Fair Value (Details - Level 3 inputs and transfers) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	$ 609,489,000	$ 500,286,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	8,097,000	(43,540,000)
Purchases and issuances	81,297,000	104,488,000
Sales and settlements	80,385,000	29,835,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	40,180,000
Balance, end of period	618,498,000	571,579,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	10,047,000	(42,713,000)
Fair value of financial instrument liabilities [Line Items]
Debt related to senior notes	750,000,000		750,000,000
Debt related to capital efficient notes	70,989,000		70,989,000
[FundsHeldDirectlyManagedMember]
Fair Value - Other Details [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	46,600,000		176,300,000
Accrued investment income	14,600,000		13,700,000
Other net assets	58,500,000		20,400,000
[TradingSecuritiesMember]
Fair Value - Other Details [Line Items]
Aggregate carrying amount of other invested assets not carried at fair value	257,600,000		267,600,000
[TradingSecuritiesMember] | [FixedMaturitiesMember]
Fair Value - Other Details [Line Items]
Transfers into Level 3		40,200,000
[NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceALlcMember]
Fair value of financial instrument liabilities [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	250,000,000
[NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceBLlcMember]
Fair value of financial instrument liabilities [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	500,000,000
[NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceIiIncMember]
Fair value of financial instrument liabilities [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	63,000,000
[EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember]
Fair value of financial instrument liabilities [Line Items]
Debt related to senior notes	812,900,000		781,449,000
Debt related to capital efficient notes	58,106,000		55,678,000
[CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember]
Fair value of financial instrument liabilities [Line Items]
Debt related to senior notes	750,000,000		750,000,000
Debt related to capital efficient notes	63,384,000		63,384,000
[FixedMaturitiesMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	480,530,000	345,535,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	(1,454,000)	(34,833,000)
Purchases and issuances	54,868,000	99,928,000
Sales and settlements	41,957,000	12,489,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	40,180,000
Balance, end of period	491,987,000	438,321,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	(1,399,000)	(34,397,000)
[FixedMaturitiesMember] | [USStatesAndPoliticalSubdivisionsMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	111,415,000	55,124,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	(462,000)	805,000
Purchases and issuances	4,700,000	0
Sales and settlements	73,000	0
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	115,580,000	55,929,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	(462,000)	805,000
[FixedMaturitiesMember] | [CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	111,700,000	76,982,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	327,000	(39,115,000)
Purchases and issuances	48,000	40,794,000
Sales and settlements	124,000	3,734,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	40,180,000
Balance, end of period	111,951,000	115,107,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	327,000	(33,873,000)
[FixedMaturitiesMember] | [AssetBackedSecuritiesSecuritizedLoansAndReceivablesMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	257,415,000	213,139,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	(1,319,000)	2,971,000
Purchases and issuances	50,120,000	54,514,000
Sales and settlements	41,760,000	8,216,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	264,456,000	262,408,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	(1,264,000)	(1,837,000)
[FixedMaturitiesMember] | [ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period		0
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income		539,000
Purchases and issuances		4,212,000
Sales and settlements		450,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3		0
Balance, end of period		4,301,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period		541,000
[FixedMaturitiesMember] | [CommercialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period		290,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income		(33,000)
Purchases and issuances		408,000
Sales and settlements		89,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3		0
Balance, end of period		576,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period		(33,000)
[ShortTermInvestmentsMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period		0
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income		(339,000)
Purchases and issuances		1,543,000
Sales and settlements		0
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3		0
Balance, end of period		1,204,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period		(339,000)
[EquitySecuritiesMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	16,165,000	43,413,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	3,214,000	885,000
Purchases and issuances	0	0
Sales and settlements	0	2,686,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	19,379,000	41,612,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	3,214,000	702,000
[EquitySecuritiesMember] | [FinanceMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	9,670,000	2,486,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	3,060,000	237,000
Purchases and issuances	0	0
Sales and settlements	0	2,562,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	12,730,000	161,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	3,060,000	10,000
[EquitySecuritiesMember] | [MutualFundsAndExchangeTradedFundsMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	6,495,000	40,927,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	154,000	648,000
Purchases and issuances	0	0
Sales and settlements	0	124,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	6,649,000	41,451,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	154,000	692,000
[OtherInvestedAssetsMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	97,027,000	78,324,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	4,092,000	(11,029,000)
Purchases and issuances	26,429,000	3,017,000
Sales and settlements	38,428,000	2,692,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	89,120,000	67,620,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	5,987,000	(10,605,000)
[OtherInvestedAssetsMember] | [DerivativeMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	5,622,000	(7,954,000)
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	263,000	(9,125,000)
Purchases and issuances	(3,300,000)	37,000
Sales and settlements	0	0
Issuances	3,300,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	2,585,000	(17,042,000)
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	263,000	(9,125,000)
[OtherInvestedAssetsMember] | [OtherInvestedAssetsOtherAssetsMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	91,405,000	86,278,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	3,829,000	(1,904,000)
Purchases and issuances	29,729,000	2,980,000
Sales and settlements	38,428,000	2,692,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	86,535,000	84,662,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	5,724,000	(1,480,000)
[FundsHeldDirectlyManagedInvestmentMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	15,767,000	33,014,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	2,245,000	1,776,000
Purchases and issuances	0	0
Sales and settlements	0	11,968,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	18,012,000	22,822,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	2,245,000	1,926,000
[FundsHeldDirectlyManagedInvestmentMember] | [OtherInvestedAssetsFundsHeldDirectlyManagedMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	15,433,000	20,528,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	2,250,000	1,928,000
Purchases and issuances	0	0
Sales and settlements	0	0
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	17,683,000	22,456,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	2,250,000	1,928,000
[FundsHeldDirectlyManagedInvestmentMember] | [USStatesAndPoliticalSubdivisionsMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	334,000	368,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income	(5,000)	(2,000)
Purchases and issuances	0	0
Sales and settlements	0	0
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3	0	0
Balance, end of period	329,000	366,000
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period	(5,000)	(2,000)
[FundsHeldDirectlyManagedInvestmentMember] | [AssetBackedSecuritiesMember]
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period		12,118,000
Realized and unrealized investment gains (losses) included in net (loss) income		(150,000)
Purchases and issuances		0
Sales and settlements		11,968,000
Net transfers (out of)/ into Level 3		0
Balance, end of period		0
Change in unrealized investment gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of period		$ 0