Loans to Banking Clients and Related Allowance for Loan Losses (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Commitments to extend credit related to unused home equity lines of credit, personal loans secured by securities, and other lines of credit	$ 6,700,000,000us-gaap_UnusedCommitmentsToExtendCredit	$ 5,700,000,000us-gaap_UnusedCommitmentsToExtendCredit
Loans accruing interest contractually 90 days or more past due	0	0
Nonperforming assets, including nonaccrual loans and other real estate owned	44,000,000	53,000,000
First Mortgage [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Purchased first mortgages and HELOCs	1,400,000,000	3,500,000,000
Home equity lines of credit [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Purchased first mortgages and HELOCs	$ 664,000,000	$ 917,000,000

Total nonperforming assets include nonaccrual loans and other real estate owned

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	schw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Definition

Recorded investment in financing receivables that are 90 days or more past due and still accruing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 7

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5111-111524

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash outflow from (a) purchases of loans held-for-investment, (b) purchases of leases held-for-investment, and (c) both.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unused amount of commitments to extend credit to customers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Details

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