Variable Interest Entities - Consolidated VIE Assets and Liabilities (Details 3) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $84,965 and $73,056)	$ 461,531,000,000		$ 489,892,000,000
Customer receivables representing primarily margin loans to prime and retail brokerage	696,853,000,000		692,927,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	109,310,000,000		105,291,000,000
Total assets	2,289,240,000,000	[1]	2,117,605,000,000	[1]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	65,971,000,000		77,649,000,000
Total liabilities	2,106,953,000,000	[1]	1,941,499,000,000	[1]
Firm-sponsored credit card trusts [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Customer receivables representing primarily margin loans to prime and retail brokerage	49,300,000,000		67,200,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	800,000,000		1,300,000,000
Total assets	50,100,000,000		68,500,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	32,200,000,000		44,300,000,000
Other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	32,200,000,000		44,300,000,000
Firm-sponsored credit card trusts [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $84,965 and $73,056)	0		0
Vie Program Type Other [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Customer receivables representing primarily margin loans to prime and retail brokerage	4,100,000,000		4,400,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	1,400,000,000		1,600,000,000
Total assets	16,000,000,000		14,000,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	11,900,000,000		9,300,000,000
Other liabilities	100,000,000		300,000,000
Total liabilities	12,000,000,000		9,600,000,000
Vie Program Type Other [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $84,965 and $73,056)	10,500,000,000		8,000,000,000
Mortgage securitization entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Customer receivables representing primarily margin loans to prime and retail brokerage	2,400,000,000		2,900,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	0		0
Total assets	3,500,000,000		4,700,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	2,000,000,000		2,400,000,000
Other liabilities	1,400,000,000		1,600,000,000
Total liabilities	3,400,000,000		4,000,000,000
Mortgage securitization entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $84,965 and $73,056)	1,100,000,000		1,800,000,000
Firm-administered multi-seller conduits [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Customer receivables representing primarily margin loans to prime and retail brokerage	22,000,000,000		21,100,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	300,000,000		600,000,000
Total assets	22,300,000,000		21,700,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	19,900,000,000		21,600,000,000
Other liabilities	0		100,000,000
Total liabilities	19,900,000,000		21,700,000,000
Firm-administered multi-seller conduits [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $84,965 and $73,056)	0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Customer receivables representing primarily margin loans to prime and retail brokerage	77,800,000,000		95,600,000,000
Other assets, at fair value	2,500,000,000		3,500,000,000
Total assets	91,900,000,000		108,900,000,000
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	66,000,000,000		77,600,000,000
Other liabilities	1,500,000,000		2,000,000,000
Total liabilities	67,500,000,000		79,600,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Debt and equity securities [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Trading assets (included assets pledged of $84,965 and $73,056)	11,600,000,000		9,800,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	39,200,000,000		52,600,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests Maturities Under One Year [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	11,600,000,000		13,900,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests Maturities Between One And Five Years [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	19,200,000,000		29,000,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Long Term Beneficial Interests Maturities Over Five Years [Member]
Information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm [Abstract]
Beneficial interest liability, at fair value	$ 8,400,000,000		$ 9,700,000,000

[1] The following table presents information on assets and liabilities related to VIEs that are consolidated by the Firm at September 30, 2011, and December 31, 2010. The difference between total VIE assets and liabilities represents the Firm’s interests in those entities, which were eliminated in consolidation.