Note 15 - Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Legal Proceedings See Note 17 of our 2015 Form 10-K for information regarding our accounting policies for contingencies. We are routinely involved in a number of legal actions, reviews and audits, as well as inquiries and investigations by various regulatory entities involving compliance with laws or other regulations, the outcome of which are uncertain. We are involved in litigation that has arisen in the normal course of our business. We are contesting the allegations in each such pending action and management believes, based on current knowledge and after consultation with counsel, that the outcome of such litigation will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition. However, the outcome of litigation and other legal and regulatory matters is inherently uncertain, and it is possible that one or more of the matters currently pending or threatened could have an unanticipated adverse effect on our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations for any particular period. In June 2015, we and other mortgage insurers received a letter from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin (“Wisconsin OCI”) requesting information pertaining to customized insurance rates and terms offered to mortgage insurance customers. We submitted a response to the Wisconsin OCI in June 2015, as requested. Although we believe we are in compliance with applicable Wisconsin state law requirements for mortgage guaranty insurance, we cannot predict the outcome of this matter or whether additional inquiries, actions or proceedings may be pursued against us by the Wisconsin OCI or other regulators. As described in Note 12, on September 4, 2014, we received formal Notices of Deficiency from the IRS related to certain losses and deductions resulting from our investment in a portfolio of non-economic REMIC residual interests. We believe that an adequate provision for income taxes has been made for the potential liabilities that may result from this matter. However, if the ultimate resolution of this matter produces a result that differs materially from our current expectations, there could be a material impact on our effective tax rate, results of operations and cash flows. Our Master Policies establish the timeline within which any suit or action arising from any right of an insured under the policy generally must be commenced. Although we believe that our Loss Mitigation activities are justified under our policies, we continue to face challenges from certain lender and servicer customers regarding our Loss Mitigation Activities, which have resulted in some reversals of our decisions regarding Rescissions, Claim Denials or Claim Curtailments. We are currently in discussions with these customers regarding our Loss Mitigation Activities and claim payment practices, which if not resolved, could result in arbitration or judicial proceedings and we may need to reassume the risk on, and increase loss reserves for, those policies or pay additional claims. See Note 9 for further information. Further, there are loans in our total defaulted portfolio (in particular, our older defaulted portfolio) for which actions or proceedings (such as foreclosure) may not have been commenced within the outermost deadline in our Prior Master Policy. We are evaluating these loans regarding this potential violation and our corresponding rights under the Prior Master Policy. While we can provide no assurance regarding the ultimate resolution of these issues, it is possible that arbitration or legal proceedings could result. Other Securities regulations became effective in 2005 that impose enhanced disclosure requirements on issuers of ABS (including mortgage-backed securities). To allow our customers to comply with these regulations at that time, we typically were required, depending on the amount of credit enhancement we were providing, to provide: (1) audited financial statements for the insurance subsidiary participating in the transaction; or (2) a full and unconditional holding company-level guarantee for our insurance subsidiaries’ obligations in such transactions. Radian Group has guaranteed two Structured Transactions for Radian Guaranty involving approximately $121.4 million of remaining credit exposure as of March 31, 2016.

Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

See Note 17 of our 2015 Form 10-K for information regarding our accounting policies for contingencies.

We are routinely involved in a number of legal actions, reviews and audits, as well as inquiries and investigations by various regulatory entities involving compliance with laws or other regulations, the outcome of which are uncertain. We are involved in litigation that has arisen in the normal course of our business. We are contesting the allegations in each such pending action and management believes, based on current knowledge and after consultation with counsel, that the outcome of such litigation will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition. However, the outcome of litigation and other legal and regulatory matters is inherently uncertain, and it is possible that one or more of the matters currently pending or threatened could have an unanticipated adverse effect on our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations for any particular period.

In June 2015, we and other mortgage insurers received a letter from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin (“Wisconsin OCI”) requesting information pertaining to customized insurance rates and terms offered to mortgage insurance customers. We submitted a response to the Wisconsin OCI in June 2015, as requested. Although we believe we are in compliance with applicable Wisconsin state law requirements for mortgage guaranty insurance, we cannot predict the outcome of this matter or whether additional inquiries, actions or proceedings may be pursued against us by the Wisconsin OCI or other regulators.

As described in Note 12, on September 4, 2014, we received formal Notices of Deficiency from the IRS related to certain losses and deductions resulting from our investment in a portfolio of non-economic REMIC residual interests. We believe that an adequate provision for income taxes has been made for the potential liabilities that may result from this matter. However, if the ultimate resolution of this matter produces a result that differs materially from our current expectations, there could be a material impact on our effective tax rate, results of operations and cash flows.

Our Master Policies establish the timeline within which any suit or action arising from any right of an insured under the policy generally must be commenced. Although we believe that our Loss Mitigation activities are justified under our policies, we continue to face challenges from certain lender and servicer customers regarding our Loss Mitigation Activities, which have resulted in some reversals of our decisions regarding Rescissions, Claim Denials or Claim Curtailments. We are currently in discussions with these customers regarding our Loss Mitigation Activities and claim payment practices, which if not resolved, could result in arbitration or judicial proceedings and we may need to reassume the risk on, and increase loss reserves for, those policies or pay additional claims. See Note 9 for further information.

Further, there are loans in our total defaulted portfolio (in particular, our older defaulted portfolio) for which actions or proceedings (such as foreclosure) may not have been commenced within the outermost deadline in our Prior Master Policy. We are evaluating these loans regarding this potential violation and our corresponding rights under the Prior Master Policy. While we can provide no assurance regarding the ultimate resolution of these issues, it is possible that arbitration or legal proceedings could result.

Other

Securities regulations became effective in 2005 that impose enhanced disclosure requirements on issuers of ABS (including mortgage-backed securities). To allow our customers to comply with these regulations at that time, we typically were required, depending on the amount of credit enhancement we were providing, to provide: (1) audited financial statements for the insurance subsidiary participating in the transaction; or (2) a full and unconditional holding company-level guarantee for our insurance subsidiaries’ obligations in such transactions. Radian Group has guaranteed two Structured Transactions for Radian Guaranty involving approximately $121.4 million of remaining credit exposure as of March 31, 2016.