XML 168 R51.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.6

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2012
Components of Comprehensive Income, net of tax [Abstract] |
Components of comprehensive income (loss), net of tax | Changes in each component of A OCI for th e three years ended December 31 were as follows:
(Millions), net of tax(a) |  | Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Investment Securities |  | Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges |  | Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments |  | Net Unrealized Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Losses |  | Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income
Balances as of December 31, 2009 |  | $ | 507 |  | $ | (28) |  | $ | (722) |  | $ | (469) |  | $ | (712)
Impact of the adoption of GAAP(b) |  |  | (315) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (315)
Net unrealized gains (losses) |  |  | (139) |  |  | (2) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (141)
Reclassification for realized (gains) losses into earnings |  |  | 4 |  |  | 23 |  |  | (2) |  |  |  |  |  | 25
Net translation of investments in foreign operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 189 |  |  |  |  |  | 189
Net gains related to hedges of investment in foreign operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32 |  |  |  |  |  | 32
Pension and other postretirement benefit losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |  | 5
Net change in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income |  |  | (450) |  |  | 21 |  |  | 219 |  |  | 5 |  |  | (205)
Balances as of December 31, 2010 |  |  | 57 |  |  | (7) |  |  | (503) |  |  | (464) |  |  | (917)
Net unrealized gains (losses) |  |  | 245 |  |  | (2) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 243
Reclassification for realized (gains) losses into earnings |  |  | (14) |  |  | 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (6)
Net translation of investments in foreign operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (153) |  |  |  |  |  | (153)
Net losses related to hedges of investment in foreign operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (26) |  |  |  |  |  | (26)
Pension and other postretirement benefit losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (17) |  |  | (17)
Net change in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income |  |  | 231 |  |  | 6 |  |  | (179) |  |  | (17) |  |  | 41
Balances as of December 31, 2011 |  |  | 288 |  |  | (1) |  |  | (682) |  |  | (481) |  |  | (876)
Net unrealized gains (losses) |  |  | 106 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 106
Reclassification for realized (gains) losses into earnings |  |  | (79) |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  | (77)
Net translation of investments in foreign operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 215 |  |  |  |  |  | 215
Net losses related to hedges of investment in foreign operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (288) |  |  |  |  |  | (288)
Pension and other postretirement benefit losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (7) |  |  | (7)
Net change in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income |  |  | 27 |  |  | 1 |  |  | (72) |  |  | (7) |  |  | (51)
Balances as of December 31, 2012 |  | $ | 315 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | (754) |  | $ | (488) |  | $ | (927)
The following table shows the tax impact for th e three years ended December 31 for the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income:
| (Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
| Investment securities |  | $ | 7 |  | $ | 149 |  | $ | (272)
| Cash flow hedges |  |  | 1 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 11
| Foreign currency translation adjustments |  |  | 24 |  |  | (40) |  |  | 22
| Net investment hedges |  |  | (176) |  |  | (14) |  |  | (396)
| Pension and other postretirement benefit losses |  |  | ― |  |  | (7) |  |  | 18
| Total tax impact |  | $ | (144) |  | $ | 91 |  | $ | (617)
As a result of the adoption of new GAAP governing consolidation s and VIEs, the Company no longer presents within its Consolidated Financial Statements the effects of the retained subordinated securities issued by previously unconsolidated VIEs related to the Company's cardmember loan securitization programs.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Income Tax Effect Disclosure Text Block | The following table shows the tax impact for th e three years ended December 31 for the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income:
| (Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
| Investment securities |  | $ | 7 |  | $ | 149 |  | $ | (272)
| Cash flow hedges |  |  | 1 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 11
| Foreign currency translation adjustments |  |  | 24 |  |  | (40) |  |  | 22
| Net investment hedges |  |  | (176) |  |  | (14) |  |  | (396)
| Pension and other postretirement benefit losses |  |  | ― |  |  | (7) |  |  | 18
| Total tax impact |  | $ | (144) |  | $ | 91 |  | $ | (617)

X
- Definition Represents table summarizing tax effect on the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), including investment securities, derivatives, foreign currency translation adjustments, pension and other postretirement benefit costs during the period. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveLossIncomeTaxEffectDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTaxAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of components of comprehensive income (loss) including, but not limited to: (a) foreign currency translation adjustments; (b) gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions that are designated as, and are effective as, economic hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity; (c) gains (losses) on intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term-investment nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements; (d) change in the market value of a futures contract that qualifies as a hedge of an asset reported at fair value; (e) unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities and that resulting from transfers of debt securities from the held-to-maturity category to the available-for-sale category; (f) a net loss recognized as an additional pension liability not yet recognized as net periodic pension cost; and (g) the net gain (loss) and net prior service cost or credit for pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=20435746&loc=d3e526-108580 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfComprehensiveIncomeLossTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration