Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Federal Funds Sold or Purchased, Securities Financing Agreements and Short-term Borrowings - Narrative (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Federal Funds Sold or Purchased, Securities Financing Agreements and Short-term Borrowings - Narrative (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Federal Funds Sold or Purchased, Securities Financing Agreements and Short-Term Borrowings [Line Items]      
Average liability amount during year $ 244,134us-gaap_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingAmount $ 252,972us-gaap_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingAmount  
Average liability rate during year (percent) 1.01%bac_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingRate 0.97%bac_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingRate  
Short-term Investments [Abstract]      
Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell (includes $60,451 and $62,182 measured at fair value) 206,708us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResell   191,823us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResell
Short-term Debt [Abstract]      
Federal funds purchased and securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase (includes $27,129 and $35,357 measured at fair value) 203,758us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchase   201,277us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchase
Short-term borrowings 33,270us-gaap_OtherShortTermBorrowings   31,172us-gaap_OtherShortTermBorrowings
Total 237,028us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings   232,449us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
Weighted average interest rate 1.12%us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate   1.04%us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Federal funds purchased and securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase      
Federal Funds Sold or Purchased, Securities Financing Agreements and Short-Term Borrowings [Line Items]      
Average liability amount during year 214,722us-gaap_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
204,804us-gaap_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
 
Average liability rate during year (percent) 0.94%bac_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
1.03%bac_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
 
Maximum month-end liability balance during year 219,212us-gaap_ShorttermDebtMaximumMonthendOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
216,884us-gaap_ShorttermDebtMaximumMonthendOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
 
Short-term Debt [Abstract]      
Weighted average interest rate 1.02%us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
  0.98%us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsPurchasedAndSecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseMember
Short-term borrowings      
Federal Funds Sold or Purchased, Securities Financing Agreements and Short-Term Borrowings [Line Items]      
Average liability amount during year 29,412us-gaap_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
48,168us-gaap_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
 
Average liability rate during year (percent) 1.47%bac_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
0.75%bac_ShorttermDebtAverageOutstandingRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
 
Maximum month-end liability balance during year 33,270us-gaap_ShorttermDebtMaximumMonthendOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
51,409us-gaap_ShorttermDebtMaximumMonthendOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
 
Short-term Debt [Abstract]      
Weighted average interest rate 2.00%us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
  1.47%us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell      
Federal Funds Sold or Purchased, Securities Financing Agreements and Short-Term Borrowings [Line Items]      
Average asset outstanding amount 213,931bac_ShorttermInvestmentsAverageOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember
212,504bac_ShorttermInvestmentsAverageOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember
 
Average asset outstanding rate (percent) 0.44%bac_ShorttermInvestmentsAverageOutstandingRate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember
0.51%bac_ShorttermInvestmentsAverageOutstandingRate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember
 
Maximum month-end asset outstanding amount $ 226,502bac_ShorttermInvestmentsMaximumMonthendOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember
$ 219,181bac_ShorttermInvestmentsMaximumMonthendOutstandingAmount
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember
 
Short-term Investments [Abstract]      
Weighted average interest rate 0.42%bac_ShorttermInvestmentsWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember
  0.47%bac_ShorttermInvestmentsWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FederalFundsSoldAndSecuritiesBorrowedOrPurchasedUnderAgreementsToResellMember