DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 9) (LendingTree Loans, Discontinued operations, Loans held for sale, USD $)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Loans held for sale
Aggregate unpaid principal balance	$ 412,000		$ 208,918,000
Difference between fair value and aggregate unpaid principal balance	(412,000)		8,549,000
Loans held for sale			217,467,000
Measured at Fair Value
Loans held for sale
Aggregate unpaid principal balance	412,000		208,918,000
Difference between fair value and aggregate unpaid principal balance	(412,000)		8,549,000
Loans held for sale			217,467,000
Gain due to change in fair value of loans held for sale	$ 2,700,000	$ 3,700,000

This item represents the aggregate fair value of loans held as assets for which the fair value option has been elected, if the entity's policy is to recognize interest income separately from other changes in fair value.

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	tree_
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For loans held as assets for which the fair value option has been elected, this item represents the aggregate unpaid principal balance of those loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	tree_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Definition

For each line item in the statement of financial position, the amounts of gains and losses from fair value changes included in earnings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 30

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14172-108612

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- Definition

For loans held as assets for which the fair value option has been elected, this item represents the difference between the aggregate fair value and the aggregate unpaid principal balance of those loans that are 90 days or more past due, in nonaccrual status, or both.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (e)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14064-108612

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 159

-Paragraph 18

-Subparagraph e(3)

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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