Receivables (Details Textual) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012 Nonperforming Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Nonperforming Loans [Member]	Jul. 30, 2012 Real estate secured [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Real estate secured [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Real estate secured [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Real estate secured [Member] Nonperforming Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Real estate secured [Member] Nonperforming Loans [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Personal non-credit card [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Discontinued Operations Securities Available for Sale [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Discontinued Operations Securities Available for Sale [Member]
Receivables (Textual) [Abstract]
Nonaccrual real estate secured receivables lower of amortized cost						$ 1,100,000,000	$ 4,700,000,000
Total debt restructuring receivables held for sale	3,746,000,000	4,409,000,000									2,400,000,000	0
Receivables held for sale						901,000,000				673,000,000
Real estate secured receivable delinquency lower of amortized cost						1,200,000,000	4,800,000,000
Receivables that are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value less cost to sell								1,100,000,000	4,700,000,000
Non - performing TDR loan receivable lower of amortized cost			1,500,000,000	3,000,000,000
Percentage of interest-only and stated income loan with respect to real estate secured receivables					6.00%		7.00%
Delinquent receivables HFS lower of amortized cost	671,000,000	2,500,000,000				2,500,000,000
Receivables (Additional Textual) [Abstract]
Deferred origination fees	240,000,000	254,000,000
Net unamortized premium on our receivables	143,000,000	169,000,000
Unearned income on personal non-credit card receivables		8,000,000
Secured financing	3,100,000,000	3,300,000,000
Receivables, collateralizing long-term debt	5,100,000,000	5,300,000,000
Closed-end real estate secured receivables	$ 5,100,000,000	$ 5,300,000,000
Real estate secured receivables modified and re-aged	56.00%	57.00%
Nonaccrual consumer receivables contractually delinquent	90 days
Nonaccrual receivables period	180 days
Percentage of receivables from industry	equal or exceed 10 percent of total receivables	equal or exceed 10 percent of total receivables
Percentage of receivables by state which individually account hold in portfolio	5 percent or greater of our portfolio	5 percent or greater of our portfolio