Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	1. Basis of Presentation Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (“OPY”) is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of OPY and its subsidiaries (together, the “Company”). The principal subsidiaries of OPY are Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“Oppenheimer”), a registered broker dealer in securities, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. (“OAM”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Oppenheimer Investment Management Inc. (“OIM”), both registered investment advisors under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, Oppenheimer Trust Company (“Oppenheimer Trust”), a limited purpose trust company chartered by the State of New Jersey to provide fiduciary services such as trust and estate administration and investment management, Oppenheimer Multifamily Housing and Healthcare Finance, Inc. (“OMHHF”), which is engaged in mortgage brokerage and servicing, and OPY Credit Corp., which offers syndication as well as trading of issued corporate loans. Oppenheimer Europe Ltd., based in the United Kingdom, with an office in the Isle of Jersey, provides institutional equities and fixed income brokerage and corporate financial services and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Oppenheimer Investments Asia Limited, based in Hong Kong, China, provides assistance in accessing the U.S. equities markets and limited mergers and acquisitions advisory services to Asia-based companies. Oppenheimer provides its services from 94 offices in 26 states located throughout the United States and in 6 foreign jurisdictions. Oppenheimer owns Freedom Investments, Inc. (“Freedom”), a registered broker dealer in securities, which also operates as the BUYandHOLD division of Freedom, offering on-line discount brokerage and dollar-based investing services, and Oppenheimer Israel (OPCO) Ltd., which is engaged in offering investment services in the State of Israel. Freedom has been approved to operate as a representative office in Beijing, China. Oppenheimer holds a trading permit on the New York Stock Exchange and is a member of several other regional exchanges in the United States. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 (the “Form 10-K”). The accompanying December 31, 2012 condensed consolidated statement of balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statement purposes and reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts that are reported in the financial statements and the accompanying disclosures. Although these estimates are based on management’s knowledge of current events and actions that the Company may undertake in the future, actual results may differ materially from the estimates. The consolidated results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 2013 is not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future interim or annual period. Accounting standards require the Company to present non-controlling interests as a separate component of stockholders’ equity on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. On September 28, 2012, the Company purchased additional shares of OMHHF for $3 million, representing 16.32% of OMHHF. As of March 31, 2013, the Company owned 83.68% of OMHHF and the non-controlling interest recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheet was $4.5 million.

1. Basis of Presentation

Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (“OPY”) is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of OPY and its subsidiaries (together, the “Company”). The principal subsidiaries of OPY are Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“Oppenheimer”), a registered broker dealer in securities, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. (“OAM”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Oppenheimer Investment Management Inc. (“OIM”), both registered investment advisors under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, Oppenheimer Trust Company (“Oppenheimer Trust”), a limited purpose trust company chartered by the State of New Jersey to provide fiduciary services such as trust and estate administration and investment management, Oppenheimer Multifamily Housing and Healthcare Finance, Inc. (“OMHHF”), which is engaged in mortgage brokerage and servicing, and OPY Credit Corp., which offers syndication as well as trading of issued corporate loans. Oppenheimer Europe Ltd., based in the United Kingdom, with an office in the Isle of Jersey, provides institutional equities and fixed income brokerage and corporate financial services and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Oppenheimer Investments Asia Limited, based in Hong Kong, China, provides assistance in accessing the U.S. equities markets and limited mergers and acquisitions advisory services to Asia-based companies.

Oppenheimer provides its services from 94 offices in 26 states located throughout the United States and in 6 foreign jurisdictions. Oppenheimer owns Freedom Investments, Inc. (“Freedom”), a registered broker dealer in securities, which also operates as the BUYandHOLD division of Freedom, offering on-line discount brokerage and dollar-based investing services, and Oppenheimer Israel (OPCO) Ltd., which is engaged in offering investment services in the State of Israel. Freedom has been approved to operate as a representative office in Beijing, China. Oppenheimer holds a trading permit on the New York Stock Exchange and is a member of several other regional exchanges in the United States.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 (the “Form 10-K”). The accompanying December 31, 2012 condensed consolidated statement of balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statement purposes and reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts that are reported in the financial statements and the accompanying disclosures. Although these estimates are based on management’s knowledge of current events and actions that the Company may undertake in the future, actual results may differ materially from the estimates. The consolidated results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 2013 is not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future interim or annual period.

Accounting standards require the Company to present non-controlling interests as a separate component of stockholders’ equity on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. On September 28, 2012, the Company purchased additional shares of OMHHF for $3 million, representing 16.32% of OMHHF. As of March 31, 2013, the Company owned 83.68% of OMHHF and the non-controlling interest recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheet was $4.5 million.