INVESTMENTS - Narrative (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of Cost-method Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities	$ 31,032,000		$ 50,580,000
Deconsolidation gain (loss)	(1,078,000)	[1]	21,181,000	[1]
Other than temporary loss	275,000		299,000		1,800,000
Equity in loss of unconsolidated affiliate	(2,076,000)		(565,000)
Other investments	24,639,000		28,077,000
Difference between carrying amount and underlying equity	7,900,000
Mindjet
Schedule of Cost-method Investments [Line Items]
Voting interest percentage	39.40%		40.40%
Minimum possible loss	0
Maximum possible loss	1,200,000
Other investments	25,100,000
Cost-method invesments, other than temporary impairments	1,100,000
Mindjet
Schedule of Cost-method Investments [Line Items]
Number of seats on the board of directors	1
Number of directors on board	6
Current number of directors	5
Equity in loss of unconsolidated affiliate			(565,000)
Preferred Stock | Mindjet
Schedule of Cost-method Investments [Line Items]
Number of votes per share	1.5
Dividend rate	6.00%
Share conversion ratio (in shares)	1.5
Liquidation preference value	7,000,000
Foreign Securities
Schedule of Cost-method Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities	5,600,000		23,300,000
Convertible Debt Securities | Mindjet
Schedule of Cost-method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to acquire held-to-maturity securities	$ 2,700,000
Investment interest rate	10.00%
Conversion ratio on convertible debt	3

[1] The Company had a non-recurring fair value measurement as a result of the merger transaction between Spigit and Mindjet. The fair value of the investment in Mindjet was based on analysis of the financial and operational aspects of the company, including consideration of a discounted cash flow analysis which incorporated a contemporary forecast of the merged Mindjet/Spigit entity going forward. Also considered was a guideline public company analysis which compared business enterprise value-to-revenue ratios for comparable public companies to current revenue metrics for the company. Determination of the business enterprise value based on the foregoing was then considered in an analysis of the distribution of equity value to the various classes of equity held by PICO in order to reflect differences in value due to differing liquidation, dividend and voting rights. The fair value approach relied primarily on Level 3 unobservable inputs, whereby expected future cash flows were discounted using a rate that includes assumptions regarding an entity’s average cost of debt and equity, incorporated expected future cash flows based on internal business plans, and applied certain assumptions about risk and uncertainties. The estimates were based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which by nature are uncertain and unpredictable.