Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Polices and Practicies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Industry Specific Policies, Insurance Companies [Policy Text Block]	Insurance Subsidiary Financial Information and Regulatory Matters FGL Insurance’s statutory carrying value of Raven Reinsurance Company (“Raven Re”), its wholly-owned subsidiary, reflects the effect of permitted practices Raven Re received to treat the available amount of a letter of credit as an admitted asset which increased Raven Re’s statutory capital and surplus by $195.0 and $201.3 at December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively. Raven Re is also permitted to follow Iowa prescribed statutory accounting practice for its reserves on reinsurance assumed from FGL Insurance which increased Raven Re’s statutory capital and surplus by $4.0 and $4.2 at December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively. Without such permitted statutory accounting practices, Raven Re’s statutory capital and surplus would be $8.3 and $4.6 as of December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively, and its risk-based capital would fall below the minimum regulatory requirements. The letter of credit facility is collateralized by debt securities rated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) as “NAIC-1.” If the permitted practice was revoked, the letter of credit could be replaced by the collateral assets with Nomura Bank International plc’s consent. FGL Insurance’s statutory carrying value of Raven Re at December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016 was $207.3 and $210.0, respectively. On November 1, 2013, FGL Insurance re-domesticated from Maryland to Iowa. After re-domestication, FGL Insurance elected to apply Iowa-prescribed accounting practices that permit Iowa-domiciled insurers to report equity call options used to economically hedge fixed indexed annuity (“FIA”) index credits at amortized cost for statutory accounting purposes and to calculate FIA statutory reserves such that index credit returns will be included in the reserve only after crediting to the annuity contract. This resulted in no increase to statutory capital and surplus at

Insurance Subsidiary Financial Information and Regulatory Matters

FGL Insurance’s statutory carrying value of Raven Reinsurance Company (“Raven Re”), its wholly-owned subsidiary, reflects the effect of permitted practices Raven Re received to treat the available amount of a letter of credit as an admitted asset which increased Raven Re’s statutory capital and surplus by $195.0 and $201.3 at December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively. Raven Re is also permitted to follow Iowa prescribed statutory accounting practice for its reserves on reinsurance assumed from FGL Insurance which increased Raven Re’s statutory capital and surplus by $4.0 and $4.2 at December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively. Without such permitted statutory accounting practices, Raven Re’s statutory capital and surplus would be $8.3 and $4.6 as of December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively, and its risk-based capital would fall below the minimum regulatory requirements. The letter of credit facility is collateralized by debt securities rated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) as “NAIC-1.” If the permitted practice was revoked, the letter of credit could be replaced by the collateral assets with Nomura Bank International plc’s consent. FGL Insurance’s statutory carrying value of Raven Re at December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016 was $207.3 and $210.0, respectively.

On November 1, 2013, FGL Insurance re-domesticated from Maryland to Iowa. After re-domestication, FGL Insurance elected to apply Iowa-prescribed accounting practices that permit Iowa-domiciled insurers to report equity call options used to economically hedge fixed indexed annuity (“FIA”) index credits at amortized cost for statutory accounting purposes and to calculate FIA statutory reserves such that index credit returns will be included in the reserve only after crediting to the annuity contract. This resulted in no increase to statutory capital and surplus at