Net capital requirements	6 Months Ended
Net capital requirements	Jun. 30, 2011
Net capital requirements [Abstract]
Net capital requirements	8. Net capital requirements The Company’s U.S. broker dealer subsidiaries, Oppenheimer and Freedom, are subject to the uniform net capital requirements of the SEC under Rule 15c3-1 (the “Rule”). Oppenheimer computes its net capital requirements under the alternative method provided for in the Rule which requires that Oppenheimer maintain net capital equal to two percent of aggregate customer-related debit items, as defined in SEC Rule 15c3-3. At June 30, 2011, the net capital of Oppenheimer as calculated under the Rule was $162.9 million or 13.2% of Oppenheimer’s aggregate debit items. This was $138.2 million in excess of the minimum required net capital at that date. Freedom computes its net capital requirement under the basic method provided for in the Rule, which requires that Freedom maintain net capital equal to the greater of $250,000 or 6 2/3% of aggregate indebtedness, as defined. At June 30, 2011, Freedom had net capital of $4.9 million, which was $4.6 million in excess of the $250,000 required to be maintained at that date. At June 30, 2011, the regulatory capital of Oppenheimer Europe was $4.2 million, which was $1.9 million in excess of the $2.3 million required to be maintained at that date. Oppenheimer Europe computes its regulatory capital pursuant to the Fixed Overhead Method prescribed by the Financial Services Authority of the United Kingdom. At June 30, 2011, the regulatory capital of Oppenheimer Investments Asia Ltd. was $1.6 million, which was $1.3 million in excess of the $385,000 required to be maintained on that date. Oppenheimer Investments Asia Ltd. computes its regulatory capital pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong.

Disclosure of computation of net capital under Securities and Exchange Commission Regulations which may include a reconciliation (including appropriate explanations) if material differences exist between the computations made by the independent auditor based on the audited financial statements and the broker-dealer's original unaudited Part II or IIA filing, a statement that a reconciliation is not necessary if no material differences exist between the computations made by the independent auditor based on the audited financial statements and the broker-dealer's unaudited Part II or IIA filing, when different, total assets and total liabilities, as reported in the statement of financial condition, should be reconciled to the total current assets and total liabilities, respectively, as reported in the statement of computation of minimum net capital. Disclosure may also include stockholder's equity, stockholders' equity not allowable for net capital, stockholders' equity qualified for net capital, subordinated borrowings allowable in computation of net capital, other deductions or allowable credits and total capital and allowable subordinated borrowings.

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