Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Fair Value Hierarchy for Assets Measured at Fair Value) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	$ 456	$ 517
Securities available for sale	53,080	51,618
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	1,051	1,163
Investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes	4,418	5,276
Other securities owned	456	517
Securities available for sale	53,080	51,618
Total	59,005	58,574
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Money market funds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	1,037	1,141
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Commercial paper [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	14	22
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Certificates of deposit [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes	3,493	2,737
Securities available for sale	3,426	3,652
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. Government securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes	925	2,539
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Schwab Funds money market funds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	208	261
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity and bond mutual funds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	200	208
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | State and municipal debt obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	33	32
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity, U.S. Government and corporate debt, and other securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	15	16
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	18,534	18,645
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Asset-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	16,725	15,206
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	9,087	9,007
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. agency notes [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	4,410	4,136
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	578	593
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Non-agency commercial mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	320	279
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale		100
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	1,037	1,141
Other securities owned	409	470
Total	1,446	1,611
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Money market funds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	1,037	1,141
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Schwab Funds money market funds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	208	261
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity and bond mutual funds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	200	208
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity, U.S. Government and corporate debt, and other securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	1	1
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	14	22
Investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes	4,418	5,276
Other securities owned	47	47
Securities available for sale	53,080	51,618
Total	57,559	56,963
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Commercial paper [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	14	22
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Certificates of deposit [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes	3,493	2,737
Securities available for sale	3,426	3,652
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. Government securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes	925	2,539
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | State and municipal debt obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	33	32
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity, U.S. Government and corporate debt, and other securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other securities owned	14	15
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	18,534	18,645
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Asset-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	16,725	15,206
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	9,087	9,007
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. agency notes [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	4,410	4,136
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	578	593
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Non-agency commercial mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale	320	279
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Securities available for sale		$ 100