Variable Interest Entities	9 Months Ended
Variable Interest Entities	Sep. 30, 2017
Variable Interest Entity Not Primary Beneficiary Disclosures [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities	NOTE 23 – Variable Interest Entities Our company’s involvement with VIEs is limited to entities used as investment vehicles and private equity funds, the establishment of Stifel Financial Capital Trusts, and our issuance of a convertible promissory note. We have formed several non-consolidated investment funds with third-party investors that are typically organized as limited liability companies (“LLCs”) or limited partnerships. These partnerships and LLCs have assets of $184.0 million at September 30, 2017. For those funds where we act as the general partner, our company’s economic interest is generally limited to management fee arrangements as stipulated by the fund operating agreements. We have generally provided the third-party investors with rights to terminate the funds or to remove us as the general partner. Management fee revenue earned by our company was insignificant during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016. In addition, our direct investment interest in these entities is insignificant at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016. Thomas Weisel Capital Management LLC, a subsidiary of our company, acts as the general partner of a series of investment funds in venture capital and fund of funds and manages investment funds that are active buyers of secondary interests in private equity funds, as well as portfolios of direct interests in venture-backed companies. These partnerships have combined assets of $315.4 million at September 30, 2017. We hold variable interests in these funds as a result of our company’s rights to receive management fees. Our company’s investment in and additional capital commitments to the private equity funds are also considered variable interests. The additional capital commitments are subject to call at a later date and are limited in amount. Our exposure to loss is limited to our investments in, advances and commitments to, and receivables due from these funds, and that exposure is insignificant at September 30, 2017. Management fee revenue earned by our company was insignificant during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016. For the entities noted above that were determined to be VIEs, we have concluded that we are not the primary beneficiary, and therefore, we are not required to consolidate these entities. Additionally, for certain other entities, we reviewed other relevant accounting guidance, which states the general partner in a limited partnership is presumed to control that limited partnership. The presumption may be overcome if the limited partners have either: (1) the substantive ability to dissolve the limited partnership or otherwise remove the general partner without cause, or (2) substantive participating rights, which provide the limited partners with the ability to effectively participate in significant decisions that would be expected to be made in the ordinary course of the limited partnership’s business and thereby preclude the general partner from exercising unilateral control over the partnership. If the criteria are not met, the consolidation of the partnership or limited liability company is required. Based on our evaluation of these entities, we determined that these entities do not require consolidation. Debenture to Stifel Financial Capital Trusts We have completed private placements of cumulative trust preferred securities through Stifel Financial Capital Trust II, Stifel Financial Capital Trust III, and Stifel Financial Capital Trust IV (collectively, the “Trusts”). The Trusts are non-consolidated wholly owned business trust subsidiaries of our company and were established for the limited purpose of issuing trust securities to third parties and lending the proceeds to our company. The trust preferred securities represent an indirect interest in junior subordinated debentures purchased from our company by the Trusts, and we effectively provide for the full and unconditional guarantee of the securities issued by the Trusts. We make timely payments of interest to the Trusts as required by contractual obligations, which are sufficient to cover payments due on the securities issued by the Trusts, and believe that it is unlikely that any circumstances would occur that would make it necessary for our company to make payments related to these Trusts other than those required under the terms of the debenture agreements and the trust preferred securities agreements. The Trusts were determined to be VIEs because the holders of the equity investment at risk do not have adequate decision-making ability over the Trust’s activities. Our investment in the Trusts is not a variable interest, because equity interests are variable interests only to the extent that the investment is considered to be at risk. Because our investment was funded by the Trusts, it is not considered to be at risk. Interest in FSI Group, LLC (“FSI”) We have provided financing of $18.0 million in the form of a promissory note to FSI, a limited liability company specializing in investing in banks, thrifts, insurance companies, and other financial services firms. In February 2013, the promissory note was amended and restated. The promissory note matures in April 2018; however, FSI has three five-year extension options. We entered into an agreement with FSI, whereby we have agreed to waive the convertibility feature of the promissory note conditioned upon FSI entering into a new asset management services agreement prior to February 28, 2018. Prior to such agreement, the note was convertible at our election into a 49.9% interest in FSI only after the last extension option. The promissory note has a minimum coupon rate equal to 8% per annum plus additional interest related to certain defined cash flows of the business, not to exceed 18% per annum. As we do not hold the power to direct the activities of FSI nor to absorb a majority of the expected losses, or receive a majority of the expected benefits, it was determined that we are not required to consolidate this entity. Our company’s exposure to loss is limited to the carrying value of the note with FSI at September 30, 2017, of $18.0 million, which is included in other assets in the consolidated statements of financial condition. Our company had no liabilities related to this entity at September 30, 2017. We have the discretion to make additional capital contributions. We have not provided financial or other support to FSI that we were not previously contractually required to provide as of September 30, 2017. Our company’s involvement with FSI has not had a material effect on our consolidated financial position, operations, or cash flows.

Tabular disclosure of the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest (as defined) held by the entity requires the variable interest entity (VIE) (as defined) to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the VIE, individually or in aggregate (as applicable); the nature of restrictions, if any, on the consolidated VIE's assets and on the settlement of its liabilities reported by an entity in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities; the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with involvement in the VIE; how involvement with the VIE affects the entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of the consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary (if applicable); the terms of arrangements, giving consideration to both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests, if any, that could require the entity to provide financial support to the VIE, including events or circumstances that could expose the entity to a loss; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance are shared (as defined); the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of the VIE included in the statement of financial position; the entity's maximum exposure to loss, if any, as a result of its involvement with the VIE, including how the maximum exposure is determined and significant sources of the entity's exposure to the VIE; a comparison of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities and the entity's maximum exposure to loss; information about any liquidity arrangements, guarantees, and (or) other commitments by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the entity's variable interest in the VIE; whether or not the entity has provided financial support or other support (explicitly or implicitly) to the VIE that it was not previously contractually required to provide or whether the entity intends to provide that support, including the type and amount of the support and the primary reasons for providing the support; and supplemental information the entity determines necessary to provide.