Employment Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

The following table sets forth projected benefit payments from Ambac’s postretirement plan over the next ten years for current retirees:



2016		2017		2018		2019		2020		2021-2025		Total
$	312	$	319	$	338	$	358	$	368	$	2,276	$	3,971

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Exercisable [Table Text Block]

The amount of stock-based compensation expense and corresponding after-tax expense are as follows:



	Successor Ambac						Predecessor Ambac
					Period from May 1		Period from Jan 1
	Year Ended December 31,				through		through
	2015		2014		December 31, 2013		April 30, 2013
Stock options	$	956	$	444	$	56	$	—
Restricted stock units	1,257		2,816		1,050		—
Performance stock units ⁽¹⁾	892		190		—		—
Total stock-based compensation	$	3,105	$	3,450	$	1,106	$	—
Total stock-based compensation (after-tax)	$	3,105	$	3,450	$	1,106	$	—

(1)

Represents expense related to performance stock units portion of performance awards. Performance awards, except for performance awards issued to Ambac's Chief Executive Officer, are split evenly between performance stock units and cash. Performance awards issued to Ambac's Chief Executive Officer were all in the form of performance stock units. Cash based compensation expense related to performance awards granted to US employees was $892 and $190 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]

The following assumptions were used in estimating the fair value of options on the grant date:



	2015			2013
Risk-free interest rate	1.283		%	0.963		%
Expected volatility	42.8		%	50.2		%
Dividend yield	0.0		%	0.0		%
Expected life	4.13 years			3.33 years
Weighted-average grant-date fair value per share	$	8.69		$	7.50

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]

A summary of option activity for 2015 is as follows:



	Shares	Weighted Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life ( in years)
Year Ended December 31, 2015
Outstanding at beginning of period	66,668	$	20.63
Granted	110,000	24.55
Exercised	—	—
Forfeited or expired	—	—
Outstanding at end of period	176,668	$	23.07	$	—	5.77
Exercisable	66,668	$	20.63	$	—	4.98

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Restricted Stock Units Award Activity [Table Text Block]

A summary of RSU activity for 2015 is as follows:



	Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at beginning of period	185,800		$	22.33
Granted	79,281		23.71
Delivered or returned to plan ⁽¹⁾	(56,579	)	20.63
Forfeited	—		—
Outstanding at end of period	208,502		$	23.32


(1)	When restricted stock unit awards issued by Ambac become taxable compensation to employees, shares may be withheld to cover the employee’s withholding taxes. For the year ended December 31, 2015, Ambac purchased 24,268 of shares from employees that settled restricted stock units to meet the required tax withholdings.

Schedule of Nonvested Performance-based Units Activity [Table Text Block]

A summary of PSU activity for 2015 is as follows:



	Shares⁽¹⁾		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at beginning of period	35,412		$	29.78
Granted	107,852		24.62
Delivered	—		—
Forfeited	(12,719	)	25.78
Outstanding at end of period	130,545		$	25.91


(1)	Represents performance share units at 100% of units granted for LTIP Awards.