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Fair Values (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Values (Tables) [Abstract] |
Fair value assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis | The following table summarizes the Company's financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, categorized by GAAP's valuation hierarchy (as described in the preceding paragraphs), as of December 31:
| ?? |  | 2011 |  | 2010
(Millions)?? |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2
Assets:?? |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment securities:(a) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Equity securities?? |  | $ | 360 |  | $ | 360 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 475 |  | $ | 475 |  | $ | ―
| Debt securities and other(b) |  |  | 6,787 |  |  | 340 |  |  | 6,447 |  |  | 13,535 |  |  | ― |  |  | 13,535
Derivatives(c) |  |  | 1,516 |  |  | ― |  |  | 1,516 |  |  | 1,089 |  |  | ― |  |  | 1,089
Total assets?? |  | $ | 8,663 |  | $ | 700 |  | $ | 7,963 |  | $ | 15,099 |  | $ | 475 |  | $ | 14,624
Liabilities:?? |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Derivatives(c) |  | $ | 108 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 108 |  | $ | 419 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 419
Total liabilities?? |  | $ | 108 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 108 |  | $ | 419 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 419
Refer to Note 6 for the fair values of investment securities on a further disaggregated basis. Effective October 1, 2011, the significant tran sfers into Level 1 were $340 million of investment securities related to U.S. Government treasury obl igations. This was driven by the Company's quantitative assessment that these investment securities are actively traded in the market and therefore the pricing inputs reflect quoted prices for similar assets within an active market. There were no transfers out of Level 1. Refer to Note 12 for the fair values of derivative assets and liabilities on a further disaggregated basis, as well as the netting of both (i) cash collateral received or posted under credit support agreements and (ii) derivative assets and derivative liabilities under master netting agreements. These balances have been presented gross in the table above.
Estimated fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities | The following table discloses the estimated fair value for the Company's financial assets and financial liabilities that are not carried at fair value, as of December 31:
|  |  |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |
|  |  |  | Carrying |  | Fair |  |  | Carrying |  | Fair |
(Billions) |  | Value | Value |  | Value | Value |
Financial Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets for which carrying |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| values equal or approximate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | fair value |  | $ | 70 |  | $ | 70 | (a) |  | $ | 61 |  | $ | 61 | (b)?
Loans, net |  | $ | 61 |  | $ | 62 | (a) |  | $ | 58 |  | $ | 58 | (b)?
Financial Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Liabilities for which carrying |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ??
| values equal or approximate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | fair value |  | $ | 51 |  | $ | 51 | ?? |  | $ | 43 |  | $ | 43 |
Certificates of deposit |  | $ | 12 |  | $ | 12 | ?? |  | $ | 13 |  | $ | 13 | ??
Long-term debt |  | $ | 59 |  | $ | 62 | (a) |  | $ | 66 |  | $ | 69 | (b)?
Includes fair v alu es of cardmember receivables, loans and long-term debt of $8.0 billion, $33.3 billion and $21.1 billion, respectively, held by consolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2011. Refer to the Consolidated Balance Sheets for the related carrying values. Includes fair values of card member receivables, loans and long-term debt of $8.1 billion, $33.2 billion and $23.6 billion, respectively, held by consolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2010. Refer to the Consolidated Balance Sheets for the related carrying values.

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments, assets, and liabilities. Such certain disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate) and (2) the methodology and assumptions used in developing such estimates of fair value. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19207-110258 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 107 -Paragraph 14 -Subparagraph a -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14172-108612 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 107 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph b-d -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13476-108611 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 107 -Paragraph 10 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13467-108611 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6447952&loc=d3e13220-108610 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 159 -Paragraph 18 -Subparagraph c(2), d, e, f -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 157 -Paragraph 32 -Subparagraph a, c(1), c(2), c(3), d -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 159 -Paragraph 19 -Subparagraph a, b, c(1), d(1) -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the fair value measurement of assets and liabilities which includes [financial] instruments measured at fair value that are classified in stockholders' equity. Such assets and liabilities may be measured on a recurring or nonrecurring basis. The disclosures which may be required or desired include: (1) for assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis, disclosure may include: (a) the fair value measurements at the reporting date; (b) the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements in their entirety fall, segregating fair value measurements using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1), significant other observable inputs (Level 2), and significant unobservable inputs (Level 3); (c) for fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances, separately presenting changes during the period attributable to the following: (i) total gains or losses for the period (realized and unrealized), segregating those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets), and a description of where those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets) are reported in the statement of income (or activities); (ii) purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements (net); (iii) transfers in and transfers out of Level 3 (for example, transfers due to changes in the observability of significant inputs); (d) the amount of the total gains or losses for the period in subparagraph (c) (i) above included in earnings (or changes in net assets) that are attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to those assets and liabilities still held at the reporting date and a description of where those unrealized gains or losses are reported in the statement of income (or activities); (e) the valuation technique(s) used to measure fair value and a discussion of changes in valuation techniques, if any, during the period and (2) for assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis (for example, impaired assets) disclosure may include, in addition to (a) above: (a) the reasons for the fair value measurements recorded; (b) the same as (b) above; (c) for fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a description of the inputs and the information used to develop the inputs; and (d) the valuation technique(s) used to measure fair value and a discussion of changes, if any, in the valuation technique(s) used to measure similar assets and/or liabilities in prior periods. Where the quoted price in an active market for the identical liability is not available, the Level 1 input is the quoted price of an identical liability when traded as an asset. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19279-110258 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 157 -Paragraph 32 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 157 -Paragraph 33 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 107 -Paragraph 10 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19296-110258 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19207-110258 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 157 -Paragraph 6 -Footnote 4 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. 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