Note 5 - VIEs Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts VIEs (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013 Consolidated Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts		Mar. 31, 2012 Consolidated Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts	Dec. 31, 2012 Consolidated Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts		Mar. 31, 2013 Unconsolidated Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts		Mar. 31, 2012 Unconsolidated Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts	Dec. 31, 2012 Unconsolidated Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts		Jun. 30, 2012 April 2012 Commutation Transactions [Member] Radian Asset Assurance [Member] security transaction counterparty
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Derivative Counterparties Involved in Commutation														1
Number Of Trups CDOs Terminated														6
Net Par Outstanding														$ 699,000,000
Number Of Consolidated CDO Of ABS Transactions														1
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures
Trading Securities	3,963,465,000		4,094,622,000
Other invested assets				76,919,000			78,006,000
Derivative assets	6,429,000		13,609,000						1,732,000			3,201,000
Premiums receivable									2,687,000			2,859,000
Other assets	396,453,000		374,662,000	96,693,000			99,337,000		0			0
Unearned premiums	673,849,000		648,682,000						2,345,000			2,513,000
Reserve for losses and LAE	2,919,073,000		3,149,936,000						14,112,000			14,376,000
Derivative liabilities	430,898,000		266,873,000	66,752,000			70,467,000		336,430,000			175,781,000
VIE debt—at fair value	107,401,000		108,858,000	96,339,000			98,983,000
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	362,030,000		324,573,000	3,001,000			365,000
Maximum exposure (1)				118,431,000	[1]		120,939,000	[1]	4,977,626,000	[1]		5,096,718,000	[1]
Statement of Operations
Premiums earned	192,588,000	167,365,000							324,000		509,000
Net investment income	26,873,000	34,713,000		443,000		2,014,000
Net (losses) gains on investments	(5,505,000)	67,459,000		(1,530,000)		(2,863,000)
Change in fair value of derivative instruments	(167,670,000)	(72,757,000)		3,062,000		(1,227,000)			(160,975,000)		(81,673,000)
Net losses on other financial instruments	(5,675,000)	(17,852,000)		1,155,000		(30,085,000)
Provision for losses, (decrease) increase	132,059,000	266,154,000							(10,000)		6,219,000
Other operating expenses	80,100,000	50,154,000		503,000		716,000
Net cash inflow for VIEs				$ 114,000		$ 196,000			$ 1,215,000		$ 2,827,000

[1] The difference between the carrying amounts of the net asset/liability position and maximum exposure related to VIEs is primarily due to the difference between the face amount of the obligation and the recorded fair values, which include an adjustment for our non-performance risk, as applicable. For those VIEs that have recourse to our general credit, the maximum exposure is based on the net par amount of our insured obligation. For any VIEs that do not have recourse to our general credit, the maximum exposure is generally based on the recorded net assets of the VIE, as of the reporting date.