Note 9 - Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes As required under the accounting standard regarding accounting for income taxes, our deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) and deferred tax liabilities (“DTLs”) are recognized under the balance sheet method, which recognizes the future tax effect of temporary differences between the amounts recorded in our financial statements and the tax bases of these amounts. DTAs and DTLs are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the periods in which the DTA or DTL is expected to be realized or settled. Our provision for income taxes for interim financial periods is based on an estimate of our annual effective tax rate for the full year. When estimating our full year 2017 and 2016 annual effective tax rates, we accounted for discrete items at the federal applicable tax rate, including: (i) the tax effects of gains and losses on our investments; (ii) excess tax benefits or deficiencies realized in 2017 from employee share-based payments; (iii) return-to-provision adjustments; (iv) prior year items relating to the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes; (v) the impairments of goodwill and other intangible assets in 2017; and (vi) certain other adjustments. For federal income tax purposes, as of June 30, 2017, we had approximately $395.1 million of NOL carryforwards. To the extent not utilized, the NOL carryforwards will expire during tax years 2031 and 2032. We also have research and development tax credit carryforwards of $5.6 million that, if not utilized, will expire during tax years 2031 through 2036. Additionally, we had $30.1 million of alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards as of June 30, 2017, which have no expiration date. We are required to establish a valuation allowance against our DTAs when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of our DTAs will not be realized. At each balance sheet date, we assess our need for a valuation allowance. Our assessment is based on all available evidence, both positive and negative. This requires management to exercise judgment and make assumptions regarding whether our DTAs will be realized in future periods. In making this assessment as of June 30, 2017, we determined that certain of our non-insurance subsidiaries within Radian may continue to generate taxable losses on a separate company basis in the near term and may not be able to fully utilize certain of their state and local NOLs on their state and local tax returns. As of June 30, 2017, our valuation allowance is $48.8 million with respect to the DTAs relating to these separate company NOLs and other state timing adjustments. We are contesting adjustments resulting from the examination by the IRS of our 2000 through 2007 consolidated federal income tax returns. The IRS opposes the recognition of certain tax losses and deductions that were generated through our investment in a portfolio of non-economic REMIC residual interests and has proposed denying the associated tax benefits of these items. We appealed these proposed adjustments to Appeals and made “qualified deposits” with the U.S. Treasury of $85 million in June 2008 relating to the 2000 through 2004 tax years and $4 million in May 2010 relating to the 2005 through 2007 tax years, in order to avoid the accrual of incremental above-market-rate interest with respect to the proposed adjustments. We attempted to reach a compromised settlement with Appeals, but in September 2014 we received Notices of Deficiency covering the 2000 through 2007 tax years that assert unpaid taxes and penalties of $157 million. The Deficiency Amount has not been reduced to reflect our NOL carryback ability. As of June 30, 2017, there also would be interest of approximately $143 million related to these matters. Depending on the outcome, additional state income taxes, penalties and interest (estimated in the aggregate to be approximately $36 million as of June 30, 2017) also may become due when a final resolution is reached. The Notices of Deficiency also reflected additional amounts due of $105 million, which are primarily associated with the disallowance of the previously filed carryback of our 2008 NOL to the 2006 and 2007 tax years. We currently believe that the disallowance of our 2008 NOL carryback is a precautionary position by the IRS and that we will ultimately maintain the benefit of this NOL carryback claim. On December 3, 2014, we petitioned the U.S. Tax Court to litigate the Deficiency Amount. On September 1, 2015, we received a notice that the case had been scheduled for trial. However, the parties have jointly filed, and the U.S. Tax Court has approved, motions for continuance in this matter to postpone the trial date. Also, in February 2016, the U.S. Tax Court approved a joint motion to consolidate for trial, briefing and opinion our case with a similar case involving MGIC Investment Corporation. During 2016, we held several meetings with the IRS in an attempt to reach a compromised settlement on the issues presented in our dispute. In January 2017, the parties informed the U.S. Tax Court that they believe they have reached a basis for a compromised settlement on the primary issues present in the case. The resolution must be reported to the JCT for review and cannot be finalized until the IRS considers the views, if any, expressed by the JCT about the matter. If we are unable to complete a compromised settlement, then the ongoing litigation could take several years to resolve and may result in substantial legal expenses. We can provide no assurance regarding the outcome of any such litigation or whether a compromised settlement with the IRS will ultimately be reached. We currently believe that an adequate provision for income taxes has been made for the potential liabilities that may result from this matter. However, if the ultimate resolution of this matter produces a result that differs materially from our current expectations, there could be a material impact on our effective tax rate, results of operations and cash flows.

Income Taxes

As required under the accounting standard regarding accounting for income taxes, our deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) and deferred tax liabilities (“DTLs”) are recognized under the balance sheet method, which recognizes the future tax effect of temporary differences between the amounts recorded in our financial statements and the tax bases of these amounts. DTAs and DTLs are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the periods in which the DTA or DTL is expected to be realized or settled.

Our provision for income taxes for interim financial periods is based on an estimate of our annual effective tax rate for the full year. When estimating our full year 2017 and 2016 annual effective tax rates, we accounted for discrete items at the federal applicable tax rate, including: (i) the tax effects of gains and losses on our investments; (ii) excess tax benefits or deficiencies realized in 2017 from employee share-based payments; (iii) return-to-provision adjustments; (iv) prior year items relating to the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes; (v) the impairments of goodwill and other intangible assets in 2017; and (vi) certain other adjustments.

For federal income tax purposes, as of June 30, 2017, we had approximately $395.1 million of NOL carryforwards. To the extent not utilized, the NOL carryforwards will expire during tax years 2031 and 2032. We also have research and development tax credit carryforwards of $5.6 million that, if not utilized, will expire during tax years 2031 through 2036. Additionally, we had $30.1 million of alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards as of June 30, 2017, which have no expiration date.

We are required to establish a valuation allowance against our DTAs when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of our DTAs will not be realized. At each balance sheet date, we assess our need for a valuation allowance. Our assessment is based on all available evidence, both positive and negative. This requires management to exercise judgment and make assumptions regarding whether our DTAs will be realized in future periods. In making this assessment as of June 30, 2017, we determined that certain of our non-insurance subsidiaries within Radian may continue to generate taxable losses on a separate company basis in the near term and may not be able to fully utilize certain of their state and local NOLs on their state and local tax returns. As of June 30, 2017, our valuation allowance is $48.8 million with respect to the DTAs relating to these separate company NOLs and other state timing adjustments.

We are contesting adjustments resulting from the examination by the IRS of our 2000 through 2007 consolidated federal income tax returns. The IRS opposes the recognition of certain tax losses and deductions that were generated through our investment in a portfolio of non-economic REMIC residual interests and has proposed denying the associated tax benefits of these items. We appealed these proposed adjustments to Appeals and made “qualified deposits” with the U.S. Treasury of $85 million in June 2008 relating to the 2000 through 2004 tax years and $4 million in May 2010 relating to the 2005 through 2007 tax years, in order to avoid the accrual of incremental above-market-rate interest with respect to the proposed adjustments.

We attempted to reach a compromised settlement with Appeals, but in September 2014 we received Notices of Deficiency covering the 2000 through 2007 tax years that assert unpaid taxes and penalties of $157 million. The Deficiency Amount has not been reduced to reflect our NOL carryback ability. As of June 30, 2017, there also would be interest of approximately $143 million related to these matters. Depending on the outcome, additional state income taxes, penalties and interest (estimated in the aggregate to be approximately $36 million as of June 30, 2017) also may become due when a final resolution is reached. The Notices of Deficiency also reflected additional amounts due of $105 million, which are primarily associated with the disallowance of the previously filed carryback of our 2008 NOL to the 2006 and 2007 tax years. We currently believe that the disallowance of our 2008 NOL carryback is a precautionary position by the IRS and that we will ultimately maintain the benefit of this NOL carryback claim.

On December 3, 2014, we petitioned the U.S. Tax Court to litigate the Deficiency Amount. On September 1, 2015, we received a notice that the case had been scheduled for trial. However, the parties have jointly filed, and the U.S. Tax Court has approved, motions for continuance in this matter to postpone the trial date. Also, in February 2016, the U.S. Tax Court approved a joint motion to consolidate for trial, briefing and opinion our case with a similar case involving MGIC Investment Corporation. During 2016, we held several meetings with the IRS in an attempt to reach a compromised settlement on the issues presented in our dispute. In January 2017, the parties informed the U.S. Tax Court that they believe they have reached a basis for a compromised settlement on the primary issues present in the case. The resolution must be reported to the JCT for review and cannot be finalized until the IRS considers the views, if any, expressed by the JCT about the matter. If we are unable to complete a compromised settlement, then the ongoing litigation could take several years to resolve and may result in substantial legal expenses. We can provide no assurance regarding the outcome of any such litigation or whether a compromised settlement with the IRS will ultimately be reached. We currently believe that an adequate provision for income taxes has been made for the potential liabilities that may result from this matter. However, if the ultimate resolution of this matter produces a result that differs materially from our current expectations, there could be a material impact on our effective tax rate, results of operations and cash flows.