Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	(15) Commitments and Contingencies (a) Contractual As part of the SunTrust Acquisition, Federated is required to make annual contingent purchase price payments payable in the fourth quarters of each of the five years following the acquisition date. The contingent purchase price payments are calculated as a percentage of revenue less operating expenses directly attributed to certain eligible assets. At September 30, 2011, management estimated contingent payments could total $25 million over five years, however, the actual amount of the contingent payments will vary based on asset levels and related net revenues and is not limited by any maximum amount. A wide range of outcomes for actual payments is possible due to the extent of reasonably possible flow-rate volatility for the assets under management. As of September 30, 2011, a liability of $18.4 million representing the estimated fair value of future consideration payments was recorded in Other current liabilities ($5.0 million) and Other long-term liabilities ($13.4 million) (see Note (7)(a) for a discussion regarding the valuation methodology). This liability is remeasured at each reporting date with changes in the fair value recognized in Intangible asset related expense on the Consolidated Statements of Income. In the fourth quarter 2008, Federated acquired certain assets of David W. Tice & Associates LLC that relate to the management of the Prudent Bear Fund and the Prudent DollarBear Fund (Prudent Bear Acquisition). As part of the Prudent Bear Acquisition, Federated is required to make contingent purchase price payments based upon certain revenue growth targets over the four‑year period following the acquisition date. The contingent purchase price payments are recorded as additional goodwill at the time the contingency is resolved. The first two contingent purchase price payments of $5.1 million and $44.7 million were paid in the first quarters of 2010 and 2011, respectively. The remaining contingent purchase price payments could total as much as $49 million. As of September 30, 2011, no amounts were accrued for the third anniversary year ending in December 2011. In the fourth quarter 2008, Federated acquired certain assets of Clover Capital Management, Inc. (Clover Capital Acquisition). As part of the Clover Capital Acquisition, Federated is required to make contingent purchase price payments based upon growth in revenues over the five‑year period following the acquisition date. The contingent purchase price payments, which could total as much as $56 million, will be recorded as additional goodwill at the time the contingency is resolved. The applicable growth targets were not met for the first two anniversary years and as such, no amounts were accrued or paid related to 2009 or 2010. As of September 30, 2011, no amounts were accrued for the third anniversary year ending in December 2011. In the third quarter 2007, Federated completed a transaction with Rochdale Investment Management LLC to acquire certain assets relating to its business of providing investment advisory and investment management services to the Rochdale Atlas Portfolio (Rochdale Acquisition). The Rochdale Acquisition agreement provides for two forms of contingent purchase price payments that are dependent upon asset growth and fund performance through 2012. The first form of contingent payment is payable in 2010 and 2012 and could aggregate to as much as $20 million. The second form of contingent payment is payable on a semi-annual basis over the five‑year period following the acquisition closing date based on certain revenue earned by Federated from the Federated InterContinental Fund. As of September 30, 2011, $3.6 million was paid in semi-annual contingent purchase price payments, $0.7 million was accrued related to future semi-annual contingent purchase price payments and $1.1 million was paid in the fourth quarter 2010 with regard to the first form of contingent payment. The future semi-annual contingent purchase price payment was accrued in Other current liabilities and recorded as goodwill. Contingent payments are recorded as additional goodwill at the time the related contingency is resolved. Pursuant to various significant employment arrangements, Federated may be required to make certain incentive compensation-related payments. The employment contracts expire on various dates through the year 2014 with payments possible through 2018. As of September 30, 2011, the maximum bonus payable over the remaining terms of the contracts approximates $68 million. In addition, certain employees have incentive compensation opportunities related to the Federated Kaufmann Large Cap Fund (the Fund Bonus). Based on asset levels at September 30, 2011, $0.5 million would be paid in 2012. Management is unable to reasonably estimate a range of possible bonus payments for the Fund Bonus for subsequent years due to the wide range of possible growth-rate scenarios. During the third quarter 2011, Federated amended its operating lease for its corporate headquarters building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The amendment extended the lease through 2021 and contained options to renew for additional periods through 2032. The amendment also included provisions for leasehold improvement incentives, rent escalation and early termination. As of September 30, 2011, payments due for the remainder of 2011 approximate $2 million. Payments approximate $6 million for each of the years 2012 through 2015 and a total of $38 million for 2016 and thereafter. (b) Guarantees and Indemnifications On an intercompany basis, various wholly owned subsidiaries of Federated guarantee certain financial obligations of Federated Investors, Inc., and Federated Investors, Inc. guarantees certain financial and performance-related obligations of various wholly owned subsidiaries. In addition, in the normal course of business, Federated has entered into contracts that provide a variety of indemnifications. Typically, obligations to indemnify third parties arise in the context of contracts entered into by Federated, under which Federated agrees to hold the other party harmless against losses arising out of the contract, provided the other party's actions are not deemed to have breached an agreed upon standard of care. In each of these circumstances, payment by Federated is contingent on the other party making a claim for indemnity, subject to Federated's right to challenge the other party's claim. Further, Federated’s obligations under these agreements may be limited in terms of time and/or amount. It is not possible to predict the maximum potential amount of future payments under these or similar agreements due to the conditional nature of Federated’s obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Management believes that if Federated were to incur a loss in any of these matters, such loss should not have a material effect on its business, financial position or results of operations. (c) Legal Proceedings Federated has claims asserted and threatened against it in the ordinary course of business. As of September 30, 2011, Federated does not believe that a material loss related to these claims is reasonably estimable. These claims are subject to inherent uncertainties. It is possible that an unfavorable determination will cause a material adverse impact on Federated’s reputation, financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity in the period in which the effect becomes reasonably estimable.

(15) Commitments and Contingencies

(a) Contractual

As part of the SunTrust Acquisition, Federated is required to make annual contingent purchase price payments payable in the fourth quarters of each of the five years following the acquisition date. The contingent purchase price payments are calculated as a percentage of revenue less operating expenses directly attributed to certain eligible assets. At September 30, 2011, management estimated contingent payments could total $25 million over five years, however, the actual amount of the contingent payments will vary based on asset levels and related net revenues and is not limited by any maximum amount. A wide range of outcomes for actual payments is possible due to the extent of reasonably possible flow-rate volatility for the assets under management. As of September 30, 2011, a liability of $18.4 million representing the estimated fair value of future consideration payments was recorded in Other current liabilities ($5.0 million) and Other long-term liabilities ($13.4 million) (see Note (7)(a) for a discussion regarding the valuation methodology). This liability is remeasured at each reporting date with changes in the fair value recognized in Intangible asset related expense on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

In the fourth quarter 2008, Federated acquired certain assets of David W. Tice & Associates LLC that relate to the management of the Prudent Bear Fund and the Prudent DollarBear Fund (Prudent Bear Acquisition). As part of the Prudent Bear Acquisition, Federated is required to make contingent purchase price payments based upon certain revenue growth targets over the four‑year period following the acquisition date. The contingent purchase price payments are recorded as additional goodwill at the time the contingency is resolved. The first two contingent purchase price payments of $5.1 million and $44.7 million were paid in the first quarters of 2010 and 2011, respectively. The remaining contingent purchase price payments could total as much as $49 million. As of September 30, 2011, no amounts were accrued for the third anniversary year ending in December 2011.

In the fourth quarter 2008, Federated acquired certain assets of Clover Capital Management, Inc. (Clover Capital Acquisition). As part of the Clover Capital Acquisition, Federated is required to make contingent purchase price payments based upon growth in revenues over the five‑year period following the acquisition date. The contingent purchase price payments, which could total as much as $56 million, will be recorded as additional goodwill at the time the contingency is resolved. The applicable growth targets were not met for the first two anniversary years and as such, no amounts were accrued or paid related to 2009 or 2010. As of September 30, 2011, no amounts were accrued for the third anniversary year ending in December 2011.

In the third quarter 2007, Federated completed a transaction with Rochdale Investment Management LLC to acquire certain assets relating to its business of providing investment advisory and investment management services to the Rochdale Atlas Portfolio (Rochdale Acquisition). The Rochdale Acquisition agreement provides for two forms of contingent purchase price payments that are dependent upon asset growth and fund performance through 2012. The first form of contingent payment is payable in 2010 and 2012 and could aggregate to as much as $20 million. The second form of contingent payment is payable on a semi-annual basis over the five‑year period following the acquisition closing date based on certain revenue earned by Federated from the Federated InterContinental Fund. As of September 30, 2011, $3.6 million was paid in semi-annual contingent purchase price payments, $0.7 million was accrued related to future semi-annual contingent purchase price payments and $1.1 million was paid in the fourth quarter 2010 with regard to the first form of contingent payment. The future semi-annual contingent purchase price payment was accrued in Other current liabilities and recorded as goodwill. Contingent payments are recorded as additional goodwill at the time the related contingency is resolved.

Pursuant to various significant employment arrangements, Federated may be required to make certain incentive compensation-related payments. The employment contracts expire on various dates through the year 2014 with payments possible through 2018. As of September 30, 2011, the maximum bonus payable over the remaining terms of the contracts approximates $68 million. In addition, certain employees have incentive compensation opportunities related to the Federated Kaufmann Large Cap Fund (the Fund Bonus). Based on asset levels at September 30, 2011, $0.5 million would be paid in 2012. Management is unable to reasonably estimate a range of possible bonus payments for the Fund Bonus for subsequent years due to the wide range of possible growth-rate scenarios.

During the third quarter 2011, Federated amended its operating lease for its corporate headquarters building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The amendment extended the lease through 2021 and contained options to renew for additional periods through 2032. The amendment also included provisions for leasehold improvement incentives, rent escalation and early termination. As of September 30, 2011, payments due for the remainder of 2011 approximate $2 million. Payments approximate $6 million for each of the years 2012 through 2015 and a total of $38 million for 2016 and thereafter.

(b) Guarantees and Indemnifications

On an intercompany basis, various wholly owned subsidiaries of Federated guarantee certain financial obligations of Federated Investors, Inc., and Federated Investors, Inc. guarantees certain financial and performance-related obligations of various wholly owned subsidiaries. In addition, in the normal course of business, Federated has entered into contracts that provide a variety of indemnifications. Typically, obligations to indemnify third parties arise in the context of contracts entered into by Federated, under which Federated agrees to hold the other party harmless against losses arising out of the contract, provided the other party's actions are not deemed to have breached an agreed upon standard of care. In each of these circumstances, payment by Federated is contingent on the other party making a claim for indemnity, subject to Federated's right to challenge the other party's claim. Further, Federated’s obligations under these agreements may be limited in terms of time and/or amount. It is not possible to predict the maximum potential amount of future payments under these or similar agreements due to the conditional nature of Federated’s obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Management believes that if Federated were to incur a loss in any of these matters, such loss should not have a material effect on its business, financial position or results of operations.

Federated has claims asserted and threatened against it in the ordinary course of business. As of September 30, 2011, Federated does not believe that a material loss related to these claims is reasonably estimable. These claims are subject to inherent uncertainties. It is possible that an unfavorable determination will cause a material adverse impact on Federated’s reputation, financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity in the period in which the effect becomes reasonably estimable.