XML 75 R63.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Securities In An Unrealized Loss Position Non-Investment Grade Fixed Maturity Securities (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position $ 2,215,999us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue $ 2,895,204us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Aggregate Losses Accumulated In AOCI 64,198wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI 69,142wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
Common stocks    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 48,645us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
15,929us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Aggregate Losses Accumulated In AOCI 9,383wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
5,453wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
Mortgage-backed securities    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 301,968us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
388,661us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Aggregate Losses Accumulated In AOCI 6,753wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
9,501wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 1,186,059us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
1,800,866us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Aggregate Losses Accumulated In AOCI 19,776wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
24,781wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
State and municipal    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 423,402us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_USStatesAndPoliticalSubdivisionsMember
308,878us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_USStatesAndPoliticalSubdivisionsMember
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Aggregate Losses Accumulated In AOCI 4,446wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_USStatesAndPoliticalSubdivisionsMember
4,020wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_USStatesAndPoliticalSubdivisionsMember
Foreign government    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 100,887us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMember
161,496us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMember
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Aggregate Losses Accumulated In AOCI 18,141wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMember
18,065wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMember
Noninvestment Grade Investments [Member]    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Number of Securities 7us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsMember
 
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 75,300us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsMember
 
Noninvestment Grade Investments at Loss Less than 5 Million    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Number of Securities 14us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
 
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 29,133us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
 
Gross Unrealized Loss 2,078wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLoss
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
 
Noninvestment Grade Investments at Loss Less than 5 Million | Mortgage-backed securities    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Number of Securities 9us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 26,168us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Gross Unrealized Loss 1,658wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLoss
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
 
Noninvestment Grade Investments at Loss Less than 5 Million | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Number of Securities 5us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
 
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 2,965us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
 
Gross Unrealized Loss $ 420wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLoss
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsatLossLessthan5MillionMember
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember