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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Document Type dei_DocumentType 485BPOS
Document Period End Date dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Feb. 24, 2012
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName FIRST EAGLE FUNDS
Central Index Key dei_EntityCentralIndexKey 0000906352
Amendment Flag dei_AmendmentFlag false
Document Creation Date dei_DocumentCreationDate Feb. 24, 2012
Document Effective Date dei_DocumentEffectiveDate Mar. 01, 2012
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Mar. 01, 2012
First Eagle Global Income Builder Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading RISK/RETURN
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

First Eagle Global Income Builder Fund (“Global Income Builder Fund”) seeks current income generation and long-term growth of capital.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

The following information describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.


You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you, together with certain related accounts, invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the Fund. Information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the How to Purchase Shares and Public Offering Price of Class A Shares sections on pages 22 and 27, respectively.


The percentages shown are based on anticipated expenses for the Fund’s first fiscal year. However, the rate at which expenses are accrued during the fiscal year may not be constant and, at any particular point, may be greater or less than the stated average percentage. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses, as allowed by law, so that the total annual operating expenses (excluding certain items) of Class A shares do not exceed 1.30%, Class C shares do not exceed 2.05% and Class I shares do not exceed 1.05% until December 31, 2012 (the “Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement Agreement”).

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination 2012-12-31
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover Rate
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. No portfolio turnover data is available for the Fund because it has not yet been in operation for a full calendar year.

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you, together with certain related accounts, invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the Fund.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount 25,000
Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text] rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates The percentages shown are based on anticipated expenses for the Fund's first fiscal year.
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, Based on Estimates [Text] rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesBasedOnEstimates The percentages shown are based on anticipated expenses for the Fund's first fiscal year.
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption This hypothetical example assumes you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem all shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes the average annual return is 5% and operating expenses remain the same and takes into account the effect of the Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement Agreement through December 31, 2012, as discussed directly above. Please keep in mind your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

To achieve its objective of current income generation and long-term growth of capital, the Global Income Builder Fund will normally invest its assets primarily in common stocks of U.S. and foreign companies that offer attractive dividend yields and a range of fixed income instruments, including high-yield, below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”), investment grade and sovereign debt, from markets in the United States and multiple countries around the world.


Investment decisions for the Global Income Builder Fund are made without regard to the capitalization (size) of the companies in which it invests. The Global Income Builder Fund may invest in any size company, including large, medium and smaller companies. Under normal circumstances, the Global Income Builder Fund anticipates it will allocate a substantial amount of its total assets to income-producing securities. That generally means that approximately 80% or more of the Global Income Builder Fund’s total assets will be allocated to such investments, which may include dividend paying equities, both high-yield (below investment grade) and investment grade debt, sovereign bonds, and various short-term debt instruments. The Fund may invest in securities with any investment rating, as well as unrated securities. The Fund may also invest (typically for hedging purposes) in derivative instruments such as options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, credit default swaps, and swaps and options on indices.


The investment philosophy and strategy of the Global Income Builder Fund can be broadly characterized as a “value” approach, as it seeks a “margin of safety” in each investment purchase with the goal being to avoid permanent impairment of capital (as opposed to temporary losses in share value relating to shifting investor sentiment or other normal share price volatility). With respect to equity investments in particular, a discount to “intrinsic value” is sought even for what appear to be the best of businesses, with a deeper discount demanded for companies that we view as under business model, balance sheet, management or other stresses. “Intrinsic value” is based on our judgment of what a prudent and rational business buyer would pay in cash for all of the company in normal markets. Investments in debt instruments are made after careful scrutiny of the underlying creditworthiness of the issuer, taking into account such factors as cash flow generation, liquidation value and structural protections. The Global Income Builder Fund seeks to own debt instruments that offer an attractive “margin of safety” on principal repayment relative to the total expected return of the security. Although no change is anticipated, the investment objective of the Fund can be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified a minimum of 60 days in advance of any change in investment objective or of any change in the “80% of assets” investment policies.

Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text] rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration Under normal circumstances, the Global Income Builder Fund anticipates it will allocate a substantial amount of its total assets to income-producing securities. That generally means that approximately 80% or more of the Global Income Builder Fund's total assets will be allocated to such investments, which may include dividend paying equities, both high-yield (below investment grade) and investment grade debt, sovereign bonds, and various short-term debt instruments.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Investment Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with any mutual fund investment, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The likelihood of loss may be greater if you invest for a shorter period of time.


Principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value and total return, are:


  • Market Risk — The value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings may fluctuate in response to events specific to the companies or markets in which the Fund invests, as well as economic, political, or social events in the United States or abroad.

  • Foreign Investment Risk — The Fund will invest in foreign investments. Foreign investments can be susceptible to less politically and economically stable environments, foreign currency and exchange rate changes, and adverse changes to government regulations.

  • Credit Risk — Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a bond or other instrument will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The Fund intends to invest in debt instruments that are high-yield (below investment grade), i.e., junk bonds or levered loans, which are considered speculative, and carry a higher risk of default.

  • Interest Rate Risk — Fluctuations in interest rates will affect the value of the Fund. An increase in interest rates tends to reduce the market value of debt securities, while a decline in interest rates tends to increase their values. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. Decreases in market interest rates may also result in prepayments of obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates.

  • Changes in Debt Ratings — If a rating agency gives a debt instrument a lower rating, the value of the instrument may decline because investors may demand a higher rate of return.

  • Convertible Security Risk — Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. Convertible securities may gain or lose value due to changes in the issuer’s operating results, financial condition and credit rating and changes in interest rates and other general economic, industry and market conditions.

  • High Yield Risk — The Fund intends to invest in high yield instruments (commonly known as “junk bonds”) which may be subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit (including issuer default) and liquidity risk than investment grade instruments and may experience extreme price fluctuations. The securities of such companies may be considered speculative and the ability of such companies to pay their debts on schedule may be uncertain.

  • Illiquid Investment Risk — The market for lower-quality debt instruments, including junk bonds and levered loans, is generally less liquid than the market for higher-quality debt instruments. Holding illiquid securities restricts or otherwise limits the ability for the Fund to freely dispose of its investments for specific periods of time. The Fund might not be able to sell illiquid securities at its desired price or time.

  • High Portfolio Turnover Risk — The Fund’s investment strategies, which permits the Fund to hold instruments of any remaining duration and to trade those securities rather than hold them to maturity, may result in high turnover rates. This may increase the Fund’s brokerage commission costs, which would reduce performance. Rapid portfolio turnover also exposes shareholders to a higher current realization of short-term gains, which could cause you to pay higher taxes.

  • Derivatives Risk — Futures contracts or other “derivatives,” including hedging strategies, present risks related to their significant price volatility and risk of default by the counterparty to the contract. It is intended that derivatives will be used mainly under a hedging program intended to reduce the impact of foreign exchange rate changes on the Fund’s value. The Fund may at times also purchase derivatives linked to relevant market indices as either a hedge or for investment purposes.

  • New Fund Risk — The Fund is new with no operating history and there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board of Trustees of the Trust may determine to liquidate the Fund.

  • Small and Medium-Size Company Risk — The Fund may invest in small and medium-size companies, the securities of which can be more volatile in price than those of larger companies.

  • Bank Loan Risk — The Fund may invest in bank loans. These investments potentially expose the Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. The Fund’s ability to receive payments in connection with the loan depends primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The market for bank loans may be illiquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling them. In addition, bank loans often have contractual restrictions on resale, which can delay the sale and adversely impact the sale price.

  • Real Estate Risk — The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), which are subject to risks affecting real estate investments generally (including market conditions, competition, property obsolescence, changes in interest rates and casualty to real estate), as well as risks specifically affecting REITs (the quality and skill of REIT management and the internal expenses of the REIT).


The Fund has the flexibility to respond promptly to changes in market and economic conditions. Under a defensive strategy, the Fund may temporarily hold some or all of its assets in cash and/or high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers.

Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Principal Investment RisksAs with any mutual fund investment, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Investment Results
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

No performance information is available for the Fund because it has not yet been in operation for a full calendar year.

Performance One Year or Less [Text] rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess No performance information is available for the Fund because it has not yet been in operation for a full calendar year.
First Eagle Global Income Builder Fund | Class A
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Purchases (as a percentage of public offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice 5.00%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of your purchase or redemption price) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.75%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.62%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (%) rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.62%
Less: Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.32%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (%) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.30%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 626
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 956
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 626
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 956
First Eagle Global Income Builder Fund | Class C
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Purchases (as a percentage of public offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of your purchase or redemption price) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice 1.00%
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.75%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 1.00%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.62%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (%) rr_ExpensesOverAssets 2.37%
Less: Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.32%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (%) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 2.05%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 308
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 709
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 208
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 709
First Eagle Global Income Builder Fund | Class I
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Purchases (as a percentage of public offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of your purchase or redemption price) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.75%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.62%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (%) rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.37%
Less: Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.32%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (%) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.05%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 107
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 402
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 107
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 402