Note 15 - Commitments and Contingencies Legal Proceedings (Details) (USD $)			1 Months Ended						6 Months Ended		84 Months Ended
	Aug. 13, 2010 Loss Contingency 8_13_2010 Claim [Member] policy loan	Aug. 01, 2011 Loss Contingency 8_1_2011 Claim [Member] loan	Apr. 30, 2013 Real Estate Settlement Practices Act of 1974 [Member]	Oct. 09, 2012 Real Estate Settlement Practices Act of 1974 [Member] borrower	Sep. 28, 2012 Real Estate Settlement Practices Act of 1974 [Member] borrower	May 18, 2012 Real Estate Settlement Practices Act of 1974 [Member] plaintiff	Jan. 13, 2012 Real Estate Settlement Practices Act of 1974 [Member] plaintiff	Dec. 30, 2011 Real Estate Settlement Practices Act of 1974 [Member] plaintiff	Jun. 30, 2013 Total Primary Insurance Mortgage Insurance Products [Member] Maximum [Member] Loss Contingency Related to Primary Insurance [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Pool Insurance Mortgage Insurance Product [Member] Maximum [Member] Loss Contingency Related to Primary Insurance [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Captive Reinsurance Arrangements [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member]
Settled Law Suits [Abstract]
Litigation Settlement, Gross			$ 3,750,000
Loss Contingency, Settlement Agreement, Number of Years Restricted From Activities			10 years
Net Cash Received (Paid) For Commutations, Terminations And Recaptures											750,000,000
Number of Days Company Has to Respond to IRS Office of Appeals Deficiency Notice												90 days
Pending Law Suits [Abstract]
Number Of RMBS Bulk Primary Mortgage Insurance Policies Involved In Pending or Threatened Litigation	27
Number Of Loans Included In The RMBS Bulk Primary Mortgage Insurance Policies Involved In Litigation	680
Risk In Force	20,000,000	13,000,000
Number Of Home Mortgage Loans Involved In Pending Litigation		220
Loss Contingency, Number of Additional Borrowers with Loss Contingency				1	3
Loss Contingency, Number of Plaintiffs Whose Loans Were Insured						1	1	1
Loss Reserve Information [Abstract]
Loss Contingency, Legal Actions Commencement, Period									2 years	3 years
Proposed Increase To Tax Liability Resulting From I.R.S. Examination Of Tax Years 2000 Through 2007												128,000,000
Income Tax Examination, Proposed Penalties												$ 42,000,000