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Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Parent Company Only) - Condensed Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended | 18 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | $ (125) | $ 274 | $ (335) |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 0 |  |
Stock-based compensation | (12) | (12) | (4) |
Issuance of common stock | (3) | (1) | (2) |
Payments for Repurchase of Warrants |  |  |  | $ 8
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 19 | (297) |  |
Ending balance | 1,536 | 1,633 | 1,645 | 1,978
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | 1,477 | 1,592 |  |
Retained Earnings [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | (216) | 267 | (329) |
Stock-based compensation | 0 | 0 |  |
Issuance of common stock | (3) | (1) | (2) |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 0 | (82) |  |
Ending balance | 1,203 | 1,421 | 1,234 | 1,558
AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | 91 | 6 | (7) |
Stock-based compensation | 0 | 0 |  |
Issuance of common stock | 0 | 0 |  |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 0 | 0 |  |
Ending balance | 42 | (49) | (52) | (39)
Preferred Stock [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 0 |  |
Stock-based compensation | 0 | 0 |  |
Issuance of common stock | 0 | 0 |  |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 0 | 0 |  |
Ending balance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Common Stock [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 0 |  |
Stock-based compensation | 0 | 0 |  |
Issuance of common stock | 0 | 0 |  |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 0 | 0 |  |
Ending balance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 0 |  |
Stock-based compensation | (12) | (12) | (4) |
Issuance of common stock | 0 | 0 |  |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 0 | 8 |  |
Ending balance | 232 | 219 | 200 | 195
Common Stock Held in Treasury, at Cost [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 0 |  |
Stock-based compensation | 0 | 0 |  |
Issuance of common stock | 0 | 0 | 0 |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 0 | 0 |  |
Ending balance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Noncontrolling Interest [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 0 |  |
Stock-based compensation | 0 | 0 |  |
Issuance of common stock | 0 | 0 | 0 |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity | 19 | (223) |  |
Ending balance | 60 | 41 | 264 | 264
Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | (125) | 192 | (335) |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 0 |  |
Stock-based compensation | (12) | (12) | (4) |
Issuance of common stock | (3) | (1) | (2) |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity |  | 8 |  |
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | 1,477 | 1,592 | 1,381 | 1,714
Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | (216) | 186 | (329) |
Issuance of common stock | (3) | (1) | (2) |
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | 1,203 | 1,421 | 1,234 | 1,558
Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Total comprehensive income (loss) | 91 | 6 | (7) |
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | 42 | (49) | (52) | (39)
Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | Preferred Stock [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | Common Stock [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Stock-based compensation | (12) | (12) | (4) |
AMPS Impact on Stockholders Equity |  | 8 |  |
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | 232 | 219 | 200 | 195
Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | Common Stock Held in Treasury, at Cost [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
Stock-based compensation |  | 0 |  |
Issuance of common stock | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent | $ 0 | 0 | 0 | $ 0
Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 3 |  |
Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member] | AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | (3) |  |
Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member] | Parent [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | 3 |  |
Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member] | Parent [Member] | AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  | $ (3) |  |
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Domain] | Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  |  | 0 |
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Domain] | Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  |  | 7 |
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Domain] | Ambac Financial Group, Inc Parent Company Only [Member] | AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member] |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification |  |  | $ (7) |

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