Letter of Credit, Current Borrowing Capacity

No definition available.

Name:	schw_LetterofCreditCurrentBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	schw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Long-term Letter of Credit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schw_LongtermLetterofCredit
Namespace Prefix:	schw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Alleged minimum percentage of fund assets invested in CMOs and mortgage-backed securities without obtaining shareholder vote

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schw_MaximumAmountofFundAssetsAllowableWithoutObtainingFundholderVotePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	schw_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of rent expense incurred for leased assets, including but not limited to, furniture and equipment, that is not directly or indirectly associated with the manufacture, sale or creation of a product or product line.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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=98514028&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=schw_MarginRequirementsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=schw_BondMarketFundLitigationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_FirstMortgageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_HomeEquityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Aug. 28, 2008
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Rent expense	$ 136,000,000	$ 123,000,000	$ 116,000,000
Aggregate face amount of letter of credit agreements	225,000,000
Margin Requirements [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Funds drawn under LOC's	0
Bond Market Fund Litigation [Member] \| Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Alleged minimum percentage of fund assets invested in CMOs and mortgage-backed securities without obtaining shareholder vote				25.00%
First Mortgage [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Purchased first mortgages and HELOCs	2,800,000,000	3,300,000,000
Home Equity Line of Credit [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Purchased first mortgages and HELOCs	$ 461,000,000	$ 440,000,000