Note 9 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenues For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (USD $) In Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized During Fourth Quarter Following Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	$ 411.5
Amortization of Unearned Premium	10.4
Accretion of premium receivable	0.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	10.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized During Current Year [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	411.5
Amortization of Unearned Premium	10.4
Accretion of premium receivable	0.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	10.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than One and Within Two Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	375.9
Amortization of Unearned Premium	35.6
Accretion of premium receivable	1.1
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	36.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Two and Within Three Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	341.1
Amortization of Unearned Premium	34.8
Accretion of premium receivable	1.0
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	35.8
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Three and Within Four Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	307.9
Amortization of Unearned Premium	33.2
Accretion of premium receivable	0.9
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	34.1
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Four and Within Five Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	278.2
Amortization of Unearned Premium	29.7
Accretion of premium receivable	0.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	30.5
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized Within Five Years [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	278.2
Amortization of Unearned Premium	143.7
Accretion of premium receivable	4.1
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	147.8
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Five and Within Ten Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	159.7
Amortization of Unearned Premium	118.5
Accretion of premium receivable	3.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	121.8
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Ten and Within Fifteen Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	79.3
Amortization of Unearned Premium	80.4
Accretion of premium receivable	2.1
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	82.5
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Fifteen and Within Twenty Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	33.1
Amortization of Unearned Premium	46.2
Accretion of premium receivable	1.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	47.5
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized After Twenty Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	33.1
Accretion of premium receivable	1.6
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	34.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Amortization of Unearned Premium	421.9
Accretion of premium receivable	12.4
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	$ 434.3