| UNDERWRITING RESULTS OF REPORTABLE SEGMENTS [Table Text Block] |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | 2012 | | | Three months ended and at June 30, | Insurance | | Reinsurance | | Total | | Insurance | | Reinsurance | | Total | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Gross premiums written | $ | 781,055 |
| | $ | 438,750 |
| | $ | 1,219,805 |
| | $ | 675,009 |
| | $ | 339,366 |
| | $ | 1,014,375 |
| | | Net premiums written | 559,584 |
| | 433,823 |
| | 993,407 |
| | 465,238 |
| | 336,337 |
| | 801,575 |
| | | Net premiums earned | 422,345 |
| | 523,528 |
| | 945,873 |
| | 386,580 |
| | 464,023 |
| | 850,603 |
| | | Other insurance related income | 435 |
| | — |
| | 435 |
| | 299 |
| | — |
| | 299 |
| | | Net losses and loss expenses | (330,992 | ) | | (311,907 | ) | | (642,899 | ) | | (225,900 | ) | | (241,737 | ) | | (467,637 | ) | | | Acquisition costs | (58,749 | ) | | (110,970 | ) | | (169,719 | ) | | (58,654 | ) | | (97,743 | ) | | (156,397 | ) | | | General and administrative expenses | (88,526 | ) | | (35,243 | ) | | (123,769 | ) | | (77,770 | ) | | (29,359 | ) | | (107,129 | ) | | | Underwriting income (loss) | $ | (55,487 | ) | | $ | 65,408 |
| | 9,921 |
| | $ | 24,555 |
| | $ | 95,184 |
| | 119,739 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Corporate expenses | | | | | (25,265 | ) | | | | | | (54,202 | ) | | | Net investment income | | | | | 83,112 |
| | | | | | 74,449 |
| | | Net realized investment gains | | | | | 16,235 |
| | | | | | 30,405 |
| | | Foreign exchange gains | | | | | 10,320 |
| | | | | | 36,162 |
| | | Interest expense and financing costs | | | | | (15,260 | ) | | | | | | (15,170 | ) | | | Income before income taxes | | | | | $ | 79,063 |
| | | | | | $ | 191,383 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Net loss and loss expense ratio | 78.4 | % | | 59.6 | % | | 68.0 | % | | 58.4 | % | | 52.1 | % | | 55.0 | % | | | Acquisition cost ratio | 13.9 | % | | 21.2 | % | | 17.9 | % | | 15.2 | % | | 21.1 | % | | 18.4 | % | | | General and administrative expense ratio | 20.9 | % | | 6.7 | % | | 15.8 | % | | 20.1 | % | | 6.3 | % | | 18.9 | % | | | Combined ratio | 113.2 | % | | 87.5 | % | | 101.7 | % | | 93.7 | % | | 79.5 | % | | 92.3 | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Goodwill and intangible assets | $ | 91,370 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 91,370 |
| | $ | 98,203 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 98,203 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | 2012 | | | Six months ended and at June 30, | Insurance | | Reinsurance | | Total | | Insurance | | Reinsurance | | Total | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Gross premiums written | $ | 1,377,769 |
| | $ | 1,588,518 |
| | $ | 2,966,287 |
| | $ | 1,199,689 |
| | $ | 1,339,856 |
| | $ | 2,539,545 |
| | | Net premiums written | 992,264 |
| | 1,571,582 |
| | 2,563,846 |
| | 843,853 |
| | 1,324,909 |
| | 2,168,762 |
| | | Net premiums earned | 824,224 |
| | 995,687 |
| | 1,819,911 |
| | 776,837 |
| | 920,131 |
| | 1,696,968 |
| | | Other insurance related income | 1,030 |
| | — |
| | 1,030 |
| | 931 |
| | — |
| | 931 |
| | | Net losses and loss expenses | (548,328 | ) | | (532,985 | ) | | (1,081,313 | ) | | (467,623 | ) | | (510,705 | ) | | (978,328 | ) | | | Acquisition costs | (116,009 | ) | | (199,200 | ) | | (315,209 | ) | | (119,808 | ) | | (204,985 | ) | | (324,793 | ) | | | General and administrative expenses | (175,415 | ) | | (68,283 | ) | | (243,698 | ) | | (155,214 | ) | | (57,133 | ) | | (212,347 | ) | | | Underwriting income (loss) | $ | (14,498 | ) | | $ | 195,219 |
| | 180,721 |
| | $ | 35,123 |
| | $ | 147,308 |
| | 182,431 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Corporate expenses | | | | | (46,810 | ) | | | | | | (72,637 | ) | | | Net investment income | | | | | 192,019 |
| | | | | | 190,472 |
| | | Net realized investment gains | | | | | 60,713 |
| | | | | | 44,896 |
| | | Foreign exchange gains | | | | | 45,201 |
| | | | | | 15,715 |
| | | Interest expense and financing costs | | | | | (31,095 | ) | | | | | | (30,807 | ) | | | Income before income taxes | | | | | $ | 400,749 |
| | | | | | $ | 330,070 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Net loss and loss expense ratio | 66.5 | % | | 53.5 | % | | 59.4 | % | | 60.2 | % | | 55.5 | % | | 57.7 | % | | | Acquisition cost ratio | 14.1 | % | | 20.0 | % | | 17.3 | % | | 15.4 | % | | 22.3 | % | | 19.1 | % | | | General and administrative expense ratio | 21.3 | % | | 6.9 | % | | 16.0 | % | | 20.0 | % | | 6.2 | % | | 16.8 | % | | | Combined ratio | 101.9 | % | | 80.4 | % | | 92.7 | % | | 95.6 | % | | 84.0 | % | | 93.6 | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Goodwill and intangible assets | $ | 91,370 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 91,370 |
| | $ | 98,203 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 98,203 |
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