JMP (JMP) 10-K 12 Mar 15 2014 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Feb. 28, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	JMP Group Inc.
Document Type	10-K
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		21,216,358
Entity Public Float			$102,369,461
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Central Index Key	1383803
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Document Period End Date	31-Dec-14
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
JMP Group LLC [Member]
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	JMP GROUP LLC
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Central Index Key	1302350
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer

Consolidated_Statements_of_Fin

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$101,362,000		$65,906,000
Restricted cash	67,102,000		68,029,000
Receivable from clearing broker	1,285,000		1,280,000
Investment banking fees receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $5 and zero at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively	10,439,000		13,161,000
Marketable securities owned, at fair value	29,466,000		29,295,000
Incentive fees receivable	7,092,000		7,910,000
Other investments (includes $206,819 and $161,518 measured at fair value at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	208,947,000		161,773,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses	1,997,000		825,000
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses	1,038,848,000		727,270,000
Interest receivable	2,885,000		1,876,000
Fixed assets, net	2,233,000		2,092,000
Deferred tax assets	10,570,000		12,492,000
Other assets	33,966,000		30,022,000
Total assets	1,516,192,000		1,121,931,000
Liabilities:
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, at fair value	15,048,000		13,749,000
Accrued compensation	54,739,000		51,347,000
Asset-backed securities issued	1,001,137,000		716,423,000
Interest payable	5,568,000		2,767,000
Note payable			15,000,000
Line of credit			2,895,000
Bond payable	94,300,000		46,000,000
Deferred tax liability	19,161,000		3,625,000
Other liabilities	37,310,000		32,885,000
Total liabilities	1,227,263,000		884,691,000
Commitments and Contingencies
JMP Group Inc. Stockholders' Equity
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 22,780,052 shares issued at both December 31, 2014 and 2013; 21,216,258 and 21,819,446 shares outstanding at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively	23,000		23,000
Additional paid-in capital	134,800,000		132,547,000
Treasury stock, at cost, 1,563,794 and 960,606 shares at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively	-10,316,000		-6,076,000
Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit)	8,090,000		-109,000
Total JMP Group Inc. stockholders' equity	132,597,000		126,385,000
Nonredeemable Non-controlling Interest	156,332,000		110,855,000
Total equity	288,929,000		237,240,000
Total liabilities and equity	1,516,192,000		1,121,931,000
Variable Interest Entity (VIE) or Potential VIE, Information Unavailability [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1,294,000		211,000
Restricted cash	50,617,000		43,497,000
Incentive fees receivable	902,000		495,000
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses	1,038,848,000		726,774,000
Interest receivable	2,861,000		1,851,000
Deferred tax assets	1,063,000		1,935,000
Other assets	5,156,000		3,107,000
Total assets	1,100,741,000		777,870,000
Liabilities:
Accrued compensation	1,918,000		405,000
Asset-backed securities issued	1,001,137,000		716,423,000
Interest payable	4,107,000		1,947,000
Note payable	2,500,000	[1]	4,053,000	[1]
Deferred tax liability	1,317,000		1,647,000
Other liabilities			882,000
Total liabilities	$1,010,979,000		$725,357,000
[1]	Balance inclusive of intercompany loan.

Consolidated_Statements_of_Fin1

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash on deposit with clearing broker (in Dollars)	$220,000	$150,000
Allowance for doubtful accounts (in Dollars)	5,000	0
Other investments at fair value (in Dollars)	$206,819,000	$161,518,000
Common stock, par value (in Dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	22,780,052	22,780,052
Common stock, shares outstanding	21,216,258	21,819,446
Treasury stock, shares	1,563,794	960,606

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Revenues
Investment banking	$81,070	$74,173	$50,982
Brokerage	26,916	24,625	21,903
Asset management fees	40,620	25,952	15,775
Principal transactions	13,848	20,727	10,537
(Loss) gain on sale, payoff and mark-to-market of loans	-492	1,806	7,255
Net dividend income (loss)	1,001	535	-29
Other income	3,335	798	3,800
Non-interest revenues	166,298	148,616	110,223
Interest income	40,042	33,346	32,898
Interest expense	-23,398	-30,110	-39,993
Net interest income (expense)	16,644	3,236	-7,095
Provision for loan losses	-436	-2,637	-2,206
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses	182,506	149,215	100,922
Non-interest expenses
Compensation and benefits	123,580	102,432	66,415
Administration	7,310	8,660	6,186
Brokerage, clearing and exchange fees	3,304	3,543	3,806
Travel and business development	4,123	4,416	3,387
Communications and technology	3,843	3,534	3,503
Occupancy	3,337	3,245	3,157
Professional fees	4,738	3,953	3,630
Depreciation	931	921	884
Other	1,342	960	420
Total non-interest expenses	152,508	131,664	91,388
Net income before income tax expense	29,998	17,551	9,534
Income tax expense	8,015	3,950	1,581
Net income	21,983	13,601	7,953
Less: Net income attributable to nonredeemable non-controlling interest	8,631	9,973	5,196
Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.	$13,352	$3,628	$2,757
Net income (loss) attributable to JMP Group Inc. per common share:
Basic (in Dollars per share)	$0.59	$0.16	$0.12
Diluted (in Dollars per share)	$0.57	$0.16	$0.12
Dividends declared per common share (in Dollars per share)	$0.23	$0.14	$0.14
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic (in Shares)	21,481	22,158	22,582
Diluted (in Shares)	23,542	23,317	22,906

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Net income	$21,983	$13,601	$7,953
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedge, net of tax		55	47
Comprehensive income	21,983	13,656	8,000
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interest	8,631	9,973	5,196
Comprehensive income attributable to JMP Group Inc.	$13,352	$3,683	$2,804

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cha

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity (USD $)	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Nonredeemable Non-Controlling Interest [Member]		Total
In Thousands
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	$22	($3,011)	$132,944	($92)	($102)	$26,829		$156,590
Balance (in Shares) at Dec. 31, 2011	22,410
Net income				2,757		5,196		7,953
Additonal paid-in capital - stock-based compensation			-7,606					-7,606
Dividends				-3,073				-3,073
Purchases of shares of common stock for treasury		-5,649						-5,649
Reissuance of shares of common stock from treasury		7,653	240					7,893
Common stock issued	1		2,740					2,741
Common stock issued (in Shares)	370
Distributions to non-controlling interest holders						-5,774		-5,774
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedge, net of tax					47			47
Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders						34,021	[1]	34,021
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	23	-1,007	128,318	-408	-55	60,272		187,143
Balance (in Shares) at Dec. 31, 2012	22,780
Net income				3,628		9,973		13,601
Additonal paid-in capital - stock-based compensation			4,148					4,148
Dividends				-3,329				-3,329
Purchases of shares of common stock for treasury		-5,783						-5,783
Reissuance of shares of common stock from treasury		714	81					795
Distributions to non-controlling interest holders						-3,913		-3,913
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedge, net of tax					55			55
Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders						67,712		67,712
Deconsolidation of subsidiary (Note 2)						-23,189		-23,189
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	23	-6,076	132,547	-109		110,855		237,240
Balance (in Shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	22,780
Net income				13,352		8,631		21,983
Additonal paid-in capital - stock-based compensation			1,226					1,226
Additonal paid-in capital - excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation			-175					-175
Dividends				-5,153				-5,153
Purchases of shares of common stock for treasury		-11,702						-11,702
Reissuance of shares of common stock from treasury		7,462	953					8,415
Purchase of subsidiary shares from non-controlling interest holders			-844			-5,156		-6,000
Distributions to non-controlling interest holders						-3,175		-3,175
Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders						20,954		20,954
Sale of subsidiary shares to non-controlling interest holders			1,093			24,223		25,316
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$23	($10,316)	$134,800	$8,090		$156,332		$288,929
Balance (in Shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	22,780
[1]	Excludes $111 thousand attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$21,983	$13,601	$7,953
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Provision for doubtful accounts	5	2
Provision for loan losses	436	2,637	2,206
Accretion of deferred loan fees	-1,202	-1,795	-2,184
Amortization of liquidity discount, net	-119	14,867	29,208
Amortization of debt issuance costs	399	31
Amortization of original issue discount, related to CLO II and CLO III	1,036	580
Interest paid in kind	-168	-485	-10
Gain on sale and payoff of loans	492	-1,806	-6,905
Change in other investments:
Fair value	-16,260	-16,482	-5,262
Incentive fees reinvested in general partnership interests	-17,863	-7,753	-4,253
Change in fair value of small business loans		-90	-340
Realized gain (loss) on other investments	-755	-2,895	-3,046
Depreciation and amortization of fixed assets	931	921	884
Stock-based compensation expense	9,431	5,371	2,492
Deferred income taxes	17,457	-5,554	-341
Net change in operating assets and liabilities:
(Increase) decrease in interest receivable	-841	-647	106
Decrease (increase) in receivables	3,218	7,070	-3,275
(Increase) decrease in marketable securities	-171	-14,948	9,962
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash (excluding restricted cash reserved for lending activities)	-6,048	-5,341	-495
(Increase) decrease in other assets	-17,435	1,977	1,484
Increase in marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased	1,299	2,182	646
Increase (decrease) in interest payable	2,801	2,179	-63
Increase (decrease) in accrued compensation and other liabilities	7,818	38,417	-21,524
Net cash provided by operating activities	6,444	32,039	7,243
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of fixed assets	-1,072	-350	-1,262
Purchases of other investments	-49,778	-76,450	-28,130
Sales of other investments	52,626	13,580	10,192
Funding of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued	-673,586	-590,932	-202,627
Funding of small business loans		-1,250	-36,693
Sale and payoff of small business loans			6,128
(Funding) repayment of loans held for investment	-1,172	-825	150
Sale and payoff of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued	301,646	220,122	184,082
Principal receipts on loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued	60,755	49,324	39,383
Net change in restricted cash reserved for lending activities	6,975	7,125	-20,878
Cash associated with consolidation / deconsolidation of subsidiaries		-13,344
Net cash used in investing activities	-303,606	-393,000	-49,655
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of note payable	5,000	15,000
Proceeds from credit		3,045	40,127
Proceeds from asset-backed securities issued	329,339	311,562
Payments of debt issuance costs	-1,740	-1,694
Repayment of note payable	-20,000	-10,486	-8,736
Repayment of asset-backed securities issued	-45,661	-26,723
Dividends and dividend equivalents paid on common stock and RSUs	-5,153	-3,329	-3,072
Purchases of shares of common stock for treasury	-11,702	-5,783	-5,649
Capital contributions of redeemable non-controlling interest holders		134	111
Capital contributions of nonredeemable non-controlling interest holders	20,954	64,634	34,017
Distributions to non-controlling interest shareholders	-3,175	-3,913	-5,774
Purchase of subsidiary shares from non-controlling interest holders	-6,000
Cash settlement of stock-based compensation	-140	-428
Sale of subsidiary shares to non-controlling interest holders	25,316
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	175
Net cash provided by financing activities	332,618	359,792	39,124
Proceeds from bond issuance	48,300	46,000
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	35,456	-1,169	-3,288
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	65,906	67,075	70,363
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	101,362	65,906	67,075
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid during the period for interest	18,306	11,560	6,156
Cash paid during the period for taxes	6,554	6,912	16
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Reissuance of shares of common stock from treasury related to vesting of restricted stock units and exercises of stock options	7,462	714	7,653
CLOIII Warehouse Credit Facility [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from credit	207,393
Repayment of credit	-207,393
Line of Credit [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of credit	($2,895)	($28,227)	($11,900)

Note_1_Organization_and_Descri

Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	1. Organization and Description of Business
	JMP Group Inc., together with its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), is an independent investment banking and asset management firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The Company conducts its brokerage business through JMP Securities LLC (“JMP Securities”), its asset management business through Harvest Capital Strategies LLC (“HCS”) and HCAP Advisors LLC (“HCAP Advisors“), its corporate credit business through JMP Credit Corporation (“JMP Credit”) and JMP Credit Advisors LLC (“JMPCA”), and certain principal investments through JMP Capital LLC (“JMP Capital”). The above entities, other than HCAP Advisors, are wholly-owned subsidiaries. JMP Securities is a U.S. registered broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). JMP Securities operates as an introducing broker and does not hold funds or securities for, or owe any money or securities to customers and does not carry accounts for customers. All customer transactions are cleared through another broker-dealer on a fully disclosed basis. HCS is a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and provides investment management services for sophisticated investors in investment partnerships and other entities managed by HCS. From September 2011 through May 2013, the Company also conducted corporate credit business through partially owned Harvest Capital Credit LLC (“HCC LLC”). On December 18, 2012, HCAP Advisors was formed as a Delaware Limited Liability Company. Effective May 1, 2013, HCAP Advisors provides investment advisory services to Harvest Capital Credit Corporation (“HCC”). Through JMPCA, the Company manages JMPCA CLO I Ltd (“CLO I”), JMPCA CLO II Ltd (“CLO II”) and JMPCA CLO III Ltd (“CLO III”).
	In the third quarter of 2014, the board of directors approved a transaction to convert its corporate form into a limited liability company that would be taxed as a partnership, and not as a corporation, which was subsequently approved by the Company’s stockholders at the December 1, 2014 meeting. In connection with the transaction, the Company has entered into an agreement and plan of merger with a newly formed, wholly owned, limited liability company subsidiary, JMP Group LLC, and a newly formed Delaware corporation and indirect wholly owned subsidiary, JMP Merger Corp. On January 1, 2015, JMP Group Inc. merged with and into JMP Merger Corp., with JMP Group Inc. continuing as the surviving entity and as a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of JMP Group LLC (the "Reorganization Transaction"). The Reorganization Transaction results in each share of currently issued and outstanding JMP Group Inc. stock being exchanged for a limited liability company interest in JMP Group LLC.
	Recent Transactions
	On April 3, 2013, entities sponsored by JMP Group Inc. priced a $343.8 million collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”). The senior notes offered in this transaction (the “Secured Notes”) were issued by JMP Credit Advisors CLO II Ltd., a special purpose Cayman vehicle, and co-issued in part by CLO II, a special purpose Delaware vehicle, and were backed by a diversified portfolio of broadly syndicated leveraged loans. The Secured Notes were issued in multiple tranches and are rated by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and, in respect of certain tranches, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. The Secured Notes were priced with a weighted average coupon of three-month LIBOR plus 1.86%. The Company, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, retained $17.3 million of the subordinated notes of the issuer (the “Subordinated Notes”). The Subordinated Notes do not bear interest and are not rated. The transaction closed on April 30, 2013. The Company manages CLO II, and, at closing, owned approximately 72.8% of the Subordinated Notes.
	In the first quarter of 2014, the Company repurchased $6.0 million of the unsecured subordinated notes from CLO II non-controlling interests, increasing the Company’s ownership from 72.8% to 98.0%. The effects of changes on the Company’s equity from net income attributable to JMP Group Inc. and the purchase of CLO II non-controlling interest are noted below.
		Year Ended December 31,
		2014			2013		2012
	Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.	$	13,352		$	3,628	$	2,757
	Transfers from non-controlling interest
	Decrease in JMP Group Inc. paid-in capital for purchase of CLO II interest		(844	)		-		-
	Net transfers from non-controlling interest		(844	)		-		-
	Change from net income attributable to JMP Group Inc and transfers from non-controlling interest	$	12,508		$	3,628	$	2,757
	On December 11, 2013 CLO III closed on a $100.0 million warehouse credit agreement with BNP Paribas. CLO III is a special purpose vehicle whose debt, upon funding, will be secured by a diversified portfolio of broadly syndicated leveraged loans. The warehouse has a twelve month revolving period. As of December 31, 2013, CLO III held a $0.5 million loan in its portfolio; however, the entity had not yet issued asset-backed securities. Given the intent of the CLO III structure, the loan was included in the loans collateralizing asset-backed securities line item on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition upon inception.
	In January 2014, the Company contributed an additional $15.0 million investment to CLO III, bringing its total equity in the entity to $25.0 million. The $25.0 million equity financing was used to purchase loans, prior to leveraging the existing CLO III credit warehouse held at BNP Paribas. The equity investment increased to $30.0 million in the third quarter of 2014, and the warehouse facility increased to $220.0 million. On September 30, 2014, CLO III closed the $370.5 million CLO transaction. The senior notes offered in this transaction (the “Secured Notes”) were issued by JMP Credit Advisors CLO III Ltd., and coissued in part by JMP Credit Advisors CLO III LLC, and are backed primarily by a diversified portfolio of broadly syndicated leveraged loans. The Secured Notes are subject to a two-year non-call period. The CLO has a four-year reinvestment period, through October 17, 2018, that allows for the use of the proceeds from principal repayments on, or sales of, collateral assets towards the purchase of qualifying replacement assets, subject to certain conditions and limitations. A third party and employees of JMPCA purchased subordinated notes in CLO III, reducing the Company’s investment in the subordinated notes to $4.7 million, or 13.5%. As of December 31, 2014, the Company owned 13.5% of the subordinated notes.

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Basis of Presentation
	These financial statements and accompanying notes present the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Consolidated results of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows are presented for the Company for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	The consolidated accounts of the Company include the wholly-owned subsidiaries, JMP Securities, HCS, JMP Capital, JMP Credit, JMPCA, CLO III (effective December 11, 2013 through September 29, 2014) and the partially-owned subsidiaries Harvest Growth Capital LLC (“HGC”), Harvest Growth Capital II LLC (“HGC II”), HCC LLC (effective August 18, 2011 through May 2, 2013), CLO I, CLO II (effective April 30, 2013), HCAP Advisors (effective May 1, 2013), and CLO III (effective September 30, 2014). All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Non-controlling interest on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition relate to the interest of third parties in the partly-owned subsidiaries.
	The Company performs consolidation analyses on entities to identify VIEs and determine appropriate accounting treatment. An entity is considered a VIE and, therefore, would be subject to the consolidation provisions of ASC 810-10-15 if, by design, equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. When the Company enters into a transaction with a VIE, the Company determines if it is the primary beneficiary of the VIE by performing a qualitative analysis of the VIE that includes a review of, among other factors, its capital structure, contractual terms, related party relationships, the Company’s fee arrangements and the design of the VIE.
	JMPCA manages CLO I, CLO II and CLO III (collectively, the “CLOs”). The Company assesses whether the CLOs meet the definition of a VIE, and whether the Company qualifies as the primary beneficiary. CLOs determined not to meet the definition of a VIE are considered voting interest entities for which the voting rights are evaluated to determine if consolidation is necessary. As of both December 31, 2013 and 2014, CLO I and CLO II were determined to be VIEs. The Company, which manages the CLOs and owns approximately 94% and 98% of the subordinated notes in CLO I and CLO II, respectively, is deemed the primary beneficiary. As a result, the Company consolidates the assets and liabilities of the CLO securitization entities, and the underlying loans owned by the CLO entities are shown on our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition under loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and the asset-backed securities (“ABS”) issued to third parties are shown under asset-backed securities issued. See Note 5 and Note 8 for information pertaining to the loans owned and ABS issued by the CLOs, respectively.
	CLO III was determined not to be a VIE as of December 31, 2013, as the entity’s equity was sufficient, the holders of the equity had the characteristics of a controlling financial interest, and the investors had proportionate voting rights. The Company assessed whether consolidation would be applicable using the voting model, with consideration to its ownership investment in CLO III, and the level of its influence. Due to JMPCA’s 100% equity stake in the CLO and its management of the vehicle, the Company consolidated CLO III in its financial statements. Upon the closing of CLO III transaction, the Company performed a consolidation analysis to determine appropriate consolidation treatment. As of September 30, 2014, CLO III was determined to be a VIE. The Company was identified as the primary beneficiary based on the ability to direct activities of CLO III through its subsidiary manager, JMP Credit Advisors, and the 13.5% ownership of the subordinated notes. As a result, the Company consolidates the assets and liabilities of CLO III, and the underlying loans owned by the CLO are shown on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition under loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and the asset-backed securities issued to third parties are shown under asset-backed securities issued.
	HCS currently manages several asset management funds, which are structured as limited partnerships, and is the general partner of each. The Company assesses whether these partnerships meet the definition of a VIEs in accordance with ASC 810-10-15-14, and whether the Company qualifies as the primary beneficiary. Funds determined not to meet the definition of a VIE are considered voting interest entities for which the rights of the limited partners are evaluated to determine if consolidation is necessary. Such guidance provides that the presumption that the general partner controls the limited partnership may be overcome if the limited partners have substantive kick-out rights. Except for HGC and HGC II, the partnership agreements for these funds provide for the right of the limited partners to remove the general partners by a simple majority vote of the non-affiliated limited partners. Because of these substantive kick-out rights, the Company, as the general partner, does not control these funds, and therefore does not consolidate them except for HGC and HGC II. The Company accounts for its investments in these non-consolidated funds under the equity method of accounting.
	The limited liability agreements of HGC and HGC II do not provide for the right of the members to remove the manager by a simple majority vote of the non-affiliated members and therefore the manager (with a minority interest in the limited liability company) is deemed to control the funds. As a result we consolidated HGC from its inception on April 1, 2010 and HGC II from its inception on October 1, 2012.
	ASU 2015-2, Amendments to Consolidation Analysis, was issued February 2015, which amends the consolidation requirements in ASC 810, Consolidation. In performing the analysis under the revised amendments, the Company concluded HGC and HGC II no longer require consolidation effective January 1, 2015. HGC and HGC II will qualify as VIEs, based on the limited partners’ lack of control attributed to the absence of kick-out or participating rights. As the Company has ownership percentages under 5%, the gains and losses associated with the invested ownership are considered insignificant to the funds. Therefore, the Company will not be deemed the primary beneficiary. Similar to its other asset management funds, the Company will recognize HGC and HGC II using the equity method. The adoption will result in the exclusion of purchases, sales, contributions and distributions attributed to HGC and HGC II non-controlling interests, currently reflected in the cash flow in the following line items, with the respective balances:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014			2013			2012
	Investing Activities:
	Purchases of other investments			(15,322	)		(49,792	)		(23,993	)
	Sales of other investments			2,118			1,061			4,611
	Financing Activities:
	Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders			17,031			51,395			17,097
	Distributions paid to non-controlling interest holders			(2,231	)		(1,530	)		(4,269	)
	The Company performed the consolidation analysis for HCAP Advisors, and concluded it was a VIE, based on insufficient equity at risk. As a result, the Company is considered the primary beneficiary and consolidates the assets and liabilities.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect both the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
	Revenue Recognition
	Investment banking revenues
	Investment banking revenues consist of underwriting revenues, strategic advisory revenues and private placement fees, and are recorded when the underlying transaction is completed under the terms of the relevant agreement. Underwriting revenues arise from securities offerings in which the Company acts as an underwriter and include management fees, selling concessions and underwriting fees, net of related syndicate expenses. Management fees and selling concessions are recorded on the trade date, which is typically the day of pricing an offering (or the following day) and underwriting fees, net of related syndicate expenses, at the time the underwriting is completed and the related income is reasonably determinable. For these transactions, management estimates the Company’s share of the transaction-related expenses incurred by the syndicate, and recognizes revenues net of such expense. On final settlement, typically 90 days from the trade date of the transaction, these amounts are adjusted to reflect the actual transaction-related expenses and the resulting underwriting fee. Expenses associated with such transactions are deferred until the related revenue is recognized or the engagement is otherwise concluded. If management determines that a transaction is not likely to be completed, deferred expenses related to that transaction are expensed at that time. In connection with some underwritten transactions, the Company may hold in inventory, for a period of time, equity positions to facilitate the completion of the underwritten transactions. Realized and unrealized net gains and losses on these positions are recorded within investment banking revenues. Strategic advisory revenues primarily include success fees on closed merger and acquisition transactions, as well as retainer fees, earned in connection with advising on both buyers’ and sellers’ transactions. Fees are also earned for related advisory work and other services such as providing fairness opinions and valuation analyses. Strategic advisory revenues are recorded when the transactions or the services (or, if applicable, separate components thereof) to be performed are substantially complete, the fees are determinable and collection is reasonably assured. Private placement fees are related to non-underwritten transactions such as private placements of equity securities, PIPE, Rule 144A private offerings and trust preferred securities offerings, and are recorded on the closing date of the transaction. Un-reimbursed expenses associated with strategic advisory and private placement transactions, net of client reimbursements, are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations within various expense captions other than compensation expense.
	Brokerage revenues
	Brokerage revenues consist of (i) commissions resulting from equity securities transactions executed as agent or principal and are recorded on a trade date basis, (ii) related net trading gains and losses from market making activities and from the commitment of capital to facilitate customer orders and (iii) fees paid for equity research. The Company currently generates revenues from research activities through three types of arrangements. First, through what is commonly known as a “soft dollar” practice, a portion of a client’s commissions may be compensation for the value of access to our research. Those commissions are recognized on a trade date basis, as the Company has no further obligation. Second, a client may issue a cash payment directly to the Company for access to research. Third, the Company has entered into certain commission-sharing or tri-party arrangements in which institutional clients execute trades with a limited number of brokers and instruct those brokers to allocate a portion of the commission to the Company or to issue a cash payment to the Company.
	In these commission-sharing or tri-party arrangements, the amount of the fee is determined by the client on a case-by-case basis and agreed to by the Company. An invoice is then sent to the payor. For the second and third type of arrangements, revenue is recognized and an invoice is sent once an arrangement exists, access to research has been provided, a specific amount is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. None of these arrangements obligate clients to a fixed amount of fees for research, either through trading commissions or direct or indirect cash payments, nor do they obligate the Company to provide a fixed quantity of research or execute a fixed number of trades. Furthermore, the Company is not obligated under any arrangement to make commission payments to third parties on behalf of clients.
	Asset Management Fees
	Asset management fees for hedge funds, hedge funds of funds, private equity funds, HCC and New York Mortgage Trust (“NYMT”) consist of base management fees and incentive fees. The Company recognizes base management fees on a monthly basis over the period in which the investment services are performed. Base management fees earned by the Company are generally based on the fair value of assets under management and the fee schedule for each fund and account. Base management fees for hedge funds and hedge funds of funds are calculated at the investor level using their quarter-beginning capital balance adjusted for any contributions or withdrawals. Base management fees for private equity funds are calculated at the investor level using their aggregate capital commitments during the commitment period, which is generally three years from first closing, and on invested capital following the commitment period. Base management fees for HCC LLC are calculated based on the average value of our gross assets, reduced by the amount outstanding on its credit facility with JMP Group LLC, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. Refer to Note 7 for further information relating to this credit facility. The Company also earns incentive fees for hedge funds and hedge funds of funds that are based upon the performance of investment funds and accounts. Such fees are either a specified percentage of the total investment return of a fund or account or a percentage of the excess of an investment return over a specified highwater mark or hurdle rate over a defined performance period. For most funds, the highwater mark is calculated using the greatest value of a partner’s capital account as of the end of any performance period, increased for contributions and decreased for withdrawals. Incentive fees are recognized as revenue at the end of the specified performance period. Generally, the performance period used to determine the incentive fee is quarterly for the hedge funds and NYMT, and annually for the hedge funds of funds managed by HCS. Generally, the incentive fees are reinvested in the investment funds in which the Company holds a general partner investment and withdrawn at the end of the year. The incentive fees are not subject to any contingent repayments to investors or any other clawback arrangements. Incentive fees for private equity funds and HCC LLC are based on a specified percentage of realized gains from the disposition of each portfolio investment in which each investor participates, and are earned by the Company after returning contributions by the investors for that portfolio investment and for all other portfolio investments in which each such investor participates that have been disposed of at the time of distribution. For both private equity funds and HCC LLC, fees are eliminated upon consolidation.
	Asset management fees for the CLOs the Company managed through the year consisted of senior and subordinated base management fees. The Company recognizes base management fees for the CLOs on a monthly basis over the period in which the collateral management services are performed. The base management fees for the CLOs are calculated as a percentage of the average aggregate collateral balances for a specified period. As the Company consolidates all of the CLOs, the management fees earned at JMPCA from the CLOs are eliminated upon consolidation in accordance with GAAP.
	Principal transactions
	Principal transaction revenues include realized and unrealized net gains and losses resulting from our principal investments in equity and other securities for the Company’s account and in equity-linked warrants received from certain investment banking clients, limited partner investments in private funds managed by third parties, and the investment in NYMT and HCC. Principal transaction revenues also include earnings (or losses) attributable to investment partnership interests managed by our asset management subsidiary, HCS, which are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Principal transaction revenues also include unrealized gains and losses on the private equity securities owned by HGC and HGC II, private equity funds managed by HCS which is consolidated in our financial statements, as well as unrealized gains and losses on the investments in private companies sponsored by JMP Holding LLC (“JMPG Holding”) and JMP Capital.
	The Company’s principal transaction revenues for these categories for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014			2013			2012
	Equity and other securities excluding non-controlling interest		$	8,443		$	14,533		$	7,494
	Warrants and other investments			(26	)		2,200			393
	Investment partnerships			5,431			3,994			2,650
	Total principal transaction revenues		$	13,848		$	20,727		$	10,537
	Gain on Sale, Payoff and Mark-to-market of Loans
	Gain on sale, payoff and mark-to-market of loans consists of gains from the sale and payoff of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities and loans held for sale at JMP Credit, and small business loans at HCC LLC (through May 2, 2013). This line item also includes lower of cost or market adjustments arising from loans held for sale and fair value adjustments to reflect the change in portfolio investment values at HCC LLC.
	Interest Income
	Interest income primarily relates to income earned on loans. Interest income on loans comprises the stated coupon as a percentage of the face amount receivable as well as accretion of accretable or purchase discounts and deferred fees. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis in accordance with the terms of the respective loans unless such loans are placed on non-accrual status.
	Interest Expense
	Interest expense primarily consists of interest expense incurred on asset-backed securities issued and note payable, and the amortization of bond issuance costs. Interest expense on asset-backed securities issued is the stated coupon as a percentage of the principal amount payable as well as amortization of liquidity discount which was recorded at the acquisition date of CLO I. See Asset-Backed Securities Issued below for more information. Interest expense is recorded on the accrual basis in accordance with the terms of the respective asset-backed securities issued and note payable.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	The Company considers highly liquid investments with original maturities or remaining maturities upon purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company holds cash in financial institutions in excess of the FDIC insured limits. The Company periodically reviews the financial condition of the financial institutions and assesses the credit risk of such investments.
	Restricted Cash and Deposits
	Restricted cash and deposits include principal and interest payments that are collateral for the asset-backed securities issued by CLOs. They also include proceeds from short sales deposited with brokers that cannot be removed unless the securities are delivered, cash collateral supporting standby letters of credit issued by JMP Credit, cash on deposit for operating leases, and cash on deposit with JMP Securities’ clearing broker.
	Restricted cash consisted of the following at December 31, 2014 and 2013:
	(In thousands)		As of December 31,
			2014			2013
	Principal and interest payments held as collateral for asset-backed securities issued		$	50,552		$	43,249
	Cash collateral supporting standby letters of credit			159			248
	Proceeds from short sales			15,048			13,749
	Deposit related to CLO III warehouse credit agreement			-			9,505
	Deposit with clearing broker			220			150
	Deposits for operating leases			1,123			1,128
	Restricted Cash		$	67,102		$	68,029
	Receivable from Clearing Broker
	The Company clears customer transactions through another broker-dealer on a fully disclosed basis. At both December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the receivable from clearing broker consisted solely of commissions related to securities transactions.
	Investment Banking Fees Receivable
	Investment banking fees receivable include receivables relating to the Company’s investment banking or advisory engagements. The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts on these receivables on a specific identification basis. Investment banking fees receivable which are deemed to be uncollectible are charged off and the charge-off is deducted from the allowance. The allowance for doubtful accounts related to investment banking fees receivable were five thousand and zero at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. See Note 4 for the disclosures related to the fair value of our marketable securities and other investments.
Most of the Company’s financial instruments, other than loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and asset-backed securities issued, are recorded at fair value or amounts that approximate fair value.
Marketable securities owned, other investments at fair value, and marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased are stated at fair value, with related changes in unrealized appreciation or depreciation reflected in the line item principal transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Fair value of the Company’s financial instruments is generally obtained from quoted market prices, third-party pricing services, or alternative pricing methodologies that the Company believes offer reasonable levels of price transparency. To the extent that certain financial instruments trade infrequently or are non-marketable securities and, therefore, do not have readily determinable fair values, the Company estimates the fair value of these instruments using various pricing models and the information available to the Company that it deems most relevant. Among the factors considered by the Company in determining the fair value of financial instruments are discounted anticipated cash flows, the cost, terms and liquidity of the instrument, the financial condition, operating results and credit ratings of the issuer or underlying company, the quoted market price of publicly traded securities with similar duration and yield, the Black-Scholes Options Valuation methodology adjusted for active market and other considerations on a case-by-case basis and other factors generally pertinent to the valuation of financial instruments.
For disclosure purposes, the fair values for each of the loans held at CLO I, CLO II and CLO III were calculated using third-party pricing services. The average number of third-party pricing quotes received for CLO I, CLO II and CLO III were three for each CLO as of December 31, 2014. The average number of third-party pricing quotes received for CLO I, CLO II and CLO III were three, four and three, respectively, for both December 31, 2013. Valuations obtained from third-party pricing services are considered reflective of executable prices. Data is obtained from multiple sources and compared for consistency and reasonableness.
Marketable securities owned and securities sold, but not yet purchased, consist of U.S. listed and over-the-counter (“OTC”) equity securities. Other investments include investments in private investment funds managed by the Company and investments in private investment funds managed by third parties. Such investments held by non-broker-dealer entities are accounted for under the equity method based on the Company’s share of the earnings (or losses) of the investee. The financial position and operating results of the private investment funds are generally determined on an estimated fair value basis. Generally, securities are valued (i) at their last published sale price if they are listed on an established exchange or (ii) if last sales prices are not published, at the highest closing “bid” price (for securities held “long”) and the lowest closing “asked” price (for “short” positions) as recorded by the composite tape system or such principal exchange, as the case may be. Where the general partner determines that market prices or quotations do not fairly represent the value of a security in the investment fund’s portfolio (for example, if a security is a restricted security of a class that is publicly traded) the general partner may assign a different value. The general partner will determine the estimated fair value of any assets that are not publicly traded.
In September 2009, the FASB issued amended accounting principles related to fair value measurements of investments in certain entities that calculate net asset value per share. The amended accounting principles permit, as a practical expedient, an entity to estimate the fair value of investments in certain entities using the net asset value per share of such entities. The Company estimates the fair value of its investments in private investment funds managed by third parties using the net asset value per share of those funds.
Also included in other investments are warrants on public and private common stock owned by JMP Securities and HCC LLC, private equity securities owned by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital, investments in private companies sponsored by JMP Group LLC and JMP Capital. The warrants on public and private common stock are generally received in connection with investment banking transactions or origination of loans. Such warrants are fair valued at the date of issuance and marked-to-market as of each reporting period using the Black-Scholes Options Valuation methodology. HCC LLC values its investments for which market quotations are readily available from an independent pricing service or at the mean between the bid and ask prices obtained from at least two brokers or dealers (if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer). HCC LLC engages independent valuation providers to review the valuation of each portfolio investment that does not have a readily available market quotation at least once quarterly. The fair value of the private equity securities owned by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital is determined by the Company using comparable public company metrics discounted for private company market illiquidity. The interest rate cap derivative instrument fair value is determined from counterparty price quotations.
The Company follows the authoritative guidance included in GAAP on the fair value option which provides companies with a choice to report selected financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value. The election to use the fair value option is available at specified election dates, such as when an entity first recognizes a financial asset or financial liability or upon entering into a firm commitment. Subsequent changes in fair value must be recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company elected to apply the fair value option to the investments in HCC common stock, its investments in real estate funds, and its investment in a private equity fund which invests in a diversified portfolio of technology companies. The primary reason for electing the fair value option was to measure these gains on our investments on the same basis as our other equity securities, all of which are stated at fair value.
The gains on the investments in HCC, the investment in real estate funds and the private equity fund are reported in Principal Transactions in the Consolidated Statements of Operation. In 2014, the Company recorded unrealized loss of $2.4 million and net dividend income of $0.9 million on the above investment in HCC. In 2013, the Company recorded unrealized gain of $20 thousand and net dividend income of $0.5 million on the above investment in HCC. In 2013 and 2014, the Company recorded unrealized gain of $0.1 million and $0.2 million on the investments in real estate funds, respectively. In 2013 and 2014, the Company recorded unrealized gain of $1.1 million and $0.1 million on the investment in the private equity fund which invests in a diversified portfolio of technology companies.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company entered into a forward purchase contract to secure the acquisition of shares of a privately-held company. The contract and subsequent amendment incorporates downside protection for up to two years, for a cost basis of $5.0 million. In January 2012, the Company exchanged $5.0 million for physical custody of the shares. Beginning December 1, 2012, the Company could, at its discretion, become the beneficial and record holder of the shares. If the Company has not yet exercised its option at March 4, 2015, the shares will be assigned automatically to the Company. This contract is recorded in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at fair value. The Company records changes in the fair value of this forward contract as unrealized gain or loss in Principal Transactions. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $0.6 million unrealized loss on this investment. Once the shares are in the Company’s name, the shares will be accounted for as equity securities, remaining in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
In 2014, the Company entered into a swaption contract to secure the acquisition of shares of a privately-held company. The Company records changes in the fair value of this derivative as unrealized gain or loss in Principal Transactions. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $0.1 million unrealized loss on this investment. Once the shares are in the Company’s name, the shares will be accounted for as equity securities, remaining in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
Fair Value Hierarchy
In determining fair value, the Company uses various methods including market, income and cost approaches. Based on these approaches, the Company often utilizes certain assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated, or generally unobservable firm inputs. The Company generally utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Based on the observability of the inputs used in the valuation techniques, the Company provides the following information according to the fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. Financial instrument assets and liabilities carried at fair value have been classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of fair value hierarchy:
Level 1		Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2		Observable market based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.
Level 3		Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.
Level 1 primarily consists of financial instruments whose value is based on quoted market prices such as U.S. listed and OTC equity securities, as well as quasi-government agency securities, all of which are carried at fair value.
Level 2 includes those financial instruments that are valued using models or other valuation methodologies. These models are primarily industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including discounted anticipated cash flows, the cost, terms and liquidity of the instrument, the financial condition, operating results and credit ratings of the issuer or underlying company, the quoted market price of publicly traded securities with similar duration and yield, time value, yield curve, prepayment speeds, default rates, loss severity, as well as other measurements. Substantially all of these assumptions are observable in the marketplace, can be derived from observable data or are supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace. Included in this category is the general partner investment in hedge funds, where the underlying hedge funds are mainly invested in publicly traded stocks whose value is based on quoted market prices.
Level 3 is comprised of financial instruments whose fair value is estimated based on internally developed models or methodologies utilizing significant inputs that are generally less readily observable from objective sources. A description of the valuation techniques utilized for the fair value of the financial instruments in this category is as follows:
	•		General partner investment in funds of funds and limited partner investment in mortgage and private equity funds: determined by net asset value provided by third-party general partners;
	•		Warrants: JMP Securities investments determined by the Company using the Black-Scholes Options Valuation model;
	•		Private equity securities, forward purchase contract and swaption: HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital investment in private companies, determined by the Company using comparable public company metrics discounted for private company market illiquidity, and
The Company’s Level 3 assets consist primarily of private equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital. For investments acquired close to the valuation date, the Company uses the most recent purchase price to reflect the fair value of the investment. For all other investments, the Company determines fair value using a blended approach considering comparable public company metrics and comparable M&A transactions, discounted for private company market illiquidity. The Company applies the same valuation methodology to all HGC, HGC II, and JMP Capital private equity investments.
The valuations are reviewed and approved by the HGC Valuation Committee, which meets quarterly to discuss investment valuations and any significant or unusual events that have an impact on the valuation results. Fluctuations are generally driven by changes in peer public company performance, recent M&A activity, or revised financial information of the investee. The assumptions used in the valuation calculations (discounts, allocations, estimates, etc.) are assessed, with consideration to market and regulatory conditions, as well as company specific conditions, for events or circumstances that would indicate changes in the value. Peer companies are reviewed to determine whether the group selected remains appropriate, based on the market, customer, size, and growth rate.
At each reporting period, all assets and liabilities for which the fair value measurement is based on significant unobservable inputs are classified as “Level 3.”
Loans
Accounting guidance requires that the Company present and disclose certain information about its financing receivables by portfolio segment and/or by class of receivables. A portfolio segment is defined as the level at which an entity develops and documents a systematic methodology to determine the allowance for credit losses. A class of financing receivables is defined as the level of information (below a portfolio segment) that enables a reader to understand the nature and extent of exposure to credit risk arising from financing receivables. The Company’s portfolio segments are loans held for sale, small business loans and loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued. The Company has treated the loans held for investment as a single class given the small size of the respective loan portfolios as of December 31, 2014 and 2013. The classes within these portfolio segments are Asset Backed Loan (“ABL”), ABL – stretch, Cash Flow and Enterprise Value.
Loans Held for Investment
Loans held for investment are carried at their unpaid principal balance, net of any allowance for credit losses or deferred loan origination, commitment or other fees. For loans held for investment, the Company establishes and maintains an allowance for credit losses based on management’s estimate of credit losses in our loans as of each reporting date. The Company records the allowance against loans held for investment on a specific identification basis. Loans are charged off against the reserve for credit losses if the principal is deemed not recoverable within a reasonable timeframe. Loan origination, commitment or other fees are deferred and recognized into interest income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the life of the related loan. The Company does not accrue interest on loans which are in default for more than 90 days and loans for which the Company expects full principal payments may not be received. When loans are placed on non-accrual status, all interest previously accrued but not collected is reversed against current period interest income. Any reversals of income from previous years are recorded against the allowance for loan losses. When the Company receives a cash interest payment on a non-accrual loan, it is applied as a reduction of the principal balance. Non-accrual loans are returned to accrual status when the borrower becomes current as to principal and interest and has demonstrated a sustained period of payment performance. The amortization of loan fees is discontinued on non-accrual loans. The Company applies the above non-accrual policy consistently to all loans classified as loans held for investment without further disaggregation. Loans that are deemed to be uncollectible are charged off and the charged-off amount is deducted from the allowance.
Loans Collateralizing Asset-Backed Securities Issued
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued are recorded at their fair value as of the acquisition date, which then becomes the new basis of the loans. Any unamortized deferred fees or costs that existed prior to the acquisition are written off at that date.
For those loans acquired with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination, the total discount from unpaid principal balance to fair value consists of a non-accretable credit discount and an accretable liquidity discount. The accretable portion of the discount is recognized into interest income as an adjustment to the yield of the loan over the contractual life of the loan using the interest method.
For those loans without evidence of deterioration in credit quality since origination, any difference between the Company’s initial investment in the loan and its par value is recorded as a premium or discount, which is amortized or accreted into interest income as a yield adjustment over the contractual life of the loan using the effective interest method, in accordance with ASC 310-20, Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs.
The Company reviews its loan portfolio at the end of each quarter to identify specific loss reserves on impaired loans or to record losses inherent in the homogenous loan portfolio. As loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued are considered similar in nature, given the loan terms, ratings and average life expectancy, they are reviewed collectively in the quarterly assessment of loan loss reserves. Even when there are no credit losses identified in any individual loans, experience indicates there are losses inherent in the pooled loan portfolios as of the balance sheet date. The Company uses its loan loss model to estimate the unidentified losses that are inherent in the portfolio as of the balance sheet date and records provisions to its allowance for loan losses quarterly.
For loans acquired at a discount that are not accounted for under ASC 310-30, the allowance for loan losses recorded subsequent to the date of the loan acquisition is determined using the guidance in ASC 450. No allowance on these loans will be recognized until the current book value is accreted past the level of incurred loss. For loans acquired at a premium, the allowance for loan losses recorded subsequent to the date of the loan acquisition is determined in accordance with ASC 450, based on the contractual principal balances. Given the existence of the premium on these loans, the allowance recorded subsequent to acquisition is based on the Company’s quarterly allowance methodology and represents losses inherent in the homogeneous loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. Accordingly, if the Company were to acquire loans at a premium during a particular period, the Company would record an allowance at the end of the quarter in which the loans were acquired.
Refer to “Allowance for Loan Losses” section below for the Company’s quarterly assessment process.
The accrual of interest on loans is discontinued when principal or interest payments are 90 days or more past due or when, in the opinion of management, reasonable doubt exists as to the full collection of principal and/or interest. When loans are placed on non-accrual status, all interest previously accrued but not collected is reversed against current period interest income. Any reversals of income from previous years are recorded against the allowance for loan losses. When the Company receives a cash interest payment on a non-accrual loan, it is applied as a reduction of the principal balance. Non-accrual loans are returned to accrual status when the borrower becomes current as to principal and interest and has demonstrated a sustained period of payment performance. The amortization of loan fees is discontinued on non-accrual loans and may be considered for write-off. Depending on the terms of the loan, a fee may be charged upon a prepayment which is recognized in the period of the prepayment.
Restructured loans are considered a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) if the Company, for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor’s financial difficulties, grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider. The Company may receive an asset from the debtor in a TDR, but the value of the asset received is typically significantly less than the amount of the debt forgiven. The Company has received equity interest in certain debtors as compensation for reducing the loan principal balance in some cases.
Allowance for Loan Losses
The Company maintains an allowance for loan losses that is intended to estimate loan losses inherent in its loan portfolio. A provision for loan losses is charged to expense to establish the allowance for loan losses. The allowance for loan losses consists of two components: estimated loan losses for specifically identified loans and estimated loan losses inherent in the remainder of the portfolio. The Company’s loan portfolio consists primarily of loans made to small to middle market, privately owned companies. Loans made to these companies generally have higher risks compared to larger, publicly traded companies who have greater access to financial resources. The allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level, in the opinion of management, sufficient to offset estimated losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the date of the financial statements. The appropriateness of the allowance and the allowance components are reviewed quarterly. The Company’s estimate of each allowance component is based on observable information and on market and third-party data that the Company believes are reflective of the underlying loan losses being estimated. Given these considerations, the Company believes that it is necessary to reserve for estimated loan losses inherent in the portfolio.
A loan is considered impaired when it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. The Company measures impairment of a loan based upon either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price or the fair value of the collateral securing the loan if the loan is collateral dependent, depending on the circumstances and the Company’s collection strategy.
For those loans held by CLO I at the date of acquisition by JMP Credit, and deemed impaired at that date or a subsequent date, the allowance for loan losses is calculated considering two further factors. For loans deemed impaired at the date of acquisition if there is a further decline in expected future cash flows, the reduction is recognized as a specific reserve in accordance with the guidance above. For those loans deemed impaired subsequent to the acquisition date, if the net realizable value is lower than the current carrying value, then the carrying value is reduced and the difference is recorded as provision for loan losses. If the total discount from unpaid principal balance to carrying value is larger than the expected loss at the date of assessment, no provision for loan losses is recognized. In addition, the Company provides an allowance on a loan by loan basis at JMP Credit for loans that were purchased after the CLO I acquisition. The Company employs internally developed and third-party estimation tools for measuring credit risk (loan ratings, probability of default, and exposure at default), which are used in developing an appropriate allowance for loan losses. The Company performs periodic detailed reviews of its loan portfolio to identify risks and to assess the overall collectability of loans.
Loans or positions of loans that are deemed to be uncollectible are charged off and the charged-off amount is deducted from the allowance.
In determining the required allowance for loan losses inherent in the portfolio, the following factors are considered: 1) the expected loss severity rate for each class of loans, 2) the current Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) rating and related probability of default, 3) the existing liquidity discount on the loans (when applicable), 4) internal loan ratings, and 5) loan performance.
	•	Expected loss severity rate for each class of loans: The Company’s loans are classified as either ABL, ABL – stretch, Cash Flow or Enterprise Value. The loss severity given a default is expected to be lowest on a conforming ABL loan, because the value of the collateral is typically sufficient to satisfy most of the amount owed. For ABL – stretch loans, the loss severity given a default is expected to be higher than for a conforming ABL loan because of less collateral coverage. For Cash Flow loans, the loss severity given a default is expected to be higher than ABL stretch loans, since generally less collateral coverage is provided for this class of loans. For Enterprise Value loans, the loss severity given a default is expected to be the highest, assuming that if the obligor defaults there has probably been a significant loss of enterprise value in the business. Loss severity estimates take into consideration current economic conditions such as overall macroeconomic trends, the amount of liquidity in the market and the condition of the CLO market.
	•	Moody’s rating and related probability of default: Moody uses factors such as, but not limited to, the borrower’s leverage, use of proceeds, cash flows, growth rate, industry condition, concentration of risks, EBITDA margins and others factors. The lower the rating a loan carries, the higher the risk. Moody’s publishes a probability of default for each rating class based on historical loss experience with loans of similar credit quality, and taking into consideration current economic conditions such as industry default rates, the amount of liquidity in the market and other macroeconomic trends. The higher the loan is rated, the less probability there is of a default. The Company updates the Moody’s rating assigned to a loan whenever Moody’s changes its rating for the loan.
	•	Existing liquidity discount on the loans: For non-impaired loans held at CLO I at the acquisition date, a liquidity discount was recorded to reflect the fair value of those loans. To the extent that the liquidity discount on a loan is greater than the component of the general reserve attributable to that loan, no general reserve is recorded. If the pooled reserve for a loan is greater than its liquidity discount, the amount by which it exceeds the liquidity discount will be included in the pooled reserve calculation.
	•	Internal loan ratings for Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and Loans held for sale: The Internal Rating System is an internal portfolio monitoring mechanism allowing the Company to proactively manage portfolio risk and minimize losses. In evaluating these loans, the Company uses five account rating categories: 1 through 5. Internal ratings of 1 and 2 indicate lower risks while ratings between 3 and 5 indicate higher risks. Internal ratings are updated at least quarterly. The following describes each of the Company’s internal ratings:
	1	Investment exceeding expectations and/or a capital gain is expected.
	2	Investment generally performing in accordance with expectations.
	3	Investment performing below expectations and requires closer monitoring.
	4	Investment performing below expectations where a higher risk of loss exists.
	5	Investment performing significantly below expectations where the Company expects to experience a loss.
	Performing	Non-impaired loans
	Non-performing	Impaired loans
Asset-Backed Securities Issued
Asset-backed securities issued (“ABS”) represent securities issued to third parties by CLO I, CLO II and CLO III (as of September 30, 2014). At the acquisition date, the ABS at CLO I were recorded at fair value, which comprised the principal balance outstanding less liquidity discount. The liquidity discount was amortized into interest expense over the original expected remaining lives of the ABS using the interest method. At the issuance date of the instrument, the Company made a policy election not to update the estimated life of the asset on a prospective basis. This conclusion established at the issuance date, was therefore fixed for the instrument.
Fixed Assets
Fixed assets represent furniture and fixtures, computer and office equipment, certain software costs and leasehold improvements, which are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, ranging from three to five years.
Leasehold improvements are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the respective lease terms or the estimated useful lives of the improvements.
The Company capitalizes certain costs of computer software developed or obtained for internal use and amortizes the amount over the estimated useful life of the software, generally not exceeding three years.
Income Taxes
The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, and are determined based upon the temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities using the tax rates and laws in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce the deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
The Company applies the accounting principles related to uncertainty in income taxes. Under the guidance, the Company recognizes a tax benefit from an uncertain position only if it is more likely than not that the position is sustainable, based solely on its technical merits and consideration of the relevant taxing authorities’ widely understood administrative practices and precedents. If this threshold is met, the Company measures the tax benefit as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.
The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with the tax audits or unrecognized tax benefits, if any, is to record such items as a component of income tax.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company recognizes compensation cost for stock-based awards at their fair value on the date of grant and records compensation expense over the service period for awards expected to vest. Such grants are recognized as expense, net of estimated forfeitures.
Stock-based compensation includes restricted stock units and stock options granted under the Company’s 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, and stock options granted under the Company’s 2004 Equity Incentive Plan.
In accordance with generally accepted valuation practices for stock-based awards issued as compensation, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model or other quantitative models to calculate the fair value of option awards. The quantitative models require subjective assumptions regarding variables such as future stock price volatility, dividend yield and expected time to exercise, which greatly affect the calculated values.
The fair value of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) is determined based on the closing price of the underlying stock on the grant date, discounted for future dividends not expected to be paid on unvested units during the vesting period. If applicable, a liquidity discount for post-vesting transfer restrictions is also applied.
Treasury Stock
The Company accounts for treasury stock under the cost method, using an average cost flow assumption, and includes treasury stock as a component of shareholders’ equity.
Reclassification
Certain balances from prior years have been reclassified in order to conform to the current year presentation. The reclassifications had no impact on the Company’s financial position, net income or cash flows.

Note_3_Recent_Accounting_Prono

Note 3 - Recent Accounting Pronouncements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]	3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	ASU 2013-11, Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists was issued to provide guidance on the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits and will better reflect the manner in which an entity settles at the reporting date any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position when net operating loss carryforwards, similar tax losses, or tax credit carryforwards exist. The adoption of ASU 2013-11 on January 1, 2014 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement disclosures.
	ASU 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers was issued in May 2014 to provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues. The provisions of this standard are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and do not allow early adoption. The adoption of ASU 2014-9 may have an impact on the Company’s financial statements; however, the extent is not yet determined.
	ASU 2014-12, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period was issued to provide guidance on share-based payments with terms where a performance target that affects vesting could be achieved after the requisite service period. The provisions of this standard are effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015, and allows for early adoption. The adoption of ASC 2014-12 will not impact the Company’s financial statements.
	ASU 2014-13, Consolidation: Measuring the Financial Assets and the Financial Liabilities of a Consolidated Collateralized Financial Entity was issued in August 2014 to address discrepancy in the fair value measurement of a collateralized financing entity’s financial assets from the fair value of their financial liabilities even when the financial liabilities have recourse only to the financial assets. Prior to this update, there was no specific guidance on how to account for this difference. As the Company does not carry its CLOs’ financial assets and liabilities at fair value, the adoption of ASU 2014-13 for annual and interim periods ending after December 15, 2015 will not impact the Company’s financial statement. Given the size of the existing discrepancy between the fair value of the Company’s CLOs’ financial assets and liabilities, the adoption of this ASU is not anticipated to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement disclosures.
	ASU 2014- 15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern was issued in August 2014 to provide guidance regarding management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern or to provide related footnote disclosures. This standard will be effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted for annual or interim reporting periods for which the financial statements have not previously been issued. The adoption of ASU 2014-15 is not expected to have an impact on the Company’s financial statements.
	ASU 2014-16, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Determining Whether the Host Contract in a Hybrid Financial Instrument Issued in the Form of a Share Is More Akin to Debt or to Equity was issued to eliminate the use of different methods in practice and thereby reduce existing diversity in the accounting for hybrid financial instruments issued in the form of a share. For hybrid financial instruments issued in the form of a share, an entity should determine the nature of the contract by considering the economic characteristics and risks of the entire hybrid financial instrument. The existence or omission of any single term or feature does not necessarily determine the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract. This standard will be effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2014-16 is not expected to have an impact on the Company’s financial statements.
	ASU 2015-2, Amendments to Consolidation Analysis, was issued February 2015, which amends the consolidation requirements in ASC 810, Consolidation. The amendments will change the analysis that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of entities, and eliminate the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. This standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. In performing the analysis under the revised amendments, the Company concluded HGC and HGC II no longer require consolidation effective January 1, 2015.

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]	4. Fair Value Measurements
	The following tables provide fair value information related to the Company’s financial instruments at December 31, 2014 and 2013:
		At December 31, 2014
	(In thousands)	Carrying Value			Fair Value
					Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	101,362		$	101,362		$	-		$	-		$	101,362
	Restricted cash and deposits		67,102			67,102			-			-			67,102
	Marketable securities owned		29,466			29,466			-			-			29,466
	Other investments		208,947			3,539			64,628			138,652			206,819
	Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses		1,997			-			-			1,734			1,734
	Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses		1,038,848			-			1,031,885			-			1,031,885
	Long term receivable		860			-			-			960			960
	Total assets:	$	1,448,582		$	201,469		$	1,096,513		$	141,346		$	1,439,328
	Liabilities:
	Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased	$	15,048		$	15,048		$	-		$	-		$	15,048
	Asset-backed securities issued		1,001,137			-			992,625			-			992,625
	Bond payable		94,300			-			96,017			-			96,017
	Total liabilities:	$	1,110,485		$	15,048		$	1,088,642		$	-		$	1,103,690
		At December 31, 2013
	(In thousands)	Carrying Value			Fair Value
					Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	65,906		$	65,906		$	-		$	-		$	65,906
	Restricted cash and deposits		68,029			68,029			-			-			68,029
	Marketable securities owned		29,295			29,295			-			-			29,295
	Other investments		161,773			57			49,389			112,072			161,518
	Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses		825			-			-			693			693
	Small business loans		-			-			-			-			-
	Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses		727,270			-			737,327			-			737,327
	Long term receivable		1,152			-			-			1,364			1,364
	Total assets:	$	1,054,250		$	163,287		$	786,716		$	114,129		$	1,064,132
	Liabilities:
	Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased	$	13,749		$	13,749		$	-		$	-		$	13,749
	Asset-backed securities issued		716,423			-			710,961			-			710,961
	Note payable		15,000			-			15,000			-			15,000
	Line of credit		2,895			-			2,895			-			2,895
	Bond payable		46,000			-			46,552			-			46,552
	Total liabilities:	$	794,067		$	13,749		$	775,408		$	-		$	789,157
	Recurring Fair Value Measurement
	The following tables provide information related to the Company’s assets and liabilities carried at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2014 and 2013:
	(In thousands)	31-Dec-14
		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Marketable securities owned	$	29,466		$	-		$	-		$	29,466
	Other investments:
	Investments in hedge funds managed by HCS		-			64,628			-			64,628
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS		-			-			152			152
	Total investment in funds managed by HCS		-			64,628			152			64,780
	Investments in private equity/ real estate funds		-			-			9,102			9,102
	Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC		-			-			732			732
	Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		3,539			-			122,058			125,597
	Forward purchase contract and swaption		-			-			6,608			6,608
	Total other investments		3,539			64,628			138,652			206,819
	Total assets:	$	33,005		$	64,628		$	138,652		$	236,285
	Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased		15,048			-			-			15,048
	Total liabilities:	$	15,048		$	-		$	-		$	15,048
	(In thousands)	31-Dec-13
		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Marketable securities owned	$	29,295		$	-		$	-		$	29,295
	Other investments:
	Investments in hedge funds managed by HCS		-			44,647			-			44,647
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS		-			-			139			139
	Total investment in funds managed by HCS		-			44,647			139			44,786
	Investments in private equity/ real estate funds		-			-			5,967			5,967
Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC		-			-			1,121			1,121
Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		57			4,742			97,981			102,780
Forward purchase contract		-			-			6,864			6,864
Total other investments		57			49,389			112,072			161,518
Total assets:	$	29,352		$	49,389		$	112,072		$	190,813
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased		13,749			-			-			13,749
Total liabilities:	$	13,749		$	-		$	-		$	13,749
The Company holds a limited partner investment in a private equity fund. This fund aims to achieve medium to long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of technology companies that leverage the growth of Greater China. The Company also holds investments in real estate funds, which aim to generate revenue stream from investments in real estate joint ventures. The Company recognizes this investment using the fair value option. The primary reason for electing the fair value option was to measure gains on the same basis as the Company’s other equity securities, which are stated at fair value.
The Company’s Level 2 assets held in other investments consist of investments in hedge funds managed by HCS, and equity securities in HGC, HGC II, and JMP Capital. The investment in hedge funds is calculated using the equity method. These assets are considered Level 2, as the underlying hedge funds are mainly invested in publicly traded stocks whose value is based on quoted market prices. The Level 2 equity securities in HGC, HGC II, and JMP Capital reflect investments in public securities, where the Company is subject to a lockup period. The fair value of the Level 2 equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital is calculated by applying a discount rate to the quoted market prices of the portfolio securities due to lack of marketability.
The following tables provide a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for the assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013:
(In thousands)	Balance as of December 31, 2013			Purchases			Sales			Settlements			Total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings (1)			Transfers in/(out) of Level 3			Balance as of December 31, 2014		Unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date
Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS	$	139		$	55		$	(58	)	$	-		$	16		$	-		$	152	$	16
Limited partner investment in private equity fund		5,967			4,048			(781	)		(494	)		362			-			9,102		362
Warrants and other held at JMPS		1,121			-			-			-			(389	)		-			732		(389	)
Equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		97,981			15,420			(2,204	)		-			11,082			(221	)		122,058		11,616
Forward Purchase Contract and Swaption		6,864			460			-			-			(716	)		-			6,608		(716	)
Total Level 3 assets	$	112,072		$	19,983		$	(3,043	)	$	(494	)	$	10,355		$	(221	)	$	138,652	$	10,889
(1)   No Level 3 asset gains (losses) are included in other comprehensive income. All realized and unrealized gains (losses) related to Level 3 assets are included in earnings.
(In thousands)	Balance as of December 31, 2012			Purchases			Sales			Settlements			Total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings (1)			Transfers in/(out) of Level 3			Balance as of December 31, 2013		Unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date
Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS	$	109		$	-		$	-		$	-		$	30		$	-		$	139	$	30
Limited partner investment in private equity fund		2,332			3,009			-			(658	)		1,284			-			5,967		1,284
Warrants and other held at JMPS		413			42			(206	)		-			872			-			1,121		784
Warrants and equity held at HCC LLC		2,577			100			-			-			425			(3,102	)		-		-
Small business loans		35,447			1,771			(43	)		-			30			(37,205	)		-		-
Equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		41,075			50,622			-			-			17,119			(10,835	)		97,981		17,119
Forward Purchase Contract		5,437			-			-			-			1,427			-			6,864		1,427
Total Level 3 assets	$	87,390		$	55,544		$	(249	)	$	(658	)	$	21,187		$	(51,142	)	$	112,072	$	20,644
(1)   No Level 3 asset gains (losses) are included in other comprehensive income. All realized and unrealized gains (losses) related to Level 3 assets are included in earnings.
Purchases and sales of Level 3 assets shown above were recorded at fair value at the date of the transaction.
Total gains and losses included in earnings represent the total gains and/or losses (realized and unrealized) recorded for the Level 3 assets and are reported in Principal Transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy result from changes in the observability of fair value inputs used in determining fair values for different types of financial assets and are recognized at the beginning of the reporting period in which the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer occurs.
There was one transfer for $0.2 million into Level 2, and subsequently into Level 1 for the year ended December 31, 2014. These transfers were a result of the initial public offering of one investment in HGC II, reflecting the fair value measurement of the investment being based on quoted market prices without further adjustment. There were two additional transfers of $4.3 million into Level 1 from Level 2 for the year ended December 31, 2014 as a result of the expiration of a lockup discount. There were no additional transfers between Levels 1, 2 and 3 for the year ended December 31, 2014.
There was one transfer into Level 1 for the year ended December 31, 2013, as a result of the expiration of the lockup discount on the Company’s investment in HCC. There were transfers into Level 2 from Level 3 of $3.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2013, as a result of the observability of fair value associated with the equity securities in HGC. In addition, a private company in which HGC II held a Level 3 investment was acquired. In connection with the acquisition, the Company exchanged $7.1 million of its Level 3 assets for shares of the acquiring public company. This exchange is reflected in the transfers column within the Level 3 asset rollforward. The new shares are Level 2 assets as of December 31, 2013, to reflect the associated lockup discount.
The deconsolidation of HCC LLC in 2013 resulted in the exclusion of $3.1 million warrants and other equity and $37.2 million in small business loans from the Company’s Level 3 assets.
The amount of unrealized gains and losses included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains and losses relating to Level 3 assets still held at the end of the period are reported in Principal Transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Included in other investments are investments in partnerships in which one of the Company’s subsidiaries is the investment manager and general partner. The Company accounts for these investments using the equity method as described in Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. The Company’s proportionate share of those investments is included in the tables above. In addition, other investments include warrants and investments in funds managed by third parties. The investments in private investment funds managed by third parties are generally not redeemable at the option of the Company. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had unfunded investment commitments of $0.1 million related to private investment funds managed by third parties.
The Company used the following valuation techniques with unobservable inputs when estimating the fair value of the Level 3 assets:
Dollars in thousands	Fair Value at December 31, 2014		Valuation Technique		Unobservable Input	Range
						(Weighted Average)
Investments in Funds of Funds managed by HCS (1)	$	152	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
Limited Partner in Private Equity /Real Estate Fund (1)	$	9,102	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
Warrants and Other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC	$	732	Black-Scholes Option Model		Annualized volatility of credit		0%-17.9%	17.90%
Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital (2)	$	122,058	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		2.6-15.8	6.2
					EBITDA multiples		13.6-17.5	14.9
				-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30%-40%	31%
			Market transactions		Revenue multiples		4.2-8.8	6.3
					EBITDA multiples		14.2-20.8	19.3
					Control premium		25	%
Forward purchase contract and swaption (2)	$	6,608	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		7.6-13.9	9.6
					Billing multiples		6.4-8.4	7.3
				-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30	%
			Market transactions		Revenue multiples		6.7-8.5	7.2
					Control premium		25	%
(1) The Company uses the reported net asset value per share as a practical expedient to estimate the fair value of the investments in funds of funds managed by HCS and limited partner investment in private equity funds.
(2) The fair value of each HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital investment is calculated using a weighted allocation between the fair values assessed by the public comparables and M&A comparable valuation techniques.
(3) The Company applies a discount for lack of marketability (“DLOM”) to its investments, ranging from 30% to 50%. The discount is determined by the level of revenue of the investee and proximity to filing. The minimum discount applied is 30% for investees that either generate revenue exceeding $100 million, or have filed a registration statement. Higher discounts are applied to investees with less than $100 million of revenue or that are not on file, reflecting the longer anticipated term to a liquidity event. When HGC and HGC II investments become public, the Company is typically subject to a lock up period. In valuing these public companies, the Company has incorporated 5% per month of lockup into its valuations. As the typical lockup period is six months, the DLOM methodology has a floor threshold of 30% to mirror the discount rates applied once the investment goes public.
The Company used the following valuation techniques with unobservable inputs when estimating the fair value of the Level 3 assets:
Dollars in thousands	Fair Value at December 31, 2013		Valuation Technique		Unobservable Input	Range
						(Weighted Average)
Investments in Funds of Funds managed by HCS (1)	$	139	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
Limited Partner in Private Equity /Real Estate Fund (1)	$	5,967	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
Warrants and Other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC	$	1,121	Black-Scholes Option Model		Annualized volatility of credit		0%-25.4%	13.40%
Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital (2)	$	97,981	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		2.4-14.5	6.3
					EBITDA multiples		14.9-31.9	22.1
				-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30%-40%	32%
			Market transactions		Revenue multiples		3.4-7.6	5.7
					EBITDA multiples		11.8-26.6	17.7
					Control premium		25	%
Forward purchase contract (2)	$	6,864	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		10.6-14.5	12.3
					Billing multiples		8.7-11.6	10
				-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30	%
			Market transactions		Revenue multiples		7
					Control premium		25	%
(1) The Company uses the reported net asset value per share as a practical expedient to estimate the fair value of the general partner investment in funds of funds and limited partner investment in mortgage and private equity funds.
(2) The fair value of each HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital investment is calculated using a weighted allocation between the fair values assessed by the public comparables and M&A comparable valuation techniques.
(3) The Company applies a discount for lack of marketability to its investments, ranging from 30% to 50%. The discount is determined by the level of revenue of the investee and proximity to filing. The minimum discount applied is 30% for investees that either generate revenue exceeding $100 million, or have filed a registration statement. Higher discounts are applied to investees with less than $100 million of revenue or that are not on file, reflecting the longer anticipated term to a liquidity event. When HGC and HGC II investments become public, the Company is typically subject to a lock up period. In valuing these public companies, the Company has incorporated 5% per month of lockup into its valuations. As the typical lockup period is six months, the DLOM methodology has a floor threshold of 30% to mirror the discount rates applied once the investment goes public.
The significant unobservable input used in the fair value measurement of the warrants held at JMP Securities is the annualized volatility of credit. Significant increases in the rate would result in a significantly higher fair value measurement.
The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the equity securities, forward contract and swaption in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital are Revenue, EBITDA and Billing multiples, discount for lack of marketability, and control premiums. Significant increases in the multiples in isolation would result in a significantly higher fair value measurement. Increases in the discounts and premium in isolation would result in decreases to the fair value measurement.
Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements
The following tables provide information related to the Company’s assets carried at fair value on a non-recurring basis at December 31, 2014 and 2013:
	Fair Value						Gains (Losses) Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
(In thousands)	2014			2013			2014			2013
Assets:
Nonaccrual loans	$	-		$	-		$	-		$	(870	)
Loans held for sale		-			-			-			(422	)
Total assets:	$	-		$	-		$	-		$	(1,292	)
Small Business Loans
Small business loans represent the secured subordinated debt extended by HCC LLC to small to mid-sized companies. At inception, the loans were carried at the principal amount outstanding net of deferred fees, deferred costs and the allowance for loan losses. Changes to adopt investment company accounting were retrospectively applied and as of September 30, 2012, HCC LLC reported all investments, including debt investments, at market value or, in the absence of a readily available market value, at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded in Gain on sale, payoff and mark-to-market on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company recorded unrealized gains of $0.4 million relating to the fair value adjustment of small business loans in 2012. The Company recorded unrealized gains of $0.1 million relating to the fair value adjustment of small business loans in 2013, prior to the deconsolidation of HCC LLC on May 2, 2013.
In connection with the HCC initial public offering on May 2, 2013, the Company ceased consolidating HCC LLC and began recognizing its investment, including common stock and warrants of HCC, using the fair value option. The Company’s investments in HCC common stock and warrants are included in other investments. The deconsolidation of HCC LLC resulted in a net loss of $35 thousand. The Company recorded unrealized loss of $2.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2014 and $0.1 million gain in the year ended December 31, 2013, related to its investments in HCC LLC. The Company recognized the initial loss on deconsolidation and subsequent market adjustments to its investments in principal transactions. Dividends received during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 on HCC stock of $0.9 million and $0.5 million were recorded in net dividend income on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Loans Held for Investment
At December 31, 2014 and 2013, loans held for investment included two loans. Given the small size of this loan portfolio segment, the Company reviews credit quality of the loans within this portfolio segment on a loan by loan basis mainly focusing on the borrower’s financial position and results of operations as well as the current and expected future cash flows on the loan.
Effective July 1, 2013, the Company agreed to lend a health sciences fund investment advising company up to $2.0 million, at an interest rate of 10% per year. The outstanding principal balance and all accrued and unpaid interest is due and payable on July 1, 2018. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company’s loan outstanding to this entity was $2.0 million and $0.8 million, respectively.
The Company determined the fair value of loans held for investment to be $1.7 million and $0.7 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, using anticipated cash flows, discounted at an appropriate market credit adjusted interest rate.
Investments at Cost
On February 11, 2010, the Company made a $1.5 million investment in Class D Preferred Units of Sanctuary Wealth Services LLC (“Sanctuary”), which provides a turnkey platform that allows independent wealth advisors. During the fourth quarter of 2010, the Company determined that its investment in Sanctuary was fully impaired and recorded an impairment loss of $1.5 million, which was included in Principal Transactions on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
On April 3, 2012, the Company purchased a $2.3 million receivable for $1.4 million from Sanctuary. The $1.4 million was comprised of $0.5 million in cash consideration and $0.9 million in connection with the partial redemption of the $1.5 million investment in Sanctuary. The Company recognized the $0.9 million as a gain in Principal Transactions, and the $2.3 million receivable in Other Assets. The carrying value of the long-term receivable was $0.9 million and $1.2 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company determined the fair value of the long-term receivable to be $1.0 million and $1.4 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, using anticipated cash flows, discounted at an appropriate market credit adjusted interest rate. Significant increases in the market credit adjusted interest rate in isolation would result in decreases to the fair value measurement.
In May 2014, the Company entered into a commitment to purchase $2.5 million preferred shares of a real estate investment banking private equity company, which was identified as a VIE. As of December 31, 2014, the Company purchased $0.6 million of the preferred shares. The investment was determined to be a debt security, and is held at cost in the Other Investments line item. The carrying value of the debt security was $0.6 million as of December 31, 2014. The risks associated with this investment are limited to the commitment amount. The acquisition price is considered to reflect the fair value of the investment as of December 31, 2014.
On April 5, 2011, the Company made a $0.3 million investment in RiverBanc LLC ("RiverBanc"), which manages the assets of a commercial real estate disposition platform for property and note sales. The Company recognizes its investment in RiverBanc using the equity method. In the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized gains of $2.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively. In the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company received distributions of $1.4 million and $0.4 million, respectively.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company entered into a forward purchase contract to secure the acquisition of shares of a privately-held company. The contract and subsequent amendment incorporates downside protection for up to two years, for a cost basis of $5.0 million. In January 2012, the Company exchanged $5.0 million for physical custody of the shares. Beginning December 1, 2012, the Company could, at its discretion, become the beneficial and record holder of the shares. If the Company has not yet exercised its option at March 4, 2015, the shares will be assigned automatically to the Company. This contract is recorded in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at fair value. The Company records changes in the fair value of this forward contract as unrealized gain or loss in Principal Transactions. For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded $0.6 million unrealized loss and $1.4 million unrealized gain, respectively. Once the shares are in the Company’s name, the shares will be accounted for as equity securities, remaining in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
In 2014, the Company entered into a swaption contract to secure the acquisition of shares of a privately-held company. The Company records changes in the fair value of this derivative as unrealized gain or loss in Principal Transactions. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $0.1 million unrealized loss on this investment. Once the shares are in the Company’s name, the shares will be accounted for as equity securities, remaining in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

Note_5_Loans_Collateralizing_A

Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Loans Collateralizing Asset Backed Securities Issued And Loans Held For Sale Textblock [Abstract]
Loans Collateralizing Asset Backed Securities Issued And Loans Held For Sale Textblock	5. Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued
	Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued are commercial loans securitized and owned by the Company’s CLOs. The loans consist of those loans within the CLO securitization structure at the acquisition date of CLO I and loans purchased by the CLOs subsequent to the CLO I acquisition date. As of December 31, 2013, CLO III was not yet funded, and therefore, the loan in this entity was not collateralizing asset-backed securities issued. However, given the intent of the CLO III structure, this loan was included in loans collateralizing asset-backed securities line item as of December 31, 2013. Upon completion of the CLO III transaction on September 30, 2014, the loans within CLO III became collateralizing asset-backed securities issued. The following table presents the components of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued as of December 31, 2014 and 2013:
			As of December 31,
	(In thousands)		2014				2013
			Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities				Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities
	Outstanding principals		$	1,050,392			$	735,891
	Allowance for loan losses			(4,307	)			(3,871	)
	Liquidity discount			(1,049	)			(1,168	)
	Deferred loan fees, net			(6,188	)			(3,582	)
	Total loans, net		$	1,038,848			$	727,270
	Loans recorded upon the acquisition of CLO I at fair value reflect a liquidity discount and a credit discount. The table below summarizes the activity in the loan principal, allowance for loan losses, liquidity discount, deferred loan fees, and the carrying value for the impaired and non-impaired loans as of and for the year ended December 31, 2014:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31, 2014
			Principal				Allowance for Loan Losses				Liquidity Discount				Deferred Loan Fees				Carrying Value,
																			Net
	Non-impaired Loans
	Balance at beginning of period		$	735,891			$	(3,871	)		$	(1,168	)		$	(3,582	)		$	727,270
	Purchases			678,255				-				-				(4,669	)			673,586
	Repayments			(60,755	)			-				-				-				(60,755	)
	Accretion of discount			-				-				119				1,202				1,321
	Provision for loan losses			-				(436	)			-				-				(436	)
	Sales and payoff			(302,999	)			-				-				861				(302,999	)
	Balance at end of period		$	1,050,392			$	(4,307	)		$	(1,049	)		$	(6,188	)		$	1,038,848
	The table below summarizes the activity in the loan principal, allowance for loan losses, liquidity discount, credit discount, deferred loan fees, and the carrying value for the impaired non-impaired loans as of and for the year ended December 31, 2013:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31, 2013
			Principal				Allowance for Loan Losses				Liquidity Discount				Deferred Loan Fees				Carrying Value,
																			Net
	Impaired Loans
	Balance at beginning of period		$	3,517			$	(1,022	)		$	(720	)		$	(16	)		$	1,759
	Accretion of discount			(11	)			-				-				2				(9	)
	Provision for loan losses			-				(870	)			-				-				(870	)
	Sales and payoff			(3,506	)			1,892				720				14				(880	)
	Balance at end of period		$	-			$	-			$	-			$	-			$	-
	Non-impaired Loans
	Balance at beginning of period		$	410,483			$	(2,105	)		$	(2,332	)		$	(6,802	)		$	399,244
	Purchases			591,365				-				-				(433	)			590,932
	Repayments			(49,324	)			-				-				-				(49,324	)
	Accretion of discount			-				-				692				1,793				2,485
	Provision for loan losses			-				(1,766	)			-				-				(1,766	)
	Sales and payoff			(211,492	)			-				85				1,860				(209,547	)
	Transfers to/from impaired loans, net			(5,141	)			-				387				-				(4,754	)
	Balance at end of period		$	735,891			$	(3,871	)		$	(1,168	)		$	(3,582	)		$	727,270
	Allowance for Loan Losses
	A summary of the activity in the allowance for loan losses for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013				2012
	Balance at beginning of period		$	(3,871	)		$	(3,127	)		$	(4,199	)
	Provision for loan losses:
	Specific reserve			-				(870	)			(2,022	)
	General reserve			(436	)			(1,766	)			(183	)
	Reversal due to sale, payoff or restructure of loans			-				1,892				3,277
	Balance at end of period		$	(4,307	)		$	(3,871	)		$	(3,127	)
	Impaired Loans, Non-Accrual, Past Due Loans and Restructured Loans
	The $1,043.2 million and $731.1 million of recorded investment amount of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued were collectively evaluated for impairment, as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. A loan is considered to be impaired when, based on current information, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due in accordance with the contractual terms of the original loan agreement, including scheduled principal and interest payments. As of both December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company held no impaired loans.
	As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company classified all its loans as Cash Flow loans, as their funding decisions were all primarily driven by the cash flows of the borrower. As of both December 31, 2014 and 2013, no loans were on non-accrual status. The Company recorded no interest income, other than the accretion of liquidity discounts, for the impaired loans with a weighted average loan balance of $2.7 million that were on non-accrual status during the year ended December 31, 2013.
	Loans are considered past due if the required principal and interest payments have not been received as of the date such payments were due. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, there were no loans past due. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company held no loans whose terms were modified in a TDR.
	Credit Quality of Loans
	The Company’s management, at least on a quarterly basis, reviews each loan and evaluates the credit quality of the loan. The review primarily includes the following credit quality indicators with regard to each loan: 1) Moody’s rating, 2) current internal rating and 3) performance. The tables below present, by credit quality indicator, the Company’s recorded investment in loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued at December 31, 2014 and 2013:
	(In thousands)				Senior Secured Bonds/ Notes -								Cash Flow Loans (CF)
					Cash Flow
					December 31,								December 31,
					2014				2013				2014				2013
	Moody's rating:
	Baa1 - Baa3				$	-			$	-			$	12,843			$	16,057
	Ba1 - Ba3					-				-				270,899				215,281
B1 - B3					-				3,114				739,997				482,579
Caa1 - Caa3					-				-				19,168				13,729
Ca					-				-				248				381
Total:				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027
Internal rating (1) :
	2			$	-			$	3,114			$	979,693			$	700,168
	3				-				-				63,462				27,859
Total:				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027
Performance:
Performing				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027
Non-performing					-				-				-				-
Total:				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027
-1	Loans with an internal rating of 4 or below are reviewed individually to identify loans to be designated for non-accrual status.
The Company determined the fair value of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities to be $1,031.9 million and $737.3 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively; primarily using the average market bid and ask quotation obtained from a loan pricing service. Such loans are identified as Level 2 assets. The valuations are received from a pricing service to which the Company subscribes. The pricing service’s analysis incorporates comparable loans traded in the marketplace, the obligor’s industry, future business prospects, capital structure, and expected credit losses. Significant declines in the performance of the obligor would result in decreases to the fair value measurement.

Note_6_Fixed_Assets

Note 6 - Fixed Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]	6. Fixed Assets
	At December 31, 2014 and 2013, fixed assets consisted of the following:
	(In thousands)	As of December 31,
		2014			2013
	Furniture and fixtures	$	2,185		$	2,082
	Computer and office equipment		5,304			4,935
	Leasehold improvements		4,880			4,345
	Software		644			580
	Less: accumulated depreciation		(10,780	)		(9,850	)
	Total fixed assets, net	$	2,233		$	2,092
	Depreciation expense was $0.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Note_7_Debt

Note 7 - Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	7. Debt
	Bond Payable
	In January 2013, the Company raised approximately $46.0 million from the sale of 8.00% Senior Notes (the “2013 Senior Notes”). In January 2014, the Company raised an additional approximate amount of $48.3 million from the sale of 7.25% Senior Notes (the “2014 Senior Notes”). The 2013 Senior Notes will mature on January 15, 2023 and may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at the Company’s option on or after January 15, 2016, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest. The notes bear interest at a rate of 8.00% per year, payable quarterly on January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15 of each year. The 2014 Senior Notes will mature on January 15, 2021, and may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at the Company’s option on or after January 15, 2017, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest. The notes bear interest at a rate of 7.25% per year, payable quarterly on January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15 of each year, and began April 15, 2014.
	The 2013 Senior Notes and 2014 Senior Notes (collectively, the “Senior Notes”) were issued pursuant to indentures with U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The indentures contain a minimum liquidity covenant that obligates the Company to maintain liquidity of at least an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the aggregate amount due on the next eight scheduled quarterly interest payments on the Senior Notes, or (ii) the aggregate amount due on all remaining scheduled quarterly interest payments on the Senior Notes until the maturity of the Senior Notes. The indenture also contains customary event of default and cure provisions. If an uncured default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Senior Notes may declare the Senior Notes immediately due and payable.
	The Senior Notes will be the Company’s general unsecured senior obligations, will rank equally with all existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness and will be senior to any other indebtedness expressly made subordinate to the notes. The notes will be effectively subordinated to all of the existing and future secured indebtedness (to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness) and structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities of our subsidiaries, including trade payables.
	The Company incurred $1.7 million of debt issuance costs, which were capitalized and included in Other Assets in both 2013 and 2014. These issuance costs are amortized over the estimated life of the bond. As of December 31, 2013 and 2014, the Company held $1.6 million and $2.9 million of unamortized debt issuance costs.
	CLO III Warehouse Credit Facility
	On December 11, 2013, CLO III closed on a $100.0 million warehouse credit agreement with BNP Paribas. As the Company consolidates CLO III, the warehouse credit facility was presented on the financial statements. However, in event of default, there was limited recourse to the Company. CLO III pays BNP Paribas an administrative agent fee of $25 thousand per year, in addition to interest at a rate per annum equal to LIBOR plus 1.40%, payable quarterly. The Company incurred $0.9 million interest expense related to this warehouse credit facility for the year ended December 31, 2014. The Company’s outstanding balance on this warehouse credit facility was zero as of December 31, 2013. On September 30, 2014, with the Company’s completion of the $370.5 million CLO III transaction, the warehouse credit facility was terminated.
	Note Payable and Lines of Credit
	As of December 31, 2014, the Company held revolving lines of credit related to JMP Holdings LLC (formerly known as JMP Group LLC), JMP Securities and HGC II.
	The Company’s Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), dated as of August 3, 2006, was entered by and between JMP Group LLC and the Lender, and was subsequently amended. Prior to April 30, 2014, the Credit Agreement provided a line of credit of up to $30.0 million to the extent the aggregate outstanding balance of all facilities did not exceed $58.5 million. The unused portion of the line incurred an unused facility fee at the rate of 0.25% per annum, paid quarterly. The line of credit was available through April 30, 2014. On April 30, 2014, the Company entered into an amendment to its Credit Agreement (the “Amendment”) between JMP Holding LLC and CNB. The Amendment provides a $25.0 million line of credit with a revolving period of two years. At the end of these two years, any outstanding amounts convert to a term loan. This term loan will be repaid in equal quarterly installments over the following three years. Proceeds for this line of credit will be used to make financial investments, for working capital purposes, for general corporate purposes, as well as a $5.0 million sublimit to issue letters of credit. The Company’s outstanding balance on this line of credit was zero as of both December 31, 2014 and 2013.
	Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, on April 25, 2013, JMP Group drew $15.0 million on a term loan. This term loan was to be repaid in quarterly installments of $1.2 million beginning March 31, 2014, with a final payment of approximately $1.3 million on December 31, 2016. The outstanding balance on this term loan was $15.0 million as of December 31, 2013. The Company paid the balance of the term loan in the first quarter of 2014.
	JMP Securities holds a revolving line of credit with CNB to be used for regulatory capital purposes during its securities underwriting activities. The unused portion of the line bears interest at the rate of 0.25% per annum, paid monthly. Pursuant to the Amendment, the prior $15.0 million line of credit held at JMP Securities, which was scheduled to mature May 6, 2014, was increased to $20.0 million and renewed for one year. On May 6, 2015, any existing outstanding amount will convert to a loan maturing the following year. The remaining terms of this line of credit are consistent with those of the prior line of credit. There was no borrowing on this line of credit as of December 31, 2014 or December 31, 2013.
	On November 22, 2013, HGC II entered into a line of credit of $3.0 million with CNB. Draws on the line bear interest at the rate of prime plus 0.5% per annum, paid quarterly. The line of credit will be available through December 1, 2015 or fifteen days prior to the expiration of the commitment period of HGC II unless renewed. Proceeds from this line of credit are used to purchase investments, prior to capital calls from HGC II investors. The Company’s outstanding balance on this line of credit was zero and $2.9 million as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.
	The Credit Agreement contains financial and other covenants, including, but not limited to, limitations on debt, liens and investments, as well as the maintenance of certain financial covenants. A violation of any one of these covenants could result in a default under the Credit Agreement, which would permit CNB to terminate our note and require the immediate repayment of any outstanding principal and interest. At December 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with the loan covenants. The term loans are collateralized by a pledge of the Company’s assets, including its interests in each of JMP Securities and HCS.

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Asset Backed Securities Issued [Abstract]
Asset Backed Securities Issued [Text Block]	8. Asset-backed Securities Issued
	CLO I
	On May 17, 2007, CLO I completed a $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes (the “Notes”) on-balance sheet debt securitization and obtained $455.0 million of third-party financing. The Notes will be repaid from the cash flows generated by the loan portfolio owned by CLO I. The Notes were issued in six separate classes as set forth in the table below. The Company owns approximately 94.0% of the unsecured subordinated notes and $13.8 million of Class C, D and E notes ($2.0 million of Class C, $4.1 million of Class D and $7.7 million of Class E notes). These unsecured subordinated notes and the Class C, D and E notes owned by the Company are eliminated upon consolidation of JMP Credit, and therefore, are not reflected on the Company’s consolidated statement of financial condition at December 31, 2014 and 2013.
	(In millions)		As of December 31, 2014
			Notes			Outstanding Principal			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate			Ratings
			Originally			Balance						Spread to			(Moody's
			Issued									LIBOR			/S&P) (1)
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Revolving Notes due 2021		$	326		$	244.9		$	244.9		0.26%	-	0.29%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021			30			30			30			0.50%		Aaa/AAA
	Class C Senior Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021			35			35			35			1.10%		Aaa/AA+
	Class D Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021			34			34			34			2.40%		A1/A-
	Class E Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021			30			30			30			5.00%		Ba1/BB
	Total secured notes sold to investors		$	455		$	373.9		$	373.9
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2021			45			45			45
	Total notes for the CLO I offering		$	500		$	418.9		$	418.9
	Consolidation elimination		N/A				(58.8	)		(58.8	)
	Total asset-backed securities issued		N/A			$	360.1		$	360.1
	-1	These ratings are unaudited and were the current ratings as of December 31, 2014 and are subject to change from time to time.
	(In millions)		As of December 31, 2013
			Notes			Outstanding Principal			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate			Ratings
			Originally			Balance						Spread to			(Moody's
			Issued									LIBOR			/S&P) (1)
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Revolving Notes due 2021		$	326		$	289		$	289		0.26%	-	0.29%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021			30			30			30			0.50%		Aaa/AAA
	Class C Senior Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021			35			35			35			1.10%		Aaa/AA+
	Class D Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021			34			34			34			2.40%		A1/A-
	Class E Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021			30			30			30			5.00%		Ba1/BB
	Total secured notes sold to investors		$	455		$	418		$	418
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2021			45			45			45
	Total notes for the CLO I offering		$	500		$	463		$	463
	Consolidation elimination		N/A				(58.7	)		(58.7	)
	Total asset-backed securities issued		N/A			$	404.3		$	404.3
	-1	These ratings are unaudited and were the current ratings as of December 31, 2013 and are subject to change from time to time.
	The secured notes and subordinated notes are limited recourse obligations payable solely from cash flows of the CLO I loan portfolio and related collection and payment accounts pledged as security. Payment on the Class A-1 notes rank equal, or pari-passu, in right of payment with payments on the Class A-2 notes and payment on the Class A-1 and Class A-2 notes rank senior in right of payment to the other secured notes and the subordinated notes. Payment on the Class B, Class C, Class D and Class E notes generally rank subordinate in right of payment to any other class of notes which has an earlier alphabetical designation. The subordinated notes are subordinated in right of payment to all other classes of notes and do not accrue interest. Interest on the secured notes is payable quarterly at a per annum rate equal to LIBOR plus the applicable spread set forth in the table above. Payment of interest on the Class C, Class D and Class E notes is payable only to the extent proceeds are available under the applicable payment priority provisions. To the extent proceeds are not so available, interest on the Class C, Class D and Class E notes will be deferred. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, all interest on the secured notes was current. The secured notes are secured by the CLO loan portfolio and the funds on deposit in various related collection and payment accounts. The terms of the debt securitization subject the loans included in the CLO loan portfolio to a number of collateral quality, portfolio profile, interest coverage and overcollateralization tests.
	The reinvestment period for CLO I ended in May 2013, and all scheduled principal payments from the borrowers are applied to paying down the most senior (AAA) CLO notes. The Company is still permitted to reinvest unscheduled principal payments, which includes most loan payoffs. However, in order to reinvest these proceeds, CLO I is required to maintain or improve its weighted average life covenant, the replacement collateral is required to have the same or better Moody’s and S&P ratings as the loan that prepaid, and the maturity date cannot be later than that of the loan that prepaid. These restrictions make reinvestment increasingly difficult as time lapses, which will result in the CLO being paid down more rapidly. CLO I paid down $44.1 million and $26.7 million in the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
	The Notes recorded upon the closing of CLO I in April 2009 reflect an issuance discount. The activity in the note principal and liquidity discount for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 comprised the following:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31, 2014									Year Ended December 31, 2013
			Principal			Liquidity Discount			Net			Principal			Liquidity Discount				Net
	Balance at beginning of period		$	404,280		$	-		$	404,280		$	431,003		$	(15,548	)		$	415,455
	Repayments			(44,141	)		-			(44,141	)		(26,723	)		-				(26,723	)
	Amortization of discount			-			-			-			-			15,548				15,548
	Balance at end of period		$	360,139		$	-		$	360,139		$	404,280		$	-			$	404,280
	CLO II
	On April 30, 2013, CLO II completed a $343.8 million securitization with $320.0 million in aggregate principal amount of notes (the “Secured Notes”) and $23.8 million in unsecured subordinated notes. The Secured Notes offered in this proposed transaction were issued in multiple tranches and are rated by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and, in respect of certain tranches, Moody's Investors Service, Inc. The Secured Notes will be repaid from the cash flows generated by the loan portfolio owned by CLO II. The Company owned approximately 72.8% of the unsecured subordinated notes at December 31, 2013. In the first quarter of 2014, the Company repurchased $6.0 million of the unsecured subordinated notes from CLO II non-controlling interests, increasing the Company’s ownership from 72.8% to 98.0%. These unsecured subordinated notes are eliminated upon consolidation of JMP Credit, and therefore, are not reflected on the Company’s consolidated statement of financial condition at December 31, 2014.
	(In millions)		As of December 31, 2014
			Notes Originally Issued			Outstanding Principal Balance			Issuance			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR			Ratings (Moody's/S&P) (1)
									Discount
	Class X Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2016		$	3.8		$	2.3		$	-		$	2.3			1	%	Aaa/AAA
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023			217.6			217.6			(0.7	)		216.9			1.18	%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023			34			34			(0.2	)		33.8			1.75	%	NR/AA
	Class C Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			17			17			(0.5	)		16.5			2.75	%	NR/A
	Class D Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			18.7			18.7			(1.4	)		17.3			3.85	%	NR/BBB
	Class E Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			18.7			18.7			(2.3	)		16.4			5.25	%	NR/BB
	Class F Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			10.2			10.2			(1.9	)		8.3			5.75	%	NR/B
	Total secured notes sold to investors		$	320		$	318.5		$	(7.0	)	$	311.5
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2023			23.8			23.8			(0.3	)		23.5
	Total notes for the CLO II offering		$	343.8		$	342.3		$	(7.3	)	$	335
	Consolidation elimination			N/A			(23.8	)		0.3			(23.5	)
	Total CLO II asset-backed securities issued			N/A		$	318.5		$	(7.0	)	$	311.5
	-1	These ratings are unaudited and were the current ratings as of December 31, 2014 and are subject to change from time to time.
	(In millions)		As of December 31, 2013
			Notes Originally Issued			Outstanding Principal Balance			Issuance			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR			Ratings (Moody's/S&P) (1)
									Discount
	Class X Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2016		$	3.8		$	3.8		$	-		$	3.8			1	%	Aaa/AAA
Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023			217.6			217.6			(0.8	)		216.8			1.18	%	Aaa/AAA
Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023			34			34			(0.3	)		33.7			1.75	%	NR/AA
Class C Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			17			17			(0.6	)		16.4			2.75	%	NR/A
Class D Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			18.7			18.7			(1.6	)		17.1			3.85	%	NR/BBB
Class E Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			18.7			18.7			(2.5	)		16.2			5.25	%	NR/BB
Class F Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023			10.2			10.2			(2.1	)		8.1			5.75	%	NR/B
Total secured notes sold to investors		$	320		$	320		$	(7.9	)	$	312.1
Unsecured subordinated notes due 2023			23.8			23.8			(0.3	)		23.5
Total notes for the CLO II offering		$	343.8		$	343.8		$	(8.2	)	$	335.6
Consolidation elimination			N/A			(23.8	)		0.3			(23.5	)
Total CLO II asset-backed securities issued			N/A		$	320		$	(7.9	)	$	312.1
-1	These ratings are unaudited and were the current ratings as of December 31, 2013 and are subject to change from time to time.
The secured notes and subordinated notes are limited recourse obligations payable solely from cash flows of the CLO II loan portfolio and related collection and payment accounts pledged as security. Payment on the Class X notes rank equal, or pari-passu, in right of payment with payments on the Class A notes and payment on the Class X and Class A notes rank senior in right of payment to the other secured notes and the subordinated notes. Payment on the Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E and Class F notes generally rank subordinate in right of payment to any other class of notes which has an earlier alphabetical designation. The subordinated notes are subordinated in right of payment to all other classes of notes and will not accrue interest. Interest on the secured notes was payable quarterly commencing October 2013 at a per annum rate equal to LIBOR plus the applicable spread set forth in the table above. Payment of interest on the Class C, Class D, Class E and Class F notes is payable only to the extent proceeds are available under the applicable payment priority provisions. To the extent proceeds are not so available, interest on the Class C, Class D, Class E and Class F notes will be deferred. The secured notes are secured by the CLO II loan portfolio and the funds on deposit in various related collection and payment accounts. The terms of the debt securitization subject the loans included in the CLO II loan portfolio to a number of collateral quality, portfolio profile, interest coverage and overcollateralization tests.
The Notes recorded upon the issuance of CLO II in April 2013 at fair value reflect an issuance discount. The activity in the note principal and issuance discount for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, comprised the following:
(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31, 2014									Year Ended December 31, 2013
		Principal			Issuance Discount			Net			Principal			Issuance Discount				Net
Balance at beginning of period		$	320,000		$	(7,857	)	$	312,143		$	-		$	-			$	-
CLO II issuance			-			-			-			320,000			(8,437	)			311,563
Repayments			(1,520	)		-			(1,520	)		-			-				-
Amortization of discount			-			918			918			-			580				580
Balance at end of period		$	318,480		$	(6,939	)	$	311,541		$	320,000		$	(7,857	)		$	312,143
CLO III
On December 11, 2013 CLO III closed on a $100.0 million warehouse credit agreement with BNP Paribas. CLO III is a special purpose vehicle whose debt is secured by a diversified portfolio of broadly syndicated leveraged loans. As of December 31, 2013, CLO III was not funded. On September 30, 2014, CLO III completed a $370.5 million securitization, comprised of $332.1 million aggregate principal amount of notes (the “Secured Notes”) and $38.4 million of unsecured notes. The Secured Notes offered in this proposed transaction were issued in multiple tranches and are rated by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and, in respect of certain tranches, Fitch. The Secured Notes will be repaid from the cash flows generated by the loan portfolio owned by CLO III. The Company owned approximately 13.5% of the unsecured subordinated notes at December 31, 2014. These unsecured subordinated notes are eliminated upon consolidation of JMP Credit, and therefore, are not reflected on the Company’s consolidated statement of financial condition at December 31, 2014.
(In millions)		As of December 31, 2014
		Notes Originally Issued			Outstanding Principal Balance			Issuance Discount			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR			Ratings
																	(Moody's/Fitch)
Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2025		$	228		$	228		$	(0.8	)	$	227.2			1.53	%	Aaa/AAA
Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2025			41.7			41.7			(1.1	)		40.6			2.05	%	Aa2/NR
Class C Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2025			22.5			22.5			(0.8	)		21.7			2.9	%	A2/NR
Class D Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2025			21.6			21.6			-			21.6			5.1	%	Baa3/NR
Class E Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2025			18.3			18.3			-			18.3			7.35	%	Ba3/NR
Total secured notes sold to investors		$	332.1		$	332.1		$	(2.7	)	$	329.4
Unsecured subordinated notes due 2025			38.4			38.4			(4.5	)		33.9
Total notes for the CLO III offering		$	370.5		$	370.5		$	(7.2	)	$	363.3
Consolidation elimination			N/A			(38.4	)		4.5			(33.9	)
Total CLO III asset-backed securities issued			N/A		$	332.1		$	(2.7	)	$	329.4
The secured notes and subordinated notes are limited recourse obligations payable solely from cash flows of the CLO III loan portfolio and related collection and payment accounts pledged as security. Payment on Class A notes rank senior in right of payment to the other secured notes and the subordinated notes. Payment on the Class B, Class C, Class D and Class E notes generally rank subordinate in right of payment to any other class of notes which has an earlier alphabetical designation. The subordinated notes are subordinated in right of payment to all other classes of notes and will not accrue interest. Interest on the secured notes is payable quarterly commencing April 2015 at a per annum rate equal to LIBOR plus the applicable spread set forth in the table above. Payment of interest on the Class C, Class D and Class E notes is payable only to the extent proceeds are available under the applicable payment priority provisions. To the extent proceeds are not so available, interest on the Class C, Class D and Class E notes will be deferred. The secured notes are secured by the CLO III loan portfolio and the funds on deposit in various related collection and payment accounts. The terms of the debt securitization subject the loans included in the CLO III loan portfolio to a number of collateral quality, portfolio profile, interest coverage and overcollateralization tests.
The Notes recorded at fair value upon the issuance of CLO III in September 2014 include a discount to par value. The activity in the note principal and purchase discount for the year ended December 31, 2014 comprised the following:
(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31, 2014
		Principal			Issuance Discount			Net
Balance at beginning of period		$	-		$	-		$	-
CLO III issuance			332,100			(2,761	)		329,339
Amortization of discount			-			118			118
Balance at end of period		$	332,100		$	(2,643	)	$	329,457
Interest on Asset Backed Securities Issued
Total interest expenses related to the asset-backed securities issued for the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 were $15.4 million and $25.6 million, respectively, which was comprised of a cash coupon of $13.8 million and $9.2 million and liquidity and issuance discount amortization of $1.5 million and $16.4 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, accrued interest payable on the Notes were $4.0 million and $1.9 million, respectively.
Fair Value of Asset Backed Securities Issued
The Company determined the fair value of the secured notes of the asset-backed securities issued to be $992.6 million and $711.0 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, based upon pricing from published market research for equivalent-rated CLO notes. Based on the fair value methodology, the Company has identified the asset-backed securities issued as Level 2 liabilities.

Note_9_Stockholders_Equity

Note 9 - Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	9. Stockholders’ Equity
	Common Stock
	The Company’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.045, $0.050, $0.060, and $0.070 per share of common stock in March, April, July, and October 2014, respectively. Those dividends were paid in April, May, August and November 2014 for the fourth quarter of 2013, the first, second and third quarter of 2014, respectively.
	Stock Repurchase Program
	On March 5, 2013, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of 1.3 million shares, and extended the authorization of the repurchase of all previously authorized shares for repurchases through December 31, 2014. On October 6, 2014, the board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to 0.7 million additional shares of the company's outstanding common stock. Subsequently, on October 30, 2014, the board of directors increased the Company’s share repurchase authorization to 1.0 million shares through December 31, 2015.
	During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company repurchased 1,777,276 shares and 890,376 shares, respectively, of the Company’s common stock at an average price of $6.58 per share and $6.50 per share, respectively, for an aggregate purchase price of $11.7 million and $5.8 million, respectively. Of the total shares repurchased during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, 445,601 shares and 40,835 shares, respectively, were deemed to have been repurchased in connection with employee stock plans, whereby the Company’s shares were issued on a net basis to employees for the payment of applicable statutory withholding taxes and therefore such withheld shares are deemed to be purchased by the Company. 356,728 of the shares repurchased in 2013 were repurchased from certain JMPCA employees at a discount to market price in conjunction with their use of said proceeds as a long term capital commitment to CLO II. 135,680 of the shares repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2013 were repurchased from an employee. The remaining shares were purchased on the open market.
	As of December 31, 2014, 584,028 shares remain available to be repurchased under the repurchase program.
	The timing and amount of any future open market stock repurchases will be determined by JMP management based on its evaluation of market conditions, the relative attractiveness of other capital deployment activities, regulatory considerations and other factors. Any open market stock repurchase activities will be conducted in compliance with the safe harbor provisions of Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or in privately negotiated transactions. Repurchases of common stock may also be made under an effective Rule 10b5-1 plan which permits common stock to be repurchased when the Company may otherwise be prohibited from doing so under insider trading laws. This repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

Note_10_StockBased_Compensatio

Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]	10. Stock-Based Compensation
	On March 26, 2007, the board of directors adopted the JMP Group Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (“JMP Group 2007 Plan”), which was approved by the stockholders on April 12, 2007. The board reauthorized this plan and it was approved by our stockholders on June 6, 2011. JMP Group Inc. authorized the issuance of 4,000,000 shares of its common stock under this Plan. This amount is increased by any shares JMP Group Inc. purchases on the open market, or through any share repurchase or share exchange program, as well as any shares that may be returned to the JMP Group 2007 Plan or the JMP Group LLC 2004 Equity Incentive Plan (“JMP Group 2004 Plan”) as a result of forfeiture, termination or expiration of awards; not to exceed a maximum aggregate number of shares of 2,960,000 shares under the JMP Group 2004 Plan. The Company will issue shares upon exercises or vesting from authorized but unissued shares or from treasury stock.
	Stock Options
	The following table summarizes the stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014							2013							2012
			Shares Subject				Weighted Average			Shares Subject				Weighted Average			Shares Subject				Weighted Average
			to Option				Exercise Price			to Option				Exercise Price			to Option				Exercise Price
	Balance, beginning of year			2,370,290			$	7.54			1,608,890			$	11.12			1,704,665			$	11.2
	Granted			1,525,000				6.84			1,600,000				6.23			-				-
	Forfeited			(200,000	)			6.45			(50,000	)			6.24			-				-
	Expired			(103,600	)			10			(788,600	)			12.29			(95,775	)			12.43
	Balance, end of period			3,591,690			$	7.23			2,370,290			$	7.54			1,608,890			$	11.12
	Options exercisable at end of period			716,690			$	10			820,290			$	10			1,608,890			$	11.12
	The following table summarizes the stock options outstanding as well as stock options vested and exercisable as of December 31, 2014 and 2013:
						31-Dec-14
						Options Outstanding														Options Vested and Exercisable
									Weighted														Weighted
									Average				Weighted										Average		Weighted
	Range of								Remaining				Average			Aggregate							Remaining		Average		Aggregate
	Exercise					Number			Contractual				Exercise			Intrinsic				Number			Contractual		Exercise		Intrinsic
	Prices					Outstanding			Life in Years				Price			Value				Exercisable			Life in Years		Price		Value
	$6.05	-	$10.00				3,591,690			3.8			$	7.23		$	3,112,100				716,690			0.97	$	10		-
						31-Dec-13
						Options Outstanding														Options Vested and Exercisable
									Weighted														Weighted
									Average				Weighted										Average		Weighted
	Range of								Remaining				Average			Aggregate							Remaining		Average		Aggregate
	Exercise					Number			Contractual				Exercise			Intrinsic				Number			Contractual		Exercise		Intrinsic
	Prices					Outstanding			Life in Years				Price			Value				Exercisable			Life in Years		Price		Value
	$6.05	-	$10.00				2,370,290			6.61			$	7.54		$	1,812,250				820,290			1.86	$	10		-
	The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for stock options over the vesting period using the accelerated attribution method when they are subject to graded vesting and on a straight-line basis when they are subject to cliff vesting. The Company recognized compensation expense related to stock options of $1.9 million, $0.9 million and zero for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	As of December 31, 2014, there was $3.2 million unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options. As of December 31, 2013, there was $2.3 million unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options.
	There were no stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012. As a result, the Company did not recognize any current income tax benefits from exercise of stock options during these periods.
	The Company uses Black-Scholes option-pricing model or other quantitative models to calculate the fair value of option awards.
	In February 2013, the Company granted stock options to purchase approximately 1.6 million shares of the Company's common stock to certain employees for long-term incentive purposes. The options have an exercise price ranging from $6.05 to $6.24 per share, an exercise period of 5.9 years and a Company performance-based condition as well as a three-year requisite service period. The fair value of these options was determined using a quantitative model using the following assumptions: expected life of 5.9 years, risk-free interest rate of 1.08%, dividend yield of 2.2% and volatility of 50.0%. The risk-free rate was interpolated from the U.S. constant maturity treasuries for a term corresponding to the maturity of the option. The volatility was calculated from the historical weekly stock prices of the Company as of the grant date for a term corresponding to the maturity of the option. The dividend yield was calculated as the sum of the last twelve-month dividends over the stock price as of the grant date.
	In the first quarter of 2014, the Company granted stock options to purchase approximately 1.5 million shares of the Company's common stock to certain employees and directors for long-term incentive purposes. The options have an exercise price ranging from $6.79 to $7.33 per share, an exercise period of 5.8 years and a Company performance-based condition as well as a three-year requisite service period. The fair value of these options was determined using a quantitative model using the following assumptions: expected life of 5.8 years, risk-free interest rate ranging from 1.92% to 2.02%, dividend yield ranging from 2.41% to 2.64% and volatility ranging from 41.41% to 43.15%. The risk-free rate was interpolated from the U.S. constant maturity treasuries for a term corresponding to the maturity of the option. The volatility was calculated from the historical weekly stock prices of the Company as of the grant date for a term corresponding to the maturity of the option. The dividend yield was calculated as the sum of the last twelve-month dividends over the stock price as of the grant date. No additional stock options were granted in 2014.
	Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Shares
	In February 2012, the Company granted 910,000 RSUs to certain employees for long term incentive purposes. These units have Company performance-based condition and a three-year requisite service period and will vest when both conditions are met. The fair value of these RSUs was determined based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the grant date, discounted for dividends not received during the vesting period using assumed dividend rate of $0.035 per quarter and risk-free interest rate of 0.35%. In the fourth quarter of 2012, the vesting of these RSUs became probable based on the Company’s operating results for the year 2012, and the Company recognized $1.8 million of compensation expense for such RSUs in the quarter. The remaining compensation expense related to these RSUs was recognized over the remaining vesting period of two years.
	On February 11, 2013, the Company granted approximately 560,000 RSUs to certain employees for long-term incentive purposes. In addition, approximately 110,000 and 446,000 RSUs were granted in 2013 to certain employees as deferred compensation and as hiring bonuses, respectively. These RSUs have requisite service periods of two to three years and receive cash dividend equivalents during the vesting periods. The fair value of these RSUs was determined based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the grant date without any discount.
	In the first quarter of 2014, the Company granted approximately 428,000 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to certain employees as deferred compensation. In addition, approximately 334,000 and 67,000 RSUs were granted in the first quarter of 2014 to certain employees for long-term incentive purposes and as hiring bonuses, respectively. These RSUs have requisite service periods of two to three years and receive cash dividend equivalents during the vesting periods. The fair value of these RSUs was determined based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the grant date without any discount. Approximately 48,000 RSUs were granted in the first quarter of 2014 to Company directors. These RSUs have requisite service periods of two to three years. The fair value of these RSUs was determined based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the grant date, discounted for dividends not received during the vesting period. Approximately 55,000 RSUs were granted in the third quarter of 2014 to new hires. The fair value of these RSUs was determined based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the grant date, discounted for dividends not received during the vesting period.
	The following table summarizes the RSU activity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014							2013							2012
			Restricted				Weighted Average			Restricted				Weighted Average			Restricted				Weighted Average
			Stock				Grant Date Fair Value			Stock				Grant Date Fair Value			Stock				Grant Date Fair Value
			Units							Units							Units
	Balance, beginning of year			1,881,149			$	6.7			1,020,382			$	7.27			1,634,268			$	7.42
	Granted			931,456				6.93			1,115,505				6.22			952,597				7.29
	Vested			(1,178,337	)			7.16			(118,173	)			6.73			(1,456,540	)			7
	Forfeited			(140,417	)			6.51			(136,565	)			7.01			(109,943	)			6.89
	Balance, end of period			1,493,851			$	6.5			1,881,149			$	6.7			1,020,382			$	7.27
	The aggregate fair value of RSUs vested during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $8.9 million, $0.8 million and $10.2 million, respectively. The income tax benefits realized from the vested RSUs were $3.4 million, $0.3 million, and $3.7 million, respectively.
	The Company recognizes compensation expense for RSUs over the vesting period using the accelerated attribution method when they are subject to graded vesting and on a straight-line basis when they are subject to cliff vesting. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded compensation expense related to RSUs of $7.5 million, $4.4 million and $2.5 million, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the compensation expense related to RSUs awarded included $1.8 million recognized on the probable vesting of the performance-based RSUs granted in February 2012, described above.
	For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company recognized income tax benefits of $3.7 million, $2.1 million and $0.9 million, respectively, related to the compensation expense recognized for RSUs and stock options. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, there was $4.8 million and $6.5 million, respectively, of unrecognized compensation expense related to RSUs expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.34 years and 1.51 years, respectively.
	The Company pays cash dividend equivalents on certain unvested RSUs. Dividend equivalents paid on RSUs are generally charged to retained earnings. Dividend equivalents paid on RSUs expected to be forfeited are included in compensation expense. The Company accounts for the tax benefit related to dividend equivalents paid on RSUs as an increase on additional paid-in capital.

Note_11_Net_Income_Per_Share_o

Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	11. Net Income per Share of Common Stock
	Basic net income per share for the Company is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the reporting period. Diluted net income (loss) per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of outstanding shares to reflect the potential dilutive impact as if all potentially dilutive stock options or RSUs were exercised or converted under the treasury stock method. However, for periods that the Company has a net loss the effect of outstanding stock options or RSUs is anti-dilutive and, accordingly, is excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share.
	The computations of basic and diluted net income per share and basic and diluted net income per unit for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are shown in the table below:
	(In thousands, except per share data)	Year Ended December 31,
		2014		2013		2012
	Numerator:
	Net income attributable to JMP Group, Inc	$	13,352	$	3,628	$	2,757
	Denominator:
	Basic weighted average shares outstanding		21,481		22,158		22,582
	Effect of potential dilutive securities:
	Restricted stock units and stock options		2,061		1,159		324
	Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		23,542		23,317		22,906
	Net income per share
	Basic	$	0.59	$	0.16	$	0.12
	Diluted	$	0.57	$	0.16	$	0.12
	In the table above, unvested RSUs that have non-forfeitable dividend equivalent rights are treated as a separate class of securities in calculated net income (loss) per share. The impact of applying this methodology was a reduction in basic net income per share of $0.03 for 2014, less than $0.01 for 2013 and zero for 2012.
	Stock options to purchase 2,217,434, 2,794,534 and 1,642,841 shares of common stock for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, were anti-dilutive and, therefore, were not included in the computation of diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding.
	Stock options to purchase 1,333,658, 1,412,192 and zero shares of common stock for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, had a Company performance-based condition and were not included in the computation of diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding because such performance-based condition has not been met.
	Restricted stock units for 45,420, 75,255 and zero shares of common stock for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, were anti-dilutive and, therefore, were not included in the computation of diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding.

Note_12_Employee_Benefits

Note 12 - Employee Benefits	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]	12. Employee Benefits
	All salaried employees of the Company are eligible to participate in the JMP Group 401(k) Plan after three months of employment. Participants may contribute up to the limits set by the United States Internal Revenue Service. There were no contributions by the Company during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Note_13_Income_Taxes

Note 13 - Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	13. Income Taxes
	The components of the Company’s income tax expense (benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014			2013			2012
	Federal		$	(8,914	)	$	8,789		$	2,714
	State			(528	)		715			(791	)
	Total current income tax expense			(9,442	)		9,504			1,923
	Federal			16,991			(5,154	)		(814	)
	State			466			(400	)		472
	Total deferred income tax expense (benefit)			17,457			(5,554	)		(342	)
	Total income tax expense (benefit)		$	8,015		$	3,950		$	1,581
	As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
	(In thousands)		As of December 31,
			2014			2013
	Deferred tax assets:
	Accrued compensation and related expenses		$	-		$	4,391
	Equity based compensation			3,150			2,860
	Reserves and allowances			1,820			2,043
	New York net operating loss			1,024			495
	Other state net operating loss			383
	Deferred compensation			3,661			1,992
	Other			924			1,734
	Total deferred tax assets			10,962			13,515
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Investment in partnerships			(6,740	)		(517	)
	Repurchase of asset-backed securities issued			(1,317	)		(1,647	)
	Depreciation and amortization			-			(141	)
	Net unrealized capital gains/losses			(1,585	)		(1,249	)
	Accrued compensation and related expenses			(9,519	)		-
	Interest in HCC LLC (1)			-			(71	)
	Total deferred tax liabilities			(19,161	)		(3,625	)
	Net deferred tax asset before valuation allowance			(8,199	)		9,890
	Valuation allowance			(392	)		(1,009	)
	Net deferred tax (liabilities)/ assets		$	(8,591	)	$	8,881
	-1	HCC LLC was consolidated for financial reporting purposes (through May 2, 2013) but not consolidated for tax reporting purposes.
	As of December 31, 2014, JMP Group Inc. has a New York State net operating loss (“NOL”) carry forward of approximately $59 million gross and $8.3 million post-apportioned which expires in 2034. The New York City NOL carryforward of approximately $59 million expires between 2029 and 2034. The California NOL carry forward of approximately $16 million expires in 2034; and the other state NOL carry forwards are not significant. The Company also has California Enterprise Zone credits totaling $0.3 million which expire in 2024.
	New York Senate Bill 6359 was enacted on March 31, 2014 and becomes effective January 1, 2015. This bill includes changes to the corporate tax rate, establishing economic nexus provisions and unitary combined reporting requirements. This state law change coupled with the Company’s forecasted taxable profits have an impact on the Company’s measurement of the New York State net deferred tax assets. Management believes that that the deferred tax assets will, more-likely-than-not, be realized based on taxes paid in prior years and future reversing taxable temporary differences. As a result, the Company released the full valuation allowance related to the NYS NOL deferred tax asset and recorded an income tax benefit of $0.6 million. The valuation allowance against the New York City deferred tax assets remains as the City has not yet adopted the New York State tax reform.
	The deferred tax asset related to accrued compensation changed to a deferred tax liability for 2014 due to a change in accounting method for tax purposes related to the Company’s bonus deduction. This deduction will be recaptured into taxable income equally over four years. The change in accounting method for tax purposes generated a taxable loss in the current year which the Company has decided to carryback to previous taxable years for a refund.
	The Company files its tax returns as prescribed by the tax laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates; with the limited exception of certain jurisdictions which do not have a significant adverse effect on the Company’s overall tax exposure. The Company recognizes tax benefits related to its tax positions only where the position is “more likely than not” to be sustained in the event of examination by tax authorities. As part of its assessment, the Company analyzes its tax filing positions in all of the tax jurisdictions where it is required to file income tax returns, and for all open tax years, which are 2011 through 2013 for federal income tax purposes and 2010 through 2013 for California income tax purposes. As of December 31, 2014, the total reserve balance including interest and penalties was $0.25 million. The Company is not currently under examination in any tax jurisdictions and does not anticipate any tax adjustments that will result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow within the next twelve months.
	A reconciliation of the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate to the effective tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014			2013			2012
	Tax at federal statutory tax rate			35	%		35	%		34	%
	State income tax, net of federal tax benefit			2.04	%		3.82	%		6.67	%
	Change in New York valuation			-1.96	%		-1.06	%		-3.7	%
	Adjustment for permanent items (HGC, HGC II, HCC LLC, CLO II, CLO III and HCAP Advisors non-controlling interest) (1)			-9.64	%		-19.84	%		-17.55	%
	Adjustment for other permanent items			1.04	%		-0.55	%		0.2	%
	Deferred tax asset written off related to options and RSUs			0	%		4.11	%		0.31	%
	Adjustment for prior year taxes			0.52	%		-0.55	%		-1.15	%
	California state enterprise zone tax credit			-0.28	%		-0.97	%		-2.2	%
	Adjustment for capitalized costs			0	%		2.54	%		0	%
	Effective tax rate			26.72	%		22.5	%		16.58	%
	-1	HCC LLC (through May 2, 2013), CLO II (effective April 30, 2013), HCAP Advisors (effective May 1, 2013), CLO III (effective September 30, 2014), HGC, and HGC II are consolidated for financial reporting purposes but not for tax purposes.
	The increase in the effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2014 compared to the same period in 2013 was primarily attributable to income and losses associated with HGC which are consolidated for financial reporting purposes but are excluded from the computation of total income tax used in the effective tax rate calculation. Non-controlling income attributed to HGC increased from a loss of $11 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 to a loss of $7 million for the same period in 2014.The effective tax rate is calculated on a consolidated level using tax expense related to the Company (excluding non-controlling interest) divided by pre-tax income including non-controlling interest.

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]	14. Commitments and Contingencies
	The Company leases office space in California, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania under various operating leases. Occupancy expense was $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, and $3.2 million for both the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012. The Company recorded sublease income of $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and $0.2 million for both the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.
	The California, Illinois, Minnesota and New York leases included a period of free rent at the start of the lease. Rent expense is recognized over the entire lease period uniformly net of the free rent savings. The aggregate minimum future commitments of these leases are:
	(In thousands)	31-Dec-14
	2015	$	4,185
	2016		4,313
	2017		3,714
	2018		3,357
	2019		2,190
	Thereafter		7,521
	Lease Commitments	$	25,280
	In connection with its underwriting activities, JMP Securities enters into firm commitments for the purchase of securities in return for a fee. These commitments require JMP Securities to purchase securities at a specified price. Securities underwriting exposes JMP Securities to market and credit risk, primarily in the event that, for any reason, securities purchased by JMP Securities cannot be distributed at anticipated price levels. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, JMP Securities had no open underwriting commitments.
	The marketable securities owned and the restricted cash as well as the cash held by the clearing broker may be used to maintain margin requirements. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had $220,000 and $150,000, respectively, of cash on deposit with JMP Securities’ clearing broker. Furthermore, the marketable securities owned may be hypothecated or borrowed by the clearing broker.
	Unfunded commitments are agreements to lend to a borrower, provided that all conditions have been met. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had unfunded commitments of $24.3 million and $40.4 million in the Corporate Credit segment, respectively. $6.8 million and $6.5 million of the unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, relate to commitments traded but not yet closed in CLO I. $5.1 million and $8.7 million of the unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, relate to commitments traded but not yet closed in CLO II. $5.3 million and $10.4 million of the unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, relate to commitments traded but not yet closed in CLO III. In addition, the Company had unfunded commitments of $0.2 million and $1.2 million related to a health sciences fund investment advising company as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. The Company determined the fair value of the unfunded commitments to be $25.9 million and $41.0 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, using the average market bid and ask quotation obtained from a loan pricing service.

Note_15_Regulatory_Requirement

Note 15 - Regulatory Requirements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Text Block]	15. Regulatory Requirements
	JMP Securities is subject to the SEC’s Uniform Net Capital Rule (Rule 15c3-1), which requires the maintenance of minimum net capital, as defined, and requires that the ratio of aggregate indebtedness to net capital, both as defined, shall not exceed 15 to 1. JMP Securities had net capital of $64.3 million and $59.1 million, which were $63.3 million and $58.1 million in excess of the required net capital of $1.0 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. JMP Securities’ ratio of aggregate indebtedness to net capital was 0.19 to 1 and 0.16 to 1 at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
	Since all customer transactions are cleared through another broker-dealer on a fully disclosed basis, JMP Securities is not required to maintain a separate bank account for the exclusive benefit of customers in accordance with Rule 15c3-3 under the Exchange Act.

Note_16_Related_Party_Transact

Note 16 - Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block]	16. Related Party Transactions
	The Company earns base management fees and incentive fees from serving as investment advisor for various entities, including corporations, partnerships limited liability companies, and offshore investment companies. The Company also owns an investment in most of such affiliated entities. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the aggregate fair value of the Company’s investments in the affiliated entities for which the Company serves as the investment advisor was $72.8 million and $55.3 million, respectively, which consisted of investments in hedge and other private funds of $64.6 million and $44.6 million, respectively, investments in funds of funds of $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively, and an investment in HCC common stock of $8.0 million and $10.6 million, respectively. Base management fees earned from these affiliated entities were $13.2 million, $10.8 million, and $9.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Also, the Company earned incentive fees of $27.4 million, $15.1 million and $6.3 million from these affiliated entities for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had incentive fees receivable from these entities of $7.1 million and $7.9 million, respectively.

Note_17_Guarantees

Note 17 - Guarantees	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Guarantees [Abstract]
Guarantees [Text Block]	17. Guarantees
	JMP Securities has agreed to indemnify its clearing broker for losses that the clearing broker may sustain from the accounts of customers introduced by JMP Securities. Should a customer not fulfill its obligation on a transaction, JMP Securities may be required to buy or sell securities at prevailing market prices in the future on behalf of its customer. JMP Securities’ obligation under the indemnification has no maximum amount. All unsettled trades at December 31, 2014 had settled with no resulting material liability to the Company. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company had no material loss due to counterparty failure, and has no obligations outstanding under the indemnification arrangement as of December 31, 2014.
	The Company is engaged in various investment banking and brokerage activities whose counterparties primarily include broker-dealers, banks and other financial institutions. In the event counterparties do not fulfill their obligations, the Company may be exposed to risk. The risk of default depends on the creditworthiness of the counterparty or issuer of the instrument. It is the Company’s policy to review, as necessary, the credit standing of each counterparty with which it conducts business.

Note_18_Litigation

Note 18 - Litigation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]
Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]	18. Litigation
	The Company may be involved from to time in a number of judicial, regulatory, litigation and arbitration matters arising in connection with the business. The outcome of such matters the Company has been and/or currently is involved in cannot be determined at this time, and the results cannot be predicted with certainty. There can be no assurance that these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the results of operations in any future period and a significant outcome could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
	The Company reviews the need for any loss contingency reserves and establish reserves when, in the opinion of management, it is probable that a matter would result in liability and the amount of loss, if any, can be reasonably estimated. Generally, given the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of matters the Company is involved in, particularly cases in which claimants seek substantial or indeterminate damages, it is not possible to determine whether a liability has been incurred or to reasonably estimate the ultimate or minimum amount of that liability until the case is close to resolution. For these matters, no reserve is established until such time, other than for reasonably estimable legal fees and expenses. Management, after consultation with legal counsel, believes that the currently known actions or threats will not result in any material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Note_19_Financial_Instruments_

Note 19 - Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block]	19. Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk
	The majority of the Company’s transactions, and consequently the concentration of its credit exposure, is with its clearing broker. The clearing broker is also a significant source of short-term financing for the Company, which is collateralized by cash and securities owned by the Company and held by the clearing broker. The Company’s securities owned may be pledged by the clearing broker. The receivable from the clearing broker represents amounts receivable in connection with the trading of proprietary positions.
	The Company is also exposed to credit risk from other brokers, dealers and other financial institutions with which it transacts business. In the event that counterparties do not fulfill their obligations, the Company may be exposed to credit risk.
	The Company’s trading activities include providing securities brokerage services to institutional clients. To facilitate these customer transactions, the Company purchases proprietary securities positions (“long positions”) in equity securities. The Company also enters into transactions to sell securities not yet purchased (“short positions”), which are recorded as liabilities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. The Company is exposed to market risk on these long and short securities positions as a result of decreases in market value of long positions and increases in market value of short positions. Short positions create a liability to purchase the security in the market at prevailing prices. Such transactions result in off-balance sheet market risk as the Company’s ultimate obligation to satisfy the sale of securities sold, but not yet purchased may exceed the amount recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. To mitigate the risk of losses, these securities positions are marked to market daily and are monitored by management to assure compliance with limits established by the Company.
	In connection with the CLOs, the Company is party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include unfunded commitments to lend and standby letters of credit. The instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheet of the Company.
	Unfunded commitments are agreements to lend to a borrower, provided that all conditions have been met. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since certain commitments may expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. The Company evaluates each borrower’s creditworthiness on a case by case basis.
	Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee the performance by a borrower to a third party. The Company’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on balance sheet instruments. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loans to borrowers. In its Corporate Credit segment, the Company had unfunded commitments of $24.3 million and standby letters of credit of $2.3 million at December 31, 2014. In its Corporate Credit segment, the Company had unfunded commitments of $40.4 million and standby letters of credit of $1.8 million at December 31, 2013. $6.8 million and $6.5 million of the unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, relate to commitments traded but not yet closed in CLO I. $5.1 million and $8.7 million of the unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, relate to commitments traded but not yet closed in CLO II. $5.3 million and $10.4 million of the unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, relate to commitments traded but not yet closed in CLO III. In addition, the Company had unfunded commitments of $0.2 million and $1.2 million related to a health sciences fund investment advising company as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Note_20_Business_Segments

Note 20 - Business Segments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]	20. Business Segments
	The Company’s business results are categorized into the following five business segments: Broker-Dealer, Asset Management, Corporate Credit, Investment Income and Corporate Costs. The Broker-Dealer segment includes a broad range of services, such as underwriting and acting as a placement agent for public and private capital markets raising transactions and financial advisory services in M&A, restructuring and other strategic transactions. The Broker-Dealer segment also includes institutional brokerage services and equity research services to our institutional investor clients. The Asset Management segment includes the management of a broad range of pooled investment vehicles, including the Company’s hedge funds, hedge funds of funds. The Corporate Credit segment includes the management of collateralized loan obligations and small business loans. The Investment Income segment includes income from the Company’s principal investments in public and private securities, as well as any other net interest and income from investing activities. The Corporate Costs segment includes expenses related to JMP Group Inc., the holding company, and JMP Group LLC, and is mainly comprised of corporate overhead expenses and interest expense related to the Company’s credit facility with City National Bank.
	The accounting policies of the segments are consistent with those described in the Significant Accounting Policies in Note 2.
	Management uses Operating Net Income as a key metric when evaluating the performance of JMP Group’s core business strategy and ongoing operations. This measure adjusts the Company’s net income as follows: (i) reverses non-cash stock-based compensation expense related to historical equity awards granted in prior periods, (ii) recognizes 100% of the cost of deferred compensation in the period for which such compensation was awarded, instead of recognizing such cost over the vesting period as required under GAAP, (iii) excludes the net amortization of liquidity discounts on loans held and asset-backed securities issued by JMP Credit Corporation for periods prior to that ended September 30, 2013, (iv) reverses net unrealized gains and losses on strategic equity investments and warrants, (v) excludes unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses on the investment portfolio at HCC LLC, (vi) excludes general loan loss reserves on the CLOs, and (vii) presents revenues and expenses on a basis that deconsolidates HGC, HGC II and HCC LLC. HGC and HGC II are excluded as we own a relatively small percentage of these funds, although they are consolidated. These charges may otherwise obscure the company’s operating income and complicate an assessment of the company’s core business activities. The operating pre-tax net income facilitates a meaningful comparison of the Company’s results in a given period to those in prior and future periods. The revenues and expenses are presented on a basis that deconsolidates the investment funds Harvest manages.
	The Company’s segment information for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was prepared using the following methodology:
		•		Revenues and expenses directly associated with each segment are included in determining segment operating income.
		•		Revenues and expenses not directly associated with a specific segment are allocated based on the most relevant measures applicable, including revenues, headcount and other factors.
		•		Each segment’s operating expenses include: a) compensation and benefits expenses that are incurred directly in support of the segments and b) other operating expenses, which include expenses for premises and occupancy, professional fees, travel and entertainment, communications and information services, equipment and indirect support costs (including compensation and other operating expenses related thereto) for administrative services.
	When evaluating the performance of JMP Group's core business strategy and ongoing operations, management also reviewed the Adjusted Operating Net Income through December 31, 2013, which excluded the non-cash gains and losses recognized by JMP Credit Corp due to the sale or payoff of loans originally included in the portfolio acquired by JMP Group in April 2009, as well as the specific reserve for loan losses related to this portfolio of loans. Management believed this metric to be instructive to assess the company's core earnings over time without regard to a relatively volatile revenue stream. Earnings derived from sales or payoffs of acquired loans, while once substantial, are no longer material, as the portfolio of acquired loans is almost entirely liquidated. Therefore, the segments are now based on operating net income. The reconciling items for the years ended December 31, 2013 from adjusted operating net income to operating net income include adding back non-cash gains on the acquired loan portfolio, the specific reserve on loans from the portfolio, and the related compensation expense. Adjusted Operating Net Income for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013 were $15.6 million and $13.9 million, respectively.
	Segment Operating Results
	Management believes that the following information provides a reasonable representation of each segment’s contribution to revenues, income and assets:
	(In thousands)			Year Ended December 31,
				2014				2013				2012
	Broker-Dealer
		Non-interest revenues		$	108,074			$	99,133			$	73,130
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	108,074			$	99,133			$	73,130
		Non-interest expenses			90,643				84,749				67,152
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	17,431			$	14,384			$	5,978
		Segment assets		$	116,403			$	109,437			$	66,611
	Asset Management
		Non-interest revenues		$	45,639			$	29,598			$	23,177
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	45,639			$	29,598			$	23,177
		Non-interest expenses			41,010				29,346				20,686
		Non-controlling interest			786				(1,731	)			-
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	3,843			$	1,983			$	2,491
		Segment assets		$	167,181			$	134,471			$	57,423
	Corporate Credit
		Non-interest revenues		$	5,266			$	4,735			$	4,064
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	5,266			$	4,735			$	4,064
		Non-interest expenses			4,672				3,691				2,996
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	594			$	1,044			$	1,068
		Segment assets		$	373,489			$	17,207			$	5,415
	Investment Income
		Non-interest revenues		$	7,276			$	10,788			$	13,104
		Net interest income			16,682				16,471				19,313
		Provision for loan losses			1,265				(932	)			(2,207	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	25,223			$	26,327			$	30,210
		Non-interest expenses			4,683				4,864				(3,071	)
		Non-controlling interest			1,342				977				670
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	19,198			$	20,486			$	32,611
		Segment assets		$	762,200			$	805,601			$	518,283
	Corporate Costs
		Non-interest expenses			14,512				16,039				13,647
		Segment operating pre-tax net loss		$	(14,512	)		$	(16,039	)		$	(13,647	)
		Segment assets		$	228,448			$	187,838			$	159,233
	Eliminations
		Non-interest revenues		$	(5,780	)		$	(5,764	)		$	(5,419	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	(5,780	)		$	(5,764	)		$	(5,419	)
		Non-interest expenses			(5,692	)			(5,744	)			(5,419	)
		Segment operating pre-tax net loss		$	(88	)		$	(20	)		$	-
		Segment assets		$	(131,529	)		$	(132,623	)		$	(97,102	)
	Total Segments
		Non-interest revenues		$	160,475			$	138,490			$	108,056
		Net interest income			16,682				16,471				19,313
		Provision for loan losses			1,265				(932	)			(2,207	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	178,422			$	154,029			$	125,162
		Non-interest expenses			149,828				132,945				95,991
		Non-controlling interest			2,128				(754	)			670
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	26,466			$	21,838			$	28,501
		Total assets		$	1,516,192			$	1,121,931			$	709,863
	The following tables reconcile the total segments to consolidated net income before income tax expense and total assets as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	(In thousands)			As of and Year Ended December 31, 2014
				Total Segments				Consolidation Adjustments and Reconciling Items					JMP Consolidated
		Non-interest revenues		$	160,475			$	5,823		(a)		$	166,298
	Net Interest Income			16,682				(38	)	(b)			16,644
	Provision for loan losses			1,265				(1,701	)				(436	)
	Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	178,422			$	4,084				$	182,506
	Non-interest expenses			149,828				2,680		(c )			152,508
	Noncontrolling interest			2,128				6,503					8,631
	Operating pre-tax net income (loss)		$	26,466			$	(5,099	)	(d)		$	21,367
	Total assets		$	1,516,192			$	-				$	1,516,192
(In thousands)			As of and Year Ended December 31, 2013
			Total Segments				Consolidation Adjustments and Reconciling Items					JMP Consolidated
	Non-interest revenues		$	138,490			$	10,126		(a)		$	148,616
	Net Interest Income			16,471				(13,235	)	(b)			3,236
	Provision for loan losses			(932	)			(1,705	)				(2,637	)
	Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	154,029			$	(4,814	)			$	149,215
	Non-interest expenses			132,945				(1,281	)	(c )			131,664
	Noncontrolling interest			(754	)			10,727					9,973
	Operating pre-tax net income (loss)		$	21,838			$	(14,260	)	(d)		$	7,578
	Total assets		$	1,121,931			$	-				$	1,121,931
(In thousands)			As of and Year Ended December 31, 2012
			Total Segments				Consolidation Adjustments and Reconciling Items					JMP Consolidated
	Non-interest revenues		$	108,056			$	2,167		(a)		$	110,223
	Net Interest Income			19,313				(26,408	)	(b)			(7,095	)
	Provision for loan losses			(2,207	)			1					(2,206	)
	Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	125,162			$	(24,240	)			$	100,922
	Non-interest expenses			95,991				(4,603	)	(c )			91,388
	Noncontrolling interest			670				4,526					5,196
	Operating pre-tax net income (loss)		$	28,501			$	(24,163	)	(d)		$	4,338
	Total assets		$	709,863			$	-				$	709,863
(a) Non-interest revenue adjustments are comprised of loan sale gains, mark-to-market gains/losses, strategic equity investments and warrants, and fund-related revenues recognized upon consolidation of certain Harvest Funds.
(b) The Net Interest Income adjustment is comprised of the non-cash net amortization of liquidity discounts at JMP Credit, due to scheduled contractual repayments, and amortization expense related to an intangible asset.
(c) Non-interest expense adjustments relate to reversals of stock-based compensation and exclusion of fund-related expenses recognized upon consolidation of certain Harvest Funds.
(d) Reconciling operating pre-tax net income to Consolidated Net Income before income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations consists of the following:
(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
		2014				2013				2012
Operating net income		$	16,406			$	13,539			$	16,532
Addback of Income tax expense (assumed rate of 38% for 2014 and 2013, and 42% for 2012)			10,060				8,299				11,969
Total Segments adjusted operating pre-tax net income		$	26,466			$	21,838			$	28,501
Subtract / (Add back)
Stock options			1,917				920				-
Compensation expense - RSUs			3,744				2,823				2,492
Deferred compensation program accounting adjustment			(4,483	)			(6,170	)			(6,985	)
HCC IPO administrative expense			-				450				(450	)
Net unrealized loss/ (gain) on strategic equity investments and warrants.			2,570				(593	)			525
General loan loss reserve for CLO II and CLO III			1,351				1,241				-
Net amortization of liquidity discounts on loans and asset-backed securities issued			-				14,979				29,208
Unrealized mark-to-market (gain)/loss - HCC			-				610				(627	)
Consolidated pre-tax net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.		$	21,367			$	7,578			$	4,338
Income tax expense			8,015				3,950				1,581
Consolidated Net Income attributable to JMP Group Inc.		$	13,352			$	3,628			$	2,757

Note_21_Summarized_Financial_I

Note 21 - Summarized Financial Information for Equity Method Investments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures Disclosure [Text Block]	21. Summarized financial information for equity method investments
	The tables below present summarized financial information of the hedge funds which the Company accounts for under the equity method. The financial information below represents 100% of the net assets, net realized and unrealized gains (losses) and net investment income (loss) of such hedge funds as of the dates and for the periods indicated.
		As of December 31,
	(In thousands)	2014		2013
		Net Assets		Net Assets
	Harvest Opportunity Partners II	$	78,856	$	94,120
	Harvest Small Cap Partners		323,439		245,127
	Harvest Franchise Fund (1)		-		91,042
	Harvest Agriculture Select		35,448		32,032
	Harvest Technology Partners		20,542		17,958
	Harvest Financial Partners		15,439		-
	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
		2014					2013					2012
		Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)		Net Investment Income (Loss)			Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)		Net Investment Income (Loss)			Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)			Net Investment Income (Loss)
	Harvest Opportunity Partners II	$	3,240	$	(393	)	$	6,993	$	(1,320	)	$	11,231		$	(1,113	)
	Harvest Small Cap Partners		118,723		(22,467	)		55,690		(16,405	)		34,278			(16,716	)
	Harvest Franchise Fund (1)		4,661		(1,139	)		21,190		(3,008	)		(6,255	)		(77	)
	Harvest Agriculture Select		4,247		(460	)		3,094		(334	)		3,172			(298	)
	Harvest Technology Partners		1,294		(244	)		344		(326	)		(208	)		(721	)
	Harvest Financial Partners		482		(53	)		-		-			-			-
	Harvest Diversified Partners		-		-			1,563		(435	)		2,626			(417	)
	(1) HFF was liquidated on December 31, 2014 and its assets will be distributed to its partners in 2015.

Note_22_Subsequent_Events

Note 22 - Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events [Text Block]	22. Subsequent Events
	On January 1, 2015, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, adopted by the Company’s stockholders at a special meeting of the stockholders held on December 1, 2014, JMP Merger Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Group LLC, merged with and into JMP Group Inc., with JMP Group Inc. continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Group LLC. Consequently, JMP Group LLC replaced JMP Group Inc. as the publicly traded company. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, each share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger, and each share of common stock held in the treasury of the Company immediately prior to the Merger, was converted on a one-for-one basis into one issued and outstanding, or treasury, share representing a limited liability company interest in JMP LLC, having substantially similar rights and privileges as the common stock being converted. The JMP Group Inc. board of directors believes that the Reorganization Transaction is beneficial because, among other things, conversion to a limited liability company structure will enable it to be classified as a partnership for federal tax purposes. The revised structure is expected to impact the Company’s income tax expense; however, the extent is not yet determined.
	On January 12, 2015, the Company announced that its board of directors declared cash distributions of $0.035 per share for the months of January, February and March, 2015. The January distribution is payable on or before February 13, 2015, to shareholders of record as of January 30, 2015. The February distribution is payable on or before March 13, 2015, to shareholders of record as of February 27, 2015. The March distribution is payable on or before April 15, 2015, to shareholders of record as of March 31, 2015.
	On February 4, 2015 and February 11, 2015, the Company granted an aggregate of 2,865,000 stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) to certain employees and the Company’s independent directors. These SARs have a base price of $7.33 per share, an exercise period of five years and will vest and become exercisable on December 31, 2017 subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable grant agreements.
	On February 4, 2015, the Company granted approximately 380,000 RSUs to certain employees of the Company as part of the 2014 deferred compensation program. 50% of these units will vest on December 31, 2015 and the remaining 50% will vest on December 31, 2016 subject to the grantees’ continued employment through such dates.

Note_23_Selected_Quarterly_Fin

Note 23 - Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Financial Information [Text Block]	23. Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
	The following represents the Company’s unaudited quarterly results for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. These quarterly results were prepared in accordance with GAAP and reflect all adjustments that are in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the results.
			Three Months Ended
	(In thousands, except per share data)		31-Dec-14		30-Sep-14			30-Jun-14			31-Mar-14
	Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	53,631	$	33,697		$	57,518		$	37,660
	Non-interest expenses:
		Compensation and benefits		25,910		28,315			37,979			31,376
		Other expenses		8,227		7,007			7,177			6,517
		Total non-interest expenses		34,137		35,322			45,156			37,893
		Income (loss) before income tax expense		19,494		(1,625	)		12,362			(233	)
		Income tax expense (benefit)		2,409		1,460			2,450			1,696
		Net income (loss)		17,085		(3,085	)		9,912			(1,929	)
		Less: Net (loss) income attributable to the non-controlling interest		12,421		(4,580	)		6,717			(5,927	)
		Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.		4,664		1,495			3,195			3,998
	Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc. per common share:
		Basic	$	0.21	$	0.07		$	0.14		$	0.17
		Diluted	$	0.2	$	0.06		$	0.13		$	0.17
			Three Months Ended
	(In thousands, except per share data)		31-Dec-13		30-Sep-13			30-Jun-13			31-Mar-13
	Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	59,686	$	35,377		$	30,904		$	23,248
	Non-interest expenses:
		Compensation and benefits		33,366		24,685			24,776			19,605
		Other expenses		7,297		6,786			8,983			6,166
		Total non-interest expenses		40,663		31,471			33,759			25,771
		Income (loss) before income tax expense		19,023		3,906			(2,855	)		(2,523	)
		Income tax expense (benefit)		3,772		1,634			(644	)		(812	)
		Net income (loss)		15,251		2,272			(2,211	)		(1,711	)
		Less: Net (loss) income attributable to the non-controlling interest		11,758		(1,017	)		(776	)		8
		Net income (loss) attributable to JMP Group Inc.		3,493		3,289			(1,435	)		(1,719	)
	Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc. per common share:
		Basic	$	0.16	$	0.14		$	(0.06	)	$	(0.08	)
		Diluted	$	0.16	$	0.14		$	(0.06	)	$	(0.08	)

Accounting_Policies_by_Policy_

Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basis of Presentation
	These financial statements and accompanying notes present the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Consolidated results of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows are presented for the Company for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	The consolidated accounts of the Company include the wholly-owned subsidiaries, JMP Securities, HCS, JMP Capital, JMP Credit, JMPCA, CLO III (effective December 11, 2013 through September 29, 2014) and the partially-owned subsidiaries Harvest Growth Capital LLC (“HGC”), Harvest Growth Capital II LLC (“HGC II”), HCC LLC (effective August 18, 2011 through May 2, 2013), CLO I, CLO II (effective April 30, 2013), HCAP Advisors (effective May 1, 2013), and CLO III (effective September 30, 2014). All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Non-controlling interest on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition relate to the interest of third parties in the partly-owned subsidiaries.
	The Company performs consolidation analyses on entities to identify VIEs and determine appropriate accounting treatment. An entity is considered a VIE and, therefore, would be subject to the consolidation provisions of ASC 810-10-15 if, by design, equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. When the Company enters into a transaction with a VIE, the Company determines if it is the primary beneficiary of the VIE by performing a qualitative analysis of the VIE that includes a review of, among other factors, its capital structure, contractual terms, related party relationships, the Company’s fee arrangements and the design of the VIE.
	JMPCA manages CLO I, CLO II and CLO III (collectively, the “CLOs”). The Company assesses whether the CLOs meet the definition of a VIE, and whether the Company qualifies as the primary beneficiary. CLOs determined not to meet the definition of a VIE are considered voting interest entities for which the voting rights are evaluated to determine if consolidation is necessary. As of both December 31, 2013 and 2014, CLO I and CLO II were determined to be VIEs. The Company, which manages the CLOs and owns approximately 94% and 98% of the subordinated notes in CLO I and CLO II, respectively, is deemed the primary beneficiary. As a result, the Company consolidates the assets and liabilities of the CLO securitization entities, and the underlying loans owned by the CLO entities are shown on our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition under loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and the asset-backed securities (“ABS”) issued to third parties are shown under asset-backed securities issued. See Note 5 and Note 8 for information pertaining to the loans owned and ABS issued by the CLOs, respectively.
	CLO III was determined not to be a VIE as of December 31, 2013, as the entity’s equity was sufficient, the holders of the equity had the characteristics of a controlling financial interest, and the investors had proportionate voting rights. The Company assessed whether consolidation would be applicable using the voting model, with consideration to its ownership investment in CLO III, and the level of its influence. Due to JMPCA’s 100% equity stake in the CLO and its management of the vehicle, the Company consolidated CLO III in its financial statements. Upon the closing of CLO III transaction, the Company performed a consolidation analysis to determine appropriate consolidation treatment. As of September 30, 2014, CLO III was determined to be a VIE. The Company was identified as the primary beneficiary based on the ability to direct activities of CLO III through its subsidiary manager, JMP Credit Advisors, and the 13.5% ownership of the subordinated notes. As a result, the Company consolidates the assets and liabilities of CLO III, and the underlying loans owned by the CLO are shown on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition under loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and the asset-backed securities issued to third parties are shown under asset-backed securities issued.
	HCS currently manages several asset management funds, which are structured as limited partnerships, and is the general partner of each. The Company assesses whether these partnerships meet the definition of a VIEs in accordance with ASC 810-10-15-14, and whether the Company qualifies as the primary beneficiary. Funds determined not to meet the definition of a VIE are considered voting interest entities for which the rights of the limited partners are evaluated to determine if consolidation is necessary. Such guidance provides that the presumption that the general partner controls the limited partnership may be overcome if the limited partners have substantive kick-out rights. Except for HGC and HGC II, the partnership agreements for these funds provide for the right of the limited partners to remove the general partners by a simple majority vote of the non-affiliated limited partners. Because of these substantive kick-out rights, the Company, as the general partner, does not control these funds, and therefore does not consolidate them except for HGC and HGC II. The Company accounts for its investments in these non-consolidated funds under the equity method of accounting.
	The limited liability agreements of HGC and HGC II do not provide for the right of the members to remove the manager by a simple majority vote of the non-affiliated members and therefore the manager (with a minority interest in the limited liability company) is deemed to control the funds. As a result we consolidated HGC from its inception on April 1, 2010 and HGC II from its inception on October 1, 2012.
	ASU 2015-2, Amendments to Consolidation Analysis, was issued February 2015, which amends the consolidation requirements in ASC 810, Consolidation. In performing the analysis under the revised amendments, the Company concluded HGC and HGC II no longer require consolidation effective January 1, 2015. HGC and HGC II will qualify as VIEs, based on the limited partners’ lack of control attributed to the absence of kick-out or participating rights. As the Company has ownership percentages under 5%, the gains and losses associated with the invested ownership are considered insignificant to the funds. Therefore, the Company will not be deemed the primary beneficiary. Similar to its other asset management funds, the Company will recognize HGC and HGC II using the equity method. The adoption will result in the exclusion of purchases, sales, contributions and distributions attributed to HGC and HGC II non-controlling interests, currently reflected in the cash flow in the following line items, with the respective balances:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014			2013			2012
	Investing Activities:
	Purchases of other investments			(15,322	)		(49,792	)		(23,993	)
	Sales of other investments			2,118			1,061			4,611
	Financing Activities:
	Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders			17,031			51,395			17,097
	Distributions paid to non-controlling interest holders			(2,231	)		(1,530	)		(4,269	)
	The Company performed the consolidation analysis for HCAP Advisors, and concluded it was a VIE, based on insufficient equity at risk. As a result, the Company is considered the primary beneficiary and consolidates the assets and liabilities.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect both the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue Recognition
	Investment banking revenues
	Investment banking revenues consist of underwriting revenues, strategic advisory revenues and private placement fees, and are recorded when the underlying transaction is completed under the terms of the relevant agreement. Underwriting revenues arise from securities offerings in which the Company acts as an underwriter and include management fees, selling concessions and underwriting fees, net of related syndicate expenses. Management fees and selling concessions are recorded on the trade date, which is typically the day of pricing an offering (or the following day) and underwriting fees, net of related syndicate expenses, at the time the underwriting is completed and the related income is reasonably determinable. For these transactions, management estimates the Company’s share of the transaction-related expenses incurred by the syndicate, and recognizes revenues net of such expense. On final settlement, typically 90 days from the trade date of the transaction, these amounts are adjusted to reflect the actual transaction-related expenses and the resulting underwriting fee. Expenses associated with such transactions are deferred until the related revenue is recognized or the engagement is otherwise concluded. If management determines that a transaction is not likely to be completed, deferred expenses related to that transaction are expensed at that time. In connection with some underwritten transactions, the Company may hold in inventory, for a period of time, equity positions to facilitate the completion of the underwritten transactions. Realized and unrealized net gains and losses on these positions are recorded within investment banking revenues. Strategic advisory revenues primarily include success fees on closed merger and acquisition transactions, as well as retainer fees, earned in connection with advising on both buyers’ and sellers’ transactions. Fees are also earned for related advisory work and other services such as providing fairness opinions and valuation analyses. Strategic advisory revenues are recorded when the transactions or the services (or, if applicable, separate components thereof) to be performed are substantially complete, the fees are determinable and collection is reasonably assured. Private placement fees are related to non-underwritten transactions such as private placements of equity securities, PIPE, Rule 144A private offerings and trust preferred securities offerings, and are recorded on the closing date of the transaction. Un-reimbursed expenses associated with strategic advisory and private placement transactions, net of client reimbursements, are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations within various expense captions other than compensation expense.
	Brokerage revenues
	Brokerage revenues consist of (i) commissions resulting from equity securities transactions executed as agent or principal and are recorded on a trade date basis, (ii) related net trading gains and losses from market making activities and from the commitment of capital to facilitate customer orders and (iii) fees paid for equity research. The Company currently generates revenues from research activities through three types of arrangements. First, through what is commonly known as a “soft dollar” practice, a portion of a client’s commissions may be compensation for the value of access to our research. Those commissions are recognized on a trade date basis, as the Company has no further obligation. Second, a client may issue a cash payment directly to the Company for access to research. Third, the Company has entered into certain commission-sharing or tri-party arrangements in which institutional clients execute trades with a limited number of brokers and instruct those brokers to allocate a portion of the commission to the Company or to issue a cash payment to the Company.
	In these commission-sharing or tri-party arrangements, the amount of the fee is determined by the client on a case-by-case basis and agreed to by the Company. An invoice is then sent to the payor. For the second and third type of arrangements, revenue is recognized and an invoice is sent once an arrangement exists, access to research has been provided, a specific amount is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. None of these arrangements obligate clients to a fixed amount of fees for research, either through trading commissions or direct or indirect cash payments, nor do they obligate the Company to provide a fixed quantity of research or execute a fixed number of trades. Furthermore, the Company is not obligated under any arrangement to make commission payments to third parties on behalf of clients.
	Asset Management Fees
	Asset management fees for hedge funds, hedge funds of funds, private equity funds, HCC and New York Mortgage Trust (“NYMT”) consist of base management fees and incentive fees. The Company recognizes base management fees on a monthly basis over the period in which the investment services are performed. Base management fees earned by the Company are generally based on the fair value of assets under management and the fee schedule for each fund and account. Base management fees for hedge funds and hedge funds of funds are calculated at the investor level using their quarter-beginning capital balance adjusted for any contributions or withdrawals. Base management fees for private equity funds are calculated at the investor level using their aggregate capital commitments during the commitment period, which is generally three years from first closing, and on invested capital following the commitment period. Base management fees for HCC LLC are calculated based on the average value of our gross assets, reduced by the amount outstanding on its credit facility with JMP Group LLC, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. Refer to Note 7 for further information relating to this credit facility. The Company also earns incentive fees for hedge funds and hedge funds of funds that are based upon the performance of investment funds and accounts. Such fees are either a specified percentage of the total investment return of a fund or account or a percentage of the excess of an investment return over a specified highwater mark or hurdle rate over a defined performance period. For most funds, the highwater mark is calculated using the greatest value of a partner’s capital account as of the end of any performance period, increased for contributions and decreased for withdrawals. Incentive fees are recognized as revenue at the end of the specified performance period. Generally, the performance period used to determine the incentive fee is quarterly for the hedge funds and NYMT, and annually for the hedge funds of funds managed by HCS. Generally, the incentive fees are reinvested in the investment funds in which the Company holds a general partner investment and withdrawn at the end of the year. The incentive fees are not subject to any contingent repayments to investors or any other clawback arrangements. Incentive fees for private equity funds and HCC LLC are based on a specified percentage of realized gains from the disposition of each portfolio investment in which each investor participates, and are earned by the Company after returning contributions by the investors for that portfolio investment and for all other portfolio investments in which each such investor participates that have been disposed of at the time of distribution. For both private equity funds and HCC LLC, fees are eliminated upon consolidation.
	Asset management fees for the CLOs the Company managed through the year consisted of senior and subordinated base management fees. The Company recognizes base management fees for the CLOs on a monthly basis over the period in which the collateral management services are performed. The base management fees for the CLOs are calculated as a percentage of the average aggregate collateral balances for a specified period. As the Company consolidates all of the CLOs, the management fees earned at JMPCA from the CLOs are eliminated upon consolidation in accordance with GAAP.
	Principal transactions
	Principal transaction revenues include realized and unrealized net gains and losses resulting from our principal investments in equity and other securities for the Company’s account and in equity-linked warrants received from certain investment banking clients, limited partner investments in private funds managed by third parties, and the investment in NYMT and HCC. Principal transaction revenues also include earnings (or losses) attributable to investment partnership interests managed by our asset management subsidiary, HCS, which are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Principal transaction revenues also include unrealized gains and losses on the private equity securities owned by HGC and HGC II, private equity funds managed by HCS which is consolidated in our financial statements, as well as unrealized gains and losses on the investments in private companies sponsored by JMP Holding LLC (“JMPG Holding”) and JMP Capital.
	The Company’s principal transaction revenues for these categories for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014			2013			2012
	Equity and other securities excluding non-controlling interest		$	8,443		$	14,533		$	7,494
	Warrants and other investments			(26	)		2,200			393
	Investment partnerships			5,431			3,994			2,650
	Total principal transaction revenues		$	13,848		$	20,727		$	10,537
Gain on Sale and Payoff of Loans [Policy Text Block]	Gain on Sale, Payoff and Mark-to-market of Loans
	Gain on sale, payoff and mark-to-market of loans consists of gains from the sale and payoff of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities and loans held for sale at JMP Credit, and small business loans at HCC LLC (through May 2, 2013). This line item also includes lower of cost or market adjustments arising from loans held for sale and fair value adjustments to reflect the change in portfolio investment values at HCC LLC.
Revenue Recognition, Interest [Policy Text Block]	Interest Income
	Interest income primarily relates to income earned on loans. Interest income on loans comprises the stated coupon as a percentage of the face amount receivable as well as accretion of accretable or purchase discounts and deferred fees. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis in accordance with the terms of the respective loans unless such loans are placed on non-accrual status.
Interest Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Interest Expense
	Interest expense primarily consists of interest expense incurred on asset-backed securities issued and note payable, and the amortization of bond issuance costs. Interest expense on asset-backed securities issued is the stated coupon as a percentage of the principal amount payable as well as amortization of liquidity discount which was recorded at the acquisition date of CLO I. See Asset-Backed Securities Issued below for more information. Interest expense is recorded on the accrual basis in accordance with the terms of the respective asset-backed securities issued and note payable.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	The Company considers highly liquid investments with original maturities or remaining maturities upon purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company holds cash in financial institutions in excess of the FDIC insured limits. The Company periodically reviews the financial condition of the financial institutions and assesses the credit risk of such investments.
Receivables, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Receivable from Clearing Broker
	The Company clears customer transactions through another broker-dealer on a fully disclosed basis. At both December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the receivable from clearing broker consisted solely of commissions related to securities transactions.
Investment Banking Fees Receivable [Policy Text Block]	Investment Banking Fees Receivable
	Investment banking fees receivable include receivables relating to the Company’s investment banking or advisory engagements. The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts on these receivables on a specific identification basis. Investment banking fees receivable which are deemed to be uncollectible are charged off and the charge-off is deducted from the allowance. The allowance for doubtful accounts related to investment banking fees receivable were five thousand and zero at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. See Note 4 for the disclosures related to the fair value of our marketable securities and other investments.
	Most of the Company’s financial instruments, other than loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and asset-backed securities issued, are recorded at fair value or amounts that approximate fair value.
	Marketable securities owned, other investments at fair value, and marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased are stated at fair value, with related changes in unrealized appreciation or depreciation reflected in the line item principal transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.
	Fair value of the Company’s financial instruments is generally obtained from quoted market prices, third-party pricing services, or alternative pricing methodologies that the Company believes offer reasonable levels of price transparency. To the extent that certain financial instruments trade infrequently or are non-marketable securities and, therefore, do not have readily determinable fair values, the Company estimates the fair value of these instruments using various pricing models and the information available to the Company that it deems most relevant. Among the factors considered by the Company in determining the fair value of financial instruments are discounted anticipated cash flows, the cost, terms and liquidity of the instrument, the financial condition, operating results and credit ratings of the issuer or underlying company, the quoted market price of publicly traded securities with similar duration and yield, the Black-Scholes Options Valuation methodology adjusted for active market and other considerations on a case-by-case basis and other factors generally pertinent to the valuation of financial instruments.
	For disclosure purposes, the fair values for each of the loans held at CLO I, CLO II and CLO III were calculated using third-party pricing services. The average number of third-party pricing quotes received for CLO I, CLO II and CLO III were three for each CLO as of December 31, 2014. The average number of third-party pricing quotes received for CLO I, CLO II and CLO III were three, four and three, respectively, for both December 31, 2013. Valuations obtained from third-party pricing services are considered reflective of executable prices. Data is obtained from multiple sources and compared for consistency and reasonableness.
	Marketable securities owned and securities sold, but not yet purchased, consist of U.S. listed and over-the-counter (“OTC”) equity securities. Other investments include investments in private investment funds managed by the Company and investments in private investment funds managed by third parties. Such investments held by non-broker-dealer entities are accounted for under the equity method based on the Company’s share of the earnings (or losses) of the investee. The financial position and operating results of the private investment funds are generally determined on an estimated fair value basis. Generally, securities are valued (i) at their last published sale price if they are listed on an established exchange or (ii) if last sales prices are not published, at the highest closing “bid” price (for securities held “long”) and the lowest closing “asked” price (for “short” positions) as recorded by the composite tape system or such principal exchange, as the case may be. Where the general partner determines that market prices or quotations do not fairly represent the value of a security in the investment fund’s portfolio (for example, if a security is a restricted security of a class that is publicly traded) the general partner may assign a different value. The general partner will determine the estimated fair value of any assets that are not publicly traded.
	In September 2009, the FASB issued amended accounting principles related to fair value measurements of investments in certain entities that calculate net asset value per share. The amended accounting principles permit, as a practical expedient, an entity to estimate the fair value of investments in certain entities using the net asset value per share of such entities. The Company estimates the fair value of its investments in private investment funds managed by third parties using the net asset value per share of those funds.
	Also included in other investments are warrants on public and private common stock owned by JMP Securities and HCC LLC, private equity securities owned by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital, investments in private companies sponsored by JMP Group LLC and JMP Capital. The warrants on public and private common stock are generally received in connection with investment banking transactions or origination of loans. Such warrants are fair valued at the date of issuance and marked-to-market as of each reporting period using the Black-Scholes Options Valuation methodology. HCC LLC values its investments for which market quotations are readily available from an independent pricing service or at the mean between the bid and ask prices obtained from at least two brokers or dealers (if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer). HCC LLC engages independent valuation providers to review the valuation of each portfolio investment that does not have a readily available market quotation at least once quarterly. The fair value of the private equity securities owned by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital is determined by the Company using comparable public company metrics discounted for private company market illiquidity. The interest rate cap derivative instrument fair value is determined from counterparty price quotations.
	The Company follows the authoritative guidance included in GAAP on the fair value option which provides companies with a choice to report selected financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value. The election to use the fair value option is available at specified election dates, such as when an entity first recognizes a financial asset or financial liability or upon entering into a firm commitment. Subsequent changes in fair value must be recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company elected to apply the fair value option to the investments in HCC common stock, its investments in real estate funds, and its investment in a private equity fund which invests in a diversified portfolio of technology companies. The primary reason for electing the fair value option was to measure these gains on our investments on the same basis as our other equity securities, all of which are stated at fair value.
	The gains on the investments in HCC, the investment in real estate funds and the private equity fund are reported in Principal Transactions in the Consolidated Statements of Operation. In 2014, the Company recorded unrealized loss of $2.4 million and net dividend income of $0.9 million on the above investment in HCC. In 2013, the Company recorded unrealized gain of $20 thousand and net dividend income of $0.5 million on the above investment in HCC. In 2013 and 2014, the Company recorded unrealized gain of $0.1 million and $0.2 million on the investments in real estate funds, respectively. In 2013 and 2014, the Company recorded unrealized gain of $1.1 million and $0.1 million on the investment in the private equity fund which invests in a diversified portfolio of technology companies.
Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Derivative Financial Instruments
	The Company entered into a forward purchase contract to secure the acquisition of shares of a privately-held company. The contract and subsequent amendment incorporates downside protection for up to two years, for a cost basis of $5.0 million. In January 2012, the Company exchanged $5.0 million for physical custody of the shares. Beginning December 1, 2012, the Company could, at its discretion, become the beneficial and record holder of the shares. If the Company has not yet exercised its option at March 4, 2015, the shares will be assigned automatically to the Company. This contract is recorded in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at fair value. The Company records changes in the fair value of this forward contract as unrealized gain or loss in Principal Transactions. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $0.6 million unrealized loss on this investment. Once the shares are in the Company’s name, the shares will be accounted for as equity securities, remaining in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
	In 2014, the Company entered into a swaption contract to secure the acquisition of shares of a privately-held company. The Company records changes in the fair value of this derivative as unrealized gain or loss in Principal Transactions. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $0.1 million unrealized loss on this investment. Once the shares are in the Company’s name, the shares will be accounted for as equity securities, remaining in Other Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fair Value Hierarchy
	In determining fair value, the Company uses various methods including market, income and cost approaches. Based on these approaches, the Company often utilizes certain assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated, or generally unobservable firm inputs. The Company generally utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Based on the observability of the inputs used in the valuation techniques, the Company provides the following information according to the fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. Financial instrument assets and liabilities carried at fair value have been classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of fair value hierarchy:
	Level 1		Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
	Level 2		Observable market based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.
	Level 3		Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.
	Level 1 primarily consists of financial instruments whose value is based on quoted market prices such as U.S. listed and OTC equity securities, as well as quasi-government agency securities, all of which are carried at fair value.
	Level 2 includes those financial instruments that are valued using models or other valuation methodologies. These models are primarily industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including discounted anticipated cash flows, the cost, terms and liquidity of the instrument, the financial condition, operating results and credit ratings of the issuer or underlying company, the quoted market price of publicly traded securities with similar duration and yield, time value, yield curve, prepayment speeds, default rates, loss severity, as well as other measurements. Substantially all of these assumptions are observable in the marketplace, can be derived from observable data or are supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace. Included in this category is the general partner investment in hedge funds, where the underlying hedge funds are mainly invested in publicly traded stocks whose value is based on quoted market prices.
	Level 3 is comprised of financial instruments whose fair value is estimated based on internally developed models or methodologies utilizing significant inputs that are generally less readily observable from objective sources. A description of the valuation techniques utilized for the fair value of the financial instruments in this category is as follows:
		•		General partner investment in funds of funds and limited partner investment in mortgage and private equity funds: determined by net asset value provided by third-party general partners;
		•		Warrants: JMP Securities investments determined by the Company using the Black-Scholes Options Valuation model;
		•		Private equity securities, forward purchase contract and swaption: HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital investment in private companies, determined by the Company using comparable public company metrics discounted for private company market illiquidity, and
	The Company’s Level 3 assets consist primarily of private equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital. For investments acquired close to the valuation date, the Company uses the most recent purchase price to reflect the fair value of the investment. For all other investments, the Company determines fair value using a blended approach considering comparable public company metrics and comparable M&A transactions, discounted for private company market illiquidity. The Company applies the same valuation methodology to all HGC, HGC II, and JMP Capital private equity investments.
	The valuations are reviewed and approved by the HGC Valuation Committee, which meets quarterly to discuss investment valuations and any significant or unusual events that have an impact on the valuation results. Fluctuations are generally driven by changes in peer public company performance, recent M&A activity, or revised financial information of the investee. The assumptions used in the valuation calculations (discounts, allocations, estimates, etc.) are assessed, with consideration to market and regulatory conditions, as well as company specific conditions, for events or circumstances that would indicate changes in the value. Peer companies are reviewed to determine whether the group selected remains appropriate, based on the market, customer, size, and growth rate.
	At each reporting period, all assets and liabilities for which the fair value measurement is based on significant unobservable inputs are classified as “Level 3.”
Finance, Loans and Leases Receivable, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Loans
	Accounting guidance requires that the Company present and disclose certain information about its financing receivables by portfolio segment and/or by class of receivables. A portfolio segment is defined as the level at which an entity develops and documents a systematic methodology to determine the allowance for credit losses. A class of financing receivables is defined as the level of information (below a portfolio segment) that enables a reader to understand the nature and extent of exposure to credit risk arising from financing receivables. The Company’s portfolio segments are loans held for sale, small business loans and loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued. The Company has treated the loans held for investment as a single class given the small size of the respective loan portfolios as of December 31, 2014 and 2013. The classes within these portfolio segments are Asset Backed Loan (“ABL”), ABL – stretch, Cash Flow and Enterprise Value.
Finance, Loan and Lease Receivables, Held-for-investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Loans Held for Investment
	Loans held for investment are carried at their unpaid principal balance, net of any allowance for credit losses or deferred loan origination, commitment or other fees. For loans held for investment, the Company establishes and maintains an allowance for credit losses based on management’s estimate of credit losses in our loans as of each reporting date. The Company records the allowance against loans held for investment on a specific identification basis. Loans are charged off against the reserve for credit losses if the principal is deemed not recoverable within a reasonable timeframe. Loan origination, commitment or other fees are deferred and recognized into interest income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the life of the related loan. The Company does not accrue interest on loans which are in default for more than 90 days and loans for which the Company expects full principal payments may not be received. When loans are placed on non-accrual status, all interest previously accrued but not collected is reversed against current period interest income. Any reversals of income from previous years are recorded against the allowance for loan losses. When the Company receives a cash interest payment on a non-accrual loan, it is applied as a reduction of the principal balance. Non-accrual loans are returned to accrual status when the borrower becomes current as to principal and interest and has demonstrated a sustained period of payment performance. The amortization of loan fees is discontinued on non-accrual loans. The Company applies the above non-accrual policy consistently to all loans classified as loans held for investment without further disaggregation. Loans that are deemed to be uncollectible are charged off and the charged-off amount is deducted from the allowance.
Loans Collateralizing Asset Backed Securities Issued [Policy Text Block]	Loans Collateralizing Asset-Backed Securities Issued
	Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued are recorded at their fair value as of the acquisition date, which then becomes the new basis of the loans. Any unamortized deferred fees or costs that existed prior to the acquisition are written off at that date.
	For those loans acquired with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination, the total discount from unpaid principal balance to fair value consists of a non-accretable credit discount and an accretable liquidity discount. The accretable portion of the discount is recognized into interest income as an adjustment to the yield of the loan over the contractual life of the loan using the interest method.
	For those loans without evidence of deterioration in credit quality since origination, any difference between the Company’s initial investment in the loan and its par value is recorded as a premium or discount, which is amortized or accreted into interest income as a yield adjustment over the contractual life of the loan using the effective interest method, in accordance with ASC 310-20, Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs.
	The Company reviews its loan portfolio at the end of each quarter to identify specific loss reserves on impaired loans or to record losses inherent in the homogenous loan portfolio. As loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued are considered similar in nature, given the loan terms, ratings and average life expectancy, they are reviewed collectively in the quarterly assessment of loan loss reserves. Even when there are no credit losses identified in any individual loans, experience indicates there are losses inherent in the pooled loan portfolios as of the balance sheet date. The Company uses its loan loss model to estimate the unidentified losses that are inherent in the portfolio as of the balance sheet date and records provisions to its allowance for loan losses quarterly.
	For loans acquired at a discount that are not accounted for under ASC 310-30, the allowance for loan losses recorded subsequent to the date of the loan acquisition is determined using the guidance in ASC 450. No allowance on these loans will be recognized until the current book value is accreted past the level of incurred loss. For loans acquired at a premium, the allowance for loan losses recorded subsequent to the date of the loan acquisition is determined in accordance with ASC 450, based on the contractual principal balances. Given the existence of the premium on these loans, the allowance recorded subsequent to acquisition is based on the Company’s quarterly allowance methodology and represents losses inherent in the homogeneous loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. Accordingly, if the Company were to acquire loans at a premium during a particular period, the Company would record an allowance at the end of the quarter in which the loans were acquired.
	Refer to “Allowance for Loan Losses” section below for the Company’s quarterly assessment process.
	The accrual of interest on loans is discontinued when principal or interest payments are 90 days or more past due or when, in the opinion of management, reasonable doubt exists as to the full collection of principal and/or interest. When loans are placed on non-accrual status, all interest previously accrued but not collected is reversed against current period interest income. Any reversals of income from previous years are recorded against the allowance for loan losses. When the Company receives a cash interest payment on a non-accrual loan, it is applied as a reduction of the principal balance. Non-accrual loans are returned to accrual status when the borrower becomes current as to principal and interest and has demonstrated a sustained period of payment performance. The amortization of loan fees is discontinued on non-accrual loans and may be considered for write-off. Depending on the terms of the loan, a fee may be charged upon a prepayment which is recognized in the period of the prepayment.
	Restructured loans are considered a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) if the Company, for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor’s financial difficulties, grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider. The Company may receive an asset from the debtor in a TDR, but the value of the asset received is typically significantly less than the amount of the debt forgiven. The Company has received equity interest in certain debtors as compensation for reducing the loan principal balance in some cases.
Loans and Leases Receivable, Allowance for Loan Losses Policy [Policy Text Block]	Allowance for Loan Losses
	The Company maintains an allowance for loan losses that is intended to estimate loan losses inherent in its loan portfolio. A provision for loan losses is charged to expense to establish the allowance for loan losses. The allowance for loan losses consists of two components: estimated loan losses for specifically identified loans and estimated loan losses inherent in the remainder of the portfolio. The Company’s loan portfolio consists primarily of loans made to small to middle market, privately owned companies. Loans made to these companies generally have higher risks compared to larger, publicly traded companies who have greater access to financial resources. The allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level, in the opinion of management, sufficient to offset estimated losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the date of the financial statements. The appropriateness of the allowance and the allowance components are reviewed quarterly. The Company’s estimate of each allowance component is based on observable information and on market and third-party data that the Company believes are reflective of the underlying loan losses being estimated. Given these considerations, the Company believes that it is necessary to reserve for estimated loan losses inherent in the portfolio.
	A loan is considered impaired when it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. The Company measures impairment of a loan based upon either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price or the fair value of the collateral securing the loan if the loan is collateral dependent, depending on the circumstances and the Company’s collection strategy.
	For those loans held by CLO I at the date of acquisition by JMP Credit, and deemed impaired at that date or a subsequent date, the allowance for loan losses is calculated considering two further factors. For loans deemed impaired at the date of acquisition if there is a further decline in expected future cash flows, the reduction is recognized as a specific reserve in accordance with the guidance above. For those loans deemed impaired subsequent to the acquisition date, if the net realizable value is lower than the current carrying value, then the carrying value is reduced and the difference is recorded as provision for loan losses. If the total discount from unpaid principal balance to carrying value is larger than the expected loss at the date of assessment, no provision for loan losses is recognized. In addition, the Company provides an allowance on a loan by loan basis at JMP Credit for loans that were purchased after the CLO I acquisition. The Company employs internally developed and third-party estimation tools for measuring credit risk (loan ratings, probability of default, and exposure at default), which are used in developing an appropriate allowance for loan losses. The Company performs periodic detailed reviews of its loan portfolio to identify risks and to assess the overall collectability of loans.
	Loans or positions of loans that are deemed to be uncollectible are charged off and the charged-off amount is deducted from the allowance.
	In determining the required allowance for loan losses inherent in the portfolio, the following factors are considered: 1) the expected loss severity rate for each class of loans, 2) the current Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) rating and related probability of default, 3) the existing liquidity discount on the loans (when applicable), 4) internal loan ratings, and 5) loan performance.
		•	Expected loss severity rate for each class of loans: The Company’s loans are classified as either ABL, ABL – stretch, Cash Flow or Enterprise Value. The loss severity given a default is expected to be lowest on a conforming ABL loan, because the value of the collateral is typically sufficient to satisfy most of the amount owed. For ABL – stretch loans, the loss severity given a default is expected to be higher than for a conforming ABL loan because of less collateral coverage. For Cash Flow loans, the loss severity given a default is expected to be higher than ABL stretch loans, since generally less collateral coverage is provided for this class of loans. For Enterprise Value loans, the loss severity given a default is expected to be the highest, assuming that if the obligor defaults there has probably been a significant loss of enterprise value in the business. Loss severity estimates take into consideration current economic conditions such as overall macroeconomic trends, the amount of liquidity in the market and the condition of the CLO market.
		•	Moody’s rating and related probability of default: Moody uses factors such as, but not limited to, the borrower’s leverage, use of proceeds, cash flows, growth rate, industry condition, concentration of risks, EBITDA margins and others factors. The lower the rating a loan carries, the higher the risk. Moody’s publishes a probability of default for each rating class based on historical loss experience with loans of similar credit quality, and taking into consideration current economic conditions such as industry default rates, the amount of liquidity in the market and other macroeconomic trends. The higher the loan is rated, the less probability there is of a default. The Company updates the Moody’s rating assigned to a loan whenever Moody’s changes its rating for the loan.
		•	Existing liquidity discount on the loans: For non-impaired loans held at CLO I at the acquisition date, a liquidity discount was recorded to reflect the fair value of those loans. To the extent that the liquidity discount on a loan is greater than the component of the general reserve attributable to that loan, no general reserve is recorded. If the pooled reserve for a loan is greater than its liquidity discount, the amount by which it exceeds the liquidity discount will be included in the pooled reserve calculation.
		•	Internal loan ratings for Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued and Loans held for sale: The Internal Rating System is an internal portfolio monitoring mechanism allowing the Company to proactively manage portfolio risk and minimize losses. In evaluating these loans, the Company uses five account rating categories: 1 through 5. Internal ratings of 1 and 2 indicate lower risks while ratings between 3 and 5 indicate higher risks. Internal ratings are updated at least quarterly. The following describes each of the Company’s internal ratings:
		1	Investment exceeding expectations and/or a capital gain is expected.
		2	Investment generally performing in accordance with expectations.
		3	Investment performing below expectations and requires closer monitoring.
		4	Investment performing below expectations where a higher risk of loss exists.
		5	Investment performing significantly below expectations where the Company expects to experience a loss.
		Performing	Non-impaired loans
		Non-performing	Impaired loans
Assets or Liabilities that Relate to Transferor's Continuing Involvement in Securitized or Asset-backed Financing Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Asset-Backed Securities Issued
	Asset-backed securities issued (“ABS”) represent securities issued to third parties by CLO I, CLO II and CLO III (as of September 30, 2014). At the acquisition date, the ABS at CLO I were recorded at fair value, which comprised the principal balance outstanding less liquidity discount. The liquidity discount was amortized into interest expense over the original expected remaining lives of the ABS using the interest method. At the issuance date of the instrument, the Company made a policy election not to update the estimated life of the asset on a prospective basis. This conclusion established at the issuance date, was therefore fixed for the instrument.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fixed Assets
	Fixed assets represent furniture and fixtures, computer and office equipment, certain software costs and leasehold improvements, which are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, ranging from three to five years.
	Leasehold improvements are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the respective lease terms or the estimated useful lives of the improvements.
	The Company capitalizes certain costs of computer software developed or obtained for internal use and amortizes the amount over the estimated useful life of the software, generally not exceeding three years.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes
	The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, and are determined based upon the temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities using the tax rates and laws in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce the deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
	The Company applies the accounting principles related to uncertainty in income taxes. Under the guidance, the Company recognizes a tax benefit from an uncertain position only if it is more likely than not that the position is sustainable, based solely on its technical merits and consideration of the relevant taxing authorities’ widely understood administrative practices and precedents. If this threshold is met, the Company measures the tax benefit as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.
	The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with the tax audits or unrecognized tax benefits, if any, is to record such items as a component of income tax.
Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]	Stock-Based Compensation
	The Company recognizes compensation cost for stock-based awards at their fair value on the date of grant and records compensation expense over the service period for awards expected to vest. Such grants are recognized as expense, net of estimated forfeitures.
	Stock-based compensation includes restricted stock units and stock options granted under the Company’s 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, and stock options granted under the Company’s 2004 Equity Incentive Plan.
	In accordance with generally accepted valuation practices for stock-based awards issued as compensation, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model or other quantitative models to calculate the fair value of option awards. The quantitative models require subjective assumptions regarding variables such as future stock price volatility, dividend yield and expected time to exercise, which greatly affect the calculated values.
	The fair value of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) is determined based on the closing price of the underlying stock on the grant date, discounted for future dividends not expected to be paid on unvested units during the vesting period. If applicable, a liquidity discount for post-vesting transfer restrictions is also applied.
Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Treasury Stock
	The Company accounts for treasury stock under the cost method, using an average cost flow assumption, and includes treasury stock as a component of shareholders’ equity.
Reclassification, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Reclassification
	Certain balances from prior years have been reclassified in order to conform to the current year presentation. The reclassifications had no impact on the Company’s financial position, net income or cash flows.

Note_1_Organization_and_Descri1

Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Table Text Block]		Year Ended December 31,
		2014			2013		2012
	Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.	$	13,352		$	3,628	$	2,757
	Transfers from non-controlling interest
	Decrease in JMP Group Inc. paid-in capital for purchase of CLO II interest		(844	)		-		-
	Net transfers from non-controlling interest		(844	)		-		-
	Change from net income attributable to JMP Group Inc and transfers from non-controlling interest	$	12,508		$	3,628	$	2,757

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_1

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
		2014			2013			2012
	Investing Activities:
	Purchases of other investments		(15,322	)		(49,792	)		(23,993	)
	Sales of other investments		2,118			1,061			4,611
	Financing Activities:
	Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders		17,031			51,395			17,097
	Distributions paid to non-controlling interest holders		(2,231	)		(1,530	)		(4,269	)
Schedule of Principal Transactions Revenue [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
		2014			2013			2012
	Equity and other securities excluding non-controlling interest	$	8,443		$	14,533		$	7,494
	Warrants and other investments		(26	)		2,200			393
	Investment partnerships		5,431			3,994			2,650
	Total principal transaction revenues	$	13,848		$	20,727		$	10,537
Schedule of Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	As of December 31,
		2014			2013
	Principal and interest payments held as collateral for asset-backed securities issued	$	50,552		$	43,249
	Cash collateral supporting standby letters of credit		159			248
	Proceeds from short sales		15,048			13,749
	Deposit related to CLO III warehouse credit agreement		-			9,505
	Deposit with clearing broker		220			150
	Deposits for operating leases		1,123			1,128
	Restricted Cash	$	67,102		$	68,029

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements1

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping [Table Text Block]		At December 31, 2014
	(In thousands)	Carrying Value			Fair Value
					Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	101,362		$	101,362		$	-		$	-		$	101,362
	Restricted cash and deposits		67,102			67,102			-			-			67,102
	Marketable securities owned		29,466			29,466			-			-			29,466
	Other investments		208,947			3,539			64,628			138,652			206,819
	Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses		1,997			-			-			1,734			1,734
	Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses		1,038,848			-			1,031,885			-			1,031,885
	Long term receivable		860			-			-			960			960
	Total assets:	$	1,448,582		$	201,469		$	1,096,513		$	141,346		$	1,439,328
	Liabilities:
	Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased	$	15,048		$	15,048		$	-		$	-		$	15,048
	Asset-backed securities issued		1,001,137			-			992,625			-			992,625
	Bond payable		94,300			-			96,017			-			96,017
	Total liabilities:	$	1,110,485		$	15,048		$	1,088,642		$	-		$	1,103,690
		At December 31, 2013
	(In thousands)	Carrying Value			Fair Value
					Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	65,906		$	65,906		$	-		$	-		$	65,906
	Restricted cash and deposits		68,029			68,029			-			-			68,029
	Marketable securities owned		29,295			29,295			-			-			29,295
	Other investments		161,773			57			49,389			112,072			161,518
	Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses		825			-			-			693			693
	Small business loans		-			-			-			-			-
	Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses		727,270			-			737,327			-			737,327
	Long term receivable		1,152			-			-			1,364			1,364
	Total assets:	$	1,054,250		$	163,287		$	786,716		$	114,129		$	1,064,132
	Liabilities:
	Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased	$	13,749		$	13,749		$	-		$	-		$	13,749
	Asset-backed securities issued		716,423			-			710,961			-			710,961
	Note payable		15,000			-			15,000			-			15,000
	Line of credit		2,895			-			2,895			-			2,895
	Bond payable		46,000			-			46,552			-			46,552
	Total liabilities:	$	794,067		$	13,749		$	775,408		$	-		$	789,157
Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	31-Dec-14
		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Marketable securities owned	$	29,466		$	-		$	-		$	29,466
	Other investments:
	Investments in hedge funds managed by HCS		-			64,628			-			64,628
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS		-			-			152			152
	Total investment in funds managed by HCS		-			64,628			152			64,780
	Investments in private equity/ real estate funds		-			-			9,102			9,102
	Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC		-			-			732			732
	Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		3,539			-			122,058			125,597
	Forward purchase contract and swaption		-			-			6,608			6,608
	Total other investments		3,539			64,628			138,652			206,819
	Total assets:	$	33,005		$	64,628		$	138,652		$	236,285
	Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased		15,048			-			-			15,048
	Total liabilities:	$	15,048		$	-		$	-		$	15,048
	(In thousands)	31-Dec-13
		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
	Marketable securities owned	$	29,295		$	-		$	-		$	29,295
	Other investments:
	Investments in hedge funds managed by HCS		-			44,647			-			44,647
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS		-			-			139			139
	Total investment in funds managed by HCS		-			44,647			139			44,786
	Investments in private equity/ real estate funds		-			-			5,967			5,967
	Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC		-			-			1,121			1,121
	Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		57			4,742			97,981			102,780
	Forward purchase contract		-			-			6,864			6,864
	Total other investments		57			49,389			112,072			161,518
	Total assets:	$	29,352		$	49,389		$	112,072		$	190,813
	Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased		13,749			-			-			13,749
	Total liabilities:	$	13,749		$	-		$	-		$	13,749
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Balance as of December 31, 2013			Purchases			Sales			Settlements			Total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings (1)			Transfers in/(out) of Level 3			Balance as of December 31, 2014		Unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS	$	139		$	55		$	(58	)	$	-		$	16		$	-		$	152	$	16
	Limited partner investment in private equity fund		5,967			4,048			(781	)		(494	)		362			-			9,102		362
	Warrants and other held at JMPS		1,121			-			-			-			(389	)		-			732		(389	)
	Equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		97,981			15,420			(2,204	)		-			11,082			(221	)		122,058		11,616
	Forward Purchase Contract and Swaption		6,864			460			-			-			(716	)		-			6,608		(716	)
	Total Level 3 assets	$	112,072		$	19,983		$	(3,043	)	$	(494	)	$	10,355		$	(221	)	$	138,652	$	10,889
	(In thousands)	Balance as of December 31, 2012			Purchases			Sales			Settlements			Total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings (1)			Transfers in/(out) of Level 3			Balance as of December 31, 2013		Unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS	$	109		$	-		$	-		$	-		$	30		$	-		$	139	$	30
	Limited partner investment in private equity fund		2,332			3,009			-			(658	)		1,284			-			5,967		1,284
	Warrants and other held at JMPS		413			42			(206	)		-			872			-			1,121		784
	Warrants and equity held at HCC LLC		2,577			100			-			-			425			(3,102	)		-		-
	Small business loans		35,447			1,771			(43	)		-			30			(37,205	)		-		-
	Equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		41,075			50,622			-			-			17,119			(10,835	)		97,981		17,119
	Forward Purchase Contract		5,437			-			-			-			1,427			-			6,864		1,427
	Total Level 3 assets	$	87,390		$	55,544		$	(249	)	$	(658	)	$	21,187		$	(51,142	)	$	112,072	$	20,644
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Table Text Block]	Dollars in thousands	Fair Value at December 31, 2014		Valuation Technique		Unobservable Input	Range
							(Weighted Average)
	Investments in Funds of Funds managed by HCS (1)	$	152	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
	Limited Partner in Private Equity /Real Estate Fund (1)	$	9,102	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
	Warrants and Other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC	$	732	Black-Scholes Option Model		Annualized volatility of credit		0%-17.9%	17.90%
	Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital (2)	$	122,058	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		2.6-15.8	6.2
						EBITDA multiples		13.6-17.5	14.9
					-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30%-40%	31%
				Market transactions		Revenue multiples		4.2-8.8	6.3
						EBITDA multiples		14.2-20.8	19.3
						Control premium		25	%
	Forward purchase contract and swaption (2)	$	6,608	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		7.6-13.9	9.6
						Billing multiples		6.4-8.4	7.3
					-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30	%
				Market transactions		Revenue multiples		6.7-8.5	7.2
						Control premium		25	%
	Dollars in thousands	Fair Value at December 31, 2013		Valuation Technique		Unobservable Input	Range
							(Weighted Average)
	Investments in Funds of Funds managed by HCS (1)	$	139	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
	Limited Partner in Private Equity /Real Estate Fund (1)	$	5,967	Net Asset Value		N/A		N/A
	Warrants and Other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC	$	1,121	Black-Scholes Option Model		Annualized volatility of credit		0%-25.4%	13.40%
	Equity securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital (2)	$	97,981	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		2.4-14.5	6.3
						EBITDA multiples		14.9-31.9	22.1
					-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30%-40%	32%
				Market transactions		Revenue multiples		3.4-7.6	5.7
						EBITDA multiples		11.8-26.6	17.7
						Control premium		25	%
	Forward purchase contract (2)	$	6,864	Market comparable companies		Revenue multiples		10.6-14.5	12.3
						Billing multiples		8.7-11.6	10
					-3	Discount for lack of marketability		30	%
				Market transactions		Revenue multiples		7
						Control premium		25	%
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Nonrecurring Basis, Valuation Techniques [Table Text Block]		Fair Value						Gains (Losses) Year Ended
		December 31,						December 31,
	(In thousands)	2014			2013			2014			2013
	Assets:
	Nonaccrual loans	$	-		$	-		$	-		$	(870	)
	Loans held for sale		-			-			-			(422	)
	Total assets:	$	-		$	-		$	-		$	(1,292	)

Note_5_Loans_Collateralizing_A1

Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Loans Collateralizing Asset Backed Securities Issued And Loans Held For Sale Textblock [Abstract]
Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Table Text Block]			As of December 31,
	(In thousands)		2014				2013
			Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities				Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities
	Outstanding principals		$	1,050,392			$	735,891
	Allowance for loan losses			(4,307	)			(3,871	)
	Liquidity discount			(1,049	)			(1,168	)
	Deferred loan fees, net			(6,188	)			(3,582	)
	Total loans, net		$	1,038,848			$	727,270
Schedule of Credit Losses Related to Financing Receivables, Current and Noncurrent [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31, 2014
			Principal				Allowance for Loan Losses				Liquidity Discount				Deferred Loan Fees				Carrying Value,
																			Net
	Non-impaired Loans
	Balance at beginning of period		$	735,891			$	(3,871	)		$	(1,168	)		$	(3,582	)		$	727,270
	Purchases			678,255				-				-				(4,669	)			673,586
	Repayments			(60,755	)			-				-				-				(60,755	)
	Accretion of discount			-				-				119				1,202				1,321
	Provision for loan losses			-				(436	)			-				-				(436	)
	Sales and payoff			(302,999	)			-				-				861				(302,999	)
	Balance at end of period		$	1,050,392			$	(4,307	)		$	(1,049	)		$	(6,188	)		$	1,038,848
	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31, 2013
			Principal				Allowance for Loan Losses				Liquidity Discount				Deferred Loan Fees				Carrying Value,
																			Net
	Impaired Loans
	Balance at beginning of period		$	3,517			$	(1,022	)		$	(720	)		$	(16	)		$	1,759
	Accretion of discount			(11	)			-				-				2				(9	)
	Provision for loan losses			-				(870	)			-				-				(870	)
	Sales and payoff			(3,506	)			1,892				720				14				(880	)
	Balance at end of period		$	-			$	-			$	-			$	-			$	-
	Non-impaired Loans
	Balance at beginning of period		$	410,483			$	(2,105	)		$	(2,332	)		$	(6,802	)		$	399,244
	Purchases			591,365				-				-				(433	)			590,932
	Repayments			(49,324	)			-				-				-				(49,324	)
	Accretion of discount			-				-				692				1,793				2,485
	Provision for loan losses			-				(1,766	)			-				-				(1,766	)
	Sales and payoff			(211,492	)			-				85				1,860				(209,547	)
	Transfers to/from impaired loans, net			(5,141	)			-				387				-				(4,754	)
	Balance at end of period		$	735,891			$	(3,871	)		$	(1,168	)		$	(3,582	)		$	727,270
Allowance for Credit Losses on Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013				2012
	Balance at beginning of period		$	(3,871	)		$	(3,127	)		$	(4,199	)
	Provision for loan losses:
	Specific reserve			-				(870	)			(2,022	)
	General reserve			(436	)			(1,766	)			(183	)
	Reversal due to sale, payoff or restructure of loans			-				1,892				3,277
	Balance at end of period		$	(4,307	)		$	(3,871	)		$	(3,127	)
Financing Receivable Credit Quality Indicators [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)				Senior Secured Bonds/ Notes -								Cash Flow Loans (CF)
					Cash Flow
					December 31,								December 31,
					2014				2013				2014				2013
	Moody's rating:
	Baa1 - Baa3				$	-			$	-			$	12,843			$	16,057
	Ba1 - Ba3					-				-				270,899				215,281
	B1 - B3					-				3,114				739,997				482,579
	Caa1 - Caa3					-				-				19,168				13,729
	Ca					-				-				248				381
	Total:				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027
	Internal rating (1) :
		2			$	-			$	3,114			$	979,693			$	700,168
		3				-				-				63,462				27,859
	Total:				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027
	Performance:
	Performing				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027
	Non-performing					-				-				-				-
	Total:				$	-			$	3,114			$	1,043,155			$	728,027

Note_6_Fixed_Assets_Tables

Note 6 - Fixed Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	As of December 31,
		2014			2013
	Furniture and fixtures	$	2,185		$	2,082
	Computer and office equipment		5,304			4,935
	Leasehold improvements		4,880			4,345
	Software		644			580
	Less: accumulated depreciation		(10,780	)		(9,850	)
	Total fixed assets, net	$	2,233		$	2,092

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_1

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Tables) [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Balance as of December 31, 2013			Purchases			Sales			Settlements			Total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings (1)				Transfers in/(out) of Level 3			Balance as of December 31, 2014		Unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS	$	139		$	55		$	(58	)	$	-		$	16			$	-		$	152	$	16
	Limited partner investment in private equity fund		5,967			4,048			(781	)		(494	)		362				-			9,102		362
	Warrants and other held at JMPS		1,121			-			-			-			(389	)			-			732		(389	)
	Equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		97,981			15,420			(2,204	)		-			11,082				(221	)		122,058		11,616
	Forward Purchase Contract and Swaption		6,864			460			-			-			(716	)			-			6,608		(716	)
	Total Level 3 assets	$	112,072		$	19,983		$	(3,043	)	$	(494	)	$	10,355			$	(221	)	$	138,652	$	10,889
	(In thousands)	Balance as of December 31, 2012			Purchases			Sales			Settlements			Total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings (1)				Transfers in/(out) of Level 3			Balance as of December 31, 2013		Unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date
	Investments in funds of funds managed by HCS	$	109		$	-		$	-		$	-		$	30			$	-		$	139	$	30
	Limited partner investment in private equity fund		2,332			3,009			-			(658	)		1,284				-			5,967		1,284
	Warrants and other held at JMPS		413			42			(206	)		-			872				-			1,121		784
	Warrants and equity held at HCC LLC		2,577			100			-			-			425				(3,102	)		-		-
	Small business loans		35,447			1,771			(43	)		-			30				(37,205	)		-		-
	Equity securities held by HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital		41,075			50,622			-			-			17,119				(10,835	)		97,981		17,119
	Forward Purchase Contract		5,437			-			-			-			1,427				-			6,864		1,427
	Total Level 3 assets	$	87,390		$	55,544		$	(249	)	$	(658	)	$	21,187			$	(51,142	)	$	112,072	$	20,644
CLO I [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Tables) [Line Items]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]	(In millions)	As of December 31, 2014
		Notes			Outstanding Principal			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate			Ratings
		Originally			Balance						Spread to			(Moody's
		Issued									LIBOR			/S&P) (1)
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Revolving Notes due 2021	$	326		$	244.9		$	244.9		0.26%	-	0.29%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021		30			30			30			0.50%		Aaa/AAA
	Class C Senior Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021		35			35			35			1.10%		Aaa/AA+
	Class D Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021		34			34			34			2.40%		A1/A-
	Class E Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021		30			30			30			5.00%		Ba1/BB
	Total secured notes sold to investors	$	455		$	373.9		$	373.9
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2021		45			45			45
	Total notes for the CLO I offering	$	500		$	418.9		$	418.9
	Consolidation elimination	N/A				(58.8	)		(58.8	)
	Total asset-backed securities issued	N/A			$	360.1		$	360.1
	(In millions)	As of December 31, 2013
		Notes			Outstanding Principal			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate			Ratings
		Originally			Balance						Spread to			(Moody's
		Issued									LIBOR			/S&P) (1)
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Revolving Notes due 2021	$	326		$	289		$	289		0.26%	-	0.29%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021		30			30			30			0.50%		Aaa/AAA
	Class C Senior Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021		35			35			35			1.10%		Aaa/AA+
	Class D Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021		34			34			34			2.40%		A1/A-
	Class E Secured Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2021		30			30			30			5.00%		Ba1/BB
	Total secured notes sold to investors	$	455		$	418		$	418
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2021		45			45			45
	Total notes for the CLO I offering	$	500		$	463		$	463
	Consolidation elimination	N/A				(58.7	)		(58.7	)
	Total asset-backed securities issued	N/A			$	404.3		$	404.3
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31, 2014									Year Ended December 31, 2013
		Principal			Liquidity Discount			Net			Principal			Liquidity Discount				Net
	Balance at beginning of period	$	404,280		$	-		$	404,280		$	431,003		$	(15,548	)		$	415,455
	Repayments		(44,141	)		-			(44,141	)		(26,723	)		-				(26,723	)
	Amortization of discount		-			-			-			-			15,548				15,548
	Balance at end of period	$	360,139		$	-		$	360,139		$	404,280		$	-			$	404,280
CLO II [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Tables) [Line Items]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]	(In millions)	As of December 31, 2014
		Notes Originally Issued			Outstanding Principal Balance			Issuance			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR			Ratings (Moody's/S&P) (1)
								Discount
	Class X Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2016	$	3.8		$	2.3		$	-		$	2.3			1	%	Aaa/AAA
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023		217.6			217.6			(0.7	)		216.9			1.18	%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023		34			34			(0.2	)		33.8			1.75	%	NR/AA
	Class C Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		17			17			(0.5	)		16.5			2.75	%	NR/A
	Class D Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		18.7			18.7			(1.4	)		17.3			3.85	%	NR/BBB
	Class E Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		18.7			18.7			(2.3	)		16.4			5.25	%	NR/BB
	Class F Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		10.2			10.2			(1.9	)		8.3			5.75	%	NR/B
	Total secured notes sold to investors	$	320		$	318.5		$	(7.0	)	$	311.5
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2023		23.8			23.8			(0.3	)		23.5
	Total notes for the CLO II offering	$	343.8		$	342.3		$	(7.3	)	$	335
	Consolidation elimination		N/A			(23.8	)		0.3			(23.5	)
	Total CLO II asset-backed securities issued		N/A		$	318.5		$	(7.0	)	$	311.5
	(In millions)	As of December 31, 2013
		Notes Originally Issued			Outstanding Principal Balance			Issuance			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR			Ratings (Moody's/S&P) (1)
								Discount
	Class X Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2016	$	3.8		$	3.8		$	-		$	3.8			1	%	Aaa/AAA
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023		217.6			217.6			(0.8	)		216.8			1.18	%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023		34			34			(0.3	)		33.7			1.75	%	NR/AA
	Class C Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		17			17			(0.6	)		16.4			2.75	%	NR/A
	Class D Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		18.7			18.7			(1.6	)		17.1			3.85	%	NR/BBB
	Class E Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		18.7			18.7			(2.5	)		16.2			5.25	%	NR/BB
	Class F Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2023		10.2			10.2			(2.1	)		8.1			5.75	%	NR/B
	Total secured notes sold to investors	$	320		$	320		$	(7.9	)	$	312.1
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2023		23.8			23.8			(0.3	)		23.5
	Total notes for the CLO II offering	$	343.8		$	343.8		$	(8.2	)	$	335.6
	Consolidation elimination		N/A			(23.8	)		0.3			(23.5	)
	Total CLO II asset-backed securities issued		N/A		$	320		$	(7.9	)	$	312.1
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31, 2014									Year Ended December 31, 2013
		Principal			Issuance Discount			Net			Principal			Issuance Discount				Net
	Balance at beginning of period	$	320,000		$	(7,857	)	$	312,143		$	-		$	-			$	-
	CLO II issuance		-			-			-			320,000			(8,437	)			311,563
	Repayments		(1,520	)		-			(1,520	)		-			-				-
	Amortization of discount		-			918			918			-			580				580
	Balance at end of period	$	318,480		$	(6,939	)	$	311,541		$	320,000		$	(7,857	)		$	312,143
CLO III [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Tables) [Line Items]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]	(In millions)	As of December 31, 2014
		Notes Originally Issued			Outstanding Principal Balance			Issuance Discount			Net Outstanding Balance			Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR			Ratings
																	(Moody's/Fitch)
	Class A Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2025	$	228		$	228		$	(0.8	)	$	227.2			1.53	%	Aaa/AAA
	Class B Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2025		41.7			41.7			(1.1	)		40.6			2.05	%	Aa2/NR
	Class C Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2025		22.5			22.5			(0.8	)		21.7			2.9	%	A2/NR
	Class D Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2025		21.6			21.6			-			21.6			5.1	%	Baa3/NR
	Class E Senior Secured Deferred Floating Rate Notes due 2025		18.3			18.3			-			18.3			7.35	%	Ba3/NR
	Total secured notes sold to investors	$	332.1		$	332.1		$	(2.7	)	$	329.4
	Unsecured subordinated notes due 2025		38.4			38.4			(4.5	)		33.9
	Total notes for the CLO III offering	$	370.5		$	370.5		$	(7.2	)	$	363.3
	Consolidation elimination		N/A			(38.4	)		4.5			(33.9	)
	Total CLO III asset-backed securities issued		N/A		$	332.1		$	(2.7	)	$	329.4
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31, 2014
		Principal			Issuance Discount			Net
	Balance at beginning of period	$	-		$	-		$	-
	CLO III issuance		332,100			(2,761	)		329,339
	Amortization of discount		-			118			118
	Balance at end of period	$	332,100		$	(2,643	)	$	329,457

Note_10_StockBased_Compensatio1

Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]			Year Ended December 31,
			2014							2013							2012
			Shares Subject				Weighted Average			Shares Subject				Weighted Average			Shares Subject				Weighted Average
			to Option				Exercise Price			to Option				Exercise Price			to Option				Exercise Price
	Balance, beginning of year			2,370,290			$	7.54			1,608,890			$	11.12			1,704,665			$	11.2
	Granted			1,525,000				6.84			1,600,000				6.23			-				-
	Forfeited			(200,000	)			6.45			(50,000	)			6.24			-				-
	Expired			(103,600	)			10			(788,600	)			12.29			(95,775	)			12.43
	Balance, end of period			3,591,690			$	7.23			2,370,290			$	7.54			1,608,890			$	11.12
	Options exercisable at end of period			716,690			$	10			820,290			$	10			1,608,890			$	11.12
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding and Exercisable [Table Text Block]						31-Dec-14
						Options Outstanding														Options Vested and Exercisable
									Weighted														Weighted
									Average				Weighted										Average		Weighted
	Range of								Remaining				Average			Aggregate							Remaining		Average		Aggregate
	Exercise					Number			Contractual				Exercise			Intrinsic				Number			Contractual		Exercise		Intrinsic
	Prices					Outstanding			Life in Years				Price			Value				Exercisable			Life in Years		Price		Value
	$6.05	-	$10.00				3,591,690			3.8			$	7.23		$	3,112,100				716,690			0.97	$	10		-
						31-Dec-13
						Options Outstanding														Options Vested and Exercisable
									Weighted														Weighted
									Average				Weighted										Average		Weighted
	Range of								Remaining				Average			Aggregate							Remaining		Average		Aggregate
	Exercise					Number			Contractual				Exercise			Intrinsic				Number			Contractual		Exercise		Intrinsic
	Prices					Outstanding			Life in Years				Price			Value				Exercisable			Life in Years		Price		Value
	$6.05	-	$10.00				2,370,290			6.61			$	7.54		$	1,812,250				820,290			1.86	$	10		-
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Restricted Stock Units Award Activity [Table Text Block]			Year Ended December 31,
			2014							2013							2012
			Restricted				Weighted Average			Restricted				Weighted Average			Restricted				Weighted Average
			Stock				Grant Date Fair Value			Stock				Grant Date Fair Value			Stock				Grant Date Fair Value
			Units							Units							Units
	Balance, beginning of year			1,881,149			$	6.7			1,020,382			$	7.27			1,634,268			$	7.42
	Granted			931,456				6.93			1,115,505				6.22			952,597				7.29
	Vested			(1,178,337	)			7.16			(118,173	)			6.73			(1,456,540	)			7
	Forfeited			(140,417	)			6.51			(136,565	)			7.01			(109,943	)			6.89
	Balance, end of period			1,493,851			$	6.5			1,881,149			$	6.7			1,020,382			$	7.27

Note_11_Net_Income_Per_Share_o1

Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]	(In thousands, except per share data)	Year Ended December 31,
		2014		2013		2012
	Numerator:
	Net income attributable to JMP Group, Inc	$	13,352	$	3,628	$	2,757
	Denominator:
	Basic weighted average shares outstanding		21,481		22,158		22,582
	Effect of potential dilutive securities:
	Restricted stock units and stock options		2,061		1,159		324
	Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		23,542		23,317		22,906
	Net income per share
	Basic	$	0.59	$	0.16	$	0.12
	Diluted	$	0.57	$	0.16	$	0.12

Note_13_Income_Taxes_Tables

Note 13 - Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
		2014			2013			2012
	Federal	$	(8,914	)	$	8,789		$	2,714
	State		(528	)		715			(791	)
	Total current income tax expense		(9,442	)		9,504			1,923
	Federal		16,991			(5,154	)		(814	)
	State		466			(400	)		472
	Total deferred income tax expense (benefit)		17,457			(5,554	)		(342	)
	Total income tax expense (benefit)	$	8,015		$	3,950		$	1,581
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	As of December 31,
		2014			2013
	Deferred tax assets:
	Accrued compensation and related expenses	$	-		$	4,391
	Equity based compensation		3,150			2,860
	Reserves and allowances		1,820			2,043
	New York net operating loss		1,024			495
	Other state net operating loss		383
	Deferred compensation		3,661			1,992
	Other		924			1,734
	Total deferred tax assets		10,962			13,515
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Investment in partnerships		(6,740	)		(517	)
	Repurchase of asset-backed securities issued		(1,317	)		(1,647	)
	Depreciation and amortization		-			(141	)
	Net unrealized capital gains/losses		(1,585	)		(1,249	)
	Accrued compensation and related expenses		(9,519	)		-
	Interest in HCC LLC (1)		-			(71	)
	Total deferred tax liabilities		(19,161	)		(3,625	)
	Net deferred tax asset before valuation allowance		(8,199	)		9,890
	Valuation allowance		(392	)		(1,009	)
	Net deferred tax (liabilities)/ assets	$	(8,591	)	$	8,881
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]		Year Ended December 31,
		2014			2013			2012
	Tax at federal statutory tax rate		35	%		35	%		34	%
	State income tax, net of federal tax benefit		2.04	%		3.82	%		6.67	%
	Change in New York valuation		-1.96	%		-1.06	%		-3.7	%
	Adjustment for permanent items (HGC, HGC II, HCC LLC, CLO II, CLO III and HCAP Advisors non-controlling interest) (1)		-9.64	%		-19.84	%		-17.55	%
	Adjustment for other permanent items		1.04	%		-0.55	%		0.2	%
	Deferred tax asset written off related to options and RSUs		0	%		4.11	%		0.31	%
	Adjustment for prior year taxes		0.52	%		-0.55	%		-1.15	%
	California state enterprise zone tax credit		-0.28	%		-0.97	%		-2.2	%
	Adjustment for capitalized costs		0	%		2.54	%		0	%
	Effective tax rate		26.72	%		22.5	%		16.58	%

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin1

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	31-Dec-14
	2015	$	4,185
	2016		4,313
	2017		3,714
	2018		3,357
	2019		2,190
	Thereafter		7,521
	Lease Commitments	$	25,280

Note_20_Business_Segments_Tabl

Note 20 - Business Segments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)			Year Ended December 31,
				2014				2013				2012
	Broker-Dealer
		Non-interest revenues		$	108,074			$	99,133			$	73,130
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	108,074			$	99,133			$	73,130
		Non-interest expenses			90,643				84,749				67,152
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	17,431			$	14,384			$	5,978
		Segment assets		$	116,403			$	109,437			$	66,611
	Asset Management
		Non-interest revenues		$	45,639			$	29,598			$	23,177
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	45,639			$	29,598			$	23,177
		Non-interest expenses			41,010				29,346				20,686
		Non-controlling interest			786				(1,731	)			-
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	3,843			$	1,983			$	2,491
		Segment assets		$	167,181			$	134,471			$	57,423
	Corporate Credit
		Non-interest revenues		$	5,266			$	4,735			$	4,064
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	5,266			$	4,735			$	4,064
		Non-interest expenses			4,672				3,691				2,996
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	594			$	1,044			$	1,068
		Segment assets		$	373,489			$	17,207			$	5,415
	Investment Income
		Non-interest revenues		$	7,276			$	10,788			$	13,104
		Net interest income			16,682				16,471				19,313
		Provision for loan losses			1,265				(932	)			(2,207	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	25,223			$	26,327			$	30,210
		Non-interest expenses			4,683				4,864				(3,071	)
		Non-controlling interest			1,342				977				670
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	19,198			$	20,486			$	32,611
		Segment assets		$	762,200			$	805,601			$	518,283
	Corporate Costs
		Non-interest expenses			14,512				16,039				13,647
		Segment operating pre-tax net loss		$	(14,512	)		$	(16,039	)		$	(13,647	)
		Segment assets		$	228,448			$	187,838			$	159,233
	Eliminations
		Non-interest revenues		$	(5,780	)		$	(5,764	)		$	(5,419	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	(5,780	)		$	(5,764	)		$	(5,419	)
		Non-interest expenses			(5,692	)			(5,744	)			(5,419	)
		Segment operating pre-tax net loss		$	(88	)		$	(20	)		$	-
		Segment assets		$	(131,529	)		$	(132,623	)		$	(97,102	)
	Total Segments
		Non-interest revenues		$	160,475			$	138,490			$	108,056
		Net interest income			16,682				16,471				19,313
		Provision for loan losses			1,265				(932	)			(2,207	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	178,422			$	154,029			$	125,162
		Non-interest expenses			149,828				132,945				95,991
		Non-controlling interest			2,128				(754	)			670
		Segment operating pre-tax net income		$	26,466			$	21,838			$	28,501
		Total assets		$	1,516,192			$	1,121,931			$	709,863
Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)			As of and Year Ended December 31, 2014
				Total Segments				Consolidation Adjustments and Reconciling Items					JMP Consolidated
		Non-interest revenues		$	160,475			$	5,823		(a)		$	166,298
		Net Interest Income			16,682				(38	)	(b)			16,644
		Provision for loan losses			1,265				(1,701	)				(436	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	178,422			$	4,084				$	182,506
		Non-interest expenses			149,828				2,680		(c )			152,508
		Noncontrolling interest			2,128				6,503					8,631
		Operating pre-tax net income (loss)		$	26,466			$	(5,099	)	(d)		$	21,367
		Total assets		$	1,516,192			$	-				$	1,516,192
	(In thousands)			As of and Year Ended December 31, 2013
				Total Segments				Consolidation Adjustments and Reconciling Items					JMP Consolidated
		Non-interest revenues		$	138,490			$	10,126		(a)		$	148,616
		Net Interest Income			16,471				(13,235	)	(b)			3,236
		Provision for loan losses			(932	)			(1,705	)				(2,637	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	154,029			$	(4,814	)			$	149,215
		Non-interest expenses			132,945				(1,281	)	(c )			131,664
		Noncontrolling interest			(754	)			10,727					9,973
		Operating pre-tax net income (loss)		$	21,838			$	(14,260	)	(d)		$	7,578
		Total assets		$	1,121,931			$	-				$	1,121,931
	(In thousands)			As of and Year Ended December 31, 2012
				Total Segments				Consolidation Adjustments and Reconciling Items					JMP Consolidated
		Non-interest revenues		$	108,056			$	2,167		(a)		$	110,223
		Net Interest Income			19,313				(26,408	)	(b)			(7,095	)
		Provision for loan losses			(2,207	)			1					(2,206	)
		Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	125,162			$	(24,240	)			$	100,922
		Non-interest expenses			95,991				(4,603	)	(c )			91,388
		Noncontrolling interest			670				4,526					5,196
		Operating pre-tax net income (loss)		$	28,501			$	(24,163	)	(d)		$	4,338
		Total assets		$	709,863			$	-				$	709,863
Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)		Year Ended December 31,
			2014				2013				2012
	Operating net income		$	16,406			$	13,539			$	16,532
	Addback of Income tax expense (assumed rate of 38% for 2014 and 2013, and 42% for 2012)			10,060				8,299				11,969
	Total Segments adjusted operating pre-tax net income		$	26,466			$	21,838			$	28,501
	Subtract / (Add back)
	Stock options			1,917				920				-
	Compensation expense - RSUs			3,744				2,823				2,492
	Deferred compensation program accounting adjustment			(4,483	)			(6,170	)			(6,985	)
	HCC IPO administrative expense			-				450				(450	)
	Net unrealized loss/ (gain) on strategic equity investments and warrants.			2,570				(593	)			525
	General loan loss reserve for CLO II and CLO III			1,351				1,241				-
	Net amortization of liquidity discounts on loans and asset-backed securities issued			-				14,979				29,208
	Unrealized mark-to-market (gain)/loss - HCC			-				610				(627	)
	Consolidated pre-tax net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.		$	21,367			$	7,578			$	4,338
	Income tax expense			8,015				3,950				1,581
	Consolidated Net Income attributable to JMP Group Inc.		$	13,352			$	3,628			$	2,757

Note_21_Summarized_Financial_I1

Note 21 - Summarized Financial Information for Equity Method Investments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Net Assets [Member]
Note 21 - Summarized Financial Information for Equity Method Investments (Tables) [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments [Table Text Block]		As of December 31,
	(In thousands)	2014		2013
		Net Assets		Net Assets
	Harvest Opportunity Partners II	$	78,856	$	94,120
	Harvest Small Cap Partners		323,439		245,127
	Harvest Franchise Fund (1)		-		91,042
	Harvest Agriculture Select		35,448		32,032
	Harvest Technology Partners		20,542		17,958
	Harvest Financial Partners		15,439		-
Income (Losses) [Member]
Note 21 - Summarized Financial Information for Equity Method Investments (Tables) [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments [Table Text Block]	(In thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
		2014					2013					2012
		Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)		Net Investment Income (Loss)			Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)		Net Investment Income (Loss)			Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)			Net Investment Income (Loss)
	Harvest Opportunity Partners II	$	3,240	$	(393	)	$	6,993	$	(1,320	)	$	11,231		$	(1,113	)
	Harvest Small Cap Partners		118,723		(22,467	)		55,690		(16,405	)		34,278			(16,716	)
	Harvest Franchise Fund (1)		4,661		(1,139	)		21,190		(3,008	)		(6,255	)		(77	)
	Harvest Agriculture Select		4,247		(460	)		3,094		(334	)		3,172			(298	)
	Harvest Technology Partners		1,294		(244	)		344		(326	)		(208	)		(721	)
	Harvest Financial Partners		482		(53	)		-		-			-			-
	Harvest Diversified Partners		-		-			1,563		(435	)		2,626			(417	)

Note_23_Selected_Quarterly_Fin1

Note 23 - Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information [Table Text Block]			Three Months Ended
	(In thousands, except per share data)		31-Dec-14		30-Sep-14			30-Jun-14			31-Mar-14
	Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	53,631	$	33,697		$	57,518		$	37,660
	Non-interest expenses:
		Compensation and benefits		25,910		28,315			37,979			31,376
		Other expenses		8,227		7,007			7,177			6,517
		Total non-interest expenses		34,137		35,322			45,156			37,893
		Income (loss) before income tax expense		19,494		(1,625	)		12,362			(233	)
		Income tax expense (benefit)		2,409		1,460			2,450			1,696
		Net income (loss)		17,085		(3,085	)		9,912			(1,929	)
		Less: Net (loss) income attributable to the non-controlling interest		12,421		(4,580	)		6,717			(5,927	)
		Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.		4,664		1,495			3,195			3,998
	Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc. per common share:
		Basic	$	0.21	$	0.07		$	0.14		$	0.17
		Diluted	$	0.2	$	0.06		$	0.13		$	0.17
			Three Months Ended
	(In thousands, except per share data)		31-Dec-13		30-Sep-13			30-Jun-13			31-Mar-13
	Total net revenues after provision for loan losses		$	59,686	$	35,377		$	30,904		$	23,248
	Non-interest expenses:
		Compensation and benefits		33,366		24,685			24,776			19,605
		Other expenses		7,297		6,786			8,983			6,166
		Total non-interest expenses		40,663		31,471			33,759			25,771
		Income (loss) before income tax expense		19,023		3,906			(2,855	)		(2,523	)
		Income tax expense (benefit)		3,772		1,634			(644	)		(812	)
		Net income (loss)		15,251		2,272			(2,211	)		(1,711	)
		Less: Net (loss) income attributable to the non-controlling interest		11,758		(1,017	)		(776	)		8
		Net income (loss) attributable to JMP Group Inc.		3,493		3,289			(1,435	)		(1,719	)
	Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc. per common share:
		Basic	$	0.16	$	0.14		$	(0.06	)	$	(0.08	)
		Diluted	$	0.16	$	0.14		$	(0.06	)	$	(0.08	)

Note_1_Organization_and_Descri2

Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Apr. 03, 2013	Apr. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Jan. 31, 2014	Dec. 11, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent	13.50%
Contractual Obligation	$25,900,000	$41,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt	5,000,000	15,000,000
Closed [Member] | CLO III [Member] | Warehouse Credit Agreement [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity							100,000,000
Closed [Member] | Warehouse Credit Agreement [Member] | CLO III [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity							100,000,000
CLO III [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Loans Pledged as Collateral		500,000
Unsecured Debt [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent		72.80%	72.80%					98.00%
Debt Instrument, Repurchase Amount								6,000,000
Unsecured Debt [Member] | CLO III [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					13.50%
CLOIII Warehouse Credit Facility [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					220,000,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			1.86%
CLO II [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Asset-Backed Securities, at Carrying Value			343,800,000
Subordinated Debt			17,300,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt				343,800,000
CLO III [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) [Line Items]
Subordinated Debt					4,700,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					13.50%
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, at Fair Value, Gross Additions						15,000,000
Contractual Obligation					30,000,000	25,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt					$370,500,000

Note_1_Organization_and_Descri3

Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business (Details) - Changes in Equity from Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Changes in Equity from Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.	$4,664	$1,495	$3,195	$3,998	$3,493	$3,289	($1,435)	($1,719)	$13,352	$3,628	$2,757
Transfers from non-controlling interest
Decrease in JMP Group Inc. paid-in capital for purchase of CLO II interest									-844
Net transfers from non-controlling interest									-844
Change from net income attributable to JMP Group Inc and transfers from non-controlling interest									$12,508	$3,628	$2,757

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_2

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent		13.50%
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Period		3 years
Forward Contract Cost Basis	$5,000,000
Real Estate Funds [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments		200,000	100,000
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments		100,000	1,100,000
Investment Banking Fees [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable		5,000	0
Computer Software, Intangible Asset [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		3 years
CLO I [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Subordinated Notes Owned Percentage		94.00%
Number of Third Party Pricing Quotes		3	3
CLO II [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Subordinated Notes Owned Percentage		98.00%
Number of Third Party Pricing Quotes		3	4
CLO [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Subsidiary or Equity Method Investee, Cumulative Percentage Ownership after All Transactions		100.00%
CLO III [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Number of Third Party Pricing Quotes		3	3
HCC LCC [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments		-2,400,000	20,000
Investment Income, Dividend		900,000	500,000
Forward Purchase Contract [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments		-600,000
Payments for (Proceeds from) Investments	5,000,000
Interest Rate Swaption [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments		-100,000
Minimum [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		3 years
Maximum [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		5 years

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_3

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - Consolidation Requirement Amendments (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Investing Activities:
Purchases of other investments	($49,778)	($76,450)	($28,130)
Sales of other investments	52,626	13,580	10,192
Financing Activities:
Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders	25,316
Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]
Investing Activities:
Purchases of other investments	-15,322	-49,792	-23,993
Sales of other investments	2,118	1,061	4,611
Financing Activities:
Capital contributions from non-controlling interest holders	17,031	51,395	17,097
Distributions paid to non-controlling interest holders	($2,231)	($1,530)	($4,269)

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_4

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - Principal Transaction Revenues (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Principal Transaction Revenue [Line Items]
Principal Transaction Revenues	$13,848	$20,727	$10,537
Equity Securities [Member]
Principal Transaction Revenue [Line Items]
Principal Transaction Revenues	8,443	14,533	7,494
Warrants and Other [Member]
Principal Transaction Revenue [Line Items]
Principal Transaction Revenues	-26	2,200	393
Investment Partnerships [Member]
Principal Transaction Revenue [Line Items]
Principal Transaction Revenues	$5,431	$3,994	$2,650

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_5

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - Restricted Cash (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Proceeds from short sales	$15,048	$13,749
Deposit related to CLO III warehouse credit agreement		9,505
Restricted Cash	67,102	68,029
Principal and Interest Payments Held as Collateral [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Cash collateral	50,552	43,249
Cash Collateral Supporting Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Cash collateral	159	248
Deposit With Clearing Broker [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Deposits	220	150
Deposits for Operating Leases [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Deposits	$1,123	$1,128

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements2

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			4 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	18 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	2-May-13	Apr. 03, 2012	Feb. 11, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010	31-May-14	Dec. 31, 2014	Apr. 05, 2011
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Level 2 to Level 1 Transfers, Number		1
Fair Value, Assets, Level 2 to Level 1 Transfers, Amount		$200,000								$200,000
Fair Value, Assets, Level 1 to Level 2 Transfers, Number		2
Fair Value, Assets, Level 1 to Level 2 Transfers, Amount		4,300,000								4,300,000
Number of Investments Transferred			1
Deconsolidation, Exluded From Level 3 Assets, Warrants And Other Equity			3,100,000
Deconsolidation, Exluded From Level 3 Assets, Small Business Loans			37,200,000
Fair Value, Investments, Entities that Calculate Net Asset Value Per Share, Unfunded Commitments		100,000								100,000
Valuation Lockup Rate		5.00%	5.00%
Lockup Period		6 months	6 months
Number of Loans Held for Investment		2	2							2
Financing Receivable, Net		1,997,000	825,000							1,997,000
Principal Transactions Revenue, Net		13,848,000	20,727,000	10,537,000
Derivative, Amount of Hedged Item	5,000,000
Payments to Acquire Investments	5,000,000
Small Business Loans [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, Net of Tax					100,000
Loans Held for Investement [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure		1,700,000	700,000							1,700,000
More Than $100 Million, 30% Discount Applied [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Investee Revenue		100,000,000	100,000,000
Less Than $100 Million, Higher Discount Rate Applied [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Investee Revenue		100,000,000	100,000,000
HCC LCC [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, Net of Tax		-2,400,000	100,000
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount			-35,000
Investment Income, Dividend		900,000	500,000
Sanctuary [Member] | Cash Paid [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds from) Loans Receivable						500,000
Sanctuary [Member] | NonCash Consideration [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Redemption Amount						900,000
Sanctuary [Member] | Class D Preferred Units [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments							1,500,000
Sanctuary [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Available-for-sale Securities								1,500,000
Other Receivables		900,000	1,200,000			2,300,000				900,000
Payments for (Proceeds from) Loans Receivable						1,400,000
Principal Transactions Revenue, Net						900,000
Receivables, Fair Value Disclosure		1,000,000	1,400,000							1,000,000
Real Estate Private Equity [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount									2,500,000
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities, Debt		600,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Securities		600,000								600,000
Small Business Loans [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Securities Arising During Period, Net of Tax				400,000
Health Sciences Fund [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Loans and Leases Receivable, Commitments to Purchase or Sell										2,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		10.00%								10.00%
Financing Receivable, Net		2,000,000	800,000							2,000,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability		30.00%	30.00%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability		50.00%	50.00%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Net		1,734,000	693,000							1,734,000
Loans Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure		960,000	1,364,000							960,000
Forward Purchase Contract [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives		-600,000	1,400,000
Swaption [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives		-100,000
RiverBanc LLC [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments											300,000
Gain (Loss) on Investments		2,700,000	400,000
Proceeds from Equity Method Investment, Dividends or Distributions		1,400,000	400,000
Harvest Growth Capital II LLC [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Business Combination Consideration Transferred Level 3 Assets			7,100,000
Equity Securities in HGC and JMP Capital [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) [Line Items]
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset, Transfers out of Level 3			$3,700,000

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements3

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents, carrying value	$101,362,000	$65,906,000	$67,075,000	$70,363,000
Restricted cash and deposits, carrying value	67,102,000	68,029,000
Marketable securities owned, carrying value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Marketable securities owned, fair value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Other investments, carrying value	208,947,000	161,773,000
Other investments, fair value	208,947,000	161,773,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, carrying value	1,997,000	825,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, fair value	1,997,000	825,000
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses, carrying value	1,038,848,000	727,270,000
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses, fair value	1,031,900,000	737,300,000
Total assets, carrying value	1,516,192,000	1,121,931,000	709,863,000
Liabilities:
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, carrying value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, fair value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Line of credit		2,895,000
Bond payable, carrying value	94,300,000	46,000,000
Total liabilities, carrying value	1,227,263,000	884,691,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents, fair value	101,362,000	65,906,000
Restricted cash and deposits, fair value	67,102,000	68,029,000
Marketable securities owned, carrying value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Marketable securities owned, fair value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Other investments, carrying value	3,539,000	57,000
Other investments, fair value	3,539,000	57,000
Total assets, fair value	201,469,000	163,287,000
Liabilities:
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, carrying value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, fair value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Total liabilities, fair value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Other investments, carrying value	64,628,000	49,389,000
Other investments, fair value	64,628,000	49,389,000
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses, fair value	1,031,885,000	737,327,000
Total assets, fair value	1,096,513,000	786,716,000
Liabilities:
Asset-backed securities issued, fair value	992,625,000	710,961,000
Note payable		15,000,000
Line of credit		2,895,000
Bond payable, fair value	96,017,000	46,552,000
Total liabilities, fair value	1,088,642,000	775,408,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Other investments, carrying value	138,652,000	112,072,000
Other investments, fair value	138,652,000	112,072,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, carrying value	1,734,000	693,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, fair value	1,734,000	693,000
Long term receivable, fair value	960,000	1,364,000
Total assets, fair value	141,346,000	114,129,000
Reported Value Measurement [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents, carrying value	101,362,000	65,906,000
Restricted cash and deposits, carrying value	67,102,000	68,029,000
Marketable securities owned, carrying value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Marketable securities owned, fair value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Other investments, carrying value	208,947,000	161,773,000
Other investments, fair value	208,947,000	161,773,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, carrying value	1,997,000	825,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, fair value	1,997,000	825,000
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses, carrying value	1,038,848,000	727,270,000
Long term receivable, carrying value	860,000	1,152,000
Total assets, carrying value	1,448,582,000	1,054,250,000
Liabilities:
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, carrying value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, fair value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Asset-backed securities issued, carrying value	1,001,137,000	716,423,000
Note payable		15,000,000
Line of credit		2,895,000
Bond payable, carrying value	94,300,000	46,000,000
Total liabilities, carrying value	1,110,485,000	794,067,000
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents, fair value	101,362,000	65,906,000
Restricted cash and deposits, fair value	67,102,000	68,029,000
Marketable securities owned, carrying value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Marketable securities owned, fair value	29,466,000	29,295,000
Other investments, carrying value	206,819,000	161,518,000
Other investments, fair value	206,819,000	161,518,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, carrying value	1,734,000	693,000
Loans held for investment, net of allowance for loan losses, fair value	1,734,000	693,000
Loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued, net of allowance for loan losses, fair value	1,031,885,000	737,327,000
Long term receivable, fair value	960,000	1,364,000
Total assets, fair value	1,439,328,000	1,064,132,000
Liabilities:
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, carrying value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased, fair value	15,048,000	13,749,000
Asset-backed securities issued, fair value	992,625,000	710,961,000
Note payable		15,000,000
Line of credit		2,895,000
Bond payable, fair value	96,017,000	46,552,000
Total liabilities, fair value	$1,103,690,000	$789,157,000

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements4

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities on a Recurring Basis (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities on a Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Marketable securities owned	$29,466	$29,295
Other investments:
Other investments	206,819	161,518
Total assets	236,285	190,813
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased	15,048	13,749
Total liabilities	15,048	13,749
Investments in Hedge Funds Managed by HCS [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	64,628	44,647
Investments in Hedge Funds Managed by HCS [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	64,628	44,647
Investments in Funds of Funds Managed by HCS [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	152	139
Investments in Funds of Funds Managed by HCS [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	152	139
Total Investment in Funds Managed by HCS [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	64,628	44,647
Total Investment in Funds Managed by HCS [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	152	139
Total Investment in Funds Managed by HCS [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	64,780	44,786
Limited Partner Investment In Private Equity Fund [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	9,102
Limited Partner Investment In Private Equity Fund [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	9,102
Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	732	1,121
Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	732	1,121
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	3,539	57
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments		4,742
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	122,058	97,981
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	125,597	102,780
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	6,608
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	6,608
Investments in Private Equity/Real Estate Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments		5,967
Investments in Private Equity/Real Estate Funds [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments		5,967
Forward Purchase Contract [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments		6,864
Forward Purchase Contract [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments		6,864
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities on a Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Marketable securities owned	29,466	29,295
Other investments:
Other investments	3,539	57
Total assets	33,005	29,352
Marketable securities sold, but not yet purchased	15,048	13,749
Total liabilities	15,048	13,749
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	64,628	49,389
Total assets	64,628	49,389
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Other investments:
Other investments	138,652	112,072
Total assets	$138,652	$112,072

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements5

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Assets at Fair Value Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance	$112,072		$87,390
Level 3 assets, purchases	19,983		55,544
Level 3 assets, sales	-3,043		-249
Level 3 assets, settlements	-494		-658
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings	10,355	[1]	21,187	[1]
Level 3 assets, transfers in/(out) of level 3	-221		-51,142
Level 3 assets, balance	138,652		112,072
Level 3 assets, unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date	10,889		20,644
Investments in Funds of Funds Managed by HCS [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance	139		109
Level 3 assets, purchases	55
Level 3 assets, sales	-58
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings	16	[1]	30	[1]
Level 3 assets, balance	152		139
Level 3 assets, unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date	16		30
Limited Partner Investment In Private Equity Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance	5,967		2,332
Level 3 assets, purchases	4,048		3,009
Level 3 assets, sales	-781
Level 3 assets, settlements	-494		-658
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings	362	[1]	1,284	[1]
Level 3 assets, balance	9,102		5,967
Level 3 assets, unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date	362		1,284
Warrants and Other Held at JMPS [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance	1,121		413
Level 3 assets, purchases			42
Level 3 assets, sales			-206
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings	-389	[1]	872	[1]
Level 3 assets, balance	732		1,121
Level 3 assets, unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date	-389		784
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance	97,981		41,075
Level 3 assets, purchases	15,420		50,622
Level 3 assets, sales	-2,204
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings	11,082	[1]	17,119	[1]
Level 3 assets, transfers in/(out) of level 3	-221		-10,835
Level 3 assets, balance	122,058		97,981
Level 3 assets, unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date	11,616		17,119
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance	6,864
Level 3 assets, purchases	460
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings	-716	[1]
Level 3 assets, balance	6,608
Level 3 assets, unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date	-716
Warrants And Other Held At HCC [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance			2,577
Level 3 assets, purchases			100
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings			425	[1]
Level 3 assets, transfers in/(out) of level 3			-3,102
Small Business Loans [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance			35,447
Level 3 assets, purchases			1,771
Level 3 assets, sales			-43
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings			30	[1]
Level 3 assets, transfers in/(out) of level 3			-37,205
Forward Purchase Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Level 3 assets, balance			5,437
Level 3 assets, total gains (losses) - realized and unrealized included in earnings			1,427	[1]
Level 3 assets, balance			6,864
Level 3 assets, unrealized gains/(losses) included in earnings related to assets still held at reporting date			$1,427
[1]	No Level 3 asset gains (losses) are included in other comprehensive income. All realized and unrealized gains (losses) related to Level 3 assets are included in earnings.

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements6

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Valuation Techniques With Unobservable Inputs (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	$138,652		$112,072		$87,390
Control Premium	25.00%		25.00%
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	138,652		112,072		87,390
Investments in Funds of Funds Managed by HCS [Member] | Net Asset Value [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	152	[1]	139	[1]
Expected Volatility		[1]		[1]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	152	[1]	139	[1]
Limited Partner Investment In Private Equity Fund [Member] | Net Asset Value [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	9,102	[1]	5,967	[1]
Expected Volatility		[1]		[1]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	9,102	[1]	5,967	[1]
Limited Partner Investment In Private Equity Fund [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	9,102		5,967		2,332
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	9,102		5,967		2,332
Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC [Member] | Black-Scholes Option Model [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Expected Volatility	0.00%		0.00%
Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC [Member] | Black-Scholes Option Model [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Expected Volatility	17.90%		25.40%
Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC [Member] | Black-Scholes Option Model [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Expected Volatility	17.90%		13.40%
Warrants and other held at JMPS and JMPG LLC [Member] | Black-Scholes Option Model [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	732		1,121
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	732		1,121
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	2.6	[2]	2.4	[2]
EBITDA Multiples	13.6		14.9
Discount for Lack of Marketability	30.00%	[3]	30.00%	[3]
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	15.8	[2]	14.5	[2]
EBITDA Multiples	17.5		31.9
Discount for Lack of Marketability	40.00%	[3]	40.00%	[3]
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	6.2	[2]	6.3	[2]
EBITDA Multiples	14.9		22.1
Discount for Lack of Marketability	31.00%	[3]	32.00%	[3]
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	122,058	[2]	97,981	[2]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	122,058	[2]	97,981	[2]
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Market Transactions [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	4.2		3.4
EBITDA Multiples	14.2		11.8
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Market Transactions [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	8.8		7.6
EBITDA Multiples	20.8		26.6
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member] | Market Transactions [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	6.3		5.7
EBITDA Multiples	19.3		17.7
Equity Securities in HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	122,058		97,981		41,075
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	122,058		97,981		41,075
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	7.6	[2]
Billing Multiples	6.4
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	13.9	[2]
Billing Multiples	8.4
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	9.6	[2]
Billing Multiples	7.3
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	6,608	[2]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	6,608	[2]
Discount for Lack of Marketability	30.00%	[3]
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Market Transactions [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	6.7
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Market Transactions [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	8.5
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member] | Market Transactions [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples	7.2
Forward Purchase Contract And Swaption [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	6,608		6,864
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)	6,608		6,864
Forward Purchase Contract [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples			10.6	[2]
Billing Multiples			8.7
Forward Purchase Contract [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples			14.5	[2]
Billing Multiples			11.6
Forward Purchase Contract [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples			12.3	[2]
Billing Multiples			10
Forward Purchase Contract [Member] | Market Comparable Companies [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)			6,864	[2]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)			6,864	[2]
Discount for Lack of Marketability			30.00%	[3]
Forward Purchase Contract [Member] | Market Transactions [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Revenue Multiples			7
Forward Purchase Contract [Member]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)			6,864		5,437
Recurring Basis Asset Value (in Dollars)			$6,864		$5,437
[1]	The Company uses the reported net asset value per share as a practical expedient to estimate the fair value of the investments in funds of funds managed by HCS andlimited partner investment in private equity funds.
[2]	The fair value of each HGC, HGC II and JMP Capital investment is calculated using a weighted allocation between the fair values assessed by the public comparablesand M&A comparable valuation techniques.
[3]	The Company applies a discount for lack of marketability ("DLOM") to its investments, ranging from 30% to 50%. The discount is determined by the level of revenue of the investee and proximity to filing. The minimum discount applied is 30% for investees that either generate revenue exceeding $100 million, or have filed a registration statement. Higher discounts are applied to investees with less than $100 million of revenue or that are not on file, reflecting the longer anticipated term to a liquidity event. When HGC and HGC II investments become public, the Company is typically subject to a lock up period. In valuing these public companies, the Company has incorporated 5% per month of lockup into its valuations. As the typical lockup period is six months, the DLOM methodology has a floor threshold of 30% to mirror the discount rates applied once the investment goes public.

Note_4_Fair_Value_Measurements7

Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Assets Carried at Fair Value on Non-Recurring Basis (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets:
Nonaccrual loans	$0	($1,292)
Loans held for sale	0	-1,292
Total assets:	0	0
Total assets:	0	-1,292
Non-Accrual [Member]
Assets:
Nonaccrual loans	0	0
Nonaccrual loans	0	-870
Loans held for sale	0	-870
Total assets:	0	-870
Loans Held for Sale [Member]
Assets:
Nonaccrual loans	0	-422
Loans held for sale	0	0
Loans held for sale	0	-422
Total assets:	$0	($422)

Note_5_Loans_Collateralizing_A2

Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance	$0	$0
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Nonaccrual Status	0	0
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment		2,700,000
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Number of Contracts	0	0
Loans Collateralizing Asset backed Securities Issued Net Of Allowance For Loan Losses Fair Value Disclosure	1,031,900,000	737,300,000
Loans Collateralizing Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Collectively Evaluated for Impairment	$1,043,200,000	$731,100,000

Note_5_Loans_Collateralizing_A3

Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Components of Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Outstanding principals	$1,050,392	$735,891
Allowance for loan losses	-4,307	-3,871	-3,127	-4,199
Total loans, net	1,038,848	727,270
Liquidity Discount [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Discounts	-1,049	-1,168
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Discounts	-6,188	-3,582
Total loans, net	$1,038,848	$727,270

Note_5_Loans_Collateralizing_A4

Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	($3,871)	($3,127)	($4,199)
Provision for loan losses	-436	-2,637	-2,206
Balance at end of period	-4,307	-3,871	-3,127
Principal [Member] | Purchases/Funding [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Purchases	678,255	591,365
Principal [Member] | Repayments [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Repayments	-60,755	-49,324
Principal [Member] | Accretion of Discount [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Accretion of discount		-11
Principal [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff	-302,999	-211,492
Principal [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff		-3,506
Principal [Member] | Transfers To (From) Impaired Loans [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Transfers to/from impaired loans, net		-5,141
Principal [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period	1,050,392	735,891	410,483
Principal [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period			3,517
Allowance For Loan Losses [Member] | Provision for Loan Losses [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Provision for loan losses	-436	-1,766
Allowance For Loan Losses [Member] | Provision for Loan Losses [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Provision for loan losses		-870
Allowance For Loan Losses [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff		1,892
Allowance For Loan Losses [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period	-4,307	-3,871	-2,105
Allowance For Loan Losses [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period			-1,022
Liquidity Discount [Member] | Accretion of Discount [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Accretion of discount	119	692
Liquidity Discount [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff		85
Liquidity Discount [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff		720
Liquidity Discount [Member] | Transfers To (From) Impaired Loans [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Transfers to/from impaired loans, net		387
Liquidity Discount [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period	-1,049	-1,168	-2,332
Liquidity Discount [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period			-720
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member] | Purchases/Funding [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Purchases	-4,669	-433
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member] | Accretion of Discount [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Accretion of discount	1,202	1,793
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member] | Accretion of Discount [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Accretion of discount		2
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff	861	1,860
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff		14
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period	-6,188	-3,582	-6,802
Deferred Loan Fees, Net [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period			-16
Carrying Value [Member] | Purchases/Funding [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Purchases	673,586	590,932
Carrying Value [Member] | Repayments [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Repayments	-60,755	-49,324
Carrying Value [Member] | Accretion of Discount [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Accretion of discount	1,321	2,485
Carrying Value [Member] | Accretion of Discount [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Accretion of discount		-9
Carrying Value [Member] | Provision for Loan Losses [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Provision for loan losses	-436	-1,766
Carrying Value [Member] | Provision for Loan Losses [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Provision for loan losses		-870
Carrying Value [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff	-302,999	-209,547
Carrying Value [Member] | Sales and Payoff [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Sales and payoff		-880
Carrying Value [Member] | Transfers To (From) Impaired Loans [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Transfers to/from impaired loans, net		-4,754
Carrying Value [Member] | Non-Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period	1,038,848	727,270	399,244
Carrying Value [Member] | Impaired Loans [Member]
Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Loan Activity [Line Items]
Balance at end of period			$1,759

Note_5_Loans_Collateralizing_A5

Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Allowance for Loan Losses (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	($3,871)	($3,127)	($4,199)
Provision for loan losses:
Provision for loan losses	-436	-2,637	-2,206
Reversal due to sale, payoff or restructure of loans		1,892	3,277
Balance at end of period	-4,307	-3,871	-3,127
Specific Reserve [Member]
Provision for loan losses:
Provision for loan losses		-870	-2,022
General Reserve [Member]
Provision for loan losses:
Provision for loan losses	($436)	($1,766)	($183)

Note_5_Loans_Collateralizing_A6

Note 5 - Loans Collateralizing Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Credit Quality of Loans (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	$1,050,392		$735,891
Senior Secured Bonds/Notes - Cash Flow [Member] | Two [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment		[1]
Senior Secured Bonds/Notes - Cash Flow [Member] | Three [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment		[1]
Senior Secured Bonds/Notes - Cash Flow [Member] | Internal Ratings [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment		[1]
Cash Flow [Member] | Two [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	979,693	[1]	3,114	[1]
Cash Flow [Member] | Three [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	63,462	[1]		[1]
Cash Flow [Member] | Internal Ratings [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	1,043,155	[1]	3,114	[1]
Cash Flow [Member] | Performing Financing Receivable [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	1,043,155		3,114
Cash Flow [Member] | Net [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	1,043,155		3,114
Cash Flow [Member] | Baa1-Baa3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	12,843
Cash Flow [Member] | Ba1-Ba3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	270,899
Cash Flow [Member] | B1-B3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	739,997		3,114
Cash Flow [Member] | Caa1 - Caa3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	19,168
Cash Flow [Member] | Moody's, Ca Rating [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	248
Cash Flow [Member] | Moody's Credit Rating [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment	1,043,155		3,114
Two [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			700,168
Three [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			27,859
Internal Ratings [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			728,027	[1]
Performing Financing Receivable [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			728,027
Net [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			728,027
Baa1-Baa3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			16,057
Ba1-Ba3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			215,281
B1-B3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			482,579
Caa1 - Caa3 [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			13,729
Moody's, Ca Rating [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			381
Moody's Credit Rating [Member]
Moody's rating:
Recorded investment			$728,027
[1]	Loans with an internal rating of 4 or below are reviewed individually to identify loans to be designated for non-accrual status.

Note_6_Fixed_Assets_Details

Note 6 - Fixed Assets (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation	$0.90	$0.90	$0.90

Note_6_Fixed_Assets_Details_Su

Note 6 - Fixed Assets (Details) - Summary of Fixed Assets (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Summary of Fixed Assets [Abstract]
Furniture and fixtures	$2,185	$2,082
Computer and office equipment	5,304	4,935
Leasehold improvements	4,880	4,345
Software	644	580
Less: accumulated depreciation	-10,780	-9,850
Total fixed assets, net	$2,233	$2,092

Note_7_Debt_Details

Note 7 - Debt (Details) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

4 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2016

Apr. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 11, 2013

Apr. 29, 2014

Nov. 22, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Apr. 25, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Jan. 31, 2014

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Senior Notes

$94,300,000

$46,000,000

94,300,000

Long-term Line of Credit

2,895,000

Proceeds from Issuance of Debt

5,000,000

15,000,000

Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Term Loan [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment

1,300,000

Increased Maximum Level of Borrowing [Member] | Subordinated LOC [Member] | CNB [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Period

1 year

Senior Notes [Member] | Other Assets [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Debt Issuance Cost

1,700,000

1,700,000

Senior Notes [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense

2,900,000

1,600,000

2,900,000

Term Loan [Member] | CNB [Member] | JMP Group LLC [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Debt Instrument, Term

3 years

Term Loan [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Long-term Line of Credit

15,000,000

Line Of Credit Facility, Amount Drawn

15,000,000

Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment

1,200,000

2013 Senior Notes [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Senior Notes

46,000,000

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

8.00%

2014 Senior Notes [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Senior Notes

48,300,000

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

7.25%

CLOIII Warehouse Credit Facility [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | BNP Paribas [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate

1.40%

CLOIII Warehouse Credit Facility [Member] | Administrator Agent Fee [Member] | BNP Paribas [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Debt Issuance Cost

25,000

CLOIII Warehouse Credit Facility [Member] | BNP Paribas [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

100,000,000

Interest Expense, Debt

900,000

Long-term Line of Credit

0

CLOIII Warehouse Credit Facility [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

220,000,000

Aggregate of All Facilities [Member] | Maximum [Member] | CNB [Member] | JMP Group LLC [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

58,500,000

Aggregate of All Facilities [Member] | CNB [Member] | JMP Group LLC [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

30,000,000

Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage

0.25%

Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | CNB [Member] | JMP Group LLC [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

25,000,000

Long-term Line of Credit

0

0

0

Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Period

2 years

Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | CNB [Member] | JMP Securities [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

20,000,000

Long-term Line of Credit

0

0

0

Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage

0.25%

Letter of Credit [Member] | CNB [Member] | JMP Group LLC [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

5,000,000

5,000,000

Prime Rate [Member] | CNB [Member] | Harvest Growth Capital II LLC [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate

0.50%

CNB [Member] | Harvest Growth Capital II LLC [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

3,000,000

Long-term Line of Credit

0

2,900,000

0

CLO III [Member]

Note 7 - Debt (Details) [Line Items]

Proceeds from Issuance of Debt

$370,500,000

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_2

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Apr. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 11, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 03, 2013	17-May-07
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent	13.50%
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt	$5,000,000	$15,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Secured Debt	329,339,000	311,562,000
Interest Payable	5,568,000	2,767,000
Asset-backed Securities [Member] | Cash Coupon [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Interest Expense, Other	13,800,000	9,200,000
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Interest Expense, Other	15,400,000	25,600,000
Amortization of Debt Discount (Premium)	1,500,000	16,400,000
Interest Payable	4,000,000	1,900,000
Asset-backed Securities Issued Fair Value Disclosure	992,600,000	711,000,000
Closed [Member] | Warehouse Credit Agreement [Member] | CLO III [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					100,000,000
Unsecured Debt [Member] | CLO I [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent	94.00%
Unsecured Debt [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent		72.80%				98.00%	72.80%
Debt Instrument, Repurchase Amount						6,000,000
Unsecured Debt [Member] | CLO III [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent				13.50%
Secured Debt [Member] | CLO I [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Ownership Of Notes Class CDE	13,800,000
Ownership Of Notes Class C	2,000,000
Ownership Of Notes Class D	4,100,000
Ownership Of Notes Class E	7,700,000
CLO I [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount								500,000,000
Long-term Debt								455,000,000
Repayments of Debt	44,100,000	26,700,000
CLO II [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt			343,800,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Secured Debt			320,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt			23,800,000
CLO III [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent				13.50%
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt				370,500,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Secured Debt				332,100,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt				$38,400,000

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_3

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Asset-backed Securities Issued - CLO I (CLO I [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	17-May-07
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued			$500,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance			455,000,000
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class A Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	0.26%	0.26%
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class A Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	0.29%	0.29%
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class A Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	326,000,000	326,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	244,900,000	289,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	244,900,000	289,000,000
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class B Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	0.50%	0.50%
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class B Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	30,000,000	30,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	30,000,000	30,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	30,000,000	30,000,000
Standard & Poor's, AA+ Rating [Member] | Class C Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	1.10%	1.10%
Standard & Poor's, AA+ Rating [Member] | Class C Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	35,000,000	35,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	35,000,000	35,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	35,000,000	35,000,000
Standard & Poor's, A- Rating [Member] | Class D Secured [Member] | Moody's, A1 Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	2.40%	2.40%
Standard & Poor's, A- Rating [Member] | Class D Secured [Member] | Moody's, A1 Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	34,000,000	34,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	34,000,000	34,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	34,000,000	34,000,000
Standard & Poor's, BB Rating [Member] | Class E Secured [Member] | Moody's, Ba1 Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	5.00%	5.00%
Standard & Poor's, BB Rating [Member] | Class E Secured [Member] | Moody's, Ba1 Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	30,000,000	30,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	30,000,000	30,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	30,000,000	30,000,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance	-58,800,000	-58,700,000
Net Outstanding Balance	-58,800,000	-58,700,000
Total Secured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	455,000,000	455,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	373,900,000	418,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	373,900,000	418,000,000
Unsecured Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	45,000,000	45,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	45,000,000	45,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	45,000,000	45,000,000
Total Notes for CLO I Offering [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	500,000,000	500,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	418,900,000	463,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	418,900,000	463,000,000
Total Asset-Backed Securities Issued [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance	360,100,000	404,300,000
Net Outstanding Balance	360,100,000	404,300,000

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_4

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO I (CLO I [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	17-May-07
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO I [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period			$455,000
Balance at end of period			455,000
Principal [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO I [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	404,280	431,003
Repayments	-44,141	-26,723
Balance at end of period	360,139	404,280
Liquidity Discount [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO I [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period		-15,548
Amortization of discount		15,548
Net [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO I [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	404,280	415,455
Repayments	-44,141	-26,723
Amortization of discount		15,548
Balance at end of period	$360,139	$404,280

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_5

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Asset-Backed Securities Issued - CLO II (USD $)	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Apr. 03, 2013
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class X Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	1.00%	1.00%
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class X Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	3,800,000	3,800,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	2,300,000	3,800,000
Net Outstanding Balance	2,300,000	3,800,000
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class A Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	1.18%	1.18%
Standard & Poor's, AAA Rating [Member] | Class A Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	217,600,000	217,600,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	217,600,000	217,600,000
Issuance Discount	-700,000	-800,000
Net Outstanding Balance	216,900,000	216,800,000
Standard & Poor's, AA Rating [Member] | Class B Senior Secured [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	1.75%	1.75%
Standard & Poor's, AA Rating [Member] | Class B Senior Secured [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	34,000,000	34,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	34,000,000	34,000,000
Issuance Discount	-200,000	-300,000
Net Outstanding Balance	33,800,000	33,700,000
Standard & Poor's, A Rating [Member] | Class C Senior Secured [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	2.75%	2.75%
Standard & Poor's, A Rating [Member] | Class C Senior Secured [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	17,000,000	17,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	17,000,000	17,000,000
Issuance Discount	-500,000	-600,000
Net Outstanding Balance	16,500,000	16,400,000
Standard & Poor's, BBB Rating [Member] | Class D Secured [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	3.85%	3.85%
Standard & Poor's, BBB Rating [Member] | Class D Secured [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	18,700,000	18,700,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	18,700,000	18,700,000
Issuance Discount	-1,400,000	-1,600,000
Net Outstanding Balance	17,300,000	17,100,000
Standard & Poor's, BB Rating [Member] | Class E Secured [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	5.25%	5.25%
Standard & Poor's, BB Rating [Member] | Class E Secured [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	18,700,000	18,700,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	18,700,000	18,700,000
Issuance Discount	-2,300,000	-2,500,000
Net Outstanding Balance	16,400,000	16,200,000
Standard & Poor's, B Rating [Member] | Class F Secured [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	5.75%	5.75%
Standard & Poor's, B Rating [Member] | Class F Secured [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	10,200,000	10,200,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	10,200,000	10,200,000
Issuance Discount	-1,900,000	-2,100,000
Net Outstanding Balance	8,300,000	8,100,000
Standard & Poor's, B Rating [Member] | Total Secured Notes [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	320,000,000	320,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	318,500,000	320,000,000
Issuance Discount	-7,000,000	-7,900,000
Net Outstanding Balance	311,500,000	312,100,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Asset Backed Securities Issued [Member] | CLO II [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance	318,500,000
Issuance Discount	-7,000,000
Net Outstanding Balance	311,500,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Asset Backed Securities Issued [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance		320,000,000
Issuance Discount		-7,900,000
Net Outstanding Balance		312,100,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance		-23,800,000
Issuance Discount		300,000
Net Outstanding Balance		-23,500,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance	-23,800,000
Issuance Discount	300,000
Net Outstanding Balance	-23,500,000
Unsecured Subordinated Notes [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	23,800,000	23,800,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	23,800,000	23,800,000
Issuance Discount	-300,000	-300,000
Net Outstanding Balance	23,500,000	23,500,000
Total Notes for CLO II Offering [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	343,800,000	343,800,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	342,300,000	343,800,000
Issuance Discount	-7,300,000	-8,200,000
Net Outstanding Balance	335,000,000	335,600,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | CLO II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR			1.86%

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_6

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO II (CLO II [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Principal [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO II [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	$320,000
CLO II issuance		320,000
Repayments	-1,520
Balance at end of period	318,480	320,000
Liquidity Discount [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO II [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	-7,857
CLO II issuance		-8,437
Amortization of discount	918	580
Balance at end of period	-6,939	-7,857
Net [Member]
Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO II [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	312,143
CLO II issuance		311,563
Repayments	-1,520
Amortization of discount	918	580
Balance at end of period	$311,541	$312,143

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_7

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Asset-Backed Securities Issued - CLO III (CLO III [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fitch, AAA Rating [Member] | Class A Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	1.53%
Fitch, AAA Rating [Member] | Class A Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aaa Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	228,000,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	228,000,000
Issuance Discount	-800,000
Net Outstanding Balance	227,200,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Total Asset-Backed Securities Issued [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance	332,100,000
Issuance Discount	-2,700,000
Net Outstanding Balance	329,400,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued
Outstanding Principal Balance	-38,400,000
Issuance Discount	4,500,000
Net Outstanding Balance	-33,900,000
Class B Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aa2 Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	2.05%
Class B Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, Aa2 Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	41,700,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	41,700,000
Issuance Discount	-1,100,000
Net Outstanding Balance	40,600,000
Class C Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, A2 Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	2.90%
Class C Senior Secured [Member] | Moody's, A2 Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	22,500,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	22,500,000
Issuance Discount	-800,000
Net Outstanding Balance	21,700,000
Class D Secured [Member] | Moody's, Baa3 Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	5.10%
Class D Secured [Member] | Moody's, Baa3 Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	21,600,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	21,600,000
Net Outstanding Balance	21,600,000
Class E Secured [Member] | Moody's, Ba3 Rating [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Spread to LIBOR	7.35%
Class E Secured [Member] | Moody's, Ba3 Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	18,300,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	18,300,000
Net Outstanding Balance	18,300,000
Total Secured Notes [Member] | Moody's, Ba3 Rating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	332,100,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	332,100,000
Issuance Discount	-2,700,000
Net Outstanding Balance	329,400,000
Unsecured Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	38,400,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	38,400,000
Issuance Discount	-4,500,000
Net Outstanding Balance	33,900,000
Total Notes for the CLO III Offering [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Originally Issued	370,500,000
Outstanding Principal Balance	370,500,000
Issuance Discount	-7,200,000
Net Outstanding Balance	363,300,000

Note_8_Assetbacked_Securities_8

Note 8 - Asset-backed Securities Issued (Details) - Fair Value of Debt, CLO III (CLO III [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014
Principal [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
CLO III issuance	$332,100
Balance at end of period	332,100
Liquidity Discount [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
CLO III issuance	-2,761
Amortization of discount	118
Balance at end of period	-2,643
Net [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
CLO III issuance	329,339
Amortization of discount	118
Balance at end of period	$329,457

Note_9_Stockholders_Equity_Det

Note 9 - Stockholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Nov. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014	31-May-14	Apr. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 30, 2014	Oct. 06, 2014	Mar. 05, 2013
Note 9 - Stockholders' Equity (Details) [Line Items]
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared		$0.07		$0.06		$0.05	$0.05	$0.23	$0.14	$0.14
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Cash Paid	$0.07		$0.06		$0.05	$0.05
Stock Repurchase Program, Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased													1,300,000
Stock Repurchase Program Number of Additional Shares Authorized to be Repurchased											1,000,000	700,000
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired								1,777,276	890,376
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share								$6.58	$6.50
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Cost Method								$11,702	$5,783	$5,649
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased								584,028
Repurchased in Connection with Employee Stock Plans [Member]
Note 9 - Stockholders' Equity (Details) [Line Items]
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired								445,601	40,835
JMPCA Employees [Member]
Note 9 - Stockholders' Equity (Details) [Line Items]
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired									356,728
Repurchased from an Employee [Member]
Note 9 - Stockholders' Equity (Details) [Line Items]
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired									135,680

Note_10_StockBased_Compensatio2

Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014	Feb. 28, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Feb. 11, 2013
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period (in Shares)			0	0	0
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense			$0	$0	$0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross (in Shares)	1,600,000	1,500,000	1,525,000	1,600,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period	3 years
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in Dollars per share)	$6.05	$6.79	$6.05	$6.05
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in Dollars per share)	$6.24	$7.33	$10	$10
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period	5 years 328 days	5 years 292 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term	5 years 328 days	5 years 292 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate	1.08%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate	2.20%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate	50.00%
Share-based Compensation			9,431,000	5,371,000	2,492,000
New Employees [Member] | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)						55,000
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense			1,900,000	900,000	0
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Not yet Recognized, Stock Options			3,200,000	2,300,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Vested [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense			3,400,000	300,000	3,700,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Director [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period		2 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period		2 years		2 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Director [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period		3 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period		3 years		3 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Director [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)		48,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense			7,500,000	4,400,000	2,500,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense			3,700,000	2,100,000	900,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period							3 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate							0.35%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)			931,456	1,115,505	952,597		910,000
Sharebased Compensation Arrangement by Sharebased Payment AwardFair Value Assumptions Expected Dividend Rate Per Share (in Dollars per share)							$0.04
Share-based Compensation								1,800,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period							2 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value			8,900,000	800,000	10,200,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized			4,800,000	6,500,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition			1 year 124 days	1 year 186 days
RSUs for Long-Term Incentive Purposes [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)		334,000							560,000
RSUs for Deferred Compensation [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)		428,000		110,000
RSUs for Hiring Bonuses [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)		67,000		446,000
Post-IPO RSUs [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense					$1,800,000
Minimum [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate		1.92%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate		2.41%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate		41.41%
Maximum [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate		2.02%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate		2.64%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate		43.15%
Plan 2007 [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized (in Shares)			4,000,000
Plan 2004 [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized (in Shares)			2,960,000

Note_10_StockBased_Compensatio3

Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) - Stock Option Activity (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Stock Option Activity [Abstract]
Balance, beginning of year		2,370,290	2,370,290	1,608,890	1,704,665
Balance, beginning of year		$7.54	$7.54	$11.12	$11.20
Balance, end of period			3,591,690	2,370,290	1,608,890
Balance, end of period			$7.23	$7.54	$11.12
Options exercisable at end of period			716,690	820,290	1,608,890
Options exercisable at end of period			$10	$10	$11.12
Granted	1,600,000	1,500,000	1,525,000	1,600,000
Granted			$6.84	$6.23
Forfeited			-200,000	-50,000
Forfeited			$6.45	$6.24
Expired			-103,600	-788,600	-95,775
Expired			$10	$12.29	$12.43

Note_10_StockBased_Compensatio4

Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) - Stock Options Outstanding and Exercisable (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Stock Options Outstanding and Exercisable [Abstract]
Lower range of exercise prces	$6.05	$6.79	$6.05	$6.05
Upper range of exercise prces	$6.24	$7.33	$10	$10
Options outstanding (in Shares)			3,591,690	2,370,290	1,608,890	1,704,665
Options outstanding, weighted average remaining contractual life in years			3 years 292 days	6 years 222 days
Options outstanding, weighted average exercise price			$7.23	$7.54	$11.12	$11.20
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value (in Dollars)			$3,112,100	$1,812,250
Options vested and exercisable (in Shares)			716,690	820,290
Options vested and exercisable, weighted average remaining contractual life in years			354 days	1 year 313 days
Options vested and exercisable, weighted average exercise price			$10	$10	$11.12

Note_10_StockBased_Compensatio5

Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) - Restricted Stock Units Activity (Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member], USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation (Details) - Restricted Stock Units Activity [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of year		1,881,149	1,020,382	1,634,268
Balance, beginning of year		$6.70	$7.27	$7.42
Granted	910,000	931,456	1,115,505	952,597
Granted		$6.93	$6.22	$7.29
Vested		-1,178,337	-118,173	-1,456,540
Vested		$7.16	$6.73	$7
Forfeited		-140,417	-136,565	-109,943
Forfeited		$6.51	$7.01	$6.89
Balance, end of period		1,493,851	1,881,149	1,020,382
Balance, end of period		$6.50	$6.70	$7.27

Note_11_Net_Income_Per_Share_o2

Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock (Details) [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Change on Basic Earnings Per Share (in Dollars per share)	$0.03	$0.01	$0
Equity Option [Member]
Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock (Details) [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	2,217,434	2,794,534	1,642,841
Performance Shares [Member]
Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock (Details) [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	1,333,658	1,412,192	0
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock (Details) [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	45,420	75,255	0

Note_11_Net_Income_Per_Share_o3

Note 11 - Net Income Per Share of Common Stock (Details) - Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Numerator:
Net income attributable to JMP Group, Inc (in Dollars)	$4,664	$1,495	$3,195	$3,998	$3,493	$3,289	($1,435)	($1,719)	$13,352	$3,628	$2,757
Denominator:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding									21,481	22,158	22,582
Effect of potential dilutive securities:
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding									23,542	23,317	22,906
Net income per share
Basic (in Dollars per share)	$0.21	$0.07	$0.14	$0.17	$0.16	$0.14	($0.06)	($0.08)	$0.59	$0.16	$0.12
Diluted (in Dollars per share)	$0.20	$0.06	$0.13	$0.17	$0.16	$0.14	($0.06)	($0.08)	$0.57	$0.16	$0.12
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Effect of potential dilutive securities:
Restricted stock units and stock options									2,061	1,159	324

Note_12_Employee_Benefits_Deta

Note 12 - Employee Benefits (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Discretionary Contribution Amount	$0	$0	$0

Note_13_Income_Taxes_Details

Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Post-Apportioned	$8,300,000
Deferred Tax Liability, Recapture Period	4 years
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance	250,000
Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,631,000	9,973,000	5,196,000
Earliest Tax Year [Member] | State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | CALIFORNIA
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Open Tax Year	2010
Earliest Tax Year [Member] | Domestic Tax Authority [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Open Tax Year	2011
Latest Tax Year [Member] | State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | CALIFORNIA
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Open Tax Year	2013
Latest Tax Year [Member] | Domestic Tax Authority [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Open Tax Year	2013
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | New York State Division of Taxation and Finance [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	59,000,000
Other Tax Expense (Benefit)	-600,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | New York City Taxation [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	59,000,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | CALIFORNIA
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	16,000,000
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount	300,000
Harvest Growth Capital II LLC [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	($7,000,000)	($11,000,000)

Note_13_Income_Taxes_Details_C

Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Components of Income Tax Expense (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Components of Income Tax Expense [Abstract]
Federal									($8,914)	$8,789	$2,714
State									-528	715	-791
Total current income tax expense									-9,442	9,504	1,923
Federal									16,991	-5,154	-814
State									466	-400	472
Total deferred income tax expense (benefit)									17,457	-5,554	-342
Total income tax expense (benefit)	$2,409	$1,460	$2,450	$1,696	$3,772	$1,634	($644)	($812)	$8,015	$3,950	$1,581

Note_13_Income_Taxes_Details_D

Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Deferred tax assets:
Accrued compensation and related expenses		$4,391
Equity based compensation	3,150	2,860
Reserves and allowances	1,820	2,043
Deferred compensation	3,661	1,992
Other	924	1,734
Total deferred tax assets	10,962	13,515
Deferred tax liabilities:
Investment in partnerships	-6,740	-517
Repurchase of asset-backed securities issued	-1,317	-1,647
Depreciation and amortization		-141
Net unrealized capital gains/losses	-1,585	-1,249
Accrued compensation and related expenses	-9,519
Interest in HCC LLC (1)		-71
Total deferred tax liabilities	-19,161	-3,625
Net deferred tax asset before valuation allowance	-8,199	9,890
Valuation allowance	-392	-1,009
Net deferred tax (liabilities)/ assets	-8,591	8,881
NEW YORK
Deferred tax assets:
State net operating loss	1,024	495
Other States [Member]
Deferred tax assets:
State net operating loss	$383

Note_13_Income_Taxes_Details_S

Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Statutory Income Tax Rate Reconciliation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Statutory Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
Tax at federal statutory tax rate	35.00%		35.00%		34.00%
State income tax, net of federal tax benefit	2.04%		3.82%		6.67%
Adjustment for prior year taxes	0.52%		-0.55%		-1.15%
California state enterprise zone tax credit	-0.28%		-0.97%		-2.20%
Adjustment for capitalized costs	0.00%		2.54%		0.00%
Effective tax rate	26.72%		22.50%		16.58%
Change in New York Valuation [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Statutory Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
Other Adjustment	-1.96%		-1.06%		-3.70%
Permanent Items, HGC and HGC II [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Statutory Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
Other Adjustment	-9.64%	[1]	-19.84%	[1]	-17.55%	[1]
Permanent Items, Other [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Statutory Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
Other Adjustment	1.04%		-0.55%		0.20%
Deferred Tax Asset Write Off [Member]
Note 13 - Income Taxes (Details) - Statutory Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]
Deferred tax asset written off related to options and RSUs	0.00%		4.11%		0.31%
[1]	HCC LLC (through May 2, 2013), CLO II (effective April 30, 2013), HCAP Advisors (effective May 1, 2013), CLO III (effective September 30, 2014), HGC, and HGC IIare consolidated for financial reporting purposes but not for tax purposes.

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin2

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	$3,300,000	$3,200,000
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Sublease Revenue	400,000	200,000
Open Underwriting Commitments	0	0
Receivables from Clearing Organizations	220,000	150,000
Contractual Obligation	25,900,000	41,000,000
Traded But Not Closed in CLO I [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	6,800,000	6,500,000
Traded But Not Closed In CLO II [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	5,100,000	8,700,000
Traded But Not Closed in CLO III [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	5,300,000	10,400,000
Health Sciences Fund [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	200,000	1,200,000
Corporate Credit [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	$24,300,000	$40,400,000

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin3

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Minimum Future Commitments of Leases (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Minimum Future Commitments of Leases [Abstract]
2015	$4,185
2016	4,313
2017	3,714
2018	3,357
2019	2,190
Thereafter	7,521
Lease Commitments	$25,280

Note_15_Regulatory_Requirement1

Note 15 - Regulatory Requirements (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Note 15 - Regulatory Requirements (Details) [Line Items]
Ratio of Indebtedness to Net Capital	0.19	0.16
Net Capital	$64.30	$59.10
Excess Net Capital at 1500 Percent	63.3	58.1
Minimum Net Capital Required	$1	$1
Maximum [Member]
Note 15 - Regulatory Requirements (Details) [Line Items]
Ratio of Indebtedness to Net Capital	15

Note_16_Related_Party_Transact1

Note 16 - Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
General Partner Investments In Hedge And Other Private Funds [Member] | Private Funds [Member]
Note 16 - Related Party Transactions (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction	$64.60	$44.60
Funds of Funds [Member]
Note 16 - Related Party Transactions (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction	0.2	0.1
Harvest Capital Credit Corporation [Member]
Note 16 - Related Party Transactions (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction	8	10.6
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Note 16 - Related Party Transactions (Details) [Line Items]
Management Fees, Base Revenue	13.2	10.8	9.4
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	27.4	15.1	6.3
Total Investment [Member]
Note 16 - Related Party Transactions (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction	72.8	55.3
Incentive Fees Receivable [Member]
Note 16 - Related Party Transactions (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Due from (to) Related Party, Current	$7.10	$7.90

Note_19_Financial_Instruments_1

Note 19 - Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Traded But Not Closed in CLO I [Member]
Note 19 - Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	$6.80	$6.50
Traded But Not Closed In CLO II [Member]
Note 19 - Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	5.1	8.7
Traded But Not Closed in CLO III [Member]
Note 19 - Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	5.3	10.4
Corporate Segment [Member]
Note 19 - Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	24.3	40.4
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	2.3	1.8
Health Sciences Fund [Member]
Note 19 - Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Credit Risk or Market Risk (Details) [Line Items]
Unfunded Commitments	$0.20	$1.20

Note_20_Business_Segments_Deta

Note 20 - Business Segments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Note 20 - Business Segments (Details) [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments	5
Percent of Deferred Compensation Recognized	100.00%
Adjusted Operating Income [Member]
Note 20 - Business Segments (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)		$13.90	$15.60

Note_20_Business_Segments_Deta1

Note 20 - Business Segments (Details) - Segment Operating Results (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest revenues									$166,298	$148,616	$110,223
Net interest (expense) income									16,644	3,236	-7,095
Provision for loan losses									-436	-2,637	-2,206
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									182,506	149,215	100,922
Non-interest expenses	34,137	35,322	45,156	37,893	40,663	31,471	33,759	25,771	152,508	131,664	91,388
Non-controlling interest									8,631	9,973	5,196
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									21,367	7,578	4,338
Segment assets	1,516,192				1,121,931				1,516,192	1,121,931	709,863
Broker-Dealer [Member]
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest revenues									108,074	99,133	73,130
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									108,074	99,133	73,130
Non-interest expenses									90,643	84,749	67,152
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									17,431	14,384	5,978
Segment assets	116,403				109,437				116,403	109,437	66,611
Asset Management [Member]
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest revenues									45,639	29,598	23,177
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									45,639	29,598	23,177
Non-interest expenses									41,010	29,346	20,686
Non-controlling interest									786	-1,731
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									3,843	1,983	2,491
Segment assets	167,181				134,471				167,181	134,471	57,423
Corporate Credit [Member]
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest revenues									5,266	4,735	4,064
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									5,266	4,735	4,064
Non-interest expenses									4,672	3,691	2,996
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									594	1,044	1,068
Segment assets	373,489				17,207				373,489	17,207	5,415
Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest revenues									7,276	10,788	13,104
Net interest (expense) income									16,682	16,471	19,313
Provision for loan losses									1,265	-932	-2,207
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									25,223	26,327	30,210
Non-interest expenses									4,683	4,864	-3,071
Non-controlling interest									1,342	977	670
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									19,198	20,486	32,611
Segment assets	762,200				805,601				762,200	805,601	518,283
Corporate Segment [Member]
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest expenses									14,512	16,039	13,647
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									-14,512	-16,039	-13,647
Segment assets	228,448				187,838				228,448	187,838	159,233
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest revenues									-5,780	-5,764	-5,419
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									-5,780	-5,764	-5,419
Non-interest expenses									-5,692	-5,744	-5,419
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									-88	-20
Segment assets	-131,529				-132,623				-131,529	-132,623	-97,102
Operating Segments [Member]
Broker-Dealer
Non-interest revenues									160,475	138,490	108,056
Net interest (expense) income									16,682	16,471	19,313
Provision for loan losses									1,265	-932	-2,207
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									178,422	154,029	125,162
Non-interest expenses									149,828	132,945	95,991
Non-controlling interest									2,128	-754	670
Segment operating pre-tax net income (loss)									26,466	21,838	28,501
Segment assets	$1,516,192				$1,121,931				$1,516,192	$1,121,931	$709,863

Note_20_Business_Segments_Deta2

Note 20 - Business Segments (Details) - Reconciliation of Total Segments to Consolidated Net Income Before Income Tax Expense (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Non-interest revenues									$166,298		$148,616		$110,223
Net Interest Income									16,644		3,236		-7,095
Provision for loan losses									-436		-2,637		-2,206
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									182,506		149,215		100,922
Non-interest expenses	34,137	35,322	45,156	37,893	40,663	31,471	33,759	25,771	152,508		131,664		91,388
Noncontrolling interest									8,631		9,973		5,196
Operating pre-tax net income (loss)									21,367		7,578		4,338
Total assets	1,516,192				1,121,931				1,516,192		1,121,931		709,863
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Non-interest revenues									160,475		138,490		108,056
Net Interest Income									16,682		16,471		19,313
Provision for loan losses									1,265		-932		-2,207
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									178,422		154,029		125,162
Non-interest expenses									149,828		132,945		95,991
Noncontrolling interest									2,128		-754		670
Operating pre-tax net income (loss)									26,466		21,838		28,501
Total assets	1,516,192				1,121,931				1,516,192		1,121,931		709,863
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Non-interest revenues									5,823	[1]	10,126	[1]	2,167	[1]
Net Interest Income									-38	[2]	-13,235	[2]	-26,408	[2]
Provision for loan losses									-1,701		-1,705		1
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses									4,084		-4,814		-24,240
Non-interest expenses									2,680	[3]	-1,281	[3]	-4,603	[3]
Noncontrolling interest									6,503		10,727		4,526
Operating pre-tax net income (loss)									($5,099)	[4]	($14,260)	[4]	($24,163)	[4]
[1]	Non-interest revenue adjustments are comprised of loan sale gains, mark-to-market gains/losses, strategic equity investments and warrants, and fund-related revenuesrecognized upon consolidation of certain Harvest Funds.
[2]	The Net Interest Income adjustment is comprised of the non-cash net amortization of liquidity discounts at JMP Credit, due to scheduled contractual repayments, andamortization expense related to an intangible asset.
[3]	Non-interest expense adjustments relate to reversals of stock-based compensation and exclusion of fund-related expenses recognized upon consolidation of certainHarvest Funds.
[4]	Reconciling operating pre-tax net income to Consolidated Net Income before income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations consists of thefollowing:

Note_20_Business_Segments_Deta3

Note 20 - Business Segments (Details) - Reconciling Operating Pre-Tax Net Income to Consolidated Net Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Operating net income	$4,664	$1,495	$3,195	$3,998	$3,493	$3,289	($1,435)	($1,719)	$13,352		$3,628		$2,757
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,409	1,460	2,450	1,696	3,772	1,634	-644	-812	8,015		3,950		1,581
Consolidated pre-tax net income (loss) attributable to JMP Group Inc.									21,367		7,578		4,338
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Operating net income									16,406		13,539		16,532
Income tax expense (benefit)									10,060		8,299		11,969
Consolidated pre-tax net income (loss) attributable to JMP Group Inc.									26,466		21,838		28,501
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Consolidated pre-tax net income (loss) attributable to JMP Group Inc.									-5,099	[1]	-14,260	[1]	-24,163	[1]
Subtract / (Add back)
Stock options									1,917		920
Compensation expense - RSUs									3,744		2,823		2,492
Deferred compensation program accounting adjustment									-4,483		-6,170		-6,985
HCC IPO administrative expense											450		-450
Net unrealized loss/ (gain) on strategic equity investments and warrants.									2,570		-593		525
General loan loss reserve for CLO II and CLO III									1,351		1,241
Net amortization of liquidity discounts on loans and asset-backed securities issued											14,979		29,208
Unrealized mark-to-market (gain)/loss - HCC											$610		($627)
[1]	Reconciling operating pre-tax net income to Consolidated Net Income before income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations consists of thefollowing:

Note_20_Business_Segments_Deta4

Note 20 - Business Segments (Details) - Reconciling Operating Pre-Tax Net Income to Consolidated Net Income (Parentheticals)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Addback of Income tax expense assumed rate	26.72%	22.50%	16.58%
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Addback of Income tax expense assumed rate	38.00%	38.00%	42.00%

Note_21_Summarized_Financial_I2

Note 21 - Summarized Financial Information for Equity Method Investments (Details) - Equity Method Investments (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Harvest Opportunity Partners II [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment	$78,856	$94,120
Harvest Small Cap Partners [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment	323,439	245,127
Harvest Franchise Fund [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment		91,042
Harvest Agricultural Select [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment	35,448	32,032
Harvest Technology Partners [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment	20,542	17,958
Harvest Financial Partners [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment	$15,439

Note_21_Summarized_Financial_I3

Note 21 - Summarized Financial Information for Equity Method Investments (Details) - Income (Loss) on Equity Method Investments (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Harvest Opportunity Partners II [Member] | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	$3,240	$6,993	$11,231
Harvest Opportunity Partners II [Member] | Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	-393	-1,320	-1,113
Harvest Small Cap Partners [Member] | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	118,723	55,690	34,278
Harvest Small Cap Partners [Member] | Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	-22,467	-16,405	-16,716
Harvest Franchise Fund [Member] | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	4,661	21,190	-6,255
Harvest Franchise Fund [Member] | Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	-1,139	-3,008	-77
Harvest Agricultural Select [Member] | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	4,247	3,094	3,172
Harvest Agricultural Select [Member] | Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	-460	-334	-298
Harvest Technology Partners [Member] | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	1,294	344	-208
Harvest Technology Partners [Member] | Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	-244	-326	-721
Harvest Financial Partners [Member] | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	482
Harvest Financial Partners [Member] | Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	-53
Harvest Diversified Partners [Member] | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments		1,563	2,626
Harvest Diversified Partners [Member] | Net Investment Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments		($435)	($417)

Note_22_Subsequent_Events_Deta

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)

1 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2014

Jul. 31, 2014

Apr. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Feb. 28, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Feb. 04, 2015

Feb. 28, 2012

Jan. 12, 2015

Jan. 01, 2015

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share

$0.00

$0.00

Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared

$0.07

$0.06

$0.05

$0.05

$0.23

$0.14

$0.14

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period

5 years 328 days

5 years 292 days

Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)

2,865,000

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Exercise Price Per Share

$7.33

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period

5 years

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Vesting December 31, 2015 [Member]

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Equity Instruments Other Than Options Percentage of Units to Vest

50.00%

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Vesting December 31, 2016 [Member]

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Equity Instruments Other Than Options Percentage of Units to Vest

50.00%

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)

380,000

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)

931,456

1,115,505

952,597

910,000

Subsequent Event [Member] | JMP Merger Corp. [Member]

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share

$0.00

Subsequent Event [Member]

Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]

Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared

$0.04

Note_23_Selected_Quarterly_Fin2

Note 23 - Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) - Selected Quarterly Financial Data (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Selected Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Total net revenues after provision for loan losses	$53,631	$33,697	$57,518	$37,660	$59,686	$35,377	$30,904	$23,248
Non-interest expenses:
Compensation and benefits	25,910	28,315	37,979	31,376	33,366	24,685	24,776	19,605
Other expenses	8,227	7,007	7,177	6,517	7,297	6,786	8,983	6,166	1,342	960	420
Total non-interest expenses	34,137	35,322	45,156	37,893	40,663	31,471	33,759	25,771	152,508	131,664	91,388
Income (loss) before income tax expense	19,494	-1,625	12,362	-233	19,023	3,906	-2,855	-2,523	29,998	17,551	9,534
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,409	1,460	2,450	1,696	3,772	1,634	-644	-812	8,015	3,950	1,581
Net income (loss)	17,085	-3,085	9,912	-1,929	15,251	2,272	-2,211	-1,711	21,983	13,601	7,953
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to the non-controlling interest	12,421	-4,580	6,717	-5,927	11,758	-1,017	-776	8	8,631	9,973	5,196
Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc.	$4,664	$1,495	$3,195	$3,998	$3,493	$3,289	($1,435)	($1,719)	$13,352	$3,628	$2,757
Net income attributable to JMP Group Inc. per common share:
Basic (in Dollars per share)	$0.21	$0.07	$0.14	$0.17	$0.16	$0.14	($0.06)	($0.08)	$0.59	$0.16	$0.12
Diluted (in Dollars per share)	$0.20	$0.06	$0.13	$0.17	$0.16	$0.14	($0.06)	($0.08)	$0.57	$0.16	$0.12