Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets	$ 520,709	[1]		$ 520,709	[1]		$ 539,339	[1]
Liabilities	436,056	[1]		436,056	[1]		456,742	[1]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	10,670		11,274	33,185		33,968
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	821		1,122	3,338		2,728
Interest Expense	2,241		2,798	7,046		8,962
Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	41,151			41,151			40,916
Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	4,148			4,148			4,486
Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,452			2,452			2,479
Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	47,751			47,751			47,881
Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	654			654			707
Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	28,416			28,416			29,123
Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	3,396			3,396			3,136
Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	32,466			32,466			32,966
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	1,705		1,675	5,137		4,914
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	175		414	764		784
Interest Expense	85		97	269		344
Power Generating Activities Entity [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	774			774
Liabilities VIE	0			0
Industrial Equipment Joint Venture [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,502			1,502
Liabilities VIE	758			758
Insurance Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,188			1,188
Liabilities VIE	571			571
Trinity [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Trinity [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	3,095			3,095			3,435
Trinity [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	120			120			217
Trinity [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	3,215			3,215			3,652
Trinity [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Trinity [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,531			1,531			1,656
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,531			1,531			1,656
Trinity [Member] | Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Intercompany Advances Eliminated In Consolidation	2,015			2,015			2,441
Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Commingled cash amounts owed to CSEs	6,351			6,351			6,225
Commingled cash receivable from CSEs	6,261			6,261			6,143
Other 1 [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,023			2,023			1,952
Other 1 [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,053			1,053			1,051
Other 1 [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,695			1,695			1,873
Other 1 [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	4,771			4,771			4,876
Other 1 [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	654			654			707
Other 1 [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	50			50			54
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,317			1,317			1,315
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	2,021			2,021			2,076
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	23,895			23,895			24,169
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	22			22			29
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	23,917			23,917			24,198
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	15,396			15,396			17,208
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	227			227			146
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	15,623			15,623			17,354
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	12,934			12,934			12,456
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	615			615			360
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	13,549			13,549			12,816
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	11,068			11,068			9,811
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	300			300			11
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	11,368			11,368			9,822
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,299			2,299			2,339
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,299			2,299			2,339
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,902			1,902			2,050
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	21			21			8
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	$ 1,923			$ 1,923			$ 2,058

[1] (a)        Our consolidated assets at September 30, 2013 include total assets of $46,877 million of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs. These assets include net financing receivables of $40,398 million and investment securities of $4,148 million. Our consolidated liabilities at September 30, 2013 include liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to GECC. These liabilities include non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (CSEs) of $28,416 million. See Note 13.