SEGMENT ANALYSIS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2010
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 868,212	[1]	$ 763,612	[1]	$ 2,565,289	[1]	$ 2,216,268	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	78,667	[2]	97,511		335,418	[2]	256,555
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	2,412		(2,164)		(3,355)		113
Income including noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes	81,079	[2]	95,347		332,063	[2]	256,668
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	78,007		76,541		248,013		229,938
Total assets :
Total assets	16,117,109				16,117,109				17,883,081
Goodwill included in segment's asset total	71,924				71,924				62,575
Pre-tax loss provision for auction rate securities	45,000				45,000
Reportable Segment [Member] | Private Client Group [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	557,017	[1]	486,566	[1]	1,663,080	[1]	1,409,761	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	53,317		44,792		155,047		113,047
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	17,740		14,325		49,905		40,957
Total assets :
Total assets	4,586,557	[3]			4,586,557	[3]			4,053,054	[3]
Goodwill included in segment's asset total	48,000				48,000				48,000
Reportable Segment [Member] | Capital Markets [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	162,695	[1]	154,077	[1]	513,130	[1]	437,620	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	14,191		19,623		72,526		53,016
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	617		1,841		4,045		3,561
Total assets :
Total assets	1,542,960	[4]			1,542,960	[4]			1,791,618	[4]
Goodwill included in segment's asset total	24,000				24,000				24,000
Reportable Segment [Member] | Asset Management [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	58,458	[1]	49,296	[1]	169,386	[1]	147,910	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	17,593		12,152		48,414		35,453
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	26		24		78		72
Total assets :
Total assets	63,383				63,383				62,850
Reportable Segment [Member] | RJ Bank [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	67,836	[1]	69,647	[1]	214,376	[1]	210,099	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	42,093		29,185		130,813		84,644
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	65,104		62,466		206,243		195,279
Total assets :
Total assets	7,902,969				7,902,969				10,818,240
Reportable Segment [Member] | Emerging Markets [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	14,449	[1]	4,391	[1]	35,000	[1]	11,993	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	2,710		(1,109)		4,223		(4,091)
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	215		26		843		78
Total assets :
Total assets	78,671				78,671				27,538
Reportable Segment [Member] | Securities Lending [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,502	[1]	2,573	[1]	4,731	[1]	6,666	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	323		720		1,177		2,053
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	931		1,317		2,986		3,750
Total assets :
Total assets	709,314				709,314				680,326
Reportable Segment [Member] | Proprietary Capital [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	13,716	[1]	4,445	[1]	14,111	[1]	17,093	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	6,616		3,090		2,442		2,236
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	145		1,698		325		1,756
Total assets :
Total assets	174,852				174,852				167,010
Reportable Segment [Member] | Other Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,286	[1]	2,217	[1]	8,263	[1]	6,013	[1]
Income (Loss) excluding noncontrolling interests and before provision for income taxes:
Pre-tax income excluding noncontrolling interests	(58,176)	[2]	(10,942)		(79,224)	[2]	(29,803)
Net interest income (expense) :
Net interest income (expense)	(6,771)		(5,156)		(16,412)		(15,515)
Total assets :
Total assets	1,058,403				1,058,403				282,445
Pre-tax loss provision for auction rate securities	45,000				45,000
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ (8,747)	[1]	$ (9,600)	[1]	$ (26,788)	[1]	$ (30,887)	[1]

[1] No individual client accounted for more than ten percent of total revenues.

[2] The Other segment for the period ended June 30, 2011 includes a $45 million pre-tax loss provision for auction rate securities (see further discussion of this matter in Note 13).

[3] Includes $48 million of goodwill.

[4] Includes $24 million of goodwill.