Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Charter Financial Corporation and subsidiary include the accounts of the Company and the Bank as of December 31, 2012 and September 30, 2012 (derived from audited financial statements), and for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012 and 2011. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include all necessary adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year or any other interim period.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, the valuation of real estate acquired in connection with foreclosures or in satisfaction of loans, the estimates used for fair value acquisition accounting and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation receivable for loss sharing agreements, estimate of expected cash flows on purchased impaired and other acquired loans, and the assessment for other-than-temporary impairment of investment securities, mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations.

Reclassification, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Certain reclassifications of 2011 balances have been made to conform to classifications used in 2012.  These reclassifications did not change net income.

Schedule of New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Table Text Block]

In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an update to the accounting standards relating to testing goodwill for impairment. This guidance allows companies to waive comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount in assessing the recoverability of goodwill if, based on qualitative factors, it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount.  This update is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this update as of October 1, 2012, did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In October 2012, the FASB issued an update to the accounting standards to provide guidance on the subsequent accounting treatment for an indemnification asset recognized at the acquisition date as a result of a government-assisted acquisition of a financial institution. The amendments in this update require entities that recognize an indemnification asset (in accordance with Subtopic 805-20) as a result of a government-assisted acquisition of a financial institution and subsequently a change in the cash flows expected to be collected on the indemnification asset occurs (as a result of a change in cash flows expected to be collected on the assets subject to indemnification) to subsequently account for the change in the measurement of the indemnification asset on the same basis as the change in the assets subject to indemnification. Any amortization of changes in value should be limited to the contractual term of the indemnification agreement (that is, the lesser of the term of the indemnification agreement and the remaining life of the indemnified assets). The amendments in this guidance are effective for the Company for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after December 15, 2012. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this update has no impact on the consolidated financial statements because the Company's accounting procedures for the indemnification asset is in compliance with this amendment.

In February 2013, the FASB issued an update to the accounting standards to improve the reporting of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income.  The amendments in this update require an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component.  In addition, an entity is required to present, either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by the respective line items of net income but only if the amount reclassified is required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period.  For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity is required to cross-reference to other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts.  This update is effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012.