Variable Interest Entities (Summary Of VIE Not Consolidated By FHN) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Loans, net of unearned income	[1]	$ 19,555,787		$ 17,686,502	$ 16,725,492
Term borrowings		1,065,651		1,312,677	1,339,940
Trading securities		1,320,535		881,450	1,229,180
Securities available for sale, Fair Value		4,027,594	[2]	$ 3,929,846	3,673,641	[3]
Low Income Housing Partnerships [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure		65,754	[4]		76,982	[5]
Maximum loss exposure, contractual funding commitments		12,800			22,200
Liability Recognized		12,817	[4]		22,224	[5]
Low Income Housing Partnerships [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum loss exposure, current investments		52,900			54,800
Other Tax Credit Investments [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure	[6],[7]	20,321			21,359
Liability Recognized	[6],[7]	0			0
Other Tax Credit Investments [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum loss exposure, current investments		18,000			18,000
Small Issuer Trust Preferred Holdings [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure	[8]	333,309			344,291
Liability Recognized	[8]	0			0
On Balance Sheet Trust Preferred Securitization [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure		49,370	[9]		50,037	[10]
Liability Recognized		64,803	[9]		64,137	[10]
Loans, net of unearned income		112,500			112,500
Term borrowings		64,800			64,100
Trading securities		1,700			1,700
Proprietary & Agency Residential Mortgage Securitizations [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure		17,201	[11]		25,105	[12]
Liability Recognized		0	[11]		0	[12]
Trading securities		2,800			4,600
Total MSR recognized by FHN		300			600
Proprietary & Agency Residential Mortgage Securitizations [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Aggregate servicing advances		14,100			19,900
Holdings Of Agency Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure	[8]	4,586,329	[13]		4,030,604	[14]
Liability Recognized	[8]	0	[13]		0	[14]
Trading securities		700,000			549,200
Securities available for sale, Fair Value		3,800,000			3,500,000
Short Positions In Agency Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liability Recognized	[15]	199			896
Commercial Loan Troubled Debt Restructurings [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure		36,354	[16]		29,280	[17],[18]
Maximum loss exposure, contractual funding commitments		100			100
Liability Recognized		0	[16]		0	[17],[18]
Loans, net of unearned income		36,300			$ 29,200
Sale Leaseback Transaction [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Maximum Loss Exposure	[19]	11,827
Liability Recognized	[19]	$ 0

[1] September 30 , 2016 and 2015 and December 31, 2015 include $30.3 million, $30.7 million and $29.7 million, respectively, of held-to-maturity consumer mortgage loans secured by residential real estate properties in pr ocess of foreclosure.

[2] Includes $ 3.3 billion of securities pledged to secure public deposits, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, and for other purposes.

[3] Includes $ 2.9 billion of securities pledged to secure public deposits, securities sold under agreements to repu rchase, and for other purposes .

[4] Maximum loss exposure represents $ 52 . 9 million of current investments and $ 12 . 8 million of accrued contractual funding commitments. Accrued funding commitments represent unconditional contractual obligations for future funding events, and are also recognized in Other liabilities. FHN currently expects to be required to fund these accrued commitments by the end of 2017 .

[5] Maximum loss exposure represents $ 54.8 million of current investments and $ 22.2 million of accrued contractual funding commitments. Accrued funding commitments represent unconditional contractual obligations for future funding events, and are also recognized in Other liabilities. FHN currently expects to be required to fund these accrued commitments by the end of 2016 .

[6] A lia bility is not recognized as investments are written down over the life of the related tax credit

[7] Maximum loss exposure represe nts current investment balance. Of the initial investment, $ 18 . 0 million was funded through loans from community development enterprises

[8] Maximum loss exposure represents the value of current investments. A liability is not recognized as FHN is solely a ho lder of the trusts’ securities.

[9] Includes $ 112 . 5 million classified as Loans, net of unearned income, and $ 1 . 7 million classified as Trading securities which are offset by $ 64.8 million classified as Term borrowings.

[10] Includes $ 112.5 million classified as Loans, net of unearned income, and $ 1.7 million classified as Trading securities which are offset by $ 64 . 1 million classified as Term borrowings.

[11] Includes $ . 3 million classified as MSR , $ 2 . 8 million classified as Trading securities , and $ 14 . 1 million of aggregate servicing advances .

[12] Includes $ .6 million classified as MSR , $ 4 . 6 million classified as Trading securities , and $ 19 . 9 million of aggregate servicing advances .

[13] Includes $ .7 b illion classified as Trading securities and $ 3 . 8 billion cla ssified as Securities available-for- sale.

[14] Includes $ 549 . 2 million classified as Trading securities and $ 3 . 5 billion cla ssified as Securities available-for- sale.

[15] No exposure of loss due to the nature of FHN’s involveme nt

[16] Ma ximum loss exposure represents $ 36.3 million of current receivables and $ .1 million of contractual funding commitments on loans related to commercial borrowers involved in a troubled debt restructuring

[17] A liability is not recognized as the loans are the only variable interests held in the troubled commercial borrowers’ operations.

[18] Maximum loss exposure represents $ 29 . 2 million of current receivables and $ . 1 million of contractual funding commitments on loans related to commercial borrowers involved in a troubled debt restructuring.

[19] Maximum loss exposure represents the current loan balance plus additional funding commitments less amounts received from the buyer- lessor .