Note 1 - Description of Business and Recent Developments Capital and Liquidity (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	7 Months Ended				12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		18 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 segment	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Radian Guaranty [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Radian Guaranty [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes Due 2015	Jun. 01, 2005 Senior Notes Due 2015	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes Due 2015 Debt Due 2015 Exchange	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes Due 2017	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes Due 2017 Debt Due 2015 Exchange	Dec. 31, 2013 Convertible Senior Notes Due 2019	Dec. 31, 2013 Mortgage Insurance Segment	Dec. 31, 2012 Mortgage Insurance Segment	Dec. 31, 2011 Mortgage Insurance Segment	Dec. 31, 2013 Mortgage Insurance Segment State Insurance Regulations [Member] state	Dec. 31, 2013 Radian Guaranty [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Radian Guaranty [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company	Dec. 31, 2012 Parent Company	Dec. 31, 2011 Parent Company	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company Scenario, Forecast [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Radian Asset Assurance [Member]	Feb. 28, 2013 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Approved Capital Release by Regulatory Agency [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] CDO Termination Entity Approval Needed [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] CDO Termination [Member] contract counterparty	Sep. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Scenario, Forecast [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 Reinsurance [Member] Radian Asset Assurance [Member] 2012 FGIC Commutation [Member]	Feb. 28, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Radian Guaranty [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Debt Due 2015 Exchange Senior Notes Due 2017	Dec. 31, 2013 Less Than [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment	Dec. 31, 2013 Convertible Debt [Member] Convertible Senior Notes Due 2019	Mar. 31, 2013 Convertible Debt [Member] Convertible Senior Notes Due 2019 Debt Offering 2013 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Convertible Debt [Member] Convertible Senior Notes Due 2019 Debt Offering 2013 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Common Stock Stock Offering 2013 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Common Stock Stock Offering 2013 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 State Insurance Regulations [Member] Maximum [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment	Dec. 31, 2013 Non RBC States [Member] Maximum [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment	Dec. 31, 2013 Non RBC States [Member] Minimum [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment	Dec. 31, 2013 Primary Mortgage Product [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment	Aug. 31, 2013 Primary Mortgage Product [Member] First Lien Position [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment 2013 Freddie Mac Agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Primary Mortgage Product [Member] First Lien Position [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment 2013 Freddie Mac Agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Primary Mortgage Product [Member] First Lien Position [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment 2013 Freddie Mac Agreement [Member] loan	Jul. 12, 2013 Primary Mortgage Product [Member] First Lien Position [Member] Mortgage Insurance Segment 2013 Freddie Mac Agreement [Member]
Business Overview [Abstract]
Number of Operating Segments	2
Mortgage Insurance [Abstract]
Private Mortgage Insurance Protects Lenders For Loans Made With This Maximum Downpayment Percentage												20.00%
Percentage Of Primary Insurance On Domestic First-Lien Mortgages To Total Risk In Force												95.90%
First Lien Primary Mortgage Insurance Risk In Force												$ 41,700,000,000
Percentage Of Pool Insurance On Domestic First-Lien Mortgages To Total Risk In Force												3.80%
NonTraditional Risk In Force												97,000,000
Percentage Of Non-Traditional RIF To Total RIF																														1.00%
Business Conditions [Abstract]
Percentage of Legacy Portfolio Risk in Force to Total Risk in Force												40.00%
Percentage of Portfolio Risk in Force Originated Since 2009 to Total Risk in Force												60.00%
Percentage Decrease In New Defaults																																							20.00%
Maximum Loan To Value Percentage For G.S.E. Acquired Loans												80.00%
Minimum Percentage Of The Loans In Excess Of An 80% L.T.V. Which Must Be Retained By The Mortgage Originator Or Seller												10.00%
Capital Preservation and Liquidity Management Initiatives [Abstract]
Unrestricted Cash And Liquid Investments Including Activity After The Balance Sheet Date																					615,000,000
Cash Distributed From Parent to Consolidated Subsidiary																230,000,000												100,000,000
Risk to Capital Ratio, Entity's Intended Maximum																0.20
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount								195,500,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount							250,000,000			195,500,000																			195,500,000		400,000,000	400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						5.375%		5.375%	9.00%	9.00%	2.25%																					2.25%	2.25%
Long-term Debt, Gross																		1,100,000,000													400,000,000	400,000,000
Proceeds/payments related to issuance or exchange of debt, net																		377,783,000	0	0												389,800,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues																																		39,100,000.0
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share																																		$ 8.00
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	299,410,000	0	0															299,410,000	0	0															299,400,000
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Number of Loans																																										25,760
Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Financial Instrument, Maximum Exposure																																								840,000,000	840,000,000
Total Consideration for Defaulted Loans																																								625,000,000
Total paid losses and LAE												1,439,028,000	1,017,468,000	1,499,243,000																													370,000,000
Net Consideration for Defaulted Loans																																								255,000,000
Restricted Investments Held as Collateral for Master Transaction Agreement, Gross																																								215,000,000
Reduction In Net Par Outstanding																								105,000,000	3,900,000,000		822,200,000
Contingency Reserve Release																							61,100,000				6,700,000
Number Of Our Credit Derivative Counterparties That Exercised Their Termination Rights																									4
Number of Corporate CDOs Terminated																									10
Payment of Dividend by Subsidiary to Parent																						36,000,000				32,000,000
Insurance Regulatory Capital Requirements [Abstract]
Number Of States That Have A Statutory Or Regulatory Risk Based Capital Requirement															16
Risk To Capital Ratio, Regulatory Maximum																																				0.25
Capital Required for Capital Adequacy																																					5,000,000	1,000,000
Percentage of New Insurance Written Attributable To States With Statutory Or Regulatory Risk Based Capital Requirements				55.70%	54.30%
Risk-to-capital				0.195	0.208											19.5	20.8
Holding Company Liquidity [Abstract]
Unrestricted Cash And Liquid Investments Including Activity After The Balance Sheet Date																					$ 615,000,000