Commitments and Contingent Liabilities - Net Minimum Lease Commitments (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Minimum Rental Payments
2016	$ 6
2017	2
2018	2
2019	2
2020	1
Thereafter	0
Net minimum lease commitments	13
Minimum Sublease Income
2016	(2)
2017	0
2018	0
2019	0
2020	0
Thereafter	0
Net minimum lease commitments	(2)
Net
2016	4
2017	2
2018	2
2019	2
2020	1
Thereafter	0
Net minimum lease commitments	$ 11

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income

No definition available.

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetOfSubleaseIncome
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income, Due in Four Years

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetOfSubleaseIncomeDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income, Due in Three Years

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetOfSubleaseIncomeDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income, Due in Two Years

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetOfSubleaseIncomeDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract] [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetOfSubleaseIncomeFiscalYearMaturityAbstractAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income, Next Twelve Months

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetOfSubleaseIncomeNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income, Due Thereafter

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetofSubleaseIncomeDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Net of Sublease Income, Due in Five Years

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hsbcfc_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueNetofSubleaseIncomeDueinFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	hsbcfc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Future minimum rental payments in aggregate as of the balance sheet date under operating leases.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within one year of the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the fifth year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the fourth year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the third year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the second year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Future minimum lease payments receivable under operating leases for periods greater than five years following the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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