Note 4 - Segment Reporting Schedule of Segment Reporting Information by Segment (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	[2]	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	[2]	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	[2]	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	[2]	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	[2]	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	[2]	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment		Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments	[1]																	$ 30,751		$ 35,693		$ 80,102
Number of Reportable Segments | segment																		2
Net premiums earned—insurance		$ 233,585	[2]	$ 238,149		$ 229,085		$ 220,950		$ 226,443	[2]	$ 227,433		$ 237,437		$ 224,595		$ 921,769		915,908	[2]	844,528
Services revenue		49,905	[2]	45,877		40,263		32,849		38,338	[2],[3]	43,185	[3]	44,558	[3]	31,135	[3]	168,894		157,216	[2],[3]	77,951
Net investment income		28,996	[2]	28,430		28,839		27,201		22,833	[2]	22,091		19,285		17,328		113,466		81,537	[2]	65,655
Other Income																		3,572		2,899		4,562
Provision for losses		54,287	[2]	55,785		49,725		42,991		56,805	[2]	64,192		32,560		45,028		202,788		198,585	[2]	246,083
Policy acquisition costs		5,579	[2]	6,119		5,393		6,389		4,831	[2]	2,880		6,963		7,750		23,480		22,424	[2]	24,446
Cost of services		33,812	[2]	29,447		27,365		23,550		23,187	[2]	26,018		25,326		19,184		114,174		93,715	[2]	44,679
Other operating expenses		62,416	[2]	62,119		63,173		57,188		58,624	[2]	64,013		65,925		53,843		244,896		242,405	[2]	251,209
Total Operating Expenses Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		56,446		53,738		59,434
Total Interest Expense Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		52,092		35,300		33,098
Total assets		5,863,174								5,642,100								5,863,174		5,642,100
Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments		(38,773)	[2]	$ 7,711		$ 30,527		$ 31,286		(13,402)	[2]	$ 3,868		$ 28,448		$ 16,779		30,751		35,693	[2]	79,989
Mortgage Insurance Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net premiums written—insurance																		733,834	[4],[5]	968,505	[6],[7]	925,181	[8],[9]
(Increase) decrease in unearned premiums																		187,935	[5]	(52,597)	[7]	(80,653)	[9]
Net premiums earned—insurance																		921,769	[5]	915,908	[7]	844,528	[9]
Services revenue	[5]																	0
Net investment income																		113,466	[5]	81,537	[7]	65,655	[9]
Other Income																		3,572	[5]	2,899	[7]	4,063	[9]
Revenue Non GAAP Basis																		1,038,807	[5],[10],[11]	1,000,344	[7],[12],[13]	914,246	[9],[14],[15]
Provision for losses																		204,175	[5]	198,433	[7]	246,865	[9]
Change In Present Value of Estimated Credit Loss Payments	[9]																					113
Policy acquisition costs																		23,480	[5]	22,424	[7]	24,446	[9]
Cost of services																		0	[5]	0	[7]	0
Other operating expenses																		140,624	[5]	148,619	[7]	158,228	[9]
Total Expenses Non-GAAP																		368,279	[5],[11]	369,476	[7],[13]	429,652	[9],[15]
Operating Income (Loss) Pretax Non GAAP Before Corporate Allocations																		670,528	[5]	630,868	[7]	484,594	[9]
Total Operating Expenses Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		45,178	[5]	46,418	[7]	55,154	[9]
Total Interest Expense Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		63,439	[5]	73,402	[7]	81,600	[9]
Operating Income (Loss) Pre-Tax Non-GAAP	[16]																	561,911	[5]	511,048	[7]	347,840	[9]
Assets held for sale	[9],[17]																					0
Total assets		5,506,338	[5]							5,290,422	[7]							5,506,338	[5]	5,290,422	[7]	4,779,917	[9]
New Insurance Written																		50,530,000	[5]	41,411,000	[7]	37,349,000	[9]
Revenue from Related Parties																		0		0		0
Costs and Expenses, Related Party																		8,355		5,924		1,723
Mortgage and Real Estate Services Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net premiums written—insurance	[4],[5]																	0
(Increase) decrease in unearned premiums	[5]																	0
Net premiums earned—insurance	[5]																	0
Services revenue																		177,249	[5]	163,140	[7]	78,908	[9],[18]
Net investment income																		0	[5]	0	[7]	0	[9],[18]
Other Income																		0	[5]	0	[7]	1,265	[9],[18]
Revenue Non GAAP Basis																		177,249	[5],[10],[11]	163,140	[7],[12],[13]	80,173	[9],[14],[15],[18]
Provision for losses	[5]																	0
Policy acquisition costs	[5]																	0
Cost of services																		115,369	[5]	97,256	[7]	44,679	[9],[18]
Other operating expenses																		55,815	[5]	43,515	[7]	30,944	[9],[18]
Total Expenses Non-GAAP																		171,184	[5],[11]	140,771	[7],[13]	75,623	[9],[15],[18]
Operating Income (Loss) Pretax Non GAAP Before Corporate Allocations																		6,065	[5]	22,369	[7]	4,550	[9],[18]
Total Operating Expenses Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		8,533	[5]	4,823	[7]	1,144	[9],[18]
Total Interest Expense Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		17,693	[5]	17,700	[7]	8,864	[9],[18]
Operating Income (Loss) Pre-Tax Non-GAAP	[16]																	(20,161)	[5]	(154)	[7]	(5,458)	[9],[18]
Assets held for sale	[9],[17],[18]																					0
Total assets		356,836	[5]							351,678	[7]							356,836	[5]	351,678	[7]	325,975	[9],[18]
Revenue from Related Parties																		8,355		5,924		1,723
Costs and Expenses, Related Party																		0		0		0
Mortgage Insurance and Mortgage and Real Estate Services Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net premiums written—insurance																		733,834	[4],[5]	968,505	[6],[7]	925,181	[8],[9]
(Increase) decrease in unearned premiums																		187,935	[5]	(52,597)	[7]	(80,653)	[9]
Net premiums earned—insurance																		921,769	[5]	915,908	[7]	844,528	[9]
Services revenue																		177,249	[5]	163,140	[7]	78,908	[9]
Net investment income																		113,466	[5]	81,537	[7]	65,655	[9]
Other Income																		3,572	[5]	2,899	[7]	5,328	[9]
Revenue Non GAAP Basis																		1,216,056	[5],[10],[11]	1,163,484	[7],[12],[13]	994,419	[9],[14],[15]
Provision for losses																		204,175	[5]	198,433	[7]	246,865	[9]
Change In Present Value of Estimated Credit Loss Payments	[9]																					113
Policy acquisition costs																		23,480	[5]	22,424	[7]	24,446	[9]
Cost of services																		115,369	[5]	97,256	[7]	44,679	[9]
Other operating expenses																		196,439	[5]	192,134	[7]	189,172	[9]
Total Expenses Non-GAAP																		539,463	[5],[11]	510,247	[7],[13]	505,275	[9],[15]
Operating Income (Loss) Pretax Non GAAP Before Corporate Allocations																		676,593	[5]	653,237	[7]	489,144	[9]
Total Operating Expenses Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		53,711	[5]	51,241	[7]	56,298	[9]
Total Interest Expense Allocated to Subsidiaries From Parent Company																		81,132	[5]	91,102	[7]	90,464	[9]
Operating Income (Loss) Pre-Tax Non-GAAP																		541,750	[5]	510,894	[7]	342,382	[9]
Assets held for sale	[9],[17]																					1,736,444
Total assets		$ 5,863,174	[5]							$ 5,642,100	[7]							$ 5,863,174	[5]	$ 5,642,100	[7]	$ 6,842,336	[9]

[1] 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 for the year ended December 31, 2014 to reverse this item.

[2] For all periods presented, reflects changes to align our segment reporting structure with recent changes in personnel reporting lines and management oversight related to contract underwriting performed on behalf of third parties. Revenue and expenses for this business are now reflected in the Services segment. As a result, for all periods presented, Services revenue and cost of services have increased, with offsetting reductions in other operating expenses.

[3] Services revenue for the first quarter of 2015 includes $0.1 million that had previously been included in other income.

[4] Net of ceded premiums written under the QSR Transactions and the Single Premium QSR Transaction. See Note 8 for additional information.

[5] Reflects changes to align our segment reporting structure with recent changes in personnel reporting lines and management oversight related to contract underwriting performed on behalf of third parties. Revenue and expenses for this business are now reflected in the Services segment. As a result, for all periods presented, Services revenue, cost of services and other operating expenses have increased, with offsetting reductions in Mortgage Insurance other income and other operating expenses.

[6] Net of ceded premiums written under the QSR Transactions. See Note 8 for additional information.

[7] Reflects changes to align our segment reporting structure with recent changes in personnel reporting lines and management oversight related to contract underwriting performed on behalf of third parties. Revenue and expenses for this business are now reflected in the Services segment. As a result, for all periods presented, Services revenue, cost of services and other operating expenses have increased, with offsetting reductions in Mortgage Insurance other income and other operating expenses.

[8] Net of ceded premiums written under the QSR Transactions. See Note 8 for additional information.

[9] Reflects changes to align our segment reporting structure with recent changes in personnel reporting lines and management oversight related to contract underwriting performed on behalf of third parties. Revenue and expenses for this business are now reflected in the Services segment. As a result, for all periods presented, Services revenue, cost of services and other operating expenses have increased, with offsetting reductions in Mortgage Insurance other income and other operating expenses.

[10] Excludes net gains on investments and other financial instruments of $30.8 million, not included in adjusted pretax operating income.

[11] Includes inter-segment revenues and expenses as follows: December 31, 2016(In thousands)Mortgage Insurance ServicesInter-segment revenues included in Services segment$— $8,355Inter-segment expenses included in Mortgage Insurance segment8,355 —

[12] Excludes net gains on investments and other financial instruments of $35.7 million, not included in adjusted pretax operating income.

[13] Includes inter-segment revenues and expenses as follows: December 31, 2015(In thousands)Mortgage Insurance ServicesInter-segment revenues included in Services segment$— $5,924Inter-segment expenses included in Mortgage Insurance segment5,924 —

[14] Excludes net gains on investments and other financial instruments of $80.1 million, not included in adjusted pretax operating income.

[15] Includes inter-segment revenues and expenses as follows: December 31, 2014(In thousands)Mortgage Insurance ServicesInter-segment revenues included in Services segment$— $1,723Inter-segment expenses included in Mortgage Insurance segment1,723 —

[16] Includes inter-segment expenses and revenues as listed in the notes to the preceding tables.

[17] Assets held for sale are not part of the Mortgage Insurance or Services segments.

[18] Includes the acquisition of Clayton, effective June 30, 2014.