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Cover
- Document and Entity Information
Financial Statements
- CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
- CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS PARENTHETICAL
- CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
- CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
- CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
- CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Notes to Financial Statements
- Organization
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
- Stock Transactions
- Investments
- Derivative Instruments
- Fair Value Disclosures
- Reinsurance
- Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs
- Income Tax
- Employee Benefit Plans
- Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subs
- Commitments and Contingent Liabilities
- Debt and Trust Preferred Securities
- Collateral Finance Facility
- Segment Information
- Equity Based Compensation
- Earnings Per Share
- Comprehensive Income
- Quarterly Financial Information
- Schedule I Summary of Investments
- Schedule II Condensed Financial Information
- Schedule III Supplementary Insurance Information
- Schedule IV Reinsurance
- Schedule V Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
Accounting Policies
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
Notes Tables
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)
- Investments (Tables)
- Derivative Instruments (Tables)
- Fair Value Disclosures (Tables)
- Reinsurance (Tables)
- Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Tables)
- Income Tax (Tables)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)
- Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subs (Tables)
- Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Tables)
- Debt and Trust Preferred Securities (Tables)
- Segment Information (Tables)
- Equity Based Compensation (Tables)
- Earnings Per Share (Tables)
- Comprehensive Income (Tables)
- Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)
- Schedule I Summary of Investments (Tables)
- Schedule II Condensed Financial Information (Tables)
- Schedule III Supplementary Insurance Information (Tables)
- Schedule IV Reinsurance (Tables)
- Schedule V Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Tables)
Notes Details
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Stock Transactions (Details)
- Investments (Details)
- Investments (Details 1)
- Investments (Details 2)
- Investments (Details 3)
- Investments (Details 4)
- Investments (Details 5)
- Investments (Details 6)
- Investments (Details 7)
- Investments (Details 8)
- Investments (Details 9)
- Investments (Details 10)
- Investments (Details 11)
- Investments (Details 12)
- Investments (Details 13)
- Investments (Details 14)
- Investments (Details 15)
- Investments (Details 16)
- Investments (Details 17)
- Investments (Details 18)
- Investments (Details 19)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Investments (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Derivative Instruments (Details)
- Derivative Instruments (Details 1)
- Derivative Instruments (Details 2)
- Derivative Instruments (Details 3)
- Derivative Instruments (Details 4)
- Derivative Instruments (Details 5)
- Derivative Instruments (Details 6)
- Derivative Instruments (Details 7)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Derivative Instruments (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Fair Value Disclosures (Details)
- Fair Value Disclosures (Details 1)
- Fair Value Disclosures (Details 2)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Fair Value Disclosures (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Reinsurance (Details)
- Reinsurance (Details 1)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Reinsurance (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Details)
- Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Details 1)
- Income Tax (Details)
- Income Tax (Details 1)
- Income Tax (Details 2)
- Income Tax (Details 3)
- Income Tax (Details 4)
- Income Tax (Details 5)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Income Tax (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 1)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 2)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 3)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 4)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 5)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 6)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 7)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 8)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 9)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 10)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 11)
- Employee Benefit Plans (Details 12)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Employee Benefit Plans (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subs (Details)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subs (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Details)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Debt and Trust Preferred Securities (Details)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Debt and Trust Preferred Securities (Narrative)
- Collateral Finance Facility (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Segment Information (Details)
- Segment Information (Details 1)
- Segment Information (Details 2)
- Segment Information (Details 3)
- Segment Information (Details 4)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Segment Information (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Equity Based Compensation (Details)
- Equity Based Compensation (Details 1)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Equity Based Compensation (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Earnings Per Share (Details)
Notes to Financial Statements
- Earnings Per Share (Narrative)
Notes Details
- Comprehensive Income (Details)
- Comprehensive Income (Details 1)
- Comprehensive Income (Details 2)
- Quarterly Financial Information (Details)
- Schedule I Summary of Investments (Details)
- Schedule II Condensed Financial Information (Details)
- Schedule III Supplementary Insurance Information (Details)
- Schedule IV Reinsurance (Details)
- Schedule V Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details)
Uncategorized
- Uncategorized Items - rga-20111231.xml
All Reports
Rendering Log

Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Jan. 31, 2011
Document And Entitiy Information [Abstract]
Document type	10-K
Document period end date	Dec. 31, 2011
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			73,374,919
Entity public float		$ 4.5
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2011
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Fixed Maturity Securities [Abstract]
Available-for-sale at fair value (amortized cost of $14,182,880 and $13,345,022 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively)	$ 16,200,950	$ 14,304,597
Mortgage loans on real estate (net of allowances of $11,793 and $6,239 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively)	991,731	885,811
Policy loans	1,260,400	1,228,418
Funds withheld at interest	5,410,424	5,421,952
Short-term investments	88,566	118,387
Other invested assets	1,012,541	707,403
Total investments	24,964,612	22,666,568
Cash and cash equivalents	962,870	463,661
Accrued investment income	144,334	127,874
Premiums receivable and other reinsurance balances	1,059,572	1,037,679
Reinsurance ceded receivables	626,194	769,699
Deferred policy acquisition costs	4,013,984	3,726,443
Other assets	332,466	289,984
Total assets	32,104,032	29,081,908
Liabilities and Stockholders Equity
Future policy benefits	9,903,503	9,274,789
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities	8,394,468	7,774,481
Other policy claims and benefits	2,841,373	2,597,941
Other reinsurance balances	118,219	133,590
Deferred income taxes	1,831,869	1,396,747
Other liabilities	810,775	637,923
Short Term Debt	0	199,985
Long-term debt	1,414,688	1,016,425
Collateral finance facility	652,032	850,039
Company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities of subsidiary trust holding solely junior subordinated debentures of the Company	0	159,421
Total liabilities	25,966,927	24,041,341
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 and 73,363,523 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively)	791	734
Warrants	0	66,912
Additional paid-in-capital	1,727,774	1,478,398
Retained earnings	3,131,934	2,587,403
Treasury stock, at cost; 5,770,024 and 328 shares at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively	(346,449)	(295)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	1,623,055	907,415
Total stockholders equity	6,137,105	5,040,567
Total liabilities and stockholders equity	$ 32,104,032	$ 29,081,908

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS PARENTHETICAL - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Consolidated Balance Sheets Parentheticals [Abstract]
Available for Sale at Fair value - Amortized cost	$ 14,182,880,000	$ 13,345,022,000
Preferred stock par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
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	73,363,523
Common stock shares outstanding	73,368,000	73,363,000
Treasury Shares Held	5,770,024	328
Allowances for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate	$ 11,793,000	$ 6,239,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Revenues:
Net premiums	$ 7,335,687	$ 6,659,680	$ 5,725,161
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,281,197	1,238,660	1,122,462
Investment related gains (losses), net:
Other-than-temporary impairments on fixed maturity securities	(30,873)	(31,920)	(128,834)
Other-than-temporary impairments on fixed maturity securities transferred to (from) accumulated other comprehensive income	(3,924)	(2,045)	(16,045)
Other investment related gains (losses), net	(9,107)	241,905	146,937
Total investment related gains (losses), net	(36,056)	212,030	34,148
Other revenues	248,710	151,360	185,051
Total revenues	8,829,538	8,261,730	7,066,822
Benefits and Expenses:
Claims and other policy benefits	6,224,800	5,547,155	4,819,426
Interest credited	316,394	309,982	323,738
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	919,595	1,079,953	958,326
Other operating expenses	419,340	361,971	294,779
Interest expense	102,638	90,996	69,940
Collateral finance facility expense	12,391	7,856	8,268
Total benefits and expenses	7,995,158	7,397,913	6,474,477
Income before income taxes	834,380	863,817	592,345
Provision for income taxes	(234,760)	(289,415)	(185,259)
Discontinued operations:
Net income	$ 599,620	$ 574,402	$ 407,086
Basic earnings per share:
Income from continuing operations basic earnings per share	$ 8.15	$ 7.85	$ 5.59
Diluted earnings per share:
Income from continuing operations diluted earnings per share	8.09	7.69	5.55
Dividends declared per share	$ 0.60	$ 0.48	$ 0.36

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Comprehensive income
Net income	$ 599,620	$ 574,402	$ 407,086
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments	(35,829)	59,648	191,084
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on securities	769,105	542,911	672,735
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income	(1,236)	4,081	(10,429)
Changes in pension and other postretirement plan adjustments	(16,400)	1,566	(1,468)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	715,640	608,206	851,922
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$ 1,315,260	$ 1,182,608	$ 1,259,008

- Definition

The change in equity [net assets] of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources which are attributable to the reporting entity. It includes all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners, but excludes any and all transactions which are directly or indirectly attributable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent.

+ References

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+ Details

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References

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-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)
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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 5
-Section 03
-Paragraph 19

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+ Details

- Definition

The adjustment out of other comprehensive income for prior service costs recognized as a component of net period benefit cost during the period, after tax.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
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+ Details

- Definition

Change in the balance sheet adjustment that results from the process of translating subsidiary financial statements and foreign equity investments into functional currency of the reporting entity for the period being reported, net of tax. If an entity's functional currency is a foreign currency, translation adjustments result from the process of translating that entity's financial statements into the reporting currency. Includes gain (loss) on foreign currency forward exchange contracts. Includes foreign currency transactions designated as hedges of net investment in a foreign entity and intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements. Includes the gain (loss) on a derivative instrument or nonderivative financial instrument that may give rise to a foreign currency transaction gain (loss) and that have been designated and have qualified as hedging instruments for hedges of the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in a foreign operation.

+ References

+ Details

- Definition

This element represents Other Comprehensive Income or Loss, Net of Tax, for the period. Includes deferred gains or losses on qualifying hedges, unrealized holding gains or losses on available-for-sale securities, minimum pension liability, and cumulative translation adjustment. While for technical reasons this element has no balance attribute, the default assumption is a credit balance consistent with its label.

+ References

+ Details

- Definition

Appreciation or loss in value (before reclassification adjustment) of the total of unsold securities during the period being reported on, net of tax. Reclassification adjustments include: (1) the unrealized holding gain (loss), net of tax, at the date of the transfer for a debt security from the held-to-maturity category transferred into the available-for-sale category. Also includes the unrealized gain (loss) at the date of transfer for a debt security from the available-for-sale category transferred into the held-to-maturity category; (2) the unrealized gains (losses) realized upon the sale of securities, after tax; and (3) the unrealized gains (losses) realized upon the write-down of securities, after tax.

+ References

+ Details

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock Member	Warrants Member	Additional Paid In Capital Member	Retained Earnings Member	Treasury Stock Member	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Member
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2008	$ 2,616,808	$ 734	$ 66,914	$ 1,450,041	$ 1,682,087	$ (34,697)	$ (548,271)
Statement Of Stockholders Equity
Net income	407,086				407,086
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	851,922						851,922
Dividends to stockholders	(26,212)				(26,212)
Stock Issued During Period Value New Issues	0
Stock Issued During Period Value Stock Options Exercised	1		(2)	3
Treasury Stock Value Acquired Cost Method	(1,607)					(1,607)
Stock Issued During Period Value Treasury Stock Reissued	19,929			13,057	(11,854)	18,726
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2009	3,867,927	734	66,912	1,463,101	2,055,549	(17,578)	299,209
Statement Of Stockholders Equity
Net income	574,402				574,402
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	608,206						608,206
Dividends to stockholders	(35,170)				(35,170)
Stock Issued During Period Value Stock Options Exercised	0
Treasury Stock Value Acquired Cost Method	(718)					(718)
Stock Issued During Period Value Treasury Stock Reissued	25,920			15,297	(7,378)	18,001
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2010	5,040,567	734	66,912	1,478,398	2,587,403	(295)	907,415
Statement Of Stockholders Equity
Net income	599,620				599,620
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	715,640						715,640
Dividends to stockholders	(44,229)				(44,229)
Stock Issued During Period Value New Issues	2
Stock Issued During Period Value Stock Options Exercised		55	(66,912)	221,442
Treasury Stock Value Acquired Cost Method	(380,345)					(380,345)
Stock Issued During Period Value Treasury Stock Reissued	51,265			27,934	(10,860)	34,191
Total stockholders equity at Dec. 31, 2011	$ 6,137,105	$ 791	$ 0	$ 1,727,774	$ 3,131,934	$ (346,449)	$ 1,623,055

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

Equity impact of the value of treasury stock (units) reissued during the period, excluding reissuance of shares (units) held in treasury used to satisfy equity-based compensation obligations exercised by the holders of such rights. Upon reissuance of shares (units) from treasury, either the common or preferred stock (unit) reissued is outstanding.

+ References + Details

- Definition

Equity impact of the cost of common and preferred stock that were repurchased during the period. Recorded using the cost method.

+ References + Details

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 599,620	$ 574,402	$ 407,086
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Accrued investment income	(17,426)	(18,363)	(16,652)
Premiums receivable and other reinsurance balances	(83,650)	(111,451)	(72,803)
Deferred policy acquisition costs	(312,329)	4,192	3,357
Reinsurance ceded balances	143,505	(53,219)	18,676
Future policy benefits, other policy claims and benefits, and other reinsurance balances	970,302	1,580,458	907,732
Deferred income taxes	186,228	444,150	(81,195)
Other assets and other liabilities, net	(104,423)	(253,679)	337,707
Amortization of net investment premiums, discounts and other	(172,688)	(144,334)	(134,524)
Investment related gains, net	36,056	(212,030)	(34,148)
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt	(65,565)	0	(38,875)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement	(4,933)	2,255	(2,605)
Other, net	134,835	30,359	70,480
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,309,532	1,842,740	1,364,236
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	3,165,479	3,319,453	2,952,773
Maturities of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	218,696	150,687	66,791
Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	(4,011,985)	(4,854,416)	(4,693,875)
Cash invested in mortgage loans	(209,194)	(132,801)	(84,107)
Cash invested in policy loans	(61,073)	(95,163)	(67,039)
Cash invested in funds withheld at interest	(37,721)	(103,578)	(76,594)
Principal payments on mortgage loans on real estate	92,806	29,422	50,278
Principal payments on policy loans	29,091	3,309	27,188
Change in short-term investments and other invested assets	(91,880)	(37,395)	(114,473)
Net cash used in investing activities	(905,781)	(1,720,482)	(1,939,058)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Dividends to stockholders	(44,229)	(35,170)	(26,212)
Proceeds From Issuance Of Long Term Debt	394,388	0	396,344
Net repayments under credit agreements	0	0	(22,539)
Purchases of treasury stock	(380,345)	(718)	(1,607)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement	4,933	(2,255)	2,605
Exercise of stock options, net	6,449	2,277	6,304
Change in cash collateral for derivative positions	231,180	26,324	(175,776)
Proceeds From Annuities And Investment Certificates	367,771	124,482	272,564
Repayments Of Annuities And Investment Certificates	(142,469)	(308,369)	(216,724)
Proceeds from redemption and remarketing of trust preferred securities	154,588	0	0
Maturity of trust preferred securities	159,473	0	0
Repayments of Secured Debt	130,798	0	0
Maturities of Senior Debt	200,000	0
Early Repayment of Subordinated Debt			39,960
Net cash used in financing activities	101,995	(193,429)	194,999
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(6,537)	22,805	16,447
Change in cash and cash equivalents	499,209	(48,366)	(363,376)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	463,661	512,027	875,403
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	962,870	463,661	512,027
Supplementary information:
Cash paid for interest	100,733	95,939	72,719
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds	$ 129,009	$ 10,452	$ 25,573

Organization

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Organization And Basis Of Presentation [Abstract]

Organization and Basis of Presentation

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated

Notes to consolidated financial statements

For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009

Note 1 ORGANIZATION

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated ("RGA") is an insurance holding company that was formed on December 31, 1992. The consolidated financial statements include the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of RGA, RGA Reinsurance Company ("RGA Reinsurance"), Reinsurance Company of Missouri, Incorporated (“RCM”), RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. ("RGA Barbados"), RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. ("RGA Americas"), RGA Atlantic Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“RGA Atlantic”), RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada ("RGA Canada"), RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia, Limited ("RGA Australia") and RGA International Reinsurance Company ("RGA International") as well as other subsidiaries, which are primarily wholly owned (collectively, the "Company").

The Company is primarily engaged in the reinsurance of individual and group coverages for traditional life and health, longevity, disability income, annuity and critical illness products, 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.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)
-Number 51
-Paragraph 2-6
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Number 46R
-Paragraph 4, 14, 15
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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+ Details

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies

Note 2 SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Consolidation and 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 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, and valuation of investments and investment impairments. 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, which are primarily 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 that would require disclosure or adjustments to the accompanying consolidated financial statements through the date the financial statements were issued other than the cancellation of issued, but undrawn, letters of credit as disclosed in Note 12 – “Commitments and Contingent Liabilities”.

Investments

Fixed Maturity Securities

Fixed maturity securities 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 and 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. Valuation allowances on mortgage loans are established based upon 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 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 on an internal credit quality rating where a property-specific or market-specific risk has not been identified, but for which an incurred loss is probable. These evaluations are based upon several loan portfolio specific factors, including the Company's 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 factors that include the impact of changing macro economic conditions, which may not be currently reflected in the loan portfolio performance, and recent loss and recovery trend experience as compared to historical loss and recovery experience. 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.

The Company's internal risk rating model is used to estimate the probability of mortgage loan default and the likelihood of loss upon default. The rating scale ranges from “high investment grade” to “in or near default” with high investment grade being the highest quality and least likely to default and lose principal. Likewise, a rating of in or near default indicates the lowest quality and the most likely to default or lose principal. All loans are assigned a rating at origination and ratings are updated at least annually. Lower rated loans appear on the Company's watch list and are re-evaluated more frequently. The debt service coverage ratio and the loan to value ratio are the most heavily weighted factors in determining the loan rating. Other factors involved in determining the final rating are loan amortization, tenant rollover, location and market stability, and borrowers' financial condition and experience.

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 equal to the net statutory reserves are withheld and legally owned by the ceding company. Interest accrues to these assets at rates defined by the treaty terms.

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 amortized cost, which approximates fair value.

Other Invested Assets

In addition to derivative contracts discussed below, other invested assets include equity securities and collateral, carried at fair value, and limited partnership interests and structured loans, primarily carried at cost. Changes in fair value of equity securities and preferred stocks are recorded through AOCI.

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 the Company does not expect to recover the amortized cost basis, it does not plan to sell the security and if it is not 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, the recognition of the other-than-temporary impairment is bifurcated. 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 cost of other invested assets is adjusted for impairments in value deemed to be other-than-temporary in the period in which the determination is made. These impairments are included within investment related gains (losses), net and the cost basis of the investment securities is reduced accordingly. The Company does not change the revised cost basis for subsequent recoveries in value. However, the Company adjusts the cost basis for accretion or amortization.

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 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 foreign currency hedge, (4) a net investment hedge in a foreign operation or (5) 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.

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.

Changes in the fair value of free-standing derivative instruments, which do not receive accounting hedge treatment, are reflected in 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 (“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.

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; (iii) a foreign currency hedge; or (iv) 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.

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. 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. 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 the embedded derivatives related to these reinsurance treaties is sensitive to the credit spread environment. The calculation of the change in fair value of these embedded derivatives includes the effect associated with the Company's own credit risk. A decline in the Company's credit ratings would result in a decrease in the embedded derivative liability. 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 financial instruments, based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique, into a three level hierarchy. 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 instrument.

See Note 6 - “Fair Value of Financial Instruments” 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 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 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, 2011 or 2010.

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

Costs of acquiring new business, which vary with and are primarily 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. The Company performs annual tests to establish that Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (“DAC”) remain recoverable at all times, including at issue, and if financial performance significantly deteriorates to the point where a premium deficiency exists, a cumulative charge to current operations will be recorded. As a result of recoverability testing for new business issues, a charge of approximately $7.7 million to current operations was recorded in the Asset-Intensive sub-segment in 2009 with projected revenue deemed insufficient to cover future benefits and expenses. No such adjustments related to DAC recoverability were made in 2010 or 2011.

Deferred costs 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.

Deferred costs related to interest-sensitive life and investment-type policies are amortized over the lives of the policies, in relation to the present value of estimated gross profits expected to be realized from mortality, investment income less interest credited, and expense margins.

Other Reinsurance Balances

The Company assumes and retrocedes financial reinsurance contracts that represent low mortality risk reinsurance treaties. 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.

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, 2011 and 2010 totaled $7.0 million, net. 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 $0.8 million and $1.0 million, including accumulated amortization of $24.6 million and $24.4 million, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The VOBA amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $0.2 million, $12.3 million, and $0.4 million, respectively. The higher VOBA amortization in 2010 is related to acquisition of Reliastar Life Insurance Company's U.S. and Canadian group life, accident and health reinsurance business, which was entirely amortized in 2010. 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 Company's VODA and VOCRA are related to the acquisition of Reliastar Life Insurance Company's U.S. and Canadian group life, accident and health reinsurance business in 2010. 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. Each year the Company reviews VODA and VOCRA to determine the recoverability of these balances. VODA and VOCRA totaled approximately $106.3 million and $117.3 million, including accumulated amortization of $14.3 million and $3.4 million, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The VODA and VOCRA amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 was $10.9 million and $3.4 million, respectively. Amortization of the VODA and VOCRA is estimated to be $10.5 million, $10.1 million, $9.5 million, $9.4 million and $9.0 million during 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Other Assets

In addition to the goodwill, VOBA, VODA and VOCRA, other assets primarily includes unamortized debt issuance costs, corporate-owned life insurance, capitalized software, and other capitalized assets. Capitalized software is stated at cost, less accumulated amortization. Purchased software costs, as well as internal and external costs incurred to develop internal-use computer software during the application development stage, are capitalized. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had unamortized computer software costs of approximately $33.0 million and $14.6 million, respectively. The increase in unamortized software costs in 2011 was primarily related to the development or acquisition of software for internal use in connection with the Company's information technology initiatives. During 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company amortized computer software costs of $4.3 million, $4.0 million, and $3.5 million, respectively. 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.

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.

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. 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 income 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, 2011 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. The liabilities under asset-intensive reinsurance contracts reinsured on a coinsurance basis are included in interest-sensitive contract liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Asset-intensive contracts principally include traditional individual fixed annuities in the accumulation phase, single premium immediate annuities, equity-indexed annuities and individual variable annuity 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 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 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 2.8 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 net income in the period in which they are determined.

Other Liabilities

Other liabilities primarily includes investments in transit, separate accounts, employee benefits, current federal income taxes payable, and payables related to repurchase agreements. At times the Company utilizes sales of investment securities with agreements to repurchase the same securities for purposes of short-term financing. The repurchase obligation is a component of other liabilities. There were no securities subject to these agreements outstanding at December 31, 2011 or 2010.

Income Taxes

RGA and its eligible subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. The U.S. consolidated tax return includes the operations of RGA, RGA Americas, RGA Reinsurance, RGA Barbados, RGA Technology Partners, Inc., RCM, Timberlake Reinsurance Company II (“Timberlake Re”), Reinsurance Partners, Inc., RGA Worldwide Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“RGA Worldwide"), Rockwood Reinsurance Company (“Rockwood Re”) and Parkway Reinsurance Company ("Parkway Re"). The Company's Australian, certain Barbadian, Bermudian, Canadian, South African, Indian, Irish, Singaporean, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom 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.

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 significant deferred tax assets related to net operating and capital losses. Most of the Company's exposure related to its deferred tax assets are within legal entities that file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return. The Company has projected its ability to utilize its net operating losses and has determined that predominately all of these losses are expected to be utilized prior to their expiration. The Company has also done extensive analysis of its capital losses and has determined that sufficient unrealized capital gains exist within its investment portfolios that should offset any capital loss realized. It is also the Company's intention to hold all unrealized loss securities until maturity or until their market value recovers. However, future unforeseen circumstances could create a situation in which the Company would prematurely sell securities in an unrealized loss position.

The Company will establish a valuation allowance when 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 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 accounts for 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 income statement 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 Facility

Collateral finance facility represents notes issued to fund collateral requirements for statutory reserves on specified term life insurance policies reinsured by RGA Reinsurance. The cost of the facility is reflected in collateral finance facility expense. See Note 14 - "Collateral Finance Facility" for additional information.

Company-Obligated Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Securities of Subsidiary Trust Holding Solely Junior Subordinated Debentures of the Company

During December 2001, RGA Capital Trust I (the "Trust"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of RGA, sold Preferred Income Equity Redeemable Securities (“PIERS”) Units. Each unit consisted of a preferred security (“Preferred Securities”) issued by the Trust with a detachable warrant to purchase 1.2508 shares of RGA common stock. The Trust sold 4.5 million PIERS units. The fair value of the Preferred Securities on the date issued, $158.1 million, was recorded in liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets under the caption "Company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities of subsidiary trust holding solely junior subordinated debentures”. The coupon rate of the Preferred Securities was 5.75% on a face amount of $225.0 million. The Preferred Securities were remarketed and matured during 2011. See Note 13 – “Debt and Trust Preferred Securities” for more information.

Warrants

The fair value of the detachable warrants on the date the PIERS units were issued is recorded in stockholders' equity on the consolidated balance sheets under the caption "Warrants”. Approximately 4.4 million of the warrants were exercised in March 2011, at a price of $35.44 per warrant, resulting in the issuance of approximately 5.5 million shares of common stock. Remaining warrants were redeemed in cash at their redemption amount of $14.56 per warrant. See Note 13 – “Debt and Trust Preferred Securities” for more 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 a weighted-average exchange rate 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 subsidiary 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.

Retrocession Arrangements and 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.

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 coverages provided by the Company in addition to individual life, such as group life, disability and health, under certain circumstances, the Company could potentially incur claims totaling more than $8.0 million per individual life.

Retrocessions are arranged through the Company's retrocession pools for amounts in excess of the Company's retention limit. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, 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 given as additional security. 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 RGA Reinsurance, Parkway Re, RGA Barbados, RGA Americas, Rockwood Re, Manor Reinsurance, Ltd. (“Manor Re”), RGA Worldwide or RGA Atlantic.

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had claims recoverable due from retrocessionaires of $151.9 million and $162.4 million, respectively, which is included in reinsurance ceded receivables, in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company considers outstanding claims recoverable in excess of 90 days to be past due. There were $11.4 million and $16.0 million of past due claims recoverable as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Based on the Company's annual financial reviews noted in the paragraph above, the Company has not established a valuation allowance for claims recoverable from retrocessionaires. The Company has never experienced a material default in connection with retrocession arrangements, nor has it experienced any difficulty in collecting claims recoverable from retrocessionaires; however, no assurance can be given as to the future performance of such retrocessionaires or as to recoverability of any such claims.

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 sheet 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.

The following table presents the weighted average interest-crediting rates and minimum guaranteed rate ranges for contracts containing guaranteed rates by major class of interest-sensitive product as of December 31, 2011 and 2010.

	Current weighted-average interest crediting rate		Minimum guaranteed rate ranges
Interest sensitive contract liability	2011	2010	2011	2010
Traditional individual fixed annuities	2.47%	3.79%	0.50 – 4.50%	2.50 – 4.50%
Equity-indexed annuities	4.07%	3.69%	1.00 – 3.00%	1.00 – 3.00%
Individual variable annuity contracts	4.02%	5.12%	1.50 – 5.42%	1.50 – 5.71%
Guaranteed investment contracts	3.79%	3.79%	0.00 – 4.50%	0.00 – 4.50%
Universal life – type policies	4.69%	5.00%	3.00 – 6.00%	3.00 – 6.00%

The spread profits on the Company's fixed annuity and interest-sensitive whole life, universal life (“UL”) and fixed portion of variable universal life (“VUL”) insurance policies are at risk if interest rates decline and remain relatively low for a period of time, which has generally been the case in recent years. Should interest rates remain at current levels that are significantly lower than those existing prior to the declines of recent years, the average earned rate of return on the Company's annuity and UL investment portfolios will continue to decline. Declining portfolio yields may cause the spreads between investment portfolio yields and the interest rate credited to contract holders to deteriorate as the Company's ability to manage spreads can become limited by minimum guaranteed rates on annuity and UL policies. In 2011, minimum guaranteed rates on non-variable annuity and UL policies generally ranged from 0.5% to 6.0%, with an average guaranteed rate of approximately 2.7%. In 2010, minimum guaranteed rates on non-variable annuity and UL policies generally ranged from 1.0% to 6.0%, with an average guaranteed rate of approximately 2.8%.

Interest rate spreads are managed for near term income through a combination of crediting rate actions and portfolio management. Certain annuity products contain crediting rates that reset annually, of which $804.3 million and $860.4 million of account balances are not subject to surrender charges, with 95.0% and 76.1% of these already at their minimum guaranteed rates as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. As such, certain management monitoring processes are designed to minimize the effect of sudden and/or sustained changes in interest rates on fair value, cash flows, and net interest income. The Company manages its exposure to interest rates principally by matching floating rate liabilities with corresponding floating rate assets and by matching fixed rate liabilities with corresponding fixed rate assets. The Company uses equity options or other derivatives to minimize its exposure to movements in equity markets that have a direct correlation with certain of its reinsurance products.

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 the net amount payable/receivable reflected in other reinsurance assets or liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Fees earned on the contracts are reflected as other revenues, rather than premiums, on the consolidated statements of income.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share exclude any dilutive effects of any outstanding options, warrants or units. Diluted earnings per share include the dilutive effects assuming outstanding stock options, warrants or units 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™. 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.

Basis of Presentation, Business Combinations and Consolidation

In December 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Balance Sheet as it relates to the disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. The amendment requires disclosures about the Company's rights of offset and related arrangements associated with its financial instruments and derivative instruments. This amendment also requires the disclosure of both gross and net information about both instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the balance sheet and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Consolidation as it relates to the assessment of a variable interest entity for potential consolidation. The amendment defers the effective date of the Consolidation amendment made in June 2009 for certain variable interest entities. This update also clarifies how a related party's interest should be considered when evaluating variable interests. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after January 31, 2010. The adoption of this amendment did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In June 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Consolidation as it relates to the assessment of a variable interest entity for potential consolidation. This amendment also requires additional disclosures to provide transparent information regarding the involvement in a variable interest entity. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Investments

In April 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Receivables as it relates to a creditor's determination of whether a restructuring is a troubled debt restructuring. This amendment clarifies the guidance related to the creditor's evaluation of whether it has granted a concession and whether the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. It also clarifies that the creditor is precluded from using the effective interest rate test when evaluating whether a restructuring constitutes a troubled debt restructuring. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after June 15, 2011, and is to be applied retrospectively to restructurings occurring on or after the beginning of the annual period of adoption. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In July 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Receivables as it relates to the disclosures about the credit quality of financing receivables and the allowance for credit losses. This amendment requires additional disclosures that provide a greater level of disaggregated information about the credit quality of financing receivables and the allowance for credit losses. It also requires the disclosure of credit quality indicators, past due information, and modifications of financing receivables. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending on or after December 15, 2010, except for disclosures about activity that occurs during the reporting period. Those disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010. The Company adopted this amendment and the required disclosures are provided in Note 2 — “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and in Note 4 — “Investments”.

In April 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Investments as it relates to the recognition and presentation of other-than-temporary impairments. This amendment updates the other-than-temporary impairment guidance for fixed maturity securities to make it more operational and to improve the presentation and disclosure of other-than-temporary impairments (“OTTI”) on fixed maturity and equity securities in the financial statements. This amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment resulted in a net after-tax increase to retained earnings and a decrease to accumulated other comprehensive income of $4.4 million, as of April 1, 2009. The required disclosures are provided in Note 4 — “Investments”.

Transfers and Servicing

In April 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Transfers and Servicing as it relates to the reconsideration of effective control for repurchase agreements. This amendment removes from the assessment of effective control the criterion requiring the transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets and also removes the collateral maintenance implementation guidance related to that criterion. The amendment is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this amendment is not expected to have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In June 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Transfers and Servicing as it relates to the transfers of financial assets. This amendment also requires additional disclosures to address concerns regarding the transparency of transfers of financial assets. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In February 2008, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Transfers and Servicing as it relates to the accounting for transfers of financial assets and repurchase financing transactions. This amendment provides guidance for evaluating whether to account for a transfer of a financial asset and repurchase financing as a single transaction or as two separate transactions. The amendment is effective prospectively for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Derivatives and Hedging

In March 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging as it relates to embedded derivatives. This amendment clarifies the scope exception for embedded credit derivative features related to the transfer of credit risk in the form of subordination of a financial instrument to another. The amendment is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after June 15, 2010. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In March 2008, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging as it relates to the disclosures about derivative instruments and hedging activities. This amendment requires enhanced qualitative disclosures about objectives and strategies for using derivatives, quantitative disclosures about fair value amounts of and gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative agreements. The amendment is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008. The Company adopted this amendment in the first quarter of 2009. The required disclosures are provided in Note 5 — “Derivative Instruments”.

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures

In May 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures as it relates to the measurement and disclosure requirements about fair value measurements. This amendment clarifies the FASB's intent about the application of existing fair value measurement requirements. It also changes particular principles and requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The amendment is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this amendment is not expected to have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements other than the addition of the required disclosures.

In January 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures as it relates to the disclosures about fair value measurements. This amendment requires new disclosures about the transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 measurements and also enhances disclosures about the activity within the Level 3 measurements. It also clarifies the required level of disaggregation and the disclosures regarding valuation techniques and inputs to fair value measurements. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the enhanced Level 3 disclosures. Those disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010. The Company adopted this amendment and the required disclosures are provided in Note 6 — “Fair Value of Financial Instruments”.

In April 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures as it relates to determining fair value when the volume and level of activity for asset or liability have significantly decreased and identifying transactions that are not orderly. This amendment provides additional guidance for estimating fair value when the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability have significantly decreased in relation to normal market activity for the asset or liability and clarifies that the use of multiple valuation techniques may be appropriate. It also provides additional guidance on circumstances that may indicate a transaction is not orderly. Further, it requires additional disclosures about fair value measurements in annual and interim reporting periods. This amendment is effective prospectively for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. The required disclosures are provided in Note 6 — “Fair Value of Financial Instruments”.

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

In October 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Financial Services – Insurance as it relates to accounting for costs associated with acquiring or renewing insurance contracts. This amendment clarifies that only those costs that result directly from and are essential to the contract transaction and that would not have been incurred had the contract transaction not occurred can be capitalized. It also defines acquisitions costs as costs that are related directly to the successful acquisitions of new or renewal insurance contracts. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The retrospective adoption of this amendment on January 1, 2012, will result in a reduction in the Company's deferred acquisition cost asset and a corresponding reduction to equity. There will be a decrease in amortization subsequent to adoption due to the reduced deferred acquisition cost asset. There will also be a reduction in the level of future costs the Company defers; thereby increasing expenses incurred in future periods. The adoption of this amendment is expected to result in a cumulative effect decrease to total stockholders' equity of approximately $320.4 million and a decrease in the deferred policy acquisition costs balance of approximately $472.3 million on January 1, 2012. Additionally, the adoption of this amendment is expected to result in a decrease in income before income taxes of approximately $60.1 million, $59.6 million, and $52.5 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Comprehensive Income

In June 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Comprehensive Income as it relates to the presentation of comprehensive income. This amendment requires entities to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income in either a continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The amendment does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income. In December 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Comprehensive Income as it relates to the presentation of comprehensive income. This amendment defers the requirement to present the effects of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the Company's consolidated statements of income, which was required in the Comprehensive Income amendment made in June 2011. These amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of these amendments are not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements other than the required disclosures

Reclassification

The Company has reclassified the presentation of certain prior period information to conform to the 2011 presentation. Such reclassifications include available-for-sale securities by sector in the Company's investment and fair values disclosures to reflect the movement of supranational and certain foreign government related securities from “Corporate securities” to a revised category titled “Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises”. In addition, cash equivalents have been added to the Company's measurement of fair value on a recurring basis tables and certain mortgage loan disclosures have been revised to present amounts gross of valuation allowances.

Stock Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stock Transactions [Line Items]

Stockholders Equity Note Disclosure

NOTE 3 STOCK TRANSACTIONS

In February 2011, RGA issued 141,405 shares of common stock from treasury and repurchased from recipients 49,669 of its common shares at $59.55 per share in settlement of income tax withholding requirements incurred by recipients of an equity incentive award. Additionally, in February 2011, non-employee directors were granted a total of 14,200 shares of common stock.

In anticipation of the redemption and remarketing of the Company's trust preferred securities discussed in Note 13 – “Debt and Trust Preferred Securities,” the Company purchased 3,000,000 shares of its outstanding common stock from MetLife, Inc. in February 2011, at a price of $61.14 per share, reflecting the most recent closing price of the Company's common stock. The purchased common shares have been placed into treasury to be used for general corporate purposes.

In March 2011, approximately 4,402,078 of outstanding warrants were exercised at a price of $35.44 per warrant, resulting in the issuance of 5,506,088 common shares. See Note 13 – “Debt and Trust Preferred Securities,” for more information on the exercise of these warrants.

In March 2011, RGA entered into an accelerated share repurchase (“ASR”) agreement with a financial counterparty. Under the ASR agreement, RGA purchased 2,500,000 shares of its outstanding common stock at an initial price of $59.76 per share and an aggregate price of approximately $149.4 million. The purchase price was funded from cash on hand. The counterparty completed its purchases during the second quarter of 2011 and as a result, RGA was required to pay $4.3 million to the counterparty for the final settlement which resulted in a final price of $61.47 per share on the repurchased common stock. The common shares repurchased have been placed into treasury to be used for general corporate purposes.

RGA's share repurchase transactions described above are intended to substantially offset share dilution associated with the issuance of 5,506,088 common shares from the exercise of warrants as discussed above.

At the beginning of 2011, RGA had $43.4 million remaining under its January 2002 board of directors approved stock repurchase program. Under this repurchase program, RGA was authorized to purchase its common stock in the open market, pursuant to the terms of a pre-set trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act. During 2011, RGA repurchased 838,362 shares of common stock under this program for $43.1 million at an average price per share of $51.39. RGA has approximately $0.3 million remaining under this repurchase program. The common shares repurchased have been placed into treasury to be used for general corporate purposes.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for shareholders' equity, comprised of portions attributable to the parent entity and noncontrolling interest, if any, including other comprehensive income (as applicable). Including, but not limited to: (1) balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings; (2) accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and total amount of comprehensive income; (3) amount and nature of changes in separate accounts, including the number of shares authorized and outstanding, number of shares issued upon exercise and conversion, and for other comprehensive income, the adjustments for reclassifications to net income; (4) rights and privileges of each class of stock authorized; (5) basis of treasury stock, if other than cost, and amounts paid and accounting treatment for treasury stock purchased significantly in excess of market; (6) dividends paid or payable per share and in the aggregate for each class of stock for each period presented; (7) dividend restrictions and accumulated preferred dividends in arrears (in aggregate and per share amount); (8) retained earnings appropriations or restrictions, such as dividend restrictions; (9) impact of change in accounting principle, initial adoption of new accounting principle and correction of an error in previously issued financial statements; (10) shares held in trust for Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); (11) deferred compensation related to issuance of capital stock; (12) note received for issuance of stock; (13) unamortized discount on shares; (14) description, terms, and number of warrants or rights outstanding; (15) shares under subscription and subscription receivables, effective date of new retained earnings after quasi-reorganization and deficit eliminated by quasi-reorganization and, for a period of at least ten years after the effective date, the point in time from which the new retained dates; and (16) retroactive effective of subsequent change in capital structure.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)
-Number 12
-Paragraph 10
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Article 3

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 4
-Section 08
-Paragraph d

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)
-Number 43
-Chapter 1
-Section B
-Paragraph 7, 11A
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 129
-Paragraph 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Article 4

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 5
-Paragraph 15
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 29, 30, 31
-Article 5

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 4
-Section E

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 4
-Section C

Reference 11: 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=6959260&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 13: 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 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21484-112644

Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21564-112644

Reference 16: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21488-112644

Reference 17: 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),(e))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 18: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 19: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405834&loc=d3e23285-112656

Reference 20: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.E)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6228006&loc=d3e74512-122707

Reference 21: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Preferred Stock
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6521494

Reference 22: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.29-31)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 23: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.C)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6959260&loc=d3e187143-122770

+ Details

Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Investments [Abstract]

Investments

Note 4 INVESTMENTS

The Company had total cash and invested assets of $25.9 billion and $23.1 billion at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, as illustrated below (dollars in thousands):

		2011		2010
Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale		$	16,200,950	$	14,304,597
Mortgage loans on real estate			991,731		885,811
Policy loans			1,260,400		1,228,418
Funds withheld at interest			5,410,424		5,421,952
Short-term investments			88,566		118,387
Other invested assets			1,012,541		707,403
Cash and cash equivalents			962,870		463,661
	Total cash and invested assets	$	25,927,482	$	23,130,229

All investments held by the Company are monitored for conformance with the qualitative and quantitative limits prescribed by the applicable jurisdiction's insurance laws and regulations. In addition, the operating companies' boards of directors periodically review their respective investment portfolios. The Company's investment strategy is to maintain a predominantly investment-grade, fixed maturity securities portfolio, which will provide adequate liquidity for expected reinsurance obligations and maximize total return through prudent asset management. The Company's asset/liability duration matching differs between operating segments. Based on Canadian reserve requirements, the Canadian liabilities are matched with long-duration Canadian assets. The duration of the Canadian portfolio exceeds twenty years. The average duration for all the Company's portfolios, when consolidated, ranges between eight and ten years.

The Company participates in a securities borrowing program whereby securities, which are not reflected on the Company's consolidated balance sheets, are borrowed from a third party. The Company is required to maintain a minimum of 100% of the market value of the borrowed securities as collateral. The Company had borrowed securities with an amortized cost and a market value of $150.0 million as of December 31, 2011. The borrowed securities are used to provide collateral under an affiliated reinsurance transaction. There were no securities borrowed as of December 31, 2010.

Investment Income, Net of Related Expenses

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

	2011		2010		2009
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	757,726	$	715,817	$	609,917
Mortgage loans on real estate		55,931		51,186		46,652
Policy loans		66,621		72,743		68,213
Funds withheld at interest		388,694		385,762		382,351
Short-term investments		2,378		4,968		4,692
Other invested assets		39,939		33,187		28,777
Investment revenue		1,311,289		1,263,663		1,140,602
Investment expense		(30,092)		(25,003)		(18,140)
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	1,281,197	$	1,238,660	$	1,122,462

Investment Related Gains (Losses), Net

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

			2011		2010		2009
Fixed maturity and equity securities available for sale:
	Other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturities		$	(30,873)	$	(31,920)	$	(128,834)
	Portion of loss recognized in accumulated other
		comprehensive income (before taxes)		3,924		2,045		16,045
	Net other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed
		maturity securities recognized in earnings		(26,949)		(29,875)		(112,789)
	Impairment losses on equity securities			(4,116)		(32)		(11,058)
	Gain on investment activity			132,045		100,957		113,872
	Loss on investment activity			(26,996)		(28,730)		(72,987)
Other impairment losses				(10,238)		(5,976)		(8,471)
Derivatives and other, net				(99,802)		175,686		125,581
Net gains (losses)			$	(36,056)	$	212,030	$	34,148

The net other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturity securities recognized in 2011 and 2010 were primarily due to a decline in value of structured securities with exposure to commercial mortgages and corporate bankruptcies. The impairment losses on equity securities of $4.1 million in 2011 are primarily due to the decline in fair value of securities issued by European financial institutions. The impaired equity securities are hybrid securities that contain equity-like features. The much larger other-than-temporary impairments in 2009 were primarily due to the turmoil in the U.S. and global financial markets, which had moderated considerably by the beginning of 2010. The volatility in derivatives and other is primarily due to changes in the fair value of embedded derivative liabilities associated with modified coinsurance and funds withheld treaties and guaranteed minimum benefit riders.

At December 31, 2011 and 2010 the Company owned non-income producing securities with amortized costs of $86.2 million and $45.3 million, and estimated fair values of $79.7 million and $41.2 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. The increase in 2011 was primarily related to discontinued amortization on impaired securities. During 2011, 2010 and 2009 the Company sold fixed maturity securities and equity securities with fair values of $476.6 million, $622.4 million, and $687.8 million, which were below amortized cost, at gross realized losses of $27.0 million, $28.7 million and $73.0 million, respectively. The Company generally does not engage in short-term buying and selling of securities.

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

	2011		2010		2009⁽¹⁾
Balance, beginning of period	$	47,291	$	47,905	$	17,132
Initial impairments - credit loss OTTI recognized on securities not previously impaired		8,349		7,359		7,853
Additional impairments - credit loss OTTI recognized on securities previously impaired		9,059		9,346		22,920
Credit loss impairments previously recognized on securities which were sold during the period		(752)		(17,319)		--
Balance, end of period	$	63,947	$	47,291	$	47,905

(1) Represents nine month period due to adoption of amended general accounting principles on April 1, 2009.

Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities Available-for-Sale

The following tables provide information relating to investments in fixed maturity securities and equity securities by sector as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):

													Other-than-
													temporary
December 31, 2011:			Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized		Estimated		% of		impairments
			Cost		Gains		Losses		Fair Value		Total		in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
	Corporate securities		$	6,931,958	$	654,519	$	125,371	$	7,461,106	46.0	%	$	--
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		2,507,802		1,362,160		29		3,869,933	23.9			--
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			1,167,265		76,393		16,424		1,227,234	7.6			(1,042)
	Asset-backed securities			443,974		11,692		53,675		401,991	2.5			(5,256)
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			1,233,958		87,750		79,489		1,242,219	7.7			(12,225)
	U.S. government and agencies			341,087		32,976		61		374,002	2.3			--
	State and political subdivisions			184,308		24,419		3,341		205,386	1.3			--
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		1,372,528		50,127		3,576		1,419,079	8.7			--
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	14,182,880	$	2,300,036	$	281,966	$	16,200,950	100.0	%	$	(18,523)

Non-redeemable preferred stock			$	82,488	$	4,677	$	8,982	$	78,183	68.6	%
Other equity securities				35,352		1,903		1,538		35,717	31.4
		Total equity securities	$	117,840	$	6,580	$	10,520	$	113,900	100.0	%

													Other-than-
													temporary
December 31, 2010:			Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized		Estimated		% of		impairments
			Cost		Gains		Losses		Fair Value		Total		in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
	Corporate securities		$	6,384,262	$	426,933	$	100,751	$	6,710,444	46.9	%	$	--
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		2,386,428		675,132		3,993		3,057,567	21.4			--
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			1,443,892		55,765		26,580		1,473,077	10.3			(1,650)
	Asset-backed securities			440,752		12,001		61,544		391,209	2.7			(4,963)
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			1,353,279		81,839		97,265		1,337,853	9.4			(10,010)
	U.S. government and agencies			199,129		7,795		708		206,216	1.4			--
	State and political subdivisions			170,479		2,098		8,117		164,460	1.2			--
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		966,801		11,574		14,604		963,771	6.7			--
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	13,345,022	$	1,273,137	$	313,562	$	14,304,597	100.0	%	$	(16,623)

Non-redeemable preferred stock			$	100,718	$	4,130	$	5,298	$	99,550	71.0	%
Other equity securities				34,832		6,100		271		40,661	29.0
		Total equity securities	$	135,550	$	10,230	$	5,569	$	140,211	100.0	%

The tables above exclude fixed maturity securities pledged by the Company as collateral to counterparties with an amortized cost of $29.0 million and $46.9 million, and an estimated fair value of $32.6 million and $48.2 million, as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 respectively, which are included in other invested assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company held securities with a fair value of $1,171.2 million that were issued by the Canadian province of Ontario and $1,107.7 million in one entity that were guaranteed by the Canadian province of Quebec, all of which exceeded 10% of consolidated stockholders' equity. As of December 31, 2010, the Company held securities with a fair value of $959.5 million that were issued by the Canadian province of Ontario and $871.6 million in one entity that were guaranteed by the Canadian province of Quebec, all of which exceeded 10% of consolidated stockholders' equity.

At December 31, 2011 and 2010 the Company held fixed maturity securities that were below investment grade with book values of $811.3 million and $786.9 million, and estimated fair values of $734.9 million and $712.1 million, respectively.

The amortized cost and estimated fair value of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale at December 31, 2011 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.

			Amortized		Fair
			Cost		Value
Available-for-sale:
	Due in one year or less		$	178,548	$	181,033
	Due after one year through five years			2,479,316		2,559,352
	Due after five year through ten years			3,868,653		4,195,878
	Due after ten years			4,811,166		6,393,243
	Asset and mortgage-backed securities			2,845,197		2,871,444
		Total	$	14,182,880	$	16,200,950

Corporate Fixed Maturity Securities

The tables below show the major industry types of the Company's corporate fixed maturity holdings as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):

December 31, 2011:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Finance		$	2,411,175	$	2,442,149	32.7	%
Industrial			3,402,099		3,760,187	50.4
Utility			1,115,384		1,255,090	16.9
Other			3,300		3,680	--
	Total	$	6,931,958	$	7,461,106	100.0	%


December 31, 2010:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Finance		$	2,447,486	$	2,501,158	37.3	%
Industrial			3,065,088		3,281,255	48.9
Utility			868,382		924,304	13.7
Other			3,306		3,727	0.1
	Total	$	6,384,262	$	6,710,444	100.0	%

The creditworthiness of Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, commonly referred to as “Europe's peripheral region” is under ongoing stress and uncertainty due to high debt levels and economic weakness. The Company did not have exposure to sovereign fixed maturity securities, which includes global government agencies, from Europe's periphery region as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. In addition, the Company did not purchase or sell credit protection, through credit default swaps, referenced to sovereign entities of Europe's peripheral region. The tables below show the Company's exposure to sovereign fixed maturity securities originated in countries other than Europe's peripheral region, included above in “Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises,” as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):

December 31, 2011:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Australia		$	437,713	$	446,694	39.1	%
Japan			214,994		219,276	19.2
United Kingdom			118,618		130,106	11.4
Germany			72,926		75,741	6.6
New Zealand			51,547		51,544	4.5
South Africa			37,624		38,528	3.4
South Korea			30,592		32,025	2.8
Other			139,927		148,792	13.0
	Total	$	1,103,941	$	1,142,706	100.0	%


December 31, 2010:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Australia		$	350,178	$	343,716	54.0	%
United Kingdom			84,650		86,126	13.5
South Africa			43,173		43,991	6.9
Germany			30,920		30,602	4.8
Qatar			26,464		27,549	4.3
South Korea			22,812		23,378	3.7
United Arab Emirates			14,545		15,067	2.4
Other			62,930		66,205	10.4
	Total	$	635,672	$	636,634	100.0	%

The tables below show the Company's exposure to non-sovereign fixed maturity securities and equity securities, based on the security's country of issuance, from Europe's peripheral region as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):

December 31, 2011:							Estimated
					Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Financial institutions:
	Ireland			$	4,084	$	4,397	5.9	%
	Spain				25,565		20,378	27.6
		Total financial institutions			29,649		24,775	33.5

Other:
	Ireland				12,474		13,149	17.8
	Italy				2,898		2,808	3.8
	Spain				34,459		33,137	44.9
		Total other			49,831		49,094	66.5
			Total	$	79,480	$	73,869	100.0	%

December 31, 2010:							Estimated
					Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Financial institutions:
	Ireland			$	12,626	$	12,626	15.9	%
	Spain				27,747		23,448	29.5
		Total financial institutions			40,373		36,074	45.4

Other:
	Italy				2,745		2,675	3.3
	Spain				40,147		40,753	51.3
		Total other			42,892		43,428	54.6
			Total	$	83,265	$	79,502	100.0	%

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

The following table presents the total gross unrealized losses for fixed maturity and equity securities at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, where the estimated fair value had declined and remained below amortized cost by the indicated amount (dollars in thousands):

		December 31, 2011					December 31, 2010
			Gross					Gross
		Number of	Unrealized				Number of	Unrealized
		Securities	Losses		% of Total		Securities	Losses		% of Total
Less than 20%		833	$	131,155	44.8	%	908	$	146,404	45.9	%
20% or more for less than six months		44		51,503	17.6		14		18,114	5.7
20% or more for six months or greater		63		109,828	37.6		106		154,613	48.4
	Total	940	$	292,486	100.0	%	1,028	$	319,131	100.0	%

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, 65.3% and 66.1% of these gross unrealized losses were associated with investment grade securities. The unrealized losses on these securities decreased primarily due to a decline in interest rates since December 31, 2010.

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. The Company continues to consider valuation declines as a potential indicator of credit deterioration. The Company believes that due to fluctuating market conditions and an extended period of economic uncertainty, the extent and duration of a decline in value have become less indicative of when there has been credit deterioration with respect to a fixed maturity security since it may not have an impact on the ability of the issuer to service all scheduled payments and the Company's evaluation of the recoverability of all contractual cash flows or the ability to recover an amount at least equal to amortized cost. 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. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, gross unrealized losses on equity securities greater than 20 percent and 12 months or more totaled $0.5 million and $1.8 million, respectively.

The following tables present the estimated fair values and gross unrealized losses, including other-than-temporary impairment losses reported in AOCI, for fixed maturity and equity securities that have estimated fair values below amortized cost as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively (dollars in thousands). These investments are presented by class and grade of security, as well as the length of time the related market value has remained below amortized cost.

			Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
					Gross				Gross				Gross
December 31, 2011:			Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized
			Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses
Investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities		$	790,758	$	40,180	$	286,244	$	63,117	$	1,077,002	$	103,297
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		3,094		29		--		--		3,094		29
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			128,622		3,549		58,388		10,382		187,010		13,931
	Asset-backed securities			101,263		3,592		93,910		29,036		195,173		32,628
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			109,455		3,538		58,979		22,001		168,434		25,539
	U.S. government and agencies			1,764		61		--		--		1,764		61
	State and political subdivisions			21,045		1,845		12,273		1,268		33,318		3,113
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		148,416		1,085		16,588		2,491		165,004		3,576
		Total investment grade securities		1,304,417		53,879		526,382		128,295		1,830,799		182,174

Non-investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities			212,795		10,852		47,310		11,222		260,105		22,074
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			23,199		712		10,459		1,781		33,658		2,493
	Asset-backed securities			2,363		940		21,275		20,107		23,638		21,047
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			34,918		7,220		62,357		46,730		97,275		53,950
	State and political subdivisions			4,000		228		--		--		4,000		228
		Total non-investment grade securities		277,275		19,952		141,401		79,840		418,676		99,792
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	1,581,692	$	73,831	$	667,783	$	208,135	$	2,249,475	$	281,966

	Non-redeemable preferred stock		$	19,516	$	4,478	$	15,694	$	4,504	$	35,210	$	8,982
	Other equity securities			1,662		602		5,905		936		7,567		1,538
		Total equity securities	$	21,178	$	5,080	$	21,599	$	5,440	$	42,777	$	10,520

	Total number of securities in an
		unrealized loss position		546				394				940

			Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
					Gross				Gross				Gross
December 31, 2010:			Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized
			Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses
Investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities		$	1,020,784	$	30,438	$	329,109	$	58,539	$	1,349,893	$	88,977
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		127,908		3,993		--		--		127,908		3,993
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			195,406		4,986		105,601		13,607		301,007		18,593
	Asset-backed securities			23,065		570		131,172		38,451		154,237		39,021
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			132,526		4,143		109,158		29,059		241,684		33,202
	U.S. government and agencies			11,839		708		--		--		11,839		708
	State and political subdivisions			68,229		2,890		31,426		5,227		99,655		8,117
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		462,272		6,694		82,815		7,910		545,087		14,604
		Total investment grade securities		2,042,029		54,422		789,281		152,793		2,831,310		207,215

Non-investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities			58,420		1,832		91,205		9,942		149,625		11,774
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			1,162		605		38,206		7,382		39,368		7,987
	Asset-backed securities			--		--		23,356		22,523		23,356		22,523
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			--		--		89,170		64,063		89,170		64,063
		Total non-investment grade securities		59,582		2,437		241,937		103,910		301,519		106,347
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	2,101,611	$	56,859	$	1,031,218	$	256,703	$	3,132,829	$	313,562

	Non-redeemable preferred stock		$	15,987	$	834	$	28,549	$	4,464	$	44,536	$	5,298
	Other equity securities			6,877		271		318		--		7,195		271
		Total equity securities	$	22,864	$	1,105	$	28,867	$	4,464	$	51,731	$	5,569

	Total number of securities in an
		unrealized loss position		520				508				1,028

As of December 31, 2011, the Company does not intend to sell these fixed maturity securities and does not believe it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell these fixed maturity securities before the recovery of the fair value up to the current amortized cost of the investment, which may be maturity. However, unforeseen facts and circumstances may cause the Company to sell fixed maturity securities in the ordinary course of managing its portfolio to meet certain diversification, credit quality, asset-liability management and liquidity guidelines.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company has the ability and intent to hold the equity securities until the recovery of the fair value up to the current cost of the investment. However, unforeseen facts and circumstances may cause the Company to sell equity securities in the ordinary course of managing its portfolio to meet certain diversification, credit quality and liquidity guidelines.

Unrealized losses on non-investment grade securities are principally related to asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities and were the result of wider credit spreads resulting from higher risk premiums since the time of initial purchase, largely due to macroeconomic conditions and credit market deterioration, including the impact of lower real estate valuations. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, approximately $68.6 million and $94.0 million, respectively, of gross unrealized losses greater than 12 months was associated with non-investment grade asset and mortgage-backed securities. This class of securities was evaluated based on actual and projected collateral losses relative to the securities' positions in the respective securitization trusts and security specific expectations of cash flows. This evaluation also takes into consideration credit enhancement, measured in terms of (i) subordination from other classes of securities in the trust that are contractually obligated to absorb losses before the class of security the Company owns, and (ii) the expected impact of other structural features embedded in the securitization trust beneficial to the class of securities the Company owns, such as overcollateralization and excess spread.

Mortgage Loans

Mortgage loans represented approximately 3.8% of the Company's cash and invested assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. The Company makes mortgage loans on income producing properties, such as apartments, retail and office buildings, light warehouses and light industrial facilities. Loan-to-value ratios at the time of loan approval are 75% or less. The distribution of mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, by property type is as follows as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):

		2011				2010
		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
Property type:		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
	Apartment	$	124,674	12.4	%	$	93,042	10.4	%
	Retail		335,745	33.5			256,304	28.7
	Office building		264,584	26.4			263,063	29.5
	Industrial		200,762	20.0			227,868	25.6
	Other commercial		77,759	7.7			51,773	5.8
Total		$	1,003,524	100.0	%	$	892,050	100.0	%

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company's mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, were distributed throughout the United States as follows (dollars in thousands):

		2011				2010
		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
Pacific		$	269,922	26.9	%	$	232,940	26.1	%
South Atlantic			233,534	23.3			217,637	24.4
Mountain			116,224	11.6			99,145	11.1
Middle Atlantic			86,590	8.6			83,843	9.4
West North Central			69,789	7.0			70,279	7.9
East North Central			92,861	9.2			58,955	6.6
West South Central			58,506	5.8			51,351	5.7
East South Central			40,767	4.1			41,721	4.7
New England			35,331	3.5			36,179	4.1
	Total	$	1,003,524	100.0	%	$	892,050	100.0	%

The maturities of the mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (dollars in thousands):


		2011		2010
Due one year through five years		$	493,027	$	412,359
Due after five years			299,252		399,100
Due after ten years			211,245		80,591
	Total	$	1,003,524	$	892,050

Information regarding the Company's credit quality indicators for its recorded investment in mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

Internal credit risk grade:			2011		2010
	High investment grade		$	252,333	$	205,127
	Investment grade			526,608		585,818
	Average			105,177		38,152
	Watch list			91,037		44,208
	In or near default			28,369		18,745
		Total	$	1,003,524	$	892,050

The age analysis of the Company's past due recorded investment in mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (dollars in thousands):


			2011		2010
31-60 days past due			$	21,800	$	--
61-90 days past due				--		--
Greater than 90 days				20,316		15,555
	Total past due			42,116		15,555
Current				961,408		876,495
		Total	$	1,003,524	$	892,050

The following table presents the recorded investment in mortgage loans, by method of evaluation of credit loss, and the related valuation allowances, by type of credit loss, at (dollars in thousands):


			December 31,
			2011		2010
Mortgage loans:
	Evaluated individually for credit losses		$	60,904	$	35,646
	Evaluated collectively for credit losses			942,620		856,404
		Mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances		1,003,524		892,050

Valuation allowances:
	Specific for credit losses			8,188		6,239
	Non-specifically identified credit losses			3,605		--
		Total valuation allowances		11,793		6,239

		Mortgage loans, net of valuation allowances	$	991,731	$	885,811

Information regarding the Company's loan valuation allowances for mortgage loans as of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 are as follows (dollars in thousands):


	2011		2010		2009
Balance, beginning of period	$	6,239	$	5,784	$	526
Charge-offs		(3,947)		--		(2,371)
Provision		9,501		455		7,629
Balance, end of period	$	11,793	$	6,239	$	5,784

Information regarding the portion of the Company's mortgage loans that were impaired as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 is as follows (dollars in thousands):

		Unpaid Principal Balance		Recorded Investment		Related Allowance		Carrying Value
December 31, 2011:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded		$	32,088	$	31,496	$	--	$	31,496
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded			29,724		29,408		8,188		21,220
	Total impaired mortgage loans	$	61,812	$	60,904	$	8,188	$	52,716

December 31, 2010:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded		$	16,901	$	16,901	$	--	$	16,901
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded			18,745		18,745		6,239		12,506
	Total impaired mortgage loans	$	35,646	$	35,646	$	6,239	$	29,407

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, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):


		2011				2010
		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded		$	14,877	$	630	$	19,253	$	525
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded			27,712		418		21,925		295
	Total	$	42,589	$	1,048	$	41,178	$	820

(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, 2011 and 2010. The Company had $20.3 million and $15.6 million of mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, that were on a nonaccrual status at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Policy Loans

Policy loans comprised approximately 4.9% and 5.3% of the Company's cash and invested assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, substantially all 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. As policy loans represent premature distributions of policy liabilities, they have the effect of reducing future disintermediation risk. In addition, 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 20.9% and 23.4% of the Company's cash and invested assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Of the $5.4 billion funds withheld at interest balance as of December 31, 2011, $3.7 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 with amounts owed to the Company from the ceding company. Interest accrues to these assets at rates defined by the treaty terms and the Company estimates the yield was approximately 6.87%, 7.20% and 7.69% for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Changes in these estimated yields are affected by equity options held in the funds withheld portfolio associated with equity-indexed annuity treaties. The Company is subject to the investment performance on the withheld assets, although it does not directly control them. These assets are primarily fixed maturity investment securities and pose risks similar to the fixed maturity securities the Company owns. To mitigate this risk, the Company helps set the investment guidelines followed by the ceding company and monitors compliance.

Other Invested Assets

Other invested assets include equity securities, limited partnership interests, structured loans and derivative contracts. Other invested assets represented approximately 3.9% and 3.1% of the Company's cash and invested assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Carrying values of these assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

		December 31,
		2011		2010
Equity securities		$	113,900	$	140,211
Limited partnerships			251,315		214,105
Structured loans			281,022		229,583
Derivatives			257,050		34,929
Other			109,254		88,575
	Total other invested assets	$	1,012,541	$	707,403

The increase in derivatives in 2011 is primarily due to an increase in the carrying value of derivatives used to economically hedge changes in the fair value of liabilities associated with the reinsurance of variable annuities with guaranteed living benefits.

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of investments in certain debt and equity securities (and certain other trading assets) which include all debt and equity securities (other than those equity securities accounted for under the equity or cost methods of accounting) with readily determinable fair values. Other trading assets include assets that are carried on the balance sheet at fair value and held for trading purposes. A debt security represents a creditor relationship with an enterprise that is in the form of a security. Debt securities include, among other items, US Treasury securities, US government securities, municipal securities, corporate bonds, convertible debt, commercial paper, and all securitized debt instruments. An equity security represents an ownership interest in an enterprise or the right to acquire or dispose of an ownership interest in an enterprise at fixed or determinable prices. Equity securities include, among other things, common stock, certain preferred stock, warrant rights, call options, and put options, but do not include convertible debt. An entity may opt to provide the reader with additional narrative text to better understand the nature of investments in debt and equity securities (and other trading assets).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 115
-Paragraph 3, 19, 20, 21, 22, 137
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6379141&loc=d3e15032-111544

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27161-111563

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 320
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957658&loc=d3e62557-112803

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27357-111563

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27290-111563

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27405-111563

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Debt Security
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509901
-Topic 320

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Equity Security
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6511694
-Topic 320

+ Details

Derivative Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Derivative Instruments [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

Note 5 DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

The following table presents the notional amounts and fair value of derivative instruments as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):

				December 31, 2011						December 31, 2010
					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⁽¹⁾			$	2,748,317	$	184,842	$	18,702	$	2,302,853	$	20,042	$	17,132
	Financial futures⁽¹⁾				277,814		--		--		210,295		--		--
	Foreign currency forwards⁽¹⁾				24,400		4,560		--		39,700		5,924		--
	Consumer Price index (“CPI”) swaps⁽¹⁾				101,069		766		--		120,340		1,491		--
	Credit default swaps⁽¹⁾				649,500		1,313		10,949		392,500		2,429		131
	Equity options⁽¹⁾				510,073		90,106		--		33,041		5,043		--
	Embedded derivatives in:
		Modified coinsurance or funds
			withheld arrangements⁽²⁾		--		--		361,456		--		--		274,220
		Indexed annuity products⁽³⁾			--		4,945		751,523		--		75,431		668,951
		Variable annuity products⁽³⁾			--		--		276,718		--		--		52,534
	Total non-hedging derivatives				4,311,173		286,532		1,419,348		3,098,729		110,360		1,012,968

Derivatives designated as
	hedging instruments:
	Interest rate swaps⁽¹⁾				56,250		133		960		21,783		--		1,718
	Foreign currency swaps⁽¹⁾				621,578		286		23,996		615,323		--		45,749
	Total hedging derivatives				677,828		419		24,956		637,106		--		47,467
Total derivatives				$	4,989,001	$	286,951	$	1,444,304	$	3,735,835	$	110,360	$	1,060,435

(1)		Carried on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets in other invested assets or other liabilities, at fair value.
(2)		Embedded liability is included on the consolidated balance sheets with the host contract in funds withheld at interest, at fair value.
(3)		Embedded liability is included on the consolidated balance sheets with the host contract in interest-sensitive contract liabilities, at fair value. Embedded asset is included on the consolidated balance sheets in reinsurance ceded receivables.

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. The Company had no fair value hedges of interest rate risk as of December 31, 2011. As of December 31, 2010, the Company held interest rate swaps that were designated and qualified as fair value hedges of interest rate risk. As of December 31, 2011, the Company held interest rate swaps that were designated and qualified as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk. The Company did not hold any interest rate swaps that were designated and qualified as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk as of December 31, 2010. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company held foreign currency swaps that were designated and qualified as fair value hedges of a portion of its net investment in its foreign operations. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company also had 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 accounts for certain interest rate swaps that convert fixed rate investments to floating rate investments as fair value hedges when they met the requirements of the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging. The gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the hedged benchmark interest rate and the offsetting gain or loss on the related interest rate swaps for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 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, 2011:
Interest rate swaps	Fixed rate fixed maturities	$	(785)	$	1,402	$	617

For the year ended December 31, 2010:
Interest rate swaps	Fixed rate fixed maturities	$	(1,041)	$	1,599	$	558

For the year ended December 31, 2009:
Interest rate swaps	Fixed rate fixed maturities	$	1,566	$	(1,350)	$	216

A regression analysis was used, both at the inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis, to determine whether each derivative used in a hedge transaction is highly effective in offsetting changes in the hedged item. All components of each derivative's gain or loss were included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness.

As of December 31, 2011 the Company removed the fair value hedge designation for these interest rate swaps. These interest rate swaps are now reported as derivatives not designated as hedging instruments.

Cash Flow Hedges

The Company designates and accounts for certain interest rate swaps, in which the cash flows are denominated in different currencies, commonly referred to as cross-currency swaps, as cash flow hedges when they meet the requirements of the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging.

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 year ended December 31, 2011 (dollars in thousands):

	2011
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), balance beginning of year	$	--
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges		(628)
Amounts reclassified to investment related gains (losses), net		--
Amounts reclassified to investment income		(200)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), balance end of period	$	(828)

As of December 31, 2011, the before-tax deferred net gains on derivative instruments recorded in AOCI that are expected to be reclassified to earnings during the next twelve months are $0.9 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. There were no hedged forecasted transactions, other than the receipt or payment of variable interest payments on existing financial instruments, for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company had no derivative instruments that were designated and qualified as cash flow hedges for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009.

The following table presents the effects of derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships on the consolidated statements of income and the consolidated statements of stockholders' equity for the year ended December 31, 2011 (dollars in thousands):

Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships	Amount of Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI on Derivatives		Amount and Location of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Loss)				Amount and Location of Gains (Losses) Recognized in Income (Loss) on Derivatives
	(Effective Portion)		(Effective Portion)				(Ineffective Portion and Amounts Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)
			Investment Related Gains (Losses)		Investment Income		Investment Related Gains (Losses)		Investment Income
Interest rate swaps	$	(628)	$	--	$	200	$	--	$	--

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, 2011, 2010 and 2009 (dollars in thousands):

		Derivative Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI
		For the year ended
Type of NIFO Hedge ^{(1) (2)}		2011		2010		2009

Foreign currency swaps		$	4,858	$	(41,302)	$	(8,102)

(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 (loss) recorded in AOCI related to these hedges was $4.1 million and $(0.8) million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, 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, including derivatives used to economically hedge changes in the fair value of liabilities associated with the reinsurance of variable annuities with guaranteed living benefits. The gain or loss related to the change in fair value for these derivative instruments is recognized in investment related gains (losses), in the consolidated statements of income, except where otherwise noted. For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company recognized investment related gains (losses) of $188.6 million, $29.9 million and $(217.5) million, respectively, related to derivatives (not including embedded derivatives) that do not qualify or have not been qualified for hedge accounting.

Interest Rate Swaps

Interest rate swaps are used by the Company primarily to reduce market risks from changes in interest rates and to alter interest rate exposure arising from mismatches between assets and liabilities (duration mismatches). With an interest rate swap, the Company agrees with another party to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between fixed-rate and 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.

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. The Company purchases put options to hedge against adverse changes in equity indices volatility. During 2011, the Company expanded its use of equity options to hedge against increases in volatility associated with its reinsurance of variable annuity products. The contracts are net settled in cash based on differentials in the indices at the time of exercise and the strike price.

CPI Swaps

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 inception and termination of the currency swap by each party. The Company may also use foreign currency swaps to economically hedge the foreign currency risk associated with certain of its net investments in foreign operations.

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.

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 for credit default swaps, the Company is typically required to pay the protection holder the full notional value less a recovery rate determined at auction.

The Company's maximum amount at risk on credit default swaps, assuming the value of the underlying referenced securities is zero, was $614.0 million and $375.0 million at December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively.

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.

Embedded Derivatives

The Company has certain embedded derivatives which are required to be separated from their host contracts and reported as derivatives. The accounting is complex and interpretations of the primary guidance continue to evolve in practice. Host contracts include reinsurance treaties structured on a modified coinsurance or funds withheld basis. Changes in fair values of these embedded derivatives are net of an increase (decrease) in investment related gains (losses), net of $23.1 million, $(32.2) million and $(301.7) million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, associated with the Company's own credit risk. 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 related gains (losses) for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 are reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):

		2011		2010		2009
Embedded derivatives in modified coinsurance or funds withheld
	arrangements and variable annuity contracts included in investment
	related gains (losses)	$	(311,420)	$	131,488	$	331,091
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related
	amounts included in net income		(37,829)		23,786		(15,659)
Amounts related to embedded derivatives in equity-indexed annuities
	included in benefits and expenses		(114,921)		(44,988)		(71,222)
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related
	amounts included in net income		(55,915)		(26,265)		(51,806)

Non-hedging Derivatives

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, 2011, 2010 and 2009 is as follows (dollars in thousands):

					Gain (Loss) for the Years Ended December 31,
Type of Non-hedging Derivative			Income Statement Location of Gain (Loss)		2011		2010		2009
Interest rate swaps			Investment related gains (losses), net		$	178,338	$	68,736	$	(160,716)
Financial futures			Investment related gains (losses), net			(945)		(44,959)		(72,641)
Foreign currency forwards			Investment related gains (losses), net			1,675		3,387		2
CPI swaps			Investment related gains (losses), net			1,821		962		2,234
Credit default swaps			Investment related gains (losses), net			(63)		4,786		13,654
Equity options			Investment related gains (losses), net			7,818		(3,006)		--
Embedded derivatives in:
	Modified coinsurance or funds
		withheld arrangements	Investment related gains (losses), net			(87,236)		160,274		78,394
	Indexed annuity products		Policy acquisition costs and other insurance
				expenses		(24,551)		6,457		7,137
	Indexed annuity products		Interest credited			(90,370)		(51,445)		(78,359)
	Variable annuity products		Investment related gains (losses), net			(224,184)		(28,786)		252,697
Total non-hedging derivatives					$	(237,697)	$	116,406	$	42,402

Credit Risk

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

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. Information regarding the Company's credit exposure related to its over-the-counter derivative contracts and margin account for exchange-traded futures at December 31, 2011 and 2010 are reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):

			December 31, 2011		December 31, 2010
Estimated fair value of derivatives in net asset (liability) position			$	227,399	$	(29,801)
	Securities pledged to counterparties as collateral⁽¹⁾			27,052		48,223
	Cash pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽²⁾			(241,480)		(10,300)
	Securities pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽³⁾			(997)		(1,781)
Net credit exposure			$	11,974	$	6,341

Margin account related to exchange-traded futures⁽²⁾			$	18,153	$	16,285

(1)		Consists of U.S. Treasury securities, included in other invested assets.
(2)		Included in cash and cash equivalents.
(3)		Consists of U.S. Treasury securities.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the entity's entire derivative instruments and hedging activities. Describes an entity's risk management strategies, derivatives in hedging activities and non-hedging derivative instruments, the assets, obligations, liabilities, revenues and expenses arising therefrom, and the amounts of and methodologies and assumptions used in determining the amounts of such items.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 133
-Paragraph 45
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 133
-Paragraph 44
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
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+ Details

Fair Value Disclosures

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]

Fair Value Disclosures

NOTE 6 FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Fair values of financial instruments have been determined by using available market information and the valuation techniques described below. Considerable judgment is often required in interpreting market data to develop estimates of fair value. The use of different assumptions or valuation techniques may have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts. The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company's financial instruments at December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands).

			December 31, 2011				December 31, 2010
						Estimated Fair				Estimated Fair
				Carrying Value		Value		Carrying Value		Value
Assets:
	Fixed maturity securities		$	16,200,950	$	16,200,950	$	14,304,597	$	14,304,597
	Mortgage loans on real estate			991,731		1,081,924		885,811		933,513
	Policy loans			1,260,400		1,260,400		1,228,418		1,228,418
	Funds withheld at interest			5,410,424		6,041,984		5,421,952		5,838,064
	Short-term investments			88,566		88,566		118,387		118,387
	Other invested assets			963,626		966,237		683,307		681,242
	Cash and cash equivalents			962,870		962,870		463,661		463,661
	Accrued investment income			144,334		144,334		127,874		127,874
	Reinsurance ceded receivables			3,643		1,248		95,557		91,893
Liabilities:
	Interest-sensitive contract liabilities		$	6,203,001	$	6,307,779	$	5,856,945	$	5,866,088
	Long-term and short-term debt			1,414,688		1,462,329		1,216,410		1,226,517
	Collateral finance facility			652,032		390,900		850,039		514,250
	Company-obligated mandatorily
		redeemable preferred securities		--		--		159,421		221,341

Publicly traded fixed maturity securities are valued based upon quoted market prices or estimates from independent pricing services, independent broker quotes and pricing matrices. Private placement fixed maturity securities are valued based on the credit quality and duration of marketable securities deemed comparable by the Company's investment advisor, which may be of another issuer. The Company utilizes information from third parties, such as pricing services and brokers, to assist in determining fair values for certain assets and liabilities; however, management is ultimately responsible for all fair values presented in the Company's financial statements. The fair value of mortgage loans on real estate is estimated using discounted cash flows. Policy loans typically carry an interest rate that is adjusted annually based on a market index and therefore carrying value approximates fair value. 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. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments approximates fair values due to the short-term maturities of these instruments. Common and preferred equity investments included in other invested assets are reflected at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets based primarily on quoted market prices in active markets. Derivative financial instruments included in other invested assets are reflected at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets and are principally valued using an income approach. Limited partnership interests included in other invested assets consist of those investments accounted for using the cost method. The fair value of limited partnerships is based on net asset values. The remaining carrying value recognized in the consolidated balance sheets represents investments in limited partnership interests accounted for using the equity method, which do not meet the definition of financial instruments for which fair value is required to be disclosed. The carrying value for accrued investment income approximates fair value.

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 and related reinsurance ceded receivables is based on the cash surrender value of the liabilities, adjusted for recapture fees. The fair value of the Company's long-term debt is estimated based on either quoted market prices or quoted market prices for the debt of corporations with similar credit quality. The fair values of the Company's collateral finance facility and company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities are estimated using discounted cash flows. See Note 13 – “Debt and Trust Preferred Securities,” for information regarding the company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities.

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. In accordance with these principles, valuation techniques utilized by management for invested assets and embedded derivatives reported at fair value are generally categorized into three types:

Market Approach. Market approach valuation techniques use prices and other relevant information from market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. Valuation techniques consistent with the market approach include comparables and matrix pricing. Comparables use market multiples, which might lie in ranges with a different multiple for each comparable. The selection of where within the range the appropriate multiple falls requires judgment, considering both quantitative and qualitative factors specific to the measurement. Matrix pricing is a mathematical technique used principally to value certain securities without relying exclusively on quoted prices for the specific securities but comparing the securities to benchmark or comparable securities.

Income Approach. Income approach valuation techniques convert future amounts, such as cash flows or earnings, to a single discounted amount. These techniques rely on current expectations of future amounts. Examples of income approach valuation techniques include present value techniques, option-pricing models and binomial or lattice models that incorporate present value techniques.

Cost Approach. Cost approach valuation techniques are based upon the amount that, at present, would be required to replace the service capacity of an asset, or the current replacement cost. That is, from the perspective of a market participant (seller), the price that would be received for the asset is determined based on the cost to a market participant (buyer) to acquire or construct a substitute asset of comparable utility.

The three approaches described above are consistent with generally accepted valuation techniques. While all three approaches are not applicable to all assets or liabilities reported at fair value, where appropriate and possible, one or more valuation techniques may be used. 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 regular analysis and review of the various techniques utilized in determining fair value to ensure that the valuation approaches utilized are appropriate and consistently applied, and that the various assumptions are reasonable. As indicated above, the Company also utilizes information from third parties, such as pricing services and brokers, to assist in determining fair values for certain assets and liabilities; however, management is ultimately responsible for all fair values presented in the Company's financial statements. The Company performs analysis and review of the information and prices received from third parties to ensure that the prices represent a reasonable estimate of the fair value. This process involves 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, initial and ongoing review of third party pricing services and techniques, review of pricing trends and monitoring of recent trade information. 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.

For invested assets 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 the market valuation techniques described above, primarily a combination of the market approach, including matrix pricing and the income approach. For corporate and government securities, the assumptions and inputs used by management in applying these techniques include, but are not limited to: using 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 private placement and structured securities that include residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed 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 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 years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, the application of market standard valuation techniques applied to similar assets and liabilities has been consistent.

General accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures 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. The standard describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1- Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. The Company's Level 1 assets and liabilities include investment securities and derivative contracts that are traded in 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 with 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. This category primarily includes corporate securities, Canadian and Canadian provincial government securities, and residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, among others. 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 services 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 financial instruments 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), asset-backed securities (including those with exposure to subprime mortgages), and to a lesser extent, certain residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, among others. Prices are determined using valuation methodologies such as discounted cash flow models and other similar techniques. 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, are classified in Level 3 since their values include significant unobservable inputs associated with actuarial assumptions regarding policyholder behavior.

When inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest priority level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. 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 measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 are summarized below (dollars in thousands).

December 31, 2011:								Fair Value Measurements Using:
						Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
	Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
		Corporate securities			$	7,461,106	$	76,097	$	6,410,840	$	974,169
		Canadian and Canadian provincial governments				3,869,933		--		3,869,933		--
		Residential mortgage-backed securities				1,227,234		--		1,145,579		81,655
		Asset-backed securities				401,991		--		208,499		193,492
		Commercial mortgage-backed securities				1,242,219		--		1,126,243		115,976
		U.S. government and agencies securities				374,002		300,514		73,488		--
		State and political subdivision securities				205,386		12,894		182,119		10,373
		Other foreign government, supranational and foreign
			government-sponsored enterprises			1,419,079		223,440		1,195,639		--
				Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale		16,200,950		612,945		14,212,340		1,375,665
	Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives					(361,456)		--		--		(361,456)
	Cash equivalents					563,895		563,895		--		--
	Short-term investments					46,671		37,155		9,516		--
	Other invested assets:
		Non-redeemable preferred stock				78,183		58,906		19,277		--
		Other equity securities				35,717		5,308		18,920		11,489
		Derivatives:
			Interest rate swaps			168,484		--		168,484		--
			Foreign currency forwards			4,560		--		4,560		--
			CPI swaps			766		--		766		--
			Credit default swaps			(4,003)		--		(4,003)		--
			Equity options			87,243		--		87,243		--
		Collateral				32,622		27,052		5,570		--
				Total other invested assets		403,572		91,266		300,817		11,489
	Reinsurance ceded receivable – embedded derivatives					4,945		--		--		4,945
		Total			$	16,858,577	$	1,305,261	$	14,522,673	$	1,030,643

Liabilities:
	Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives				$	1,028,241	$	--	$	--	$	1,028,241
	Other liabilities:
		Derivatives:
			Interest rate swaps			3,171		--		3,171		--
			Credit default swaps			5,633		--		5,633		--
			Equity options			(2,864)		--		(2,864)		--
			Foreign currency swaps			23,710		--		23,710		--
		Total			$	1,057,891	$	--	$	29,650	$	1,028,241

December 31, 2010:								Fair Value Measurements Using:
						Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
	Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
		Corporate securities			$	6,710,443	$	15,089	$	5,823,175	$	872,179
		Canadian and Canadian provincial governments				3,057,567		--		3,057,567		--
		Residential mortgage-backed securities				1,473,077		--		1,289,786		183,291
		Asset-backed securities				391,209		--		162,651		228,558
		Commercial mortgage-backed securities				1,337,853		--		1,190,297		147,556
		U.S. government and agencies securities				206,216		166,861		39,355		--
		State and political subdivision securities				164,460		6,865		150,612		6,983
		Other foreign government, supranational and foreign
			government-sponsored enterprises			963,772		5,130		951,906		6,736
				Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale		14,304,597		193,945		12,665,349		1,445,303
	Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives					(274,220)		--		--		(274,220)
	Cash equivalents⁽¹⁾					253,746		253,746		--		--
	Short-term investments					7,310		5,257		2,053		--
	Other invested assets:
		Non-redeemable preferred stock				99,550		72,393		26,737		420
		Other equity securities				40,661		5,126		19,119		16,416
		Derivatives:
			Interest rate swaps			20,042		--		20,042		--
			Foreign currency forwards			5,924		--		5,924		--
			CPI swaps			1,491		--		1,491		--
			Credit default swaps			2,429		--		2,429		--
			Equity options			5,043		--		5,043		--
		Collateral				48,223		48,223		--		--
				Total other invested assets		223,363		125,742		80,785		16,836
	Reinsurance ceded receivable – embedded derivatives					75,431		--		--		75,431
		Total			$	14,590,227	$	578,690	$	12,748,187	$	1,263,350

Liabilities:
	Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives				$	721,485	$	--	$	--	$	721,485
	Other liabilities:
		Derivatives:⁽²⁾
			Interest rate swaps			18,850		--		18,850		--
			Credit default swaps			131		--		131		--
			Foreign currency swaps			45,749		--		45,749		--
		Total			$	786,215	$	--	$	64,730	$	721,485

(1)				Information as of December 31, 2010 was recast to reflect the disclosure of fair value information for certain cash equivalents during 2011.
(2)				Balances have been adjusted due to typographical errors in the 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Fixed Maturity Securities – The fair values of the Company's public fixed maturity securities, which include corporate and structured 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 pricing service highest in the vendor hierarchy based on the respective asset type. To validate reasonability, prices are periodically reviewed by internal asset managers through comparison with directly observed recent market trades and internal estimates of current fair value, developed using market observable inputs and economic indicators. Consistent with the fair value hierarchy described above, securities with validated 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 market activity, non-binding broker quotes are used, if available. If the Company concludes the values from both pricing services and brokers are not reflective of market activity, it may override the information from the pricing service or broker with an internally developed valuation; 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 estimates may use significant unobservable inputs, which reflect the Company's assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset. Circumstances where observable market data are not available may include events 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 often reflected as Level 3 in the valuation hierarchy.

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.

Embedded Derivatives – For embedded derivative liabilities associated with the underlying products in reinsurance treaties, primarily equity-indexed and variable annuity treaties, the Company utilizes a market standard technique, which includes an estimate of future equity option purchases and an adjustment for the Company's own credit risk that takes into consideration the Company's financial strength rating. The capital market inputs to the model, such as equity indexes, equity volatility, interest rates and the Company's credit adjustment, are generally observable. However, the valuation models also use inputs requiring certain actuarial assumptions such as future interest margins, policyholder behavior, including future equity participation rates, and explicit risk margins related to non-capital market inputs, that are generally not observable and may require use of significant management judgment. Changes in interest rates, equity indices, equity volatility, the Company's own credit risk, and actuarial assumptions regarding policyholder behavior may result in significant fluctuations in the value of embedded derivatives liabilities associated with equity-indexed annuity reinsurance treaties.

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. The fair value of the underlying assets is generally based on market observable inputs using industry standard valuation techniques. However, the valuation also requires certain significant inputs based on actuarial assumptions, which are generally not observable and accordingly, the valuation is considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

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 short-term investments, such as floating rate notes and bonds with original maturities less then twelve months, are based upon other market observable data and are typically classified as Level 2. 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 preferred stock of publicly and privately traded companies. The fair values of most publicly traded equity securities are based on quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets and are classified within Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. Estimated fair values for most privately traded equity securities are determined using valuation models that require a substantial level of judgment. In determining the fair value of certain privately traded equity securities the models may also use unobservable inputs, which reflect the Company's assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing. Most privately traded equity securities are classified within Level 3. The fair values of preferred equity securities are based on prices obtained from independent pricing services and these securities are generally classified within Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Derivative Assets and Derivative Liabilities – Level 1 measurement includes assets and liabilities comprised of exchange-traded derivatives. Valuation is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are readily and regularly available. Level 2 measurement includes all types of derivative instruments utilized by the Company with the exception of exchange-traded derivatives. These derivatives are principally valued using an income approach. Valuations of interest rate contracts, non-option-based, are based on present value techniques, which utilize significant inputs that may include the swap yield curve, LIBOR basis curves, and repurchase rates. Valuations of foreign currency contracts, non-option-based, 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, non-option-based, 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, non-option-based, 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 included in Level 3 measurement.

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, the Company classified approximately 8.5% and 10.1% of its fixed maturity securities in the Level 3 category. These securities primarily consist of private placement corporate securities with an inactive trading market. Additionally, the Company has included asset-backed securities with sub-prime exposure and mortgage-backed securities with below investment grade ratings in the Level 3 category due to the current market uncertainty associated with these securities and the Company's utilization of information from third parties for the valuation of these securities.

The Company's recognizes transfers of financial instruments 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. Financial instruments transferred into Level 3 are due to a lack of observable market transactions and price information. Financial instruments 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 financial instrument, a specific event, one or more significant input(s) becoming observable or when a long-term interest rate significant to a valuation becomes short-term and thus observable. Transfers out of Level 3 were primarily the result of the Company using observable pricing information or a third party pricing quotation that appropriately reflects the fair value of those financial instruments, without the need for adjustment based on the Company's own assumptions regarding the characteristics of a specific financial instrument or the current liquidity in the market. In addition, certain transfers out of Level 3 were also due to increased observations of market transactions and price information for those financial instruments. 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. During 2011, there were $77.3 million of fixed maturity securities and $2.3 million of equity securities transferred from Level 1 to Level 2, and $55.7 million of fixed maturity securities and $3.3 million of equity securities transferred from Level 2 to Level 1. Transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 were not significant in 2010.

The tables below provide a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2011, as well as the portion of gains or losses included in income for the year ended December 31, 2011 attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets and liabilities still held at December 31, 2011 (dollars in thousands).

For the year ended December 31, 2011:				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
							Residential				Commercial
				Corporate			mortgage-backed		Asset-backed		mortgage-backed
				securities			securities		securities		securities
Balance January 1, 2011				$	872,336	$	183,291	$	228,558	$	147,556
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		218		836		1,686		2,321
			Investment related gains (losses), net		1,863		(2,032)		(10,236)		(12,354)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			21,011		4,580		3,902		8,060
	Purchases⁽¹⁾				305,401		6,478		65,467		7,683
	Sales⁽¹⁾				(48,653)		(21,178)		(27,844)		--
	Settlements⁽¹⁾				(125,797)		(16,672)		(24,092)		(3,548)
	Transfers into Level 3				80,302		30,159		45,984		76,955
	Transfers out of Level 3				(132,512)		(103,807)		(89,933)		(110,697)
Balance December 31, 2011				$	974,169	$	81,655	$	193,492	$	115,976

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	$	162	$	816	$	1,595	$	2,307
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(1,223)		(594)		(5,058)		(12,366)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2011 (continued):				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
						Other foreign
				State		government,		Funds withheld
				and political		supranational and		at interest-
				subdivision		foreign government-		embedded
				securities		sponsored enterprises		derivative
Balance January 1, 2011				$	6,983	$	6,579	$	(274,220)
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		361		2		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(15)		--		(87,236)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			3,390		4		--
	Purchases⁽¹⁾				2,334		--		--
	Sales⁽¹⁾				--		--		--
	Settlements⁽¹⁾				(88)		--		--
	Transfers into Level 3				48,469		20		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				(51,061)		(6,605)		--
Balance December 31, 2011				$	10,373	$	--	$	(361,456)

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	$	361	$	(36)	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		--		(87,236)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2011 (continued):				Other invested				Reinsurance		Interest sensitive
				assets- non-		Other invested		ceded receivable-		contract liabilities
				redeemable		assets- other		embedded		embedded
				preferred stock		equity securities		derivative		derivative
Balance January 1, 2011				$	420	$	16,416	$	75,430	$	(721,485)
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		--		--		--		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		3,504		--		(224,184)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(2,230)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(88,255)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		9,421		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			--		(4,663)		--		--
	Purchases⁽¹⁾				--		797		6,201		(71,505)
	Sales⁽¹⁾				(420)		(4,565)		--		--
	Settlements⁽¹⁾				--		--		(86,107)		79,418
	Transfers into Level 3				--		--		--		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				--		--		--		--
Balance December 31, 2011				$	--	$	11,489	$	4,945	$	(1,028,241)

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	$	--	$	--	$	--	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		--		--		(228,910)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(2,346)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(167,673)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		18,589		--

(1)			The amount reported within purchases, sales, issuances and settlements is the purchase/issuance price (for purchases and issuances) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased/issued or sold/settled. Items purchased/issued and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward.

The tables below provide a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2010, as well as the portion of gains or losses included in income for the year ended December 31, 2010 attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets and liabilities still held at December 31, 2010 (dollars in thousands).

For the year ended December 31, 2010:				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
							Residential				Commercial
				Corporate			mortgage-backed		Asset-backed		mortgage-backed
				securities			securities		securities		securities
Balance January 1, 2010				$	994,219	$	144,457	$	262,767	$	329,559
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		657		1,763		2,843		3,467
			Investment related gains (losses), net		839		(7,479)		(7,494)		(6,369)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			34,319		26,808		31,340		22,907
	Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements⁽¹⁾				71,695		(43,236)		(45,677)		37,476
	Transfers into Level 3				126,133		102,939		78,880		73,653
	Transfers out of Level 3				(355,683)		(41,961)		(94,101)		(313,137)
Balance December 31, 2010				$	872,179	$	183,291	$	228,558	$	147,556

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	$	548	$	1,592	$	2,731	$	3,449
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(594)		(4,637)		(4,052)		(6,563)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2010 (continued):				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
						Other foreign
				State		government,		Funds withheld
				and political		supranational and		at interest-
				subdivision		foreign government-		embedded		Short-term
				securities		sponsored enterprises		derivative		investments
Balance January 1, 2010				$	12,080	$	59,975	$	(434,494)	$	443
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		118		2		--		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(14)		(10)		160,274		--
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			961		304		--		--
	Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements⁽¹⁾				34,841		1,416		--		381
	Transfers into Level 3				1,820		2,178		--		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				(42,823)		(57,129)		--		(824)
Balance December 31, 2010				$	6,983	$	6,736	$	(274,220)	$	--

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	$	118	$	6	$	--	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		--		160,274		--
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2010 (continued):				Other invested				Reinsurance		Interest sensitive
				assets- non-		Other invested		ceded receivable-		contract liabilities
				redeemable		assets- other		embedded		embedded
				preferred stock		equity securities		derivative		derivative
Balance January 1, 2010				$	6,775	$	10,436	$	68,873	$	(608,654)
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		--		--		--		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		550		--		--		(28,786)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(872)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(52,569)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		7,621		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			160		4,848		--		--
	Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements⁽¹⁾				(5,146)		1,132		(1,063)		(30,604)
	Transfers into Level 3				--		--		--		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				(1,919)		--		--		--
Balance December 31, 2010				$	420	$	16,416	$	75,431	$	(721,485)

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)	$	--	$	--	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(32)		--		--		(28,786)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(2,824)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(101,970)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		7,621		--

(1)			The amount reported within purchases, sales, issuances and settlements is the purchase/issuance price (for purchases and issuances) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased/issued or sold/settled. Items purchased/issued and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward.

Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements - Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. Nonrecurring fair value adjustments on certain foreclosed commercial mortgage loans resulted in $1.2 million of gains being recorded for the year ended December 31, 2011. The carrying value of these foreclosed mortgage loans as of December 31, 2011 was $4.6 million, based on the fair value of the underlying real estate collateral. In addition, nonrecurring fair value adjustments on impaired commercial mortgage loans resulted in $6.1 million of net losses being recorded in 2011. The carrying value of these impaired mortgage loans as of December 31, 2011 was $33.0 million. There were no material assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis as of December 31, 2010.

- 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 133
-Paragraph 44A, 44B
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 107
-Paragraph 15C, 15D
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 107
-Paragraph 15A
-Subparagraph a-d
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 107
-Paragraph 15B
-Subparagraph a, b
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 107
-Paragraph 3, 10, 14, 15
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 157
-Paragraph 32, 33, 34
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 159
-Paragraph 17-22, 27, 28
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19207-110258

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13537-108611

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14064-108612

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13433-108611

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 30
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14172-108612

Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13504-108611

Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19296-110258

+ Details

Reinsurance

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Reinsurance [Abstract]

Reinsurance Text Block

Note 7 REINSURANCE

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, 2011 and 2010, no allowances were deemed necessary. The Company regularly evaluates the financial condition of its reinsurers and retrocessionaires.

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

Years ended December 31,		2011		2010		2009

Direct		$	2,590	$	2,669	$	2,259
Reinsurance assumed			7,701,594		7,198,219		6,241,952
Reinsurance ceded			(368,497)		(541,208)		(519,050)
	Net premiums	$	7,335,687	$	6,659,680	$	5,725,161

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

Years ended December 31,		2011		2010		2009

Direct		$	4,179	$	4,062	$	4,098
Reinsurance assumed			6,471,658		5,877,153		5,025,383
Reinsurance ceded			(251,037)		(334,060)		(210,055)
	Net claims and other policy benefits	$	6,224,800	$	5,547,155	$	4,819,426

At December 31, 2011 and 2010, there were no reinsurance ceded receivables associated with a single reinsurer with a carrying value in excess of 5% of total assets.

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

Life Insurance In Force:	Direct		Assumed		Ceded		Net		Assumed/Net %

December 31, 2011	$	76	$	2,664,353	$	39,987	$	2,624,442	101.52	%
December 31, 2010		74		2,540,317		42,582		2,497,809	101.70
December 31, 2009		72		2,325,041		46,897		2,278,216	102.06

At December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, the Company provided approximately $2.2 billion and $2.1 billion of statutory financial reinsurance, as measured by pre-tax statutory surplus, 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, 2011 and 2010, these treaties had approximately $1,277.2 million and $1,138.5 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 $1,534.0 million and $1,419.3 million were held in trust to satisfy collateral requirements for reinsurance business for the benefit of certain RGA subsidiaries at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. In addition, the Company's collateral finance facility has asset in trust requirements. See Note 14 – “Collateral Finance Facility” for additional information. Securities with an amortized cost of $2,144.6 million and $1,851.1 million, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, were held in trust to satisfy collateral requirements under certain third-party reinsurance treaties. Additionally, 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 113
-Paragraph 27
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 7
-Section 03
-Paragraph 13

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 92-5
-Paragraph 19
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 7
-Section 03
-Paragraph 6

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6811-158387

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6816-158387

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27374-158547

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 55
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6588590&loc=d3e27703-158548

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6485557&loc=d3e21549-158491

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6588590&loc=d3e27795-158548

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.6,13)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 113
-Paragraph 120
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Abstract]

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

Note 8 DEFERRED POLICY ACQUISITION COSTS

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

As of December 31,			2011		2010
Deferred policy acquisition costs:
	Assumed		$	4,075,670	$	3,788,801
	Retroceded			(61,686)		(62,358)
		Net	$	4,013,984	$	3,726,443

Years ended December 31,		2011		2010		2009
Balance, beginning of year		$	3,726,443	$	3,698,972	$	3,610,334
Capitalized
	Assumed		1,028,974		966,539		870,526
	Retroceded		(13,411)		(13,838)		(9,192)
Amortized (including interest):
	Assumed		(831,619)		(855,432)		(594,895)
	Allocated to change in value of embedded derivatives		114,877		(108,515)		(287,164)
	Retroceded		14,084		12,390		16,951
Attributed to unrealized investment gains (losses)			(7,448)		(15,671)		(45,839)
Foreign currency changes			(17,916)		41,998		138,251
Balance, end of year		$	4,013,984	$	3,726,443	$	3,698,972

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.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for capitalizing costs incurred to write or acquire insurance contracts, the basis for and methodology for capitalizing such costs, the accounting for such deferred acquisition costs (DAC) when modifications or internal replacements of related insurance contracts occur and the effect on results of operations, and the methodology and amount of amortization. This disclosure addresses the nature, type, and amount of capitalized costs incurred to write or acquire insurance contracts.

+ References + Details

Income Tax

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Tax [Abstract]

Income Tax

Note 9 INCOME TAX

Pre-tax income for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):

		2011		2010		2009
Pre-tax income - U.S.		$	453,264	$	542,894	$	331,922
Pre-tax income - foreign			381,116		320,923		260,423
	Total pre-tax income	$	834,380	$	863,817	$	592,345

The provision for income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):


			2011		2010		2009
Current income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.			$	(1,605)	$	(217,970)	$	203,758
Foreign				50,138		63,233		62,696
	Total current			48,533		(154,737)		266,454

Deferred income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.				176,471		408,762		(92,634)
Foreign				9,756		35,390		11,439
	Total deferred			186,227		444,152		(81,195)

		Total provision for income taxes	$	234,760	$	289,415	$	185,259

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, 2011, 2010 and 2009 (dollars in thousands):


			2011			2010			2009

Tax provision at U.S. statutory rate			$	292,033		$	302,336		$	207,321
Increase (decrease) in income taxes resulting from:
	Foreign tax rate differing from U.S. tax rate			(17,230)			(8,741)			(7,636)
	Differences in tax basis in foreign jurisdictions			(11,584)			(5,210)			(4,222)
	Deferred tax valuation allowance			4,147			(11)			(4,450)
	Amounts related to tax audit contingencies			5,562			3,942			(10,774)
	Corporate rate changes - Canada			(40,593)			--			--
	Corporate rate changes - other			(1,933)			--			--
	Subpart F			9,340			--			--
	Foreign tax credits			(3,546)			--			--
	Prior year tax adjustment			(1,863)			(2,322)			4,552
	Other, net			427			(579)			468
		Total provision for income taxes	$	234,760		$	289,415		$	185,259

Effective tax rate				28.1	%		33.5	%		31.3	%

In 2011, the Company recognized an income tax benefit associated with previously enacted reductions in federal statutory tax rates and adjustments to various provincial statutory tax rates in Canada. This 2007 tax rate change enactment included phased in effective dates through 2012. These adjustments in tax rates should have been recognized beginning in 2007, when the Canadian tax legislation was enacted. The Company recorded a cumulative tax benefit adjustment of $32.5 million in 2011 in “Provision for income taxes” to correct the deferred tax liabilities that were not properly recorded. If the impact of the tax rates had been recorded in the prior years, the Company estimates that it would have recognized approximately $4.0 million, $6.0 million, $10.0 million and $13.0 million of tax benefit in the years ended 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Total income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

				2011			2010			2009
Provision for income taxes				$	234,760		$	289,415		$	185,259
	Income tax from OCI:
		Net unrealized holding gain (loss) on debt and equity securities recognized for financial reporting purposes
						275,975			267,445			355,088
		Exercise of stock options			(4,934)			2,255			(2,605)
		Foreign currency translation			(186)			(17,566)			6,286
		Unrealized pension and post retirement			(8,581)			911			(754)
			Total income taxes provided	$	497,034		$	542,460		$	543,274

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred income tax asset and liabilities at December 31, 2011 and 2010, are presented in the following tables (dollars in thousands):


				2011		2010
Deferred income tax assets:
	Nondeductible accruals			$	51,101	$	18,961
	Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions
						17,097		16,036
	Investment income differences				98,496		110,446
	Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for tax				67,006		66,246
	Net operating loss carryforward				174,503		348,450
	Capital loss and tax credit carryforwards				41,737		55,215
	Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for financial reporting				--		12,215
		Subtotal			449,940		627,569
Valuation allowance					(8,476)		(3,792)
	Total deferred income tax assets				441,464		623,777

Deferred income tax liabilities:
	Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for financial reporting				1,199,784		1,172,172
	Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions
						473,920		497,859
	Differences in the tax basis of cash and invested assets				574,738		274,891
	Investment income differences				13,499		14,050
	Differences in foreign currency translation				8,604		61,552
		Total deferred income tax liabilities			2,270,545		2,020,524

			Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	1,829,081	$	1,396,747

Balance sheet presentation of net deferred income tax liabilities:
	Included in other assets				2,788		--
	Included in deferred income taxes				1,831,869		1,396,747
			Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	1,829,081	$	1,396,747

As of December 31, 2011, a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets of approximately $8.5 million was provided on the total deferred tax assets of RGA UK Holdings Limited, RGA Technology Partners, Inc. Canadian Branch, RGA Technology Partners UK Branch, RGA International Reinsurance Company German Branch, RGA International Reinsurance Company Netherlands Branch and on Reinsurance Group of America Incorporated's deferred tax asset related to share expense for foreign entities. As of December 31, 2010 a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets of approximately $3.8 million was provided on net operating and capital losses of RGA South Africa Holdings, RGA Financial Products Limited, RGA Technology Partners, Inc. Canadian Branch, and RGA Technology Partners UK Branch. 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 taxes will not be realized.

The earnings of substantially all of the Company's foreign subsidiaries have been indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations. Therefore, no provision has been made for any U.S. taxes or foreign withholding taxes that may be applicable upon any repatriation or sale. The determination of any unrecognized deferred tax liability for temporary differences related to investments in the Company's foreign subsidiaries is not practicable. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the financial reporting basis in excess of the tax basis for which no deferred taxes have been recognized was approximately $777.3 million and $630.6 million, respectively.

During 2011, 2010, and 2009, the Company received federal and foreign income tax refunds of approximately $11.1 million, $37.5 million and $0.3 million, respectively. The Company made cash income tax payments of approximately $140.1 million, $48.0 million and $25.9 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had recognized gross deferred tax assets associated with net operating losses of approximately $562.7 million and $1,075.5 million, respectively, $427.1 million of which will begin to expire in 2025. The remaining net operating losses have indefinite carryforward periods. However, these net operating losses, other than the net operating losses 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, will not be lost, due to the application of tax planning strategies that management would utilize.

The Company files income tax returns with the U.S. federal government 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. With a few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and foreign tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2006.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company's total amount of unrecognized tax benefits was $194.3 million and the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would affect the effective tax rate, if recognized, was $26.8 million. It is not anticipated that the Company's liability for unrecognized tax benefits will change significantly over the next 12 months.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, is as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Total Unrecognized Tax Benefits
	2011		2010		2009
Beginning balance, January 1	$	182,354	$	221,040	$	206,665
Additions for tax positions of prior years		7,968		17,255		25,148
Reductions for tax positions of prior years		--		(59,879)		(14,711)
Additions for tax positions of current year		3,938		3,938		3,938
Ending balance, December 31	$	194,260	$	182,354	$	221,040

The Company recognized interest expense in 2011 of $7.1 million, and a benefit in interest expense of $1.4 million and $2.1 million in 2010 and 2009, respectively. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had $39.8 million and $32.7 million, respectively, of accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 136, 172
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 6: 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.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319

+ Details

Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

Note 10 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 certain health care and life insurance benefits for 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 $2.5 million, $2.0 million, and $1.3 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively that are related to these postretirement plans. 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, 2011 and 2010 is summarized below (dollars in thousands):

		December 31,
		Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
		2011		2010		2011		2010
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year		$	69,626	$	63,998	$	18,395	$	14,321
	Service cost		5,985		4,762		1,116		847
	Interest Cost		3,916		3,420		1,035		882
	Participant contributions		--		--		176		127
	Actuarial (gains) losses		16,164		(1,938)		8,348		2,326
	Benefits paid		(2,100)		(1,280)		(216)		(108)
	Foreign currency rate change effect		(490)		663		--		--
Benefit obligation at end of year		$	93,101	$	69,625	$	28,854	$	18,395

		December 31,
		Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
		2011		2010		2011		2010
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		$	35,888	$	30,923	$	--	$	--
	Actual return on plan assets		540		4,383		--		--
	Employer contributions		6,972		1,862		40		70
	Participant contributions		--		--		176		127
	Benefits paid and expenses		(2,100)		(1,280)		(216)		(108)
	Administrative expense		--		--		--		(89)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		$	41,300	$	35,888	$	--	$	--

Funded status at end of year		$	(51,801)	$	(33,737)	$	(28,854)	$	(18,395)

		December 31,
		Qualified Plans				Non-Qualified Plans⁽¹⁾				Total
		2011		2010		2011		2010		2011		2010
Aggregate fair value of plan assets		$	41,300	$	35,888	$	--	$	--	$	41,300	$	35,888
Aggregate projected benefit obligations			51,980		40,687		41,121		28,938		93,101		69,625
	Under funded	$	(10,680)	$	(4,799)	$	(41,121)	$	(28,938)	$	(51,801)	$	(33,737)

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

	December 31,
	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2011		2010		2011		2010
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income:

Net actuarial loss	$	30,565	$	13,118	$	13,875	$	5,880
Net prior service cost		2,804		3,264		--		--
Total	$	33,369	$	16,382	$	13,875	$	5,880

The following table presents information for pension plans with a projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):

	2011		2010
	2011		2010
Projected benefit obligation	$	93,101	$	69,625
Fair value of plan assets		41,300		35,888

The accumulated benefit obligations for all defined benefit pension plans were $89.5 million and $66.7 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The following table presents information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):


	2011		2010
	2011		2010
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	89,531	$	66,597
Fair value of plan assets		41,300		35,888

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
		2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost		$	5,985		$	4,762		$	3,821		$	1,116		$	847		$	597
Interest cost			3,916			3,420			3,443			1,035			882			674
Expected return on plan assets			(2,937)			(2,577)			(1,945)			--			--			--
Amortization of prior actuarial losses			980			688			1,593			353			236			20
Amortization of prior service cost			399			(171)			558			--			--			--
	Net periodic benefit cost		8,343			6,122			7,470			2,504			1,965			1,291

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income:


Net actuarial (gains) losses			18,561			(3,743)			2,009			8,348			2,326			2,094
Prior service cost			--			--			--			--			--			--
Amortization of actuarial (gains) losses			(980)			(688)			(1,593)			(353)			(236)			(20)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)			(399)			171			(558)			--			--			--
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments				(196)			(307)			290			--			--			--
	Total recognized in other comprehensive income
	Total recognized in other comprehensive income		16,986			(4,567)			148			7,995			2,090			2,074
	Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income
		$	25,329		$	1,555		$	7,618		$	10,499		$	4,055		$	3,365

The Company expects to contribute to the plans $4.7 million in pension benefits and $0.2 million in other benefits during 2012.

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

	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
2012	$	4,705	$	247
2013		5,031		302
2014		5,226		361
2015		5,511		420
2016		7,434		480
2017-2021		38,945		3,495

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 $3.4 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

Assumptions

Weighted average assumptions used to determine the accumulated benefit obligation and net benefit cost or income for the year ended December 31:

	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation		4.48	%		5.47	%		6.01	%		4.50	%		5.40	%		5.50	%
Discount rate used to determine net benefit cost or income
Discount rate used to determine net benefit cost or income		5.22	%		5.96	%		6.37	%		5.40	%		5.75	%		6.30	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets		7.75	%		8.50	%		8.50	%		--	%		--	%		--	%
Rate of compensation increases	4.20	%		4.20	%		4.21	%		--	%		--	%		--	%

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,
	2011	2010
Pre-Medicare eligible claims	9% down to 5% in 2015	8% down to 5% in 2013
Medicare eligible claims	8% down to 5% in 2013	8% down to 5% in 2013

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	$	659	$	(441)
Effect on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	$	7,010	$	(5,244)

Plan Assets

Target allocations of 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, 2011 and 2010. 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 pension plan assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are summarized below (dollars in thousands):

		December 31, 2011
				Fair Value Measurement Using:
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽¹⁾		$	41,250	$	41,250	$	--	$	--
Cash			50		50		--		--
	Total	$	41,300	$	41,300	$	--	$	--

(1)	Mutual funds were invested 43% in bond index funds, 25% in S&P 500 index funds, 12% in mid-cap stock funds, 13% in foreign large blend funds and 7% in small-cap funds.


		December 31, 2010
				Fair Value Measurement Using:
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽²⁾		$	35,845	$	35,845	$	--	$	--
Cash			43		43		--		--
	Total	$	35,888	$	35,888	$	--	$	--

(2)	Mutual funds were invested 38% in bond index funds, 26% in S&P 500 index funds, 13% in mid-cap stock funds, 15% in foreign large blend funds and 8% in small-cap funds.

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company classified all of its 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 Financial Instruments” for additional detail on the fair value hierarchy.

Savings and Investment Plans

Certain subsidiaries of the Company also sponsor saving and investment plans under which a portion of employee contributions are matched. Subsidiary contributions to these plans, which are partially tied to RGA's financial results, were $5.1 million, $3.9 million and $2.7 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph a
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph b
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph h
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph q
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph m
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 106
-Paragraph 518
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 87
-Paragraph 264
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)
-Number 03-2
-Paragraph 8
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)
-Number 30
-Paragraph 26
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)
-Number FAS106-2
-Paragraph 20, 21, 22
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Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 158
-Paragraph 7, 21, 22
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 5, 6, 7, 8
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Implementation Guide (Q and A)
-Number FAS88
-Paragraph 63
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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2235017

+ Details

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

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Statutory Basis [Abstract]

Statutory Basis Reporting [Text Block]

Note 11 FINANCIAL CONDITION AND NET INCOME ON A STATUTORY BASIS – SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES (UNAUDITED)

The domestic and foreign insurance subsidiaries of the Company 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 include publications of the 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.

The statutory net income amounts for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the statutory capital and surplus amounts as of December 31, 2010 in the table below are based on actual statutory filings with the applicable regulatory authorities. The statutory net income amounts for the year ended December 31, 2011 and the statutory capital and surplus amounts as of December 31, 2011 are estimates, as the respective 2011 statutory filings have not yet been made.

(dollars in thousands)	Statutory Capital & Surplus				Statutory Net Income (Loss)
	2011		2010		2011		2010		2009
RGA Reinsurance	$	1,515,934	$	1,528,887	$	129,717	$	68,010	$	63,189
RCM		1,478,864		1,486,928		37,142		53,690		(16,800)
RGA Canada		610,142		522,756		102,229		68,561		(2,620)
RGA Barbados		493,637		409,147		149,676		98,688		33,220
RGA Australia		382,395		339,297		44,403		31,897		37,515
RGA Atlantic		345,247		287,386		74,506		81,390		47,369
RGA Americas		267,871		259,589		55,639		50,314		15,433
Other reinsurance subsidiaries		644,918		454,738		(420,206)		80,286		(315,713)

The total capital and surplus positions of the Company's primary life reinsurance legal entities exceed the capital requirements of the applicable regulatory bodies. RCM and RGA Reinsurance 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 operating income or 10% of 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. 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. The assets of RCM consist primarily of its investment in RGA Reinsurance. As of January 1, 2012, RCM and RGA Reinsurance could pay maximum dividends, without prior approval, of approximately $147.9 million and $151.6 million, respectively. 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 by other subsidiaries are subject to regulations in the jurisdiction of domicile.

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Abstract]

Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees

Note 12 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

At December 31, 2011, the Company's commitments to fund investments were $156.6 million in limited partnerships, $33.6 million in commercial mortgage loans and $100.0 million in private placement investments. At December 31, 2010, the Company's commitments to fund investments were $147.2 million in limited partnerships, $6.7 million in commercial mortgage loans and $7.5 million in private placement investments. 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 private placements are carried at cost or accounted for using the equity method and included in other invested assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

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.

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, 2011 and 2010, there were approximately $15.8 million and $16.0 million, respectively, of undrawn outstanding bank letters of credit in favor of third parties. Additionally, the Company utilizes letters of credit to secure reserve credits when it retrocedes business to its subsidiaries, including Parkway Re, Timberlake Financial, RGA Americas, RGA Barbados and RGA Atlantic. 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. The capital required to support the business in the affiliates reflects more realistic expectations than the original jurisdiction of the business, where capital requirements are often considered to be quite conservative. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, $582.9 million and $518.4 million, respectively, in undrawn letters of credit from various banks were outstanding, 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.

In December 2011, the Company entered into a syndicated revolving credit facility with a four year term and an overall capacity of $850.0 million, replacing its $750.0 million five-year syndicated revolving credit facility, which was scheduled to mature in September 2012. The Company may borrow cash and obtain letters of credit in multiple currencies under this facility. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had $183.5 million in issued, but undrawn, letters of credit under this facility, which is included in the total above. Applicable letter of credit fees and fees payable for the credit facility depend upon the Company's senior unsecured long-term debt rating. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had $113.3 million in issued, but undrawn, letters of credit remaining under its $750.0 million five-year syndicated revolving credit facility, included in the total above, which were cancelled on January 6, 2012. Also during 2011, the Company entered into a five-year, $120.0 million letter of credit facility agreement. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had no issued letters of credit under this new facility. Letter of credit fees for this facility are fixed for the term of the facility. The Company also maintains a $200.0 million letter of credit facility which is scheduled to mature in September 2019. This letter of credit facility is fully utilized and is expected to amortize to zero by 2019. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had $200.0 million in issued, but undrawn, letters of credit under this facility, which is included in the total above. Letter of credit fees for this facility are fixed for the term of the facility. 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.

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 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, totaled $697.5 million and $600.8 million as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and are reflected on the Company's consolidated balance sheets in future policy benefits. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company's exposure related to treaty guarantees, net of assets held in trust, was $467.5 million and $352.0 million, respectively. 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 make principal and/or interest payments when due. As of December 31, 2011, RGA's obligation related to borrowed securities guarantees was $150.0 million. RGA has issued payment guarantees on behalf of two of its subsidiaries in the event the subsidiaries fail to make payment under their office lease obligations, the exposure of which was $11.7 million as of December 31, 2011.

Manor Re has obtained $300.0 million of collateral financing through 2020 from an international bank which enabled Manor Re to deposit assets in trust to support statutory reserve credit for an affiliated reinsurance transaction. The bank has recourse to RGA should Manor Re fail to make payments or otherwise not perform its obligations under this financing.

In addition, 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.

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 at December 31, 2011 are as follows:

2012	$	16.4	million
2013		13.2	million
2014		11.4	million
2015		6.5	million
2016		6.1	million
Thereafter		21.9	million

Rent expenses amounted to approximately $18.8 million, $17.1 million and $13.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Debt and Trust Preferred Securities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Debt And Trust Preferred Securities [Abstract]

Debt Disclosure

Note 13 DEBT AND TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES

The Company's debt and trust preferred securities consist of the following (dollars in thousands):

		2011		2010
$400 million 6.75% Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065		$	318,725	$	318,723
$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021			397,920		--
$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019			399,466		399,398
$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017			298,577		298,304
$200 million 6.75% Senior Notes due 2011			--		199,985
	Total Debt		1,414,688		1,216,410
Less portion due in less than one year (short-term debt)			-		(199,985)
	Long-term Debt	$	1,414,688	$	1,016,425

$225 million 5.75% Preferred Securities due 2051		$	--	$	159,421

During 2009, the Company repurchased $80.2 million face amount of its 6.75% junior subordinated debentures for $39.2 million. The debt was purchased by RGA Reinsurance. As a result, the Company recorded a pre-tax gain of $38.9 million, after fees and unamortized discount, in other revenues in 2009.

On March 4, 2011, RGA completed the remarketing of approximately 4.5 million trust preferred securities with an aggregate accreted value of approximately $158.2 million that were initially issued as a component of its PIERS Units. When issued, each PIERS Unit initially consisted of (1) a preferred security issued by RGA Capital Trust I, a financing subsidiary of RGA, with an annual distribution rate of 5.75 percent and stated maturity of March 18, 2051, and (2) a warrant to purchase at any time prior to December 15, 2050, 1.2508 shares of RGA common stock. Approximately 4.4 million of the warrants were exercised on March 4, 2011, at a price of $35.44 per warrant, resulting in the issuance of approximately 5.5 million shares, with cash paid in lieu of fractional shares. The warrant exercise price was paid to RGA. Remaining warrants were redeemed in cash at their redemption amount of $14.56 per warrant. As a result of the remarketing, the remarketed preferred securities had a fixed accreted value of $35.44 per security with a fixed annual distribution rate of 2.375% and were repaid on June 5, 2011, the revised maturity date. The proceeds from the remarketing were paid directly to the selling holders, unless holders timely elected to exercise their warrants in lieu of mandatory redemption, in which case the proceeds were applied on behalf of such selling holders to satisfy in full the exercise price of the warrants. Preferred securities of holders who timely elected to opt out of the remarketing were adjusted to match the terms of the remarketed preferred securities. In the first quarter of 2011, RGA recorded a $4.4 million pre-tax loss, included in other operating expenses, related to the recognition of the unamortized issuance costs of the original preferred securities.

On May 27, 2011, RGA issued 5.00% Senior Notes due June 1, 2021 with a face amount of $400.0 million. These senior notes have been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The net proceeds from the offering were approximately $394.4 million and were used to fund the payment of the RGA's $200.0 million senior notes that matured in December 2011 and for general corporate purposes. Capitalized issue costs were approximately $3.4 million.

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, 2011 and 2010, the Company had $1,414.7 million and $1,216.4 million, respectively, in outstanding borrowings under its debt agreements and was in compliance with all covenants under those agreements. 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. There currently are no repayments of debt due over the next five years.

Based on the historic cash flows and the current financial results of the Company, management believes RGA's cash flows will be sufficient to enable RGA to meet its obligations for at least the next 12 months.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants.

+ References + Details

Collateral Finance Facility

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Collateral Finance Facility [Abstract]

Collateral Financing Arrangements

Note 14 COLLATERAL FINANCE FACILITY

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 the U.S. Valuation of Life Policies Model Regulation (commonly referred to as 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 the Company, 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, 2011 and 2010, respectively, the Company held assets in trust and in custody of $896.1 million and $885.3 million, of which $33.5 million and $34.6 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 $7.1 million, $7.9 million and $8.3 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The payment of interest and principal on the notes is insured through a financial guaranty insurance policy by a monoline insurance company whose parent company is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The notes represent senior, secured indebtedness of Timberlake Financial without legal recourse to RGA or its other subsidiaries. Timberlake Financial relies primarily upon the receipt of interest and principal payments on a surplus note and dividend payments from its wholly-owned subsidiary, Timberlake Re, a South Carolina captive insurance company, to make payments of interest and principal on the notes. The ability of Timberlake Re to make interest and principal payments on the surplus note and dividend payments to Timberlake Financial is contingent upon the South Carolina Department of Insurance's regulatory approval. Since Timberlake Re's Risk Based Capital ratio is below 100%, it has been required to request approval on a quarterly rather than annual basis and provide additional scenario testing results. Approval to pay interest on the surplus note has been granted through March 28, 2012.

During 2011, the Company repurchased $198.5 million face amount of the Timberlake Financial notes for $130.8 million, which was the market value at the date of the purchases. The notes were purchased by RGA Reinsurance. As a result, the Company recorded pre-tax gains of $65.6 million, after fees, in other revenues in 2011.

In accordance with the general accounting principles for Consolidation, Timberlake Financial is considered to be a variable interest entity and the Company is deemed to hold the primary beneficial interest because it owns 100% of the voting rights. As a result, Timberlake Financial has been consolidated in the Company's financial statements. The Company's consolidated balance sheets include the assets of Timberlake Financial recorded as fixed maturity investments and other invested assets, which consists of restricted cash and cash equivalents, with the liability for the notes recorded as collateral finance facility. The Company's consolidated statements of income include the investment return of Timberlake Financial as investment income and the cost of the facility is reflected in collateral finance facility expense.

In 2010, Manor Re obtained $300.0 million of collateral financing through 2020 from an international bank which enabled Manor Re to deposit assets in trust to support statutory reserve credit for an affiliated reinsurance transaction. The bank has recourse to RGA should Manor Re fail to make payments or otherwise not perform its obligations under this financing. Interest on the collateral financing accrues at an annual rate of 3-month LIBOR plus a base rate margin, payable quarterly and totaled $5.3 million in 2011.

Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Information [Abstract]

Segment Information

Note 15 SEGMENT INFORMATION

The Company has five geographic-based operational segments, each of which is a distinct reportable segment: U.S., Canada, Europe & South Africa, Asia Pacific and Corporate and Other. The U.S. operations provide traditional life, long-term care, group life and health reinsurance, annuity and financial reinsurance products. The Canada operations provide insurers with reinsurance of traditional life products as well as creditor reinsurance, group life and health reinsurance, non-guaranteed critical illness products and longevity reinsurance. Europe & South Africa operations include traditional life reinsurance and critical illness business from Europe & South Africa, in addition to other markets the Company is developing. Asia Pacific operations provide primarily traditional and group life reinsurance, critical illness and, to a lesser extent, financial reinsurance. Corporate and Other includes results from, among others, RGA Technology Partners, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary that develops and markets technology solutions for the insurance industry and the investment income and expense associated with the Company's collateral finance facility. The Company measures segment performance based on income before income taxes.

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 RGA's businesses. As a result of the economic capital allocation process, a portion of investment income and investment related gains and losses are credited to the segments based on the level of allocated equity. 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.

The Company's reportable segments are strategic business units that are primarily segregated by geographic region. Information related to revenues, income 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,			2011		2010		2009
Revenues:
	U.S.		$	4,910,366	$	4,961,839	$	4,255,534
	Canada			1,051,828		976,172		777,235
	Europe & South Africa			1,247,065		957,713		826,880
	Asia Pacific			1,429,092		1,242,189		1,085,088
	Corporate and Other			191,187		123,817		122,085
		Total	$	8,829,538	$	8,261,730	$	7,066,822

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Income before income taxes:
	U.S.		$	436,709	$	539,390	$	308,718
	Canada			166,613		122,378		106,335
	Europe & South Africa			100,043		85,834		52,341
	Asia Pacific			67,120		88,760		83,546
	Corporate and Other			63,895		27,455		41,405
		Total	$	834,380	$	863,817	$	592,345

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Interest expense:
	Corporate and Other		$	102,638	$	90,996	$	69,940
		Total	$	102,638	$	90,996	$	69,940

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Depreciation and amortization:
	U.S.		$	476,667	$	761,725	$	733,345
	Canada			170,671		167,030		145,330
	Europe & South Africa			61,160		67,403		58,297
	Asia Pacific			189,847		145,666		114,300
	Corporate and Other			9,002		8,405		7,446
		Total	$	907,347	$	1,150,229	$	1,058,718

The table above includes amortization of deferred acquisition costs, including the effect from investment related gains and losses.

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Assets:
	U.S.		$	18,151,490	$	17,470,744	$	15,569,263
	Canada			3,453,094		3,441,915		3,026,515
	Europe & South Africa			1,932,452		1,584,007		1,400,580
	Asia Pacific			2,995,205		2,440,316		2,060,425
	Corporate and Other			5,571,791		4,144,926		3,192,718
		Total	$	32,104,032	$	29,081,908	$	25,249,501

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 subsidiaries 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.

In 2011, the U.S. operation's five largest clients generated approximately $1,401.5 million or 33.5% of U.S. operations gross premiums. In 2011, the Canada operation's five largest clients generated approximately $503.5 million or 53.6% of Canada operations gross premiums. In 2011, the Europe & South Africa operation's five largest clients generated approximately $634.2 million or 51.8% of Europe & South Africa operations gross premiums. In 2011, the Asia Pacific operation's five largest clients generated approximately $603.5 million or 45.0% of Asia Pacific operations gross premiums. In 2011, on a consolidated basis, the Company's five largest clients generated approximately $1,887.1 million or 24.5% of the Company's gross premiums. No individual client generated 10% or more of the Company's 2011 total gross premiums on a consolidated basis. In 2010, the U.S. operation's five largest clients generated approximately $1,423.6 million or 35.6% of U.S. operations gross premiums. In 2010, the Canada operation's five largest clients generated approximately $624.9 million or 58.0% of Canada operations gross premiums. In 2010, the Europe & South Africa operation's five largest clients generated approximately $450.9 million or 47.4% of Europe & South Africa operations gross premiums. In 2010, the Asia Pacific operation's five largest clients generated approximately $489.2 million or 41.8% of Asia Pacific operations gross premiums. In 2010, on a consolidated basis, the Company's five largest clients generated approximately $1,921.5 million or 26.7% of the Company's gross premiums. No individual client generated 10% or more of the Company's 2010 total gross premiums on a consolidated basis. 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 Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 131
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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+ Details

Equity Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Equity Based Compensation [Abstract]

Equity Based Compensation

Note 16 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, 2011, shares authorized for the granting of Benefits under the Plan and the Directors Plan totaled 11,760,077 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 $23.1 million, $18.1 million, and $10.7 million related to grants or awards under the Stock Plans was recognized in 2011, 2010 and 2009, 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 while options granted under the Directors Plan become exercisable after one year. 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. Information with respect to grants under the Stock Plans follows.

	Stock Options
		Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)		Performance Contingent Units
	Options	Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)		Performance Contingent Units
Outstanding January 1, 2009	2,787,184	$	40.84				383,119
Granted	743,145	$	32.20				309,063
Exercised / Lapsed	(226,264)	$	26.77				(123,782)
Forfeited	(103,426)	$	36.71				(12,184)
Outstanding December 31, 2009	3,200,639	$	39.96				556,216
Granted	535,867	$	47.10				253,342
Exercised / Lapsed	(314,815)	$	30.80				(93,597)
Forfeited	(39,375)	$	43.20				(14,419)
Outstanding December 31, 2010	3,382,316	$	41.91				701,542
Granted	503,259	$	59.74				222,580
Exercised / Lapsed	(736,452)	$	35.26				(146,638)
Forfeited	(42,243)	$	45.50				(21,818)
Outstanding December 31, 2011	3,106,880	$	46.30	$	18.5		755,666
Options exercisable	1,897,366	$	45.64	$	12.5

The intrinsic value of options exercised was $12.5 million, $7.2 million, and $4.7 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

		Options Outstanding				Options Exercisable
Range of Exercise Prices		Outstanding as of 12/31/2011	Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Exercisable as of 12/31/2011	Weighted-Average Exercise Price



$25.00 - $34.99		896,316	5.5	$	30.96	541,600	$	30.14
$35.00 - $44.99		150,174	2.0	$	39.61	150,174	$	39.61
$45.00 - $54.99		921,343	6.0	$	47.26	535,329	$	47.38
$55.00 +		1,139,047	7.1	$	58.47	670,263	$	58.13
	Totals	3,106,880	6.1	$	46.30	1,897,366	$	45.64

The Black-Scholes model was used to determine the fair value of stock options granted and recognized in the financial statements. 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. The per share weighted-average fair value of stock options granted during 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $22.73, $15.90 and $8.99 on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions: 2011-expected dividend yield of 0.80%, benchmark interest rate of 2.81%, expected life of 6.7 years, and an expected rate of volatility of the stock of 35.0% over the expected life of the options; 2010- expected dividend yield of 1.02%, benchmark interest rate of 2.82%, expected life of 6.0 years, and an expected rate of volatility of the stock of 33.9% over the expected life of the options; and 2009- expected dividend yield of 1.12%, benchmark interest rate of 2.03%, expected life of 6.0 years, and an expected rate of volatility of the stock of 29.1% over the expected life of the options.

During 2011, 2010 and 2009 the Company also issued 222,580, 253,342 and 309,063 performance contingent units (“PCUs”) to key employees at a weighted average fair value per unit of $59.74, $47.10 and $32.20, respectively. As of December 31, 2011, 217,865, 242,790 and 295,011 PCUs were outstanding from the 2011, 2010 and 2009 grants, respectively. 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. In February 2012, 2011 and 2010, the board approved a 1.31, 0.96 and 0.68 share payout for each PCU granted in 2009, 2008 and 2007, resulting in the issuance of 362,642, 141,405 and 63,409 shares of common stock from treasury, respectively.

As of December 31, 2011, the total compensation cost of non-vested awards not yet recognized in the financial statements was $22.2 million. It is estimated that these costs will vest over a weighted average period of 2.1 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 123R
-Paragraph 64, 65, A240
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 93-6
-Paragraph 53
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 14

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 50
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6406099&loc=d3e25284-112666

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5444-113901

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6418621&loc=d3e17540-113929

+ Details

Earnings Per Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share

Note 17 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):

			2011			2010			2009
Earnings:
	Net income (numerator for basic and diluted calculations)		$	599,620		$	574,402		$	407,086
Shares:
	Weighted average outstanding shares (denominator for basic calculations)
					73,586			73,157			72,790
Equivalent shares from outstanding stock options and warrants				522			1,537			537
		Diluted shares (denominator for diluted calculations)		74,108			74,694			73,327
Earnings per share:
	Basic		$	8.15		$	7.85		$	5.59
	Diluted		$	8.09		$	7.69		$	5.55

The calculation of equivalent shares from outstanding stock options does not include the effect of options having a strike 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 1.1 million, 0.7 million and 1.2 million outstanding stock options were not included in the calculation of common equivalent shares during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Approximately 0.8 million, 0.7 million and 0.6 million performance contingent shares were excluded from the calculation of common equivalent shares during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Comprehensive Income

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Comprehensive Income [Abstract]

Comprehensive Income

Note 18 COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

The following table presents the components of the Company's other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 (dollars in thousands):

For the year ended December 31, 2011:			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
	Change arising during year		$	(40,873)	$	1,886	$	(38,987)
	Foreign currency swap			4,858		(1,700)		3,158
		Net foreign currency translation adjustments		(36,015)		186		(35,829)
Unrealized gains on investments:⁽¹⁾
	Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year			1,118,586		(302,134)		816,452
	Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income			72,841		(25,494)		47,347
	Net unrealized gains			1,045,745		(276,640)		769,105
Change in unrealized other-than-temporary impairments on fixed
	maturity securities			(1,901)		665		(1,236)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
	Net prior service cost arising during the year			460		(185)		275
	Net loss arising during the period			(25,441)		8,766		(16,675)
		Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net		(24,981)		8,581		(16,400)
Other comprehensive income			$	982,848	$	(267,208)	$	715,640

For the year ended December 31, 2010:			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
	Change arising during year		$	83,384	$	3,110	$	86,494
	Foreign currency swap			(41,302)		14,456		(26,846)
		Net foreign currency translation adjustments		42,082		17,566		59,648
Unrealized gains on investments:
	Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year			849,226		(279,620)		569,606
	Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income			41,069		(14,374)		26,695
	Net unrealized gains			808,157		(265,246)		542,911
Change in unrealized other-than-temporary impairments on fixed
	maturity securities			6,279		(2,198)		4,081
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
	Net prior service cost arising during the year			(321)		108		(213)
	Net gain arising during the period			2,798		(1,019)		1,779
		Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net		2,477		(911)		1,566
Other comprehensive income			$	858,995	$	(250,789)	$	608,206

For the year ended December 31, 2009:			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
	Change arising during year		$	205,472	$	(9,122)	$	196,350
	Foreign currency swap			(8,102)		2,836		(5,266)
		Net foreign currency translation adjustments		197,370		(6,286)		191,084
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments:
	Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year			949,091		(331,182)		617,909
	Less: Reclassification adjustment for net losses realized in net income			(84,348)		29,522		(54,826)
	Net unrealized gains			1,033,439		(360,704)		672,735
Change in unrealized other-than-temporary impairments on fixed
	maturity securities			(16,045)		5,616		(10,429)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
	Net prior service cost arising during the year			(422)		141		(281)
	Net loss arising during the period			(1,800)		613		(1,187)
		Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net		(2,222)		754		(1,468)
Other comprehensive income			$	1,212,542	$	(360,620)	$	851,922

(1)		Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 - "Derivative Instruments" 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,		2011		2010		2009
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
	Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	1,058,505	$	813,174	$	1,004,303
	Other investments⁽¹⁾		(7,213)		16,933		58,930
Effect on unrealized appreciation on:
	Deferred policy acquisition costs		(7,448)		(15,671)		(45,839)
Net unrealized appreciation		$	1,043,844	$	814,436	$	1,017,394

(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 - "Derivative Instruments" for additional information on cash flow hedges.

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

			Accumulated		Unrealized				Accumulated
			Currency		Appreciation		Pension and		Other
			Translation		(Depreciation)		Postretirement		Comprehensive
			Adjustments		of Investments		Benefits		Income (Loss)
For the year ended December 31, 2011
Balance, beginning of year		$	270,526	$	651,449	$	(14,560)	$	907,415
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments			(35,829)		--		--		(35,829)
Unrealized gain on investments⁽¹⁾			--		769,105		--		769,105
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses
	on fixed maturity securities		--		(1,236)		--		(1,236)
Changes in pension and other postretirement
	plan adjustments		--		--		(16,400)		(16,400)
Balance, end of year		$	234,697	$	1,419,318	$	(30,960)	$	1,623,055

For the year ended December 31, 2010
Balance, beginning of year		$	210,878	$	104,457	$	(16,126)	$	299,209
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments			59,648		--		--		59,648
Unrealized gain on investments			--		542,911		--		542,911
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses
	on fixed maturity securities		--		4,081		--		4,081
Changes in pension and other postretirement
	plan adjustments		--		--		1,566		1,566
Balance, end of year		$	270,526	$	651,449	$	(14,560)	$	907,415

For the year ended December 31, 2009
Balance, beginning of year		$	19,794	$	(553,407)	$	(14,658)	$	(548,271)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments			191,084		--		--		191,084
Unrealized gain on investments			--		672,735		--		672,735
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses
	on fixed maturity securities		--		(10,429)		--		(10,429)
Cumulative effect of accounting change			--		(4,442)		--		(4,442)
Changes in pension and other postretirement
	plan adjustments		--		--		(1,468)		(1,468)
Balance, end of year		$	210,878	$	104,457	$	(16,126)	$	299,209

(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 - "Derivative Instruments" for additional information on cash flow hedges.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for comprehensive income. Includes, but is not limited to, the following: 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. Components of comprehensive income include: (1) foreign currency translation adjustments; (2) gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions that are designated as, and are effective as, economic hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity; (3) gains (losses) on intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term-investment nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements; (4) change in the market value of a futures contract that qualifies as a hedge of an asset reported at fair value; (5) unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities and that resulting from transfers of debt securities from the held-to-maturity category to the available-for-sale category; (6) a net loss recognized as an additional pension liability not yet recognized as net periodic pension cost; and (7) the net gain (loss) and net prior service cost or credit for pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 130
-Paragraph 14-26
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: 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=6920043&loc=d3e637-108580

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920043&loc=d3e681-108580

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920043&loc=d3e653-108580

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
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-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920433&loc=d3e998-108581

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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

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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+ Details

Quarterly Financial Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Information Text Block

Note 19 QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)

2011		First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues		$	2,282,435	$	2,203,977	$	1,994,907	$	2,348,219
Total benefits and expenses			2,040,586		2,003,571		1,823,367		2,127,634
Income before income taxes			241,849		200,406		171,540		220,585
Net Income			160,816		132,888		147,385		158,531

Earnings Per Share:
	Basic earnings per share	$	2.20	$	1.80	$	2.00	$	2.16
	Diluted earnings per share		2.18		1.78		1.98		2.15

Dividends declared per share		$	0.12	$	0.12	$	0.18	$	0.18

Market price of common stock
	Quarter end	$	62.78	$	60.86	$	45.95	$	52.25
	Common stock price, high		63.14		63.73		64.32		55.51
	Common stock price, low		53.92		58.40		44.51		44.67

Total outstanding common shares - end of period			73,797		74,076		73,267		73,368


2010		First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues		$	2,100,185	$	1,931,877	$	1,955,539	$	2,274,129
Total benefits and expenses			1,906,870		1,733,805		1,758,366		1,998,872
Income before income taxes			193,315		198,072		197,173		275,257
Net Income			122,439		127,019		128,232		196,712

Earnings Per Share:
	Basic earnings per share	$	1.68	$	1.74	$	1.75	$	2.68
	Diluted earnings per share		1.64		1.70		1.72		2.62

Dividends declared per share		$	0.12	$	0.12	$	0.12	$	0.12

Market price of common stock
	Quarter end	$	52.52	$	45.71	$	48.29	$	53.71
	Common stock price, high		52.64		56.49		51.09		54.89
	Common stock price, low		44.89		44.21		42.72		47.30

Total outstanding common shares - end of period			73,103		73,154		73,172		73,363

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol "RGA". There were 82,599 stockholders of record of RGA's common stock on January 31, 2012.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the quarterly financial data in the annual financial statements. The disclosure may include a tabular presentation of financial information for each fiscal quarter for the current and previous year, including revenues, gross profit, income or loss before extraordinary items and earnings per share data. It also includes an indication if the information in the note is unaudited, comments on the aggregate effect of year-end adjustments, and an explanation of matters or transactions that affect comparability or are pertinent to an understanding of the information furnished.

+ References + Details

Schedule I Summary of Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Summary Of Investments In Affiliates [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, 2011
(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		$	341	$	374	$	374
	State and political subdivisions			184		205		205
	Foreign governments⁽²⁾			3,880		5,289		5,289
	Public utilities			1,116		1,255		1,255
	Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities			2,845		2,872		2,872
	All other corporate bonds			5,817		6,206		6,206
		Total fixed maturity securities		14,183		16,201		16,201

Equity securities				35		36		36
Non-redeemable preferred stock				83		78		78
Mortgage loans on real estate				992		XXXX		992
Policy loans				1,260		XXXX		1,260
Funds withheld at interest				5,410		XXXX		5,410
Short-term investments				89		XXXX		89
Other invested assets				899		XXXX		899
		Total investments	$	22,951		XXXX	$	24,965



(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.

Schedule II Condensed Financial Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Financial Information Of Registrant [Abstract]

Condensed financial information of parent company

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED
SCHEDULE II—CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE REGISTRANT
December 31,
(dollars in thousands)

				2011		2010		2009
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
	Assets:
		Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale, at fair value		$	467,306	$	482,188
		Short-term and other investments			44,825		64,135
		Cash and cash equivalents			71,506		31,698
		Investment in subsidiaries			7,198,015		5,882,567
		Loans to subsidiaries			775,000		350,000
		Other assets			132,841		100,282
			Total assets	$	8,689,493	$	6,910,870

	Liabilities and stockholders' equity:
		Short-term and long-term debt - unaffiliated⁽¹⁾		$	1,494,615	$	1,296,337
		Long-term debt - affiliated⁽²⁾			500,000		164,919
		Other liabilities			557,773		409,047
		Stockholders' equity			6,137,105		5,040,567
			Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	8,689,493	$	6,910,870

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
	Interest / dividend income⁽³⁾			$	245,631	$	128,448	$	44,588
	Investment related gains (losses), net				1,723		2,944		(3,417)
	Operating expenses				(32,550)		(19,442)		(17,965)
	Interest expense				(111,600)		(96,556)		(73,673)
		Income (loss) before income tax and undistributed earnings of subsidiaries			103,204		15,394		(50,467)
	Income tax expense (benefit)				10,965		7,880		(24,228)
		Net income (loss) before undistributed earnings of subsidiaries			92,239		7,514		(26,239)
	Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries				507,381		566,888		433,325
		Net income		$	599,620	$	574,402	$	407,086


(1)		Short-term and long-term debt - unaffiliated consists of the following:
				2011		2010
		$400 million 6.75% Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065		$	398,652	$	398,650
		$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021			397,920		--
		$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019			399,466		399,398
		$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017			298,577		298,304
		$200 million 6.75% Senior Notes due 2011 (short-term)			--		199,985
			Total	$	1,494,615	$	1,296,337

(2)		Long-term debt - affiliated in 2011 consists of $500,000 of subordinated debt issued to various operating subsidiaries and in 2010 consists of $164,919 of subordinated debt issued to RGA Capital Trust I.


(3)		Interest/Dividend income includes $190,000 and $80,000 of cash dividends received from consolidated subsidiaries in 2011 and 2010, respectively. No cash dividends from consolidated subsidiaries are included in 2009.

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED
SCHEDULE II—CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE REGISTRANT (continued)
December 31,
(dollars in thousands)

				2011		2010		2009
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
	Operating activities:
		Net income		$	599,620	$	574,402	$	407,086
		Equity in earnings of subsidiaries			(507,381)		(566,888)		(433,325)
		Loss on retirement of trust preferred securities			4,391		--		--
		Foreign currency gain on repayment of debt			--		--		(4,826)
		Other, net			143,716		12,205		31,975
			Net cash provided by operating activities	$	240,346	$	19,719	$	910

	Investing activities:
		Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale		$	171,791	$	169,910	$	217,141
		Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale			(116,010)		(214,025)		(454,504)
		Purchases of subsidiary debt securities			(475,000)		(100,000)		(226,550)
		Maturities of subsidiary debt securities			50,000		226,550		--
		Change in short-term and other invested assets			(2,055)		7,688		(7,526)
		Capital contributions to subsidiaries			(105,575)		(73,950)		(91,000)
			Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		(476,849)		16,173		(562,439)

	Financing activities:
		Dividends to stockholders			(44,229)		(35,170)		(26,212)
		Purchases of treasury stock			(380,345)		(718)		(1,607)
		Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement			4,933		(2,255)		2,605
		Exercise of stock options, net			6,449		2,277		6,301
		Change in cash collateral for derivative positions			--		6,759		(14,189)
		Principal payments on debt			(200,000)		--		(22,539)
		Maturity of trust preferred securities			(159,473)		--		--
		Proceeds from unaffiliated long-term debt issuance, net			394,388		--		396,344
		Proceeds from affiliated long-term debt issuance			500,000		--		--
		Proceeds from redemption and remarketing of trust preferred securities			154,588		--		2
			Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		276,311		(29,107)		340,705
			Net change in cash and cash equivalents		39,808		6,785		(220,824)
	Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				31,698		24,913		245,737
	Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			$	71,506	$	31,698	$	24,913

- 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

Schedule III Supplementary Insurance Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Supplementary Insurance Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Supplementary Insurance Information for Insurance Companies

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
			Assumed		Ceded		Assumed		Ceded		Assumed		Ceded
2011
	U.S. operations		$	2,749,850	$	(35,292)	$	13,236,536	$	(221,872)	$	1,094,172	$	(71,323)
	Canada operations			355,585		(524)		2,762,175		(215,176)		192,187		(20,364)
	Europe & South Africa operations			432,813		(12,092)		718,167		(32,945)		573,019		(22,166)
	Asia Pacific operations			537,422		(13,778)		1,567,628		(68,533)		970,756		(40,964)
	Corporate and Other			--		--		13,465		--		11,239		(217)
		Total	$	4,075,670	$	(61,686)	$	18,297,971	$	(538,526)	$	2,841,373	$	(155,034)

2010
	U.S. operations		$	2,500,391	$	(34,550)	$	12,457,977	$	(206,375)	$	1,075,515	$	(104,039)
	Canada operations			346,498		(776)		2,703,322		(217,174)		181,326		(42,924)
	Europe & South Africa operations			448,304		(13,348)		604,696		(31,366)		482,033		(22,120)
	Asia Pacific operations			493,417		(13,684)		1,270,075		(64,455)		842,893		(34,726)
	Corporate and Other			191		--		13,200		--		16,174		(508)
		Total	$	3,788,801	$	(62,358)	$	17,049,270	$	(519,370)	$	2,597,941	$	(204,317)

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		Other Operating Expenses
2011
	U.S. operations		$	3,992,678	$	853,847	$	(3,787,418)	$	(354,827)	$	(331,412)
	Canada operations			835,298		184,101		(673,105)		(148,477)		(63,633)
	Europe & South Africa operations			1,194,477		41,557		(1,001,921)		(38,280)		(106,821)
	Asia Pacific operations			1,304,490		83,515		(1,077,982)		(160,816)		(123,174)
	Corporate and Other			8,744		118,177		(768)		(258)		(126,266)
		Total	$	7,335,687	$	1,281,197	$	(6,541,194)	$	(702,658)	$	(751,306)

2010
	U.S. operations		$	3,797,081	$	861,284	$	(3,539,577)	$	(640,539)	$	(242,333)
	Canada operations			797,206		165,138		(656,358)		(147,591)		(49,845)
	Europe & South Africa operations			918,513		34,517		(734,392)		(42,436)		(95,051)
	Asia Pacific operations			1,139,065		70,552		(926,383)		(120,161)		(106,885)
	Corporate and Other			7,815		107,169		(427)		(830)		(95,105)
		Total	$	6,659,680	$	1,238,660	$	(5,857,137)	$	(951,557)	$	(589,219)

2009
	U.S. operations		$	3,320,723	$	814,897	$	(3,168,321)	$	(606,005)	$	(172,490)
	Canada operations			614,831		137,750		(501,136)		(128,791)		(40,973)
	Europe & South Africa operations			781,952		32,240		(656,485)		(35,631)		(82,423)
	Asia Pacific operations			998,927		61,335		(817,052)		(93,823)		(90,667)
	Corporate and Other			8,728		76,240		(170)		(858)		(79,652)
		Total	$	5,725,161	$	1,122,462	$	(5,143,164)	$	(865,108)	$	(466,205)

Schedule IV Reinsurance

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Schedule of Reinsurance [Abstract]

Supplemental Schedule Of Reinsurance Premiums For Insurance Companies 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
2011
Life insurance in force			$	76	$	39,987	$	2,664,353	$	2,624,442		101.52	%
Premiums
	U.S. operations		$	2.6	$	197.0	$	4,187.1	$	3,992.7		104.87	%
	Canada operations			--		104.7		940.1		835.3		112.55
	Europe & South Africa operations			--		30.0		1,224.4		1,194.5		102.50
	Asia Pacific operations			--		36.8		1,341.3		1,304.5		102.82
	Corporate and Other			--		--		8.7		8.7		100.00
		Total	$	2.6	$	368.5	$	7,701.6	$	7,335.7		104.99	%

2010
Life insurance in force			$	74	$	42,582	$	2,540,317	$	2,497,809		101.70	%
Premiums
	U.S. operations		$	2.7	$	196.6	$	3,991.0	$	3,797.1		105.11	%
	Canada operations			--		280.6		1,077.8		797.2		135.20
	Europe & South Africa operations			--		32.4		950.9		918.5		103.53
	Asia Pacific operations			--		31.6		1,170.7		1,139.1		102.77
	Corporate and Other			--		--		7.8		7.8		100.00
		Total	$	2.7	$	541.2	$	7,198.2	$	6,659.7		108.09	%

2009
Life insurance in force			$	72	$	46,897	$	2,325,041	$	2,278,216		102.06	%
Premiums
	U.S. operations		$	2.3	$	193.2	$	3,511.6	$	3,320.7		105.75	%
	Canada operations			--		268.0		882.9		614.9		143.58
	Europe & South Africa operations			--		28.9		810.9		782.0		103.70
	Asia Pacific operations			--		28.9		1,027.8		998.9		102.89
	Corporate and Other			--		--		8.7		8.7		100.00
		Total	$	2.3	$	519.0	$	6,241.9	$	5,725.2		109.03	%

Schedule V Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule Of Valuation And Qualifying Accounts Disclosure Text Block

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED
SCHEDULE V—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
(in millions)

Description	Balance at Beginning of Period		Charges to Costs and Expenses		Charged to Other Accounts		Deductions		Balance at End of Period
2011
Allowance on income taxes	$	3.8	$	--	$	5.4	$	0.7	$	8.5
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans		6.2		9.5		--		3.9		11.8

2010
Allowance on income taxes	$	3.4	$	--	$	3.1	$	2.7	$	3.8
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans		5.8		7.4		--		7.0		6.2

2009
Allowance on income taxes	$	7.9	$	--	$	--	$	4.5	$	3.4
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans		0.5		8.4		--		3.1		5.8

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Dec. 31, 2011
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Consolidation and 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 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, and valuation of investments and investment impairments. 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, which are primarily 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 that would require disclosure or adjustments to the accompanying consolidated financial statements through the date the financial statements were issued other than the cancellation of issued, but undrawn, letters of credit as disclosed in Note 12 – “Commitments and Contingent Liabilities”.
Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Investments Fixed Maturity Securities Fixed maturity securities 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 and 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. Valuation allowances on mortgage loans are established based upon 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 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 on an internal credit quality rating where a property-specific or market-specific risk has not been identified, but for which an incurred loss is probable. These evaluations are based upon several loan portfolio specific factors, including the Company's 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 factors that include the impact of changing macro economic conditions, which may not be currently reflected in the loan portfolio performance, and recent loss and recovery trend experience as compared to historical loss and recovery experience. 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. The Company's internal risk rating model is used to estimate the probability of mortgage loan default and the likelihood of loss upon default. The rating scale ranges from “high investment grade” to “in or near default” with high investment grade being the highest quality and least likely to default and lose principal. Likewise, a rating of in or near default indicates the lowest quality and the most likely to default or lose principal. All loans are assigned a rating at origination and ratings are updated at least annually. Lower rated loans appear on the Company's watch list and are re-evaluated more frequently. The debt service coverage ratio and the loan to value ratio are the most heavily weighted factors in determining the loan rating. Other factors involved in determining the final rating are loan amortization, tenant rollover, location and market stability, and borrowers' financial condition and experience.
Policy Loans Receivable, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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 equal to the net statutory reserves are withheld and legally owned by the ceding company. Interest accrues to these assets at rates defined by the treaty terms. 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 amortized cost, which approximates fair value. Other Invested Assets In addition to derivative contracts discussed below, other invested assets include equity securities and collateral, carried at fair value, and limited partnership interests and structured loans, primarily carried at cost. Changes in fair value of equity securities and preferred stocks are recorded through AOCI. 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 the Company does not expect to recover the amortized cost basis, it does not plan to sell the security and if it is not 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, the recognition of the other-than-temporary impairment is bifurcated. 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 cost of other invested assets is adjusted for impairments in value deemed to be other-than-temporary in the period in which the determination is made. These impairments are included within investment related gains (losses), net and the cost basis of the investment securities is reduced accordingly. The Company does not change the revised cost basis for subsequent recoveries in value. However, the Company adjusts the cost basis for accretion or amortization.
Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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 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 foreign currency hedge, (4) a net investment hedge in a foreign operation or (5) 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. 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. Changes in the fair value of free-standing derivative instruments, which do not receive accounting hedge treatment, are reflected in 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 (“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. 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; (iii) a foreign currency hedge; or (iv) 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. 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. 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. 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 the embedded derivatives related to these reinsurance treaties is sensitive to the credit spread environment. The calculation of the change in fair value of these embedded derivatives includes the effect associated with the Company's own credit risk. A decline in the Company's credit ratings would result in a decrease in the embedded derivative liability. 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 of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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 financial instruments, based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique, into a three level hierarchy. 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 instrument. See Note 6 - “Fair Value of Financial Instruments” for further details on the Company's assets and liabilities recorded at fair value.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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, Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Premiums Receivable Premiums are accrued when due and in accordance with information received from the ceding company. 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 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, 2011 or 2010.
Capitalization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Costs of acquiring new business, which vary with and are primarily 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. The Company performs annual tests to establish that Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (“DAC”) remain recoverable at all times, including at issue, and if financial performance significantly deteriorates to the point where a premium deficiency exists, a cumulative charge to current operations will be recorded. As a result of recoverability testing for new business issues, a charge of approximately $7.7 million to current operations was recorded in the Asset-Intensive sub-segment in 2009 with projected revenue deemed insufficient to cover future benefits and expenses. No such adjustments related to DAC recoverability were made in 2010 or 2011. Deferred costs 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. Deferred costs related to interest-sensitive life and investment-type policies are amortized over the lives of the policies, in relation to the present value of estimated gross profits expected to be realized from mortality, investment income less interest credited, and expense margins.
Deposit Contracts, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Other Reinsurance Balances The Company assumes and retrocedes financial reinsurance contracts that represent low mortality risk reinsurance treaties. 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.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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, 2011 and 2010 totaled $7.0 million, net. 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 $0.8 million and $1.0 million, including accumulated amortization of $24.6 million and $24.4 million, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The VOBA amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $0.2 million, $12.3 million, and $0.4 million, respectively. The higher VOBA amortization in 2010 is related to acquisition of Reliastar Life Insurance Company's U.S. and Canadian group life, accident and health reinsurance business, which was entirely amortized in 2010. These amortized balances are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Future amortization of the VOBA is not material.
Intangible Assets Arising from Insurance Contracts Acquired in Business Combination, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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 Company's VODA and VOCRA are related to the acquisition of Reliastar Life Insurance Company's U.S. and Canadian group life, accident and health reinsurance business in 2010. 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. Each year the Company reviews VODA and VOCRA to determine the recoverability of these balances. VODA and VOCRA totaled approximately $106.3 million and $117.3 million, including accumulated amortization of $14.3 million and $3.4 million, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The VODA and VOCRA amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 was $10.9 million and $3.4 million, respectively. Amortization of the VODA and VOCRA is estimated to be $10.5 million, $10.1 million, $9.5 million, $9.4 million and $9.0 million during 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Intangible Assets, Finite-Lived, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Other Assets In addition to the goodwill, VOBA, VODA and VOCRA, other assets primarily includes unamortized debt issuance costs, corporate-owned life insurance, capitalized software, and other capitalized assets. Capitalized software is stated at cost, less accumulated amortization. Purchased software costs, as well as internal and external costs incurred to develop internal-use computer software during the application development stage, are capitalized. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had unamortized computer software costs of approximately $33.0 million and $14.6 million, respectively. The increase in unamortized software costs in 2011 was primarily related to the development or acquisition of software for internal use in connection with the Company's information technology initiatives. During 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company amortized computer software costs of $4.3 million, $4.0 million, and $3.5 million, respectively. 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.
Liability for Future Policy Benefits and Unpaid Claims Disclosure [Text Block]	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. 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. 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 income 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, 2011 were not material.
Long-Duration Contracts, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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. The liabilities under asset-intensive reinsurance contracts reinsured on a coinsurance basis are included in interest-sensitive contract liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Asset-intensive contracts principally include traditional individual fixed annuities in the accumulation phase, single premium immediate annuities, equity-indexed annuities and individual variable annuity 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 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 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.
Unpaid Policy Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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 2.8 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 net income in the period in which they are determined.
Other Liabilities [Policy Text Block]	Other Liabilities Other liabilities primarily includes investments in transit, separate accounts, employee benefits, current federal income taxes payable, and payables related to repurchase agreements. At times the Company utilizes sales of investment securities with agreements to repurchase the same securities for purposes of short-term financing. The repurchase obligation is a component of other liabilities. There were no securities subject to these agreements outstanding at December 31, 2011 or 2010.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes RGA and its eligible subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. The U.S. consolidated tax return includes the operations of RGA, RGA Americas, RGA Reinsurance, RGA Barbados, RGA Technology Partners, Inc., RCM, Timberlake Reinsurance Company II (“Timberlake Re”), Reinsurance Partners, Inc., RGA Worldwide Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“RGA Worldwide"), Rockwood Reinsurance Company (“Rockwood Re”) and Parkway Reinsurance Company ("Parkway Re"). The Company's Australian, certain Barbadian, Bermudian, Canadian, South African, Indian, Irish, Singaporean, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom 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. 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 significant deferred tax assets related to net operating and capital losses. Most of the Company's exposure related to its deferred tax assets are within legal entities that file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return. The Company has projected its ability to utilize its net operating losses and has determined that predominately all of these losses are expected to be utilized prior to their expiration. The Company has also done extensive analysis of its capital losses and has determined that sufficient unrealized capital gains exist within its investment portfolios that should offset any capital loss realized. It is also the Company's intention to hold all unrealized loss securities until maturity or until their market value recovers. However, future unforeseen circumstances could create a situation in which the Company would prematurely sell securities in an unrealized loss position. The Company will establish a valuation allowance when 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 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 accounts for 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 income statement 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 Facility [Policy Text Block]	Collateral Finance Facility Collateral finance facility represents notes issued to fund collateral requirements for statutory reserves on specified term life insurance policies reinsured by RGA Reinsurance. The cost of the facility is reflected in collateral finance facility expense. See Note 14 - "Collateral Finance Facility" for additional information.
Trust Preferred Securities [Policy Text Block]	Company-Obligated Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Securities of Subsidiary Trust Holding Solely Junior Subordinated Debentures of the Company During December 2001, RGA Capital Trust I (the "Trust"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of RGA, sold Preferred Income Equity Redeemable Securities (“PIERS”) Units. Each unit consisted of a preferred security (“Preferred Securities”) issued by the Trust with a detachable warrant to purchase 1.2508 shares of RGA common stock. The Trust sold 4.5 million PIERS units. The fair value of the Preferred Securities on the date issued, $158.1 million, was recorded in liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets under the caption "Company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities of subsidiary trust holding solely junior subordinated debentures”. The coupon rate of the Preferred Securities was 5.75% on a face amount of $225.0 million. The Preferred Securities were remarketed and matured during 2011. See Note 13 – “Debt and Trust Preferred Securities” for more information.
Warrants [Policy Text Block]	Warrants The fair value of the detachable warrants on the date the PIERS units were issued is recorded in stockholders' equity on the consolidated balance sheets under the caption "Warrants”. Approximately 4.4 million of the warrants were exercised in March 2011, at a price of $35.44 per warrant, resulting in the issuance of approximately 5.5 million shares of common stock. Remaining warrants were redeemed in cash at their redemption amount of $14.56 per warrant. See Note 13 – “Debt and Trust Preferred Securities” for more information.
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]	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 a weighted-average exchange rate 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 subsidiary 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.
Reinsurance Accounting Policy [Policy Text Block]	Retrocession Arrangements and 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. 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 coverages provided by the Company in addition to individual life, such as group life, disability and health, under certain circumstances, the Company could potentially incur claims totaling more than $8.0 million per individual life. Retrocessions are arranged through the Company's retrocession pools for amounts in excess of the Company's retention limit. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, 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 given as additional security. 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 RGA Reinsurance, Parkway Re, RGA Barbados, RGA Americas, Rockwood Re, Manor Reinsurance, Ltd. (“Manor Re”), RGA Worldwide or RGA Atlantic. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had claims recoverable due from retrocessionaires of $151.9 million and $162.4 million, respectively, which is included in reinsurance ceded receivables, in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company considers outstanding claims recoverable in excess of 90 days to be past due. There were $11.4 million and $16.0 million of past due claims recoverable as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Based on the Company's annual financial reviews noted in the paragraph above, the Company has not established a valuation allowance for claims recoverable from retrocessionaires. The Company has never experienced a material default in connection with retrocession arrangements, nor has it experienced any difficulty in collecting claims recoverable from retrocessionaires; however, no assurance can be given as to the future performance of such retrocessionaires or as to recoverability of any such claims.
Revenue Recognition, Premiums Earned, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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 sheet 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. The spread profits on the Company's fixed annuity and interest-sensitive whole life, universal life (“UL”) and fixed portion of variable universal life (“VUL”) insurance policies are at risk if interest rates decline and remain relatively low for a period of time, which has generally been the case in recent years. Should interest rates remain at current levels that are significantly lower than those existing prior to the declines of recent years, the average earned rate of return on the Company's annuity and UL investment portfolios will continue to decline. Declining portfolio yields may cause the spreads between investment portfolio yields and the interest rate credited to contract holders to deteriorate as the Company's ability to manage spreads can become limited by minimum guaranteed rates on annuity and UL policies. In 2011, minimum guaranteed rates on non-variable annuity and UL policies generally ranged from 0.5% to 6.0%, with an average guaranteed rate of approximately 2.7%. In 2010, minimum guaranteed rates on non-variable annuity and UL policies generally ranged from 1.0% to 6.0%, with an average guaranteed rate of approximately 2.8%. Interest rate spreads are managed for near term income through a combination of crediting rate actions and portfolio management. Certain annuity products contain crediting rates that reset annually, of which $804.3 million and $860.4 million of account balances are not subject to surrender charges, with 95.0% and 76.1% of these already at their minimum guaranteed rates as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. As such, certain management monitoring processes are designed to minimize the effect of sudden and/or sustained changes in interest rates on fair value, cash flows, and net interest income. The Company manages its exposure to interest rates principally by matching floating rate liabilities with corresponding floating rate assets and by matching fixed rate liabilities with corresponding fixed rate assets. The Company uses equity options or other derivatives to minimize its exposure to movements in equity markets that have a direct correlation with certain of its reinsurance products. 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 the net amount payable/receivable reflected in other reinsurance assets or liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Fees earned on the contracts are reflected as other revenues, rather than premiums, on the consolidated statements of income.
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Earnings Per Share Basic earnings per share exclude any dilutive effects of any outstanding options, warrants or units. Diluted earnings per share include the dilutive effects assuming outstanding stock options, warrants or units were exercised.
Schedule of New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Table Text Block]	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™. 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. Basis of Presentation, Business Combinations and Consolidation In December 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Balance Sheet as it relates to the disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. The amendment requires disclosures about the Company's rights of offset and related arrangements associated with its financial instruments and derivative instruments. This amendment also requires the disclosure of both gross and net information about both instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the balance sheet and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this amendment on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Consolidation as it relates to the assessment of a variable interest entity for potential consolidation. The amendment defers the effective date of the Consolidation amendment made in June 2009 for certain variable interest entities. This update also clarifies how a related party's interest should be considered when evaluating variable interests. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after January 31, 2010. The adoption of this amendment did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In June 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Consolidation as it relates to the assessment of a variable interest entity for potential consolidation. This amendment also requires additional disclosures to provide transparent information regarding the involvement in a variable interest entity. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. Investments In April 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Receivables as it relates to a creditor's determination of whether a restructuring is a troubled debt restructuring. This amendment clarifies the guidance related to the creditor's evaluation of whether it has granted a concession and whether the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. It also clarifies that the creditor is precluded from using the effective interest rate test when evaluating whether a restructuring constitutes a troubled debt restructuring. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after June 15, 2011, and is to be applied retrospectively to restructurings occurring on or after the beginning of the annual period of adoption. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In July 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Receivables as it relates to the disclosures about the credit quality of financing receivables and the allowance for credit losses. This amendment requires additional disclosures that provide a greater level of disaggregated information about the credit quality of financing receivables and the allowance for credit losses. It also requires the disclosure of credit quality indicators, past due information, and modifications of financing receivables. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending on or after December 15, 2010, except for disclosures about activity that occurs during the reporting period. Those disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010. The Company adopted this amendment and the required disclosures are provided in Note 2 — “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and in Note 4 — “Investments”. In April 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Investments as it relates to the recognition and presentation of other-than-temporary impairments. This amendment updates the other-than-temporary impairment guidance for fixed maturity securities to make it more operational and to improve the presentation and disclosure of other-than-temporary impairments (“OTTI”) on fixed maturity and equity securities in the financial statements. This amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment resulted in a net after-tax increase to retained earnings and a decrease to accumulated other comprehensive income of $4.4 million, as of April 1, 2009. The required disclosures are provided in Note 4 — “Investments”. Transfers and Servicing In April 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Transfers and Servicing as it relates to the reconsideration of effective control for repurchase agreements. This amendment removes from the assessment of effective control the criterion requiring the transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets and also removes the collateral maintenance implementation guidance related to that criterion. The amendment is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this amendment is not expected to have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In June 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Transfers and Servicing as it relates to the transfers of financial assets. This amendment also requires additional disclosures to address concerns regarding the transparency of transfers of financial assets. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In February 2008, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Transfers and Servicing as it relates to the accounting for transfers of financial assets and repurchase financing transactions. This amendment provides guidance for evaluating whether to account for a transfer of a financial asset and repurchase financing as a single transaction or as two separate transactions. The amendment is effective prospectively for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. Derivatives and Hedging In March 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging as it relates to embedded derivatives. This amendment clarifies the scope exception for embedded credit derivative features related to the transfer of credit risk in the form of subordination of a financial instrument to another. The amendment is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after June 15, 2010. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In March 2008, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging as it relates to the disclosures about derivative instruments and hedging activities. This amendment requires enhanced qualitative disclosures about objectives and strategies for using derivatives, quantitative disclosures about fair value amounts of and gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative agreements. The amendment is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008. The Company adopted this amendment in the first quarter of 2009. The required disclosures are provided in Note 5 — “Derivative Instruments”. Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures In May 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures as it relates to the measurement and disclosure requirements about fair value measurements. This amendment clarifies the FASB's intent about the application of existing fair value measurement requirements. It also changes particular principles and requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The amendment is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this amendment is not expected to have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements other than the addition of the required disclosures. In January 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures as it relates to the disclosures about fair value measurements. This amendment requires new disclosures about the transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 measurements and also enhances disclosures about the activity within the Level 3 measurements. It also clarifies the required level of disaggregation and the disclosures regarding valuation techniques and inputs to fair value measurements. The amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the enhanced Level 3 disclosures. Those disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010. The Company adopted this amendment and the required disclosures are provided in Note 6 — “Fair Value of Financial Instruments”. In April 2009, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures as it relates to determining fair value when the volume and level of activity for asset or liability have significantly decreased and identifying transactions that are not orderly. This amendment provides additional guidance for estimating fair value when the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability have significantly decreased in relation to normal market activity for the asset or liability and clarifies that the use of multiple valuation techniques may be appropriate. It also provides additional guidance on circumstances that may indicate a transaction is not orderly. Further, it requires additional disclosures about fair value measurements in annual and interim reporting periods. This amendment is effective prospectively for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. The adoption of this amendment did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. The required disclosures are provided in Note 6 — “Fair Value of Financial Instruments”. Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs In October 2010, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Financial Services – Insurance as it relates to accounting for costs associated with acquiring or renewing insurance contracts. This amendment clarifies that only those costs that result directly from and are essential to the contract transaction and that would not have been incurred had the contract transaction not occurred can be capitalized. It also defines acquisitions costs as costs that are related directly to the successful acquisitions of new or renewal insurance contracts. The amendment is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The retrospective adoption of this amendment on January 1, 2012, will result in a reduction in the Company's deferred acquisition cost asset and a corresponding reduction to equity. There will be a decrease in amortization subsequent to adoption due to the reduced deferred acquisition cost asset. There will also be a reduction in the level of future costs the Company defers; thereby increasing expenses incurred in future periods. The adoption of this amendment is expected to result in a cumulative effect decrease to total stockholders' equity of approximately $320.4 million and a decrease in the deferred policy acquisition costs balance of approximately $472.3 million on January 1, 2012. Additionally, the adoption of this amendment is expected to result in a decrease in income before income taxes of approximately $60.1 million, $59.6 million, and $52.5 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Comprehensive Income In June 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Comprehensive Income as it relates to the presentation of comprehensive income. This amendment requires entities to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income in either a continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The amendment does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income. In December 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Comprehensive Income as it relates to the presentation of comprehensive income. This amendment defers the requirement to present the effects of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the Company's consolidated statements of income, which was required in the Comprehensive Income amendment made in June 2011. These amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of these amendments are not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements other than the required disclosures.
Reclassifications [Text Block]	Reclassification The Company has reclassified the presentation of certain prior period information to conform to the 2011 presentation. Such reclassifications include available-for-sale securities by sector in the Company's investment and fair values disclosures to reflect the movement of supranational and certain foreign government related securities from “Corporate securities” to a revised category titled “Other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises”. In addition, cash equivalents have been added to the Company's measurement of fair value on a recurring basis tables and certain mortgage loan disclosures have been revised to present amounts gross of valuation allowances.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Net Amount of Risk by Product and Guarantee [Table Text Block]

	Current weighted-average interest crediting rate		Minimum guaranteed rate ranges
Interest sensitive contract liability	2011	2010	2011	2010
Traditional individual fixed annuities	2.47%	3.79%	0.50 – 4.50%	2.50 – 4.50%
Equity-indexed annuities	4.07%	3.69%	1.00 – 3.00%	1.00 – 3.00%
Individual variable annuity contracts	4.02%	5.12%	1.50 – 5.42%	1.50 – 5.71%
Guaranteed investment contracts	3.79%	3.79%	0.00 – 4.50%	0.00 – 4.50%
Universal life – type policies	4.69%	5.00%	3.00 – 6.00%	3.00 – 6.00%

Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Investments [Abstract]

Summary Of Investments [Table Text Block]

		2011		2010
Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale		$	16,200,950	$	14,304,597
Mortgage loans on real estate			991,731		885,811
Policy loans			1,260,400		1,228,418
Funds withheld at interest			5,410,424		5,421,952
Short-term investments			88,566		118,387
Other invested assets			1,012,541		707,403
Cash and cash equivalents			962,870		463,661
	Total cash and invested assets	$	25,927,482	$	23,130,229

Investment Income [Table Text Block]

Investment Income, Net of Related Expenses

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

	2011		2010		2009
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	757,726	$	715,817	$	609,917
Mortgage loans on real estate		55,931		51,186		46,652
Policy loans		66,621		72,743		68,213
Funds withheld at interest		388,694		385,762		382,351
Short-term investments		2,378		4,968		4,692
Other invested assets		39,939		33,187		28,777
Investment revenue		1,311,289		1,263,663		1,140,602
Investment expense		(30,092)		(25,003)		(18,140)
Investment income, net of related expenses	$	1,281,197	$	1,238,660	$	1,122,462

Gain (Loss) on Investments [Table Text Block]

Investment Related Gains (Losses), Net

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

			2011		2010		2009
Fixed maturity and equity securities available for sale:
	Other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed maturities		$	(30,873)	$	(31,920)	$	(128,834)
	Portion of loss recognized in accumulated other
		comprehensive income (before taxes)		3,924		2,045		16,045
	Net other-than-temporary impairment losses on fixed
		maturity securities recognized in earnings		(26,949)		(29,875)		(112,789)
	Impairment losses on equity securities			(4,116)		(32)		(11,058)
	Gain on investment activity			132,045		100,957		113,872
	Loss on investment activity			(26,996)		(28,730)		(72,987)
Other impairment losses				(10,238)		(5,976)		(8,471)
Derivatives and other, net				(99,802)		175,686		125,581
Net gains (losses)			$	(36,056)	$	212,030	$	34,148

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

	2011		2010		2009⁽¹⁾
Balance, beginning of period	$	47,291	$	47,905	$	17,132
Initial impairments - credit loss OTTI recognized on securities not previously impaired		8,349		7,359		7,853
Additional impairments - credit loss OTTI recognized on securities previously impaired		9,059		9,346		22,920
Credit loss impairments previously recognized on securities which were sold during the period		(752)		(17,319)		--
Balance, end of period	$	63,947	$	47,291	$	47,905

(1) Represents nine month period due to adoption of amended general accounting principles on April 1, 2009.

Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]

													Other-than-
													temporary
December 31, 2011:			Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized		Estimated		% of		impairments
			Cost		Gains		Losses		Fair Value		Total		in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
	Corporate securities		$	6,931,958	$	654,519	$	125,371	$	7,461,106	46.0	%	$	--
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		2,507,802		1,362,160		29		3,869,933	23.9			--
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			1,167,265		76,393		16,424		1,227,234	7.6			(1,042)
	Asset-backed securities			443,974		11,692		53,675		401,991	2.5			(5,256)
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			1,233,958		87,750		79,489		1,242,219	7.7			(12,225)
	U.S. government and agencies			341,087		32,976		61		374,002	2.3			--
	State and political subdivisions			184,308		24,419		3,341		205,386	1.3			--
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		1,372,528		50,127		3,576		1,419,079	8.7			--
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	14,182,880	$	2,300,036	$	281,966	$	16,200,950	100.0	%	$	(18,523)

Non-redeemable preferred stock			$	82,488	$	4,677	$	8,982	$	78,183	68.6	%
Other equity securities				35,352		1,903		1,538		35,717	31.4
		Total equity securities	$	117,840	$	6,580	$	10,520	$	113,900	100.0	%

													Other-than-
													temporary
December 31, 2010:			Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized		Estimated		% of		impairments
			Cost		Gains		Losses		Fair Value		Total		in AOCI
Available-for-sale:
	Corporate securities		$	6,384,262	$	426,933	$	100,751	$	6,710,444	46.9	%	$	--
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		2,386,428		675,132		3,993		3,057,567	21.4			--
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			1,443,892		55,765		26,580		1,473,077	10.3			(1,650)
	Asset-backed securities			440,752		12,001		61,544		391,209	2.7			(4,963)
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			1,353,279		81,839		97,265		1,337,853	9.4			(10,010)
	U.S. government and agencies			199,129		7,795		708		206,216	1.4			--
	State and political subdivisions			170,479		2,098		8,117		164,460	1.2			--
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		966,801		11,574		14,604		963,771	6.7			--
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	13,345,022	$	1,273,137	$	313,562	$	14,304,597	100.0	%	$	(16,623)

Non-redeemable preferred stock			$	100,718	$	4,130	$	5,298	$	99,550	71.0	%
Other equity securities				34,832		6,100		271		40,661	29.0
		Total equity securities	$	135,550	$	10,230	$	5,569	$	140,211	100.0	%

Investments Classified By Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

			Amortized		Fair
			Cost		Value
Available-for-sale:
	Due in one year or less		$	178,548	$	181,033
	Due after one year through five years			2,479,316		2,559,352
	Due after five year through ten years			3,868,653		4,195,878
	Due after ten years			4,811,166		6,393,243
	Asset and mortgage-backed securities			2,845,197		2,871,444
		Total	$	14,182,880	$	16,200,950

Fixed Maturity Holdings Industry Types [Table Text Block]

December 31, 2011:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Finance		$	2,411,175	$	2,442,149	32.7	%
Industrial			3,402,099		3,760,187	50.4
Utility			1,115,384		1,255,090	16.9
Other			3,300		3,680	--
	Total	$	6,931,958	$	7,461,106	100.0	%


December 31, 2010:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Finance		$	2,447,486	$	2,501,158	37.3	%
Industrial			3,065,088		3,281,255	48.9
Utility			868,382		924,304	13.7
Other			3,306		3,727	0.1
	Total	$	6,384,262	$	6,710,444	100.0	%

Sovereign Fixed Maturity Holdings By Country [Table Text Block]

December 31, 2011:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Australia		$	437,713	$	446,694	39.1	%
Japan			214,994		219,276	19.2
United Kingdom			118,618		130,106	11.4
Germany			72,926		75,741	6.6
New Zealand			51,547		51,544	4.5
South Africa			37,624		38,528	3.4
South Korea			30,592		32,025	2.8
Other			139,927		148,792	13.0
	Total	$	1,103,941	$	1,142,706	100.0	%


December 31, 2010:					Estimated
			Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Australia		$	350,178	$	343,716	54.0	%
United Kingdom			84,650		86,126	13.5
South Africa			43,173		43,991	6.9
Germany			30,920		30,602	4.8
Qatar			26,464		27,549	4.3
South Korea			22,812		23,378	3.7
United Arab Emirates			14,545		15,067	2.4
Other			62,930		66,205	10.4
	Total	$	635,672	$	636,634	100.0	%

Non Sovereign Fixed Maturity And Equity Securities In European Peripheral Region [Table Text Block]

December 31, 2011:							Estimated
					Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Financial institutions:
	Ireland			$	4,084	$	4,397	5.9	%
	Spain				25,565		20,378	27.6
		Total financial institutions			29,649		24,775	33.5

Other:
	Ireland				12,474		13,149	17.8
	Italy				2,898		2,808	3.8
	Spain				34,459		33,137	44.9
		Total other			49,831		49,094	66.5
			Total	$	79,480	$	73,869	100.0	%

December 31, 2010:							Estimated
					Amortized Cost		Fair Value	% of Total
Financial institutions:
	Ireland			$	12,626	$	12,626	15.9	%
	Spain				27,747		23,448	29.5
		Total financial institutions			40,373		36,074	45.4

Other:
	Italy				2,745		2,675	3.3
	Spain				40,147		40,753	51.3
		Total other			42,892		43,428	54.6
			Total	$	83,265	$	79,502	100.0	%

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

		December 31, 2011					December 31, 2010
			Gross					Gross
		Number of	Unrealized				Number of	Unrealized
		Securities	Losses		% of Total		Securities	Losses		% of Total
Less than 20%		833	$	131,155	44.8	%	908	$	146,404	45.9	%
20% or more for less than six months		44		51,503	17.6		14		18,114	5.7
20% or more for six months or greater		63		109,828	37.6		106		154,613	48.4
	Total	940	$	292,486	100.0	%	1,028	$	319,131	100.0	%

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

			Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
					Gross				Gross				Gross
December 31, 2011:			Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized
			Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses
Investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities		$	790,758	$	40,180	$	286,244	$	63,117	$	1,077,002	$	103,297
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		3,094		29		--		--		3,094		29
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			128,622		3,549		58,388		10,382		187,010		13,931
	Asset-backed securities			101,263		3,592		93,910		29,036		195,173		32,628
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			109,455		3,538		58,979		22,001		168,434		25,539
	U.S. government and agencies			1,764		61		--		--		1,764		61
	State and political subdivisions			21,045		1,845		12,273		1,268		33,318		3,113
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		148,416		1,085		16,588		2,491		165,004		3,576
		Total investment grade securities		1,304,417		53,879		526,382		128,295		1,830,799		182,174

Non-investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities			212,795		10,852		47,310		11,222		260,105		22,074
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			23,199		712		10,459		1,781		33,658		2,493
	Asset-backed securities			2,363		940		21,275		20,107		23,638		21,047
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			34,918		7,220		62,357		46,730		97,275		53,950
	State and political subdivisions			4,000		228		--		--		4,000		228
		Total non-investment grade securities		277,275		19,952		141,401		79,840		418,676		99,792
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	1,581,692	$	73,831	$	667,783	$	208,135	$	2,249,475	$	281,966

	Non-redeemable preferred stock		$	19,516	$	4,478	$	15,694	$	4,504	$	35,210	$	8,982
	Other equity securities			1,662		602		5,905		936		7,567		1,538
		Total equity securities	$	21,178	$	5,080	$	21,599	$	5,440	$	42,777	$	10,520

	Total number of securities in an
		unrealized loss position		546				394				940

			Less than 12 months				12 months or greater				Total
					Gross				Gross				Gross
December 31, 2010:			Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized		Estimated		Unrealized
			Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses		Fair Value		Losses
Investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities		$	1,020,784	$	30,438	$	329,109	$	58,539	$	1,349,893	$	88,977
	Canadian and Canadian provincial
		governments		127,908		3,993		--		--		127,908		3,993
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			195,406		4,986		105,601		13,607		301,007		18,593
	Asset-backed securities			23,065		570		131,172		38,451		154,237		39,021
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			132,526		4,143		109,158		29,059		241,684		33,202
	U.S. government and agencies			11,839		708		--		--		11,839		708
	State and political subdivisions			68,229		2,890		31,426		5,227		99,655		8,117
	Other foreign government, supranational and
		foreign government-sponsored enterprises		462,272		6,694		82,815		7,910		545,087		14,604
		Total investment grade securities		2,042,029		54,422		789,281		152,793		2,831,310		207,215

Non-investment grade securities:
	Corporate securities			58,420		1,832		91,205		9,942		149,625		11,774
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			1,162		605		38,206		7,382		39,368		7,987
	Asset-backed securities			--		--		23,356		22,523		23,356		22,523
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities			--		--		89,170		64,063		89,170		64,063
		Total non-investment grade securities		59,582		2,437		241,937		103,910		301,519		106,347
		Total fixed maturity securities	$	2,101,611	$	56,859	$	1,031,218	$	256,703	$	3,132,829	$	313,562

	Non-redeemable preferred stock		$	15,987	$	834	$	28,549	$	4,464	$	44,536	$	5,298
	Other equity securities			6,877		271		318		--		7,195		271
		Total equity securities	$	22,864	$	1,105	$	28,867	$	4,464	$	51,731	$	5,569

	Total number of securities in an
		unrealized loss position		520				508				1,028

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

		2011				2010
		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
Property type:		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
	Apartment	$	124,674	12.4	%	$	93,042	10.4	%
	Retail		335,745	33.5			256,304	28.7
	Office building		264,584	26.4			263,063	29.5
	Industrial		200,762	20.0			227,868	25.6
	Other commercial		77,759	7.7			51,773	5.8
Total		$	1,003,524	100.0	%	$	892,050	100.0	%

Disclosure Of Real Estate Holdings By Geographical Region [Table Text Block]

		2011				2010
		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total		Recorded Investment		Percentage of Total
Pacific		$	269,922	26.9	%	$	232,940	26.1	%
South Atlantic			233,534	23.3			217,637	24.4
Mountain			116,224	11.6			99,145	11.1
Middle Atlantic			86,590	8.6			83,843	9.4
West North Central			69,789	7.0			70,279	7.9
East North Central			92,861	9.2			58,955	6.6
West South Central			58,506	5.8			51,351	5.7
East South Central			40,767	4.1			41,721	4.7
New England			35,331	3.5			36,179	4.1
	Total	$	1,003,524	100.0	%	$	892,050	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, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (dollars in thousands):


		2011		2010
Due one year through five years		$	493,027	$	412,359
Due after five years			299,252		399,100
Due after ten years			211,245		80,591
	Total	$	1,003,524	$	892,050

Mortgage Loan Internal Credit Risk Grade [Table Text Block]

Internal credit risk grade:			2011		2010
	High investment grade		$	252,333	$	205,127
	Investment grade			526,608		585,818
	Average			105,177		38,152
	Watch list			91,037		44,208
	In or near default			28,369		18,745
		Total	$	1,003,524	$	892,050

Schedule Of Analysis Of Past Due Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]

The age analysis of the Company's past due recorded investment in mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (dollars in thousands):


			2011		2010
31-60 days past due			$	21,800	$	--
61-90 days past due				--		--
Greater than 90 days				20,316		15,555
	Total past due			42,116		15,555
Current				961,408		876,495
		Total	$	1,003,524	$	892,050

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

The following table presents the recorded investment in mortgage loans, by method of evaluation of credit loss, and the related valuation allowances, by type of credit loss, at (dollars in thousands):


			December 31,
			2011		2010
Mortgage loans:
	Evaluated individually for credit losses		$	60,904	$	35,646
	Evaluated collectively for credit losses			942,620		856,404
		Mortgage loans, gross of valuation allowances		1,003,524		892,050

Valuation allowances:
	Specific for credit losses			8,188		6,239
	Non-specifically identified credit losses			3,605		--
		Total valuation allowances		11,793		6,239

		Mortgage loans, net of valuation allowances	$	991,731	$	885,811

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, 2011, 2010 and 2009 are as follows (dollars in thousands):


	2011		2010		2009
Balance, beginning of period	$	6,239	$	5,784	$	526
Charge-offs		(3,947)		--		(2,371)
Provision		9,501		455		7,629
Balance, end of period	$	11,793	$	6,239	$	5,784

Impaired Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]

		Unpaid Principal Balance		Recorded Investment		Related Allowance		Carrying Value
December 31, 2011:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded		$	32,088	$	31,496	$	--	$	31,496
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded			29,724		29,408		8,188		21,220
	Total impaired mortgage loans	$	61,812	$	60,904	$	8,188	$	52,716

December 31, 2010:
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded		$	16,901	$	16,901	$	--	$	16,901
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded			18,745		18,745		6,239		12,506
	Total impaired mortgage loans	$	35,646	$	35,646	$	6,239	$	29,407

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, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):


		2011				2010
		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income		Average Investment⁽¹⁾		Interest Income
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded		$	14,877	$	630	$	19,253	$	525
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded			27,712		418		21,925		295
	Total	$	42,589	$	1,048	$	41,178	$	820

(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 Invested Assets [Table Text Block]

		December 31,
		2011		2010
Equity securities		$	113,900	$	140,211
Limited partnerships			251,315		214,105
Structured loans			281,022		229,583
Derivatives			257,050		34,929
Other			109,254		88,575
	Total other invested assets	$	1,012,541	$	707,403

Derivative Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Summary of Derivative Instruments [Abstract]

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

				December 31, 2011						December 31, 2010
					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⁽¹⁾			$	2,748,317	$	184,842	$	18,702	$	2,302,853	$	20,042	$	17,132
	Financial futures⁽¹⁾				277,814		--		--		210,295		--		--
	Foreign currency forwards⁽¹⁾				24,400		4,560		--		39,700		5,924		--
	Consumer Price index (“CPI”) swaps⁽¹⁾				101,069		766		--		120,340		1,491		--
	Credit default swaps⁽¹⁾				649,500		1,313		10,949		392,500		2,429		131
	Equity options⁽¹⁾				510,073		90,106		--		33,041		5,043		--
	Embedded derivatives in:
		Modified coinsurance or funds
			withheld arrangements⁽²⁾		--		--		361,456		--		--		274,220
		Indexed annuity products⁽³⁾			--		4,945		751,523		--		75,431		668,951
		Variable annuity products⁽³⁾			--		--		276,718		--		--		52,534
	Total non-hedging derivatives				4,311,173		286,532		1,419,348		3,098,729		110,360		1,012,968

Derivatives designated as
	hedging instruments:
	Interest rate swaps⁽¹⁾				56,250		133		960		21,783		--		1,718
	Foreign currency swaps⁽¹⁾				621,578		286		23,996		615,323		--		45,749
	Total hedging derivatives				677,828		419		24,956		637,106		--		47,467
Total derivatives				$	4,989,001	$	286,951	$	1,444,304	$	3,735,835	$	110,360	$	1,060,435

(1)		Carried on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets in other invested assets or other liabilities, at fair value.
(2)		Embedded liability is included on the consolidated balance sheets with the host contract in funds withheld at interest, at fair value.
(3)		Embedded liability is included on the consolidated balance sheets with the host contract in interest-sensitive contract liabilities, at fair value. Embedded asset is included on the consolidated balance sheets in reinsurance ceded receivables.

Net Derivatives Gains Losses Recognized On Fair Value Derivatives And Related Hedged Items [Table Text Block]

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, 2011:
Interest rate swaps	Fixed rate fixed maturities	$	(785)	$	1,402	$	617

For the year ended December 31, 2010:
Interest rate swaps	Fixed rate fixed maturities	$	(1,041)	$	1,599	$	558

For the year ended December 31, 2009:
Interest rate swaps	Fixed rate fixed maturities	$	1,566	$	(1,350)	$	216

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

	2011
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), balance beginning of year	$	--
Gains (losses) deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) on the effective portion of cash flow hedges		(628)
Amounts reclassified to investment related gains (losses), net		--
Amounts reclassified to investment income		(200)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), balance end of period	$	(828)

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

Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships	Amount of Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI on Derivatives		Amount and Location of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Loss)				Amount and Location of Gains (Losses) Recognized in Income (Loss) on Derivatives
	(Effective Portion)		(Effective Portion)				(Ineffective Portion and Amounts Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)
			Investment Related Gains (Losses)		Investment Income		Investment Related Gains (Losses)		Investment Income
Interest rate swaps	$	(628)	$	--	$	200	$	--	$	--

Derivatives Hedging Instruments In Net Investment Hedging Relationships [Table Text Block]

		Derivative Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI
		For the year ended
Type of NIFO Hedge ^{(1) (2)}		2011		2010		2009

Foreign currency swaps		$	4,858	$	(41,302)	$	(8,102)

(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.

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

		2011		2010		2009
Embedded derivatives in modified coinsurance or funds withheld
	arrangements and variable annuity contracts included in investment
	related gains (losses)	$	(311,420)	$	131,488	$	331,091
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related
	amounts included in net income		(37,829)		23,786		(15,659)
Amounts related to embedded derivatives in equity-indexed annuities
	included in benefits and expenses		(114,921)		(44,988)		(71,222)
After the associated amortization of DAC and taxes, the related
	amounts included in net income		(55,915)		(26,265)		(51,806)

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

Non-hedging Derivatives

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, 2011, 2010 and 2009 is as follows (dollars in thousands):

					Gain (Loss) for the Years Ended December 31,
Type of Non-hedging Derivative			Income Statement Location of Gain (Loss)		2011		2010		2009
Interest rate swaps			Investment related gains (losses), net		$	178,338	$	68,736	$	(160,716)
Financial futures			Investment related gains (losses), net			(945)		(44,959)		(72,641)
Foreign currency forwards			Investment related gains (losses), net			1,675		3,387		2
CPI swaps			Investment related gains (losses), net			1,821		962		2,234
Credit default swaps			Investment related gains (losses), net			(63)		4,786		13,654
Equity options			Investment related gains (losses), net			7,818		(3,006)		--
Embedded derivatives in:
	Modified coinsurance or funds
		withheld arrangements	Investment related gains (losses), net			(87,236)		160,274		78,394
	Indexed annuity products		Policy acquisition costs and other insurance
				expenses		(24,551)		6,457		7,137
	Indexed annuity products		Interest credited			(90,370)		(51,445)		(78,359)
	Variable annuity products		Investment related gains (losses), net			(224,184)		(28,786)		252,697
Total non-hedging derivatives					$	(237,697)	$	116,406	$	42,402

Credit Risk [Table Text Block]

			December 31, 2011		December 31, 2010
Estimated fair value of derivatives in net asset (liability) position			$	227,399	$	(29,801)
	Securities pledged to counterparties as collateral⁽¹⁾			27,052		48,223
	Cash pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽²⁾			(241,480)		(10,300)
	Securities pledged from counterparties as collateral⁽³⁾			(997)		(1,781)
Net credit exposure			$	11,974	$	6,341

Margin account related to exchange-traded futures⁽²⁾			$	18,153	$	16,285

(1)		Consists of U.S. Treasury securities, included in other invested assets.
(2)		Included in cash and cash equivalents.
(3)		Consists of U.S. Treasury securities.

Fair Value Disclosures (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Abstract]

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

			December 31, 2011				December 31, 2010
						Estimated Fair				Estimated Fair
				Carrying Value		Value		Carrying Value		Value
Assets:
	Fixed maturity securities		$	16,200,950	$	16,200,950	$	14,304,597	$	14,304,597
	Mortgage loans on real estate			991,731		1,081,924		885,811		933,513
	Policy loans			1,260,400		1,260,400		1,228,418		1,228,418
	Funds withheld at interest			5,410,424		6,041,984		5,421,952		5,838,064
	Short-term investments			88,566		88,566		118,387		118,387
	Other invested assets			963,626		966,237		683,307		681,242
	Cash and cash equivalents			962,870		962,870		463,661		463,661
	Accrued investment income			144,334		144,334		127,874		127,874
	Reinsurance ceded receivables			3,643		1,248		95,557		91,893
Liabilities:
	Interest-sensitive contract liabilities		$	6,203,001	$	6,307,779	$	5,856,945	$	5,866,088
	Long-term and short-term debt			1,414,688		1,462,329		1,216,410		1,226,517
	Collateral finance facility			652,032		390,900		850,039		514,250
	Company-obligated mandatorily
		redeemable preferred securities		--		--		159,421		221,341

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

December 31, 2011:								Fair Value Measurements Using:
						Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
	Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
		Corporate securities			$	7,461,106	$	76,097	$	6,410,840	$	974,169
		Canadian and Canadian provincial governments				3,869,933		--		3,869,933		--
		Residential mortgage-backed securities				1,227,234		--		1,145,579		81,655
		Asset-backed securities				401,991		--		208,499		193,492
		Commercial mortgage-backed securities				1,242,219		--		1,126,243		115,976
		U.S. government and agencies securities				374,002		300,514		73,488		--
		State and political subdivision securities				205,386		12,894		182,119		10,373
		Other foreign government, supranational and foreign
			government-sponsored enterprises			1,419,079		223,440		1,195,639		--
				Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale		16,200,950		612,945		14,212,340		1,375,665
	Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives					(361,456)		--		--		(361,456)
	Cash equivalents					563,895		563,895		--		--
	Short-term investments					46,671		37,155		9,516		--
	Other invested assets:
		Non-redeemable preferred stock				78,183		58,906		19,277		--
		Other equity securities				35,717		5,308		18,920		11,489
		Derivatives:
			Interest rate swaps			168,484		--		168,484		--
			Foreign currency forwards			4,560		--		4,560		--
			CPI swaps			766		--		766		--
			Credit default swaps			(4,003)		--		(4,003)		--
			Equity options			87,243		--		87,243		--
		Collateral				32,622		27,052		5,570		--
				Total other invested assets		403,572		91,266		300,817		11,489
	Reinsurance ceded receivable – embedded derivatives					4,945		--		--		4,945
		Total			$	16,858,577	$	1,305,261	$	14,522,673	$	1,030,643

Liabilities:
	Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives				$	1,028,241	$	--	$	--	$	1,028,241
	Other liabilities:
		Derivatives:
			Interest rate swaps			3,171		--		3,171		--
			Credit default swaps			5,633		--		5,633		--
			Equity options			(2,864)		--		(2,864)		--
			Foreign currency swaps			23,710		--		23,710		--
		Total			$	1,057,891	$	--	$	29,650	$	1,028,241

December 31, 2010:								Fair Value Measurements Using:
						Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
	Fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale:
		Corporate securities			$	6,710,443	$	15,089	$	5,823,175	$	872,179
		Canadian and Canadian provincial governments				3,057,567		--		3,057,567		--
		Residential mortgage-backed securities				1,473,077		--		1,289,786		183,291
		Asset-backed securities				391,209		--		162,651		228,558
		Commercial mortgage-backed securities				1,337,853		--		1,190,297		147,556
		U.S. government and agencies securities				206,216		166,861		39,355		--
		State and political subdivision securities				164,460		6,865		150,612		6,983
		Other foreign government, supranational and foreign
			government-sponsored enterprises			963,772		5,130		951,906		6,736
				Total fixed maturity securities – available-for-sale		14,304,597		193,945		12,665,349		1,445,303
	Funds withheld at interest – embedded derivatives					(274,220)		--		--		(274,220)
	Cash equivalents⁽¹⁾					253,746		253,746		--		--
	Short-term investments					7,310		5,257		2,053		--
	Other invested assets:
		Non-redeemable preferred stock				99,550		72,393		26,737		420
		Other equity securities				40,661		5,126		19,119		16,416
		Derivatives:
			Interest rate swaps			20,042		--		20,042		--
			Foreign currency forwards			5,924		--		5,924		--
			CPI swaps			1,491		--		1,491		--
			Credit default swaps			2,429		--		2,429		--
			Equity options			5,043		--		5,043		--
		Collateral				48,223		48,223		--		--
				Total other invested assets		223,363		125,742		80,785		16,836
	Reinsurance ceded receivable – embedded derivatives					75,431		--		--		75,431
		Total			$	14,590,227	$	578,690	$	12,748,187	$	1,263,350

Liabilities:
	Interest sensitive contract liabilities – embedded derivatives				$	721,485	$	--	$	--	$	721,485
	Other liabilities:
		Derivatives:⁽²⁾
			Interest rate swaps			18,850		--		18,850		--
			Credit default swaps			131		--		131		--
			Foreign currency swaps			45,749		--		45,749		--
		Total			$	786,215	$	--	$	64,730	$	721,485

(1)				Information as of December 31, 2010 was recast to reflect the disclosure of fair value information for certain cash equivalents during 2011.
(2)				Balances have been adjusted due to typographical errors in the 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

For the year ended December 31, 2011:				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
							Residential				Commercial
				Corporate			mortgage-backed		Asset-backed		mortgage-backed
				securities			securities		securities		securities
Balance January 1, 2011				$	872,336	$	183,291	$	228,558	$	147,556
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		218		836		1,686		2,321
			Investment related gains (losses), net		1,863		(2,032)		(10,236)		(12,354)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			21,011		4,580		3,902		8,060
	Purchases⁽¹⁾				305,401		6,478		65,467		7,683
	Sales⁽¹⁾				(48,653)		(21,178)		(27,844)		--
	Settlements⁽¹⁾				(125,797)		(16,672)		(24,092)		(3,548)
	Transfers into Level 3				80,302		30,159		45,984		76,955
	Transfers out of Level 3				(132,512)		(103,807)		(89,933)		(110,697)
Balance December 31, 2011				$	974,169	$	81,655	$	193,492	$	115,976

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	$	162	$	816	$	1,595	$	2,307
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(1,223)		(594)		(5,058)		(12,366)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2011 (continued):				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
						Other foreign
				State		government,		Funds withheld
				and political		supranational and		at interest-
				subdivision		foreign government-		embedded
				securities		sponsored enterprises		derivative
Balance January 1, 2011				$	6,983	$	6,579	$	(274,220)
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		361		2		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(15)		--		(87,236)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			3,390		4		--
	Purchases⁽¹⁾				2,334		--		--
	Sales⁽¹⁾				--		--		--
	Settlements⁽¹⁾				(88)		--		--
	Transfers into Level 3				48,469		20		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				(51,061)		(6,605)		--
Balance December 31, 2011				$	10,373	$	--	$	(361,456)

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	$	361	$	(36)	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		--		(87,236)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2011 (continued):				Other invested				Reinsurance		Interest sensitive
				assets- non-		Other invested		ceded receivable-		contract liabilities
				redeemable		assets- other		embedded		embedded
				preferred stock		equity securities		derivative		derivative
Balance January 1, 2011				$	420	$	16,416	$	75,430	$	(721,485)
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		--		--		--		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		3,504		--		(224,184)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(2,230)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(88,255)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		9,421		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			--		(4,663)		--		--
	Purchases⁽¹⁾				--		797		6,201		(71,505)
	Sales⁽¹⁾				(420)		(4,565)		--		--
	Settlements⁽¹⁾				--		--		(86,107)		79,418
	Transfers into Level 3				--		--		--		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				--		--		--		--
Balance December 31, 2011				$	--	$	11,489	$	4,945	$	(1,028,241)

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	$	--	$	--	$	--	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		--		--		(228,910)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(2,346)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(167,673)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		18,589		--

(1)			The amount reported within purchases, sales, issuances and settlements is the purchase/issuance price (for purchases and issuances) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased/issued or sold/settled. Items purchased/issued and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward.

For the year ended December 31, 2010:				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
							Residential				Commercial
				Corporate			mortgage-backed		Asset-backed		mortgage-backed
				securities			securities		securities		securities
Balance January 1, 2010				$	994,219	$	144,457	$	262,767	$	329,559
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		657		1,763		2,843		3,467
			Investment related gains (losses), net		839		(7,479)		(7,494)		(6,369)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			34,319		26,808		31,340		22,907
	Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements⁽¹⁾				71,695		(43,236)		(45,677)		37,476
	Transfers into Level 3				126,133		102,939		78,880		73,653
	Transfers out of Level 3				(355,683)		(41,961)		(94,101)		(313,137)
Balance December 31, 2010				$	872,179	$	183,291	$	228,558	$	147,556

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	$	548	$	1,592	$	2,731	$	3,449
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(594)		(4,637)		(4,052)		(6,563)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2010 (continued):				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
				Fixed maturity securities - available-for-sale
						Other foreign
				State		government,		Funds withheld
				and political		supranational and		at interest-
				subdivision		foreign government-		embedded		Short-term
				securities		sponsored enterprises		derivative		investments
Balance January 1, 2010				$	12,080	$	59,975	$	(434,494)	$	443
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		118		2		--		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(14)		(10)		160,274		--
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			961		304		--		--
	Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements⁽¹⁾				34,841		1,416		--		381
	Transfers into Level 3				1,820		2,178		--		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				(42,823)		(57,129)		--		(824)
Balance December 31, 2010				$	6,983	$	6,736	$	(274,220)	$	--

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	$	118	$	6	$	--	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		--		--		160,274		--
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		--
			Interest credited		--		--		--		--
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		--		--

For the year ended December 31, 2010 (continued):				Other invested				Reinsurance		Interest sensitive
				assets- non-		Other invested		ceded receivable-		contract liabilities
				redeemable		assets- other		embedded		embedded
				preferred stock		equity securities		derivative		derivative
Balance January 1, 2010				$	6,775	$	10,436	$	68,873	$	(608,654)
	Total gains/losses (realized/unrealized)
		Included in earnings, net:
			Investment income, net of related expenses		--		--		--		--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		550		--		--		(28,786)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(872)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(52,569)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		7,621		--
		Included in other comprehensive income			160		4,848		--		--
	Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements⁽¹⁾				(5,146)		1,132		(1,063)		(30,604)
	Transfers into Level 3				--		--		--		--
	Transfers out of Level 3				(1,919)		--		--		--
Balance December 31, 2010				$	420	$	16,416	$	75,431	$	(721,485)

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)	$	--	$	--	$	--
			Investment related gains (losses), net		(32)		--		--		(28,786)
			Claims & other policy benefits		--		--		--		(2,824)
			Interest credited		--		--		--		(101,970)
			Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		--		--		7,621		--

(1)			The amount reported within purchases, sales, issuances and settlements is the purchase/issuance price (for purchases and issuances) and the sales/settlement proceeds (for sales and settlements) based upon the actual date purchased/issued or sold/settled. Items purchased/issued and sold/settled in the same period are excluded from the rollforward.

Reinsurance (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Reinsurance [Abstract]

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,		2011		2010		2009

Direct		$	2,590	$	2,669	$	2,259
Reinsurance assumed			7,701,594		7,198,219		6,241,952
Reinsurance ceded			(368,497)		(541,208)		(519,050)
	Net premiums	$	7,335,687	$	6,659,680	$	5,725,161

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

Years ended December 31,		2011		2010		2009

Direct		$	4,179	$	4,062	$	4,098
Reinsurance assumed			6,471,658		5,877,153		5,025,383
Reinsurance ceded			(251,037)		(334,060)		(210,055)
	Net claims and other policy benefits	$	6,224,800	$	5,547,155	$	4,819,426

Reinsurance Information [Table Text Block]

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

Life Insurance In Force:	Direct		Assumed		Ceded		Net		Assumed/Net %

December 31, 2011	$	76	$	2,664,353	$	39,987	$	2,624,442	101.52	%
December 31, 2010		74		2,540,317		42,582		2,497,809	101.70
December 31, 2009		72		2,325,041		46,897		2,278,216	102.06

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Abstract]

Type Of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Table Text Block]

As of December 31,			2011		2010
Deferred policy acquisition costs:
	Assumed		$	4,075,670	$	3,788,801
	Retroceded			(61,686)		(62,358)
		Net	$	4,013,984	$	3,726,443

Movement Analysis Of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Rollforward [Table Text Block]

Years ended December 31,		2011		2010		2009
Balance, beginning of year		$	3,726,443	$	3,698,972	$	3,610,334
Capitalized
	Assumed		1,028,974		966,539		870,526
	Retroceded		(13,411)		(13,838)		(9,192)
Amortized (including interest):
	Assumed		(831,619)		(855,432)		(594,895)
	Allocated to change in value of embedded derivatives		114,877		(108,515)		(287,164)
	Retroceded		14,084		12,390		16,951
Attributed to unrealized investment gains (losses)			(7,448)		(15,671)		(45,839)
Foreign currency changes			(17,916)		41,998		138,251
Balance, end of year		$	4,013,984	$	3,726,443	$	3,698,972

Income Tax (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Tax [Abstract]

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

		2011		2010		2009
Pre-tax income - U.S.		$	453,264	$	542,894	$	331,922
Pre-tax income - foreign			381,116		320,923		260,423
	Total pre-tax income	$	834,380	$	863,817	$	592,345

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

The provision for income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):


			2011		2010		2009
Current income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.			$	(1,605)	$	(217,970)	$	203,758
Foreign				50,138		63,233		62,696
	Total current			48,533		(154,737)		266,454

Deferred income tax expense (benefit):
U.S.				176,471		408,762		(92,634)
Foreign				9,756		35,390		11,439
	Total deferred			186,227		444,152		(81,195)

		Total provision for income taxes	$	234,760	$	289,415	$	185,259

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

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, 2011, 2010 and 2009 (dollars in thousands):


			2011			2010			2009

Tax provision at U.S. statutory rate			$	292,033		$	302,336		$	207,321
Increase (decrease) in income taxes resulting from:
	Foreign tax rate differing from U.S. tax rate			(17,230)			(8,741)			(7,636)
	Differences in tax basis in foreign jurisdictions			(11,584)			(5,210)			(4,222)
	Deferred tax valuation allowance			4,147			(11)			(4,450)
	Amounts related to tax audit contingencies			5,562			3,942			(10,774)
	Corporate rate changes - Canada			(40,593)			--			--
	Corporate rate changes - other			(1,933)			--			--
	Subpart F			9,340			--			--
	Foreign tax credits			(3,546)			--			--
	Prior year tax adjustment			(1,863)			(2,322)			4,552
	Other, net			427			(579)			468
		Total provision for income taxes	$	234,760		$	289,415		$	185,259

Effective tax rate				28.1	%		33.5	%		31.3	%

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

Total income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

				2011			2010			2009
Provision for income taxes				$	234,760		$	289,415		$	185,259
	Income tax from OCI:
		Net unrealized holding gain (loss) on debt and equity securities recognized for financial reporting purposes
						275,975			267,445			355,088
		Exercise of stock options			(4,934)			2,255			(2,605)
		Foreign currency translation			(186)			(17,566)			6,286
		Unrealized pension and post retirement			(8,581)			911			(754)
			Total income taxes provided	$	497,034		$	542,460		$	543,274

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

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred income tax asset and liabilities at December 31, 2011 and 2010, are presented in the following tables (dollars in thousands):


				2011		2010
Deferred income tax assets:
	Nondeductible accruals			$	51,101	$	18,961
	Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions
						17,097		16,036
	Investment income differences				98,496		110,446
	Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for tax				67,006		66,246
	Net operating loss carryforward				174,503		348,450
	Capital loss and tax credit carryforwards				41,737		55,215
	Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for financial reporting				--		12,215
		Subtotal			449,940		627,569
Valuation allowance					(8,476)		(3,792)
	Total deferred income tax assets				441,464		623,777

Deferred income tax liabilities:
	Deferred acquisition costs capitalized for financial reporting				1,199,784		1,172,172
	Differences between tax and financial reporting amounts concerning certain reinsurance transactions
						473,920		497,859
	Differences in the tax basis of cash and invested assets				574,738		274,891
	Investment income differences				13,499		14,050
	Differences in foreign currency translation				8,604		61,552
		Total deferred income tax liabilities			2,270,545		2,020,524

			Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	1,829,081	$	1,396,747

Balance sheet presentation of net deferred income tax liabilities:
	Included in other assets				2,788		--
	Included in deferred income taxes				1,831,869		1,396,747
			Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	1,829,081	$	1,396,747

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

	Total Unrecognized Tax Benefits
	2011		2010		2009
Beginning balance, January 1	$	182,354	$	221,040	$	206,665
Additions for tax positions of prior years		7,968		17,255		25,148
Reductions for tax positions of prior years		--		(59,879)		(14,711)
Additions for tax positions of current year		3,938		3,938		3,938
Ending balance, December 31	$	194,260	$	182,354	$	221,040

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.

+ References + Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

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

		December 31,
		Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
		2011		2010		2011		2010
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year		$	69,626	$	63,998	$	18,395	$	14,321
	Service cost		5,985		4,762		1,116		847
	Interest Cost		3,916		3,420		1,035		882
	Participant contributions		--		--		176		127
	Actuarial (gains) losses		16,164		(1,938)		8,348		2,326
	Benefits paid		(2,100)		(1,280)		(216)		(108)
	Foreign currency rate change effect		(490)		663		--		--
Benefit obligation at end of year		$	93,101	$	69,625	$	28,854	$	18,395

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

		December 31,
		Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
		2011		2010		2011		2010
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		$	35,888	$	30,923	$	--	$	--
	Actual return on plan assets		540		4,383		--		--
	Employer contributions		6,972		1,862		40		70
	Participant contributions		--		--		176		127
	Benefits paid and expenses		(2,100)		(1,280)		(216)		(108)
	Administrative expense		--		--		--		(89)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		$	41,300	$	35,888	$	--	$	--

Funded status at end of year		$	(51,801)	$	(33,737)	$	(28,854)	$	(18,395)

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

		December 31,
		Qualified Plans				Non-Qualified Plans⁽¹⁾				Total
		2011		2010		2011		2010		2011		2010
Aggregate fair value of plan assets		$	41,300	$	35,888	$	--	$	--	$	41,300	$	35,888
Aggregate projected benefit obligations			51,980		40,687		41,121		28,938		93,101		69,625
	Under funded	$	(10,680)	$	(4,799)	$	(41,121)	$	(28,938)	$	(51,801)	$	(33,737)

(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
	2011		2010		2011		2010
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income:

Net actuarial loss	$	30,565	$	13,118	$	13,875	$	5,880
Net prior service cost		2,804		3,264		--		--
Total	$	33,369	$	16,382	$	13,875	$	5,880

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

	2011		2010
	2011		2010
Projected benefit obligation	$	93,101	$	69,625
Fair value of plan assets		41,300		35,888

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

The accumulated benefit obligations for all defined benefit pension plans were $89.5 million and $66.7 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The following table presents information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (dollars in thousands):


	2011		2010
	2011		2010
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	89,531	$	66,597
Fair value of plan assets		41,300		35,888

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
		2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost		$	5,985		$	4,762		$	3,821		$	1,116		$	847		$	597
Interest cost			3,916			3,420			3,443			1,035			882			674
Expected return on plan assets			(2,937)			(2,577)			(1,945)			--			--			--
Amortization of prior actuarial losses			980			688			1,593			353			236			20
Amortization of prior service cost			399			(171)			558			--			--			--
	Net periodic benefit cost		8,343			6,122			7,470			2,504			1,965			1,291

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income:


Net actuarial (gains) losses			18,561			(3,743)			2,009			8,348			2,326			2,094
Prior service cost			--			--			--			--			--			--
Amortization of actuarial (gains) losses			(980)			(688)			(1,593)			(353)			(236)			(20)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)			(399)			171			(558)			--			--			--
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments				(196)			(307)			290			--			--			--
	Total recognized in other comprehensive income
	Total recognized in other comprehensive income		16,986			(4,567)			148			7,995			2,090			2,074
	Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income
		$	25,329		$	1,555		$	7,618		$	10,499		$	4,055		$	3,365

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
2012	$	4,705	$	247
2013		5,031		302
2014		5,226		361
2015		5,511		420
2016		7,434		480
2017-2021		38,945		3,495

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation		4.48	%		5.47	%		6.01	%		4.50	%		5.40	%		5.50	%
Discount rate used to determine net benefit cost or income
Discount rate used to determine net benefit cost or income		5.22	%		5.96	%		6.37	%		5.40	%		5.75	%		6.30	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets		7.75	%		8.50	%		8.50	%		--	%		--	%		--	%
Rate of compensation increases	4.20	%		4.20	%		4.21	%		--	%		--	%		--	%

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

	December 31,
	2011	2010
Pre-Medicare eligible claims	9% down to 5% in 2015	8% down to 5% in 2013
Medicare eligible claims	8% down to 5% in 2013	8% down to 5% in 2013

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

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	$	659	$	(441)
Effect on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	$	7,010	$	(5,244)

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

		December 31, 2011
				Fair Value Measurement Using:
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽¹⁾		$	41,250	$	41,250	$	--	$	--
Cash			50		50		--		--
	Total	$	41,300	$	41,300	$	--	$	--

(1)	Mutual funds were invested 43% in bond index funds, 25% in S&P 500 index funds, 12% in mid-cap stock funds, 13% in foreign large blend funds and 7% in small-cap funds.


		December 31, 2010
				Fair Value Measurement Using:
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds⁽²⁾		$	35,845	$	35,845	$	--	$	--
Cash			43		43		--		--
	Total	$	35,888	$	35,888	$	--	$	--

(2)	Mutual funds were invested 38% in bond index funds, 26% in S&P 500 index funds, 13% in mid-cap stock funds, 15% in foreign large blend funds and 8% in small-cap funds.

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

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Statutory Basis [Abstract]

Statutory Accounting Practices Disclosure [Table Text Block]

(dollars in thousands)	Statutory Capital & Surplus				Statutory Net Income (Loss)
	2011		2010		2011		2010		2009
RGA Reinsurance	$	1,515,934	$	1,528,887	$	129,717	$	68,010	$	63,189
RCM		1,478,864		1,486,928		37,142		53,690		(16,800)
RGA Canada		610,142		522,756		102,229		68,561		(2,620)
RGA Barbados		493,637		409,147		149,676		98,688		33,220
RGA Australia		382,395		339,297		44,403		31,897		37,515
RGA Atlantic		345,247		287,386		74,506		81,390		47,369
RGA Americas		267,871		259,589		55,639		50,314		15,433
Other reinsurance subsidiaries		644,918		454,738		(420,206)		80,286		(315,713)

- 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 60
-Paragraph 60
-Subparagraph h
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 94-5
-Paragraph 8, 9
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
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-Topic 944
-SubTopic 505
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-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486098&loc=d3e24746-158529

+ Details

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Abstract]

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

2012	$	16.4	million
2013		13.2	million
2014		11.4	million
2015		6.5	million
2016		6.1	million
Thereafter		21.9	million

Debt and Trust Preferred Securities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Debt And Trust Preferred Securities [Abstract]

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

		2011		2010
$400 million 6.75% Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065		$	318,725	$	318,723
$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021			397,920		--
$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019			399,466		399,398
$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017			298,577		298,304
$200 million 6.75% Senior Notes due 2011			--		199,985
	Total Debt		1,414,688		1,216,410
Less portion due in less than one year (short-term debt)			-		(199,985)
	Long-term Debt	$	1,414,688	$	1,016,425

$225 million 5.75% Preferred Securities due 2051		$	--	$	159,421

- 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 SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e),(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Segment Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Information [Abstract]

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

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Revenues:
	U.S.		$	4,910,366	$	4,961,839	$	4,255,534
	Canada			1,051,828		976,172		777,235
	Europe & South Africa			1,247,065		957,713		826,880
	Asia Pacific			1,429,092		1,242,189		1,085,088
	Corporate and Other			191,187		123,817		122,085
		Total	$	8,829,538	$	8,261,730	$	7,066,822

Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Income before income taxes:
	U.S.		$	436,709	$	539,390	$	308,718
	Canada			166,613		122,378		106,335
	Europe & South Africa			100,043		85,834		52,341
	Asia Pacific			67,120		88,760		83,546
	Corporate and Other			63,895		27,455		41,405
		Total	$	834,380	$	863,817	$	592,345

Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Assets:
	U.S.		$	18,151,490	$	17,470,744	$	15,569,263
	Canada			3,453,094		3,441,915		3,026,515
	Europe & South Africa			1,932,452		1,584,007		1,400,580
	Asia Pacific			2,995,205		2,440,316		2,060,425
	Corporate and Other			5,571,791		4,144,926		3,192,718
		Total	$	32,104,032	$	29,081,908	$	25,249,501

Reconciliation Of Interest Expense From Segment To Consolidated [Table Text Block]

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Interest expense:
	Corporate and Other		$	102,638	$	90,996	$	69,940
		Total	$	102,638	$	90,996	$	69,940

Reconciliation Of Depreciation And Amortization From Segment To Consolidated [Table Text Block]

For the years ended December 31,			2011		2010		2009
Depreciation and amortization:
	U.S.		$	476,667	$	761,725	$	733,345
	Canada			170,671		167,030		145,330
	Europe & South Africa			61,160		67,403		58,297
	Asia Pacific			189,847		145,666		114,300
	Corporate and Other			9,002		8,405		7,446
		Total	$	907,347	$	1,150,229	$	1,058,718

The table above includes amortization of deferred acquisition costs, including the effect from investment related gains and losses.

Equity Based Compensation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Equity Based Compensation [Abstract]

Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Table Text Block]

	Stock Options
		Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)		Performance Contingent Units
	Options	Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)		Performance Contingent Units
Outstanding January 1, 2009	2,787,184	$	40.84				383,119
Granted	743,145	$	32.20				309,063
Exercised / Lapsed	(226,264)	$	26.77				(123,782)
Forfeited	(103,426)	$	36.71				(12,184)
Outstanding December 31, 2009	3,200,639	$	39.96				556,216
Granted	535,867	$	47.10				253,342
Exercised / Lapsed	(314,815)	$	30.80				(93,597)
Forfeited	(39,375)	$	43.20				(14,419)
Outstanding December 31, 2010	3,382,316	$	41.91				701,542
Granted	503,259	$	59.74				222,580
Exercised / Lapsed	(736,452)	$	35.26				(146,638)
Forfeited	(42,243)	$	45.50				(21,818)
Outstanding December 31, 2011	3,106,880	$	46.30	$	18.5		755,666
Options exercisable	1,897,366	$	45.64	$	12.5

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		Outstanding as of 12/31/2011	Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Exercisable as of 12/31/2011	Weighted-Average Exercise Price



$25.00 - $34.99		896,316	5.5	$	30.96	541,600	$	30.14
$35.00 - $44.99		150,174	2.0	$	39.61	150,174	$	39.61
$45.00 - $54.99		921,343	6.0	$	47.26	535,329	$	47.38
$55.00 +		1,139,047	7.1	$	58.47	670,263	$	58.13
	Totals	3,106,880	6.1	$	46.30	1,897,366	$	45.64

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of components of a stock option or other award plan under which equity-based compensation is awarded to employees, typically comprised of the amount of unearned compensation (deferred compensation cost), compensation expense, and changes in the quantity and fair value of the shares (or other type of equity) granted, exercised, forfeited, and issued and outstanding pertaining to that plan. Disclosure may also include nature and general terms of such arrangements that existed during the period and potential effects of those arrangements on shareholders, effect of compensation cost arising from equity-based payment arrangements on the income statement, method of estimating the fair value of the goods or services received, or the fair value of the equity instruments granted, during the period, cash flow effects resulting from equity-based payment arrangements and, for registrants that accelerate vesting of out of the money share options, reasons for the decision to accelerate.

+ References + Details

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Schedule Of Earnings Per Share Basic And Diluted By Common Class [Table Text Block]

			2011			2010			2009
Earnings:
	Net income (numerator for basic and diluted calculations)		$	599,620		$	574,402		$	407,086
Shares:
	Weighted average outstanding shares (denominator for basic calculations)
					73,586			73,157			72,790
Equivalent shares from outstanding stock options and warrants				522			1,537			537
		Diluted shares (denominator for diluted calculations)		74,108			74,694			73,327
Earnings per share:
	Basic		$	8.15		$	7.85		$	5.59
	Diluted		$	8.09		$	7.69		$	5.55

Comprehensive Income (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Comprehensive income

Schedule of Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

For the year ended December 31, 2011:			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
	Change arising during year		$	(40,873)	$	1,886	$	(38,987)
	Foreign currency swap			4,858		(1,700)		3,158
		Net foreign currency translation adjustments		(36,015)		186		(35,829)
Unrealized gains on investments:⁽¹⁾
	Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year			1,118,586		(302,134)		816,452
	Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income			72,841		(25,494)		47,347
	Net unrealized gains			1,045,745		(276,640)		769,105
Change in unrealized other-than-temporary impairments on fixed
	maturity securities			(1,901)		665		(1,236)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
	Net prior service cost arising during the year			460		(185)		275
	Net loss arising during the period			(25,441)		8,766		(16,675)
		Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net		(24,981)		8,581		(16,400)
Other comprehensive income			$	982,848	$	(267,208)	$	715,640

For the year ended December 31, 2010:			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
	Change arising during year		$	83,384	$	3,110	$	86,494
	Foreign currency swap			(41,302)		14,456		(26,846)
		Net foreign currency translation adjustments		42,082		17,566		59,648
Unrealized gains on investments:
	Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year			849,226		(279,620)		569,606
	Less: Reclassification adjustment for net gains realized in net income			41,069		(14,374)		26,695
	Net unrealized gains			808,157		(265,246)		542,911
Change in unrealized other-than-temporary impairments on fixed
	maturity securities			6,279		(2,198)		4,081
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
	Net prior service cost arising during the year			(321)		108		(213)
	Net gain arising during the period			2,798		(1,019)		1,779
		Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net		2,477		(911)		1,566
Other comprehensive income			$	858,995	$	(250,789)	$	608,206

For the year ended December 31, 2009:			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
			Before-Tax Amount		Tax (Expense) Benefit		After-Tax Amount
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
	Change arising during year		$	205,472	$	(9,122)	$	196,350
	Foreign currency swap			(8,102)		2,836		(5,266)
		Net foreign currency translation adjustments		197,370		(6,286)		191,084
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments:
	Unrealized net holding gains arising during the year			949,091		(331,182)		617,909
	Less: Reclassification adjustment for net losses realized in net income			(84,348)		29,522		(54,826)
	Net unrealized gains			1,033,439		(360,704)		672,735
Change in unrealized other-than-temporary impairments on fixed
	maturity securities			(16,045)		5,616		(10,429)
Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits:
	Net prior service cost arising during the year			(422)		141		(281)
	Net loss arising during the period			(1,800)		613		(1,187)
		Unrealized pension and postretirement benefits, net		(2,222)		754		(1,468)
Other comprehensive income			$	1,212,542	$	(360,620)	$	851,922

(1)		Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 - "Derivative Instruments" for additional information on cash flow hedges.

Components Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]

For the years ended December 31,		2011		2010		2009
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
	Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$	1,058,505	$	813,174	$	1,004,303
	Other investments⁽¹⁾		(7,213)		16,933		58,930
Effect on unrealized appreciation on:
	Deferred policy acquisition costs		(7,448)		(15,671)		(45,839)
Net unrealized appreciation		$	1,043,844	$	814,436	$	1,017,394

(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 - "Derivative Instruments" 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		Unrealized				Accumulated
			Currency		Appreciation		Pension and		Other
			Translation		(Depreciation)		Postretirement		Comprehensive
			Adjustments		of Investments		Benefits		Income (Loss)
For the year ended December 31, 2011
Balance, beginning of year		$	270,526	$	651,449	$	(14,560)	$	907,415
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments			(35,829)		--		--		(35,829)
Unrealized gain on investments⁽¹⁾			--		769,105		--		769,105
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses
	on fixed maturity securities		--		(1,236)		--		(1,236)
Changes in pension and other postretirement
	plan adjustments		--		--		(16,400)		(16,400)
Balance, end of year		$	234,697	$	1,419,318	$	(30,960)	$	1,623,055

For the year ended December 31, 2010
Balance, beginning of year		$	210,878	$	104,457	$	(16,126)	$	299,209
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments			59,648		--		--		59,648
Unrealized gain on investments			--		542,911		--		542,911
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses
	on fixed maturity securities		--		4,081		--		4,081
Changes in pension and other postretirement
	plan adjustments		--		--		1,566		1,566
Balance, end of year		$	270,526	$	651,449	$	(14,560)	$	907,415

For the year ended December 31, 2009
Balance, beginning of year		$	19,794	$	(553,407)	$	(14,658)	$	(548,271)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments			191,084		--		--		191,084
Unrealized gain on investments			--		672,735		--		672,735
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses
	on fixed maturity securities		--		(10,429)		--		(10,429)
Cumulative effect of accounting change			--		(4,442)		--		(4,442)
Changes in pension and other postretirement
	plan adjustments		--		--		(1,468)		(1,468)
Balance, end of year		$	210,878	$	104,457	$	(16,126)	$	299,209

(1)	Includes cash flow hedges. See Note 5 - "Derivative Instruments" for additional information on cash flow hedges.

Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information [Table Text Block]

Note 19 QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)

2011		First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues		$	2,282,435	$	2,203,977	$	1,994,907	$	2,348,219
Total benefits and expenses			2,040,586		2,003,571		1,823,367		2,127,634
Income before income taxes			241,849		200,406		171,540		220,585
Net Income			160,816		132,888		147,385		158,531

Earnings Per Share:
	Basic earnings per share	$	2.20	$	1.80	$	2.00	$	2.16
	Diluted earnings per share		2.18		1.78		1.98		2.15

Dividends declared per share		$	0.12	$	0.12	$	0.18	$	0.18

Market price of common stock
	Quarter end	$	62.78	$	60.86	$	45.95	$	52.25
	Common stock price, high		63.14		63.73		64.32		55.51
	Common stock price, low		53.92		58.40		44.51		44.67

Total outstanding common shares - end of period			73,797		74,076		73,267		73,368


2010		First		Second		Third		Fourth
Total Revenues		$	2,100,185	$	1,931,877	$	1,955,539	$	2,274,129
Total benefits and expenses			1,906,870		1,733,805		1,758,366		1,998,872
Income before income taxes			193,315		198,072		197,173		275,257
Net Income			122,439		127,019		128,232		196,712

Earnings Per Share:
	Basic earnings per share	$	1.68	$	1.74	$	1.75	$	2.68
	Diluted earnings per share		1.64		1.70		1.72		2.62

Dividends declared per share		$	0.12	$	0.12	$	0.12	$	0.12

Market price of common stock
	Quarter end	$	52.52	$	45.71	$	48.29	$	53.71
	Common stock price, high		52.64		56.49		51.09		54.89
	Common stock price, low		44.89		44.21		42.72		47.30

Total outstanding common shares - end of period			73,103		73,154		73,172		73,363

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol "RGA". There were 82,599 stockholders of record of RGA's common stock on January 31, 2012.

Schedule I Summary of Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

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, 2011
(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		$	341	$	374	$	374
	State and political subdivisions			184		205		205
	Foreign governments⁽²⁾			3,880		5,289		5,289
	Public utilities			1,116		1,255		1,255
	Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities			2,845		2,872		2,872
	All other corporate bonds			5,817		6,206		6,206
		Total fixed maturity securities		14,183		16,201		16,201

Equity securities				35		36		36
Non-redeemable preferred stock				83		78		78
Mortgage loans on real estate				992		XXXX		992
Policy loans				1,260		XXXX		1,260
Funds withheld at interest				5,410		XXXX		5,410
Short-term investments				89		XXXX		89
Other invested assets				899		XXXX		899
		Total investments	$	22,951		XXXX	$	24,965



(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.

Schedule II Condensed Financial Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

Supplementary Information Disclosure Statement Of Financial Position [Table Text Block]

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED
SCHEDULE II—CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE REGISTRANT
December 31,
(dollars in thousands)

				2011		2010		2009
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
	Assets:
		Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale, at fair value		$	467,306	$	482,188
		Short-term and other investments			44,825		64,135
		Cash and cash equivalents			71,506		31,698
		Investment in subsidiaries			7,198,015		5,882,567
		Loans to subsidiaries			775,000		350,000
		Other assets			132,841		100,282
			Total assets	$	8,689,493	$	6,910,870

	Liabilities and stockholders' equity:
		Short-term and long-term debt - unaffiliated⁽¹⁾		$	1,494,615	$	1,296,337
		Long-term debt - affiliated⁽²⁾			500,000		164,919
		Other liabilities			557,773		409,047
		Stockholders' equity			6,137,105		5,040,567
			Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	8,689,493	$	6,910,870

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
	Interest / dividend income⁽³⁾			$	245,631	$	128,448	$	44,588
	Investment related gains (losses), net				1,723		2,944		(3,417)
	Operating expenses				(32,550)		(19,442)		(17,965)
	Interest expense				(111,600)		(96,556)		(73,673)
		Income (loss) before income tax and undistributed earnings of subsidiaries			103,204		15,394		(50,467)
	Income tax expense (benefit)				10,965		7,880		(24,228)
		Net income (loss) before undistributed earnings of subsidiaries			92,239		7,514		(26,239)
	Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries				507,381		566,888		433,325
		Net income		$	599,620	$	574,402	$	407,086


(1)		Short-term and long-term debt - unaffiliated consists of the following:
				2011		2010
		$400 million 6.75% Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2065		$	398,652	$	398,650
		$400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due 2021			397,920		--
		$400 million 6.45% Senior Notes due 2019			399,466		399,398
		$300 million 5.625% Senior Notes due 2017			298,577		298,304
		$200 million 6.75% Senior Notes due 2011 (short-term)			--		199,985
			Total	$	1,494,615	$	1,296,337

(2)		Long-term debt - affiliated in 2011 consists of $500,000 of subordinated debt issued to various operating subsidiaries and in 2010 consists of $164,919 of subordinated debt issued to RGA Capital Trust I.


(3)		Interest/Dividend income includes $190,000 and $80,000 of cash dividends received from consolidated subsidiaries in 2011 and 2010, respectively. No cash dividends from consolidated subsidiaries are included in 2009.

REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED
SCHEDULE II—CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE REGISTRANT (continued)
December 31,
(dollars in thousands)

				2011		2010		2009
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
	Operating activities:
		Net income		$	599,620	$	574,402	$	407,086
		Equity in earnings of subsidiaries			(507,381)		(566,888)		(433,325)
		Loss on retirement of trust preferred securities			4,391		--		--
		Foreign currency gain on repayment of debt			--		--		(4,826)
		Other, net			143,716		12,205		31,975
			Net cash provided by operating activities	$	240,346	$	19,719	$	910

	Investing activities:
		Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale		$	171,791	$	169,910	$	217,141
		Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale			(116,010)		(214,025)		(454,504)
		Purchases of subsidiary debt securities			(475,000)		(100,000)		(226,550)
		Maturities of subsidiary debt securities			50,000		226,550		--
		Change in short-term and other invested assets			(2,055)		7,688		(7,526)
		Capital contributions to subsidiaries			(105,575)		(73,950)		(91,000)
			Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		(476,849)		16,173		(562,439)

	Financing activities:
		Dividends to stockholders			(44,229)		(35,170)		(26,212)
		Purchases of treasury stock			(380,345)		(718)		(1,607)
		Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement			4,933		(2,255)		2,605
		Exercise of stock options, net			6,449		2,277		6,301
		Change in cash collateral for derivative positions			--		6,759		(14,189)
		Principal payments on debt			(200,000)		--		(22,539)
		Maturity of trust preferred securities			(159,473)		--		--
		Proceeds from unaffiliated long-term debt issuance, net			394,388		--		396,344
		Proceeds from affiliated long-term debt issuance			500,000		--		--
		Proceeds from redemption and remarketing of trust preferred securities			154,588		--		2
			Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		276,311		(29,107)		340,705
			Net change in cash and cash equivalents		39,808		6,785		(220,824)
	Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				31,698		24,913		245,737
	Cash and cash equivalents at end of year			$	71,506	$	31,698	$	24,913

Schedule III Supplementary Insurance Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Supplemental 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
			Assumed		Ceded		Assumed		Ceded		Assumed		Ceded
2011
	U.S. operations		$	2,749,850	$	(35,292)	$	13,236,536	$	(221,872)	$	1,094,172	$	(71,323)
	Canada operations			355,585		(524)		2,762,175		(215,176)		192,187		(20,364)
	Europe & South Africa operations			432,813		(12,092)		718,167		(32,945)		573,019		(22,166)
	Asia Pacific operations			537,422		(13,778)		1,567,628		(68,533)		970,756		(40,964)
	Corporate and Other			--		--		13,465		--		11,239		(217)
		Total	$	4,075,670	$	(61,686)	$	18,297,971	$	(538,526)	$	2,841,373	$	(155,034)

2010
	U.S. operations		$	2,500,391	$	(34,550)	$	12,457,977	$	(206,375)	$	1,075,515	$	(104,039)
	Canada operations			346,498		(776)		2,703,322		(217,174)		181,326		(42,924)
	Europe & South Africa operations			448,304		(13,348)		604,696		(31,366)		482,033		(22,120)
	Asia Pacific operations			493,417		(13,684)		1,270,075		(64,455)		842,893		(34,726)
	Corporate and Other			191		--		13,200		--		16,174		(508)
		Total	$	3,788,801	$	(62,358)	$	17,049,270	$	(519,370)	$	2,597,941	$	(204,317)

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		Other Operating Expenses
2011
	U.S. operations		$	3,992,678	$	853,847	$	(3,787,418)	$	(354,827)	$	(331,412)
	Canada operations			835,298		184,101		(673,105)		(148,477)		(63,633)
	Europe & South Africa operations			1,194,477		41,557		(1,001,921)		(38,280)		(106,821)
	Asia Pacific operations			1,304,490		83,515		(1,077,982)		(160,816)		(123,174)
	Corporate and Other			8,744		118,177		(768)		(258)		(126,266)
		Total	$	7,335,687	$	1,281,197	$	(6,541,194)	$	(702,658)	$	(751,306)

2010
	U.S. operations		$	3,797,081	$	861,284	$	(3,539,577)	$	(640,539)	$	(242,333)
	Canada operations			797,206		165,138		(656,358)		(147,591)		(49,845)
	Europe & South Africa operations			918,513		34,517		(734,392)		(42,436)		(95,051)
	Asia Pacific operations			1,139,065		70,552		(926,383)		(120,161)		(106,885)
	Corporate and Other			7,815		107,169		(427)		(830)		(95,105)
		Total	$	6,659,680	$	1,238,660	$	(5,857,137)	$	(951,557)	$	(589,219)

2009
	U.S. operations		$	3,320,723	$	814,897	$	(3,168,321)	$	(606,005)	$	(172,490)
	Canada operations			614,831		137,750		(501,136)		(128,791)		(40,973)
	Europe & South Africa operations			781,952		32,240		(656,485)		(35,631)		(82,423)
	Asia Pacific operations			998,927		61,335		(817,052)		(93,823)		(90,667)
	Corporate and Other			8,728		76,240		(170)		(858)		(79,652)
		Total	$	5,725,161	$	1,122,462	$	(5,143,164)	$	(865,108)	$	(466,205)

Schedule IV Reinsurance (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

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
2011
Life insurance in force			$	76	$	39,987	$	2,664,353	$	2,624,442		101.52	%
Premiums
	U.S. operations		$	2.6	$	197.0	$	4,187.1	$	3,992.7		104.87	%
	Canada operations			--		104.7		940.1		835.3		112.55
	Europe & South Africa operations			--		30.0		1,224.4		1,194.5		102.50
	Asia Pacific operations			--		36.8		1,341.3		1,304.5		102.82
	Corporate and Other			--		--		8.7		8.7		100.00
		Total	$	2.6	$	368.5	$	7,701.6	$	7,335.7		104.99	%

2010
Life insurance in force			$	74	$	42,582	$	2,540,317	$	2,497,809		101.70	%
Premiums
	U.S. operations		$	2.7	$	196.6	$	3,991.0	$	3,797.1		105.11	%
	Canada operations			--		280.6		1,077.8		797.2		135.20
	Europe & South Africa operations			--		32.4		950.9		918.5		103.53
	Asia Pacific operations			--		31.6		1,170.7		1,139.1		102.77
	Corporate and Other			--		--		7.8		7.8		100.00
		Total	$	2.7	$	541.2	$	7,198.2	$	6,659.7		108.09	%

2009
Life insurance in force			$	72	$	46,897	$	2,325,041	$	2,278,216		102.06	%
Premiums
	U.S. operations		$	2.3	$	193.2	$	3,511.6	$	3,320.7		105.75	%
	Canada operations			--		268.0		882.9		614.9		143.58
	Europe & South Africa operations			--		28.9		810.9		782.0		103.70
	Asia Pacific operations			--		28.9		1,027.8		998.9		102.89
	Corporate and Other			--		--		8.7		8.7		100.00
		Total	$	2.3	$	519.0	$	6,241.9	$	5,725.2		109.03	%

Schedule V Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

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)

Description	Balance at Beginning of Period		Charges to Costs and Expenses		Charged to Other Accounts		Deductions		Balance at End of Period
2011
Allowance on income taxes	$	3.8	$	--	$	5.4	$	0.7	$	8.5
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans		6.2		9.5		--		3.9		11.8

2010
Allowance on income taxes	$	3.4	$	--	$	3.1	$	2.7	$	3.8
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans		5.8		7.4		--		7.0		6.2

2009
Allowance on income taxes	$	7.9	$	--	$	--	$	4.5	$	3.4
Valuation allowance for mortgage loans		0.5		8.4		--		3.1		5.8

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)	12 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Traditional Individual Fixed Annuities [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount At Risk By Product And Weighted Average Credit Rate Of Guaranteed Contracts	2.47%	3.79%
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	0.50 – 4.50%	2.50 – 4.50%
Equity Indexed Annuities [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount At Risk By Product And Weighted Average Credit Rate Of Guaranteed Contracts	4.07%	3.69%
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	1.00 – 3.00%	1.00 – 3.00%
Variable Annuity [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount At Risk By Product And Weighted Average Credit Rate Of Guaranteed Contracts	4.02%	5.12%
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	1.50 – 5.42%	1.50 – 5.71%
Guaranteed Investment Contracts [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount At Risk By Product And Weighted Average Credit Rate Of Guaranteed Contracts	3.79%	3.79%
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	0.00 – 4.50%	0.00 – 4.50%
Universal Life [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount At Risk By Product And Weighted Average Credit Rate Of Guaranteed Contracts	4.69%	5.00%
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	3.00 – 6.00%	3.00 – 6.00%
Non-variable Annuity and Universal Life policies [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	6.00%	6.00%
Non-variable Annuity and Universal Life policies [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	0.50%	1.00%
Non-variable Annuity and Universal Life policies [Member] \| Average [Member]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee [Line Items]
Net Amount at Risk by Product and Guarantee, Range of Guaranteed Minimum Return Rates	2.7%	2.8%

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative)	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($)
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Finite-lived				$ 7,700,000
Goodwill	$ 7,000,000	$ 7,000,000	$ 7,000,000
Value of Business Acquired (VOBA)	1,000,000	800,000	1,000,000
Accumulated Amortization Of Value Of Business Acquired VOBA		24,600,000	24,400,000
Amortization of Value of Business Acquired (VOBA)		200,000	12,300,000	400,000
Values Of Business Acquired Distribution Agreements And Customer Relationships	117,300,000	106,300,000	117,300,000
Accumulated Amortization Of Values Of Business Acquired Distribution Agreements And Customer Relationships		14,300,000	3,400,000
Amortization Of Values Of Business Acquired Distribution Agreements And Customer Relationships		10,900,000	3,400,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year One		10,500,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Two		10,100,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Three		9,500,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Four		9,400,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Five		9,000,000
Capitalized Computer Software, Net	$ 14,600,000	33,000,000	14,600,000
Capitalized Computer Software, Amortization		$ 4,300,000	4,000,000	3,500,000
Traditional Life, Interest Rate, Low End		3.00%
Traditional Life, Interest Rate, High End		6.00%
Warrant Conversion Value In Common Shares \| shares	1.2508	1.2508
Number Of Trust Preferred Securites \| shares		4,500,000
Value Of Trust Preferred Securites At Issue Date		$ 158,100,000
Trust Preferred Securities Fixed Annual Distribution Rate		5.75%
Face Value Of Trust Preferred Securites		$ 225,000,000
Warrants Excercised		4,402,078
Price Per Warrant		$ 35.44
Stock Issued During Period Shares Conversion Of Units \| shares		5,506,088
Unexercised Warrant Cash Redemption Value		$ 14.56
Maximum Life Insurance Retention Per Individual Life		$ 8,000,000
Retrocession Pool Participants Minimum AM Best Rating		"A-(excellent)"
Claims Recoverable From Retrocessionaires Past Due	$ 16,000,000	$ 11,400,000	16,000,000
Annuities With Crediting Rates Not Subject To Surrender Changes	860,400,000	$ 804,300,000	$ 860,400,000
Annuities With Crediting Rates Not Subject To Surrender Charges At Their Minimum Guaranteed Rates		95.00%	76.10%
New Accounting Pronouncement Or Change In Accounting Principle Cumulative Effect Of Change On Deferred Aquisition Costs		$ 472,300,000
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Change on Net Income		60,100,000	$ 59,600,000	52,500,000
Reinsurance Claims Recoverables	$ 162,400,000	151,900,000	$ 162,400,000
New Accounting Pronouncement Or Change In Accounting Principle Cumulative Effect Of Change On Equity		$ 320,400,000		$ 4,400,000

Stock Transactions (Details)	12 Months Ended
Stock Transactions (Details)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($)
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Treasury Stock Value Acquired Cost Method \| $	$ (380,345,000)	$ (718,000)	$ (1,607,000)
Treasury Stock Value Acquired Cost Method Repurchase Agreement \| $	$ 43,100,000
Accelerated Share Repurchases [Line Items]
Shares Granted To Non Employee Directors	14,200
Warrants Excercised	4,402,078
Price Per Warrant \| $	$ 35.44
Stock Issued During Period Shares Conversion Of Units	5,506,088
Incentive Award Tax Settlement [Member]
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Treasury Stock Reissued	141,405
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	49,669
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share \| $ / shares	$ 59.55
Met Life Inc [Member]
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	3,000,000
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share \| $ / shares	$ 61.14
Repurchase Program 2002 [Member]
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	838,362
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share \| $ / shares	$ 51.39
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount \| $	$ 300,000	$ 43,400,000
Accelerated Share Repurchase [Member]
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	2,500,000
Accelerated Share Repurchases [Line Items]
Accelerated Share Repurchases, Initial Price Paid Per Share \| $ / shares	$ 59.76
Accelerated Share Repurchases, Settlement Payment or Receipt \| $	$ 149,400,000
Accelerated Share Repurchases, Adjustment to Recorded Amount \| $	$ 4,300,000
Accelerated Share Repurchases, Final Price Paid Per Share \| $ / shares	$ 61.47

Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Investments [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 16,200,950	$ 14,304,597
Mortgage loans on real estate	991,731	885,811
Policy loans	1,260,400	1,228,418
Funds withheld at interest	5,410,424	5,421,952
Short-term investments	88,566	118,387
Other invested assets	1,012,541	707,403
Cash and cash equivalents	962,870	463,661	$ 512,027	$ 875,403
Investments and Cash, Total	$ 25,927,482	$ 23,130,229

- Definition

For an unclassified balance sheet, total of debt securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 115
-Paragraph 13
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 115
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph b
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 133
-Paragraph 22
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 115
-Paragraph 16
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 115
-Paragraph 137
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6379932&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6871852&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 320
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)-(g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957658&loc=d3e62557-112803

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)
-Number FAS115-1/124-1
-Paragraph 15C
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)
-Number FAS115-1/124-1
-Paragraph 15D
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

- Definition

Includes currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. It also includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits in that the Entity may deposit additional funds at any time and also effectively may withdraw funds at any time without prior notice or penalty. Cash equivalents, excluding items classified as marketable securities, include short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash, and so near their maturity that they present minimal risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify under that definition. Original maturity means original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months. Compensating balance arrangements that do not legally restrict the withdrawal or usage of cash amounts may be reported as Cash and Cash Equivalents, while legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or company statements of intention with regard to particular deposits are not generally reported as cash and cash equivalents. Includes cash and cash equivalents associated with the entity's continuing operations. Excludes cash and cash equivalents associated with the disposal group (and discontinued operation).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 95
-Paragraph 8, 9
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 1
-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 95
-Paragraph 7
-Footnote 1
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 95
-Paragraph 7, 26
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash Equivalents
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6361293&loc=d3e6676-107765

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6943989&loc=d3e3044-108585

+ Details

Investments (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Investments (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Investment Revenue	$ 1,311,289	$ 1,263,663	$ 1,140,602
Investment Income, Investment Expense	(30,092)	(25,003)	(18,140)
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,281,197	1,238,660	1,122,462
Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Investment Revenue	757,726	715,817	609,917
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Investment Revenue	55,931	51,186	46,652
Policy Loans [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Investment Revenue	66,621	72,743	68,213
Funds Withheld At Interest [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Investment Revenue	388,694	385,762	382,351
Short-term Investments [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Investment Revenue	2,378	4,968	4,692
Other Aggregated Investments [Member]
Major Categories Of Investment Income Net Of Expenses [Line Items]
Investment Revenue	$ 39,939	$ 33,187	$ 28,777

Investments (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Investments (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Available-for-sale Securities [Abstract]
Other-than-temporary impairments on fixed maturity securities	$ (30,873)	$ (31,920)	$ (128,834)
Other Than Temporary Impairments On Fixed Maturity Securities Transferred To Other Comprehensive Loss	3,924	2,045	16,045
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net	(26,949)	(29,875)	(112,789)
Impairment Losses On Equity Securities	(4,116)	(32)	(11,058)
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gains	132,045	100,957	113,872
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Losses	(26,996)	(28,730)	(72,987)
Other Impairment Losses And Change In Mortgage Loan Provision	(10,238)	(5,976)	(8,471)
Deriviatives And Other Investments Net	(99,802)	175,686	125,581
Realized Investment Gains (Losses)	$ (36,056)	$ 212,030	$ 34,148

Investments (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Investments (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	$ 47,291	$ 47,905	$ 17,132
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings, Additions, No Previous Impairment	8,349	7,359	7,853
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings, Additions, Additional Credit Losses	9,059	9,346	22,920
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings, Reductions, Securities Sold	(752)	(17,319)	0
Balance, end of period	$ 63,947	$ 47,291	$ 47,905

Investments (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 292,486	$ 319,131
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	(1,236)	4,081	$ (10,429)
Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	14,182,880	13,345,022
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,300,036	1,273,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	281,966	313,562
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	16,200,950	14,304,597
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ (18,523)	$ (16,623)
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	100.00%	100.00%
Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 117,840	$ 135,550
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6,580	10,230
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	10,520	5,569
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 113,900	$ 140,211
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales 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	$ 6,931,958	$ 6,384,262
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	654,519	426,933
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	125,371	100,751
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	7,461,106	6,710,444
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	46.00%	46.90%
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 2,507,802	$ 2,386,428
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,362,160	675,132
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	29	3,993
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	3,869,933	3,057,567
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	23.90%	21.40%
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,167,265	$ 1,443,892
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	76,393	55,765
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	16,424	26,580
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	1,227,234	1,473,077
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ (1,042)	$ (1,650)
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	7.60%	10.30%
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 443,974	$ 440,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	11,692	12,001
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	53,675	61,544
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	401,991	391,209
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ (5,256)	$ (4,963)
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	2.50%	2.70%
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,233,958	$ 1,353,279
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	87,750	81,839
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	79,489	97,265
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	1,242,219	1,337,853
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ (12,225)	$ (10,010)
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	7.70%	9.40%
US Government and Government Agencies and Authorities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 341,087	$ 199,129
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	32,976	7,795
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	61	708
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	374,002	206,216
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	2.30%	1.40%
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	$ 184,308	$ 170,479
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	24,419	2,098
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	3,341	8,117
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	205,386	164,460
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	1.30%	1.20%
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,372,528	$ 966,801
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	50,127	11,574
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	3,576	14,604
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	1,419,079	963,771
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	8.70%	6.70%
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 82,488	$ 100,718
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4,677	4,130
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	8,982	5,298
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 78,183	$ 99,550
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	68.60%	71.00%
Equity Securities, Other [Member] \| Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 35,352	$ 34,832
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,903	6,100
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	1,538	271
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 35,717	$ 40,661
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	31.40%	29.00%

Investments (Details 5) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost Basis [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, within One Year, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 178,548
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after One Through Five Years, Amortized Cost Basis	2,479,316
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Five Through Ten Years, Amortized Cost Basis	3,868,653
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Ten Years, Amortized Cost Basis	4,811,166
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, without Single Maturity Date, Amortized Cost Basis	2,845,197
Available for Sale at Fair value - Amortized cost	14,182,880	$ 13,345,022
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Fair Value [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, within One Year, Fair Value	181,033
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after One Through Five Years, Fair Value	2,559,352
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Five Through Ten Years, Fair Value	4,195,878
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, after Ten Years, Fair Value	6,393,243
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, without Single Maturity Date, Fair Value	2,871,444
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 16,200,950	$ 14,304,597

Investments (Details 6) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Finance Industry [Member]
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 2,411,175	$ 2,447,486
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 2,442,149	$ 2,501,158
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	32.70%	37.30%
Industrial [Member]
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 3,402,099	$ 3,065,088
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 3,760,187	$ 3,281,255
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	50.40%	48.90%
Utility Industry [Member]
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,115,384	$ 868,382
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 1,255,090	$ 924,304
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	16.90%	13.70%
Other Industry [Member]
Corporate Secturities by Investment Sector And Credit Rating [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 3,300	$ 3,306
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 3,680	$ 3,727
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	0.00%	0.10%

- Definition

This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. This item represents Available-for-sale Securities which consist of all investments in certain debt and equity securities neither classified as trading or held-to-maturity securities. A debt security represents a creditor relationship with an enterprise. Debt securities include, among other items, US Treasury securities, US government securities, municipal securities, corporate bonds, convertible debt, commercial paper, and all securitized debt instruments. An equity security represents an ownership interest in an enterprise or the right to acquire or dispose of an ownership interest in an enterprise at fixed or determinable prices. Equity securities include, among other things, common stock, certain preferred stock, warrant rights, call options, and put options, but do not include convertible debt. An entity may opt to provide the reader with additional narrative text to better understand the nature of investments in debt and equity securities which are categorized as Available-for-sale.

+ References + Details

Investments (Details 7) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Australia [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 437,713	$ 350,178
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 446,694	$ 343,716
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	39.10%	54.00%
Japan [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 214,994
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 219,276
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	19.20%
United Kingdom [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 118,618	$ 84,650
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 130,106	$ 86,126
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	11.40%	13.50%
Germany [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 72,926	$ 30,920
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 75,741	$ 30,602
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	6.60%	4.80%
New Zealand [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 51,547
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 51,544
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	4.50%
South Africa [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 37,624	$ 43,173
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 38,528	$ 43,991
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	3.40%	6.90%
South Korea [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 30,592	$ 22,812
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 32,025	$ 23,378
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	2.80%	3.70%
Qatar [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		$ 26,464
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure		$ 27,549
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities		4.30%
United Arab Emirates [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		$ 14,545
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure		$ 15,067
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities		2.40%
Other Countries [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 139,927	$ 62,930
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 148,792	$ 66,205
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	13.00%	10.40%
Combined Sovereign Debt [Member]
Sovereign Fixed Maturity by Country [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,103,941	$ 635,672
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 1,142,706	$ 636,634
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	100.00%	100.00%

Investments (Details 8) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Finance Industry [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 29,649	$ 40,373
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 24,775	$ 36,074
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	33.50%	45.40%
Finance Industry [Member] \| Ireland [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 4,084	$ 12,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 4,397	$ 12,626
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	5.90%	15.90%
Finance Industry [Member] \| Spain [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 25,565	$ 27,747
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 20,378	$ 23,448
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	27.60%	29.50%
Other Industry [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 49,831	$ 42,892
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 49,094	$ 43,428
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	66.50%	54.60%
Other Industry [Member] \| Ireland [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 12,474
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 13,149
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	17.80%
Other Industry [Member] \| Italy [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 2,898	$ 2,745
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 2,808	$ 2,675
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	3.80%	3.30%
Other Industry [Member] \| Spain [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 34,459	$ 40,147
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 33,137	$ 40,753
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	44.90%	51.30%
Combined European Peripheral Region [Member]
Non-Sovereign Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities in European Peripheral Region [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 79,480	$ 83,265
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 73,869	$ 79,502
Percentage Of Total Available For Sales Securities	100.00%	100.00%

Investments (Details 9) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)
Gross unrealized losses with number of securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	940	1,028
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 292,486	$ 319,131
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 in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	833	908
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 131,155	$ 146,404
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	44.80%	45.90%
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 in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	44	14
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 51,503	$ 18,114
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	17.60%	5.70%
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 in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	63	106
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 109,828	$ 154,613
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	37.60%	48.40%

Investments (Details 10) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	940	1,028
Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 1,581,692	$ 2,101,611
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	73,831	56,859
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	667,783	1,031,218
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	208,135	256,703
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,249,475	3,132,829
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	281,966	313,562
Equity Securities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	21,178	22,864
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	5,080	1,105
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	21,599	28,867
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	5,440	4,464
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	42,777	51,731
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ 10,520	$ 5,569
Less Than 12 Months [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	546	520
Greater Than Or Equal To 12 Months [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	394	508
External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 1,304,417	$ 2,042,029
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	53,879	54,422
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	526,382	789,281
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	128,295	152,793
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,830,799	2,831,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	182,174	207,215
External Credit Rating, Non Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	277,275	59,582
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	19,952	2,437
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	141,401	241,937
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	79,840	103,910
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	418,676	301,519
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	99,792	106,347
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	790,758	1,020,784
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	40,180	30,438
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	286,244	329,109
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	63,117	58,539
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,077,002	1,349,893
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	103,297	88,977
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Non Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	212,795	58,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	10,852	1,832
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	47,310	91,205
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	11,222	9,942
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	260,105	149,625
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	22,074	11,774
US Government Agencies Debt Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,764	11,839
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	61	708
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,764	11,839
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	61	708
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	21,045	68,229
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	1,845	2,890
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,273	31,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	1,268	5,227
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	33,318	99,655
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	3,113	8,117
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Non Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,000	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	228	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,000	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	228	0
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	148,416	462,272
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	1,085	6,694
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,588	82,815
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	2,491	7,910
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	165,004	545,087
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	3,576	14,604
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	109,455	132,526
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	3,538	4,143
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	58,979	109,158
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	22,001	29,059
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	168,434	241,684
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	25,539	33,202
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Non Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	34,918	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	7,220	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	62,357	89,170
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	46,730	64,063
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	97,275	89,170
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	53,950	64,063
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	128,622	195,406
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	3,549	4,986
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	58,388	105,601
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	10,382	13,607
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	187,010	301,007
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	13,931	18,593
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Non Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	23,199	1,162
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	712	605
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	10,459	38,206
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	1,781	7,382
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	33,658	39,368
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	2,493	7,987
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	101,263	23,065
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	3,592	570
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	93,910	131,172
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	29,036	38,451
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	195,173	154,237
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	32,628	39,021
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Non Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,363	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	940	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	21,275	23,356
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	20,107	22,523
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	23,638	23,356
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	21,047	22,523
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member] \| External Credit Rating, Investment Grade [Member] \| Fixed Maturities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	3,094	127,908
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	29	3,993
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,094	127,908
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	29	3,993
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Equity Securities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	19,516	15,987
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	4,478	834
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,694	28,549
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	4,504	4,464
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	35,210	44,536
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	8,982	5,298
Equity Securities, Other [Member] \| Equity Securities [Member]
Estimated Fair Values And Gross Unrealized Losses OTTI Impairment Losses Reported In AOCI [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,662	6,877
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	602	271
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,905	318
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	936	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,567	7,195
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ 1,538	$ 271

Investments (Details 11) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Mortgage Loans Property Type Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 1,003,524	$ 892,050
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	100.00%	100.00%
Apartment [Member]
Mortgage Loans Property Type Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 124,674	$ 93,042
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	12.40%	10.40%
Retail [Member]
Mortgage Loans Property Type Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 335,745	$ 256,304
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	33.50%	28.70%
Office Building [Member]
Mortgage Loans Property Type Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 264,584	$ 263,063
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	26.40%	29.50%
Industrial [Member]
Mortgage Loans Property Type Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 200,762	$ 227,868
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	20.00%	25.60%
Other Commercial [Member]
Mortgage Loans Property Type Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 77,759	$ 51,773
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	7.70%	5.80%

Investments (Details 12) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 1,003,524	$ 892,050
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	100.00%	100.00%
Pacific [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 269,922	$ 232,940
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	26.90%	26.10%
South Atlantic [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 233,534	$ 217,637
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	23.30%	24.40%
Mountain [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 116,224	$ 99,145
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	11.60%	11.10%
Middle Atlantic [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 86,590	$ 83,843
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	8.60%	9.40%
West North Central [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 69,789	$ 70,279
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	7.00%	7.90%
East North Central [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 92,861	$ 58,955
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	9.20%	6.60%
West South Central [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 58,506	$ 51,351
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	5.80%	5.70%
East South Central [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 40,767	$ 41,721
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	4.10%	4.70%
New England [Member]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Geographic Location Of Property [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 35,331	$ 36,179
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer Net Percentage Of Total	3.50%	4.10%

Investments (Details 13) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 1,003,524	$ 892,050
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Due One Year Through Five Years [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	493,027	412,359
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Due After Five Years [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	299,252	399,100
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Due After Ten Years [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 211,245	$ 80,591

Investments (Details 14) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Credit Quality Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 1,003,524	$ 892,050
High Investment Grade [Member]
Credit Quality Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	252,333	205,127
Investment Grade [Member]
Credit Quality Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	526,608	585,818
Average [Member]
Credit Quality Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	105,177	38,152
Watch List [Member]
Credit Quality Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	91,037	44,208
In Or Near Default [Member]
Credit Quality Indicators [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 28,369	$ 18,745

Investments (Details 15) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, 30 to 59 Days Past Due	$ 21,800	$ 0
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, 60 to 89 Days Past Due	0	0
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due	20,316	15,555
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	42,116	15,555
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Current	961,408	876,495
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate Commercial And Consumer	$ 1,003,524	$ 892,050

Investments (Details 16) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Mortgage Loans [Abstract]
Financing Receivable, Individually Evaluated for Impairment	$ 60,904	$ 35,646
Financing Receivable, Collectively Evaluated for Impairment	942,620	856,404
Loans Receivable, Gross, Commercial, Real Estate	1,003,524	892,050
Valuation Allowances [Abstract]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Individually Evaluated for Impairment	8,188	6,239
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Collectively Evaluated for Impairment	3,605	0
Financing Receivable Allowance For Credit Losses Total	11,793	6,239
Mortgage Loans Net Of Valuation Allowance [Abstract]
Mortgage loans on real estate	$ 991,731	$ 885,811

Investments (Details 17) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Investments (Details 17) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Balance beginning	$ 6,239	$ 5,784	$ 526
Net Credit Losses During Period on Loans Managed or Securitized or Asset-backed Financing Arrangement	(3,947)	0	(2,371)
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Provision for Loss, Net	9,501	455	7,629
Balance ending	$ 11,793	$ 6,239	$ 5,784

Investments (Details 18) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Investments (Details 18) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance	$ 61,812	$ 35,646
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment	60,904	35,646
Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance	8,188	6,239
Loans And Leases Receivable Impaired At Carrying Value 1	52,716	29,407
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment	42,589	41,178
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method	1,048	820
Commercial Real Estate Other Receivable With No Related Allowance [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance	32,088	16,901
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment	31,496	16,901
Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance	0	0
Loans And Leases Receivable Impaired At Carrying Value 1	31,496	16,901
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment	14,877	19,253
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method	630	525
Commercial Real Estate Other Receivable With Related Allowance [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance	29,724	18,745
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment	29,408	18,745
Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance	8,188	6,239
Loans And Leases Receivable Impaired At Carrying Value 1	21,220	12,506
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment	27,712	21,925
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method	$ 418	$ 295

Investments (Details 19) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	$ 1,012,541	$ 707,403
Equity Securities [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	113,900	140,211
Limited Partner [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	251,315	214,105
Secured Debt [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	281,022	229,583
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	257,050	34,929
Other [Member]
Other Investments [Abstract]
Other invested assets	$ 109,254	$ 88,575

Investments (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Investments (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Proceeds From Sale Of Available For Sale Securities Sold At Loss	$ 476,600,000	$ 622,400,000	$ 687,800,000
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	100.00%	100.00%
Mortgage Loan Percent Of Cash And Invested Assets	3.80%	3.80%
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method	$ 1,048,000	$ 820,000
Loans and Leases Receivable, Impaired, Nonperforming, Nonaccrual of Interest	$ 20,300,000	$ 15,600,000
Policy Loans Percent Of Cash And Invested Assets	4.90%	5.30%
Funds Withheld At Interest Percent Of Cash And Invested Assets	20.90%	23.40%
Other Invested Assets Percent Of Cash And Invested Assets	3.90%	3.10%
Funds Held Under Reinsurance Agreements Asset Specific Client	$ 3,700,000,000
Funds Withheld At Interest Investment Yield	6.87%	7.20%	7.69%
Equity Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Greater Than 20 Percent Greater Than 12 Months Aggregate Losses	$ 500,000	$ 1,800,000
Non-Income Producing Securities [Member]
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	86,200,000	45,300,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	79,700,000	41,200,000
Collateral Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29,000,000	46,900,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	32,600,000	48,200,000
Canadian Province Of Onatio Securities [Member]
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	1,171,200,000	959,500,000
Canadian Province Of Quebec Securities [Member]
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 1,107,700,000	$ 871,600,000
Investment Grade Securities [Member]
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Percentage Of Total Gross Unrealized Losses	65.30%	66.10%
Below Investment Grade Securities [Member]
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 811,300,000	$ 786,900,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	734,900,000	712,100,000
Asset And Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Investment Narrative [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	$ 68,600,000	$ 94,000,000

Derivative Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	$ 4,989,001	$ 3,735,835
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	286,951	110,360
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	1,444,304	1,060,435
Designated As Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	677,828	637,106
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	419	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	24,956	47,467
Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	4,311,173	3,098,729
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	286,532	110,360
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	1,419,348	1,012,968
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Designated As Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	56,250	21,783
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	133	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	960	1,718
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	2,748,317	2,302,853
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	184,842	20,042
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	18,702	17,132
Future [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	277,814	210,295
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	24,400	39,700
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	4,560	5,924
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	101,069	120,340
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	766	1,491
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	649,500	392,500
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	1,313	2,429
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	10,949	131
Equity [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	510,073	33,041
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	90,106	5,043
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Currency Swap [Member] \| Designated As Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	621,578	615,323
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	286	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	23,996	45,749
Embedded Derivatives In Modified Coinsurance Or Funds Withheld Arrangements [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	0	0
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	361,456	274,220
Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	0	0
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	4,945	75,431
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	751,523	668,951
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member] \| Designated As Non Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Derivatives	0	0
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	$ 276,718	$ 52,534

Derivative Instruments (Details 1) - Interest Rate Swap [Member] - Available-for-sale Securities [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Net Derivatives Gains Losses Recognized On Fair Value Derivatives And Related Hedged Items [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Net	$ (785)	$ (1,041)	$ 1,566
Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Hedged Item in Fair Value Hedge	1,402	1,599	(1,350)
Gain (Loss) on Fair Value Hedge Ineffectiveness, Net	$ 617	$ 558	$ 216

- Definition

The amount of net gains and losses recognized in income during the period on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments in fair value hedges and related hedged items designated and qualifying in fair value hedges, on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments in cash flow hedges, and on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments.

+ References + Details

Derivative Instruments (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Net Investments in Foreign Operations [Line Items]
Gains Losses Deferred In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss On Derivatives	$ (628)
Currency Swap [Member]
Net Investments in Foreign Operations [Line Items]
Gains Losses Deferred In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss On Derivatives	$ 4,858	$ (41,302)	$ (8,102)

Derivative Instruments (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Changes In Estimated Fair Value Related To Embedded Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net									$ (36,056)	$ 212,030	$ 34,148
Total benefits and expenses	$ 2,127,634	$ 1,823,367	$ 2,003,571	$ 2,040,586	$ 1,998,872	$ 1,758,366	$ 1,733,805	$ 1,906,870	7,995,158	7,397,913	6,474,477
Net income	$ 158,531	$ 147,385	$ 132,888	$ 160,816	$ 196,712	$ 128,232	$ 127,019	$ 122,439	599,620	574,402	407,086
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									(311,420)	131,488	331,091
Net income									(37,829)	23,786	(15,659)
Embedded Derivatives In Equity Indexed Annuities [Member]
Changes In Estimated Fair Value Related To Embedded Derivatives [Line Items]
Total benefits and expenses									(114,921)	(44,988)	(71,222)
Net income									$ (55,915)	$ (26,265)	$ (51,806)

- 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 95
-Paragraph 28
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 115
-Paragraph 13, 22
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 5
-Section 03
-Paragraph 7

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6943989&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7(c),9(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (c)-(e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27357-111563

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27405-111563

+ Details

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References

+ Details

Derivative Instruments (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	$ (36,056)	$ 212,030	$ 34,148
Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	919,595	1,079,953	958,326
Interest credited	316,394	309,982	323,738
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	178,338	68,736	(160,716)
Future [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	(945)	(44,959)	(72,641)
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	1,675	3,387	2
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	1,821	962	2,234
Credit Default Swap [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	(63)	4,786	13,654
Equity [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	7,818	(3,006)	0
Embedded Derivatives In Modified Coinsurance Or Funds Withheld Arrangements [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	(87,236)	160,274	78,394
Embedded Derivatives In Indexed Annuity [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	(24,551)	6,457	7,137
Interest credited	(90,370)	(51,445)	(78,359)
Embedded Derivatives In Variable Annuity [Member]
Income Affect Of Non Hedging Derivatives [Line Items]
Total investment related gains (losses), net	$ (224,184)	$ (28,786)	$ 252,697

Derivative Instruments (Details 5) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Credit Exposure of Derivative Contracts [Abstract]
Estimated fair value of derivatives in net asset (liability) position	$ 227,399	$ (29,801)
Estimated Fair Value Of Collateral Provided Included In Cash	0	0
Estimated Fair Value Of Collateral Provided Included In Other Invested Assets	(27,052)	(48,223)
Cash received as collateral	(241,480)	(10,300)
Securities received as collateral	(997)	(1,781)
Net Credit Exposure On Derivative Contracts	11,974	6,341
Margin Account For Exchange Traded Futures	$ 18,153	$ 16,285

Derivative Instruments (Details 6) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Details 6) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedges [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Related To Cash Flow Hedge	$ 0
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedges, Pretax, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(628)
Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) Reclassified to Earnings, Net	0
Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) Reclassified to Investment Income, Net	(200)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Related To Cash Flow Hedge	$ (828)

Derivative Instruments (Details 7) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Details 7) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Derivatives In Cash Flow Hedging Relationships [Line Items]
Gains Losses Deferred In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss On Derivatives	$ (628)
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	0
Derivative Instruments, Loss Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion	200
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing, Net	$ 0

Derivative Instruments (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Derivative Instruments [Abstract]
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months, Net	$ 900,000
Cumulative Foreign Currency Translation Gain Loss Recorded In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss For Net Investment In Foreign Operations Hedges	4,100,000	$ (800,000)
Gain Loss On Investments Related To Change In Fair Value Of Derivatives Excluding Embedded Derivatives	188,600,000	29,900,000	$ (217,500,000)
Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives	614,000,000	375,000,000
Embedded Derivative Gain Loss In Financial Statements From Use Of Own Credit Risk	$ 23,100,000	$ (32,200,000)	$ (301,700,000)

Fair Value Disclosures (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Assets
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 16,200,950	$ 14,304,597
Mortgage loans on real estate (net of allowances of $11,793 and $6,239 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively)	991,731	885,811
Policy loans	1,260,400	1,228,418
Funds withheld at interest	5,410,424	5,421,952
Short-term investments	88,566	118,387
Other invested assets	1,012,541	707,403
Cash and cash equivalents	962,870	463,661	$ 512,027	$ 875,403
Accrued investment income	144,334	127,874
Reinsurance ceded receivables	626,194	769,699
Liabilities [Abstract]
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities	8,394,468	7,774,481
Collateral finance facility	652,032	850,039
Company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities of subsidiary trust holding solely junior subordinated debentures of the Company	0	159,421
Carrying Value [Member]
Assets
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	16,200,950	14,304,597
Mortgage loans on real estate (net of allowances of $11,793 and $6,239 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively)	991,731	885,811
Policy loans	1,260,400	1,228,418
Funds withheld at interest	5,410,424	5,421,952
Short-term investments	88,566	118,387
Other invested assets	963,626	683,307
Cash and cash equivalents	962,870	463,661
Accrued investment income	144,334	127,874
Reinsurance ceded receivables	3,643	95,557
Liabilities [Abstract]
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities	6,203,001	5,856,945
Long And Short Term Debt	1,414,688	1,216,410
Collateral finance facility	652,032	850,039
Company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities of subsidiary trust holding solely junior subordinated debentures of the Company	0	159,421
Estimated Fair Value [Member]
Assets
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	16,200,950	14,304,597
Mortgage loans on real estate (net of allowances of $11,793 and $6,239 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively)	1,081,924	933,513
Funds withheld at interest	6,041,984	5,838,064
Short-term investments	88,566	118,387
Other invested assets	966,237	681,242
Cash and cash equivalents	962,870	463,661
Accrued investment income	144,334	127,874
Reinsurance ceded receivables	1,248	91,893
Liabilities [Abstract]
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities	6,307,779	5,866,088
Long And Short Term Debt	1,462,329	1,226,517
Collateral finance facility	390,900	514,250
Company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities of subsidiary trust holding solely junior subordinated debentures of the Company	$ 0	$ 221,341

Fair Value Disclosures (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 16,200,950	$ 14,304,597
Funds withheld at interest - embedded derivatives	(361,456)	(274,220)
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	46,671	7,310
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	403,572	223,363
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	563,895	253,746
Reinsurance ceded receivable - embedded derivatives	4,945	75,431
Total	16,858,577	14,590,227
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities - embedded derivatives	1,028,241	721,485
Total	1,057,891	786,215
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	612,945	193,945
Funds withheld at interest - embedded derivatives	0	0
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	37,155	5,257
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	91,266	125,742
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	563,895	253,746
Reinsurance ceded receivable - embedded derivatives	0	0
Total	1,305,261	578,690
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Total	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	14,212,340	12,665,349
Funds withheld at interest - embedded derivatives	0	0
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	9,516	2,053
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	300,817	80,785
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Reinsurance ceded receivable - embedded derivatives	0	0
Total	14,522,673	12,748,187
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Total	29,650	64,730
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,375,665	1,445,303
Funds withheld at interest - embedded derivatives	(361,456)	(274,220)
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Short Term Investments	0	0
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	11,489	16,836
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Reinsurance ceded receivable - embedded derivatives	4,945	75,431
Total	1,030,643	1,263,350
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest-sensitive contract liabilities - embedded derivatives	1,028,241	721,485
Total	1,028,241	721,485
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	3,171	18,850
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0	0
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	3,171	18,850
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0	0
Credit Default Swap [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	5,633	131
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0	0
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	5,633	131
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0	0
Currency Swap [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	23,710	45,749
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0	0
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	23,710	45,749
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0	0
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	78,183	99,550
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	58,906	72,393
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	19,277	26,737
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	420
Equity Securities, Other [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	35,717	40,661
Equity Securities, Other [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	5,308	5,126
Equity Securities, Other [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	18,920	19,119
Equity Securities, Other [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	11,489	16,416
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	168,484	20,042
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	168,484	20,042
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Future [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Future [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Future [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Future [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	4,560	5,924
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	4,560	5,924
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	766	1,491
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	766	1,491
Consumer Price Index Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Credit Default Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	(4,003)	2,429
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	(4,003)	2,429
Credit Default Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Equity Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	87,243	5,043
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	(2,864)
Equity Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0
Equity Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	87,243	5,043
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	(2,864)
Equity Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	0
Currency Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Currency Swap [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Securities Pledged as Collateral [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	32,622	48,223
Securities Pledged as Collateral [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	27,052	48,223
Securities Pledged as Collateral [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	5,570	0
Securities Pledged as Collateral [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Other Invested Assets	0	0
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	7,461,106	6,710,443
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	76,097	15,089
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	6,410,840	5,823,175
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	974,169	872,179
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	3,869,933	3,057,567
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	3,869,933	3,057,567
Canadian Provincial Governments [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	0	0
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,227,234	1,473,077
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	1,145,579	1,289,786
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	81,655	183,291
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	401,991	391,209
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	208,499	162,651
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	193,492	228,558
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,242,219	1,337,853
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	1,126,243	1,190,297
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	115,976	147,556
US Treasury and Government [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	374,002	206,216
US Treasury and Government [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	300,514	166,861
US Treasury and Government [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	73,488	39,355
US Treasury and Government [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	0	0
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	205,386	164,460
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	12,894	6,865
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	182,119	150,612
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	10,373	6,983
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,419,079	963,772
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	223,440	5,130
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,195,639	951,906
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 0	$ 6,736

Fair Value Disclosures (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Fair Value Disclosures (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Percentage Of Fixed Maturity Securities Classified As Level 3	8.50%	10.10%
Fair Value Measured On Nonrecurring Basis Gains Losses	$ 1,200,000	$ 0
Equity Securities, Other [Member]
Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Fair Value, Level 1 to level 2 Transfers, Amount	2,300,000
Fair Value, Level 2 to level 1 Transfers, Amount	3,300,000
Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Fair Value, Level 1 to level 2 Transfers, Amount	77,300,000
Fair Value, Level 2 to level 1 Transfers, Amount	55,700,000
Foreclosed Commercial Mortgages [Member]
Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Commercial Mortgage Loans Carrying Value Non Recurring	4,600,000
Impaired Commercial Mortgages [Member]
Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items]
Fair Value Measured On Nonrecurring Basis Gains Losses	6,100,000
Commercial Mortgage Loans Carrying Value Non Recurring	$ 33,000,000

Reinsurance (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Reinsurance (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Reinsurance [Line Items]
Net premiums	$ 7,335,687	$ 6,659,680	$ 5,725,161
Claims and other policy benefits	6,224,800	5,547,155	4,819,426
Direct Life Insurance [Member]
Reinsurance [Line Items]
Net premiums	2,590	2,669	2,259
Claims and other policy benefits	4,179	4,062	4,098
Reinsurance Assumed [Member]
Reinsurance [Line Items]
Net premiums	7,701,594	7,198,219	6,241,952
Claims and other policy benefits	6,471,658	5,877,153	5,025,383
Reinsurance Ceded [Member]
Reinsurance [Line Items]
Net premiums	(368,497)	(541,208)	(519,050)
Claims and other policy benefits	$ (251,037)	$ (334,060)	$ (210,055)

Reinsurance (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Reinsurance (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 76	$ 74	$ 72
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	2,664,353	2,540,317	2,325,041
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	39,987	42,582	46,897
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 2,624,442	$ 2,497,809	$ 2,278,216
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	101.52%	101.70%	102.06%

Reinsurance (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Reinsurance [Line Items]
Statutory Financial Reinsurance	$ 2,200,000,000	$ 2,100,000,000
Statutory Reserves Related To Financial Requirements	1,277,200,000	1,138,500,000
Assets held in trust and held in custody	896,100,000	885,300,000
Benefit Of RGA Subsidiaries [Member]
Reinsurance [Line Items]
Assets held in trust and held in custody	1,534,000,000	1,419,300,000
Benefit Of Third Parties [Member]
Reinsurance [Line Items]
Assets held in trust and held in custody	$ 2,144,600,000	$ 1,851,100,000

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Disclosures [Line Items]
Deferred policy acquisition costs	$ 4,013,984	$ 3,726,443
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Assumed [Member]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Disclosures [Line Items]
Deferred policy acquisition costs	4,075,670	3,788,801
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Retroceded [Member]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Disclosures [Line Items]
Deferred policy acquisition costs	$ (61,686)	$ (62,358)

- Definition

Net amount of deferred policy acquisition costs capitalized on contracts remaining in force as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 60
-Paragraph 60
-Subparagraph c
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 16
-Article 12

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 95-1
-Paragraph 19-23
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 120
-Paragraph 5, 6
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 60
-Paragraph 28, 29, 30, 31
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 97
-Paragraph 22
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 7
-Section 03
-Paragraph 7

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.(a),7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 825
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6487548&loc=d3e32546-158582

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6481648&loc=d3e11198-158413

+ Details

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Movement Analysis of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Roll Forward]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	$ 3,726,443	$ 3,698,972	$ 3,610,334
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense, Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)	(7,448)	(15,671)	(45,839)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Foreign Currency	(17,916)	41,998	138,251
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	4,013,984	3,726,443	3,698,972
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Assumed [Member]
Movement Analysis of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Roll Forward]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs, Additions	1,028,974	966,539	870,526
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense	(831,619)	(855,432)	(594,895)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Allocated to Change In Value Of Embedded Derivatives [Member]
Movement Analysis of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Roll Forward]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense	114,877	(108,515)	(287,164)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Retroceded [Member]
Movement Analysis of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs [Roll Forward]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs, Additions	(13,411)	(13,838)	(9,192)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost, Amortization Expense	$ 14,084	$ 12,390	$ 16,951

- Definition

Amount of deferred policy acquisition costs charged to expense in the period, generally in proportion to related revenue earned, estimated gross profits, or over the customer relationship or some other period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 60
-Paragraph 60
-Subparagraph c
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Paragraph 7
-Article 7

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 16
-Article 12

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 18
-Article 12

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 95-1
-Paragraph 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 97
-Paragraph 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6967983&loc=d3e11264-158415

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.7(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 30
-Section 35
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6481450&loc=d3e10157-158409

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480726&loc=d3e6691-158385

+ Details

Income Tax (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
Income Tax (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Before Income Tax Domestic And Foreign [Abstract]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Domestic									$ 453,264	$ 542,894	$ 331,922
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Foreign									381,116	320,923	260,423
Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax	$ 220,585	$ 171,540	$ 200,406	$ 241,849	$ 275,257	$ 197,173	$ 198,072	$ 193,315	$ 834,380	$ 863,817	$ 592,345

Income Tax (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Tax (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Abstract]
Current Federal Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ (1,605)	$ (217,970)	$ 203,758
Current Foreign Tax Expense (Benefit)	50,138	63,233	62,696
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	48,533	(154,737)	266,454
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Abstract]
Deferred Federal Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	176,471	408,762	(92,634)
Deferred Foreign Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	9,756	35,390	11,439
Deferred income taxes cash flow	186,228	444,150	(81,195)
Provision for income taxes	$ 234,760	$ 289,415	$ 185,259

- Definition

The component of income tax expense for the period representing amounts paid or payable (or refundable) as determined by applying the provisions of enacted federal tax law to the domestic taxable Income or Loss from continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 45
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 6
-Section I
-Paragraph Question 1-7

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.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Current Tax Expense (or Benefit)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509736

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6889476&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 289
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

- Definition

The component of income tax expense for the period representing amounts of income taxes paid or payable (or refundable) for the period for all income tax obligations as determined by applying the provisions of relevant enacted tax laws to relevant amounts of taxable Income or Loss from continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 45
-Subparagraph a
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Current Tax Expense (or Benefit)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509736

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6889476&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 289
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 6
-Section I
-Subsection 7

+ Details

- Definition

The component of total income tax expense for the period comprised of the increase (decrease) during the period in the entity's domestic deferred tax assets and liabilities attributable to continuing operations as determined by applying the provisions of the federally enacted tax law.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 45
-Subparagraph b
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6889476&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Deferred Tax Expense (or Benefit)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510177

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 6
-Section I
-Subsection 7

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 8, 16, 17, 289
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

- Definition

The component of total income tax expense for the period comprised of the increase (decrease) in the entity's net foreign deferred tax assets and liabilities attributable to continuing operations as determined by applying the provisions of applicable enacted tax laws of countries other than the country of domicile.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 45
-Subparagraph b
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6889476&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Deferred Tax Expense (or Benefit)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510177

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 289
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 6
-Section I
-Subsection 7

+ Details

- Definition

The component of income tax expense for the period representing the increase (decrease) in the entity's deferred tax assets and liabilities pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 95
-Paragraph 28
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 45
-Subparagraph b
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6943989&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 5: 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.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6889476&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Deferred Tax Expense (or Benefit)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510177

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 289
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 6
-Section I
-Subsection 7

+ Details

Income Tax (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Tax (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Income Tax Reconciliation [Abstract]
Income Tax Reconciliation, Income Tax Expense (Benefit), at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate	$ 292,033	$ 302,336	$ 207,321
Income Tax Reconciliation, Foreign Income Tax Rate Differential	(17,230)	(8,741)	(7,636)
Income Tax Reconciliation Foreign Income Tax Basis Differential	(11,584)	(5,210)	(4,222)
Income Tax Reconciliation, Change in Deferred Tax Assets Valuation Allowance	4,147	(11)	(4,450)
Income Tax Reconciliation, Tax Contingencies, Domestic	5,562	3,942	(10,774)
Income Tax Reconciliation Change In Canadian Enacted Tax Rate	(40,593)	0	0
Income Tax Reconciliation Change In Foreign Enacted Tax Rate	(1,933)	0	0
Income Tax Reconciliation Subpart F	9,340	0	0
Income Tax Reconciliation, Tax Credits, Foreign	3,546	0	0
Income Tax Reconciliation, Prior Year Income Taxes	(1,863)	(2,322)	4,552
Income Tax Reconciliation, Other Adjustments	427	(579)	468
Provision for income taxes	$ 234,760	$ 289,415	$ 185,259
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations	2810.00%	3350.00%	3130.00%

Income Tax (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Tax (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Intraperiod Tax Allocation [Abstract]
Provision for income taxes	$ 234,760	$ 289,415	$ 185,259
Income Tax Effects Allocated Directly to Equity [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, Tax	275,975	267,445	355,088
Income Tax Effects Allocated Directly to Equity, Employee Stock Options	(4,934)	2,255	(2,605)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, Tax	(186)	(17,566)	6,286
Income Tax Effects Allocated Directly To Equity Employee Unrealized Pension And Post Retirement	8,581	(911)	754
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Intraperiod Tax Allocation	$ 497,034	$ 542,460	$ 543,274

- Definition

Tax effect on the change in the balance sheet adjustment that results from the process of translating subsidiary financial statements and foreign equity investments into reporting currency of the reporting entity for the period being reported.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 130
-Paragraph 23, 24, 25, 26
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 130
-Paragraph 25
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 52
-Paragraph 31
-Subparagraph c
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 830
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 20
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6915805&loc=d3e32211-110900

Reference 5: 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=6920043&loc=d3e640-108580

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)
-Number 51
-Paragraph 38
-Subparagraph c(3)
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Income Tax (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Deferred Tax Assets, Net [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals	$ 51,101	$ 18,961
Deferred Tax Assets Reinsurance Transactions	17,097	16,036
Deferred Tax Assets Cash And Invested Assets	0	0
Deferred Tax Assets Investment Income	98,496	110,446
Deferred Tax Assets Deferred Acquisition Costs Capitalized For Tax	67,006	66,246
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards	174,503	348,450
Deferred Tax Assets Capital Loss And Foreign Tax Credit Carryforwards	41,737	55,215
Deferred Tax Assets Deferred Acquisition Costs Capitalized For Financial Reporting	0	12,215
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	449,940	627,569
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	8,476	3,792
Deferred Tax Assets, Net	441,464	623,777
Deferred Tax Liabilities [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Deferred Expense, Deferred Policy Acquisition Cost	1,199,784	1,172,172
Deferred Tax Liabilities Reinsurance Transactions	473,920	497,859
Deferred Tax Liabilities Cash And Invested Assets	574,738	274,891
Deferred Tax Liabilities Investment Income	13,499	14,050
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Unrealized Currency Transaction Gains	8,604	61,552
Deferred Tax Liabilities	2,270,545	2,020,524
Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities), Net	(1,829,081)	(1,396,747)
Balance Sheet Presentation Of Deferred Tax Liabilities [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Assets, Other	2,788	0
Deferred income taxes	$ 1,831,869	$ 1,396,747

Income Tax (Details 5) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Tax (Details 5) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	$ 182,354	$ 221,040	$ 206,665
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions	7,968	17,255	25,148
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decreases Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions	0	(59,879)	(14,711)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increases Resulting from Current Period Tax Positions	3,938	3,938	3,938
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decreases Resulting from Current Period Tax Positions	0	0	0
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	$ 194,260	$ 182,354	$ 221,040

Income Tax (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Income Tax (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008	Dec. 31, 2007
Income Tax [Abstract]
Cumulative Tax Benefit Adjustment	$ 32,500,000
Unrecorded Tax Benefit Adjustment Impact By Year		$ 13,000,000	$ 10,000,000	$ 6,000,000	$ 4,000,000
Deferred Tax Liability Not Recognized, Amount of Unrecognized Deferred Tax Liability	777,300,000	630,600,000
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds	11,100,000	37,500,000	300,000
Cash paid for income taxes	140,100,000	48,000,000	25,900,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards	562,700,000	1,075,500,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards With Expiration Dates	427,100,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate		26,800,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Interest on Income Taxes Expense	7,100,000	1,400,000	$ 2,100,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Interest on Income Taxes Accrued	$ 39,800,000	$ 32,700,000

Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Beginning Balance	$ 69,625	$ 63,998
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Ending Balance	93,101	69,625	$ 63,998
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Beginning Balance	69,625
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost	5,985	4,762	3,821
Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost	3,916	3,420	3,443
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Net (Gains) Losses	16,164	(1,938)
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(2,100)	(1,280)
Defined Benefit Plan, Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Changes, Benefit Obligation	(490)	663
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Ending Balance	93,101	69,625
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Beginning Balance	18,395	14,321
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost	1,116	847	597
Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost	1,035	882	674
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	176	127
Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Net (Gains) Losses	8,348	2,326
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(216)	(108)
Defined Benefit Plan, Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Changes, Benefit Obligation	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Ending Balance	$ 28,854	$ 18,395	$ 14,321

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Beginning Balance	$ 35,888
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Ending Balance	41,300	$ 35,888
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan	(51,801)	(33,737)
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	35,888	30,923
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Return on Plan Assets	540	4,383
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	6,972	1,862
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(2,100)	(1,280)
Defined Benefit Plan Administrative Expense	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Ending Balance	41,300	35,888
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan	(51,801)	(33,737)
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	40	70
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	176	127
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(216)	(108)
Defined Benefit Plan Administrative Expense	0	(89)
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets, Ending Balance	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan	$ (28,854)	$ (18,395)

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Funded Status [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	$ 41,300	$ 35,888
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	93,101	69,625	$ 63,998
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total	(51,801)	(33,737)
Qualified Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Funded Status [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	41,300	35,888
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	51,980	40,687
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total	(10,680)	(4,799)
Non Qualified Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Funded Status [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	41,121	28,938
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total	$ (41,121)	$ (28,938)

- Definition

1) For defined benefit pension plans, the benefit obligation is the projected benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value as of a date of all benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered prior to that date. 2) For other postretirement defined benefit plans, the benefit obligation is the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value of benefits attributed to employee service rendered to a particular date.

+ References

+ Details

- Definition

Assets, usually stocks, bonds, and other investments, that have been segregated and restricted (usually in a trust) to provide benefits, at their fair value as of the measurement date. Plan assets include amounts contributed by the employer (and by employees for a contributory plan) and amounts earned from investing the contributions, less benefits paid. If a plan has liabilities other than for benefits, those non-benefit obligations may be considered as reductions of plan assets.

+ References + Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Amounts In AOCI [Line Items]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net Gains (Losses), before Tax	$ 30,565	$ 13,118
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Costs (Credit) Arising During Period, Net of Tax	2,804	3,264
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, Net of Tax	33,369	16,382
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Amounts In AOCI [Line Items]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net Gains (Losses), before Tax	13,875	5,880
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Costs (Credit) Arising During Period, Net of Tax	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, Net of Tax	$ 13,875	$ 5,880

- Definition

The cost (credit) resulting from a plan amendment that occurred during the period, after tax. The cost has not been recognized in net periodic benefit cost. A plan amendment includes provisions that grant increased benefits based on service rendered in prior periods.

+ References

+ Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets, Aggregate Projected Benefit Obligation	$ 93,101	$ 69,625
Defined Benefit Plan Pension Plans With Projected Benefit Obligations In Excess Of Plan Assets Fair Value Of Plan Assets	$ 41,300	$ 35,888

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 5) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets, Aggregate Accumulated Benefit Obligation	$ 89,531	$ 66,597
Defined Benefit Plan, Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets, Aggregate Fair Value of Plan Assets	$ 41,300	$ 35,888

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 6) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details 6) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost	$ 5,985	$ 4,762	$ 3,821
Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost	3,916	3,420	3,443
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Return on Plan Assets	2,937	2,577	1,945
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	399	(171)	558
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Gains (Losses)	(980)	(688)	(1,593)
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Total	8,343	6,122	7,470
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost	1,116	847	597
Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost	1,035	882	674
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Return on Plan Assets	0	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	0	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Gains (Losses)	(353)	(236)	(20)
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Total	$ 2,504	$ 1,965	$ 1,291

- Definition

An amount calculated as a basis for determining the extent of delayed recognition of the effects of changes in the fair value of assets. The expected return on plan assets is determined based on the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the market-related value of plan assets.

+ References

+ Details

- Definition

The increase in a defined benefit pension plan's projected benefit obligation or a defined benefit postretirement plan's accumulated postretirement benefit obligation due to the passage of time.

+ References + Details

- Definition

The actuarial present value of benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to services rendered by employees during the period. The portion of the expected postretirement benefit obligation attributed to employee service during the period. The service cost component is a portion of the benefit obligation and is unaffected by the funded status of the plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 106
-Paragraph 518
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 87
-Paragraph 264
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph a, h
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6962843&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6962843&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Service Cost (Component of Net Periodic Pension Cost)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6525008

+ Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 7) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details 7) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Unamortized Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, before Tax	$ 18,561	$ (3,743)	$ 2,009
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Cost (Credit) Arising During Period, before Tax	0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Gain (Loss) Recognized in Net Periodic Benefit Cost, before Tax	(980)	(688)	(1,593)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Amortization, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Cost (Credit) Recognized in Net Periodic Benefit Cost, before Tax	(399)	171	(558)
Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plan Net Foreign Exchange Translations And Other Adjustments	(196)	(307)	290
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Tax	16,986	(4,567)	148
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	25,329	1,555	7,618
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Unamortized Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, before Tax	8,348	2,326	2,094
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Cost (Credit) Arising During Period, before Tax	0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Gain (Loss) Recognized in Net Periodic Benefit Cost, before Tax	(353)	(236)	(20)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Amortization, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Cost (Credit) Recognized in Net Periodic Benefit Cost, before Tax	0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plan Net Foreign Exchange Translations And Other Adjustments	0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Tax	7,995	2,090	2,074
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$ 10,499	$ 4,055	$ 3,365

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 8) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Benefit Payments [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year One	$ 4,705
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Two	5,031
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Three	5,226
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Four	5,511
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Five	7,434
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Five Fiscal Years Thereafter	38,945
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	247
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Two	302
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Three	361
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Four	420
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Year Five	480
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Five Fiscal Years Thereafter	$ 3,495

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 9)	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details 9)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used in Calculations [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Discount Rate	4.48%	5.47%	6.01%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Discount Rate	5.22%	5.96%	6.37%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Expected Long-term Return on Assets	7.75%	8.50%	8.50%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Rate of Compensation Increase	4.20%	4.20%	4.21%
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	4.50%	5.40%	5.50%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Discount Rate	5.40%	5.75%	6.30%
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 (Details 10)	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details 10)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
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	9.00%	8.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Description of Direction and Pattern of Change for Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rate	9% down to 5% in 2015	8% down to 5% in 2013
Defined Benefit Plan, Year that Rate Reaches Ultimate Trend Rate	2015	2013
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	8.00%	8.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Description of Direction and Pattern of Change for Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rate	8% down to 5% in 2013	8% down to 5% in 2013
Defined Benefit Plan, Year that Rate Reaches Ultimate Trend Rate	2013	2013
Defined Benefit Plan, Ultimate Health Care Cost Trend Rate	5.00%	5.00%

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 11) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details 11) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Service and Interest Cost Components	$ 659
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Service and Interest Cost Components	(441)
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation	7,010
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation	$ (5,244)

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 12) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	$ 41,300	$ 35,888
Mutual Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	41,250	35,845
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	50	43
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	41,300	35,888
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Mutual Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	41,250	35,845
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	50	43
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Mutual Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Mutual Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	$ 0	$ 0

- Definition

+ References + Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation	$ 89,500,000	$ 66,700,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Gains (Losses)	3,400,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Prior Service Cost (Credit)	$ 300,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Allocation Percentage of Assets, Equity Securities	60.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Allocation Percentage of Assets, Debt Securities	40.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized	$ 5,100,000	$ 3,900,000	$ 2,700,000
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year	4,700,000
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year	$ 200,000

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subs (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($)
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Number Of Preceeding Months To Accumulate Dividend Paid For Approval	12
Future Dividend Payment Restricted To Such Percent Of Surplus To Policy Holders	10.00%
RCM [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	$ 1,478,864	$ 1,486,928
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	37,142	53,690	$ (16,800)
RGA Reinsurance [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	1,515,934	1,528,887
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	129,717	68,010	63,189
RGA Canada [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	610,142	522,756
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	102,229	68,561	(2,620)
RGA Barbados [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	493,637	409,147
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	149,676	98,688	33,220
RGA Australia [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	382,395	339,297
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	44,403	31,897	37,515
RGA Atlantic [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	345,247	287,386
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	74,506	81,390	47,369
RGA Americas [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	267,871	259,589
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	55,639	50,314	15,433
Other Reinsurance Subsidiaries [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	644,918	454,738
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount	$ (420,206)	$ 80,286	$ (315,713)

Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subs (Narrative)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Statutory Basis [Abstract]
Number Of Preceeding Months To Accumulate Dividend Paid For Approval	12
Future Dividend Payment Restricted To Such Percent Of Surplus To Policy Holders	10.00%
Day As Of Max Dividends Payable For RCM And RGA Reinsurance	January 1, 2012
RCM Max Dividend Payments Without Approval	$ 147,900,000
RGA Reinsurance Max Dividend Payments Without Approval	$ 151,600,000

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Details)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Current	$ 16,400,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years	13,200,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years	11,400,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years	6,500,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years	6,100,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter	$ 21,900,000

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Undrawn Outstanding Letters Of Credit In Favor Of Third Parties	$ 15,800,000	$ 16,000,000
Undrawn Outstanding Letters Of Credit Between Subsidiaries	582,900,000	518,400,000
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity	850,000,000
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity Undrawn Outstanding	183,500,000
Other Long Term Credit Facility Capacity 200 Million Dollar	200,000,000
Other Long Term Credit Facility Undrawn Outstanding 200 Million Dollar	200,000,000
Other Long Term Credit Facility Capacity 120 Million Dollar	120,000,000
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	18,800,000	17,100,000	$ 13,900,000
Syndicated Credit Facility $850 Million [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity	850,000,000
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity Undrawn Outstanding	183,500,000
Syndicated Credit Facility $750 Million [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity	750,000,000
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity Undrawn Outstanding	113,300,000
Insurance Treaty Guarantee [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	697,500,000	600,800,000
Insurance Treaty Guarantee Net Of Assets Held In Trust [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	467,500,000	352,000,000
Guarantee Of Borrowed Securities [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	150,000,000
Guarantee Of Lease Obligations [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	11,700,000
Guarantee Of Subsidiary Collateral Financing [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	300,000,000
Limited Partnerships [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Commitments To Extend Credit	156,600,000	147,200,000
Commercial Mortgage Loans [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Commitments To Extend Credit	33,600,000	6,700,000
Private Placement Investments [Member]
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Commitments To Extend Credit	$ 100,000,000	$ 7,500,000

Debt and Trust Preferred Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term Debt	$ 0	$ 199,985
Long-term debt	1,414,688	1,016,425
Company-obligated mandatorily redeemable preferred securities of subsidiary trust holding solely junior subordinated debentures of the Company	0	159,421
Junior Subordinated Debentures Due 2065 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowed Funds	318,725	318,723
Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowed Funds	399,466	399,398
Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowed Funds	298,577	298,304
Senior Notes Due 2011 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowed Funds	0	199,985
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowed Funds	$ 397,920	$ 0

Debt and Trust Preferred Securities (Narrative)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Debt and Trust Preferred Securities (Narrative)	Mar. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 shares	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($)
Debt And Trust Preferred Securities [Abstract]
Number Of Trust Preferred Securites \| shares			4,500,000
Warrants Excercised			4,402,078
Price Per Warrant			$ 35.44
Trust Preferred Securities Fixed Annual Distribution Rate			5.75%
Warrant Conversion Value In Common Shares \| shares		1.2508	1.2508
Loss On Unamortized Issuance Costs	$ 4,400,000
Unexercised Warrant Cash Redemption Value			$ 14.56
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount			80,200,000
Early Repayment of Subordinated Debt					$ 39,960,000
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt			$ 65,565,000	$ 0	38,875,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage			5.00%
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			$ 400,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt			394,400,000
Debt Issuance Costs Incurred And Capitalized			3,400,000
Early Repayment Of Junior Subordinated Debt			39,200,000
Gains Losses On Extinguishment Of Junior Subordinated Debentures					$ 38,900,000
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity			850,000,000
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility Capacity Undrawn Outstanding			$ 183,500,000
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		6.38%	5.94%	6.38%
Remarketed on March 4 2011 [Member]
Debt And Trust Preferred Securities [Abstract]
Number Of Trust Preferred Securites \| shares			4,500,000
Aggregate Value Of Trust Preferred Securites			$ 158,200,000
Trust Preferred Security Value			35.44
Price Per Warrant			$ 35.44
Number Of Common Shares Issued \| shares			5,500,000
Trust Preferred Securities Fixed Annual Distribution Rate			2.375%
Unexercised Warrant Cash Redemption Value			$ 14.56
Issued December 18 2001 Original Maturity Date March 18 2051 [Member]
Debt And Trust Preferred Securities [Abstract]
Trust Preferred Securities Fixed Annual Distribution Rate			5.75%

Collateral Finance Facility (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Collateral Finance Facility (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Direct investment in subsidiary	112,800,000
Assets held in trust and held in custody	896,100,000	$ 885,300,000
Collateral Financing Expense	12,391,000	7,856,000	$ 8,268,000
Amount Held In Debt Service Coverage Account	33,500,000	34,600,000
Repurchased Subsidiary Debt	198,500,000
Repayments of Secured Debt	130,798,000	0	0
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt	65,565,000	0	38,875,000
Timerberlake Financial [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Collateral Financing Expense	7,100,000	$ 7,900,000	$ 8,300,000
Repayments of Secured Debt	130,800,000
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt	65,600,000
Manor Reinsurance [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Collateral Financing Expense	$ 5,300,000

Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Total Revenues [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 2,348,219	$ 1,994,907	$ 2,203,977	$ 2,282,435	$ 2,274,129	$ 1,955,539	$ 1,931,877	$ 2,100,185	$ 8,829,538	$ 8,261,730	$ 7,066,822
US Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Revenues [Line Items]
Total revenues									4,910,366	4,961,839	4,255,534
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Revenues [Line Items]
Total revenues									1,051,828	976,172	777,235
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Revenues [Line Items]
Total revenues									1,247,065	957,713	826,880
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Revenues [Line Items]
Total revenues									1,429,092	1,242,189	1,085,088
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Revenues [Line Items]
Total revenues									$ 191,187	$ 123,817	$ 122,085

Segment Information (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
Segment Information (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax [Line Items]
Income before income taxes	$ 220,585	$ 171,540	$ 200,406	$ 241,849	$ 275,257	$ 197,173	$ 198,072	$ 193,315	$ 834,380	$ 863,817	$ 592,345
US Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax [Line Items]
Income before income taxes									436,709	539,390	308,718
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax [Line Items]
Income before income taxes									166,613	122,378	106,335
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax [Line Items]
Income before income taxes									100,043	85,834	52,341
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax [Line Items]
Income before income taxes									67,120	88,760	83,546
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax [Line Items]
Income before income taxes									$ 63,895	$ 27,455	$ 41,405

Segment Information (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Total Assets [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 32,104,032	$ 29,081,908
US Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Assets [Line Items]
Total assets	18,151,490	17,470,744	$ 15,569,263
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Assets [Line Items]
Total assets	3,453,094	3,441,915	3,026,515
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Assets [Line Items]
Total assets	1,932,452	1,584,007	1,400,580
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Assets [Line Items]
Total assets	2,995,205	2,440,316	2,060,425
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Total Assets [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 5,571,791	$ 4,144,926	$ 3,192,718

Segment Information (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Segment Information (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Interest Expense [Line Items]
Interest expense	$ 102,638	$ 90,996	$ 69,940
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Interest Expense [Line Items]
Interest expense	$ 102,638	$ 90,996	$ 69,940

Segment Information (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Segment Information (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	$ 907,347	$ 1,150,229	$ 1,058,718
US Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	476,667	761,725	733,345
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	170,671	167,030	145,330
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	61,160	67,403	58,297
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	189,847	145,666	114,300
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	$ 9,002	$ 8,405	$ 7,446

- Definition

The current period expense charged against earnings on long-lived, physical assets not used in production, and which are not intended for resale, to allocate or recognize the cost of such assets over their useful lives; or to record the reduction in book value of an intangible asset over the benefit period of such asset; or to reflect consumption during the period of an asset that is not used in production.

+ References + Details

Segment Information (Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Segment Information (Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	$ 1,887,100,000	$ 1,921,500,000
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Percentage Of Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	24.50%	26.70%
US Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	$ 1,401,500,000	$ 1,423,600,000
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Percentage Of Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	33.50%	35.60%
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	$ 503,500,000	$ 624,900,000
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Percentage Of Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	53.60%	58.00%
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	$ 634,200,000	$ 450,900,000
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Percentage Of Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	51.80%	47.40%
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	$ 603,500,000	$ 489,200,000
Segment Reporting Disclosure Of Major Customers Percentage Of Gross Premiums From Five Largest Clients	45.00%	41.80%

Equity Based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price, Beginning of Period	$ 41.91	$ 39.96	$ 40.84
Granted	59.74	47.10	32.20
Exercised / Lapsed	35.26	30.80	26.77
Forfeited	45.50	43.20	36.71
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price, End of Period	46.30	$ 41.91	$ 39.96
Options exercisable	$ 45.64
Options, Outstanding, Intrinsic Value	$ 18,500,000
Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value	$ 12,500,000
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number, Beginning Balance	3,382,316	3,200,639	2,787,184
Granted	503,259	535,867	743,145
Exercised / Lapsed	(736,452)	(314,815)	(226,264)
Forfeited	(42,243)	(39,375)	(103,426)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number, Ending Balance	3,106,880	3,382,316	3,200,639
Options exercisable	1,897,366
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number, Beginning Balance	701,542	556,216	383,119
Granted	222,580	253,342	309,063
Exercised / Lapsed	(146,638)	(93,597)	(123,782)
Forfeited	(21,818)	(14,419)	(12,184)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number, Ending Balance	755,666	701,542	556,216

Equity Based Compensation (Details 1) shares in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) shares
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	3,106,880
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	6.1
Options Oustanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 46.30
Options Exercisable \| shares	1,897,366
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 45.64
$25.00 - $34.99
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	896,316
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	5.5
Options Oustanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 30.96
Options Exercisable \| shares	541,600
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 30.14
$35.00 - $44.99
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	150,174
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	2.0
Options Oustanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 39.61
Options Exercisable \| shares	150,174
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 39.61
$45.00 - $54.99
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	921,343
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	6.0
Options Oustanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 47.26
Options Exercisable \| shares	535,329
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 47.38
$55.00 - +
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options Outstanding \| shares	1,139,047
Options Outstanding, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life	7.1
Options Oustanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 58.47
Options Exercisable \| shares	670,263
Options Exercisable, Weighted-Average Exercise Price \| $	$ 58.13

Equity Based Compensation (Narrative)	12 Months Ended
Equity Based Compensation (Narrative)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Equity Based Compensation [Abstract]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense \| $	$ 23,100,000	$ 18,100,000	$ 10,700,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Total Intrinsic Value \| $	$ 12,500,000	$ 7,200,000	$ 4,700,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value \| $ / shares	$ 22.73	$ 15.90	$ 8.99
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate	0.80%	1.02%	1.12%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate	2.81%	2.82%	2.03%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term	6.7	6.0	6.0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate	35.00%	33.90%	29.10%
Performance Contingent Units Issued	222,580	253,342	309,063
Weighted Average Fair Value Per Performance Contingent Unit	59.74	47.10	32.20
Performance Contingent Units Outstanding	217,865	242,790	295,011
Performance Contingent Units Maximum Shares of Common Stock Per PCU	2
Performance Contingent Units Measurement Period	3 years
Performance Contingent Unit Share Payout	1.31	0.96	0.68
Performance Contingent Units Shares of Common Stock Issued	362,642	141,405	63,409
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized \| $	$ 22,200,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	2.1

Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Earnings [Abstract]
Net income	$ 158,531	$ 147,385	$ 132,888	$ 160,816	$ 196,712	$ 128,232	$ 127,019	$ 122,439	$ 599,620	$ 574,402	$ 407,086
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted [Abstract]
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic									73,586	73,157	72,790
Equivalent shares from outstanding stock options									522	1,537	537
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted									74,108	74,694	73,327
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ 2.16	$ 2.00	$ 1.80	$ 2.20	$ 2.68	$ 1.75	$ 1.74	$ 1.68	$ 8.15	$ 7.85	$ 5.59
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ 2.15	$ 1.98	$ 1.78	$ 2.18	$ 2.62	$ 1.72	$ 1.70	$ 1.64	$ 8.09	$ 7.69	$ 5.55

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 36, 37, 38
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 5
-Section 03
-Paragraph 20

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Article 7
-Paragraph 18

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Paragraph 21
-Article 9

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.21)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920599&loc=d3e1252-109256

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 52
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945512&loc=d3e4984-109258

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.23)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.19)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)
-Number 07-4
-Paragraph 4
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References + Details

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References

+ Details

- Definition

The average number of shares or units issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS or earnings per unit (EPU), determined based on the timing of issuance of shares or units in the period.

+ References + Details

- Definition

Number of [basic] shares or units, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares or units and other shares or units not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares or units have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 171
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph a
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 8
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920599&loc=d3e1448-109256

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Weighted-Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6528421

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)
-Number 07-4
-Paragraph 4
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Earnings Per Share (Narrative) - shares	12 Months Ended
Earnings Per Share (Narrative) - shares	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Stock Options [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	1,100,000	700,000	1,200,000
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	800,000	700,000	600,000

- Definition

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 13, 14
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 171
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph c
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Diluted Earnings Per Share
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510752

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Contingent Stock Agreement
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6508534

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Antidilution
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505113

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)
-Number 07-4
-Paragraph 4
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments	$ (35,829)	$ 59,648	$ 191,084
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on securities	769,105	542,911	672,735
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income	(1,236)	4,081	(10,429)
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Changes in pension and other postretirement plan adjustments	(16,400)	1,566	(1,468)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	715,640	608,206	851,922
Before Tax Amount [Member]
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Change Arising During Year	(40,873)	83,384	205,472
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Foreign Currency Swap	4,858	(41,302)	(8,102)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments	(36,015)	42,082	197,370
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Unrealized Net Holding Gains Arising During The Year	1,118,586	849,226	949,091
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Reclassification Adjustment For Net Gains Realized	72,841	41,069	(84,348)
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on securities	1,045,745	808,157	1,033,439
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income	(1,901)	6,279	(16,045)
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Prior Service Cost Arising During The Year	460	(321)	(422)
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Gain Arising During The Period	(25,441)	2,798	(1,800)
Changes in pension and other postretirement plan adjustments	(24,981)	2,477	(2,222)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	982,848	858,995	1,212,542
Tax Expense Benefit [Member]
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Change Arising During Year	1,886	3,110	(9,122)
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Foreign Currency Swap	(1,700)	14,456	2,836
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments	186	17,566	(6,286)
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Unrealized Net Holding Gains Arising During The Year	(302,134)	(279,620)	(331,182)
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Reclassification Adjustment For Net Gains Realized	(25,494)	(14,374)	29,522
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on securities	(276,640)	(265,246)	(360,704)
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income	665	(2,198)	5,616
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Prior Service Cost Arising During The Year	(185)	108	141
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Gain Arising During The Period	8,766	(1,019)	613
Changes in pension and other postretirement plan adjustments	8,581	(911)	754
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(267,208)	(250,789)	(360,620)
After Tax Amount [Member]
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Change Arising During Year	(38,987)	86,494	196,350
Other Comprehensive Income Foreign Currency Transaction And Translation Gain Loss Arising During Period Foreign Currency Swap	3,158	(26,846)	(5,266)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustments	(35,829)	59,648	191,084
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Unrealized Net Holding Gains Arising During The Year	816,452	569,606	617,909
Other Comprehensive Income Unrealized Holding Gain Loss On Securities Arising During Period Reclassification Adjustment For Net Gains Realized	47,347	26,695	(54,826)
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on securities	769,105	542,911	672,735
Change in other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income	(1,236)	4,081	(10,429)
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Of Tax [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Prior Service Cost Arising During The Year	275	(213)	(281)
Other Comprehensive Income Amortization Of Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Recognized In Net Periodic Pension Cost Net Gain Arising During The Period	(16,675)	1,779	(1,187)
Changes in pension and other postretirement plan adjustments	(16,400)	1,566	(1,468)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	$ 715,640	$ 608,206	$ 851,922

Comprehensive Income (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Comprehensive income
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	$ 16,200,950	$ 14,304,597
Other invested assets	1,012,541	707,403
Deferred policy acquisition costs	4,013,984	3,726,443
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Change In Component During Period	1,043,844	814,436	$ 1,017,394
Change In Net Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation [Member]
Comprehensive income
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale	1,058,505	813,174	1,004,303
Other invested assets	(7,213)	16,933	58,930
Effect On Unrealized Appreciation Depreciation [Member]
Comprehensive income
Deferred policy acquisition costs	$ (7,448)	$ (15,671)	$ (45,839)

- Definition

For an unclassified balance sheet, total of debt securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

+ References

+ Details

- Definition

Net amount of deferred policy acquisition costs capitalized on contracts remaining in force as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 60
-Paragraph 60
-Subparagraph c
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 16
-Article 12

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 95-1
-Paragraph 19-23
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 120
-Paragraph 5, 6
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 60
-Paragraph 28, 29, 30, 31
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 97
-Paragraph 22
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 7
-Section 03
-Paragraph 7

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.(a),7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 825
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6487548&loc=d3e32546-158582

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6481648&loc=d3e11198-158413

+ Details

Comprehensive Income (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	$ (35,829)	$ 59,648	$ 191,084
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Available-for-sale Securities Adjustment, Net of Tax	769,105	542,911	672,735
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	(1,236)	4,081	(10,429)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net of Tax	(16,400)	1,566	(1,468)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Defined Benefit Cumulative Effect of Accounting Change			(4,442)
Accumulated Currency Translation Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	(35,829)	59,648	191,084
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Available-for-sale Securities Adjustment, Net of Tax	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net of Tax	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Defined Benefit Cumulative Effect of Accounting Change			0
Unrealized Appreciation Of Securities [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Available-for-sale Securities Adjustment, Net of Tax	769,105	542,911	672,735
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	(1,236)	4,081	(10,429)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net of Tax	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Defined Benefit Cumulative Effect of Accounting Change			(4,442)
Pension And Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax [Roll Forward]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Available-for-sale Securities Adjustment, Net of Tax	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other than Temporary Impairment, Not Credit Loss, Net of Tax, Available-for-sale, Debt Securities	0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net of Tax	$ (16,400)	$ 1,566	(1,468)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Defined Benefit Cumulative Effect of Accounting Change			$ 0

- Definition

The total of net gain (loss), prior service cost (credit), and transition assets (obligations), as well as minimum pension liability if still remaining, included in accumulated other comprehensive income associated with a defined benefit pension or other postretirement plan(s) because they have yet to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 130
-Paragraph 26
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 132R
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph i
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 158
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph c
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: 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=6920043&loc=d3e637-108580

Reference 5: 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=6920043&loc=d3e681-108580

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920043&loc=d3e653-108580

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6962843&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

- Definition

Accumulated adjustment, net of tax, that results from the process of translating subsidiary financial statements and foreign equity investments into the reporting currency from the functional currency of the reporting entity, net of reclassification of realized foreign currency translation gains or losses.

+ References

+ Details

- Definition

Accumulated other comprehensive loss related to portion of other than temporary impairment (OTTI) due to factors other than credit losses on debt securities categorized as available-for-sale that an entity does not intend to sell and which it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before recovery of the amortized cost basis of the debt security. The amount represented by this item is net of tax, as applicable.

+ References + Details

Quarterly Financial Information (Details) shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Mar. 31, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2010 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2010 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Mar. 31, 2010 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($) $ / shares	Jan. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2011 $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2011 $ / shares shares	Mar. 31, 2011 $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2010 $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2010 $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2010 $ / shares shares	Mar. 31, 2010 $ / shares shares
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Total revenues	$ 2,348,219,000	$ 1,994,907,000	$ 2,203,977,000	$ 2,282,435,000	$ 2,274,129,000	$ 1,955,539,000	$ 1,931,877,000	$ 2,100,185,000	$ 8,829,538,000	$ 8,261,730,000	$ 7,066,822,000
Total benefits and expenses	2,127,634,000	1,823,367,000	2,003,571,000	2,040,586,000	1,998,872,000	1,758,366,000	1,733,805,000	1,906,870,000	7,995,158,000	7,397,913,000	6,474,477,000
Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Provision For Income Tax	220,585,000	171,540,000	200,406,000	241,849,000	275,257,000	197,173,000	198,072,000	193,315,000	834,380,000	863,817,000	592,345,000
Net income	$ 158,531,000	$ 147,385,000	$ 132,888,000	$ 160,816,000	$ 196,712,000	$ 128,232,000	$ 127,019,000	$ 122,439,000	$ 599,620,000	$ 574,402,000	$ 407,086,000
Basic earnings per share:
Earnings Per Share, Basic \| $ / shares	$ 2.16	$ 2.00	$ 1.80	$ 2.20	$ 2.68	$ 1.75	$ 1.74	$ 1.68	$ 8.15	$ 7.85	$ 5.59
Earnings Per Share, Diluted \| $ / shares	2.15	1.98	1.78	2.18	2.62	1.72	1.70	1.64	8.09	7.69	5.55
Dividends declared per share \| $ / shares	$ 0.18	$ 0.18	$ 0.12	$ 0.12	$ 0.12	$ 0.12	$ 0.12	$ 0.12	$ 0.60	$ 0.48	$ 0.36
Common Stock Value [Abstract]
Common Stock Price Per Share \| $ / shares													$ 52.25	$ 45.95	$ 60.86	$ 62.78	$ 53.71	$ 48.29	$ 45.71	$ 52.52
Common Stock Value High	$ 55.51	$ 64.32	$ 63.73	$ 63.14	$ 54.89	$ 51.09	$ 56.49	$ 52.64	$ 55.51	$ 54.89
Common Stock Value Low	$ 44.67	$ 44.51	$ 58.40	$ 53.92	$ 47.30	$ 42.72	$ 44.21	$ 44.89	$ 44.67	$ 47.30
Common stock shares outstanding \| shares	73,368	73,267	74,076	73,797	73,363	73,172	73,154	73,103	73,368	73,363			73,368	73,267	74,076	73,797	73,363	73,172	73,154	73,103
Common Stockholders Of Record												82,599

Schedule I Summary of Investments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Cost	$ 22,951
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	24,965
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	14,183
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	16,201
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	16,201
US Government and Government Agencies and Authorities [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	341
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	374
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	374
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	184
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	205
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	205
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	3,880
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	5,289
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	5,289
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	1,116
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	1,255
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	1,255
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	2,845
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	2,872
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	2,872
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	5,817
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	6,206
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	6,206
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	35
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	36
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	36
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	83
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	78
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	78
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	992
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	992
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	1,260
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	1,260
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	5,410
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	5,410
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	89
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	89
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	899
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Carrying Amount	$ 899

Schedule II Condensed Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Assets
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale												$ 16,200,950	$ 14,304,597
Short-term investments												88,566	118,387
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 962,870			$ 463,661	$ 463,661			$ 512,027	$ 962,870	$ 463,661	$ 512,027	962,870	463,661	$ 512,027	$ 875,403
Other assets												332,466	289,984
Total assets												32,104,032	29,081,908
Liabilities and Stockholders Equity
Other liabilities												810,775	637,923
Total stockholders equity												6,137,105	5,040,567	3,867,927	2,616,808
Total liabilities and stockholders equity												32,104,032	29,081,908
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Total investment related gains (losses), net									(36,056)	212,030	34,148
Provision for income taxes									234,760	289,415	185,259
Net income	158,531	$ 147,385	$ 132,888	160,816	196,712	$ 128,232	$ 127,019	122,439	599,620	574,402	407,086
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Other, net									134,835	30,359	70,480
Net cash provided by operating activities									1,309,532	1,842,740	1,364,236
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale									3,165,479	3,319,453	2,952,773
Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale									4,011,985	4,854,416	4,693,875
Change in short-term investments and other invested assets									91,880	37,395	114,473
Net cash used in investing activities									(905,781)	(1,720,482)	(1,939,058)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Dividends to stockholders									44,229	35,170	26,212
Purchases of treasury stock									380,345	718	1,607
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement cash flow									4,933	(2,255)	2,605
Exercise of stock options, net									6,449	2,277	6,304
Change in cash collateral for derivative positions									231,180	26,324	(175,776)
Principal payments on debt									0	0	22,539
Maturity of trust preferred securities									159,473	0	0
Proceeds from affiliated long-term debt issuance									394,388	0	396,344
Proceeds from redemption and remarketing of trust preferred securities									154,588	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities									101,995	(193,429)	194,999
Change in cash and cash equivalents									499,209	(48,366)	(363,376)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period				463,661				512,027	463,661	512,027	875,403
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	962,870				463,661				962,870	463,661	512,027
Parent Company [Member]
Assets
Fixed maturity securities available-for-sale												467,306	482,188
Short-term investments												44,825	64,135
Cash and cash equivalents	71,506			31,698	31,698			24,913	31,698	31,698	24,913	71,506	31,698	$ 24,913	$ 245,737
Investments In Subsidiary												7,198,015	5,882,567
Loans and Leases Receivable, Related Parties												775,000	350,000
Other assets												132,841	100,282
Total assets												8,689,493	6,910,870
Liabilities and Stockholders Equity
Short-term and long-term debt - unaffiliated												1,494,615	1,296,337
Long-term debt - affiliated												500,000	164,919
Other liabilities												557,773	409,047
Total stockholders equity												6,137,105	5,040,567
Total liabilities and stockholders equity												$ 8,689,493	$ 6,910,870
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Interest and Dividend Income, Operating									245,631	128,448	44,588
Total investment related gains (losses), net									1,723	2,944	(3,417)
Operating Expenses									(32,550)	(19,442)	(17,965)
Interest and Debt Expense									(111,600)	(96,556)	(73,673)
Income Loss From Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes And Undistributed Earnings Of Subsidiaries									103,204	15,394	(50,467)
Provision for income taxes									10,965	7,880	(24,228)
Net income (loss) before undistributed earnings of subsidiaries									92,239	7,514	(26,239)
Equity In Undistributed Eanings Of Subsidiaries									507,381	566,888	433,325
Net income									599,620	574,402	407,086
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest									599,620	574,402	407,086
Equity Net Earnings Subsidiaries									(507,381)	(566,888)	(433,325)
Loss On Retirement Of Trust Preferred Securities									4,391	0	0
Effect Of Exchange Rate On Cash And Cash Equivalents Repayment Of Debt									0	0	(4,826)
Other, net									143,716	12,205	31,975
Net cash provided by operating activities									240,346	19,719	910
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Sales of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale									171,791	169,910	217,141
Purchases of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale									(116,010)	(214,025)	(454,504)
Purchases Of Subsidiary Debt Securities									(475,000)	(100,000)	(226,550)
Maturity Of Subsidiary Debt Securities									50,000	226,550	0
Change in short-term investments and other invested assets									(2,055)	7,688	(7,526)
Captial Contributions To Subsidiaries									(105,575)	(73,950)	(91,000)
Net cash used in investing activities									(476,849)	16,173	(562,439)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Dividends to stockholders									(44,229)	(35,170)	(26,212)
Purchases of treasury stock									(380,345)	(718)	(1,607)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangement cash flow									4,933	(2,255)	2,605
Exercise of stock options, net									6,449	2,277	6,301
Change in cash collateral for derivative positions									0	6,759	(14,189)
Principal payments on debt									(200,000)	0	(22,539)
Maturity of trust preferred securities									(159,473)	0	0
Proceeds from affiliated long-term debt issuance									500,000	0	0
Proceeds from unaffiliated long-term debt issuance									394,388	0	396,344
Proceeds from redemption and remarketing of trust preferred securities									154,588	0	2
Net cash used in financing activities									276,311	(29,107)	340,705
Change in cash and cash equivalents									39,808	6,785	(220,824)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period				$ 31,698				$ 24,913	31,698	24,913	245,737
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 71,506				$ 31,698				$ 71,506	$ 31,698	$ 24,913

Schedule III Supplementary Insurance Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue	$ 7,335,687	$ 6,659,680	$ 5,725,161
Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income	1,281,197	1,238,660	1,122,462
Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense	(6,541,194)	(5,857,137)	(5,143,164)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(702,658)	(951,557)	(865,108)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense	(751,306)	(589,219)	(466,205)
Reinsurance Assumed [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	4,075,670	3,788,801
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	18,297,971	17,049,270
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	2,841,373	2,597,941
Reinsurance Ceded [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(61,686)	(62,358)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	(538,526)	(519,370)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	(155,034)	(204,317)
US Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue	3,992,678	3,797,081	3,320,723
Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income	853,847	861,284	814,897
Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense	(3,787,418)	(3,539,577)	(3,168,321)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(354,827)	(640,539)	(606,005)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense	(331,412)	(242,333)	(172,490)
US Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Assumed [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	2,749,850	2,500,391
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	13,236,536	12,457,977
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	1,094,172	1,075,515
US Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Ceded [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(35,292)	(34,550)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	(221,872)	(206,375)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	(71,323)	(104,039)
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue	835,298	797,206	614,831
Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income	184,101	165,138	137,750
Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense	(673,105)	(656,358)	(501,136)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(148,477)	(147,591)	(128,791)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense	(63,633)	(49,845)	(40,973)
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Assumed [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	355,585	346,498
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	2,762,175	2,703,322
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	192,187	181,326
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Ceded [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(524)	(776)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	(215,176)	(217,174)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	(20,364)	(42,924)
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue	1,194,477	918,513	781,952
Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income	41,557	34,517	32,240
Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense	(1,001,921)	(734,392)	(656,485)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(38,280)	(42,436)	(35,631)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense	(106,821)	(95,051)	(82,423)
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Assumed [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	432,813	448,304
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	718,167	604,696
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	573,019	482,033
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Ceded [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(12,092)	(13,348)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	(32,945)	(31,366)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	(22,166)	(22,120)
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue	1,304,490	1,139,065	998,927
Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income	83,515	70,552	61,335
Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense	(1,077,982)	(926,383)	(817,052)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(160,816)	(120,161)	(93,823)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense	(123,174)	(106,885)	(90,667)
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Assumed [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	537,422	493,417
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	1,567,628	1,270,075
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	970,756	842,893
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Ceded [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(13,778)	(13,684)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	(68,533)	(64,455)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	(40,964)	(34,726)
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Premium Revenue	8,744	7,815	8,728
Supplementary Insurance Information, Net Investment Income	118,177	107,169	76,240
Supplementary Insurance Information, Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expense	(768)	(427)	(170)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(258)	(830)	(858)
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Operating Expense	(126,266)	(95,105)	$ (79,652)
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Assumed [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	0	191
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	13,465	13,200
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	11,239	16,174
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member] \| Reinsurance Ceded [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Supplementary Insurance Information, Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	0	0
Supplementary Insurance Information, Liability for Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Expense Reserves	0	0
Supplementary Insurance Information, Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable	$ (217)	$ (508)

Schedule IV Reinsurance (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Schedule IV Reinsurance (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 76,000,000	$ 74,000,000	$ 72,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	39,987,000,000	42,582,000,000	46,897,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	2,664,353,000,000	2,540,317,000,000	2,325,041,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 2,624,442,000,000	$ 2,497,809,000,000	$ 2,278,216,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	101.52%	101.70%	102.06%
Life Insurance in Force [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 76,000,000	$ 74,000,000	$ 72,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	39,987,000,000	42,582,000,000	46,897,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	2,664,353,000,000	2,540,317,000,000	2,325,041,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 2,624,442,000,000	$ 2,497,809,000,000	$ 2,278,216,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	101.52%	101.70%	102.06%
US Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 2,600,000	$ 2,700,000	$ 2,300,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	197,000,000	196,600,000	193,200,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	4,187,100,000	3,991,000,000	3,511,600,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 3,992,700,000	$ 3,797,100,000	$ 3,320,700,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	104.87%	105.11%	105.75%
Canada Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	104,700,000	280,600,000	268,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	940,100,000	1,077,800,000	882,900,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 835,300,000	$ 797,200,000	$ 614,900,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	112.55%	135.20%	143.58%
Europe And South Africa Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	30,000,000	32,400,000	28,900,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	1,224,400,000	950,900,000	810,900,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 1,194,500,000	$ 918,500,000	$ 782,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	102.50%	103.53%	103.70%
Asia Pacific Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	36,800,000	31,600,000	28,900,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	1,341,300,000	1,170,700,000	1,027,800,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 1,304,500,000	$ 1,139,100,000	$ 998,900,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	102.82%	102.77%	102.89%
Corporate And Other Segment Reporting Information [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	0	0	0
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	8,700,000	7,800,000	8,700,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 8,700,000	$ 7,800,000	$ 8,700,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Total Premiums [Member]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment [Line Items]
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Gross Amount	$ 2,600,000	$ 2,700,000	$ 2,300,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Ceded to Other Companies	368,500,000	541,200,000	519,000,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Amount Assumed from Other Companies	7,701,600,000	7,198,200,000	6,241,900,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Net Amount	$ 7,335,700,000	$ 6,659,700,000	$ 5,725,200,000
Reinsurance Premiums for Insurance Companies, by Product Segment, Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net	104.99%	108.09%	109.03%

Schedule V Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate [Member]
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Beginning Balance	$ 6,200,000	$ 5,800,000	$ 500,000
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Cost and Expense	9,500,000	7,400,000	8,400,000
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Other Accounts	0	0	0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	3,900,000	7,000,000	3,100,000
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Ending Balance	11,800,000	6,200,000	5,800,000
Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets [Member]
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Beginning Balance	3,800,000	3,400,000	7,900,000
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Cost and Expense	0	0	0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Other Accounts	5,400,000	3,100,000	0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	700,000	2,700,000	4,500,000
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, Ending Balance	$ 8,500,000	$ 3,800,000	$ 3,400,000

Label	Element	Value
Unrealized Appreciation Of Securities [Member]
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	$ 1,419,318,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	651,449,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	(553,407,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	104,457,000
Pension And Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	(30,960,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	(14,560,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	(14,658,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	(16,126,000)
Accumulated Currency Translation Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	234,697,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	270,526,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	19,794,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	$ 210,878,000

- Definition

Accumulated change in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, net of tax effect, at period end. Excludes Net Income (Loss), and accumulated changes in equity from transactions resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. Includes foreign currency translation items, certain pension adjustments, unrealized gains and losses on certain investments in debt and equity securities, other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses related to factors other than credit losses on available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities that an entity does not intend to sell and it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before recovery of the amortized cost basis, as well as changes in the fair value of derivatives related to the effective portion of a designated cash flow hedge.

+ References

+ Details

Fair Value Disclosures (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Fair Value Disclosures (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	$ 872,179	$ 994,219
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	218	657
Investment related gains (losses), net	1,863	839
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	21,011	34,319
Purchases, sales and settlements		71,695
Purchases	305,401
Sales	(48,653)
Settlements	(125,797)
Transfers into Level 3	80,302	126,133
Transfers out of Level 3	(132,512)	(355,683)
Balance ending	974,169	872,179
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	162	548
Investment related gains (losses), net	(1,223)	(594)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	183,291	144,457
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	836	1,763
Investment related gains (losses), net	(2,032)	(7,479)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	4,580	26,808
Purchases, sales and settlements		(43,236)
Purchases	6,478
Sales	(21,178)
Settlements	(16,672)
Transfers into Level 3	30,159	102,939
Transfers out of Level 3	(103,807)	(41,961)
Balance ending	81,655	183,291
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	816	1,592
Investment related gains (losses), net	(594)	(4,637)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Asset-backed Securities [Member] \| Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	228,558	262,767
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,686	2,843
Investment related gains (losses), net	(10,236)	(7,494)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	3,902	31,340
Purchases, sales and settlements		(45,677)
Purchases	65,467
Sales	(27,844)
Settlements	(24,092)
Transfers into Level 3	45,984	78,880
Transfers out of Level 3	(89,933)	(94,101)
Balance ending	193,492	228,558
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	1,595	2,731
Investment related gains (losses), net	(5,058)	(4,052)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	147,556	329,559
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	2,321	3,467
Investment related gains (losses), net	(12,354)	(6,369)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	8,060	22,907
Purchases, sales and settlements		37,476
Purchases	7,683
Sales	0
Settlements	(3,548)
Transfers into Level 3	76,955	73,653
Transfers out of Level 3	(110,697)	(313,137)
Balance ending	115,976	147,556
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	2,307	3,449
Investment related gains (losses), net	(12,366)	(6,563)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member] \| Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	6,983	12,080
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	361	118
Investment related gains (losses), net	(15)	(14)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	3,390	961
Purchases, sales and settlements		34,841
Purchases	2,334
Sales	0
Settlements	(88)
Transfers into Level 3	48,469	1,820
Transfers out of Level 3	(51,061)	(42,823)
Balance ending	10,373	6,983
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	361	118
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	0
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Available-for-sale Securities [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	6,736	59,975
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	2	2
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	(10)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	4	304
Purchases, sales and settlements		1,416
Purchases	0
Sales	0
Settlements	0
Transfers into Level 3	20	2,178
Transfers out of Level 3	(6,605)	(57,129)
Balance ending	0	6,736
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	(36)	6
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	0
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Funds Withheld At Interest Embedded Derivatives [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	(274,220)	(434,494)
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	(87,236)	160,274
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Purchases, sales and settlements		0
Purchases	0
Sales	0
Settlements	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0
Balance ending	(361,456)	(274,220)
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	(87,236)	160,274
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Nonredeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	420	6,775
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	550
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	0	160
Purchases, sales and settlements		(5,146)
Purchases	0
Sales	(420)
Settlements	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	(1,919)
Balance ending	0	420
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	(1)
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	(32)
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Equity Securities, Other [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	16,416	10,436
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	3,504	0
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	(4,663)	4,848
Purchases, sales and settlements		1,132
Purchases	797
Sales	(4,565)
Settlements	0
Transfers into Level 3	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0
Balance ending	11,489	16,416
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	0
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Reinsurance Ceded Receivable Embedded Derivatives [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	75,431	68,873
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	0
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Interest credited	0	0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	9,421	7,621
Included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Purchases, sales and settlements		(1,063)
Purchases	6,201
Sales	0
Settlements	(86,107)
Transfers into Level 3	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0
Balance ending	4,945	75,431
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	0	0
Claims and other policy benefits	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	0	0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	18,589	7,621
Interest Sensitive Contract Liabilities Embedded Derivatives [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	(721,485)	(608,654)
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	(224,184)	(28,786)
Claims and other policy benefits	(2,230)	(872)
Interest credited	(88,255)	(52,569)
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Purchases, sales and settlements		(30,604)
Purchases	(71,505)
Sales	0
Settlements	79,418
Transfers into Level 3	0	0
Transfers out of Level 3	0	0
Balance ending	(1,028,241)	(721,485)
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses	0	0
Investment related gains (losses), net	(228,910)	(28,786)
Claims and other policy benefits	(2,346)	(2,824)
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited	(167,673)	(101,970)
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses	0	0
Short-term Investments [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation Calculation [Line Items]
Balance beginning	$ 0	443
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset Liabilities Gain Loss Included In Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses		0
Investment related gains (losses), net		0
Claims and other policy benefits		0
Interest credited		0
Policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses		0
Included in other comprehensive income		0
Purchases, sales and settlements		381
Transfers into Level 3		0
Transfers out of Level 3		(824)
Balance ending		0
Included in Earnings [Abstract]
Investment income, net of related expenses		0
Investment related gains (losses), net		0
Claims and other policy benefits		0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Interest Credited		0
Fair Value Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation Recurring Basis Asset And Liabilities Unrealized Gain Loss Still Held Included In Earnings In Policy Acquisition Costs And Other Insurance Expenses		$ 0