Financing Receivables, Allowance For Losses On Financing Receivables and Supplemental Information on Credit Quality (Allowance for Losses on Financing Receivables ) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	$ 5,178	$ 4,944	$ 6,162	$ 7,879
Provision charged	4,818	3,832	(3,930)
Other	(140)	(100)	(155)
Gross write-offs	(5,887)	(6,510)	(7,079)
Recoveries	1,443	1,560	1,587
Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member] | Troubled Debt Restructuring [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Period Increase (Decrease)			77
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	1,005	1,041	1,530	2,045
Provision charged	(741)	(542)	(607)
Other	0	(78)	(92)
Gross write-offs	(983)	(1,156)	(1,256)
Recoveries	206	203	226
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Americas CLL Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	473	490	889	1,288
Provision charged	(292)	(109)	(281)
Other	(1)	(51)	(96)
Gross write-offs	(422)	(568)	(700)
Recoveries	114	111	116
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Europe CLL Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	415	445	400	429
Provision charged	(321)	(374)	(195)
Other	12	(3)	(5)
Gross write-offs	(441)	(390)	(286)
Recoveries	78	64	67
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Asia CLL Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	90	80	157	222
Provision charged	(124)	(37)	(105)
Other	(11)	(3)	13
Gross write-offs	(115)	(134)	(214)
Recoveries	12	23	31
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Other CLL Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	0	6	4	6
Provision charged	3	(13)	(3)
Other	0	(1)	(3)
Gross write-offs	(3)	(10)	(2)
Recoveries	0	0	0
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | CLL Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	978	1,021	1,450	1,945
Provision charged	(734)	(533)	(584)
Other	0	(58)	(91)
Gross write-offs	(981)	(1,102)	(1,202)
Recoveries	204	198	214
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Energy Financial Services Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	8	9	26	22
Provision charged	1	(4)	0
Other	0	0	(1)
Gross write-offs	0	(24)	(4)
Recoveries	0	3	9
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | GECAS Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	17	8	17	20
Provision charged	(9)	(4)	0
Other	0	0	0
Gross write-offs	0	(13)	(3)
Recoveries	0	0	0
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Other Financing Receivables [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	2	3	37	58
Provision charged	1	(1)	(23)
Other	0	(20)	0
Gross write-offs	(2)	(17)	(47)
Recoveries	2	2	3
Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	192	320	1,089	1,488
Provision charged	(28)	(72)	(324)
Other	(4)	(44)	2
Gross write-offs	(163)	(810)	(747)
Recoveries	11	13	22
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	3,981	3,583	3,543	4,346
Provision charged	(4,049)	(3,218)	(2,999)
Other	(136)	22	(65)
Gross write-offs	(4,741)	(4,544)	(5,076)
Recoveries	1,226	1,344	1,339
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Non US residential mortgages [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	358	480	545	688
Provision charged	(269)	(112)	(116)
Other	10	8	(13)
Gross write-offs	(458)	(261)	(295)
Recoveries	57	76	49
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Non US installment and revolving credit [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	594	582	690	898
Provision charged	(589)	(290)	(470)
Other	(93)	24	(29)
Gross write-offs	(967)	(974)	(1,198)
Recoveries	483	552	549
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | US installment and revolving credit [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	2,823	2,282	2,008	2,333
Provision charged	(3,006)	(2,666)	(2,241)
Other	(51)	(24)	1
Gross write-offs	(2,954)	(2,906)	(3,095)
Recoveries	540	538	528
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Non US auto [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	56	67	101	168
Provision charged	(58)	(18)	(30)
Other	(13)	(4)	(4)
Gross write-offs	(126)	(146)	(216)
Recoveries	70	98	123
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Consumer Other Financing Receivable [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	150	172	199	259
Provision charged	(127)	(132)	(142)
Other	11	18	(20)
Gross write-offs	(236)	(257)	(272)
Recoveries	$ 76	$ 80	$ 90