v3.26.1
Investment in Loans (Schedule of Residential Mortgage Loans) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Dec. 31, 2025
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Unpaid Principal Balance $ 16,647,345 $ 16,000,731
Unamortized Premium (Discount) (252,107) (245,735)
Fair Value [1],[2] $ 17,393,161 $ 16,640,647
Weighted Average    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Weighted Average Coupon 5.05% 5.21%
Weighted Average Yield 8.25% 8.27%
Weighted average life 5 years 18 days 5 years 3 months 10 days
Residential mortgage loans    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Unpaid Principal Balance $ 3,863,111 $ 3,739,813
Unamortized Premium (Discount) 50,973 47,839
Amortized Cost 3,914,084 3,787,652
Gains 9,988 16,476
Losses (175,907) (161,034)
Fair Value 3,748,165 3,643,094
Residential mortgage loans | Non-performing    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Unpaid Principal Balance 234,620 266,485
Fair Value $ 212,807 $ 246,586
Residential mortgage loans | Weighted Average    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Weighted Average Coupon 7.11% 7.18%
Weighted Average Yield 6.72% 5.68%
Weighted average life 5 years 2 months 23 days 4 years 6 months
Consumer loans    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Unpaid Principal Balance $ 154 $ 190
Unamortized Premium (Discount) 163 148
Amortized Cost 317 338
Gains 22 36
Losses (204) (215)
Fair Value 135 $ 159
Realized Losses, Write offs on loans $ (21)  
Consumer loans | Weighted Average    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Weighted average life 10 months 20 days 10 months 20 days
Consolidated securitization trusts [Member] | Residential mortgage loans    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Losses $ 142,000 $ 136,100
Non-QM loan securitization | Residential mortgage loans | Consolidated Entities [Member] | Securitized loans [Member]    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Fair Value $ 1,310,565 1,354,189
Securitized residential loans | Residential mortgage loans | Consolidated Entities [Member] | Securitized loans [Member]    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Fair Value   1,594,000
Residential loan securitization | Residential mortgage loans | Consolidated Entities [Member] | Securitized loans [Member]    
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]    
Fair Value   $ 1,547,000
[1] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Consolidated Balance Sheets include assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 12 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.
[2] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 14 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.