Note 5 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments Rollforward of Level III Assets and Liabilities Fair Value Disclosure (Details) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring, USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, Transfers Between Level 1 And Level 2, Amount	$ 0		$ 0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Total Level III Assets	4.10%		4.90%
Total Level III Liabilities	100.00%		100.00%
Derivative liabilities net [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Liabilities	110,600,000		709,100,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings Level III Liabilities	143,700,000	[1]	629,000,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Liabilities	0		0
Sales Level III Liabilities	0		0
Issuances Level III Liabilities	0		0
Settlements Level III Liabilities	600,000		(30,500,000)
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Liabilities	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Liabilities	254,900,000		110,600,000
Unrealized Gains (Losses) Recorded in Earnings on Level III Liabilities Still Held	(189,700,000)		579,100,000
VIE debt | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Liabilities	228,200,000		520,100,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings Level III Liabilities	115,300,000	[1]	138,500,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Liabilities	0		0
Sales Level III Liabilities	0		0
Issuances Level III Liabilities	0		0
Settlements Level III Liabilities	(234,600,000)		153,400,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Liabilities	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Liabilities	108,900,000		228,200,000
Unrealized Gains (Losses) Recorded in Earnings on Level III Liabilities Still Held	(16,000,000)		158,500,000
Total Level III liabilities net [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Liabilities	338,800,000		1,229,200,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings Level III Liabilities	259,000,000	[1]	767,500,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Liabilities	0		0
Sales Level III Liabilities	0		0
Issuances Level III Liabilities	0		0
Settlements Level III Liabilities	(234,000,000)		122,900,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Liabilities	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Liabilities	363,800,000		338,800,000
State and municipal obligations | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	62,500,000		23,200,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	(3,400,000)	[1]	1,200,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	0		39,100,000
Sales Level III Assets	0		600,000
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	12,300,000		400,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	(27,800,000)	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	19,000,000		62,500,000
RMBS | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	45,500,000		52,500,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	6,100,000	[1]	(3,100,000)	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	0		0
Sales Level III Assets	0		0
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	51,600,000		3,900,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	0		45,500,000
CMBS | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	35,400,000		23,000,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	(11,400,000)	[1]	12,400,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	0		0
Sales Level III Assets	0		0
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	24,000,000		0
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	0		35,400,000
CDO | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	5,500,000		2,400,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	800,000	[1]	2,700,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	0		0
Sales Level III Assets	0		0
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	6,300,000		(400,000)
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	0		5,500,000
Other ABS | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	2,900,000		3,300,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	800,000	[1]	(400,000)	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	5,200,000		0
Sales Level III Assets	0		0
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	4,600,000		0
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	(2,600,000)	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	1,700,000		2,900,000
Hybrid securities | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	4,800,000		0
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	100,000	[1]	(100,000)	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	100,000		700,000
Sales Level III Assets	4,900,000		0
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	0		0
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	(100,000)	[3]	4,200,000	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	0		4,800,000
Equity securities | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	800,000		2,900,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	100,000	[1]	(1,200,000)	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	0		3,700,000
Sales Level III Assets	600,000		1,000,000
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	0		0
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	700,000	[3]	(3,600,000)	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	1,000,000		800,000
Other investments | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	6,800,000		4,600,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	2,500,000	[1]	3,200,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	76,300,000		0
Sales Level III Assets	600,000		700,000
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	6,000,000		300,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	79,000,000		6,800,000
Investments | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	164,200,000		111,900,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	(4,400,000)	[1]	14,700,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	81,600,000		43,500,000
Sales Level III Assets	6,100,000		2,300,000
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	104,800,000		4,200,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	(29,800,000)	[3]	600,000	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	100,700,000		164,200,000
Unrealized Gains (Losses) Recorded in Earnings on Level III Assets Still Held	1,400,000		12,000,000
NIMS derivative assets | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	1,600,000		11,700,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	(300,000)	[1]	(2,200,000)	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	300,000		300,000
Sales Level III Assets	0		0
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	0		7,700,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	0	[3]	(500,000)	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	1,600,000		1,600,000
Other Assets Excluding NIMS Derivative Assets [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	104,000,000		109,700,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	20,300,000	[1]	21,500,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	0		0
Sales Level III Assets	0		0
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	25,100,000		27,200,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	0	[3]	0	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	99,200,000		104,000,000
Total Level III Assets | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance Level III Assets	269,800,000		233,300,000
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Level III Assets Included in Earnings	15,600,000	[1]	34,000,000	[2]
Purchases Level III Assets	81,900,000		43,800,000
Sales Level III Assets	6,100,000		2,300,000
Issuances Level III Assets	0		0
Settlements Level III Assets	129,900,000		39,100,000
Transfers Into (Out of) Level III Assets	(29,800,000)	[3]	100,000	[3]
Ending Balance Level III Assets	201,500,000		269,800,000
Other Assets Excluding Derivative Assets [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value Level III Assets and Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Unrealized Gains (Losses) Recorded in Earnings on Level III Assets Still Held	$ 9,500,000		$ 9,400,000

[1] Includes unrealized gains and losses relating to assets and liabilities still held as of December 31, 2012 as follows: $1.4 million for investments, $9.5 million for other assets, $(189.7) million for derivative liabilities and $(16.0) million for VIE debt.

[2] Includes unrealized gains relating to assets and liabilities still held as of December 31, 2011 as follows: $12.0 million for investments, $9.4 million for other assets, $579.1 million for derivative liabilities and $158.5 million for VIE debt.

[3] Transfers are recognized at the end of the period as the availability of market observed inputs change from period to period.