Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Nov. 15, 2011	Nov. 14, 2011
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation	$ 0
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Service and Interest Cost Components	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Service and Interest Cost Components	0
Long Term Incentive Deferred Cash Expense	150,000,000	155,000,000	116,000,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	21
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Options Available For Additional Grant	17
Number of Restricted Stock Units Granted		574,257
Fair Value of Restricted Stock Units Per Unit		21.67
Balance of Restricted Stock Units	17,000,000	12,000,000
Fair value of options granted per share	$ 7.37	$ 7.83	$ 10.51
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value	11,000,000	15,000,000	1,000,000
Fair Value of Vested Restricted Stock Units			0
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	66,000,000	67,000,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense	21,000,000	26,000,000	22,000,000
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense			0
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	1 year 8 months
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Employees' Gross Pay	6.00%	6.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized	96,000,000	96,000,000	81,000,000
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Discretionary Contribution Amount	19,000,000	38,000,000	28,000,000
Pension Account Effective Interest Crediting Rate	3.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailments	0	0	(88,000,000)
Contributed To Postretirement Welfare Plan	1,000,000
Expected Medicare Subsidy Reimbursement Amount	1,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation	2,600,000,000	2,800,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan Effect of 25 Basis Point Decrease in Expected Return on Plan Assets	7,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan Effect of 25 Basis Point Decrease in Discount Rate	1,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Ultimate Health Care Cost Trend Rate	5.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation	1,000,000
Participants Younger Than 65 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Health Care Cost Trend Rate Assumed for Next Fiscal Year	7.75%
Discretionary One-time Contribution, Employer Matching Percent [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Employees' Gross Pay	1.00%	2.00%	5.00%
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailments	0	0	(88,000,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of Settlements and Curtailments on Accumulated Benefit Obligation			(96,000,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan Basis Used To Determine Overall Expected Long Term Rate Of Returns On Assets Assumption Historical	7.00%	0.00%		7.25%	7.75%
Defined Benefit Plan, Amount to be Amortized from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Next Fiscal Year	(16,000,000)
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailments	0	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Expected Long Term Return on Assets	5.25%
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments	76,000,000	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amount to be Amortized from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Next Fiscal Year	(6,000,000)
Other Postretirement Benefit Plan, Defined Benefit, Pre-tax [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Expected Long Term Return on Assets	5.25%
Defined Benefit Plan Basis Used To Determine Overall Expected Long Term Rate Of Returns On Assets Assumption Historical	5.00%	6.25%
Other Postretirement Benefit Plan, Defined Benefit, After-tax [Member] [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Expected Long Term Return on Assets	3.41%
Defined Benefit Plan Basis Used To Determine Overall Expected Long Term Rate Of Returns On Assets Assumption Historical	3.25%	4.06%
Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	6,000,000	8,000,000
Suntrust Retirement Plan [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Expected Long Term Return on Assets	7.00%
NCF Retirement Plan [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Expected Long Term Return on Assets	6.50%
salary shares [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Share-based Liabilities Paid		4,000,000	7,000,000
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	17
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Options Available For Additional Grant	9
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value	21,000,000	31,000,000	55,000,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value	$ 1,000,000	$ 3,000,000