Variable Interest Entities (Notes)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities	Variable Interest Entities In February 2006, the Company issued $30.928 million in fixed/floating rate junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures to First M&F Statutory Trust I. The Company received $30.000 million in cash and $928 thousand of common securities from the Trust. The debentures mature in March 2036, and interest is payable quarterly. The subordinated debentures are redeemable at par. The subordinated debentures are the only asset of the Trust. The Trust issued $30.000 million in capital securities through a placement and issued $928 thousand of common securities to the Company. First M&F Statutory Trust I, which is a wholly owned financing subsidiary of the Company for regulatory and legal purposes, is a variable interest entity. A determination has been made that the Company, since its equity interest is not at risk, is not the primary beneficiary and therefore, the Trust is not consolidated with the Company’s financial statements. The Company is involved as a limited partner in two low income housing tax credit entities. The Company has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of these partnerships because it does not have the power to direct the activities of the entity – primarily construction, renovation and property management – that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance. The Company had a total investment and a total exposure of $2.281 million in these entities at September 30, 2012 and $2.497 million at December 31, 2011. The low income housing tax credit partnership investments are evaluated for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable.

Variable Interest Entities

In February 2006, the Company issued $30.928 million in fixed/floating rate junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures to First M&F Statutory Trust I. The Company received $30.000 million in cash and $928 thousand of common securities from the Trust. The debentures mature in March 2036, and interest is payable quarterly. The subordinated debentures are redeemable at par. The subordinated debentures are the only asset of the Trust. The Trust issued $30.000 million in capital securities through a placement and issued $928 thousand of common securities to the Company.

First M&F Statutory Trust I, which is a wholly owned financing subsidiary of the Company for regulatory and legal purposes, is a variable interest entity. A determination has been made that the Company, since its equity interest is not at risk, is not the primary beneficiary and therefore, the Trust is not consolidated with the Company’s financial statements.

The Company is involved as a limited partner in two low income housing tax credit entities. The Company has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of these partnerships because it does not have the power to direct the activities of the entity – primarily construction, renovation and property management – that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance. The Company had a total investment and a total exposure of $2.281 million in these entities at September 30, 2012 and $2.497 million at December 31, 2011. The low income housing tax credit partnership investments are evaluated for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable.