Nature of Operations, Basis of Presentation, and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature Of Operations	Nature of Operations Stifel Financial Corp. (the “Company”), through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is principally engaged in retail brokerage; securities trading; investment banking; investment advisory; retail, consumer, and commercial banking; and related financial services. Our major geographic area of concentration is throughout the United States, with a growing presence in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada. Our company’s principal customers are individual investors, corporations, municipalities, and institutions.
Basis Of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements include Stifel Financial Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, principally Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel”), Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Stifel Bancorp, Inc. (“Stifel Bancorp”), Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. (“SNC”), and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (“SNEL”). Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” or “our company” in this report refer to Stifel Financial Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. We have prepared the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Pursuant to these rules and regulations, we have omitted certain information and footnote disclosures we normally include in our annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. In management’s opinion, we have made all adjustments (consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments, except as otherwise noted) necessary to fairly present our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Our interim period operating results do not necessarily indicate the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year. These financial statements and accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 on file with the SEC. On November 11, 2020, our Board approved a 50% stock dividend, in the form of a three-for-two stock split, of our common stock payable on December 16, 2020, to shareholders of record as of December 2, 2020. All share and per share information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split. Certain amounts from prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation. The effect of these reclassifications on our company’s previously reported consolidated financial statements was not material.
Consolidation Policies	Consolidation Policies The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stifel Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. We have investments or interests in other entities for which we must evaluate whether to consolidate by determining whether we have a controlling financial interest or are considered to be the primary beneficiary. Under our current consolidation policy, which complies with the provisions of ASC 810 as amended by ASU 2015-02, we consolidate those entities where we have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the rights to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. We determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) by performing an analysis of the VIE’s control structure, expected benefits and losses, and expected residual returns. This analysis includes a review of, among other factors, the VIE’s capital structure, contractual terms, which interests create or absorb benefits or losses, variability, related party relationships, and the design of the VIE. We reassess our evaluation of whether an entity is a VIE when certain reconsideration events occur. We reassess our determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE on an ongoing basis based on current facts and circumstances. See Note 24 for additional information on VIEs.

Nature of Operations, Basis of Presentation, and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of Operations

Stifel Financial Corp. (the “Company”), through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is principally engaged in retail brokerage; securities trading; investment banking; investment advisory; retail, consumer, and commercial banking; and related financial services. Our major geographic area of concentration is throughout the United States, with a growing presence in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada. Our company’s principal customers are individual investors, corporations, municipalities, and institutions.

Basis Of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include Stifel Financial Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, principally Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel”), Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Stifel Bancorp, Inc. (“Stifel Bancorp”), Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. (“SNC”), and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (“SNEL”). Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” or “our company” in this report refer to Stifel Financial Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries.

We have prepared the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Pursuant to these rules and regulations, we have omitted certain information and footnote disclosures we normally include in our annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. In management’s opinion, we have made all adjustments (consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments, except as otherwise noted) necessary to fairly present our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Our interim period operating results do not necessarily indicate the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year. These financial statements and accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 on file with the SEC.

On November 11, 2020, our Board approved a 50% stock dividend, in the form of a three-for-two stock split, of our common stock payable on December 16, 2020, to shareholders of record as of December 2, 2020. All share and per share information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.

Certain amounts from prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation. The effect of these reclassifications on our company’s previously reported consolidated financial statements was not material.

Consolidation Policies

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stifel Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

We have investments or interests in other entities for which we must evaluate whether to consolidate by determining whether we have a controlling financial interest or are considered to be the primary beneficiary. Under our current consolidation policy, which complies with the provisions of ASC 810 as amended by ASU 2015-02, we consolidate those entities where we have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the rights to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity.

We determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) by performing an analysis of the VIE’s control structure, expected benefits and losses, and expected residual returns. This analysis includes a review of, among other factors, the VIE’s capital structure, contractual terms, which interests create or absorb benefits or losses, variability, related party relationships, and the design of the VIE. We reassess our evaluation of whether an entity is a VIE when certain reconsideration events occur. We reassess our determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE on an ongoing basis based on current facts and circumstances. See Note 24 for additional information on VIEs.