon interest rate. These policy loans present no credit risk because the amount of the loan cannot exceed the obligation due the ceding company upon the death of the insured or surrender of the underlying policy.

Funds Withheld at Interest

Funds withheld at interest represent amounts contractually withheld by ceding companies in accordance with reinsurance agreements. For agreements written on a modified coinsurance basis and agreements written on a coinsurance funds withheld basis, assets which support the net statutory reserves or as defined in the treaty, are withheld and legally owned by the ceding company. Interest, recorded in investment income, net of related expenses in the consolidated statements of income, accrues to these assets at calculated rates as defined by the treaty terms. Changes in the value of the equity options held within the funds withheld portfolio associated with equity-indexed annuity treaties are reflected in investment income.

Short-term Investments

Short-term investments represent investments with remaining maturities greater than three months but less than twelve months, at the date of purchase, and are stated at estimated fair value or amortized cost, which approximates estimated fair value. Interest on short-term investments is recorded in investment income, net of related expenses in the consolidated statements of income.

Other Invested Assets

In addition to derivative contracts discussed below, other invested assets include equity securities, contractholder-directed investments, limited partnership interests, investments in joint ventures (other than operating joint ventures), real estate-held-for-investment, equity release mortgages and structured loans. Equity securities are carried at fair value with the exception of the Company’s investment in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (“FHLB”) common stock, which is carried at cost. The fair value option (“FVO”) was elected for contractholder-directed investments supporting unit-linked variable annuity type liabilities which do not qualify for presentation and reporting as separate accounts. Effective January 1, 2016, changes in estimated fair value of these securities are included in investment income, net of related expenses. Through December 31, 2015, substantially all of the changes in estimated fair value of these securities are included in investment related gains (losses), net. Limited partnership interests and structured loans are primarily carried at cost. Based on the nature and structure of these investments, they do not meet the characteristics of an equity security in accordance with applicable accounting standards. Joint ventures and certain limited partnerships are reported using the equity method of accounting.

Real estate held-for-investment, including related improvements, is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the property. The Company’s real estate held-for-investment is primarily acquired upon foreclosure of mortgage loans, where the Company’s cost basis is considered to be the estimated fair value of the property, less the estimated cost to sell, at the date of foreclosure. Equity release mortgages are carried at unpaid principal balances, net of any unamortized premium or discount and valuation allowance. Interest income is accrued on the principal amount of the equity release mortgage based on its contractual interest rate.

Other-than-Temporary Impairment

The Company identifies fixed maturity and equity securities that could potentially have credit impairments that are other-than-temporary by monitoring market events that could impact issuers’ credit ratings, business climates, management changes, litigation, government actions and other similar factors. The Company also monitors late payments, pricing levels, rating agency actions, key financial ratios, financial statements, revenue forecasts and cash flow projections as indicators of credit issues.

The Company reviews all securities on a case-by-case basis to determine whether an other-than-temporary decline in value exists and whether losses should be recognized. The Company considers relevant facts and circumstances in evaluating whether a credit or interest rate-related impairment of a security is other-than-temporary. Relevant facts and circumstances considered include: (1)the extent and length of time the fair value has been below cost; (2) the reasons for the decline in fair value; (3) the issuers financial position and access to capital; and (4) for fixed maturity securities, the Company’s intent to sell a security or whether it is more likely than not it will be required to sell the security before the recovery of its amortized cost which, in some cases, may extend to maturity and for equity securities, the Company’s ability and intent to hold the security for a period of time that allows for the recovery in value. To the extent the Company determines that a security is deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired, an impairment loss is recognized.

Impairment losses on equity securities are reported in investment related gains (losses), net on the consolidated statements of income. Impairment losses on fixed maturity securities recognized in the financial statements are dependent on the facts and circumstances related to the specific security. If the Company intends to sell a security or it is more likely than not that it would be required to sell a security before the recovery of its amortized cost, less any recorded credit loss, it recognizes an other-than-temporary impairment in investment related gains (losses), net on the consolidated statements of income for the difference between amortized cost and fair value. If neither of these two conditions exists then the recognition of the other-than-temporary impairment is bifurcated and the Company recognizes the credit loss portion in investment related gains (losses), net and the non-credit loss portion in AOCI.

The Company estimates the amount of the credit loss component of a fixed maturity security impairment as the difference between amortized cost and the present value of the expected cash flows of the security. The present value is determined using the best estimate cash flows discounted at the effective interest rate implicit to the security at the date of purchase or the current yield to accrete an asset-backed or floating rate security. The techniques and assumptions for establishing the best estimate cash flows vary depending on the type of security. The asset-backed securities’ cash flow estimates are based on security-specific facts and circumstances that may include collateral characteristics, expectations of delinquency and default rates, loss severity and prepayment speeds and structural support, including subordination and guarantees. The corporate fixed maturity security cash flow estimates are derived from scenario-based outcomes of expected corporate restructurings or the disposition of assets using security specific facts and circumstances including timing, security interests and loss severity.

In periods after an other-than-temporary impairment loss is recognized on a fixed maturity security, the Company will report the impaired security as if it had been purchased on the date it was impaired and will continue to estimate the present value of the estimated cash flows of the security. Accordingly, the discount (or reduced premium) based on the new cost basis is accreted into net investment income over the remaining term of the fixed maturity security in a prospective manner based on the amount and timing of estimated future cash flows.

The Company considers its cost method investments for other-than-temporary impairment when the carrying value of these investments exceeds the net asset value. The Company takes into consideration the severity and duration of this excess when deciding if the cost method investment is other-than-temporarily impaired. For equity method investments (including real estate ventures), the Company considers financial and other information provided by the investee, other known information and inherent risks in the underlying investments, as well as future capital commitments, in determining whether an impairment has occurred.

The Company periodically reviews its real estate held-for-investment for impairment and tests these investments for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the property may not be recoverable and the carrying value of the property exceeds its estimated fair value. Properties for which carrying values are greater than their undiscounted cash flows are written down to the estimated fair value.

Derivative Instruments

Overview

The Company utilizes a variety of derivative instruments including swaps, options, forwards and futures, primarily to manage or hedge interest rate risk, credit risk, inflation risk, foreign currency risk, market volatility and various other market risks associated with its business. The Company does not invest in derivatives for speculative purposes. It is the Company’s policy to enter into derivative contracts primarily with highly rated parties. See Note 5 – “Derivative Instruments” for additional detail on the Company’s derivative positions.

Accounting and Financial Statement Presentation of Derivatives

Derivatives are carried on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets primarily in other invested assets or other liabilities, at fair value. Certain derivatives are subject to master netting provisions and reported as a net asset or liability. On the date a derivative contract is executed, the Company designates the derivative as (1) a fair value hedge, (2) a cash flow hedge, (3) a net investment hedge in a foreign operation or (4) free-standing derivatives held for other risk management purposes, which primarily involve managing asset or liability risks associated with the Company’s reinsurance treaties which do not qualify for hedge accounting.

Changes in the fair value of free-standing derivative instruments, which do not receive accounting hedge treatment, are primarily reflected in investment related gains (losses), net.

Changes in the fair value of non-investment free-standing derivative instruments (e.g. mortality and longevity swaps), which do not receive accounting hedge treatment, are reflected in other revenues.

Hedge Documentation and Hedge Effectiveness

To qualify for hedge accounting, at the inception of the hedging relationship, the Company formally documents its risk management objective and strategy for undertaking the hedging transaction, as well as its designation of the hedge as either (i) a fair value hedge; (ii) a cash flow hedge; or (iii) a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. In this documentation, the Company sets forth how the hedging instrument is expected to hedge the designated risks related to the hedged item and sets forth the method that will be used to retrospectively and prospectively assess the hedging instrument’s effectiveness and the method which will be used to measure ineffectiveness. A derivative designated as a hedging instrument must be assessed as being highly effective in offsetting the designated risk of the hedged item. Hedge effectiveness is formally assessed at inception and periodically throughout the life of the designated hedging relationship.

Under a fair value hedge, changes in the fair value of the hedging derivative, including amounts measured as ineffective, and changes in the fair value of the hedged item related to the designated risk being hedged, are reported within investment related gains (losses), net. The fair values of the hedging derivatives are exclusive of any accruals that are separately reported in the consolidated statement of income within interest income or interest expense to match the location of the hedged item.

Under a cash flow hedge, changes in the fair value of the hedging derivative measured as effective are reported within AOCI and the deferred gains or losses on the derivative are reclassified into the consolidated statement of income when the Company’s earnings are affected by the variability in cash flows of the hedged item. Changes in the fair value of the hedging instrument measured as ineffective are reported within investment related gains (losses), net. The fair values of the hedging derivatives are exclusive of any accruals that are separately reported in the consolidated statement of income within interest income or interest expense to match the location of the hedged item.

In a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation, changes in the fair value of the hedging derivative that are measured as effective are reported within AOCI consistent with the translation adjustment for the hedged net investment in the foreign operation. Changes in the fair value of the hedging instrument measured as ineffective are reported within investment related gains (losses), net.

The Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively when: (i) it is determined that the derivative is no longer highly effective in offsetting changes in the estimated fair value or cash flows of a hedged item; (ii) the derivative expires, is sold, terminated, or exercised; (iii) it is no longer probable that the hedged forecasted transaction will occur; or (iv) the derivative is de-designated as a hedging instrument.

When hedge accounting is discontinued because it is determined that the derivative is not highly effective, the derivative continues to be carried in the consolidated balance sheets at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in investment related gains (losses), net. The carrying value of the hedged asset or liability under a fair value hedge is no longer adjusted for changes in its estimated fair value due to the hedged risk, and the cumulative adjustment to its carrying value is amortized into income over the remaining life of the hedged item. Provided the hedged forecasted transaction occurrence is still probable, the changes in estimated fair value of derivatives recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) related to discontinued cash flow hedges are released into the consolidated statement of income when the Company’s earnings are affected by the variability in cash flows of the hedged item.

When hedge accounting is discontinued because it is no longer probable that the forecasted transactions will occur on the anticipated date or within two months of that date, the derivative continues to be carried in the consolidated balance sheets at its estimated fair value, with changes in estimated fair value recognized currently in investment related gains (losses), net. Deferred gains and losses of a derivative recorded in OCI pursuant to the discontinued cash flow hedge of a forecasted transaction that is no longer probable are recognized immediately in investment related gains (losses), net.

In all other situations in which hedge accounting is discontinued, the derivative is carried at its estimated fair value in the consolidated balance sheets, with changes in its estimated fair value recognized in the current period as investment related gains (losses), net.

Embedded Derivatives

The Company reinsures certain annuity products that contain terms that are deemed to be embedded derivatives, primarily equity-indexed annuities and variable annuities with guaranteed minimum benefits. The Company assesses reinsurance contract terms to identify embedded derivatives which are required to be bifurcated under the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging. If the contract is not reported for in its entirety at fair value and it is determined that the terms of the embedded derivative are not clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics of the host contract, and that a separate instrument with the same terms would qualify as a derivative instrument, the embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host contract and accounted for separately.

Such embedded derivatives are carried on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value in the same line item as the host contract. Changes in the fair value of embedded derivatives associated with equity-indexed annuities are reflected in interest credited on the consolidated statements of income and changes in the fair value of embedded derivatives associated with variable annuity guaranteed minimum benefits are reflected in investment related gains (losses), net on the consolidated statements of income. See “Interest-Sensitive Contract Liabilities” below for additional information on embedded derivatives related to equity-indexed and variable annuities. The Company has implemented an economic hedging strategy to mitigate the volatility associated with its reinsurance of variable annuity guaranteed minimum benefits. The hedging strategy is designed such that changes in the fair value of the hedge contracts, primarily futures, swap contracts and options, move in the opposite direction of changes in the fair value of the embedded derivatives. While the Company actively manages its hedging program, the hedges that are in place may not be totally effective in offsetting the embedded derivative changes due to the many variables that must be managed and the Company may see a corresponding increase or decrease in the net liability. The Company has elected not to assess this hedging strategy for hedge accounting treatment.

Additionally, reinsurance treaties written on a modified coinsurance or funds withheld basis are subject to the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging related to embedded derivatives. The Company’s funds withheld at interest balances are primarily associated with its reinsurance treaties structured on a modified coinsurance or funds withheld basis, the majority of which were subject to the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging related to embedded derivatives. Management believes the embedded derivative feature in each of these reinsurance treaties is similar to a total return swap on the assets held by the ceding companies. The valuation of embedded derivatives is sensitive to the investment credit spread environment. Changes in investment credit spreads are also affected by the application of a credit valuation adjustment (“CVA”). The fair value calculation of an embedded derivative in an asset position utilizes a CVA based on the ceding company’s credit risk. Conversely, the fair value calculation of an embedded derivative in a liability position utilizes a CVA based on the Company’s credit risk. Generally, an increase in investment credit spreads, ignoring changes in the CVA, will have a negative impact on the fair value of the embedded derivative (decrease in income). The fair value of the embedded derivatives is included in the funds withheld at interest line item on the consolidated balance sheets. The change in the fair value of the embedded derivatives is recorded in investment related gains (losses), net on the consolidated statements of income.

The Company has entered into various financial reinsurance treaties on a funds withheld and modified coinsurance basis. These treaties do not transfer significant insurance risk and are recorded on a deposit method of accounting with the Company earning a net fee. As a result of the experience refund provisions contained in these treaties, the value of the embedded derivatives in these contracts is currently considered immaterial. The Company monitors the performance of these treaties on a quarterly basis. Significant adverse performance or losses on these treaties may result in a loss associated with the embedded derivative.

Fair Value Measurements

General accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures define fair value, establish a framework for measuring fair value, establish a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value and enhance disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. In compliance with these principles, the Company has categorized its assets and liabilities, based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique, into a three level hierarchy or separately for assets measured using the net asset value (“NAV”). The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1), the second highest priority to quoted prices in markets that are not active or inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).

If the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the category level is based on the lowest priority level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the asset or liability.

See Note 6 - “Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities” for further details on the Company’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on deposit and highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less.

Premiums Receivable

Premiums are accrued when due and in accordance with information received from the ceding company. When the Company enters into a new reinsurance agreement, it records accruals based on the terms of the reinsurance treaty. Similarly, when a ceding company fails to report information on a timely basis, the Company records accruals based on the terms of the reinsurance treaty as well as historical experience. Other management estimates include adjustments for increased in force on existing treaties, lapsed premiums given historical experience, the financial health of specific ceding companies, collateral value and the legal right of offset on related amounts (i.e. allowances and claims) owed to the ceding company. Under the legal right of offset provisions in its reinsurance treaties, the Company can withhold payments for allowances and claims from unpaid premiums. Based on its review of these factors and historical experience, the Company did not believe a provision for doubtful accounts was necessary as of December 31, 2016 or 2015.

Reinsurance Ceded Receivables

The Company generally reports retrocession activity on a gross basis. Amounts paid or deemed to have been paid for reinsurance are reflected in reinsurance ceded receivables. The cost of reinsurance related to long-duration contracts is recognized over the terms of the reinsured policies on a basis consistent with the reporting of those policies.

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

Costs of acquiring new business, which vary with and are directly related to the production of new business, have been deferred to the extent that such costs are deemed recoverable from future premiums or gross profits. Such costs include commissions and allowances as well as certain costs of policy issuance and underwriting. Non-commission costs related to the acquisition of new and renewal insurance contracts may be deferred only if they meet the following criteria:


•	Incremental direct costs of a successful contract acquisition


•	Portions of employees’ salaries and benefits directly related to time spent performing specified acquisition activities for a contract that has been acquired or renewed


•	Other costs directly related to the specified acquisition or renewal activities that would not have been incurred had that acquisition contract transaction not occurred

The Company tests the recoverability for each year of business at issue before establishing additional deferred acquisition costs (“DAC”). The Company also performs annual tests to establish that DAC are expected to remain recoverable, and if financial performance significantly deteriorates to the point where a deficiency exists, a cumulative charge to current operations will be recorded. No such adjustments related to DAC recoverability were made in 2016, 2015 and 2014.

DAC related to traditional life insurance contracts are amortized with interest over the premium-paying period of the related policies in proportion to the ratio of individual period premium revenues to total anticipated premium revenues over the life of the policy. Such anticipated premium revenues are estimated using the same assumptions used for computing liabilities for future policy benefits.

DAC related to interest-sensitive life and investment-type policies are amortized over the lives of the policies, in proportion to the gross profits realized from mortality, investment income less interest credited, and expense margins.

Other Reinsurance Balances

The Company assumes and retrocedes financial reinsurance contracts that do not expose it to a reasonable possibility of loss from insurance risk. These contracts are reported as deposits and are included in other reinsurance assets/liabilities. The amount of revenue reported in other revenues on these contracts represents fees and the cost of insurance under the terms of the reinsurance agreement. Assets and liabilities are reported on a net or gross basis, depending on the specific details within each treaty. Reinsurance agreements reported on a net basis, where a legal right of offset exists, are generally included in other reinsurance balances on the consolidated balance sheets. Balances resulting from the assumption and/or subsequent transfer of benefits and obligations resulting from cash flows related to variable annuities have also been classified as other reinsurance balance assets and/or liabilities. Other reinsurance assets are included in premiums receivable and other reinsurance balances while other reinsurance liabilities are included in other reinsurance balances on the consolidated balance sheets.

Goodwill and Value of Business Acquired

Goodwill, reported in other assets, is not amortized into results of operations, but instead is reviewed at least annually for impairment and written down only in the periods in which the recorded value of goodwill exceeds its fair value. Goodwill as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 totaled $7.0 million. The value of business acquired (“VOBA”) is amortized in proportion to the ratio of annual premium revenues to total anticipated premium revenues or in relation to the present value of estimated profits. Anticipated premium revenues have been estimated using assumptions consistent with those used in estimating reserves for future policy benefits. The carrying value is reviewed at least annually for indicators of impairment in value. The VOBA was approximately $3.1 million and $3.7 million, including accumulated amortization of $14.3 million and $13.8 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The VOBA amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $0.5 million, $0.4 million, and $0.4 million, respectively. These amortized balances are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Future amortization of the VOBA is not material.

Value of Distribution Agreements and Customer Relationships Acquired

Value of distribution agreements (“VODA”) is reported in other assets and represents the present value of future profits associated with the expected future business derived from the distribution agreements. Value of customer relationships acquired (“VOCRA”) is also reported in other assets and represents the present value of the expected future profits associated with the expected future business acquired through existing customers of the acquired company or business. The VODA is amortized over a useful life of 15 years and the VOCRA is also amortized over a 15 year period in proportion to expected revenues generated. Such amortization is included in policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses for reinsurance-related acquisitions or other operating expenses for other acquisitions. Each year the Company reviews VODA and VOCRA to determine the recoverability of these balances. VODA and VOCRA totaled approximately $61.2 million and $70.5 million, including accumulated amortization of $63.2 million and $53.9 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The VODA and VOCRA amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $9.3 million, $9.5 million and $9.5 million, respectively. Amortization of the VODA and VOCRA is estimated to be $8.9 million, $8.6 million, $8.3 million, $7.8 million and $6.9 million during 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Property, Equipment, Leasehold Improvements and Computer Software

Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, which are included in other assets, are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is determined using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, as appropriate. The estimated life is generally 40 years for company occupied real estate property, from one to seven years for leasehold improvements, and from three to seven years for all other property and equipment. The cost basis of the property, equipment and leasehold improvements was $221.7 million and $219.6 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Accumulated depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements was $60.8 million and $49.0 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Related depreciation and amortization expense was $16.6 million, $17.1 million and $9.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The Company had assets acquired under capital leases, included in the total above, of $145.7 million and $156.1 million, net of accumulated amortization of $21.0 million and $11.4 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Amortization on assets under capital leases charged to expense is included in other operating expenses. Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $9.6 million and $10.0 million, respectively.

Computer software, which is included in other assets, is stated at cost, less accumulated amortization. Purchased software costs, as well as certain internal and external costs incurred to develop internal-use computer software during the application development stage, are capitalized. Amortization of software costs is recorded on a straight-line basis over periods ranging from three to ten years. Carrying values are reviewed periodically for indicators of impairment in value. Unamortized computer software costs were $139.8 million and $100.8 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase in unamortized software costs in 2016 was primarily related to the development or acquisition of software for internal use in connection with the Company’s information technology and infrastructure initiatives. Amortization expense was $10.3 million, $14.0 million, and $5.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The amortization in 2016 and 2015 includes asset impairment charges of $0.6 million and $6.0 million, respectively.

Operating Joint Ventures

The Company has made investments in certain joint ventures that are strategic in nature and made other than for the sole purpose of generating investment income. These investments are reported under the equity method of accounting and are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s share of earnings from these joint ventures is reported in other revenues on the consolidated statements of income. The Company’s investments in operating joint ventures do not have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition, and as a result no additional disclosures have been presented.

Future Policy Benefits

Liabilities for future benefits on life policies are established in an amount adequate to meet the estimated future obligations on policies in force. Liabilities for future policy benefits under long-term life insurance policies have been computed based upon expected investment yields, mortality and withdrawal (lapse) rates, and other assumptions. These assumptions include a margin for adverse deviation and vary with the characteristics of the plan of insurance, year of issue, age of insured, and other appropriate factors. Interest rates range from 3.0% to 6.0%. The mortality and withdrawal assumptions are based on the Company’s experience as well as industry experience and standards. In establishing reserves for future policy benefits, the Company assigns policy liability assumptions to particular timeframes (eras) in such a manner as to be consistent with the underlying assumptions and economic conditions at the time the risks are assumed. The Company maintains a consistent approach to setting the provision for adverse deviation between eras.

Liabilities for future benefits on longevity business, including annuities in the payout phase, are established in an amount adequate to meet the estimated future obligations on policies in force. Liabilities for future benefits related to the longevity business, including annuities in the payout phase have been calculated using expected mortality, investment yields, and other assumptions. These assumptions include a margin for adverse deviation and vary with the characteristics of the plan of insurance, year of issue, age of insured, and other appropriate factors. The mortality assumptions are based on the Company’s experience as well as industry experience and standards. A deferred profit liability is established when the gross premium exceeds the net premium.

The Company periodically reviews actual and anticipated experience compared to the assumptions used to establish policy benefits. The Company establishes premium deficiency reserves if actual and anticipated experience indicates that existing policy liabilities together with the present value of future gross premiums will not be sufficient to cover the present value of future benefits, settlement and maintenance costs and to recover unamortized acquisition costs. Anticipated investment income is considered in the calculation of premium deficiency losses for short duration contracts. The premium deficiency reserve is established by a charge to income, as well as a reduction in unamortized acquisition costs and, to the extent there are no unamortized acquisition costs, an increase in future policy benefits.

The reserving process includes normal periodic reviews of assumptions used and adjustments of reserves to incorporate the refinement of the assumptions. Any such adjustments relate only to policies assumed in recent periods and the adjustments are reflected by a cumulative charge or credit to current operations.

The Company reinsures disability products in various markets. Liabilities for future benefits on disability policies’ active lives are established in an amount adequate to meet the estimated future obligations on policies in force. These reserves are the amounts which, with the additional premiums to be received and interest thereon compounded annually at certain assumed rates, are calculated to be sufficient to meet the various policy and contract obligations as they mature.

The Company establishes future policy benefits for guaranteed minimum death benefits (“GMDB”) relating to the reinsurance of certain variable annuity contracts by estimating the expected value of death benefits in excess of the projected account balance and recognizing the excess proportionally over the accumulation period based on total expected assessments. The Company regularly evaluates estimates used and adjusts the additional liability balance, with a related charge or credit to claims and other policy benefits, if actual experience or other evidence suggests that earlier assumptions should be revised. The assumptions used in estimating the GMDB liabilities are consistent with those used for amortizing DAC, and are thus subject to the same variability and risk. The Company’s GMDB liabilities at December 31, 2016 and 2015 were not material.

Interest-Sensitive Contract Liabilities

Liabilities for future benefits on interest-sensitive life and investment-type contract liabilities are carried at the accumulated contract holder values without reduction for potential surrender or withdrawal charges. The Company reinsures asset-intensive products, including annuities and corporate-owned life insurance. The investment portfolios for these products are segregated for management purposes within the general account of RGA Reinsurance Company (“RGA Reinsurance”). The liabilities under asset-intensive insurance contracts or reinsurance contracts reinsured on a coinsurance basis are included in interest-sensitive contract liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Asset-intensive contracts principally include individual fixed annuities in the accumulation phase, single premium immediate annuities, equity-indexed annuities, individual variable annuities, corporate-owned life and interest-sensitive whole life insurance contracts. Interest-sensitive contract liabilities are equal to (i) policy account values, which consist of an accumulation of gross premium payments; (ii) credited interest less expenses, mortality charges, and withdrawals; and (iii) fair value adjustments relating to business combinations. Liabilities for immediate annuities are calculated as the present value of the expected cash flows, with the locked-in discount rate determined such that there is no gain or loss at inception. Additionally, certain annuity contracts the Company reinsures contain terms, such as guaranteed minimum benefits and equity participation options, which are deemed to be embedded derivatives and are accounted for based on the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging.

The Company establishes liabilities for guaranteed minimum living benefits relating to certain variable annuity products as follows:

Guaranteed minimum income benefits (“GMIB”) provide the contract holder, after a specified period of time determined at the time of issuance of the variable annuity contract, with a minimum level of income (annuity) payments. Under the reinsurance treaty, the Company makes a payment to the ceding company equal to the GMIB net amount-at-risk at the time of annuitization and thus these contracts meet the net settlement criteria of the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging and the Company assumes no mortality risk. Accordingly, the GMIB is considered an embedded derivative, which is measured at fair value separately from the host variable annuity product.

Guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefits (“GMWB”) guarantee the contract holder a return of their purchase payment via partial withdrawals, even if the account value is reduced to zero, provided that the contract holder’s cumulative withdrawals in a contract year do not exceed a certain limit. The initial guaranteed withdrawal amount is equal to the initial benefit base as defined in the contract (typically, the initial purchase payments plus applicable bonus amounts). The GMWB is also an embedded derivative, which is measured at fair value separately from the host variable annuity product.

Guaranteed minimum accumulation benefits (“GMAB”) provide the contract holder, after a specified period of time determined at the time of issuance of the variable annuity contract, with a minimum accumulation of their purchase payments even if the account value is reduced to zero. The initial guaranteed accumulation amount is equal to the initial benefit base as defined in the contract (typically, the initial purchase payments plus applicable bonus amounts). The GMAB is also an embedded derivative, which is measured at fair value separately from the host variable annuity product.

For GMIB, GMWB and GMAB, the initial benefit base is increased by additional purchase payments made within a certain time period and decreased by benefits paid and/or withdrawal amounts. After a specified period of time, the benefit base may also increase as a result of an optional reset as defined in the contract.

The fair values of the GMIB, GMWB and GMAB embedded derivative liabilities are reflected in interest-sensitive contract liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets and are calculated based on actuarial and capital market assumptions related to the projected cash flows, including benefits and related contract charges over the lives of the contracts. These projected cash flows incorporate expectations concerning policyholder behavior, such as lapses, withdrawals and benefit selections, and capital market assumptions such as interest rates and equity market volatilities. In measuring the fair value of GMIBs, GMWBs and GMABs, the Company attributes a portion of the fees collected from the policyholder equal to the present value of expected future guaranteed minimum income, withdrawal and accumulation benefits (at inception). The changes in fair value are reported in investment related gains (losses), net. Any additional fees represent “excess” fees and are reported in other revenues on the consolidated statements of income. These variable annuity guaranteed living benefits may be more costly than expected in volatile or declining equity markets or falling interest rate markets, causing an increase in interest-sensitive contract liabilities, negatively affecting net income.

The Company reinsures equity-indexed annuity contracts. These contracts allow the contract holder to elect an interest rate return or an equity market component where interest credited is based on the performance of common stock market indices, such as the S&P 500 Index^®, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or the NASDAQ. The equity market option is considered an embedded derivative, similar to a call option, which is reflected at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets in interest-sensitive contract liabilities. The fair value of embedded derivatives is computed based on a projection of future equity option costs using a budget methodology, discounted back to the balance sheet date using current market indicators of volatility and interest rates. Changes in the fair value of the embedded derivatives are included as a component of interest credited on the consolidated statements of income.

The Company reviews its estimates of actuarial liabilities for interest-sensitive contract liabilities and compares them with its actual experience. Differences between actual experience and the assumptions used in pricing these guarantees and benefits and in the establishment of the related liabilities result in variances in profit and could result in losses. The effects of changes in such estimated liabilities are included in the results of operations in the period in which the changes occur.

Other Policy Claims and Benefits

Claims payable for incurred but not reported losses are determined using case-basis estimates and lag studies of past experience. The time lag from the date of the claim or death to when the ceding company reports the claim to the Company can vary significantly by ceding company, business segment and product type, but generally averages around 3.4 months. Incurred but not reported claims are estimates on an undiscounted basis, using actuarial estimates of historical claims expense, adjusted for current trends and conditions. These estimates are continually reviewed and the ultimate liability may vary significantly from the amount recognized, which are reflected in claims and other policy benefits in the consolidated statements of income in the period in which they are determined.

Other Liabilities

Other liabilities primarily include investments in transit, separate accounts, employee benefits, cash collateral received on derivative positions and current federal income taxes payable.

Income Taxes

The U.S. consolidated tax return includes the operations of RGA and all eligible subsidiaries. Aurora National Life Assurance Company’s (“Aurora National”) files a separate U.S. income tax return as it is ineligible for inclusion in the consolidated federal tax return until 2021. The Company’s foreign subsidiaries are taxed under applicable local statutes.

The Company provides for federal, state and foreign income taxes currently payable, as well as those deferred due to temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are recognized in net income or in certain cases in OCI. The Company’s accounting for income taxes represents management’s best estimate of various events and transactions considering the laws enacted as of the reporting date.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities resulting from temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities are measured at the balance sheet date using enacted tax rates in the relevant jurisdictions expected to apply to taxable income in the years the temporary differences are expected to reverse.

The realization of deferred tax assets depends upon the existence of sufficient taxable income within the carryback or carryforward periods under the tax law in the applicable tax jurisdiction. The Company has deferred tax assets related to net operating and capital losses. The Company has projected its ability to utilize its U.S. and foreign net operating losses and has determined that all of the U.S. losses are expected to be utilized prior to their expiration and established a valuation allowance on the portion of the foreign deferred tax assets the Company believes more likely than not that deferred income tax assets will not be realized.

The Company will establish a valuation allowance if management determines, based on available information, that it is more likely than not that deferred income tax assets will not be realized. Significant judgment is required in determining whether valuation allowances should be established as well as the amount of such allowances. When making such a determination, consideration is given to, among other things, the following:


(i)	future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards;


(ii)	future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences;


(iii)	taxable income in prior carryback years; and


(iv)	tax planning strategies.

Any such changes could significantly affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements in the year these changes occur. The Company reports its total liability for uncertain tax positions considering the recognition and measurement thresholds established in general accounting principles for income taxes. The tax effects of a position are recognized in the consolidated statement of income only if it is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the appropriate taxing authority. Unrecognized tax benefits due to tax uncertainties that do not meet the more likely than not criteria are included within other liabilities and are charged to earnings in the period that such determination is made. The Company classifies interest related to tax uncertainties as interest expense whereas penalties related to tax uncertainties are classified as a component of income tax.

Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes

Collateral finance and securitization notes represent private placement asset-backed structured financing transactions. Collateral finance notes are issued on specified insurance policies reinsured by the Company’s regulated subsidiaries. Transaction costs, primarily interest expense, are reflected in collateral finance and securitization expense. See Note 14 - “Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes” for additional information.

Foreign Currency Translation

The translation of the foreign currency into U.S. dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using current exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and for revenue and expense accounts using weighted-average exchange rates during each year. Gains or losses, net of applicable deferred income taxes, resulting from such translation are included in accumulated currency translation adjustments, in AOCI on the consolidated balance sheets until the underlying functional currency operation is sold or substantially liquidated. The Company’s material functional currencies are the U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, British pound, Australian dollar, Japanese yen, Korean won, Euro and South African rand.

Recognition of Revenues and Related Expenses

Life and health premiums are recognized as revenue when due from the insured, and are reported net of amounts retroceded. Benefits and expenses are reported net of amounts retroceded and are associated with earned premiums so that profits are recognized over the life of the related contract. This association is accomplished through the provision for future policy benefits and the amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs. Other revenue includes items such as treaty recapture fees, fees associated with financial reinsurance and policy changes on interest-sensitive and investment-type products that the Company reinsures. Any fees that are collected in advance of the period benefited are deferred and recognized over the period benefited.

For certain reinsurance transactions involving in force blocks of business, the ceding company pays a premium equal to the initial required reserve (future policy benefit). In such transactions, for income statement presentation, the Company nets the expense associated with the establishment of the reserve on the consolidated balance sheets against the premiums from the transaction.

Revenues for interest-sensitive and investment-type products consist of investment income, policy charges for the cost of insurance, policy administration, and surrenders that have been assessed against policy account balances during the period. Interest-sensitive contract liabilities for these products represent policy account balances before applicable surrender charges. Policy benefits and claims that are charged to expenses include claims incurred in the period in excess of related policy account balances and interest credited to policy account balances. Interest is credited to policyholder account balances according to terms of the policies or contracts.

For each of its reinsurance contracts, the Company must determine if the contract provides indemnification against loss or liability relating to insurance risk, in accordance with GAAP. The Company must review all contractual features, particularly those that may limit the amount of insurance risk to which the Company is subject or features that delay the timely reimbursement of claims. If the Company determines that a contract does not expose it to a reasonable possibility of a significant loss from insurance risk, the Company records the contract on a deposit method of accounting with any net amount receivable reflected as an asset within premiums receivable and other reinsurance balances, and any net amount payable reflected as a liability within other reinsurance balances on the consolidated balance sheets. Fees earned on the contracts are reflected as other revenues, rather than premiums, on the consolidated statements of income.

Equity Based Compensation

The Company expenses the fair value of stock awards included in its incentive compensation plans. As of the date stock awards are approved, the fair value of stock options is determined using a Black-Scholes options valuation methodology, and the fair value of other stock awards is based upon the market value of the stock. The fair value of the awards is expensed over the performance or service period, which generally corresponds to the vesting period, and is recognized as an increase to additional paid-in-capital in stockholders’ equity. Stock-based compensation expense is reflected in other operating expenses in the consolidated statements of income.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share exclude any dilutive effects of any outstanding options. Diluted earnings per share include the dilutive effects assuming outstanding stock options were exercised.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Changes to the general accounting principles are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) in the form of accounting standards updates to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification^TM. Accounting standards updates not listed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Debt Issuance Costs

In April 2015, the FASB issued accounting guidance, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” which requires capitalized debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the statement of financial position as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt. This standard is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted for financial statements not yet issued. The Company adopted this standard as of December 31, 2015. Adoption of the guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Financial Services - Insurance

In May 2015, the FASB amended the general accounting principle for Financial Services - Insurance which expanded the breadth of disclosures that an insurance entity must provide about its short-duration insurance contracts. This update requires insurance entities to disclose for annual reporting periods information about the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses. The update also requires insurance entities to disclose information about significant changes in methodologies and assumptions used to calculate the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, including reasons for the change and the effects on the financial statements. This amendment focuses only on disclosure; it does not change the accounting model for short-duration contracts. The update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company adopted the guidance for the year ended December 31, 2016 and applied the guidance prospectively. The adoption of this update did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements other than the addition of the required disclosures, and the required disclosures are provided in Note 16 - “Short-Duration Contracts”.

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Financial Instruments

In January 2016, the FASB amended the general accounting principle for Financial Instruments, effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The amendment revises the accounting related to (1) the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities, (2) the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value, (3) certain disclosure requirements associated with the fair value of financial instruments. The new guidance should be applied by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The amendments related to equity securities without readily determinable fair values (including disclosure requirements) should be applied prospectively to equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB amended the existing impairment guidance of Financial Instruments. The amendment adds to U.S. GAAP an impairment model, known as current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. For traditional and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other instruments entities will be required to use the new forward-looking “expected loss” model that generally will result in earlier recognition of allowance for losses. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, entities will measure credit losses similar to what they do today, except the losses will be recognized as allowances rather than reduction to the amortized cost of the securities. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The guidance will be adopted through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective (that is, a modified-retrospective approach). The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its consolidated financial statements.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance which will replace most existing lease accounting guidance. The new standard, based on the principle that entities should recognize assets and liabilities arising from leases, does not significantly change the lessees’ recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows from the previous accounting standard. The new standard’s primary change is the requirement for entities to recognize a lease liability for payments and a right of use asset representing the right to use the leased asset during the term of operating lease arrangements. Lessees are permitted to make an accounting policy election to not recognize the asset and liability for leases with a term of twelve months or less. Lessors’ accounting is largely unchanged from the previous accounting standard. In addition, the new standard expands the disclosure requirements of lease arrangements. Lessees and lessors will use a modified retrospective transition approach, which includes a number of practical expedients. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its consolidated financial statements.

Stock Compensation

In March 2016, the FASB updated the general accounting principal for Stock Compensation which changes how companies account for certain aspects of share-based payment awards to employees. The updated guidance requires excess tax benefits and deficiencies from share-based payment awards be recorded in income tax expense in the income statement. Currently, excess tax benefits and deficiencies are recognized in shareholders’ equity or deferred taxes on the balance sheet depending on the tax situation of the company. In addition, the updated guidance also changes the accounting for forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as the classification in the statement of cash flows. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. This guidance will be applied either prospectively, retrospectively or using a modified retrospective transition method, depending on the area covered in this update. The adoption of this guidance could have a more than inconsequential effect on the Company’s financial statements. For example, if the Company had adopted this updated guidance in fiscal year 2016, its income tax expense for the year would have been reduced by approximately $5.4 million. The adoption of this guidance is also expected to result in increased volatility to the Company’s income tax expense in future periods dependent upon, the price of its common stock, and the timing and volume of share-based payment activity, such as employee exercises of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards. The Company will not elect an accounting policy change to record forfeitures as they occur and will continue to estimate forfeitures in each period.

Income Taxes

In October 2016, the FASB amended the general accounting principal for Income Taxes, effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The amendment requires entities to recognize the tax consequences of intercompany asset transfers, except for inventory, at the transaction date. Current U.S. GAAP prohibits entities from recognizing the income tax consequences from intercompany asset transfers. The seller defers any net tax effect, and the buyer is prohibited from recognizing a deferred tax asset on the difference between the newly created tax basis of the asset in its tax jurisdiction and its financial statement carrying amount as reported in the consolidated financial statements. The amendment requires entities to recognize these tax consequences in the period in which the transfer occurred. There will be an immediate effect on earnings if the tax rates in the seller’s and buyer’s tax jurisdictions are different. This amendment will be applied using a modified retrospective transition method with a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its consolidated financial statements.

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]	ACQUISITIONS In April 2015, the Company completed the acquisition of 100% of Aurora National stock from Swiss Re Life & Health America, Inc. (“Swiss Re”) pursuant to the stock purchase agreement dated October 20, 2014, between the Company and Swiss Re. The transaction represented an opportunity to deploy capital into a seasoned closed block of business in the U.S. market. The total cash purchase price was $191.5 million, net of cash acquired. Total assets acquired were $3.7 billion, primarily consisting of $3.6 billion of investments, and total liabilities assumed were $3.5 billion. There is no goodwill, including tax deductible goodwill, associated with the acquisition. The business acquired is reflected in the U.S. and Latin America Traditional and Financial Solutions segments. This acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and as a result no proforma disclosures have been presented. In October 2015, the Company completed the acquisition of the life insurance portfolio of PGGM Levensverzekeringen, N.V. (“PGGM”), a Netherlands-based cooperative. This transaction supports the Company’s objective to capitalize on the realignment of the financial services industry and provide closed-block solutions in the European market. Total assets acquired were $404.4 million, primarily consisting of $395.6 million of investments, and total liabilities assumed were $394.1 million. There is no goodwill, including tax deductible goodwill, associated with the acquisition. The acquisition is reflected in the Company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa traditional and financial solutions segments. This acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and as a result no proforma disclosures have been presented.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for a business combination (or series of individually immaterial business combinations) completed during the period, including background, timing, and recognized assets and liabilities. The disclosure may include leverage buyout transactions (as applicable).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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+ Details

Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Investments [Abstract]

Investments

INVESTMENTS

Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities Available-for-Sale

The following tables provide information relating to investments in fixed maturity and equity securities by sector as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



December 31, 2016:	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total		Other-than- temporary impairments in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	18,924,711	$	911,618	$	217,245	$	19,619,084	61.1	%	$	—
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	2,561,605		1,085,982		3,541		3,644,046		11.4		—
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,258,039		33,917		13,380		1,278,576		4.0		(375		)
Asset-backed securities	1,443,822		9,350		23,828		1,429,344		4.5		275
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,342,440		28,973		7,759		1,363,654		4.2		—
U.S. government and agencies	1,518,702		12,644		63,044		1,468,302		4.6		—
State and political subdivisions	566,761		37,499		12,464		591,796		1.8		—
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,595,707		123,054		19,938		2,698,823		8.4		—
Total fixed maturity securities	$	30,211,787	$	2,243,037	$	361,199	$	32,093,625	100.0	%	$	(100	)
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	55,812	$	1,648	$	6,337	$	51,123	18.6	%
Other equity securities	229,767		1,792		7,321		224,238		81.4
Total equity securities	$	285,579	$	3,440	$	13,658	$	275,361	100.0	%



December 31, 2015:	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total		Other-than- temporary impairments in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	17,575,507	$	599,718	$	467,069	$	17,708,156	59.7	%	$	—
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	2,469,009		1,110,282		2,532		3,576,759		12.1		—
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,277,998		45,152		11,673		1,311,477		4.4		(300		)
Asset-backed securities	1,219,000		12,052		18,376		1,212,676		4.1		354
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,456,848		37,407		11,168		1,483,087		5.0		(1,609		)
U.S. government and agencies	1,423,791		15,586		57,718		1,381,659		4.7		—
State and political subdivisions	480,067		40,014		9,067		511,014		1.7		—
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,420,757		78,964		41,644		2,458,077		8.3		—
Total fixed maturity securities	$	28,322,977	$	1,939,175	$	619,247	$	29,642,905	100.0	%	$	(1,555	)
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	85,645	$	7,837	$	5,962	$	87,520	69.5	%
Other equity securities	40,584		—		2,242		38,342		30.5
Total equity securities	$	126,229	$	7,837	$	8,204	$	125,862	100.0	%

The Company enters into various collateral arrangements with counterparties that require both the pledging and acceptance of fixed maturity securities as collateral. Pledged fixed maturity securities are included in fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale in the consolidated balance sheets. Fixed maturity securities received as collateral are held in separate custodial accounts and are not recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Subject to certain constraints, the Company is permitted by contract to sell or repledge collateral it receives; however, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, none of the collateral received had been sold or repledged. The Company also holds assets in trust to satisfy collateral requirements under certain third-party reinsurance treaties. The following table includes fixed maturity securities pledged and received as collateral and assets in trust held to satisfy collateral requirements under derivative transactions and certain third-party reinsurance treaties as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015
	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Fixed maturity securities pledged as collateral	$	207,066	$	210,676	$	169,678	$	176,782
Fixed maturity securities received as collateral	n/a		300,925		n/a		242,914
Assets in trust held to satisfy collateral requirements	12,135,258		12,874,370		10,535,729		10,928,393

The Company monitors its concentrations of financial instruments on an ongoing basis, and mitigates credit risk by maintaining a diversified investment portfolio which limits exposure to any one issuer. The Company’s exposure to concentrations of credit risk from single issuers greater than 10% of the Company’s stockholders’ equity included securities of the U.S. government and its agencies, as well as the securities disclosed below, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands).



	2016				2015
	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Fixed maturity securities guaranteed or issued by:
Canadian province of Quebec	$	1,004,261	$	1,612,957	$	943,484	$	1,525,903
Canadian province of Ontario	832,764		1,126,433		864,444		1,199,080

The amortized cost and estimated fair value of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale at December 31, 2016 are shown by contractual maturity in the table below (dollars in thousands). Actual maturities can differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. Asset and mortgage-backed securities are shown separately in the table below, as they are not due at a single maturity date.



	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Available-for-sale:
Due in one year or less	$	791,302	$	800,010
Due after one year through five years	6,665,056		6,897,024
Due after five years through ten years	9,042,167		9,390,938
Due after ten years	9,668,961		10,934,079
Asset and mortgage-backed securities	4,044,301		4,071,574
Total	$	30,211,787	$	32,093,625

Corporate Fixed Maturity Securities

The tables below show the major industry types of the Company’s corporate fixed maturity holdings as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



December 31, 2016:	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total
Finance	$	6,725,199	$	6,888,968	35.2	%
Industrial	10,228,813		10,639,613		54.2
Utility	1,970,699		2,090,503		10.6
Total	$	18,924,711	$	19,619,084	100.0	%

December 31, 2015:	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total
Finance	$	5,408,791	$	5,555,044	31.4	%
Industrial	10,211,426		10,129,917		57.2
Utility	1,955,290		2,023,195		11.4
Total	$	17,575,507	$	17,708,156	100.0	%

Other-Than-Temporary Impairments—Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities

As discussed in Note 2 – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” a portion of certain other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) losses on fixed maturity securities is recognized in AOCI. For these securities, the net amount recognized in the consolidated statements of income (“credit loss impairments”) represents the difference between the amortized cost of the security and the net present value of its projected future cash flows discounted at the effective interest rate implicit in the debt security prior to impairment. Any remaining difference between the fair value and amortized cost is recognized in AOCI. The following table sets forth the amount of pre-tax credit loss impairments on fixed maturity securities held by the Company as of the dates indicated, for which a portion of the OTTI loss was recognized in AOCI, and the corresponding changes in such amounts (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015		2014
Balance, beginning of period	$	7,284		$	7,284	$	11,696
Additional impairments - credit loss OTTI recognized on securities previously impaired	231			—		—
Credit loss previously recognized on securities which matured, paid down, prepaid or were sold during the period	(1,502		)	—		(4,412		)
Balance, end of period	$	6,013		$	7,284	$	7,284

Purchased Credit Impaired Fixed Maturity Securities Available-for-Sale

Securities acquired with evidence of credit quality deterioration since origination and for which it is probable at the acquisition date that the Company will be unable to collect all contractually required payments are classified as purchased credit impaired securities. For each security, the excess of the cash flows expected to be collected as of the acquisition date over its acquisition date fair value is referred to as the accretable yield and is recognized as net investment income on an effective yield basis. At the date of acquisition, the timing and amount of the cash flows expected to be collected was determined based on a best estimate using key assumptions, such as interest rates, default rates and prepayment speeds. If subsequently, based on current information and events, it is probable that there is a significant increase in cash flows previously expected to be collected or if actual cash flows are significantly greater than cash flows previously expected to be collected, the accretable yield is adjusted prospectively. The excess of the contractually required payments (including interest) as of the acquisition date over the cash flows expected to be collected as of the acquisition date is referred to as the nonaccretable difference, and this amount is not expected to be realized as net investment income. Decreases in cash flows expected to be collected can result in OTTI.

The following tables present information on the Company’s purchased credit impaired securities, which are included in fixed maturity securities available-for-sale as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Outstanding principal and interest balance⁽¹⁾	$	85,078	$	343,640
Carrying value, including accrued interest⁽²⁾	$	69,717	$	287,663


(1)	Represents the contractually required payments which is the sum of contractual principal, whether or not currently due, and accrued interest.


(2)	Estimated fair value plus accrued interest.

The following table presents information about purchased credit impaired investments acquired during the periods ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, as of the acquisition dates (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Contractually required payments (including interest)	$	7,310	$	217,187
Cash flows expected to be collected⁽¹⁾	$	5,748	$	179,025
Fair value of investments acquired	$	4,139	$	137,399


(1)	Represents undiscounted principal and interest cash flow expectations at the date of acquisition.

The following table presents activity for the accretable yield on purchased credit impaired securities for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
Balance, beginning of period	$	88,016		$	67,171
Investments purchased	1,609			41,626
Accretion	(9,004		)	(11,402		)
Disposals	(59,078		)	(1,109		)
Reclassification from nonaccretable difference	(2,105		)	(8,270		)
Balance, end of period	$	19,438		$	88,016

Unrealized Losses for Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities Available-for-Sale

The following table presents the total gross unrealized losses for the 1,535 and 2,080 fixed maturity and equity securities at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, where the estimated fair value had declined and remained below amortized cost by the indicated amount (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015
	Gross Unrealized Losses		% of Total		Gross Unrealized Losses		% of Total
Less than 20%	$	337,831	90.1	%	$	463,109	73.8	%
20% or more for less than six months	19,438		5.2		142,495		22.7
20% or more for six months or greater	17,588		4.7		21,847		3.5
Total	$	374,857	100.0	%	$	627,451	100.0	%

The Company’s determination of whether a decline in value is other-than-temporary includes analysis of the underlying credit and the extent and duration of a decline in value. The Company’s credit analysis of an investment includes determining whether the issuer is current on its contractual payments, evaluating whether it is probable that the Company will be able to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the security and analyzing the overall ability of the Company to recover the amortized cost of the investment. In the Company’s impairment review process, the duration and severity of an unrealized loss position for equity securities are given greater weight and consideration given the lack of contractual cash flows or deferability features.

The following tables present the estimated fair values and gross unrealized losses, including other-than-temporary impairment losses reported in AOCI, for 1,535 and 2,080 fixed maturity and equity securities that have estimated fair values below amortized cost as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively (dollars in thousands). These investments are presented by class and grade of security, as well as the length of time the related fair value has remained below amortized cost.



	Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
December 31, 2016:	Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
Investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	$	4,661,706	$	124,444	$	549,273	$	43,282	$	5,210,979	$	167,726
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	101,578		3,541		—		—		101,578		3,541
Residential mortgage-backed securities	490,473		9,733		112,216		3,635		602,689		13,368
Asset-backed securities	563,259		12,010		257,166		9,653		820,425		21,663
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	368,465		6,858		10,853		166		379,318		7,024
U.S. government and agencies	1,056,101		63,044		—		—		1,056,101		63,044
State and political subdivisions	187,194		9,396		13,635		3,068		200,829		12,464
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	524,236		13,372		51,097		2,981		575,333		16,353
Total investment grade securities	7,953,012		242,398		994,240		62,785		8,947,252		305,183
Below investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	330,757		7,914		163,152		41,605		493,909		49,519
Residential mortgage-backed securities	—		—		412		12		412		12
Asset-backed securities	5,904		700		12,581		1,465		18,485		2,165
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	5,815		735		—		—		5,815		735
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	32,355		1,258		39,763		2,327		72,118		3,585
Total below investment grade securities	374,831		10,607		215,908		45,409		590,739		56,016
Total fixed maturity securities	$	8,327,843	$	253,005	$	1,210,148	$	108,194	$	9,537,991	$	361,199
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	10,831	$	831	$	21,879	$	5,506	$	32,710	$	6,337
Other equity securities	202,068		7,020		6,751		301		208,819		7,321
Total equity securities	$	212,899	$	7,851	$	28,630	$	5,807	$	241,529	$	13,658



	Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
December 31, 2015:	Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
Investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	$	6,388,148	$	323,961	$	294,755	$	40,861	$	6,682,903	$	364,822
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	122,746		2,532		—		—		122,746		2,532
Residential mortgage-backed securities	452,297		7,036		82,314		4,057		534,611		11,093
Asset-backed securities	581,701		9,825		199,298		7,100		780,999		16,925
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	514,877		9,806		31,177		997		546,054		10,803
U.S. government and agencies	1,010,387		57,718		—		—		1,010,387		57,718
State and political subdivisions	157,837		5,349		13,016		3,718		170,853		9,067
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	702,962		18,279		38,379		4,206		741,341		22,485
Total investment grade securities	9,930,955		434,506		658,939		60,939		10,589,894		495,445
Below investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	554,688		71,171		114,427		31,076		669,115		102,247
Residential mortgage-backed securities	22,646		282		7,679		298		30,325		580
Asset-backed securities	6,772		201		9,335		1,250		16,107		1,451
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	3,253		248		767		117		4,020		365
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	60,668		7,356		31,693		11,803		92,361		19,159
Total below investment grade securities	648,027		79,258		163,901		44,544		811,928		123,802
Total fixed maturity securities	$	10,578,982	$	513,764	$	822,840	$	105,483	$	11,401,822	$	619,247
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	12,331	$	2,175	$	12,191	$	3,787	$	24,522	$	5,962
Other equity securities	38,327		2,242		—		—		38,327		2,242
Total equity securities	$	50,658	$	4,417	$	12,191	$	3,787	$	62,849	$	8,204

The Company has no intention to sell, nor does it expect to be required to sell, the securities outlined in the table above, as of the dates indicated. However, unforeseen facts and circumstances may cause the Company to sell fixed maturity and equity securities in the ordinary course of managing its portfolio to meet certain diversification, credit quality and liquidity guidelines.

Unrealized losses on below investment grade securities as of December 31, 2016 are primarily related to high-yield corporate and other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprise securities. Changes in unrealized losses are primarily driven by changes in credit spreads and interest rates.

Investment Income, Net of Related Expenses

Major categories of investment income, net of related expenses consist of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	1,285,406		$	1,177,706		$	1,052,715
Mortgage loans on real estate	168,582			149,564			148,417
Policy loans	63,837			62,955			55,248
Funds withheld at interest	368,728			343,031			447,364
Short-term investments and cash and cash equivalents	8,051			7,574			8,955
Other	89,371			61,709			63,312
Investment income	1,983,975			1,802,539			1,776,011
Investment expense	(72,089		)	(68,044		)	(62,320		)
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	1,911,886		$	1,734,495		$	1,713,691

Investment Related Gains (Losses), Net

Investment related gains (losses), net, consist of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Fixed maturity and equity securities available for sale:
Other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturities	$	(38,805	)	$	(57,380	)	$	(7,766	)
Portion of loss recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income	74			—			—
Net other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturity securities recognized in earnings	$	(38,731	)	$	(57,380	)	$	(7,766	)
Gain on investment activity	154,370			73,079			65,435
Loss on investment activity	(49,965		)	(71,893		)	(31,295		)
Other impairment losses and change in mortgage loan provision	(11,006		)	(6,953		)	(5,315		)
Derivatives and other, net	39,527			(101,603		)	165,134
Total investment related gains (losses), net	$	94,195		$	(164,750	)	$	186,193

The other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturity securities for 2016, 2015 and 2014 are primarily due to emerging market and high-yield debt exposures. The fluctuations in investment related gains (losses) for derivatives and other are primarily due to changes in the fair value of embedded derivatives related to modified coinsurance and funds withheld treaties, as a result of changes in interest rates, driven primarily by credit spreads.

At December 31, 2016 and 2015 the Company held non-income producing securities with amortized costs of $35.4 million and $116.0 million, and estimated fair values of $47.3 million and $123.0 million, respectively. Generally, securities are non-income producing when principal or interest is not paid primarily as a result of bankruptcies or credit defaults, but also include securities where amortization has been discontinued. During 2016, 2015 and 2014 the Company sold fixed maturity and equity securities with fair values of $1,181.6 million, $1,523.6 million, and $1,016.5 million, which were below amortized cost, at gross realized losses of $50.0 million, $71.9 million and $31.3 million, respectively. The Company generally does not engage in short-term buying and selling of securities.

Securities Borrowing, Lending and Other

The Company participates in securities borrowing programs whereby securities, which are not reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, are borrowed from third parties. The borrowed securities are used to provide collateral under affiliated reinsurance transactions. The Company is required to maintain a minimum of 100% of the fair value, or par value under certain programs, of the borrowed securities as collateral. The collateral consists of rights to reinsurance treaty cash flows. If cash flows from the reinsurance treaties are insufficient to maintain the minimum collateral requirement, the Company may substitute cash or securities to meet the requirement. No cash or securities have been pledged by the Company for this purpose.

The Company also participates in a securities lending program whereby securities, reflected as investments on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, are loaned to a third party. The Company receives securities as collateral, in an amount equal to a minimum of 105% of the fair value of the securities lent. The securities received are not reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

The Company also participates in repurchase/reverse repurchase programs in which securities, reflected as investments on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, are pledged to third parties. In return, the Company receives securities from the third parties with an estimated fair value equal to a minimum of 100% of the securities pledged. The securities received are not reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

The Company also participates in a repurchase program in which securities, reflected as investments on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, are pledged to a third party. In return, the Company receives cash from the third party, which is reflected as a payable to a third party, included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company is required to maintain a minimum collateral balance with a fair value of 102% of the cash received.

The following table includes the amount of borrowed securities, securities lent and securities collateral received as part of the securities lending program, repurchased/reverse repurchased securities pledged and received and cash received as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands).



	2016				2015
	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Borrowed securities	$	263,820	$	279,186	$	259,540	$	266,297
Securities lending:
Securities loaned	74,389		73,625		—		—
Securities received	n/a		80,000		n/a		—
Repurchase program/reverse repurchase program:
Securities pledged	476,531		499,891		443,435		465,889
Securities received	n/a		515,200		n/a		481,197
Cash received	—		28,832		—		—

The following tables present information on the Company’s securities lending and repurchase transactions as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively (dollars in thousands). Collateral associated with certain borrowed securities is not included within the tables as the collateral pledged to each counterparty is the right to reinsurance treaty cash flows.



	December 31, 2016
	Remaining Contractual Maturity of the Agreements
	Overnight and Continuous		Up to 30 Days		30-90 Days		Greater than 90 Days		Total
Securities lending transaction:
Corporate securities	$	—	$	—	$	4,017	$	69,608	$	73,625
Total	—		—		4,017		69,608		73,625
Repurchase transactions:
Corporate securities	—		—		3,220		166,979		170,199
Residential mortgage-backed securities	—		—		—		92,546		92,546
U.S. government and agencies	—		—		—		216,000		216,000
Foreign government	—		—		—		19,900		19,900
Other	1,246		—		—		—		1,246
Total	1,246		—		3,220		495,425		499,891
Total transactions	$	1,246	$	—	$	7,237	$	565,033	$	573,516

Gross amount of recognized liabilities for securities lending and repurchase transactions in preceding table									$	624,032
Amounts related to agreements not included in offsetting disclosure									$	50,516



	December 31, 2015
	Remaining Contractual Maturity of the Agreements
	Overnight and Continuous		Up to 30 Days		30-90 Days		Greater than 90 Days		Total
Repurchase transactions:
Corporate securities	$	—	$	2,951	$	—	$	147,324	$	150,275
Residential mortgage-backed securities	—		—		—		97,639		97,639
U.S. government and agencies	—		—		—		199,431		199,431
Foreign government	—		—		—		3,358		3,358
Other	15,186		—		—		—		15,186
Total transactions	$	15,186	$	2,951	$	—	$	447,752	$	465,889

Gross amount of recognized liabilities for repurchase transactions in preceding table									$	481,197
Amounts related to agreements not included in offsetting disclosure									$	15,308

The Company has elected to offset amounts recognized as receivables and payables resulting from the repurchase/reverse repurchase programs. After the effect of offsetting, the net amount presented on the consolidated balance sheets was a liability of $5.5 million and $8.8 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company also has a payable resulting from cash received associated with a repurchase agreement of $28.8 million as of December 31, 2016. There were no repurchase agreement payables as of December 31, 2015. Amounts owed to and due from the counterparties may be settled in cash or offset, in accordance with the agreements.

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate

Mortgage loans represented approximately 8.4% and 7.5% of the Company’s total investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company makes mortgage loans on income producing properties that are geographically diversified, with the largest concentration being in the state of California, which represented 22.1% and 22.3% of mortgage loans on real estate as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The distribution of mortgage loans by property type, gross of valuation allowances is as follows as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015
	Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
Property type:
Office building	$	1,270,113	33.6	%	$	980,858	31.3	%
Retail	1,179,936		31.2		1,026,018		32.7
Industrial	713,461		18.8		527,485		16.8
Apartment	447,088		11.8		420,014		13.4
Other commercial	172,609		4.6		182,389		5.8
Total	$	3,783,207	100.0	%	$	3,136,764	100.0	%

The maturities of the mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015
	Recorded Investment		% of Total		Recorded Investment		% of Total
Due within five years	$	822,073	21.7	%	$	873,280	27.8	%
Due after five years through ten years	2,099,559		55.5		1,561,535		49.8
Due after ten years	861,575		22.8		701,949		22.4
Total	$	3,783,207	100.0	%	$	3,136,764	100.0	%

The following tables set forth certain key credit quality indicators of the Company’s recorded investment in mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	Recorded Investment
	Debt Service Ratios
	>1.20x		1.00x - 1.20x		<1.00x		Total		% of Total
December 31, 2016:
Loan-to-Value Ratio
0% - 59.99%	$	1,859,640	$	64,749	$	1,366	$	1,925,755	50.8	%
60% - 69.99%	1,257,788		34,678		—		1,292,466		34.2
70% - 79.99%	370,092		20,869		24,369		415,330		11.0
Greater than 80%	114,297		—		35,359		149,656		4.0
Total	$	3,601,817	$	120,296	$	61,094	$	3,783,207	100.0	%



	Recorded Investment
	Debt Service Ratios
	>1.20x		1.00x - 1.20x		<1.00x		Total		% of Total
December 31, 2015:
Loan-to-Value Ratio
0% - 59.99%	$	1,621,056	$	77,118	$	2,367	$	1,700,541	54.2	%
60% - 69.99%	881,611		14,332		19,805		915,748		29.2	%
70% - 79.99%	446,565		7,947		34,539		489,051		15.6	%
Greater than 80%	3,948		13,550		13,926		31,424		1.0	%
Total	$	2,953,180	$	112,947	$	70,637	$	3,136,764	100.0	%

None of the payments due to the Company on its recorded investment in mortgage loans were delinquent as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.

The following table presents the recorded investment in mortgage loans, by method of measuring impairment, and the related valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Mortgage loans:
Individually measured for impairment	$	2,216	$	16,421
Collectively measured for impairment	3,780,991		3,120,343
Mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances	3,783,207		3,136,764
Valuation allowances:
Individually measured for impairment	—		588
Collectively measured for impairment	7,685		6,225
Total valuation allowances	7,685		6,813
Mortgage loans, net of valuation allowances	$	3,775,522	$	3,129,951

Information regarding the Company’s loan valuation allowances for mortgage loans as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015		2014
Balance, beginning of period	$	6,813	$	6,471	$	10,106
Charge-offs, net of recoveries	—		—		(2,731		)
Provision (release)	872		342		(904		)
Balance, end of period	$	7,685	$	6,813	$	6,471

Information regarding the portion of the Company’s mortgage loans that were impaired as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 is as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Unpaid Principal Balance		Recorded Investment		Related Allowance		Carrying Value
December 31, 2016:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded	$	2,758	$	2,216	$	—	$	2,216
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded	—		—		—		—
Total impaired mortgage loans	$	2,758	$	2,216	$	—	$	2,216
December 31, 2015:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded	$	4,033	$	4,033	$	—	$	4,033
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded	12,898		12,388		588		11,800
Total impaired mortgage loans	$	16,931	$	16,421	$	588	$	15,833

The Company’s average investment balance of impaired mortgage loans and the related interest income are reflected in the table below for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015				2014
	Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded	$	2,249	$	142	$	6,033	$	330	$	13,227	$	647
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded	—		—		11,592		770		13,827		637
Total	$	2,249	$	142	$	17,625	$	1,100	$	27,054	$	1,284


(1)	Average recorded investment represents the average loan balances as of the beginning of period and all subsequent quarterly end of period balances.

The Company did not acquire any impaired mortgage loans during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company had no mortgage loans that were on a nonaccrual status at December 31, 2016 and 2015.

Policy Loans

Policy loans comprised approximately 3.2% and 3.5% of the Company’s total investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, the majority of which are associated with one client. These policy loans present no credit risk because the amount of the loan cannot exceed the obligation due to the ceding company upon the death of the insured or surrender of the underlying policy. The provisions of the treaties in force and the underlying policies determine the policy loan interest rates. The Company earns a spread between the interest rate earned on policy loans and the interest rate credited to corresponding liabilities.

Funds Withheld at Interest

Funds withheld at interest comprised approximately 13.1% and 14.0% of the Company’s total investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Of the $5.9 billion funds withheld at interest balance, net of embedded derivatives, as of December 31, 2016, $4.0 billion of the balance is associated with one client. For reinsurance agreements written on a modified coinsurance basis and certain agreements written on a coinsurance funds withheld basis, assets equal to the net statutory reserves are withheld and legally owned and managed by the ceding company and are reflected as funds withheld at interest on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. In the event of a ceding company’s insolvency, the Company would need to assert a claim on the assets supporting its reserve liabilities. However, the risk of loss to the Company is mitigated by its ability to offset amounts it owes the ceding company for claims or allowances against amounts owed to the Company from the ceding company.

Other Invested Assets

Other invested assets include equity securities, limited partnership interests, joint ventures (other than operating joint ventures), derivative contracts, and FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments. Other invested assets also include Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (“FHLB”) common stock, equity release mortgages and structured loans, all of which are included in other in the table below. Other invested assets represented approximately 3.6% and 3.1% of the Company’s total investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Carrying values of these assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Equity securities	$	275,361	$	125,862
Limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures	687,522		567,697
Derivatives	229,108		256,178
FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments	190,120		197,547
Other	209,829		150,836
Total other invested assets	$	1,591,940	$	1,298,120

- Definition

The entire disclosure for investments in certain debt and equity securities.

+ References + Details

Derivative Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

Derivatives, except for embedded derivatives and longevity and mortality swaps, are carried on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets in other invested assets or other liabilities, at fair value. Longevity and mortality swaps are included on the consolidated balance sheets in other assets or other liabilities, at fair value. Embedded derivative liabilities on modified coinsurance or funds withheld arrangements are included on the consolidated balance sheets with the host contract in funds withheld at interest, at fair value. Embedded derivative liabilities on indexed annuity and variable annuity products are included on the consolidated balance sheets with the host contract in interest-sensitive contract liabilities, at fair value. The following table presents the notional amounts and gross fair value of derivative instruments prior to taking into account the netting effects of master netting agreements as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	December 31, 2016						December 31, 2015
	Notional		Carrying Value/Fair Value				Notional		Carrying Value/Fair Value
	Amount		Assets		Liabilities		Amount		Assets		Liabilities
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate swaps	$	949,556	$	78,405	$	5,949	$	1,123,057	$	85,075	$	4,196
Financial futures	475,968		—		—		420,665		—		—
Foreign currency forwards	25,000		—		5,070		45,000		44		6,768
Consumer price index swaps	20,615		—		262		28,561		—		292
Credit default swaps	926,000		12,012		2,871		897,000		8,230		11,053
Equity options	525,894		33,459		—		453,435		46,653		—
Longevity swaps	841,360		26,958		—		868,960		15,003		7
Mortality swaps	50,000		—		2,462		50,000		—		2,619
Synthetic guaranteed investment contracts	8,834,700		—		—		7,098,825		—		—
Embedded derivatives in:
Modified coinsurance or funds withheld arrangements	—		—		22,529		—		—		76,698
Indexed annuity products	—		—		805,672		—		—		878,114
Variable annuity products	—		—		184,636		—		—		192,470
Total non-hedging derivatives	12,649,093		150,834		1,029,451		10,985,503		155,005		1,172,217
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate swaps	435,000		27,901		31,223		120,000		—		29,986
Foreign currency swaps	928,505		104,359		734		823,486		146,265		—
Total hedging derivatives	1,363,505		132,260		31,957		943,486		146,265		29,986
Total derivatives	$	14,012,598	$	283,094	$	1,061,408	$	11,928,989	$	301,270	$	1,202,203

Netting Arrangements

Certain of the Company’s derivatives are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements and reported as a net asset or liability in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company nets all derivatives that are subject to such arrangements.

The Company has elected to include all derivatives, except embedded derivatives, in the tables below, irrespective of whether they are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or a similar agreement. See Note 4 – “Investments” for information regarding the Company’s securities borrowing, lending, repurchase and repurchase/reverse repurchase programs. See “Embedded Derivatives” below for information regarding the Company’s bifurcated embedded derivatives.

The following table provides information relating to the Company’s derivative instruments as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):



								Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Balance Sheet
	Gross Amounts Recognized		Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts Presented in the Balance Sheet		Financial Instruments⁽¹⁾			Cash Collateral Pledged/ Received			Net Amount
December 31, 2016:
Derivative assets	$	283,094	$	(27,028	)	$	256,066	$	(16,913	)	$	(254,498	)	$	(15,345	)
Derivative liabilities	48,571		(27,028		)	21,543		(95,863		)	(1,441		)	(75,761		)
December 31, 2015:
Derivative assets	$	301,270	$	(30,096	)	$	271,174	$	(20,888	)	$	(245,038	)	$	5,248
Derivative liabilities	54,921		(30,096		)	24,825		(47,149		)	(12,540		)	(34,864		)

(1) Includes initial margin posted to a central clearing partner.

Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company does not enter into derivative instruments for speculative purposes. As discussed below under “Non-qualifying Derivatives and Derivatives for Purposes Other Than Hedging,” the Company uses various derivative instruments for risk management purposes that either do not qualify or have not been qualified for hedge accounting treatment, including derivatives used to economically hedge changes in the fair value of liabilities associated with the reinsurance of variable annuities with guaranteed living benefits. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company held interest rate swaps that were designated and qualified as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk, for variable rate liabilities and foreign currency assets, foreign currency swaps that were designated and qualified as hedges of a portion of its net investment in its foreign operations, foreign currency swaps that were designated and qualified as fair value hedges of foreign currency risk, and derivative instruments that were not designated as hedging instruments. See Note 2 – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for a detailed discussion of the accounting treatment for derivative instruments, including embedded derivatives. Derivative instruments are carried at fair value and generally require an insignificant amount of cash at inception of the contracts.

Fair Value Hedges

The Company designates and reports certain foreign currency swaps to hedge the foreign currency fair value exposure of foreign currency denominated assets as fair value hedges when they meet the requirements of the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging. The gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to a change in foreign currency and the offsetting gain or loss on the related foreign currency swaps as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 were (dollars in thousands):



Type of Fair Value Hedge	Hedged Item	Gains (Losses) Recognized for Derivatives			Gains (Losses) Recognized for Hedged Items			Ineffectiveness Recognized in Investment Related Gains (Losses)
For the Year Ended December 31, 2016:
Foreign currency swaps	Foreign-denominated fixed maturity securities	$	(1,700	)	$	1,700		$	—
For the Year Ended December 31, 2015:
Foreign currency swaps	Foreign-denominated fixed maturity securities	$	4,008		$	(4,008	)	$	—

A regression analysis was used, both at inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis, to determine whether each derivative used in a hedged transaction is highly effective in offsetting changes in the hedged item. For the foreign currency swaps, the change in fair value related to changes in the benchmark interest rate and credit spreads are excluded from the hedge effectiveness. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, $0.4 million and $0.8 million, respectively, of the change in the estimated fair value of derivatives, was excluded from hedge effectiveness.

Cash Flow Hedges

Certain derivative instruments are designated as cash flow hedges when they meet the requirements of the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging. The Company designates and accounts for the following as cash flows: (i) certain interest rate swaps, in which the cash flows of liabilities are variable based on a benchmark rate; (ii) certain interest rate swaps, in which the cash flows of assets are denominated in different currencies, commonly referred to as cross-currency swaps; and (iii) forward bond purchase commitments.

The following table presents the components of AOCI, before income tax, and the consolidated income statement classification where the gain or loss is recognized related to cash flow hedges for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):



	Amounts Included in AOCI
Balance December 31, 2013	$	(4,578	)
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges	(25,801		)
Amounts reclassified to investment income	(1,212		)
Balance December 31, 2014	(31,591		)
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges	2,676
Amounts reclassified to investment related (gains) losses, net	87
Amounts reclassified to investment income	(569		)
Balance December 31, 2015	(29,397		)
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges	27,110
Amounts reclassified to investment related (gains) losses, net	278
Amounts reclassified to investment income	(487		)
Balance December 31, 2016	$	(2,496	)

As of December 31, 2016, the before-tax deferred net gains (losses) on derivative instruments recorded in AOCI that are expected to be reclassified to earnings during the next twelve months are approximately $0.4 million. This expectation is based on the anticipated interest payments on hedged investments in fixed maturity securities that will occur over the next twelve months, at which time the Company will recognize the deferred net gains (losses) as an adjustment to investment income over the term of the investment cash flows.

The following table presents the effective portion of derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships on the consolidated statements of income and the consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):



	Effective Portion
Derivative Type	Gains (Losses) Recognized in OCI			Gains (Losses) Reclassified into Income from OCI
For the year ended December 31, 2016:				Investment Related Gains (Losses)			Investment Income
Interest rate	$	27,901		$	—		$	—
Currency/Interest rate	(791		)	—			510
Forward bond purchase commitments	—			(278		)	(23		)
Total	$	27,110		$	(278	)	$	487

For the year ended December 31, 2015:
Interest rate	$	(11,422	)	$	—		$	343
Forward bond purchase commitments	14,098			(87		)	226
Total	$	2,676		$	(87	)	$	569

For the year ended December 31, 2014:
Interest rate	$	(12,431	)	$	—		$	1,212
Forward bond purchase commitments	(13,370		)	—			—
Total	$	(25,801	)	$	—		$	1,212

All components of each derivative’s gain or loss were included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the ineffective portion of derivatives reported as cash flow hedges was not material to the Company’s results of operations. Also, there were no material amounts reclassified into earnings relating to instances in which the Company discontinued cash flow hedge accounting because the forecasted transaction did not occur by the anticipated date or within the additional time period permitted by the authoritative guidance for the accounting for derivatives and hedging.

Hedges of Net Investments in Foreign Operations

The Company uses foreign currency swaps to hedge a portion of its net investment in certain foreign operations against adverse movements in exchange rates. The following table illustrates the Company’s net investments in foreign operations (“NIFO”) hedges for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):



	Derivative Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI
	For the year ended
Type of NIFO Hedge ^{(1) (2)}	2016			2015		2014
Foreign currency swaps	$	(10,234	)	$	96,019	$	51,894


(1)	There were no sales or substantial liquidations of net investments in foreign operations that would have required the reclassification of gains or losses from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into investment income during the periods presented.


(2)	There was no ineffectiveness recognized for the Company’s hedges of net investments in foreign operations.

The cumulative foreign currency translation gain recorded in AOCI related to these hedges was $161.6 million and $171.9 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. If a foreign operation was sold or substantially liquidated, the amounts in AOCI would be reclassified to the consolidated statements of income. A pro rata portion would be reclassified upon partial sale of a foreign operation.

Non-qualifying Derivatives and Derivatives for Purposes Other Than Hedging

The Company uses various other derivative instruments for risk management purposes that either do not qualify or have not been qualified for hedge accounting treatment. The gain or loss related to the change in fair value for these derivative instruments is recognized in investment related gains (losses), net in the consolidated statements of income, except where otherwise noted.

A summary of the effect of non-hedging derivatives, including embedded derivatives, on the Company’s consolidated statements of income for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is as follows (dollars in thousands):



		Gains (Losses) for the Years Ended December 31,
Type of Non-hedging Derivative	Income Statement Location of Gains (Losses)	2016			2015			2014
Interest rate swaps	Investment related gains (losses), net	$	7,649		$	20,358		$	94,848
Interest rate options	Investment related gains (losses), net	—			3,275			15,641
Financial futures	Investment related gains (losses), net	(40,242		)	319			(9,550		)
Foreign currency forwards	Investment related gains (losses), net	1,630			(1,160		)	(8,691		)
Consumer price index swaps	Investment related gains (losses), net	(401		)	(208		)	(344		)
Credit default swaps	Investment related gains (losses), net	18,100			(4,683		)	3,938
Equity options	Investment related gains (losses), net	(28,270		)	(16,899		)	(22,472		)
Longevity swaps	Other revenues	13,095			8,228			8,088
Mortality swaps	Other revenues	(172		)	(1,822		)	(797		)
Subtotal		(28,611		)	7,408			80,661
Embedded derivatives in:
Modified coinsurance or funds withheld arrangements	Investment related gains (losses), net	54,169			(98,792		)	198,365
Indexed annuity products	Interest credited	10,708			19,440			(104,844		)
Variable annuity products	Investment related gains (losses), net	7,835			(33,192		)	(129,224		)
Total non-hedging derivatives		$	44,101		$	(105,136	)	$	44,958

Types of Derivatives Used by the Company

Interest Rate Swaps

Interest rate swaps are used by the Company primarily to reduce market risks from changes in interest rates, to alter interest rate exposure arising from mismatches between assets and liabilities (duration mismatches) and to manage the risk of cash flows of liabilities that are variable based on a benchmark rate. With an interest rate swap, the Company agrees with another party to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between two rates, which can be either fixed-rate or floating-rate interest amounts, tied to an agreed-upon notional principal amount. These transactions are executed pursuant to master agreements that provide for a single net payment or individual gross payments at each due date. The Company utilizes interest rate swaps in cash flow and non-qualifying hedging relationships.

Interest Rate Options

Interest rate options, commonly referred to as swaptions, have been used by the Company primarily to hedge living benefit guarantees embedded in certain variable annuity products. A swaption, used to hedge against adverse changes in interest rates, is an option to enter into a swap with a forward starting effective date. The Company pays an upfront premium for the right to exercise this option in the future.

Financial Futures

Exchange-traded equity futures are used primarily to economically hedge liabilities embedded in certain variable annuity products. With exchange-traded equity futures transactions, the Company agrees to purchase or sell a specified number of contracts, the value of which is determined by the relevant stock indices, and to post variation margin on a daily basis in an amount equal to the difference between the daily estimated fair values of those contracts. The Company enters into exchange-traded equity futures with regulated futures commission merchants that are members of the exchange.

Equity Options

Equity index options are used by the Company primarily to hedge minimum guarantees embedded in certain variable annuity products. To hedge against adverse changes in equity indices volatility, the Company buys put options. The contracts are net settled in cash based on differentials in the indices at the time of exercise and the strike price. Equity warrants have also been used by the Company to economically hedge the variability in anticipated cash flows for the acquisition of investment securities.

Consumer Price Index Swaps

Consumer price index (“CPI”) swaps are used by the Company primarily to economically hedge liabilities embedded in certain insurance products where value is directly affected by changes in a designated benchmark consumer price index. With a CPI swap transaction, the Company agrees with another party to exchange the actual amount of inflation realized over a specified period of time for a fixed amount of inflation determined at inception. These transactions are executed pursuant to master agreements that provide for a single net payment or individual gross payments to be made by the counterparty at each due date. Most of these swaps will require a single payment to be made by one counterparty at the maturity date of the swap.

Foreign Currency Swaps

Foreign currency swaps are used by the Company to reduce the risk from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates associated with its assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies. With a foreign currency swap transaction, the Company agrees with another party to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between one currency and another at a forward exchange rate calculated by reference to an agreed-upon principal amount. The principal amount of each currency is exchanged at the termination of the currency swap by each party. The Company uses foreign currency swaps to hedge a portion of its net investment in certain foreign operations and foreign currency securities against adverse movements in exchange rates. The Company also uses foreign currency swaps to hedge its exposure to market risks from changes in currency exchange rates with respect to investments denominated in foreign currencies that the Company either holds or intends to acquire or sell.

Foreign Currency Forwards

Foreign currency forwards are used by the Company to reduce the risk from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates associated with its assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies. With a foreign currency forward transaction, the Company agrees with another party to deliver a specified amount of an identified currency at a specified future date. The price is agreed upon at the time of the contract and payment for such a contract is made in a different currency at the specified future date.

Forward Bond Purchase Commitments

Forward bond purchase commitments are used by the Company to hedge against the variability in the anticipated cash flows required to purchase securities. With forward bond purchase commitments, the forward price is agreed upon at the time of the contract and payment for such contract is made at the future specified settlement date of the securities.

Credit Default Swaps

The Company sells protection under single name credit default swaps and credit default swap index tranches to diversify its credit risk exposure in certain portfolios and, in combination with purchasing securities, to replicate characteristics of similar investments based on the credit quality and term of the credit default swap. Credit default triggers for indexed reference entities and single name reference entities are defined in the contracts. The Company’s maximum exposure to credit loss equals the notional value for credit default swaps. In the event of default of a referencing entity, the Company is typically required to pay the protection holder the full notional value less a recovery amount determined at auction.

The following table presents the estimated fair value, maximum amount of future payments and weighted average years to maturity of credit default swaps sold by the Company at December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016						2015
Rating Agency Designation of Referenced Credit Obligations⁽¹⁾	Estimated Fair Value of Credit Default Swaps			Maximum Amount of Future Payments under Credit Default Swaps⁽²⁾		Weighted Average Years to Maturity⁽³⁾	Estimated Fair Value of Credit Default Swaps			Maximum Amount of Future Payments under Credit Default Swaps⁽²⁾		Weighted Average Years to Maturity⁽³⁾
AAA/AA+/AA/AA-/A+/A/A-
Single name credit default swaps	$	1,726		$	150,500	3.8	$	1,689		$	152,500	3.9
Subtotal	1,726			150,500		3.8	1,689			152,500		3.9
BBB+/BBB/BBB-
Single name credit default swaps	1,426			347,200		3.7	(5,066		)	315,200		4.2
Credit default swaps referencing indices	6,295			416,000		5.0	2,274			416,000		5.0
Subtotal	7,721			763,200		4.4	(2,792		)	731,200		4.6
BB+/BB/BB-
Single name credit default swaps	(477		)	9,000		3.5	(2,900		)	10,000		4.1
Subtotal	(477		)	9,000		3.5	(2,900		)	10,000		4.1
Total	$	8,970		$	922,700	4.3	$	(4,003	)	$	893,700	4.5


(1)	The rating agency designations are based on ratings from Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”).


(2)	Assumes the value of the referenced credit obligations is zero.


(3)	The weighted average years to maturity of the credit default swaps is calculated based on weighted average notional amounts.

The Company also purchases credit default swaps to reduce its risk against a drop in bond prices due to credit concerns of certain bond issuers. If a credit event, as defined by the contract, occurs, the Company is able to put the bond back to the counterparty at par.

Longevity Swaps

The Company enters into longevity swaps in the form of out-of-the-money options, which provide protection against changes in mortality improvement to retirement plans and insurers of such plans. With a longevity swap transaction, the Company agrees with another party to exchange a proportion of a notional value. The proportion is determined by the difference between a predefined benefit, and the realized benefit plus the future expected benefit, calculated by reference to a population index for a fixed premium.

Mortality Swaps

Mortality swaps are used by the Company to hedge risk from changes in mortality experience associated with its reinsurance of life insurance risk. The Company agrees with another party to exchange, at specified intervals, a proportion of a notional value determined by the difference between a predefined expected and realized claim amount on a designated index of reinsured lives, for a fixed percentage (premium) each term.

Synthetic Guaranteed Investment Contracts

The Company sells fee-based synthetic guaranteed investment contracts to retirement plans which include investment-only, stable value contracts. The assets are owned by the trustees of such plans, who invest the assets under the terms of investment guidelines to which the Company agrees. The contracts contain a guarantee of a minimum rate of return on participant balances supported by the underlying assets, and a guarantee of liquidity to meet certain participant-initiated plan cash flow requirements. These contracts are reported as derivatives, recorded at fair value and classified as interest rate derivatives.

Embedded Derivatives

The Company has certain embedded derivatives which are required to be separated from their host contracts and reported as derivatives. Host contracts include reinsurance treaties structured on a modified coinsurance or funds withheld basis. Additionally, the Company reinsures equity-indexed annuity and variable annuity contracts with benefits that are considered embedded derivatives, including guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefits, guaranteed minimum accumulation benefits, and guaranteed minimum income benefits. The changes in fair values of embedded derivatives on equity-indexed annuities described below relate to changes in the fair value associated with capital market and other related assumptions. The Company’s utilization of a credit valuation adjustment did not have a material effect on the change in fair value of its embedded derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. The related gains (losses) and the effect on net income after amortization of DAC and income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Embedded derivatives in modified coinsurance or funds withheld arrangements included in investment related gains	$	54,169		$	98,792		$	198,365
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related amounts included in net income	9,160			(26,025		)	45,171
Embedded derivatives in variable annuity contracts included in investment related gains	7,835			(33,192		)	(129,224		)
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related amounts included in net income	(41,201		)	(29,008		)	27,601
Amounts related to embedded derivatives in equity-indexed annuities included in benefits and expenses	10,708			19,440			(104,844		)
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related amounts included in net income	(4,148		)	6,204			(69,963		)

Credit Risk

The Company manages its credit risk related to over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives by entering into transactions with creditworthy counterparties, maintaining collateral arrangements and through the use of master netting agreements that provide for a single net payment to be made by one counterparty to another at each due date and upon termination.

The credit exposure of the Company’s OTC derivative transactions is represented by the contracts with a positive fair value (market value) at the reporting date. To reduce credit exposures, the Company seeks to (i) enter into OTC derivative transactions pursuant to master netting agreements that provide for a netting of payments and receipts with a single counterparty, and (ii) enter into agreements that allow the use of credit support annexes, which are bilateral rating-sensitive agreements that require collateral postings at established threshold levels. Certain of the Company’s OTC derivatives are cleared derivatives, which are bilateral transactions between the Company and a counterparty where the transactions are cleared through a clearinghouse, such that each derivative counterparty is only exposed to the default of the clearinghouse. These cleared transactions require initial and daily variation margin collateral postings and include certain interest rate swaps and credit default swaps entered into on or after June 10, 2013, related to guidelines implemented under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Also, the Company enters into exchange-traded futures through regulated exchanges and these transactions are settled on a daily basis, thereby reducing credit risk exposure in the event of non-performance by counterparties to such financial instruments.

The Company enters into various collateral arrangements, which require both the posting and accepting of collateral in connection with its derivative instruments. Collateral agreements contain attachment thresholds that may vary depending on the posting party’s ratings. Additionally, a decline in the Company’s or the counterparty’s credit ratings to specified levels could result in potential settlement of the derivative positions under the Company’s agreements with its counterparties. The Company also has exchange-traded futures, which require the maintenance of a margin account. As exchange-traded futures are affected through regulated exchanges, and positions are marked to market on a daily basis, the Company has minimal exposure to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties.

The Company’s credit exposure related to derivative contracts is generally limited to the fair value at the reporting date plus or minus any collateral posted or held by the Company. The Company’s credit exposure to mortality swaps is minimal, as they are fully collateralized by a counterparty. Information regarding the Company’s credit exposure related to its over-the-counter derivative contracts, centrally cleared derivative contracts and margin account for exchange-traded futures, excluding mortality swaps, at December 31, 2016 and 2015 is reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
Estimated fair value of derivatives in net asset position	$	236,985		$	248,968
Cash provided as collateral⁽¹⁾	1,441			12,540
Securities pledged to counterparties as collateral⁽²⁾	95,863			47,149
Cash pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽³⁾	(254,498		)	(245,038		)
Securities pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽⁴⁾	(16,913		)	(20,888		)
Initial margin for cleared derivatives	(73,571		)	(34,898		)
Net amount after application of master netting agreements and collateral	$	(10,693	)	$	7,833
Margin account related to exchange-traded futures⁽⁵⁾	$	9,687		$	11,004


(1)	Consists of receivable from counterparty, included in other assets.


(2)	Included in available-for-sale securities, primarily consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.


(3)	Included in cash and cash equivalents, with obligation to return cash collateral recorded in other liabilities.


(4)	Consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.


(5)	Included in other assets.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for derivative instruments and hedging activities including, but not limited to, risk management strategies, non-hedging derivative instruments, assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and methodologies and assumptions used in determining the amounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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+ Details

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

Fair Value Measurement

General accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures define fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. These principles also establish a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value and describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Active markets are defined as having the following characteristics for the measured asset/liability: (i) many transactions, (ii) current prices, (iii) price quotes not varying substantially among market makers, (iv) narrow bid/ask spreads and (v) most information publicly available. The Company’s Level 1 assets include assets and liabilities that are traded in active exchange markets.

Level 2 - Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or market standard valuation techniques and assumptions that use significant inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Such observable inputs include benchmarking prices for similar assets in active, liquid markets, quoted prices in markets that are not active and observable yields and spreads in the market. The Company’s Level 2 assets and liabilities include investment securities with quoted prices that are traded less frequently than exchange-traded instruments and derivative contracts whose values are determined using market standard valuation techniques. Level 2 valuations are generally obtained from third party pricing services for identical or comparable assets or liabilities or through the use of valuation methodologies using observable market inputs. Prices from servicers are validated through analytical reviews and assessment of current market activity.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the related assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include those whose value is determined using market standard valuation techniques described above. When observable inputs are not available, the market standard techniques for determining the estimated fair value of certain securities that trade infrequently, and therefore have little transparency, rely on inputs that are significant to the estimated fair value and that are not observable in the market or cannot be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data. These unobservable inputs can be based in large part on management judgment or estimation and cannot be supported by reference to market activity. Even though unobservable, management believes these inputs are based on assumptions deemed appropriate given the circumstances and consistent with what other market participants would use when pricing similar assets and liabilities. For the Company’s invested assets, this category generally includes corporate securities (primarily private placements and bank loans), Canadian provincial securities, asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations and those with exposure to subprime mortgages), and to a lesser extent, certain residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, and state and political subdivisions, among others. Prices are determined using valuation methodologies such as discounted cash flow models and other similar techniques that require management’s judgment or estimation in developing inputs that are consistent with those other market participants would use when pricing similar assets and liabilities. Non-binding broker quotes, which are utilized when pricing service information is not available, are reviewed for reasonableness based on the Company’s understanding of the market, and are generally considered Level 3. Under certain circumstances, based on its observations of transactions in active markets, the Company may conclude the prices received from independent third party pricing services or brokers are not reasonable or reflective of market activity. In those instances, the Company would apply internally developed valuation techniques to the related assets or liabilities. Additionally, the Company’s embedded derivatives, all of which are associated with reinsurance treaties, and longevity and mortality swaps are classified in Level 3 since their values include significant unobservable inputs.

When inputs used to measure the fair value of an asset or liability fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety, except for fair value measurements using NAV. For example, a Level 3 fair value measurement may include inputs that are observable (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable (Level 3). Therefore, gains and losses for such assets and liabilities categorized within Level 3 may include changes in fair value that are attributable to both observable inputs (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable inputs (Level 3).

Assets and Liabilities by Hierarchy Level

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 are summarized below (dollars in thousands):



December 31, 2016:				Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Assets:
Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	19,619,084		$	310,995	$	18,035,836		$	1,272,253
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	3,644,046			—		3,168,081			475,965
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,278,576			—		1,118,285			160,291
Asset-backed securities	1,429,344			—		1,210,064			219,280
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,363,654			—		1,342,509			21,145
U.S. government and agencies	1,468,302			1,345,755		98,059			24,488
State and political subdivisions	591,796			—		550,130			41,666
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,698,823			276,729		2,409,225			12,869
Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale	32,093,625			1,933,479		27,932,189			2,227,957
Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives	(22,529		)	—		—			(22,529		)
Cash equivalents	338,601			338,601		—			—
Short-term investments	44,241			8,276		32,619			3,346
Other invested assets:
Non-redeemable preferred stock	51,123			38,317		12,806			—
Other equity securities	224,238			224,238		—			—
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	93,508			—		93,508			—
Credit default swaps	9,136			—		9,136			—
Equity options	26,070			—		26,070			—
Foreign currency swaps	100,394			—		100,394			—
FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments	190,120			188,891		1,229			—
Other	11,036			11,036		—			—
Total other invested assets	705,625			462,482		243,143			—
Other assets - longevity swaps	26,958			—		—			26,958
Total	$	33,186,521		$	2,742,838	$	28,207,951		$	2,235,732
Liabilities:
Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives	$	990,308		$	—	$	—		$	990,308
Other liabilities:
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	24,374			—		24,374			—
Foreign currency forwards	5,070			—		5,070			—
CPI swaps	262			—		262			—
Credit default swaps	(5		)	—		(5		)	—
Equity options	(7,389		)	—		(7,389		)	—
Foreign currency swaps	(3,231		)	—		(3,231		)	—
Mortality swaps	2,462			—		—			2,462
Total	$	1,011,851		$	—	$	19,081		$	992,770



December 31, 2015:				Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Assets:
Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	17,708,156		$	269,039	$	16,212,147		$	1,226,970
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	3,576,759			—		3,160,683			416,076
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,311,477			—		980,828			330,649
Asset-backed securities	1,212,676			—		908,840			303,836
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,483,087			—		1,414,524			68,563
U.S. government and agencies	1,381,659			1,227,858		127,536			26,265
State and political subdivisions	511,014			—		472,672			38,342
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,458,077			260,552		2,183,460			14,065
Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale	29,642,905			1,757,449		25,460,690			2,424,766
Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives	(76,698		)	—		—			(76,698		)
Cash equivalents	406,521			406,521		—			—
Short-term investments	530,773			524,946		5,827			—
Other invested assets:
Non-redeemable preferred stock	87,520			81,809		5,711			—
Other equity securities	38,342			38,342		—			—
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	71,882			—		71,882			—
Foreign currency forwards	20			—		20			—
CPI swaps	(292		)	—		(292		)	—
Credit default swaps	2,567			—		2,567			—
Equity options	40,644			—		40,644			—
Foreign currency swaps	141,357			—		141,357			—
FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments	197,547			195,317		2,230			—
Other	8,170			8,170		—			—
Total other invested assets	587,757			323,638		264,119			—
Other assets - longevity swaps	14,996			—		—			14,996
Total	$	31,106,254		$	3,012,554	$	25,730,636		$	2,363,064
Liabilities:
Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives	$	1,070,584		$	—	$	—		$	1,070,584
Other liabilities:
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	20,989			—		20,989			—
Foreign currency forwards	6,744			—		6,744			—
Credit default swaps	5,390			—		5,390			—
Equity options	(6,009		)	—		(6,009		)	—
Foreign currency swaps	(4,908		)	—		(4,908		)	—
Mortality swaps	2,619			—		—			2,619
Total	$	1,095,409		$	—	$	22,206		$	1,073,203

The Company may utilize information from third parties, such as pricing services and brokers, to assist in determining the fair value for certain assets and liabilities; however, management is ultimately responsible for all fair values presented in the Company’s financial statements. This includes responsibility for monitoring the fair value process, ensuring objective and reliable valuation practices and pricing of assets and liabilities, and approving changes to valuation methodologies and pricing sources. The selection of the valuation technique(s) to apply considers the definition of an exit price and the nature of the asset or liability being valued and significant expertise and judgment is required.

The Company performs initial and ongoing analysis and review of the various techniques utilized in determining fair value to ensure that they are appropriate and consistently applied, and that the various assumptions are reasonable. The Company analyzes and reviews the information and prices received from third parties to ensure that the prices represent a reasonable estimate of the fair value and to monitor controls around pricing, which includes quantitative and qualitative analysis and is overseen by the Company’s investment and accounting personnel. Examples of procedures performed include, but are not limited to, review of pricing trends, comparison of a sample of executed prices of securities sold to the fair value estimates, comparison of fair value estimates to management’s knowledge of the current market, and ongoing confirmation that third party pricing services use, wherever possible, market-based parameters for valuation. In addition, the Company utilizes both internal and external cash flow models to analyze the reasonableness of fair values utilizing credit spread and other market assumptions, where appropriate. As a result of the analysis, if the Company determines there is a more appropriate fair value based upon the available market data, the price received from the third party is adjusted accordingly. The Company also determines if the inputs used in estimated fair values received from pricing services are observable by assessing whether these inputs can be corroborated by observable market data.

For assets and liabilities reported at fair value, the Company utilizes when available, fair values based on quoted prices in active markets that are regularly and readily obtainable. Generally, these are very liquid investments and the valuation does not require management judgment. When quoted prices in active markets are not available, fair value is based on market valuation techniques, market comparable pricing and the income approach. The use of different techniques, assumptions and inputs may have a material effect on the estimated fair values of the Company’s securities holdings. For the periods presented, the application of market standard valuation techniques applied to similar assets and liabilities has been consistent.

The methods and assumptions the Company uses to estimate the fair value of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below.

Fixed Maturity Securities – The fair values of the Company’s publicly-traded fixed maturity securities are generally based on prices obtained from independent pricing services. Prices from pricing services are sourced from multiple vendors, and a vendor hierarchy is maintained by asset type based on historical pricing experience and vendor expertise. The Company generally receives prices from multiple pricing services for each security, but ultimately uses the price from the vendor that is highest in the hierarchy for the respective asset type. To validate reasonableness, prices are periodically reviewed as explained above. Consistent with the fair value hierarchy described above, securities with quotes from pricing services are generally reflected within Level 2, as they are primarily based on observable pricing for similar assets and/or other market observable inputs. If the pricing information received from third party pricing services is not reflective of market activity or other inputs observable in the market, the Company may challenge the price through a formal process with the pricing service.

If the Company ultimately concludes that pricing information received from the independent pricing service is not reflective of fair value, non-binding broker quotes are used, if available. If the Company concludes that the values from both pricing services and brokers are not reflective of fair value an internally developed valuation may be prepared; however, this occurs infrequently. Internally developed valuations or non-binding broker quotes are also used to determine fair value in circumstances where vendor pricing is not available. These valuations may use significant unobservable inputs, which reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset. Observable market data may not be available in certain circumstances such as market illiquidity and credit events related to the security. Pricing service overrides, internally developed valuations and non-binding broker quotes are generally based on significant unobservable inputs and are reflected as Level 3 in the valuation hierarchy.

The inputs used in the valuation of corporate and government securities include, but are not limited to standard market observable inputs which are derived from, or corroborated by, market observable data including market yield curve, duration, call provisions, observable prices and spreads for similar publicly traded or privately traded issues that incorporate the credit quality and industry sector of the issuer. For structured securities, valuation is based primarily on matrix pricing or other similar techniques using standard market inputs including spreads for actively traded securities, spreads off benchmark yields, expected prepayment speeds and volumes, current and forecasted loss severity, rating, weighted average coupon, weighted average maturity, average delinquency rates, geographic region, debt-service coverage ratios and issuance-specific information including, but not limited to: collateral type, payment terms of the underlying assets, payment priority within the tranche, structure of the security, deal performance and vintage of loans.

When observable inputs are not available, the market standard valuation techniques for determining the estimated fair value of certain types of securities that trade infrequently, and therefore have little or no price transparency, rely on inputs that are significant to the estimated fair value that are not observable in the market or cannot be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data. These unobservable inputs can be based in large part on management judgment or estimation, and cannot be supported by reference to market activity. Even though unobservable, these inputs are based on assumptions deemed appropriate given the circumstances and are believed to be consistent with what other market participants would use when pricing such securities.

The fair values of private placement securities are primarily determined using a discounted cash flow model. In certain cases these models primarily use observable inputs with a discount rate based upon the average of spread surveys collected from private market intermediaries who are active in both primary and secondary transactions, taking into account, among other factors, the credit quality and industry sector of the issuer and the reduced liquidity associated with private placements. Generally, these securities have been reflected within Level 3. For certain private fixed maturities, the discounted cash flow model may also incorporate significant unobservable inputs, which reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the security. To the extent management determines that such unobservable inputs are not significant to the price of a security, a Level 2 classification is made. Otherwise, a Level 3 classification is used.

Embedded Derivatives – The fair value of embedded derivative liabilities, including those calculated by third parties, are monitored through the use of attribution reports to quantify the effect of underlying sources of fair value change, including capital market inputs based on policyholder account values, interest rates and short-term and long-term implied volatilities, from period to period. Actuarial assumptions are based on experience studies performed internally in combination with available industry information and are reviewed on a periodic basis, at least annually.

For embedded derivative liabilities associated with the underlying products in reinsurance treaties, primarily equity-indexed and variable annuity treaties, the Company utilizes a discounted cash flow model, which includes an estimate of future equity option purchases and an adjustment for a CVA. The variable annuity embedded derivative calculations are performed by third parties based on methodology and input assumptions provided by the Company. To validate the reasonableness of the resulting fair value, the Company’s internal actuaries perform reviews and analytical procedures on the results. The capital market inputs to the model, such as equity indexes, short-term equity volatility and interest rates, are generally observable. The valuation also requires certain significant inputs, which are generally not observable and accordingly, the valuation is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, see “Level 3 Measurements and Transfers” below for a description.

The fair value of embedded derivatives associated with funds withheld reinsurance treaties is determined based upon a total return swap technique with reference to the fair value of the investments held by the ceding company that support the Company’s funds withheld at interest asset with an adjustment for a CVA. The fair value of the underlying assets is generally based on market observable inputs using industry standard valuation techniques. The valuation also requires certain significant inputs, which are generally not observable and accordingly, the valuation is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, see “Level 3 Measurements and Transfers” below for a description.

Credit Valuation Adjustment – The Company uses a structural default risk model to estimate a CVA. The input assumptions are a combination of externally derived and published values (default threshold and uncertainty), market inputs (interest rate, equity price per share, debt per share, equity price volatility) and insurance industry data (Loss Given Default), adjusted for market recoverability.

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments – Cash equivalents and short-term investments include money market instruments, commercial paper and other highly liquid debt instruments. Money market instruments are generally valued using unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible for identical assets and are primarily classified as Level 1. The fair value of certain other cash equivalents and short-term investments, such as floating rate notes and bonds with original maturities less than twelve months, are based upon other market observable data and are typically classified as Level 2. However, certain short-term investments may incorporate significant unobservable inputs resulting in a Level 3 classification. Various time deposits carried as cash equivalents or short-term investments are not measured at estimated fair value and therefore are excluded from the tables presented.

Equity Securities – Equity securities consist principally of exchange-traded funds and preferred stock of publicly and privately traded companies. The fair values of publicly traded equity securities are primarily based on quoted market prices in active markets and are classified within Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of preferred equity securities, for which quoted market prices are not readily available, are based on prices obtained from independent pricing services and these securities are generally classified within Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. Non-binding broker quotes for equity securities are generally based on significant unobservable inputs and are reflected as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

FVO Contractholder-Directed Unit-Linked Investments – FVO contractholder-directed investments supporting unit-linked variable annuity type liabilities primarily consist of exchange-traded funds and, to a lesser extent, fixed maturity securities and cash and cash equivalents. The fair values of the exchange-traded securities are primarily based on quoted market prices in active markets and are classified within Level 1 of the hierarchy. The fair value of the fixed maturity contractholder-directed securities is determined on a basis consistent with the methodologies described above for fixed maturity securities and are classified within Level 2 of the hierarchy.

Derivative Assets and Derivative Liabilities – All of the derivative instruments utilized by the Company, except for longevity and mortality swaps, are classified within Level 2 on the fair value hierarchy. These derivatives are principally valued using an income approach. Valuations of interest rate contracts are based on present value techniques, which utilize significant inputs that may include the swap yield curve, London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) basis curves, and repurchase rates. Valuations of foreign currency contracts are based on present value techniques, which utilize significant inputs that may include the swap yield curve, LIBOR basis curves, currency spot rates, and cross currency basis curves. Valuations of credit contracts, are based on present value techniques, which utilize significant inputs that may include the swap yield curve, credit curves, and recovery rates. Valuations of equity market contracts, are based on present value techniques, which utilize significant inputs that may include the swap yield curve, spot equity index levels, and dividend yield curves. Valuations of equity market contracts, option-based, are based on option pricing models, which utilize significant inputs that may include the swap yield curve, spot equity index levels, dividend yield curves, and equity volatility. The Company does not currently have derivatives, except for longevity and mortality swaps, included in Level 3 measurement.

Longevity and Mortality Swaps – The Company utilizes a discounted cash flow model to estimate the fair value of longevity and mortality swaps. The fair value of these swaps includes an accrual for premiums payable and receivable. Some inputs to the valuation model are generally observable, such as interest rates and actual population mortality experience. The valuation also requires significant inputs that are generally not observable and, accordingly, the valuation is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Level 3 Measurements and Transfers

As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, the Company classified approximately 6.9% and 8.2% of its fixed maturity securities in the Level 3 category. These securities primarily consist of private placement corporate securities and bank loans as well as Canadian provincial strips with inactive trading markets. Additionally, the Company has included asset-backed securities with subprime exposure and mortgage-backed securities with below investment grade ratings in the Level 3 category due to market uncertainty associated with these securities and the Company’s utilization of unobservable information from third parties for the valuation of these securities.

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s corporate, sovereign, government-backed, and other political subdivision investments are probability of default, liquidity premium and subordination premium. Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement. Generally, a change in the assumption used for the probability of default is accompanied by a directionally similar change in the assumptions used for the liquidity premium and subordination premium. For securities with a fair value derived using the market comparable pricing valuation technique, liquidity premium is the only significant unobservable input.

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s asset and mortgage-backed securities are prepayment rates, probability of default, liquidity premium and loss severity in the event of default. Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement. Generally, a change in the assumption used for the probability of default is accompanied by a directionally similar change in the assumption used for the liquidity premium and loss severity and a directionally opposite change in the assumption used for prepayment rates.

The actuarial assumptions used in the fair value of embedded derivatives which include assumptions related to lapses, withdrawals, and mortality, are based on experience studies performed by the Company in combination with available industry information and are reviewed on a periodic basis, at least annually. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of embedded derivatives are assumptions associated with policyholder experience and selected capital market assumptions for equity-indexed and variable annuities. The selected capital market assumptions, which include long-term implied volatilities, are projections based on short-term historical information. Changes in interest rates, equity indices, equity volatility, CVA, and actuarial assumptions regarding policyholder experience may result in significant fluctuations in the value of embedded derivatives.

Fair value measurements associated with funds withheld reinsurance treaties are generally not materially sensitive to changes in unobservable inputs associated with policyholder experience. The primary drivers of change in these fair values are related to movements of credit spreads, which are generally observable. Increases (decreases) in market credit spreads tend to decrease (increase) the fair value of embedded derivatives. Increases (decreases) in the CVA assumption tend to decrease (increase) the magnitude of the fair value of embedded derivatives.

Fair value measurements associated with variable annuity treaties are sensitive to both capital markets inputs and policyholder experience inputs. Increases (decreases) in lapse rates tend to decrease (increase) the value of the embedded derivatives associated with variable annuity treaties. Increases (decreases) in the long-term volatility assumption tend to increase (decrease) the fair value of embedded derivatives. Increases (decreases) in the CVA assumption tend to decrease (increase) the magnitude of the fair value of embedded derivatives.

The actuarial assumptions used in the fair value of longevity and mortality swaps include assumptions related to the level and volatility of mortality. The assumptions are based on studies performed by the Company in combination with available industry information and are reviewed on a periodic basis, at least annually.

The following table presents quantitative information about significant unobservable inputs used in Level 3 fair value measurements that are developed internally by the Company as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	Fair Value						Valuation	Unobservable	Range (Weighted Average)
Assets:	2016			2015			Technique	Input	2016		2015
Corporate securities	$	167,815		$	195,557		Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	0-2% (1%)		0-2% (1%)
U.S. government and agencies	24,488			26,265			Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	0-1% (1%)		0-1% (1%)
State and political subdivisions	4,670			4,770			Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	1	%	1	%
Funds withheld at interest- embedded derivatives	(22,529		)	(76,698		)	Total return swap	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-35% (8%)		0-35% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-5% (3%)		0-5% (3%)
								CVA	0-5% (1%)		0-5% (1%)
								Crediting rate	2-4% (2%)		2-4% (3%)
Longevity swaps	26,958			14,996			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Mortality improvement	(10%)-10% (3%)		(10%)-10% (3%)

Liabilities:
Interest sensitive contract liabilities- embedded derivatives- indexed annuities	805,672			878,114			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-35% (8%)		0-35% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-5% (3%)		0-5% (3%)
								Option budget projection	2-4% (2%)		2-4% (3%)
Interest sensitive contract liabilities- embedded derivatives- variable annuities	184,636			192,470			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-25% (6%)		0-25% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-7% (3%)		0-7% (3%)
								CVA	0-5% (1%)		0-5% (1%)
								Long-term volatility	0-27% (14%)		0-27% (14%)
Mortality swaps	2,462			2,619			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (1%)		0-100% (1%)

The Company recognizes transfers of assets and liabilities into and out of levels within the fair value hierarchy at the beginning of the quarter in which the actual event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer occurs. Assets and liabilities transferred into Level 3 are due to a lack of observable market transactions and price information. Assets and liabilities are transferred out of Level 3 when circumstances change such that significant inputs can be corroborated with market observable data. This may be due to a significant increase in market activity for the asset or liability, a specific event, or one or more significant input(s) becoming observable. Transfers out of Level 3 were primarily the result of the Company obtaining observable pricing information or a third party pricing quotation that appropriately reflects the fair value of those assets and liabilities. In addition, certain transfers out of Level 3 were also due to ratings upgrades on mortgage-backed securities that had previously had below investment-grade ratings.

Transfers from Level 1 to Level 2 are due to the lack of observable market data when pricing these securities, while transfers from Level 2 to Level 1 are due to an increase in the availability of market observable data in an active market. There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the year ended December 31, 2016. The following table presents the transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the year ended December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2015
	Transfers from Level 1 to Level 2		Transfers from Level 2 to Level 1
Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	32,206	$	127,653

The tables below provide a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2016, as well as the portion of gains or losses included in income for the year ended December 31, 2016 attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets and liabilities still held at December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):



For the year ended December 31, 2016:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Canadian and Canadian provincial governments		Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,226,970		$	416,076	$	330,649		$	303,836
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(2,399		)	12,197		(595		)	801
Investment related gains (losses), net	(4,756		)	—		(2,153		)	1,101
Included in other comprehensive income	10,022			47,692		(1,621		)	(2,696		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	312,720			—		103,553			138,522
Sales⁽¹⁾	(60,399		)	—		(167,684		)	(38,681		)
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(195,016		)	—		(38,495		)	(61,770		)
Transfers into Level 3	14,098			—		1,728			56,105
Transfers out of Level 3	(28,987		)	—		(65,091		)	(177,938		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,272,253		$	475,965	$	160,291		$	219,280
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(2,343	)	$	12,197	$	(158	)	$	734
Investment related gains (losses), net	(817		)	—		(231		)	—



For the year ended December 31, 2016 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions			Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises			Short-term investments
Fair value, beginning of period	$	68,563		$	26,265		$	38,342		$	14,065		$	—
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,677			(487		)	215			—			—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(876		)	—			—			—			—
Included in other comprehensive income	(5,887		)	39			962			110			—
Purchases⁽¹⁾	1,545			508			6,952			—			3,365
Sales⁽¹⁾	(41,143		)	—			—			—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(552		)	(1,837		)	(599		)	(1,306		)	(19		)
Transfers into Level 3	—			—			—			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(2,182		)	—			(4,206		)	—			—
Fair value, end of period	$	21,145		$	24,488		$	41,666		$	12,869		$	3,346
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	1,552		$	(487	)	$	215		$	—		$	—



For the year ended December 31, 2016 (continued):
	Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period	$	(76,698	)	$	14,996		$	(1,070,584	)	$	(2,619	)
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	54,169			—			7,834			—
Interest credited	—			—			10,709			—
Included in other comprehensive income	—			(1,133		)	—			—
Other revenue	—			13,095			—			(172		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	—			—			(12,725		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	—			—			74,458			329
Fair value, end of period	$	(22,529	)	$	26,958		$	(990,308	)	$	(2,462	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	$	54,169		$	—		$	(4,579	)	$	—
Other revenue	—			13,095			—			(172		)
Interest credited	—			—			(63,748		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.

The tables below provide a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2015, as well as the portion of gains or losses included in income for the year ended December 31, 2015 attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets and liabilities still held at December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands).



For the year ended December 31, 2015:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Canadian and Canadian provincial governments		Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,310,427		$	—	$	188,094		$	572,960
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(3,517		)	2,788		(1,754		)	4,526
Investment related gains (losses), net	(2,814		)	—		(216		)	808
Included in other comprehensive income	(32,452		)	70,144		(944		)	(2,490		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	243,871			—		249,208			229,220
Sales⁽¹⁾	(3,949		)	—		(985		)	(13,105		)
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(279,495		)	—		(39,494		)	(98,918		)
Transfers into Level 3	15,455			343,144		2,853			13,542
Transfers out of Level 3	(20,556		)	—		(66,113		)	(402,707		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,226,970		$	416,076	$	330,649		$	303,836
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(3,396	)	$	2,788	$	(1,753	)	$	2,465
Investment related gains (losses), net	(2,278		)	—		—			—



For the year ended December 31, 2015 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions			Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises
Fair value, beginning of period	$	86,746		$	28,529		$	42,711		$	19,663
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	2,817			(48		)	32			—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(4,737		)	(233		)	(19		)	—
Included in other comprehensive income	(337		)	(602		)	(3,055		)	(7		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	42			544			—			—
Sales⁽¹⁾	(6,153		)	—			—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(7,226		)	(1,925		)	(492		)	(1,258		)
Transfers into Level 3	12,828			—			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(15,417		)	—			(835		)	(4,333		)
Fair value, end of period	$	68,563		$	26,265		$	38,342		$	14,065
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	2,718		$	(48	)	$	32		$	—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(3,593		)	—			—			—



For the year ended December 31, 2015 (continued):
	Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other invested assets - non- redeemable preferred stock			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period	$	22,094		$	7,904		$	7,727		$	(1,085,166	)	$	(797	)
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	(98,792		)	—			—			(33,191		)	—
Interest credited	—			—			—			19,440			—
Included in other comprehensive income	—			(412		)	(959		)	—			—
Other revenue	—			—			8,228			—			(1,822		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	—			4,529			—			(42,798		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	—			—			—			71,131			—
Transfers out of Level 3	—			(12,021		)	—			—			—
Fair value, end of period	$	(76,698	)	$	—		$	14,996		$	(1,070,584	)	$	(2,619	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	$	(98,792	)	$	—		$	—		$	(43,496	)	$	—
Other revenue	—			—			8,228			—			(1,822		)
Interest credited	—			—			—			(51,691		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.

The tables below provide a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2014, as well as the portion of gains or losses included in income for the year ended December 31, 2014 attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets and liabilities still held at December 31, 2014 (dollars in thousands).



For the year ended December 31, 2014:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities			Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,345,289		$	153,505		$	471,848		$	101,785		$	40,919		$	43,776
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(4,828		)	(93		)	7,929			1,892			(483		)	39
Investment related gains (losses), net	(1,984		)	(244		)	2,131			103			(401		)	(17		)
Included in other comprehensive income	(3,100		)	1,748			1,665			1,099			1,052			3,282
Purchases⁽¹⁾	356,706			54,412			191,662			6,180			581			—
Sales⁽¹⁾	(54,386		)	(744		)	(22,923		)	(14,626		)	—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(273,392		)	(34,727		)	(54,175		)	(3,599		)	(13,139		)	(738		)
Transfers into Level 3	13,180			15,981			11,614			5,712			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(67,058		)	(1,744		)	(36,791		)	(11,800		)	—			(3,631		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,310,427		$	188,094		$	572,960		$	86,746		$	28,529		$	42,711
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(4,686	)	$	(97	)	$	5,306		$	1,949		$	(480	)	$	39



For the year ended December 31, 2014 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
		Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises			Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other invested assets - non- redeemable preferred stock			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period		$	37,997		$	(176,270	)	$	4,962		$	—		$	(868,725	)	$	—
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses		(5		)	—			—			—			—			—
Investment related gains (losses), net		—			198,364			—			—			(129,224		)	—
Interest credited		—			—			—			—			(104,843		)	—
Included in other comprehensive income		(59		)	—			(96		)	(361		)	—			—
Other revenue		—			—			—			8,088			—			(797		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾		—			—			8,000			—			(56,234		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾		(1,210		)	—			—			—			—			—
Transfers into Level 3		9,482			—			—			—			73,860			—
Transfers out of Level 3		(26,542		)	—			(4,962		)	—			—			—
Fair value, end of period		$	19,663		$	22,094		$	7,904		$	7,727		$	(1,085,166	)	$	(797	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses		$	(5	)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Investment related gains (losses), net		—			—			—			—			(134,254		)	—
Other revenue		—			—			—			8,088			—			(797		)
Interest credited		—			198,365			—			—			(178,704		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.

Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements

The following table presents information for assets measured at estimated fair value on a nonrecurring basis during the periods presented and still held at the reporting dates (for example, when there is evidence of impairment). The estimated fair values for these assets were determined using significant unobservable inputs.



	Carrying Value After Measurement				Net Investment Gains (Losses)
	At December 31,					Years ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2016		2015			2016			2015
Mortgage loans⁽¹⁾	$	—	$	11,800		$	—		$	228
Limited partnership interests⁽²⁾	6,192		12,520			(9,277		)	(6,550		)


(1)	Estimated fair values for impaired mortgage loans are based on internal valuation models using unobservable inputs or, if the loans are in foreclosure or are otherwise determined to be collateral dependent, are based on external appraisals of the underlying collateral.


(2)	The impaired limited partnership interests presented above were accounted for using the cost method. Impairments on these cost method investments were recognized at estimated fair value determined using the net asset values of the Company’s ownership interest as provided in the financial statements of the investees. The market for these investments has limited activity and price transparency.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company is required by general accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures to disclose the fair value of certain financial instruments including those that are not carried at fair value. The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments, which were not measured at fair value on a recurring basis, at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands).This table excludes any payables or receivables for collateral under repurchase agreements and other transactions. The estimated fair value of the excluded amount approximates carrying value as they equal the amount of cash collateral received/paid.



			Estimated Fair		Fair Value Measurement Using:
December 31, 2016:	Carrying Value		Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV
Assets:
Mortgage loans on real estate	$	3,775,522	$	3,786,987	$	—	$	—	$	3,786,987	$	—
Policy loans	1,427,602		1,427,602		—		1,427,602		—		—
Funds withheld at interest⁽¹⁾	5,893,381		6,193,166		—		—		6,193,166		—
Cash and cash equivalents⁽²⁾	862,117		862,117		862,117		—		—		—
Short-term investments⁽²⁾	32,469		32,469		32,469		—		—		—
Other invested assets⁽²⁾	477,132		510,640		26,294		55,669		131,904		296,773
Accrued investment income	347,173		347,173		—		347,173		—		—
Liabilities:
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities⁽¹⁾	$	10,225,099	$	10,234,544	$	—	$	—	$	10,234,544	$	—
Long-term debt	3,088,635		3,186,173		—		—		3,186,173		—
Collateral finance and securitization notes	840,700		745,805		—		—		745,805		—

December 31, 2015:
Assets:
Mortgage loans on real estate	$	3,129,951	$	3,197,808	$	—	$	—	$	3,197,808	$	—
Policy loans	1,468,796		1,468,796		—		1,468,796		—		—
Funds withheld at interest⁽¹⁾	5,956,380		6,311,780		—		—		6,311,780		—
Cash and cash equivalents⁽²⁾	1,118,754		1,118,754		1,118,754		—		—		—
Short-term investments⁽²⁾	27,511		27,511		27,511		—		—		—
Other invested assets⁽²⁾	399,799		444,342		4,445		34,886		111,412		293,599
Accrued investment income	339,452		339,452		—		339,452		—		—
Liabilities:
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities⁽¹⁾	$	9,746,870	$	9,841,576	$	—	$	—	$	9,841,576	$	—
Long-term debt	2,297,548		2,415,119		—		—		2,415,119		—
Collateral finance and securitization notes	899,161		791,275		—		—		791,275		—


(1)	Carrying values presented herein differ from those presented in the consolidated balance sheets because certain items within the respective financial statement caption are embedded derivatives and are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.


(2)	Carrying values presented herein differ from those presented in the consolidated balance sheets because certain items within the respective financial statement caption are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate – The fair value of mortgage loans on real estate is estimated by discounting cash flows, both principal and interest, using current interest rates for mortgage loans with similar credit ratings and similar remaining maturities. As such, inputs include current treasury yields and spreads, which are based on the credit rating and average life of the loan, corresponding to the market spreads. The valuation of mortgage loans on real estate is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Policy Loans – Policy loans typically carry an interest rate that is adjusted annually based on an observable market index and therefore carrying value approximates fair value. The valuation of policy loans is considered Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Funds Withheld at Interest – The carrying value of funds withheld at interest approximates fair value except where the funds withheld are specifically identified in the agreement. When funds withheld are specifically identified in the agreement, the fair value is based on the fair value of the underlying assets which are held by the ceding company. Ceding companies use a variety of sources and pricing methodologies, which are not transparent to the Company and may include significant unobservable inputs, to value the securities that are held in distinct portfolios, therefore the valuation of these funds withheld assets are considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments – The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments approximates fair values due to the short-term maturities of these instruments and are considered Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy.

Other Invested Assets – This primarily includes limited partnership interests accounted for using the cost method, structured loans, FHLB common stock, cash collateral and equity release mortgages. The fair value of limited partnership interests and other investments accounted for using the cost method is determined using the NAV of the Company’s ownership interest as provided in the financial statements of the investees. The fair value of structured loans is estimated based on a discounted cash flow analysis using discount rates applicable to each structured loan, this is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the Company’s common stock investment in the FHLB is considered to be the carrying value and it is considered Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the Company’s cash collateral is considered to be the carrying value and considered to be Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the Company’s equity release mortgage loan portfolio, considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, is estimated by discounting cash flows, both principal and interest, using a risk free rate plus an illiquidity premium. The cash flow analysis considers future expenses, changes in property prices, and actuarial analysis of borrower behavior, mortality and morbidity.

Accrued Investment Income – The carrying value for accrued investment income approximates fair value as there are no adjustments made to the carrying value. This is considered Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Interest-Sensitive Contract Liabilities – The carrying and fair values of interest-sensitive contract liabilities reflected in the table above exclude contracts with significant mortality risk. The fair value of the Company’s interest-sensitive contract liabilities utilizes a market standard technique with both capital market inputs and policyholder behavior assumptions, as well as cash values adjusted for recapture fees. The capital market inputs to the model, such as interest rates, are generally observable. Policyholder behavior assumptions are generally not observable and may require use of significant management judgment. The valuation of interest-sensitive contract liabilities is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Long-term Debt/Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes – The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt, and collateral finance and securitization notes is generally estimated by discounting future cash flows using market rates currently available for debt with similar remaining maturities and reflecting the credit risk of the Company, including inputs when available, from actively traded debt of the Company or other companies with similar credit quality. The valuation of long-term debt, and collateral finance and securitization notes is generally obtained from brokers and is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Reinsurance

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]

Reinsurance

REINSURANCE

In the normal course of business, the Company seeks to limit its exposure to loss on any single insured and to recover a portion of benefits paid by ceding reinsurance to other insurance enterprises or reinsurers under excess coverage and coinsurance contracts. In the individual life markets, the Company retains a maximum of $8.0 million of coverage per individual life. Claims in excess of this retention amount are retroceded to retrocessionaires; however, the Company remains fully liable to the ceding company for the entire amount of risk it assumes. In certain limited situations the Company has retained more than $8.0 million per individual policy. The Company enters into agreements with other reinsurers to mitigate the residual risk related to the over-retained policies. Additionally, due to some lower face amount reinsurance coverage provided by the Company in addition to individual life, such as group life, disability and health, under certain circumstances, the Company could potentially incur net claims totaling more than $8.0 million per individual life.

Retrocession reinsurance treaties do not relieve the Company from its obligations to direct writing companies. Failure of retrocessionaires to honor their obligations could result in losses to the Company. Consequently, allowances would be established for amounts deemed uncollectible. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, no allowances were deemed necessary. The Company regularly evaluates the financial condition of the insurance companies from which it assumes and to which it cedes reinsurance.

Retrocessions are arranged through the Company’s retrocession pools for amounts in excess of the Company’s retention limit. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, all rated retrocession pool participants followed by the A.M. Best Company were rated “A- (excellent)” or better. The Company verifies retrocession pool participants’ ratings on a quarterly basis. For a majority of the retrocessionaires that were not rated, security in the form of letters of credit or trust assets has been posted. In addition, the Company performs annual financial reviews of its retrocessionaires to evaluate financial stability and performance. In addition to its third party retrocessionaires, various RGA reinsurance subsidiaries retrocede amounts in excess of their retention to affiliated subsidiaries.

The following table presents information for the Company’s ceded reinsurance receivable assets, including the respective amount and A.M. Best rating for each reinsurer representing in excess of five percent of the total as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



		2016				2015
Reinsurer	A.M. Best Rating	Amount		% of Total		Amount		% of Total
Reinsurer A	A+	$	240,894	35.2	%	$	199,479	31.3	%
Reinsurer B	A+	183,881		26.9		179,522		28.1
Reinsurer C	A+	68,832		10.1		72,836		11.4
Reinsurer D	A++	36,202		5.3		41,807		6.6
Reinsurer E	A	35,484		5.2		37,138		5.8
Other reinsurers		118,679		17.3		107,077		16.8
Total		$	683,972	100.0	%	$	637,859	100.0	%

Included in the total ceded reinsurance receivables balance were $242.0 million and $233.7 million of claims recoverable, of which $4.0 million and $2.0 million were in excess of 90 days past due, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The effect of reinsurance on net premiums is as follows (dollars in thousands):



Years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Direct	$	57,562		$	43,106		$	19,365
Reinsurance assumed	10,049,587			9,371,308			9,098,378
Reinsurance ceded	(858,278		)	(843,673		)	(447,889		)
Net premiums	$	9,248,871		$	8,570,741		$	8,669,854

The effect of reinsurance on claims and other policy benefits as follows (dollars in thousands):



Years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Direct	$	105,435		$	82,942		$	32,564
Reinsurance assumed	8,621,647			8,205,308			7,805,984
Reinsurance ceded	(733,707		)	(798,868		)	(431,907		)
Net claims and other policy benefits	$	7,993,375		$	7,489,382		$	7,406,641

The effect of reinsurance on life insurance in force is shown in the following schedule (dollars in millions):



	Direct		Assumed		Ceded		Net		Assumed/Net %
December 31, 2016	$	1,576	$	3,062,525	$	214,727	$	2,849,374	107.5	%
December 31, 2015	1,686		2,995,079		222,388		2,774,377		108.0
December 31, 2014	78		2,943,517		230,544		2,713,051		108.5

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, the Company provided approximately $10.8 billion and $8.8 billion of financial reinsurance, as measured by pre-tax statutory surplus, risk based capital and other financial reinsurance structures, to other insurance companies under financial reinsurance transactions to assist ceding companies in meeting applicable regulatory requirements. Generally, such financial reinsurance is provided by the Company committing cash or assuming insurance liabilities, which are collateralized by future profits on the reinsured business. The Company earns a fee based on the amount of net outstanding financial reinsurance.

Reinsurance agreements, whether facultative or automatic, may provide for recapture rights on the part of the ceding company. Recapture rights permit the ceding company to reassume all or a portion of the risk formerly ceded to the reinsurer after an agreed-upon period of time, generally 10 years, or in some cases due to changes in the financial condition or ratings of the reinsurer. Recapture of business previously ceded does not affect premiums ceded prior to the recapture of such business, but would reduce premiums in subsequent periods. Additionally, some treaties give the ceding company the right to request the Company to place assets in trust for their benefit to support their reserve credits, in the event of a downgrade of the Company’s ratings to specified levels, generally non-investment grade levels, or if minimum levels of financial condition are not maintained. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, these treaties had approximately $1,935.0 million and $1,656.9 million, respectively, in statutory reserves. Assets placed in trust continue to be owned by the Company, but their use is restricted based on the terms of the trust agreement. Securities with an amortized cost of $2,372.1 million and $1,638.0 million were held in trust to satisfy collateral requirements for reinsurance business for the benefit of certain RGA subsidiaries at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. In addition, the Company’s collateral financing operations have asset in trust requirements. See Note 14 – “Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes” for additional information. Securities with an amortized cost of $12,135.3 million and $10,535.7 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, were held in trust to satisfy collateral requirements under certain third-party reinsurance treaties. Under certain conditions, RGA may be obligated to move reinsurance from one RGA subsidiary company to another or make payments under the treaty. These conditions include change in control or ratings of the subsidiary, insolvency, nonperformance under a treaty, or loss of reinsurance license of such subsidiary.

- Definition

The entire disclosure pertaining to the existence, magnitude and information about insurance that has been ceded to or assumed from another insurance company, including the methodologies and assumptions used in determining recorded amounts.

+ References + Details

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Disclosures [Abstract]

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

DEFERRED POLICY ACQUISITION COSTS

The following reflects the amounts of policy acquisition costs deferred and amortized (dollars in thousands):



Years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Balance, beginning of year	$	3,392,437		$	3,342,575		$	3,517,796
Capitalization	350,233			352,260			877,609
Amortization (including interest)	(341,115		)	(288,630		)	(867,621		)
Change in value of embedded derivatives	(40,077		)	58,754			(111,744		)
Attributed to unrealized investment gains (losses)	(3,541		)	17,510			(4,480		)
Foreign currency translation	(19,332		)	(90,032		)	(68,985		)
Balance, end of year	$	3,338,605		$	3,392,437		$	3,342,575

Some reinsurance agreements involve reimbursing the ceding company for allowances and commissions in excess of first-year premiums. These amounts represent acquisition costs and are capitalized to the extent deemed recoverable from the future premiums and amortized against future profits of the business. This type of agreement presents a risk to the extent that the business lapses faster than originally anticipated, resulting in future profits being insufficient to recover the Company’s investment. Prior to 2015, certain renewal commissions that were capitalized and amortized in the same period were reflected in the table above. During 2015, the Company enhanced its process to track certain DAC roll forward component items, in particular, capitalization and amortization of certain renewal commissions have been excluded from the table above. Had the current methodology been used in 2014, the amounts capitalized and amortized would have decreased by $437.9 million.

Income Tax

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax

INCOME TAX

Pre-tax income for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015		2014
Pre-tax income - U.S.	$	758,496	$	493,328	$	768,857
Pre-tax income - foreign	285,450		251,467		239,676
Total pre-tax income	$	1,043,946	$	744,795	$	1,008,533

The provision for income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015			2014
Current income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.	$	1,020	$	1,588		$	18,495
Foreign	47,706		92,045			135,260
Total current	48,726		93,633			153,755
Deferred income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.	273,928		193,204			242,694
Foreign	19,849		(44,208		)	(71,963		)
Total deferred	293,777		148,996			170,731
Total provision for income taxes	$	342,503	$	242,629		$	324,486

Provision for income tax expense differed from the amounts computed by applying the U.S. federal income tax statutory rate of 35% to pre-tax income as a result of the following for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Tax provision at U.S. statutory rate	$	365,381		$	260,678		$	352,987
Increase (decrease) in income taxes resulting from:
Foreign tax rate differing from U.S. tax rate	(13,974		)	(9,950		)	(12,483		)
Differences in tax basis in foreign jurisdictions	(17,770		)	(32,472		)	(8,256		)
Deferred tax valuation allowance	10,963			19,157			2,076
Amounts related to tax audit contingencies	111			88			(9,083		)
Corporate rate changes - other	—			—			280
Subpart F	1,783			3,473			6,132
Foreign tax credits	(1,683		)	(1,936		)	(1,045		)
Return to provision adjustments	(1,473		)	1,482			(8,123		)
Other, net	(835		)	2,109			2,001
Total provision for income taxes	$	342,503		$	242,629		$	324,486
Effective tax rate	32.8		%	32.6		%	32.2		%

Total income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Provision for income taxes	$	342,503		$	242,629		$	324,486
Income tax from OCI and additional paid-in-capital:
Net unrealized holding gain (loss) on debt and equity securities recognized for financial reporting purposes	157,929			(339,889		)	348,697
Exercise of stock options	(162		)	(2,963		)	3,011
Foreign currency translation	21,081			16,478			22,998
Unrealized pension and post retirement	1,772			1,726			(14,770		)
Total income taxes provided	$	523,123		$	(82,019	)	$	684,422

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred income tax asset and liabilities at December 31, 2016 and 2015, are presented in the following tables (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
Deferred income tax assets:
Nondeductible accruals	$	125,879		$	116,106
Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions	87,688			63,543
Differences in the tax basis of cash and invested assets	775			5,931
Investment income differences	35,192			—
Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for tax	143,003			131,714
Net operating loss carryforward	325,806			524,501
Capital loss and tax credit carryforwards	101,223			77,888
Subtotal	819,566			919,683
Valuation allowance	(133,354		)	(127,132		)
Total deferred income tax assets	686,212			792,551
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for financial reporting	1,013,642			1,011,753
Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions	1,773,929			1,509,211
Differences in the tax basis of cash and invested assets	505,841			336,870
Investment income differences	5,635			14,654
Differences in foreign currency translation	91,067			81,492
Prepaid expenses	—			1,014
Total deferred income tax liabilities	3,390,114			2,954,994
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	2,703,902		$	2,162,443
Balance sheet presentation of net deferred income tax liabilities:
Included in other assets	$	66,738		$	55,885
Included in deferred income taxes	2,770,640			2,218,328
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	2,703,902		$	2,162,443

As of December 31, 2016, a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets of approximately $133.4 million was provided on the total deferred tax assets in certain jurisdictions. The valuation allowance is primarily related to numerous branches and legal entities for which there is no history of earnings in recent years. Further there is a partial valuation allowance on RGA Reinsurance Company of South Africa, Limited (“RGA South Africa”), RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia Limited (“RGA Australia”) and Aurora National net operating losses as well as RGA International Reinsurance Company dac (“RGA International”) foreign tax credit. As of December 31, 2015, a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets of approximately $127.1 million was provided on the total deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance is primarily related to numerous branches and legal entities for which there is no history of earnings in recent years. Further there is a partial valuation allowance on RGA South Africa and RGA Australia’s net operating losses, RGA International’s foreign tax credit and on RGA’s deferred tax asset related to share expense for foreign entities. The Company utilizes valuation allowances when it believes, based on the weight of the available evidence, that it is more likely than not that the deferred income tax asset will not be utilized.

The earnings of substantially all of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries have been permanently reinvested in foreign operations. A provision of $4.2 million has been made for U.S. taxes on repatriation. No other provision has been made for U.S. tax or foreign withholding taxes that may be applicable upon any repatriation or sale. The determination of the unrecognized deferred tax liability for temporary differences related to investments in the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is not practicable. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the financial reporting basis in excess of the tax basis for which no deferred taxes have been recognized was approximately $1,147.2 million and $992.9 million, respectively.

During 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company received federal and foreign income tax refunds of approximately $6.9 million, $136.8 million and $9.3 million, respectively. The Company made cash income tax payments of approximately $68.0 million, $178.4 million and $79.6 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized gross deferred tax assets associated with net operating losses of approximately $1,353.6 million and $1,771.0 million, respectively. The earliest expiration date for any significant net operating losses that do not have a valuation allowance is 2028, during which $50.3 million of net operating losses would expire if not utilized. The remaining net operating losses have either a valuation allowance or indefinite carryforward periods. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company also recognized a deferred tax asset associated with tax credits of $100.9 million and $77.5 million, respectively. The earliest expiration date for the tax credits is 2023 during which $19.7 million would expire if not utilized. However, these net operating losses and tax credits, other than the net operating losses and tax credits for which there is a valuation allowance, are expected to be utilized in the normal course of business during the period allowed for carryforwards and in any event, are not expected to be lost, due to the application of tax planning strategies that the Company would utilize.

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is under continuous examination by the Internal Revenue Service and is subject to audit by taxing authorities in other foreign jurisdictions in which the Company has significant business operations. The income tax years under examination vary by jurisdiction. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2011 and with a few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to state and foreign income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2010.

As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s total amount of unrecognized tax benefits was $297.3 million and the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would affect the effective tax rate, if recognized, was $30.3 million. Management believes there will be no material impact to the Company’s effective tax rate related to unrecognized tax benefits over the next 12 months.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, is as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Total Unrecognized Tax Benefits
	2016			2015			2014
Beginning balance, January 1	$	296,213		$	274,661		$	279,801
Additions for tax positions of prior years	226,720			26,170			17,431
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(229,719		)	(7,820		)	(26,001		)
Additions for tax positions of current year	4,186			3,396			3,430
Settlements with tax authorities	(110		)	(194		)	—
Ending balance, December 31	$	297,290		$	296,213		$	274,661

The Company recognized interest expense (benefit) associated with uncertain tax positions in 2016, 2015 and 2014 of $(8.4) million, $8.2 million and $(36.6) million, respectively. Additionally, the Company recognized penalties of $0.3 million for 2016. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had $20.4 million and $28.8 million, respectively, of accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits.

Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Certain subsidiaries of the Company are sponsors or administrators of both qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans (“Pension Plans”). The largest of these plans is a non-contributory qualified defined benefit pension plan sponsored by RGA Reinsurance that covers U.S. employees. The benefits under the Pension Plans are generally based on years of service and compensation levels.

The Company also provides select health care and life insurance benefits for certain retired employees. The health care benefits are provided through a self-insured welfare benefit plan. Employees become eligible for these benefits if they meet minimum age and service requirements. The retiree’s cost for health care benefits varies depending upon the credited years of service. The Company recorded benefits expense of approximately $6.3 million, $9.1 million, and $5.4 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, that are related to these postretirement plans. Effective January 1, 2017, employees hired in the U. S. are not eligible for retiree health care benefits. Virtually all retirees, or their beneficiaries, contribute a portion of the total cost of postretirement health benefits. Prepaid benefit costs and accrued benefit liabilities are included in other assets and other liabilities, respectively, in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

A December 31 measurement date is used for all of the defined benefit and postretirement plans. The status of these plans as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 is summarized below (dollars in thousands):



	December 31,
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2016			2015			2016			2015
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	142,239		$	138,196		$	63,307		$	59,782
Service cost	10,319			9,222			2,883			4,062
Interest Cost	4,790			5,035			2,259			2,572
Participant contributions	—			—			305			229
Amendments⁽¹⁾	—			—			(13,743		)	—
Actuarial (gains) losses	9,973			(1,919		)	6,228			(2,729		)
Settlement (gains) losses	258			—			—			—
Settlements	(3,152		)	—			—			—
Benefits paid	(3,047		)	(4,480		)	(715		)	(609		)
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments	575			(3,815		)	—			—
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	161,955		$	142,239		$	60,524		$	63,307


(1)	Reflects effect of the amendment to RGA’s U.S. retiree health care benefit plan announced in 2016, effective January 1, 2017. The amount was recorded in AOCI and will be amortized through prior service cost.



	December 31,
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2016			2015			2016			2015
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	68,435		$	66,757		$	—		$	—
Actual return on plan assets	6,584			(2,795		)	—			—
Employer contributions	15,950			8,953			410			380
Participant contributions	—			—			305			229
Disbursement for settlements	(3,152		)	—			—			—
Benefits paid and expenses	(3,047		)	(4,480		)	(715		)	(609		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	84,770		$	68,435		$	—		$	—
Funded status at end of year	$	(77,185	)	$	(73,804	)	$	(60,524	)	$	(63,307	)



	December 31,
	Qualified Plans						Non-Qualified Plans⁽¹⁾						Total
	2016			2015			2016			2015			2016			2015
Aggregate fair value of plan assets	$	84,770		$	68,435		$	—		$	—		$	84,770		$	68,435
Aggregate projected benefit obligations	96,418			83,870			65,537			58,369			161,955			142,239
Under funded	$	(11,648	)	$	(15,435	)	$	(65,537	)	$	(58,369	)	$	(77,185	)	$	(73,804	)


(1)	For non-qualified plans, there are no required funding levels.



	December 31,
	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2016		2015		2016			2015
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income:
Net actuarial loss	$	46,119	$	41,814	$	32,156		$	27,755
Net prior service cost (credit)	703		1,159		(13,121		)	—
Total	$	46,822	$	42,973	$	19,035		$	27,755

The following table presents information for qualified and non-qualified pension plans with a projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Projected benefit obligation	$	161,955	$	142,239
Fair value of plan assets	84,770		68,435

The accumulated benefit obligations for all defined benefit pension plans were $158.6 million and $140.4 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The following table presents information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	158,580	$	140,442
Fair value of plan assets	84,770		68,435

The components of net periodic benefit cost and other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
	2016			2015			2014			2016			2015			2014
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	10,319		$	9,222		$	8,121		$	2,883		$	4,062		$	2,354
Interest cost	4,790			5,035			4,972			2,259			2,572			1,962
Expected return on plan assets	(5,138		)	(4,897		)	(4,471		)	—			—			—
Amortization of prior actuarial losses	4,323			3,429			1,755			1,827			2,465			1,060
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	294			309			333			(622		)	—			—
Settlements	1,026			—			—			—			—			—
Net periodic benefit cost	15,614			13,098			10,710			6,347			9,099			5,376


Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income:
Net actuarial (gains) losses	8,785			5,774			20,912			6,228			(2,729		)	25,354
Amortization of actuarial (gains) losses	(4,323		)	(3,429		)	(1,755		)	(1,827		)	(2,465		)	(1,060		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(294		)	(309		)	(333		)	622			—			—
Settlements	(1,026		)	—			—			—			—			—
Prior service cost (credit) ⁽¹⁾	—			—			—			(13,743		)	—			—
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments	707			(1,797		)	(578		)	—			—			—
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	3,849			239			18,246			(8,720		)	(5,194		)	24,294
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	19,463		$	13,337		$	28,956		$	(2,373	)	$	3,905		$	29,670


(1)	Reflects effect of the amendment to RGA’s U.S. retiree health care benefit plan announced in 2016, effective January 1, 2017. The amount was recorded in AOCI and will be amortized through prior service cost.

During 2017, the Company expects to contribute $15.1 million and $5.1 million to the pension plans and other benefit plans, respectively.

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service as appropriate, are expected to be paid (dollars in thousands):



	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
2017	$	8,944	$	1,132
2018	8,709		1,387
2019	11,467		1,650
2020	10,250		1,977
2021	10,474		2,327
2022-2026	63,526		16,374

The estimated net loss and prior service cost for the defined benefit pension plans and post-retirement plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year are $4.1 million and $0.8 million, respectively.

Assumptions

Weighted average assumptions used to determine the accumulated benefit obligation and net benefit cost or income were as follows:



	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2016		2015		2014		2016		2015		2014
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation	3.80	%	3.99	%	3.90	%	4.10	%	4.43	%	4.05	%
Discount rate used to determine net benefit cost or income	3.95	%	3.77	%	4.30	%	4.43	%	4.05	%	5.05	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.35	%	7.35	%	7.35	%	—	%	—	%	—	%
Rate of compensation increases	4.08	%	4.08	%	4.08	%	—	%	—	%	—	%

The expected rate of return on plan assets is based on anticipated performance of the various asset sectors in which the plan invests, weighted by target allocation percentages. Anticipated future performance is based on long-term historical returns of the plan assets by sector, adjusted for the long-term expectations on the performance of the markets. While the precise expected return derived using this approach may fluctuate from year to year, the policy is to hold this long-term assumption constant as long as it remains within reasonable tolerance from the derived rate. This process is consistent for all plan assets as all the assets are invested in mutual funds.

The assumed health care cost trend rates used in measuring the accumulated non-pension post-retirement benefit obligation were as follows:



	December 31,
	2016	2015
Pre-Medicare eligible claims	10% down to 5% in 2024	8% down to 5% in 2020
Medicare eligible claims	10% down to 5% in 2024	8% down to 5% in 2020

Assumed health care cost trend rates may have a significant effect on the amounts reported for health care plans. A one-percentage point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects (dollars in thousands):



	One Percent Increase		One Percent Decrease
Effect on total of service and interest cost components	$	7,394	$	(6,606	)
Effect on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	$	940	$	(710	)

Plan Assets

Target allocations of U.S. qualified pension plan assets are determined with the objective of maximizing returns and minimizing volatility of net assets through adequate asset diversification and partial liability immunization. Adjustments are made to target allocations based on the Company’s assessment of the effect of economic factors and market conditions. The target allocations for plan assets are 60% equity securities and 40% debt securities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company’s plan assets are primarily invested in mutual funds. The mutual funds include holdings of S&P 500 securities, large-cap securities, mid-cap securities, small-cap securities, international securities, corporate debt securities, U.S. and other government securities, mortgage-related securities and cash.

Equity and debt securities are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, and overall market volatility. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, changes in the values of investment securities will occur and any change would affect the amounts reported in the financial statements.

The fair values of the Company’s qualified pension plan assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are summarized below (dollars in thousands):



	December 31, 2016
			Fair Value Measurement Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽¹⁾	$	84,671	$	84,671	$	—	$	—
Cash	99		99		—		—
Total	$	84,770	$	84,770	$	—	$	—


(1)	Mutual funds were invested 28% in U.S. equity funds, 37% in U.S. fixed income funds, 20% in non-U.S. equity funds and 15% in other.



	December 31, 2015
			Fair Value Measurement Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽²⁾	$	68,349	$	68,349	$	—	$	—
Cash	86		86		—		—
Total	$	68,435	$	68,435	$	—	$	—


(2)	Mutual funds were invested 32% in U.S. equity funds, 38% in U.S. fixed income funds, 15% in non-U.S. equity funds and 15% in other.

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company classified all of its qualified pension plan assets in the Level 1 category as quoted prices in active markets are available for these assets. See Note 6 – “Fair Value of Asset and Liabilities” for additional detail on the fair value hierarchy.

Savings and Investment Plans

Certain subsidiaries of RGA also sponsor saving and investment plans under which a portion of employee contributions are matched. Subsidiary contributions to these plans, were $9.9 million, $9.0 million and $7.8 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subsidiaries

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Statutory Basis [Abstract]

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subsidiaries

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND NET INCOME ON A STATUTORY BASIS – SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES

The domestic and foreign insurance subsidiaries of RGA prepare their statutory financial statements in conformity with statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the applicable state insurance department or local regulatory authority, which vary materially from statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Prescribed statutory accounting practices in the U.S. include publications of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”), as well as state laws, local regulations and general administrative rules. The differences between statutory financial statements and financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP vary between jurisdictions. The principal differences between GAAP and NAIC are that statutory financial statements do not reflect deferred policy acquisition costs and limit deferred tax assets, life benefit reserves predominately use interest rate and mortality assumptions prescribed by the NAIC and local regulatory agencies, bonds are generally carried at amortized cost and reinsurance assets and liabilities are presented net of reinsurance.

Statutory net income, and capital and surplus of the Company’s insurance subsidiaries, determined in accordance with statutory accounting practices prescribed by the applicable state insurance department or local regulatory authority are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Statutory Capital & Surplus				Statutory Net Income (Loss)
	2016		2015		2016			2015			2014
RGA Reinsurance (U.S.)	$	1,521,644	$	1,503,402	$	148,576		$	(23,615	)	$	17,085
Reinsurance Company of Missouri	1,651,274		1,598,328		272,038			51,041			126,326
RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada	915,134		874,151		13,947			113,526			225,083
RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. ⁽¹⁾	957,051		835,126		95,859			113,049			66,097
RGA Australia	370,039		335,631		(7,694		)	(18,128		)	874
RGA Atlantic Reinsurance Company Ltd.	596,016		554,417		110,172			132,192			113,055
RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. ⁽¹⁾	3,416,512		3,135,177		267,876			260,599			258,588
Other reinsurance subsidiaries	2,224,833		2,136,480		130,289			300,847			(647,259		)

(1)

In 2016, the Company contributed to RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. all of the outstanding shares of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, RGA Global Reinsurance Company, Ltd., and Manor Reinsurance, Ltd. In 2016, the Company also contributed to RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. all of the outstanding shares of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, RGA International Reinsurance Company dac and Leidsche Leven Holding B.V. Periods prior to 2016 have been adjusted to reflect the contributions.

Each U.S. domestic insurance subsidiary’s state of domicile imposes minimum risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements that were developed by the NAIC. The formulas for determining the amount of RBC specify various weighting factors that are applied to financial balances or various levels of activity based on the perceived degree of risk. Regulatory compliance is determined by a ratio of total adjusted capital, as defined by the NAIC, to authorized control level RBC, as defined by the NAIC. Companies below specific trigger points or ratios are classified within certain levels, each of which requires specified corrective action. Each of RGA’s U.S. domestic insurance subsidiaries exceeded the minimum RBC requirements for all periods presented herein. These requirements do not represent a significant constraint for the payment of dividends by RGA’s U.S. domestic insurance companies.

The licensing orders of the Company’s special purpose companies stipulate a minimum amount of capital required based on the purpose of the entity and the underlying business. These companies are subject to enhanced oversight by the regulator which includes filing detailed plans of operations before commencing operations or making material changes to existing agreements or entering into new agreements. Each of the Company’s Special Purpose Life Reinsurance Captives (“SPLRC”) exceeded the minimum capital requirements for all periods presented herein.

The Company’s foreign insurance subsidiaries prepare financial statements in accordance with local regulatory requirements. The regulatory authorities in these foreign jurisdictions establish some form of minimum regulatory capital and surplus requirements. All of the Company’s foreign insurance subsidiaries have regulatory capital and surplus that exceed the local minimum requirements. These requirements do not represent a significant constraint for the payment of dividends by the Company’s foreign insurance companies.

The state of domicile of certain of the Company’s SPLRCs follow prescribed accounting practices differing from NAIC statutory accounting practices (“NAIC SAP”) applicable to their statutory financial statements. Specifically, these prescribed practices require that surplus note interest accrued but not approved for payment be reported as a direct reduction of surplus and an addition to the surplus note balance. Under NAIC SAP, surplus note interest is not to be reported until approved for payment and is reported as a reduction of net investment income in the Summary of Operations. In addition, these prescribed practices allow the SPLRC to reflect letters of credit issued for its benefit as an admitted asset and a direct credit to unassigned surplus. Under NAIC SAP, letters of credit issued on behalf of the reporting company are not reported on the balance sheet.

A reconciliation of the Company’s surplus between NAIC SAP and practices prescribed by the state of domicile is shown below (dollars in thousands):



	December 31,
	2016			2015
Prescribed practice – surplus note	$	574,574		$	639,515
Prescribed practice – letters of credit	(615,100		)	(570,100		)
Surplus (deficit) – NAIC SAP	$	(40,526	)	$	69,415

Reinsurance Company of Missouri (“RCM”), RGA Reinsurance and Chesterfield Reinsurance Company (“Chesterfield Re”) are subject to Missouri statutory provisions that restrict the payment of dividends. They may not pay dividends in any 12-month period in excess of the greater of the prior year’s statutory net gain from operations or 10% of statutory capital and surplus at the preceding year-end, without regulatory approval. The applicable statutory provisions only permit an insurer to pay a shareholder dividend from unassigned surplus. As of January 1, 2017, RGA Reinsurance could pay maximum dividends, without prior approval, of approximately $152.2 million. Any dividends paid by RGA Reinsurance would be paid to RCM, its parent company, which in turn has restrictions related to its ability to pay dividends to RGA. Chesterfield Re would pay dividends to its immediate parent Chesterfield Financial Holdings LLC, (“Chesterfield Financial”), which would in turn pay dividends to RCM, subject to the terms of the indenture for the embedded value securitization transaction, in which Chesterfield Financial cannot declare or pay any dividends so long as any private placement notes are outstanding. The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institution and Professional Registration, allows RCM to pay a dividend to RGA to the extent RCM received the dividend from RGA Reinsurance, without limitation related to the level of unassigned surplus. Dividend payments from other subsidiaries are subject to regulations in the jurisdiction of domicile, which are generally based on their earnings and/or capital level. In addition, the earnings of substantially all of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries have been indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations.

There are no regulatory restrictions that limit the payment of dividends by RGA, except those generally applicable to Missouri corporations. Dividends are payable by Missouri corporations only under the circumstances specified in The General and Business Corporation Law of Missouri. RGA would not be permitted to pay common stock dividends if there is any accrued and unpaid interest on its subordinated debentures and its junior subordinated debentures. Furthermore, the ability of RGA to pay dividends is dependent on business conditions, income, cash requirements of the Company, receipt of dividends from its subsidiaries, financial covenant provisions and other relevant factors.

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND GUARANTEES

Commitments

Funding of Investments

The Company’s commitments to fund investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are presented in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures	$	332,169	$	263,163
Commercial mortgage loans	126,248		86,325
Bank loans	58,318		48,686
Equity release mortgages	130,324		8,504

The Company anticipates that the majority of its current commitments will be invested over the next five years; however, these commitments could become due any time at the request of the counterparties. Investments in limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures are carried at cost or reported using the equity method and included in other invested assets in the consolidated balance sheets. Bank loans are carried at fair value and included in fixed maturity securities available-for-sale. Equity release mortgages are carried at unpaid principal balances, net of any amortized premium or discount and valuation allowance and included in other invested assets.

Leases

The Company leases office space and furniture and equipment under non-cancelable operating lease agreements, which expire at various dates. Future minimum office space annual rentals under non-cancelable operating leases along with associated sublease income at December 31, 2016 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Operating Leases		Sublease Income
2017	$	11,297	$	119
2018	10,250		—
2019	6,389		—
2020	4,317		—
2021	2,473		—
Thereafter	11,008		—

Rent expenses amounted to approximately $13.7 million, $12.1 million and $19.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

In 2013, the Company executed a series of incentive agreements with the County of St. Louis, Missouri (the “County”). Under these agreements, the Company transferred its newly constructed world headquarters to the County in exchange for taxable industrial revenue bonds (the “bonds”), in a series of bond issuances during 2013 and 2014, with a maximum amount of $150.0 million. As a result, the Company was able to reduce the cost of constructing and operating its world headquarters by reducing certain state and local tax expenditures. The Company simultaneously leased the world headquarters from the County and has an option to purchase the world headquarters for a nominal fee upon tendering the bonds back to the County. The payments due to the Company under the terms of the bonds and the amounts owed by the Company under the terms of the lease agreement qualify for the right of offset under GAAP. As such, neither the bonds nor the lease obligation is recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as an asset or liability, respectively. The world headquarters is recorded as an asset of the Company in “Other assets” on the consolidated balance sheets.

Contingencies

Litigation

The Company is subject to litigation in the normal course of its business. The Company currently has no material litigation. A legal reserve is established when the Company is notified of an arbitration demand or litigation or is notified that an arbitration demand or litigation is imminent, it is probable that the Company will incur a loss as a result and the amount of the probable loss is reasonably capable of being estimated.

Other Contingencies

The Company indemnifies its directors and officers as provided in its charters and by-laws. Since this indemnity generally is not subject to limitation with respect to duration or amount, the Company does not believe that it is possible to determine the maximum potential amount due under this indemnity in the future.

Guarantees

Statutory Reserve Support

RGA, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, has committed to provide statutory reserve support to third-parties, in exchange for a fee, by funding loans if certain defined events occur. Such statutory reserves are required under the U.S. Valuation of Life Policies Model Regulation (commonly referred to as Regulation XXX for term life insurance policies and Regulation A-XXX for universal life secondary guarantees). The third-parties have recourse to RGA should the subsidiary fail to provide the required funding, however, as of December 31, 2016, the Company does not believe that it will be required to provide any funding under these commitments as the occurrence of the defined events is considered remote. The following table presents the maximum potential obligation for these commitments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in millions):



Commitment Period	Maximum Potential Obligation
2023	$	500.0
2033	950.0
2034	3,000.0
2035	1,314.2
2036	1,432.0

Other Guarantees

RGA has issued guarantees to third parties on behalf of its subsidiaries for the payment of amounts due under certain reinsurance treaties, securities borrowing arrangements, financing arrangements and office lease obligations, whereby if a subsidiary fails to meet an obligation, RGA or one of its other subsidiaries will make a payment to fulfill the obligation. In limited circumstances, treaty guarantees are granted to ceding companies in order to provide them additional security, particularly in cases where RGA’s subsidiary is relatively new, unrated, or not of a significant size, relative to the ceding company. Liabilities supported by the treaty guarantees, before consideration for any legally offsetting amounts due from the guaranteed party are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets in a policy related liability. Potential guaranteed amounts of future payments will vary depending on production levels and underwriting results. Guarantees related to borrowed securities provide additional security to third parties should a subsidiary fail to return the borrowed securities when due. RGA’s guarantees issued as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Treaty guarantees	$	902,216	$	765,505
Treaty guarantees, net of assets in trust	780,786		634,909
Borrowed securities	263,820		259,540
Financing arrangements	119,073		100,000
Lease obligations	2,428		5,217

Debt

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt

DEBT

Long-Term Debt

The Company’s long-term debt consists of the following as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017	$	299,945		$	299,671
$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019	399,805			399,737
$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021	399,025			398,803
$400 million 4.70% Senior Notes due 2023	398,986			398,835
$400 million 3.95% Senior Notes due 2026	399,985			—
$100 million 4.09% Promissory Note due 2039	94,370			96,849
$400 million 6.20% Subordinated Debentures due 2042	400,000			400,000
$400 million 5.75% Subordinated Debentures due 2056	400,000			—
$400 million Variable Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065	318,737			318,734
Sub-total	3,110,853			2,312,629
Unamortized issuance costs	(22,218		)	(15,081		)
Long-term Debt	$	3,088,635		$	2,297,548

In June 2016, RGA issued 3.95% Senior Notes due September 15, 2026 with a face amount of $400.0 million and 5.75% Fixed-To-Floating Rate Subordinated Debentures due June 15, 2056 with a face amount of $400.0 million. These securities have been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The net proceeds from these offerings were approximately $791.2 million and will be used in part to repay upon maturity the Company’s $300.0 million 5.625% Senior Notes that mature in March 2017. The remainder will be used for general corporate purposes. Capitalized issue costs were approximately $8.8 million.

On December 15, 2015, the interest rate on RGA’s Junior Subordinated Debentures with a face amount of $400.0 million converted from a fixed rate of 6.75% to a floating rate equal to the three-month LIBOR plus 266.5 basis points.

Certain of the Company’s debt agreements contain financial covenant restrictions related to, among others, liens, the issuance and disposition of stock of restricted subsidiaries, minimum requirements of consolidated net worth, maximum ratios of debt to capitalization and change of control provisions. A material ongoing covenant default could require immediate payment of the amount due, including principal, under the various agreements. Additionally, the Company’s debt agreements contain cross-default covenants, which would make outstanding borrowings immediately payable in the event of a material uncured covenant default under any of the agreements, including, but not limited to, non-payment of indebtedness when due for an amount in excess of $100.0 million, bankruptcy proceedings, or any other event which results in the acceleration of the maturity of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had $3,110.9 million and $2,312.6 million, respectively, in outstanding borrowings under its debt agreements and was in compliance with all covenants under those agreements. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the average interest rate on long-term debt outstanding was 5.16% and 5.20%, respectively.

The ability of the Company to make debt principal and interest payments depends on the earnings and surplus of subsidiaries, investment earnings on undeployed capital proceeds, and the Company’s ability to raise additional funds. Future principal payments due on long-term debt, excluding discounts, as of December 31, 2016, were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Calendar Year
	2017		2018		2019		2020		2021		Thereafter
Long-term debt	$	302,582	$	2,690	$	402,802	$	2,919	$	403,040	$	2,000,140

Credit and Committed Facilities

The Company has obtained bank letters of credit in favor of various affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies from which the Company assumes business. These letters of credit represent guarantees of performance under the reinsurance agreements and allow ceding companies to take statutory reserve credits. Certain of these letters of credit contain financial covenant restrictions. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, there were approximately $189.4 million and $132.2 million, respectively, of undrawn outstanding bank letters of credit in favor of third parties. Additionally, the Company utilizes letters of credit primarily to secure reserve credits when it retrocedes business to its affiliated subsidiaries. The Company cedes business to its affiliates to help reduce the amount of regulatory capital required in certain jurisdictions such as the U.S. and the United Kingdom. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, $1,010.8 million and $1,127.4 million, respectively, in undrawn letters of credit from various banks were outstanding, primarily backing reinsurance between the various subsidiaries of the Company. The banks providing letters of credit to the Company are included on the NAIC list of approved banks.

The Company maintains seven committed credit facilities, a syndicated revolving credit facility with a capacity of $850.0 million and six letter of credit facilities with a combined capacity of $741.6 million. The Company may borrow cash and obtain letters of credit in multiple currencies under its syndicated revolving credit facility. The following table provides additional information on the Company’s existing committed credit facilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



		Amount Utilized⁽¹⁾ December 31,
Facility Capacity	Maturity Date	2016	2015	Basis of Fees
270,000	November 2017	270,000	270,000	Fixed
161,974 ⁽²⁾	November 2017	31,382	66,154	Fixed
72,080 ⁽²⁾	December 2018	72,080	36,430	Fixed
17,513 ⁽²⁾	March 2019	17,513	45,422	Fixed
120,000	June 2019	85,040	85,040	Fixed
850,000	September 2019	96,095	313,659	Senior unsecured long-term debt rating
100,000	June 2020	70,690	68,657	Fixed


(1)	Represents issued but undrawn letters of credit. There was no cash borrowed for the periods presented.


(2)	Foreign currency denominated facility, amounts presented are in U.S. dollars.

Fees associated with the Company’s other letters of credit are not fixed for periods in excess of one year and are based on the Company’s ratings and the general availability of these instruments in the marketplace. Total fees expensed associated with the Company’s letters of credit were $7.9 million, $10.9 million and $12.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and are included in policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses.

Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Collateralized Financings [Abstract]

Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes

COLLATERAL FINANCE AND SECURITIZATION NOTES

Collateral Finance Notes

In June 2006, RGA’s subsidiary, Timberlake Financial L.L.C. (“Timberlake Financial”), issued $850.0 million of Series A Floating Rate Insured Notes, due June 2036, in a private placement. The notes were issued to fund the collateral requirements for statutory reserves required by Regulation XXX on specified term life insurance policies reinsured by RGA Reinsurance and retroceded to Timberlake Re. Proceeds from the notes, along with a $112.8 million direct investment by RGA, were deposited into a series of accounts that collateralize the notes and are not available to satisfy the general obligations of the Company. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, the Company held assets in trust and in custody of $893.8 million and $932.6 million, of which $24.1 million and $37.2 million were held in a Debt Service Coverage account to cover interest payments on the notes. Interest on the notes accrues at an annual rate of 1-month LIBOR plus a base rate margin, payable monthly, and totaled $4.2 million, $3.8 million and $4.0 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

In May 2015, RGA’s subsidiary, RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. (“RGA Barbados”) obtained CAD$200.0 million of collateral financing from a third party through 2020, enabling RGA Barbados to support collateral requirements for Canadian reinsurance transactions. Capitalized issuance costs were approximately $1.3 million. The obligation is reflected on the consolidated balance sheets in collateral finance and securitization notes. Interest on the collateral financing is payable quarterly and accrues at 3-month Canadian Dealer Offered Rate plus a margin and totaled $4.0 million and $2.3 million in 2016 and 2015, respectively.

In October 2015, RGA’s subsidiary, RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“RGA Americas”), entered into a collateral financing transaction pursuant to which it issued a CAD$150 million note and, in return, obtained a CAD$150 million demand note issued by a designated series of a Delaware master trusts. The demand note matures in October 2020 and is used to support collateral requirements for Canadian reinsurance transactions.

The demand note is secured by a portfolio of specified assets that have an aggregate market value at least equal to the principal amount of the demand note and a payment obligation pledged by a third party financial institution. The principal amount of the demand note is payable upon demand by the holder, which creates a corresponding payment under the note issued by RGA Americas. The note issued by RGA Americas bears interest at a rate equal to the rate on the corresponding demand note, plus an amount representing fees payable to the applicable third party financial institution. Through December 31, 2016, no principal payments have been received or are currently due on the demand note and, as a result, there was no payment obligation under the note issued by RGA Americas. Accordingly, the notes are not reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet or the table below, as of that date. Capitalized issuance costs were approximately $2.4 million.

Securitization Notes

In December 2014, RGA’s subsidiary, Chesterfield Financial Holdings LLC, (“Chesterfield Financial”), issued $300.0 million of asset-backed notes due December 2024 in a private placement. The notes were issued as part of an embedded value securitization transaction covering a closed block of policies assumed by RGA Reinsurance and retroceded to Chesterfield Re. Proceeds from the notes, along with a direct investment by the Company, were applied by Chesterfield Financial to (i) pay certain transaction-related expenses, (ii) establish a reserve account owned by Chesterfield Financial and pledged to the indenture trustee for the benefit of the holders of the notes (primarily to cover interest payments on the notes), and (iii) to fund an initial stock purchase from and capital contribution to Chesterfield Re to capitalize Chesterfield Re and to finance the payment of a ceding commission by Chesterfield Re to RGA Reinsurance under the retrocession agreement. Capitalized issuance costs were approximately $5.4 million. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company held deposits in trust of $22.1 million and $22.4 million, respectively, to cover interest payments on the notes, which are not available to satisfy the general obligations of the Company. Interest on the notes accrues at an annual rate of 4.50%, payable quarterly, and totaled $13.1 million, $14.0 million and $0.6 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The notes represent senior, secured indebtedness of Chesterfield Financial. Limited support is provided by RGA for temporary potential liquidity events at Chesterfield Financial and for temporary potential statutory capital and surplus events at Chesterfield Re. Otherwise, there is no legal recourse to RGA or its other subsidiaries. The notes are not insured or guaranteed by any other person or entity.

The Company’s collateral finance and securitization notes consist of the following as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
Timberlake Financial	$	451,880		$	480,451
RGA Barbados	148,820			144,540
Chesterfield Financial	246,300			282,300
Unamortized issuance costs	(6,300		)	(8,130		)
Total	$	840,700		$	899,161

Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Information

SEGMENT INFORMATION

The Company has geographic-based and business-based operational segments. Geographic-based operations are further segmented into traditional and financial solutions businesses. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company changed the name of its Non-Traditional segments to Financial Solutions. The name change better aligns external reports to internally used terminology. This name change does not affect any previously reported results for the Financial Solutions segments. The Company’s reporting segments are as follows:

The U.S. and Latin America Traditional segment provides individual and group life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a variety of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. The U.S. and Latin America Financial Solutions segment includes asset-intensive products that concentrate on the investment risk within underlying annuities and corporate-owned life insurance policies, and financial reinsurance that assists ceding companies in meeting applicable regulatory requirements while enhancing their financial strength and regulatory surplus position.

The Canada Traditional segment is primarily engaged in individual life reinsurance, as well as creditor, group life and health, critical illness and disability reinsurance, through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Canada Financial Solutions segment concentrates on assisting clients with longevity risk transfer structures within underlying annuities and pension benefit obligations, and on assisting clients in meeting applicable regulatory requirements while enhancing their financial strength and regulatory surplus position through financial reinsurance structures.

The Europe, Middle East and Africa Traditional segment provides individual and group life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, reinsurance of critical illness coverage that provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and underwritten annuities. The Europe, Middle East and Africa Financial Solutions segment provides longevity, asset-intensive and financial reinsurance. Longevity reinsurance takes the form of closed block annuity reinsurance and longevity swap structures.

The Asia Pacific Traditional segment provides individual and group life and health reinsurance, critical illness coverage, disability and superannuation through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Asia Pacific Financial Solutions segment provides financial reinsurance, asset-intensive and certain disability and life blocks.

Corporate and Other operations include investment income from invested assets not allocated to support segment operations and proceeds from the Company’s capital-raising efforts that have not been deployed yet, in addition to investment related gains or losses. Additionally, Corporate and Other includes results associated with the Company’s collateral finance and securitization notes and results from certain wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures that, among other activities, develop and market technology solutions for the insurance industry.

The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in Note 2 – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.” The Company measures segment performance primarily based on profit or loss from operations before income taxes. There are no intersegment reinsurance transactions and the Company does not have any material long-lived assets.

The Company allocates capital to its segments based on an internally developed economic capital model, the purpose of which is to measure the risk in the business and to provide a basis upon which capital is deployed. The economic capital model considers the unique and specific nature of the risks inherent in the Company’s businesses. As a result of the economic capital allocation process, a portion of investment income is attributed to the segments based on the level of allocated capital. In addition, the segments are charged for excess capital utilized above the allocated economic capital basis. This charge is included in policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses.

Information related to revenues, income (loss) before income taxes, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, and assets of the Company’s operations are summarized below (dollars in thousands).



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015		2014
Revenues:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	5,964,968	$	5,465,026	$	5,283,268
Financial Solutions	840,446		643,865		1,014,143
Total	6,805,414		6,108,891		6,297,411
Canada:
Traditional	1,118,004		1,023,012		1,153,515
Financial Solutions	46,938		45,034		28,350
Total	1,164,942		1,068,046		1,181,865
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	1,195,149		1,190,742		1,235,049
Financial Solutions	340,518		286,666		322,798
Total	1,535,667		1,477,408		1,557,847
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	1,771,150		1,638,357		1,686,436
Financial Solutions	63,382		56,581		70,282
Total	1,834,532		1,694,938		1,756,718
Corporate and Other	180,956		68,895		110,353
Total	$	11,521,511	$	10,418,178	$	10,904,194



For the years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Income (loss) before income taxes:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	371,101		$	235,771		$	351,645
Financial Solutions	283,380			207,963			302,944
Total	654,481			443,734			654,589
Canada:
Traditional	134,705			124,175			95,435
Financial Solutions	7,945			13,902			6,265
Total	142,650			138,077			101,700
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	30,059			48,410			60,305
Financial Solutions	138,007			108,445			101,337
Total	168,066			156,855			161,642
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	113,928			105,654			90,602
Financial Solutions	4,063			19,619			11,693
Total	117,991			125,273			102,295
Corporate and Other	(39,242		)	(119,144		)	(11,693		)
Total	$	1,043,946		$	744,795		$	1,008,533



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015		2014
Interest expense:
Corporate and Other	$	137,623	$	142,863	$	96,700
Total	$	137,623	$	142,863	$	96,700



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015		2014
Depreciation and amortization:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	271,732	$	218,974	$	558,404
Financial Solutions	155,560		44,275		232,348
Total	427,292		263,249		790,752
Canada:
Traditional	22,170		23,887		204,229
Financial Solutions	11		—		—
Total	22,181		23,887		204,229
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	46,562		60,193		57,291
Financial Solutions	72		—		—
Total	46,634		60,193		57,291
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	45,562		31,955		94,763
Financial Solutions	1,492		217		409
Total	47,054		32,172		95,172
Corporate and Other	13,894		16,495		3,644
Total	$	557,055	$	395,996	$	1,151,088

The table above includes amortization of DAC, including the effect from investment related gains and losses. During 2015, the Company enhanced its process to track certain DAC components. See Note 8 - “Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs” for additional information.



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015
Assets:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	18,140,825	$	16,554,509
Financial Solutions	13,712,106		13,405,878
Total	31,852,931		29,960,387
Canada:
Traditional	3,846,682		3,604,344
Financial Solutions	85,405		27,543
Total	3,932,087		3,631,887
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	2,559,124		2,757,593
Financial Solutions	3,876,131		4,162,703
Total	6,435,255		6,920,296
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	3,968,081		3,227,530
Financial Solutions	676,281		742,528
Total	4,644,362		3,970,058
Corporate and Other	6,233,244		5,900,524
Total	$	53,097,879	$	50,383,152

Companies in which RGA has significant influence over the operating and financing decisions but are not required to be consolidated, are reported on the equity basis of accounting. The equity in the net income of such investments is not material to the results of operations or financial position of individual segments or the Company taken as a whole. Capital expenditures of each reporting segment were immaterial in the periods noted.

No individual client generated 10% or more of the Company’s total gross premiums on a consolidated basis in 2016, 2015 and 2014. For the purpose of this disclosure, companies that are within the same insurance holding company structure are combined.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 34
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8981-108599

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8380-108599

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8844-108599

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8984-108599

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 40
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e9031-108599

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 42
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e9054-108599

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8538-108599

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
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Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8924-108599

Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
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-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8906-108599

+ Details

Short-Duration Contracts

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Insurance [Abstract]

Short-Duration Insurance and Deposit Contracts [Text Block]

SHORT-DURATION CONTRACTS

The Company uses several actuarial methods to compute incurred-but-not reported liabilities. These methods use historical claim reporting patterns to develop a triangle of reported claim amounts. The claim triangle is then used to develop the ultimate claims amount and the incurred-but-not reported liabilities. Expected claim methods use exposure data such as premiums to develop the ultimate claim amount. The final method blends the estimates from the development and the expected claim methods. The Company did not make significant changes to the methods used to compute the incurred-but-not reported liabilities in 2016.

The following tables provide information on incurred and paid claims development, net of retrocession, for short-duration reinsurance contracts for the Company’s U.S. and Latin America and Asia Pacific Traditional segments, which primarily relate to group life and health (including disability) business. The short-duration business for the Company’s other segments is immaterial. Liabilities for claims and claims adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance equals total incurred claims less cumulative paid claims plus outstanding liabilities prior to 2012.

The Company provides reinsurance on large quota share transactions. It is common industry practice for cedants to provide loss information on a bulk basis without comprehensive claim details. Additionally, a claim under aggregate stop loss coverage may be the result of thousands of claims, but the Company only pays the excess amount. Therefore, it is impractical to provide meaningful claim count detail by accident year in the tables shown below.



U.S. and Latin America											As of
(in thousands)											December 31, 2016
Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustments, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾											Total of Incurred-but-Not-Reported Liabilities Plus Expected Development on Reported Claims
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	322,579	$	309,119	$	297,037	$	298,262	$	299,098	$	98
2013			349,262		332,907		338,977		336,552		1,263
2014					407,953		411,373		396,383		4,284
2015							459,524		460,917		26,531
2016									500,843		220,381
							Total		$	1,993,793



Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	109,323	$	222,139	$	243,890	$	252,018	$	258,297
2013			114,457		248,828		277,130		285,817
2014					128,813		304,578		337,081
2015							146,196		360,658
2016									184,940
							Total		$	1,426,793
	All outstanding claims prior to 2012, net of reinsurance								239,700
	Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance								$	806,700


(1)	2012-2015 Unaudited.



Asia Pacific											As of
(in thousands)											December 31, 2016
Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustments, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾											Total of Incurred-but-Not-Reported Liabilities Plus Expected Development on Reported Claims
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	212,571	$	285,302	$	289,707	$	293,097	$	300,903	$	15,050
2013			299,373		320,189		310,631		307,961		27,764
2014					283,298		307,111		271,418		43,893
2015							284,773		262,946		82,199
2016									232,788		139,345
							Total		$	1,376,016



Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	50,433	$	138,375	$	189,503	$	228,016	$	249,043
2013			50,928		147,500		214,070		241,245
2014					35,298		138,728		181,441
2015							50,066		121,254
2016									39,173
							Total		$	832,156
	All outstanding claims prior to 2012, net of reinsurance								171,608
	Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance								$	715,468


(1)	2012-2015 Unaudited.

The reconciliation of the net incurred and paid claims development tables to the liability for claims and claim adjustment expense in the consolidated balance sheets are as follows:



	December 31, 2016
Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance:
U.S. and Latin America	$	806,700
Asia Pacific	715,468
Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance	1,522,168
Adjustments to reconcile to total policy claims and future policy benefits:
Reinsurance recoverable	20,009
Effect of discounting and unallocated claims adjustment expense	(141,433		)
Total adjustments	(121,424		)
Other short-duration contracts:
Canada	155,520
Europe, Middle East and Africa	312,947
Other	117,977
Total short-duration contracts	1,987,188
Other than short-duration contracts	21,857,411
Total future policy benefits and other policy claims and benefits	$	23,844,599

The following is unaudited supplementary information about average historical claims duration as of December 31, 2016:



Average Annual Payout of Incurred Claims by Age, Net of Reinsurance
Years	1		2		3		4		5
U.S. and Latin America	34.3	%	42.1	%	8.0	%	2.6	%	2.1	%
Asia Pacific	16.4	%	31.4	%	18.1	%	10.8	%	7.0	%

Earnings Per Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share

EARNINGS PER SHARE

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share on net income (in thousands, except per share information):



	2016		2015		2014
Earnings:
Net income (numerator for basic and diluted calculations)	$	701,443	$	502,166	$	684,047
Shares:
Weighted average outstanding shares (denominator for basic calculations)	64,274		66,553		69,248
Equivalent shares from outstanding stock options	715		739		714
Diluted shares (denominator for diluted calculations)	64,989		67,292		69,962
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	10.91	$	7.55	$	9.88
Diluted	10.79		7.46		9.78

The calculation of common equivalent shares does not include the impact of options having a strike or conversion price that exceeds the average stock price for the earnings period, as the result would be antidilutive. The calculation of common equivalent shares also excludes the impact of outstanding performance contingent shares, as the conditions necessary for their issuance have not been satisfied as of the end of the reporting period. Approximately 0.3 million outstanding stock options were not included in the calculation of common equivalent shares during 2015. During 2016 and 2014, all outstanding options were included in the calculation of common equivalent shares. Approximately 0.4 million, 0.4 million and 0.5 million performance contingent shares were excluded from the calculation of common equivalent shares during 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]

Comprehensive Income

EQUITY

Common stock

The changes in number of common stock shares, issued, held in treasury and outstanding are as follows for the periods indicated:



	Issued	Held In Treasury		Outstanding
Balance, December 31, 2013	79,137,758	8,369,540		70,768,218
Common Stock acquired	—	2,530,608		(2,530,608	)
Stock-based compensation ⁽¹⁾	—	(535,351	)	535,351
Balance, December 31, 2014	79,137,758	10,364,797		68,772,961
Common Stock acquired	—	4,145,440		(4,145,440	)
Stock-based compensation ⁽¹⁾	—	(577,005	)	577,005
Balance, December 31, 2015	79,137,758	13,933,232		65,204,526
Common Stock acquired	—	1,356,892		(1,356,892	)
Stock-based compensation ⁽¹⁾	—	(454,868	)	454,868
Balance, December 31, 2016	79,137,758	14,835,256		64,302,502


(1)	Represents net shares issued from treasury pursuant to the Company’s stock-based compensation programs.

Common stock held in treasury

Common stock held in treasury is accounted for at average cost. Gains resulting from the reissuance of “Common stock held in treasury” are credited to “Additional paid-in capital.” Losses resulting from the reissuance of “Common stock held in treasury” are charged first to “Additional paid-in capital” to the extent the Company has previously recorded gains on treasury share transactions, then to “Retained earnings.”

During 2014, RGA’s board of directors authorized a share repurchase program, with no expiration date, to repurchase up to $300.0 million of RGA’s outstanding common stock. In connection with this authorization, the board of directors terminated the stock repurchase authority granted in 2013. During 2014, RGA repurchased 2,530,608 shares of common stock under this program for $197.7 million. The common shares repurchased have been placed into treasury to be used for general corporate purposes.

During 2015, RGA’s board of directors authorized and amended a share repurchase program, with no expiration date, to repurchase up to $450.0 million of RGA’s outstanding common stock. In connection with this authorization, the board of directors terminated the stock repurchase authority granted in 2014. During 2015, RGA repurchased 4,145,440 shares of common stock under this program for $375.3 million.

During 2016, RGA’s board of directors authorized and amended a share repurchase program, with no expiration date, to repurchase up to $400.0 million of RGA’s outstanding common stock. In connection with this authorization, the board of directors terminated the stock repurchase authority granted in 2015. During 2016, RGA repurchased 1,356,892 shares of common stock under this program for $116.5 million.

On January 26, 2017, RGA’s board of directors authorized a share repurchase program for up to $400.0 million of RGA’s outstanding common stock. The authorization was effective immediately and does not have an expiration date. In connection with this new authorization, the board of directors terminated the stock repurchase authority granted in 2016.

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

The following table presents the components of the Company’s other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

For the year ended December 31, 2016:



	Before-Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) Benefit			After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Change arising during year	$	39,925		$	(24,663	)	$	15,262
Foreign currency swap	(10,234		)	3,582			(6,652		)
Net foreign currency translation adjustments	29,691			(21,081		)	8,610
Unrealized gains on investments:⁽¹⁾
Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year	641,606			(180,448		)	461,158
Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income	65,798			(23,029		)	42,769
Net unrealized gains	575,808			(157,419		)	418,389
Change in unrealized OTTI on fixed maturity securities	1,457			(510		)	947
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
Net prior service cost arising during the year	444			(149		)	295
Net gain arising during the period	4,427			(1,623		)	2,804
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net	4,871			(1,772		)	3,099
Other comprehensive income (loss)	$	611,827		$	(180,782	)	$	431,045

For the year ended December 31, 2015:



	Before-Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) Benefit			After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Change arising during year	$	(342,539	)	$	17,129		$	(325,410	)
Foreign currency swap	96,019			(33,607		)	62,412
Net foreign currency translation adjustments	(246,520		)	(16,478		)	(262,998		)
Unrealized losses on investments:⁽¹⁾
Unrealized net holding losses arising during the year	(1,084,732		)	359,407			(725,325		)
Less: Reclassification adjustment for net losses realized in net income	(55,767		)	19,518			(36,249		)
Net unrealized losses	(1,028,965		)	339,889			(689,076		)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
Net prior service cost arising during the year	337			(107		)	230
Net gain arising during the period	4,618			(1,619		)	2,999
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net	4,955			(1,726		)	3,229
Other comprehensive income	$	(1,270,530	)	$	321,685		$	(948,845	)
For the year ended December 31, 2014:
	Before-Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) Benefit			After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Change arising during year	$	(154,132	)	$	(4,835	)	$	(158,967	)
Foreign currency swap	51,894			(18,163		)	33,731
Net foreign currency translation adjustments	(102,238		)	(22,998		)	(125,236		)
Unrealized gains on investments:⁽¹⁾
Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year	1,177,017			(357,024		)	819,993
Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income	26,405			(9,242		)	17,163
Net unrealized gains	1,150,612			(347,782		)	802,830
Change in unrealized OTTI on fixed maturity securities	2,612			(914		)	1,698
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
Net prior service cost arising during the year	485			(159		)	326
Net loss arising during the period	(43,025		)	14,929			(28,096		)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net	(42,540		)	14,770			(27,770		)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	$	1,008,446		$	(356,924	)	$	651,522


(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

A summary of the components of net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of balances carried at fair value is as follows (dollars in thousands):



For the years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	561,906		$	(1,055,458	)	$	1,171,996
Other investments⁽¹⁾	18,900			8,983			(14,292		)
Effect on unrealized appreciation on:
Deferred policy acquisition costs	(3,541		)	17,510			(4,480		)
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)	$	577,265		$	(1,028,965	)	$	1,153,224


(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

The balance of and changes in each component of AOCI were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Accumulated Currency Translation Adjustments			Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) of Investments ⁽¹⁾			Pension and Postretirement Benefits			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance, December 31, 2013	$	207,083		$	820,245		$	(21,721	)	$	1,005,607
OCI before reclassifications	(102,238		)	1,185,321			(45,688		)	1,037,395
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	—			(32,097		)	3,148			(28,949		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(22,998		)	(348,696		)	14,770			(356,924		)
Balance, December 31, 2014	81,847			1,624,773			(49,491		)	1,657,129
OCI before reclassifications	(246,520		)	(1,101,760		)	(1,248		)	(1,349,528		)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	—			72,795			6,203			78,998
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(16,478		)	339,889			(1,726		)	321,685
Balance, December 31, 2015	(181,151		)	935,697			(46,262		)	708,284
OCI before reclassifications	29,691			646,887			(951		)	675,627
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	—			(69,622		)	5,822			(63,800		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(21,081		)	(157,929		)	(1,772		)	(180,782		)
Balance, December 31, 2016	$	(172,541	)	$	1,355,033		$	(43,163	)	$	1,139,329


(1)	Includes cash flow hedges of $(2,496), $(29,397) and $(31,591) as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

The following table presents the amounts of AOCI reclassifications for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	Amount Reclassified from AOCI
Details about AOCI Components	2016			2015			Affected Line Item in Statement of Income
Net unrealized investment gains (losses):
Net unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities	$	65,798		$	(55,767	)	Investment related gains (losses), net
OTTI on fixed maturity securities	74			—			Investment related gains (losses), net
Cash flow hedges - Currency/Interest rate	510			569			(1)
Cash flow hedges - Forward bond purchase commitments	(301		)	(87		)	(1)
Deferred policy acquisition costs attributed to unrealized gains and losses	3,541			(17,510		)	(2)
Total	69,622			(72,795		)
Provision for income taxes	(17,672		)	28,109
Net unrealized gains (losses), net of tax	$	51,950		$	(44,686	)

Amortization of defined benefit plan items:
Prior service cost (credit)	$	328		$	(309	)	(3)
Actuarial gains/(losses)	(6,150		)	(5,894		)	(3)
Total	(5,822		)	(6,203		)
Provision for income taxes	2,038			2,171
Amortization of defined benefit plans, net of tax	$	(3,784	)	$	(4,032	)

Total reclassifications for the period	$	48,166		$	(48,718	)


(1)	See Note 5 for information on cash flow hedges.


(2)	See Note 8 for information on deferred policy acquisition costs.


(3)	See Note 10 for information on employee benefit plans.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for comprehensive income, which includes, but is not limited to, 1) the amount of income tax expense or benefit allocated to each component of other comprehensive income, including reclassification adjustments, 2) the reclassification adjustments for each classification of other comprehensive income and 3) the ending accumulated balances for each component of comprehensive income.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66004124&loc=d3e689-108580

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66004124&loc=SL7669619-108580

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66004124&loc=d3e640-108580

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 17
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Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66004124&loc=d3e709-108580

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66004124&loc=d3e637-108580

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66004124&loc=d3e681-108580

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Reclassification Adjustments
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6522872

+ Details

Equity Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Equity Based Compensation

The Company adopted the RGA Flexible Stock Plan (the “Plan”) in February 1993, as amended, and the Flexible Stock Plan for Directors (the “Directors Plan”) in January 1997, as amended, (collectively, the “Stock Plans”). The Stock Plans provide for the award of benefits (collectively “Benefits”) of various types, including stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, performance shares, cash awards, and other stock-based awards, to key employees, officers, directors and others performing significant services for the benefit of the Company or its subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2016, shares authorized for the granting of Benefits under the Plan and the Directors Plan totaled 13,360,077 and 212,500 respectively. The Company uses treasury shares or shares made available from authorized but unissued shares to support the future exercise of options or settlement of awards granted under its stock plans.

Equity-based compensation expense of $33.1 million, $16.0 million, and $24.4 million related to grants or awards under the Stock Plans was recognized in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Equity-based compensation expense is principally related to the issuance of stock options, performance contingent restricted units, stock appreciation rights and restricted stock.

In general, options granted under the Plan become exercisable over vesting periods ranging from one to five years. Options are generally granted with an exercise price equal to the stock’s fair value at the date of grant and expire 10 years after the date of grant. There are no options outstanding under the Directors Plan during the periods presented. Information with respect to grants under the Stock Plans follows.

Stock Options

The following table presents a summary of stock option activity:



	Number of Options		Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)
Outstanding December 31, 2015	2,825,440		$	62.82
Granted	329,345		$	93.53
Exercised	(577,071	)	$	54.06
Forfeited	(4,491	)	$	71.21
Outstanding December 31, 2016	2,573,223		$	68.70	$	147.0
Options exercisable	1,888,577		$	60.43	$	123.5

The intrinsic value of options exercised was $41.4 million, $26.2 million, and $17.0 million for 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.



	Options Outstanding				Options Exercisable
Range of Exercise Prices	Number Outstanding as of 12/31/2016	Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)	Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Number Exercisable as of 12/31/2016	Weighted-Average Exercise Price
$0.00 - $49.99	307,889	2.5	$	40.35	307,889	$	40.35
$50.00 - $59.99	1,224,805	4.9	$	58.11	1,224,805	$	58.11
$60.00 - $69.99	839	6.0	$	60.24	839	$	60.24
$70.00 - $79.99	211,708	7.0	$	78.48	154,393	$	78.48
$90.00 +	827,982	8.7	$	92.41	200,651	$	91.48
Totals	2,573,223	6.0	$	68.70	1,888,577	$	60.43

The following table presents the weighted average assumptions used to determine the fair value of stock options issued:



For the years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Dividend yield	1.58		%	1.47		%	1.53		%
Risk-free rate of return	1.69		%	2.04		%	2.27		%
Expected volatility	28.1		%	35.0		%	35.7		%
Expected life (years)	7.0			7.0			7.0
Weighted average exercise price of stock options granted	$	93.53		$	91.65		$	78.48
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted	$	24.52		$	30.05		$	26.76

The Black-Scholes model was used to determine the fair value recognized in the financial statements of stock options that have been granted. The Company used daily historical volatility when calculating stock option values. The benchmark rate is based on observed interest rates for instruments with maturities similar to the expected term of the stock options. Dividend yield is determined based on historical dividend distributions compared to the price of the underlying common stock as of the valuation date and held constant over the life of the stock options. The Company estimated expected life using the historical average years to exercise or cancellation.

Performance Shares

Performance shares, also referred to as performance contingent units (“PCUs”), are units that, if they vest, are multiplied by a performance factor to produce a number of final PCUs which are paid in the Company’s common stock. Each PCU represents the right to receive up to two shares of Company common stock, depending on the results of certain performance measures over a three-year period. The compensation expense related to the PCUs is recognized ratably over the requisite performance period. Performance shares are accounted for as equity awards, but are not credited with dividend-equivalents for actual dividends paid on the Company’s common stock during the performance period.

Restricted Stock Units

In general, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) become payable at the end of a three- or ten-year vesting period. Each RSU, if they vest, represents the right to receive one share of Company common stock. RSUs awarded under the plan generally have no strike price and are included in the Company’s shares outstanding.

The following table presents a summary of Performance Share and Restricted Stock Unit activity:



	Performance Contingent Units		Restricted Stock Units
Outstanding December 31, 2015	631,322		70,887
Granted	206,550		28,995
Paid	(94,436	)	—
Forfeited	(157,465	)	(3,254	)
Outstanding December 31, 2016	585,971		96,628

During 2016, the Company issued 206,550 PCUs to key employees at a weighted average fair value per unit of $93.53. In May 2016 and May 2015, RGA’s board of directors approved a 0.40 and 0.82 share payout for each PCU granted in 2013 and 2012, resulting in the issuance of 94,436 and 192,725 shares of common stock from treasury, respectively.

As of December 31, 2016, the total compensation cost of non-vested awards not yet recognized in the financial statements was $29.7 million. It is estimated that these costs will vest over a weighted average period of 1.6 years.

The majority of the awards granted each year under the board-approved incentive compensation package and Directors Plan are made in the first quarter of each year.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for compensation-related costs for equity-based compensation, which may include disclosure of policies, compensation plan details, allocation of equity compensation, incentive distributions, equity-based arrangements to obtain goods and services, deferred compensation arrangements, employee stock ownership plan details and employee stock purchase plan details.

+ References + Details

Quarterly Results of Operations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Information

QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)



Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)
2016	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues	$	2,512,568	$	3,039,068	$	2,900,577	$	3,069,298
Total benefits and expenses	2,404,988		2,685,845		2,612,977		2,773,755
Income before income taxes	107,580		353,223		287,600		295,543
Net Income	76,472		236,103		198,719		190,149
Earnings Per Share:
Basic earnings per share	$	1.18	$	3.68	$	3.10	$	2.96
Diluted earnings per share	1.17		3.64		3.07		2.92
2015	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues	$	2,520,613	$	2,630,340	$	2,438,634	$	2,828,591
Total benefits and expenses	2,336,488		2,416,550		2,298,497		2,621,848
Income before income taxes	184,125		213,790		140,137		206,743
Net Income	125,114		130,391		83,534		163,127
Earnings Per Share:
Basic earnings per share	$	1.84	$	1.97	$	1.26	$	2.49
Diluted earnings per share	1.81		1.94		1.25		2.46

Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Events	Dec. 31, 2016
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	SUBSEQUENT EVENTS On January 4, 2017, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”) issued a confirmation letter endorsing the amendment to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and LCH. Clearnet Limited respective rulebooks on the treatment of variation margin on centrally cleared swaps as a settlement of the derivative’s fair value and not collateral. This change in accounting for cleared swaps would have caused a $53.1 million decrease in other invested assets and other liabilities for the Company as of December 31, 2016 related to the decrease in derivative fair value and related collateral. There would have been no income statement impact from the change in accounting for variation margin. On January 26, 2017, RGA’s board of directors authorized a share repurchase program for up to $400.0 million of RGA’s outstanding common stock. The authorization was effective immediately and does not have an expiration date. Repurchases would be made in accordance with applicable securities laws and would be made through market transactions, block trades, privately negotiated transactions or other means or a combination of these methods, with the timing and number of shares repurchased dependent on a variety of factors, including share price, corporate and regulatory requirements and market and business conditions. Repurchases may be commenced or suspended from time to time without prior notice. In connection with this new authorization, the board of directors terminated the stock repurchase authority granted in 2016.

Summary of Investments Other Than Investments in Related Parties

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties [Abstract]

Summary of Investments Other Than Investments in Related Parties

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE I-SUMMARY OF INVESTMENTS-OTHER THAN

INVESTMENTS IN RELATED PARTIES

December 31, 2016

(in millions)



Type of Investment	Cost		Fair Value		Amount at Which Shown in the Balance Sheets⁽¹⁾
Fixed maturity securities:
Bonds:
United States government and government agencies and authorities	$	1,519	$	1,468	$	1,468
State and political subdivisions	567		592		592
Foreign governments⁽²⁾	5,157		6,343		6,343
Public utilities	1,971		2,091		2,091
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities	4,044		4,072		4,072
All other corporate bonds	16,954		17,528		17,528
Total fixed maturity securities	30,212		32,094		32,094
Equity securities:
Non-redeemable preferred stock	56		51		51
Other equity securities	230		224		224
Total equity securities	286		275		275
Mortgage loans on real estate	3,776				3,776
Policy loans	1,428				1,428
Funds withheld at interest	5,876				5,876
Short-term investments	77				77
Other invested assets	1,315				1,315
Total investments	$	42,970			$	44,841


(1)	Fixed maturity securities are classified as available-for-sale and carried at fair value.


(2)	Includes fixed maturities directly issued by foreign governments, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises.

Condensed Financial Information of The Registrant

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company Only Disclosure [Abstract]

Condensed Financial Information of The Registrant

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE II—CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE REGISTRANT

December 31,

(dollars in thousands)



	2016			2015			2014
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
Assets:
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale, at fair value	$	1,154,559		$	426,218
Short-term and other investments	245,478			254,398
Cash and cash equivalents	43,718			39,452
Investment in subsidiaries	9,209,700			8,110,687
Loans to subsidiaries	1,050,000			1,070,000
Other assets	258,379			309,340
Total assets	$	11,961,834		$	10,210,095
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:
Long-term debt - unaffiliated⁽¹⁾	$	3,073,249		$	2,279,663
Long-term debt - affiliated⁽²⁾	500,000			500,000
Other liabilities	1,295,503			1,295,051
Stockholders’ equity	7,093,082			6,135,381
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	11,961,834		$	10,210,095
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Interest / dividend income⁽³⁾	$	602,830		$	321,645		$	521,623
Investment related gains (losses), net	203			(324		)	4,936
Operating expenses	(20,742		)	(13,652		)	(10,751		)
Interest expense	(168,924		)	(176,364		)	(131,852		)
Income (loss) before income tax and undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	413,367			131,305			383,956
Income tax expense (benefit)	(23,911		)	(19,465		)	(22,008		)
Net income (loss) before undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	437,278			150,770			405,964
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	264,165			351,396			278,083
Net income	701,443			502,166			684,047
Other comprehensive income	5,531			44,073			36,876
Total comprehensive income	$	706,974		$	546,239		$	720,923

The condensed financial information of RGA (the “Parent Company”) should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of RGA and its subsidiaries and the notes thereto (the “Consolidated Financial Statements”). These condensed unconsolidated financial statements reflect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows for RGA. Investments in subsidiaries are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.


(1)	Long-term debt - unaffiliated consists of the following:



	2016			2015
$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017	$	299,945		$	299,671
$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019	399,805			399,737
$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021	399,025			398,803
$400 million 4.70% Senior Notes due 2023	398,986			398,835
$400 million 3.95% Senior Notes due 2026	399,985			—
$400 million 6.20% Subordinated Debentures due 2042	400,000			400,000
$400 million 5.75% Subordinated Debentures due 2056	400,000			—
$400 million Variable Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065	398,667			398,663
Subtotal	3,096,413			2,295,709
Unamortized debt issue costs	(23,164		)	(16,046		)
Total	$	3,073,249		$	2,279,663

Repayments of long-term debt—unaffiliated due over the next five years total $300,000 in 2017, $400,000 in 2019 and $400,000 in 2021.


(2)	Long-term debt—affiliated in 2016 and 2015 and consists of $500,000 of subordinated debt issued to various operating subsidiaries.


(3)	Interest/Dividend income includes $478,602, $196,445 and $423,323 of cash dividends received from consolidated subsidiaries in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE II—CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE REGISTRANT (continued)

December 31,

(dollars in thousands)



	2016			2015			2014
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Operating activities:
Net income	$	701,443		$	502,166		$	684,047
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(264,165		)	(351,396		)	(278,083		)
Other, net	(63,795		)	486,159			(171,299		)
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	373,483		$	636,929		$	234,665
Investing activities:
Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	228,383		$	100,734		$	132,732
Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	(984,397		)	(52,698		)	(105,535		)
Repayments/issuances of loans to subsidiaries	20,000			(10,000		)	41,751
Purchase of a business, net of cash acquired of $529	—			(3,701		)	—
Change in short-term investments	102,508			(102,508		)	96,967
Change in other invested assets	(109,914		)	(7,542		)	126,397
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	(314,142		)	(103,832		)	(222,760		)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(1,057,562		)	(179,547		)	69,552
Financing activities:
Dividends to stockholders	(100,371		)	(93,381		)	(87,256		)
Purchases of treasury stock	(122,916		)	(384,519		)	(201,525		)
Exercise of stock options, net	15,321			11,151			9,246
Net change in cash collateral for loaned securities	105,093			—			—
Proceeds from unaffiliated long-term debt issuance	799,984			—			—
Debt issuance costs	(8,766		)	—			—
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	688,345			(466,749		)	(279,535		)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	4,266			(9,367		)	24,682
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	39,452			48,819			24,137
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$	43,718		$	39,452		$	48,819
Supplementary information:
Cash paid for interest	$	169,860		$	165,775		$	161,499
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds	$	1,500		$	(120,680	)	$	87

- Definition

The entire disclosure for condensed financial information, including the financial position, cash flows, and the results of operations of the registrant (parent company) as of the same dates or for the same periods for which audited consolidated financial statements are being presented. Alternatively, the details of this disclosure can be reported by the specific parent company taxonomy elements, indicating the appropriate date and period contexts in an instance document.

+ References + Details

Supplementary Insurance Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Supplementary Insurance Information [Abstract]

Supplementary Insurance Information

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE III—SUPPLEMENTARY INSURANCE INFORMATION

(dollars in thousands)



	As of December 31,
	Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs		Future Policy Benefits and Interest-Sensitive Contract Liabilities		Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable
2016
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	1,818,211	$	10,990,560	$	1,659,473
Financial Solutions operations	582,031		13,074,231		20,352
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	201,149		2,713,510		200,246
Financial Solutions operations	—		29,531		4,599
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	206,837		913,351		740,218
Financial Solutions operations	—		3,457,196		46,761
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	512,123		1,288,642		1,563,707
Financial Solutions operations	18,254		641,614		19,643
Corporate and Other	—		502,292		8,027
Total	$	3,338,605	$	33,610,927	$	4,263,026

2015
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	1,807,407	$	10,593,424	$	1,681,130
Financial Solutions operations	691,944		12,882,145		16,430
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	197,243		2,498,385		160,478
Financial Solutions operations	—		26,547		2,829
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	236,194		1,104,771		754,573
Financial Solutions operations	—		3,994,702		35,801
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	457,372		1,115,987		1,420,248
Financial Solutions operations	2,277		758,301		14,634
Corporate and Other	—		301,862		8,517
Total	$	3,392,437	$	33,276,124	$	4,094,640

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE III—SUPPLEMENTARY INSURANCE INFORMATION (continued)

(dollars in thousands)



	Year ended December 31,
	Premium Income		Net Investment Income		Policyholder Benefits and Interest Credited		Amortization of DAC⁽¹⁾		Other Operating Expenses
2016
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	5,249,571	$	699,833	$	4,717,850	$	177,255	$	698,762
Financial Solutions operations	24,349		631,097		333,107		133,501		90,458
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	928,642		178,927		707,428		10,621		265,250
Financial Solutions operations	38,701		2,692		36,275		—		2,718
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	1,140,062		50,301		999,005		33,795		132,290
Financial Solutions operations	180,271		125,282		178,014		—		24,497
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	1,681,505		83,049		1,345,951		24,597		286,674
Financial Solutions operations	5,428		23,648		37,976		1,423		19,920
Corporate and Other	342		117,057		2,460		—		217,738
Total	$	9,248,871	$	1,911,886	$	8,358,066	$	381,192	$	1,738,307
2015
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	4,806,706	$	636,779	$	4,444,196	$	131,439	$	653,620
Financial Solutions operations	22,177		566,180		310,464		40,416		85,022
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	838,894		182,621		670,477		11,299		217,061
Financial Solutions operations	37,969		1,436		29,251		—		1,881
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	1,121,540		51,370		979,225		39,164		123,943
Financial Solutions operations	171,830		73,432		161,917		—		16,304
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	1,551,586		80,549		1,208,984		7,373		316,346
Financial Solutions operations	19,474		18,678		20,766		185		16,011
Corporate and Other	565		123,450		1,066		—		186,973
Total	$	8,570,741	$	1,734,495	$	7,826,346	$	229,876	$	1,617,161
2014
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	4,725,505	$	552,805	$	4,181,492	$	467,067	$	283,064
Financial Solutions operations	20,079		644,285		402,387		203,605		105,207
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	953,389		193,610		784,470		190,164		83,446
Financial Solutions operations	21,192		2,595		20,116		—		1,969
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	1,157,407		52,086		1,013,331		43,549		117,864
Financial Solutions operations	216,562		55,043		204,110		—		17,351
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	1,540,910		84,489		1,208,611		74,571		312,652
Financial Solutions operations	34,030		17,972		42,351		409		15,829
Corporate and Other	780		110,806		804		—		121,242
Total	$	8,669,854	$	1,713,691	$	7,857,672	$	979,365	$	1,058,624


(1)	During 2015, the Company enhanced its process to track certain DAC components. See Note 8 - “Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Supplemental Schedule of Reinsurance

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Supplemental Schedule of Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies [Abstract]

Reinsurance

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE IV—REINSURANCE

(in millions)



	As of or for the Year ended December 31,
	Gross Amount		Ceded to Other Companies		Assumed from Other Companies		Net Amounts		Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net
2016
Life insurance in force	$	1,576	$	214,727	$	3,062,525	$	2,849,374	107.5	%
Premiums
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	31.6	$	616.0	$	5,834.0	$	5,249.6	111.1	%
Financial Solutions operations	1.6		40.2		63.0		24.4		258.2
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	—		36.5		965.1		928.6		103.9
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		38.7		38.7		100.0
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	24.1		30.9		1,146.9		1,140.1		100.6
Financial Solutions operations	0.3		84.4		264.4		180.3		146.6
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	—		50.3		1,731.8		1,681.5		103.0
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		5.4		5.4		100.0
Corporate and Other	—		—		0.3		0.3		100.0
Total	$	57.6	$	858.3	$	10,049.6	$	9,248.9	108.7
2015
Life insurance in force	$	1,686	$	222,388	$	2,995,079	$	2,774,377	108.0	%
Premiums
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	29.4	$	607.0	$	5,384.3	$	4,806.7	112.0	%
Financial Solutions operations	2.9		38.8		58.1		22.2		261.7
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	—		42.3		881.2		838.9		105.0
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		38.0		38.0		100.0
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	10.7		25.5		1,136.3		1,121.5		101.3
Financial Solutions operations	0.1		89.1		260.8		171.8		151.8
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	—		41.0		1,592.6		1,551.6		102.6
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		19.5		19.5		100.0
Corporate and Other	—		—		0.5		0.5		100.0
Total	$	43.1	$	843.7	$	9,371.3	$	8,570.7	109.3
2014
Life insurance in force	$	78	$	230,544	$	2,943,517	$	2,713,051	108.5	%
Premiums
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	9.6	$	287.8	$	5,003.7	$	4,725.5	105.9	%
Financial Solutions operations	—		39.4		59.5		20.1		296.0
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	—		49.6		1,002.9		953.3		105.2
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		21.3		21.3		100.0
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	9.8		30.4		1,178.0		1,157.4		101.8
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		216.6		216.6		100.0
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	—		40.7		1,581.6		1,540.9		102.6
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		34.0		34.0		100.0
Corporate and Other	—		—		0.8		0.8		100.0
Total	$	19.4	$	447.9	$	9,098.4	$	8,669.9	104.9

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE V—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(in millions)



			Additions
Description	Balance at Beginning of Period		Charged to Costs and Expenses			Charged to Other Accounts			Deductions		Balance at End of Period
2016
Valuation allowance for deferred income taxes	$	127.1	$	11.0		$	(4.7	)	$	—	$	133.4
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans	6.8		0.9			—			—		7.7
2015
Valuation allowance for deferred income taxes	$	112.0	$	23.7		$	(8.6	)	$	—	$	127.1
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans	6.5		0.3			—			—		6.8
2014
Valuation allowance for deferred income taxes	$	102.2	$	15.9		$	(6.1	)	$	—	$	112.0
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans	10.1		(0.9		)	—			2.7		6.5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant estimates include those used in determining deferred policy acquisition costs, premiums receivable, future policy benefits, incurred but not reported claims, income taxes, valuation of investments and investment impairments, and valuation of embedded derivatives. Actual results could differ materially from the estimates and assumptions used by management.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of RGA and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned, and any variable interest entities where the Company is the primary beneficiary. Entities in which the Company has significant influence over the operating and financing decisions but are not required to be consolidated are reported under the equity method of accounting. The Company evaluates variable interest entities in accordance with the general accounting principles for Consolidation. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

There were no subsequent events, other than as disclosed in Note 20 - “Subsequent Events”, that would require disclosure or adjustments to the accompanying consolidated financial statements through the date the consolidated financial statements were issued.

Investments

Fixed Maturity Securities

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate

Policy Loans Receivable

Policy Loans

Funds Withheld at Interest

Short-term Investments

Other Invested Assets

Other-than-Temporary Impairment

Derivative Instruments

Overview

Accounting and Financial Statement Presentation of Derivatives

Changes in the fair value of free-standing derivative instruments, which do not receive accounting hedge treatment, are primarily reflected in investment related gains (losses), net.

Hedge Documentation and Hedge Effectiveness

Embedded Derivatives

Fair Value Measurements

See Note 6 - “Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities” for further details on the Company’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on deposit and highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less.

Premiums Receivable

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs


•	Incremental direct costs of a successful contract acquisition


•	Portions of employees’ salaries and benefits directly related to time spent performing specified acquisition activities for a contract that has been acquired or renewed


•	Other costs directly related to the specified acquisition or renewal activities that would not have been incurred had that acquisition contract transaction not occurred

Other Reinsurance Balances

Goodwill and Value of Business Acquired

Value of Distribution Agreements and Customer Relationships Acquired

Other Assets

Future Policy Benefits

Interest-Sensitive Contract Liabilities

The Company establishes liabilities for guaranteed minimum living benefits relating to certain variable annuity products as follows:

Other Policy Claims and Benefits

Other Liabilities

Other liabilities primarily include investments in transit, separate accounts, employee benefits, cash collateral received on derivative positions and current federal income taxes payable.

Income Taxes


(i)	future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards;


(ii)	future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences;


(iii)	taxable income in prior carryback years; and


(iv)	tax planning strategies.

Collateral Finance Facility

Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes

Foreign Currency Translation

Recognition of Revenues and Related Expenses

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

Equity Based Compensation

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share exclude any dilutive effects of any outstanding options. Diluted earnings per share include the dilutive effects assuming outstanding stock options were exercised.

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards

New Accounting Pronouncements

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Debt Issuance Costs

Financial Services - Insurance

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Financial Instruments

Leases

Stock Compensation

Income Taxes

Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Investments [Abstract]

Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]

The following tables provide information relating to investments in fixed maturity and equity securities by sector as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



December 31, 2016:	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total		Other-than- temporary impairments in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	18,924,711	$	911,618	$	217,245	$	19,619,084	61.1	%	$	—
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	2,561,605		1,085,982		3,541		3,644,046		11.4		—
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,258,039		33,917		13,380		1,278,576		4.0		(375		)
Asset-backed securities	1,443,822		9,350		23,828		1,429,344		4.5		275
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,342,440		28,973		7,759		1,363,654		4.2		—
U.S. government and agencies	1,518,702		12,644		63,044		1,468,302		4.6		—
State and political subdivisions	566,761		37,499		12,464		591,796		1.8		—
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,595,707		123,054		19,938		2,698,823		8.4		—
Total fixed maturity securities	$	30,211,787	$	2,243,037	$	361,199	$	32,093,625	100.0	%	$	(100	)
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	55,812	$	1,648	$	6,337	$	51,123	18.6	%
Other equity securities	229,767		1,792		7,321		224,238		81.4
Total equity securities	$	285,579	$	3,440	$	13,658	$	275,361	100.0	%



December 31, 2015:	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total		Other-than- temporary impairments in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	17,575,507	$	599,718	$	467,069	$	17,708,156	59.7	%	$	—
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	2,469,009		1,110,282		2,532		3,576,759		12.1		—
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,277,998		45,152		11,673		1,311,477		4.4		(300		)
Asset-backed securities	1,219,000		12,052		18,376		1,212,676		4.1		354
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,456,848		37,407		11,168		1,483,087		5.0		(1,609		)
U.S. government and agencies	1,423,791		15,586		57,718		1,381,659		4.7		—
State and political subdivisions	480,067		40,014		9,067		511,014		1.7		—
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,420,757		78,964		41,644		2,458,077		8.3		—
Total fixed maturity securities	$	28,322,977	$	1,939,175	$	619,247	$	29,642,905	100.0	%	$	(1,555	)
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	85,645	$	7,837	$	5,962	$	87,520	69.5	%
Other equity securities	40,584		—		2,242		38,342		30.5
Total equity securities	$	126,229	$	7,837	$	8,204	$	125,862	100.0	%

Schedule of Financial Instruments Owned and Pledged as Collateral [Table Text Block]

The following table includes fixed maturity securities pledged and received as collateral and assets in trust held to satisfy collateral requirements under derivative transactions and certain third-party reinsurance treaties as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015
	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Fixed maturity securities pledged as collateral	$	207,066	$	210,676	$	169,678	$	176,782
Fixed maturity securities received as collateral	n/a		300,925		n/a		242,914
Assets in trust held to satisfy collateral requirements	12,135,258		12,874,370		10,535,729		10,928,393

Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block]

The Company’s exposure to concentrations of credit risk from single issuers greater than 10% of the Company’s stockholders’ equity included securities of the U.S. government and its agencies, as well as the securities disclosed below, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands).



	2016				2015
	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Fixed maturity securities guaranteed or issued by:
Canadian province of Quebec	$	1,004,261	$	1,612,957	$	943,484	$	1,525,903
Canadian province of Ontario	832,764		1,126,433		864,444		1,199,080

Investments Classified By Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

Asset and mortgage-backed securities are shown separately in the table below, as they are not due at a single maturity date.



	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Available-for-sale:
Due in one year or less	$	791,302	$	800,010
Due after one year through five years	6,665,056		6,897,024
Due after five years through ten years	9,042,167		9,390,938
Due after ten years	9,668,961		10,934,079
Asset and mortgage-backed securities	4,044,301		4,071,574
Total	$	30,211,787	$	32,093,625

Fixed Maturity Holdings Industry Types [Table Text Block]

The tables below show the major industry types of the Company’s corporate fixed maturity holdings as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



December 31, 2016:	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total
Finance	$	6,725,199	$	6,888,968	35.2	%
Industrial	10,228,813		10,639,613		54.2
Utility	1,970,699		2,090,503		10.6
Total	$	18,924,711	$	19,619,084	100.0	%

December 31, 2015:	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		% of Total
Finance	$	5,408,791	$	5,555,044	31.4	%
Industrial	10,211,426		10,129,917		57.2
Utility	1,955,290		2,023,195		11.4
Total	$	17,575,507	$	17,708,156	100.0	%

Roll Forward Of Cumulative Credit Loss Component Of Otti Income Loss [Table Text Block]

The following table sets forth the amount of pre-tax credit loss impairments on fixed maturity securities held by the Company as of the dates indicated, for which a portion of the OTTI loss was recognized in AOCI, and the corresponding changes in such amounts (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015		2014
Balance, beginning of period	$	7,284		$	7,284	$	11,696
Additional impairments - credit loss OTTI recognized on securities previously impaired	231			—		—
Credit loss previously recognized on securities which matured, paid down, prepaid or were sold during the period	(1,502		)	—		(4,412		)
Balance, end of period	$	6,013		$	7,284	$	7,284

AccountingForCertainLoansAndDebtSecuritiesAcquiredInTransferDisclosureTextBlock



	2016		2015
Outstanding principal and interest balance⁽¹⁾	$	85,078	$	343,640
Carrying value, including accrued interest⁽²⁾	$	69,717	$	287,663


(1)	Represents the contractually required payments which is the sum of contractual principal, whether or not currently due, and accrued interest.


(2)	Estimated fair value plus accrued interest.

Schedule Of Certain Loans Acquired In Transfer Accounted For As Available For Sale Debt Securities At Acquisition Date [Table Text Block]

The following table presents information about purchased credit impaired investments acquired during the periods ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, as of the acquisition dates (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Contractually required payments (including interest)	$	7,310	$	217,187
Cash flows expected to be collected⁽¹⁾	$	5,748	$	179,025
Fair value of investments acquired	$	4,139	$	137,399


(1)	Represents undiscounted principal and interest cash flow expectations at the date of acquisition.

Schedule Of Certain Loans Acquired In Transfer Accounted For As Available For Sale Debt Securities Accretable Yield [Table Text Block]

The following table presents activity for the accretable yield on purchased credit impaired securities for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
Balance, beginning of period	$	88,016		$	67,171
Investments purchased	1,609			41,626
Accretion	(9,004		)	(11,402		)
Disposals	(59,078		)	(1,109		)
Reclassification from nonaccretable difference	(2,105		)	(8,270		)
Balance, end of period	$	19,438		$	88,016

Investments In Debt And Equity Securities Gross Unrealized Losses Disclosures [Table Text Block]



	2016				2015
	Gross Unrealized Losses		% of Total		Gross Unrealized Losses		% of Total
Less than 20%	$	337,831	90.1	%	$	463,109	73.8	%
20% or more for less than six months	19,438		5.2		142,495		22.7
20% or more for six months or greater	17,588		4.7		21,847		3.5
Total	$	374,857	100.0	%	$	627,451	100.0	%

Fair Value And Investments In Debt And Equity Securities Disclosures [Table Text Block]

These investments are presented by class and grade of security, as well as the length of time the related fair value has remained below amortized cost.



	Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
December 31, 2016:	Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
Investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	$	4,661,706	$	124,444	$	549,273	$	43,282	$	5,210,979	$	167,726
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	101,578		3,541		—		—		101,578		3,541
Residential mortgage-backed securities	490,473		9,733		112,216		3,635		602,689		13,368
Asset-backed securities	563,259		12,010		257,166		9,653		820,425		21,663
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	368,465		6,858		10,853		166		379,318		7,024
U.S. government and agencies	1,056,101		63,044		—		—		1,056,101		63,044
State and political subdivisions	187,194		9,396		13,635		3,068		200,829		12,464
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	524,236		13,372		51,097		2,981		575,333		16,353
Total investment grade securities	7,953,012		242,398		994,240		62,785		8,947,252		305,183
Below investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	330,757		7,914		163,152		41,605		493,909		49,519
Residential mortgage-backed securities	—		—		412		12		412		12
Asset-backed securities	5,904		700		12,581		1,465		18,485		2,165
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	5,815		735		—		—		5,815		735
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	32,355		1,258		39,763		2,327		72,118		3,585
Total below investment grade securities	374,831		10,607		215,908		45,409		590,739		56,016
Total fixed maturity securities	$	8,327,843	$	253,005	$	1,210,148	$	108,194	$	9,537,991	$	361,199
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	10,831	$	831	$	21,879	$	5,506	$	32,710	$	6,337
Other equity securities	202,068		7,020		6,751		301		208,819		7,321
Total equity securities	$	212,899	$	7,851	$	28,630	$	5,807	$	241,529	$	13,658



	Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
December 31, 2015:	Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
Investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	$	6,388,148	$	323,961	$	294,755	$	40,861	$	6,682,903	$	364,822
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	122,746		2,532		—		—		122,746		2,532
Residential mortgage-backed securities	452,297		7,036		82,314		4,057		534,611		11,093
Asset-backed securities	581,701		9,825		199,298		7,100		780,999		16,925
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	514,877		9,806		31,177		997		546,054		10,803
U.S. government and agencies	1,010,387		57,718		—		—		1,010,387		57,718
State and political subdivisions	157,837		5,349		13,016		3,718		170,853		9,067
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	702,962		18,279		38,379		4,206		741,341		22,485
Total investment grade securities	9,930,955		434,506		658,939		60,939		10,589,894		495,445
Below investment grade securities:
Corporate securities	554,688		71,171		114,427		31,076		669,115		102,247
Residential mortgage-backed securities	22,646		282		7,679		298		30,325		580
Asset-backed securities	6,772		201		9,335		1,250		16,107		1,451
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	3,253		248		767		117		4,020		365
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	60,668		7,356		31,693		11,803		92,361		19,159
Total below investment grade securities	648,027		79,258		163,901		44,544		811,928		123,802
Total fixed maturity securities	$	10,578,982	$	513,764	$	822,840	$	105,483	$	11,401,822	$	619,247
Non-redeemable preferred stock	$	12,331	$	2,175	$	12,191	$	3,787	$	24,522	$	5,962
Other equity securities	38,327		2,242		—		—		38,327		2,242
Total equity securities	$	50,658	$	4,417	$	12,191	$	3,787	$	62,849	$	8,204

Investment Income [Table Text Block]

Major categories of investment income, net of related expenses consist of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	1,285,406		$	1,177,706		$	1,052,715
Mortgage loans on real estate	168,582			149,564			148,417
Policy loans	63,837			62,955			55,248
Funds withheld at interest	368,728			343,031			447,364
Short-term investments and cash and cash equivalents	8,051			7,574			8,955
Other	89,371			61,709			63,312
Investment income	1,983,975			1,802,539			1,776,011
Investment expense	(72,089		)	(68,044		)	(62,320		)
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	1,911,886		$	1,734,495		$	1,713,691

Gain (Loss) on Investments [Table Text Block]

Investment related gains (losses), net, consist of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Fixed maturity and equity securities available for sale:
Other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturities	$	(38,805	)	$	(57,380	)	$	(7,766	)
Portion of loss recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income	74			—			—
Net other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturity securities recognized in earnings	$	(38,731	)	$	(57,380	)	$	(7,766	)
Gain on investment activity	154,370			73,079			65,435
Loss on investment activity	(49,965		)	(71,893		)	(31,295		)
Other impairment losses and change in mortgage loan provision	(11,006		)	(6,953		)	(5,315		)
Derivatives and other, net	39,527			(101,603		)	165,134
Total investment related gains (losses), net	$	94,195		$	(164,750	)	$	186,193

Schedule of Repurchase Agreements [Table Text Block]



	2016				2015
	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
Borrowed securities	$	263,820	$	279,186	$	259,540	$	266,297
Securities lending:
Securities loaned	74,389		73,625		—		—
Securities received	n/a		80,000		n/a		—
Repurchase program/reverse repurchase program:
Securities pledged	476,531		499,891		443,435		465,889
Securities received	n/a		515,200		n/a		481,197
Cash received	—		28,832		—		—

Schedule of Underlying Assets of Repurchase Agreements when Amount of Repurchase Agreements Exceeds 10 Percent of Assets [Table Text Block]



	December 31, 2016
	Remaining Contractual Maturity of the Agreements
	Overnight and Continuous		Up to 30 Days		30-90 Days		Greater than 90 Days		Total
Securities lending transaction:
Corporate securities	$	—	$	—	$	4,017	$	69,608	$	73,625
Total	—		—		4,017		69,608		73,625
Repurchase transactions:
Corporate securities	—		—		3,220		166,979		170,199
Residential mortgage-backed securities	—		—		—		92,546		92,546
U.S. government and agencies	—		—		—		216,000		216,000
Foreign government	—		—		—		19,900		19,900
Other	1,246		—		—		—		1,246
Total	1,246		—		3,220		495,425		499,891
Total transactions	$	1,246	$	—	$	7,237	$	565,033	$	573,516

Gross amount of recognized liabilities for securities lending and repurchase transactions in preceding table									$	624,032
Amounts related to agreements not included in offsetting disclosure									$	50,516



	December 31, 2015
	Remaining Contractual Maturity of the Agreements
	Overnight and Continuous		Up to 30 Days		30-90 Days		Greater than 90 Days		Total
Repurchase transactions:
Corporate securities	$	—	$	2,951	$	—	$	147,324	$	150,275
Residential mortgage-backed securities	—		—		—		97,639		97,639
U.S. government and agencies	—		—		—		199,431		199,431
Foreign government	—		—		—		3,358		3,358
Other	15,186		—		—		—		15,186
Total transactions	$	15,186	$	2,951	$	—	$	447,752	$	465,889

Gross amount of recognized liabilities for repurchase transactions in preceding table									$	481,197
Amounts related to agreements not included in offsetting disclosure									$	15,308

Disclosure Of Real Estate Holdings By Property Type [Table Text Block]

The distribution of mortgage loans by property type, gross of valuation allowances is as follows as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015
	Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
Property type:
Office building	$	1,270,113	33.6	%	$	980,858	31.3	%
Retail	1,179,936		31.2		1,026,018		32.7
Industrial	713,461		18.8		527,485		16.8
Apartment	447,088		11.8		420,014		13.4
Other commercial	172,609		4.6		182,389		5.8
Total	$	3,783,207	100.0	%	$	3,136,764	100.0	%

Disclosure of Real Estate Holdings Classified By Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

The maturities of the mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016				2015
	Recorded Investment		% of Total		Recorded Investment		% of Total
Due within five years	$	822,073	21.7	%	$	873,280	27.8	%
Due after five years through ten years	2,099,559		55.5		1,561,535		49.8
Due after ten years	861,575		22.8		701,949		22.4
Total	$	3,783,207	100.0	%	$	3,136,764	100.0	%

Financing Receivable Credit Quality Indicators [Table Text Block]



	Recorded Investment
	Debt Service Ratios
	>1.20x		1.00x - 1.20x		<1.00x		Total		% of Total
December 31, 2016:
Loan-to-Value Ratio
0% - 59.99%	$	1,859,640	$	64,749	$	1,366	$	1,925,755	50.8	%
60% - 69.99%	1,257,788		34,678		—		1,292,466		34.2
70% - 79.99%	370,092		20,869		24,369		415,330		11.0
Greater than 80%	114,297		—		35,359		149,656		4.0
Total	$	3,601,817	$	120,296	$	61,094	$	3,783,207	100.0	%



	Recorded Investment
	Debt Service Ratios
	>1.20x		1.00x - 1.20x		<1.00x		Total		% of Total
December 31, 2015:
Loan-to-Value Ratio
0% - 59.99%	$	1,621,056	$	77,118	$	2,367	$	1,700,541	54.2	%
60% - 69.99%	881,611		14,332		19,805		915,748		29.2	%
70% - 79.99%	446,565		7,947		34,539		489,051		15.6	%
Greater than 80%	3,948		13,550		13,926		31,424		1.0	%
Total	$	2,953,180	$	112,947	$	70,637	$	3,136,764	100.0	%

Recorded Investment And Allowance For Credit Losses [Table Text Block]



	2016		2015
Mortgage loans:
Individually measured for impairment	$	2,216	$	16,421
Collectively measured for impairment	3,780,991		3,120,343
Mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances	3,783,207		3,136,764
Valuation allowances:
Individually measured for impairment	—		588
Collectively measured for impairment	7,685		6,225
Total valuation allowances	7,685		6,813
Mortgage loans, net of valuation allowances	$	3,775,522	$	3,129,951

Allowance For Loan And Lease Losses Provision For Loss Net [Table Text Block]

Information regarding the Company’s loan valuation allowances for mortgage loans as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015		2014
Balance, beginning of period	$	6,813	$	6,471	$	10,106
Charge-offs, net of recoveries	—		—		(2,731		)
Provision (release)	872		342		(904		)
Balance, end of period	$	7,685	$	6,813	$	6,471

Impaired Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]

Information regarding the portion of the Company’s mortgage loans that were impaired as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 is as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Unpaid Principal Balance		Recorded Investment		Related Allowance		Carrying Value
December 31, 2016:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded	$	2,758	$	2,216	$	—	$	2,216
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded	—		—		—		—
Total impaired mortgage loans	$	2,758	$	2,216	$	—	$	2,216
December 31, 2015:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded	$	4,033	$	4,033	$	—	$	4,033
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded	12,898		12,388		588		11,800
Total impaired mortgage loans	$	16,931	$	16,421	$	588	$	15,833



	2016				2015				2014
	Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded	$	2,249	$	142	$	6,033	$	330	$	13,227	$	647
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded	—		—		11,592		770		13,827		637
Total	$	2,249	$	142	$	17,625	$	1,100	$	27,054	$	1,284


(1)	Average recorded investment represents the average loan balances as of the beginning of period and all subsequent quarterly end of period balances.

Schedule of Other Assets [Table Text Block]

Other invested assets represented approximately 3.6% and 3.1% of the Company’s total investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Carrying values of these assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Equity securities	$	275,361	$	125,862
Limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures	687,522		567,697
Derivatives	229,108		256,178
FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments	190,120		197,547
Other	209,829		150,836
Total other invested assets	$	1,591,940	$	1,298,120

Derivative Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the notional amounts and gross fair value of derivative instruments prior to taking into account the netting effects of master netting agreements as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	December 31, 2016						December 31, 2015
	Notional		Carrying Value/Fair Value				Notional		Carrying Value/Fair Value
	Amount		Assets		Liabilities		Amount		Assets		Liabilities
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate swaps	$	949,556	$	78,405	$	5,949	$	1,123,057	$	85,075	$	4,196
Financial futures	475,968		—		—		420,665		—		—
Foreign currency forwards	25,000		—		5,070		45,000		44		6,768
Consumer price index swaps	20,615		—		262		28,561		—		292
Credit default swaps	926,000		12,012		2,871		897,000		8,230		11,053
Equity options	525,894		33,459		—		453,435		46,653		—
Longevity swaps	841,360		26,958		—		868,960		15,003		7
Mortality swaps	50,000		—		2,462		50,000		—		2,619
Synthetic guaranteed investment contracts	8,834,700		—		—		7,098,825		—		—
Embedded derivatives in:
Modified coinsurance or funds withheld arrangements	—		—		22,529		—		—		76,698
Indexed annuity products	—		—		805,672		—		—		878,114
Variable annuity products	—		—		184,636		—		—		192,470
Total non-hedging derivatives	12,649,093		150,834		1,029,451		10,985,503		155,005		1,172,217
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate swaps	435,000		27,901		31,223		120,000		—		29,986
Foreign currency swaps	928,505		104,359		734		823,486		146,265		—
Total hedging derivatives	1,363,505		132,260		31,957		943,486		146,265		29,986
Total derivatives	$	14,012,598	$	283,094	$	1,061,408	$	11,928,989	$	301,270	$	1,202,203

Offsetting Assets [Table Text Block]



								Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Balance Sheet
	Gross Amounts Recognized		Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts Presented in the Balance Sheet		Financial Instruments⁽¹⁾			Cash Collateral Pledged/ Received			Net Amount
December 31, 2016:
Derivative assets	$	283,094	$	(27,028	)	$	256,066	$	(16,913	)	$	(254,498	)	$	(15,345	)
Derivative liabilities	48,571		(27,028		)	21,543		(95,863		)	(1,441		)	(75,761		)
December 31, 2015:
Derivative assets	$	301,270	$	(30,096	)	$	271,174	$	(20,888	)	$	(245,038	)	$	5,248
Derivative liabilities	54,921		(30,096		)	24,825		(47,149		)	(12,540		)	(34,864		)

Offsetting Liabilities [Table Text Block]



								Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Balance Sheet
	Gross Amounts Recognized		Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts Presented in the Balance Sheet		Financial Instruments⁽¹⁾			Cash Collateral Pledged/ Received			Net Amount
December 31, 2016:
Derivative assets	$	283,094	$	(27,028	)	$	256,066	$	(16,913	)	$	(254,498	)	$	(15,345	)
Derivative liabilities	48,571		(27,028		)	21,543		(95,863		)	(1,441		)	(75,761		)
December 31, 2015:
Derivative assets	$	301,270	$	(30,096	)	$	271,174	$	(20,888	)	$	(245,038	)	$	5,248
Derivative liabilities	54,921		(30,096		)	24,825		(47,149		)	(12,540		)	(34,864		)

Schedule of Fair Value Hedging Instruments, Statements of Financial Performance and Financial Position, Location [Table Text Block]

The gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to a change in foreign currency and the offsetting gain or loss on the related foreign currency swaps as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 were (dollars in thousands):



Type of Fair Value Hedge	Hedged Item	Gains (Losses) Recognized for Derivatives			Gains (Losses) Recognized for Hedged Items			Ineffectiveness Recognized in Investment Related Gains (Losses)
For the Year Ended December 31, 2016:
Foreign currency swaps	Foreign-denominated fixed maturity securities	$	(1,700	)	$	1,700		$	—
For the Year Ended December 31, 2015:
Foreign currency swaps	Foreign-denominated fixed maturity securities	$	4,008		$	(4,008	)	$	—

Schedule of Cash Flow Hedges Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]



	Amounts Included in AOCI
Balance December 31, 2013	$	(4,578	)
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges	(25,801		)
Amounts reclassified to investment income	(1,212		)
Balance December 31, 2014	(31,591		)
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges	2,676
Amounts reclassified to investment related (gains) losses, net	87
Amounts reclassified to investment income	(569		)
Balance December 31, 2015	(29,397		)
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges	27,110
Amounts reclassified to investment related (gains) losses, net	278
Amounts reclassified to investment income	(487		)
Balance December 31, 2016	$	(2,496	)

Schedule of Cash Flow Hedging Instruments, Statements of Financial Performance and Financial Position, Location [Table Text Block]



	Effective Portion
Derivative Type	Gains (Losses) Recognized in OCI			Gains (Losses) Reclassified into Income from OCI
For the year ended December 31, 2016:				Investment Related Gains (Losses)			Investment Income
Interest rate	$	27,901		$	—		$	—
Currency/Interest rate	(791		)	—			510
Forward bond purchase commitments	—			(278		)	(23		)
Total	$	27,110		$	(278	)	$	487

For the year ended December 31, 2015:
Interest rate	$	(11,422	)	$	—		$	343
Forward bond purchase commitments	14,098			(87		)	226
Total	$	2,676		$	(87	)	$	569

For the year ended December 31, 2014:
Interest rate	$	(12,431	)	$	—		$	1,212
Forward bond purchase commitments	(13,370		)	—			—
Total	$	(25,801	)	$	—		$	1,212

Schedule of Net Investment Hedges, Statements of Financial Performance and Financial Position, Location [Table Text Block]

The following table illustrates the Company’s net investments in foreign operations (“NIFO”) hedges for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):



	Derivative Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI
	For the year ended
Type of NIFO Hedge ^{(1) (2)}	2016			2015		2014
Foreign currency swaps	$	(10,234	)	$	96,019	$	51,894


(1)	There were no sales or substantial liquidations of net investments in foreign operations that would have required the reclassification of gains or losses from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into investment income during the periods presented.


(2)	There was no ineffectiveness recognized for the Company’s hedges of net investments in foreign operations.

Derivative Instruments Gain Loss By Income Statement Location [Table Text Block]



		Gains (Losses) for the Years Ended December 31,
Type of Non-hedging Derivative	Income Statement Location of Gains (Losses)	2016			2015			2014
Interest rate swaps	Investment related gains (losses), net	$	7,649		$	20,358		$	94,848
Interest rate options	Investment related gains (losses), net	—			3,275			15,641
Financial futures	Investment related gains (losses), net	(40,242		)	319			(9,550		)
Foreign currency forwards	Investment related gains (losses), net	1,630			(1,160		)	(8,691		)
Consumer price index swaps	Investment related gains (losses), net	(401		)	(208		)	(344		)
Credit default swaps	Investment related gains (losses), net	18,100			(4,683		)	3,938
Equity options	Investment related gains (losses), net	(28,270		)	(16,899		)	(22,472		)
Longevity swaps	Other revenues	13,095			8,228			8,088
Mortality swaps	Other revenues	(172		)	(1,822		)	(797		)
Subtotal		(28,611		)	7,408			80,661
Embedded derivatives in:
Modified coinsurance or funds withheld arrangements	Investment related gains (losses), net	54,169			(98,792		)	198,365
Indexed annuity products	Interest credited	10,708			19,440			(104,844		)
Variable annuity products	Investment related gains (losses), net	7,835			(33,192		)	(129,224		)
Total non-hedging derivatives		$	44,101		$	(105,136	)	$	44,958

Disclosure Of Credit Derivatives [Table Text Block]



	2016						2015
Rating Agency Designation of Referenced Credit Obligations⁽¹⁾	Estimated Fair Value of Credit Default Swaps			Maximum Amount of Future Payments under Credit Default Swaps⁽²⁾		Weighted Average Years to Maturity⁽³⁾	Estimated Fair Value of Credit Default Swaps			Maximum Amount of Future Payments under Credit Default Swaps⁽²⁾		Weighted Average Years to Maturity⁽³⁾
AAA/AA+/AA/AA-/A+/A/A-
Single name credit default swaps	$	1,726		$	150,500	3.8	$	1,689		$	152,500	3.9
Subtotal	1,726			150,500		3.8	1,689			152,500		3.9
BBB+/BBB/BBB-
Single name credit default swaps	1,426			347,200		3.7	(5,066		)	315,200		4.2
Credit default swaps referencing indices	6,295			416,000		5.0	2,274			416,000		5.0
Subtotal	7,721			763,200		4.4	(2,792		)	731,200		4.6
BB+/BB/BB-
Single name credit default swaps	(477		)	9,000		3.5	(2,900		)	10,000		4.1
Subtotal	(477		)	9,000		3.5	(2,900		)	10,000		4.1
Total	$	8,970		$	922,700	4.3	$	(4,003	)	$	893,700	4.5


(1)	The rating agency designations are based on ratings from Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”).


(2)	Assumes the value of the referenced credit obligations is zero.


(3)	The weighted average years to maturity of the credit default swaps is calculated based on weighted average notional amounts.

Changes In Estimated Fair Value Related To Embedded Derivatives [Table Text Block]

The related gains (losses) and the effect on net income after amortization of DAC and income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Embedded derivatives in modified coinsurance or funds withheld arrangements included in investment related gains	$	54,169		$	98,792		$	198,365
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related amounts included in net income	9,160			(26,025		)	45,171
Embedded derivatives in variable annuity contracts included in investment related gains	7,835			(33,192		)	(129,224		)
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related amounts included in net income	(41,201		)	(29,008		)	27,601
Amounts related to embedded derivatives in equity-indexed annuities included in benefits and expenses	10,708			19,440			(104,844		)
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related amounts included in net income	(4,148		)	6,204			(69,963		)

Credit Risk [Table Text Block]

Information regarding the Company’s credit exposure related to its over-the-counter derivative contracts, centrally cleared derivative contracts and margin account for exchange-traded futures, excluding mortality swaps, at December 31, 2016 and 2015 is reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
Estimated fair value of derivatives in net asset position	$	236,985		$	248,968
Cash provided as collateral⁽¹⁾	1,441			12,540
Securities pledged to counterparties as collateral⁽²⁾	95,863			47,149
Cash pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽³⁾	(254,498		)	(245,038		)
Securities pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽⁴⁾	(16,913		)	(20,888		)
Initial margin for cleared derivatives	(73,571		)	(34,898		)
Net amount after application of master netting agreements and collateral	$	(10,693	)	$	7,833
Margin account related to exchange-traded futures⁽⁵⁾	$	9,687		$	11,004


(1)	Consists of receivable from counterparty, included in other assets.


(2)	Included in available-for-sale securities, primarily consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.


(3)	Included in cash and cash equivalents, with obligation to return cash collateral recorded in other liabilities.


(4)	Consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.


(5)	Included in other assets.

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 are summarized below (dollars in thousands):



December 31, 2016:				Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Assets:
Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	19,619,084		$	310,995	$	18,035,836		$	1,272,253
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	3,644,046			—		3,168,081			475,965
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,278,576			—		1,118,285			160,291
Asset-backed securities	1,429,344			—		1,210,064			219,280
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,363,654			—		1,342,509			21,145
U.S. government and agencies	1,468,302			1,345,755		98,059			24,488
State and political subdivisions	591,796			—		550,130			41,666
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,698,823			276,729		2,409,225			12,869
Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale	32,093,625			1,933,479		27,932,189			2,227,957
Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives	(22,529		)	—		—			(22,529		)
Cash equivalents	338,601			338,601		—			—
Short-term investments	44,241			8,276		32,619			3,346
Other invested assets:
Non-redeemable preferred stock	51,123			38,317		12,806			—
Other equity securities	224,238			224,238		—			—
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	93,508			—		93,508			—
Credit default swaps	9,136			—		9,136			—
Equity options	26,070			—		26,070			—
Foreign currency swaps	100,394			—		100,394			—
FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments	190,120			188,891		1,229			—
Other	11,036			11,036		—			—
Total other invested assets	705,625			462,482		243,143			—
Other assets - longevity swaps	26,958			—		—			26,958
Total	$	33,186,521		$	2,742,838	$	28,207,951		$	2,235,732
Liabilities:
Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives	$	990,308		$	—	$	—		$	990,308
Other liabilities:
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	24,374			—		24,374			—
Foreign currency forwards	5,070			—		5,070			—
CPI swaps	262			—		262			—
Credit default swaps	(5		)	—		(5		)	—
Equity options	(7,389		)	—		(7,389		)	—
Foreign currency swaps	(3,231		)	—		(3,231		)	—
Mortality swaps	2,462			—		—			2,462
Total	$	1,011,851		$	—	$	19,081		$	992,770



December 31, 2015:				Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Assets:
Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	17,708,156		$	269,039	$	16,212,147		$	1,226,970
Canadian and Canadian provincial governments	3,576,759			—		3,160,683			416,076
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,311,477			—		980,828			330,649
Asset-backed securities	1,212,676			—		908,840			303,836
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	1,483,087			—		1,414,524			68,563
U.S. government and agencies	1,381,659			1,227,858		127,536			26,265
State and political subdivisions	511,014			—		472,672			38,342
Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises	2,458,077			260,552		2,183,460			14,065
Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale	29,642,905			1,757,449		25,460,690			2,424,766
Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives	(76,698		)	—		—			(76,698		)
Cash equivalents	406,521			406,521		—			—
Short-term investments	530,773			524,946		5,827			—
Other invested assets:
Non-redeemable preferred stock	87,520			81,809		5,711			—
Other equity securities	38,342			38,342		—			—
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	71,882			—		71,882			—
Foreign currency forwards	20			—		20			—
CPI swaps	(292		)	—		(292		)	—
Credit default swaps	2,567			—		2,567			—
Equity options	40,644			—		40,644			—
Foreign currency swaps	141,357			—		141,357			—
FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments	197,547			195,317		2,230			—
Other	8,170			8,170		—			—
Total other invested assets	587,757			323,638		264,119			—
Other assets - longevity swaps	14,996			—		—			14,996
Total	$	31,106,254		$	3,012,554	$	25,730,636		$	2,363,064
Liabilities:
Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives	$	1,070,584		$	—	$	—		$	1,070,584
Other liabilities:
Derivatives:
Interest rate swaps	20,989			—		20,989			—
Foreign currency forwards	6,744			—		6,744			—
Credit default swaps	5,390			—		5,390			—
Equity options	(6,009		)	—		(6,009		)	—
Foreign currency swaps	(4,908		)	—		(4,908		)	—
Mortality swaps	2,619			—		—			2,619
Total	$	1,095,409		$	—	$	22,206		$	1,073,203

Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Table Text Block]



	Fair Value						Valuation	Unobservable	Range (Weighted Average)
Assets:	2016			2015			Technique	Input	2016		2015
Corporate securities	$	167,815		$	195,557		Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	0-2% (1%)		0-2% (1%)
U.S. government and agencies	24,488			26,265			Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	0-1% (1%)		0-1% (1%)
State and political subdivisions	4,670			4,770			Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	1	%	1	%
Funds withheld at interest- embedded derivatives	(22,529		)	(76,698		)	Total return swap	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-35% (8%)		0-35% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-5% (3%)		0-5% (3%)
								CVA	0-5% (1%)		0-5% (1%)
								Crediting rate	2-4% (2%)		2-4% (3%)
Longevity swaps	26,958			14,996			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Mortality improvement	(10%)-10% (3%)		(10%)-10% (3%)

Liabilities:
Interest sensitive contract liabilities- embedded derivatives- indexed annuities	805,672			878,114			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-35% (8%)		0-35% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-5% (3%)		0-5% (3%)
								Option budget projection	2-4% (2%)		2-4% (3%)
Interest sensitive contract liabilities- embedded derivatives- variable annuities	184,636			192,470			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-25% (6%)		0-25% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-7% (3%)		0-7% (3%)
								CVA	0-5% (1%)		0-5% (1%)
								Long-term volatility	0-27% (14%)		0-27% (14%)
Mortality swaps	2,462			2,619			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (1%)		0-100% (1%)

Fair Value Inputs, Liabilities, Quantitative Information [Table Text Block]



	Fair Value						Valuation	Unobservable	Range (Weighted Average)
Assets:	2016			2015			Technique	Input	2016		2015
Corporate securities	$	167,815		$	195,557		Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	0-2% (1%)		0-2% (1%)
U.S. government and agencies	24,488			26,265			Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	0-1% (1%)		0-1% (1%)
State and political subdivisions	4,670			4,770			Market comparable securities	Liquidity premium	1	%	1	%
Funds withheld at interest- embedded derivatives	(22,529		)	(76,698		)	Total return swap	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-35% (8%)		0-35% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-5% (3%)		0-5% (3%)
								CVA	0-5% (1%)		0-5% (1%)
								Crediting rate	2-4% (2%)		2-4% (3%)
Longevity swaps	26,958			14,996			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Mortality improvement	(10%)-10% (3%)		(10%)-10% (3%)

Liabilities:
Interest sensitive contract liabilities- embedded derivatives- indexed annuities	805,672			878,114			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-35% (8%)		0-35% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-5% (3%)		0-5% (3%)
								Option budget projection	2-4% (2%)		2-4% (3%)
Interest sensitive contract liabilities- embedded derivatives- variable annuities	184,636			192,470			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (2%)		0-100% (2%)
								Lapse	0-25% (6%)		0-25% (7%)
								Withdrawal	0-7% (3%)		0-7% (3%)
								CVA	0-5% (1%)		0-5% (1%)
								Long-term volatility	0-27% (14%)		0-27% (14%)
Mortality swaps	2,462			2,619			Discounted cash flow	Mortality	0-100% (1%)		0-100% (1%)

Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis Level Transfers [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the year ended December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2015
	Transfers from Level 1 to Level 2		Transfers from Level 2 to Level 1
Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale:
Corporate securities	$	32,206	$	127,653

Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Table Text Block]



For the year ended December 31, 2016:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Canadian and Canadian provincial governments		Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,226,970		$	416,076	$	330,649		$	303,836
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(2,399		)	12,197		(595		)	801
Investment related gains (losses), net	(4,756		)	—		(2,153		)	1,101
Included in other comprehensive income	10,022			47,692		(1,621		)	(2,696		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	312,720			—		103,553			138,522
Sales⁽¹⁾	(60,399		)	—		(167,684		)	(38,681		)
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(195,016		)	—		(38,495		)	(61,770		)
Transfers into Level 3	14,098			—		1,728			56,105
Transfers out of Level 3	(28,987		)	—		(65,091		)	(177,938		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,272,253		$	475,965	$	160,291		$	219,280
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(2,343	)	$	12,197	$	(158	)	$	734
Investment related gains (losses), net	(817		)	—		(231		)	—



For the year ended December 31, 2016 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions			Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises			Short-term investments
Fair value, beginning of period	$	68,563		$	26,265		$	38,342		$	14,065		$	—
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,677			(487		)	215			—			—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(876		)	—			—			—			—
Included in other comprehensive income	(5,887		)	39			962			110			—
Purchases⁽¹⁾	1,545			508			6,952			—			3,365
Sales⁽¹⁾	(41,143		)	—			—			—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(552		)	(1,837		)	(599		)	(1,306		)	(19		)
Transfers into Level 3	—			—			—			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(2,182		)	—			(4,206		)	—			—
Fair value, end of period	$	21,145		$	24,488		$	41,666		$	12,869		$	3,346
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	1,552		$	(487	)	$	215		$	—		$	—



For the year ended December 31, 2016 (continued):
	Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period	$	(76,698	)	$	14,996		$	(1,070,584	)	$	(2,619	)
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	54,169			—			7,834			—
Interest credited	—			—			10,709			—
Included in other comprehensive income	—			(1,133		)	—			—
Other revenue	—			13,095			—			(172		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	—			—			(12,725		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	—			—			74,458			329
Fair value, end of period	$	(22,529	)	$	26,958		$	(990,308	)	$	(2,462	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	$	54,169		$	—		$	(4,579	)	$	—
Other revenue	—			13,095			—			(172		)
Interest credited	—			—			(63,748		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.



For the year ended December 31, 2015:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Canadian and Canadian provincial governments		Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,310,427		$	—	$	188,094		$	572,960
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(3,517		)	2,788		(1,754		)	4,526
Investment related gains (losses), net	(2,814		)	—		(216		)	808
Included in other comprehensive income	(32,452		)	70,144		(944		)	(2,490		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	243,871			—		249,208			229,220
Sales⁽¹⁾	(3,949		)	—		(985		)	(13,105		)
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(279,495		)	—		(39,494		)	(98,918		)
Transfers into Level 3	15,455			343,144		2,853			13,542
Transfers out of Level 3	(20,556		)	—		(66,113		)	(402,707		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,226,970		$	416,076	$	330,649		$	303,836
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(3,396	)	$	2,788	$	(1,753	)	$	2,465
Investment related gains (losses), net	(2,278		)	—		—			—



For the year ended December 31, 2015 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions			Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises
Fair value, beginning of period	$	86,746		$	28,529		$	42,711		$	19,663
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	2,817			(48		)	32			—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(4,737		)	(233		)	(19		)	—
Included in other comprehensive income	(337		)	(602		)	(3,055		)	(7		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	42			544			—			—
Sales⁽¹⁾	(6,153		)	—			—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(7,226		)	(1,925		)	(492		)	(1,258		)
Transfers into Level 3	12,828			—			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(15,417		)	—			(835		)	(4,333		)
Fair value, end of period	$	68,563		$	26,265		$	38,342		$	14,065
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	2,718		$	(48	)	$	32		$	—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(3,593		)	—			—			—



For the year ended December 31, 2015 (continued):
	Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other invested assets - non- redeemable preferred stock			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period	$	22,094		$	7,904		$	7,727		$	(1,085,166	)	$	(797	)
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	(98,792		)	—			—			(33,191		)	—
Interest credited	—			—			—			19,440			—
Included in other comprehensive income	—			(412		)	(959		)	—			—
Other revenue	—			—			8,228			—			(1,822		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	—			4,529			—			(42,798		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	—			—			—			71,131			—
Transfers out of Level 3	—			(12,021		)	—			—			—
Fair value, end of period	$	(76,698	)	$	—		$	14,996		$	(1,070,584	)	$	(2,619	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	$	(98,792	)	$	—		$	—		$	(43,496	)	$	—
Other revenue	—			—			8,228			—			(1,822		)
Interest credited	—			—			—			(51,691		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.



For the year ended December 31, 2014:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities			Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,345,289		$	153,505		$	471,848		$	101,785		$	40,919		$	43,776
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(4,828		)	(93		)	7,929			1,892			(483		)	39
Investment related gains (losses), net	(1,984		)	(244		)	2,131			103			(401		)	(17		)
Included in other comprehensive income	(3,100		)	1,748			1,665			1,099			1,052			3,282
Purchases⁽¹⁾	356,706			54,412			191,662			6,180			581			—
Sales⁽¹⁾	(54,386		)	(744		)	(22,923		)	(14,626		)	—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(273,392		)	(34,727		)	(54,175		)	(3,599		)	(13,139		)	(738		)
Transfers into Level 3	13,180			15,981			11,614			5,712			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(67,058		)	(1,744		)	(36,791		)	(11,800		)	—			(3,631		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,310,427		$	188,094		$	572,960		$	86,746		$	28,529		$	42,711
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(4,686	)	$	(97	)	$	5,306		$	1,949		$	(480	)	$	39



For the year ended December 31, 2014 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
		Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises			Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other invested assets - non- redeemable preferred stock			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period		$	37,997		$	(176,270	)	$	4,962		$	—		$	(868,725	)	$	—
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses		(5		)	—			—			—			—			—
Investment related gains (losses), net		—			198,364			—			—			(129,224		)	—
Interest credited		—			—			—			—			(104,843		)	—
Included in other comprehensive income		(59		)	—			(96		)	(361		)	—			—
Other revenue		—			—			—			8,088			—			(797		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾		—			—			8,000			—			(56,234		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾		(1,210		)	—			—			—			—			—
Transfers into Level 3		9,482			—			—			—			73,860			—
Transfers out of Level 3		(26,542		)	—			(4,962		)	—			—			—
Fair value, end of period		$	19,663		$	22,094		$	7,904		$	7,727		$	(1,085,166	)	$	(797	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses		$	(5	)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Investment related gains (losses), net		—			—			—			—			(134,254		)	—
Other revenue		—			—			—			8,088			—			(797		)
Interest credited		—			198,365			—			—			(178,704		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.

Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Table Text Block]



For the year ended December 31, 2016:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Canadian and Canadian provincial governments		Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,226,970		$	416,076	$	330,649		$	303,836
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(2,399		)	12,197		(595		)	801
Investment related gains (losses), net	(4,756		)	—		(2,153		)	1,101
Included in other comprehensive income	10,022			47,692		(1,621		)	(2,696		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	312,720			—		103,553			138,522
Sales⁽¹⁾	(60,399		)	—		(167,684		)	(38,681		)
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(195,016		)	—		(38,495		)	(61,770		)
Transfers into Level 3	14,098			—		1,728			56,105
Transfers out of Level 3	(28,987		)	—		(65,091		)	(177,938		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,272,253		$	475,965	$	160,291		$	219,280
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(2,343	)	$	12,197	$	(158	)	$	734
Investment related gains (losses), net	(817		)	—		(231		)	—



For the year ended December 31, 2016 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions			Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises			Short-term investments
Fair value, beginning of period	$	68,563		$	26,265		$	38,342		$	14,065		$	—
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,677			(487		)	215			—			—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(876		)	—			—			—			—
Included in other comprehensive income	(5,887		)	39			962			110			—
Purchases⁽¹⁾	1,545			508			6,952			—			3,365
Sales⁽¹⁾	(41,143		)	—			—			—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(552		)	(1,837		)	(599		)	(1,306		)	(19		)
Transfers into Level 3	—			—			—			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(2,182		)	—			(4,206		)	—			—
Fair value, end of period	$	21,145		$	24,488		$	41,666		$	12,869		$	3,346
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	1,552		$	(487	)	$	215		$	—		$	—



For the year ended December 31, 2016 (continued):
	Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period	$	(76,698	)	$	14,996		$	(1,070,584	)	$	(2,619	)
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	54,169			—			7,834			—
Interest credited	—			—			10,709			—
Included in other comprehensive income	—			(1,133		)	—			—
Other revenue	—			13,095			—			(172		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	—			—			(12,725		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	—			—			74,458			329
Fair value, end of period	$	(22,529	)	$	26,958		$	(990,308	)	$	(2,462	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	$	54,169		$	—		$	(4,579	)	$	—
Other revenue	—			13,095			—			(172		)
Interest credited	—			—			(63,748		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.



For the year ended December 31, 2015:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Canadian and Canadian provincial governments		Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,310,427		$	—	$	188,094		$	572,960
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(3,517		)	2,788		(1,754		)	4,526
Investment related gains (losses), net	(2,814		)	—		(216		)	808
Included in other comprehensive income	(32,452		)	70,144		(944		)	(2,490		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	243,871			—		249,208			229,220
Sales⁽¹⁾	(3,949		)	—		(985		)	(13,105		)
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(279,495		)	—		(39,494		)	(98,918		)
Transfers into Level 3	15,455			343,144		2,853			13,542
Transfers out of Level 3	(20,556		)	—		(66,113		)	(402,707		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,226,970		$	416,076	$	330,649		$	303,836
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(3,396	)	$	2,788	$	(1,753	)	$	2,465
Investment related gains (losses), net	(2,278		)	—		—			—



For the year ended December 31, 2015 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions			Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises
Fair value, beginning of period	$	86,746		$	28,529		$	42,711		$	19,663
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	2,817			(48		)	32			—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(4,737		)	(233		)	(19		)	—
Included in other comprehensive income	(337		)	(602		)	(3,055		)	(7		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	42			544			—			—
Sales⁽¹⁾	(6,153		)	—			—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(7,226		)	(1,925		)	(492		)	(1,258		)
Transfers into Level 3	12,828			—			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(15,417		)	—			(835		)	(4,333		)
Fair value, end of period	$	68,563		$	26,265		$	38,342		$	14,065
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	2,718		$	(48	)	$	32		$	—
Investment related gains (losses), net	(3,593		)	—			—			—



For the year ended December 31, 2015 (continued):
	Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other invested assets - non- redeemable preferred stock			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period	$	22,094		$	7,904		$	7,727		$	(1,085,166	)	$	(797	)
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	(98,792		)	—			—			(33,191		)	—
Interest credited	—			—			—			19,440			—
Included in other comprehensive income	—			(412		)	(959		)	—			—
Other revenue	—			—			8,228			—			(1,822		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾	—			4,529			—			(42,798		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	—			—			—			71,131			—
Transfers out of Level 3	—			(12,021		)	—			—			—
Fair value, end of period	$	(76,698	)	$	—		$	14,996		$	(1,070,584	)	$	(2,619	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment related gains (losses), net	$	(98,792	)	$	—		$	—		$	(43,496	)	$	—
Other revenue	—			—			8,228			—			(1,822		)
Interest credited	—			—			—			(51,691		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.



For the year ended December 31, 2014:	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
	Corporate securities			Residential mortgage-backed securities			Asset-backed securities			Commercial mortgage-backed securities			U.S. government and agencies			State and political subdivisions
Fair value, beginning of period	$	1,345,289		$	153,505		$	471,848		$	101,785		$	40,919		$	43,776
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	(4,828		)	(93		)	7,929			1,892			(483		)	39
Investment related gains (losses), net	(1,984		)	(244		)	2,131			103			(401		)	(17		)
Included in other comprehensive income	(3,100		)	1,748			1,665			1,099			1,052			3,282
Purchases⁽¹⁾	356,706			54,412			191,662			6,180			581			—
Sales⁽¹⁾	(54,386		)	(744		)	(22,923		)	(14,626		)	—			—
Settlements⁽¹⁾	(273,392		)	(34,727		)	(54,175		)	(3,599		)	(13,139		)	(738		)
Transfers into Level 3	13,180			15,981			11,614			5,712			—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	(67,058		)	(1,744		)	(36,791		)	(11,800		)	—			(3,631		)
Fair value, end of period	$	1,310,427		$	188,094		$	572,960		$	86,746		$	28,529		$	42,711
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	(4,686	)	$	(97	)	$	5,306		$	1,949		$	(480	)	$	39



For the year ended December 31, 2014 (continued):	Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
		Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises			Funds withheld at interest-embedded derivatives			Other invested assets - non- redeemable preferred stock			Other assets - longevity swaps			Interest sensitive contract liabilities embedded derivatives			Other liabilities - mortality swaps
Fair value, beginning of period		$	37,997		$	(176,270	)	$	4,962		$	—		$	(868,725	)	$	—
Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses		(5		)	—			—			—			—			—
Investment related gains (losses), net		—			198,364			—			—			(129,224		)	—
Interest credited		—			—			—			—			(104,843		)	—
Included in other comprehensive income		(59		)	—			(96		)	(361		)	—			—
Other revenue		—			—			—			8,088			—			(797		)
Purchases⁽¹⁾		—			—			8,000			—			(56,234		)	—
Settlements⁽¹⁾		(1,210		)	—			—			—			—			—
Transfers into Level 3		9,482			—			—			—			73,860			—
Transfers out of Level 3		(26,542		)	—			(4,962		)	—			—			—
Fair value, end of period		$	19,663		$	22,094		$	7,904		$	7,727		$	(1,085,166	)	$	(797	)
Unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings for the period relating to those Level 3 assets and liabilities that were still held at the end of the period
Included in earnings, net:
Investment income, net of related expenses		$	(5	)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Investment related gains (losses), net		—			—			—			—			(134,254		)	—
Other revenue		—			—			—			8,088			—			(797		)
Interest credited		—			198,365			—			—			(178,704		)	—


(1)	The amount reported within purchases, sales and settlements is the purchase price (for purchases) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased or sold/settled. Items purchased and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward. The Company had no issuances during the period.

Fair Value Assets Measured On Nonrecurring Basis [Text Block]

Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements



	Carrying Value After Measurement				Net Investment Gains (Losses)
	At December 31,					Years ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2016		2015			2016			2015
Mortgage loans⁽¹⁾	$	—	$	11,800		$	—		$	228
Limited partnership interests⁽²⁾	6,192		12,520			(9,277		)	(6,550		)


(1)	Estimated fair values for impaired mortgage loans are based on internal valuation models using unobservable inputs or, if the loans are in foreclosure or are otherwise determined to be collateral dependent, are based on external appraisals of the underlying collateral.


(2)	The impaired limited partnership interests presented above were accounted for using the cost method. Impairments on these cost method investments were recognized at estimated fair value determined using the net asset values of the Company’s ownership interest as provided in the financial statements of the investees. The market for these investments has limited activity and price transparency.

Financial Instruments Carrying Amounts And Estimated Fair Value [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments, which were not measured at fair value on a recurring basis, at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands).This table excludes any payables or receivables for collateral under repurchase agreements and other transactions. The estimated fair value of the excluded amount approximates carrying value as they equal the amount of cash collateral received/paid.



			Estimated Fair		Fair Value Measurement Using:
December 31, 2016:	Carrying Value		Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV
Assets:
Mortgage loans on real estate	$	3,775,522	$	3,786,987	$	—	$	—	$	3,786,987	$	—
Policy loans	1,427,602		1,427,602		—		1,427,602		—		—
Funds withheld at interest⁽¹⁾	5,893,381		6,193,166		—		—		6,193,166		—
Cash and cash equivalents⁽²⁾	862,117		862,117		862,117		—		—		—
Short-term investments⁽²⁾	32,469		32,469		32,469		—		—		—
Other invested assets⁽²⁾	477,132		510,640		26,294		55,669		131,904		296,773
Accrued investment income	347,173		347,173		—		347,173		—		—
Liabilities:
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities⁽¹⁾	$	10,225,099	$	10,234,544	$	—	$	—	$	10,234,544	$	—
Long-term debt	3,088,635		3,186,173		—		—		3,186,173		—
Collateral finance and securitization notes	840,700		745,805		—		—		745,805		—

December 31, 2015:
Assets:
Mortgage loans on real estate	$	3,129,951	$	3,197,808	$	—	$	—	$	3,197,808	$	—
Policy loans	1,468,796		1,468,796		—		1,468,796		—		—
Funds withheld at interest⁽¹⁾	5,956,380		6,311,780		—		—		6,311,780		—
Cash and cash equivalents⁽²⁾	1,118,754		1,118,754		1,118,754		—		—		—
Short-term investments⁽²⁾	27,511		27,511		27,511		—		—		—
Other invested assets⁽²⁾	399,799		444,342		4,445		34,886		111,412		293,599
Accrued investment income	339,452		339,452		—		339,452		—		—
Liabilities:
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities⁽¹⁾	$	9,746,870	$	9,841,576	$	—	$	—	$	9,841,576	$	—
Long-term debt	2,297,548		2,415,119		—		—		2,415,119		—
Collateral finance and securitization notes	899,161		791,275		—		—		791,275		—


(1)	Carrying values presented herein differ from those presented in the consolidated balance sheets because certain items within the respective financial statement caption are embedded derivatives and are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.


(2)	Carrying values presented herein differ from those presented in the consolidated balance sheets because certain items within the respective financial statement caption are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

Reinsurance (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]

Ceded Credit Risk [Table Text Block]



		2016				2015
Reinsurer	A.M. Best Rating	Amount		% of Total		Amount		% of Total
Reinsurer A	A+	$	240,894	35.2	%	$	199,479	31.3	%
Reinsurer B	A+	183,881		26.9		179,522		28.1
Reinsurer C	A+	68,832		10.1		72,836		11.4
Reinsurer D	A++	36,202		5.3		41,807		6.6
Reinsurer E	A	35,484		5.2		37,138		5.8
Other reinsurers		118,679		17.3		107,077		16.8
Total		$	683,972	100.0	%	$	637,859	100.0	%

Reinsurance Premium And Effect On Claims And Other Policy Benefits [Table Text Block]

The effect of reinsurance on net premiums is as follows (dollars in thousands):



Years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Direct	$	57,562		$	43,106		$	19,365
Reinsurance assumed	10,049,587			9,371,308			9,098,378
Reinsurance ceded	(858,278		)	(843,673		)	(447,889		)
Net premiums	$	9,248,871		$	8,570,741		$	8,669,854

The effect of reinsurance on claims and other policy benefits as follows (dollars in thousands):



Years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Direct	$	105,435		$	82,942		$	32,564
Reinsurance assumed	8,621,647			8,205,308			7,805,984
Reinsurance ceded	(733,707		)	(798,868		)	(431,907		)
Net claims and other policy benefits	$	7,993,375		$	7,489,382		$	7,406,641

Reinsurance Information [Table Text Block]

The effect of reinsurance on life insurance in force is shown in the following schedule (dollars in millions):



	Direct		Assumed		Ceded		Net		Assumed/Net %
December 31, 2016	$	1,576	$	3,062,525	$	214,727	$	2,849,374	107.5	%
December 31, 2015	1,686		2,995,079		222,388		2,774,377		108.0
December 31, 2014	78		2,943,517		230,544		2,713,051		108.5

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Disclosures [Abstract]

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Table Text Block]

The following reflects the amounts of policy acquisition costs deferred and amortized (dollars in thousands):



Years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Balance, beginning of year	$	3,392,437		$	3,342,575		$	3,517,796
Capitalization	350,233			352,260			877,609
Amortization (including interest)	(341,115		)	(288,630		)	(867,621		)
Change in value of embedded derivatives	(40,077		)	58,754			(111,744		)
Attributed to unrealized investment gains (losses)	(3,541		)	17,510			(4,480		)
Foreign currency translation	(19,332		)	(90,032		)	(68,985		)
Balance, end of year	$	3,338,605		$	3,392,437		$	3,342,575

Income Tax (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]

Pre-tax income for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015		2014
Pre-tax income - U.S.	$	758,496	$	493,328	$	768,857
Pre-tax income - foreign	285,450		251,467		239,676
Total pre-tax income	$	1,043,946	$	744,795	$	1,008,533

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

The provision for income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015			2014
Current income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.	$	1,020	$	1,588		$	18,495
Foreign	47,706		92,045			135,260
Total current	48,726		93,633			153,755
Deferred income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.	273,928		193,204			242,694
Foreign	19,849		(44,208		)	(71,963		)
Total deferred	293,777		148,996			170,731
Total provision for income taxes	$	342,503	$	242,629		$	324,486

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]



	2016			2015			2014
Tax provision at U.S. statutory rate	$	365,381		$	260,678		$	352,987
Increase (decrease) in income taxes resulting from:
Foreign tax rate differing from U.S. tax rate	(13,974		)	(9,950		)	(12,483		)
Differences in tax basis in foreign jurisdictions	(17,770		)	(32,472		)	(8,256		)
Deferred tax valuation allowance	10,963			19,157			2,076
Amounts related to tax audit contingencies	111			88			(9,083		)
Corporate rate changes - other	—			—			280
Subpart F	1,783			3,473			6,132
Foreign tax credits	(1,683		)	(1,936		)	(1,045		)
Return to provision adjustments	(1,473		)	1,482			(8,123		)
Other, net	(835		)	2,109			2,001
Total provision for income taxes	$	342,503		$	242,629		$	324,486
Effective tax rate	32.8		%	32.6		%	32.2		%

Schedule Of Income Tax Expense Benefit Intraperiod Tax Allocation [Table Text Block]

Total income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Provision for income taxes	$	342,503		$	242,629		$	324,486
Income tax from OCI and additional paid-in-capital:
Net unrealized holding gain (loss) on debt and equity securities recognized for financial reporting purposes	157,929			(339,889		)	348,697
Exercise of stock options	(162		)	(2,963		)	3,011
Foreign currency translation	21,081			16,478			22,998
Unrealized pension and post retirement	1,772			1,726			(14,770		)
Total income taxes provided	$	523,123		$	(82,019	)	$	684,422

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]



	2016			2015
Deferred income tax assets:
Nondeductible accruals	$	125,879		$	116,106
Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions	87,688			63,543
Differences in the tax basis of cash and invested assets	775			5,931
Investment income differences	35,192			—
Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for tax	143,003			131,714
Net operating loss carryforward	325,806			524,501
Capital loss and tax credit carryforwards	101,223			77,888
Subtotal	819,566			919,683
Valuation allowance	(133,354		)	(127,132		)
Total deferred income tax assets	686,212			792,551
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for financial reporting	1,013,642			1,011,753
Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions	1,773,929			1,509,211
Differences in the tax basis of cash and invested assets	505,841			336,870
Investment income differences	5,635			14,654
Differences in foreign currency translation	91,067			81,492
Prepaid expenses	—			1,014
Total deferred income tax liabilities	3,390,114			2,954,994
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	2,703,902		$	2,162,443
Balance sheet presentation of net deferred income tax liabilities:
Included in other assets	$	66,738		$	55,885
Included in deferred income taxes	2,770,640			2,218,328
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	2,703,902		$	2,162,443

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, is as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Total Unrecognized Tax Benefits
	2016			2015			2014
Beginning balance, January 1	$	296,213		$	274,661		$	279,801
Additions for tax positions of prior years	226,720			26,170			17,431
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(229,719		)	(7,820		)	(26,001		)
Additions for tax positions of current year	4,186			3,396			3,430
Settlements with tax authorities	(110		)	(194		)	—
Ending balance, December 31	$	297,290		$	296,213		$	274,661

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Changes in Projected Benefit Obligations [Table Text Block]

A December 31 measurement date is used for all of the defined benefit and postretirement plans. The status of these plans as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 is summarized below (dollars in thousands):



	December 31,
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2016			2015			2016			2015
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	142,239		$	138,196		$	63,307		$	59,782
Service cost	10,319			9,222			2,883			4,062
Interest Cost	4,790			5,035			2,259			2,572
Participant contributions	—			—			305			229
Amendments⁽¹⁾	—			—			(13,743		)	—
Actuarial (gains) losses	9,973			(1,919		)	6,228			(2,729		)
Settlement (gains) losses	258			—			—			—
Settlements	(3,152		)	—			—			—
Benefits paid	(3,047		)	(4,480		)	(715		)	(609		)
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments	575			(3,815		)	—			—
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	161,955		$	142,239		$	60,524		$	63,307

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]



	December 31,
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2016			2015			2016			2015
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	68,435		$	66,757		$	—		$	—
Actual return on plan assets	6,584			(2,795		)	—			—
Employer contributions	15,950			8,953			410			380
Participant contributions	—			—			305			229
Disbursement for settlements	(3,152		)	—			—			—
Benefits paid and expenses	(3,047		)	(4,480		)	(715		)	(609		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	84,770		$	68,435		$	—		$	—
Funded status at end of year	$	(77,185	)	$	(73,804	)	$	(60,524	)	$	(63,307	)

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]



	December 31,
	Qualified Plans						Non-Qualified Plans⁽¹⁾						Total
	2016			2015			2016			2015			2016			2015
Aggregate fair value of plan assets	$	84,770		$	68,435		$	—		$	—		$	84,770		$	68,435
Aggregate projected benefit obligations	96,418			83,870			65,537			58,369			161,955			142,239
Under funded	$	(11,648	)	$	(15,435	)	$	(65,537	)	$	(58,369	)	$	(77,185	)	$	(73,804	)


(1)	For non-qualified plans, there are no required funding levels.

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]



	December 31,
	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2016		2015		2016			2015
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income:
Net actuarial loss	$	46,119	$	41,814	$	32,156		$	27,755
Net prior service cost (credit)	703		1,159		(13,121		)	—
Total	$	46,822	$	42,973	$	19,035		$	27,755

Schedule Of Projected Benefit Obligations In Excess Of Fair Value Of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]



	2016		2015
Projected benefit obligation	$	161,955	$	142,239
Fair value of plan assets	84,770		68,435

Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The following table presents information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	158,580	$	140,442
Fair value of plan assets	84,770		68,435

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plan Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

The components of net periodic benefit cost and other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
	2016			2015			2014			2016			2015			2014
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	10,319		$	9,222		$	8,121		$	2,883		$	4,062		$	2,354
Interest cost	4,790			5,035			4,972			2,259			2,572			1,962
Expected return on plan assets	(5,138		)	(4,897		)	(4,471		)	—			—			—
Amortization of prior actuarial losses	4,323			3,429			1,755			1,827			2,465			1,060
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	294			309			333			(622		)	—			—
Settlements	1,026			—			—			—			—			—
Net periodic benefit cost	15,614			13,098			10,710			6,347			9,099			5,376


Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income:
Net actuarial (gains) losses	8,785			5,774			20,912			6,228			(2,729		)	25,354
Amortization of actuarial (gains) losses	(4,323		)	(3,429		)	(1,755		)	(1,827		)	(2,465		)	(1,060		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(294		)	(309		)	(333		)	622			—			—
Settlements	(1,026		)	—			—			—			—			—
Prior service cost (credit) ⁽¹⁾	—			—			—			(13,743		)	—			—
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments	707			(1,797		)	(578		)	—			—			—
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	3,849			239			18,246			(8,720		)	(5,194		)	24,294
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	19,463		$	13,337		$	28,956		$	(2,373	)	$	3,905		$	29,670

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service as appropriate, are expected to be paid (dollars in thousands):



	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
2017	$	8,944	$	1,132
2018	8,709		1,387
2019	11,467		1,650
2020	10,250		1,977
2021	10,474		2,327
2022-2026	63,526		16,374

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

Weighted average assumptions used to determine the accumulated benefit obligation and net benefit cost or income were as follows:



	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2016		2015		2014		2016		2015		2014
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation	3.80	%	3.99	%	3.90	%	4.10	%	4.43	%	4.05	%
Discount rate used to determine net benefit cost or income	3.95	%	3.77	%	4.30	%	4.43	%	4.05	%	5.05	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.35	%	7.35	%	7.35	%	—	%	—	%	—	%
Rate of compensation increases	4.08	%	4.08	%	4.08	%	—	%	—	%	—	%

Schedule of Health Care Cost Trend Rates [Table Text Block]

The assumed health care cost trend rates used in measuring the accumulated non-pension post-retirement benefit obligation were as follows:



	December 31,
	2016	2015
Pre-Medicare eligible claims	10% down to 5% in 2024	8% down to 5% in 2020
Medicare eligible claims	10% down to 5% in 2024	8% down to 5% in 2020

Schedule of Effect of One-Percentage-Point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates [Table Text Block]

A one-percentage point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects (dollars in thousands):



	One Percent Increase		One Percent Decrease
Effect on total of service and interest cost components	$	7,394	$	(6,606	)
Effect on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	$	940	$	(710	)

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The fair values of the Company’s qualified pension plan assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are summarized below (dollars in thousands):



	December 31, 2016
			Fair Value Measurement Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽¹⁾	$	84,671	$	84,671	$	—	$	—
Cash	99		99		—		—
Total	$	84,770	$	84,770	$	—	$	—


(1)	Mutual funds were invested 28% in U.S. equity funds, 37% in U.S. fixed income funds, 20% in non-U.S. equity funds and 15% in other.



	December 31, 2015
			Fair Value Measurement Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽²⁾	$	68,349	$	68,349	$	—	$	—
Cash	86		86		—		—
Total	$	68,435	$	68,435	$	—	$	—


(2)	Mutual funds were invested 32% in U.S. equity funds, 38% in U.S. fixed income funds, 15% in non-U.S. equity funds and 15% in other.

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subsidiaries (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Statutory Basis [Abstract]

Statutory Accounting Practices Disclosure [Table Text Block]



	Statutory Capital & Surplus				Statutory Net Income (Loss)
	2016		2015		2016			2015			2014
RGA Reinsurance (U.S.)	$	1,521,644	$	1,503,402	$	148,576		$	(23,615	)	$	17,085
Reinsurance Company of Missouri	1,651,274		1,598,328		272,038			51,041			126,326
RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada	915,134		874,151		13,947			113,526			225,083
RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. ⁽¹⁾	957,051		835,126		95,859			113,049			66,097
RGA Australia	370,039		335,631		(7,694		)	(18,128		)	874
RGA Atlantic Reinsurance Company Ltd.	596,016		554,417		110,172			132,192			113,055
RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. ⁽¹⁾	3,416,512		3,135,177		267,876			260,599			258,588
Other reinsurance subsidiaries	2,224,833		2,136,480		130,289			300,847			(647,259		)

(1)

Reconciliation Of NAIC SAP And Prescribed Practice [Text Block]

A reconciliation of the Company’s surplus between NAIC SAP and practices prescribed by the state of domicile is shown below (dollars in thousands):



	December 31,
	2016			2015
Prescribed practice – surplus note	$	574,574		$	639,515
Prescribed practice – letters of credit	(615,100		)	(570,100		)
Surplus (deficit) – NAIC SAP	$	(40,526	)	$	69,415

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of how the entity's reporting under GAAP as of the balance sheet date differs from the results based on prescribed and permitted accounting practices of the state or country of domicile in which a relevant statutory filing is made, or differences in results based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) prescribed practices, or a combination thereof. Describes the accounting practices used and the related monetary effect on statutory surplus, net income, and risk-based capital. If an insurance enterprise's risk-based capital would have triggered a regulatory event had it not used a permitted practice, that fact is disclosed in the financial statements. Permitted statutory accounting practices include practices not prescribed but allowed by the domiciliary state insurance department regulatory authority.

+ References + Details

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks [Table Text Block]

The Company’s commitments to fund investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are presented in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures	$	332,169	$	263,163
Commercial mortgage loans	126,248		86,325
Bank loans	58,318		48,686
Equity release mortgages	130,324		8,504

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Table Text Block]

Future minimum office space annual rentals under non-cancelable operating leases along with associated sublease income at December 31, 2016 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Operating Leases		Sublease Income
2017	$	11,297	$	119
2018	10,250		—
2019	6,389		—
2020	4,317		—
2021	2,473		—
Thereafter	11,008		—

Other Commitments [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the maximum potential obligation for these commitments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in millions):



Commitment Period	Maximum Potential Obligation
2023	$	500.0
2033	950.0
2034	3,000.0
2035	1,314.2
2036	1,432.0

Schedule of Guarantor Obligations [Table Text Block]

RGA’s guarantees issued as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Treaty guarantees	$	902,216	$	765,505
Treaty guarantees, net of assets in trust	780,786		634,909
Borrowed securities	263,820		259,540
Financing arrangements	119,073		100,000
Lease obligations	2,428		5,217

Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]

The Company’s long-term debt consists of the following as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017	$	299,945		$	299,671
$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019	399,805			399,737
$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021	399,025			398,803
$400 million 4.70% Senior Notes due 2023	398,986			398,835
$400 million 3.95% Senior Notes due 2026	399,985			—
$100 million 4.09% Promissory Note due 2039	94,370			96,849
$400 million 6.20% Subordinated Debentures due 2042	400,000			400,000
$400 million 5.75% Subordinated Debentures due 2056	400,000			—
$400 million Variable Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065	318,737			318,734
Sub-total	3,110,853			2,312,629
Unamortized issuance costs	(22,218		)	(15,081		)
Long-term Debt	$	3,088,635		$	2,297,548

Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]

Future principal payments due on long-term debt, excluding discounts, as of December 31, 2016, were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Calendar Year
	2017		2018		2019		2020		2021		Thereafter
Long-term debt	$	302,582	$	2,690	$	402,802	$	2,919	$	403,040	$	2,000,140

Schedule of Line of Credit Facilities [Table Text Block]

The following table provides additional information on the Company’s existing committed credit facilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



		Amount Utilized⁽¹⁾ December 31,
Facility Capacity	Maturity Date	2016	2015	Basis of Fees
270,000	November 2017	270,000	270,000	Fixed
161,974 ⁽²⁾	November 2017	31,382	66,154	Fixed
72,080 ⁽²⁾	December 2018	72,080	36,430	Fixed
17,513 ⁽²⁾	March 2019	17,513	45,422	Fixed
120,000	June 2019	85,040	85,040	Fixed
850,000	September 2019	96,095	313,659	Senior unsecured long-term debt rating
100,000	June 2020	70,690	68,657	Fixed


(1)	Represents issued but undrawn letters of credit. There was no cash borrowed for the periods presented.


(2)	Foreign currency denominated facility, amounts presented are in U.S. dollars.

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of long-debt instruments or arrangements, including identification, terms, features, collateral requirements and other information necessary to a fair presentation. These are debt arrangements that originally required repayment more than twelve months after issuance or greater than the normal operating cycle of the entity, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479336&loc=d3e64711-112823

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e),(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21538-112644

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28541-108399

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21521-112644

+ Details

Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Collateralized Financings [Abstract]

Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Table Text Block]

The Company’s collateral finance and securitization notes consist of the following as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	2016			2015
Timberlake Financial	$	451,880		$	480,451
RGA Barbados	148,820			144,540
Chesterfield Financial	246,300			282,300
Unamortized issuance costs	(6,300		)	(8,130		)
Total	$	840,700		$	899,161

Segment Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015		2014
Revenues:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	5,964,968	$	5,465,026	$	5,283,268
Financial Solutions	840,446		643,865		1,014,143
Total	6,805,414		6,108,891		6,297,411
Canada:
Traditional	1,118,004		1,023,012		1,153,515
Financial Solutions	46,938		45,034		28,350
Total	1,164,942		1,068,046		1,181,865
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	1,195,149		1,190,742		1,235,049
Financial Solutions	340,518		286,666		322,798
Total	1,535,667		1,477,408		1,557,847
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	1,771,150		1,638,357		1,686,436
Financial Solutions	63,382		56,581		70,282
Total	1,834,532		1,694,938		1,756,718
Corporate and Other	180,956		68,895		110,353
Total	$	11,521,511	$	10,418,178	$	10,904,194

Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]



For the years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Income (loss) before income taxes:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	371,101		$	235,771		$	351,645
Financial Solutions	283,380			207,963			302,944
Total	654,481			443,734			654,589
Canada:
Traditional	134,705			124,175			95,435
Financial Solutions	7,945			13,902			6,265
Total	142,650			138,077			101,700
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	30,059			48,410			60,305
Financial Solutions	138,007			108,445			101,337
Total	168,066			156,855			161,642
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	113,928			105,654			90,602
Financial Solutions	4,063			19,619			11,693
Total	117,991			125,273			102,295
Corporate and Other	(39,242		)	(119,144		)	(11,693		)
Total	$	1,043,946		$	744,795		$	1,008,533

Reconciliation of Other Significant Reconciling Items from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015		2014
Interest expense:
Corporate and Other	$	137,623	$	142,863	$	96,700
Total	$	137,623	$	142,863	$	96,700



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015		2014
Depreciation and amortization:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	271,732	$	218,974	$	558,404
Financial Solutions	155,560		44,275		232,348
Total	427,292		263,249		790,752
Canada:
Traditional	22,170		23,887		204,229
Financial Solutions	11		—		—
Total	22,181		23,887		204,229
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	46,562		60,193		57,291
Financial Solutions	72		—		—
Total	46,634		60,193		57,291
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	45,562		31,955		94,763
Financial Solutions	1,492		217		409
Total	47,054		32,172		95,172
Corporate and Other	13,894		16,495		3,644
Total	$	557,055	$	395,996	$	1,151,088

Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]



For the years ended December 31,	2016		2015
Assets:
U.S. and Latin America:
Traditional	$	18,140,825	$	16,554,509
Financial Solutions	13,712,106		13,405,878
Total	31,852,931		29,960,387
Canada:
Traditional	3,846,682		3,604,344
Financial Solutions	85,405		27,543
Total	3,932,087		3,631,887
Europe, Middle East and Africa:
Traditional	2,559,124		2,757,593
Financial Solutions	3,876,131		4,162,703
Total	6,435,255		6,920,296
Asia Pacific:
Traditional	3,968,081		3,227,530
Financial Solutions	676,281		742,528
Total	4,644,362		3,970,058
Corporate and Other	6,233,244		5,900,524
Total	$	53,097,879	$	50,383,152

Short-Duration Contracts (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Insurance [Abstract]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Claims Development [Table Text Block]



U.S. and Latin America											As of
(in thousands)											December 31, 2016
Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustments, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾											Total of Incurred-but-Not-Reported Liabilities Plus Expected Development on Reported Claims
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	322,579	$	309,119	$	297,037	$	298,262	$	299,098	$	98
2013			349,262		332,907		338,977		336,552		1,263
2014					407,953		411,373		396,383		4,284
2015							459,524		460,917		26,531
2016									500,843		220,381
							Total		$	1,993,793



Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	109,323	$	222,139	$	243,890	$	252,018	$	258,297
2013			114,457		248,828		277,130		285,817
2014					128,813		304,578		337,081
2015							146,196		360,658
2016									184,940
							Total		$	1,426,793
	All outstanding claims prior to 2012, net of reinsurance								239,700
	Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance								$	806,700


(1)	2012-2015 Unaudited.



Asia Pacific											As of
(in thousands)											December 31, 2016
Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustments, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾											Total of Incurred-but-Not-Reported Liabilities Plus Expected Development on Reported Claims
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	212,571	$	285,302	$	289,707	$	293,097	$	300,903	$	15,050
2013			299,373		320,189		310,631		307,961		27,764
2014					283,298		307,111		271,418		43,893
2015							284,773		262,946		82,199
2016									232,788		139,345
							Total		$	1,376,016



Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net of Reinsurance ⁽¹⁾
	For the Years Ended December 31,
Accident Year	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016
2012	$	50,433	$	138,375	$	189,503	$	228,016	$	249,043
2013			50,928		147,500		214,070		241,245
2014					35,298		138,728		181,441
2015							50,066		121,254
2016									39,173
							Total		$	832,156
	All outstanding claims prior to 2012, net of reinsurance								171,608
	Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance								$	715,468


(1)	2012-2015 Unaudited.

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Table Text Block]

The reconciliation of the net incurred and paid claims development tables to the liability for claims and claim adjustment expense in the consolidated balance sheets are as follows:



	December 31, 2016
Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance:
U.S. and Latin America	$	806,700
Asia Pacific	715,468
Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expense, net of reinsurance	1,522,168
Adjustments to reconcile to total policy claims and future policy benefits:
Reinsurance recoverable	20,009
Effect of discounting and unallocated claims adjustment expense	(141,433		)
Total adjustments	(121,424		)
Other short-duration contracts:
Canada	155,520
Europe, Middle East and Africa	312,947
Other	117,977
Total short-duration contracts	1,987,188
Other than short-duration contracts	21,857,411
Total future policy benefits and other policy claims and benefits	$	23,844,599

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Schedule of Historical Claims Duration [Table Text Block]

The following is unaudited supplementary information about average historical claims duration as of December 31, 2016:



Average Annual Payout of Incurred Claims by Age, Net of Reinsurance
Years	1		2		3		4		5
U.S. and Latin America	34.3	%	42.1	%	8.0	%	2.6	%	2.1	%
Asia Pacific	16.4	%	31.4	%	18.1	%	10.8	%	7.0	%

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Schedule Of Earnings Per Share Basic And Diluted By Common Class [Table Text Block]

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share on net income (in thousands, except per share information):



	2016		2015		2014
Earnings:
Net income (numerator for basic and diluted calculations)	$	701,443	$	502,166	$	684,047
Shares:
Weighted average outstanding shares (denominator for basic calculations)	64,274		66,553		69,248
Equivalent shares from outstanding stock options	715		739		714
Diluted shares (denominator for diluted calculations)	64,989		67,292		69,962
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	10.91	$	7.55	$	9.88
Diluted	10.79		7.46		9.78

Equity (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]

Schedule of Stock by Class [Table Text Block]

The changes in number of common stock shares, issued, held in treasury and outstanding are as follows for the periods indicated:



	Issued	Held In Treasury		Outstanding
Balance, December 31, 2013	79,137,758	8,369,540		70,768,218
Common Stock acquired	—	2,530,608		(2,530,608	)
Stock-based compensation ⁽¹⁾	—	(535,351	)	535,351
Balance, December 31, 2014	79,137,758	10,364,797		68,772,961
Common Stock acquired	—	4,145,440		(4,145,440	)
Stock-based compensation ⁽¹⁾	—	(577,005	)	577,005
Balance, December 31, 2015	79,137,758	13,933,232		65,204,526
Common Stock acquired	—	1,356,892		(1,356,892	)
Stock-based compensation ⁽¹⁾	—	(454,868	)	454,868
Balance, December 31, 2016	79,137,758	14,835,256		64,302,502


(1)	Represents net shares issued from treasury pursuant to the Company’s stock-based compensation programs.

Schedule of Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

The following table presents the components of the Company’s other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

For the year ended December 31, 2016:



	Before-Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) Benefit			After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Change arising during year	$	39,925		$	(24,663	)	$	15,262
Foreign currency swap	(10,234		)	3,582			(6,652		)
Net foreign currency translation adjustments	29,691			(21,081		)	8,610
Unrealized gains on investments:⁽¹⁾
Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year	641,606			(180,448		)	461,158
Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income	65,798			(23,029		)	42,769
Net unrealized gains	575,808			(157,419		)	418,389
Change in unrealized OTTI on fixed maturity securities	1,457			(510		)	947
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
Net prior service cost arising during the year	444			(149		)	295
Net gain arising during the period	4,427			(1,623		)	2,804
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net	4,871			(1,772		)	3,099
Other comprehensive income (loss)	$	611,827		$	(180,782	)	$	431,045

For the year ended December 31, 2015:



	Before-Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) Benefit			After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Change arising during year	$	(342,539	)	$	17,129		$	(325,410	)
Foreign currency swap	96,019			(33,607		)	62,412
Net foreign currency translation adjustments	(246,520		)	(16,478		)	(262,998		)
Unrealized losses on investments:⁽¹⁾
Unrealized net holding losses arising during the year	(1,084,732		)	359,407			(725,325		)
Less: Reclassification adjustment for net losses realized in net income	(55,767		)	19,518			(36,249		)
Net unrealized losses	(1,028,965		)	339,889			(689,076		)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
Net prior service cost arising during the year	337			(107		)	230
Net gain arising during the period	4,618			(1,619		)	2,999
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net	4,955			(1,726		)	3,229
Other comprehensive income	$	(1,270,530	)	$	321,685		$	(948,845	)
For the year ended December 31, 2014:
	Before-Tax Amount			Tax (Expense) Benefit			After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Change arising during year	$	(154,132	)	$	(4,835	)	$	(158,967	)
Foreign currency swap	51,894			(18,163		)	33,731
Net foreign currency translation adjustments	(102,238		)	(22,998		)	(125,236		)
Unrealized gains on investments:⁽¹⁾
Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year	1,177,017			(357,024		)	819,993
Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income	26,405			(9,242		)	17,163
Net unrealized gains	1,150,612			(347,782		)	802,830
Change in unrealized OTTI on fixed maturity securities	2,612			(914		)	1,698
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
Net prior service cost arising during the year	485			(159		)	326
Net loss arising during the period	(43,025		)	14,929			(28,096		)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net	(42,540		)	14,770			(27,770		)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	$	1,008,446		$	(356,924	)	$	651,522


(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 f

Components Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]

A summary of the components of net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of balances carried at fair value is as follows (dollars in thousands):



For the years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	561,906		$	(1,055,458	)	$	1,171,996
Other investments⁽¹⁾	18,900			8,983			(14,292		)
Effect on unrealized appreciation on:
Deferred policy acquisition costs	(3,541		)	17,510			(4,480		)
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)	$	577,265		$	(1,028,965	)	$	1,153,224


(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

The balance of and changes in each component of AOCI were as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Accumulated Currency Translation Adjustments			Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) of Investments ⁽¹⁾			Pension and Postretirement Benefits			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance, December 31, 2013	$	207,083		$	820,245		$	(21,721	)	$	1,005,607
OCI before reclassifications	(102,238		)	1,185,321			(45,688		)	1,037,395
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	—			(32,097		)	3,148			(28,949		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(22,998		)	(348,696		)	14,770			(356,924		)
Balance, December 31, 2014	81,847			1,624,773			(49,491		)	1,657,129
OCI before reclassifications	(246,520		)	(1,101,760		)	(1,248		)	(1,349,528		)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	—			72,795			6,203			78,998
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(16,478		)	339,889			(1,726		)	321,685
Balance, December 31, 2015	(181,151		)	935,697			(46,262		)	708,284
OCI before reclassifications	29,691			646,887			(951		)	675,627
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	—			(69,622		)	5,822			(63,800		)
Deferred income tax benefit (expense)	(21,081		)	(157,929		)	(1,772		)	(180,782		)
Balance, December 31, 2016	$	(172,541	)	$	1,355,033		$	(43,163	)	$	1,139,329


(1)	Includes cash flow hedges of $(2,496), $(29,397) and $(31,591) as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the amounts of AOCI reclassifications for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):



	Amount Reclassified from AOCI
Details about AOCI Components	2016			2015			Affected Line Item in Statement of Income
Net unrealized investment gains (losses):
Net unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities	$	65,798		$	(55,767	)	Investment related gains (losses), net
OTTI on fixed maturity securities	74			—			Investment related gains (losses), net
Cash flow hedges - Currency/Interest rate	510			569			(1)
Cash flow hedges - Forward bond purchase commitments	(301		)	(87		)	(1)
Deferred policy acquisition costs attributed to unrealized gains and losses	3,541			(17,510		)	(2)
Total	69,622			(72,795		)
Provision for income taxes	(17,672		)	28,109
Net unrealized gains (losses), net of tax	$	51,950		$	(44,686	)

Amortization of defined benefit plan items:
Prior service cost (credit)	$	328		$	(309	)	(3)
Actuarial gains/(losses)	(6,150		)	(5,894		)	(3)
Total	(5,822		)	(6,203		)
Provision for income taxes	2,038			2,171
Amortization of defined benefit plans, net of tax	$	(3,784	)	$	(4,032	)

Total reclassifications for the period	$	48,166		$	(48,718	)


(1)	See Note 5 for information on cash flow hedges.


(2)	See Note 8 for information on deferred policy acquisition costs.


(3)	See Note 10 for information on employee benefit plans.

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of an entity's stock, including par or stated value per share, number and dollar amount of share subscriptions, shares authorized, shares issued, shares outstanding, number and dollar amount of shares held in an employee trust, dividend per share, total dividends, share conversion features, par value plus additional paid in capital, the value of treasury stock and other information necessary to a fair presentation, and EPS information. Stock by class includes common, convertible, and preferred stocks which are not redeemable or redeemable solely at the option of the issuer. Includes preferred stock with redemption features that are solely within the control of the issuer and mandatorily redeemable stock if redemption is required to occur only upon liquidation or termination of the reporting entity. If more than one issue is outstanding, state the title of each issue and the corresponding dollar amount; dollar amount of any shares subscribed but unissued and the deduction of subscriptions receivable there from; number of shares authorized, issued, and outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 480
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877616&loc=d3e177068-122764

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
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Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
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Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(27))
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Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
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-SubTopic 10
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21488-112644

+ Details

Equity Based Compensation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Table Text Block]



	Number of Options		Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)
Outstanding December 31, 2015	2,825,440		$	62.82
Granted	329,345		$	93.53
Exercised	(577,071	)	$	54.06
Forfeited	(4,491	)	$	71.21
Outstanding December 31, 2016	2,573,223		$	68.70	$	147.0
Options exercisable	1,888,577		$	60.43	$	123.5

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, by Exercise Price Range [Table Text Block]



	Options Outstanding				Options Exercisable
Range of Exercise Prices	Number Outstanding as of 12/31/2016	Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)	Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Number Exercisable as of 12/31/2016	Weighted-Average Exercise Price
$0.00 - $49.99	307,889	2.5	$	40.35	307,889	$	40.35
$50.00 - $59.99	1,224,805	4.9	$	58.11	1,224,805	$	58.11
$60.00 - $69.99	839	6.0	$	60.24	839	$	60.24
$70.00 - $79.99	211,708	7.0	$	78.48	154,393	$	78.48
$90.00 +	827,982	8.7	$	92.41	200,651	$	91.48
Totals	2,573,223	6.0	$	68.70	1,888,577	$	60.43

Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the weighted average assumptions used to determine the fair value of stock options issued:



For the years ended December 31,	2016			2015			2014
Dividend yield	1.58		%	1.47		%	1.53		%
Risk-free rate of return	1.69		%	2.04		%	2.27		%
Expected volatility	28.1		%	35.0		%	35.7		%
Expected life (years)	7.0			7.0			7.0
Weighted average exercise price of stock options granted	$	93.53		$	91.65		$	78.48
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted	$	24.52		$	30.05		$	26.76

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Activity [Table Text Block]

The following table presents a summary of Performance Share and Restricted Stock Unit activity:



	Performance Contingent Units		Restricted Stock Units
Outstanding December 31, 2015	631,322		70,887
Granted	206,550		28,995
Paid	(94,436	)	—
Forfeited	(157,465	)	(3,254	)
Outstanding December 31, 2016	585,971		96,628

Quarterly Results of Operations (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information [Table Text Block]

QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)



Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)
2016	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues	$	2,512,568	$	3,039,068	$	2,900,577	$	3,069,298
Total benefits and expenses	2,404,988		2,685,845		2,612,977		2,773,755
Income before income taxes	107,580		353,223		287,600		295,543
Net Income	76,472		236,103		198,719		190,149
Earnings Per Share:
Basic earnings per share	$	1.18	$	3.68	$	3.10	$	2.96
Diluted earnings per share	1.17		3.64		3.07		2.92
2015	First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues	$	2,520,613	$	2,630,340	$	2,438,634	$	2,828,591
Total benefits and expenses	2,336,488		2,416,550		2,298,497		2,621,848
Income before income taxes	184,125		213,790		140,137		206,743
Net Income	125,114		130,391		83,534		163,127
Earnings Per Share:
Basic earnings per share	$	1.84	$	1.97	$	1.26	$	2.49
Diluted earnings per share	1.81		1.94		1.25		2.46

Summary of Investments Other Than Investments in Related Parties (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties [Abstract]

Summary Of Investments Other Than Investments In Related Parties [Table Text Block]

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE I-SUMMARY OF INVESTMENTS-OTHER THAN

INVESTMENTS IN RELATED PARTIES

December 31, 2016

(in millions)



Type of Investment	Cost		Fair Value		Amount at Which Shown in the Balance Sheets⁽¹⁾
Fixed maturity securities:
Bonds:
United States government and government agencies and authorities	$	1,519	$	1,468	$	1,468
State and political subdivisions	567		592		592
Foreign governments⁽²⁾	5,157		6,343		6,343
Public utilities	1,971		2,091		2,091
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities	4,044		4,072		4,072
All other corporate bonds	16,954		17,528		17,528
Total fixed maturity securities	30,212		32,094		32,094
Equity securities:
Non-redeemable preferred stock	56		51		51
Other equity securities	230		224		224
Total equity securities	286		275		275
Mortgage loans on real estate	3,776				3,776
Policy loans	1,428				1,428
Funds withheld at interest	5,876				5,876
Short-term investments	77				77
Other invested assets	1,315				1,315
Total investments	$	42,970			$	44,841


(1)	Fixed maturity securities are classified as available-for-sale and carried at fair value.


(2)	Includes fixed maturities directly issued by foreign governments, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises.

Condensed Financial Information of The Registrant (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company Only Disclosure [Abstract]

Condensed Financial Statements [Table Text Block]



	2016			2015			2014
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
Assets:
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale, at fair value	$	1,154,559		$	426,218
Short-term and other investments	245,478			254,398
Cash and cash equivalents	43,718			39,452
Investment in subsidiaries	9,209,700			8,110,687
Loans to subsidiaries	1,050,000			1,070,000
Other assets	258,379			309,340
Total assets	$	11,961,834		$	10,210,095
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:
Long-term debt - unaffiliated⁽¹⁾	$	3,073,249		$	2,279,663
Long-term debt - affiliated⁽²⁾	500,000			500,000
Other liabilities	1,295,503			1,295,051
Stockholders’ equity	7,093,082			6,135,381
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	11,961,834		$	10,210,095
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Interest / dividend income⁽³⁾	$	602,830		$	321,645		$	521,623
Investment related gains (losses), net	203			(324		)	4,936
Operating expenses	(20,742		)	(13,652		)	(10,751		)
Interest expense	(168,924		)	(176,364		)	(131,852		)
Income (loss) before income tax and undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	413,367			131,305			383,956
Income tax expense (benefit)	(23,911		)	(19,465		)	(22,008		)
Net income (loss) before undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	437,278			150,770			405,964
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	264,165			351,396			278,083
Net income	701,443			502,166			684,047
Other comprehensive income	5,531			44,073			36,876
Total comprehensive income	$	706,974		$	546,239		$	720,923


(1)	Long-term debt - unaffiliated consists of the following:



	2016			2015
$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017	$	299,945		$	299,671
$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019	399,805			399,737
$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021	399,025			398,803
$400 million 4.70% Senior Notes due 2023	398,986			398,835
$400 million 3.95% Senior Notes due 2026	399,985			—
$400 million 6.20% Subordinated Debentures due 2042	400,000			400,000
$400 million 5.75% Subordinated Debentures due 2056	400,000			—
$400 million Variable Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065	398,667			398,663
Subtotal	3,096,413			2,295,709
Unamortized debt issue costs	(23,164		)	(16,046		)
Total	$	3,073,249		$	2,279,663

Repayments of long-term debt—unaffiliated due over the next five years total $300,000 in 2017, $400,000 in 2019 and $400,000 in 2021.


(2)	Long-term debt—affiliated in 2016 and 2015 and consists of $500,000 of subordinated debt issued to various operating subsidiaries.


(3)	Interest/Dividend income includes $478,602, $196,445 and $423,323 of cash dividends received from consolidated subsidiaries in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE II—CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE REGISTRANT (continued)

December 31,

(dollars in thousands)



	2016			2015			2014
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Operating activities:
Net income	$	701,443		$	502,166		$	684,047
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(264,165		)	(351,396		)	(278,083		)
Other, net	(63,795		)	486,159			(171,299		)
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	373,483		$	636,929		$	234,665
Investing activities:
Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	228,383		$	100,734		$	132,732
Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	(984,397		)	(52,698		)	(105,535		)
Repayments/issuances of loans to subsidiaries	20,000			(10,000		)	41,751
Purchase of a business, net of cash acquired of $529	—			(3,701		)	—
Change in short-term investments	102,508			(102,508		)	96,967
Change in other invested assets	(109,914		)	(7,542		)	126,397
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	(314,142		)	(103,832		)	(222,760		)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(1,057,562		)	(179,547		)	69,552
Financing activities:
Dividends to stockholders	(100,371		)	(93,381		)	(87,256		)
Purchases of treasury stock	(122,916		)	(384,519		)	(201,525		)
Exercise of stock options, net	15,321			11,151			9,246
Net change in cash collateral for loaned securities	105,093			—			—
Proceeds from unaffiliated long-term debt issuance	799,984			—			—
Debt issuance costs	(8,766		)	—			—
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	688,345			(466,749		)	(279,535		)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	4,266			(9,367		)	24,682
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	39,452			48,819			24,137
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$	43,718		$	39,452		$	48,819
Supplementary information:
Cash paid for interest	$	169,860		$	165,775		$	161,499
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds	$	1,500		$	(120,680	)	$	87

Supplementary Insurance Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Supplementary Insurance Information [Abstract]

Supplementary Insurance Information For Insurance Companies Disclosure [Table Text Block]

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE III—SUPPLEMENTARY INSURANCE INFORMATION

(dollars in thousands)



	As of December 31,
	Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs		Future Policy Benefits and Interest-Sensitive Contract Liabilities		Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable
2016
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	1,818,211	$	10,990,560	$	1,659,473
Financial Solutions operations	582,031		13,074,231		20,352
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	201,149		2,713,510		200,246
Financial Solutions operations	—		29,531		4,599
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	206,837		913,351		740,218
Financial Solutions operations	—		3,457,196		46,761
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	512,123		1,288,642		1,563,707
Financial Solutions operations	18,254		641,614		19,643
Corporate and Other	—		502,292		8,027
Total	$	3,338,605	$	33,610,927	$	4,263,026

2015
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	1,807,407	$	10,593,424	$	1,681,130
Financial Solutions operations	691,944		12,882,145		16,430
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	197,243		2,498,385		160,478
Financial Solutions operations	—		26,547		2,829
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	236,194		1,104,771		754,573
Financial Solutions operations	—		3,994,702		35,801
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	457,372		1,115,987		1,420,248
Financial Solutions operations	2,277		758,301		14,634
Corporate and Other	—		301,862		8,517
Total	$	3,392,437	$	33,276,124	$	4,094,640

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE III—SUPPLEMENTARY INSURANCE INFORMATION (continued)

(dollars in thousands)



	Year ended December 31,
	Premium Income		Net Investment Income		Policyholder Benefits and Interest Credited		Amortization of DAC⁽¹⁾		Other Operating Expenses
2016
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	5,249,571	$	699,833	$	4,717,850	$	177,255	$	698,762
Financial Solutions operations	24,349		631,097		333,107		133,501		90,458
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	928,642		178,927		707,428		10,621		265,250
Financial Solutions operations	38,701		2,692		36,275		—		2,718
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	1,140,062		50,301		999,005		33,795		132,290
Financial Solutions operations	180,271		125,282		178,014		—		24,497
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	1,681,505		83,049		1,345,951		24,597		286,674
Financial Solutions operations	5,428		23,648		37,976		1,423		19,920
Corporate and Other	342		117,057		2,460		—		217,738
Total	$	9,248,871	$	1,911,886	$	8,358,066	$	381,192	$	1,738,307
2015
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	4,806,706	$	636,779	$	4,444,196	$	131,439	$	653,620
Financial Solutions operations	22,177		566,180		310,464		40,416		85,022
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	838,894		182,621		670,477		11,299		217,061
Financial Solutions operations	37,969		1,436		29,251		—		1,881
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	1,121,540		51,370		979,225		39,164		123,943
Financial Solutions operations	171,830		73,432		161,917		—		16,304
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	1,551,586		80,549		1,208,984		7,373		316,346
Financial Solutions operations	19,474		18,678		20,766		185		16,011
Corporate and Other	565		123,450		1,066		—		186,973
Total	$	8,570,741	$	1,734,495	$	7,826,346	$	229,876	$	1,617,161
2014
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	4,725,505	$	552,805	$	4,181,492	$	467,067	$	283,064
Financial Solutions operations	20,079		644,285		402,387		203,605		105,207
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	953,389		193,610		784,470		190,164		83,446
Financial Solutions operations	21,192		2,595		20,116		—		1,969
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	1,157,407		52,086		1,013,331		43,549		117,864
Financial Solutions operations	216,562		55,043		204,110		—		17,351
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	1,540,910		84,489		1,208,611		74,571		312,652
Financial Solutions operations	34,030		17,972		42,351		409		15,829
Corporate and Other	780		110,806		804		—		121,242
Total	$	8,669,854	$	1,713,691	$	7,857,672	$	979,365	$	1,058,624


(1)	During 2015, the Company enhanced its process to track certain DAC components. See Note 8 - “Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Supplemental Schedule of Reinsurance (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Supplemental Schedule of Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies [Abstract]

Supplemental Schedule Of Reinsurance Premiums For Insurance Companies [Table Text Block]

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE IV—REINSURANCE

(in millions)



	As of or for the Year ended December 31,
	Gross Amount		Ceded to Other Companies		Assumed from Other Companies		Net Amounts		Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net
2016
Life insurance in force	$	1,576	$	214,727	$	3,062,525	$	2,849,374	107.5	%
Premiums
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	31.6	$	616.0	$	5,834.0	$	5,249.6	111.1	%
Financial Solutions operations	1.6		40.2		63.0		24.4		258.2
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	—		36.5		965.1		928.6		103.9
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		38.7		38.7		100.0
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	24.1		30.9		1,146.9		1,140.1		100.6
Financial Solutions operations	0.3		84.4		264.4		180.3		146.6
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	—		50.3		1,731.8		1,681.5		103.0
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		5.4		5.4		100.0
Corporate and Other	—		—		0.3		0.3		100.0
Total	$	57.6	$	858.3	$	10,049.6	$	9,248.9	108.7
2015
Life insurance in force	$	1,686	$	222,388	$	2,995,079	$	2,774,377	108.0	%
Premiums
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	29.4	$	607.0	$	5,384.3	$	4,806.7	112.0	%
Financial Solutions operations	2.9		38.8		58.1		22.2		261.7
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	—		42.3		881.2		838.9		105.0
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		38.0		38.0		100.0
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	10.7		25.5		1,136.3		1,121.5		101.3
Financial Solutions operations	0.1		89.1		260.8		171.8		151.8
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	—		41.0		1,592.6		1,551.6		102.6
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		19.5		19.5		100.0
Corporate and Other	—		—		0.5		0.5		100.0
Total	$	43.1	$	843.7	$	9,371.3	$	8,570.7	109.3
2014
Life insurance in force	$	78	$	230,544	$	2,943,517	$	2,713,051	108.5	%
Premiums
U.S. and Latin America operations:
Traditional operations	$	9.6	$	287.8	$	5,003.7	$	4,725.5	105.9	%
Financial Solutions operations	—		39.4		59.5		20.1		296.0
Canada operations:
Traditional operations	—		49.6		1,002.9		953.3		105.2
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		21.3		21.3		100.0
Europe, Middle East and Africa operations:
Traditional operations	9.8		30.4		1,178.0		1,157.4		101.8
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		216.6		216.6		100.0
Asia Pacific operations:
Traditional operations	—		40.7		1,581.6		1,540.9		102.6
Financial Solutions operations	—		—		34.0		34.0		100.0
Corporate and Other	—		—		0.8		0.8		100.0
Total	$	19.4	$	447.9	$	9,098.4	$	8,669.9	104.9

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]

Valuation And Qualifying Accounts [Table Text Block]

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

SCHEDULE V—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(in millions)



			Additions
Description	Balance at Beginning of Period		Charged to Costs and Expenses			Charged to Other Accounts			Deductions		Balance at End of Period
2016
Valuation allowance for deferred income taxes	$	127.1	$	11.0		$	(4.7	)	$	—	$	133.4
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans	6.8		0.9			—			—		7.7
2015
Valuation allowance for deferred income taxes	$	112.0	$	23.7		$	(8.6	)	$	—	$	127.1
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans	6.5		0.3			—			—		6.8
2014
Valuation allowance for deferred income taxes	$	102.2	$	15.9		$	(6.1	)	$	—	$	112.0
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans	10.1		(0.9		)	—			2.7		6.5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	40 years
Other Asset Impairment Charges	$ 0.6	$ 6.0
Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Property, Plant, and Equipment	60.8	49.0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	221.7	219.6
Depreciation	16.6	17.1	$ 9.4
Capital Leased Assets, Gross	145.7	156.1
Capital Leases, Lessee Balance Sheet, Assets by Major Class, Accumulated Depreciation	21.0	11.4
Amortization of Leased Asset	9.6	10.0
Goodwill	7.0	7.0
Value of Business Acquired (VOBA)	3.1	3.7
Accumulated Amortization Of Value Of Business Acquired VOBA	14.3	13.8
Amortization of Value of Business Acquired (VOBA)	0.5	0.4	0.4
Values Of Business Acquired Distribution Agreements And Customer Relationships	61.2	70.5
Accumulated Amortization Of Values Of Business Acquired Distribution Agreements And Customer Relationships	63.2	53.9
Amortization Of Values Of Business Acquired Distribution Agreements And Customer Relationships	9.3	9.5	9.5
Future Amortization Expense, Year One	8.9
Future Amortization Expense, Year Two	8.6
Future Amortization Expense, Year Three	8.3
Future Amortization Expense, Year Four	7.8
Future Amortization Expense, Year Five	6.9
Capitalized Computer Software, Net	139.8	100.8
Capitalized Computer Software, Amortization	$ 10.3	$ 14.0	$ 5.9
Value of Customer Relationships Acquired [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	15 years
Value of Distribution Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	15 years

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Future Policy Benefits) (Narrative) (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016
Maximum [Member]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Discount Rate	6.00%
Minimum [Member]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Discount Rate	3.00%

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Adoption of New Accounting Standards) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Provision for income taxes	$ 342,503	$ 242,629	$ 324,486
Adjustments for New Accounting Principle, Early Adoption [Member]
Provision for income taxes	$ 5,400

Acquisitions (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Acquisitions (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity	PGGM Levensverzekeringen, N.V.	Aurora National
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired		100.00%
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross		$ 191.5
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Value of Assets Acquired	$ 404.4	3,700.0
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Investments Acquired	395.6	3,600.0
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Value of Liabilities Assumed	$ 394.1	$ 3,500.0

Investments (Investments in Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities Available-for-Sale by Sector) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 18,924,711	$ 17,575,507
Available-for-sale Securities	19,619,084	17,708,156
Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	30,211,787	28,322,977
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,243,037	1,939,175
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	361,199	619,247
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 32,093,625	$ 29,642,905
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	100.00%	100.00%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 100	$ 1,555
Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	285,579	126,229
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,440	7,837
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	13,658	8,204
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 275,361	$ 125,862
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	100.00%	100.00%
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 18,924,711	$ 17,575,507
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	911,618	599,718
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	217,245	467,069
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 19,619,084	$ 17,708,156
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	61.10%	59.70%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	2,561,605	2,469,009
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,085,982	1,110,282
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	3,541	2,532
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 3,644,046	$ 3,576,759
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	11.40%	12.10%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,258,039	1,277,998
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	33,917	45,152
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	13,380	11,673
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 1,278,576	$ 1,311,477
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	4.00%	4.40%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 375	$ 300
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,443,822	1,219,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	9,350	12,052
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	23,828	18,376
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 1,429,344	$ 1,212,676
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	4.50%	4.10%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 275	$ 354
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,342,440	1,456,848
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	28,973	37,407
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	7,759	11,168
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 1,363,654	$ 1,483,087
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	4.20%	5.00%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 1,609
US Treasury and Government [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,518,702	1,423,791
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	12,644	15,586
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	63,044	57,718
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 1,468,302	$ 1,381,659
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	4.60%	4.70%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	566,761	480,067
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	37,499	40,014
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	12,464	9,067
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 591,796	$ 511,014
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	1.80%	1.70%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	2,595,707	2,420,757
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	123,054	78,964
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	19,938	41,644
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 2,698,823	$ 2,458,077
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	8.40%	8.30%
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	55,812	85,645
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,648	7,837
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	6,337	5,962
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 51,123	$ 87,520
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	18.60%	69.50%
Equity Securities Other Than Non-redeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 229,767	$ 40,584
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,792	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	7,321	2,242
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 224,238	$ 38,342
Percentage Of Total Available For Sale Securities	81.40%	30.50%

Investments (Fixed Maturity Securities Pledged And Received As Collateral) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 18,924,711	$ 17,575,507
Available-for-sale Securities	19,619,084	17,708,156
Assets Held-in-trust	893,800	932,600
Reported Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	12,135,258	10,535,729
Reported Value Measurement [Member] \| Securities Pledged as Collateral [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	207,066	169,678
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	12,874,370	10,928,393
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] \| Securities Pledged as Collateral [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities	210,676	176,782
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] \| Collateral Received Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 300,925	$ 242,914

Investments (Exposure To Concentrations Of Credit Risk) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 18,924,711	$ 17,575,507
Available-for-sale Securities	19,619,084	17,708,156
Canadian Province Of Ontario Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,004,261	943,484
Available-for-sale Securities	1,612,957	1,525,903
Canadian Province Of Quebec Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	832,764	864,444
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 1,126,433	$ 1,199,080

Investments (Amortized Cost and Fair Value of Fixed Maturities by Contractual Maturities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost Basis [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, within One Year, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 791,302
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after One Through Five Years, Amortized Cost Basis	6,665,056
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Five Through Ten Years, Amortized Cost Basis	9,042,167
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Ten Years, Amortized Cost Basis	9,668,961
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, without Single Maturity Date, Amortized Cost Basis	4,044,301
Available for Sale at Fair value - Amortized cost	30,211,787	$ 28,322,977
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, within One Year, Fair Value	800,010
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after One Through Five Years, Fair Value	6,897,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Five Through Ten Years, Fair Value	9,390,938
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Ten Years, Fair Value	10,934,079
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, without Single Maturity Date, Fair Value	4,071,574
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 32,093,625	$ 29,642,905

Investments (Amortized Cost and Fair Value of Fixed Maturity Holdings by Industry Type) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 18,924,711	$ 17,575,507
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 19,619,084	$ 17,708,156
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	100.00%	100.00%
Financial Services Sector [Member]
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 6,725,199	$ 5,408,791
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 6,888,968	$ 5,555,044
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	35.20%	31.40%
Commercial and Industrial Sector [Member]
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 10,228,813	$ 10,211,426
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 10,639,613	$ 10,129,917
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	54.20%	57.20%
Utility Industry [Member]
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,970,699	$ 1,955,290
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 2,090,503	$ 2,023,195
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	10.60%	11.40%

Investments (Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings on Fixed Maturity Securities Held by the Company) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	$ 7,284	$ 7,284	$ 11,696
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings, Additions, Additional Credit Losses	231	0	0
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings, Reductions, Securities Sold	(1,502)	0	(4,412)
Balance, end of period	$ 6,013	$ 7,284	$ 7,284

Investments (Purchased Credit Impaired Securities Included in Fixed Maturity Securities) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Certain Loans Acquired In Transfer Accounted For As Available For Sale Debt Securities [Abstract]

Certain Loans Acquired In Transfer Accounted For As Available For Sale Debt Securities Outstanding Balance

^[1]

$ 85,078

$ 343,640

Certain Loans Acquired In Transfer Accounted For As Available For Sale Debt Securities Carrying Amount Net

^[2]

$ 69,717

$ 287,663

[1]	Represents the contractually required payments which is the sum of contractual principal, whether or not currently due, and accrued interest.
[2]	Estimated fair value plus accrued interest.

Investments (Purchased Credit Impaired Investments) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Certain Loans Acquired in Transfer Accounted for as Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Acquired [Abstract]

Certain Loans Acquired in Transfer Accounted for as Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Acquired, Contractually Required Payments Receivable at Acquisition

$ 7,310

$ 217,187

Certain Loans Acquired in Transfer Accounted for as Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Acquired, Cash Flows Expected to be Collected at Acquisition

^[1]

5,748

179,025

Certain Loans Acquired in Transfer Accounted for as Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Acquired, at Acquisition, at Fair Value

$ 4,139

$ 137,399

[1]	Represents undiscounted principal and interest cash flow expectations at the date of acquisition.

Investments (Accretable Yield on Purchased Credit Impaired Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Certain Loans Acquired in Transfer Accounted for as Debt Securities, Accretable Yield Movement Schedule [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	$ 88,016	$ 67,171
Investments purchased	1,609	41,626
Accretion	(9,004)	(11,402)
Disposals	(59,078)	(1,109)
Reclassification from nonaccretable difference	(2,105)	(8,270)
Balance, end of period	$ 19,438	$ 88,016

Investments (Fair Value Below Amortized Cost of Gross Unrealized Losses for Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Gross unrealized losses with number of securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 374,857	$ 627,451
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	100.00%	100.00%
Less Than 20 Percent [Member]
Gross unrealized losses with number of securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 337,831	$ 463,109
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	90.10%	73.80%
More Than Or Equal To 20 Percent For Less Than Six Months [Member]
Gross unrealized losses with number of securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 19,438	$ 142,495
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	5.20%	22.70%
More Than Or Equal To 20 Percent For Six Months Or Greater [Member]
Gross unrealized losses with number of securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 17,588	$ 21,847
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	4.70%	3.50%

Investments (Investment Income Net of Related Expenses) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	$ 1,983,975	$ 1,802,539	$ 1,776,011
Investment Income, Investment Expense	(72,089)	(68,044)	(62,320)
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,911,886	1,734,495	1,713,691
Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	1,285,406	1,177,706	1,052,715
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	168,582	149,564	148,417
Policy Loans [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	63,837	62,955	55,248
Funds Withheld At Interest [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	368,728	343,031	447,364
Short-term Investments [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	8,051	7,574	8,955
Other Aggregated Investments [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	$ 89,371	$ 61,709	$ 63,312

Investments (Investment Related Gains (Losses) Net) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Available-for-sale Securities [Abstract]
Marketable Securities, Realized Loss, Other than Temporary Impairments, Amount	$ 38,805	$ 57,380	$ 7,766
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion in Other Comprehensive Loss, before Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Available-for-sale Securities	(74)	0	0
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	38,731	57,380	7,766
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gains	154,370	73,079	65,435
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Losses	(49,965)	(71,893)	(31,295)
Other Impairment Losses And Change In Mortgage Loan Provision	(11,006)	(6,953)	(5,315)
Derivatives And Other Investments Net	39,527	(101,603)	165,134
Realized Investment Gains (Losses)	$ 94,195	$ (164,750)	$ 186,193

Investments (Borrowed Securities Repurchased Securities And Repurchased Reversed Repurchased Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Securities Received as Collateral	$ 80,000	$ 0
Securities for Reverse Repurchase Agreements	476,531	443,435
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Collateral, Right to Reclaim Securities	515,200	481,197
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Collateral, Right to Reclaim Cash	0	0
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Securities Borrowed	279,186	266,297
Securities Loaned, Fair Value of Collateral	73,625	0
Securities for Reverse Repurchase Agreements	499,891	465,889
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Collateral, Right to Reclaim Cash	28,832	0
Reported Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Securities Borrowed	263,820	259,540
Securities Loaned, Fair Value of Collateral	$ 74,389	$ 0

Investments (Mortgage Loans by Property Type) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 3,783,207	$ 3,136,764
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	100.00%	100.00%
Office Building [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 1,270,113	$ 980,858
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	33.60%	31.30%
Retail Site [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 1,179,936	$ 1,026,018
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	31.20%	32.70%
Industrial Property [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 713,461	$ 527,485
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	18.80%	16.80%
Apartment Building [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 447,088	$ 420,014
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	11.80%	13.40%
Other Property [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 172,609	$ 182,389
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	4.60%	5.80%

Investments (Mortgage Loans by Maturity Date) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 3,783,207	$ 3,136,764
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	100.00%	100.00%
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Due One Year Through Five Years [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 822,073	$ 873,280
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	21.70%	27.80%
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Due After Five Years [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 2,099,559	$ 1,561,535
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	55.50%	49.80%
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Due After Ten Years [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 861,575	$ 701,949
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	22.80%	22.40%

Investments (Mortgage Loans by Credit Quality Indicator) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 3,783,207	$ 3,136,764
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	100.00%	100.00%
Greater than 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 3,601,817	$ 2,953,180
1.00x - 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	120,296	112,947
Less than 1.00x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	61,094	70,637
0% - 59.99%
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 1,925,755	$ 1,700,541
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	50.80%	54.20%
0% - 59.99% \| Greater than 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 1,859,640	$ 1,621,056
0% - 59.99% \| 1.00x - 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	64,749	77,118
0% - 59.99% \| Less than 1.00x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	1,366	2,367
60% - 69.99%
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 1,292,466	$ 915,748
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	34.20%	29.20%
60% - 69.99% \| Greater than 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 1,257,788	$ 881,611
60% - 69.99% \| 1.00x - 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	34,678	14,332
60% - 69.99% \| Less than 1.00x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	0	19,805
70% - 79.99%
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 415,330	$ 489,051
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	11.00%	15.60%
70% - 79.99% \| Greater than 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 370,092	$ 446,565
70% - 79.99% \| 1.00x - 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	20,869	7,947
70% - 79.99% \| Less than 1.00x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	24,369	34,539
Greater than 80%
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 149,656	$ 31,424
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	4.00%	1.00%
Greater than 80% \| Greater than 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 114,297	$ 3,948
Greater than 80% \| 1.00x - 1.20x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	0	13,550
Greater than 80% \| Less than 1.00x
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	$ 35,359	$ 13,926

Investments (Mortgage Loans by Method of Evaluation and Related Valuation Allowances) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Mortgage Loans [Abstract]
Financing Receivable, Individually Evaluated for Impairment	$ 2,216	$ 16,421
Financing Receivable, Collectively Evaluated for Impairment	3,780,991	3,120,343
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	3,783,207	3,136,764
Valuation Allowances [Abstract]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Individually Evaluated for Impairment	0	588
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Collectively Evaluated for Impairment	7,685	6,225
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate	7,685	6,813	$ 6,471	$ 10,106
Mortgage Loans Net Of Valuation Allowance [Abstract]
Mortgage loans on real estate	$ 3,775,522	$ 3,129,951

Investments (Loan Valuation Allowance for Mortgage Loans) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Balance beginning	$ 6,813	$ 6,471	$ 10,106
Charge-offs	0	0	(2,731)
Provision	872	342	(904)
Balance ending	$ 7,685	$ 6,813	$ 6,471

Investments (Impaired Mortgage Loans) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]

Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance

$ 2,758

$ 16,931

Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment

2,216

16,421

Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance

588

Impaired Financing Receivable Net Of Related Allowance

2,216

15,833

Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment

^[1]

2,249

17,625

$ 27,054

Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method

142

1,100

1,284

Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded

Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]

Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance

2,758

4,033

Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment

2,216

4,033

Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance

Impaired Financing Receivable Net Of Related Allowance

2,216

4,033

Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment

^[1]

2,249

6,033

13,227

Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method

142

330

647

Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded

Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]

Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance

12,898

Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment

12,388

Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance

588

Impaired Financing Receivable Net Of Related Allowance

11,800

Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment

^[1]

11,592

13,827

Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method

$ 0

$ 770

$ 637

[1]	Average recorded investment represents the average loan balances as of the beginning of period and all subsequent quarterly end of period balances.

Investments (Other Invested Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	$ 1,591,940	$ 1,298,120
Equity Securities [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	275,361	125,862
Limited Partner [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	687,522	567,697
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	229,108	256,178
Fair Value Option Contractholder Directed Unit Linked Investments [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	190,120	197,547
Other [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	$ 209,829	$ 150,836

Investments Investments (Narrative) (Details)
$ in Thousands

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Dec. 31, 2016

USD ($)

position

Dec. 31, 2015

USD ($)

position

Dec. 31, 2014

USD ($)

Investment Narrative [Line Items]

Net Amount Assets Liabilities From Repurchase Reverse Repurchase Agreements

$ 5,500

$ 8,800

Amount Liabilities From Repurchase Agreements

28,800

Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis

18,924,711

17,575,507

Available-for-sale Securities

$ 19,619,084

$ 17,708,156

Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions | position

1,535

2,080

Proceeds From Sale Of Available For Sale Securities Sold At Loss

$ 1,181,600

$ 1,523,600

$ 1,016,500

Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Losses

49,965

71,893

$ 31,295

Securities for Reverse Repurchase Agreements

$ 476,531

$ 443,435

Mortgage Loan Percent Of Invested Assets

8.40%

7.50%

Policy Loans Percent Of Invested Assets

3.20%

3.50%

Funds Withheld At Interest Percent Of Invested Assets

13.10%

14.00%

Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses

100.00%

Funds withheld at interest

$ 5,875,919

$ 5,880,203

Funds Held Under Reinsurance Agreements Asset Specific Client

$ 4,000,000

Other Invested Assets Percent Of Invested Assets

3.60%

3.10%

Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total

100.00%

Collateral Obtained Percent Of Fair Value Reverse Repurchase Agreements

100.00%

Non-Income Producing Securities [Member]

Investment Narrative [Line Items]

Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis

$ 35,400

$ 116,000

Available-for-sale Securities

47,300

123,000

Canadian Province Of Quebec Securities [Member]

Investment Narrative [Line Items]

Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis

832,764

864,444

Available-for-sale Securities

1,126,433

1,199,080

Reported Value Measurement [Member]

Investment Narrative [Line Items]

Securities Borrowed

263,820

259,540

Funds withheld at interest

^[1]

5,893,381

5,956,380

Mortgage Receivable [Member]

Investment Narrative [Line Items]

Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due

$ 0

CALIFORNIA

Investment Narrative [Line Items]

Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total

22.10%

22.30%

[1]	Carrying values presented herein differ from those presented in the consolidated balance sheets because certain items within the respective financial statement caption are embedded derivatives and are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

Derivative Instruments (Gross Notional Amount and Fair Value of Derivatives Contracts) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	$ 14,012,598	$ 11,928,989
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	283,094	301,270
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	1,061,408	1,202,203
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	12,649,093	10,985,503
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	150,834	155,005
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	1,029,451	1,172,217
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	949,556	1,123,057
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	78,405	85,075
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	5,949	4,196
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Future [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	475,968	420,665
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	25,000	45,000
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	44
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	5,070	6,768
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Consumer Price Index Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	20,615	28,561
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	262	292
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Credit Default Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	926,000	897,000
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	12,012	8,230
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	2,871	11,053
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Equity [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	525,894	453,435
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	33,459	46,653
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Longevity Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	841,360	868,960
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	26,958	15,003
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	7
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Mortality Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	50,000	50,000
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	2,462	2,619
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Synthetic Guaranteed Investment Contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	8,834,700	7,098,825
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Embedded Derivatives In Modified Coinsurance Or Funds Withheld Arrangements [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	0	0
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	22,529	76,698
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	0	0
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	805,672	878,114
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	0	0
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	184,636	192,470
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	1,363,505	943,486
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	132,260	146,265
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	31,957	29,986
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	435,000	120,000
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	27,901	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	31,223	29,986
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Currency Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	928,505	823,486
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	104,359	146,265
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	$ 734	$ 0

Derivative Instruments (Derivative Instruments Offsetting Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Derivative Asset [Abstract]

Derivative Fair Value Of Free Standing Derivative Asset

$ 283,094

$ 301,270

Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Liability

(27,028)

(30,096)

Derivative Asset

256,066

271,174

Derivative Asset, Fair Value of Collateral

^[1],[2]

(16,913)

(20,888)

Derivative, Collateral, Obligation to Return Cash

^[3]

(254,498)

(245,038)

Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Amount Offset Against Collateral

(15,345)

5,248

Derivative Liability [Abstract]

Derivative Fair Value Of Free Standing Derivative Liability

48,571

54,921

Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Asset

(27,028)

(30,096)

Derivative Liability

21,543

24,825

Derivative Liability, Fair Value of Collateral

^[2],[4]

(95,863)

(47,149)

Derivative, Collateral, Right to Reclaim Cash

^[5]

(1,441)

(12,540)

Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Amount Offset Against Collateral

$ (75,761)

$ (34,864)

[1]	Consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.
[2]	Includes initial margin posted to a central clearing partner.
[3]	Included in cash and cash equivalents, with obligation to return cash collateral recorded in other liabilities.
[4]	Included in available-for-sale securities, primarily consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.
[5]	Consists of receivable from counterparty, included in other assets.

Derivative Instruments Derivative Instruments (Fair Value Hedge Attributable to Foreign Currency) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Fair Value Hedging Instruments	$ (1,700)	$ 4,008
Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Hedged Item in Fair Value Hedge	1,700	(4,008)
Gain (Loss) on Fair Value Hedge Ineffectiveness, Net	$ 0	$ 0

Derivative Instruments (Current Period Cash Flow Hedges in AOCI (loss) before Taxes) (Details) - Cash Flow Hedging [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance, Beginning of Period	$ (29,397)	$ (31,591)	$ (4,578)
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	27,110	2,676	(25,801)
Balance, End of Period	(2,496)	(29,397)	(31,591)
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	278	87	0
Investment Income [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	$ (487)	$ (569)	$ (1,212)

Derivative Instruments (Cash Flow Hedges) (Details) - Cash Flow Hedging [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	$ 27,110	$ 2,676	$ (25,801)
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	(278)	(87)	0
Investment Income [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	487	569	1,212
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	27,901	(11,422)	(12,431)
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Gain (Loss) on Investments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	0	0	0
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Investment Income [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	0	343	1,212
Currency Swap [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	(791)
Currency Swap [Member] \| Gain (Loss) on Investments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	0
Currency Swap [Member] \| Investment Income [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	510
Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	0	14,098	(13,370)
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Gain (Loss) on Investments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	(278)	(87)	0
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Investment Income [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	$ (23)	$ 226	$ 0

Derivative Instruments (Hedges of Net Investments in Foreign Operations) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Currency Swap [Member]

Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]

Gains Losses Deferred In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss On Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ (10,234)

$ 96,019

$ 51,894

[1]	There was no ineffectiveness recognized for the Company’s hedges of net investments in foreign operations.
[2]	There were no sales or substantial liquidations of net investments in foreign operations that would have required the reclassification of gains or losses from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into investment income during the periods presented.

Derivative Instruments (Non Hedging Derivatives and Embedded Derivatives Effect on Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	$ 94,195	$ (164,750)	$ 186,193
Other revenues	(266,559)	(277,692)	(334,456)
Gain Loss On Investments Related To Change In Fair Value Of Derivatives Excluding Embedded Derivatives	(28,611)	7,408	80,661
Interest credited	364,691	336,964	451,031
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	44,101	(105,136)	44,958
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	7,649	20,358	94,848
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Interest Rate Options [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	0	3,275	15,641
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Future [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	(40,242)	319	(9,550)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	1,630	(1,160)	(8,691)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Consumer Price Index Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	(401)	(208)	(344)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Credit Default Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	18,100	(4,683)	3,938
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Equity [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	(28,270)	(16,899)	(22,472)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Longevity Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Other revenues	(13,095)	(8,228)	(8,088)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Mortality Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Other revenues	(172)	(1,822)	(797)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Embedded Derivatives In Modified Coinsurance Or Funds Withheld Arrangements [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	54,169	(98,792)	198,365
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Interest credited	10,708	19,440	(104,844)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	$ 7,835	$ (33,192)	$ (129,224)

Derivative Instruments (Exposure from Credit Derivatives by Rating of the Underlying Credits) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ 8,970

$ (4,003)

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 922,700

$ 893,700

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

4 years 3 months

4 years 6 months

Standard Poors AAA To A Ratings [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ 1,726

$ 1,689

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 150,500

$ 152,500

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

3 years 10 months

3 years 11 months

Standard & Poor's, BBB Rating [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ 7,721

$ (2,792)

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 763,200

$ 731,200

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

4 years 5 months

4 years 7 months

Standard & Poor's, BB+ Rating [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ (477)

$ (2,900)

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 9,000

$ 10,000

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

3 years 6 months

4 years 1 month

Single Name Credit Default Swaps [Member] | Standard Poors AAA To A Ratings [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ 1,726

$ 1,689

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 150,500

$ 152,500

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

3 years 10 months

3 years 11 months

Single Name Credit Default Swaps [Member] | Standard & Poor's, BBB Rating [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ 1,426

$ (5,066)

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 347,200

$ 315,200

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

3 years 8 months

4 years 2 months

Single Name Credit Default Swaps [Member] | Standard & Poor's, BB+ Rating [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ (477)

$ (2,900)

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 9,000

$ 10,000

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

3 years 6 months

4 years 1 month

Credit Default Swaps Referencing Indices [Member] | Standard Poors AAA To A Ratings [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

0 years

Credit Default Swaps Referencing Indices [Member] | Standard & Poor's, BBB Rating [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Credit Derivative Current Fair Value

^[1]

$ 6,295

$ 2,274

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives

^[1],[2]

$ 416,000

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

5 years

Credit Default Swaps Referencing Indices [Member] | Standard & Poor's, BB+ Rating [Member]

Credit Derivatives [Line Items]

Derivative Average Remaining Maturity

^[1],[3]

0 years

[1]	The rating agency designations are based on ratings from Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”).
[2]	Assumes the value of the referenced credit obligations is zero.
[3]	The weighted average years to maturity of the credit default swaps is calculated based on weighted average notional amounts.

Derivative Instruments (Changes in Estimated Fair Value Related to Embedded Derivatives) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Changes In Estimated Fair Value Related To Embedded Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net									$ 94,195	$ (164,750)	$ 186,193
Total benefits and expenses	$ 2,773,755	$ 2,612,977	$ 2,685,845	$ 2,404,988	$ 2,621,848	$ 2,298,497	$ 2,416,550	$ 2,336,488	10,477,565	9,673,383	9,895,661
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	$ 190,149	$ 198,719	$ 236,103	$ 76,472	$ 163,127	$ 83,534	$ 130,391	$ 125,114	701,443	502,166	684,047
Embedded Derivatives In Modified Coinsurance Or Funds Withheld Arrangements And Variable Annuity Contracts [Member]
Changes In Estimated Fair Value Related To Embedded Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net									54,169	98,792	198,365
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent									9,160	(26,025)	45,171
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity Contracts [Member]
Changes In Estimated Fair Value Related To Embedded Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net									7,835	(33,192)	(129,224)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent									(41,201)	(29,008)	27,601
Embedded Derivatives In Equity Indexed Annuities [Member]
Changes In Estimated Fair Value Related To Embedded Derivatives [Line Items]
Total benefits and expenses									10,708	19,440	(104,844)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent									$ (4,148)	$ 6,204	$ (69,963)

- Definition

This item represents the net total realized and unrealized gain (loss) included in earnings for the period as a result of selling or holding marketable securities categorized as trading, available-for-sale, or held-to-maturity, including the unrealized holding gain (loss) of held-to-maturity securities transferred to the trading security category and the cumulative unrealized gain (loss) which was included in other comprehensive income (a separate component of shareholders' equity) for available-for-sale securities transferred to trading securities during the period. Additionally, this item would include any gains (losses) realized during the period from the sale of investments accounted for under the cost method of accounting and losses recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of the subject investments.

+ References + Details

Derivative Instruments (Credit Exposure of Derivative Contracts) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Credit Exposure of Derivative Contracts [Abstract]

Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net

$ 236,985

$ 248,968

Derivative, Collateral, Right to Reclaim Cash

^[1]

1,441

12,540

Derivative Liability, Fair Value of Collateral

^[2],[3]

95,863

47,149

Derivative, Collateral, Obligation to Return Cash

^[4]

(254,498)

(245,038)

Derivative Asset, Fair Value of Collateral

^[3],[5]

(16,913)

(20,888)

Deposits with Clearing Organizations and Others, Securities

(73,571)

(34,898)

Net Credit Exposure On Derivative Contracts

(10,693)

7,833

Margin Deposit Assets

^[6]

$ 9,687

$ 11,004

[1]	Consists of receivable from counterparty, included in other assets.
[2]	Included in available-for-sale securities, primarily consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.
[3]	Includes initial margin posted to a central clearing partner.
[4]	Included in cash and cash equivalents, with obligation to return cash collateral recorded in other liabilities.
[5]	Consists of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities.
[6]	Included in other assets.

Derivative Instruments (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments, Gain Recognized in Income, Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing	$ 0.4	$ 0.8
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months, Net	0.4
Cumulative Foreign Currency Translation Gain Loss Recorded In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss For Net Investment In Foreign Operations Hedges	$ 161.6	$ 171.9

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Fair Value Assets Transfers between Level 1 and Level 2) (Details) - Corporate Debt Securities [Member] - Available-for-sale Securities [Member] $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Level 1 to Level 2 Transfers, Amount	$ 32,206
Fair Value, Assets, Level 2 to Level 1 Transfers, Amount	$ 127,653

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Fair Value Assets Measured on Non-Recurring Basis) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Member]

Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]

Fair Value Assets Carrying Value Prior To Impairment

^[1]

$ 0

$ 11,800

Fair Value Assets Gains Losses

^[1]

228

Partnership Interest [Member]

Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]

Fair Value Assets Carrying Value Prior To Impairment

^[2]

6,192

12,520

Fair Value Assets Gains Losses

^[2]

$ (9,277)

$ (6,550)

[1]	Estimated fair values for impaired mortgage loans are based on internal valuation models using unobservable inputs or, if the loans are in foreclosure or are otherwise determined to be collateral dependent, are based on external appraisals of the underlying collateral.
[2]	The impaired limited partnership interests presented above were accounted for using the cost method. Impairments on these cost method investments were recognized at estimated fair value determined using the net asset values of the Company’s ownership interest as provided in the financial statements of the investees. The market for these investments has limited activity and price transparency.

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Financial Instruments where Carrying Amounts and Fair Values May Differ) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Mortgage loans on real estate

$ 3,775,522

$ 3,129,951

Policy loans

1,427,602

1,468,796

Funds withheld at interest

5,875,919

5,880,203

Cash and cash equivalents

1,200,718

1,525,275

$ 1,645,669

$ 923,647

Short-term investments

76,710

558,284

Other invested assets

1,591,940

1,298,120

Accrued investment income

347,173

339,452

Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Interest-sensitive contract liabilities

14,029,354

13,663,873

Collateral finance and securitization notes

840,700

899,161

Carrying Value [Member]

Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Mortgage loans on real estate

3,775,522

3,129,951

Policy loans

1,427,602

1,468,796

Funds withheld at interest

^[1]

5,893,381

5,956,380

Cash and cash equivalents

^[2]

862,117

1,118,754

Short-term investments

^[2]

32,469

27,511

Other invested assets

^[2]

477,132

399,799

Accrued investment income

347,173

339,452

Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Interest-sensitive contract liabilities

^[1]

10,225,099

9,746,870

Long And Short Term Debt

3,088,635

2,297,548

Collateral finance and securitization notes

840,700

899,161

Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]

Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Mortgage loans on real estate

3,786,987

3,197,808

Policy loans

1,427,602

1,468,796

Funds withheld at interest

^[1]

6,193,166

6,311,780

Cash and cash equivalents

^[2]

862,117

1,118,754

Short-term investments

^[2]

32,469

27,511

Other invested assets

^[2]

510,640

444,342

Accrued investment income

347,173

339,452

Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Interest-sensitive contract liabilities

^[1]

10,234,544

9,841,576

Long And Short Term Debt

3,186,173

2,415,119

Collateral finance and securitization notes

745,805

791,275

Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] | Net Asset Value [Member]

Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Mortgage loans on real estate

Policy loans

Funds withheld at interest

^[1]

Cash and cash equivalents

^[2]

Short-term investments

^[2]

Other invested assets

^[2]

296,773

293,599

Accrued investment income

Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Interest-sensitive contract liabilities

^[1]

Long And Short Term Debt

Collateral finance and securitization notes

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]

Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Mortgage loans on real estate

Policy loans

Funds withheld at interest

^[1]

Cash and cash equivalents

^[2]

862,117

1,118,754

Short-term investments

^[2]

32,469

27,511

Other invested assets

^[2]

26,294

4,445

Accrued investment income

Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Interest-sensitive contract liabilities

^[1]

Long And Short Term Debt

Collateral finance and securitization notes

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]

Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Mortgage loans on real estate

Policy loans

1,427,602

1,468,796

Funds withheld at interest

^[1]

Cash and cash equivalents

^[2]

Short-term investments

^[2]

Other invested assets

^[2]

55,669

34,886

Accrued investment income

347,173

339,452

Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Interest-sensitive contract liabilities

^[1]

Long And Short Term Debt

Collateral finance and securitization notes

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]

Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Mortgage loans on real estate

3,786,987

3,197,808

Policy loans

Funds withheld at interest

^[1]

6,193,166

6,311,780

Cash and cash equivalents

^[2]

Short-term investments

^[2]

Other invested assets

^[2]

131,904

111,412

Accrued investment income

Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]

Interest-sensitive contract liabilities

^[1]

10,234,544

9,841,576

Long And Short Term Debt

3,186,173

2,415,119

Collateral finance and securitization notes

$ 745,805

$ 791,275

[1]	Carrying values presented herein differ from those presented in the consolidated balance sheets because certain items within the respective financial statement caption are embedded derivatives and are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.
[2]	Carrying values presented herein differ from those presented in the consolidated balance sheets because certain items within the respective financial statement caption are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Narrative) (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Percentage Of Fixed Maturity Securities Classified As Level 3	6.90%	8.20%

Reinsurance Reinsurance (Ceded Reinsurance Receivable Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 683,972	$ 637,859
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	100.00%	100.00%
Other Reinsurers [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 118,679	$ 107,077
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	17.30%	16.80%
AM Best, A+ Rating [Member] \| Reinsurer A [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 240,894	$ 199,479
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	35.20%	31.30%
AM Best, A+ Rating [Member] \| Reinsurer B [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 183,881	$ 179,522
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	26.90%	28.10%
AM Best, A+ Rating [Member] \| Reinsurer C [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 68,832	$ 72,836
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	10.10%	11.40%
AM Best, A++ Rating [Member] \| Reinsurer D [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 36,202	$ 41,807
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	5.30%	6.60%
AM Best, A Rating [Member] \| Reinsurer E [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 35,484	$ 37,138
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	5.20%	5.80%

Reinsurance (Effect of Reinsurance on Net Premiums and Claims and Other Policy Benefits) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Premiums Earned, Net [Abstract]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 57,562	$ 43,106	$ 19,365
Assumed Premiums Earned	10,049,587	9,371,308	9,098,378
Ceded Premiums Earned	(858,278)	(843,673)	(447,889)
Net premiums	9,248,871	8,570,741	8,669,854
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Net [Abstract]
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Direct	105,435	82,942	32,564
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Assumed	8,621,647	8,205,308	7,805,984
Policyholder Benefits and Claims Incurred, Ceded	(733,707)	(798,868)	(431,907)
Claims and other policy benefits	$ 7,993,375	$ 7,489,382	$ 7,406,641

Reinsurance (Effect of Reinsurance on Life Insurance In Force) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 1,576	$ 1,686	$ 78
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	3,062,525	2,995,079	2,943,517
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	214,727	222,388	230,544
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 2,849,374	$ 2,774,377	$ 2,713,051
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	107.50%	108.00%	108.50%

Reinsurance (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Reinsurance (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Maximum Life Insurance Retention Per Individual Life	$ 8,000
Reinsurance ceded receivables	683,972	$ 637,859
Reinsurance Claims Recoverables	242,000	233,700
Claims Recoverable From Retrocessionaires Past Due	4,000	2,000
Statutory Financial Reinsurance	10,800,000	8,800,000
Statutory Reserves Related To Financial Requirements	1,935,000	1,656,900
Assets Held-in-trust	893,800	932,600
Benefit Of RGA Subsidiaries [Member]
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	2,372,100	1,638,000
Benefit Of Third Parties [Member]
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	$ 12,135,300	$ 10,535,700
AM Best, A- Rating [Member]
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Retrocession Pool Participants Minimum AM Best Rating	“A- (excellent)”	“A- (excellent)”

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Movement Analysis Of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Movement Analysis of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Roll Forward]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	$ 3,392,437	$ 3,342,575	$ 3,517,796
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs, Additions	350,233	352,260	877,609
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense	(341,115)	(288,630)	(867,621)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense, Other	(40,077)	58,754	(111,744)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense, Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)	(3,541)	17,510	(4,480)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment	(19,332)	(90,032)	(68,985)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	$ 3,338,605	$ 3,392,437	$ 3,342,575

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Disclosures [Abstract]
Nature of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	Some reinsurance agreements involve reimbursing the ceding company for allowances and commissions in excess of first-year premiums. These amounts represent acquisition costs and are capitalized to the extent deemed recoverable from the future premiums and amortized against future profits of the business.
Type of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	This type of agreement presents a risk to the extent that the business lapses faster than originally anticipated, resulting in future profits being insufficient to recover the Company’s investment.
DeferredPolicyAcquisitionCostsAdditionsPreviousMethodology	$ 437.9

Income Tax (Pre-tax Income Foreign and Domestic) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Domestic									$ 758,496	$ 493,328	$ 768,857
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Foreign									285,450	251,467	239,676
Income before income taxes	$ 295,543	$ 287,600	$ 353,223	$ 107,580	$ 206,743	$ 140,137	$ 213,790	$ 184,125	$ 1,043,946	$ 744,795	$ 1,008,533

Income Tax (Provision for Income Tax Expense) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]
Current Federal Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 1,020	$ 1,588	$ 18,495
Current Foreign Tax Expense (Benefit)	47,706	92,045	135,260
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	48,726	93,633	153,755
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]
Deferred Federal Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	273,928	193,204	242,694
Deferred Foreign Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	19,849	(44,208)	(71,963)
Deferred income taxes	293,777	148,996	170,731
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 342,503	$ 242,629	$ 324,486

Income Tax (Provision for Income Tax Expense Computed from Statutory Rate to Pre-tax Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Amount	$ 365,381	$ 260,678	$ 352,987
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Foreign Income Tax Rate Differential, Amount	(13,974)	(9,950)	(12,483)
Income Tax Reconciliation Foreign Income Tax Basis Differential	(17,770)	(32,472)	(8,256)
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Change in Deferred Tax Assets Valuation Allowance, Amount	10,963	19,157	2,076
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Contingency, Domestic, Amount	111	88	(9,083)
Income Tax Reconciliation Change In Foreign Enacted Tax Rate	0	0	280
Income Tax Reconciliation Subpart F	1,783	3,473	6,132
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Credit, Foreign, Amount	(1,683)	(1,936)	(1,045)
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Prior Year Income Taxes, Amount	(1,473)	1,482	(8,123)
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Other Adjustments, Amount	(835)	2,109	2,001
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 342,503	$ 242,629	$ 324,486
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent	32.80%	32.60%	32.20%

Income Tax (Total Income Taxes Provided) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Effects Allocated Directly to Equity [Abstract]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 342,503	$ 242,629	$ 324,486
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, Tax	157,929	(339,889)	348,697
Income Tax Effects Allocated Directly to Equity, Employee Stock Options	(162)	(2,963)	3,011
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Tax	21,081	16,478	22,998
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Tax	1,772	1,726	(14,770)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Intraperiod Tax Allocation	$ 523,123	$ (82,019)	$ 684,422

Income Tax (Tax Effects of Temporary Differences that Give Rise to Significant Portions of the Deferred Income Tax Asset and Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred Tax Assets, Net [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals	$ 125,879	$ 116,106
Deferred Tax Assets Reinsurance Transactions	87,688	63,543
Deferred Tax Assets Cash And Invested Assets	775	5,931
Deferred Tax Assets Investment Income	35,192	0
Deferred Tax Assets Deferred Acquisition Costs Capitalized For Tax	143,003	131,714
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards	325,806	524,501
Deferred Tax Assets Deferred Acquisition Costs Capitalized For Financial Reporting	101,223	77,888
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	819,566	919,683
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	(133,354)	(127,132)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net	686,212	792,551
Deferred Tax Liabilities [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Deferred Expense, Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost	1,013,642	1,011,753
Deferred Tax Liabilities Reinsurance Transactions	1,773,929	1,509,211
Deferred Tax Liabilities Cash And Invested Assets	505,841	336,870
Deferred Tax Liabilities Investment Income	5,635	14,654
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Unrealized Currency Transaction Gains	91,067	81,492
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Prepaid Expenses	0	1,014
Deferred Tax Liabilities	3,390,114	2,954,994
Net deferred income tax liabilities	2,703,902	2,162,443
Balance Sheet Presentation Of Deferred Tax Liabilities [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Assets, Other	66,738	55,885
Deferred income taxes	$ 2,770,640	$ 2,218,328

Income Tax (Reconciliation of the Amount of Unrecognized Tax Benefits) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits Beginning balance, January 1	$ 296,213	$ 274,661	$ 279,801
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions	226,720	26,170	17,431
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decreases Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions	(229,719)	(7,820)	(26,001)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases Resulting from Current Period Tax Positions	4,186	3,396	3,430
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decrease Resulting from Settlements with Taxing Authorities	(110)	(194)	0
Unrecognized Tax Benefits Ending balance, December 31	$ 297,290	$ 296,213	$ 274,661

Income Tax (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Tax (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	$ 133,354	$ 127,132
Tax Adjustments Settlements And Unusual Provisions	4,200
Deferred Tax Liability Not Recognized, Amount of Unrecognized Deferred Tax Liability	1,147,200	992,900
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds	6,900	136,800	$ 9,300
Cash paid for income taxes	68,000	178,400	79,600
Operating Loss Carryforwards	1,353,600	1,771,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards With Expiration Dates	50,300
Income Tax Credits and Adjustments	100,900	77,500
Deferred Tax Assets Income Tax Credits And Adjustments Subject To Expiration	19,700
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	297,290	296,213	274,661	$ 279,801
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate	30,300
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Interest on Income Taxes Expense	(8,400)	8,200	$ (36,600)
Income Tax Examination, Penalties Expense	300
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Interest on Income Taxes Accrued	$ 20,400	$ 28,800

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Changes in Projected Benefit Obligations) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Beginning Balance

$ 142,239

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Ending Balance

161,955

$ 142,239

Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Beginning Balance

142,239

138,196

Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost

10,319

9,222

$ 8,121

Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost

4,790

5,035

4,972

Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants

Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments

^[1]

^[2]

Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Net (Gains) Losses

9,973

(1,919)

Defined Benefit Plan Settlement Gain Loss

258

Defined Benefit Plan, Settlements, Benefit Obligation

(3,152)

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid

(3,047)

(4,480)

Defined Benefit Plan, Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Changes, Benefit Obligation

575

(3,815)

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Ending Balance

161,955

142,239

138,196

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Beginning Balance

63,307

59,782

Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost

2,883

4,062

2,354

Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost

2,259

2,572

1,962

Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants

305

229

Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments

^[1]

(13,743)

^[2]

Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Net (Gains) Losses

6,228

(2,729)

Defined Benefit Plan Settlement Gain Loss

Defined Benefit Plan, Settlements, Benefit Obligation

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid

(715)

(609)

Defined Benefit Plan, Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Changes, Benefit Obligation

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Ending Balance

$ 60,524

$ 63,307

$ 59,782

[1]	Reflects effect of the amendment to RGA’s U.S. retiree health care benefit plan announced in 2016, effective January 1, 2017. The amount was recorded in AOCI and will be amortized through prior service cost.
[2]	Reflects effect of the amendment to RGA’s U.S. retiree health care benefit plan announced in 2016, effective January 1, 2017. The amount was recorded in AOCI and will be amortized through prior service cost.

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Beginning Balance	$ 68,435
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Ending Balance	84,770	$ 68,435
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan	(77,185)	(73,804)
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Beginning Balance	68,435	66,757
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Return on Plan Assets	6,584	(2,795)
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	15,950	8,953
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Settlements, Plan Assets	(3,152)	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(3,047)	(4,480)
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Ending Balance	84,770	68,435
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan	(77,185)	(73,804)
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Beginning Balance	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Return on Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	410	380
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	305	229
Defined Benefit Plan, Settlements, Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(715)	(609)
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Ending Balance	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan	$ (60,524)	$ (63,307)

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Net Funded Status) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

$ 84,770

$ 68,435

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation

161,955

142,239

Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total

(77,185)

(73,804)

Qualified Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

84,770

68,435

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation

96,418

83,870

Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total

(11,648)

(15,435)

Non Qualified Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

^[1]

Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation

^[1]

65,537

58,369

Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total

^[1]

$ (65,537)

$ (58,369)

[1]	For non-qualified plans, there are no required funding levels.

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net Gains (Losses), before Tax	$ 46,119	$ 41,814
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Costs (Credit) Arising During Period, Net of Tax	703	1,159
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, Net of Tax	46,822	42,973
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net Gains (Losses), before Tax	32,156	27,755
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Costs (Credit) Arising During Period, Net of Tax	(13,121)	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, Net of Tax	$ 19,035	$ 27,755

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Projected Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	$ 161,955	$ 142,239
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	$ 84,770	$ 68,435

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets, Aggregate Accumulated Benefit Obligation	$ 158,580	$ 140,442
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	$ 84,770	$ 68,435

Employee Benefit Plans (Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), before Tax

$ 4,427

$ 4,618

$ (43,025)

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), before Tax

(444)

(337)

(485)

Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]

Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost

10,319

9,222

8,121

Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost

4,790

5,035

4,972

Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Return on Plan Assets

(5,138)

(4,897)

(4,471)

Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Gains (Losses)

4,323

3,429

1,755

Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)

294

309

333

Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Settlements

(1,026)

Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Total

15,614

13,098

10,710

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Unamortized Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, before Tax

8,785

5,774

20,912

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), before Tax

(4,323)

(3,429)

(1,755)

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), before Tax

(294)

(309)

(333)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Finalization of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Valuation, before Tax

(1,026)

Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments

^[1]

^[2]

Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plan Net Foreign Exchange Translations And Other Adjustments

707

(1,797)

(578)

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Tax

3,849

239

18,246

Defined Benefit Plan Net Periodic Benefit Cost And Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment Before Tax Period Increase Decrease

19,463

13,337

28,956

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]

Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost

2,883

4,062

2,354

Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost

2,259

2,572

1,962

Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Return on Plan Assets

Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Gains (Losses)

1,827

2,465

1,060

Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)

(622)

Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Settlements

Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Total

6,347

9,099

5,376

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Unamortized Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, before Tax

6,228

(2,729)

25,354

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), before Tax

(1,827)

(2,465)

(1,060)

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), before Tax

622

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Finalization of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Valuation, before Tax

Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments

^[1]

(13,743)

^[2]

Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plan Net Foreign Exchange Translations And Other Adjustments

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Tax

(8,720)

(5,194)

24,294

Defined Benefit Plan Net Periodic Benefit Cost And Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment Before Tax Period Increase Decrease

$ (2,373)

$ 3,905

$ 29,670

[1]	Reflects effect of the amendment to RGA’s U.S. retiree health care benefit plan announced in 2016, effective January 1, 2017. The amount was recorded in AOCI and will be amortized through prior service cost.
[2]	Reflects effect of the amendment to RGA’s U.S. retiree health care benefit plan announced in 2016, effective January 1, 2017. The amount was recorded in AOCI and will be amortized through prior service cost.

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Expected Future Benefit Payments) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Benefit Payments [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year One	$ 8,944
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Two	8,709
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Three	11,467
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Four	10,250
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Five	10,474
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Five Fiscal Years Thereafter	63,526
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Benefit Payments [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year One	1,132
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Two	1,387
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Three	1,650
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Four	1,977
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Five	2,327
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Five Fiscal Years Thereafter	$ 16,374

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligations) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used in Calculations [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Discount Rate	3.80%	3.99%	3.90%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Discount Rate	3.95%	3.77%	4.30%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Expected Long-term Return on Assets	7.35%	7.35%	7.35%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Rate of Compensation Increase	4.08%	4.08%	4.08%
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used in Calculations [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Discount Rate	4.10%	4.43%	4.05%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Discount Rate	4.43%	4.05%	5.05%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Expected Long-term Return on Assets	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Rate of Compensation Increase	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Health Care Costs Trend Rates) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Pre Medicare Eligible Claims [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Health Care Cost Trend Rate Assumed for Next Fiscal Year	10.00%	8.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Description of Direction and Pattern of Change for Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rate	10% down to 5% in 2024	8% down to 5% in 2020
Defined Benefit Plan, Year that Rate Reaches Ultimate Trend Rate	2024	2020
Defined Benefit Plan, Ultimate Health Care Cost Trend Rate	5.00%	5.00%
Medicare Eligible Claims [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Health Care Cost Trend Rate Assumed for Next Fiscal Year	10.00%	8.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Description of Direction and Pattern of Change for Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rate	10% down to 5% in 2024	8% down to 5% in 2020
Defined Benefit Plan, Year that Rate Reaches Ultimate Trend Rate	2024	2020
Defined Benefit Plan, Ultimate Health Care Cost Trend Rate	5.00%	5.00%

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Effect of One Percentage Point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Service and Interest Cost Components	$ 7,394
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Service and Interest Cost Components	(6,606)
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation	940
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation	$ (710)

Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

$ 84,770

$ 68,435

Mutual Funds [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

$ 84,671

^[1]

$ 68,349

^[2]

U.S. Equity Funds [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations

28.00%

32.00%

U.S. Fixed Income Funds [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations

37.00%

38.00%

Non-U.S. Equity Funds [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations

20.00%

15.00%

Other [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations

15.00%

Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

$ 99

$ 86

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

84,770

68,435

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

84,671

^[1]

68,349

^[2]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

^[1]

^[2]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

^[1]

^[2]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]

Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets

$ 0

[1]	Mutual funds were invested 28% in U.S. equity funds, 37% in U.S. fixed income funds, 20% in non-U.S. equity funds and 15% in other.
[2]	Mutual funds were invested 32% in U.S. equity funds, 38% in U.S. fixed income funds, 15% in non-U.S. equity funds and 15% in other.

Employee Benefit Plans (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets, Aggregate Accumulated Benefit Obligation	$ 158,580	$ 140,442
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Gains (Losses)	4,100
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Prior Service Cost (Credit)	800
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized	9,900	9,000	$ 7,800
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	15,614	13,098	10,710
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year	15,100
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	6,347	$ 9,099	$ 5,376
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year	$ 5,100
Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Allocation Percentage of Assets, Equity Securities	40.00%
Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Change In Benefit Obligation [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Allocation Percentage of Assets, Equity Securities	60.00%

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subsidiaries (Statutory Accounting Practices Disclosure) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

RGA Reinsurance [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

$ 1,521,644

$ 1,503,402

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

148,576

(23,615)

$ 17,085

RCM [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

1,651,274

1,598,328

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

272,038

51,041

126,326

RGA Canada [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

915,134

874,151

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

13,947

113,526

225,083

RGA Barbados [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

^[1]

957,051

835,126

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

^[1]

95,859

113,049

66,097

RGA Australia [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

370,039

335,631

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

(7,694)

(18,128)

874

RGA Atlantic [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

596,016

554,417

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

110,172

132,192

113,055

RGA Americas [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

^[1]

3,416,512

3,135,177

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

^[1]

267,876

260,599

258,588

Other Reinsurance Subsidiaries [Member]

Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance

2,224,833

2,136,480

Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount

$ 130,289

$ 300,847

$ (647,259)

[1]

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subsidiaries (Reconciliation of NAIC SAP and Prescribed Practice) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Statutory Basis [Abstract]
Prescribed Practice Surplus Note	$ 574,574	$ 639,515
Prescribed Practice Letters Of Credit	(615,100)	(570,100)
Surplus Deficit NAIC SAP	$ (40,526)	$ 69,415

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subsidiaries (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Statutory Basis [Abstract]
Number Of Preceeding Months To Accumulate Dividend Paid For Approval	12 months
Future Dividend Payment Restricted To Such Percent Of Surplus To Policy Holders	10.00%
RGA Reinsurance Max Dividend Payments Without Approval	$ 152.2

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees (Commitments to Fund Investments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Limited Partner [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	$ 332,169	$ 263,163
Commercial Loan [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	126,248	86,325
Bank Loan Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	58,318	48,686
Equity Release Mortgages [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	$ 130,324	$ 8,504

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees (Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Property Subject to Operating Lease [Member]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Current	$ 11,297
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years	10,250
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years	6,389
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years	4,317
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years	2,473
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter	11,008
Property Lease Guarantee [Member]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Current	119
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years	0
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years	0
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years	0
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years	0
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter	$ 0

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees (Maximum Potential Obligation) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Commitment Period Two Thousand Twenty Six [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	$ 500.0
Commitment Period Two Thousand Thirty Three [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	950.0
Commitment Period Two Thousand Thirty Four [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	3,000.0
Commitment Period Two Thousand Thirty Five [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	1,314.2
Commitment Period Two Thousand Thirty Six [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	$ 1,432.0

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees (Guarantees Issued) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Insurance Treaty Guarantee [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	$ 902,216	$ 765,505
Insurance Treaty Guarantee Net Of Assets Held In Trust [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	780,786	634,909
Guarantee Of Borrowed Securities [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	263,820	259,540
Product Financing Arrangement [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	119,073	100,000
Guarantee Of Lease Obligations [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	$ 2,428	$ 5,217

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	$ 13.7	$ 12.1	$ 19.3
Maximum Capital Lease Obligations As Offset Against Industrial Bonds	$ 150.0

Debt (Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2006
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 3,110,853,000	$ 2,312,629,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net	22,218,000	15,081,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			$ 850,000,000.0
Long-term debt	3,088,635,000	2,297,548,000
Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	299,945,000	299,671,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 300,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.625%
Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 399,805,000	399,737,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.45%
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 399,025,000	398,803,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.00%
Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 398,986,000	398,835,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2023
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.70%
Senior Notes Due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 399,985,000	0
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net	8,800,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2026
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%
Subordinated Debentures Due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 400,000,000	400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2042
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.20%
Subordinated Debentures Due 2056 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 400,000,000	0
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2056
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.75%
Junior Subordinated Debentures Due 2065 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 318,737,000	318,734,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2065
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 94,370,000	$ 96,849,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 100,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2039
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.09%

Debt Debt (Repayments of Debt) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	$ 302,582
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	2,690
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	402,802
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	2,919
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	403,040
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	$ 2,000,140

Debt Debt (Schedule of Line of Credit Facilities) (Details) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 741,600,000.0
Syndicated Credit Facility $850 Million [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Sep. 30, 2019
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 850,000,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 96,095,000	$ 313,659,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	Senior unsecured long-term debt rating
Credit Facility 120 Million [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 120,000,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 85,040,000	85,040,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	Fixed
Credit Facility 270 Million [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Nov. 30, 2017
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 270,000,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 270,000,000	270,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	Fixed
Credit Facility Two Thousand Seventeen [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Nov. 30, 2017
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 161,974,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 31,382,000	66,154,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	Fixed
Credit Facility Two Thousand Eighteen [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Dec. 31, 2018
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 72,080,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 72,080,000	36,430,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	Fixed
Credit Facility Two Thousand Nineteen [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Mar. 31, 2019
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 17,513,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 17,513,000	45,422,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	Fixed
Credit Facility 100 Million [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Jun. 30, 2020
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 100,000,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 70,690,000	$ 68,657,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	Fixed

Debt (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Debt (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2006
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net	$ 22,218,000	$ 15,081,000
Undrawn Outstanding Letters Of Credit In Favor Of Third Parties	189,400,000	132,200,000
Undrawn Outstanding Letters Of Credit Between Subsidiaries	1,010,800,000	$ 1,127,400,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 850,000,000.0
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 741,600,000.0
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	5.16%	5.20%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Default, Amount of Non-Payment	$ 100,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	3,110,853,000	$ 2,312,629,000
Long-term debt	3,088,635,000	2,297,548,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	2,919,000
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Amount	7,900,000	10,900,000	$ 12,600,000
Senior Notes Due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net	$ 8,800,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2026
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt and Capital Securities, Net	791,200,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 399,985,000	0
Subordinated Debentures Due 2056 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.75%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2056
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000.0
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 400,000,000	0
Junior Subordinated Debentures Due 2065 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2065
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 318,737,000	318,734,000
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 399,025,000	398,803,000
Subordinated Debentures Due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.20%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2042
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 400,000,000	400,000,000
Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.70%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2023
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 398,986,000	398,835,000
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.09%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2039
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 100,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 94,370,000	96,849,000
Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.45%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 399,805,000	399,737,000
Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.625%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 300,000,000.0
Long-term Debt, Gross	299,945,000	299,671,000
Syndicated Credit Facility $850 Million [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	850,000,000
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 96,095,000	$ 313,659,000

Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes (List of Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Collateralized Financings	$ 840,700	$ 899,161
Debt Issuance Cost	(22,218)	(15,081)
Timerberlake Financial [Member]
Collateralized Financings	451,880	480,451
Reinsurance Group Of America Barbados [Member]
Collateralized Financings	148,820	144,540
Chesterfield Financial Holdings LLC [Member]
Collateralized Financings	246,300	282,300
Debt Issuance Cost	(5,400)
Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Issuance Cost	$ (6,300)	$ (8,130)

Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2006
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 850,000,000.0
Direct investment in subsidiary				$ 112,800,000
Assets Held-in-trust	$ 893,800,000	$ 932,600,000
Amount Held In Debt Service Coverage Account	24,100,000	37,200,000
Collateral Financing Expense	25,827,000	22,644,000	$ 11,441,000
Debt Issuance Cost	22,218,000	15,081,000
RGA Americas [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Issuance Cost	2,400,000
Reinsurance Group Of America Barbados [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Collateral Financing Expense	$ 4,000,000	2,300,000
Timerberlake Financial [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Issuance Date	Jun. 01, 2006
Collateral Financing Expense	$ 4,200,000	3,800,000	4,000,000
RGA Barbados [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Issuance Cost	1,300,000
Chesterfield Financial Holdings LLC [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	300,000,000.0
Assets Held-in-trust	22,100,000	22,400,000
Collateral Financing Expense	13,100,000	$ 14,000,000	$ 600,000
Debt Issuance Cost	$ 5,400,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.50%
Minimum [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	$ 35,000,000

Segment Information (Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 3,069,298	$ 2,900,577	$ 3,039,068	$ 2,512,568	$ 2,828,591	$ 2,438,634	$ 2,630,340	$ 2,520,613	$ 11,521,511	$ 10,418,178	$ 10,904,194
US Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									5,964,968	5,465,026	5,283,268
US Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									840,446	643,865	1,014,143
Americas [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									6,805,414	6,108,891	6,297,411
Canada Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									46,938	45,034	28,350
Canada Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									1,118,004	1,023,012	1,153,515
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									1,164,942	1,068,046	1,181,865
EMEA Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									1,195,149	1,190,742	1,235,049
EMEA Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									340,518	286,666	322,798
EMEA [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									1,535,667	1,477,408	1,557,847
Asia Pacific Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									1,771,150	1,638,357	1,686,436
Asia Pacific Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									63,382	56,581	70,282
Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									1,834,532	1,694,938	1,756,718
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 180,956	$ 68,895	$ 110,353

Segment Information (Reconciliation of Income before Income Taxes from Segments to Consolidated) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	$ 295,543	$ 287,600	$ 353,223	$ 107,580	$ 206,743	$ 140,137	$ 213,790	$ 184,125	$ 1,043,946	$ 744,795	$ 1,008,533
US Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									371,101	235,771	351,645
US Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									283,380	207,963	302,944
Americas [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									654,481	443,734	654,589
Canada Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									134,705	124,175	95,435
Canada Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									7,945	13,902	6,265
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									142,650	138,077	101,700
EMEA Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									30,059	48,410	60,305
EMEA Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									138,007	108,445	101,337
EMEA [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									168,066	156,855	161,642
Asia Pacific Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									113,928	105,654	90,602
Asia Pacific Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									4,063	19,619	11,693
Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									117,991	125,273	102,295
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest									$ (39,242)	$ (119,144)	$ (11,693)

Segment Information (Reconciliation of Interest Expense from Segments to Consolidated) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense	$ 137,623	$ 142,863	$ 96,700
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense	$ 137,623	$ 142,863	$ 96,700

Segment Information (Reconciliation of Depreciation and Amortization from Segment to Consolidated) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	$ 557,055	$ 395,996	$ 1,151,088
US Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	271,732	218,974	558,404
US Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	155,560	44,275	232,348
Americas [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	427,292	263,249	790,752
Canada Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	22,170	23,887	204,229
Canada Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	11	0	0
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	22,181	23,887	204,229
EMEA Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	46,562	60,193	57,291
EMEA Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	72	0	0
EMEA [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	46,634	60,193	57,291
Asia Pacific Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	45,562	31,955	94,763
Asia Pacific Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	1,492	217	409
Asia Pacific [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	47,054	32,172	95,172
Corporate Segment [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	$ 13,894	$ 16,495	$ 3,644

Segment Information (Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 53,097,879	$ 50,383,152
US Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	18,140,825	16,554,509
US Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	13,712,106	13,405,878
Americas [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	31,852,931	29,960,387
Canada Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	3,846,682	3,604,344
Canada Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	85,405	27,543
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	3,932,087	3,631,887
EMEA Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	2,559,124	2,757,593
EMEA Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	3,876,131	4,162,703
EMEA [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	6,435,255	6,920,296
Asia Pacific Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	3,968,081	3,227,530
Asia Pacific Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	676,281	742,528
Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	4,644,362	3,970,058
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 6,233,244	$ 5,900,524

Short-Duration Contracts (Claims Development) (Details) - Life Insurance Product Line [Member] - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

$ 1,522,168

Asia Pacific [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

832,156

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

1,376,016

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net, Not Separately Presented

^[1]

171,608

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

715,468

Americas [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

1,426,793

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

1,993,793

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net, Not Separately Presented

^[1]

239,700

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

806,700

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2012 [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

249,043

$ 228,016

$ 189,503

$ 138,375

$ 50,433

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

300,903

293,097

289,707

285,302

212,571

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

15,050

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2012 [Member] | Americas [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

258,297

252,018

243,890

222,139

109,323

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

299,098

298,262

297,037

309,119

$ 322,579

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2013 [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

241,245

214,070

147,500

50,928

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

307,961

310,631

320,189

299,373

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

27,764

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2013 [Member] | Americas [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

285,817

277,130

248,828

114,457

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

336,552

338,977

332,907

$ 349,262

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

1,263

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2014 [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

181,441

138,728

35,298

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

271,418

307,111

283,298

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

43,893

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2014 [Member] | Americas [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

337,081

304,578

128,813

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

396,383

411,373

$ 407,953

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

4,284

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2015 [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

121,254

50,066

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

262,946

284,773

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

82,199

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2015 [Member] | Americas [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

360,658

146,196

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

460,917

$ 459,524

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

26,531

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2016 [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

39,173

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

232,788

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

139,345

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Accident Year 2016 [Member] | Americas [Member]

Claims Development [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

184,940

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

^[1]

500,843

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Incurred but Not Reported (IBNR) Claims Liability, Net

$ 220,381

[1]	2012-2015 Unaudited.

Short-Duration Contracts (Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability) (Details)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2016

USD ($)

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Discounted Liabilities, Aggregate Discount

$ (121,424)

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expense, Other Reconciling Item

1,987,188

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expense, Aggregate Reconciling Items

21,857,411

Liability for Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense

23,844,599

Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expense, Other Reconciling Item

155,520

EMEA [Member]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expense, Other Reconciling Item

312,947

Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expense, Other Reconciling Item

117,977

Life Insurance Product Line [Member]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

1,522,168

Reinsurance Recoverable for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustments

20,009

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Accumulated Unallocated Claim Adjustment Expense

(141,433)

Life Insurance Product Line [Member] | Americas [Member]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

806,700

^[1]

Life Insurance Product Line [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability [Line Items]

Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Liability for Unpaid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expense, Net

$ 715,468

^[1]

[1]	2012-2015 Unaudited.

Short-Duration Contracts Short-Duration Contracts (Schedule of Historical Claims Duration) (Details) - Life Insurance Product Line [Member]	Dec. 31, 2016
Americas [Member]
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration [Line Items]
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year One	34.30%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Two	42.10%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Three	8.00%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Four	2.60%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Five	2.10%
Asia Pacific [Member]
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration [Line Items]
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year One	16.40%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Two	31.40%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Three	18.10%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Four	10.80%
Short-duration Insurance Contracts, Historical Claims Duration, Year Five	7.00%

Earnings Per Share (Schedule of Earnings Per Share Basic and Diluted) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	$ 190,149	$ 198,719	$ 236,103	$ 76,472	$ 163,127	$ 83,534	$ 130,391	$ 125,114	$ 701,443	$ 502,166	$ 684,047
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted [Abstract]
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic									64,274	66,553	69,248
Equivalent shares from outstanding stock options									715	739	714
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted									64,989	67,292	69,962
Earnings per share
Earnings Per Share, Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.96	$ 3.10	$ 3.68	$ 1.18	$ 2.49	$ 1.26	$ 1.97	$ 1.84	$ 10.91	$ 7.55	$ 9.88
Earnings Per Share, Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.92	$ 3.07	$ 3.64	$ 1.17	$ 2.46	$ 1.25	$ 1.94	$ 1.81	$ 10.79	$ 7.46	$ 9.78

Earnings Per Share Earnings Per Share (Narrative) (Details) - shares shares in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Stock Options [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	0.0	0.3	0.0
Contingently Issuable Shares [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	0.4	0.4	0.5

Equity Equity (Common Stock Changes in Number of Shares Issued, Held in Treasury and Oustanding) (Details) - shares

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Common Stock, Shares, Issued

79,137,758

Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired

1,356,892

4,145,440

2,530,608

Common Stock Issuable [Member]

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Common Stock, Shares, Issued

79,137,758

Stock Based Compensation Shares

^[1]

Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired

Common Stock Held In Treasury [Member]

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Common Stock, Shares, Issued

14,835,256

13,933,232

10,364,797

8,369,540

Stock Based Compensation Shares

^[1]

(454,868)

(577,005)

(535,351)

Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired

1,356,892

4,145,440

2,530,608

Common Stock Outstanding [Member]

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Common Stock, Shares, Issued

64,302,502

65,204,526

68,772,961

70,768,218

Stock Based Compensation Shares

^[1]

454,868

577,005

535,351

Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired

(1,356,892)

(4,145,440)

(2,530,608)

[1]	Represents net shares issued from treasury pursuant to the Company’s stock-based compensation programs.

Equity (Components of Other Comprehensive Income) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Gain (Loss), before Reclassification and Tax

$ 39,925

$ (342,539)

$ (154,132)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, Tax

(24,663)

17,129

(4,835)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, Net of Tax

15,262

(325,410)

(158,967)

Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Foreign Currency Swap, Before Reclassification and Tax

(10,234)

96,019

51,894

Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Foreign Currency Swap Tax

3,582

(33,607)

(18,163)

Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Foreign Currency Swap Net Of Tax

(6,652)

62,412

33,731

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, before Tax

29,691

(246,520)

(102,238)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Tax

(21,081)

(16,478)

(22,998)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax

8,610

(262,998)

(125,236)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, before Tax

^[1]

641,606

(1,084,732)

1,177,017

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, Tax

^[1]

(180,448)

359,407

(357,024)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, Net of Tax

^[1]

461,158

(725,325)

819,993

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Transfers from Held-to-maturity to Available-for-Sale Securities, before Tax

^[1]

65,798

(55,767)

26,405

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Transfers from Held-to-maturity to Available-for-Sale Securities, Tax

^[1]

(23,029)

19,518

(9,242)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Transfers from Held-to-maturity to Available-for-Sale Securities, Net of Tax

^[1]

42,769

(36,249)

17,163

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Available-for-sale Securities Adjustment, before Reclassification Adjustments and Tax

^[1]

575,808

(1,028,965)

1,150,612

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Available-for-sale Securities, before Reclassification Adjustments, Tax

^[1]

(157,419)

339,889

(347,782)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Available-for-sale Securities Adjustment, Net of Tax

^[1]

418,389

(689,076)

802,830

Other than Temporary Impairment Loss, Investments, Portion in Other Comprehensive Loss, before Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent, Available-for-sale Securities

1,457

(2,612)

Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion in Other Comprehensive Loss, Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent, Available-for-sale Securities

(510)

(914)

Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion in Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent, Available-for-sale Securities

947

1,698

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), before Tax

444

337

485

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), Tax

(149)

(107)

(159)

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), Net of Tax

295

230

326

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), before Tax

4,427

4,618

(43,025)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), Tax

(1,623)

(1,619)

14,929

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), Net of Tax

2,804

2,999

(28,096)

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, before Tax

4,871

4,955

(42,540)

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Tax

(1,772)

(1,726)

14,770

Defined benefit pension and postretirement plan adjustments

3,099

3,229

(27,770)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax

611,827

(1,270,530)

1,008,446

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax

(180,782)

321,685

(356,924)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax

$ 431,045

$ (948,845)

$ 651,522

[1]	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

Equity (Components of Net Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation of Balances Carried at Fair Value) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax [Line Items]

Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

$ 32,093,625

$ 29,642,905

Other invested assets

1,591,940

1,298,120

Deferred policy acquisition costs

3,338,605

3,392,437

$ 3,342,575

$ 3,517,796

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Change In Component During Period

577,265

(1,028,965)

1,153,224

Change In Net Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation [Member]

Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax [Line Items]

Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

561,906

(1,055,458)

1,171,996

Other invested assets

^[1]

18,900

8,983

(14,292)

Effect On Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation [Member]

Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax [Line Items]

Deferred policy acquisition costs

$ (3,541)

$ 17,510

$ (4,480)

[1]	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

Equity (Balance of and Changes in Each Component of AOCI) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]

Balance, beginning of year

$ 708,284

$ 1,657,129

$ 1,005,607

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax

675,627

(1,349,528)

1,037,395

Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax

(63,800)

78,998

(28,949)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax

(180,782)

321,685

(356,924)

Balance, end of year

1,139,329

708,284

1,657,129

Accumulated Translation Adjustment [Member]

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]

Balance, beginning of year

(181,151)

81,847

207,083

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax

29,691

(246,520)

(102,238)

Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax

(21,081)

(16,478)

(22,998)

Balance, end of year

(172,541)

(181,151)

81,847

Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss) [Member]

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]

Balance, beginning of year

^[1]

935,697

1,624,773

820,245

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax

^[1]

646,887

(1,101,760)

1,185,321

Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax

^[1]

69,622

(72,795)

32,097

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax

^[1]

(157,929)

339,889

(348,696)

Balance, end of year

^[1]

1,355,033

935,697

1,624,773

Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment [Member]

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]

Balance, beginning of year

(46,262)

(49,491)

(21,721)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax

(951)

(1,248)

(45,688)

Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax

(5,822)

(6,203)

(3,148)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax

(1,772)

(1,726)

14,770

Balance, end of year

$ (43,163)

$ (46,262)

$ (49,491)

[1]	Includes cash flow hedges of $(2,496), $(29,397) and $(31,591) as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. See Note 5 for additional information on cash flow hedges.

Equity Equity (Balance of and Changes in Each Component of AOCI) (Footnote) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Cumulative Changes in Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges, Effect Net of Tax	$ (2,496)	$ (29,397)	$ (31,591)	$ (4,578)

Equity (Schedule of Reclassifications out of AOCI) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Sep. 30, 2016

Jun. 30, 2016

Mar. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Sep. 30, 2015

Jun. 30, 2015

Mar. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]

Other investment related gains (losses), net

$ 132,926

$ (107,370)

$ 193,959

Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion in Other Comprehensive Loss, before Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Available-for-sale Securities

(74)

Investment income, net of related expenses

1,911,886

1,734,495

1,713,691

Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense, Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)

3,541

(17,510)

4,480

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), before Tax

(444)

(337)

(485)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), before Tax

(4,427)

(4,618)

43,025

Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest

$ 295,543

$ 287,600

$ 353,223

$ 107,580

$ 206,743

$ 140,137

$ 213,790

$ 184,125

1,043,946

744,795

1,008,533

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

(342,503)

(242,629)

(324,486)

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

$ 190,149

$ 198,719

$ 236,103

$ 76,472

$ 163,127

$ 83,534

$ 130,391

$ 125,114

701,443

502,166

$ 684,047

Amortization Of Unrealized Pension And Postretirement Benefits [Member]

Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]

Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Amortization Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Prior Service Cost (Credit), before Tax

^[1]

328

309

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, for Net Gain (Loss), before Tax

^[1]

(6,150)

(5,894)

Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest

(5,822)

(6,203)

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

2,038

2,171

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

(3,784)

(4,032)

Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation Of Investments [Member]

Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]

Other investment related gains (losses), net

65,798

(55,767)

Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion in Other Comprehensive Loss, before Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Available-for-sale Securities

Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense, Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)

^[2]

3,541

(17,510)

Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest

69,622

(72,795)

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

(17,672)

28,109

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

51,950

(44,686)

Amounts Reclassified From AOCI [Member]

Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

48,166

(48,718)

Currency Swap [Member] | Unrealized Gains Losses On Available For Sale Securities [Member] | Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation Of Investments [Member]

Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]

Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net

^[3]

510

569

Forward Contracts [Member] | Unrealized Gains Losses On Available For Sale Securities [Member] | Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation Of Investments [Member]

Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]

Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net

^[3]

$ (301)

$ (87)

[1]	See Note 10 for information on employee benefit plans.
[2]	See Note 8 for information on deferred policy acquisition costs.
[3]	See Note 5 for information on cash flow hedges.

Equity (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Equity (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jan. 21, 2016
Equity [Abstract]
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount	$ 400,000	$ 450,000	$ 300,000	$ 400,000
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	1,356,892	4,145,440	2,530,608
Treasury Stock Value Acquired Cost Method Repurchase Agreement	$ 116,500	$ 375,300	$ 197,700
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Cost Method	$ 122,916	$ 384,519	$ 201,525

Equity Based Compensation (Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 93.53	$ 91.65	$ 78.48
Options, Outstanding, Intrinsic Value	$ 147.0
Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value	$ 123.5
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, Number, Beginning Balance	2,825,440,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	329,345,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	(577,071,000)
Forfeited	(4,491,000)
Outstanding, Number, Ending Balance	2,573,223,000	2,825,440,000
Options exercisable	1,888,577,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price, Beginning of Period	$ 62.82
Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	93.53
Exercised / Lapsed	54.06
Forfeited	71.21
Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price, End of Period	68.70	$ 62.82
Options exercisable	$ 60.43

Equity Based Compensation (Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans by Exercise Price Range) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares shares
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	2,573,223,000
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	6 years
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 68.70
Options Exercisable \| shares	1,888,577,000
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$ 60.43
$0.00 - $49.99 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	307,889,000
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	2 years 6 months
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 40.35
Options Exercisable \| shares	307,889,000
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$ 40.35
Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit	25.00
Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit	$ 44.99
$50.00 - $59.99 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	1,224,805,000
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	4 years 11 months
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 58.11
Options Exercisable \| shares	1,224,805,000
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$ 58.11
$60.00 - $69.99 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	839,000
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	6 years
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 60.24
Options Exercisable \| shares	839,000
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$ 60.24
Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit	45.00
Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit	$ 54.99
$70.00 - $79.99 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	211,708,000
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	7 years
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 78.48
Options Exercisable \| shares	154,393,000
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$ 78.48
Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit	$ 55.00
$90.00 plus [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	827,982,000
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	8 years 8 months
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 92.41
Options Exercisable \| shares	200,651,000
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$ 91.48

Equity Based Compensation (Weighted Average Assumptions) (Details) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate	1.58%	1.47%	1.53%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate	1.69%	2.04%	2.27%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate	28.10%	35.00%	35.70%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term	7 years	7 years	7 years
Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 93.53	$ 91.65	$ 78.48
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$ 24.52	$ 30.05	$ 26.76

Equity Based Compensation (Summary of Performance Contingent Unit Activity) (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Performance Shares [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding, Number, Beginning Balance	631,322
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	206,550
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	94,436	192,725
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures in Period	157,465
Outstanding, Number, Ending Balance	585,971	631,322
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding, Number, Beginning Balance	70,887
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	28,995
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures in Period	3,254
Outstanding, Number, Ending Balance	96,628	70,887

Equity Based Compensation (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options, Exercises in Period, Total Intrinsic Value	$ 41.4	$ 26.2	$ 17.0
Performance Contingent Unit Share Payout	0.40	0.820
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	1 year 7 months
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	$ 29.7
Performance Contingent Units Measurement Period	3 years
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$ 33.1	$ 16.0	$ 24.4
Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 93.53	$ 91.65	$ 78.48
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	577,071,000
Expiration Period	10 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	329,345,000
Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 93.53
Flexible Stock Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number Of Shares Available For Grant	13,360,077
Flexible Stock Plan For Directors [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number Of Shares Available For Grant	212,500
Performance Shares [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	94,436	192,725
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	206,550
Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 93.53
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	28,995
Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting Period	1 year
Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting Period	5 years

Quarterly Results of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 3,069,298	$ 2,900,577	$ 3,039,068	$ 2,512,568	$ 2,828,591	$ 2,438,634	$ 2,630,340	$ 2,520,613	$ 11,521,511	$ 10,418,178	$ 10,904,194
Total benefits and expenses	2,773,755	2,612,977	2,685,845	2,404,988	2,621,848	2,298,497	2,416,550	2,336,488	10,477,565	9,673,383	9,895,661
Income before income taxes	295,543	287,600	353,223	107,580	206,743	140,137	213,790	184,125	1,043,946	744,795	1,008,533
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	$ 190,149	$ 198,719	$ 236,103	$ 76,472	$ 163,127	$ 83,534	$ 130,391	$ 125,114	$ 701,443	$ 502,166	$ 684,047
Basic earnings per share:
Earnings Per Share, Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.96	$ 3.10	$ 3.68	$ 1.18	$ 2.49	$ 1.26	$ 1.97	$ 1.84	$ 10.91	$ 7.55	$ 9.88
Earnings Per Share, Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.92	$ 3.07	$ 3.64	$ 1.17	$ 2.46	$ 1.25	$ 1.94	$ 1.81	$ 10.79	$ 7.46	$ 9.78

Subsequent Events (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jan. 26, 2017	Jan. 04, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 21, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Other invested assets			$ 1,591,940		$ 1,298,120
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount			$ 400,000	$ 400,000	$ 450,000	$ 300,000
Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Other invested assets		$ 53,100
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount	$ 400,000

Summary of Investments Other Than Investments in Related Parties (Details)
$ in Millions

Dec. 31, 2016

USD ($)

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

$ 42,970

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

44,841

^[1]

Fixed Maturities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

30,212

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

32,094

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

32,094

^[1]

US Treasury and Government [Member] | Fixed Maturities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

1,519

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

1,468

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

1,468

^[1]

US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

567

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

592

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

592

^[1]

Foreign Government Debt [Member] | Fixed Maturities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

5,157

^[2]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

6,343

^[2]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

6,343

^[1],[2]

Public Utility, Bonds [Member] | Fixed Maturities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

1,971

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

2,091

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

2,091

^[1]

Asset-backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

4,044

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

4,072

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

4,072

^[1]

All Other Corporate Bonds [Member] | Fixed Maturities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

16,954

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

17,528

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

17,528

^[1]

Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

^[1]

Other Equity Securities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

230

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

224

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

224

^[1]

Equity Securities [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

286

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value

275

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

275

^[1]

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

3,776

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

3,776

^[1]

Policy Loans [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

1,428

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

1,428

^[1]

Funds Withheld At Interest [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

5,876

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

5,876

^[1]

Short-term Investments [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

^[1]

Other Invested Assets [Member]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost

1,315

Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount

$ 1,315

^[1]

[1]	Fixed maturity securities are classified as available-for-sale and carried at fair value.
[2]	Includes fixed maturities directly issued by foreign governments, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises.

Condensed Financial Information of The Registrant (Details) - USD ($)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Sep. 30, 2016

Jun. 30, 2016

Mar. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Sep. 30, 2015

Jun. 30, 2015

Mar. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2006

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 3,110,853,000

$ 2,312,629,000

Debt Issuance Cost

(22,218,000)

(15,081,000)

Long-term debt

3,088,635,000

2,297,548,000

Assets

Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

32,093,625,000

29,642,905,000

Short-term investments

76,710,000

558,284,000

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 1,200,718,000

$ 1,525,275,000

$ 1,645,669,000

$ 1,525,275,000

$ 1,645,669,000

$ 923,647,000

1,200,718,000

1,525,275,000

$ 1,645,669,000

$ 923,647,000

Other assets

755,338,000

712,366,000

Total assets

53,097,879,000

50,383,152,000

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Other liabilities

1,041,880,000

1,165,071,000

Total stockholders equity

7,093,082,000

6,135,381,000

7,023,452,000

5,935,527,000

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

53,097,879,000

50,383,152,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

Total investment related gains (losses), net

94,195,000

(164,750,000)

186,193,000

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

342,503,000

242,629,000

324,486,000

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

190,149,000

$ 198,719,000

$ 236,103,000

76,472,000

163,127,000

$ 83,534,000

$ 130,391,000

125,114,000

701,443,000

502,166,000

684,047,000

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax

431,045,000

(948,845,000)

651,522,000

Total comprehensive income (loss)

1,132,488,000

(446,679,000)

1,335,569,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 850,000,000.0

Cash flows from operating activities

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

190,149,000

$ 198,719,000

$ 236,103,000

76,472,000

163,127,000

$ 83,534,000

$ 130,391,000

125,114,000

701,443,000

502,166,000

684,047,000

Other, net

117,949,000

(49,564,000)

140,119,000

Net cash provided by operating activities

1,465,718,000

2,088,615,000

2,336,155,000

Cash flows from investing activities

Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

4,584,828,000

5,461,687,000

4,309,985,000

Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

88,840,000

21,322,000

63,785,000

Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired

(145,235,000)

Payments for (Proceeds from) Short-term Investments

465,628,000

(470,002,000)

38,060,000

Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities

(97,790,000)

91,960,000

(2,573,000)

Net cash used in investing activities

(2,825,726,000)

(1,431,741,000)

(1,310,945,000)

Cash flows from financing activities

Dividends to stockholders

(100,371,000)

(93,381,000)

(87,256,000)

Purchases of treasury stock

(122,916,000)

(384,519,000)

(201,525,000)

Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement cash flow

162,000

2,963,000

(3,011,000)

Exercise of stock options, net

15,321,000

11,151,000

9,246,000

Proceeds from affiliated long-term debt issuance

(799,984,000)

(100,000,000)

Payments Of Debt Issuance Costs

(8,766,000)

(4,748,000)

(4,260,000)

Net cash used in financing activities

1,055,389,000

(708,282,000)

(255,559,000)

Change in cash and cash equivalents

(324,557,000)

(120,394,000)

722,022,000

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

1,525,275,000

1,645,669,000

1,525,275,000

1,645,669,000

923,647,000

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

1,200,718,000

1,525,275,000

1,200,718,000

1,525,275,000

1,645,669,000

Supplementary information:

Interest paid

156,727,000

148,124,000

136,499,000

Income taxes paid, net of refunds

61,085,000

41,577,000

70,342,000

Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

3,096,413,000

2,295,709,000

Debt Issuance Cost

(23,164,000)

(16,046,000)

Long-term debt

^[1]

3,073,249,000

2,279,663,000

Assets

Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

1,154,559,000

426,218,000

Short-term investments

245,478,000

254,398,000

Cash and cash equivalents

43,718,000

39,452,000

48,819,000

39,452,000

48,819,000

24,137,000

43,718,000

39,452,000

$ 48,819,000

$ 24,137,000

Investments In Subsidiary

9,209,700,000

8,110,687,000

Loans and Leases Receivable, Related Parties

1,050,000,000

1,070,000,000

Other assets

258,379,000

309,340,000

Total assets

11,961,834,000

10,210,095,000

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Long-term debt - affiliated

^[2]

500,000,000

Other liabilities

1,295,503,000

1,295,051,000

Total stockholders equity

7,093,082,000

6,135,381,000

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

11,961,834,000

10,210,095,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

Interest and Dividend Income, Operating

^[3]

602,830,000

321,645,000

521,623,000

Total investment related gains (losses), net

203,000

(324,000)

4,936,000

Operating Expenses

(20,742,000)

(13,652,000)

(10,751,000)

Interest and Debt Expense

(168,924,000)

(176,364,000)

(131,852,000)

Income (loss) before income tax and undistributed earnings of subsidiaries

413,367,000

131,305,000

383,956,000

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

(23,911,000)

(19,465,000)

(22,008,000)

Net income (loss) before undistributed earnings of subsidiaries

437,278,000

150,770,000

405,964,000

Equity In Undistributed Earnings Of Subsidiaries

264,165,000

351,396,000

278,083,000

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

701,443,000

502,166,000

684,047,000

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax

5,531,000

44,073,000

36,876,000

Total comprehensive income (loss)

706,974,000

546,239,000

720,923,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Proceeds from Dividends Received

196,445,000

423,323,000

175,000,000

Long-term Debt

500,000,000

Cash flows from operating activities

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent

701,443,000

502,166,000

684,047,000

Equity Net Earnings Subsidiaries

(264,165,000)

(351,396,000)

(278,083,000)

Other, net

(63,795,000)

486,159,000

(171,299,000)

Net cash provided by operating activities

373,483,000

636,929,000

234,665,000

Cash flows from investing activities

Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

228,383,000

100,734,000

132,732,000

Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale

(984,397,000)

(52,698,000)

(105,535,000)

Purchases Of Subsidiary Debt Securities

20,000,000

(10,000,000)

41,751,000

Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired

(3,701,000)

Payments for (Proceeds from) Short-term Investments

102,508,000

(102,508,000)

96,967,000

Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities

(109,914,000)

(7,542,000)

126,397,000

Capital Contributions To Subsidiaries

(314,142,000)

(103,832,000)

(222,760,000)

Net cash used in investing activities

(1,057,562,000)

(179,547,000)

69,552,000

Cash flows from financing activities

Dividends to stockholders

(100,371,000)

(93,381,000)

(87,256,000)

Purchases of treasury stock

(122,916,000)

(384,519,000)

(201,525,000)

Exercise of stock options, net

15,321,000

11,151,000

9,246,000

Net Change In Cash Collateral For Loaned Securities

105,093,000

Proceeds from affiliated long-term debt issuance

(799,984,000)

Payments Of Debt Issuance Costs

(8,766,000)

Net cash used in financing activities

688,345,000

(466,749,000)

(279,535,000)

Change in cash and cash equivalents

4,266,000

(9,367,000)

24,682,000

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

$ 39,452,000

$ 48,819,000

39,452,000

48,819,000

24,137,000

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$ 43,718,000

$ 39,452,000

43,718,000

39,452,000

48,819,000

Supplementary information:

Interest paid

169,860,000

165,775,000

161,499,000

Income taxes paid, net of refunds

1,500,000

$ (120,680,000)

$ 87,000

Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

299,945,000

299,671,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 300,000,000.0

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

5.625%

Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 299,945,000

299,671,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Repayments of Long-term Debt

300,000,000

Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

399,805,000

399,737,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 400,000,000

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

6.45%

Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 399,805,000

399,737,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Repayments of Long-term Debt

$ 400,000,000

Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

399,025,000

398,803,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 400,000,000

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

5.00%

Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 399,025,000

398,803,000

Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

398,986,000

398,835,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 400,000,000

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

4.70%

Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 398,986,000

398,835,000

Senior Notes Due 2026 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

399,985,000

Debt Issuance Cost

(8,800,000)

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 400,000,000

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

3.95%

Senior Notes Due 2026 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 399,985,000

Subordinated Debentures Due 2042 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

400,000,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 400,000,000

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

6.20%

Subordinated Debentures Due 2042 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 400,000,000

400,000,000

Subordinated Debentures Due 2056 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

400,000,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

$ 400,000,000.0

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

5.75%

Subordinated Debentures Due 2056 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 400,000,000

Junior Subordinated Debentures Due 2065 [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

318,737,000

318,734,000

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Instrument, Face Amount

400,000,000

Junior Subordinated Debentures Due 2065 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]

Supplemental Condensed Financial Information Of The Registrant [Line Items]

Long-term Debt, Gross

$ 398,667,000

$ 398,663,000

[1]	Long-term debt - unaffiliated consists of the following: 2016 2015$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017 $299,945 $299,671$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019 399,805 399,737$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021 399,025 398,803$400 million 4.70% Senior Notes due 2023 398,986 398,835$400 million 3.95% Senior Notes due 2026 399,985 —$400 million 6.20% Subordinated Debentures due 2042 400,000 400,000$400 million 5.75% Subordinated Debentures due 2056 400,000 —$400 million Variable Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065 398,667 398,663Subtotal 3,096,413 2,295,709Unamortized debt issue costs (23,164) (16,046)Total $3,073,249 $2,279,663Repayments of long-term debt—unaffiliated due over the next five years total $300,000 in 2017, $400,000 in 2019 and $400,000 in 2021.
[2]	Long-term debt—affiliated in 2016 and 2015 and consists of $500,000 of subordinated debt issued to various operating subsidiaries.
[3]	nterest/Dividend income includes $478,602, $196,445 and $423,323 of cash dividends received from consolidated subsidiaries in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Supplementary Insurance Information (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

$ 3,338,605

$ 3,392,437

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

33,610,927

33,276,124

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

4,263,026

4,094,640

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

9,248,871

8,570,741

$ 8,669,854

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

1,911,886

1,734,495

1,713,691

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

8,358,066

7,826,346

7,857,672

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

381,192

229,876

979,365

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

1,738,307

1,617,161

1,058,624

US Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

1,818,211

1,807,407

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

10,990,560

10,593,424

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

1,659,473

1,681,130

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

5,249,571

4,806,706

4,725,505

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

699,833

636,779

552,805

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

4,717,850

4,444,196

4,181,492

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

177,255

131,439

467,067

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

698,762

653,620

283,064

US Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

582,031

691,944

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

13,074,231

12,882,145

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

20,352

16,430

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

24,349

22,177

20,079

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

631,097

566,180

644,285

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

333,107

310,464

402,387

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

133,501

40,416

203,605

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

90,458

85,022

105,207

Canada Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

201,149

197,243

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

2,713,510

2,498,385

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

200,246

160,478

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

928,642

838,894

953,389

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

178,927

182,621

193,610

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

707,428

670,477

784,470

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

10,621

11,299

190,164

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

265,250

217,061

83,446

Canada Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

29,531

26,547

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

4,599

2,829

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

38,701

37,969

21,192

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

2,692

1,436

2,595

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

36,275

29,251

20,116

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

2,718

1,881

1,969

EMEA Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

206,837

236,194

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

913,351

1,104,771

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

740,218

754,573

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

1,140,062

1,121,540

1,157,407

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

50,301

51,370

52,086

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

999,005

979,225

1,013,331

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

33,795

39,164

43,549

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

132,290

123,943

117,864

EMEA Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

3,457,196

3,994,702

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

46,761

35,801

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

180,271

171,830

216,562

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

125,282

73,432

55,043

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

178,014

161,917

204,110

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

24,497

16,304

17,351

Asia Pacific Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

512,123

457,372

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

1,288,642

1,115,987

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

1,563,707

1,420,248

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

1,681,505

1,551,586

1,540,910

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

83,049

80,549

84,489

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

1,345,951

1,208,984

1,208,611

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

24,597

7,373

74,571

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

286,674

316,346

312,652

Asia Pacific Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

18,254

2,277

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

641,614

758,301

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

19,643

14,634

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

5,428

19,474

34,030

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

23,648

18,678

17,972

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

37,976

20,766

42,351

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

1,423

185

409

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

19,920

16,011

15,829

Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]

Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves

502,292

301,862

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable

8,027

8,517

Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue

342

565

780

Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income

117,057

123,450

110,806

Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense

2,460

1,066

804

Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

^[1]

Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense

$ 217,738

$ 186,973

$ 121,242

[1]	During 2015, the Company enhanced its process to track certain DAC components. See Note 8 - “Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Supplemental Schedule of Reinsurance (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums, Life Insurance in Force	$ 1,576,000	$ 1,686,000	$ 78,000
Ceded Premiums, Life Insurance in Force	214,727,000	222,388,000	230,544,000
Assumed Premiums, Life Insurance in Force	3,062,525,000	2,995,079,000	2,943,517,000
Premiums, Net, Life Insurance in Force	$ 2,849,374,000	$ 2,774,377,000	$ 2,713,051,000
Life Insurance in Force Premiums, Percentage Assumed to Net	107.50%	108.00%	108.50%
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 57,562	$ 43,106	$ 19,365
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	858,278	843,673	447,889
Assumed Premiums Earned	10,049,587	9,371,308	9,098,378
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 9,248,871	$ 8,570,741	$ 8,669,854
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	108.70%	109.30%	104.90%
US Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 31,600	$ 29,400	$ 9,600
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	616,000	607,000	287,800
Assumed Premiums Earned	5,834,000	5,384,300	5,003,700
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 5,249,600	$ 4,806,700	$ 4,725,500
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	111.10%	112.00%	105.90%
US Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 1,600	$ 2,900	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	40,200	38,800	39,400
Assumed Premiums Earned	63,000	58,100	59,500
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 24,400	$ 22,200	$ 20,100
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	258.20%	261.70%	296.00%
Canada Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	36,500	42,300	49,600
Assumed Premiums Earned	965,100	881,200	1,002,900
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 928,600	$ 838,900	$ 953,300
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	103.90%	105.00%	105.20%
Canada Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	0	0	0
Assumed Premiums Earned	38,700	38,000	21,300
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 38,700	$ 38,000	$ 21,300
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
EMEA Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 24,100	$ 10,700	$ 9,800
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	30,900	25,500	30,400
Assumed Premiums Earned	1,146,900	1,136,300	1,178,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 1,140,100	$ 1,121,500	$ 1,157,400
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	100.60%	101.30%	101.80%
EMEA Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 300	$ 100	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	84,400	89,100	0
Assumed Premiums Earned	264,400	260,800	216,600
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 180,300	$ 171,800	$ 216,600
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	146.60%	151.80%	100.00%
Asia Pacific Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	50,300	41,000	40,700
Assumed Premiums Earned	1,731,800	1,592,600	1,581,600
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 1,681,500	$ 1,551,600	$ 1,540,900
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	103.00%	102.60%	102.60%
Asia Pacific Non-Traditional Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	0	0	0
Assumed Premiums Earned	5,400	19,500	34,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 5,400	$ 19,500	$ 34,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Direct Premiums Earned	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	0	0	0
Assumed Premiums Earned	300	500	800
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 300	$ 500	$ 800
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets [Member]
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Beginning Balance	$ 127.1	$ 112.0	$ 102.2
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Cost and Expense	11.0	23.7	15.9
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Other Accounts	(4.7)	(8.6)	(6.1)
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	0.0	0.0	0.0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Ending Balance	133.4	127.1	112.0
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate [Member]
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Beginning Balance	6.8	6.5	10.1
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Cost and Expense	0.9	0.3	(0.9)
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Other Accounts	0.0	0.0	0.0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	0.0	0.0	2.7
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Ending Balance	$ 7.7	$ 6.8	$ 6.5

Investments (Securities Pledged as Collateral Related to Repurchase Reverse Repurchase Program) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	$ 73,625
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	499,891	$ 465,889
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	624,032	481,197
Secured Borrowings, Gross, Difference, Amount	50,516	15,308
Obligation to Return Securities Received as Collateral	573,516
Maturity Overnight [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	0
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	1,246	15,186
Obligation to Return Securities Received as Collateral	1,246
Maturity Less than 30 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	0
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	2,951
Obligation to Return Securities Received as Collateral	0
Maturity 30 to 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	4,017
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	3,220	0
Obligation to Return Securities Received as Collateral	7,237
Maturity Greater than 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	69,608
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	495,425	447,752
Obligation to Return Securities Received as Collateral	565,033
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	73,625
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	170,199	150,275
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Overnight [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	0
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Less than 30 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	0
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	2,951
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity 30 to 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	4,017
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	3,220	0
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Greater than 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Securities Loaned, Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement and Assets other than Securities Transferred	69,608
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	166,979	147,324
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	92,546	97,639
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Maturity Overnight [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Maturity Less than 30 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Maturity 30 to 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Maturity Greater than 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	92,546	97,639
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	216,000	199,431
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Overnight [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Less than 30 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity 30 to 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Greater than 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	216,000	199,431
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	19,900	3,358
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Overnight [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Less than 30 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity 30 to 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Maturity Greater than 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	19,900	3,358
Other Debt Obligations [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	1,246	15,186
Other Debt Obligations [Member] \| Maturity Overnight [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	1,246	15,186
Other Debt Obligations [Member] \| Maturity Less than 30 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Other Debt Obligations [Member] \| Maturity 30 to 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	0	0
Other Debt Obligations [Member] \| Maturity Greater than 90 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Financial Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Gross Including Not Subject to Master Netting Arrangement	$ 0	$ 0

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Quantitative Information for Level 3 Inputs) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 167,815	$ 195,557
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	1.00%	1.00%
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	1.00%	1.00%
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	1.00%	1.00%
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 24,488	$ 26,265
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	0.00%	0.00%
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	2.00%	2.00%
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	1.00%	1.00%
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 4,670	$ 4,770
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	0.00%	0.00%
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	1.00%	1.00%
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Market Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	1.00%	1.00%
Funds Withheld At Interest Embedded Derivatives [Member] \| Total Return Swap [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 22,529	$ (76,698)
Funds Withheld At Interest Embedded Derivatives [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Total Return Swap [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Entity Credit Risk	0.00%	0.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	0.00%	0.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Fair Value Inputs Credit Rate	2.00%	2.00%
Funds Withheld At Interest Embedded Derivatives [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Total Return Swap [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Entity Credit Risk	5.00%	5.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	5.00%	5.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	35.00%	35.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	100.00%	100.00%
Fair Value Inputs Credit Rate	4.00%	4.00%
Funds Withheld At Interest Embedded Derivatives [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Total Return Swap [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Entity Credit Risk	1.00%	1.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	3.00%	3.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	8.00%	7.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	2.00%	2.00%
Fair Value Inputs Credit Rate	2.00%	3.00%
Longevity Swap [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 26,958	$ 14,996
Longevity Swap [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Fair Value Inputs Mortality Improvement	(10.00%)	(10.00%)
Longevity Swap [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	100.00%	100.00%
Fair Value Inputs Mortality Improvement	10.00%	10.00%
Longevity Swap [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	2.00%	2.00%
Fair Value Inputs Mortality Improvement	3.00%	3.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Financial and Nonfinancial Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 805,672	$ 878,114
Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs Option Budget Projection	2.00%	2.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	0.00%	0.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs Option Budget Projection	4.00%	4.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	5.00%	5.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	35.00%	35.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	100.00%	100.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs Option Budget Projection	2.00%	3.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	3.00%	3.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	8.00%	7.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	2.00%	2.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Financial and Nonfinancial Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 184,636	$ 192,470
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Entity Credit Risk	0.00%	0.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	0.00%	0.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Entity Credit Risk	5.00%	5.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	7.00%	7.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	25.00%	25.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	100.00%	100.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Entity Credit Risk	1.00%	1.00%
Fair Value Inputs Withdrawal	3.00%	3.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Lapse Rate, Low End	6.00%	8.00%
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	2.00%	2.00%
Mortality Swap [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Financial and Nonfinancial Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 2,462	$ 2,619
Mortality Swap [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	0.00%	0.00%
Mortality Swap [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	100.00%	100.00%
Mortality Swap [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Long-Duration Contracts, Assumptions by Product and Guarantee, Mortality Rate, Low End	1.00%	1.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity Contracts [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate	0.00%	0.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity Contracts [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate	27.00%	27.00%
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity Contracts [Member] \| Weighted Average [Member] \| Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate	14.00%	14.00%

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Balances of Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 32,093,625	$ 29,642,905
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Funds Held Under Reinsurance Agreements Asset Embedded Derivatives	(22,529)	(76,698)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	338,601	406,521
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	44,241	530,773
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	26,958	14,996
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	705,625	587,757
Total	33,186,521	31,106,254
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Guaranteed Interest Contracts Embedded Derivatives	990,308	1,070,584
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure		1,095,409
Total	1,011,851
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,933,479	1,757,449
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Funds Held Under Reinsurance Agreements Asset Embedded Derivatives	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	338,601	406,521
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	8,276	524,946
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	462,482	323,638
Total	2,742,838	3,012,554
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Guaranteed Interest Contracts Embedded Derivatives	0	0
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure		0
Total	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	27,932,189	25,460,690
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Funds Held Under Reinsurance Agreements Asset Embedded Derivatives	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	32,619	5,827
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	243,143	264,119
Total	28,207,951	25,730,636
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Guaranteed Interest Contracts Embedded Derivatives	0	0
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure		22,206
Total	19,081
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	2,227,957	2,424,766
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Funds Held Under Reinsurance Agreements Asset Embedded Derivatives	(22,529)	(76,698)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	3,346	0
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	26,958	14,996
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Total	2,235,732	2,363,064
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Measured On Recurring Basis Guaranteed Interest Contracts Embedded Derivatives	990,308	1,070,584
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure		1,073,203
Total	992,770
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	51,123	87,520
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	38,317	81,809
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	12,806	5,711
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Equity Securities Other Than Non-redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	224,238	38,342
Equity Securities Other Than Non-redeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	224,238	38,342
Equity Securities Other Than Non-redeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Equity Securities Other Than Non-redeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Other [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	11,036	8,170
Other [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	11,036	8,170
Other [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Other [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	93,508	71,882
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	24,374	20,989
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	93,508	71,882
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	24,374	20,989
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		20
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	5,070	6,744
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		20
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	5,070	6,744
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		(292)
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	262
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		(292)
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	262
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure		0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0
Credit Default Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	9,136	2,567
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(5)	5,390
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	9,136	2,567
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(5)	5,390
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Equity Option [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	26,070	40,644
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(7,389)	(6,009)
Equity Option [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Equity Option [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	26,070	40,644
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(7,389)	(6,009)
Equity Option [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Currency Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	100,394	141,357
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(3,231)	(4,908)
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	100,394	141,357
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(3,231)	(4,908)
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Fair Value Option Contractholder Directed Unit Linked Investments [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	190,120	197,547
Fair Value Option Contractholder Directed Unit Linked Investments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	188,891	195,317
Fair Value Option Contractholder Directed Unit Linked Investments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	1,229	2,230
Fair Value Option Contractholder Directed Unit Linked Investments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Mortality Swap [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	2,462	2,619
Mortality Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Mortality Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Mortality Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	2,462	2,619
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	19,619,084	17,708,156
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	310,995	269,039
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	18,035,836	16,212,147
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,272,253	1,226,970
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	3,644,046	3,576,759
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	0	0
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	3,168,081	3,160,683
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	475,965	416,076
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,278,576	1,311,477
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	0	0
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,118,285	980,828
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	160,291	330,649
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,429,344	1,212,676
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	0	0
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,210,064	908,840
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	219,280	303,836
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,363,654	1,483,087
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	0	0
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,342,509	1,414,524
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	21,145	68,563
US Treasury and Government [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,468,302	1,381,659
US Treasury and Government [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,345,755	1,227,858
US Treasury and Government [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	98,059	127,536
US Treasury and Government [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	24,488	26,265
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	591,796	511,014
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	0	0
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	550,130	472,672
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	41,666	38,342
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	2,698,823	2,458,077
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	276,729	260,552
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	2,409,225	2,183,460
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 12,869	$ 14,065