Basis of Presentation and Consolidation (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of INTL FCStone Inc. and all other entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Unless otherwise stated herein, all references to 2012, 2011, and 2010 refer to the Company’s fiscal years ended September 30.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant of these estimates and assumptions relate to fair value measurements for financial instruments and investments, revenue recognition, the provision for potential losses from bad debts, valuation of inventories, valuation of goodwill and intangible assets, incomes taxes and contingencies. These estimates are based on management's best knowledge of current events and actions the Company may undertake in the future. The Company reviews all significant estimates affecting the financial statements on a recurring basis and records the effect of any necessary adjustments prior to their issuance. Although these and other estimates and assumptions are based on the best available information, actual results could be materially different from these estimates.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

In January 2010, new guidance was issued to require new disclosures and clarify existing disclosure requirements about fair value measurements as set forth in the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures Topic in the ASC. The guidance requires that a reporting entity should disclose separately the amounts of transfers in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements and describe the reasons for the transfers; and in the reconciliation for fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs, a reporting entity should present separately information about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements. In addition, the guidance clarifies that for purposes of reporting fair value measurement for each class of assets and liabilities, a reporting entity needs to use judgment in determining the appropriate classes of assets and liabilities; and a reporting entity should provide disclosures about the valuation techniques and inputs used to measure fair value for both recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. This guidance was effective for the Company as of the first interim period beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the detailed level 3 roll forward disclosure, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010. The Company adopted the requirements of the disclosures during the quarter ended March 31, 2010, except for the detailed level 3 roll forward disclosures. The Company adopted the detailed level 3 roll forward disclosures beginning with the first quarter ended December 31, 2011. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's disclosures in its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an update to the fair value measurement guidance to achieve common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). The amendments in the update change the wording used to describe many of the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The amendment is not intended to result in a change in the application of the requirements in the Fair Value Measurements Topic in the ASC. This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company adopted this guidance in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued new guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income. This guidance eliminates the current option to report comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in equity. Under this guidance, an entity can elect to present items of net income and comprehensive income in one continuous statement or in two separate, but consecutive, statements. In addition, the guidance requires entities to show the effects of items reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net income on the face of the financial statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 and interim and annual periods thereafter. Early adoption is permitted, but full retrospective application is required. This guidance is effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning October 1, 2012 and all interim periods within that fiscal year. In December 2011, the FASB issued guidance that deferred the portion of the original guidance that required a company to separately present within net income reclassification adjustments of items out of accumulated other comprehensive loss. The deferral is intended to be temporary until the FASB has time to reconsider these changes. The other provisions of the guidance will become effective as originally planned by the FASB. The Company is expecting to adopt this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2013. As the Company reports comprehensive income within its consolidated statements of stockholders' equity, the adoption of this guidance will result in a change in the presentation of comprehensive income in the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In September 2011, the FASB issued amended guidance on goodwill impairment testing. Under the revised guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment, whether it is more likely than not (a likelihood of more than 50%) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit. Because the qualitative assessment is optional, entities may bypass it for any reporting unit in any period and begin their impairment analysis with the quantitative calculation in step 1. The guidance does not change how goodwill is calculated or assigned to reporting units, nor does it revise the requirement to test goodwill annually for impairment. In addition, the guidance does not amend the requirement to test goodwill for impairment between annual tests if events or circumstances warrant, however, it does revise the examples of events and circumstances that an entity should consider. The amended guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this guidance at the beginning of fiscal year 2012.The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

On December 16, 2011, the FASB issued new guidance on the disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. While the FASB retained the existing offsetting models under U.S. GAAP, the new standard requires disclosures to allow investors to better compare and understand significant quantitative differences in financial statements prepared under U.S. GAAP. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. Retrospective application is required. This guidance is effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning October 1, 2013. The Company is expecting to adopt this guidance starting with the first quarter of fiscal year 2014. The adoption of this guidance is expected to change some of the Company's disclosures within the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

In July 2012, the FASB issued final guidance on indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment testing. Under the guidance, entities testing indefinite-lived intangibles for impairment have the option of first performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If a company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of such an asset exceeds its carrying amount, it would not need to calculate the fair value of the asset in that year. However, if a company concludes otherwise, it must calculate the fair value of the asset, compare that value with its carrying amount and record an impairment charge, if any. The guidance does not revise the requirement to test indefinite-lived intangible assets annually for impairment. In addition, the guidance does not amend the requirement to test indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment between annual tests if events or circumstances warrant, however, it does revise the examples of events and circumstances that an entity should consider. The guidance is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is expecting to adopt this guidance for the impairment testing to be performed during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013. It is expected that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.