Noninterest Income - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	$ 315	$ 247	$ 948	$ 757
Revenues outside the scope of ASC 606	357	300	1,229	461
Noninterest income	672	547	2,177	1,218
Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	1	0	3	1
Revenues outside the scope of ASC 606	188	224	793	340
Noninterest income	189	224	796	341
Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	165	126	464	394
Revenues outside the scope of ASC 606	17	22	51	54
Noninterest income	182	148	515	448
SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	23	1	25	2
Revenues outside the scope of ASC 606	2	0	2	0
Noninterest income	25	1	27	2
SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	18	10	59	26
Revenues outside the scope of ASC 606	127	50	330	61
Noninterest income	145	60	389	87
SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	108	110	397	334
Revenues outside the scope of ASC 606	23	4	53	6
Noninterest income	131	114	450	340
Investment banking revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	20	32	55	107
Investment banking revenue | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Investment banking revenue | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	20	31	53	105
Investment banking revenue | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	1	2	2
Investment banking revenue | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Investment banking revenue | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Wealth management and trust fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	22		22
Wealth management and trust fees | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0		0
Wealth management and trust fees | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0		0
Wealth management and trust fees | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	22		22
Wealth management and trust fees | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0		0
Wealth management and trust fees | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0		0
Spot contract commissions
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	60	39	175	113
Spot contract commissions | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Spot contract commissions | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	59	39	174	113
Spot contract commissions | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	1	0	1	0
Spot contract commissions | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Spot contract commissions | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Card interchange fees, gross
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	52	29	142	92
Card interchange fees, gross | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	1	1
Card interchange fees, gross | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	52	29	141	91
Card interchange fees, gross | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Card interchange fees, gross | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Card interchange fees, gross | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Merchant service fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	4	4	12	14
Merchant service fees | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Merchant service fees | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	4	4	12	14
Merchant service fees | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Merchant service fees | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Merchant service fees | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Deposit service charges
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	29	22	82	67
Deposit service charges | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	1	0	2	0
Deposit service charges | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	28	22	80	67
Deposit service charges | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Deposit service charges | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Deposit service charges | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Investment banking revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	90	92	335	281
Investment banking revenue | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Investment banking revenue | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Investment banking revenue | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Investment banking revenue | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Investment banking revenue | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	90	92	335	281
Commissions
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	17	16	58	49
Commissions | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Commissions | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Commissions | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Commissions | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Commissions | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	17	16	58	49
Fund management fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	15	10	51	26
Fund management fees | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Fund management fees | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Fund management fees | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Fund management fees | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	14	8	47	22
Fund management fees | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	1	2	4	4
Performance fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	4	2	12	4
Performance fees | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Performance fees | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Performance fees | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Performance fees | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	4	2	12	4
Performance fees | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Correspondent bank rebates
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	2	1	4	4
Correspondent bank rebates | Other Items
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Correspondent bank rebates | Global Commercial Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	2	1	4	4
Correspondent bank rebates | SVB Private Bank
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Correspondent bank rebates | SVB Capital
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Correspondent bank rebates | SVB Leerink
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contracts with customers	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0