Investment Securities (Changes in Accretable Yield for Purchased Credit-Impaired Securities) (Details) - Onewest Bank - Mortgage-Backed Securities - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Certain Loans Acquired in Transfer Accounted for as Debt Securities, Accretable Yield Movement Schedule [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$ 152.0	$ 179.2	$ 165.0	$ 189.0
Accretion into interest income	(6.2)	(7.1)	(19.1)	(22.3)
Reclassifications from non-accretable difference due to improving cash flows	0.0	0.6	0.5	6.0
Reclassifications to non-accretable difference due to decreasing cash flows	(0.2)		(0.9)
Disposals and other	(9.8)		(9.7)
Ending Balance	$ 135.8	$ 172.7	$ 135.8	$ 172.7

The aggregate excess of a loan's cash flows expected to be collected over the investor's initial investment in the loan for loans accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination that were acquired by completion of a transfer for which it is probable, at acquisition, that the investor will be unable to collect all contractually required payments receivable.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 15
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894507&loc=d3e13503-111538

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894903&loc=d3e15032-111544

+ Details

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

- Definition

Current period recognition due to accretion of the excess of a loan's cash flows expected to be collected over the investor's initial investment in the loan for loans accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination that were acquired by completion of a transfer for which it is probable, at acquisition, that the investor will be unable to collect all contractually required payments receivable.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYieldAccretion
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sale or transfer of a loan during the period resulting in a reduction in the excess of a loan's cash flows expected to be collected over the investor's initial investment. This relates to loans accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination that was acquired by completion of a transfer for which it is probable, at acquisition, that the investor will be unable to collect all contractually required payments receivable.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYieldDisposalsOfLoans
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Change in the estimate of cash flows expected to be collected, after acquisition of a loan, which results in an increase in accretable yield (for example, if actual cash flows are significantly greater than previously expected). This relates to loans accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination that was acquired by completion of a transfer for which it is probable, at acquisition, that the investor will be unable to collect all contractually required payments receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894903&loc=d3e15032-111544

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 15
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894507&loc=d3e13503-111538

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYieldReclassificationsFromNonaccretableDifference
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Change in the estimate of cash flows expected to be collected, after acquisition of a loan, which results in a decrease in accretable yield (for example, as a result of an other-than-temporary impairment). This relates to loans accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination that was acquired by completion of a transfer for which it is probable, at acquisition, that the investor will be unable to collect all contractually required payments receivable.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYieldReclassificationsToNonaccretableDifference
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cit_OnewestBankMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: