Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	Notes to Condensed, Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES All of the outstanding common stock of General Electric Capital Corporation (GECC) is owned by General Electric Capital Services, Inc. (GECS), all of whose common stock is owned by General Electric Company (GE Company or GE). Our financial statements consolidate all of our affiliates – companies that we control and in which we hold a majority voting interest. We also consolidate the economic interests we hold in certain businesses within companies in which we hold a voting equity interest and are majority owned by our ultimate parent, but which we have agreed to actively manage and control. See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 (2010 consolidated financial statements), which discusses our consolidation and financial statement presentation. GECC includes Commercial Lending and Leasing (CLL), Consumer, Real Estate, Energy Financial Services and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). As a wholly-owned subsidiary, GECC enters into various operating and financing arrangements with GE. Transactions between related companies are made on an arms-length basis, are eliminated and consist primarily of capital contributions from GE to GECC; GE customer receivables sold to GECC; GECC services for trade receivables management and material procurement; buildings and equipment (including automobiles) leased between GE and GECC; information technology (IT) and other services sold to GECC by GE; aircraft engines manufactured by GE that are installed on aircraft purchased by GECC from third-party producers for lease to others; and various investments, loans and allocations of GE corporate overhead costs. Beginning January 1, 2011, GE allocates service costs related to its principal pension plans and GE no longer allocates the retiree costs of postretirement healthcare benefits to its segments. This revised allocation methodology better aligns segment operating costs to active employee costs that are managed by the segments. This change did not significantly affect our reported segment results. We have reclassified certain prior-period amounts to conform to the current-period presentation. Unless otherwise indicated, information in these notes to the condensed, consolidated financial statements relates to continuing operations. Accounting Changes On July 1, 2011, we adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-02, an amendment to Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 310, Receivables. ASU 2011-02 provides guidance for determining whether a restructuring of a debt constitutes a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). ASU 2011-02 requires that a restructuring be classified as a TDR when it is both a concession and the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. The amendment also clarifies the guidance on a creditor's evaluation of whether it has granted a concession. The amendment applies to restructurings that have occurred subsequent to January 1, 2011. As a result of adopting these amendments on July 1, 2011, we have classified an additional $271 million of financing receivables as TDRs and have recorded an increase of $77 million to our allowance for losses on financing receivables. See Note 12. Interim Period Presentation The condensed, consolidated financial statements and notes thereto are unaudited. These statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) that we considered necessary to present a fair statement of our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The results reported in these condensed, consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. It is suggested that these condensed, consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our 2010 consolidated financial statements. We label our quarterly information using a calendar convention, that is, first quarter is labeled as ending on March 31, second quarter as ending on June 30, and third quarter as ending on September 30. It is our longstanding practice to establish interim quarterly closing dates using a fiscal calendar, which requires our businesses to close their books on either a Saturday or Sunday, depending on the business. The effects of this practice are modest and only exist within a reporting year. The fiscal closing calendar from 1993 through 2013 is available on our website, www.ge.com/secreports.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

Notes to Condensed, Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

All of the outstanding common stock of General Electric Capital Corporation (GECC) is owned by General Electric Capital Services, Inc. (GECS), all of whose common stock is owned by General Electric Company (GE Company or GE). Our financial statements consolidate all of our affiliates – companies that we control and in which we hold a majority voting interest. We also consolidate the economic interests we hold in certain businesses within companies in which we hold a voting equity interest and are majority owned by our ultimate parent, but which we have agreed to actively manage and control. See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 (2010 consolidated financial statements), which discusses our consolidation and financial statement presentation. GECC includes Commercial Lending and Leasing (CLL), Consumer, Real Estate, Energy Financial Services and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).

As a wholly-owned subsidiary, GECC enters into various operating and financing arrangements with GE. Transactions between related companies are made on an arms-length basis, are eliminated and consist primarily of capital contributions from GE to GECC; GE customer receivables sold to GECC; GECC services for trade receivables management and material procurement; buildings and equipment (including automobiles) leased between GE and GECC; information technology (IT) and other services sold to GECC by GE; aircraft engines manufactured by GE that are installed on aircraft purchased by GECC from third-party producers for lease to others; and various investments, loans and allocations of GE corporate overhead costs.

Beginning January 1, 2011, GE allocates service costs related to its principal pension plans and GE no longer allocates the retiree costs of postretirement healthcare benefits to its segments. This revised allocation methodology better aligns segment operating costs to active employee costs that are managed by the segments. This change did not significantly affect our reported segment results.

We have reclassified certain prior-period amounts to conform to the current-period presentation. Unless otherwise indicated, information in these notes to the condensed, consolidated financial statements relates to continuing operations.

Accounting Changes

On July 1, 2011, we adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-02, an amendment to Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 310, Receivables. ASU 2011-02 provides guidance for determining whether a restructuring of a debt constitutes a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). ASU 2011-02 requires that a restructuring be classified as a TDR when it is both a concession and the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. The amendment also clarifies the guidance on a creditor's evaluation of whether it has granted a concession. The amendment applies to restructurings that have occurred subsequent to January 1, 2011. As a result of adopting these amendments on July 1, 2011, we have classified an additional $271 million of financing receivables as TDRs and have recorded an increase of $77 million to our allowance for losses on financing receivables. See Note 12.

Interim Period Presentation

The condensed, consolidated financial statements and notes thereto are unaudited. These statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) that we considered necessary to present a fair statement of our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The results reported in these condensed, consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. It is suggested that these condensed, consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our 2010 consolidated financial statements. We label our quarterly information using a calendar convention, that is, first quarter is labeled as ending on March 31, second quarter as ending on June 30, and third quarter as ending on September 30. It is our longstanding practice to establish interim quarterly closing dates using a fiscal calendar, which requires our businesses to close their books on either a Saturday or Sunday, depending on the business. The effects of this practice are modest and only exist within a reporting year. The fiscal closing calendar from 1993 through 2013 is available on our website, www.ge.com/secreports.