OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	$ 43,099	$ 41,288	$ 83,444	$ 83,273
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	2,897	1,047	4,741	1,678
Total revenues	45,996	42,335	88,185	84,951
Segment operating expenses	(66,861)	(25,807)	(99,621)	(47,640)
General and administrative expenses	(4,181)	(2,729)	(7,478)	(5,883)
Provision for credit losses	(276)	(1,575)	(678)	(2,783)
Depreciation and amortization	(515)	(465)	(972)	(916)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	(4,346)		(4,346)
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		370		370
Interest expense	(455)	(497)	(876)	(980)
Other income (expense), net	10,772	10,310	27,135	14,009
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	21,989	(17,489)	4,202	(34,600)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	2,123	4,453	5,551	6,528
Total assets	2,942,705	2,723,446	2,942,705	2,723,446	$ 2,900,382
RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities			4,741	1,678
Total revenues	25,899	21,547	48,000	41,798
General and administrative expenses	(4,181)	(2,729)	(7,478)	(5,883)
Provision for credit losses	(276)	(1,575)	(678)	(2,783)
Depreciation and amortization	(515)	(465)	(972)	(916)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	(4,346)	0	(4,346)	0
Interest expense	(455)	(497)	(876)	(980)
Other income (expense), net	231	18	67	183
RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	24,201	23,828	48,562	49,073
Other income (expense), net	10,537	10,281	27,053	13,797
Total assets	2,774,224	2,558,168	2,774,224	2,558,168
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	19,705	13,674	35,999	27,304
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	1,411	(226)	2,083	(581)
Total revenues	21,116	13,448	38,082	26,723
Segment operating expenses	(12,082)	(9,105)	(23,581)	(17,980)
General and administrative expenses	(1,376)	(731)	(2,255)	(1,827)
Provision for credit losses	(194)	7	(308)	10
Depreciation and amortization	(343)	(310)	(655)	(618)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	0		0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		0		0
Interest expense	(179)	(191)	(362)	(387)
Other income (expense), net	248	111	471	367
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(63)	(84)	(55)	(44)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	7,127	3,145	11,337	6,244
Total assets	197,599	183,279	197,599	183,279
Operating Segments [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	2,556	6,826	5,685	12,816
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	2,225	1,315	4,233	2,400
Total revenues	4,781	8,141	9,918	15,216
Segment operating expenses	(3,154)	(2,779)	(6,144)	(7,168)
General and administrative expenses	(451)	(445)	(735)	(898)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(16)	(20)	(32)	(31)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	(4,346)		(4,346)
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		370		370
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	475	555	916	1,126
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	(2,711)	5,822	(423)	8,615
Total assets	49,022	59,959	49,022	59,959
Operating Segments [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	7	0	20	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(5)	(42)	(20)	(141)
Total revenues	2	(42)	0	(141)
Segment operating expenses	(458)	(123)	$ (1,037)	(226)
General and administrative expenses	0	0		0
Provision for credit losses	(82)	(1,582)	$ (370)	(2,793)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	0		0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		0		0
Interest expense	(1)	(9)	(1)	(9)
Other income (expense), net	2	0	3	(2)
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	(537)	(1,756)	(1,405)	(3,171)
Total assets	3,863	5,469	3,863	5,469
Operating Segments [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	$ 0	0	0	0
Segment operating expenses		0	0	0
General and administrative expenses	$ (2,354)	(1,553)	(4,488)	(3,158)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(156)	(135)	(285)	(267)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	0		0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		0		0
Interest expense	(275)	(297)	(513)	(584)
Other income (expense), net	(36)	(76)	(387)	(164)
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	(2,821)	(2,061)	(5,673)	(4,173)
Total assets	(82,003)	(83,429)	(82,003)	(83,429)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	(4,104)
Total assets	168,481	165,278	168,481	165,278
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	22,268	20,500	41,704	40,120
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	3,631	1,047	6,296	1,678
Total revenues	25,899	21,547	48,000	41,798
Segment operating expenses	(15,694)	(12,007)	(30,762)	(25,374)
General and administrative expenses	(4,181)	(2,729)	(7,478)	(5,883)
Provision for credit losses	(276)	(1,575)	(678)	(2,783)
Depreciation and amortization	(515)	(465)	(972)	(916)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	(4,346)		(4,346)	0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		370		370
Interest expense	(455)	(497)	(876)	(980)
Other income (expense), net	689	590	1,003	1,327
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(63)	(84)	(55)	(44)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	1,058	5,150	3,836	7,515
Total assets	201,062		201,062
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	24,201	23,828	48,562	49,073
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	24,201	23,828	48,562	49,073
Segment operating expenses	(54,535)	(16,853)	(75,595)	(28,138)
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	0		0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		0		0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	10,537	10,281	27,053	13,797
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(8,296)	(17,405)	(16,864)	(34,556)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	(28,093)	(149)	(16,844)	176
Total assets	2,774,224		2,774,224
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	(3,370)	(3,040)	(6,822)	(5,920)
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(734)	0	(1,555)	0
Total revenues	(4,104)	(3,040)	(8,377)	(5,920)
Segment operating expenses	3,368	3,053	6,736	5,872
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings	0		0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net		0		0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(454)	(561)	(921)	(1,115)
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	30,348	0	21,121	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	29,158	(548)	18,559	(1,163)
Total assets	(32,581)		(32,581)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense		0
Other income (expense), net	(458)	$ (572)	(936)	$ (1,144)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 0		$ 0