v2.4.0.8
Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2012
Jun. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2012
Dec. 31, 2012
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets $ 521,104 [1]   $ 521,104 [1]   $ 539,339 [1]
Liabilities 436,343 [1]   436,343 [1]   456,742 [1]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs 10,980 11,354 22,515 22,694  
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses 1,029 743 2,517 1,606  
Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 40,771   40,771   40,916
Investment Securities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 4,334   4,334   4,486
Assets Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 2,687   2,687   2,479
Assets, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 47,792   47,792   47,881
Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 713   713   707
Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 28,600   28,600   29,123
Liabilities Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 3,303   3,303   3,136
Liabilities, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 32,616   32,616   32,966
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs 1,669 1,660 3,372 3,240  
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses 175 170 589 370  
Interest And Other Financial Charges 95 115 184 247  
Power Generating Activities Entity [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 807   807    
Liabilities VIE 0   0    
Industrial Equipment Joint Venture [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 1,562   1,562    
Liabilities VIE 847   847    
Insurance Entities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 1,176   1,176    
Liabilities VIE 561   561    
Trinity [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Intercompany Advances Eliminated In Consolidation   2,241   2,241 2,441
Trinity [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 0   0   0
Trinity [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 3,308   3,308   3,435
Trinity [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 123   123   217
Trinity [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 3,431   3,431   3,652
Trinity [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 0   0   0
Trinity [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 0   0   0
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 1,556   1,556   1,656
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 1,556   1,556   1,656
Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Commingled cash amounts owed to CSEs 6,644   6,644   6,225
Commingled cash receivable from CSEs 6,552   6,552   6,143
Other 1 [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 2,024   2,024   1,952
Other 1 [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 1,026   1,026   1,051
Other 1 [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 1,940   1,940   1,873
Other 1 [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 4,990   4,990   4,876
Other 1 [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 713   713   707
Other 1 [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 51   51   54
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 1,391   1,391   1,315
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 2,155   2,155   2,076
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 23,647   23,647   24,169
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 0   0   0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 25   25   29
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 23,672   23,672   24,198
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 0   0   0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 16,291   16,291   17,208
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 218   218   146
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 16,509   16,509   17,354
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 12,810   12,810   12,456
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 0   0   0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 599   599   360
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 13,409   13,409   12,816
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 0   0   0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 10,280   10,280   9,811
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 124   124   11
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 10,404   10,404   9,822
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 2,290   2,290   2,339
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 0   0   0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 0   0   0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Assets VIE 2,290   2,290   2,339
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 0   0   0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 1,978   1,978   2,050
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE 14   14   8
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
          
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]          
Liabilities VIE $ 1,992   $ 1,992   $ 2,058
[1] (a) Our consolidated assets at June 30, 2013 include total assets of $46,939 million of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs. These assets include net financing receivables of $40,048 million and investment securities of $4,334 million. Our consolidated liabilities at June 30, 2013 include liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to GECC. These liabilities include non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (CSEs) of $28,600 million. See Note 13.