Mortgage Loans Credit Quality Indicators - SF (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	$ 3,062,910	$ 3,035,712
Single-family [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	2,838,805	2,835,538
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	2,683,832	2,662,193
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio less than or equal to 80% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	2,313,365	2,228,533
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 80% and less than or equal to 90% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	233,787	250,373
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 90% and less than or equal to 100% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	98,865	122,939
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 100% and less than or equal to 110% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	18,071	27,875
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 110% and less than or equal to 120% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	9,071	14,625
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 120% and less than or equal to 125% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	2,721	4,520
Single-family [Member] | Primary [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 125% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	7,952	13,328
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	85,651	96,101
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio less than or equal to 80% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	58,287	59,000
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 80% and less than or equal to 90% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	10,291	12,588
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 90% and less than or equal to 100% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	7,156	9,345
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 100% and less than or equal to 110% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	4,405	6,231
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 110% and less than or equal to 120% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	2,436	3,730
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 120% and less than or equal to 125% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	791	1,260
Single-family [Member] | Alt-A [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 125% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	2,285	3,947
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	31,283	36,410
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio less than or equal to 80% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	20,442	21,274
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 80% and less than or equal to 90% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	3,966	4,936
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 90% and less than or equal to 100% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	2,818	3,861
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 100% and less than or equal to 110% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	1,805	2,596
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 110% and less than or equal to 120% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	1,012	1,592
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 120% and less than or equal to 125% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	307	545
Single-family [Member] | Other [Member] | Estimated mark-to-market loan-to-value ratio greater than 125% [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	933	1,606
Single-family [Member] | Government [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total recorded investment in loans	$ 38,039	$ 40,834