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Fair Values (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
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:
|  |  | 2012 |  | 2011
(Millions) |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment securities:(a) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Equity securities |  | $ | 296 |  | $ | 296 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 360 |  | $ | 360 |  | $ | ―
| Debt securities and other(b) |  |  | 5,318 |  |  | 338 |  |  | 4,980 |  |  | 6,787 |  |  | 340 |  |  | 6,447
Derivatives(a) |  |  | 942 |  |  | ― |  |  | 942 |  |  | 1,516 |  |  | ― |  |  | 1,516
Total assets |  | $ | 6,556 |  | $ | 634 |  | $ | 5,922 |  | $ | 8,663 |  | $ | 700 |  | $ | 7,963
Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Derivatives(a) |  | $ | 329 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 329 |  | $ | 108 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 108
Total liabilities |  | $ | 329 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 329 |  | $ | 108 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 108
Refer to Note 6 for the fair values of investment securities and to Note 12 for the fair values of derivative assets and liabilities, both on a further disaggregated basis. The Level 1 amounts represent the Company's holdings of U.S. Government treasury obl igations.
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 required to be carried at fair value on a recurring basis, as of December 31, 2012 and 2011:
|  |  |  |  |  | Carrying |  |  | Corresponding Fair Value Amount
2012 (Billions) |  |  | Value |  | Total |  |  | Level 1 |  |  | Level 2 |  |  | Level 3
Financial Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Financial assets for which carrying values equal or |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | approximate fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Cash and cash equivalents |  | $ | 22 |  | $ | 22 |  | $ | 21 |  | $ | 1 | (a) | $ | ―
|  |  | Other financial assets(b) |  | $ | 47 |  | $ | 47 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 47 |  | $ | ―
| Financial assets carried at other than fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Loans, net |  | $ | 64 |  | $ | 65 | (c) | $ | ― |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 65
Financial Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | approximate fair value |  | $ | 55 |  | $ | 55 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 55 |  | $ | ―
| Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Certificates of deposit(d) |  | $ | 10 |  | $ | 10 |  | $ | ― |  | $ | 10 |  | $ | ―
|  |  | Long-term debt |  | $ | 59 |  | $ | 62 | (c) | $ | ― |  | $ | 62 |  | $ | ―
|  |  |  |  | Carrying |  | Fair |
2011 (Billions) |  | Value |  | Value |
Financial Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Financial assets for which carrying values equal or |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | approximate fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Cash and cash equivalents |  | $ | 25 |  | $ | 25 |
|  |  | Other financial assets(b) |  | $ | 45 |  | $ | 45 |
| Financial assets carried at other than fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Loans, net |  | $ | 61 |  | $ | 62 | (c)
Financial Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or |  | $ | 51 |  | $ | 51 |
|  | approximate fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Certificates of deposit(d) |  | $ | 12 |  | $ | 12 |
|  |  | Long-term debt |  | $ | 59 |  | $ | 62 | (c)
Reflects time deposits. Includes accounts receivables (including fair v alu es of cardmember receivables of $8.0 billion held by consolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively), restricted cash and other miscellaneous assets. Includes f air valu es of loans of $32.4 billion and $33.3 billion, respectively, and long-term debt of $19.5 billion and $21.1 billion, respectively, held by consolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2012 and 2011. Presented as a component of customer deposits on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

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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 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 2: 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 3: 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=7491637&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 4: 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 5: 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=7491637&loc=d3e13467-108611 Reference 6: 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. Reference 7: 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=7578670&loc=d3e19207-110258 Reference 8: 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 9: 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 10: 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 11: 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=7491637&loc=d3e13476-108611 Reference 12: 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 + Details
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- Definition The entire disclosure of the fair value measurement of assets and liabilities, which includes financial instruments measured at fair value that are classified in shareholders' equity, which may be measured on a recurring or nonrecurring basis. + 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=7578670&loc=d3e19279-110258 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7578670&loc=d3e19190-110258 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 Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7578670&loc=d3e19207-110258 Reference 5: 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 6: 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 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. + Details
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