Credit Loss Reserves - Summarizes Changes in Credit Loss Reserves by Product/Class and Related Receivable Balance by Product (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Credit loss reserves at beginning of period	$ 5,952		$ 5,512		$ 7,275
Provision for credit losses	2,224	[1],[2]	4,418	[3]	5,346
Charge-offs	(3,021)		(4,481)		(7,596)
Recoveries	417		503		487
Total net charge-offs	(2,604)		(3,978)		(7,109)
Reserves on receivables transferred to held for sale	(965)
Credit loss reserves at end of period	4,607		5,952		5,512
Reserve components:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	937		1,252		3,044
Individually evaluated for impairment	3,533	[4]	4,266	[4]	2,354	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	132		425		95
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	5		9		19
Total credit loss reserves	4,607		5,952		5,512
Receivables:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	18,426		28,876		42,734
Individually evaluated for impairment	12,388	[4]	13,058	[4]	8,579	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	2,109		5,937		5,095
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	16		41		48
Total receivables	32,939		47,912	[5]	56,456
First Mortgage [Member]
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Credit loss reserves at beginning of period	4,089		3,355		3,997
Provision for credit losses	1,812	[2]	3,227	[3]	3,126
Charge-offs	(2,094)		(2,527)		(3,811)
Recoveries	60		34		43
Total net charge-offs	(2,034)		(2,493)		(3,768)
Reserves on receivables transferred to held for sale	0
Credit loss reserves at end of period	3,867		4,089		3,355
Reserve components:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	722		632		1,544
Individually evaluated for impairment	3,010	[4]	3,026	[4]	1,701	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	131		423		94
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	4		8		16
Total credit loss reserves	3,867		4,089		3,355
Receivables:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	16,012		21,660		31,556
Individually evaluated for impairment	11,233	[4]	10,693	[4]	7,240	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	2,043		5,847		5,022
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	13		35		41
Total receivables	29,301		38,235		43,859
Second Mortgage [Member]
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Credit loss reserves at beginning of period	823		832		1,430
Provision for credit losses	397	[2]	758	[3]	789
Charge-offs	(538)		(827)		(1,456)
Recoveries	58		60		69
Total net charge-offs	(480)		(767)		(1,387)
Reserves on receivables transferred to held for sale	0
Credit loss reserves at end of period	740		823		832
Reserve components:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	215		286		570
Individually evaluated for impairment	523	[4]	534	[4]	258	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	1		2		1
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	1		1		3
Total credit loss reserves	740		823		832
Receivables:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	2,414		3,358		4,762
Individually evaluated for impairment	1,155	[4]	1,024	[4]	635	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	66		90		73
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	3		6		7
Total receivables	3,638		4,478		5,477
Personal non-credit card [Member]
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Credit loss reserves at beginning of period	1,040		1,325		1,848
Provision for credit losses	15	[2]	433	[3]	1,431
Charge-offs	(389)		(1,127)		(2,329)
Recoveries	299		409		375
Total net charge-offs	(90)		(718)		(1,954)
Reserves on receivables transferred to held for sale	(965)
Credit loss reserves at end of period	0		1,040		1,325
Reserve components:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	0		334		930
Individually evaluated for impairment	0	[4]	706	[4]	395	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	0		0		0
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	0		0		0
Total credit loss reserves	0		1,040		1,325
Receivables:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	0		3,855		6,413
Individually evaluated for impairment	0	[4]	1,341	[4]	704	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	0		0		0
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	0		0		0
Total receivables	0		5,196		7,117
Commercial and Other [Member]
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Credit loss reserves at beginning of period	0		0		0
Provision for credit losses	0	[2]	0	[3]	0
Charge-offs	0		0		0
Recoveries	0		0		0
Total net charge-offs	0		0		0
Reserves on receivables transferred to held for sale	0
Credit loss reserves at end of period	0		0		0
Reserve components:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	0		0		0
Individually evaluated for impairment	0	[4]	0	[4]	0	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	0		0		0
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	0		0		0
Total credit loss reserves	0		0		0
Receivables:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	0		3		3
Individually evaluated for impairment	0	[4]	0	[4]	0	[4]
Receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell	0		0		0
Receivables acquired with deteriorated credit quality	0		0		0
Total receivables	$ 0		$ 3		$ 3

[1] Provision for credit losses during 2012 includes $112 million related to the portion of the lower of amortized cost or fair value adjustment that was attributable to credit for personal non-credit card receivables transferred to held for sale during the second quarter of 2012. See Note 7, “Receivables Held for Sale,” for additional information. This amount was recorded as a provision for credit losses and included in the total of reserves on receivables transferred to held for sale. There was no lower of cost or fair value adjustment allocated to credit for the real estate secured receivables as these receivables were previously carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell prior to the transfer of the loans to held for sale.

[2] Provision for credit losses during 2012 includes $112 million related to the portion of the lower of amortized cost or fair value that was attributable to credit for personal non-credit card receivables transferred to held for sale during the second quarter of 2012. See Note 7, “Receivables Held for Sale,” for additional information. This amount was recorded as a provision for credit losses and included in the total of reserves on receivables transferred to held for sale. There was no lower of cost or fair value adjustment allocated to credit for the real estate secured receivables as these receivables were previously carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell prior to the transfer of the loans to held for sale.

[3] Provision for credit losses during 2011 included approximately $925 million related to the adoption of new accounting guidance for TDR Loans in the third quarter of 2011 as discussed above.

[4] These amounts represent TDR Loans for which we evaluate reserves using a discounted cash flow methodology. Each loan is individually identified as a TDR Loan and then grouped together with other TDR Loans with similar characteristics. The discounted cash flow impairment analysis is then applied to these groups of TDR Loans. The receivable balance above excludes TDR Loans that are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell which totaled $1.5 billion, $2.5 billion and $1.5 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The reserve component above excludes credit loss reserves for TDR Loans that are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell which totaled $94 million, $143 million and $27 million at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. These credit loss reserves are reflected within receivables carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell in the table above.

[5] The receivable balances included in this table reflects the principal amount outstanding on the loan and certain basis adjustments to the loan such as deferred fees and costs on originated loans, purchase accounting fair value adjustments and premiums or discounts on purchased loans. However, these basis adjustments on the loans are excluded in other presentations regarding delinquent account balances.