Note 1 - Description of Business and Recent Developments Level 1 (Notes)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	Description of Business and Recent Developments We are a diversified mortgage and real estate services business, providing both credit-related insurance coverage and other credit risk management solutions, as well as a broad array of mortgage, real estate and title services. We have two reportable business segments—Mortgage Insurance and Services. Mortgage Insurance Our Mortgage Insurance segment provides credit-related insurance coverage, principally through private mortgage insurance on residential first-lien mortgage loans, as well as other credit risk management solutions, to mortgage lending institutions and mortgage credit investors. We provide our mortgage insurance products and services mainly through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Radian Guaranty. Private mortgage insurance plays an important role in the U.S. housing finance system because it promotes affordable home ownership and helps protect mortgage lenders, investors and other beneficiaries by mitigating default-related losses on residential mortgage loans. Generally, these loans are made to home buyers who make down payments of less than 20% of the purchase price for their home or, in the case of refinancings, have less than 20% equity in their home. Private mortgage insurance also facilitates the sale of these low down payment loans in the secondary mortgage market, most of which are currently sold to the GSEs. Our total direct primary mortgage insurance RIF was $56.7 billion as of December 31, 2018. The GSEs and state insurance regulators impose various capital and financial requirements on our insurance subsidiaries. These include Risk-to-capital, other risk-based capital measures and surplus requirements, as well as the PMIERs financial requirements discussed below. Failure to comply with these capital and financial requirements may limit the amount of insurance that our mortgage insurance subsidiaries may write or prohibit our mortgage insurance subsidiaries from writing insurance altogether. The GSEs and state insurance regulators also possess significant discretion with respect to our mortgage insurance subsidiaries and all aspects of their business. See Note 19 for additional regulatory information. PMIERs. In order to be eligible to insure loans purchased by the GSEs, mortgage insurers such as Radian Guaranty must meet the GSEs’ eligibility requirements, or PMIERs. At December 31, 2018, Radian Guaranty is an approved mortgage insurer under the PMIERs and is in compliance with the PMIERs financial requirements. The PMIERs financial requirements require that a mortgage insurer’s Available Assets meet or exceed its Minimum Required Assets. The GSEs may amend the PMIERs at any time, and they have broad discretion to interpret the requirements, which could impact the calculation of Radian Guaranty’s Available Assets and/or Minimum Required Assets. The PMIERs are comprehensive, covering virtually all aspects of the business and operations of a private mortgage insurer, including internal risk management and quality controls, the relationship between the GSEs and the approved insurer, as well as the approved insurer’s financial condition. In addition, the GSEs have a broad range of consent rights under the PMIERs and require private mortgage insurers to obtain the prior consent of the GSEs before taking certain actions, which may include entering into various intercompany agreements and commuting or reinsuring risk, among others. If Radian Guaranty is unable to satisfy the requirements set forth in the PMIERs, the GSEs could restrict it from conducting certain types of business with them or take actions that may include not purchasing loans insured by Radian Guaranty. From time to time, we enter into reinsurance transactions as a component of our long-term risk distribution strategy to manage our capital position and risk profile, which includes managing Radian Guaranty’s capital position under the PMIERs financial requirements. The credit that we receive under the PMIERs financial requirements for these transactions is subject to initial and ongoing review by the GSEs. Services Our Services segment is primarily a fee-for-service business that offers a broad array of services to market participants across the mortgage and real estate value chain. These services comprise mortgage services, real estate services and title services, including technology and turn-key solutions, that provide information and other resources used to originate, evaluate, acquire, securitize, service and monitor residential real estate and loans secured by residential real estate. These services are primarily provided to mortgage lenders, financial institutions, investors and government entities. In addition, we provide title insurance to mortgage lenders as well as directly to borrowers. Our mortgage services help loan originators and investors evaluate, acquire, surveil and securitize mortgages. These services include loan review, RMBS securitization and distressed asset reviews, review and valuation services related to single family rental properties, servicer and loan surveillance and underwriting. Our real estate services help lenders, investors and real estate agents evaluate, manage, monitor and sell properties. These real estate services include software as a service solutions and platforms, as well as managed services, such as REO asset management, real estate valuation services and real estate brokerage services. Our title services provide a comprehensive suite of title insurance products, title settlement services and both traditional and digital closing services. 2018 Developments Capital and Liquidity Actions. On August 9, 2017, Radian Group’s board of directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $50 million of its common stock. The Company completed this program during the first half of 2018 by purchasing 3.0 million shares at an average price of $16.56 per share, including commissions. On August 16, 2018, Radian Group’s board of directors approved a new share repurchase program that authorizes the Company to repurchase up to $100 million of its common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions until expiration of the program on July 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2018, the full purchase authority of up to $100 million remained available under this program. See Note 15 for additional information. Reinsurance. As part of Radian’s long-term risk distribution strategy, in November 2018, Radian Guaranty entered into a fully collateralized reinsurance agreement with Eagle Re, an unaffiliated special purpose reinsurer domiciled in Bermuda. This reinsurance agreement provides for up to $434.0 million of aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance coverage for the applicable percentage of mortgage insurance losses on new defaults on an existing portfolio of eligible Monthly Premium Policies issued between January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018, with an initial RIF of $9.1 billion. In addition, Radian Guaranty entered into a separate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement for up to $21.4 million of coverage, representing a pro rata share of the credit risk alongside the risk assumed by Eagle Re on those Monthly Premium Policies. See Note 8 for additional information. IRS Matter. Radian finalized a settlement with the IRS which resolved the issues and concluded all disputes related to the IRS Matter. In the three-month period ended June 30, 2018, we recorded tax benefits of $73.6 million, which includes both the impact of the settlement with the IRS as well as the reversal of certain previously accrued state and local tax liabilities. In 2018, under the terms of the settlement, Radian utilized its “qualified deposits” with the U.S. Treasury to settle its $31 million obligation to the IRS, and in 2019, the Company expects the IRS to refund to Radian the remaining $58 million that was previously on deposit. See Note 10 for additional information. Restructuring and Other Exit Costs. As a result of the Company’s continued implementation of its 2017 plan to restructure the Services business, for the year ended December 31, 2018, pretax restructuring charges of $2.5 million were recognized, which include $2.0 million in cash expenses. For the year ended December 31, 2017, pretax restructuring charges of $17.3 million were recognized, including $6.8 million of cash expenses. This initiative was completed during 2018 and, for the two-year period ending December 31, 2018, we recognized total restructuring charges of $19.8 million, consisting of: (i) asset impairment charges (including the loss recognized on the sale of our EuroRisk business) of $10.8 million; (ii) employee severance and benefit costs of $7.4 million; (iii) facility and lease termination costs of $1.3 million; and (iv) contract termination and other restructuring costs of $0.3 million. See Note 7 for additional information, including the events that led to the restructuring plan. We review assets for impairment in accordance with the accounting guidance for long-lived assets. As part of this assessment, during 2018, we incurred $3.6 million of other exit costs associated with impairment of internal-use software that was in addition to the asset impairment charges recognized as part of the restructuring charges associated with our Services business.

We are a diversified mortgage and real estate services business, providing both credit-related insurance coverage and other credit risk management solutions, as well as a broad array of mortgage, real estate and title services. We have two reportable business segments—Mortgage Insurance and Services.

Our Mortgage Insurance segment provides credit-related insurance coverage, principally through private mortgage insurance on residential first-lien mortgage loans, as well as other credit risk management solutions, to mortgage lending institutions and mortgage credit investors. We provide our mortgage insurance products and services mainly through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Radian Guaranty. Private mortgage insurance plays an important role in the U.S. housing finance system because it promotes affordable home ownership and helps protect mortgage lenders, investors and other beneficiaries by mitigating default-related losses on residential mortgage loans. Generally, these loans are made to home buyers who make down payments of less than 20% of the purchase price for their home or, in the case of refinancings, have less than 20% equity in their home. Private mortgage insurance also facilitates the sale of these low down payment loans in the secondary mortgage market, most of which are currently sold to the GSEs. Our total direct primary mortgage insurance RIF was $56.7 billion as of December 31, 2018.

The GSEs and state insurance regulators impose various capital and financial requirements on our insurance subsidiaries. These include Risk-to-capital, other risk-based capital measures and surplus requirements, as well as the PMIERs financial requirements discussed below. Failure to comply with these capital and financial requirements may limit the amount of insurance that our mortgage insurance subsidiaries may write or prohibit our mortgage insurance subsidiaries from writing insurance altogether. The GSEs and state insurance regulators also possess significant discretion with respect to our mortgage insurance subsidiaries and all aspects of their business. See Note 19 for additional regulatory information.

PMIERs. In order to be eligible to insure loans purchased by the GSEs, mortgage insurers such as Radian Guaranty must meet the GSEs’ eligibility requirements, or PMIERs. At December 31, 2018, Radian Guaranty is an approved mortgage insurer under the PMIERs and is in compliance with the PMIERs financial requirements. The PMIERs financial requirements require that a mortgage insurer’s Available Assets meet or exceed its Minimum Required Assets. The GSEs may amend the PMIERs at any time, and they have broad discretion to interpret the requirements, which could impact the calculation of Radian Guaranty’s Available Assets and/or Minimum Required Assets.

The PMIERs are comprehensive, covering virtually all aspects of the business and operations of a private mortgage insurer, including internal risk management and quality controls, the relationship between the GSEs and the approved insurer, as well as the approved insurer’s financial condition. In addition, the GSEs have a broad range of consent rights under the PMIERs and require private mortgage insurers to obtain the prior consent of the GSEs before taking certain actions, which may include entering into various intercompany agreements and commuting or reinsuring risk, among others. If Radian Guaranty is unable to satisfy the requirements set forth in the PMIERs, the GSEs could restrict it from conducting certain types of business with them or take actions that may include not purchasing loans insured by Radian Guaranty.

From time to time, we enter into reinsurance transactions as a component of our long-term risk distribution strategy to manage our capital position and risk profile, which includes managing Radian Guaranty’s capital position under the PMIERs financial requirements. The credit that we receive under the PMIERs financial requirements for these transactions is subject to initial and ongoing review by the GSEs.

Our Services segment is primarily a fee-for-service business that offers a broad array of services to market participants across the mortgage and real estate value chain. These services comprise mortgage services, real estate services and title services, including technology and turn-key solutions, that provide information and other resources used to originate, evaluate, acquire, securitize, service and monitor residential real estate and loans secured by residential real estate. These services are primarily provided to mortgage lenders, financial institutions, investors and government entities. In addition, we provide title insurance to mortgage lenders as well as directly to borrowers.

Our mortgage services help loan originators and investors evaluate, acquire, surveil and securitize mortgages. These services include loan review, RMBS securitization and distressed asset reviews, review and valuation services related to single family rental properties, servicer and loan surveillance and underwriting. Our real estate services help lenders, investors and

real estate agents evaluate, manage, monitor and sell properties. These real estate services include software as a service solutions and platforms, as well as managed services, such as REO asset management, real estate valuation services and real estate brokerage services. Our title services provide a comprehensive suite of title insurance products, title settlement services and both traditional and digital closing services.

Capital and Liquidity Actions. On August 9, 2017, Radian Group’s board of directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $50 million of its common stock. The Company completed this program during the first half of 2018 by purchasing 3.0 million shares at an average price of $16.56 per share, including commissions.

On August 16, 2018, Radian Group’s board of directors approved a new share repurchase program that authorizes the Company to repurchase up to $100 million of its common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions until expiration of the program on July 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2018, the full purchase authority of up to $100 million remained available under this program. See Note 15 for additional information.

Reinsurance. As part of Radian’s long-term risk distribution strategy, in November 2018, Radian Guaranty entered into a fully collateralized reinsurance agreement with Eagle Re, an unaffiliated special purpose reinsurer domiciled in Bermuda. This reinsurance agreement provides for up to $434.0 million of aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance coverage for the applicable percentage of mortgage insurance losses on new defaults on an existing portfolio of eligible Monthly Premium Policies issued between January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018, with an initial RIF of $9.1 billion. In addition, Radian Guaranty entered into a separate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement for up to $21.4 million of coverage, representing a pro rata share of the credit risk alongside the risk assumed by Eagle Re on those Monthly Premium Policies. See Note 8 for additional information.

IRS Matter. Radian finalized a settlement with the IRS which resolved the issues and concluded all disputes related to the IRS Matter. In the three-month period ended June 30, 2018, we recorded tax benefits of $73.6 million, which includes both the impact of the settlement with the IRS as well as the reversal of certain previously accrued state and local tax liabilities. In 2018, under the terms of the settlement, Radian utilized its “qualified deposits” with the U.S. Treasury to settle its $31 million obligation to the IRS, and in 2019, the Company expects the IRS to refund to Radian the remaining $58 million that was previously on deposit. See Note 10 for additional information.

Restructuring and Other Exit Costs. As a result of the Company’s continued implementation of its 2017 plan to restructure the Services business, for the year ended December 31, 2018, pretax restructuring charges of $2.5 million were recognized, which include $2.0 million in cash expenses. For the year ended December 31, 2017, pretax restructuring charges of $17.3 million were recognized, including $6.8 million of cash expenses. This initiative was completed during 2018 and, for the two-year period ending December 31, 2018, we recognized total restructuring charges of $19.8 million, consisting of: (i) asset impairment charges (including the loss recognized on the sale of our EuroRisk business) of $10.8 million; (ii) employee severance and benefit costs of $7.4 million; (iii) facility and lease termination costs of $1.3 million; and (iv) contract termination and other restructuring costs of $0.3 million. See Note 7 for additional information, including the events that led to the restructuring plan.