Guarantees and Contingent Liabilities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Company's representation and warranty reserve
Representation and Warranty Reserve, Beginning Balance	$ 173,000,000	$ 180,000,000	$ 101,000,000	$ 180,000,000	$ 72,000,000
Net realized losses	(31,000,000)		(24,000,000)	(106,000,000)	(66,000,000)
Additions to reserve	20,000,000		70,000,000	88,000,000	141,000,000
Representation and Warranty Reserve, Ending Balance	162,000,000		147,000,000	162,000,000	147,000,000
Guarantees and Contingent Liabilities (Textual) [Abstract]
Gain related to effective repurchase of a portion of Class B Visa shares		22,000,000
Liability related to the remaining Visa Litigation, carrying amount	29,000,000			29,000,000
Value of airline tickets purchased to deliver at a future date	5,800,000,000			5,800,000,000
Company held collateral in escrow deposits, letters of credit and indemnities from financial institutions, and liens on various assets	526,000,000			526,000,000
Amount reserved for potential losses from representations and warranty obligations	162,000,000		147,000,000	162,000,000	147,000,000
Unresolved Representation And Warranty Claims	115,000,000			115,000,000		165,000,000
Third party borrowing arrangements [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Maximum Potential Future Payments	127,000,000			127,000,000
Securities lending indemnifications [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Collateral Assets Held	8,973,000,000			8,973,000,000
Maximum Potential Future Payments	8,569,000,000			8,569,000,000
Assets sales [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Guarantor Obligations, Carrying Value	228,000,000			228,000,000
Maximum Potential Future Payments	2,046,000,000			2,046,000,000
Merchant Processing [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Collateral Assets Held	680,000,000			680,000,000
Guarantor Obligations, Carrying Value	73,000,000			73,000,000
Maximum Potential Future Payments	77,914,000,000			77,914,000,000
Minimum revenue guarantees [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Guarantor Obligations, Carrying Value	22,000,000			22,000,000
Maximum Potential Future Payments	37,000,000			37,000,000
Other [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Collateral Assets Held	5,336,000,000			5,336,000,000
Guarantor Obligations, Carrying Value	15,000,000			15,000,000
Maximum Potential Future Payments	8,552,000,000			8,552,000,000
Contingent consideration arrangements [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Guarantor Obligations, Carrying Value	5,000,000			5,000,000
Maximum Potential Future Payments	5,000,000			5,000,000
Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Summary of other guarantees and contingent liabilities
Guarantor Obligations, Carrying Value	94,000,000			94,000,000
Maximum Potential Future Payments	$ 18,760,000,000			$ 18,760,000,000