LPL Financial (LPLA) 10-Q 28 Apr 14 2014 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information Document	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 17, 2014
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'LPL Financial Holdings Inc.	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001397911	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q1	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	100,558,687

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
REVENUES:	'	'
Commission	$534,574	$485,572
Advisory	327,253	281,226
Asset-based	114,674	103,766
Transaction and fee	89,985	89,378
Interest income, net of interest expense	4,761	4,408
Other	16,184	10,446
Total net revenues	1,087,431	974,796
EXPENSES:	'	'
Commission and advisory	744,543	659,553
Compensation and benefits	106,348	98,780
Promotional	27,183	23,665
Depreciation and amortization	22,281	19,774
Occupancy and equipment	22,081	16,798
Professional services	18,874	14,510
Brokerage, clearing and exchange	12,175	10,170
Communications and data processing	10,659	9,492
Regulatory fees and other	8,411	7,419
Restructuring charges	7,320	6,037
Other	7,169	5,887
Total operating expenses	987,044	872,085
Non-operating interest expense	12,840	12,160
Total expenses	999,884	884,245
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES	87,547	90,551
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES	34,412	35,834
NET INCOME	$53,135	$54,717
EARNINGS PER SHARE (Note 11):	'	'
Basic	$0.52	$0.51
Diluted	$0.51	$0.51
Weighted-Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic	101,279	106,347
Weighted-Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	103,339	107,297

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Net income	$53,135	$54,717
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:	'	'
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedges, net of tax expense of $675 and $0 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively	1,062	0
Total other comprehensive income, net of tax	1,062	0
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	$54,197	$54,717

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) (Parentheticals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Tax expense on unrealized gain on cash flow hedges	$675,000	$0
Tax expense on adjustment for items reclassified to earnings	$0	$0

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Unaudited) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
ASSETS	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$470,305	$516,584
Cash and securities segregated under federal and other regulations	461,312	512,351
Receivables from:	'	'
Clients, net of allowance of $633 at March 31, 2014 and $588 at December 31, 2013	340,341	373,675
Product sponsors, broker-dealers and clearing organizations	146,120	174,070
Others, net of allowance of $7,390 at March 31, 2014 and $7,091 at December 31, 2013	284,653	272,018
Securities owned:	'	'
Trading — at fair value	12,388	8,964
Held-to-maturity	4,847	6,853
Securities borrowed	8,264	7,102
Fixed assets, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $275,059 at March 31, 2014 and $263,321 at December 31, 2013	200,071	189,059
Debt issuance costs, net of accumulated amortization of $8,831 at March 31, 2014 and $7,751 at December 31, 2013	15,201	16,281
Goodwill	1,361,361	1,361,361
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $276,002 at March 31, 2014 and $266,285 at December 31, 2013	454,806	464,522
Other assets	169,027	139,991
Total assets	3,928,696	4,042,831
LIABILITIES:	'	'
Drafts payable	180,648	194,971
Payables to clients	564,649	565,204
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations	30,624	43,157
Accrued commission and advisory expenses payable	125,240	135,149
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	244,208	301,644
Income taxes payable	24,794	4,320
Unearned revenue	79,317	73,739
Securities sold, but not yet purchased — at fair value	536	211
Senior secured credit facilities	1,532,387	1,535,096
Deferred income taxes, net	90,044	89,369
Total liabilities	2,872,447	2,942,860
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:	'	'
Common stock, $.001 par value; 600,000,000 shares authorized; 117,691,335 shares issued at March 31, 2014 and 117,112,465 shares issued at December 31, 2013	118	117
Additional paid-in capital	1,318,823	1,292,374
Treasury stock, at cost — 17,141,172 shares at March 31, 2014 and 15,216,301 shares at December 31, 2013	-606,474	-506,205
Accumulated other comprehensive income	1,177	115
Retained earnings	342,605	313,570
Total stockholders' equity	1,056,249	1,099,971
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$3,928,696	$4,042,831

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Unaudited) (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Allowances on receivables from clients	$633	$588
Allowances on receivables from others	7,390	7,091
Accumulated depreciation and amortization, Fixed assets	275,059	263,321
Accumulated amortization, Debt issuance costs	8,831	7,751
Accumulated amortization, Intangible assets	$276,002	$266,285
Common stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	600,000,000	600,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	117,691,335	117,112,465
Treasury stock, shares	17,141,172	15,216,301

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Unaudited) (USD $)	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Treasury Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Retained Earnings
In Thousands
BEGINNING BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2012	$1,140,020	$116	$1,228,075	($287,998)	$0	$199,827
BEGINNING BALANCE, shares at Dec. 31, 2012	'	115,714	'	9,422	'	'
Net income and other comprehensive income, net of tax expense	54,717	'	'	'	'	54,717
Treasury stock purchases	-4,921	'	'	-4,921	'	'
Treasury stock purchases, shares	'	'	'	155	'	'
Cash dividends on common stock	-14,374	'	'	'	'	-14,374
Stock option exercises and other	7,108	'	7,108	'	'	'
Stock option exercises and other, shares	'	358	'	'	'	'
Share-based compensation	5,801	'	5,801	'	'	'
Share-based compensation, shares	'	'	'	'	'	'
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	1,634	'	1,634	'	'	'
ENDING BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2013	1,189,985	116	1,242,618	-292,919	0	240,170
ENDING BALANCE, shares at Mar. 31, 2013	'	116,072	'	9,577	'	'
BEGINNING BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2013	1,099,971	117	1,292,374	-506,205	115	313,570
BEGINNING BALANCE, shares at Dec. 31, 2013	'	117,112	'	15,216	'	'
Net income and other comprehensive income, net of tax expense	54,197	'	'	'	1,062	53,135
Issuance of common stock to settle restricted stock units, net, shares	'	34	'	11	'	'
Issuance of common stock to settle restricted stock units, net	-584	1	'	-585	'	'
Treasury stock purchases	-100,000	'	'	-100,000	'	'
Treasury stock purchases, shares	'	'	'	1,923	'	'
Cash dividends on common stock	-24,097	'	'	'	'	-24,097
Stock option exercises and other	14,060	'	13,747	316	'	-3
Stock option exercises and other, shares	'	545	'	-9	'	'
Share-based compensation	8,287	'	8,287	'	'	'
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	4,415	'	4,415	'	'	'
ENDING BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2014	$1,056,249	$118	$1,318,823	($606,474)	$1,177	$342,605
ENDING BALANCE, shares at Mar. 31, 2014	'	117,691	'	17,141	'	'

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme6

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:	'	'
Net income	$53,135	$54,717
Noncash items:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	22,281	19,774
Amortization of debt issuance costs	1,080	1,121
Share-based compensation	8,287	5,801
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	-4,444	-1,634
Provision for bad debts	330	-374
Deferred income tax provision	0	-8,384
Net changes in estimated fair value of contingent consideration obligations	0	-1,023
Loan forgiveness	6,436	334
Other	175	206
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:	'	'
Cash and securities segregated under federal and other regulations	51,039	177,500
Receivables from clients	33,289	28,413
Receivables from product sponsors, broker-dealers and clearing organizations	27,950	-28,705
Receivables from others	-19,356	-27,171
Securities owned	-3,593	725
Securities borrowed	-1,162	1,690
Other assets	-27,431	-11,427
Drafts payable	-14,323	-65,511
Payables to clients	-555	-166,814
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations	-12,533	1,140
Accrued commission and advisory expenses payable	-9,909	-3,538
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	-55,701	-15,734
Income taxes receivable/payable	24,889	39,675
Unearned revenue	5,578	6,702
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	325	-201
Net cash provided by operating activities	85,787	7,282
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:	'	'
Capital expenditures	-23,012	-13,738
Proceeds from disposal of fixed assets	1,000	0
Purchase of securities classified as held-to-maturity	0	-2,495
Proceeds from maturity of securities classified as held-to-maturity	2,000	1,000
Release of restricted cash	132	0
Purchases of minority interest investments	0	-1,000
Net cash used in investing activities	-19,880	-16,233
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:	'	'
Repayment of senior secured credit facilities	-2,709	-10,725
Payment of contingent consideration obligation	-3,300	0
Tax payments related to settlement of restricted stock units	-584	0
Repurchase of common stock	-100,000	-4,921
Dividends on common stock	-24,097	-14,374
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	4,444	1,634
Proceeds from stock option exercises and other	14,060	7,108
Net cash used in financing activities	-112,186	-21,278
NET DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	-46,279	-30,229
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - Beginning of period	516,584	466,261
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - End of period	470,305	436,032
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:	'	'
Interest paid	13,047	12,016
Income taxes paid	9,531	4,547
NONCASH DISCLOSURES:	'	'
Fixed assets acquired under build-to-suit lease	$8,114	$0

Organization_and_Description_o

Organization and Description of the Company	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Organization and Description of the Company	'
	Organization and Description of the Company
	LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (“LPLFH”), a Delaware holding corporation, together with its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) provides an integrated platform of brokerage and investment advisory services to independent financial advisors and financial advisors at financial institutions (collectively “advisors”) in the United States of America. Through its custody and clearing platform, using both proprietary and third-party technology, the Company provides access to diversified financial products and services enabling its advisors to offer independent financial advice and brokerage services to retail investors (their “clients”).

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Basis of Presentation — The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented. These adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The Company’s results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year or any other interim period.
	The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all information and notes necessary for a complete presentation of results of income, comprehensive income, financial position, and cash flows in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Accordingly, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes for the year ended December 31, 2013, contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC.
	The Company’s significant accounting policies are included in Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. There have been no significant changes to these accounting policies during the first three months of 2014.
	Consolidation — These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of LPLFH and its subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Equity investments in which the Company exercises significant influence but does not exercise control and is not the primary beneficiary are accounted for using the equity method.
	Use of Estimates — The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. These estimates are based on the information that is currently available and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could vary from these estimates.
	Reportable Segment — The Company's internal reporting is organized into two service channels: Independent Advisor Services and Institution Services. These service channels qualify as individual operating segments and are aggregated and viewed as one reportable segment due to their similar economic characteristics, products and services, production and distribution processes, and regulatory environment.
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments — The Company’s financial assets and liabilities are carried at fair value or at amounts that, because of their short-term nature, approximate current fair value, with the exception of its indebtedness. The Company carries its indebtedness at amortized cost. The Company measures the implied fair value of its debt instruments using trading levels obtained from a third-party service provider. Accordingly, the debt instruments qualify as Level 2 fair value measurements. See Note 4. Fair Value Measurements, for additional detail regarding the Company’s fair value measurements. As of March 31, 2014, the carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s indebtedness was approximately $1,532.4 million and $1,530.3 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2013, the carrying amount and fair value was approximately $1,535.1 million and $1,533.3 million, respectively.
	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements — There are no recent accounting pronouncements that would impact the Company's condensed consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, financial condition, or cash flows.

Restructuring

Restructuring	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Restructuring	'
	Restructuring
	In February 2013, the Company committed to an expansion of its Service Value Commitment (the “Program”), an ongoing effort to position the Company for sustainable long-term growth by improving the service experience of its advisors and delivering efficiencies in its operating model. The Program is expected to be completed in 2015.
	The Company estimates total charges in connection with the Program to be approximately $65.0 million. These expenditures are comprised of outsourcing and other related costs, technology transformation costs, employee severance obligations and other related costs, and non-cash charges for impairment of certain fixed assets related to internally developed software.
	The following table summarizes the balance of accrued expenses and the changes in the accrued amounts for the Program as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
		Accrued		Costs		Payments			Non-cash		Accrued Balance at March 31, 2014		Cumulative Costs Incurred to Date		Total
		Balance at		Incurred											Expected
		December 31,													Restructuring
		2013													Costs
	Outsourcing and other related costs	$	1,424	$	2,873	$	(3,985	)	$	—	$	312	$	18,155	$	30,000
	Technology transformation costs	1,753		3,251		(3,060		)	—		1,944		12,520		23,000
	Employee severance obligations and other related costs	820		792		(435		)	—		1,177		3,250		11,000
	Asset impairments	—		—		—			—		—		842		1,000
	Total	$	3,997	$	6,916	$	(7,480	)	$	—	$	3,433	$	34,767	$	65,000

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Fair Value Measurements
	Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Inputs used to measure fair value are prioritized within a three-level fair value hierarchy. This hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:
	Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
	Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
	Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. This includes certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.
	There have been no transfers of assets or liabilities between these fair value measurement classifications during the three months ended March 31, 2014.
	The Company’s fair value measurements are evaluated within the fair value hierarchy, based on the nature of inputs used to determine the fair value at the measurement date. At March 31, 2014, the Company had the following financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
	Cash Equivalents — The Company’s cash equivalents include money market funds, which are short term in nature with readily determinable values derived from active markets.
	Securities Owned and Securities Sold, But Not Yet Purchased — The Company's trading securities consist of house account model portfolios established and managed for the purpose of benchmarking the performance of its fee based advisory platforms and temporary positions resulting from the processing of client transactions. Examples of these securities include money market funds, U.S. treasury obligations, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, and traded equity and debt securities.
	The Company uses prices obtained from independent third-party pricing services to measure the fair value of its trading securities. Prices received from the pricing services are validated using various methods including comparison to prices received from additional pricing services, comparison to available quoted market prices and review of other relevant market data including implied yields of major categories of securities. In general, these quoted prices are derived from active markets for identical assets or liabilities. When quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities are not available, the quoted prices are based on similar assets and liabilities or inputs other than the quoted prices that are observable, either directly or indirectly. For certificates of deposit and treasury securities, the Company utilizes market-based inputs including observable market interest rates that correspond to the remaining maturities or the next interest reset dates. At March 31, 2014, the Company did not adjust prices received from the independent third-party pricing services.
	Other Assets — The Company’s other assets include: (1) deferred compensation plan assets that are invested in money market and other mutual funds, which are actively traded and valued based on quoted market prices; (2) certain non-traded real estate investment trusts, which are valued using quoted prices for identical or similar securities and other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data; and (3) cash flow hedges, which are measured using quoted prices for similar cash flow hedges, taking into account counterparty credit risk and the Company's own non-performance risk.
	Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities — The Company's accounts payable and accrued liabilities include contingent consideration liabilities, which are measured using Level 3 inputs.
	The following table summarizes the Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	At March 31, 2014:
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	246,058	$	—	$	—	$	246,058
	Securities owned — trading:
	Money market funds	243		—		—		243
	Mutual funds	6,556		—		—		6,556
	Equity securities	106		—		—		106
	Debt securities	—		3,234		—		3,234
	U.S. treasury obligations	2,000		—		—		2,000
	Certificates of deposit	—		249		—		249
	Total securities owned — trading	8,905		3,483		—		12,388
	Other assets	59,706		4,611		—		64,317
	Total assets at fair value	$	314,669	$	8,094	$	—	$	322,763
	Liabilities
	Securities sold, but not yet purchased:
	Equity securities	$	523	$	—	$	—	$	523
	Debt securities	—		13		—		13
	Total securities sold, but not yet purchased	523		13		—		536
	Total liabilities at fair value	$	523	$	13	$	—	$	536
	The following table summarizes the Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2013 (in thousands):
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	At December 31, 2013:
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	254,032	$	—	$	—	$	254,032
	Securities owned — trading:
	Money market funds	170		—		—		170
	Mutual funds	7,291		—		—		7,291
	Equity securities	103		—		—		103
	U.S. treasury obligations	1,400		—		—		1,400
	Total securities owned — trading	8,964		—		—		8,964
	Other assets	47,539		3,072		—		50,611
	Total assets at fair value	$	310,535	$	3,072	$	—	$	313,607
	Liabilities
	Securities sold, but not yet purchased:
	Mutual funds	$	63	$	—	$	—	$	63
	Equity securities	127		—		—		127
	Debt securities	—		10		—		10
	Certificates of deposit	—		11		—		11
	Total securities sold, but not yet purchased	190		21		—		211
	Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	—		—		39,293		39,293
	Total liabilities at fair value	$	190	$	21	$	39,293	$	39,504
	Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements
	As of December 31, 2013, the Company had a contingent consideration obligation related to the acquisition of National Retirement Partners, Inc. (“NRP”). This obligation was based on the achievement of certain revenue-based targets for the twelve-month period ending November 30, 2013, in aggregate for those advisors joining LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”) subsequent to the NRP acquisition for whom retirement plans comprise a significant part of their business. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had finalized the determination of the amount of contingent consideration to be paid to the former shareholders of NRP, resulting in a total payment of $39.3 million, which was made on February 19, 2014.
	The Company determines the fair value for its contingent consideration obligations using an income approach whereby the Company assesses the probability and timing of the achievement of the applicable milestones, which are based on contractually negotiated financial or operating targets that vary by acquisition transaction, such as revenues, gross margin, EBITDA and assets under custody. The contingent payments are estimated using a probability weighted, multi-scenario analysis of expected future performance of the acquired businesses. The Company then discounts these expected payment amounts to calculate the fair value as of the valuation date. The Company's management evaluates the underlying projections and other related factors used in determining fair value each period and makes updates when there have been significant changes in management's expectations.
	The principal significant unobservable input used in the valuations of the Company's contingent consideration obligations is a risk-adjusted discount rate. Whereas management's underlying projections adjust for market penetration and adoption rates, the discount rate is risk-adjusted for key factors such as advisor attrition, advisor recruitment, expenses and overhead costs, average client assets, revenue generation of client assets and credit risk. An increase in the discount rate will result in a decrease in the fair value of contingent consideration. Conversely, a decrease in the discount rate will result in an increase in the fair value of contingent consideration.

HeldtoMaturity_Securities

Held-to-Maturity Securities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Held-to-Maturity Securities	'
	Held-to-Maturity Securities
	The Company holds certain investments in securities, primarily U.S. government notes, which are recorded at amortized cost because the Company has both the intent and the ability to hold these investments to maturity. Interest income is accrued as earned. Premiums and discounts are amortized using a method that approximates the effective yield method over the term of the security and are recorded as an adjustment to the investment yield.
	The amortized cost, gross unrealized loss or gain and fair value of securities held-to-maturity were as follows (in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Amortized cost	$	4,847		$	6,853
	Gross unrealized loss	(42		)	(58		)
	Fair value	$	4,805		$	6,795
	At March 31, 2014, the securities held-to-maturity were scheduled to mature as follows (in thousands):
		Within one year			After one but within five years			After five but within ten years		Total
	U.S. government notes — at amortized cost	$	2,251		$	2,096		$	500	$	4,847
	U.S. government notes — at fair value	$	2,252		$	2,077		$	476	$	4,805

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Derivative Financial Instruments	'
	Derivative Financial Instruments
	In May 2013, in conjunction with its commitment to expand its Service Value Commitment, the Company entered into a long-term contractual obligation (the “Agreement”) with a third-party provider to enhance the quality, speed and cost of processes by outsourcing certain functions. The Agreement enables the third-party provider to use the services of its affiliates in India to provide services to the Company. The Agreement provides for the Company to settle the cost of its contractual obligation to the third-party provider in U.S. dollars each month. However, the Agreement provides that on each annual anniversary date, the price for services (denominated in U.S. dollars) is to be adjusted for the then-current exchange rate between the U.S. dollar (“USD”) and the Indian rupee (“INR”). The Agreement provides that, once an annual adjustment is calculated, there are no further modifications to the amounts paid by the Company to the third-party provider for fluctuations in the exchange rate between the USD and the INR until the reset on the next anniversary date. The third-party provider bears the risk of currency movement from the date of signing the Agreement until the reset on the first anniversary of its signing, and during each period until the next annual reset. The Company bears the risk of currency movement at each of the annual reset dates following the first anniversary.
	To mitigate foreign currency risk arising from these annual anniversary events, the Company uses derivative financial instruments consisting solely of non-deliverable foreign currency contracts, all of which have been designated as cash flow hedges.
	The details related to the non-deliverable foreign currency contracts at March 31, 2014 are as follows (in millions, except foreign exchange rate):
		Settlement Date		Hedged Notional Amount (INR)		Contractual INR/USD Foreign Exchange Rate	Hedged Notional Amount (USD)
	Cash flow hedge #1	6/3/14		560.4		65.96	$	8.5
	Cash flow hedge #2	6/2/15		560.4		69.35	8.1
	Cash flow hedge #3	6/2/16		560.4		72.21	7.8
	Cash flow hedge #4	6/2/17		560.4		74.2	7.5
	Total hedged amount						$	31.9
	The fair value of the derivative instruments included in other assets in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial condition were as follows (in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Cash flow hedges	$	1,939		$	187

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	'
	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
	Goodwill and intangible assets were a result of various acquisitions. See Note 9. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, in the Company's 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of the components of goodwill and additional information regarding intangible assets.

Debt

Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Debt	'
	Debt
	Senior Secured Credit Facilities — On May 13, 2013, the Company entered into the First Amendment and Incremental Assumption Agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with its wholly owned subsidiary, LPL Holdings, Inc., and other parties thereto. The Credit Agreement amended the Company's previous credit agreement, which was dated as of March 29, 2012.
	The Credit Agreement includes a Term Loan A, a Term Loan B, and a revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”). Term Loan A had an initial principal amount of $459.4 million maturing on March 29, 2017; Term Loan B had an initial principal amount of $1,083.9 million maturing on March 29, 2019; and the Revolving Credit Facility has a borrowing capacity of $250.0 million maturing on March 29, 2017.
	At the time the Company entered into the Credit Agreement, all mandatory payments required under Term Loan A were prepaid, with the remaining principal and accrued interest due upon maturity. Term Loan B includes quarterly payments at an annual rate of 1.0% of principal per year, with the remaining principal and accrued interest due upon maturity.
	Borrowings under Term Loan A and Term Loan B bear interest at a base rate equal to either one-, two-, three-, six-, nine-, or twelve-month LIBOR (the “Eurodollar Rate”) plus the applicable interest rate margin, or an alternative base rate (“ABR”) plus the applicable interest rate margin. The Eurodollar Rate with respect to Term Loan B shall in no event be less than 0.75%. The ABR is equal to the greatest of (a) the prime rate in effect on such day; (b) the effective federal funds rate in effect on such day plus 0.50%; (c) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.00%; or (d) solely in the case of Term Loan B, 1.75%. The Company may repay outstanding loans under its Credit Agreement at any time without premium or penalty, other than customary “breakage” costs with respect to Eurodollar Rate loans.
	As of March 31, 2014, borrowings under the term loans bore interest at the Eurodollar Rate with an applicable interest rate margin of 2.50%. The Company’s outstanding borrowings were as follows (dollars in thousands):
				March 31, 2014							December 31, 2013
								Interest					Interest
		Maturity		Balance				Rate			Balance		Rate
	Senior secured term loans:
	Term Loan A	3/29/17		$	459,375			2.65	%	-1	$	459,375	2.67	%	-3
	Term Loan B	3/29/19		1,073,012				3.25	%	-2	1,075,721		3.25	%	-4
	Total borrowings			1,532,387							1,535,096
	Less current portion			10,839							10,839
	Long-term borrowings — net of current portion			$	1,521,548						$	1,524,257
	_____________________
	-1	As of March 31, 2014, the variable interest rate for Term Loan A was the one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.15%.
	-2	As of March 31, 2014, the Company elected the six-month LIBOR, which was less than 0.75%; as a result, the variable interest rate for Term Loan B was the minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%.
	-3	As of December 31, 2013, the variable interest rate for Term Loan A was the one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.17%.
	-4	As of December 31, 2013, the Company elected the six-month LIBOR, which was less than 0.75%; as a result, the variable interest rate for Term Loan B was the minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%.
	As of March 31, 2014, the Revolving Credit Facility was being used to support the issuance of $21.4 million of irrevocable letters of credit for the construction of the Company's new San Diego office building and other items, with an applicable interest rate margin of 2.50%. An irrevocable letter of credit for $20.7 million matures on March 29, 2015, while the remaining letters totaling $0.7 million mature on various dates through April 6, 2015. The remaining available balance of $228.6 million was undrawn at March 31, 2014.
	The Credit Agreement subjects the Company to certain financial and non-financial covenants. As of March 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with such covenants.
	Bank Loans Payable — The Company maintains three uncommitted lines of credit. Two of the lines have unspecified limits, which are primarily dependent on the Company’s ability to provide sufficient collateral. The third line has a $200.0 million limit, and allows for both collateralized and uncollateralized borrowings. The lines have not been utilized in 2014, but were utilized in 2013; however, there were no balances outstanding at March 31, 2014 or December 31, 2013.
	The following summarizes borrowing activity in the revolving and uncommitted line of credit facilities (dollars in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014				2013
	Average balance	$	—			$	12,406
	Weighted-average interest rate	—		%		1.8		%

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	Commitments and Contingencies
	Leases — The Company leases office space and equipment under various operating leases. These leases are generally subject to scheduled base rent and maintenance cost increases, which are recognized on a straight-line basis over the period of the leases. Total rental expense for all operating leases was approximately $8.8 million and $5.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
	In March 2014 the Company entered into a lease agreement for additional office space in Charlotte with a lease commencement date of March 1, 2014 and an expiration date of February 28, 2017. Future minimum payments for this lease commitment are $0.5 million, $1.0 million, $1.1 million, and $0.2 million, for the years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively.
	Service Contracts — The Company is party to certain long-term contracts for systems and services that enable back office trade processing and clearing for its product and service offerings.
	Guarantees — The Company occasionally enters into certain types of contracts that contingently require it to indemnify certain parties against third-party claims. The terms of these obligations vary and, because a maximum obligation is not explicitly stated, the Company has determined that it is not possible to make an estimate of the amount that it could be obligated to pay under such contracts.
	The Company’s subsidiary, LPL Financial, provides guarantees to securities clearing houses and exchanges under their standard membership agreements, which require a member to guarantee the performance of other members. Under these agreements, if a member becomes unable to satisfy its obligations to the clearing houses and exchanges, all other members would be required to meet any shortfall. The Company’s liability under these arrangements is not quantifiable and may exceed the cash and securities it has posted as collateral. However, the potential requirement for the Company to make payments under these agreements is remote. Accordingly, no liability has been recognized for these transactions.
	Loan Commitments — From time to time, LPL Financial makes loans to its advisors, primarily to newly recruited advisors to assist in the transition process, which may be forgivable. Due to timing differences, LPL Financial may make commitments to issue such loans prior to actually funding them. These unfunded commitments are generally contingent upon certain events occurring, including but not limited to the advisor joining LPL Financial. LPL Financial had no such significant unfunded commitments at March 31, 2014.
	Disputed & Regulatory Matters — The Company maintains insurance coverage for client claims. With respect to these matters, the estimated losses on the majority of pending matters are less than the applicable deductibles of the insurance policies. The Company is also subject to extensive regulation and supervision by U.S. federal and state agencies and various self-regulatory organizations. The Company and its financial advisors periodically engage with such agencies and organizations, in the context of examinations or otherwise, to respond to inquiries, informational requests, and investigations. From time to time, such engagements result in regulatory complaints or other matters, the resolution of which can include restitution, fines, and other remedies. As of April 25, 2014, the Company believes, based on the information available at this time, consideration of amounts accrued, insurance, if any, and indemnifications provided by the third-party indemnitors, if any, that the outcomes of any such pending claims or matters with estimated losses in excess of applicable deductibles will not have a material impact on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, financial condition, or cash flows.
	Certain former owners of Concord Capital Partners, Inc. (“CCP”), a subsidiary that the Company acquired in June 2011, have filed lawsuits with claims related to contingent consideration under the stock purchase agreement relating to the Company's acquisition of CCP and employment-related claims. As of April 25, 2014, after consideration of amounts accrued and applicable insurance, the Company does not believe that the outcomes of these matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated statements of income, financial condition, or cash flows.
	Other Commitments — As of March 31, 2014, the Company had received collateral primarily in connection with client margin loans with a market value of approximately $368.9 million, which it can re-pledge, loan, or sell. Of these securities, approximately $28.8 million were pledged with client-owned securities to the Options Clearing Corporation as collateral to secure client obligations related to options positions. Additionally, approximately $141.2 million was held at banks in connection with unutilized secured margin lines of credit; these securities may be used as collateral for loans from these banks. The remainder of $198.9 million had not been re-pledged, loaned, or sold, and as of March 31, 2014 there were no restrictions that materially limited the Company's ability to re-pledge, loan, or sell the remaining $340.1 million of client collateral.
	Trading securities on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial condition includes $2.0 million and $1.4 million pledged to clearing organizations at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.
	Brokerage, clearing, and custody services are provided by LPL Financial on a fully disclosed basis. LPL Financial also has a multi-year agreement to provide its investment advisory programs, platforms, technology, and additional processing and related services to the advisors of the broker-dealer subsidiary of a large global insurance company and the clients of such advisors. Termination fees may be payable by a terminating or breaching party depending on the specific cause of termination.

Stockholders_Equity_Notes

Stockholders' Equity (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'
Stockholders' Equity	'
	Stockholders' Equity
	Share-Based Compensation
	Certain employees, advisors, institutions, executive officers, and non-employee directors of the Company participate in various long-term incentive plans, which provide for granting stock options, warrants, restricted stock awards, and restricted stock units. Stock options and warrants generally vest in equal increments over a three- to five-year period and expire on the tenth anniversary following the date of grant. Restricted stock awards and restricted stock units generally vest over a two- to four-year period.
	On November 17, 2010, the Company adopted a 2010 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”), which provides for the granting of stock options, warrants, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, and other equity-based compensation. The 2010 Plan serves as the successor to the 2005 Stock Option Plan for Incentive Stock Options, the 2005 Stock Option Plan for Non-qualified Stock Options, the 2008 Advisor and Institution Incentive Plan, the 2008 Stock Option Plan and the Director Restricted Stock Plan (collectively, the “Predecessor Plans”). Upon adoption of the 2010 Plan, awards were no longer made under the Predecessor Plans; however, awards previously granted under the Predecessor Plans remain outstanding until exercised or forfeited.
	There are 12,055,945 new shares available for grant under the 2010 Plan. As of March 31, 2014, there are 6,208,095 of authorized unissued shares reserved for issuance upon exercise and conversion of outstanding awards granted under the 2010 Plan.
	Stock Options and Warrants
	The following table presents the weighted-average assumptions used by the Company in calculating the fair value of its employee, officer and director stock options with the Black-Scholes valuation model that have been granted during the three months ended March 31, 2014:
	Expected life (in years)	6.01
	Expected stock price volatility	44.34		%
	Expected dividend yield	1.75		%
	Risk-free interest rate	2.19		%
	Fair value of options	$	20.77
	The fair value of each stock option or warrant awarded to advisors and financial institutions is estimated on the date of the grant and revalued at each reporting period using the Black-Scholes valuation model with the following weighted-average assumptions used during the three months ended March 31, 2014:
	Expected life (in years)	7.2
	Expected stock price volatility	42.53		%
	Expected dividend yield	1.83		%
	Risk-free interest rate	2.17		%
	Fair value of options	$	28.11
	The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option and warrant activity for the three months ended March 31, 2014:
		Number of			Weighted-				Weighted-		Aggregate
		Shares			Average				Average		Intrinsic
					Exercise Price				Remaining		Value
									Contractual		(In thousands)
									Term
									(Years)
	Outstanding — December 31, 2013	7,016,521			$	28.45
	Granted	693,089			54.81
	Exercised	(543,458	)		25.3
	Forfeited	(46,098	)		30.81
	Outstanding — March 31, 2014	7,120,054			$	31.24			7.05		$	151,626
	Exercisable — March 31, 2014	3,482,681			$	26.96			5.83		$	89,089
	The following table summarizes information about outstanding stock options and warrants at March 31, 2014:
		Outstanding									Exercisable
	Range of Exercise Prices	Total			Weighted-		Weighted-				Number of			Weighted-
		Number of			Average		Average				Shares			Average
		Shares			Remaining		Exercise							Exercise
					Life		Price							Price
					(Years)
	$1.35 - $2.38	38,952			0.61		$	1.89			38,952			$	1.89
	$10.30 - $19.74	354,080			4.71		17.91				354,080			17.91
	$21.60 - $22.08	861,781			5.2		22.02				662,781			22.01
	$23.02 - $29.99	2,045,265			6.3		27.39				1,228,152			26.81
	$30.00 - $32.26	1,829,612			8.4		31.83				519,651			31.89
	$32.33 - $39.60	1,297,275			6.9		34.55				677,372			34.39
	$40.00 - $54.81	693,089			9.91		54.81				1,693			54.81
		7,120,054			7.05		$	31.24			3,482,681			$	26.96
	The Company recognizes share-based compensation for stock options awarded to employees, officers and directors based on the grant date fair value over the requisite service period of the award, which generally equals the vesting period. The Company recognized share-based compensation related to the vesting of these awards of $3.8 million and $3.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, which is included in compensation and benefits on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income. As of March 31, 2014, total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted to employees, officers and directors was $35.7 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.64 years.
	The Company recognizes share-based compensation for stock options and warrants awarded to its advisors and to financial institutions based on the fair value of the awards at each interim reporting period. The Company recognized share-based compensation of $3.2 million and $1.9 million during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, related to the vesting of stock options and warrants awarded to its advisors and financial institutions, which is classified within commission and advisory expense on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income. As of March 31, 2014, total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted to advisors and financial institutions was $20.0 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.86 years.
	Restricted Stock
	The Company grants restricted stock awards and restricted stock units to its employees, officers, and directors. A restricted stock unit represents the right to receive one share of common stock upon vesting. The Company recognizes share-based compensation for restricted stock awards and restricted stock units granted to its employees, officers, and directors by measuring such awards at their grant date fair value. Share-based compensation is recognized ratably over the requisite service period, which generally equals the vesting period.
	The following summarizes the Company’s activity in its restricted stock awards and restricted stock units for the three months ended March 31, 2014:
		Restricted Stock Awards							Restricted Stock Units
		Number of			Weighted-Average				Number of			Weighted-Average
		Shares			Grant-Date				Shares			Grant-Date
					Fair Value							Fair Value
	Nonvested at December 31, 2013	39,153			$	33.2			256,684			$	32.12
	Granted	5,610			53.47				171,841			52.8
	Vested	(9,300	)		32.26				(34,352	)		30.57
	Forfeited	(4,550	)		32.96				(2,361	)		29.24
	Nonvested at March 31, 2014	30,913			$	37.19			391,812			$	41.35
	The Company recognized $1.2 million and $0.4 million of share-based compensation related to the vesting of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, which is included in compensation and benefits on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income. As of March 31, 2014, total unrecognized compensation cost for restricted stock awards and restricted stock units granted to employees, officers, and directors was $13.8 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining period of 2.62 years.
	Dividends
	The payment, timing, and amount of any dividends permitted under the Company's credit facilities are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
On February 10, 2014, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.24 per share on the Company's outstanding common stock. The dividend of $24.1 million was paid on March 10, 2014 to all stockholders of record on February 24, 2014.
On February 5, 2013, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.135 per share on the Company's outstanding common stock. The dividend of $14.4 million was paid on March 4, 2013 to all stockholders of record on February 18, 2013.
Share Repurchases
The Board of Directors has approved several share repurchase programs pursuant to which the Company may repurchase its issued and outstanding shares of common stock from time to time. Repurchased shares are included in treasury stock on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial condition. Purchases may be effected in open market or privately negotiated transactions, including transactions with affiliates, with the timing of purchases and the amount of stock purchased generally determined at the discretion of the Company's management.
For the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had the following activity under its approved share repurchase programs (in millions, except share and per share data):
									Three Months Ended March 31,
									2014								2013
Approval Date	Authorized Repurchase Amount				Amount Remaining at March 31, 2014				Shares Purchased			Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share			Total Cost		Shares Purchased	Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share		Total Cost
27-Sep-12	$	150			$	—			—			$	—		$	—	155,289	$	31.69	$	4.9
28-May-13	$	200			—				1,306,288			52			67.9		—	—		—
10-Feb-14	$	150			117.9				616,788			52			32.1		—	—		—
					$	117.9			1,923,076			$	52		$	100	155,289	$	31.69	$	4.9
See Note 13 for details regarding the repurchase of shares from related parties.

Earnings_per_Share

Earnings per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings per Share	'
	Earnings Per Share
	Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The computation of diluted earnings per share is similar to the computation of basic earnings per share, except that the denominator is increased to include the number of additional shares of common stock that would have been outstanding if dilutive potential shares of common stock had been issued. The calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	Net income	$	53,135	$	54,717
	Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding	101,279		106,347
	Dilutive common share equivalents	2,060		950
	Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding	103,339		107,297
	Basic earnings per share	$	0.52	$	0.51
	Diluted earnings per share	$	0.51	$	0.51
	The computation of diluted earnings per share excludes stock options, warrants, and restricted stock units that are anti-dilutive. For the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, stock options, warrants, and restricted stock units representing common share equivalents of 941,406 shares and 5,039,942 shares, respectively, were anti-dilutive.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	The Company’s effective income tax rate differs from the federal corporate tax rate of 35.0%, primarily as a result of state taxes, settlement contingencies and expenses that are not deductible for tax purposes. These items resulted in effective tax rates of 39.3% and 39.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]	'
Related Party Transactions	'
	Related Party Transactions
	The Company has related party transactions with TPG Capital, one of the Company's significant stockholders, as well as certain portfolio companies of TPG Capital. During the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 the Company recognized revenue for services provided to these portfolio companies of $0.1 million and $1.1 million, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company incurred expenses for services provided by TPG Capital or these portfolio companies of $0.2 million and $0.8 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2014 and 2013, receivables from related parties were $0.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2014 and 2013, payables to related parties were not in excess of 0.1 million.
	On February 12, 2014, the Company entered into a share repurchase agreement with an investment fund associated with TPG Capital, pursuant to which the Company repurchased 1.9 million shares of its common stock at a price of $52.00 per share, for total consideration of $100.0 million. The share repurchase was effected in a private transaction and was contingent on the closing of a registered sale of 1.9 million shares of the Company's common stock by TPG Capital to a private investor. The repurchase transaction closed on February 19, 2014.

Net_Capital_and_Regulatory_Req

Net Capital and Regulatory Requirements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Brokers and Dealers [Abstract]	'
Net Capital and Regulatory Requirements	'
	Net Capital and Regulatory Requirements
	The Company operates in a highly regulated industry. Applicable laws and regulations restrict permissible activities and investments and require compliance with various financial and customer-related regulations. The consequences of noncompliance can include substantial monetary and non-monetary sanctions. In addition, the Company is also subject to comprehensive examinations and supervision by various governmental and self-regulatory agencies. These regulatory agencies generally have broad discretion to prescribe greater limitations on the operations of a regulated entity for the protection of investors or public interest. Furthermore, where the agencies determine that such operations are unsafe or unsound, fail to comply with applicable law, or are otherwise inconsistent with the laws and regulations or with the supervisory policies, greater restrictions may be imposed.
	The Company’s registered broker-dealer, LPL Financial, is subject to the SEC’s Uniform Net Capital Rule (Rule 15c3-1 under the Exchange Act), which requires the maintenance of minimum net capital, as defined. Net capital and the related net capital requirement may fluctuate on a daily basis. LPL Financial is a clearing broker-dealer and had net capital of $180.2 million with a minimum net capital requirement of $6.5 million and net capital in excess of the minimum requirement of $173.7 million as of March 31, 2014.
	The Company's subsidiary, The Private Trust Company N.A. (“PTC”), operates in a highly regulated industry and is subject to various regulatory capital requirements. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possible additional discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have substantial monetary and non-monetary impacts to PTC's operations.
	As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, LPL Financial and PTC met all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject.

Financial_Instruments_with_Off

Financial Instruments with Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Risk and Concentrations of Credit Risk	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Concentration Risk Credit Risk Financial Instruments Off Balance Sheet Risk [Abstract]	'
Financial Instruments with Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Risk and Concentrations of Credit Risk	'
	Financial Instruments with Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Risk and Concentrations of Credit Risk
	LPL Financial’s client securities activities are transacted on either a cash or margin basis. In margin transactions, LPL Financial extends credit to the advisor's client, subject to various regulatory and internal margin requirements, collateralized by cash and securities in the client’s account. As clients write options contracts or sell securities short, LPL Financial may incur losses if the clients do not fulfill their obligations and the collateral in the clients’ accounts is not sufficient to fully cover losses that clients may incur from these strategies. To control this risk, LPL Financial monitors margin levels daily and clients are required to deposit additional collateral, or reduce positions, when necessary.
	LPL Financial is obligated to settle transactions with brokers and other financial institutions even if its advisors' clients fail to meet their obligation to LPL Financial. Clients are required to complete their transactions on the settlement date, generally three business days after the trade date. If clients do not fulfill their contractual obligations, LPL Financial may incur losses. In addition, the Company occasionally enters into certain types of contracts to fulfill its sale of when, as, and if issued securities. When, as, and if issued securities have been authorized but are contingent upon the actual issuance of the security. LPL Financial has established procedures to reduce this risk by generally requiring that clients deposit cash and/or securities into their account prior to placing an order.
	LPL Financial may at times hold equity securities that are recorded on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial condition at market value. While long inventory positions represent LPL Financial’s ownership of securities, short inventory positions represent obligations of LPL Financial to deliver specified securities at a contracted price, which may differ from market prices prevailing at the time of completion of the transaction. Accordingly, both long and short inventory positions may result in losses or gains to LPL Financial as market values of securities fluctuate. To mitigate the risk of losses, long and short positions are marked-to-market daily and are continuously monitored by LPL Financial.

Subsequent_Event

Subsequent Event	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Subsequent Events [Abstract]	'
Subsequent Event	'
	Subsequent Event
	On April 22, 2014, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.24 per share on the Company's outstanding common stock to be paid on May 20, 2014 to all stockholders of record on May 6, 2014.
	******

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Consolidation	'
	Consolidation — These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of LPLFH and its subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Equity investments in which the Company exercises significant influence but does not exercise control and is not the primary beneficiary are accounted for using the equity method.
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates — The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. These estimates are based on the information that is currently available and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could vary from these estimates.
Reportable Segment	'
	Reportable Segment — The Company's internal reporting is organized into two service channels: Independent Advisor Services and Institution Services. These service channels qualify as individual operating segments and are aggregated and viewed as one reportable segment due to their similar economic characteristics, products and services, production and distribution processes, and regulatory environment.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	'
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments — The Company’s financial assets and liabilities are carried at fair value or at amounts that, because of their short-term nature, approximate current fair value, with the exception of its indebtedness. The Company carries its indebtedness at amortized cost. The Company measures the implied fair value of its debt instruments using trading levels obtained from a third-party service provider. Accordingly, the debt instruments qualify as Level 2 fair value measurements. See Note 4. Fair Value Measurements, for additional detail regarding the Company’s fair value measurements. As of March 31, 2014, the carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s indebtedness was approximately $1,532.4 million and $1,530.3 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2013, the carrying amount and fair value was approximately $1,535.1 million and $1,533.3 million, respectively.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements — There are no recent accounting pronouncements that would impact the Company's condensed consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, financial condition, or cash flows.

Restructuring_Tables

Restructuring (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Summary of changes in accrued restructuring expense balances	'
	The following table summarizes the balance of accrued expenses and the changes in the accrued amounts for the Program as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
		Accrued		Costs		Payments			Non-cash		Accrued Balance at March 31, 2014		Cumulative Costs Incurred to Date		Total
		Balance at		Incurred											Expected
		December 31,													Restructuring
		2013													Costs
	Outsourcing and other related costs	$	1,424	$	2,873	$	(3,985	)	$	—	$	312	$	18,155	$	30,000
	Technology transformation costs	1,753		3,251		(3,060		)	—		1,944		12,520		23,000
	Employee severance obligations and other related costs	820		792		(435		)	—		1,177		3,250		11,000
	Asset impairments	—		—		—			—		—		842		1,000
	Total	$	3,997	$	6,916	$	(7,480	)	$	—	$	3,433	$	34,767	$	65,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'
	The following table summarizes the Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	At March 31, 2014:
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	246,058	$	—	$	—	$	246,058
	Securities owned — trading:
	Money market funds	243		—		—		243
	Mutual funds	6,556		—		—		6,556
	Equity securities	106		—		—		106
	Debt securities	—		3,234		—		3,234
	U.S. treasury obligations	2,000		—		—		2,000
	Certificates of deposit	—		249		—		249
	Total securities owned — trading	8,905		3,483		—		12,388
	Other assets	59,706		4,611		—		64,317
	Total assets at fair value	$	314,669	$	8,094	$	—	$	322,763
	Liabilities
	Securities sold, but not yet purchased:
	Equity securities	$	523	$	—	$	—	$	523
	Debt securities	—		13		—		13
	Total securities sold, but not yet purchased	523		13		—		536
	Total liabilities at fair value	$	523	$	13	$	—	$	536
	The following table summarizes the Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2013 (in thousands):
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	At December 31, 2013:
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	254,032	$	—	$	—	$	254,032
	Securities owned — trading:
	Money market funds	170		—		—		170
	Mutual funds	7,291		—		—		7,291
	Equity securities	103		—		—		103
	U.S. treasury obligations	1,400		—		—		1,400
	Total securities owned — trading	8,964		—		—		8,964
	Other assets	47,539		3,072		—		50,611
	Total assets at fair value	$	310,535	$	3,072	$	—	$	313,607
	Liabilities
	Securities sold, but not yet purchased:
	Mutual funds	$	63	$	—	$	—	$	63
	Equity securities	127		—		—		127
	Debt securities	—		10		—		10
	Certificates of deposit	—		11		—		11
	Total securities sold, but not yet purchased	190		21		—		211
	Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	—		—		39,293		39,293
	Total liabilities at fair value	$	190	$	21	$	39,293	$	39,504

HeldtoMaturity_Securities_Tabl

Held-to-Maturity Securities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Summary of amortized cost, gross unrealized (loss) gain and fair value of securities held-to-maturity	'
	The amortized cost, gross unrealized loss or gain and fair value of securities held-to-maturity were as follows (in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Amortized cost	$	4,847		$	6,853
	Gross unrealized loss	(42		)	(58		)
	Fair value	$	4,805		$	6,795
Maturities of securities held-to-maturity	'
	At March 31, 2014, the securities held-to-maturity were scheduled to mature as follows (in thousands):
		Within one year			After one but within five years			After five but within ten years		Total
	U.S. government notes — at amortized cost	$	2,251		$	2,096		$	500	$	4,847
	U.S. government notes — at fair value	$	2,252		$	2,077		$	476	$	4,805

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen1

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of non-deliverable foreign currency contracts	'
	The details related to the non-deliverable foreign currency contracts at March 31, 2014 are as follows (in millions, except foreign exchange rate):
		Settlement Date		Hedged Notional Amount (INR)		Contractual INR/USD Foreign Exchange Rate	Hedged Notional Amount (USD)
	Cash flow hedge #1	6/3/14		560.4		65.96	$	8.5
	Cash flow hedge #2	6/2/15		560.4		69.35	8.1
	Cash flow hedge #3	6/2/16		560.4		72.21	7.8
	Cash flow hedge #4	6/2/17		560.4		74.2	7.5
	Total hedged amount						$	31.9
Schedule of the fair value of the derivative instruments	'
	The fair value of the derivative instruments included in other assets in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial condition were as follows (in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Cash flow hedges	$	1,939		$	187

Debt_Tables

Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Outstanding borrowings	'
	The Company’s outstanding borrowings were as follows (dollars in thousands):
				March 31, 2014							December 31, 2013
								Interest					Interest
		Maturity		Balance				Rate			Balance		Rate
	Senior secured term loans:
	Term Loan A	3/29/17		$	459,375			2.65	%	-1	$	459,375	2.67	%	-3
	Term Loan B	3/29/19		1,073,012				3.25	%	-2	1,075,721		3.25	%	-4
	Total borrowings			1,532,387							1,535,096
	Less current portion			10,839							10,839
	Long-term borrowings — net of current portion			$	1,521,548						$	1,524,257
	_____________________
	-1	As of March 31, 2014, the variable interest rate for Term Loan A was the one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.15%.
	-2	As of March 31, 2014, the Company elected the six-month LIBOR, which was less than 0.75%; as a result, the variable interest rate for Term Loan B was the minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%.
	-3	As of December 31, 2013, the variable interest rate for Term Loan A was the one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.17%.
	-4	As of December 31, 2013, the Company elected the six-month LIBOR, which was less than 0.75%; as a result, the variable interest rate for Term Loan B was the minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%.
Summary of borrowing activity in the revolving and uncommitted line of credit facilities	'
	The following summarizes borrowing activity in the revolving and uncommitted line of credit facilities (dollars in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014				2013
	Average balance	$	—			$	12,406
	Weighted-average interest rate	—		%		1.8		%

Stockholders_Equity_Stockholde

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent [Abstract]	'
Weighted-average assumptions used for calculating the fair value of stock options and warrants with the Black-Scholes valuation model	'
	The following table presents the weighted-average assumptions used by the Company in calculating the fair value of its employee, officer and director stock options with the Black-Scholes valuation model that have been granted during the three months ended March 31, 2014:
	Expected life (in years)	6.01
	Expected stock price volatility	44.34		%
	Expected dividend yield	1.75		%
	Risk-free interest rate	2.19		%
	Fair value of options	$	20.77
	The fair value of each stock option or warrant awarded to advisors and financial institutions is estimated on the date of the grant and revalued at each reporting period using the Black-Scholes valuation model with the following weighted-average assumptions used during the three months ended March 31, 2014:
	Expected life (in years)	7.2
	Expected stock price volatility	42.53		%
	Expected dividend yield	1.83		%
	Risk-free interest rate	2.17		%
	Fair value of options	$	28.11
Summary of stock option and warrant activity	'
	The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option and warrant activity for the three months ended March 31, 2014:
		Number of			Weighted-				Weighted-		Aggregate
		Shares			Average				Average		Intrinsic
					Exercise Price				Remaining		Value
									Contractual		(In thousands)
									Term
									(Years)
	Outstanding — December 31, 2013	7,016,521			$	28.45
	Granted	693,089			54.81
	Exercised	(543,458	)		25.3
	Forfeited	(46,098	)		30.81
	Outstanding — March 31, 2014	7,120,054			$	31.24			7.05		$	151,626
	Exercisable — March 31, 2014	3,482,681			$	26.96			5.83		$	89,089
Summary of outstanding stock options and warrant information	'
	The following table summarizes information about outstanding stock options and warrants at March 31, 2014:
		Outstanding									Exercisable
	Range of Exercise Prices	Total			Weighted-		Weighted-				Number of			Weighted-
		Number of			Average		Average				Shares			Average
		Shares			Remaining		Exercise							Exercise
					Life		Price							Price
					(Years)
	$1.35 - $2.38	38,952			0.61		$	1.89			38,952			$	1.89
	$10.30 - $19.74	354,080			4.71		17.91				354,080			17.91
	$21.60 - $22.08	861,781			5.2		22.02				662,781			22.01
	$23.02 - $29.99	2,045,265			6.3		27.39				1,228,152			26.81
	$30.00 - $32.26	1,829,612			8.4		31.83				519,651			31.89
	$32.33 - $39.60	1,297,275			6.9		34.55				677,372			34.39
	$40.00 - $54.81	693,089			9.91		54.81				1,693			54.81
		7,120,054			7.05		$	31.24			3,482,681			$	26.96
Summary of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units activity	'
	The following summarizes the Company’s activity in its restricted stock awards and restricted stock units for the three months ended March 31, 2014:
		Restricted Stock Awards							Restricted Stock Units
		Number of			Weighted-Average				Number of			Weighted-Average
		Shares			Grant-Date				Shares			Grant-Date
					Fair Value							Fair Value
	Nonvested at December 31, 2013	39,153			$	33.2			256,684			$	32.12
	Granted	5,610			53.47				171,841			52.8
	Vested	(9,300	)		32.26				(34,352	)		30.57
	Forfeited	(4,550	)		32.96				(2,361	)		29.24
	Nonvested at March 31, 2014	30,913			$	37.19			391,812			$	41.35
Summary of share repurchase program activity	'
	For the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had the following activity under its approved share repurchase programs (in millions, except share and per share data):
										Three Months Ended March 31,
										2014								2013
	Approval Date	Authorized Repurchase Amount				Amount Remaining at March 31, 2014				Shares Purchased			Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share			Total Cost		Shares Purchased	Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share		Total Cost
	27-Sep-12	$	150			$	—			—			$	—		$	—	155,289	$	31.69	$	4.9
	28-May-13	$	200			—				1,306,288			52			67.9		—	—		—
	10-Feb-14	$	150			117.9				616,788			52			32.1		—	—		—
						$	117.9			1,923,076			$	52		$	100	155,289	$	31.69	$	4.9
	See Note 13 for details regarding the repurchase of shares from related parties.

Earnings_per_Share_Tables

Earnings per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Basic and diluted earnings per share computations	'
	The calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	Net income	$	53,135	$	54,717
	Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding	101,279		106,347
	Dilutive common share equivalents	2,060		950
	Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding	103,339		107,297
	Basic earnings per share	$	0.52	$	0.51
	Diluted earnings per share	$	0.51	$	0.51

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'	'
Senior secured credit facilities	$1,532,387,000	$1,535,096,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of debt	$1,530,300,000	$1,533,300,000

Restructuring_Restructuring_De

Restructuring Restructuring (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Total Expected Restructuring Costs	$65

Restructuring_Table_Details_1

Restructuring Table (Details 1) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'
Total Expected Restructuring Costs	$65,000
Restructuring Charges [Member]	'
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'
Accrued Balance, Beginning of Period	3,997
Costs incurred	6,916
Payments	-7,480
Non-cash	0
Accrued Balance, End of Period	3,433
Cumulative Costs Incurred to Date	34,767
Total Expected Restructuring Costs	65,000
Outsourcing and other related costs	'
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'
Accrued Balance, Beginning of Period	1,424
Costs incurred	2,873
Payments	-3,985
Non-cash	0
Accrued Balance, End of Period	312
Cumulative Costs Incurred to Date	18,155
Total Expected Restructuring Costs	30,000
Technology transformation costs	'
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'
Accrued Balance, Beginning of Period	1,753
Costs incurred	3,251
Payments	-3,060
Non-cash	0
Accrued Balance, End of Period	1,944
Cumulative Costs Incurred to Date	12,520
Total Expected Restructuring Costs	23,000
Employee severance obligations and other related costs	'
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'
Accrued Balance, Beginning of Period	820
Costs incurred	792
Payments	-435
Non-cash	0
Accrued Balance, End of Period	1,177
Cumulative Costs Incurred to Date	3,250
Total Expected Restructuring Costs	11,000
Asset impairments	'
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'
Accrued Balance, Beginning of Period	0
Costs incurred	0
Payments	0
Non-cash	0
Accrued Balance, End of Period	0
Cumulative Costs Incurred to Date	842
Total Expected Restructuring Costs	$1,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Financ

Fair Value Measurements Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	$12,388	$8,964
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	536	211
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	246,058	254,032
Securities owned — trading	8,905	8,964
Other assets	59,706	47,539
Total assets at fair value	314,669	310,535
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	523	190
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	'	0
Total liabilities at fair value	523	190
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	0	0
Securities owned — trading	3,483	0
Other assets	4,611	3,072
Total assets at fair value	8,094	3,072
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	13	21
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	'	0
Total liabilities at fair value	13	21
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	0	0
Securities owned — trading	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets at fair value	0	0
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	'	39,293
Total liabilities at fair value	0	39,293
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	246,058	254,032
Securities owned — trading	12,388	8,964
Other assets	64,317	50,611
Total assets at fair value	322,763	313,607
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	536	211
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	'	39,293
Total liabilities at fair value	536	39,504
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	63
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	63
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	523	127
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	0	0
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	0	0
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	523	127
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	0	0
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	13	10
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	0	0
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	13	10
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	0
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	11
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	0
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities sold, but not yet purchased	'	11
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	243	170
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	243	170
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	6,556	7,291
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	6,556	7,291
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	106	103
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	106	103
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	'
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	3,234	'
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	'
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	3,234	'
U.S. Treasury Obligations [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	2,000	1,400
U.S. Treasury Obligations [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
U.S. Treasury Obligations [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	0
U.S. Treasury Obligations [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	2,000	1,400
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	'
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	249	'
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	0	'
Certificates of Deposit [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Total Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Securities owned — trading	$249	'

Fair_Value_Measurements_Change

Fair Value Measurements Changes in Level 3 Recurring Fair Value Measurements (Details Textuals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Feb. 19, 2014
			National Retirement Partners [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'	'
Payment of contingent consideration obligation	$3,300	$0	$39,300

HeldtoMaturity_Securities_Deta

Held-to-Maturity Securities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Summary of amortized cost, gross unrealized (loss) gain and fair value of securities held-to-maturity	'	'
Amortized cost	$4,847	$6,853
U.S. government notes [Member]	'	'
Summary of amortized cost, gross unrealized (loss) gain and fair value of securities held-to-maturity	'	'
Amortized cost	4,847	6,853
Gross unrealized loss	-42	-58
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | U.S. government notes [Member]	'	'
Summary of amortized cost, gross unrealized (loss) gain and fair value of securities held-to-maturity	'	'
Fair value	$4,805	$6,795

HeldtoMaturity_Securities_Deta1

Held-to-Maturity Securities (Details 1) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Maturities of securities held-to-maturity	'	'
U.S. government notes - at amortized cost	$4,847	$6,853
U.S. government notes [Member]	'	'
Maturities of securities held-to-maturity	'	'
U.S. government notes - at amortized cost, Within one year	2,251	'
U.S. government notes - at amortized cost, After one but within five years	2,096	'
U.S. government notes - at amortized cost, After five through ten years	500	'
U.S. government notes - at amortized cost	4,847	'
U.S. government notes - at fair value, Within one year	2,252	'
U.S. government notes - at fair value, After one but within five years	2,077	'
U.S. government notes - at fair value, After five through ten years	476	'
U.S. government notes - at fair value	$4,805	'

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen2

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Details)	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	USD ($)	Cash Flow Hedge 1 [Member]	Cash Flow Hedge 1 [Member]	Cash Flow Hedge 2 [Member]	Cash Flow Hedge 2 [Member]	Cash Flow Hedge 3 [Member]	Cash Flow Hedge 3 [Member]	Cash Flow Hedge 4 [Member]	Cash Flow Hedge 4 [Member]
		USD ($)	INR	USD ($)	INR	USD ($)	INR	USD ($)	INR
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Hedged Notional Amount	$31.90	$8.50	560.4	$8.10	560.4	$7.80	560.4	$7.50	560.4
Contractual INR/USD Foreign Exchange Rate	'	65.96	65.96	69.35	69.35	72.21	72.21	74.2	74.2

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen3

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Details 1) (Other Assets [Member], USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Other Assets [Member]	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of cash flow hedges	$1,939	$187

Debt_Details

Debt (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Senior secured term loans:	'		'
Balance	$1,532,387		$1,535,096
Less current portion	10,839		10,839
Long-term borrowings — net of current portion	1,521,548		1,524,257
Term Loan A [Member]	'		'
Senior secured term loans:	'		'
Balance	459,375		459,375
Interest Rate	2.65%	[1]	2.67%	[2]
Term Loan B [Member]	'		'
Senior secured term loans:	'		'
Balance	$1,073,012		$1,075,721
Interest Rate	3.25%	[3]	3.25%	[4]
[1]	As of March 31, 2014, the variable interest rate for Term Loan A was the one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.15%.
[2]	As of December 31, 2013, the variable interest rate for Term Loan A was the one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.17%.
[3]	As of March 31, 2014, the Company elected the six-month LIBOR, which was less than 0.75%; as a result, the variable interest rate for Term Loan B was the minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%.
[4]	As of December 31, 2013, the Company elected the six-month LIBOR, which was less than 0.75%; as a result, the variable interest rate for Term Loan B was the minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%

Debt_Details_1

Debt (Details 1) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Summary of borrowing activity in the revolving and uncommitted line of credit facilities	'	'
Average balance	$0	$12,406
Weighted-average interest rate	0.00%	1.80%

Debt_Details_Textuals

Debt (Details Textuals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 29, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Letters of credit, amount outstanding	$21.40	'	'
Number of uncommitted lines of credit	3	'	'
Number of uncommitted lines of credit, unspecified limit	2	'	'
Term Loan A [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Aggregate initial principal amount of senior secured term loans	'	'	459.4
Payment terms of senior secured term loans	'At the time the Company entered into the Credit Agreement, all mandatory payments required under Term Loan A were prepaid, with the remaining principal and accrued interest due upon maturity.	'	'
Term Loan B [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Aggregate initial principal amount of senior secured term loans	'	'	1,083.90
Payment terms of senior secured term loans	'Term Loan B includes quarterly payments at an annual rate of 1.0% of principal per year, with the remaining principal and accrued interest due upon maturity.	'	'
Term Loan A and Term Loan B [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Interest rate terms of senior secured term loans	'Borrowings under Term Loan A and Term Loan B bear interest at a base rate equal to either one-, two-, three-, six-, nine-, or twelve-month LIBOR (the “Eurodollar Rate”) plus the applicable interest rate margin, or an alternative base rate (“ABR”) plus the applicable interest rate margin. The Eurodollar Rate with respect to Term Loan B shall in no event be less than 0.75%. The ABR is equal to the greatest of (a) the prime rate in effect on such day; (b) the effective federal funds rate in effect on such day plus 0.50%; (c) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.00%; or (d) solely in the case of Term Loan B, 1.75%. The Company may repay outstanding loans under its Credit Agreement at any time without premium or penalty, other than customary “breakage” costs with respect to Eurodollar Rate loans.	'	'
Applicable interest rate margin	2.50%	2.50%	'
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	'	'	250
Applicable interest rate margin	2.50%	2.50%	'
Line of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	228.6	'	'
Bank Loans Payable [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	200	'	'
Line of credit, amount outstanding	0	0	'
Eurodollar Rate [Member] | Term Loan A [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Variable interest rate basis	'one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.15%	'one-month LIBOR, designated at an interest rate of 0.17%	'
Eurodollar Rate [Member] | Term Loan B [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Variable interest rate basis	'minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%	'minimum Eurodollar Rate of 0.75%	'
March 29, 2015 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Letters of credit, amount outstanding	20.7	'	'
April 6, 2015 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Letters of credit, amount outstanding	$0.70	'	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Leases) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Rent expense, operating leases	$8.80	$5
Future minimum payments for future Charlotte office, 2014 - remaining	0.5	'
Future minimum payments for future Charlotte office, 2015	1	'
Future minimum payments for future Charlotte office, 2016	1.1	'
Future minimum payments for future Charlotte office, 2017	$0.20	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Other Commitments) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Collateral security	$368.90	'
Amount pledged with client-owned securities	28.8	'
Collateral security held at banks	141.2	'
Collateral security that has not been re-pledged, loaned, or sold	198.9	'
Remaining collateral securities that can be re-pledged, loaned, or sold	340.1	'
Trading securities pledged to clearing organizations	$2	$1.40

Stockholders_Equity_Details_Te

Stockholders' Equity (Details Texuals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Authorized shares	12,055,945	'
Authorized unissued shares	6,208,095	'
Stock options and warrants [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Expiration period	'10 years	'
Employee Stock Option Awards [Member]	'	'
Share-based compensation:	'	'
Share-based compensation	$3.80	$3.50
Share-based compensation cost unrecognized	35.7	'
Non-vested compensation cost weighted-average period	'2 years 7 months 21 days	'
Advisors and Financial Institutions [Member]	'	'
Share-based compensation:	'	'
Share-based compensation	3.2	1.9
Share-based compensation cost unrecognized	20	'
Non-vested compensation cost weighted-average period	'2 years 10 months 10 days	'
Restricted Stock [Member]	'	'
Share-based compensation:	'	'
Share-based compensation	1.2	0.4
Share-based compensation cost unrecognized	$13.80	'
Non-vested compensation cost weighted-average period	'2 years 7 months 13 days	'
Minimum [Member] | Stock options and warrants [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Vesting period	'3 years	'
Minimum [Member] | Restricted Stock [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Vesting period	'2 years	'
Maximum [Member] | Stock options and warrants [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Vesting period	'5 years	'
Maximum [Member] | Restricted Stock [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Vesting period	'4 years	'

Stockholders_Equity_Stock_Opti

Stockholders' Equity Stock Option and Warrant Assumptions (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Employee Stock Option Awards [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions and Methodology [Abstract]	'
Expected life (in years)	'6 years 0 months 5 days
Expected stock price volatility	44.34%
Expected dividend yield	1.75%
Risk-free interest rate	2.19%
Fair value of options	$20.77
Advisors and Financial Institutions [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions and Methodology [Abstract]	'
Expected life (in years)	'7 years 2 months 12 days
Expected stock price volatility	42.53%
Expected dividend yield	1.83%
Risk-free interest rate	2.17%
Fair value of options	$28.11

Stockholders_Equity_Stock_Opti1

Stockholders' Equity Stock Option and Warrant Activity (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'
Number of Shares Outstanding, Beginning Balance	7,016,521	'
Number of Shares, Granted	693,089	'
Number of Shares, Exercised	-543,458	'
Number of Shares, Forfeited	-46,098	'
Number of Shares Outstanding, Ending Balance	7,120,054	'
Number of Shares, Exercisable, Ending Balance	3,482,681	'
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Granted	$54.81	'
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Exercised	$25.30	'
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Forfeited	$30.81	'
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Outstanding, Ending Balance	$31.24	$28.45
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Exercisable, Ending Balance	$26.96	'
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term for Options, Outstanding	'7 years 0 months 20 days	'
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term for Options, Exercisable	'5 years 10 months 0 days	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding, Ending Balance	$151,626	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Exercisable, Ending Balance	$89,089	'

Stockholders_Equity_Outstandin

Stockholders' Equity Outstanding Stock Options and Warrant Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	7,120,054
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'7 years 0 months 20 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$31.24
Number of shares, Exercisable	3,482,681
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$26.96
$1.35 - $2.38	'
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	38,952
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'0 years 7 months 10 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$1.89
Number of shares, Exercisable	38,952
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$1.89
$10.30 - $19.74	'
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	354,080
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'4 years 8 months 15 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$17.91
Number of shares, Exercisable	354,080
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$17.91
$21.60 - $22.08	'
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	861,781
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'5 years 2 months 13 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$22.02
Number of shares, Exercisable	662,781
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$22.01
$23.02 - $29.99	'
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	2,045,265
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'6 years 3 months 20 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$27.39
Number of shares, Exercisable	1,228,152
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$26.81
$30.00 - $32.26	'
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	1,829,612
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'8 years 4 months 25 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$31.83
Number of shares, Exercisable	519,651
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$31.89
$32.33 - $39.60	'
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	1,297,275
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'6 years 10 months 25 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$34.55
Number of shares, Exercisable	677,372
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$34.39
$40.00 - $54.81	'
Summary information about outstanding stock options and warrants	'
Total number of shares, Outstanding	693,089
Weighted-average remaining life (years), Outstanding	'9 years 10 months 28 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$54.81
Number of shares, Exercisable	1,693
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$54.81

Stockholders_Equity_Restricted

Stockholders' Equity Restricted Stock Activity (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Restricted stock awards [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'
Number of Shares, Beginning Balance	39,153	'
Number of Shares, Granted	5,610	'
Number of Shares, Vested	-9,300	'
Number of Shares, Forfeited	-4,550	'
Number of Shares, Ending Balance	30,913	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance	$37.19	$33.20
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Granted	$53.47	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Vested	$32.26	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Forfeited	$32.96	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Ending Balance	$37.19	$33.20
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'
Number of Shares, Beginning Balance	256,684	'
Number of Shares, Granted	171,841	'
Number of Shares, Vested	-34,352	'
Number of Shares, Forfeited	-2,361	'
Number of Shares, Ending Balance	391,812	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance	$41.35	$32.12
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Granted	$52.80	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Vested	$30.57	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Forfeited	$29.24	'
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Ending Balance	$41.35	$32.12

Stockholders_Equity_Dividends_

Stockholders' Equity Dividends (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Dividend per share of common stock	$0.24	$0.14
Cash dividends on common stock	($24,097)	($14,374)

Stockholders_Equity_Share_Repu

Stockholders' Equity Share Repurchase Program (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Feb. 19, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount	'	$117.90	'
Shares Repurchased During Period	1,900,000	1,923,076	155,289
Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share	$52	$52	$31.69
Total Cost of Shares Repurchased During Period	100	100	4.9
27-Sep-12	'	'	'
Authorized Repurchase Amount	'	150	'
Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount	'	0	'
Shares Repurchased During Period	'	0	155,289
Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share	'	$0	$31.69
Total Cost of Shares Repurchased During Period	'	0	4.9
28-May-13	'	'	'
Authorized Repurchase Amount	'	200	'
Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount	'	0	'
Shares Repurchased During Period	'	1,306,288	0
Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share	'	$52	$0
Total Cost of Shares Repurchased During Period	'	67.9	0
10-Feb-14	'	'	'
Authorized Repurchase Amount	'	150	'
Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount	'	117.9	'
Shares Repurchased During Period	'	616,788	0
Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share	'	$52	$0
Total Cost of Shares Repurchased During Period	'	$32.10	$0

Earnings_per_Share_Details

Earnings per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'	'
Net income	$53,135	$54,717
Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding	101,279	106,347
Dilutive common share equivalents	2,060	950
Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding	103,339	107,297
Basic earnings per share	$0.52	$0.51
Diluted earnings per share	$0.51	$0.51

Earnings_per_Share_Details_Tex

Earnings per Share (Details Textuals)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'	'
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of Earnings per Share amount	941,406	5,039,942

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Federal statutory income tax rate	35.00%	'
Effective income tax rate	39.30%	39.60%

Related_Party_Transactions_Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Feb. 19, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue from related party transactions	'	$0.10	$1.10	'
Related party transactions expenses	'	0.2	0.8	'
Related party receivables	'	0.1	1	'
Shares Repurchased During Period	1,900,000	1,923,076	'	155,289
Total Cost of Shares Repurchased During Period	100	100	'	4.9
Weighted-Average Price Paid Per Share	$52	$52	'	$31.69
Maximum [Member]	'	'	'	'
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Related party payables	'	$0.10	$0.10	'

Net_Capital_and_Regulatory_Req1

Net Capital and Regulatory Requirements (Details) (Lpl Financial Llc [Member], USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Lpl Financial Llc [Member]	'
Net capital and net capital requirements for the Company's broker-dealer subsidiaries	'
Net Capital	$180.20
Minimum Net Capital Required	6.5
Excess Net Capital	$173.70

Subsequent_Event_Subsequent_Ev

Subsequent Event Subsequent Events (Details) (Subsequent Event [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended
	Apr. 22, 2014
Subsequent Event [Member]	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Dividends Payable, Date Declared	22-Apr-14
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared	$0.24
Dividends Payable, Date to be Paid	20-May-14
Dividends Payable, Date of Record	6-May-14