Note 16 - Statutory Information Statutory Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Reportable Subsegments [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Restricted Net Assets Held by Consolidated Subsidiaries	$ 3,600.0
Radian Guaranty
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	1,207.2	$ 1,201.0
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Increase (Decrease)	$ 112.8

The change in the statutory capital and surplus of an entity during the period.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of restricted net assets of consolidated and unconsolidated subsidiaries as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e)(3)(ii))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The amount of statutory capital and surplus (stockholders' equity) as of the balance sheet date using prescribed or permitted statutory accounting practices (rather than GAAP, if different) of the state or country.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(23)(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486098&loc=d3e24708-158529

+ Details

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Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Details

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