Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2016		Mar. 31, 2015	Nov. 13, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015		Feb. 27, 2015	Feb. 23, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description						0.0044
Amortization of debt issuance costs						$ 7.1		$ 7.3
Interest Expense		$ 95.8			$ 81.1	193.3		157.5
Amortization of debt discount						0.7		$ 2.4
Long-term Debt		6,353.8				6,353.8				$ 6,439.1
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium), Net		25.0				25.0				$ 25.7
Compass Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Securities Held as Collateral, at Fair Value		30.0				30.0
Borrowing Capacity		$ 175.0				$ 175.0			$ 320.0
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage		0.50%		0.375%
Debt Instrument, Unused Borrowing Capacity, Description		0.5
Compass Credit Agreement [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Alternate Base Rate (ABR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		1.25%		0.75%
Compass Credit Agreement [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Eurodollar [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		2.25%		1.75%
Compass Credit Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Alternate Base Rate (ABR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		2.25%		1.75%
Compass Credit Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Eurodollar [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		3.25%		2.75%
Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						2.75%
HGI [Member] | Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate										7.75%
Long-term Debt		$ 890.0				$ 890.0				$ 890.0
HGI [Member] | Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		7.75%				7.75%
HGI [Member] | 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		7.90%				7.90%				7.90%
Long-term Debt		$ 864.4				$ 864.4				$ 864.4
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Six Point Seven Five Percentage Senior Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		6.60%				6.60%				6.63%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member] | Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.75%				0.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member] | Interest Rate Cap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		2.75%				2.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.75%				1.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due September 4, 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		2.50%				2.50%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due September 4, 2019 [Member] | Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.75%				0.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due September 4, 2019 [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.50%				3.50%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		$ 300.4				$ 300.4
Spectrum Brands [Member] | ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.20%				3.20%				0.00%
Long-term Debt		$ 175.0				$ 175.0				$ 0.0
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Six Point Three Seven Five Senior Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 520.0				$ 520.0				$ 520.0
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 [Member] | Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.75%				0.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		2.75%				2.75%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit outstanding		$ 24.6				$ 24.6
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Six Point One Two Five Percentage Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		6.10%				6.10%				6.10%
Long-term Debt		$ 250.0				$ 250.0				$ 250.0
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Five Point Seven Five Percentage Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		5.80%				5.80%				5.75%
Long-term Debt		$ 1,000.0				$ 1,000.0				$ 1,000.0
EXCO/HGI JV [Member] | Compass Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate										3.00%
EXCO/HGI JV [Member] | Compass Credit Agreement [Member] | Compass Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		3.70%				3.70%
HGI Energy Holdings, LLC [Member] | 6.375% Senior Notes, Due April 1, 2021 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	[1]	9.00%				9.00%				9.00%
Long-term Debt	[1]	$ 50.0				$ 50.0				$ 50.0
Compass Production Partners [Member] | Minimum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description						268.75
Compass Production Partners [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Alternate Base Rate (ABR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description						475
Compass Production Partners [Member] | Maximum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description						368.75
Compass Production Partners [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Alternate Base Rate (ABR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description						575
Compass Production Partners [Member] | Compass Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding		$ 160.0				$ 160.0
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Minimum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						2.37%
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Maximum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						11.50%
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Secured Borrowings Related to non-qualifying participating loan interests [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate		10.50%				10.50%				10.50%
Long-term Debt		$ 8.8				$ 8.8				$ 8.8
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 248.6				$ 248.6				$ 357.7		$ 578.5
Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Unaffiliated Long-Term Debt of Consolidated Variable-Interest-Entity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		0.00%				0.00%				0.00%
Long-term Debt		$ 40.4				$ 40.4				$ 40.4
United States of America, Dollars | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.50%				3.50%				3.90%
Long-term Debt		$ 1,220.8				$ 1,220.8				$ 1,226.9
United States of America, Dollars | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Euro Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		3.50%				3.50%				3.50%
Canada, Dollars | Spectrum Brands [Member] | CAD Term Loan, Due June 23, 2022 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		4.50%				4.50%				4.40%
Long-term Debt		$ 57.2				$ 57.2				$ 55.7
Euro Member Countries, Euro | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate		1.75%				1.75%
Euro Member Countries, Euro | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Euro Term Loan, Due September 4, 2019 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 257.5				$ 257.5				$ 255.8
FGL [Member] | Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Secured Borrowings Related to non-qualifying participating loan interests [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate	[1]									4.50%
Long-term Debt	[1]									$ 4.2
FGL [Member] | Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Unaffiliated Long-Term Debt of Consolidated Variable-Interest-Entity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Variable Interest, Percentage Rate	[1]	5.50%				5.50%				3.90%
Long-term Debt	[1]	$ 165.0				$ 165.0				$ 274.0
FGL [Member] | Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] | Salus Promissory Note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	[1]	5.30%				5.30%				5.30%
Long-term Debt		$ 2.5	[1]			$ 2.5	[1]			$ 2.5	[1]		$ 2.5

[1] * The debt balances included in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and in the table above reflect transactions between the businesses held for sale and businesses held for use that are expected to continue to exist after the close of the FGL Merger. Such transactions are not eliminated in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in order to appropriately reflect the continuing operations and balances held for sale.