Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 28, 2013	Jun. 29, 2012
Document and Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	Tree.com, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0001434621
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2012
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Smaller Reporting Company
Entity Public Float			$ 71,208,274
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		11,638,457
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2012
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue	$ 77,443	$ 54,617
Costs and expenses
Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation shown separately below)	4,295	4,133
Selling and marketing expense	48,934	46,662
General and administrative expense	22,231	19,751
Product development	3,529	3,203
Depreciation	4,105	5,023
Amortization of intangibles	358	891
Restructuring and severance	(57)	1,080
Litigation settlements and contingencies (Note 12)	(3,101)	5,732
Asset impairments (Note 4)		29,250
Total costs and expenses	80,294	115,725
Operating loss	(2,851)	(61,108)
Other income (expense)
Interest expense	(881)	(368)
Total other income (expense)	(881)	(368)
Loss before income taxes	(3,732)	(61,476)
Income tax benefit	1,483	11,766
Net loss from continuing operations	(2,249)	(49,710)
Gain from sale of discontinued operations, net of tax	24,373	7,752
Income (loss) from operations of discontinued operations, net of tax	24,501	(17,545)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	48,874	(9,793)
Net income (loss)	$ 46,625	$ (59,503)
Weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)	11,313	10,995
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding (in shares)	11,313	10,995
Net loss per share from continuing operations
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.20)	$ (4.52)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.20)	$ (4.52)
Net income (loss) per share from discontinued operations
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 4.32	$ (0.89)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 4.32	$ (0.89)
Net income (loss) per share attributable to common shareholders
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 4.12	$ (5.41)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 4.12	$ (5.41)

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 80,190	$ 45,541
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	29,414	12,451
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $503 and $86, respectively	11,488	5,474
Prepaid and other current assets	773	1,060
Current assets of discontinued operations	407	232,425
Total current assets	122,272	296,951
Property and equipment, net	6,155	8,375
Goodwill	3,632	3,632
Intangible assets, net	10,831	11,189
Other non-current assets	152	246
Non-current assets of discontinued operations	129	10,947
Total assets	143,171	331,340
LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable, trade	2,741	9,072
Deferred revenue	648	176
Deferred income taxes		4,335
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	19,960	16,712
Current liabilities of discontinued operations (Note 7)	31,017	250,030
Total current liabilities	54,366	280,325
Income taxes payable		7
Other non-current liabilities	936	4,070
Deferred income taxes	4,694	435
Non-current liabilities of discontinued operations	253	1,032
Total liabilities	60,249	285,869
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 11 and 12)
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Preferred stock $.01 par value; authorized 5,000,000 shares; none issued or outstanding
Common stock $.01 par value; authorized 50,000,000 shares; issued 12,625,678 and 12,169,226 shares, respectively, and outstanding 11,437,199 and 11,045,965 shares, respectively	126	121
Additional paid-in capital	903,688	911,987
Accumulated deficit	(811,480)	(858,105)
Treasury stock 1,188,479 and 1,123,261 shares, respectively	(9,412)	(8,532)
Total shareholders' equity	82,922	45,471
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 143,171	$ 331,340

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
Accounts receivable, allowance (in dollars)	$ 503	$ 86
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, authorized shares	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, issued shares	0	0
Preferred stock, outstanding shares	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, authorized shares	50,000,000	50,000,000
Common stock, issued shares	12,625,678	12,169,226
Common stock, outstanding shares	11,437,199	11,045,965
Treasury stock, shares	1,188,479	1,123,261

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Deficit	Treasury Stock	Comprehensive Income
Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	$ 101,821	$ 118	$ 908,837	$ (798,602)	$ (8,532)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2010		11,893,000			1,123,000
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2012	(59,503)			(59,503)		(59,503)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(59,503)					(59,503)
Stock-based compensation	4,115		4,115
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units, net of withholding taxes	(962)	3	(965)
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units, net of withholding taxes (in shares)		276,000
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)	0
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	45,471	121	911,987	(858,105)	(8,532)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2011		12,169,000			1,123,000
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2012	46,625			46,625		46,625
Comprehensive income (loss)	46,625					46,625
Stock-based compensation	4,756		4,756
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units, net of withholding taxes	(814)	5	(819)
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units, net of withholding taxes (in shares)		456,000
Purchase of treasury stock	(880)				(880)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)	65,218				65,000
Dividends	(12,236)		(12,236)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 82,922	$ 126	$ 903,688	$ (811,480)	$ (9,412)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012		12,625,000			1,188,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Cash flows from operating activities attributable to continuing operations:
Net income (loss)	$ 46,625	$ (59,503)
Less loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(48,874)	9,793
Net loss from continuing operations	(2,249)	(49,710)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss from continuing operations to net cash used in operating activities attributable to continuing operations:
Loss on disposal of fixed assets	747	311
Amortization of intangibles	358	891
Depreciation	4,105	5,023
Asset impairments		29,250
Non-cash compensation expense	4,587	3,777
Non-cash contingent consideration gain		(652)
Deferred income taxes	(92)	(11,551)
Bad debt expense (benefit)	(4)	55
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(6,011)	(1,964)
Prepaid and other current assets	620	(148)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(6,595)	(4,376)
Income taxes payable	(98)	(309)
Deferred revenue	472	(136)
Other, net	(562)	1,487
Net cash used in operating activities attributable to continuing operations	(4,722)	(28,052)
Cash flows from investing activities attributable to continuing operations:
Capital expenditures	(2,632)	(6,110)
Decrease (increase) in restricted cash	(1,085)	(1,981)
Net cash used in investing activities attributable to continuing operations	(3,717)	(8,091)
Cash flows from financing activities attributable to continuing operations:
Issuance of common stock, net of withholding taxes	(815)	(962)
Purchase of treasury stock	(879)
Dividends	(11,428)
Decrease (increase) in restricted cash	1,199	(2,325)
Net cash used in financing activities attributable to continuing operations	(11,923)	(3,287)
Total cash used in continuing operations	(20,362)	(39,430)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities attributable to discontinued operations	226,747	(81,723)
Net cash provided by investing activities attributable to discontinued operations	25,923	839
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities attributable to discontinued operations	(197,659)	97,036
Total cash provided by discontinued operations	55,011	16,152
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	34,649	(23,278)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	45,541	68,819
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 80,190	$ 45,541

ORGANIZATION	12 Months Ended
ORGANIZATION	Dec. 31, 2012
ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATION	NOTE 1—ORGANIZATION Company Overview Tree.com, Inc. ("Tree.com" or the "Company") is the parent of LendingTree, LLC, which owns several brands and businesses that provide information, tools, advice, products and services for critical transactions in consumers' lives. Our family of brands includes: LendingTree®, GetSmart®, DegreeTree®, LendingTreeAutos, DoneRight®, ServiceTree® and InsuranceTree®. Together, these brands serve as an ally for consumers who are looking to comparison-shop for loans, education programs, home services providers and other services from multiple businesses and professionals that will compete for their business. Spin-Off On August 20, 2008, Tree.com was spun off from its parent company, IAC/InterActiveCorp ("IAC") into a separate publicly traded company. In connection with the spin-off, Tree.com was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in April 2008. Segment Reporting Effective December 31, 2012, we expanded our reportable segments from one to two, consisting of mortgage and non-mortgage. The change was made as the convergence of economic similarities associated with our mortgage and non-mortgage operating segments was no longer expected. This decision was made in connection with the update of our annual budget and forecast, which occurs in the fourth quarter each year. The non-mortgage reportable segment consists of our auto, education and home services operating segments, which are not yet mature businesses, and have been aggregated. Prior period results have been reclassified to conform with the change in reportable segments. Business Combinations: Contingent Consideration In 2010, we purchased certain assets of a company for an aggregate purchase price of $0.8 million in cash and contingent consideration. The contingent consideration amount is based on a percentage of estimated cumulative earnings over a period of thirty-six months from the date of acquisition. The minimum payout under the arrangement is zero and the maximum payout is unlimited. In 2011, there was a reduction of $0.4 million in the amount of contingent consideration recognized since the date of acquisition, which is reflected as a reduction of general and administrative expense. The purchase was part of our strategic initiative to diversify our revenue streams outside of the mortgage and real estate industries. In 2009, we purchased certain assets of four separate companies, for an aggregate purchase price of $5.7 million in cash and $1.0 million in contingent consideration. The contingent consideration amount related to one of the purchases is based on a percentage of estimated cumulative earnings over a period of thirty-six months from the date of acquisition. The minimum payout under the arrangement is zero and the maximum payout is unlimited. In 2011, there was a reduction of $0.3 million in the amount of contingent consideration recognized since the date of acquisition, which is reflected as a reduction of general and administrative expense. All four transactions were part of our strategic initiative to diversify our revenue streams outside of the mortgage and real estate industries. Discontinued Operations The businesses of RealEstate.com and RealEstate.com, REALTORS® (which together represent the former Real Estate segment) and LendingTree Loans are presented as discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for all periods presented. The notes accompanying these consolidated financial statements reflect our continuing operations and, unless otherwise noted, exclude information related to the discontinued operations. Real Estate On March 10, 2011, management made the decision and finalized a plan to close all of the field offices of the proprietary full-service real estate brokerage business known as RealEstate.com, REALTORS®. We exited all markets in which we previously operated by March 31, 2011. In September 2011, we sold the remaining assets of RealEstate.com, which consisted primarily of internet domain names and trademarks, for $8.3 million and recognized a gain on sale of $7.8 million. LendingTree Loans On May 12, 2011, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with Discover, as amended on February 7, 2012, for the sale of substantially all of the operating assets of our LendingTree Loans business. We completed the sale on June 6, 2012. The asset purchase agreement as amended provided for a purchase price of approximately $55.9 million in cash for the assets, subject to certain conditions. Of this total purchase price, $8.0 million was paid prior to the closing, $37.9 million was paid upon the closing and $10.0 million is due on the first anniversary of the closing (June 6, 2013), subject to certain conditions. Discover generally did not assume liabilities of the LendingTree Loans business that arose before the closing date, except for certain liabilities directly related to assets Discover acquired. Of the initial purchase price payment, $17.1 million is being held in escrow pending resolution of certain actual and/or contingent liabilities that remain with us following the sale. The escrowed amount is recorded as restricted cash at December 31, 2012. Separate from the asset purchase agreement, we agreed to provide certain marketing-related services to Discover in connection with its mortgage origination business for approximately seventeen months following the closing, or such earlier point as the agreed-upon services are satisfactorily completed. Discover has been a network lender on our mortgage exchange since closing of the transaction. Business Combinations On March 15, 2011, our wholly-owned subsidiary, HLC, completed its acquisition of certain assets of First Residential Mortgage Network, Inc., dba SurePoint Lending, pursuant to an asset purchase agreement dated November 15, 2010. SurePoint, a LendingTree network lender for eleven years, was a full-service residential mortgage provider licensed in 45 states and employed over 500 people, including more than 300 licensed loan officers. HLC purchased certain specified assets and assumed certain liabilities of SurePoint related to its business of originating, refinancing, processing, underwriting, funding and closing residential mortgage loans; providing title and escrow services; and providing other mortgage-related services. The acquired assets also included the equity interests of Real Estate Title Services, LLC. HLC paid $8.0 million in cash upon the closing of the transaction, subject to certain adjustments as described in the asset purchase agreement, and $0.2 million in cash for contingent consideration subsequent to the close. HLC used available cash to fund the acquisition. This asset purchase was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Accordingly, the purchase price was allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based on their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The purchase price was allocated as $5.6 million to goodwill, $0.7 million to intangible assets with useful lives of three months to five years, and $1.7 million to equipment and other assets. The pro forma effect of this purchase was not material to our results of operations. Out of Period Adjustment The Company's results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2012 include a net reduction to net income attributable to common shareholders of approximately $0.2 million that should have been recorded as an increase to net loss attributable to common shareholders between 2008 and 2011 related to the following: leases in restructuring, additional interest on preferred stock of a wholly-owned subsidiary, stock compensation expense and litigation expense. Because the amounts are not material to our previously issued consolidated financial statements and the cumulative amount is not material to the results of operations for the full year 2012, we recorded the cumulative effect of correcting these items during the fourth quarter of 2012.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 2—SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Tree.com and all entities that are wholly-owned by us. Intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenue from fees which are earned through the delivery of qualified leads that originated through one of our websites or affiliates. The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Delivery is deemed to have occurred at the time a qualified lead is delivered to our customer provided that no significant obligations remain.

Previously, lenders also paid closing fees when they closed a transaction with a consumer. The closing fee was eliminated in 2011 for all mortgage products, with the exception of home equity loans. The closing fee on home equity loan products was eliminated in January 2013. Closed-loan fees were recognized at the time the lender reported the closed loan to us, which could have been several months after the loan request was transmitted.

In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2012, we recognized approximately $1.9 million of revenue from marketing-related services provided to Discover discussed above. Revenue from these services is recognized in the period the services are provided.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term, highly liquid money market investments with original maturities of three months or less.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash and cash equivalents consists of the following (in thousands):

	December 31, 2012		December 31, 2011

Cash in escrow for surety bonds	$	6,500	$	6,500
Cash in escrow for corporate purchasing card program		800		800
Cash in escrow for sale of LTL (Note 7)		17,077		—
Cash in escrow for earnout related to an acquisition (Note 6)		1,956		—
Cash restricted for loan loss obligations		3,051		—
Minimum required balances for warehouse lines of credit		—		4,250
Other		30		901

Total restricted cash and cash equivalents	$	29,414	$	12,451

During 2012, $3.1 million of restricted cash on deposit with a former warehouse lender to the LendingTree Loans business was redesignated as restricted cash for the settlement of loan loss obligations.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at amounts due from customers, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts.

Accounts receivable outstanding longer than the contractual payment terms are considered past due. We determine our allowance for doubtful accounts by considering a number of factors, including the length of time accounts receivable are past due, our previous loss history, the specific customer's current ability to pay its obligation to us and the condition of the general economy and the customer's industry as a whole. We write off accounts receivable when management deems them uncollectible. Write-offs were $0.0 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The allowance for doubtful accounts increased by $0.3 million as a result of litigation with one customer within the non-mortgage segment.

Loan Loss Obligations

LendingTree Loans sold loans it originated to investors on a servicing-released basis and the risk of loss or default by the borrower was generally transferred to the investor. However, LendingTree Loans was required by these investors to make certain representations relating to credit information, loan documentation and collateral. To the extent LendingTree Loans did not comply with such representations or there are early payment defaults, LendingTree Loans may be required to repurchase loans or indemnify the investors for any losses from borrower defaults. LendingTree Loans maintains a liability for the estimated exposure relating to such contingent obligations and changes to the estimate are recorded in revenue in the periods they occur.

Prior to the third quarter of 2012, in estimating our exposure to losses on loans previously sold, LendingTree Loans used a model that considered the original loan balance (before it was sold to an investor), historical and projected loss frequency and loss severity ratios by loan type, as well as analyses of losses in process. Subsequent adjustments to the obligation, if any, are made once further losses are determined to be both probable and estimable. Further, LendingTree Loans segmented its loan sales into four segments, based on the extent of the documentation provided by the borrower to substantiate their income and/or assets (full or limited documentation) and the lien position of the mortgage in the underlying property (first or second position). Each of these segments typically has a different loss experience, with full documentation, first lien position loans generally having the lowest loss ratios, and limited documentation, second lien position loans generally having the highest loss ratios.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment, including significant improvements, are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. Repairs and maintenance and any gains or losses on dispositions are included in operations.

Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis to allocate the cost of depreciable assets to operations over their estimated service lives. Amortization of assets recorded under capital leases is included in depreciation expense. The following table presents the depreciation period for each asset category:

Asset Category		Depreciation Period

Computer equipment and capitalized software		1 to 5 years
Leasehold improvements		Lesser of asset life or life of lease
Furniture and other equipment		3 to 7 years

Software Development Costs

Software development costs primarily include expenses incurred to develop the software that powers our websites. Certain costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized based on specific activities tracked on internal timesheets and external invoices (or timesheets), while costs incurred during the preliminary project stage and post-implementation/operation stage are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software development costs are amortized over estimated lives of one to three years.

Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

Goodwill acquired in business combinations is assigned to the reporting units that are expected to benefit from the combination as of the acquisition date.

Goodwill impairment is determined using a two-step process. The first step is to compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. In performing the first step, we determine the fair value of our reporting units by using a market approach and a discounted cash flow ("DCF") analysis. For the fiscal 2012 annual impairment test, the fair value of our mortgage reporting unit was estimated using a DCF analysis and a market comparable method, with each method being equally weighted in the calculation. Determining fair value using a DCF analysis requires the exercise of significant judgments, including judgments about appropriate discount rates, perpetual growth rates and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not impaired and the second step of the impairment test is not required. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the goodwill impairment test is required to be performed to measure the amount of impairment, if any. The second step of the goodwill impairment test compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit's goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined in the same manner as the amount of goodwill recognized in a business combination. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess.

The impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets involves a comparison of the estimated fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. The estimates of fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets are determined using a DCF valuation analysis that employs a relief-from royalty methodology in estimating the fair value of trade names and trademarks. Significant judgments inherent in this analysis include the determination of royalty rates, discount rates, perpetual growth rates and the amount and timing of future revenues.

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, primarily trade names and trademarks, are tested annually for impairment as of October 1, or earlier upon the occurrence of certain events or substantive changes in circumstances. We performed interim tests as of March 31, 2011 and June 30, 2011, in addition to the annual tests on October 1, 2012 and 2011. We identified impairments in the interim tests in 2011, as described in Notes 4 and 7. No impairments were identified in 2012.

Long-Lived Assets and Intangible Assets with Definite Lives

Long-lived assets, including property and equipment and intangible assets with definite lives, are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. If the carrying amount is deemed to not be recoverable, an impairment loss is recorded as the amount by which the carrying amount of the long-lived asset exceeds its fair value. Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets is recorded on a straight-line basis over their estimated lives. We did not identify any impairment related to such assets in 2012 or 2011.

Fair Value Measurements

We categorize our assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the assumptions used in pricing the asset or liability into the following three levels:

•

Level 1: Observable inputs, such as quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets obtained from independent sources.

•

Level 2: Other inputs that are observable directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data.

•

Level 3: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data and which require us to develop our own assumptions, based on the best information available in the circumstances, about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. See Note 7 for a discussion of assets measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs.

Our non-financial assets, such as goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment are measured at fair value when there is an indicator of impairment and recorded at fair value only when an impairment charge is recognized. Such fair value measurements are based predominantly on Level 3 inputs. See Note 4 for discussion of goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue consists primarily of costs associated with compensation and other employee-related costs (including stock-based compensation) related to customer call centers, credit scoring fees, consumer incentive costs, and website network hosting and server fees.

Consumer Promotional Costs

We previously offered certain consumers that utilize our services promotional incentives to complete a transaction. These included gift certificates, airline miles or other coupons in the event a transaction was completed utilizing our services. This program was terminated in 2012. The liability was estimated for these consumer promotional costs each period based on the number of consumers that were presented such offers, the cost of the item being offered, the historical trends of consumers qualifying for the offer and our payout rates. The estimated costs of consumer promotional incentives were charged to cost of revenue in each period. Consumer promotional expense was $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. Consumer promotional costs accrued totaled $0.2 million at December 31, 2011, and are included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Product Development

Product development expense consists primarily of compensation and other employee-related costs (including stock-based compensation) for personnel engaged in the design, development, testing and enhancement of technology that are not capitalized.

Advertising

Advertising costs are expensed in the period incurred (when the advertisement first runs for production costs that are initially capitalized) and principally represent offline costs, including television, print and radio advertising, and online advertising costs, including fees paid to search engines and distribution partners. Advertising expense was $40.8 million and $40.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes under the liability method, and deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. In estimating future tax consequences, all expected future events are considered. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A valuation allowance is provided on deferred tax assets if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will not be realized. We record interest on potential tax contingencies as a component of income tax expense and record interest net of any applicable related income tax benefit. The Company reported a loss from continuing operations and income from discontinued operations during 2012. As a result, the Company has followed the accounting guidance prescribed in ASC 740-20-45-7 which provides an exception to the "with" and "without" approach to intraperiod tax allocation for determination of the amount of tax benefit to allocate to continuing operations in such circumstances.

In accordance with the accounting standard for uncertainty in income taxes, we recognize liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on the two-step process prescribed by the accounting standards. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount which is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.

Stock-Based Compensation

We record stock-based compensation in accordance with the accounting standard for share-based payments. See Note 3 for further information.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income only. Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is displayed as a separate component of stockholders' equity.

Accounting Estimates

Management is required to make certain estimates and assumptions during the preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. These estimates and assumptions impact the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. They also impact the reported amount of net earnings during any period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Significant estimates underlying the accompanying consolidated financial statements, including discontinued operations, include: loan loss obligations; the recoverability of long-lived assets, goodwill and intangible assets; the determination of income taxes payable and deferred income taxes, including related valuation allowances; restructuring reserves; contingent consideration related to business combinations; various other allowances, reserves and accruals; and assumptions related to the determination of stock-based compensation.

Certain Risks and Concentrations

Our business is subject to certain risks and concentrations including dependence on third-party technology providers, exposure to risks associated with online commerce security and credit card fraud.

Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentration of credit risk, consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are in excess of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits, but are maintained with quality financial institutions of high credit.

Due to the nature of the mortgage lending industry, interest rate increases may negatively impact future revenue from our lender network.

For the year ended December 31, 2012, one mortgage customer accounted for revenue representing 14% of total revenue and another mortgage customer accounted for 11% of total revenue. No customer accounted for more than 10% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2011.

Lenders participating on our lender network can offer their products directly to consumers through brokers, mass marketing campaigns or through other traditional methods of credit distribution. These lenders can also offer their products online, either directly to prospective borrowers, through one or more of our online competitors, or both. If a significant number of potential consumers are able to obtain loans from our participating lenders without utilizing our service, our ability to generate revenue may be limited. Because we do not have exclusive relationships with the lenders whose loan offerings are offered on our online marketplace, consumers may obtain offers and loans from these lenders without using our service.

We maintain operations solely in the United States.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2011, the FASB issued amendments to the fair value accounting guidance. The amendments clarify the application of the highest and best use, and valuation premise concepts, preclude the application of blockage factors in the valuation of all financial instruments and include criteria for applying the fair value measurement principles to portfolios of financial instruments. The amendments additionally prescribe enhanced financial statement disclosures for Level 3 fair value measurements. The new amendments were effective on January 1, 2012. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. See Note 7 for further information.

In June 2011, the FASB issued new accounting guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income in financial statements. The new guidance requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either a continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. In December 2011, the FASB deferred certain provisions of this guidance pertaining to the presentation of reclassification adjustments. This new accounting guidance is effective for the three months ended March 31, 2012. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In December 2011, the FASB issued new accounting guidance that requires additional disclosures on financial instruments and derivative instruments that are either offset in accordance with existing accounting guidance or are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement. The new requirements do not change the accounting guidance on netting, but rather enhance the disclosures to more clearly show the impact of netting arrangements on a company's financial position. This new accounting guidance will be effective, on a retrospective basis for all comparative periods presented, beginning on January 1, 2013. The adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In July 2012, the FASB issued new guidance which allows an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. This assessment should be used as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative impairment test. An entity would not be required to calculate the fair value of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative test unless the entity determines, based upon its qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying value. The update expands previous guidance by providing more examples of events and circumstances that an entity should consider in determining whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount. The update also allows an entity the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative impairment test. An entity will be able to resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after September 15, 2012, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-04, "Liabilities." ASU No. 2013-04 requires an entity to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of this guidance is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of the amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. The guidance in this ASU also requires an entity to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation as well as other information about those obligations. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. We are currently evaluating the impact that the adoption will have on our consolidated financial statements in fiscal 2014.

CONTINGENCIES	12 Months Ended
CONTINGENCIES	Dec. 31, 2012
CONTINGENCIES
CONTINGENCIES	NOTE 12—CONTINGENCIES Overview We are involved in legal proceedings on an ongoing basis. If we believe that a loss arising from such matters is probable and can be reasonably estimated, we accrue the estimated liability in our financial statements. If only a range of estimated losses can be determined, we accrue an amount within the range that, in our judgment, reflects the most likely outcome; if none of the estimates within that range is a better estimate than any other amount, we accrue the low end of the range. For those proceedings in which an unfavorable outcome is reasonably possible but not probable, we have disclosed an estimate of the reasonably possible loss or range of losses or we have concluded that an estimate of the reasonably possible loss or range of losses arising directly from the proceeding (i.e., monetary damages or amounts paid in judgment or settlement) are not material. In assessing the materiality of a legal proceeding, we evaluate, among other factors, the amount of monetary damages claimed, as well as the potential impact of non-monetary remedies sought by plaintiffs (e.g., injunctive relief) that may require us to change our business practices in a manner that could have a material adverse impact on our business. With respect to the matters disclosed in this Note 12, unless otherwise indicated, we are unable to estimate the possible loss or range of losses that could potentially result from the application of such non-monetary remedies. During 2012 and 2011, (gains) provisions for litigation settlements of $(3.1) million and $5.7 million, respectively, were recorded in litigation settlements and contingencies in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The balance of the related liability was $0.6 million and $3.1 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The litigation matters were either settled or we extended a firm offer for settlement, thereby establishing an accrual amount that is both probable and reasonably estimable. Specific Matters Intellectual Property Litigation On September 8, 2010, the Company filed an action for patent infringement in the US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina against Zillow, Inc., Nextag, Inc., Quinstreet, Inc., Quinstreet Media, Inc. and Adchemy, Inc. The complaint was amended to include Leadpoint, Inc. d/b/a Securerights on September 24, 2010. The complaint alleges that each of the defendants infringe one or both of the Company's patents—U.S. Patent No. 6,385,594, entitled "Method and Computer Network for Co-Ordinating a Loan over the Internet," and U.S. Patent No. 6,611,816, entitled "Method and Computer Network for Co-Ordinating a Loan over the Internet." Collectively, the asserted patents cover computer hardware and software used in facilitating business between computer users and multiple lenders on the internet. The defendants in this action asserted various counterclaims against the Company, including the assertion by certain of the defendants of counterclaims alleging illegal monopolization via our maintenance of the asserted patents. In July 2011, the Company reached a settlement agreement with Leadpoint, Inc. On July 20, 2011, all claims against Leadpoint, Inc. and all counter-claims against the Company by Leadpoint, Inc. were dismissed. In November 2012, the Company reached a settlement agreement with Quinstreet, Inc. and Quinstreet Media, Inc. (collectively, the Quinstreet Parties); all claims against the QuinStreet Parties and all counterclaims against the Company by the Quinstreet Parties were dismissed. The remaining parties are presently involved in discovery. Trial is currently expected in early 2014. The Company intends to vigorously defend all such counterclaims. Other Litigation *Boschma* On May 25, 2007, Boschma filed a putative class action against HLC in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Plaintiffs allege that HLC sold them an option "ARM" (adjustable-rate mortgage) loan but failed to disclose in a clear and conspicuous manner, among other things, that the interest rate was not fixed, that negative amortization could occur and that the loan had a prepayment penalty. Based upon these factual allegations, Plaintiffs asserted violations of the federal Truth in Lending Act, violations of the Unfair Competition Law, breach of contract, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Plaintiffs purport to represent a class of all individuals who between June 1, 2003 and May 31, 2007 obtained through HLC an option ARM loan on their primary residence located in California, and seek rescission, damages, attorneys' fees and injunctive relief. Plaintiffs have not yet filed a motion for class certification. Plaintiffs have filed a total of eight complaints in connection with this lawsuit. Each of the first seven complaints has been dismissed by the federal and state courts. Plaintiffs filed the eighth complaint (a Second Amended Complaint) in Orange County (California) Superior Court on March 4, 2010 alleging only the fraud and Unfair Competition Law claims. As with each of the seven previous versions of Plaintiffs' complaint, the Second Amended Complaint was dismissed in April 2010. Plaintiffs appealed the dismissal and on August 10, 2011, the appellate court reversed the trial court's dismissal and directed the trial court to overrule the demurrer. The case has been remanded to superior court and the parties are presently involved in discovery. The class certification hearing is currently scheduled for September 2013. The Company believes plaintiffs' allegations lack merit and intends to defend against this action vigorously. *Mortgage Store, Inc.* On November 30, 2006, The Mortgage Store, Inc. and Castleview Home Loans, Inc. filed this putative class action against HLC in the California Superior Court for Orange County. Plaintiffs, two former network lenders, alleged that HLC interfered with LendingTree's contracts with network lenders by taking referrals from LendingTree without adequately disclosing the relationship between them and that HLC charged Plaintiffs higher rates and fees than they otherwise would have been charged. Based upon these factual allegations, Plaintiffs assert claims for intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and violation of the California Unfair Competition Law and California Business and Professions Code § 17500. Plaintiffs purport to represent all network lenders from December 14, 2004 to date, and seek damages, restitution, attorneys' fees and punitive damages. Plaintiffs' motion for class certification was granted April 29, 2010. On October 17, 2011, the Court granted HLC's motion for summary judgment. Judgment was entered in favor of HLC on April 9, 2012. On June 15, 2012, Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal. Plaintiffs filed their opening appellate brief on December 17, 2012. The Company believes Plaintiffs' allegations lack merit and intends to defend against this action vigorously. *Dijkstra* On November 7, 2008 Plaintiff filed this putative class action in Circuit Court of Ohio County, West Virginia against Harry Carenbauer, Home Loan Center, Inc., HLC Escrow, Inc. et al. The complaint alleges that HLC engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in West Virginia by permitting persons who were neither admitted to the practice of law in West Virginia nor under the direct supervision of a lawyer admitted to the practice of law in West Virginia to close mortgage loans. Plaintiffs assert claims for declaratory judgment, contempt, injunctive relief, conversion, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, intentional misrepresentation or fraud, negligent misrepresentation, violation of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act (CCPA), violation of the West Virginia Lender, Broker & Services Act, civil conspiracy, outrage and negligence. The claims against all defendants other than Mr. Carenbauer, HLC and HLC Escrow, Inc. have been dismissed. The case was removed to federal court in October 2011. On January 3, 2013, the court granted a conditional class certification only with respect to the declaratory judgment, contempt, unjust enrichment and CCPA claims. The conditional class includes consumers with mortgage loans in effect any time after November 8, 2007 who obtained such loans through HLC, and whose loans were closed by persons not admitted to the practice of law in West Virginia or by persons not under the direct supervision of a lawyer admitted to the practice of law in West Virginia. Discovery in this matter is ongoing. The Company believes that Plaintiff's allegations lack merit and we intend to defend against this action vigorously. *Massachusetts Division of Banks* The Massachusetts Division of Banks (the "Division") delivered to LendingTree, LLC on February 11, 2011 a Report of Examination/Inspection which identified various alleged violations of Massachusetts and federal laws, including the alleged insufficient delivery by LendingTree, LLC of various disclosures to its customers. On October 14, 2011, the Division provided a proposed Consent Agreement and Order to settle the Division's allegations, which the Division had shared with other state mortgage lending regulators. Thirty-four of such state mortgage lending regulators (the "Joining Regulators") indicated that if LendingTree, LLC would enter into the Consent Agreement and Order, they would agree not to pursue any analogous allegations that they otherwise might assert. As of the date of this report, none of the Joining Regulators have asserted any such allegations. The proposed Consent Agreement and Order calls for a fine to be allocated among the Division and the Joining Regulators and for LendingTree, LLC to adopt various new procedures and practices. We have commenced negotiations toward an acceptable Consent Agreement and Order. We do not believe our mortgage business violates any federal or state mortgage lending laws; nor do we believe that any past operations of the mortgage business have resulted in a material violation of any such laws. Should the Division or any Joining Regulator bring any actions relating to the matters alleged in the February 2011 Report of Examination/Inspection, we intend to defend against such actions vigorously. The range of possible loss is estimated to be between $0.5 million and $6.5 million, and a reserve of $0.5 million has been established for this matter as of December 31, 2012.

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS	12 Months Ended
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS	Dec. 31, 2012
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS	NOTE 13—RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS On August 20, 2008, in connection with the spin-off of Tree.com, Inc. by IAC/InterActiveCorp, our Chairman and CEO received restricted shares of Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock of the Company's wholly-owned LendingTree Holdings Corp. The shares of preferred stock had an aggregate liquidation preference of $5,000,000 and vested in three equal annual installments on the first three anniversaries of the spin-off. The preferred stock provided for cumulative dividends at a rate of 12% per annum, and unpaid dividends compounded quarterly at a rate of 12% per annum. The wholly-owned subsidiary was required to redeem all outstanding preferred stock on the fifth anniversary of the grant date, which is August 20, 2013. The redemption price was to be the liquidation preference of the outstanding shares plus compounded accrued and unpaid dividends. On August 30, 2010, we entered into a share exchange agreement with our Chairman and CEO pursuant to which he exchanged 2,902.33 shares of preferred stock and most of the accrued and unpaid dividends in respect of such shares for a total of 534,900 newly-issued shares of Tree.com common stock. Immediately following such transaction, he held 2,097.67 shares of preferred stock. On November 7, 2012, our audit committee, compensation committee and board of directors approved an early redemption of the remaining 2,097.67 outstanding shares of preferred stock owned by our Chairman and CEO, including all accrued dividends, for $3.3 million in cash. The redemption closed on November 30, 2012. The redemption value of the preferred stock was determined in part based on a valuation of the discounted remaining dividend stream through the mandatory redemption date of August 20, 2013.

BENEFIT PLANS	12 Months Ended
BENEFIT PLANS	Dec. 31, 2012
BENEFIT PLANS
BENEFIT PLANS	NOTE 14—BENEFIT PLANS We operate a retirement savings plan for our employees in the United States that is qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Employees are eligible to enroll in the plan upon date of hire. Participating employees may contribute up to 50% of their pre-tax earnings, but not more than statutory limits (generally $17,000 for 2012 and $16,500 for 2011). Our match is fifty cents for each dollar a participant contributes to the plan, with a maximum contribution of 6% of a participant's eligible earnings. Matching contributions are invested in the same manner as each participant's voluntary contributions in the investment options provided under the plan. Our stock is not included in the available investment options or the plan assets. Funds contributed to our plan vest according to the participant's years of service, with less than three years of service vesting at 0%, and three years or more of service vesting at 100%. Matching contributions were approximately $0.3 million and $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Matching contributions were suspended in June of 2011, and began again in January of 2012.

ORGANIZATION (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009 item
ORGANIZATION
Number of reportable operating segments prior to expansion	1
Number of reportable business segments	2
Business Combinations: Contingent Consideration
Aggregate purchase price in cash			$ 0.8	$ 5.7
Period of estimated cumulative earnings as basis for contingent consideration			36 months	36 months
Reduction in contingent consideration		0.3
Contingent consideration				1.0
Number of entities acquired				4
Minimum
Business Combinations: Contingent Consideration
Payout of contingent consideration			$ 0	$ 0

ORGANIZATION (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011 RealEstate.com Internet domain names and trademarks	Dec. 31, 2012 Lending Tree Loans Discover Bank	Feb. 07, 2012 Lending Tree Loans Discover Bank
Organization- Discontinued Operations
Proceeds from sale of assets	$ 8.3
Gain on sale of internet domain names and trademarks	7.8
Amount receivable for sale of assets			55.9
Amount received from sale of assets prior to closing			8.0
Amount received from sale of assets on the closing			37.9
Amount received from sale of assets on the first anniversary of the closing			10.0
Portion of the initial purchase price payment held in escrow for certain actual and/or contingent liabilities		$ 17.1
Period for which marketing related services are to be provided		17 months

ORGANIZATION (Details 3) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified						0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2010 Minimum	Dec. 31, 2009 Minimum	Mar. 15, 2011 SurePoint and Real Estate Title Services, LLC	Mar. 15, 2011 SurePoint and Real Estate Title Services, LLC Minimum	Mar. 15, 2011 SurePoint and Real Estate Title Services, LLC Maximum	Mar. 15, 2011 SurePoint and Real Estate Title Services, LLC HLC	Mar. 15, 2011 SurePoint item
Business Combinations
Period for which network lending services are provided									11 years
Number of states in which residential mortgage provider service is licensed									45
Number of employees									500
Number of licensed loan officers									300
Cash paid upon closing of transaction	$ 0.8	$ 5.7						$ 8.0
Contingent consideration			0	0				0.2
Purchase price allocated to goodwill					5.6
Purchase price allocated to intangible assets					0.7
Useful life of finite- lived intangible asset						3 months	5 years
Purchase price allocated to equipment and other assets					$ 1.7

ORGANIZATION (Details 4) (Additional interest expense, USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012
Additional interest expense
Out of Period Adjustment
Additional interest expense	$ 0.2

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Revenue Recognition
Revenue from marketing-related services	$ 1,900,000
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	29,414,000	12,451,000
Cash in escrow for surety bonds
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	6,500,000	6,500,000
Cash in escrow for corporate purchasing card program
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	800,000	800,000
Cash in escrow for sale of LTL
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	17,077,000
Cash in escrow for earnout related to an acquisition
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	1,956,000
Cash in escrow for loan loss obligations
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	3,051,000
Minimum required balances for warehouse lines of credit
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		4,250,000
Other
Restricted cash
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	$ 30,000	$ 901,000

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details 3)	12 Months Ended
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details 3)	Dec. 31, 2011 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Customer one item	Dec. 31, 2012 Revenues Customer concentration Customer one	Dec. 31, 2012 Revenues Customer concentration Customer two
Certain Risks and Concentrations
Number of major customers	0	1
Concentration risk (as a percent)			14.00%	11.00%

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008 item
Stock options
Unrecognized compensation cost
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 600,000
Weighted-average period for recognition of unrecognized compensation cost	1 year 10 months 24 days
Stock options, Shares
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)	1,046,746
Granted (in shares)	150,000
Exercised (in shares)	(96,987)
Expired (in shares)	(27,256)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	1,072,503	1,046,746
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	230,073
Stock options, Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 9.09
Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 7.43
Exercised (in dollars per share)	$ 7.54
Expired (in dollars per share)	$ 10.35
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 8.97	$ 9.09
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 12.60
Stock options, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding at the end of the period	5 years 8 months 12 days
Options exercisable at the end of the period	3 years 10 months 24 days
Stock options, Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at the end of the period	9,819,000
Options exercisable at the end of the period	1,350,000
Stock vested or expected to vest
Weighted-average period	1 year 10 months 24 days
Weighted average fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 7.43
Dividends assumed for Black-Scholes option pricing model	0	0
Weighted average assumptions
Volatility factor (as a percent)	45.00%	44.00%
Risk-free interest rate (as a percent)	2.00%	3.60%
Expected term	7 years	7 years
Dividend yield (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Additional disclosure
Intrinsic value of stock options exercised	345,000	17,000
Cash received from stock option exercised	731,000	21,000
Actual tax benefit realized	144,000	7,000
Stock options \| Chairman and CEO
Stock options, Shares
Granted (in shares)	150,000	153,868
Forfeited (in shares)			(589,850)
Stock options, Weighted Average Exercise Price
Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 7.43	$ 5.89
Stock vested or expected to vest
Vesting period	3 years	3 years
Weighted average fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 3.63	$ 2.60
Weighted average fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 7.43	$ 5.89
Additional disclosure
Number of grants				2
Stock options \| Chairman and CEO \| Grant one and two
Stock options, Shares
Forfeited (in shares)		(589,850)
Stock options, Weighted Average Exercise Price
Granted (in dollars per share)				16.95
Stock vested or expected to vest
Vesting period				5 years
Weighted average fair value (in dollars per share)				4.19
Weighted average fair value (in dollars per share)				16.95
Additional disclosure
Percentage of diluted equity available under options granted				2.50%
Number of grants surrendered by employee			1
Stock options \| Chairman and CEO \| Grant one
Stock options, Shares
Granted (in shares)				589,950
Forfeited (in shares)			(589,850)
Stock options, Weighted Average Exercise Price
Forfeited (in dollars per share)			$ 25.43
Additional disclosure
Equity value of the entity				100,000,000
Stock options \| Chairman and CEO \| Grant two
Stock options, Shares
Granted (in shares)				589,950
Additional disclosure
Equity value of the entity				300,000,000
RSUs
Unrecognized compensation cost
Unrecognized compensation cost	4,600,000
Weighted-average period for recognition of unrecognized compensation cost	2 years
Restricted stock
Unrecognized compensation cost
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 100,000
Weighted-average period for recognition of unrecognized compensation cost	1 month 6 days
Restricted stock \| Chairman and CEO
Stock vested or expected to vest
Vesting period			4 years

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details 3) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012
Stock options outstanding and exercisable by range of exercise prices
Options Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	1,072,503
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	5 years 8 months 5 days
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 8.97
Options Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	230,073
Options Exercisable - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 12.60
Range of exercise price $0.01 to $4.99
Stock options outstanding and exercisable by range of exercise prices
Exercise price, low end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01
Exercise price, high end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 4.99
Options Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	4,228
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	9 months 22 days
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 3.27
Options Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	4,228
Options Exercisable - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 3.27
Range of exercise price $5.00 to $7.45
Stock options outstanding and exercisable by range of exercise prices
Exercise price, low end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 5.00
Exercise price, high end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 7.45
Options Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	306,685
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	8 years 7 months 24 days
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 6.65
Options Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	54,105
Options Exercisable - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 5.92
Range of exercise price $7.46 to $9.99
Stock options outstanding and exercisable by range of exercise prices
Exercise price, low end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 7.46
Exercise price, high end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 9.99
Options Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	619,045
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	5 years 4 days
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 8.44
Options Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	29,195
Options Exercisable - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 7.60
Range of exercise price $10.00 to $14.99
Stock options outstanding and exercisable by range of exercise prices
Exercise price, low end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 10.00
Exercise price, high end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 14.99
Options Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	15,087
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	1 year 8 months 19 days
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 12.40
Options Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	15,087
Options Exercisable - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 12.40
Range of exercise price $15.00 to $19.99
Stock options outstanding and exercisable by range of exercise prices
Exercise price, low end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 15.00
Exercise price, high end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 19.99
Options Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	80,795
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	2 years 5 months 1 day
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 15.02
Options Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	80,795
Options Exercisable - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 15.02
Range of exercise price $20.00 to $24.99
Stock options outstanding and exercisable by range of exercise prices
Exercise price, low end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 20.00
Exercise price, high end of the range (in dollars per share)	$ 24.99
Options Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	46,663
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	2 years 5 months 5 days
Options Outstanding - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 20.19
Options Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	46,663
Options Exercisable - Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 20.19

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details 4) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 RSUs	Dec. 31, 2011 RSUs	Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted stock	Feb. 28, 2013 Restricted stock Chairman and CEO	Dec. 31, 2011 Restricted stock Chairman and CEO	Dec. 31, 2010 Restricted stock Chairman and CEO	Dec. 31, 2009 Restricted stock Chairman and CEO	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock options Chairman and CEO	Dec. 31, 2011 Stock options Chairman and CEO	Dec. 31, 2009 Stock options Chairman and CEO
Nonvested RSUs and Restricted Stock, Number of Shares
Nonvested at the beginning of the period (in shares)	933,051		299,642
Granted (in shares)	364,868		0		24,642	150,000	350,000
Vested (in shares)	(424,530)		(112,141)	(100,000)
Forfeited (in shares)	(116,278)
Nonvested at the end of the period (in shares)	757,111	933,051	187,501
Nonvested RSUs and Restricted Stock, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 6.48		$ 6.70
Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 12.56	$ 6.17			$ 5.55	$ 8.27	$ 5.42
Vested (in dollars per share)	$ 7.07		$ 5.45
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	$ 6.75
Nonvested at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 9.09	$ 6.48	$ 7.44
Fair value of awards vested	$ 4.3	$ 1.9
Awards forfeited (in shares)										589,850
Incremental non-cash compensation expense							0.7
Vesting period							4 years	3 years	3 years
Total fair value of awards granted					$ 0.1	$ 1.2

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Balance of goodwill and intangible assets, net
Goodwill	$ 3,632	$ 3,632	$ 3,632
Intangible assets with indefinite lives	10,142	10,142
Intangible assets with definite lives, net	689	1,047
Total intangible assets, net	$ 10,831	$ 11,189

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Intangible assets with definite lives
Cost	$ 33,629	$ 83,803
Accumulated Amortization	(32,940)	(82,756)
Net	689	1,047
Purchase agreements
Intangible assets with definite lives
Cost	236	50,411
Accumulated Amortization	(165)	(50,293)
Net	71	118
Purchase agreements \| Weighted average
Intangible assets with definite lives
Amortization Life	5 years	5 years
Technology
Intangible assets with definite lives
Cost	25,194	25,194
Accumulated Amortization	(25,158)	(25,034)
Net	36	160
Technology \| Weighted average
Intangible assets with definite lives
Amortization Life	3 years	3 years
Customer lists
Intangible assets with definite lives
Cost	6,682	6,682
Accumulated Amortization	(6,106)	(6,045)
Net	576	637
Customer lists \| Weighted average
Intangible assets with definite lives
Amortization Life	4 years 2 months 12 days	4 years 2 months 12 days
Other
Intangible assets with definite lives
Cost	1,517	1,516
Accumulated Amortization	(1,511)	(1,384)
Net	$ 6	$ 132
Other \| Weighted average
Intangible assets with definite lives
Amortization Life	2 years 6 months	2 years 6 months

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Amortization of intangible assets with definite lives computed on a straight-line basis
Year ending December 31, 2013	$ 147
Year ending December 31, 2014	86
Year ending December 31, 2015	60
Year ending December 31, 2016	60
Year ending December 31, 2017	60
Thereafter	276
Net	$ 689	$ 1,047

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Details 4) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Details 4) (USD $)	Oct. 02, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at beginning of period		$ 486,720,000	$ 486,720,000
Accumulated impairment losses		(483,088,000)	(483,088,000)
Net balance at beginning of period		3,632,000	3,632,000
Impairment losses	0	0
Balance at end of period		486,720,000	486,720,000
Accumulated impairment losses		(483,088,000)	(483,088,000)
Net balance at end of period		3,632,000	3,632,000
Impairment of intangible assets
Impairment charges related to trade names and trademarks			29,250,000
Impairment charge on definite-lived intangible assets			300,000
Balance of goodwill, including changes in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill		3,632,000	3,632,000
Mortgage
Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill
Net balance at end of period		3,632,000
Balance of goodwill, including changes in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill		$ 3,632,000

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, gross	$ 29,449,000	$ 29,258,000
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(23,294,000)	(20,883,000)
Total property and equipment, net	6,155,000	8,375,000
Unamortized capitalized software development costs	4,800,000	6,400,000
Capitalized software development amortization expense	3,100,000	2,700,000
Computer equipment and capitalized software
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, gross	25,592,000	24,940,000
Leasehold improvements
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, gross	2,055,000	2,042,000
Furniture and other equipment
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, gross	1,302,000	1,450,000
Projects in progress
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, gross	$ 500,000	$ 826,000

ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
Litigation accruals	$ 535,000	$ 3,077,000
Accrued advertising expense	6,638,000	2,659,000
Accrued compensation and benefits	2,603,000	624,000
Accrued professional fees	1,399,000	635,000
Accrued restructuring costs	364,000	439,000
Customer deposits and escrows	2,101,000	2,211,000
Deferred rent	217,000	186,000
Other	6,103,000	6,881,000
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities	19,960,000	16,712,000
Accrued restructuring liabilities classified in other long term liabilities	$ 500,000	$ 900,000

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Revenue and net income (loss) of discontinued operations
Gain from sale of discontinued operations, net of tax	$ 24,373,000	$ 7,752,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	48,874,000	(9,793,000)
Intangible impairment		29,250,000
Restructuring (income) expense	(57,000)	1,080,000
Assets and liabilities of facilities reported as discontinued operations
Current assets	407,000	232,425,000
Non-current assets	129,000	10,947,000
Current liabilities	31,017,000	250,030,000
Non-current liabilities	253,000	1,032,000
Discover
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
Amount of reserve for contingencies	1,600,000
Forecast
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
Significant future cash flows anticipated from disposition of the business	0
Real estate businesses
Revenue and net income (loss) of discontinued operations
Revenue	93,000	3,857,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	(410,000)	(16,804,000)
Gain from sale of discontinued operations, net of tax		7,752,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(410,000)	(9,052,000)
Goodwill disposal charges		8,000,000
Restructuring (income) expense	200,000	2,600,000
Assets and liabilities of facilities reported as discontinued operations
Current assets		33,000
Current liabilities	206,000	702,000
Non-current liabilities		54,000
Net assets (liabilities)	(206,000)	(723,000)
Lending Tree Loans
Revenue and net income (loss) of discontinued operations
Revenue	86,740,000	117,509,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	26,160,000	(741,000)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(1,249,000)
Gain from sale of discontinued operations, net of tax	24,373,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	49,284,000	(741,000)
Intangible impairment	1,400,000
Restructuring (income) expense	100,000	4,000,000
Assets and liabilities of facilities reported as discontinued operations
Loans held for sale		217,467,000
Other current assets	407,000	14,925,000
Current assets	407,000	232,392,000
Property and equipment		4,181,000
Goodwill		5,579,000
Other non-current assets	129,000	1,187,000
Non-current assets	129,000	10,947,000
Warehouse lines of credit		197,659,000
Other current liabilities	30,811,000	51,669,000
Current liabilities	30,811,000	249,328,000
Non-current liabilities	253,000	978,000
Net assets (liabilities)	(30,528,000)	(6,967,000)
Lending Tree Loans \| Trademarks
Revenue and net income (loss) of discontinued operations
Intangible impairment		$ 4,100,000

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 2) (Lending Tree Loans, Discontinued operations, USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Loans held for sale
Additional borrowings available under warehouse lines of credit	$ 0
Number of months in delinquency for accrued interest on loans to be deemed uncollectible	3 months
Loans held for sale		217,467,000
Percentage of loan to total loans held for sale		100.00%
Conforming
Loans held for sale
Loans held for sale		171,375,000
Percentage of loan to total loans held for sale		79.00%
FHA and Alt-A
Loans held for sale
Loans held for sale		40,433,000
Percentage of loan to total loans held for sale		18.00%
Jumbo
Loans held for sale
Loans held for sale		$ 5,659,000
Percentage of loan to total loans held for sale		3.00%

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 3) (Lending Tree Loans, Discontinued operations, USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011 item
Loans on Nonaccrual
Number of loans repurchased	2	0
Unpaid principal balance on repurchased loans	$ 700,000
Loans held for sale
Loans on Nonaccrual
Aggregate unpaid principal balance	412,000	539,000
Difference between fair value and aggregate unpaid principal balance	(412,000)	(244,000)
Loans on nonaccrual		295,000
Number of loans on nonaccrual status repurchased	1	0
Number of loans on nonaccrual status sold		15
Proceeds from sale of loans on nonaccrual status		1,200,000
Measured at Fair Value \| Loans held for sale
Loans on Nonaccrual
Aggregate unpaid principal balance	412,000	539,000
Difference between fair value and aggregate unpaid principal balance	(412,000)	(244,000)
Loans on nonaccrual		$ 295,000

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 4) (Lending Tree Loans, USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value Measurements
Loans held for sale		$ 217,467,000
Assets and Liabilities at fair value	(30,528,000)	(6,967,000)
Interest Rate Lock Commitments \| Discontinued operations
Fair Value Measurements
Number of goals to be achieved by modifying valuation calculation	2
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Interest Rate Lock Commitments
Fair Value Measurements
Notional value outstanding	0	363,800,000
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Fair Value Measurements
Loans held for sale		217,172,000
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		213,065,000
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) \| Forward delivery contracts
Fair Value Measurements
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		(4,107,000)
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Fair Value Measurements
Loans held for sale		295,000
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		9,436,000
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Interest Rate Lock Commitments
Fair Value Measurements
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		9,122,000
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Forward delivery contracts
Fair Value Measurements
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		19,000
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Total Fair Value Measurements
Fair Value Measurements
Loans held for sale		217,467,000
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		222,501,000
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Total Fair Value Measurements \| Interest Rate Lock Commitments
Fair Value Measurements
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		9,122,000
Fair value on a recurring basis \| Total Fair Value Measurements \| Forward delivery contracts
Fair Value Measurements
Assets and Liabilities at fair value		$ (4,088,000)

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 7) (Not designated as hedging instrument, Lending Tree Loans, Discontinued operations, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instrument
Fair value of total derivatives	$ 5,034
Interest Rate Lock Commitments
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instrument
Fair value of derivative assets included in current assets of discontinued operations	9,282
Fair value of derivative liabilities included in current liabilities of discontinued operations	(160)
Forward delivery contracts
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instrument
Fair value of derivative assets included in current assets of discontinued operations	480
Fair value of derivative liabilities included in current liabilities of discontinued operations	$ (4,568)

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 8) (Lending Tree Loans, Discontinued operations, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Gain/(loss) recognized in the consolidated statements of operations for derivatives
Gain/(Loss) recognized in Income on Derivative	$ 77,622	$ 109,951
Interest Rate Lock Commitments
Gain/(loss) recognized in the consolidated statements of operations for derivatives
Gain/(Loss) recognized in Income on Derivative	73,378	114,889
Forward delivery contracts
Gain/(loss) recognized in the consolidated statements of operations for derivatives
Gain/(Loss) recognized in Income on Derivative	$ 4,244	$ (4,938)

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 10) (Lending Tree Loans, Discontinued operations, USD $)	12 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Buyer one	Dec. 31, 2011 Buyer one	Dec. 31, 2012 Buyer two	Dec. 31, 2011 Buyer two	Dec. 31, 2010 Loan loss obligations	Jan. 31, 2010 Loan loss obligations	Dec. 31, 2009 Loan loss obligations item	Sep. 30, 2012 Loan loss obligations	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations item	Dec. 31, 2011 Loan loss obligations item	Dec. 31, 2010 Loan loss obligations Buyer two item	Jun. 30, 2012 Loan loss obligations Buyer three	Jun. 30, 2012 Loan loss obligations Buyer four	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2011 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2010 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2009 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2008 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2007 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2006 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Loan loss obligations 2005 and prior years item
Loan Loss Obligations
Portion of the initial purchase price payment held in escrow for certain actual and/or contingent liabilities										$ 17,100,000
Reduction in loss reserve									6,500,000
Number of segments										4
Number of investors to whom loans are guaranteed	2
Original principal amount of loans related to indemnification		1,800,000,000	1,500,000,000							78,100,000
Unpaid principal balance				279,600,000	32,400,000
Weighted percentage for estimation of range of remaining loan losses in revised analysis										50.00%
Weighted percentage for estimation of range of remaining loan losses on other factor										25.00%
Number of loans sold										235,900					9,200	12,500	12,400	12,800	11,000	36,300	55,000	86,700
Original principal balance										39,400,000,000					1,900,000,000	2,700,000,000	2,800,000,000	2,800,000,000	2,200,000,000	6,100,000,000	7,900,000,000	13,000,000,000
Number of loans with losses										498						1	4	4	33	160	207	89
Original principal balance of loans with losses										68,100,000						300,000	1,100,000	900,000	6,900,000	22,100,000	24,500,000	12,300,000
Amount of aggregate losses										29,100,000						100,000	100,000	100,000	2,200,000	8,200,000	13,400,000	5,000,000
Number of requests for loan repurchases and indemnifications considered in determining the appropriate reserve amount										398	289
Percentage of full documentation first liens of original principal amount of loans related to indemnification										72.00%
Percentage of full documentation second liens of original principal amount of loans related to indemnification										2.00%
Percentage of limited documentation first liens of original principal amount of loans related to indemnification										23.00%
Percentage of limited documentation second liens of original principal amount of loans related to indemnification										3.00%
Number of buyers of previously purchased limited documentation loans with whom settlement negotiations are entered								2
Payment for settlement with buyers of previously purchased loans						1,900,000	4,500,000						500,000	3,300,000
Total settlement value												4,800,000
Additional amount of settlement payable to buyers of previously purchased loans is up to this amount											1,200,000	300,000
Number of quarterly installment payments												4
Number of settlements										4
Estimated range of remaining possible losses due to loan losses, minimum										18,000,000
Estimated range of remaining possible losses due to loan losses, maximum										34,000,000
Activity related to loss reserves on previously sold loans
Balance, beginning of period									31,512,000	31,512,000	16,984,000
Provisions (recoveries)										6,977,000	16,798,000
Change in estimate										(6,493,000)
Charge offs to reserves										(4,814,000)	(2,270,000)
Balance, end of period						$ 16,984,000				$ 27,182,000	$ 31,512,000

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Details 11) (Discontinued operations, USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jul. 21, 2012 Warehouse lines of credit Lending Tree Loans item	Dec. 31, 2011 Warehouse lines of credit Lending Tree Loans	Dec. 31, 2011 Committed warehouse lines of credit	Dec. 31, 2012 First warehouse line	Jan. 30, 2012 First warehouse line	Dec. 31, 2012 Uncommitted line of credit facility	Oct. 30, 2011 Uncommitted line of credit facility	Dec. 31, 2012 Uncommitted line of credit facility Loans being sold to lender	Dec. 31, 2012 Uncommitted line of credit facility Loans not being sold to lender	Dec. 31, 2011 Uncommitted line of credit facility Lending Tree Loans	Oct. 31, 2011 Uncommitted line of credit facility Lending Tree Loans	Dec. 31, 2012 Second warehouse line	Oct. 28, 2011 Second warehouse line	Dec. 31, 2012 Second warehouse line Loans being sold to lender	Dec. 31, 2012 Second warehouse line Loans not being sold to lender	Dec. 31, 2012 Second warehouse line Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Second warehouse line Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Third warehouse line	Dec. 13, 2011 Third warehouse line	Dec. 31, 2012 Fourth warehouse line of credit facility	Dec. 31, 2012 Fourth warehouse line of credit facility Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Fourth warehouse line of credit facility Maximum	Jan. 09, 2012 Fourth warehouse line of credit facility Lending Tree Loans
Warehouse Lines of Credit
Outstanding borrowings		$ 197.7
Number of lines of credit expired	3
Borrowing capacity			275.0		50.0	125.0	25.0			325.0	25.0	125.0	100.0						100.0	100.0			100.0
Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit agreement before amendment												$ 100.0
Variable interest rate basis				30-day LIBOR		30-day LIBOR								30-day Adjusted LIBOR	30-day Adjusted LIBOR			30-day LIBOR
Minimum LIBOR interest rate (as a percent)				2.00%				2.00%	2.00%
Margin add to variable interest rate (as a percent)				2.25%		1.50%			1.50%							1.50%	1.75%	3.25%
Interest rate (a a percent)																					3.25%	3.75%

EARNINGS PER SHARE (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
EARNINGS PER SHARE (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 06, 2012	Jan. 11, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Numerator:
Loss from continuing operations			$ (2,249,000)	$ (49,710,000)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax			48,874,000	(9,793,000)
Net income (loss)			46,625,000	(59,503,000)
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares			11,313	10,995
Income (Loss) per Share:
Loss from continuing operations (in dollars per share)			$ (0.20)	$ (4.52)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax (in dollars per share)			$ 4.32	$ (0.89)
Net income (loss) per common share (in dollars per share)			$ 4.12	$ (5.41)
Additional disclosure
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from calculation of diluted earnings per share			600,000	100,000
Common stock repurchases
Value of common stock authorized to be repurchased		10,000,000
Number of shares repurchased			65,218	0	810,922
Aggregate consideration for shares repurchased			880,000		5,700,000
Remaining authorized repurchase amount			3,400,000
Special cash dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 1.00
Special cash dividend resulting into reduction of additional paid in capital			$ 12,200,000

INCOME TAXES (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current income tax provision (benefit):
Federal	$ (1,358)	$ 3
State	(33)	(218)
Current income tax provision (benefit)	(1,391)	(215)
Deferred income tax benefit:
Federal	147	(9,766)
State	(239)	(1,785)
Deferred income tax benefit	(92)	(11,551)
Income tax provision (benefit)	(1,483)	(11,766)
Deferred tax assets:
Provision for accrued expenses	11,681	15,886
Net operating loss carryforwards	28,404	31,842
Goodwill	1,829	14,405
Intangible and other assets	811	4,222
Other	7,727	2,377
Total deferred tax assets	50,452	68,732
Less valuation allowance	(54,961)	(68,138)
Net deferred tax assets	(4,509)	594
Deferred tax liabilities:
Other	(169)	(5,364)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(169)	(5,364)
Net deferred tax liability	(4,678)	(4,770)
Deferred income taxes presented in consolidated balance sheets
Deferred tax assets	(4,509)	594
Deferred tax liabilities	(4,694)	(4,770)
Net deferred tax liability	$ (4,678)	$ (4,770)

INCOME TAXES (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal	Dec. 31, 2011 Federal	Dec. 31, 2012 State
Net operating losses
Operating loss carryforwards		$ 23.9	$ 50.9	$ 297.0
Decrease in valuation allowance	13.2
Carryforward related to windfall tax benefits		1.4
Valuation allowance related to portion of tax operating loss carryforwards and other deferred tax assets	$ 55.0

INCOME TAXES (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
INCOME TAXES (Details 3) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reconciliation of income tax provision to amounts computed by statutory federal income tax rate to loss from continuing operations before income taxes
Income tax benefit at the federal statutory rate of 35%	$ (1,306,000)	$ (21,517,000)
Federal statutory rate (as a percent)	35.00%	35.00%
State income taxes, net of effect of federal tax benefit	(177,000)	(5,231,000)
Non-deductable non-cash compensation expense		101,000
Change in valuation allowance		14,724,000
Other, net		157,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	(1,483,000)	(11,766,000)
Reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest
Balance, beginning of the period	3,000	66,000
Lapse of statute of limitations	(3,000)	(63,000)
Balance, end of the period		3,000
Unrecognized tax benefit including interest	0	10,000
Interest on unrecognized tax benefits
Interest expense	0	10,000
Interest accrued	0	10,000
Material accruals for penalties	$ 0