Notional amount of purchased interest rate swap risk participation agreements.

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Namespace Prefix:	sti
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Derivative liability created upon sale of Visa Class B shares.

+ Details

Name:	sti_DerivativeLiabilitySaleOfShares
Namespace Prefix:	sti
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Notional amount of derivative created upon sale of Visa Class B shares.

+ Details

Name:	sti_NotionalAmountDerivativeLiabilitySaleOfShares
Namespace Prefix:	sti
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Notional amount of written interest rate swap risk participation agreements.

+ Details

Name:	sti_NotionalAmountLiabilityPurchasedAndWrittenInterestRateSwapRiskParticipationAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	sti
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Notional Amount of Equity Future Derivatives

+ Details

Name:	sti_NotionalAmountOfEquityFutureDerivatives
Namespace Prefix:	sti
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of shares sold to selected financial institutions.

+ Details

Name:	sti_NumberOfSharesSoldToSelectedFinancialInstitutions
Namespace Prefix:	sti
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate notional amount of interest rate derivatives, which relates to the currency amount specified in the interest rate derivative instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1B

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5580258-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Notional Amount

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6519104

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1A

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5579245-113959

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

Derivative Positions (Parenthetical) (Detail) (Nondesignated, USD $) In Millions					1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011 Derivative Financial Instruments, Assets Future	Dec. 31, 2010 Derivative Financial Instruments, Assets Future	Sep. 30, 2011 Derivative Financial Instruments, Assets Trading Activity	Dec. 31, 2010 Derivative Financial Instruments, Assets Trading Activity	May 31, 2009 Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities Visa Interest	Sep. 30, 2011 Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011 Trading Activity	Dec. 31, 2010 Trading Activity
Notional amounts related to interest rate futures	$ 365	$ 1,400	$ 19,300	$ 25,000
Notional related to equity futures	665		428	500
Asset amount notional from purchased and written interest rate swap risk participation agreements								1	1
Liability amount notional from purchased and written interest rate swap risk participation agreements								6	8
Derivative liability recorded in other liabilities, established upon the sale of Visa Class B shares						16	23
Notional amount, established upon the sale of Visa Class B shares						$ 134	$ 134
Shares of Class B Visa Inc. common stock sold to another financial institution, shares					3.2