SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements reflect the Company's accounts and the accounts of the Company's majority-owned and/or controlled subsidiaries.  The Company also consolidates entities that are variable interest entities ("VIEs") where it has determined that it is the primary beneficiary of such entities.  Once it is determined that the Company holds a variable interest in a VIE, management performs a qualitative analysis to determine (i) if the Company has the power to direct the matters that most significantly impact the VIE's financial performance; and (ii) if the Company has the obligation to absorb the losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive the benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.  If the Company's variable interest possesses both of these characteristics, the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary and would be required to consolidate the VIE. This assessment must be done on an ongoing basis. The portions of these entities that the Company does not own are presented as noncontrolling interests as of the dates and for the periods presented in the consolidated financial statements.

Variable interests in the Company's real estate segment have historically related to subordinated financings in the form of mezzanine loans or unconsolidated real estate interests.  As of June 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011, the Company had one such variable interest in an entity that it consolidated.  The Company will continually assess its involvement with VIEs and reevaluate the requirement to consolidate them.  See Note 8 for additional disclosures pertaining to VIEs.

All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications and Revisions

Reclassifications and Revisions

Certain reclassifications and revisions have been made to the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011 consolidated financial statements to conform to the 2012 presentation.  Real estate assets of a consolidated VIE formerly included in Property and Equipment are now included in Investments in Real Estate.

Financing Receivables

Financing Receivables

Receivables from Managed Entities.  The Company performs a review of the collectability of its receivables from managed entities on a quarterly basis.  The Company analyzes the expected future cash flows of the managed entity.  With respect to receivables from its commercial finance investment partnerships, the analysis takes into consideration several assumptions by management, specifically concerning estimates of future bad debts and recoveries.  For receivables from the real estate investment entities for which there are uncertainties regarding collectability, the Company estimates the cash flows through the sale of the underlying properties, which is based on projected net operating income as a multiple of published capitalization rates, which is then reduced by the underlying mortgage balances and priority distributions due to the investors in the entity.  The Company will record an allowance against the related receivable from managed entities to the extent that the estimated cash flows are insufficient to fully recover its receivable balance.

Investment Securities

Investment Securities

The Company purchased investment securities classified as trading securities during fiscal 2012.  Trading securities are recorded at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses included in earnings and reported in revenue.  To determine fair value, the Company uses third-party dealer quotes or bids.  In fiscal 2011, the Company held shares of The Bancorp, Inc. ("TBBK") (NASDAQ: TBBK) common stock in a benefit plan for a former executive (see Note  12). The shares, classified as trading, were valued at the closing price of the stock and unrealized gains and losses were included in other income.

Recent Accounting Standards

Recent Accounting Standards

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Effective

The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") has issued the following guidance that is not yet effective for the Company as of June 30, 2012:

Comprehensive income (loss).  In June 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to eliminate the option to present components of other comprehensive income (loss) as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity.  The amendment requires that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income (loss) or in two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement should present total net income (loss) and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that should present total other comprehensive income (loss), the components of other comprehensive income (loss), and the total of comprehensive income (loss).  In December 2011, the FASB updated the guidance to defer the requirement related to the presentation of reclassification adjustments.  The Company plans to provide the disclosures required by this amendment beginning October 1, 2012.

Newly-Adopted Accounting Principles

Fair value measurements.  In May 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to revise the wording used to describe the requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements.  For many of the requirements, the FASB does not intend for the amendments to result in a change in the application of the current requirements.  Some of the amendments clarify the FASB's intent about the application of existing fair value measurement requirements, such as specifying that the concepts of highest and best use and valuation premise in a fair value measurement are relevant only when measuring the fair value of nonfinancial assets.  Other amendments change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements such as specifying that, in the absence of a Level 1 input, a reporting entity should apply premiums or discounts when market participants would do so when pricing the asset or liability. This guidance became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2012 and the Company has presented the required disclosures (see Note 18).