Note 21 - Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Jun. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Net premiums earned—insurance	$ 226,443		$ 227,433		$ 237,437		$ 224,595		$ 224,293		$ 217,827		$ 203,646		$ 198,762				$ 915,908		$ 844,528		$ 781,420
Services revenue	37,493		42,189		43,503		30,630	[1]	34,450		42,243		0						153,815		76,693		0
Net investment income	22,833		22,091		19,285		17,328		16,531		17,143		16,663		15,318				81,537		65,655		68,121
Net gains (losses) on other financial instruments																			612		(3,880)		(7,580)
Provision for losses	56,805		64,192		32,560		45,028		82,867		48,942		64,648		49,626				198,585		246,083		562,747
Policy acquisition costs	4,831		2,880		6,963		7,750		6,443		4,240		6,746		7,017				22,424		24,446		28,485
Policy Acquisition Amortization Expense And Other Operating Expenses	59,570		65,082		67,731		53,774		85,800		51,225		60,751		54,507				246,157		252,283
Loss on induced conversion and debt extinguishment	2,320		11		91,876		0												94,207		0		0
Direct cost of services	22,241		24,949		23,520		19,253		19,709		23,896		0		0				89,963		43,605		0
Increase (Decrease) in Goodwill and Intangible Assets	3,409		3,273		3,281		3,023		5,354		3,294		0		0				12,986		8,648		0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent	74,528		70,091		45,193		91,727		878,026	[2]	132,031	[2]	103,537	[2]	145,980	[2]			281,539		1,259,574	[2]	(141,851)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	[3]	0	[3]	4,855	[3]	530	[3]	(449,691)	[3],[4]	21,559	[3],[4]	71,296	[3],[4]	56,779	[3],[4]			5,385	[3]	(300,057)	[3],[4]	(55,134)
Net income (loss)	$ 74,528		$ 70,091		$ 50,048		$ 92,257		$ 428,335		$ 153,590		$ 174,833		$ 202,759				$ 286,924		$ 959,517		$ (196,985)
Net (loss) income per share—diluted	$ 0.32	[5],[6]	$ 0.29	[5],[6]	$ 0.22	[5],[6]	$ 0.39	[5],[6]	$ 1.78	[5],[6]	$ 0.67	[5],[6]	$ 0.78	[5],[6]	$ 0.94	[5],[6]			$ 1.22	[5],[6]	$ 4.16	[5],[6]	$ (1.18)
Weighted-average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding—diluted	247,981	[5]	250,795	[5]	246,650	[5]	243,048	[5]	242,801	[5]	238,067	[5]	230,779	[5]	222,668	[5]			246,332	[5]	233,902	[5]	166,366
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations							$ 666												$ 15,514		$ (153,245)		$ (619,040)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations							(1,759)												(1,759)		17,071		(45,897)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations							(4,999)												4,999		156,839		107,790
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease) Including Discontinued Operations							29,979												(16,012)		(8,142)		7,697
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Discontinued Operations							3,240												(421)		557		(1,169)
Proceeds from sales of fixed-maturity investments available for sale																	$ 3,621	$ 16,208	20,100		19,672		17,185
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities																	(671,952)	1,006,985	1,486,318		519,166		21,432
Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments	$ (13,402)	[7]	$ 3,868	[7]	$ 28,448	[7]	16,779	[7]	$ 17,983	[7]	$ (6,294)	[7]	$ 25,332	[7]	$ 42,968	[7]			35,693	[7],[8]	79,989	[7],[8]	(106,525)
Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations							80
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations							(12,168)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations							(9,514)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease) Including Discontinued Operations							23,499
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Discontinued Operations							(3,240)
Proceeds from sales of fixed-maturity investments available for sale																	57,309	96,684
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities																	$ (725,640)	$ 1,087,461
Parent Company
Net investment income																			17,917		9,515		4,300
Loss on induced conversion and debt extinguishment																			94,207		0		0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent																			286,720		977,544		(196,985)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax																			204		(18,027)		0
Net income (loss)																			286,924		959,517		(196,985)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations																			(128,879)		(27,153)		105,681
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations																			0		(18,027)		0
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities																			$ 39,667		$ 0		$ 0
Adjustments for Error Correction [Domain]
Services revenue							$ 101

[1] Services revenue for the first quarter includes $101 thousand that had previously been included in other income.

[2] This amount reflects a reversal of substantially all of our tax valuation allowance in the fourth quarter of 2014.

[3] Radian completed the sale of Radian Asset Assurance to Assured on April 1, 2015, pursuant to the Radian Asset Assurance Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of December 22, 2014. Until the April 1, 2015 sale date, the operating results of Radian Asset Assurance were classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented in our consolidated statements of operations. See Note 3 for additional information.

[4] Reflects a $468 million loss on reclassification of Radian Asset Assurance as assets held for sale in the fourth quarter of 2014.

[5] Diluted net income per share and average shares outstanding per the accounting standard regarding earnings per share.

[6] Diluted net income per share is computed independently for each period presented. Consequently, the sum of the quarters may not equal the total net income per share for the year. For all calculations, the determination of whether potential common shares are dilutive or anti-dilutive is based on net income from continuing operations.

[7] The 2015 and 2014 amounts reflect primarily unrealized (losses) gains, respectively, on our trading securities.

[8] The change in expected economic loss or recovery associated with our previously owned VIEs is included in adjusted pretax operating income above, although it represents amounts that are not included in net income. Therefore, for purposes of this reconciliation, net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments has been adjusted by income of $0.1 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, to reverse this item.