Permanent Equity (Operating LLC Membership Units) (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Repurchase and retirement of common stock	(2,000,000)	(200,000)
Forfeiture / cancellation of restricted stock	(32,258)	(32,258)	(104,983)
IFMI, LLC [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Balance, Shares	20,341,309	19,895,748	16,457,628
Membership Units Received Net Of Surrenders			2,749,167
Vesting of Units		186,342	186,339
Repurchase and retirement of common stock	(2,000,000)	(200,000)
Balance, Shares	18,553,430	20,341,309	19,895,748
IFMI, LLC [Member] \| Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Balance, Shares	15,017,219	14,571,658	11,133,538
Redemption of Operating LLC Units for IFMI Shares		186,342	186,339
Repurchase and retirement of common stock	(2,000,000)	(200,000)
Balance, Shares	13,229,340	15,017,219	14,571,658
IFMI, LLC [Member] \| Daniel G. Cohen [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Balance, Shares	4,983,557	4,983,557	4,983,557
Balance, Shares	4,983,557	4,983,557	4,983,557
IFMI, LLC [Member] \| Other Unit Holders [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Balance, Shares	340,533	340,533	340,533
Vesting of Units		186,342	186,339
Redemption of Operating LLC Units for IFMI Shares		(186,342)	(186,339)
Balance, Shares	340,533	340,533	340,533
IFMI, LLC [Member] \| Unit Issuance And Surrender Agreement [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Membership Units Received Net Of Surrenders	212,121	459,219	502,614
IFMI, LLC [Member] \| Unit Issuance And Surrender Agreement [Member] \| Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Membership Units Received Net Of Surrenders	212,121	459,219	502,614
IFMI, LLC [Member] \| Mead Park and EBC [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Membership Units Received Net Of Surrenders			2,749,167
IFMI, LLC [Member] \| Mead Park and EBC [Member] \| Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. [Member]
Permanent Equity [Line Items]
Membership Units Received Net Of Surrenders			2,749,167

Membership Units Received Net Of Surrenders

No definition available.

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- Definition

Permanent equity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of common units of ownership outstanding of a limited liability company (LLC).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The number of units redeemed during the year of each class of partners' capital account. Units represent shares of ownership of the general, limited, and preferred partners.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187171-122770

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph a, b
-Article 6

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- Definition

Units that were previously issued and have been repurchased during the year.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

The number of units issued due to unit-based compensation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 272
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

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- Definition

Number of shares related to Restricted Stock Award forfeited during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 29, 30
-Article 5

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