LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (Consumer Lending Asset Quality Indicators-Credit Score) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	$ 74,526,819	[1],[2]	$ 49,921,677	[1],[2]
Financing receivable	74,803,876	[3]	50,050,626	[3]	49,905,881
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	21,870,891	[4]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	100.00%	[5]
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member] | FICO score less than 600 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	11,622,845	[4]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	53.10%	[5]
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member] | FICO score of 600 to 639 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	3,993,911	[4]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	18.30%	[5]
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member] | FICO score of 640 to 679 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	1,927,802	[4]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	8.80%	[5]
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member] | FICO score of 680 to 719 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	1,002,390	[4]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	4.60%	[5]
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member] | FICO score of 720 to 759 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	407,515	[4]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	1.90%	[5]
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member] | FICO score equal to or greater than 760 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	460,602	[4]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	2.10%	[5]
Retail installment contracts and auto loans [Member] | FICO score not refreshed [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	2,455,826	[4],[6]
Percentage of total loans, Retail installment contracts and auto loans	11.20%	[5],[6]
Personal unsecured loans [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	2,131,371
Financing receivable			493,785
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	100.00%	[5]	100.00%
Personal unsecured loans [Member] | FICO score less than 600 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	378,158
Financing receivable			10,221
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	17.70%	[5]	2.10%
Personal unsecured loans [Member] | FICO score of 600 to 639 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	344,396
Financing receivable			6,152
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	16.20%	[5]	1.20%
Personal unsecured loans [Member] | FICO score of 640 to 679 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	560,459
Financing receivable			24,855
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	26.30%	[5]	5.00%
Personal unsecured loans [Member] | FICO score of 680 to 719 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	288,833
Financing receivable			53,842
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	13.60%	[5]	11.00%
Personal unsecured loans [Member] | FICO score of 720 to 759 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	129,224
Financing receivable			55,546
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	6.10%	[5]	11.20%
Personal unsecured loans [Member] | FICO score equal to or greater than 760 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	88,412
Financing receivable			60,002
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	4.10%	[5]	12.20%
Personal unsecured loans [Member] | FICO score not refreshed [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	341,889	[6]
Financing receivable			283,167	[6]
Percentage of total loans, Personal unsecured loans balance	16.00%	[5],[6]	57.30%	[6]
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	6,215,554		6,311,694
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	100.00%	[5]	100.00%
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member] | FICO score less than 600 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	309,584		336,713
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	5.00%	[5]	5.30%
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member] | FICO score of 600 to 639 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	276,225		281,186
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	4.40%	[5]	4.50%
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member] | FICO score of 640 to 679 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	526,137		524,937
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	8.50%	[5]	8.30%
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member] | FICO score of 680 to 719 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	856,343		869,460
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	13.80%	[5]	13.80%
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member] | FICO score of 720 to 759 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	1,185,127		1,223,179
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	19.10%	[5]	19.40%
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member] | FICO score equal to or greater than 760 [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	2,830,256		2,775,970
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	45.50%	[5]	44.00%
Home equity loans and lines of credit [Member] | FICO score not refreshed [Member]
Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable	$ 231,882	[6]	$ 300,249	[6]
Percentage of total loans, Home equity loans and lines	3.70%	[5],[6]	4.70%	[6]

[1] Loans held for investment includes $1.0 billion and $0.0 billion of loans recorded at fair value at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

[2] Total loans held for investment includes deferred loan fees, net of deferred origination costs and unamortized purchase premiums, net of discounts as well as purchase accounting adjustments. These items resulted in a net decrease in loan balances of $1.9 billion as of September 30, 2014 and a net increase in loan balances of $122.6 million as of December 31, 2013, respectively. The significant fluctuation between periods is due to the purchase accounting marks resulting from the Change in Control of SCUSA.

[3] Financing receivables include LHFS.

[4] Includes LHFS.

[5] Credit scores updated quarterly.

[6] Consists primarily of loans serviced by third parties. Loans serviced by third parties do not receive refreshed FICO scores. Home equity loans and lines of credit "N/A" range includes the purchased home equity portfolio in run-off.