Note 14 - Statutory Information Statutory Information (Details) (USD $)		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	73 Months Ended	6 Months Ended							1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Guaranty [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Radian Guaranty [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Radian Asset Assurance [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] NEW YORK	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Pro Forma [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Minimum [Member] NEW YORK	Jun. 30, 2014 Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Maximum [Member] NEW YORK	Jun. 30, 2014 Financial Guarantee Insurance Product Line [Member] Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Other Insurance Product Line [Member] Radian Asset Assurance [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Dividend Payment Made [Member] Radian Asset Assurance [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Restricted Net Assets Held by Consolidated Subsidiaries	$ 1,800,000,000
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Net Income Amount		147,400,000	(23,800,000)	(7,100,000)	(24,900,000)
Statutory surplus		1,315,500,000	1,317,800,000	1,186,100,000	1,198,000,000	1,186,100,000		1,000,000,000
Statutory contingency reserve		196,000,000	23,000,000	279,700,000	264,000,000	279,700,000
Statutory Accounting Practices, Percent of Statutory Surplus to Policyholders Available for Dividend Payments without Regulatory Approval							10.00%
Statutory Accounting Practices, Percent of Statutory Adjusted Net Investment Income Available for Dividend Payments without Regulatory Approval							100.00%
Cash Dividends Paid to Parent Company by Consolidated Subsidiaries														150,000,000
Number of Years in Which Subsidiary Will Not Have Capacity to Pay Dividend to Parent				2 years
Claims Paying Resources				1,500,000,000		1,500,000,000		1,400,000,000
Percentage Reduction Of Net Par Outstanding						82.00%
Net Par Outstanding				20,200,000,000		20,200,000,000
Aggregate Risk Limit For Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts										0.33%	4.00%
Statutory Minimum Policyholders' Surplus Required For Financial Guaranty Insurers In The State Of New York									$ 66,400,000			$ 65,000,000	$ 1,400,000