Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies	Note 1 - Significant Accounting Policies Business Operations The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Synovus Financial Corp. include the accounts of the Parent Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. Synovus Financial Corp. is a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Synovus Bank, a Georgia state-chartered bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System, the company provides commercial and retail banking in addition to a full suite of specialized products and services including private banking, treasury management, wealth management, premium finance and international banking. Synovus also provides mortgage services, financial planning, and investment advisory services through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Synovus Mortgage, Synovus Trust, and Synovus Securities, as well as its GLOBALT and Creative Financial Group divisions. These specialized offerings, combined with traditional banking products and services, make Synovus Bank a great choice for retail and commercial customers. Synovus Bank's 28 locally-branded bank divisions are positioned in some of the highest growth markets in the Southeast, with 248 branches and 327 ATMs in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to the SEC Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X; therefore, they do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. All adjustments consisting of normally recurring accruals that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and results of operations for the periods covered by this Report have been included. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing in Synovus' 2016 Form 10-K. There have been no significant changes to the accounting policies as disclosed in Synovus' 2016 Form 10-K. In preparing the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the respective consolidated balance sheets and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods presented. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, the fair value of investment securities, the fair value of private equity investments, and contingent liabilities related to legal matters. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and due from banks. At December 31, 2016, $533 thousand of the due from banks balance was restricted as to withdrawal. There were no cash and cash equivalents restricted as to withdrawal at March 31, 2017. Short-term Investments Short-term investments consist of interest bearing funds with the Federal Reserve Bank, interest earning deposits with banks, and federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, interest bearing funds with the Federal Reserve Bank included $122.6 million and $130.0 million, respectively, on deposit to meet Federal Reserve Bank requirements. Interest earning deposits with banks include $5.5 million and $5.6 million at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, which are pledged as collateral in connection with certain letters of credit. Federal funds sold include $49.1 million and $56.1 million at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, which are pledged to collateralize certain derivative financial instruments. Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements, and federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements, generally mature in one day. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Updates During 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2016-09 simplifies various aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions for both public and nonpublic entities, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. This accounting standard update includes a requirement to record all tax effects associated with share-based compensation through the income statement. Previously, tax benefits in excess of compensation cost (“windfalls”) and tax deficiencies (“shortfalls”) were recorded in equity. During the first quarter of 2017, Synovus recognized a $4.1 million income tax benefit from excess tax benefits that occurred between January 1, 2017 and March 31, 2017 from the vesting of restricted share units and exercise of stock options. Synovus had no previously unrecognized excess tax benefits. Additionally, beginning January 1, 2017, Synovus modified the denominator in the diluted earnings per common share calculation under the treasury stock method to exclude future excess tax benefits as part of the assumed proceeds. Synovus elected to retain its existing accounting policy election to estimate award forfeitures. During 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Income Taxes: Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which became effective January 1, 2017. ASU 2015-17 requires that deferred income tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in the statement of financial position instead of separating deferred taxes into current and noncurrent amounts. Also, valuation allowances will no longer be classified between current and noncurrent because these allowances will be required to be classified as noncurrent under the new standard. This ASU only impacts classification in the balance sheet, and has no impact on required deferred tax footnote disclosures (i.e., required presentation of “gross” deferred tax assets and “gross” deferred tax liabilities). The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by this ASU. There is no impact to our balance sheet as a result of this standard because Synovus has not historically distinguished deferred taxes on the balance sheet as current vs. non-current. Reclassifications Prior periods' consolidated financial statements are reclassified whenever necessary to conform to the current periods' presentation.

Note 1 - Significant Accounting Policies

Business Operations

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Synovus Financial Corp. include the accounts of the Parent Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. Synovus Financial Corp. is a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Synovus Bank, a Georgia state-chartered bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System, the company provides commercial and retail banking in addition to a full suite of specialized products and services including private banking, treasury management, wealth management, premium finance and international banking. Synovus also provides mortgage services, financial planning, and investment advisory services through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Synovus Mortgage, Synovus Trust, and Synovus Securities, as well as its GLOBALT and Creative Financial Group divisions. These specialized offerings, combined with traditional banking products and services, make Synovus Bank a great choice for retail and commercial customers.

Synovus Bank's 28 locally-branded bank divisions are positioned in some of the highest growth markets in the Southeast, with 248 branches and 327 ATMs in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to the SEC Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X; therefore, they do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. All adjustments consisting of normally recurring accruals that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and results of operations for the periods covered by this Report have been included. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing in Synovus' 2016 Form 10-K. There have been no significant changes to the accounting policies as disclosed in Synovus' 2016 Form 10-K.

In preparing the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the respective consolidated balance sheets and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods presented. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, the fair value of investment securities, the fair value of private equity investments, and contingent liabilities related to legal matters.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and due from banks. At December 31, 2016, $533 thousand of the due from banks balance was restricted as to withdrawal. There were no cash and cash equivalents restricted as to withdrawal at March 31, 2017.

Short-term Investments

Short-term investments consist of interest bearing funds with the Federal Reserve Bank, interest earning deposits with banks, and federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, interest bearing funds with the Federal Reserve Bank included $122.6 million and $130.0 million, respectively, on deposit to meet Federal Reserve Bank requirements. Interest earning deposits with banks include $5.5 million and $5.6 million at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, which are pledged as collateral in connection with certain letters of credit. Federal funds sold include $49.1 million and $56.1 million at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, which are pledged to collateralize certain derivative financial instruments. Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements, and federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements, generally mature in one day.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Updates

During 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2016-09 simplifies various aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions for both public and nonpublic entities, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. This accounting standard update includes a requirement to record all tax effects associated with share-based compensation through the income statement. Previously, tax benefits in excess of compensation cost (“windfalls”) and tax deficiencies (“shortfalls”) were recorded in equity. During the first quarter of 2017, Synovus recognized a $4.1 million income tax benefit from excess tax benefits that occurred between January 1, 2017 and March 31, 2017 from the vesting of restricted share units and exercise of stock options. Synovus had no previously unrecognized excess tax benefits. Additionally, beginning January 1, 2017, Synovus modified the denominator in the diluted earnings per common share calculation under the treasury stock method to exclude future excess tax benefits as part of the assumed proceeds. Synovus elected to retain its existing accounting policy election to estimate award forfeitures.

During 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Income Taxes: Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which became effective January 1, 2017. ASU 2015-17 requires that deferred income tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in the statement of financial position instead of separating deferred taxes into current and noncurrent amounts. Also, valuation allowances will no longer be classified between current and noncurrent because these allowances will be required to be classified as noncurrent under the new standard. This ASU only impacts classification in the balance sheet, and has no impact on required deferred tax footnote disclosures (i.e., required presentation of “gross” deferred tax assets and “gross” deferred tax liabilities). The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by this ASU. There is no impact to our balance sheet as a result of this standard because Synovus has not historically distinguished deferred taxes on the balance sheet as current vs. non-current.

Reclassifications

Prior periods' consolidated financial statements are reclassified whenever necessary to conform to the current periods' presentation.