Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
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Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Adoption of New Accounting Standards In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance that superseded most existing revenue recognition requirements in GAAP.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 premiums, other policy revenues, 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) based upon the progress of completion 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 three months ended March 31, 2019. 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 with the changes in fair value 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. The change in net gains and losses on equity securities increased earnings by $163.0 million and decreased earnings by $26.2 million, net of tax, for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. 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 February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that required significant changes to the statement of financial position of lessees. The new standard required lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification is used to 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. Lessor accounting was less affected by the standard but was updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2019 using the effective date method, which required a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. We elected certain practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance. Upon adoption, the Company recorded a right-of-use asset and liability of $13.1 million. 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 was adopted on its required effective date of January 1, 2019 and resulted in a $0.8 million increase in retained earnings and a corresponding decrease to accumulated other comprehensive income. Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards— The FASB issued the following accounting guidance relevant to American National: 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 a direct write down of the investment, as required by the current other-than-temporary impairment model. The standard also requires additional disclosures. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is in the process of determining the impact of adopting the standard on our results of operations and 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 will improve the timeliness of recognizing changes in the liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited payment long-duration contracts and will modify 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 (or account balance) contracts, simplify the amortization of deferred acquisition costs and add significant qualitative and quantitative disclosures. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020. This standard could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.

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 premiums, other policy revenues, 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) based upon the progress of completion 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 three months ended March 31, 2019.

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 with the changes in fair value 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. The change in net gains and losses on equity securities increased earnings by $163.0 million and decreased earnings by $26.2 million, net of tax, for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

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 February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that required significant changes to the statement of financial position of lessees. The new standard required lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification is used to 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. Lessor accounting was less affected by the standard but was updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2019 using the effective date method, which required a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. We elected certain practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance. Upon adoption, the Company recorded a right-of-use asset and liability of $13.1 million.

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 was adopted on its required effective date of January 1, 2019 and resulted in a $0.8 million increase in retained earnings and a corresponding decrease to accumulated other comprehensive income.

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

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 a direct write down of the investment, as required by the current other-than-temporary impairment model. The standard also requires additional disclosures. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is in the process of determining the impact of adopting the standard on our results of operations and 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 will improve the timeliness of recognizing changes in the liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited payment long-duration contracts and will modify 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 (or account balance) contracts, simplify the amortization of deferred acquisition costs and add significant qualitative and quantitative disclosures. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020. This standard could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.