Statement of Financial Position (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Assets	[1]	$ 387,694	$ 493,071
Investment securities (Note 3)		46,369	31,973
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(14,422)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax Attributable To Noncontrolling Interests		$ (254)	$ (264)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding		5,944,250	5,944,250
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		8,846,390,000	9,379,288,000
GE Capital
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Assets		$ 202,747	$ 311,508
Investment securities (Note 3)		46,116	31,827
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Short-term intercompany payable to GE		10,074	17,642
Long-term intercompany payable to GE		49,723	67,062
GE Capital | Intercompany Payable To GE
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Changes in total of short-term borrowings and long-term borrowings		(5,002)
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Investment securities (Note 3)		398
Non-recourse borrowings		877	3,994
Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Assets		7,962
Current receivables and net financing receivables		4,155
Investment securities (Note 3)		1,450
Non-recourse borrowings		2,175
Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | GE Capital
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Investment securities (Note 3)		0	0
Non-recourse borrowings		205	$ 0
Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Discontinued Operations [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Non-recourse borrowings		$ 0

[1] Our consolidated assets at September 30, 2016 included total assets of $7,962 million of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs. These assets included current receivables and net financing receivables of $4,155 million and investment securities of $1,450 million wit hin continuing operations and assets of discontinued operations of $398 million. Our consolidated liabilities at September 30, 2016 included liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to GE. These liabilities included n o n-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (CSEs) of $2,175 million within continuing operations. See Note 16.