BANK DEPOSITS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2009
Bank deposits:
NOW accounts	$ 4,183,000		$ 3,563,000
Demand deposits (non-interest-bearing)	21,663,000		3,089,000
Savings and money market accounts	7,468,136,000	[1]	6,855,490,000	[1]
Certificates of deposit	245,340,000		217,576,000
Total bank deposits	7,739,322,000	[2]	7,079,718,000	[2]
Weighted-average rate [Abstract]
NOW accounts, weighted-average rate (in hundredths)	0.01%	[3]	0.01%	[3]
Demand deposits (non-interest-bearing), weighted-average rate (in hundredths)	0.00%	[3]	0.00%	[3]
Savings and money market accounts, weighted-average rate (in hundredths)	0.08%	[1],[3]	0.12%	[1],[3]
Certificates of deposit, weighted-average rate (in hundredths)	2.37%	[3]	2.94%	[3]
Total bank deposits, weighted-average rate (in hundredths)	0.15%	[2],[3]	0.21%	[2],[3]
Affiliate bank deposits excluded from total bank deposits	250,000,000		400,000,000
Scheduled maturities of certificates of deposit, denominations greater than or equal to $100,000 [Abstract]
Three months or less	7,403,000		6,378,000
Over three through six months	6,408,000		5,098,000
Over six through twelve months	6,711,000		14,982,000
Over one through two years	19,567,000		6,925,000
Over two through three years	10,045,000		16,084,000
Over three through four years	29,136,000		9,064,000
Over four through five years	34,349,000		29,806,000
Total certificates of deposit, denominations greater than or equal to 100,000	113,619,000		88,337,000
Scheduled maturities of certificates of deposit, denominations less than 100,000 [Abstract]
Three months or less	7,977,000		10,734,000
Over three through six months	6,153,000		10,921,000
Over six through twelve months	15,103,000		26,387,000
Over one through two years	19,862,000		15,905,000
Over two through three years	17,286,000		14,621,000
Over three through four years	36,271,000		14,349,000
Over four through five years	29,069,000		36,322,000
Total certificates of deposit, denominations less than 100,000	131,721,000		129,239,000
Interest expense on deposits [Abstract]
Certificates of deposit	6,228,000		6,563,000		8,229,000
Money market, savings and NOW accounts	6,315,000	[4]	9,480,000	[4]	15,794,000	[4]
Total interest expense on deposits	12,543,000		16,043,000		24,023,000
Interest expense on affiliate deposits	$ 62,000		$ 10,000

[1] Bank deposits at September 30, 2010 include additional deposits received through the Raymond James Bank Deposit Program ("RJBDP") associated with the point-in-time regulatory balance sheet composition requirements of RJ Bank. These deposits were redirected in October, 2010 to other RJBDP participating banks.

[2] Bank deposits exclude affiliate deposits of approximately $250 million and $400 million at September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

[3] Weighted-average rate calculation is based on the actual deposit balances at September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

[4] Excludes interest expense on affiliate deposits of $62 thousand and $10 thousand at September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. There were no affiliate deposits held by RJ Bank at September 30, 2009.