v2.4.0.8
Operating segment data (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 6 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2014
segment
Jun. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Discontinued Operation, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operation During Phase-out Period, Net of Tax $ 0 $ 16,269,000 $ 0 $ 17,110,000  
Noninterest Income 18,114,000 17,669,000 35,953,000 34,906,000  
Rental revenue 4,393,000 1,094,000 8,839,000 1,916,000  
Number of reportable operating segments     4    
Separate account assets 4,799,568,000   4,799,568,000   4,625,099,000
Equity Method Investment, Net Sales Proceeds     16    
Interest revenue 4,938,000 4,188,000 10,301,000 7,214,000  
Other Revenue, Net 1,984,000 (3,169,000) 4,668,000 (2,149,000)  
Revenues 29,429,000 19,782,000 59,761,000 41,887,000 59,761,000
Interest expense (6,259,000) (4,063,000) (12,221,000) (7,898,000)  
Payroll expense 12,513,000 8,896,000 23,083,000 17,524,000  
Professional fees 2,824,000 2,580,000 3,914,000 3,952,000  
Other Expenses (9,533,000) (8,697,000) (22,003,000) (17,400,000)  
Operating Expenses 31,129,000 24,236,000 61,221,000 46,774,000  
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest (747,000) 10,072,000 (449,000) 14,177,000  
Provision for income tax 497,000 1,816,000 926,000 3,115,000  
Net income available to common stockholders 1,071,000 3,415,000 2,096,000 4,733,000  
Segment net income (loss) 1,700,000 (4,454,000) 1,460,000 (4,887,000)  
Net Income (loss) of Consolidated VIEs (2,148,000) (5,762,000) (4,154,000) 981,000  
Segment assets as of June 30, 2014 7,378,631,000 6,880,448,000 7,378,631,000 6,880,448,000 6,880,448,000
Less: non-controlling interest and net income attributable to the VIE subordinated noteholders 5,416,000 (822,000) 8,636,000 (5,356,000)  
Consolidation Eliminations
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Noninterest Income 0 0 0 0  
Rental revenue 18,000 (2,901,000) 18,000 (5,920,000)  
Interest revenue (3,532,000) (3,345,000) (7,356,000) (6,832,000)  
Other Revenue, Net (451,000) (16,035,000) (595,000) (16,204,000)  
Intersegment revenues       (9,038,000)  
Revenues (7,018,000) (27,469,000) (14,431,000) (37,994,000)  
Interest expense (44,000) (1,347,000) 32,000 2,791,000  
Payroll expense 0 0 0 0  
Professional fees 392,000 0 169,000 0  
Other Expenses 776,000 (1,840,000) 807,000 4,747,000  
Operating Expenses (340,000) (3,187,000) (670,000) (7,538,000)  
Net income available to common stockholders (6,678,000) (24,282,000) (13,761,000) (30,456,000)  
Segment assets as of June 30, 2014 1,704,894,000 1,366,620,000 1,704,894,000 1,366,620,000  
Intersegment Elimination
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Intersegment revenues 0 0 0 0  
Revenues (3,053,000) (5,188,000) (6,498,000)    
Insurance and insurance services | Operating Segments
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Noninterest Income 18,114,000 17,669,000 35,953,000 34,906,000  
Rental revenue 0 0 0 0  
Interest revenue 1,145,000 1,226,000 2,333,000 2,407,000  
Other Revenue, Net 9,000 40,000 14,000 72,000  
Revenues 19,268,000 18,935,000 38,300,000 37,385,000  
Interest expense (2,897,000) (3,129,000) (5,810,000) (6,263,000)  
Payroll expense 4,788,000 4,595,000 10,070,000 9,611,000  
Professional fees 734,000 336,000 924,000 659,000  
Other Expenses (7,087,000) (6,681,000) (15,361,000) (14,858,000)  
Operating Expenses 15,506,000 14,741,000 32,165,000 31,391,000  
Net income available to common stockholders 3,762,000 4,194,000 6,135,000 5,994,000  
Segment assets as of June 30, 2014 5,114,648,000 4,949,262,000 5,114,648,000 4,949,262,000  
Insurance and insurance services | Intersegment Elimination
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Intersegment revenues       0  
Revenues 0 0 0    
Specialty finance | Operating Segments
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Noninterest Income 0 0 0 0  
Rental revenue 0 0 0 0  
Interest revenue 6,643,000 5,720,000 13,959,000 10,728,000  
Other Revenue, Net 1,871,000 (4,401,000) 4,370,000 (3,836,000)  
Revenues 8,624,000 1,366,000 18,516,000 7,056,000  
Interest expense (2,340,000) (570,000) (4,487,000) (1,064,000)  
Payroll expense 3,237,000 269,000 4,415,000 276,000  
Professional fees 1,329,000 841,000 2,182,000 1,673,000  
Other Expenses (898,000) (672,000) (2,675,000) (1,245,000)  
Operating Expenses 7,804,000 2,352,000 13,759,000 4,258,000  
Net income available to common stockholders 820,000 (986,000) 4,757,000 2,798,000  
Segment assets as of June 30, 2014 396,366,000 385,987,000 396,366,000 385,987,000  
Specialty finance | Intersegment Elimination
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Intersegment revenues       164,000  
Revenues 110,000 47,000 187,000    
Asset management | Operating Segments
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Noninterest Income 0 0 0 0  
Rental revenue 0 0 0 0  
Interest revenue 0 0 0 0  
Other Revenue, Net 442,000 74,000 537,000 211,000  
Revenues 3,385,000 5,215,000 6,848,000 9,085,000  
Interest expense 0 0 0 0  
Payroll expense 2,772,000 3,450,000 5,084,000 6,669,000  
Professional fees 252,000 216,000 467,000 431,000  
Other Expenses (372,000) (203,000) (703,000) (338,000)  
Operating Expenses 3,396,000 3,869,000 6,254,000 7,438,000  
Net income available to common stockholders (11,000) 1,346,000 594,000 1,647,000  
Segment assets as of June 30, 2014 11,879,000 7,896,000 11,879,000 7,896,000  
Asset management | Intersegment Elimination
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Intersegment revenues       8,874,000  
Revenues 2,943,000 5,141,000 6,311,000    
Real estate | Operating Segments
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Noninterest Income 0 0 0 0  
Rental revenue 4,375,000 3,995,000 8,821,000 7,836,000  
Interest revenue 682,000 587,000 1,365,000 911,000  
Other Revenue, Net 113,000 17,153,000 342,000 17,608,000  
Revenues 5,170,000 21,735,000 10,528,000 26,355,000  
Interest expense (978,000) (1,711,000) (1,956,000) (3,362,000)  
Payroll expense 1,716,000 582,000 3,514,000 968,000  
Professional fees 117,000 1,187,000 172,000 1,189,000  
Other Expenses (1,952,000) (2,981,000) (4,071,000) (5,706,000)  
Operating Expenses 4,763,000 6,461,000 9,713,000 11,225,000  
Net income available to common stockholders 407,000 15,274,000 815,000 15,130,000  
Segment assets as of June 30, 2014 150,844,000 170,683,000 150,844,000 170,683,000  
Real estate | Intersegment Elimination
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Intersegment revenues       0  
Revenues 0 0 0    
PFG
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Long-term servicing agreement, amount of COLI and BOLI administered by subsidiary 37,400,000,000   37,400,000,000    
PFG | Insurance and insurance services
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Separate account assets $ 4,799,568,000   $ 4,799,568,000    
Star Asia Finance, Limited
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Ownership percentage 17.00%   17.00%    
Star Asia Opportunity II, LLC
          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Ownership percentage 50.00%   50.00%