Description of the Company (Narrative) (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 State	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of states company issues title insurance policies	49
Number of states company licensed to issue property and casualty insurance policies	50
Number of states company issues property and casualty policies	46
Number of states company issues home warranty contracts	39
Fair value of investments in debt securities for funding of statutory premium reserves and state deposits	$ 124,000,000	$ 105,800,000
Impairment losses on other long-term investments	7,800,000	7,800,000	8,600,000
Related to notes receivable			2,300,000
Interest income on non-accrual loans that would have been recognized, if all of such loans had been current in accordance with their original terms	134,000	138,000	163,000
Title plants	523,100,000	520,700,000
Capitalized real estate data	800,000	1,000,000
Assessment to determine fair value	50.00%
Long-lived assets, held for sale	0	0
Change in basis points to one or more loss rate	50
Increase (decrease) in IBNR reserve if the expected ultimate losses for each of the last six policy years increase or decrease by 50 basis points	105,800,000
Employee stock purchase plan percentage of purchase price on closing price	85.00%
Employee stock purchase plan percentage of discount purchase price on closing price	15.00%
Total premiums assumed and ceded in connection with reinsurance percentage less than premium and escrow fees	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%
Escrow deposits	4,700,000,000	4,200,000,000
Escrow deposits held at federal savings bank subsidiary	1,600,000,000	1,200,000,000
Like-kind exchange funds	1,400,000,000	1,400,000,000
Minimum
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capitalized real estate estimated useful lives, years	3 years
Other intangible assets estimated useful lives, years	1 year
Percentage of claim amounts known in the first few years of the policy life	75.00%
Minimum | Buildings
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful lives, years	5 years
Minimum | Furniture and Equipment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful lives, years	1 year
Minimum | Capitalized Software Costs
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful lives, years	1 year
Maximum
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capitalized real estate estimated useful lives, years	15 years
Other intangible assets estimated useful lives, years	20 years
Percentage of claim amounts known in the first few years of the policy life	85.00%
Maximum | Buildings
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful lives, years	40 years
Maximum | Furniture and Equipment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful lives, years	15 years
Maximum | Capitalized Software Costs
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful lives, years	15 years
Notes Receivable Net
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment losses on other long-term investments			6,300,000
First American Trust
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets held-in-trust	$ 3,000,000,000	$ 2,800,000,000