Financial assets, fair value disclosure.

No definition available.

Name:	nly_FinancialAssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	nly_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans fair value disclosure.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	nly_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Other derivative instrument obligations meeting the definition of an asset which the Company is a party to as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nly_OtherDerivativeFinancialInstrumentsAssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	nly_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the fair value of derivative liabilities categorized as other as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nly_OtherDerivativeFinancialInstrumentsLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	nly_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs fair value disclosure.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nly_SecuritizedDebtOfConsolidatedVieFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	nly_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset.

+ References

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+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAssetsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilitiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate fair value as of the balance sheet date of financial instruments and other positions owned by the entity including: (1) mortgages, mortgage-backed and asset backed securities; (2) US government and agency obligations; (3) state and municipal government obligations; (4) other sovereign government debt; (5) corporate obligations; (6) corporate equities; (7) principal investments; (8) derivative contracts; and (9) physical commodities. Includes both pledged and unpledged holdings.

+ References

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of firm holdings in mortgages, mortgage backed securities (investment instruments that represent ownership of an undivided interest in a group of mortgages, where principal and interest from the individual mortgages are used to pay investors' principal and interest on the mortgage backed security) and asset-backed securities that are primarily paid from the cash flows of a discrete pool of receivables or other financial assets (such as credit-card receivables), either fixed or revolving, that by their terms convert into cash within a finite time period. Includes both pledged (to counterparties as collateral for financing transactions) and unpledged holdings.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedMortgagesMortgageBackedAndAssetBackedSecuritiesAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of firm holdings in securities classified as other. Includes pledged and unpledged holdings.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedOtherAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of financial obligations, including, but not limited to, debt instruments, derivative liabilities, federal funds purchased and sold under agreements to repurchase, securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase, financial instruments sold not yet purchased, guarantees, line of credit, loans and notes payable, servicing liability, and trading liabilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value as of the balance sheet date of interest rate derivative liabilities, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and nonhedging relationships that are recognized as liabilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestRateDerivativeLiabilitiesAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansPayableAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of securitized, pay-through debt securities collateralized by real estate mortgage loans classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesAvailableForSaleFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate amount of the participation liability at the end of the accounting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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-SubTopic 30
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-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
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+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of an asset representing net future revenue from contractually specified servicing fees, late charges, and other ancillary revenues, in excess of future costs related to servicing arrangements.

+ References

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+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PledgedStatusAxis=nly_AssetTransferredOrPledgedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesIssuedByPrivateEnterprisesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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