Consolidated Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014 Entity risk		Mar. 31, 2013 Entity	Dec. 31, 2013 Entity risk
Consolidated VIEs
Net fair value gains and losses on FG VIEs are expected to reverse to zero at maturity of the VIE debt	$ 0
Number of VIE that did not require consolidation	950			1,000
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Roll Forward]
Number of FG VIEs, beginning of period	40		33	33
Variable Interest Entity, Number of Entities to be Consolidated	0	[1]		11	[1]
Variable Interest Entity, Number of Entities to be Deconsolidated	(7)	[1]		(3)	[1]
Variable Interest Entity Number Matured	(2)			(1)
Number of FG VIEs, end of period	31			40
Variable Interest Entity Consolidation Gain or Loss	120,000,000
Variable Interest Entity Consolidation and Deconsolidation Gain or Loss				7,000,000
Credit Risk Derivatives at Fair Value before Effect of Credit Spread Net 1 [Abstract]
Number of days VIEs' assets were past due (in days)	90 days
Total unpaid principal balance for the VIEs' assets that were over 90 days or more past due	201,000,000			750,000,000
Difference between the aggregate unpaid principal and aggregate fair value of the VIEs' Assets	1,159,000,000			1,940,000,000
Change in the instrument specific credit risk of the VIEs' assets	58,000,000		71,000,000
Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts, Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated Outstanding Principal Amount, Gross	1,783,000,000			2,316,000,000
Difference between the aggregate unpaid principal and aggregate fair value of the VIEs' liabilities	954,000,000			1,611,000,000
Assets	1,257,000,000			2,565,000,000
Total with recourse , Assets	1,121,000,000			1,449,000,000
Without recourse, Assets	136,000,000			1,116,000,000
Liabilities	1,447,000,000			2,871,000,000
Financial guaranty variable interest entities’ liabilities with recourse, at fair value	1,346,000,000			1,790,000,000
Financial guaranty variable interest entities’ liabilities without recourse, at fair value	101,000,000			1,081,000,000
Net change in fair value of financial guaranty variable interest entities:
Net earned premiums	(17,000,000)		(18,000,000)
Net investment income	(3,000,000)		(3,000,000)
Net realized investment gains (losses)	0		1,000,000
Fair value gains (losses) on FG VIEs	157,000,000		70,000,000
Other income	(2,000,000)		0
Loss and LAE	(1,000,000)		(7,000,000)
Effect on net income before tax provision	134,000,000		43,000,000
Less: tax provision (benefit)	47,000,000		15,000,000
Effect on net income (loss)	87,000,000		28,000,000
Effect on cash flows from operating activities	(8,000,000)		21,000,000
Effect on shareholders’ equity (decrease) increase	(87,000,000)			(172,000,000)
Number of Risks as of the end of the period with R&W Benefit Recorded (in policies)	45	[2]		42	[2]
Flagstar
Net change in fair value of financial guaranty variable interest entities:
Fair value gains (losses) on FG VIEs			64,000,000
Number of Risks as of the end of the period with R&W Benefit Recorded (in policies)			0
Total first lien
Credit Risk Derivatives at Fair Value before Effect of Credit Spread Net 1 [Abstract]
Assets	505,000,000			630,000,000
Liabilities	599,000,000			791,000,000
Second lien
Credit Risk Derivatives at Fair Value before Effect of Credit Spread Net 1 [Abstract]
Assets	256,000,000			460,000,000
Liabilities	387,000,000			640,000,000
Other VIE with recourse
Credit Risk Derivatives at Fair Value before Effect of Credit Spread Net 1 [Abstract]
Assets	360,000,000			359,000,000
Liabilities	360,000,000			359,000,000
Deconsolidation of Variable Interest Entity [Member]
Net change in fair value of financial guaranty variable interest entities:
Fair value gains (losses) on FG VIEs	120,000,000
Exercise of Option to Accelerate Variable Interest Entity [Member]
Net change in fair value of financial guaranty variable interest entities:
Fair value gains (losses) on FG VIEs	$ 37,000,000

[1] Net gain on deconsolidation was $120 million in First Quarter 2014, and a net loss on consolidation and deconsolidation was $7 million in 2013, and recorded in “fair value gains (losses) on FG VIEs” in the consolidated statement of operations.

[2] A risk represents the aggregate of the financial guaranty policies that share the same revenue source for purposes of making Debt Service payments. This table shows the full future Debt Service (not just the amount of Debt Service expected to be reimbursed) for risks with projected future R&W benefit, whether pursuant to an agreement or not.