Segment Reporting Segment Reporting Policy (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Our three reportable segments are: Single-Family, Multifamily, and Capital Markets. We use these three segments to generate revenue and manage business risk, and each segment is based on the type of business activities it performs. During the three months ended June 30, 2012, a new chief executive officer was hired. Our new chief executive officer continues to be the chief operating decision maker who makes decisions about resources to be allocated to each segment and assesses segment performance. We are working on reorganizing our company by function rather than by business in order to improve our operational efficiencies and effectiveness. In future periods, we may change some of our management reporting and how we report our business segment results. Under our segment reporting, the sum of the results for our three business segments does not equal our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), as we separate the activity related to our consolidated trusts from the results generated by our three segments. Our segment financial results include directly attributable revenues and expenses. Additionally, we allocate to each of our segments: (1) capital using FHFA minimum capital requirements adjusted for over- or under-capitalization; (2) indirect administrative costs; and (3) a provision or benefit for federal income taxes. In addition, we allocate intracompany guaranty fee income as a charge from the Single-Family and Multifamily segments to Capital Markets for managing the credit risk on mortgage loans held by the Capital Markets group. We also include an eliminations/adjustments category to reconcile our business segment results and the activity related to our consolidated trusts to net income (loss) in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

Our three reportable segments are: Single-Family, Multifamily, and Capital Markets. We use these three segments to generate revenue and manage business risk, and each segment is based on the type of business activities it performs. During the three months ended June 30, 2012, a new chief executive officer was hired. Our new chief executive officer continues to be the chief operating decision maker who makes decisions about resources to be allocated to each segment and assesses segment performance. We are working on reorganizing our company by function rather than by business in order to improve our operational efficiencies and effectiveness. In future periods, we may change some of our management reporting and how we report our business segment results.

Under our segment reporting, the sum of the results for our three business segments does not equal our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), as we separate the activity related to our consolidated trusts from the results generated by our three segments. Our segment financial results include directly attributable revenues and expenses. Additionally, we allocate to each of our segments: (1) capital using FHFA minimum capital requirements adjusted for over- or under-capitalization; (2) indirect administrative costs; and (3) a provision or benefit for federal income taxes. In addition, we allocate intracompany guaranty fee income as a charge from the Single-Family and Multifamily segments to Capital Markets for managing the credit risk on mortgage loans held by the Capital Markets group. We also include an eliminations/adjustments category to reconcile our business segment results and the activity related to our consolidated trusts to net income (loss) in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).