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Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts - Summary of Gross Premium Receivable Roll-Forward (Direct and Assumed Contracts) (Detail) € in Thousands, £ in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2015 GBP (£)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2016 GBP (£)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Successor [Member]
Insurance [Line Items]
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Accelerated Premium Revenue, Amount	$ 18,174	$ 28,369			$ 38,231			$ 64,862
Percentage Premiums Receivable Related To Transactions With Non Investment Grade Internal Ratings					26.00%	26.00%	26.00%		27.00%
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Premium Receivable [Roll Forward]
Beginning premium receivable					$ 831,575			1,000,607	$ 1,000,607
Premium receipts					(60,609)			(70,940)
Adjustments for changes in expected and contractual cash flows					(57,932)			(39,613)
Accretion of premium receivable discount					14,304			18,795
Uncollectable premiums					4,264			1,978
Other adjustments (including foreign exchange)					(25,374)			(15,381)
Ending premium receivable	706,228	895,446			$ 706,228			895,446	$ 831,575
Percentage Of Premiums Receivable Related To Non Investment Grade Rmbs Transactions					8.00%	8.00%	8.00%		8.00%
Premiums Receivable, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	10,976				$ 10,976				$ 15,240
Premiums Past Due On Non Investment Grade Obligation					500
United Kingdom, Pounds
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Premium Receivable [Roll Forward]
Ending premium receivable	195,187	253,092		£ 167,367	195,187		£ 150,575	253,092
Euro Member Countries, Euro
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Premium Receivable [Roll Forward]
Ending premium receivable	$ 38,284	$ 51,640	€ 46,251		$ 38,284	€ 34,067		$ 51,640

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Insurance [Line Items]

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- Definition

Percentage of financial guarantee premiums receivable related to RMBS insured transactions with non-investment grade internal ratings.

+ References

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- Definition

Percentage of financial guarantee premiums receivable related to insured transactions with non-investment grade internal ratings.

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Past due premiums on policies insuring internally rated non-investment grade obligations.

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Amount of increase (decrease) in the allowance for doubtful accounts.

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- Definition

This element represents the amount of premium revenue on financial guarantee insurance contracts recognized during the period that was accelerated for revenue recognition purposes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6933581&loc=SL5749298-161291

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- Definition

Amount of the premium receivable for financial guarantee insurance contracts reported in the statement of financial position. This element primarily would consist of those financial guarantee insurance contracts which premiums are to be collected over the contract period, but may, on occasion, include premiums which are to be collected in full at inception, but which straddle a financial reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(1),(5)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6933075&loc=SL5748726-161290

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Amount of premium payments received during the period for premiums receivable on financial guarantee insurance contracts.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6933075&loc=SL5748726-161290

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A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

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This element represents the accretion of the discount for premiums receivable on financial guarantee insurance contracts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(4)(iii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6933075&loc=SL5748726-161290

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- Definition

This element represents adjustments to the premium receivable related to financial guarantee insurance contracts due to changes in the period of the contract.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(4)(i)
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This element represents other adjustments to premiums receivable on financial guarantee insurance contracts.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(4)(iv)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6933075&loc=SL5748726-161290

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the estimated valuation allowance to reduce gross premiums receivable to net realizable value.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5074-111524

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 4
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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