Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	NOTE 1. Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements for First Financial Holdings, Inc. (“First Financial”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including First Federal Bank (“First Federal”), a South Carolina-chartered commercial bank, have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012. Certain amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year presentation. First Financial’s significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in First Financial’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on December 13, 2011. For interim reporting purposes, First Financial follows the same basic accounting policies, as updated by the information contained in this report. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in First Financial’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K. First Financial has one active wholly-owned trust formed for the purpose of issuing securities which qualify as regulatory capital and is considered a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”). First Financial is not the primary beneficiary, and consequently, the trust is not consolidated in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The trust issued $46.4 million in trust preferred securities to investors in 2004, which remains outstanding at September 30, 2012. The net proceeds from the issuance were used to purchase junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures issued by First Financial, which is the sole asset of the trust. The trust preferred securities held by this entity qualify as Tier 1 capital for First Financial and are classified as long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, with the associated interest expense recorded in interest on borrowed money on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The expected losses and residual returns for this entity are absorbed by the trust preferred security holders and, consequently, First Financial is not exposed to loss related to this VIE. Change in Fiscal Year On December 20, 2011, First Financial’s Board of Directors approved an amendment to Article VIII of First Financial’s bylaws to change First Financial’s fiscal year end from September 30^th to December 31^st of each year. The change was effective December 31, 2011 and the current fiscal year began on January 1, 2012 and will end on December 31, 2012. The change in fiscal year end resulted in a three-month transition period which began on October 1, 2011 and ended on December 31, 2011. As a result of its change in fiscal year, First Financial filed a Transition Report on Form 10-Q with the SEC on February 9, 2012 which covered the transition period from October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. Discontinued Operations As a result of First Financial’s sale of its insurance agency subsidiary, First Southeast Insurance Services, Inc., which was completed on June 1, 2011, and its managing general insurance agency subsidiary, Kimbrell Insurance Group, Inc., which was completed on September 30, 2011, the financial condition, operating results, and the gain or loss on the sales, net of transaction costs and taxes, for these subsidiaries have been segregated from the financial condition and operating results of First Financial’s continuing operations throughout this report and, as such, are presented as discontinued operations. While all prior periods have been revised retrospectively to align with this treatment, these changes do not affect First Financial’s reported consolidated financial condition or operating results for any of the prior periods. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements FASB ASU 2012-02, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Testing Indefinite-Lived Assets for Impairment.” This ASU simplifies the guidance for testing the decline in the realizable value (impairment) of indefinite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill. The amendments will allow First Financial to make a qualitative evaluation about the likelihood of impairment of an indefinite-lived intangible asset to determine whether it should apply the quantitative test and calculate the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset. Specifically, First Financial has the option to first assess qualitative factors (events and circumstances) that could have affected the significant inputs used in determining the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset to determine whether it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, after considering all relevant events and circumstances, First Federal concludes that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired then First Financial is required to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset and compare the fair value with the carrying amount to determine the amount of impairment loss, if any. However, if First Financial concludes otherwise, then it is not required to take any further action. Under the amended guidance, First Financial may choose to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period and proceed directly to calculating its fair value. The amendments do not change how an impairment loss is measured or how First Financial measures an impairment loss. ASU 2012-2 is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed after September 15, 2012. The adoption of ASU 2012-02 did not have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations. FASB ASU 2011-05, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) – Presentation of Comprehensive Income” as amended by Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-12, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220)-Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassification of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-05.” This ASU increases the prominence of other comprehensive income (“OCI”) in financial statements and provides two options for presenting OCI. The ASU eliminates the current placement near the statement of shareholders’ equity or detailed in the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity. The ASU provides for an OCI statement to be included with the net income statement, and together the two will make a statement of total comprehensive income. Alternatively, businesses can have an OCI statement separate from a net income statement, but the two statements should appear consecutively within a financial report. The ASU does not affect the calculation of earnings per share. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 was effective December 15, 2011. First Financial elected to present a separate OCI statement which is located immediately following its Consolidated Statements of Operations. FASB ASU 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) – Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs” This ASU amends the wording used to describe many of the requirements in GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The ASU clarifies the application of existing fair value measurement requirements and changes principles or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The ASU requires new disclosures for any transfers between Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy, not just significant transfers, and further expands focus on Level 3 measurements, including quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used for all Level 3 measurements, a qualitative discussion about the sensitivity of recurring Level 3 measurements to changes in the unobservable inputs disclosed, and a description of the valuation processes. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 was effective for reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011 and is included in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. FASB ASU 2011-03, “Transfer and Servicing (Topic 860) – Reconsideration of Effective Control of Repurchase Agreements” This ASU improves the accounting for repurchase agreements and other agreements that entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity. ASU 2011-03 removes from the assessment of effective control: (1) the criterion requiring the transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even in the event of default by the transferee, and (2) the collateral maintenance implementation related to that criterion. Other criterions applicable to the assessment of effective control are not changed by the amendments in this ASU. The adoption of ASU 2011-03 was effective December 15, 2011 and did not have a material impact on First Financial’s financial condition or results of operations. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements FASB ASU 2012-06. “Business Combinations (Topic 805) - Subsequent Accounting for an Indemnification Asset Recognized at the Acquisition Date as a Result of a Government-Assisted Acquisition of a Financial Institution” This ASU addresses the diversity in practice about how to interpret the terms on the same basis and contractual limitations when subsequently measuring an indemnification asset recognized in a government-assisted (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or National Credit Union Administration) acquisition of a financial institution that includes a loss sharing agreement (indemnification agreement). When First Financial recognizes an indemnification asset (in accordance with Subtopic 805-20) as a result of a government-assisted acquisition of a financial institution and subsequently a change in the cash flows expected to be collected on the indemnification asset occurs (as a result of a change in cash flows expected to be collected on the assets subject to indemnification), First Financial should subsequently account for the change in the measurement of the indemnification asset on the same basis as the change in the assets subject to indemnification. Any amortization of changes in value should be limited to the contractual term of the indemnification agreement (that is, the lesser of the term of the indemnification agreement and the remaining life of the indemnified assets). This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2012 and interim periods within those annual periods. First Financial has previously accounted for its indemnification asset in accordance with this guidance; accordingly, this guidance will have no impact on First Financial’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. FASB ASU 2011-11, “Balance Sheet (Topic 210) - Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” This ASU addresses the differences in reporting between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) regarding offsetting (netting) assets and liabilities and enhances current disclosures. ASU 2011-11 requires First Financial to disclose both gross information and net information about instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the statement of financial position and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. The scope includes derivatives, sale and repurchase agreements and reverse sales and repurchase agreements, as well as securities borrowing and securities lending arrangements. ASU 2011-11 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013 and interim periods within those annual periods. First Financial does not expect the adoption of ASU 2011-11 to have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations.

Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE 1. Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements for First Financial Holdings, Inc. (“First Financial”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including First Federal Bank (“First Federal”), a South Carolina-chartered commercial bank, have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012.

Certain amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year presentation. First Financial’s significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in First Financial’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on December 13, 2011. For interim reporting purposes, First Financial follows the same basic accounting policies, as updated by the information contained in this report. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in First Financial’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

First Financial has one active wholly-owned trust formed for the purpose of issuing securities which qualify as regulatory capital and is considered a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”). First Financial is not the primary beneficiary, and consequently, the trust is not consolidated in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The trust issued $46.4 million in trust preferred securities to investors in 2004, which remains outstanding at September 30, 2012. The net proceeds from the issuance were used to purchase junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures issued by First Financial, which is the sole asset of the trust. The trust preferred securities held by this entity qualify as Tier 1 capital for First Financial and are classified as long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, with the associated interest expense recorded in interest on borrowed money on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The expected losses and residual returns for this entity are absorbed by the trust preferred security holders and, consequently, First Financial is not exposed to loss related to this VIE.

Change in Fiscal Year

On December 20, 2011, First Financial’s Board of Directors approved an amendment to Article VIII of First Financial’s bylaws to change First Financial’s fiscal year end from September 30^th to December 31^st of each year. The change was effective December 31, 2011 and the current fiscal year began on January 1, 2012 and will end on December 31, 2012. The change in fiscal year end resulted in a three-month transition period which began on October 1, 2011 and ended on December 31, 2011. As a result of its change in fiscal year, First Financial filed a Transition Report on Form 10-Q with the SEC on February 9, 2012 which covered the transition period from October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011.

Discontinued Operations

As a result of First Financial’s sale of its insurance agency subsidiary, First Southeast Insurance Services, Inc., which was completed on June 1, 2011, and its managing general insurance agency subsidiary, Kimbrell Insurance Group, Inc., which was completed on September 30, 2011, the financial condition, operating results, and the gain or loss on the sales, net of transaction costs and taxes, for these subsidiaries have been segregated from the financial condition and operating results of First Financial’s continuing operations throughout this report and, as such, are presented as discontinued operations. While all prior periods have been revised retrospectively to align with this treatment, these changes do not affect First Financial’s reported consolidated financial condition or operating results for any of the prior periods.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

FASB ASU 2012-02, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Testing Indefinite-Lived Assets for Impairment.”

This ASU simplifies the guidance for testing the decline in the realizable value (impairment) of indefinite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill. The amendments will allow First Financial to make a qualitative evaluation about the likelihood of impairment of an indefinite-lived intangible asset to determine whether it should apply the quantitative test and calculate the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset. Specifically, First Financial has the option to first assess qualitative factors (events and circumstances) that could have affected the significant inputs used in determining the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset to determine whether it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, after considering all relevant events and circumstances, First Federal concludes that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired then First Financial is required to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset and compare the fair value with the carrying amount to determine the amount of impairment loss, if any. However, if First Financial concludes otherwise, then it is not required to take any further action. Under the amended guidance, First Financial may choose to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period and proceed directly to calculating its fair value. The amendments do not change how an impairment loss is measured or how First Financial measures an impairment loss. ASU 2012-2 is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed after September 15, 2012. The adoption of ASU 2012-02 did not have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations.

FASB ASU 2011-05, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) – Presentation of Comprehensive Income” as amended by Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-12, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220)-Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassification of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-05.”

This ASU increases the prominence of other comprehensive income (“OCI”) in financial statements and provides two options for presenting OCI. The ASU eliminates the current placement near the statement of shareholders’ equity or detailed in the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity. The ASU provides for an OCI statement to be included with the net income statement, and together the two will make a statement of total comprehensive income. Alternatively, businesses can have an OCI statement separate from a net income statement, but the two statements should appear consecutively within a financial report. The ASU does not affect the calculation of earnings per share. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 was effective December 15, 2011. First Financial elected to present a separate OCI statement which is located immediately following its Consolidated Statements of Operations.

FASB ASU 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) – Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs”

This ASU amends the wording used to describe many of the requirements in GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The ASU clarifies the application of existing fair value measurement requirements and changes principles or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The ASU requires new disclosures for any transfers between Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy, not just significant transfers, and further expands focus on Level 3 measurements, including quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used for all Level 3 measurements, a qualitative discussion about the sensitivity of recurring Level 3 measurements to changes in the unobservable inputs disclosed, and a description of the valuation processes. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 was effective for reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011 and is included in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

FASB ASU 2011-03, “Transfer and Servicing (Topic 860) – Reconsideration of Effective Control of Repurchase Agreements”

This ASU improves the accounting for repurchase agreements and other agreements that entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity. ASU 2011-03 removes from the assessment of effective control: (1) the criterion requiring the transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even in the event of default by the transferee, and (2) the collateral maintenance implementation related to that criterion. Other criterions applicable to the assessment of effective control are not changed by the amendments in this ASU. The adoption of ASU 2011-03 was effective December 15, 2011 and did not have a material impact on First Financial’s financial condition or results of operations.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

FASB ASU 2012-06. “Business Combinations (Topic 805) - Subsequent Accounting for an Indemnification Asset Recognized at the Acquisition Date as a Result of a Government-Assisted Acquisition of a Financial Institution”

This ASU addresses the diversity in practice about how to interpret the terms on the same basis and contractual limitations when subsequently measuring an indemnification asset recognized in a government-assisted (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or National Credit Union Administration) acquisition of a financial institution that includes a loss sharing agreement (indemnification agreement). When First Financial recognizes an indemnification asset (in accordance with Subtopic 805-20) as a result of a government-assisted acquisition of a financial institution and subsequently a change in the cash flows expected to be collected on the indemnification asset occurs (as a result of a change in cash flows expected to be collected on the assets subject to indemnification), First Financial should subsequently account for the change in the measurement of the indemnification asset on the same basis as the change in the assets subject to indemnification. Any amortization of changes in value should be limited to the contractual term of the indemnification agreement (that is, the lesser of the term of the indemnification agreement and the remaining life of the indemnified assets). This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2012 and interim periods within those annual periods. First Financial has previously accounted for its indemnification asset in accordance with this guidance; accordingly, this guidance will have no impact on First Financial’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

FASB ASU 2011-11, “Balance Sheet (Topic 210) - Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.”

This ASU addresses the differences in reporting between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) regarding offsetting (netting) assets and liabilities and enhances current disclosures. ASU 2011-11 requires First Financial to disclose both gross information and net information about instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the statement of financial position and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. The scope includes derivatives, sale and repurchase agreements and reverse sales and repurchase agreements, as well as securities borrowing and securities lending arrangements. ASU 2011-11 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013 and interim periods within those annual periods. First Financial does not expect the adoption of ASU 2011-11 to have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

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