Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2014

Consolidation, Variable Interest Entity, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations in these financial statements, have been made.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could vary from these estimates. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation.

The Company evaluated subsequent events through the date its financial statements were issued.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K. There have been no significant changes to the Company’s accounting policies as disclosed in the Company’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company sponsors various short-term incentive plans and LTI plans for eligible employees, which may be delivered through various incentive programs, such as RSUs, restricted stock, and LTI cash. AIP is the Company's short-term cash incentive plan for key employees that provides for potential annual cash awards based on the Company's performance and/or the achievement of business unit and individual performance objectives. Awards under the LTI cash plan generally cliff vest over a period of three years from the date of the award and are paid in cash. All incentive awards are subject to clawback provisions. Compensation expense for incentive plans with cash payouts was $51 million and $39 million for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively and $96 million and $78 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company provides stock-based awards through the 2009 Stock Plan under which the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has the authority to grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and RSUs to key employees of the Company. Some awards may have performance or other conditions, such as vesting tied to the Company's total shareholder return relative to a peer group or vesting tied to the achievement of an absolute financial performance target.

In February 2014, the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors approved, subject to shareholder approval, an amendment to the 2009 Stock Plan to remove the sub-limit on shares available for grant that may be issued as restricted stock or RSUs. Following shareholder approval of the Plan amendment, which occurred on April 22, 2014, all of the 17 million remaining authorized shares previously under the Plan became available for grant as stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, or RSUs. Prior to the Plan amendment, only a portion of such shares were available to be granted as either restricted stock or RSUs. At June 30, 2014, approximately 17 million shares remained available for grant.

Stock options are granted at an exercise price that was no less than the fair market value of a share of SunTrust common stock on the grant date and were either tax-qualified incentive stock options or non-qualified stock options. Stock options typically vest pro-rata over three years and generally have a maximum contractual life of ten years. Upon exercise, shares are generally issued from treasury stock. No stock options were issued during the six months ended June 30, 2014, consistent with the Company's decision to discontinue the issuance of stock options in 2014. The weighted average fair value of options granted during the first six months of 2013 was $7.37 per share. The fair value of each option grant was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the following assumptions for the six months ended June 30, 2013:



Dividend yield	1.28	%
Expected stock price volatility	30.98
Risk-free interest rate (weighted average)	1.02
Expected life of options	6 years

Accounting Policies Recently Adopted and Pending Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-04, "Liabilities (Topic 405): Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation Is Fixed at the Reporting Date (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)." The ASU requires additional disclosures about joint and several liability arrangements and requires the Company to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements as the sum of the amount the Company agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and any additional amount the Company expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. The ASU is effective for the fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company adopted the ASU at January 1, 2014 and the adoption did not have an impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.

In June 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-08, "Financial Services—Investment Companies (Topic 946): Amendments to the Scope, Measurement, and Disclosure Requirements." The ASU clarifies the characteristics of an investment company and requires an investment company to measure noncontrolling ownership interests in other investment companies at fair value rather than using the equity method of accounting. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company adopted the ASU at January 1, 2014 and the adoption did not have an impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.

In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-01, "Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)." The ASU allows for use of the proportional amortization method for investments in qualified affordable housing projects if certain conditions are met. Under the proportional amortization method, the initial cost of the investment is amortized in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits received and the net investment performance is recognized in the income statement as a component of income tax expense. The ASU provides for a practical expedient, which allows for amortization of the investment in proportion to only the tax credits if it produces a measurement that is substantially similar to the measurement that would result from using both tax credits and other tax benefits. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2014. As early adoption is permitted, the Company adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2014, utilizing the practical expedient method. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, $14 million and $27 million, respectively, of investment amortization expense has been recognized on a net basis with tax credits received as a component of income tax expense. The standard is required to be applied retrospectively; therefore prior period amounts included in noninterest expense prior to adoption have been reclassified. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, $10 million and $20 million, respectively, of investment amortization expense was included in other noninterest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income which was reclassified to income tax expense upon adoption. There has been no other impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.

In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-04, "Receivables—Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors (Subtopic 310-40): Reclassification of Residential Real Estate Collateralized Consumer Mortgage Loans upon Foreclosure (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)." The update clarifies that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2014. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, "Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity." The update changes the requirements for reporting discontinued operations. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued. The Company adopted the ASU upon issuance for prospective transactions. The adoption did not have an impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." The guidance in this update supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. The core principle of the ASU is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of the ASU; however, it is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-11, "Transfers and Servicing (Topic 860): Repurchase-to-Maturity Transactions, Repurchase Financings, and Disclosures." The amendments in this update change the accounting for repurchase-to-maturity transactions to secured borrowing accounting. Also, for repurchase financing arrangements, the amendments require separate accounting for a transfer of a financial asset executed contemporaneously with a repurchase agreement with the same counterparty, which will result in secured borrowing accounting for the repurchase agreement. Additional disclosures are required for all types of repurchase agreements. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2014 and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of the ASU; however, it is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-12, "Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period.” The amendments in this update require that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period shall be treated as a performance condition. Under existing guidance in Topic 718, a performance target that falls under the scope of this amendment should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award; but rather compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period(s) for which the requisite service has already been rendered. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of the ASU; however, it is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or EPS.