Collateralized Transactions (Assets Pledged) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Collateralized Transactions
Trading assets	$ 34,590	$ 31,324
Loans (gross of allowance for loan losses)	342	228
Total	$ 34,932	$ 31,552

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the date of the latest financial statement presented of trading securities which are owned but transferred to another party to serve as collateral to partially or fully secure a debt obligation, repurchase agreement or other current or potential obligation, and for which the transferee is not permitted to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ms_PledgedFinancialInstrumentsNotSeparatelyReportedTradingSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	ms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The sum of the carrying amounts, as of the date of the latest financial statement presented, of loans receivable which are owned but transferred to serve as collateral for the payment of related debt obligations, primarily secured borrowings and repurchase agreements, and for which the transferees are not permitted to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64858031&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PledgedFinancialInstrumentsNotSeparatelyReportedLoansReceivablePledgedAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the date of the latest financial statement presented of securities which are owned but transferred to another party to serve as collateral to partially or fully secure a debt obligation, repurchase agreement or other current or potential obligation, and for which the transferee is not permitted to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant