FAIR VALUE, Level 3 Financial Assets and Liabilities, Roll Forward (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings			$ 0
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income			0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net							0
Transfers into Level 3					0
Transfers out of Level 3					0
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	0				0
Trading Instruments [Member] | Municipal and Provincial Obligations [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period	5,688,000		5,581,000		6,275,000		5,316,000
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	(129,000)		575,000		(710,000)		840,000
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	0		0		0		0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net	751,000		0		745,000		0
Transfers into Level 3	0		0		0		0
Transfers out of Level 3	0		0		0		0
Fair Value, end of period	6,310,000		6,156,000		6,310,000		6,156,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	(54,000)		575,000		(855,000)		840,000
Trading Instruments [Member] | Non-Agency CMOs and ABS [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period	3,921,000		6,145,000		3,930,000		10,915,000
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	570,000		(95,000)		1,310,000		(591,000)
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	0		0		0		0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net	(4,433,000)		(1,084,000)		(5,182,000)		(5,358,000)
Transfers into Level 3	0		0		0		0
Transfers out of Level 3	0		0		0		0
Fair Value, end of period	58,000		4,966,000		58,000		4,966,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	(63,000)		177,000		(190,000)		165,000
Trading Instruments [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period	1,925,000		0		3,025,000		0
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	0		0		0		0
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	0		0		0		0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net	(578,000)		6,000		(1,678,000)		6,000
Transfers into Level 3	0		0		0		0
Transfers out of Level 3	0		0		0		0
Fair Value, end of period	1,347,000		6,000		1,347,000		6,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	0		0		0		0
Trading Instruments [Member] | Derivative Contracts [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period			13,000				222,000
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings			(13,000)				(222,000)
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income			0				0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net			0				0
Transfers into Level 3			0				0
Transfers out of Level 3			0				0
Fair Value, end of period			0				0
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held			0				0
Trading Instruments [Member] | Other Securities [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period			1,574,000				919,000
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings			86,000				720,000
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income			0				0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net			(14,000)				7,000
Transfers into Level 3			0				0
Transfers out of Level 3			0				0
Fair Value, end of period			1,646,000				1,646,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held			86,000				719,000
Available-for-sale Securities [Member] | Non Agency CMOs [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period	800,000		1,623,000		1,011,000		2,596,000
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	0		(202,000)		121,000		(2,526,000)
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	136,000		(300,000)		202,000		1,269,000
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net	(21,000)		(88,000)		(419,000)		(306,000)
Transfers into Level 3	0		0		0		0
Transfers out of Level 3	0		0		0		0
Fair Value, end of period	915,000		1,033,000		915,000		1,033,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	0		(202,000)		(81,000)		(2,526,000)
Private Equity and Other Investments [Member] | Private Equity Investments [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period	157,046,000		157,797,000		161,230,000		142,671,000
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	8,819,000	[1]	2,425,000	[2]	8,417,000	[3]	14,498,000	[4]
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	0		0		0		0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net	1,909,000		2,924,000		(1,873,000)		5,977,000
Transfers into Level 3	0		0		0		0
Transfers out of Level 3	0		0		0		0
Fair Value, end of period	167,774,000		163,146,000		167,774,000		163,146,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	8,819,000		2,425,000	[2]	8,417,000		14,498,000
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Share of the net valuation adjustments gain	6,300,000		2,700,000		3,700,000		4,200,000
Noncontrolling interests' share of the net valuation adjustments gain	2,500,000		300,000		4,700,000		10,300,000
Private Equity and Other Investments [Member] | Other Investments [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period	45,000		222,000		45,000		227,000
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	0		249,000		0		244,000
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	0		0		0		0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net	0		(425,000)		0		(425,000)
Transfers into Level 3	0		0				0
Transfers out of Level 3	0		0				0
Fair Value, end of period	45,000		46,000		45,000		46,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	0		1,000		0		(4,000)
Private Equity and Other Investments [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair Value, beginning of period	25,000				0
Total Realized/ Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	0				0
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	0				0
Purchases, Issuances, and Settlements, Net	0				0
Transfers into Level 3	0				25,000
Transfers out of Level 3	0				0
Fair Value, end of period	25,000				25,000
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held	0				0
Derivative Contracts [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Fair value, beginning of period			(38,000)
Total Realized/Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings			38,000
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income			0
Purchases ,Issuances, and Settlements, Net			0
Transfers into Level 3			0
Transfers out of Level 3			0
Fair Value, end of period			0				0
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held			0
Other Liabilities [Member]
Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements, Liabilities [Roll Forward]
Fair value, beginning of period	(42,000)		(46,000)		(46,000)		(59,000)
Total Realized/Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings	0		0		0		13,000
Total Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income	0		0		0		0
Purchases ,Issuances, and Settlements, Net	0		0		0		0
Transfers into Level 3	0		0		(3,000)		0
Transfers out of Level 3	2,000		0		9,000		0
Fair Value, end of period	(40,000)		(46,000)		(40,000)		(46,000)
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Financial Instruments Held			$ 0				$ (7,000)

[1] Primarily results from valuation adjustments of certain private equity investments. Since we only own a portion of these investments, our share of the net valuation adjustments resulted in a gain of $6.3 million which is included in net income attributable to RJF (after noncontrolling interests), the noncontrolling interests' share of the net valuation adjustments was a gain of approximately $2.5 million.

[2] Primarily results from valuation adjustments of certain private equity investments. Since we only own a portion of these investments, our share of the net valuation adjustments resulted in a gain of $2.7 million which is included in net income attributable to RJF (after noncontrolling interests). The noncontrolling interests share of the net valuation adjustments was a loss of approximately $300,000.

[3] Primarily results from valuation adjustments of certain private equity investments. Since we only own a portion of these investments, our share of the net valuation adjustments resulted in a gain of $3.7 million which is included in net income attributable to RJF (after noncontrolling interests), the noncontrolling interests' share of the net valuation adjustments was a gain of approximately $4.7 million.

[4] Primarily results from valuation adjustments of certain private equity investments. Since we only own a portion of these investments, our share of the net valuation adjustments resulted in a gain of $4.2 million which is included in net income attributable to RJF (after noncontrolling interests), the noncontrolling interests share of the net valuation adjustments was a gain of approximately $10.3 million.