Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Adoption of New Accounting Standards In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance that superseded most existing revenue recognition requirements in GAAP. Insurance contracts generally are excluded from the scope of the guidance. For those contracts which are impacted, the transaction price is attributed to the underlying performance obligations in the contract and revenue is recognized as the entity satisfies the performance obligations and transfers control of a good or service to the customer. The Company’s revenues include premium, other policy revenue, net investment income, realized investment gains, and other income. Other income includes fee income which is recognized when obligations under the terms specified within a contract with a customer are either (1) satisfied at a point in time or (2) the progress of completion is measured over a period of time as the obligation is performed using the input method. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. The majority of our revenue sources are insurance related and not in the scope of the guidance. The adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, equity or cash flows as of the adoption date or for the year ended December 31, 2018. In January 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") 2016-01, Financial Instruments guidance that changed certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The new guidance requires that equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method or those that result in consolidation of the investee, be measured at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognized through earnings. When the fair value option has been elected for financial liabilities, changes in fair value due to instrument-specific credit risk will be recognized separately in other comprehensive income. The guidance also simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments and eliminates the disclosure requirements for methods and significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of financial instruments that are measured at amortized cost on the statement of financial position. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using a modified retrospective approach. Upon adoption, cumulative unrealized gains and losses on equity securities of $667.7 million, partially offset by $30.4 million participating policyholders’ interest, net of tax, related to unrealized gains and losses on equity securities, were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. In April 2018, an additional $10.2 million deferred policy acquisition cost adjustment, net of tax, related to net unrealized gains and losses on equity securities, was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. Earnings decreased $84.7 million, net of tax, for December 31, 2018, from the change in net unrealized gains and losses on equity securities. In October of 2016, the FASB issued guidance requiring an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs, whereas, prior guidance prohibited the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset was sold to an outside party. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using a modified retrospective approach. Upon adoption, a liability was released and retained earnings increased by $59.9 million. In March 2017, the FASB issued guidance on the presentation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs. The guidance requires the service cost component to be reported in the same line item as other compensation costs. All other components of net periodic pension cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside of income from operations. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using a retrospective approach. Upon adoption, other components of net periodic pension costs of $12.4 million, net of tax, for December 31, 2017, were reclassified from other operating expenses. The guidance changed presentation only and did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, equity or cash flows. Since the Company’s defined benefit pension plans have been frozen, the components of net periodic benefit costs have not materially changed from year-end 2017. Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards— The FASB issued the following accounting guidance relevant to American National: In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that will require significant changes to the statement of financial position of lessees. The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight line basis over the term of the lease, respectively. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similarly to existing guidance for operating leases today. Lessor accounting is less affected by the standard, but has been updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and will be implemented using the effective date method, which requires a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings on the effective date. We have elected certain practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance. We have identified and analyzed the lease contracts and determined the adoption of the standard will not be material to the Company’s results of operations or financial position. In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance that will significantly change how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets, reinsurance recoverables and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The guidance will replace the current “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model for instruments measured at amortized cost. For available-for-sale debt securities, entities will be required to record allowances rather than reduce the carrying amount, as they do under the current other-than-temporary impairment model. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company must develop appropriate models to measure expected credit losses to begin determining the impact of adopting the standard on our results of operations and financial position. In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance that allows for a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company plans to adopt the standard effective January 1, 2019. The guidance changes equity presentation only and will not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial position. In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance that seeks to improve financial reporting for insurance companies that issue long duration contracts. The guidance improves the timeliness of recognizing changes in the liability for future policy benefits and modifies the rate used to discount future cash flows. The guidance will also simplify and improve accounting for certain market-based options or guarantees associated with deposit type contracts, simplify the amortization of deferred acquisition costs and provide users of the financial statements with enhanced disclosures. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020. This standard could potentially have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance that superseded most existing revenue recognition requirements in GAAP. Insurance contracts generally are excluded from the scope of the guidance. For those contracts which are impacted, the transaction price is attributed to the underlying performance obligations in the contract and revenue is recognized as the entity satisfies the performance obligations and transfers control of a good or service to the customer. The Company’s revenues include premium, other policy revenue, net investment income, realized investment gains, and other income. Other income includes fee income which is recognized when obligations under the terms specified within a contract with a customer are either (1) satisfied at a point in time or (2) the progress of completion is measured over a period of time as the obligation is performed using the input method. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. The majority of our revenue sources are insurance related and not in the scope of the guidance. The adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, equity or cash flows as of the adoption date or for the year ended December 31, 2018.

In January 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") 2016-01, Financial Instruments guidance that changed certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The new guidance requires that equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method or those that result in consolidation of the investee, be measured at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognized through earnings. When the fair value option has been elected for financial liabilities, changes in fair value due to instrument-specific credit risk will be recognized separately in other comprehensive income. The guidance also simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments and eliminates the disclosure requirements for methods and significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of financial instruments that are measured at amortized cost on the statement of financial position. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using a modified retrospective approach. Upon adoption, cumulative unrealized gains and losses on equity securities of $667.7 million, partially offset by $30.4 million participating policyholders’ interest, net of tax, related to unrealized gains and losses on equity securities, were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. In April 2018, an additional $10.2 million deferred policy acquisition cost adjustment, net of tax, related to net unrealized gains and losses on equity securities, was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. Earnings decreased $84.7 million, net of tax, for December 31, 2018, from the change in net unrealized gains and losses on equity securities.

In October of 2016, the FASB issued guidance requiring an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs, whereas, prior guidance prohibited the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset was sold to an outside party. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using a modified retrospective approach. Upon adoption, a liability was released and retained earnings increased by $59.9 million.

In March 2017, the FASB issued guidance on the presentation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs. The guidance requires the service cost component to be reported in the same line item as other compensation costs. All other components of net periodic pension cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside of income from operations. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using a retrospective approach. Upon adoption, other components of net periodic pension costs of $12.4 million, net of tax, for December 31, 2017, were reclassified from other operating expenses. The guidance changed presentation only and did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, equity or cash flows. Since the Company’s defined benefit pension plans have been frozen, the components of net periodic benefit costs have not materially changed from year-end 2017.

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards— The FASB issued the following accounting guidance relevant to American National:

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that will require significant changes to the statement of financial position of lessees. The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight line basis over the term of the lease, respectively. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similarly to existing guidance for operating leases today. Lessor accounting is less affected by the standard, but has been updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and will be implemented using the effective date method, which requires a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings on the effective date. We have elected certain practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance. We have identified and analyzed the lease contracts and determined the adoption of the standard will not be material to the Company’s results of operations or financial position.

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance that will significantly change how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets, reinsurance recoverables and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The guidance will replace the current “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model for instruments measured at amortized cost. For available-for-sale debt securities, entities will be required to record allowances rather than reduce the carrying amount, as they do under the current other-than-temporary impairment model. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company must develop appropriate models to measure expected credit losses to begin determining the impact of adopting the standard on our results of operations and financial position.

In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance that allows for a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company plans to adopt the standard effective January 1, 2019. The guidance changes equity presentation only and will not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial position.

In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance that seeks to improve financial reporting for insurance companies that issue long duration contracts. The guidance improves the timeliness of recognizing changes in the liability for future policy benefits and modifies the rate used to discount future cash flows. The guidance will also simplify and improve accounting for certain market-based options or guarantees associated with deposit type contracts, simplify the amortization of deferred acquisition costs and provide users of the financial statements with enhanced disclosures. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020. This standard could potentially have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.