General Information	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
General Information [Abstract]
General Information	(1) General Information HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (HCC) and its subsidiaries (collectively we, us or our) include domestic and foreign property and casualty and life insurance companies and underwriting agencies with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland. We underwrite a variety of non-correlated specialty insurance products in more than 180 countries, including property and casualty, accident and health, surety, credit and aviation product lines. We market our products through a network of independent agents and brokers, producers, managing general agents and directly to customers. Basis of Presentation Our unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and include the accounts of HCC and its subsidiaries. We have made all adjustments that, in our opinion, are necessary for a fair statement of results of the interim periods, and all such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2010 was derived from the audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. Management must make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and in disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Ultimate results could differ from those estimates. We have reclassified certain amounts in our 2010 consolidated financial statements to conform to the 2011 presentation. None of our reclassifications had an effect on our consolidated net earnings, shareholders' equity or cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Guidance A new accounting standard clarifies the definition of acquisition costs incurred by an insurance company and limits capitalization to such costs directly related to renewing or acquiring new insurance contracts. All costs incurred for unsuccessful marketing or underwriting efforts, along with indirect costs, are to be expensed as incurred. We plan to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2012. The new guidance will have no impact on our cash flows, and we do not expect it to have a significant impact on either our expenses or our pretax earnings. However, our adoption of the new standard will result in a reduction of our deferred policy acquisition costs asset, an adjustment to deferred income taxes, and a corresponding decrease in consolidated shareholders' equity. We expect to adopt the new standard retrospectively and estimate that the adjustment to our consolidated shareholders' equity at adoption will be less than $20.0 million. New accounting guidance provides a consistent definition of fair value and ensures that fair value measurements and required disclosures are similar between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The new guidance also expands required disclosures for fair value measurements that are estimated using significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs. We will apply the new guidance prospectively beginning January 1, 2012. We do not expect adoption of the new guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. A new accounting standard changes the disclosure of comprehensive income. The new guidance permits entities to present total comprehensive income, net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The current option of reporting other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in shareholders' equity will be eliminated. This guidance is effective on January 1, 2012 and must be applied retrospectively. The consolidated financial statements included in our 2010 Form 10-K comply with the new guidance; however, our interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared using the disclosure option that is being eliminated. While the format of our interim consolidated financial statements will change beginning in the first quarter of 2012, this change will not impact our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. A new accounting standard simplifies how entities test goodwill for impairment. The new standard permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. Previous guidance required an entity to test goodwill for impairment, at least on an annual basis, by first comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the second step of the test must be performed to measure the amount of the impairment loss, if any. Under the new rules, an entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. The new rules are effective on January 1, 2012. Since we perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of June 30 each year, we will first have the option of using the qualitative approach at June 30, 2012. We do not expect application of the new guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

General Information

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

(1) General Information

HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (HCC) and its subsidiaries (collectively we, us or our) include domestic and foreign property and casualty and life insurance companies and underwriting agencies with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland. We underwrite a variety of non-correlated specialty insurance products in more than 180 countries, including property and casualty, accident and health, surety, credit and aviation product lines. We market our products through a network of independent agents and brokers, producers, managing general agents and directly to customers.

Basis of Presentation

Our unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and include the accounts of HCC and its subsidiaries. We have made all adjustments that, in our opinion, are necessary for a fair statement of results of the interim periods, and all such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2010 was derived from the audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP.

Management must make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and in disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Ultimate results could differ from those estimates. We have reclassified certain amounts in our 2010 consolidated financial statements to conform to the 2011 presentation. None of our reclassifications had an effect on our consolidated net earnings, shareholders' equity or cash flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance

A new accounting standard clarifies the definition of acquisition costs incurred by an insurance company and limits capitalization to such costs directly related to renewing or acquiring new insurance contracts. All costs incurred for unsuccessful marketing or underwriting efforts, along with indirect costs, are to be expensed as incurred. We plan to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2012. The new guidance will have no impact on our cash flows, and we do not expect it to have a significant impact on either our expenses or our pretax earnings. However, our adoption of the new standard will result in a reduction of our deferred policy acquisition costs asset, an adjustment to deferred income taxes, and a corresponding decrease in consolidated shareholders' equity. We expect to adopt the new standard retrospectively and estimate that the adjustment to our consolidated shareholders' equity at adoption will be less than $20.0 million.

New accounting guidance provides a consistent definition of fair value and ensures that fair value measurements and required disclosures are similar between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The new guidance also expands required disclosures for fair value measurements that are estimated using significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs. We will apply the new guidance prospectively beginning January 1, 2012. We do not expect adoption of the new guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

A new accounting standard changes the disclosure of comprehensive income. The new guidance permits entities to present total comprehensive income, net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The current option of reporting other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in shareholders' equity will be eliminated. This guidance is effective on January 1, 2012 and must be applied retrospectively. The consolidated financial statements included in our 2010 Form 10-K comply with the new guidance; however, our interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared using the disclosure option that is being eliminated. While the format of our interim consolidated financial statements will change beginning in the first quarter of 2012, this change will not impact our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

A new accounting standard simplifies how entities test goodwill for impairment. The new standard permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. Previous guidance required an entity to test goodwill for impairment, at least on an annual basis, by first comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the second step of the test must be performed to measure the amount of the impairment loss, if any. Under the new rules, an entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. The new rules are effective on January 1, 2012. Since we perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of June 30 each year, we will first have the option of using the qualitative approach at June 30, 2012. We do not expect application of the new guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.