Notes Payable (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Notes payable	$ 3,273,000		$ 89,438,000
Maturities of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
2014	3,273,000
Total maturities	3,273,000
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs	202,000		1,692,000		0
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Total Leverage Ratio - Well Fargo Bank, credit facility	0.70		3.10	[1]
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio-Wells Fargo, credit facility	3.01		2.33
Reinsurance Ratio-Wells Fargo Bank, credit facility	68.00%		69.00%
RBC Ratio - Bankers Life of Louisiana	435.00%		469.00%
RBC Ratio - Southern Financial Life Insurance Company	2096.00%		2155.00%
RBC Ratio - Insurance Company of the South	366.00%		378.00%
RBC Ratio - Lyndon Southern Insurance Company	305.00%		255.00%
RBC Ratio - Life of the South Insurance Company	430.00%		386.00%
RBC Ratio - Response Indemnity Corporation of California	39754.00%		0.00%
Minimum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, fixed charge coverage ratio	2.00
Covenant Requirement, reinsurance ratio	50.00%
Maximum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, total leverage ratio	3.25		3.50
Bankers Life of Louisiana [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, RBC ratio	250.00%
Southern Financial Life Insurance Company [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, RBC ratio	250.00%
Insurance Company of the South [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, RBC ratio	250.00%
Lyndon Southern Insurance Company [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, RBC ratio	250.00%
Life of the South Insurance Company [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, RBC ratio	250.00%
Response Indemnity Company of California [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Covenant Requirement, RBC ratio	250.00%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Notes payable	0		89,438,000
Maximum balance allowed	75,000,000		123,750,000
Interest rate at the end of the respective period, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility (1)	0.00%	[2]	2.76%
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs			1,700,000
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.25%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.45%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Initiation Date	Aug. 02, 2012
Line of Credit Facility, Initial Maximum Borrowing Capacity	125,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	75,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Revolving Credit Conversion to Term Loan, Description	50.0
letters of credit, available	10,000,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	10,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Aug. 02, 2017
Line of credit, incremental amount available	50,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.75%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.00%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Eurodollar Reserve [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	100.00%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Adjusted London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.75%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.50%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.00%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Minimum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.00%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.00%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Maximum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	3.00%
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility, [Member] | initial commitment fee [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.40%
Synovus Bank, Line of credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Notes payable	3,273,000		0
Maximum balance allowed	15,000,000		0
Interest rate at the end of the respective period, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility (1)	3.24%		0.00%
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Initiation Date	Oct. 09, 2013
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Apr. 30, 2017
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs	200,000
Amount of receivables eligible to be financed under the line of credit, percent	90.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Minimum Availability Requirement	500,000
Long-term debt, financial covenants [Abstract]
Financing Receivable, Gross	5,400,000
Synovus Bank, Line of credit [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	3.00%
SunTrust Bank, N.A. [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Maximum balance allowed			85,000,000
SunTrust Bank, N.A. [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			1.00%
SunTrust Bank, N.A. [Member] | Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			0.50%
SunTrust Bank, N.A. [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, termination date			Aug. 02, 2012
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost			$ 700,000

[1] (1) - The total leverage ratio in effect at December 31, 2012 was "not more than 3.50".

[2] (1) - At December 31, 2013 the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Facility, thus no interest rate can be defined.