| **Commitments and Contingencies (Details)**                                               | 9 Months Ended |              |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|--------------|
||
| **Commitments**                                                                           |           |         |
| Unfunded commitments, due in one year                                                     | $ 376,191,000  | $ 50,692,000 |
| Unfunded commitments related to cost basis limited partnership interests, due in one year | $ 82,831,000   | 8,692,000    |
| GWL&A Financial Inc.                                                                  |           |         |
| **Commitments**                                                                           |           |         |
| Number of letters of credit obtained for the benefit of related party | letter_of_credit  | 2              |         |
| Revolving credit facility                                                                 |           |         |
| **Commitments**                                                                           |           |         |
| Amount of credit facility under agreement for general corporate purposes                  | $ 50,000,000   |         |
| Adjusted net worth required for each quarter                                              | 1,100,000,000  |         |
| Amount outstanding                                                                        | 0              | 0            |
| First letter of credit                                                                    |           |         |
| **Commitments**                                                                           |           |         |
| Amount of credit facility under agreement for general corporate purposes                  | 1,166,730,000  |         |
| Second letter of credit                                                                   |           |         |
| **Commitments**                                                                           |           |         |
| Amount of credit facility under agreement for general corporate purposes                  | 70,000,000     |         |
| First and Second Letters of Credit                                                        |           |         |
| **Commitments**                                                                           |           |         |
| Amount outstanding                                                                        | 0              | 0            |
| Other Letters of Credit                                                                   |           |         |
| **Commitments**                                                                           |           |         |
| Amount of credit facility under agreement for general corporate purposes                  | 9,095,000      |         |
| Amount outstanding                                                                        | $ 0            | $ 0          |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Represents the basic amount of net worth for each quarter for determining quarterly adjusted net worth which the entity is required to maintain under the line of credit facility agreement.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**gac_LineOfCreditFacilityQuarterlyAdjustedNetWorthValuationRequiredBasicAmount**Namespace Prefix:**gac_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of letters of credit obtained by the parent company for the benefit of the entity as collateral under the reinsurance agreement for policy liabilities and capital support.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**gac_NumberOfLettersOfCreditObtainedByParentForBenefitOfRelatedPartyUnderReinsuranceAgreement**Namespace Prefix:**gac_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Represents the amount of unfunded commitments related to cost method investments of the entity, all of which is due within one year from the dates indicated.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**gac_UnfundedCommitmentsDueWithinOneYearRelatedToCostMethodInvestments**Namespace Prefix:**gac_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19, 20, 22 -Article 5
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_LineOfCredit**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Minimum amount of other commitment maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for commitments not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Excludes commitments explicitly modeled in this taxonomy, including but not limited to, long-term and short-term purchase commitments, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, supply commitments, registration payment arrangements, leases, debt, product warranties, guarantees, environmental remediation obligations, and pensions.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_OtherCommitmentDueInNextTwelveMonths**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                        |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=gac_FirstLetterOfCreditMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                 |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=gac_SecondLetterOfCreditMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=gac_FirstandSecondLettersofCreditMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                 |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=gac_OtherLettersofCreditMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |