Summary of Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Summary of Accounting Policies	Summary of Accounting Policies The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of DST Systems, Inc. and consolidated subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” or “DST”) included herein have been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although we believe that the disclosures are adequate to enable a reasonable understanding of the information presented. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. Certain amounts in the 2015 financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2016 presentation. On July 1, 2016, we completed the sale of our North American Customer Communications business. Additionally, during the second quarter 2016, our Board of Directors approved a plan for management to pursue the divestiture of our United Kingdom Customer Communications business. As a result, beginning in the second quarter 2016, the Customer Communications segment, as well as certain businesses previously reported within the Financial Services segment that are also being sold, are reported as discontinued operations. Prior period amounts have been adjusted to be consistent with the current discontinued operations presentation. See Note 3, Discontinued Operations, for additional information. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to fairly state the consolidated financial position and the results of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year 2016. New authoritative accounting guidance In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification of related amounts within the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued its final lease accounting standard which requires lessees to reflect most leases on their balance sheet as assets and obligations. The guidance is effective January 1, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The standard is to be applied under the modified retrospective method, with elective reliefs, which requires application of the new guidance for all periods presented. We are currently evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance which updates the reporting model for certain financial instruments, including the requirement for equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The guidance is effective January 1, 2018 and requires a cumulative-effective adjustment as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We are currently evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements. In September 2015, the FASB issued guidance which requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts in a business combination that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Effects on earnings as a result of the change to the provisional amounts should be recorded in the same period’s financial statements and calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The guidance was adopted on January 1, 2016 and did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2015, the FASB issued guidance which changes the way reporting enterprises evaluate whether (a) they should consolidate limited partnerships and similar entities, (b) fees paid to a decision maker or service provider are variable interests in a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”), and (c) variable interests in a VIE held by related parties of the reporting enterprise require the reporting enterprise to consolidate the VIE. It also eliminates the VIE consolidation model based on majority exposure to variability that applied to certain investment companies and similar entities. In connection with the adoption of the guidance on January 1, 2016, the Company reevaluated all of its investment products for consolidation and determined that certain of its investments in private equity funds met the definition of a VIE as our equity interests lacked the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. The revised consolidation guidance did not result in consolidation of any of our investments. See Note 4, Investments, for additional details regarding our investments in variable interest entities. In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance which requires companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard and subsequently issued amendments will become effective for us beginning with the first quarter 2018 and may be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or as a cumulative effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. Early adoption of this standard is permitted as of January 2017. We are currently evaluating the standard, including which transition approach will be applied and the estimated impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Summary of Accounting Policies

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of DST Systems, Inc. and consolidated subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” or “DST”) included herein have been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although we believe that the disclosures are adequate to enable a reasonable understanding of the information presented. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Certain amounts in the 2015 financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2016 presentation. On July 1, 2016, we completed the sale of our North American Customer Communications business. Additionally, during the second quarter 2016, our Board of Directors approved a plan for management to pursue the divestiture of our United Kingdom Customer Communications business. As a result, beginning in the second quarter 2016, the Customer Communications segment, as well as certain businesses previously reported within the Financial Services segment that are also being sold, are reported as discontinued operations. Prior period amounts have been adjusted to be consistent with the current discontinued operations presentation. See Note 3, Discontinued Operations, for additional information.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to fairly state the consolidated financial position and the results of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year 2016.

New authoritative accounting guidance

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification of related amounts within the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued its final lease accounting standard which requires lessees to reflect most leases on their balance sheet as assets and obligations. The guidance is effective January 1, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The standard is to be applied under the modified retrospective method, with elective reliefs, which requires application of the new guidance for all periods presented. We are currently evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance which updates the reporting model for certain financial instruments, including the requirement for equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The guidance is effective January 1, 2018 and requires a cumulative-effective adjustment as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We are currently evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In September 2015, the FASB issued guidance which requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts in a business combination that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Effects on earnings as a result of the change to the provisional amounts should be recorded in the same period’s financial statements and calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The guidance was adopted on January 1, 2016 and did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2015, the FASB issued guidance which changes the way reporting enterprises evaluate whether (a) they should consolidate limited partnerships and similar entities, (b) fees paid to a decision maker or service provider are variable interests in a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”), and (c) variable interests in a VIE held by related parties of the reporting enterprise require the reporting enterprise to consolidate the VIE. It also eliminates the VIE consolidation model based on majority exposure to variability that applied to certain investment companies and similar entities. In connection with the adoption of the guidance on January 1, 2016, the Company reevaluated all of its investment products for consolidation and determined that certain of its investments in private equity funds met the definition of a VIE as our equity interests lacked the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. The revised consolidation guidance did not result in consolidation of any of our investments. See Note 4, Investments, for additional details regarding our investments in variable interest entities.

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance which requires companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard and subsequently issued amendments will become effective for us beginning with the first quarter 2018 and may be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or as a cumulative effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. Early adoption of this standard is permitted as of January 2017. We are currently evaluating the standard, including which transition approach will be applied and the estimated impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.