Loans and ACL - Summary of TDRs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Financing Receivable Portfolio [Abstract]
Commercial and industrial	$ 52	$ 49
CRE-income producing properties	18	13
CRE-construction and development	13	16
Direct retail lending	70	72
Sales finance	17	17
Revolving credit	32	33
Residential mortgage-nonguaranteed	281	288
Residential mortgage-government guaranteed	317	316
Other lending subsidiaries	181	178
Total performing TDRs	981	982
Nonperforming TDRs (also included in NPL disclosures)	172	146
Total TDRs	1,153	1,128
ALLL attributable to TDRs	$ 122	$ 126

Allowance for loan losses allocated to troubled debt restructurings.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Reflects the net carrying amount of direct retail loans held in portfolio, after deducting deferred income, but before deducting the allowance for losses on direct retail loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Financing Receivable Portfolio, Commercial [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Reflects the net carrying amount of commercial real estate loans that the underlying property is in the construction or development stage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	bbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects the net carrying amount of Commercial real estate loans that the underlying collateral is income producing properties, consisting largely of office buildings, hotels, warehouses, apartments, rental houses and shopping centers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbt_LoansReceivableCommercialRealEstateIncomeProducingProperties
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Amount of loans that have been restructured but do not accrue interest

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbt_NonperformingTdrs
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Reflects the net carrying amount of other lending subsidiaries loans held in portfolio, after deducting deferred income, but before deducting the allowance for losses on specialized lending loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Recorded balance of nonguaranteed residential mortgage loans

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects the net carrying amount of residential mortgage loans that have a government guarantee

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbt_RetailResidentialMortgageGovernmentGuaranteedExcludingCovered
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects the net carrying amount of sales finance loans held in portfolio, after deducting deferred income, but before deducting the allowance for losses on sales finance loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbt_SalesFinanceLoans
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of loans that continue to accrue interest under the terms of restructurings

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25495931&loc=d3e18845-111554

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount before allowance of credit card loans issued to individuals. Includes deferred interest and fees, undisbursed portion of loan balance, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(a)(4),(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28367877&loc=d3e4428-111522

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Amount before allowance of loans issued to commercial and industrial institutions. Includes deferred interest and fees, undisbursed portion of loan balance, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts. Excludes real estate loans and loans covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5066-111524

+ Details

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