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Special Purpose Entities, Including Variable Interest Entities - Summary of Carrying Amount of Assets, Liabilities and Maximum Exposure to Loss of Ambac's Variable Interests in Non-Consolidated Variable Interest Entities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Mar. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Feb. 12, 2018
--- | --- | --- | ---
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | $ 34,528,319 | $ 35,566,155 |
Insurance Assets | 2,235,297 | 2,257,824 |
Insurance Liabilities | 1,377,733 | 1,433,877 |
Derivative Liabilities | 5,944 |  |
satisfaction and discharge of segregated account deferred interest amounts |  |  | $ 856,834
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Liabilities |  | 5,711 |
Global Public Finance [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 23,927,824 | 24,145,956 |
Insurance Assets | 315,807 | 309,071 |
Insurance Liabilities | 343,946 | 335,437 |
Derivative Liabilities | (1,077) | (1,457) |
Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 10,600,495 | 11,420,199 |
Insurance Assets | 1,919,490 | 1,948,753 |
Insurance Liabilities | 1,033,787 | 1,098,440 |
Derivative Liabilities | 7,021 | 7,168 |
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 2,437 | 9,787 |
Insurance Assets | 0 | 0 |
Insurance Liabilities | 0 | 0 |
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | (2) |
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 6,418,261 | 6,713,437 |
Insurance Assets | 1,842,283 | 1,859,121 |
Insurance Liabilities | 492,435 | 546,682 |
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0 |
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Other Consumer Asset-Backed [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 1,615,109 | 1,700,984 |
Insurance Assets | 14,754 | 15,435 |
Insurance Liabilities | 234,639 | 238,234 |
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0 |
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Other Commercial Asset-Backed [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 481,633 | 873,343 |
Insurance Assets | 9,247 | 20,735 |
Insurance Liabilities | 6,774 | 12,264 |
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0 |
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Other [Member] |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 2,083,055 | 2,122,648 |
Insurance Assets | 53,206 | 53,462 |
Insurance Liabilities | 299,939 | 301,260 |
Derivative Liabilities | $ 7,021 | $ 7,170 |

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Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition The net carrying amount of derivative assets or liabilities in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The carrying amount of insurance assets in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The carrying amount of insurance liabilities in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The reporting entity's maximum amount of exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Variable Interest Entity (VIE). + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108788376&loc=d3e5747-111685 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph b -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108788376&loc=d3e5728-111685 + Details
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