Recent Accounting Pronouncements New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance (a) Deferred Taxes On January 1, 2017, Federated adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. This update requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. Management elected the prospective transition method, which did not require the restatement of prior years, and the adoption did not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements. Recently Issued Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted (b) Revenue Recognition On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes virtually all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. The update's core principle is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. During the third quarter of 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which deferred the effective date of the standard by one year. As a result of the deferral, the update was effective for Federated on January 1, 2018. During 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, which clarified principal versus agent considerations, ASU 2016-10, which clarified identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance, ASU 2016-12, which addressed implementation issues and provided additional practical expedients and ASU 2016-20, which provided technical corrections to narrow aspects of the guidance (collectively, with ASU 2014-09, Topic 606). Topic 606 allows for the use of either the retrospective or modified retrospective adoption method. Management has completed the evaluation of revenue contracts, as well as the identification of Federated's customers, performance obligations and material revenue streams. No changes have been identified as to the timing of revenue recognition. Management has reevaluated the capitalization and amortization policies of deferred sales commission assets, which will result in a shorter amortization period. Contingent deferred sales charges received, which are currently recorded as a reduction of the deferred sales commission asset, will be recorded as revenue. Additionally, consideration payable to a customer (such as payments to a fund for amounts in excess of the fund's expense cap), which is currently recorded as an expense, will be recorded as a reduction of revenue. Certain revenue previously recorded in Other service fees, net—other will now be recorded in Investment advisory fees, net—other, as it is part of a unitary fee arrangement with a single performance obligation. Management will adopt the standard effective January 1, 2018 and has elected the modified retrospective adoption approach, which does not require the restatement of prior years. The adoption will not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements. (c) Financial Instruments On January 5, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The ASU significantly revises an entity's accounting related to (1) the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities, including investments in mutual funds and (2) the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities. The ASU also amends certain disclosure requirements associated with the fair value of financial instruments. The update was effective for Federated on January 1, 2018 and will be applied by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet. The adoption will not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements. (d) Leases On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The core principle is that a lessee should recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet, but Topic 842 retains a distinction between finance and operating leases. The update is effective for Federated on January 1, 2019. While early adoption is permitted, Federated does not plan to early adopt in 2018. The update requires the modified retrospective adoption method. Management has begun to identify the population of contracts for testing to determine if a lease exists, and is currently evaluating the potential impact of adoption to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements. (e) Clarifying the Definition of a Business On January 5, 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. The amendments in this update require that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset (or a group of similar identifiable assets), the assets are not considered to be a business. To be considered a business, an acquisition or disposal must include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The amendments also narrow the definition of the term "outputs" to be consistent with Topic 606. The ASU was effective for Federated on January 1, 2018 and was required to be applied prospectively. The adoption will not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements. (f) Goodwill Impairment On January 26, 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. Under this ASU, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, and recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value. However, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Additionally, the ASU retains the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The update is effective for Federated on January 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted, and requires the prospective adoption method. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact of adoption to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements. (g) Reporting Comprehensive Income On February 14, 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. Because the revaluation of deferred taxes resulting from the Tax Act was required to be included in income, regardless of the source of income or loss to which the deferred item related, the tax effects of items within Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax (stranded tax effects) do not reflect the appropriate tax rate. The amendments in this update allow a reclassification from Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax to Retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. The update is effective for Federated on January 1, 2019, and permits early adoption, including in an interim period. The amendments should be applied either in the period of adoption or utilizing the retrospective adoption method. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact of adoption to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

(a) Deferred Taxes

On January 1, 2017, Federated adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. This update requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. Management elected the prospective transition method, which did not require the restatement of prior years, and the adoption did not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted

(b) Revenue Recognition

On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes virtually all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. The update's core principle is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. During the third quarter of 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which deferred the effective date of the standard by one year. As a result of the deferral, the update was effective for Federated on January 1, 2018. During 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, which clarified principal versus agent considerations, ASU 2016-10, which clarified identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance, ASU 2016-12, which addressed implementation issues and provided additional practical expedients and ASU 2016-20, which provided technical corrections to narrow aspects of the guidance (collectively, with ASU 2014-09, Topic 606). Topic 606 allows for the use of either the retrospective or modified retrospective adoption method.

Management has completed the evaluation of revenue contracts, as well as the identification of Federated's customers, performance obligations and material revenue streams. No changes have been identified as to the timing of revenue recognition. Management has reevaluated the capitalization and amortization policies of deferred sales commission assets, which will result in a shorter amortization period. Contingent deferred sales charges received, which are currently recorded as a reduction of the deferred sales commission asset, will be recorded as revenue. Additionally, consideration payable to a customer (such as payments to a fund for amounts in excess of the fund's expense cap), which is currently recorded as an expense, will be recorded as a reduction of revenue. Certain revenue previously recorded in Other service fees, net—other will now be recorded in Investment advisory fees, net—other, as it is part of a unitary fee arrangement with a single performance obligation. Management will adopt the standard effective January 1, 2018 and has elected the modified retrospective adoption approach, which does not require the restatement of prior years. The adoption will not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.

On January 5, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The ASU significantly revises an entity's accounting related to (1) the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities, including investments in mutual funds and (2) the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities. The ASU also amends certain disclosure requirements associated with the fair value of financial instruments. The update was effective for Federated on January 1, 2018 and will be applied by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet. The adoption will not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.

(d) Leases

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The core principle is that a lessee should recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet, but Topic 842 retains a distinction between finance and operating leases. The update is effective for Federated on January 1, 2019. While early adoption is permitted, Federated does not plan to early adopt in 2018. The update requires the modified retrospective adoption method. Management has begun to identify the population of contracts for testing to determine if a lease exists, and is currently evaluating the potential impact of adoption to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.

(e) Clarifying the Definition of a Business

On January 5, 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. The amendments in this update require that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset (or a group of similar identifiable assets), the assets are not considered to be a business. To be considered a business, an acquisition or disposal must include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The amendments also narrow the definition of the term "outputs" to be consistent with Topic 606. The ASU was effective for Federated on January 1, 2018 and was required to be applied prospectively. The adoption will not have a material impact to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.

(f) Goodwill Impairment

On January 26, 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. Under this ASU, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, and recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value. However, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Additionally, the ASU retains the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The update is effective for Federated on January 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted, and requires the prospective adoption method. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact of adoption to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.

(g) Reporting Comprehensive Income

On February 14, 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. Because the revaluation of deferred taxes resulting from the Tax Act was required to be included in income, regardless of the source of income or loss to which the deferred item related, the tax effects of items within Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax (stranded tax effects) do not reflect the appropriate tax rate. The amendments in this update allow a reclassification from Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax to Retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. The update is effective for Federated on January 1, 2019, and permits early adoption, including in an interim period. The amendments should be applied either in the period of adoption or utilizing the retrospective adoption method. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact of adoption to Federated's Consolidated Financial Statements.