Money Market Mutual Fund Charges - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2010
Money market mutual fund charges	$ 132

Charges relating to Schwab's decision to cover the net remaining losses recognized by Schwab's money market mutual funds as a result of their investments in a single structured investment vehicle that defaulted in 2008

No definition available.

Name:	schw_MoneyMarketMutualFundCharges
Namespace Prefix:	schw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration