Finance Receivables (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Finance Receivables
Gross receivables	$ 11,654,590,000	$ 12,011,250,000
Unearned finance charges and points and fees	(530,412,000)	(435,825,000)
Accrued finance charges	87,399,000	89,751,000
Deferred origination costs	37,234,000	31,551,000
Net finance receivables	11,248,811,000	11,696,727,000
Long-term debt	11,740,773,000	12,454,316,000
Finance receivables pledged as collateral for secured term loan	1,900,000,000	5,200,000,000
Unused credit lines	65,201,000	164,508,000
Consolidated VIEs
Finance Receivables
Long-term debt	5,302,555,000	2,978,338,000
Personal loans
Finance Receivables
Gross receivables	3,455,630,000	2,984,423,000
Unearned finance charges and points and fees	(515,471,000)	(402,828,000)
Accrued finance charges	42,704,000	36,937,000
Deferred origination costs	36,943,000	31,200,000
Net finance receivables	3,019,806,000	2,649,732,000
Personal loans | Consolidated VIEs
Finance Receivables
Net finance receivables	1,700,000,000
Real Estate Loans
Finance Receivables
Gross receivables	8,069,358,000	8,793,531,000
Unearned finance charges and points and fees	(2,137,000)	(5,910,000)
Accrued finance charges	43,605,000	50,666,000
Deferred origination costs	291,000	351,000
Net finance receivables	8,111,117,000	8,838,638,000
Unused credit lines	65,201,000	86,437,000
Real Estate Loans | Consolidated VIEs
Finance Receivables
Net finance receivables	5,300,000,000	4,000,000,000
Retail Sales Finance
Finance Receivables
Gross receivables	129,602,000	233,296,000
Unearned finance charges and points and fees	(12,804,000)	(27,087,000)
Accrued finance charges	1,090,000	2,148,000
Net finance receivables	117,888,000	208,357,000
Unused credit lines		$ 78,071,000
Maximum | Personal loans
Finance Receivables
Original term	4 years
Maximum | Real Estate Loans
Finance Receivables
Original term	360 months
Maximum | Retail Sales Finance
Finance Receivables
Original term	60 months