Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)							12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable interests in unconsolidated VIEs	Dec. 31, 2012 Special-Purpose Investment Entity VIEs	Dec. 31, 2012 Special-Purpose Investment Entity VIEs Primary Beneficiary	Dec. 31, 2012 Acquisition Partnership VIEs item	Dec. 31, 2012 Acquisition Partnership VIEs Minimum item	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Entity VIEs
Variable interest entities
Number of investors in VIEs							1
Number of VIEs in which entity and respective non-affiliated investors each hold equal ownership and voting interests						4
Maximum recourse available to third-party creditors under various limited guaranty provisions related to certain debt obligations of the VIEs				$ 38,100,000
Carrying amount and classification of assets and liabilities of VIEs included in consolidated balance sheet
Cash					24,066,000
Portfolio Assets, net	55,075,000	123,946,000			42,056,000
Loans receivable			7,419,000		33,111,000			7,419,000
Equity investments	77,466,000	109,393,000	(502,000)		21,640,000	(1,076,000)		574,000
Other assets	32,755,000	25,593,000			32,954,000
Total assets of consolidated VIEs (1)					153,827,000
Notes payable (2)					71,718,000
Other liabilities (2)	30,425,000	23,690,000			18,210,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIEs					89,928,000
Notes payable for which creditors do not have recourse					26,500,000
Other liabilities (2)					18,200,000
FirstCity's Maximum Exposure to Loss (1)			$ 8,973,000			$ 980,000		$ 7,993,000