Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company (“TALIC” or the “Company”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transamerica Corporation (“TA Corp”, “the Parent”), which is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of AEGON N.V., a limited liability share company organized under Dutch law. AEGON N.V. and its subsidiaries and joint ventures have life insurance and pension operations in over twenty countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia and are also active in savings and investment operations, accident and health insurance, and general insurance and have limited banking operations in a number of these countries. The Company is a life insurance company that conducts its business primarily in the annuity markets and to a lesser extent in the life insurance markets of the financial services industry. The Company is domiciled in the State of Arkansas and is currently licensed to sell insurance and annuities in forty-nine states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. The Company is currently subject to primary regulation by the Arkansas Insurance Department.
Basis of Reporting	Basis of Reporting The accompanying Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company also submits financial statements to insurance industry regulatory authorities, which are prepared on the basis of statutory accounting principles (“SAP”). The interim Financial Statements are unaudited; all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the Financial Statements have been included. These unaudited Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. For a complete discussion of the Company’s 2016 Financial Statements and accounting policies, refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. The nature of the Company’s business is such that results of any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.
Accounting Estimates and Assumptions	Accounting Estimates and Assumptions The preparation of financial statements in conformity to GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Those estimates are inherently subject to change and actual results could differ from those estimates. Included among the material (or potentially material) reported amounts and disclosures that require extensive use of estimates are: fair value of certain investments (including derivatives), asset valuation allowances, deferred policy acquisition costs, deferred sales inducements, value of business acquired, goodwill, policyholder liabilities, income taxes, and potential effects of unresolved litigated matters.
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events The Financial Statements are adjusted to reflect events that occurred between the Balance Sheet date and the date when the Financial Statements are issued, provided they give evidence of conditions that existed at the Balance Sheet date. Events that are indicative of conditions that arose after the Balance Sheet date are disclosed, but do not result in an adjustment of the Financial Statements themselves. No subsequent events have been identified through May 12, 2017 that require adjustments or disclosure to the Financial Statements.
Current Accounting Guidance	Current Accounting Guidance Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-06, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Contingent Put and Call Options in Debt Instrument In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-06, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Contingent Put and Call Options in Debt Instruments. The amendments in this Update clarify the requirements for assessing whether contingent call (put) options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. That is, when a call (put) option is contingently exercisable, an entity does not have to assess whether the event that triggers the ability to exercise a call (put) option is related to interest rates or credit risks. An entity is required to assess the embedded call (put) options solely in accordance with the existing four-step decision sequence, which are whether (1) the payoff is adjusted based on changes in an index, (2) the payoff is indexed to an underlying other than interest rates or credit risk, (3) the debt involves a substantial premium or discount, and (4) the call (put) option is contingently exercisable. The amendments in this Update are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2017. Adoption of this ASU did not impact its Financial Statements. ASU 2016-05, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Effect of Derivative Contract Novations In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-05, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Effect of Derivative Contract Novations on Existing Hedge Accounting Relationships. The amendments in this Update clarify that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as the hedging instrument under Topic 815 does not, in and of itself, require de-designation of that hedging relationship provided that all other hedge accounting criteria continue to be met. That is, the reporting entity must still consider whether there is a change in the counterparty’s creditworthiness in determining whether the hedging relationship continues to qualify for hedge accounting. The amendments in this Update are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2017. Adoption of this ASU did not impact its Financial Statements.
Future Accounting Guidance	Future Accounting Guidance ASU 2017-08, Receivables—Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20) Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08, Receivables—Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20). Under current GAAP, premiums and discounts on callable debt securities generally are amortized to the maturity date. The amendments in this Update shorten the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium. Specifically, the amendments require the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. An entity applies the amendments in this Update on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company is evaluating the impact that adoption of this Update will have on its Financial Statements. ASU 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). The ASU simplifies how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Current GAAP requires that, in computing the implied fair value of goodwill under Step 2, an entity perform procedures to determine the fair value at the impairment testing date of its assets and liabilities following the procedure that would be required in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. This ASU requires that an entity perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. This ASU is to be applied on a prospective basis and is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact that adoption of this Update will have on its Financial Statements.