Note 4 - Segment Reporting Schedule of Segment Reporting Information by Segment (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)		Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)		Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) segment		Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments | segment																		2
Net premiums earned—insurance		$ 226,443		$ 227,433		$ 237,437		$ 224,595		$ 224,293		$ 217,827		$ 203,646		$ 198,762		$ 915,908		$ 844,528		$ 781,420
Services revenue		37,493		42,189		43,503		30,630	[1]	34,450		42,243		0				153,815		76,693		0
Net investment income		22,833		22,091		19,285		17,328		16,531		17,143		16,663		15,318		81,537		65,655		68,121
Other Income																		6,300		5,820		6,890
Provision for losses		56,805		64,192		32,560		45,028		82,867		48,942		64,648		49,626		198,585		246,083		562,747
Policy acquisition costs		4,831		2,880		6,963		7,750		6,443		4,240		6,746		7,017		22,424		24,446		28,485
Direct cost of services		22,241		24,949		23,520		19,253		19,709		23,896		0		0		89,963		43,605		0
Operating Income (Loss) Pre-Tax Non-GAAP																		510,894		342,382		(67,435)
Assets held for sale		0								1,736,444	[2]							0		1,736,444	[2]
Total assets		5,642,100								6,842,336								5,642,100		6,842,336
Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments		(13,402)	[3]	$ 3,868	[3]	$ 28,448	[3]	$ 16,779	[3]	17,983	[3]	$ (6,294)	[3]	$ 25,332	[3]	$ 42,968	[3]	35,693	[3],[4]	79,989	[3],[4]	(106,525)
Change in Fair Value of Derivative Instruments Expected to Reverse Over Time																				100		600
Mortgage Insurance Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net premiums written—insurance																		968,505		925,181		950,998
(Increase) decrease in unearned premiums																		(52,597)		(80,653)		(169,578)
Net premiums earned—insurance																		915,908		844,528		781,420
Services revenue																		0
Net investment income																		81,537		65,655		68,121
Other Income																		6,300		5,321		6,255
Revenue Non GAAP Basis																		1,003,745		915,504		855,796	[5]
Provision for losses																		198,433		246,865		562,747
Change In Present Value of Estimated Credit Loss Payments																				113		(21)
Policy acquisition costs																		22,424		24,446		28,485
Direct cost of services																		0
Other operating expenses																		149,941		170,390		160,327
Total Expenses Non-GAAP																		370,798	[6]	441,814	[7]	751,538
Operating Income (Loss) Pretax Non GAAP Before Corporate Allocations																		632,947		473,690		104,258
Total Operating Expenses Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		46,418		55,154		97,075
Total Interest Expense Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		73,402		81,600		74,618
Operating Income (Loss) Pre-Tax Non-GAAP	[8]																	513,127		336,936		(67,435)
Total assets		5,281,597								4,769,014								5,281,597		4,769,014		3,837,889	[9]
New Insurance Written																		41,411,000		37,349,000		47,255,000
Revenue from Related Parties																		0		0
Costs and Expenses, Related Party																		3,601		782
Mortgage and Real Estate Services Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net premiums written—insurance																		0
(Increase) decrease in unearned premiums																		0
Net premiums earned—insurance																		0
Services revenue																		157,416		76,709	[10]
Net investment income	[10]																	0		0
Other Income																		0		1,265	[10]
Revenue Non GAAP Basis																		157,416	[6]	77,974	[7],[10]
Provision for losses																		0
Policy acquisition costs																		0
Direct cost of services																		93,504		43,605	[10]
Other operating expenses																		43,622		18,915	[10]
Total Expenses Non-GAAP																		137,126		62,520	[10]
Operating Income (Loss) Pretax Non GAAP Before Corporate Allocations																		20,290		15,454	[10]
Total Operating Expenses Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		4,823		1,144	[10]
Total Interest Expense Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		17,700		8,864	[10]
Operating Income (Loss) Pre-Tax Non-GAAP	[8]																	(2,233)		5,446	[10]	$ 0
Total assets		$ 360,503								$ 336,878	[10]							360,503		336,878	[10]
Revenue from Related Parties																		3,601		782
Costs and Expenses, Related Party																		0		0
Mortgage Insurance and Mortgage and Real Estate Services Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net premiums written—insurance																		968,505		925,181
(Increase) decrease in unearned premiums																		(52,597)		(80,653)
Net premiums earned—insurance																		915,908		844,528
Services revenue																		157,416		76,709
Net investment income																		81,537		65,655
Other Income																		6,300		6,586
Revenue Non GAAP Basis																		1,161,161	[11]	993,478	[12]
Provision for losses																		198,433		246,865
Change In Present Value of Estimated Credit Loss Payments																				113
Policy acquisition costs																		22,424		24,446
Direct cost of services																		93,504		43,605
Other operating expenses																		193,563		189,305
Total Expenses Non-GAAP																		507,924		504,334
Operating Income (Loss) Pretax Non GAAP Before Corporate Allocations																		653,237		489,144
Total Operating Expenses Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		51,241		56,298
Total Interest Expense Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		91,102		90,464
Operating Income (Loss) Pre-Tax Non-GAAP																		$ 510,894		$ 342,382

[1] Services revenue for the first quarter includes $101 thousand that had previously been included in other income.

[2] Assets held for sale are not part of the Mortgage Insurance or Services segments.

[3] The 2015 and 2014 amounts reflect primarily unrealized (losses) gains, respectively, on our trading securities.

[4] The change in expected economic loss or recovery associated with our previously owned VIEs is included in adjusted pretax operating income above, although it represents amounts that are not included in net income. Therefore, for purposes of this reconciliation, net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments has been adjusted by income of $0.1 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, to reverse this item.

[5] Excludes the following revenue items not included in adjusted pretax operating loss: (i) net losses on investments and other financial instruments of $106.5 million; (ii) change in fair value of derivative instruments of $0.6 million.

[6] Includes inter-segment expenses and revenues as follows: December 31, 2015(In thousands)Mortgage Insurance ServicesInter-segment revenues$— $3,601Inter-segment expenses3,601 —

[7] Includes inter-segment expenses and revenues as follows: December 31, 2014(In thousands)Mortgage Insurance ServicesInter-segment revenues$— $782Inter-segment expenses782 —

[8] Includes inter-segment expenses and revenues as listed in the notes to the preceding tables.

[9] Does not include assets held for sale of $1.8 billion which are not a part of the Mortgage Insurance segment.

[10] Includes the acquisition of Clayton, effective June 30, 2014.

[11] Excludes net gains on investments and other financial instruments of $35.7 million, not included in adjusted pretax operating income.

[12] Excludes net gains on investments and other financial instruments of $80.0 million, not included in adjusted pretax operating income.