Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2006
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 850,000,000.0
Direct investment in subsidiary				$ 112,800,000
Assets Held-in-trust	$ 932,600,000	$ 922,800,000
Amount Held In Debt Service Coverage Account	37,200,000	15,700,000
Collateral Financing Expense	22,644,000	11,441,000	$ 10,449,000
Repurchased Subsidiary Debt	160,000,000
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt	0	0	46,506,000
Debt Issuance Cost		25,300,000
RGA Americas [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Issuance Cost	2,400,000
Reinsurance Group Of America Barbados [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Collateral Financing Expense	2,300,000
Debt Issuance Cost	$ 1,300,000
Timerberlake Financial [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Issuance Date	Jun. 01, 2006
Collateral Financing Expense	$ 3,800,000	4,000,000	$ 5,100,000
Repayments of Secured Debt	112,000,000
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt	46,500,000
Chesterfield Financial Holdings LLC [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	300,000,000.0
Assets Held-in-trust	22,400,000	26,900,000
Collateral Financing Expense	14,000,000	$ 600,000
Debt Issuance Cost	$ 5,400,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.50%
Minimum [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	$ 35,000,000