XML 46 R35.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.7.0.1

Business Developments And Risks And Uncertainties (Narrative) (Detail) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) segments | Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Number of operating segments | segments | 3 |
Fixed-to-Floating rate Surplus Notes | 14.00% |
Income (loss) before income taxes | $ (120) | $ (101)
Proceeds from Senior Lenders | 325 |
Zohar II [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Claims payments | 770 |
Puerto Rico [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Claims payments | 24 |
Mbia Inc [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Proceeds from subordinated financing | 38 |
Mbia Corp [Member] | Zohar II [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Claims payments | 60 |
Assured Guaranty Corp [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Payment for sale of subsidiary | 23 |
Assured Guaranty Corp [Member] | Zohar II [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Outstanding bonds | 347 |
MBIA UK [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Gain recorded on adjustment of carrying value to fair value less costs to sell | $ 5 |
Income (loss) before income taxes |  | $ 9
Sale effective date | Jan. 10, 2017 |

X
- Definition This element represents the gross amount of claim payments during the period + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mbi_ClaimPayments
Namespace Prefix: | mbi_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of outstanding bonds for a specific issuer + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mbi_OutstandingBonds
Namespace Prefix: | mbi_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Payment For Sale Of Subsidiary + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mbi_PaymentForSaleOfSubsidiary
Namespace Prefix: | mbi_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Date the entity disposed of a business or a group of assets, in CCYY-MM-DD format. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DisposalDate1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of equity in securities of subsidiaries. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (13)(g) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GainOrLossOnSaleOfStockInSubsidiary
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations, including income (loss) from equity method investments, before deduction of income tax expense (benefit), and income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 940 -SubTopic 20 -Section 25 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68072869&loc=d3e41242-110953 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(10)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(15)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(8)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash inflow from a borrowing with the highest claim on the assets of the entity in case of bankruptcy or liquidation (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Financing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 14 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3255-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfSeniorLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash inflow from a borrowing where a lender is placed in a lien position behind debt having a higher priority of repayment (senior) in liquidation of the entity's assets or underlying collateral. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Financing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 14 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3255-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfSubordinatedLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=mbi_Zohar2Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=mbi_PuertoRicoMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=mbi_MbiaIncMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=mbi_MbiaCorpMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=mbi_AssuredGuarantyCorpMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=mbi_MbiaUkMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |