Fair Value Measurement (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value, Policy [Policy Text Block]

JPMorgan Chase carries a portion of its assets and liabilities at fair value. These assets and liabilities are predominantly carried at fair value on a recurring basis (i.e., assets and liabilities that are measured and reported at fair value on the Firm’s Consolidated Balance Sheets). Certain assets (e.g. certain mortgage, home equity and other loans, where the carrying value is based on the fair value of the underlying collateral), liabilities and unfunded lending-related commitments are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis; that is, they are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis but are subject to fair value adjustments only in certain circumstances (for example, when there is evidence of impairment).

All transfers are assumed to occur at the beginning of the reporting period.

Trading Assets and Liabilities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Trading assets include debt and equity instruments owned by JPMorgan Chase (“long” positions) that are held for client market-making and client-driven activities, as well as for certain risk management activities, certain loans managed on a fair value basis and for which the Firm has elected the fair value option, and physical commodities inventories that are generally accounted for at the lower of cost or market (market approximates fair value). Trading liabilities include debt and equity instruments that the Firm has sold to other parties but does not own (“short” positions). The Firm is obligated to purchase instruments at a future date to cover the short positions. Included in trading assets and trading liabilities are the reported receivables (unrealized gains) and payables (unrealized losses) related to derivatives. Trading assets and liabilities are carried at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Balances reflect the reduction of securities owned (long positions) by the amount of securities sold but not yet purchased (short positions) when the long and short positions have identical Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures numbers (“CUSIPs”).