Organization And Nature Of Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Organization And Nature Of Operations [Abstract]
Organization And Nature Of Operations	1. ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS The Formation Transaction Cohen Brothers, LLC (“Cohen Brothers”) was formed on October 7, 2004 by Cohen Bros. Financial, LLC (“CBF”). Cohen Brothers was established to acquire the net assets of CBF’s subsidiaries (the “Formation Transaction”): Cohen Bros. & Company, Inc.; Cohen Frères SAS; Dekania Investors, LLC; Emporia Capital Management, LLC; and the majority interest in Cohen Bros. & Toroian Investment Management, Inc. The Formation Transaction was accomplished through a series of transactions occurring between March 4, 2005 and May 31, 2005. The Company From its formation until December 16, 2009, Cohen Brothers operated as a privately owned limited liability company. On December 16, 2009, Cohen Brothers completed its merger (the “Merger”) with a subsidiary of Alesco Financial Inc. (“AFN”) a publicly traded real estate investment trust. As a result of the Merger, AFN contributed substantially all of its assets into Cohen Brothers in exchange for newly issued membership units directly from Cohen Brothers. In addition, AFN received additional Cohen Brothers membership interests directly from its members in exchange for AFN common stock. In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), the Merger was accounted for as a reverse acquisition, and Cohen Brothers was deemed to be the accounting acquirer. As a result, all of AFN’s assets and liabilities were required to be revalued at fair value as of the acquisition date. The remaining membership interests of Cohen Brothers that were not held by AFN were included as a component of non-controlling interest in the consolidated balance sheet. Subsequent to the Merger, AFN was renamed Cohen & Company Inc. In January 2011, it was renamed again as Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. (“IFMI”). Effective January 1, 2010, the Company ceased to qualify as a real estate investment trust, or a REIT. The Company trades on the NYSE MKT LLC (formerly known as the NYSE Amex LLC) under the ticker symbol “IFMI.” The Company is a financial services company specializing in fixed income markets. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had $3.91 billion in assets under management (“AUM”) of which 95.8%, or $3.75 billion, was in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). In these financial statements, the “Company” refers to IFMI and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; “IFMI, LLC” (formerly Cohen Brothers, LLC) or the “Operating LLC” refers to the main operating subsidiary of the Company; “Cohen Brothers” refers to the pre-Merger Cohen Brothers, LLC and its subsidiaries. “AFN” refers to the pre-merger Alesco Financial Inc. and its subsidiaries. When the term “IFMI” is used, it is referring to the parent company itself, Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. “JVB Holdings” refers to JVB Financial Holdings, L.L.C.; “JVB” refers to JVB Financial Group LLC, a broker dealer subsidiary; “CCFL” refers to Cohen & Company Financial Limited (formerly known as EuroDekania Management LTD), a subsidiary regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (formerly known as Financial Services Authority) in the United Kingdom; “CCPRH” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge Holdings LP (formerly known as PrinceRidge Holdings LP) and its subsidiaries. “PrinceRidge GP” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge Partners LLC, (formerly known as PrinceRidge Partners LLC). “PrinceRidge” refers to CCPRH together with PrinceRidge GP; and “CCPR” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge LLC (formerly known as The PrinceRidge Group LLC), a broker dealer subsidiary. “EuroDekania” refers to EuroDekania (Cayman) Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company that is externally managed by CCFL. On January 31, 2014, JVB merged into CCPR. In connection with this merger, CCPRH changed its name from C&Co/PrinceRidge Holdings LP to J.V.B. Financial Group Holdings and CCPR changed its name from C&Co/PrinceRidge LLC to J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC. Also, beginning on January 31, 2014, CCPR began to do business under the JVB brand. Therefore, when discussing the operations of CCPR on or subsequent to January 31, 2014, CCPR is referred to as JVB. The Company’s business is organized into the following three business segments. Capital Markets: The Company’s Capital Markets business segment consists primarily of fixed income sales, trading, and financing, as well as new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, and advisory services. The Company’s fixed income sales and trading group provides trade execution to corporate investors, institutional investors, mortgage originators, and other smaller broker-dealers. The Company specializes in a variety of products, including but not limited to: corporate bonds, ABS, MBS, CMBS, RMBS, CDOs, CLOs, CBOs, CMOs, municipal securities, TBAs and other forward agency MBS contracts, SBA loans, U.S. government bonds, U.S. government agency securities, brokered deposits and CDs for small banks, and hybrid capital of financial institutions including TruPS, whole loans, and other structured financial instruments. The Company also offers execution and brokerage services for equity products. The Company carries out its capital market activities primarily through its subsidiaries: JVB in the United States and CCFL in Europe. See note 5 regarding the potential sale of European operations. Principal Investing: The Company’s Principal Investing business segment is comprised of investments that the Company has made using its own capital excluding investments the Company makes to support its Capital Markets business segment. Historically, the Company generally made principal investments in the entities it managed. Beginning in the first quarter of 2014, the Company began investing its capital in investments (primarily equity tranches of CLOs) that it does not manage. These investments are a component of our other investments, at fair value in our consolidated balance sheet. The Company did not make any new CLO investments during 2015. Asset Management: The Company’s Asset Management business segment manages assets within CDOs, permanent capital vehicles, managed accounts, and investment funds (collectively referred to as “Investment Vehicles”). A CDO is a form of secured borrowing. The borrowing is secured by different types of fixed income assets such as corporate or mortgage loans or bonds. The borrowing is in the form of a securitization, which means that the lenders are actually investing in notes backed by the assets. In the event of default, the lenders will have recourse only to the assets securing the loan. The Company’s Asset Management business segment includes its fee-based asset management operations which include ongoing base and incentive management fees. The Company generates its revenue by business segment primarily through the following activities. Capital Markets • Trading activities of the Company, which include execution and brokerage services, securities lending activities, riskless trading activities as well as gains and losses (unrealized and realized) and income and expense earned on securities and derivatives classified as trading; and •New issue and advisory revenue comprised primarily of (i) new issue revenue associated with originating, arranging, or newly created financial instruments; and (ii) revenue from advisory services. Principal Investing •Gains and losses (unrealized and realized) and income and expense earned on securities classified as other investments, at fair value; and • Income or loss from equity method affiliates. Asset Management • Asset management fees for the Company’s on-going asset management services provided to certain Investment Vehicles, which may include fees both senior and subordinate to the securities in the Investment Vehicle, and incentive management fees earned based on the performance of the various Investment Vehicles; and • Income or loss from equity method affiliates. The activities noted above are carried out through the following main operating subsidiaries of the Company as of December 31, 2015 1.Cohen & Company Financial Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating LLC and acts as asset manager and investment advisor to the Alesco I through IX CDOs. It also served until February 22, 2013 as a service provider to the manager of the Alesco X through XVII CDOs. Alesco CDOs invest in bank and insurance company TruPS as well as insurance company subordinated debt. 2.Dekania Capital Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating LLC and acts as asset manager and investment advisor to the Company’s Dekania Europe CDOs. Dekania Europe CDOs invest primarily in TruPS and insurance company subordinated debt denominated in Euros. 3.JVB is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating LLC, which was acquired by the Company effective January 1, 2011. JVB is a securities broker-dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of FINRA and SIPC. JVB provides trade execution to broker-dealers and institutions and specializes in the following products: high grade corporate bonds, high yield corporate bonds, municipal securities, ABS, MBS, RMBS, CMOs, U.S. government bonds, U.S. government agency securities, whole loans, and other structured financial instruments. JVB focuses primarily on mortgages, rates, corporate, and structured products in the wholesale and institutional marketplaces, as well as providing financing and advisory services. 4.CCFL is a regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) and acts as the external manager of EuroDekania Limited (“EuroDekania”) and earns management fees and incentive fees related to this entity. EuroDekania invests primarily in hybrid capital securities of European bank and insurance companies, CLOs, CMBS, RMBS, and widely syndicated leverage loans. Since 2007, CCFL has acted as asset manager and investment advisor to the Company’s 2007 and later Dekania Europe CDOs. Dekania Europe CDOs invest primarily in TruPS and insurance company subordinated debt denominated in Euros. CCFL also carries out the Company’s Capital Markets business segment activities in Europe including brokerage, advisory, and new issue services. 5.Cohen & Compagnie SAS (formerly Cohen Fréres SAS), the Company’s French subsidiary, acts as a credit research advisor to Dekania Capital Management, LLC and CCFL in analyzing the creditworthiness of insurance companies and financial institutions in Europe with respect to all assets included in the Dekania Europe CDOs. See note 5 for discussion of pending sale of CCFL and Cohen & Compagnie, SAS.

1. ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS

The Formation Transaction

Cohen Brothers, LLC (“Cohen Brothers”) was formed on October 7, 2004 by Cohen Bros. Financial, LLC (“CBF”). Cohen Brothers was established to acquire the net assets of CBF’s subsidiaries (the “Formation Transaction”): Cohen Bros. & Company, Inc.; Cohen Frères SAS; Dekania Investors, LLC; Emporia Capital Management, LLC; and the majority interest in Cohen Bros. & Toroian Investment Management, Inc. The Formation Transaction was accomplished through a series of transactions occurring between March 4, 2005 and May 31, 2005.

The Company

From its formation until December 16, 2009, Cohen Brothers operated as a privately owned limited liability company. On December 16, 2009, Cohen Brothers completed its merger (the “Merger”) with a subsidiary of Alesco Financial Inc. (“AFN”) a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

As a result of the Merger, AFN contributed substantially all of its assets into Cohen Brothers in exchange for newly issued membership units directly from Cohen Brothers. In addition, AFN received additional Cohen Brothers membership interests directly from its members in exchange for AFN common stock. In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), the Merger was accounted for as a reverse acquisition, and Cohen Brothers was deemed to be the accounting acquirer. As a result, all of AFN’s assets and liabilities were required to be revalued at fair value as of the acquisition date. The remaining membership interests of Cohen Brothers that were not held by AFN were included as a component of non-controlling interest in the consolidated balance sheet.

Subsequent to the Merger, AFN was renamed Cohen & Company Inc. In January 2011, it was renamed again as Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. (“IFMI”). Effective January 1, 2010, the Company ceased to qualify as a real estate investment trust, or a REIT. The Company trades on the NYSE MKT LLC (formerly known as the NYSE Amex LLC) under the ticker symbol “IFMI.” The Company is a financial services company specializing in fixed income markets. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had $3.91 billion in assets under management (“AUM”) of which 95.8%, or $3.75 billion, was in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”).

In these financial statements, the “Company” refers to IFMI and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; “IFMI, LLC” (formerly Cohen Brothers, LLC) or the “Operating LLC” refers to the main operating subsidiary of the Company; “Cohen Brothers” refers to the pre-Merger Cohen Brothers, LLC and its subsidiaries. “AFN” refers to the pre-merger Alesco Financial Inc. and its subsidiaries. When the term “IFMI” is used, it is referring to the parent company itself, Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. “JVB Holdings” refers to JVB Financial Holdings, L.L.C.; “JVB” refers to JVB Financial Group LLC, a broker dealer subsidiary; “CCFL” refers to Cohen & Company Financial Limited (formerly known as EuroDekania Management LTD), a subsidiary regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (formerly known as Financial Services Authority) in the United Kingdom; “CCPRH” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge Holdings LP (formerly known as PrinceRidge Holdings LP) and its subsidiaries. “PrinceRidge GP” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge Partners LLC, (formerly known as PrinceRidge Partners LLC). “PrinceRidge” refers to CCPRH together with PrinceRidge GP; and “CCPR” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge LLC (formerly known as The PrinceRidge Group LLC), a broker dealer subsidiary. “EuroDekania” refers to EuroDekania (Cayman) Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company that is externally managed by CCFL.

On January 31, 2014, JVB merged into CCPR. In connection with this merger, CCPRH changed its name from C&Co/PrinceRidge Holdings LP to J.V.B. Financial Group Holdings and CCPR changed its name from C&Co/PrinceRidge LLC to J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC. Also, beginning on January 31, 2014, CCPR began to do business under the JVB brand. Therefore, when discussing the operations of CCPR on or subsequent to January 31, 2014, CCPR is referred to as JVB.

The Company’s business is organized into the following three business segments.

Capital Markets: The Company’s Capital Markets business segment consists primarily of fixed income sales, trading, and financing, as well as new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, and advisory services. The Company’s fixed income sales and trading group provides trade execution to corporate investors, institutional investors, mortgage originators, and other smaller broker-dealers. The Company specializes in a variety of products, including but not limited to: corporate bonds, ABS, MBS, CMBS, RMBS, CDOs, CLOs, CBOs, CMOs, municipal securities, TBAs and other forward agency MBS contracts, SBA loans, U.S. government bonds, U.S. government agency securities, brokered deposits and CDs for small banks, and hybrid capital of financial institutions including TruPS, whole loans, and other structured financial instruments. The Company also offers execution and brokerage services for equity products. The Company carries out its capital market activities primarily through its subsidiaries: JVB in the United States and CCFL in Europe. See note 5 regarding the potential sale of European operations.

Principal Investing: The Company’s Principal Investing business segment is comprised of investments that the Company has made using its own capital excluding investments the Company makes to support its Capital Markets business segment. Historically, the Company generally made principal investments in the entities it managed. Beginning in the first quarter of 2014, the Company began investing its capital in investments (primarily equity tranches of CLOs) that it does not manage. These investments are a component of our other investments, at fair value in our consolidated balance sheet. The Company did not make any new CLO investments during 2015.

Asset Management: The Company’s Asset Management business segment manages assets within CDOs, permanent capital vehicles, managed accounts, and investment funds (collectively referred to as “Investment Vehicles”). A CDO is a form of secured borrowing. The borrowing is secured by different types of fixed income assets such as corporate or mortgage loans or bonds. The borrowing is in the form of a securitization, which means that the lenders are actually investing in notes backed by the assets. In the event of default, the lenders will have recourse only to the assets securing the loan. The Company’s Asset Management business segment includes its fee-based asset management operations which include ongoing base and incentive management fees.

The Company generates its revenue by business segment primarily through the following activities.

Capital Markets

• Trading activities of the Company, which include execution and brokerage services, securities lending activities, riskless trading activities as well as gains and losses (unrealized and realized) and income and expense earned on securities and derivatives classified as trading; and

•New issue and advisory revenue comprised primarily of (i) new issue revenue associated with originating, arranging, or newly created financial instruments; and (ii) revenue from advisory services.

Principal Investing

•Gains and losses (unrealized and realized) and income and expense earned on securities classified as other investments, at fair value; and

• Income or loss from equity method affiliates.

Asset Management

• Asset management fees for the Company’s on-going asset management services provided to certain Investment Vehicles, which may include fees both senior and subordinate to the securities in the Investment Vehicle, and incentive management fees earned based on the performance of the various Investment Vehicles; and

• Income or loss from equity method affiliates.

The activities noted above are carried out through the following main operating subsidiaries of the Company as of December 31, 2015

1.Cohen & Company Financial Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating LLC and acts as asset manager and investment advisor to the Alesco I through IX CDOs. It also served until February 22, 2013 as a service provider to the manager of the Alesco X through XVII CDOs. Alesco CDOs invest in bank and insurance company TruPS as well as insurance company subordinated debt.

2.Dekania Capital Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating LLC and acts as asset manager and investment advisor to the Company’s Dekania Europe CDOs. Dekania Europe CDOs invest primarily in TruPS and insurance company subordinated debt denominated in Euros.

3.JVB is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating LLC, which was acquired by the Company effective January 1, 2011. JVB is a securities broker-dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of FINRA and SIPC. JVB provides trade execution to broker-dealers and institutions and specializes in the following products: high grade corporate bonds, high yield corporate bonds, municipal securities, ABS, MBS, RMBS, CMOs, U.S. government bonds, U.S. government agency securities, whole loans, and other structured financial instruments. JVB focuses primarily on mortgages, rates, corporate, and structured products in the wholesale and institutional marketplaces, as well as providing financing and advisory services.

4.CCFL is a regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) and acts as the external manager of EuroDekania Limited (“EuroDekania”) and earns management fees and incentive fees related to this entity. EuroDekania invests primarily in hybrid capital securities of European bank and insurance companies, CLOs, CMBS, RMBS, and widely syndicated leverage loans.

Since 2007, CCFL has acted as asset manager and investment advisor to the Company’s 2007 and later Dekania Europe CDOs. Dekania Europe CDOs invest primarily in TruPS and insurance company subordinated debt denominated in Euros. CCFL also carries out the Company’s Capital Markets business segment activities in Europe including brokerage, advisory, and new issue services.

5.Cohen & Compagnie SAS (formerly Cohen Fréres SAS), the Company’s French subsidiary, acts as a credit research advisor to Dekania Capital Management, LLC and CCFL in analyzing the creditworthiness of insurance companies and financial institutions in Europe with respect to all assets included in the Dekania Europe CDOs.

See note 5 for discussion of pending sale of CCFL and Cohen & Compagnie, SAS.