Legal Proceedings	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Legal Proceedings [Abstract]
Legal Proceedings	Note 17 Legal Proceedings We establish accruals for legal proceedings, including litigation and regulatory and governmental investigations and inquiries, when information related to the loss contingencies represented by those matters indicates both that a loss is probable and that the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Any such accruals are adjusted thereafter as appropriate to reflect changed circumstances. When we are able to do so, we also determine estimates of possible losses or ranges of possible losses, whether in excess of any related accrued liability or where there is no accrued liability, for disclosed legal proceedings (“Disclosed Matters,” which are those matters disclosed in this Note 17, and also those matters disclosed in Note 22 Legal Proceedings in Part II, Item 8 of our 2011 Form 10-K, in Note 16 Legal Proceedings in Part I, Item 1 of our first quarter 2012 Form 10-Q, and in Note 17 Legal Proceedings in Part I, Item 1 of our second quarter 2012 Form 10-Q (such prior disclosure referred to as “Prior Disclosure”)). For Disclosed Matters where we are able to estimate such possible losses or ranges of possible losses, as of September 30, 2012, we estimate that it is reasonably possible that we could incur losses in an aggregate amount of up to approximately $425 million. The estimates included in this amount are based on our analysis of currently available information and are subject to significant judgment and a variety of assumptions and uncertainties. As new information is obtained we may change our estimates. Due to the inherent subjectivity of the assessments and unpredictability of outcomes of legal proceedings, any amounts accrued or included in this aggregate amount may not represent the ultimate loss to us from the legal proceedings in question. Thus, our exposure and ultimate losses may be higher, and possibly significantly so, than the amounts accrued or this aggregate amount. The aggregate estimated amount provided above does not include an estimate for every Disclosed Matter, as we are unable, at this time, to estimate the losses that it is reasonably possible that we could incur or ranges of such losses with respect to some of the matters disclosed for one or more of the following reasons. In our experience, legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable. In many legal proceedings, various factors exacerbate this inherent unpredictability, including, among others, one or more of the following: the proceeding is in its early stages; the damages sought are unspecified, unsupported or uncertain; it is unclear whether a case brought as a class action will be allowed to proceed on that basis or, if permitted to proceed as a class action, how the class will be defined; the plaintiff is seeking relief other than or in addition to compensatory damages; the matter presents meaningful legal uncertainties, including novel issues of law; we have not engaged in meaningful settlement discussions; discovery has not started or is not complete; there are significant facts in dispute; and there are a large number of parties named as defendants (including where it is uncertain how damages or liability, if any, will be shared among multiple defendants). Generally, the less progress that has been made in the proceedings or the broader the range of potential results, the harder it is for us to estimate losses or ranges of losses that it is reasonably possible we could incur. Therefore, as the estimated aggregate amount disclosed above does not include all of the Disclosed Matters, the amount disclosed above does not represent our maximum reasonably possible loss exposure for all of the Disclosed Matters. The estimated aggregate amount also does not reflect any of our exposure to matters not so disclosed, as discussed below under “Other.” We include in some of the descriptions of individual Disclosed Matters certain quantitative information related to the plaintiff's claim against us as alleged in the plaintiff's pleadings or other public filings or otherwise publicly available. While information of this type may provide insight into the potential magnitude of a matter, it does not necessarily represent our estimate of reasonably possible loss or our judgment as to any currently appropriate accrual. Some of our exposure in Disclosed Matters may be offset by applicable insurance coverage. We do not consider the possible availability of insurance coverage in determining the amounts of any accruals (although we record the amount of related insurance recoveries that are deemed probable up to the amount of the accrual) or in determining any estimates of possible losses or ranges of possible losses. The following descriptions update our disclosure of pending legal proceedings provided in Prior Disclosure. Interchange Litigation In October 2012, the defendants in the cases consolidated for pretrial proceedings in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under the caption In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant-Discount Antitrust Litigation (Master File No. 1:05-md-1720-JG-JO) entered into a definitive agreement relating to a settlement with the class plaintiffs. CBNV Mortgage Litigation MDL Proceedings in Pennsylvania. In the cases consolidated for pre-trial proceedings in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, currently under the caption In re: Community Bank of Northern Virginia Lending Practices Litigation (No. 03-0425 (W.D. Pa.), MDL No. 1674), the defendants' motion to dismiss the amended complaint was argued in October 2012. The court has not yet ruled on this motion. North Carolina Proceedings. In Bumpers, et al. v. Community Bank of Northern Virginia (01-CVS-011342), pending in the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division, for Wake County, North Carolina, in August 2012 the North Carolina Supreme Court granted our petition for discretionary review of the decision of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. FHLB In Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago v. Bank of America Funding Corp., et al. (Case No. 10CH45033), pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the court denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the corrected amended complaint in September 2012. Captive Mortgage Reinsurance Litigation In September 2012, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in White, et al. v. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., et al. (Civil Action No. 11-7928), pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Weavering Macro Fixed Income Fund The Supreme Court of Ireland has scheduled the hearing on the motion to stay the modular trial pending in the High Court, Dublin, Ireland and the appeal of the judgment of the High Court ordering that trial for November 2012. False Claims Act Lawsuit In October 2012, the United States provided its consent to the settlement agreed to by PNC Bank and the plaintiffs in United States ex rel. Bibby & Donnelly v. Wells Fargo, et al. (1:06-CV-0547-AT), pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. PNC Bank had previously entered into final settlement agreements with the plaintiffs. PNC expects the settlement to become final in the fourth quarter of 2012, subject to receipt of a court approval. The amount of the settlement has been previously fully reserved. Other Regulatory and Governmental Inquiries PNC is the subject of investigations, audits and other forms of regulatory and governmental inquiry covering a broad range of issues in our banking, securities and other financial services businesses, in some cases as part of reviews of specified activities at multiple industry participants. Over the last few years, we have experienced an increase in regulatory and governmental investigations, audits and other inquiries. Areas of current regulatory or governmental inquiry with respect to PNC include consumer financial protection, fair lending, mortgage origination and servicing, mortgage-related insurance and reinsurance, municipal finance activities, and participation in government insurance or guarantee programs, some of which are described below. These inquiries, including those described in Prior Disclosure, may lead to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings, and possibly result in remedies including fines, penalties, restitution, or alterations in our business practices, and in additional expenses and collateral costs. Our practice is to cooperate fully with regulatory and governmental investigations, audits and other inquiries, including those described in Prior Disclosure. Other In addition to the proceedings or other matters described above and in Prior Disclosure, PNC and persons to whom we may have indemnification obligations, in the normal course of business, are subject to various other pending and threatened legal proceedings in which claims for monetary damages and other relief are asserted. We do not anticipate, at the present time, that the ultimate aggregate liability, if any, arising out of such other legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our financial position. However, we cannot now determine whether or not any claims asserted against us or others to whom we may have indemnification obligations, whether in the proceedings or other matters described above or otherwise, will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in any future reporting period, which will depend on, among other things, the amount of the loss resulting from the claim and the amount of income otherwise reported for the reporting period. See Note 18 Commitments and Guarantees for additional information regarding the Visa indemnification and our other obligations to provide indemnification, including to current and former officers, directors, employees and agents of PNC and companies we have acquired, including National City.

Legal Proceedings

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Note 17 Legal Proceedings

We establish accruals for legal proceedings, including litigation and regulatory and governmental investigations and inquiries, when information related to the loss contingencies represented by those matters indicates both that a loss is probable and that the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Any such accruals are adjusted thereafter as appropriate to reflect changed circumstances. When we are able to do so, we also determine estimates of possible losses or ranges of possible losses, whether in excess of any related accrued liability or where there is no accrued liability, for disclosed legal proceedings (“Disclosed Matters,” which are those matters disclosed in this Note 17, and also those matters disclosed in Note 22 Legal Proceedings in Part II, Item 8 of our 2011 Form 10-K, in Note 16 Legal Proceedings in Part I, Item 1 of our first quarter 2012 Form 10-Q, and in Note 17 Legal Proceedings in Part I, Item 1 of our second quarter 2012 Form 10-Q (such prior disclosure referred to as “Prior Disclosure”)). For Disclosed Matters where we are able to estimate such possible losses or ranges of possible losses, as of September 30, 2012, we estimate that it is reasonably possible that we could incur losses in an aggregate amount of up to approximately $425 million. The estimates included in this amount are based on our analysis of currently available information and are subject to significant judgment and a variety of assumptions and uncertainties. As new information is obtained we may change our estimates. Due to the inherent subjectivity of the assessments and unpredictability of outcomes of legal proceedings, any amounts accrued or included in this aggregate amount may not represent the ultimate loss to us from the legal proceedings in question. Thus, our exposure and ultimate losses may be higher, and possibly significantly so, than the amounts accrued or this aggregate amount.

The aggregate estimated amount provided above does not include an estimate for every Disclosed Matter, as we are unable, at this time, to estimate the losses that it is reasonably possible that we could incur or ranges of such losses with respect to some of the matters disclosed for one or more of the following reasons. In our experience, legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable. In many legal proceedings, various factors exacerbate this inherent unpredictability, including, among others, one or more of the following: the proceeding is in its early stages; the damages sought are unspecified, unsupported or uncertain; it is unclear whether a case brought as a class action will be allowed to proceed on that basis or, if permitted to proceed as a class action, how the class will be defined; the plaintiff is seeking relief other than or in addition to compensatory damages; the matter presents meaningful legal uncertainties, including novel issues of law; we have not engaged in meaningful settlement discussions; discovery has not started or is not complete; there are significant facts in dispute; and there are a large number of parties named as defendants (including where it is uncertain how damages or liability, if any, will be shared among multiple defendants). Generally, the less progress that has been made in the proceedings or the broader the range of potential results, the harder it is for us to estimate losses or ranges of losses that it is reasonably possible we could incur. Therefore, as the estimated aggregate amount disclosed above does not include all of the Disclosed Matters, the amount disclosed above does not represent our maximum reasonably possible loss exposure for all of the Disclosed Matters. The estimated aggregate amount also does not reflect any of our exposure to matters not so disclosed, as discussed below under “Other.”

We include in some of the descriptions of individual Disclosed Matters certain quantitative information related to the plaintiff's claim against us as alleged in the plaintiff's pleadings or other public filings or otherwise publicly available. While information of this type may provide insight into the potential magnitude of a matter, it does not necessarily represent our estimate of reasonably possible loss or our judgment as to any currently appropriate accrual.

Some of our exposure in Disclosed Matters may be offset by applicable insurance coverage. We do not consider the possible availability of insurance coverage in determining the amounts of any accruals (although we record the amount of related insurance recoveries that are deemed probable up to the amount of the accrual) or in determining any estimates of possible losses or ranges of possible losses.

The following descriptions update our disclosure of pending legal proceedings provided in Prior Disclosure.

Interchange Litigation

In October 2012, the defendants in the cases consolidated for pretrial proceedings in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under the caption In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant-Discount Antitrust Litigation (Master File No. 1:05-md-1720-JG-JO) entered into a definitive agreement relating to a settlement with the class plaintiffs.

CBNV Mortgage Litigation

MDL Proceedings in Pennsylvania. In the cases consolidated for pre-trial proceedings in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, currently under the caption In re: Community Bank of Northern Virginia Lending Practices Litigation (No. 03-0425 (W.D. Pa.), MDL No. 1674), the defendants' motion to dismiss the amended complaint was argued in October 2012. The court has not yet ruled on this motion.

North Carolina Proceedings. In Bumpers, et al. v. Community Bank of Northern Virginia (01-CVS-011342), pending in the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division, for Wake County, North Carolina, in August 2012 the North Carolina Supreme Court granted our petition for discretionary review of the decision of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

FHLB

In Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago v. Bank of America Funding Corp., et al. (Case No. 10CH45033), pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the court denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the corrected amended complaint in September 2012.

Captive Mortgage Reinsurance Litigation

In September 2012, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in White, et al. v. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., et al. (Civil Action No. 11-7928), pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Weavering Macro Fixed Income Fund

The Supreme Court of Ireland has scheduled the hearing on the motion to stay the modular trial pending in the High Court, Dublin, Ireland and the appeal of the judgment of the High Court ordering that trial for November 2012.

False Claims Act Lawsuit

In October 2012, the United States provided its consent to the settlement agreed to by PNC Bank and the plaintiffs in United States ex rel. Bibby & Donnelly v. Wells Fargo, et al. (1:06-CV-0547-AT), pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. PNC Bank had previously entered into final settlement agreements with the plaintiffs. PNC expects the settlement to become final in the fourth quarter of 2012, subject to receipt of a court approval. The amount of the settlement has been previously fully reserved.

Other Regulatory and Governmental Inquiries

PNC is the subject of investigations, audits and other forms of regulatory and governmental inquiry covering a broad range of issues in our banking, securities and other financial services businesses, in some cases as part of reviews of specified activities at multiple industry participants. Over the last few years, we have experienced an increase in regulatory and governmental investigations, audits and other inquiries. Areas of current regulatory or governmental inquiry with respect to PNC include consumer financial protection, fair lending, mortgage origination and servicing, mortgage-related insurance and reinsurance, municipal finance activities, and participation in government insurance or guarantee programs, some of which are described below. These inquiries, including those described in Prior Disclosure, may lead to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings, and possibly result in remedies including fines, penalties, restitution, or alterations in our business practices, and in additional expenses and collateral costs.

Our practice is to cooperate fully with regulatory and governmental investigations, audits and other inquiries, including those described in Prior Disclosure.

Other

In addition to the proceedings or other matters described above and in Prior Disclosure, PNC and persons to whom we may have indemnification obligations, in the normal course of business, are subject to various other pending and threatened legal proceedings in which claims for monetary damages and other relief are asserted. We do not anticipate, at the present time, that the ultimate aggregate liability, if any, arising out of such other legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our financial position. However, we cannot now determine whether or not any claims asserted against us or others to whom we may have indemnification obligations, whether in the proceedings or other matters described above or otherwise, will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in any future reporting period, which will depend on, among other things, the amount of the loss resulting from the claim and the amount of income otherwise reported for the reporting period.

See Note 18 Commitments and Guarantees for additional information regarding the Visa indemnification and our other obligations to provide indemnification, including to current and former officers, directors, employees and agents of PNC and companies we have acquired, including National City.