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Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Insurance [Line Items]  
Effect of Reinsurance on Premiums Written and Earned
The effect of reinsurance on premiums written and earned was as follows:
Year Ended
December 31,		DirectAssumed
Ceded
Net
Premiums
2021:
Written$2 $— $35 $(33)
Earned62 — 15 47 
2020:
Written$(1)$— $(1)$— 
Earned65 1 12 54 
2019:
Written$(28)$— $31 $(60)
Earned75 — 10 66 
Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Table Text Block]
The following table summarizes net premiums earned by location of risk:
Year Ended December 31,202120202019
United States27 $32 $55 
United Kingdom14 24 17 
Other international6 (2)(6)
Total47 $54 $66 
Premium Receivables, including credit impairments
Premium receivables at December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $323 and $370, respectively.
Management evaluates premium receivables for expected credit losses ("credit impairment") in accordance with the CECL standard adopted January 1, 2020, which is further described in Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies. Management's evaluation of credit impairment under prior GAAP rules was not materially different. Most credit impairment disclosures below were only made prospectively from the CECL adoption date as they were not required previously under GAAP.
As further discussed in Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies, the key indicator management uses to assess the credit quality of financial guarantee premium receivables is Ambac's internal risk classifications for the insured obligation determined by the Risk Management Group.
Below is the amortized cost basis of financial guarantee premium receivables by risk classification code and asset class as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Surveillance Categories as of December 31, 2021
Type of Guaranteed BondIIAIIIIIIVTotal
Public Finance:
Housing revenue$149 $3 $5 $— $— $157 
Other2 — — — — 2 
Total Public Finance151 3 5 — — 159 
Structured Finance:
Mortgage-backed and home equity1 — 1 2 12 16 
Student loan1 1 — 9 — 12 
Structured insurance10 — — — — 10 
Other7 — — — — 7 
Total Structured Finance19 1 1 12 12 45 
International:
Sovereign/sub-sovereign74 8 — 11 — 93 
Investor-owned and public utilities28 — — — — 28 
Other5 — — — — 5 
Total International107 8 — 11 — 125 
Total (1) (2)
$277 $12 $6 $22 $12 $329 
Surveillance Categories as of December 31, 2020
Type of Guaranteed BondIIAIIIIIIVTotal
Public Finance:
Housing revenue$155 $13 $— $— $— $168 
Other2 15 — — — 17 
Total Public Finance157 27 — — — 185 
Structured Finance:
Mortgage-backed and home equity3 — 1 3 15 22 
Student loan3 — 2 11 — 16 
Structured insurance14 — — — — 14 
Other7 — — — — 7 
Total Structured Finance27 — 3 14 15 59 
International:
Sovereign/sub-sovereign82 13 — 13 — 108 
Investor-owned and public utilities31 — — — — 31 
Other5 — — — — 5 
Total International118 13 — 13 — 144 
Total (2)
$302 $40 $3 $27 $15 $387 
(1)    Excludes specialty property and casualty premium receivables of $2.
(2)    The underwriting origination dates for all policies included are greater than five years prior to the current reporting date.
Schedule Of Reinsurance Recoverable And Provision By Category Of Reinsurer The following table sets forth our three most significant reinsurers by amount of reinsurance recoverable as of December 31, 2021.
Reinsurers
Type of Insurance
Rating
 (1)
Reinsurance
Recoverable
(2)
Unsecured
Recoverable
(3)
QBE Insurance CorporationSpecialty P&CA$27 $27 
Assured Guaranty Re Ltd.Financial
Guarantee		AA18 — 
Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance, Inc.Financial
Guarantee		A+9 — 
All other
reinsurers
1 5 
Total recoverables
$55 $31 
(1)Represents financial strength ratings from S&P for financial guarantee reinsurers and AM Best for specialty P&C reinsurers.
(2)Represents reinsurance recoverables on paid and unpaid losses. Unsecured amounts from QBE Insurance Corporation is also
supported by an unlimited, uncapped indemnity from Enstar Holdings (US).
(3)Reinsurance recoverables reduced by ceded premiums payables due to reinsurers, letters of credit, and collateral posted for the benefit of Ambac.
Summarized Future Gross Undiscounted Premiums Expected to be Collected and Future Expected Premiums Earned, Net of Reinsurance
The table below summarizes the future gross undiscounted financial guarantee premiums to be collected and future premiums earned, net of reinsurance at December 31, 2021:
Future Premiums
to be
Collected (1)
Future
Premiums
to be
Earned Net of
Reinsurance (2)
Three months ended:
March 31, 2022$10 $7 
June 30, 20227 7 
September 30, 20229 7 
December 31, 20227 7 
Twelve months ended:
December 31, 202332 25 
December 31, 202430 24 
December 31, 202529 23 
December 31, 202628 22 
Five years ended:
December 31, 2031113 91 
December 31, 203675 57 
December 31, 204132 22 
December 31, 204615 9 
December 31, 20515 3 
December 31, 2056— — 
Total$393 $303 
(1)Future premiums to be collected are undiscounted, gross of allowance for credit losses, and are used to derive the discounted premium receivable asset recorded on Ambac's balance sheet.
(2)Future premiums to be earned, net of reinsurance relate to the unearned premiums liability and deferred ceded premium asset recorded on Ambac’s balance sheet. The use of contractual lives for many bond types which do not have homogeneous pools of underlying collateral is required in the calculation of the premium receivable as further described in Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies. This results in a different premium receivable balance than if expected lives were considered. If installment paying policies are retired or prepay early, premiums reflected in the premium receivable asset and amounts reported in the above table for such policies may not be collected. Future premiums to be earned also considers the use of contractual lives for many bond types which do not have homogeneous pools of underlying collateral, which may result in different unearned premium than if expected lives were considered. If those bonds types are retired early, premium earnings may be negative in the period of call or refinancing.
Schedule of Loss And Loss Expense Reserves And Subrogation Recoverable Table Below are the components of the loss and loss expense reserves and the subrogation recoverable asset at December 31, 2021 and 2020:
December 31, 2021:December 31, 2020:
Balance Sheet Line ItemClaims and
Loss Expenses		RecoveriesUnearned
Premium
Revenue
Loss and
Loss Expense
Reserves (1)
Claims and
Loss Expenses		RecoveriesUnearned
Premium
Revenue
Loss and
Loss Expense
Reserves (1)
Loss and loss expense reserves$1,781 $(155)$(56)$1,570 $2,060 $(229)$(72)$1,759 
Subrogation recoverable88 (2,180)— (2,092)100 (2,256)— (2,156)
Totals$1,869 $(2,335)$(56)$(522)$2,160 $(2,486)$(72)$(397)
Summary of Loss Reserve Roll-Forward, Net of Subrogation Recoverable and Reinsurance
Below is the loss and loss reserve expense roll-forward, net of subrogation recoverable and reinsurance, for the affected periods.
Year Ended December 31,202120202019
Beginning gross loss and loss expense reserves
$(397)$(482)$(107)
Reinsurance recoverable
33 26 23 
Beginning balance of net loss and loss expense reserves
(430)(508)(130)
Losses and loss expenses (benefit) incurred:
Current year
— 15 1 
Prior years(89)210 12 
Total (1)(2)
(88)225 13 
Loss and loss expenses (recovered) paid:
Current year
— 1 — 
Prior years59 148 318 
Total
59 149 318 
Foreign exchange effect
— 2 (1)
Ending net loss and loss expense reserves
(577)(430)(436)
Impact of VIE consolidation
— — (72)
Reinsurance recoverable (3)
55 33 26 
Ending gross loss and loss expense reserves
(522)(397)(482)
(1)Total losses and loss expenses (benefit) includes $5, $(11) and $(7) for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, related to ceded reinsurance.
(2)Ambac records the impact of estimated recoveries related to securitized loans in RMBS transactions that breached certain R&W's by transaction sponsors within losses and loss expenses (benefit). The losses and loss expense (benefit) incurred associated with changes in estimated R&W's recoveries for the year ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 was $20, $(23) and $42, respectively.
(3)Represents reinsurance recoverable on future loss and loss expenses. Additionally, the Balance Sheet line "Reinsurance recoverable on paid and unpaid losses" includes reinsurance recoverables (payables) of $0, $1 and $0 as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, related to previously presented loss and loss expenses and subrogation.
Summary of Information Related to Policies Currently Included in Ambac's Loss Reserves or Subrogation Recoverable
The tables below summarize information related to policies currently included in Ambac’s loss and loss expense reserves or subrogation recoverable at December 31, 2021 and 2020. Gross par exposures include capital appreciation bonds which are reported at the par amount at the time of issuance of the insurance policy as opposed to the current accreted value of the bond. The weighted average risk-free rate used to discount loss reserves at December 31, 2021 and 2020 was 1.2% and 1.1%, respectively.
Surveillance Categories as of December 31, 2021
IIAIIIIIIVVTotal
Number of policies34 15 7 14 130 5 205 
Remaining weighted-average contract period (in years) (1)
912141513714
Gross insured contractual payments outstanding:
Principal$904 $840 $459 $1,300 $2,759 $40 $6,302 
Interest589 612 308 169 1,284 22 2,984 
Total$1,493 $1,452 $767 $1,469 $4,043 $62 $9,286 
Gross undiscounted claim liability$5 $16 $45 $544 $1,423 $62 $2,095 
Discount, gross claim liability— (1)(3)(109)(185)(4)(303)
Gross claim liability before all subrogation and before reinsurance
$5 $15 $42 $435 $1,238 $57 $1,792 
Less:
Gross RMBS subrogation (2)
$— $— $— $— $(1,737)$— $(1,737)
Discount, RMBS subrogation— — — — 7 — 7 
Discounted RMBS subrogation, before reinsurance
— — — — (1,730)— (1,730)
Less:
Gross other subrogation (3)
— (5)— (33)(583)(12)(633)
Discount, other subrogation— — — 2 24 2 28 
Discounted other subrogation, before reinsurance
— (5)— (31)(559)(10)(605)
Gross claim liability, net of all subrogation and discounts, before reinsurance
$5 $10 $42 $404 $(1,051)$47 $(543)
Less: Unearned premium revenue$(3)$(10)$(5)$(14)$(24)$(1)$(56)
Plus: Loss expense reserves1 — — 4 40 — 45 
Gross loss and loss expense reserves$3 $1 $38 $394 $(1,036)$46 $(554)
Reinsurance recoverable reported on
Balance Sheet (4)
$1 $1 $10 $22 $(11)$— $23 
(1)Remaining weighted-average contract period is weighted based on projected gross claims over the lives of the respective policies.
(2)RMBS subrogation represents Ambac’s estimate of subrogation recoveries from RMBS transaction sponsors for R&W breaches.
(3)Other subrogation represents subrogation related to excess spread and other contractual cash flows on public finance and structured finance transactions, including RMBS.
(4)Reinsurance recoverable reported on the Balance Sheet includes reinsurance recoverables of $24 related to future loss and loss expenses and $0 related to presented loss and loss expenses and subrogation.
Surveillance Categories as of December 31, 2020
IIAIIIIIIVVTotal
Number of policies40 25 15 15 132 5 232 
Remaining weighted-average contract period (in years) (1)
101881614714
Gross insured contractual payments outstanding:
Principal$842 $1,375 $595 $1,469 $3,246 $47 $7,573 
Interest279 1,011 484 215 1,427 26 3,443 
Total$1,121 $2,386 $1,079 $1,685 $4,673 $72 $11,016 
Gross undiscounted claim liability$3 $49 $40 $541 $1,690 $72 $2,395 
Discount, gross claim liability— (2)(1)(85)(213)(3)(303)
Gross claim liability before all subrogation and before reinsurance$3 $47 $40 $456 $1,477 $69 $2,092 
Less:
Gross RMBS subrogation (2)
$— $— $— $— $(1,753)$— $(1,753)
Discount, RMBS subrogation— — — — 3 — 3 
Discounted RMBS subrogation, before reinsurance
— — — — (1,751)— (1,751)
Less:
Gross other subrogation (3)
— — — (36)(706)(12)(755)
Discount, other subrogation— — — 1 18 1 20 
Discounted other subrogation, before reinsurance
— — — (35)(689)(11)(735)
Gross claim liability, net of all subrogation and discounts, before reinsurance
$3 $47 $39 $421 $(963)$58 $(394)
Less: Unearned premium revenue$(2)$(16)$(5)$(17)$(30)$(1)$(72)
Plus: Loss expense reserves1 2 1 5 59 — 68 
Gross loss and loss expense reserves$2 $32 $35 $409 $(933)$57 $(397)
Reinsurance recoverable reported on
Balance Sheet (4)
$— $6 $9 $24 $(6)$— $33 
(1)Remaining weighted-average contract period is weighted based on projected gross claims over the lives of the respective policies.
(2)RMBS subrogation represents Ambac's estimate of subrogation recoveries from RMBS transaction sponsors for R&W breaches.
(3)Other subrogation represents subrogation related to excess spread and other contractual cash flows on public finance and structured finance transactions, including RMBS.
(4)    Reinsurance recoverable reported on the Balance Sheet includes reinsurance recoverables of $33 related to future loss and loss expenses and $1 related to presented loss and loss expenses and subrogation.
Summary of Rollforward of RMBS Subrogation, by Estimation Approach
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense ntangible asset and accumulated amortization are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, as shown below.
December 31,20212020
Finite-lived Intangible Assets:
Insurance intangible:
Gross carrying value$1,278 $1,281 
Accumulated amortization958 908 
Net insurance intangible asset320 373 
Other intangibles:
Gross Carrying value36 36 
Accumulated amortization3 — 
Net other intangible assets33 36 
Total finite-lived intangible assets$353 $409 
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets:
Insurance licenses$9 $— 
Total intangible assets$362 $409 
Premium Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss
Below is a rollforward of the premium receivable allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Year Ended December 31,20212020
Beginning balance (1)
$17 $9 
Current period provision (2)
(6)9 
Write-offs of the allowance(2)(2)
Ending balance$9 $17 
(1)At January 1, 2020, $9 of premiums receivable were deemed uncollectible as determined under prior GAAP rules.
(2)The year ended December 31, 2020, includes $3 from the adoption of CECL.
Schedule of Financial Guarantee Insurance In Force By Bond Type
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the financial guarantee portfolio consisted of the types of guaranteed bonds as shown in the following table:
Net Par Outstanding December 31, (1)
20212020
Public Finance:
Housing revenue (2)
$5,610 $5,855 
Lease and tax-backed revenue3,196 4,179 
General obligation1,612 2,345 
Other1,942 3,118 
Total Public Finance12,360 15,497 
Structured Finance:
Mortgage-backed and home equity2,724 3,635 
Investor-owned utilities1,556 1,617 
Other624 1,085 
Total Structured Finance4,904 6,337 
International Finance:
Sovereign/sub-sovereign5,141 5,270 
Investor-owned and public utilities3,283 3,899 
Asset-backed and other1,276 1,374 
Transportation1,056 1,511 
Total International Finance10,756 12,054 
Total$28,020 $33,888 
(1)Net Par Outstanding includes capital appreciation bonds, which are reported at the par amount at the time of issuance of the insurance policy as opposed to the current accreted value of the bond.
(2)Includes $5,490 and $5,575 of Military Housing net par at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Premiums Receivable for Financial Guarantees
Below is the gross premium receivable roll-forward (direct and assumed contracts) for the affected periods:
Year Ended
December 31,
202120202019
Beginning premium receivable$370 $416 $495 
Adjustment to initially apply ASU 2016-13— (3)— 
Premium receipts(35)(46)(48)
Adjustments for changes in expected and contractual cash flows (1)
(27)(6)(38)
Accretion of premium receivable discount8 9 11 
Deconsolidation of certain VIEs— — 3 
Changes to allowance for credit losses8 (4)(2)
Other adjustments (including foreign exchange)(4)5 (6)
Ending premium
receivable (2)
$320 $370 $416 
(1)Adjustments for changes in expected and contractual cash flows are primarily due to reductions in insured exposure as a result of early policy terminations and unscheduled principal paydowns.
(2)Premium receivable includes premiums to be received in foreign denominated currencies most notably in British Pounds and Euros. At December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 premium receivables include British Pounds of $108 (£80), $117 (£86) and $129 (£97), respectively, and Euros of $16 (€14), $19 (€16) and $26 (€23), respectively.