Loans	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Loans [Abstract]
Loans	11 LOANS Loans had been extended: (i) to customers participating in certain structured municipal transactions, (ii) by VIEs which are consolidated by Ambac under ASC Topic 810 as a result of Ambac's financial guarantees of the VIEs' note liabilities and/or assets, and (iii) to three institutions in connection with various unrelated transactions. The structured municipal loans were collateralized with cash in amounts adequate to repay the loan balance. Equipment and other assets underlying these transactions served as additional collateral for the loans. Ambac acted as the payment custodian and held the funds posted as collateral. At December 31, 2010 all remaining structured municipal loans had been terminated and collected in full. Loans receivable by consolidated VIEs are generally carried at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 3 for further information about VIEs for which the assets and liabilities are carried at fair value. VIE loans receivable carried at cost had a principal balance of $202,696 and $204,148 at December 31, 2011 and 2010. Interest rates on these loans ranged from 5.33% to 5.42% at both December 31, 2011 and 2010. The loans outstanding at December 31, 2011 and 2010 have a stated maturity of 2047. Collectability of these loans is evaluated individually on an ongoing basis in connection with the surveillance of the related financial guarantee transactions. No loan has been considered impaired and as such no loan impairments have been recorded as of December 31, 2011 or 2010. Other loans had a combined outstanding principal balance of $18,996 and $20,167 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Interest rates on these loans ranged from 3.01% to 7.00% at December 31, 2011 and 2.79% to 7.00% at December 31, 2010. The range of maturity dates of these loans is December 2013 to June 2026 as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. Collectability of these loans is evaluated individually on an ongoing basis in connection with the surveillance of the related financial guarantee transactions. No loan has been considered impaired and as such no loan impairments have been recorded as of December 31, 2011 or 2010.

11 LOANS

Loans had been extended: (i) to customers participating in certain structured municipal transactions, (ii) by VIEs which are consolidated by Ambac under ASC Topic 810 as a result of Ambac's financial guarantees of the VIEs' note liabilities and/or assets, and (iii) to three institutions in connection with various unrelated transactions. The structured municipal loans were collateralized with cash in amounts adequate to repay the loan balance. Equipment and other assets underlying these transactions served as additional collateral for the loans. Ambac acted as the payment custodian and held the funds posted as collateral. At December 31, 2010 all remaining structured municipal loans had been terminated and collected in full.

Loans receivable by consolidated VIEs are generally carried at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 3 for further information about VIEs for which the assets and liabilities are carried at fair value. VIE loans receivable carried at cost had a principal balance of $202,696 and $204,148 at December 31, 2011 and 2010. Interest rates on these loans ranged from 5.33% to 5.42% at both December 31, 2011 and 2010. The loans outstanding at December 31, 2011 and 2010 have a stated maturity of 2047. Collectability of these loans is evaluated individually on an ongoing basis in connection with the surveillance of the related financial guarantee transactions. No loan has been considered impaired and as such no loan impairments have been recorded as of December 31, 2011 or 2010.

Other loans had a combined outstanding principal balance of $18,996 and $20,167 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Interest rates on these loans ranged from 3.01% to 7.00% at December 31, 2011 and 2.79% to 7.00% at December 31, 2010. The range of maturity dates of these loans is December 2013 to June 2026 as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. Collectability of these loans is evaluated individually on an ongoing basis in connection with the surveillance of the related financial guarantee transactions. No loan has been considered impaired and as such no loan impairments have been recorded as of December 31, 2011 or 2010.