Note 12 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Adjustments To Premiums Earned For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (Financial Guaranty Segment, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Financial Guaranty Segment
Adjustments To Premiums Earned For Financial Guaranty Contracts [Line Items]
Refundings	$ 33,985	$ 27,187
Recaptures/commutations	(16,269)	2,829
Adjustments to installment premiums, gross of commissions	(2,277)	406
Unearned premium acceleration upon establishment of case reserves	1,109	3,155
Adjustment To Premiums Earned Foreign Exchange Revaluation Gross of Commission	46	1,129
Reinsurance agreements	(5,996)	0
Total Adjustment To Premiums Earned For Financial Guaranty Contracts	$ 10,598	$ 34,706

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Adjustment To Installment Premiums Gross of Commissions

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- Definition

Adjustment To Premiums Earned Foreign Exchange Revaluation Gross of Commission

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- Definition

Adjustment To Premiums Earned For Financial Guaranty Contracts Other

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- Definition

Premiums Earned Financial Guaranty Adjustment for Recaptures

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- Definition

Premiums Earned For Financial Guaranty Adjustment For Refundings

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- Definition

Total Adjustment To Premiums Earned For Financial Guaranty Contracts

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- Definition

This element represents the amount of premium revenue on financial guarantee insurance contracts recognized during the period that was accelerated for revenue recognition purposes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 605

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6933581&loc=SL5749298-161291

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 163

-Paragraph 30

-Subparagraph d

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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