Variable Interest Entities (Summary Of VIE Not Consolidated By FHN) (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Loans, net of unearned income	$ 16,061,646,000	[1],[2]	$ 16,782,572,000	$ 17,154,050,000	[1],[2]
Term borrowings	2,502,517,000		3,228,070,000	2,926,675,000
Trading securities	1,196,380,000		769,750,000	1,806,789,000
Total MSR recognized by FHN	186,958,000		207,319,000	201,746,000		302,611,000
Custodial balances	4,937,103,000		4,376,285,000	4,409,505,000
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	3,230,477,000	[3]	3,031,930,000	2,489,819,000	[4]
Current Receivables [Member] | Commercial Loan Troubled Debt Restructurings [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure	101,900,000			36,100,000
Other Assets [Member] | Low Income Housing Partnerships [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure	79,613,000	[5],[6]		100,057,000	[5],[7]
Maximum loss exposure, current investments	79,100,000			98,700,000
Liability recognized					[5],[7]
Other Assets [Member] | Proprietary & Agency Residential Mortgage Securitizations [Member]
Aggregate servicing advances	281,300,000			227,100,000
Loans, Net Of Unearned Income [Member] | Small Issuer Trust Preferred Holdings [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure	465,157,000	[8]		465,350,000	[8]
Liability recognized					[8]
Loans, Net Of Unearned Income [Member] | Commercial Loan Troubled Debt Restructurings [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure	105,482,000	[10],[9]		36,686,000	[11],[9]
Liability recognized					[11],[9]
Term Borrowings [Member] | On-Balance Sheet Trust Preferred Securitization [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure	62,411,000	[12]
Liability recognized	51,750,000	[12]
Term Borrowings [Member] | Proprietary Trust Preferred Issuances [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure					[13]
Liability recognized	206,186,000	[13]		309,000,000	[13]
Trading Liabilities [Member] | Short Positions in Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure					[13]
Liability recognized	360,000	[13]		732,000	[13]
Low Income Housing Partnerships [Member]
Maximum loss exposure, contractual funding commitments	600,000			1,300,000
On-Balance Sheet Trust Preferred Securitization [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure				63,453,000	[14]
Liability recognized				50,721,000	[14]
Loans, net of unearned income	112,500,000			112,500,000
Term borrowings	51,800,000			50,700,000
Trading securities	1,700,000			1,700,000
Proprietary & Agency Residential Mortgage Securitizations [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure	375,669,000	[15]		322,659,000	[16]
Liability recognized					[16]
Custodial balances	97,000,000			116,100,000
Holdings of Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure	3,420,924,000	[17],[8]		2,503,929,000	[18],[8]
Liability recognized					[18],[8]
Trading securities	495,300,000			491,800,000
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	2,900,000,000			2,000,000,000
Commercial Loan Troubled Debt Restructurings [Member]
Maximum loss exposure, contractual funding commitments	3,600,000			600,000
Managed Discretionary Trusts [Member]
Maximum Loss Exposure					[13]
Liability recognized					[13]
Proprietary Residential Mortgage Securitizations [Member]
Trading securities	12,800,000			17,400,000
Total MSR recognized by FHN	94,100,000			93,700,000
Agency Residential Mortgage Securitizations [Member]
Trading securities	18,800,000			22,800,000
Total MSR recognized by FHN	$ 65,600,000			$ 77,800,000

[1] Q2 2011 and Q2 2010 include $29.9 million and $43.0 million of reserves, respectively, and $649.2 million and $770.3 million of balances in restricted consumer real estate loans, respectively.

[2] Q2 2011 and Q2 2010 include $3.1 million and $7.1 million of reserves, respectively, and $44.9 million and $63.5 million of balances in restricted permanent mortgage loans, respectively.

[3] Includes $2.9 billion of securities pledged to secure public deposits, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, and for other purposes. As of June 30, 2011, FHN had pledged $1.1 billion of the $2.9 billion pledged available for sale securities as collateral for securities sold under repurchase agreements.

[4] Includes $2.1 billion of securities pledged to secure public deposits, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, and for other purposes. As of June 30, 2010, FHN had pledged $1.3 billion of the $2.1 billion pledged available for sale securities as collateral for securities sold under repurchase agreements.

[5] A liability is not recognized because investments are written down over the life of the related tax credit.

[6] Maximum loss exposure represents $79.1 million of current investments and $.6 million of contractual funding commitments. Only the current investment amount is included in Other assets.

[7] Maximum loss exposure represents $98.7 million of current investments and $1.3 million of contractual funding commitments. Only the current investment amount is included in Other Assets.

[8] Maximum loss exposure represents the value of current investments. A liability is not recognized as FHN is solely a holder of the trusts' securities.

[9] A liability is not recognized as the loans are the only variable interests held in the troubled commercial borrowers' operations.

[10] Maximum loss exposure represents $101.9 million of current receivables and $3.6 million of contractual funding commitments on loans related to commercial borrowers involved in a troubled debt restructuring.

[11] Maximum loss exposure represents $36.1 million of current receivables and $.6 million of contractual funding commitments on loans related to commercial borrowers involved in a troubled debt restructuring.

[12] $112.5 million classified as Loans, net of unearned income, and $1.7 million classified as Trading securities which are offset by $51.8 million classified as Term borrowings.

[13] No exposure to loss due to the nature of FHN's involvement.

[14] $112.5 million was classified as Loans, net of unearned income, and $1.7 million was classified as Trading securities which are offset by $50.7 million classified as Term borrowings.

[15] Includes $94.1 million and $65.6 million classified as MSR and $12.8 million and $18.8 million classified as Trading securities related to proprietary and agency residential mortgage securitizations, respectively. Aggregate servicing advances of $281.3 million are classified as Other assets and is offset by aggregate custodial balances of $97.0 million classified as Noninterest-bearing deposits.

[16] Includes $93.7 million and $77.8 million classified as Mortgage servicing rights and $17.4 million and $22.8 million classified as Trading securities related to proprietary and agency residential mortgage securitizations, respectively. Aggregate servicing advances of $227.1 million are classified as Other assets and is offset by aggregate custodial balances of $116.1 million classified as Noninterest-bearing deposits.

[17] Includes $495.3 million classified as Trading securities and $2.9 billion classified as Securities available for sale.

[18] Includes $491.8 million classified as Trading securities and $2.0 billion classified as Securities available for sale.