Debt	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Debt	Debt In March 2013, the Company issued two series of senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of $700,000 (the “2013 Senior Notes”). The Company received net proceeds of $698,093, which represents the principal amount less the discount before offering expenses. The first series is $350,000 in principal amount, bears interest at 2.50% per year and is payable in a single installment due March 15, 2018 and was issued at a 0.18% discount. The second series is $350,000 in principal amount, bears interest at 4.00% per year and is payable in a single installment due March 15, 2023 and was issued at a 0.37% discount. Interest on the 2013 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually on March 15 and September 15 of each year. The 2013 Senior Notes are unsecured obligations and rank equally with all of the Company’s other senior unsecured indebtedness. The Company may redeem each series of the 2013 Senior Notes in whole or in part at any time and from time to time before their maturity at the redemption price set forth in the Indenture. The 2013 Senior Notes are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The interest expense and related amortization incurred related to the 2013 Senior Notes was $23,789, $22,988 and $22,981 for the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. There was $6,635 of accrued interest at both December 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company made interest payments on the 2013 Senior Notes of $11,375 on March 15, 2016 and 2015 and September 15, 2016 and 2015. In February 2004, the Company issued two series of senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of $975,000 (the “2004 Senior Notes”). The Company received net proceeds of $971,537 from this transaction, which represents the principal amount less the discount before offering expenses. The first series was $500,000 in principal amount, issued at a 0.11% discount, bore interest at 5.63% per year and was repaid on February 18, 2014. The second series is $475,000 in principal amount, bears interest at 6.75% per year and is payable in a single installment due in February 2034 and was issued at a 0.61% discount. Interest on the 2004 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year. The 2004 Senior Notes are unsecured obligations and rank equally with all of the Company’s other senior unsecured indebtedness. The remaining 2004 Senior Notes are not redeemable prior to maturity. All of the holders of the 2004 Senior Notes exchanged their notes in May 2004 for new notes registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. On December 9, 2016, the Company completed a cash tender offer and purchased $100,000 aggregate principal amount of the outstanding 6.75% 2004 Senior Notes due 2034. The entire $100,000 was validly tendered and on December 23, 2016, the Company purchased and canceled the notes. This resulted in a $23,031 loss on extinguishment of debt. The interest expense and related amortization incurred related to the 2004 Senior Notes was $32,099, $32,127, and $35,414 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. There was $9,492 and $12,023 of accrued interest at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company made interest payments on the 2004 Senior Notes of $16,031 on February 15, 2016 and 2015 and August 15, 2016 and 2015. Promissory Note On March 4, 2016, the Company entered into a private loan agreement in the form of a Promissory Note (the "Note") with a single financial institution, for an aggregate principal amount of $250,000. The Company received net proceeds of $249,625 from this transaction, which represented the principal amount less fees. Interest on the Note was a floating rate tied to LIBOR and was payable at least quarterly. The Note was payable in a single installment due March 3, 2017; however, terms of the agreement required that the Company promptly repay the loan with any dividends received from Union Security Insurance Company and Union Security Life Insurance Company of New York, the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries that received the cash proceeds related to the sale of the Assurant Employee Benefits segment, or the issuance of debt or equity securities (other than in connection with employee benefit plans). On June 2, 2016, the Company repaid $50,000 of the principal balance of the Note. Following the receipt of a dividend from Union Security Insurance Company on June 23, 2016, the Company made a final payment of $200,223, which represented the remaining principal amount plus accrued interest and fees. The interest expense and related fee amortization incurred related to the Note was $1,731 for the year ended December 31, 2016. Credit Facility The Company’s commercial paper program requires the Company to maintain liquidity facilities either in an available amount equal to any outstanding notes from the commercial paper program or in an amount sufficient to maintain the ratings assigned to the notes issued from the commercial paper program. The Company’s subsidiaries do not maintain commercial paper or other borrowing facilities. This program is currently backed up by a $400,000 senior revolving credit facility, of which $390,960 was available at December 31, 2016, due to $9,040 of outstanding letters of credit related to this program. On September 16, 2014, the Company entered into a five-year unsecured $400,000 revolving credit agreement, as amended by Amendment No. 1, dated as of March 5, 2015, and Amendment No. 2, dated as of October 4, 2016 (the “2014 Credit Facility”), with a syndicate of banks arranged by JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo, N.A. The 2014 Credit Facility provides for revolving loans and the issuance of multi-bank, syndicated letters of credit and/or letters of credit from a sole issuing bank in an aggregate amount of $400,000 and is available until September 2019, provided the Company is in compliance with all covenants. The 2014 Credit Facility has a sublimit for letters of credit issued thereunder of $50,000. The proceeds of these loans may be used for the Company’s commercial paper program or for general corporate purposes. The Company may increase the total amount available under the 2014 Credit Facility to $525,000 subject to certain conditions. No bank is obligated to provide commitments above their share of the $400,000 facility. The Company did not use the commercial paper program during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 and there were no amounts relating to the commercial paper program outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company made no borrowings using the 2014 Credit Facility and no loans are outstanding at December 31, 2016. The 2014 Credit Facility contains restrictive covenants and requires that the Company maintain certain specified minimum ratios and thresholds. Among others, these covenants include maintaining a maximum debt to capitalization ratio and a minimum consolidated adjusted net worth. At December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all covenants, minimum ratios and thresholds.

Debt

In March 2013, the Company issued two series of senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of $700,000 (the “2013 Senior Notes”). The Company received net proceeds of $698,093, which represents the principal amount less the discount before offering expenses. The first series is $350,000 in principal amount, bears interest at 2.50% per year and is payable in a single installment due March 15, 2018 and was issued at a 0.18% discount. The second series is $350,000 in principal amount, bears interest at 4.00% per year and is payable in a single installment due March 15, 2023 and was issued at a 0.37% discount. Interest on the 2013 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually on March 15 and September 15 of each year. The 2013 Senior Notes are unsecured obligations and rank equally with all of the Company’s other senior unsecured indebtedness. The Company may redeem each series of the 2013 Senior Notes in whole or in part at any time and from time to time before their maturity at the redemption price set forth in the Indenture. The 2013 Senior Notes are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The interest expense and related amortization incurred related to the 2013 Senior Notes was $23,789, $22,988 and $22,981 for the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. There was $6,635 of accrued interest at both December 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company made interest payments on the 2013 Senior Notes of $11,375 on March 15, 2016 and 2015 and September 15, 2016 and 2015.

In February 2004, the Company issued two series of senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of $975,000 (the “2004 Senior Notes”). The Company received net proceeds of $971,537 from this transaction, which represents the principal amount less the discount before offering expenses. The first series was $500,000 in principal amount, issued at a 0.11% discount, bore interest at 5.63% per year and was repaid on February 18, 2014. The second series is $475,000 in principal amount, bears interest at 6.75% per year and is payable in a single installment due in February 2034 and was issued at a 0.61% discount. Interest on the 2004 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year. The 2004 Senior Notes are unsecured obligations and rank equally with all of the Company’s other senior unsecured indebtedness. The remaining 2004 Senior Notes are not redeemable prior to maturity. All of the holders of the 2004 Senior Notes exchanged their notes in May 2004 for new notes registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

On December 9, 2016, the Company completed a cash tender offer and purchased $100,000 aggregate principal amount of the outstanding 6.75% 2004 Senior Notes due 2034. The entire $100,000 was validly tendered and on December 23, 2016, the Company purchased and canceled the notes. This resulted in a $23,031 loss on extinguishment of debt.

The interest expense and related amortization incurred related to the 2004 Senior Notes was $32,099, $32,127, and $35,414 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. There was $9,492 and $12,023 of accrued interest at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company made interest payments on the 2004 Senior Notes of $16,031 on February 15, 2016 and 2015 and August 15, 2016 and 2015.

Promissory Note

On March 4, 2016, the Company entered into a private loan agreement in the form of a Promissory Note (the "Note") with a single financial institution, for an aggregate principal amount of $250,000. The Company received net proceeds of $249,625 from this transaction, which represented the principal amount less fees. Interest on the Note was a floating rate tied to LIBOR and was payable at least quarterly. The Note was payable in a single installment due March 3, 2017; however, terms of the agreement required that the Company promptly repay the loan with any dividends received from Union Security Insurance Company and Union Security Life Insurance Company of New York, the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries that received the cash proceeds related to the sale of the Assurant Employee Benefits segment, or the issuance of debt or equity securities (other than in connection with employee benefit plans).

On June 2, 2016, the Company repaid $50,000 of the principal balance of the Note. Following the receipt of a dividend from Union Security Insurance Company on June 23, 2016, the Company made a final payment of $200,223, which represented the remaining principal amount plus accrued interest and fees.

The interest expense and related fee amortization incurred related to the Note was $1,731 for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Credit Facility

The Company’s commercial paper program requires the Company to maintain liquidity facilities either in an available amount equal to any outstanding notes from the commercial paper program or in an amount sufficient to maintain the ratings assigned to the notes issued from the commercial paper program. The Company’s subsidiaries do not maintain commercial paper or other borrowing facilities. This program is currently backed up by a $400,000 senior revolving credit facility, of which $390,960 was available at December 31, 2016, due to $9,040 of outstanding letters of credit related to this program.

On September 16, 2014, the Company entered into a five-year unsecured $400,000 revolving credit agreement, as amended by Amendment No. 1, dated as of March 5, 2015, and Amendment No. 2, dated as of October 4, 2016 (the “2014 Credit Facility”), with a syndicate of banks arranged by JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo, N.A. The 2014 Credit Facility provides for revolving loans and the issuance of multi-bank, syndicated letters of credit and/or letters of credit from a sole issuing bank in an aggregate amount of $400,000 and is available until September 2019, provided the Company is in compliance with all covenants. The 2014 Credit Facility has a sublimit for letters of credit issued thereunder of $50,000. The proceeds of these loans may be used for the Company’s commercial paper program or for general corporate purposes. The Company may increase the total amount available under the 2014 Credit Facility to $525,000 subject to certain conditions. No bank is obligated to provide commitments above their share of the $400,000 facility.

The Company did not use the commercial paper program during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 and there were no amounts relating to the commercial paper program outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company made no borrowings using the 2014 Credit Facility and no loans are outstanding at December 31, 2016.

The 2014 Credit Facility contains restrictive covenants and requires that the Company maintain certain specified minimum ratios and thresholds. Among others, these covenants include maintaining a maximum debt to capitalization ratio and a minimum consolidated adjusted net worth. At December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all covenants, minimum ratios and thresholds.