Variable Interest Entities - Consolidated VIE Assets and Liabilities (Details 3) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $106,594 and $89,856)	$ 456,000,000,000		$ 443,963,000,000
Loans	720,967,000,000		723,720,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	102,625,000,000		104,131,000,000
Total assets	2,320,330,000,000	[1]	2,265,792,000,000	[1]	2,198,161,000,000	[1]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	67,750,000,000		65,977,000,000
Total liabilities	2,130,602,000,000	[1]	2,082,219,000,000	[1]
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Loans	81,000,000,000		86,800,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	2,300,000,000		2,600,000,000
Total assets	98,100,000,000		101,500,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	67,700,000,000		66,000,000,000
Other liabilities	1,500,000,000		1,500,000,000
Total liabilities	69,200,000,000		67,500,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	37,700,000,000		39,700,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests Maturities Under One Year [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	17,300,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests Maturities Between One And Five Years [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	14,900,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests Maturities Over Five Years [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	5,500,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $106,594 and $89,856)	14,800,000,000		12,100,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Firm Sponsored Credit Card Securitization Trusts [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Loans	47,200,000,000		50,700,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	800,000,000		800,000,000
Total assets	48,000,000,000		51,500,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	32,500,000,000		32,500,000,000
Other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	32,500,000,000		32,500,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Firm Sponsored Credit Card Securitization Trusts [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $106,594 and $89,856)	0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Other consumer securitizations
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Loans	4,100,000,000		4,100,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	1,100,000,000		1,500,000,000
Total assets	6,500,000,000		7,100,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	3,000,000,000		3,300,000,000
Other liabilities	200,000,000		200,000,000
Total liabilities	3,200,000,000		3,500,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Other consumer securitizations | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $106,594 and $89,856)	1,300,000,000		1,500,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Mortgage securitization entities
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Loans	2,200,000,000		2,300,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	0		0
Total assets	3,400,000,000		3,700,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	2,100,000,000		2,300,000,000
Other liabilities	1,300,000,000		1,300,000,000
Total liabilities	3,400,000,000		3,600,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Mortgage securitization entities | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $106,594 and $89,856)	1,200,000,000		1,400,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Multi-seller conduits
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Loans	27,500,000,000		29,700,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	200,000,000		200,000,000
Total assets	27,700,000,000		29,900,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	17,800,000,000		18,700,000,000
Other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	17,800,000,000		18,700,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Multi-seller conduits | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $106,594 and $89,856)	0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Municipal Bonds [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Loans	0		0
Other assets, at fair value	200,000,000		100,000,000
Total assets	12,500,000,000		9,300,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	12,300,000,000		9,200,000,000
Other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	12,300,000,000		9,200,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Municipal Bonds [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $106,594 and $89,856)	12,300,000,000		9,200,000,000
Student Loan Member | Consolidated Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	$ 4,100,000,000		$ 4,100,000,000

[1] (a)The following table presents information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm at March 31, 2012, and December 31, 2011. The difference between total VIE assets and liabilities represents the Firm’s interests in those entities, which were eliminated in consolidation.