VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (VIE) - Schedule of Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated VIEs (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) funding_vehicle	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	$ 6,200
Borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	$ 685
GE Capital
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of funding entities established | funding_vehicle	2
Number of funding entities partially funded by third-party debt | funding_vehicle	1
Consolidated VIE
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	$ 6,028	$ 6,105
Liabilities	4,642	4,553
Consolidated VIE | Financing receivables, net
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	792	1,035
Consolidated VIE | Current receivables
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	630	727
Consolidated VIE | Investment securities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	918	982
Consolidated VIE | Other assets
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	3,688	3,361
Consolidated VIE | Borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	1,066	819
Consolidated VIE | Non-recourse borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	685	417
Consolidated VIE | Other liabilities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	2,891	3,317
Consolidated VIE | GE
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	646	549
Liabilities	384	458
Consolidated VIE | GE | Financing receivables, net
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	0	0
Consolidated VIE | GE | Current receivables
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	59	57
Consolidated VIE | GE | Investment securities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	0	0
Consolidated VIE | GE | Other assets
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	586	492
Consolidated VIE | GE | Borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	39	1
Consolidated VIE | GE | Non-recourse borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	0	0
Consolidated VIE | GE | Other liabilities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	345	457
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	1,752	1,792
Liabilities	1,690	1,779
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital | Financing receivables, net
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	0	0
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital | Current receivables
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	570	670
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital | Investment securities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	0	0
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital | Other assets
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	1,182	1,122
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital | Borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	0	0
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital | Non-recourse borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	669	401
Customer Notes receivables | GE Capital | Other liabilities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	1,021	1,378
Other | GE Capital
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	3,630	3,764
Liabilities	2,568	2,316
Other | GE Capital | Financing receivables, net
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	792	1,035
Other | GE Capital | Current receivables
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	0	0
Other | GE Capital | Investment securities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	918	982
Other | GE Capital | Other assets
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	1,920	1,747
Other | GE Capital | Borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	1,027	818
Other | GE Capital | Non-recourse borrowings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	16	16
Other | GE Capital | Other liabilities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Liabilities	$ 1,525	$ 1,482