Note 1 - Nature of Operations	3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	Note 1: Nature of Operations Charter Financial Corporation (“Charter Financial” or the “Company”), a federally chartered corporation, was organized on October 16, 2001 by CharterBank (the “Bank” ), to become the mid-tier holding company for the Bank in connection with the Bank’s reorganization from a federal mutual savings and loan association into the two-tiered mutual holding company structure. In connection with the reorganization, the Company sold 3,964,481 shares of its common stock to the public, representing 20% of the outstanding shares at $10.00 per share, and received net proceeds of $37.2 million. An additional 15,857,924 shares, or 80% of the Company’s outstanding shares, were issued to First Charter, MHC, the Bank’s federally chartered mutual holding company. In January 2007, Charter Financial repurchased 508,842 shares of its common stock at $52.00 per share through a self-tender offer. Following the stock repurchase, Charter Financial delisted its common stock from the NASDAQ Global Market and deregistered its common stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Between January 2007 and September 2009 Charter Financial repurchased 1,186,858 additional shares of its common stock. In September 2010, through an incremental offering, the Company issued 4,400,000 shares with net proceeds of $26.6 million, and First Charter, MHC canceled 4,400,000 shares of Company stock that it held. On September 27, 2011, Charter Financial announced a 5% stock repurchase plan with repurchased shares being held in treasury and available for general corporate purposes. For the three months ended December 31, 2012, 9,500 shares have been repurchased at a cost of $88,838. As of December 31, 2012, First Charter, MHC owned 11,457,924 shares of the Company’s common stock, representing approximately 62.7% of the Company’s 18,277,540 outstanding shares of common stock at that date. The remaining 6,819,616 shares of common stock, or approximately 37.3% of the outstanding shares of common stock, were held by the public. The Company's decision to pay dividends and the amount of such dividends is affected by the election of First Charter, MHC to waive the receipt of dividends declared by Charter Financial. First Charter, MHC has historically waived its right to receive most dividends on its shares of Charter Financial common stock, which means that Charter Financial has had more cash resources to pay dividends to its public stockholders than if First Charter, MHC had accepted such dividends. The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) now requires federally chartered mutual holding companies to conduct a vote of its members and then give the FRB notice before waiving the receipt of dividends. In the past, the FRB generally has not allowed dividend waivers by mutual holding companies, and there can be no assurance that the FRB will approve dividend waivers by First Charter, MHC in the future, or what conditions the FRB may place on any dividend waivers.

Note 1 - Nature of Operations

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Note 1: Nature of Operations

Charter Financial Corporation (“Charter Financial” or the “Company”), a federally chartered corporation, was organized on October 16, 2001 by CharterBank (the “Bank” ), to become the mid-tier holding company for the Bank in connection with the Bank’s reorganization from a federal mutual savings and loan association into the two-tiered mutual holding company structure. In connection with the reorganization, the Company sold 3,964,481 shares of its common stock to the public, representing 20% of the outstanding shares at $10.00 per share, and received net proceeds of $37.2 million. An additional 15,857,924 shares, or 80% of the Company’s outstanding shares, were issued to First Charter, MHC, the Bank’s federally chartered mutual holding company.

In January 2007, Charter Financial repurchased 508,842 shares of its common stock at $52.00 per share through a self-tender offer. Following the stock repurchase, Charter Financial delisted its common stock from the NASDAQ Global Market and deregistered its common stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Between January 2007 and September 2009 Charter Financial repurchased 1,186,858 additional shares of its common stock. In September 2010, through an incremental offering, the Company issued 4,400,000 shares with net proceeds of $26.6 million, and First Charter, MHC canceled 4,400,000 shares of Company stock that it held. On September 27, 2011, Charter Financial announced a 5% stock repurchase plan with repurchased shares being held in treasury and available for general corporate purposes. For the three months ended December 31, 2012, 9,500 shares have been repurchased at a cost of $88,838.

As of December 31, 2012, First Charter, MHC owned 11,457,924 shares of the Company’s common stock, representing approximately 62.7% of the Company’s 18,277,540 outstanding shares of common stock at that date. The remaining 6,819,616 shares of common stock, or approximately 37.3% of the outstanding shares of common stock, were held by the public.

The Company's decision to pay dividends and the amount of such dividends is affected by the election of First Charter, MHC to waive the receipt of dividends declared by Charter Financial. First Charter, MHC has historically waived its right to receive most dividends on its shares of Charter Financial common stock, which means that Charter Financial has had more cash resources to pay dividends to its public stockholders than if First Charter, MHC had accepted such dividends. The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) now requires federally chartered mutual holding companies to conduct a vote of its members and then give the FRB notice before waiving the receipt of dividends. In the past, the FRB generally has not allowed dividend waivers by mutual holding companies, and there can be no assurance that the FRB will approve dividend waivers by First Charter, MHC in the future, or what conditions the FRB may place on any dividend waivers.