The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BK) 10-K 25 Feb 21 2020 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Jan. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-K
Document Annual Report	true
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2020
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-35651
Entity Registrant Name	THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORPORATION
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	13-2614959
Entity Address, Address Line One	240 Greenwich Street
Entity Address, City or Town	New York
Entity Address, State or Province	NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	10286
City Area Code	212
Local Phone Number	495-1784
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
ICFR Auditor Attestation Flag	true
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Public Float			$ 34,213,115,468
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (shares)		878,735,187
Documents Incorporated by Reference [Text Block]	Portions of the following documents are incorporated by reference in the following parts of this Form 10-K: The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 2021 Proxy Statement-Part III The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 2020 Annual Report to Shareholders-Parts I, II and IV
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Entity Central Index Key	0001390777
Common Stock, $0.01 par value | New York Stock Exchange
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.01 par value
Trading Symbol	BK
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
6.244% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Normal Preferred Capital Securities of Mellon Capital IV | New York Stock Exchange
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	6.244% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Normal Preferred Capital Securities of Mellon Capital IV
Trading Symbol	BK/P
Security Exchange Name	NYSE

Consolidated Income Statement

Consolidated Income Statement - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Fee and other revenue
Asset servicing fees		$ 4,638	$ 4,563	$ 4,608
Clearing services fees		1,716	1,648	1,616
Issuer services fees		1,092	1,130	1,099
Treasury services fees		601	559	554
Total investment services fees		8,047	7,900	7,877
Investment management and performance fees		3,367	3,389	3,647
Foreign exchange and other trading revenue		789	654	732
Financing-related fees		212	196	207
Distribution and servicing		115	129	139
Investment and other income		184	968	240
Total fee revenue		12,714	13,236	12,842
Net securities gains (losses)		33	(18)	(48)
Total fee and other revenue		12,747	13,218	12,794
Operations of consolidated investment management funds
Investment income (loss)		85	57	(12)
Interest of investment management fund note holders		1	1	1
Income (loss) from consolidated investment management funds		84	56	(13)
Net interest revenue
Interest revenue		4,109	7,548	6,432
Interest expense		1,132	4,360	2,821
Net interest revenue		2,977	3,188	3,611
Total revenue		15,808	16,462	16,392
Provision for credit losses	[1],[2]	336	(25)	(11)
Noninterest expense
Staff		5,966	6,063	6,145
Professional, legal and other purchased services		1,403	1,345	1,334
Software and equipment		1,370	1,222	1,062
Net occupancy		581	564	630
Sub-custodian and clearing		460	450	450
Distribution and servicing		336	374	406
Bank assessment charges		124	125	170
Business development		105	213	228
Amortization of intangible assets		104	117	180
Other		555	427	606
Total noninterest expense		11,004	10,900	11,211
Income
Income before income taxes		4,468	5,587	5,192
Provision for income taxes		842	1,120	938
Net income		3,626	4,467	4,254
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests related to consolidated investment management funds		(9)	(26)	12
Net income applicable to shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation		3,617	4,441	4,266
Preferred stock dividends		(194)	(169)	(169)
Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation		3,423	4,272	4,097
Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation used for the earnings per share calculation
Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation		3,423	4,272	4,097
Less: Earnings allocated to participating securities		6	18	27
Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation after required adjustment for the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per common share		$ 3,417	$ 4,254	$ 4,070
Average common shares and equivalents outstanding of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
Basic (shares)		890,839	939,623	1,002,922
Common stock equivalents (shares)		2,425	5,087	6,801
Less: Participating securities (shares)		(750)	(1,601)	(2,582)
Diluted (shares)		892,514	943,109	1,007,141
Anti-dilutive securities (shares)	[3]	4,968	4,014	6,804
Earnings per share applicable to the common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
Basic (usd per share)		$ 3.84	$ 4.53	$ 4.06
Diluted (usd per share)		$ 3.83	$ 4.51	$ 4.04
[1]	In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
[2]	The provision for credit losses for 2020 relates to the financial instruments within the scope of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
[3]	Represents stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and participating securities outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted average common shares because their effect would be anti-dilutive.

Consolidated Comprehensive Inco

Consolidated Comprehensive Income Statement - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income		$ 3,626	$ 4,467	$ 4,254
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments		508	151	(313)
Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale:
Unrealized gain (loss) arising during the period		1,202	512	(416)
Reclassification adjustment		(25)	14	36
Total unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale		1,177	526	(380)
Defined benefit plans:
Prior service cost arising during the period		0	(1)	0
Net (loss) arising during the period		(107)	(87)	(189)
Amortization of prior service credit, net loss and initial obligation included in net periodic benefit cost		77	34	69
Total defined benefit plans		(30)	(54)	(120)
Net unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges		5	3	(10)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	[1]	1,660	626	(823)
Total comprehensive income		5,286	5,093	3,431
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		(9)	(26)	12
Other comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		(2)	(3)	11
Comprehensive income applicable to shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation		$ 5,275	$ 5,064	$ 3,454
[1]	Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders was $1,658 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020, $623 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 and $(812) million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018.

Consolidated Comprehensive In_2

Consolidated Comprehensive Income Statement (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$ 1,658	$ 623	$ (812)

Consolidated Balance Sheet

Consolidated Balance Sheet - USD ($) $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Securities:
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses of less than $1 at Dec. 31, 2020 (fair value of $49,224 and $34,805)		$ 47,946	$ 34,483
Available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $105,141 and $87,435, net of allowance for credit losses of $11 at Dec. 31, 2020)		108,495	88,550
Loans		56,469	54,953
Allowance for credit losses		(479)	(216)
Goodwill		17,496	17,386
Intangible assets		3,012	3,107
Other assets, net of allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable of $4 at Dec. 31, 2020 (includes $522 and $419, at fair value)		20,468	20,221
Total assets		469,633	381,508
Deposits:
Long-term debt (includes $400 and $387, at fair value)		25,984	27,501
Total liabilities		423,513	339,780
Temporary equity
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		176	143
Permanent equity
Preferred stock – par value $0.01 per share; authorized 100,000,000 shares; issued 45,826 and 35,826 shares		4,541	3,542
Common stock – par value $0.01 per share; authorized 3,500,000,000 shares; issued 1,382,306,327 and 1,374,443,376 shares		14	14
Additional paid-in capital		27,823	27,515
Retained earnings		34,241	31,894
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax		(985)	(2,638)
Less: Treasury stock of 495,542,796 and 473,760,338 common shares, at cost		(19,833)	(18,844)
Total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders’ equity		45,801	41,483
Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of consolidated investment management funds		143	102
Total permanent equity	[1]	45,944	41,585	[2]
Total liabilities, temporary equity and permanent equity		469,633	381,508
Investment Management funds
Securities:
Trading assets		482	229
Assets of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value		487	245
Deposits:
Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value		3	1
Operating segments
Assets
Cash and due from banks, net of allowance for credit losses of $4 at Dec. 31, 2020	[3]	6,252	4,830
Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks		141,775	95,042
Interest-bearing deposits with banks, net of allowance for credit losses of $3 at Dec. 31, 2020 (includes restricted of $3,167 and $2,437)	[3]	17,300	14,811
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements		30,907	30,182
Securities:
Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses of less than $1 at Dec. 31, 2020 (fair value of $49,224 and $34,805)	[3]	47,946	34,483
Available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $105,141 and $87,435, net of allowance for credit losses of $11 at Dec. 31, 2020)	[3]	108,495	88,550
Total securities		156,441	123,033
Trading assets		15,272	13,571
Loans		56,469	54,953
Allowance for credit losses	[3]	(358)	(122)
Net loans		56,111	54,831
Premises and equipment		3,602	3,625
Accrued interest receivable		510	624
Goodwill		17,496	17,386
Intangible assets		3,012	3,107
Other assets, net of allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable of $4 at Dec. 31, 2020 (includes $522 and $419, at fair value)	[3]	20,468	20,221
Total assets		469,146	381,263
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing (principally U.S. offices)		83,854	57,630
Interest-bearing deposits in U.S. offices		133,479	101,542
Interest-bearing deposits in non-U.S. offices		124,212	100,294
Total deposits		341,545	259,466
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements		11,305	11,401
Trading liabilities		6,031	4,841
Payables to customers and broker-dealers		25,085	18,758
Commercial paper		0	3,959
Other borrowed funds		350	599
Accrued taxes and other expenses		5,696	5,642
Other liabilities (including allowance for credit losses on lending-related commitments of $121 and $94, also includes $1,107 and $607, at fair value)	[3]	7,514	7,612
Long-term debt (includes $400 and $387, at fair value)		25,984	27,501
Total liabilities		423,510	339,779
Operating segments | Investment Management funds
Securities:
Assets of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value		487	245
Deposits:
Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value		$ 3	$ 1
[1]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019 and $41,260 million at Dec. 31, 2020.
[2]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018 and $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019.
[3]	In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Consolidated Balance Sheet (Par

Consolidated Balance Sheet (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Restricted cash	$ 3,000	$ 2,000
Debt securities, held-to-maturity, fair value	49,224	34,805
Debt securities, available-for-sale, amortized cost	105,141	87,435
Debt securities, available-for-sale, allowance for credit loss	11
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 400	$ 387
Preferred stock, par value (usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (shares)	100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock, issued (shares)	45,826	35,826
Common stock, par value (usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, authorized (shares)	3,500,000,000	3,500,000,000
Common stock, issued (shares)	1,382,306,327	1,374,443,376
Treasury stock, common shares (shares)	495,542,796	473,760,338
Operating segments
Cash and due from banks, allowance for credit loss	$ 4
Interest-bearing deposits with banks, allowance for credit losses	3
Restricted cash	3,167	$ 2,437
Debt securities, held-to-maturity, allowance for credit loss (less than)	1
Debt securities, held-to-maturity, fair value	49,224	34,805
Debt securities, available-for-sale, amortized cost	105,141	87,435
Debt securities, available-for-sale, allowance for credit loss	11
Other assets, allowance for credit loss on accounts receivable	4
Other assets, fair value	522	419
Allowance for credit losses on lending related commitments	121	94
Other liabilities, fair value	1,107	607
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 400	$ 387

Consolidated Statement of Cash

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating activities
Net income		$ 3,626	$ 4,467	$ 4,254
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests		(9)	(26)	12
Net income applicable to shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation		3,617	4,441	4,266
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Provision for credit losses	[1],[2]	336	(25)	(11)
Pension plan contributions		(25)	(45)	(55)
Depreciation and amortization		1,630	1,315	1,339
Deferred tax (benefit)		(193)	(69)	(525)
Net securities (gains) losses		(33)	18	48
Change in trading assets and liabilities		(496)	(5,167)	(574)
Change in accruals and other, net		202	(372)	1,508
Net cash provided by operating activities		5,038	96	5,996
Investing activities
Change in interest-bearing deposits with banks		(1,393)	(970)	(2,011)
Change in interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks		(42,857)	(26,763)	21,954
Purchases of securities held-to-maturity		(29,651)	(8,822)	(5,055)
Paydowns of securities held-to-maturity		9,291	5,149	4,346
Maturities of securities held-to-maturity		7,097	3,192	6,317
Purchases of securities available-for-sale		(68,430)	(46,435)	(32,404)
Sales of securities available-for-sale		13,316	11,444	8,247
Paydowns of securities available-for-sale		10,476	7,516	7,716
Maturities of securities available-for-sale		27,592	26,504	9,063
Net change in loans		(1,271)	1,486	4,620
Sales of loans and other real estate		15	147	263
Change in federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements		(708)	16,615	(18,662)
Net change in seed capital investments		18	74	59
Purchases of premises and equipment/capitalized software		(1,222)	(1,210)	(1,108)
Proceeds from the sale of premises and equipment		0	0	23
Proceeds from the sale of an equity method investment		0	849	0
Dispositions, net of cash		0	0	84
Other, net		(728)	676	(153)
Net cash (used for) provided by investing activities		(78,455)	(10,548)	3,299
Financing activities
Change in deposits		77,523	20,663	(2,874)
Change in federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements		(361)	(2,822)	(920)
Change in payables to customers and broker-dealers		5,977	(981)	(433)
Change in other borrowed funds		(270)	(2,651)	164
Change in commercial paper		(3,959)	2,020	(1,136)
Net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt		2,993	2,993	5,143
Repayments of long-term debt		(5,200)	(5,250)	(3,650)
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options		46	65	80
Issuance of common stock		12	21	40
Issuance of preferred stock		1,567	0	0
Treasury stock acquired		(989)	(3,327)	(3,269)
Redemption of preferred stock		(583)	0	0
Common cash dividends paid		(1,117)	(1,120)	(1,052)
Preferred cash dividends paid		(179)	(169)	(169)
Amortization of preferred stock discount		15	0	0
Other, net		33	17	(22)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities		75,508	9,459	(8,098)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash		61	2	(72)
Change in cash and due from banks and restricted cash
Change in cash and due from banks and restricted cash		2,152	(991)	1,125
Cash and due from banks and restricted cash at beginning of period		7,267	8,258	7,133
Cash and due from banks and restricted cash at end of period		9,419	7,267	8,258
Cash and due from banks and restricted cash at end of period		9,419	8,258	8,258
Supplemental disclosures
Interest paid		1,236	4,400	2,711
Income taxes paid		1,341	989	983
Income taxes refunded		$ 60	$ 669	$ 175
[1]	In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
[2]	The provision for credit losses for 2020 relates to the financial instruments within the scope of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Consolidated Statement of Chang

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total		Preferred stock	Common stock	Additional paid-in capital	Retained earnings	Accumulated other comprehensive (loss), net of tax	Treasury stock	Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests of consolidated investment management funds	Redeemable non- controlling interests/ temporary equity	Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment	Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, AdjustmentRetained earnings	Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, AdjustmentAccumulated other comprehensive (loss), net of tax	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalancePreferred stock	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalanceCommon stock	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalanceAdditional paid-in capital	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalanceRetained earnings	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalanceAccumulated other comprehensive (loss), net of tax	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalanceTreasury stock	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalanceNon-redeemable noncontrolling interests of consolidated investment management funds	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted BalanceRedeemable non- controlling interests/ temporary equity
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 41,567	[1]	$ 3,542	$ 14	$ 26,665	$ 25,635	$ (2,357)	$ (12,248)	$ 316	$ 179			$ (2)	$ 41,537	$ 3,542	$ 14	$ 26,665	$ 25,607	$ (2,359)	$ (12,248)	$ 316	$ 179
Beginning balance (ASU 2014-09) at Dec. 31, 2017											$ (55)	$ (55)
Beginning balance (ASU 2017-12) at Dec. 31, 2017											25	27	(2)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shares issued to shareholders of noncontrolling interests										61
Redemption of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests										(92)
Other net changes in noncontrolling interests	(191)				12				(203)	(8)
Net income	4,254					4,266			(12)
Other comprehensive (loss) income attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders	(812)						(812)
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(11)									(11)
Dividends:
Common stock	(1,052)					(1,052)
Preferred stock	(169)					(169)
Repurchase of common stock	(3,269)							(3,269)
Common stock issued under employee benefit plans	31				31
Direct stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan	30				30
Stock awards and options exercised	380				380
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 40,739	[1],[2]	3,542	14	27,118	28,652	(3,171)	(15,517)	101	129	0	90	(90)	40,739	3,542	14	27,118	28,742	(3,261)	(15,517)	101	129
Dividends:
Accounting Standards Update [Extensible List]	us-gaap:AccountingStandardsUpdate201802Member
Shares issued to shareholders of noncontrolling interests										77
Redemption of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests										(48)
Other net changes in noncontrolling interests	$ (19)				6				(25)	(18)
Net income	4,467					4,441			26
Other comprehensive (loss) income attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders	623						623
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	3									3
Common stock	(1,120)					(1,120)
Preferred stock	(169)					(169)
Repurchase of common stock	(3,327)							(3,327)
Common stock issued under employee benefit plans	28				28
Direct stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan	11				11
Stock awards and options exercised	352				352
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 41,585	[2],[3]	3,542	14	27,515	31,894	(2,638)	(18,844)	102	143	$ 40	$ 45	$ (5)	$ 41,625	$ 3,542	$ 14	$ 27,515	$ 31,939	$ (2,643)	$ (18,844)	$ 102	$ 143
Dividends:
Accounting Standards Update [Extensible List]	us-gaap:AccountingStandardsUpdate201613Member
Shares issued to shareholders of noncontrolling interests										80
Redemption of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests										(31)
Other net changes in noncontrolling interests	$ 44				12				32	(18)
Net income	3,626					3,617			9
Other comprehensive income attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders (Excluding Other)	1,654						1,654
Other comprehensive (loss) income attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders	1,658
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	2									2
Common stock	(1,117)					(1,117)
Preferred stock	(194)
Preferred stock	(179)					(179)
Repurchase of common stock	(989)							(989)
Common stock issued under employee benefit plans	26				26
Preferred stock redemption	(583)		(583)
Preferred stock issued	1,567		1,567
Stock awards and options exercised	270				270
Amortization of preferred stock discount			15			15
Other	0					(4)	4
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 45,944	[3]	$ 4,541	$ 14	$ 27,823	$ 34,241	$ (985)	$ (19,833)	$ 143	$ 176
[1]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,709 million at Dec. 31, 2017 and $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018.
[2]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018 and $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019.
[3]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019 and $41,260 million at Dec. 31, 2020.

Consolidated Statement of Cha_2

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Dividends on common stock, cash paid (usd per share)	$ 1.24	$ 1.18	$ 1.04
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders’ equity	$ 45,801	$ 41,483
Common stock
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders’ equity	$ 41,260	$ 37,941	$ 37,096	$ 37,709

Summary of significant accounti

Summary of significant accounting and reporting policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of significant accounting and reporting polices	In this Annual Report, references to “our,” “we,” “us,” “BNY Mellon,” the “Company” and similar terms refer to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. The term “Parent” refers to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation but not its subsidiaries. Nature of operations BNY Mellon is a global leader in providing a broad range of financial products and services in domestic and international markets. Through our two principal businesses, Investment Services and Investment and Wealth Management, we serve institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals. See Note 24 for the primary products and services of our principal businesses and other information. Basis of presentation The accounting and financial reporting policies of BNY Mellon, a global financial services company, conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and prevailing industry practices. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented have been made. Certain immaterial reclassifications have been made to prior periods to place them on a basis comparable with current period presentation. Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates based upon assumptions about future economic and market conditions which affect reported amounts and related disclosures in our financial statements. Our most significant estimates pertain to our allowance for credit losses, fair value of financial instruments and derivatives, goodwill and other intangibles and litigation and regulatory contingencies. Although our current estimates contemplate current conditions and how we expect them to change in the future, it is reasonably possible that actual conditions could be worse than anticipated in those estimates, which could materially affect our results of operations and financial condition. Foreign currency translation Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to U.S. dollars at the rate of exchange on the balance sheet date. Transaction gains and losses are included in the income statement. Translation gains and losses on investments in foreign entities with functional currencies that are not the U.S. dollar are recorded as foreign currency translation adjustments in other comprehensive income (“OCI”). Revenue and expense transactions are translated at the applicable daily rate or the weighted average monthly exchange rate when applying the daily rate is not practical. Acquired businesses The income statement and balance sheet include results of acquired businesses accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, Business Combinations and equity investments from the dates of acquisition. Contingent purchase consideration is measured at its fair value and recorded on the purchase date. Any subsequent changes in the fair value of a contingent consideration liability are recorded through the income statement. Consolidation We evaluate an entity for possible consolidation in accordance with ASC 810, Consolidation . We first determine whether or not we have variable interests in the entity, which are investments or other interests that absorb portions of an entity’s expected losses or receive portions of the entity’s expected returns. Our variable interests may include decision-maker or service provider fees, direct and indirect investments and investments made by related parties, including related parties under common control. If it is determined that we do not have a variable interest in the entity, no further analysis is required and the entity is not consolidated. If we hold a variable interest in the entity, further analysis is performed to determine if the entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) or a voting model entity (“VME”). We consider the underlying facts and circumstances of individual entities when assessing whether or not an entity is a VIE. An entity is determined to be a VIE if the equity investors: • do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; or • lack one or more of the following characteristics of a controlling financial interest: • the power, through voting rights or similar rights, to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance; • the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity; and • the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity. We reconsider and reassess whether or not we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE when governing documents or contractual arrangements are changed that would reallocate the obligation to absorb expected losses or receive expected residual returns between BNY Mellon and the other investors. This could occur when BNY Mellon disposes of any portion of its variable interests in the VIE, when we acquire additional variable interests in the VIE, when additional variable interests are issued to other investors or when other investors liquidate their variable interest in the VIE. We consolidate a VIE if it is determined that we have a controlling financial interest in the entity. We have a controlling financial interest in a VIE when we have both (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (2) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to that VIE. For entities that do not meet the definition of a VIE, the entity is considered a VME. We consolidate these entities if we can exert control over the financial and operating policies of an investee, which can occur if we have a 50% or more voting interest in the entity. See Note 14 for additional disclosures related to our variable interests. Equity method investments, including renewable energy investments Equity investments of less than a majority but at least 20% ownership are accounted for by the equity method and included in other assets. Earnings on these investments are reflected as investment services fees, investment management and performance fees or investment and other income, as appropriate, in the period earned. A loss in value of an equity investment that is determined to be other-than-temporary is recognized by reducing the carrying value of the equity investment to its fair value. Renewable energy investment projects through limited liability companies are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. The hypothetical liquidation at book value (“HLBV”) methodology is used to determine the pre-tax loss that is recognized in each period. HLBV estimates the liquidation value at the beginning and end of each period, with the difference recognized as the amount of loss under the equity method. The pre-tax losses are reported in investment and other income on the income statement. The corresponding tax benefits and credits are recorded as a reduction to provision for income taxes on the income statement. See Note 8 for the amount of our renewable energy investments. Below are our most significant equity method investments, other than the investments in renewable energy. Equity method investments at Dec. 31, 2020 (dollars in millions) Percentage ownership Book value CIBC Mellon Global Securities Services Company (“CIBC Mellon”) 50 % $ 698 Siguler Guff 20 % $ 223 Restricted cash and securities Cash and securities may be segregated under federal and other regulatory requirements and consists of excess client funds held by our broker-dealer entities. Restricted cash is included in interest-bearing deposits with banks on the balance sheet and with cash and due from banks when reconciling the beginning and end-of-period balances on the consolidated statement of cash flows. Securities purchased under resale agreements and securities sold under repurchase agreements Securities purchased under resale agreements and securities sold under repurchase agreements are accounted for as collateralized financings. Generally, these agreements are recorded at the amounts at which the securities will be subsequently resold or repurchased, plus accrued interest. Securities purchased under resale agreements are fully collateralized with high-quality liquid securities. Collateral requirements are monitored and additional collateral is received or provided, as required. As such, these transactions carry minimal credit risk and are generally not allocated an allowance for credit losses. Where an enforceable netting agreement exists, resale and repurchase agreements executed with the same counterparty and the same maturity date are reported on a net basis on the balance sheet. Securities – Debt Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale, held-to-maturity or trading securities when they are purchased. Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale securities when we intend to hold the securities for an indefinite period of time or when the securities may be used for tactical asset/liability purposes and may be sold from time to time to effectively manage interest rate exposure, prepayment risk and liquidity needs. Debt securities are classified as held-to-maturity securities when we intend and have the ability to hold them until maturity. Debt securities are classified as trading securities when our intention is to resell the securities. Available-for-sale securities are measured at fair value. The difference between fair value and amortized cost representing unrealized gains or losses on assets classified as available-for-sale is recorded net of tax as an addition to, or deduction from, OCI, unless an expected credit loss is recognized. If we determine that a credit loss exists, the amount is recognized as an allowance for credit losses in securities – available-for-sale, with a corresponding adjustment to the provision for credit losses and the non-credit portion of the unrealized loss is recognized in OCI. Realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities are reported on the income statement. The cost of debt securities sold is determined on a specific identification method. Held-to-maturity securities are measured at amortized cost. If we determine that a credit loss exists, the amount is recognized as an allowance for credit losses in securities – held-to-maturity, with a corresponding adjustment to the provision for credit losses. The accounting policy for estimating credit losses related to securities held-to-maturity changed beginning in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . This ASU also included targeted amendments with respect to credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities. Additional information regarding the Company’s policy for recognition of expected credit losses for securities available-for-sale and securities held-to-maturity is contained within “Allowance for credit losses – Securities – Debt” and “Allowance for credit losses – Other” below. Trading securities are measured at fair value and included in trading assets on the balance sheet. Trading revenue includes both realized and unrealized gains and losses. The liability incurred on short-sale transactions, representing the obligation to deliver securities, is included in trading liabilities at fair value. Income on securities purchased is adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount on a level yield basis, generally over their contractual life. For debt securities that are beneficial interests in securitized financial assets and are not high credit quality, ASC 325, Investments – Other , provides that cash flows be discounted at the current yield used to accrete the beneficial interest. A credit loss is recognized when there is an adverse change in expected cash flows. If we intend to sell the security or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security prior to recovery of its cost basis, the security is written down to fair value and the credit and non-credit components of the unrealized loss are recognized in earnings and subsequently accreted to interest income on an effective yield basis over the life of the security. Subsequent increases in the fair value of the security after the write-down are included in OCI. The accounting policy for the determination of the fair value of financial instruments has been identified as a “critical accounting estimate” as it requires us to make numerous assumptions based on available market data. See Note 4 for these disclosures. Securities – Equity Investments in equity securities that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method are measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through earnings, unless one of two available exceptions applies. The first exception, a scope exception, allows Federal Reserve Bank stock, Federal Home Loan Bank stock and exchange memberships to remain accounted for at cost, less impairment. The second practicability exception is an election available for equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values. For certain investments where the Company has chosen the practicability exception, such investments are accounted for in other assets on the balance sheet at cost adjusted for impairment, if any, plus or minus observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer with any such changes reflected in investment and other income. Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are classified in trading assets with changes in fair value reflected in foreign exchange and other trading revenue. Loans Loans are reported at amortized cost, net of any unearned income and deferred fees and costs. Certain loan origination and upfront commitment fees, as well as certain direct loan origination and commitment costs, are deferred and amortized as a yield adjustment over the lives of the related loans. Loans held for sale are carried at the lower of cost or fair value. Troubled debt restructurings/loan modifications A modified loan is considered a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) if the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties and the creditor grants a concession to the debtor that would not otherwise be considered. A TDR may include a transfer of real estate or other assets from the debtor to the creditor, or a modification of the term of the loan. Credit losses related to TDRs are accounted for under an individual evaluation methodology (see “Allowance for credit losses” below). Credit losses for anticipated TDRs are accounted for similarly to TDRs and are identified when there is a reasonable expectation that a TDR will be executed with the borrower and when we expect the modification to affect the timing or amount of payments and/or the payment term. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been two forms of relief provided for classifying loans as TDRs: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) and the Interagency Guidance (as defined below). Financial institutions may account for eligible loan modifications either under the CARES Act or the Interagency Guidance. The Company has elected to apply both the CARES Act and the Interagency Guidance, as applicable, in providing borrowers with loan modification relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act, which became law on March 27, 2020, provides that financial institutions may, subject to certain conditions, elect to temporarily suspend the U.S. GAAP requirements with respect to loan modifications related to the coronavirus pandemic that were current as of Dec. 31, 2019 and that would otherwise be identified and treated as TDRs. On Dec. 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 was signed into law and extends the period established by the CARES Act under which consideration of TDR identification and accounting triggered by effects of the coronavirus pandemic are suspended. That period is extended one year to the earlier of Jan. 1, 2022, or 60 days after the date on which the national emergency terminates. Various banking regulators issued guidance in the April 7, 2020 “Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for Financial Institutions Working with Customers Affected by the Coronavirus (revised)” (“Interagency Guidance”) on loan modification treatment pursuant to which financial institutions can apply the U.S. GAAP requirements for loan modifications. In accordance with this guidance, a loan modification is not considered a TDR if the modification is related to the coronavirus pandemic, the borrower had been current when the modification program was implemented, and the modification includes payment deferrals for not more than six months. Nonperforming assets Commercial loans are placed on nonaccrual status when principal or interest is past due 90 days or more, or when there is reasonable doubt that interest or principal will be collected. When a first or second lien residential mortgage loan reaches 90 days delinquent, it is subject to an individual evaluation of credit loss and placed on nonaccrual status. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, previously accrued and uncollected interest is reversed against current period interest revenue. Interest receipts on nonaccrual loans are recognized as interest revenue or are applied to principal when we believe the ultimate collectability of principal is in doubt. Nonaccrual loans generally are restored to an accrual basis when principal and interest become current and remain current for a specified period. “Allowance for credit losses” below provides additional information regarding the individual evaluation of credit losses for nonperforming loans. Allowance for credit losses The accounting policy for estimating credit losses related to financial assets measured at amortized cost, including loans and lending-related commitments, changed beginning in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . This ASU also included targeted amendments with respect to credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities. The accounting policy for determining the allowances has been identified as a “critical accounting estimate” as it requires us to make numerous complex and subjective estimates and assumptions relating to amounts which are judgmental and inherently uncertain. Credit quality is monitored by management and is reflected within the allowance for credit losses. The allowance represents management’s estimate of expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of the financial instruments as of the balance sheet date. The allowance methodology is designed to provide procedural discipline in assessing the appropriateness of the allowance. A quantitative methodology and qualitative framework is used to estimate the allowance for credit losses. The qualitative framework is described in further detail within “Allowance for credit losses – Other” below. The quantitative component of our estimate uses models and methodologies that categorize financial assets based on product type, collateral type, and other credit trends and risk characteristics, including relevant information about past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions that affect the collectability of the recorded amounts. The allowance may be determined using various methods, including discounted cash flow methods, loss-rate methods, probability of default methods or other methods that we determine to be appropriate. We estimate our expected credit losses using the probability of default method for the majority of our financial assets. We measure expected credit losses of financial assets on a collective (pool) basis when similar risk characteristics exist. For a financial asset that does not share risk characteristics with other assets, expected credit losses are measured based on an individual evaluation method. In our estimate, with the exception of our small home equity line of credit portfolio, available-for-sale debt securities, and individually evaluated financial assets, we utilize a multi-scenario macroeconomic forecast which includes a weighting of three scenarios: a baseline and upside and downside scenarios and allows us to develop our estimate using a wide span of economic variables. Our baseline scenario reflects a view on likely performance of each global region and the other two scenarios are designed relative to the baseline scenario. This approach incorporates a reasonable and supportable forecast period spanning the life of the asset, and this period includes both an initial estimated economic outlook component as well as a reversion component for each economic input variable. The length of each of the two components depends on the underlying financial instrument, scenario and underlying economic input variable. In general, the initial economic outlook period for each economic input variable under each scenario ranges between several months and two years. The speed at which the scenario-specific forecasts revert to long-term historical mean is based on observed historical patterns of mean reversion at the economic variable input level that are reflected in our model parameter estimates. Certain macroeconomic variables such as unemployment or home prices take longer to revert after a contraction, though specific recovery times are scenario-specific. Reversion will usually take longer the further away the scenario-specific forecast is from the historical mean. On a quarterly basis, within a developed governance structure, we update these scenarios for current economic conditions and may adjust the scenario weighting based on our economic outlook. Allowance for credit losses – Loans and lending-related commitments The allowance for credit losses on loans is presented as a valuation allowance to loans, and the allowance for credit losses on lending-related commitments is recorded in other liabilities. The components of the allowance for credit losses on loans and lending-related commitments consist of the following three elements: • a pooled allowance component for higher risk-rated and pass-rated commercial and institutional credits; • a pooled allowance component for residential mortgage loans; and • an asset-specific allowance component involving individually evaluated credits of $1 million or greater. The first element, a pooled allowance component for higher risk-rated and pass-rated commercial and institutional credits, is based on our expected credit loss model using the probability of default method, which has been adjusted for the forecast of economic conditions. Individual credit analyses are performed on such loans before being assigned a credit rating. All borrowers are collectively evaluated based on their credit rating. The loss expected in each loan incorporates the borrower’s credit rating, facility rating and maturity. The loss given default, derived from the facility rating, incorporates a recovery expectation, and for unfunded lending exposures, an estimate of the use of the facility at default (usage given default). The borrower’s probability of default is derived from the associated credit rating. The probability of default and the loss given default are applied to the estimated facility amount at default to determine the quantitative component of the allowance. For each of the different parameters, specific credit models are developed for each segment of our portfolio, including commercial loans and lease financing, commercial real estate, financial institutions and other. Segmentation is established based on risk characteristics of the loans and how risk is monitored. We use both internal and external data in the development of these parameters. In estimating the term of the exposures and resulting effect on the measurement of expected credit loss, we consider the impact of potential prepayments as well as the effect of borrower extension options. Borrower ratings are reviewed at least annually and are periodically mapped to third-party databases, including rating agency and default and recovery databases, to ensure ongoing consistency and validity. Higher risk-rated loans and lending-related commitments are reviewed quarterly. The second element, a pooled allowance component for residential mortgage loans, is determined by first segregating our mortgage pools into two categories: (i) our wealth management mortgages and (ii) our legacy mortgage portfolio disclosed as other residential mortgages. We then apply models to each portfolio to predict prepayments, default rates and loss severity. We consider historical loss experience and use a loan-level, multi-period default model which further segments each portfolio by product type, including first lien fixed rate mortgages, first lien adjustable rate mortgages, second lien mortgages and interest-only mortgages. We calculate the mortgage loss up to loan contractual maturity and embed a reasonable and supportable forecast and macroeconomic variable inputs which are described above. For home equity lines of credit, probability of default and loss given default are based on external data from third-party databases due to the small size of the portfolio and limited internal data. Our legacy mortgage portfolio and home equity line of credit portfolios represent small sub-segments of our mortgage loans. The third element, individually evaluated credits, is based on individual analysis of loans of $1 million and greater which no longer share the risk characteristics with other loans. Factors we consider in measuring the extent of expected credit loss include the payment status, collateral value, the borrower’s financial condition, guarantor support, the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due, anticipated modifications of payment structure or term for troubled borrowers, and recoveries if they can be reasonably estimated. We measure the expected credit loss as the difference between the amortized cost basis in the loan and the present value of the expected future cash flows from the borrower which is generally discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, or the fair value of the collateral, if the loan is collateral dependent. We generally consider nonperforming loans as well as loans that have been or are anticipated to be modified under a troubled debt restructuring for individual evaluation given the risk characteristics of such loans. Allowance for credit losses – Securities – Debt When estimating expected credit losses, we segment our available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities portfolios by major asset class. This is influenced by whether the security is structured or non-structured (i.e., direct obligation), as well as the issuer type. Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale securities when we intend to hold the securities for an indefinite period of time or when the securities may be used for tactical asset/liability management purposes and may be sold from time to time to effectively manage interest rate exposure, prepayment risk and liquidity needs. Available-for-sale securities are measured at fair value. The difference between fair value and amortized cost represents the unrealized gains or losses on assets classified as available-for-sale, and is recorded net of tax as an addition to, or deduction from, OCI, unless we determine that this difference or a portion thereof represents an expected credit loss. If we determine that a credit loss exists, the amount is recognized as an allowance for credit losses in securities – available-for-sale, with a corresponding adjustment to the provision for credit losses. We evaluate credit losses at the individual security level and do not recognize credit losses if the fair value exceeds amortized cost, and if we determine that a credit loss exists, we limit the recognition of the loss to the difference between fair value and amortized cost. In our determination of whether an expected credit loss exists, we routinely conduct periodic reviews and examine various quantitative and qualitative factors that are unique to each portfolio, including the severity of the unrealized loss position, agency rating, credit enhancement, cash flow deterioration and other factors. The measurement of an expected credit loss is then based on the best estimate of the present value of cash flows to be collected from the debt security. Generally, cash flows are discounted at the effective interest rate implicit in the debt security. Changes to the present value of cash flows due to the passage of time are recognized within the allowance for credit losses. We estimate expected credit losses for held-to-maturity debt securities using a similar methodology as described in the first allowance element within “Allowance for credit losses – Loans and lending-related commitments” above. The allowance for credit losses on held-to-maturity debt securities is recorded in securities – held-to-maturity. The components of the credit loss calculation for each major portfolio or asset class include a probability of default and loss given default and their values depend on the forecast behavior of variables in the macroeconomic environment. For structured debt securities, we estimated expected credit losses at the individual security level and use a cash flow model to project principal losses. Generally, cash flows are discounted at the effective interest rate implicit in the debt security. The difference is reflected in the allowance for credit losses, and changes to the present value of cash flows due to the passage of time are recognized within the allowance for credit losses. We currently do not require an estimate of expected credit losses to be measured and recorded for U.S. Treasury securities, agency debt securities, and other debt securities that meet certain conditions that are based on a combination of factors such as guarantees, credit ratings and other credit quality factors. These assets are monitored within our established governance structure on a recurring basis to determine if any changes are warranted. Allowance for credit losses – Other financial instruments We also estimate expected credit losses associated with margin loans, reverse repurchase agreements, security lending indemnifications, and deposits with third-party financial institutions using a similar methodology as described in the first allowance element within “Allowance for credit losses – Loans and lending-related commitments” above. The allowance for credit losses on reverse repurchase agreements is recorded in federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements; the allowance for credit losses on securities lending indemnifications is recorded in other liabilities and the allowance for credit losses on deposits with third-party financial institutions is recorded in cash and due from banks or interest-bearing deposits with banks. Our reverse repurchase agreements are short term and subject to continuous over-collateralization by our counterparties and timely collateral replenishment, when necessary. As a result, we estimate the expected credit loss related to the uncollateralized portion of the asset at the balance sheet date, if any, and when there is a reasonable expectation that the counterparty will not replenish the collateral in compliance with the terms of the repurchase agreement. This method is also applied to margin lending arrangements and securities lending indemnifications. Allowance for credit losses – Other We do not apply our credit loss measurement methodologies to accrued interest receivable balances related to our loan, debt securities and deposits with third-party financial institution assets given our nonaccrual policy that requires charge-off of interest receivable when deemed uncollectible. Accrued interest receivable related to these instruments is presented in total with other interest-bearing instruments in the consolidated balance sheet. Accrued interest receivable related to each major loan class is disclosed within our credit quality disclosure in Note 5. Our policy for credit losses related to purc

Accounting changes and new acco

Accounting changes and new accounting guidance	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting changes and new accounting guidance	Accounting changes and new accounting guidance The following accounting guidance was adopted in 2020. ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an ASU, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . This ASU introduces a new current expected credit losses model, which applies to financial assets subject to credit losses and measured at amortized cost, including held-to-maturity securities and certain off-balance sheet credit exposures. The guidance also changes current practice for the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities by requiring the use of an allowance to record estimated credit losses and subsequent recoveries. The standard requires a cumulative effect of initial application to be recognized in retained earnings at the date of initial application. In conjunction with adopting the new standard, we developed expected credit loss models and approaches that include consideration of multiple forecast scenarios and other methodologies. On Jan. 1, 2020, we adopted this new accounting guidance on a modified retrospective basis and recognized a $45 million after-tax increase in retained earnings, primarily attributable to a reduction to the allowance for credit losses for our commercial lending portfolios. The comparative financial information for prior periods has not been restated. See the Consolidated Balance Sheet and Notes 4 and 5 for the disclosures required by this ASU. The table below presents the reconciliation of the allowance for credit losses (pre-tax). Allowance for credit losses (in millions) Allowance for credit losses – Dec. 31, 2019 $ 216 Impact of adopting ASU 2016-13: Securities 7 Loans (a) (69) Other 3 Total impact of adoption of ASU 2016-13 (59) Reclassification of credit-related reserves on accounts receivable 4 Allowance for credit losses – Jan. 1, 2020 $ 161 (a) Includes $48 million related to loans and $21 million for lending-related commitments. ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform: Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting In March 2020, the FASB issued an ASU, Reference Rate Reform: Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This ASU provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to financial contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by reference rate reform. Specifically, the ASU provides for the election to account for certain contract amendments related to reference rate reform as modifications rather than extinguishments without the requirement to assess the significance of the amendments. In addition, the ASU allows for certain practical expedients and elections to preserve hedge accounting uninterrupted during the Replacement of Interbank Offered Rates (“IBORs”) transition period. This ASU also permits an entity to make a one-time election to sell and/or transfer held-to-maturity securities that are affected by reference rate reform and were classified as held-to-maturity on or before Jan. 1, 2020.

Acquisitions and dispositions

Acquisitions and dispositions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions and dispositions	Acquisitions and dispositionsWe sometimes structure our acquisitions with both an initial payment and later contingent payments tied to post-closing revenue or income growth. Contingent payments totaled $9 million in 2020. At Dec. 31, 2020, we are potentially obligated to pay additional consideration which, using reasonable assumptions, we expect to be approximately $5 million over the next year. Transactions in 2020 In the fourth quarter of 2020, BNY Mellon entered into agreements to sell two legal entities. Both transactions are expected to close in 2021. BNY Mellon recorded a total after-tax loss of $34 million on these pending transactions. Transaction in 2019 On Nov. 8, 2019, BNY Mellon, along with the other holders of Promontory Interfinancial Network, LLC (“PIN”), completed the sale of their interests in PIN. BNY Mellon recorded an after-tax gain of $622 million on the sale of this equity investment. Transactions in 2018 On Jan. 2, 2018, BNY Mellon completed the sale of CenterSquare Investment Management (“CenterSquare”), one of our Investment Management investment firms, and recorded a gain on this transaction. CenterSquare had approximately $10 billion in assets under management (“AUM”) in U.S. and global real estate and infrastructure investments. In addition, goodwill of $52 million was removed from the consolidated balance sheet as a result of this sale.

Securities

Securities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Securities [Abstract]
Securities	Securities On Jan. 1, 2020, we adopted ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . See Note 2 for the significant accounting policy related to securities. The following tables present the amortized cost, the gross unrealized gains and losses and the fair value of securities at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Securities at Dec. 31, 2020 Gross Fair Amortized cost (in millions) Gains Losses Available-for-sale: U.S. Treasury $ 23,557 $ 1,358 $ 21 $ 24,894 Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) 21,919 479 51 22,347 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 12,202 190 1 12,391 Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) 8,605 625 2 9,228 Supranational 7,086 75 1 7,160 Foreign covered bonds 6,658 68 1 6,725 Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) 4,706 7 10 4,703 Foreign government agencies 4,086 49 — 4,135 U.S. government agencies 3,680 174 1 3,853 Other asset-backed securities (“ABS”) 3,135 32 3 3,164 Non-agency commercial MBS 2,864 159 6 3,017 Non-agency RMBS (a) 2,178 157 9 2,326 State and political subdivisions 2,270 39 1 2,308 Corporate bonds 1,945 50 1 1,994 Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”) 249 — — 249 Other debt securities 1 — — 1 Total securities available-for-sale (b)(c) $ 105,141 $ 3,462 $ 108 $ 108,495 Held-to-maturity: Agency RMBS $ 38,355 $ 1,055 $ 14 $ 39,396 U.S. Treasury 2,938 90 — 3,028 U.S. government agencies 2,816 4 6 2,814 Agency commercial MBS 2,659 105 2 2,762 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 1,050 42 — 1,092 Non-agency RMBS 58 3 — 61 Supranational 55 — — 55 State and political subdivisions 15 1 — 16 Total securities held-to-maturity $ 47,946 $ 1,300 $ 22 $ 49,224 Total securities $ 153,087 $ 4,762 $ 130 $ 157,719 (a) Includes $487 million that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (b) In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The amortized cost of available-for-sale securities is net of the allowance for credit loss of $11 million. The allowance for credit loss primarily relates to CLOs. See Note 2 for additional information. (c) Includes gross unrealized gains of $75 million and gross unrealized losses of $44 million recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized gains are primarily related to agency commercial MBS and losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. Securities at Dec. 31, 2019 Gross Amortized cost Fair (in millions) Gains Losses Available-for-sale: Agency RMBS $ 27,022 $ 164 $ 143 $ 27,043 U.S. Treasury 14,979 472 20 15,431 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 12,548 109 11 12,646 Agency commercial MBS 9,231 203 17 9,417 Foreign covered bonds 4,189 15 7 4,197 CLOs 4,078 1 16 4,063 Supranational 3,697 18 6 3,709 Foreign government agencies 2,638 7 2 2,643 Non-agency commercial MBS 2,134 46 2 2,178 Other ABS 2,141 7 5 2,143 U.S. government agencies 1,890 61 2 1,949 Non-agency RMBS (a) 1,038 202 7 1,233 State and political subdivisions 1,017 27 — 1,044 Corporate bonds 832 21 — 853 Other debt securities 1 — — 1 Total securities available-for-sale (b) $ 87,435 $ 1,353 $ 238 $ 88,550 Held-to-maturity: Agency RMBS $ 27,357 $ 292 $ 46 $ 27,603 U.S. Treasury 3,818 28 3 3,843 Agency commercial MBS 1,326 21 3 1,344 U.S. government agencies 1,023 1 2 1,022 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 756 31 — 787 Non-agency RMBS 80 4 1 83 Foreign covered bonds 79 — — 79 Supranational 27 — — 27 State and political subdivisions 17 — — 17 Total securities held-to-maturity $ 34,483 $ 377 $ 55 $ 34,805 Total securities $ 121,918 $ 1,730 $ 293 $ 123,355 (a) Includes $640 million that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (b) Includes gross unrealized gains of $32 million and gross unrealized losses of $65 million recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized gains and losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. The following table presents the realized gains, losses and impairments, on a gross basis. Net securities gains (losses) (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Realized gross gains $ 46 $ 23 $ 8 Realized gross losses (13) (39) (55) Recognized gross impairments — (2) (1) Total net securities gains (losses) $ 33 $ (18) $ (48) The following table presents pre-tax net securities gains (losses) by type. Net securities gains (losses) (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Foreign government agencies $ 8 $ (3) $ (1) U.S. Treasury 8 (13) (4) Supranational 7 (2) — Agency RMBS — 1 (42) Other 10 (1) (1) Total net securities gains (losses) $ 33 $ (18) $ (48) In 2020, agency commercial mortgage-backed securities with an aggregate amortized cost of $448 million and fair value of $501 million were transferred from available-for-sale securities to held-to-maturity securities to reduce the impact of changes in interest rates on accumulated other comprehensive income. Allowance for credit losses – Securities In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . The allowance for credit losses related to securities was $7 million on Jan. 1, 2020 and $11 million at Dec. 31, 2020. The increase reflects additional credit deterioration primarily in the available-for-sale CLO portfolio. Credit quality indicators – Securities At Dec. 31, 2020, the gross unrealized losses on the securities portfolio were primarily attributable to an increase in credit spreads from the date of purchase, and for certain securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity, an increase in interest rates through the date they were transferred. Specifically, $44 million of the unrealized losses at Dec. 31, 2020 and $65 million at Dec. 31, 2019 reflected in the available-for-sale sections of the tables below relate to certain securities (primarily agency RMBS) that were transferred in prior periods from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized losses will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. The transfer created a new cost basis for the securities. As a result, if these securities have experienced unrealized losses since the date of transfer, the corresponding fair value and unrealized losses would be reflected in the held-to-maturity securities portfolio in the following tables. We do not intend to sell these securities, and it is not more likely than not that we will have to sell these securities. The following table shows the aggregate fair value of available-for-sale securities with a continuous unrealized loss position for less than 12 months and those that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or more without an allowance for credit losses. Available-for-sale securities in an unrealized loss position without an allowance for credit losses at Dec. 31, 2020 (a) Less than 12 months 12 months or more Total Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized (in millions) Agency RMBS $ 850 $ 4 $ 1,965 $ 47 $ 2,815 $ 51 U.S. Treasury 4,253 21 — — 4,253 21 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 1,349 1 135 — 1,484 1 Agency commercial MBS 440 1 266 1 706 2 Foreign covered bonds 468 1 90 — 558 1 Supranational 1,041 1 132 — 1,173 1 CLOs 1,849 6 579 4 2,428 10 U.S. government agencies 160 1 — — 160 1 Other ABS 449 2 226 1 675 3 Non-agency commercial MBS 468 4 170 2 638 6 Non-agency RMBS (b) 973 3 103 6 1,076 9 State and political subdivisions 273 1 2 — 275 1 Corporate bonds 282 1 — — 282 1 Total securities available-for-sale (c) $ 12,855 $ 47 $ 3,668 $ 61 $ 16,523 $ 108 (a) Includes $1.6 billion of securities with an unrealized loss of greater than $1 million. (b) Includes $16 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for less than 12 months and $2 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for 12 months or more that were included in the former Grantor Trust. (c) Includes gross unrealized losses of $44 million for 12 months or more recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. There were no gross unrealized losses for less than 12 months. The following table presents the temporarily impaired securities under the disclosure guidance that existed prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13 and shows the aggregate fair value of available-for-sale securities with a continuous unrealized loss position for less than 12 months and those that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or more. Temporarily impaired securities at Dec. 31, 2019 Less than 12 months 12 months or more Total (in millions) Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized Available-for-sale: Agency RMBS $ 8,373 $ 33 $ 5,912 $ 110 $ 14,285 $ 143 U.S. Treasury 1,976 16 766 4 2,742 20 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 4,045 10 225 1 4,270 11 Agency commercial MBS 1,960 12 775 5 2,735 17 Foreign covered bonds 1,009 4 690 3 1,699 7 CLOs 1,066 2 1,499 14 2,565 16 Supranational 1,336 6 360 — 1,696 6 Foreign government agencies 1,706 2 47 — 1,753 2 Non-agency commercial MBS 525 2 45 — 570 2 Other ABS 456 3 305 2 761 5 U.S. government agencies 377 2 — — 377 2 Non-agency RMBS (a) 101 — 113 7 214 7 State and political subdivisions — — 16 — 16 — Corporate bonds 82 — 21 — 103 — Total securities available-for-sale (b) $ 23,012 $ 92 $ 10,774 $ 146 $ 33,786 $ 238 (a) Includes $2 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for less than 12 months and $2 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for 12 months or more that were included in the former Grantor Trust. (b) Includes gross unrealized losses of $65 million for 12 months or more recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. There were no gross unrealized losses for less than 12 months. The following table shows the credit quality of the held-to-maturity securities. We have included certain credit ratings information because the information can indicate the degree of credit risk to which we are exposed. Significant changes in ratings classifications could indicate increased credit risk for us and could be accompanied by a reduction in the fair value of our securities portfolio. Held-to-maturity securities portfolio at Dec. 31, 2020 (a) Ratings (b) Net unrealized gain BB+ A1+/A2/SP-1 (dollars in millions) Amortized AAA/ A+/ BBB+/ Not Agency RMBS $ 38,355 $ 1,041 100 % — % — % — % — % — % U.S. Treasury 2,938 90 100 — — — — — U.S. government agencies 2,816 (2) 100 — — — — — Agency commercial MBS 2,659 103 100 — — — — — Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed (c) 1,050 42 98 — — — 2 — Non-agency RMBS 58 3 28 55 2 14 — 1 Supranational 55 — 100 — — — — — State and political subdivisions 15 1 6 2 6 — — 86 Total held-to-maturity securities $ 47,946 $ 1,278 100 % — % — % — % — % — % (a) In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 for additional information. (b) Represents ratings by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or the equivalent. (c) Primarily consists of exposure to France, UK and Germany. Maturity distribution The following table shows the maturity distribution by carrying amount and yield (on a tax equivalent basis) of our securities portfolio. Maturity distribution and yields on securities at Dec. 31, 2020 U.S. Treasury U.S. government State and political Other bonds, notes and debentures Mortgage/ (dollars in millions) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Total Securities available-for-sale: One year or less $ 3,549 1.47 % $ 25 2.55 % $ 744 1.30 % $ 9,067 0.50 % $ — — % $ 13,385 Over 1 through 5 years 10,619 1.16 2,125 0.71 530 2.94 18,806 0.58 — — 32,080 Over 5 through 10 years 7,571 1.43 1,562 2.30 688 1.58 4,531 0.72 — — 14,352 Over 10 years 3,155 3.11 141 1.98 346 2.23 251 1.04 — — 3,893 Mortgage-backed securities — — — — — — — — 36,918 2.19 36,918 Asset-backed securities — — — — — — — — 7,867 1.64 7,867 Total $ 24,894 1.53 % $ 3,853 1.41 % $ 2,308 1.90 % $ 32,655 0.58 % $ 44,785 2.10 % $ 108,495 Securities held-to-maturity: One year or less $ 1,031 2.11 % $ — — % $ — — % $ 70 0.19 % $ — — % $ 1,101 Over 1 through 5 years 1,907 1.91 880 0.68 2 5.67 953 0.69 — — 3,742 Over 5 through 10 years — — 1,518 1.07 — — 82 0.60 — — 1,600 Over 10 years — — 418 2.30 13 4.76 — — — — 431 Mortgage-backed securities — — — — — — — — 41,072 2.46 41,072 Total $ 2,938 1.98 % $ 2,816 1.13 % $ 15 4.91 % $ 1,105 0.65 % $ 41,072 2.46 % $ 47,946 (a) Yields are based upon the amortized cost of securities. Pledged assets At Dec. 31, 2020, BNY Mellon had pledged assets of $141 billion, including $113 billion pledged as collateral for potential borrowings at the Federal Reserve Discount Window and $5 billion pledged as collateral for borrowing at the Federal Home Loan Bank. The components of the assets pledged at Dec. 31, 2020 included $124 billion of securities, $11 billion of loans, $6 billion of trading assets and less than $1 billion of interest-bearing deposits with banks. If there has been no borrowing at the Federal Reserve Discount Window, the Federal Reserve generally allows banks to freely move assets in and out of their pledged assets account to sell or repledge the assets for other purposes. BNY Mellon regularly moves assets in and out of its pledged assets account at the Federal Reserve. At Dec. 31, 2019, BNY Mellon had pledged assets of $118 billion, including $80 billion pledged as collateral for potential borrowing at the Federal Reserve Discount Window and $6 billion pledged as collateral for borrowing at the Federal Home Loan Bank. The components of the assets pledged at Dec. 31, 2019 included $98 billion of securities, $13 billion of loans, $7 billion of trading assets and less than $1 billion of interest-bearing deposits with banks. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, pledged assets included $18 billion and $29 billion, respectively, for which the recipients were permitted to sell or repledge the assets delivered. We also obtain securities as collateral, including receipts under resale agreements, securities borrowed, derivative contracts and custody agreements, on terms which permit us to sell or repledge the securities to others. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, the market value of the securities received that can be sold or repledged was $121 billion and $153 billion, respectively. We routinely sell or repledge these securities through delivery to third parties. As of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, the market value of securities collateral sold or repledged was $84 billion and $107 billion, respectively. Restricted cash and securities Cash and securities may be segregated under federal and other regulations or requirements. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, cash segregated under federal and other regulations or requirements was $3 billion and $2 billion, respectively. Restricted cash is included in interest-bearing deposits with banks on the consolidated balance sheet. Securities segregated

Loans and asset quality

Loans and asset quality	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Receivables [Abstract]
Loans and asset quality	Loans and asset quality Loans The table below provides the details of our loan portfolio. Loans Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Domestic: Commercial $ 1,356 $ 1,442 Commercial real estate 6,056 5,575 Financial institutions 4,495 4,852 Lease financings 431 537 Wealth management loans and mortgages 16,211 16,050 Other residential mortgages 389 494 Overdrafts 651 524 Other 1,823 1,167 Margin loans 13,141 11,907 Total domestic 44,553 42,548 Foreign: Commercial 73 347 Commercial real estate — 7 Financial institutions 6,750 7,626 Lease financings 559 576 Wealth management loans and mortgages 146 140 Other (primarily overdrafts) 2,113 2,230 Margin loans 2,275 1,479 Total foreign 11,916 12,405 Total loans (a) $ 56,469 $ 54,953 (a) Net of unearned income of $274 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $313 million at Dec. 31, 2019 primarily related to domestic and foreign lease financings. Our loan portfolio consists of three portfolio segments: commercial, lease financings and mortgages. We manage our portfolio at the class level, which consists of six classes of financing receivables: commercial, commercial real estate, financial institutions, lease financings, wealth management loans and mortgages, and other residential mortgages. The following tables are presented for each class of financing receivables and provide additional information about our credit risks. Allowance for credit losses On Jan. 1, 2020, we adopted ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . See Note 2 for additional information. Activity in the allowance for credit losses on loans and lending-related commitments is presented below. This does not include activity in the allowance for credit losses related to other financial instruments, including cash and due from banks, interest-bearing deposits with banks, federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements, held-to-maturity securities, available-for-sale securities and accounts receivable. In prior years, the allowance for loan losses and lending-related commitments was accounted for under ASC 450, Contingencies , to absorb losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date, also referred to as the incurred loss methodology. Key elements of our incurred loss methodology included a quantitative assessment for higher risk-rated credits, impaired credits and residential mortgage loans, as well as a qualitative assessment based on internal and environmental risk factors. This methodology differed from the estimate of expected credit losses in the current year primarily in that it was based on historical loss experience and did not include an estimate of credit losses using a reasonable and supportable forecast methodology. Allowance for credit losses activity for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020 Wealth management loans and mortgages Other Foreign Total (in millions) Commercial Commercial Financial Lease (a) Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 $ 60 $ 76 $ 20 $ 3 $ 20 $ 13 $ 24 $ 216 Impact of adopting ASU 2016-13 (43) 14 (6) — (12) 2 (24) (69) Balance at Jan. 1, 2020 17 90 14 3 8 15 — 147 Charge-offs — — — — — (1) — (1) Recoveries — — — — — 5 — 5 Net recoveries — — — — — 4 — 4 Provision (b) (1) 340 (4) (1) — (6) — 328 Ending balance (c) $ 16 $ 430 $ 10 $ 2 $ 8 $ 13 $ — $ 479 Allowance for: Loan losses $ 6 $ 324 $ 6 $ 2 $ 7 $ 13 $ — $ 358 Lending-related commitments 10 106 4 — 1 — — 121 Individually evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 20 (d) $ — $ — $ 20 Allowance for loan losses — — — — — — — — (a) The allowance related to foreign exposure has been reclassified to financial institutions ($10 million), commercial ($10 million) and lease financings ($4 million). (b) Does not include provision for credit losses related to other financial instruments of $8 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020. (c) Includes $6 million of allowance for credit losses related to foreign loans, primarily financial institutions. (d) Includes collateral dependent loans of $20 million with $30 million of collateral at fair value. The provision in 2020 primarily reflects additional reserves in the commercial real estate portfolio and as a result of the challenging macroeconomic outlook due to the coronavirus pandemic. Allowance for credit losses activity for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 Wealth management loans and mortgages Other All Foreign Total (in millions) Commercial Commercial Financial Lease Beginning balance $ 81 $ 75 $ 22 $ 5 $ 21 $ 16 $ — $ 32 $ 252 Charge-offs (12) — — — (1) (1) — — (14) Recoveries — — — — — 3 — — 3 Net (charge-offs) recoveries (12) — — — (1) 2 — — (11) Provision (9) 1 (2) (2) — (5) — (8) (25) Ending balance $ 60 $ 76 $ 20 $ 3 $ 20 $ 13 $ — $ 24 $ 216 Allowance for: Loan losses $ 11 $ 57 $ 5 $ 3 $ 18 $ 13 $ — $ 15 $ 122 Lending-related commitments 49 19 15 — 2 — — 9 94 Individually evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 15 $ — $ — $ — $ 15 Allowance for loan losses — — — — — — — — — Collectively evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ 1,442 $ 5,575 $ 4,852 $ 537 $ 16,035 $ 494 $ 13,598 (a) $ 12,405 $ 54,938 Allowance for loan losses 11 57 5 3 18 13 — 15 122 (a) Includes $524 million of domestic overdrafts, $11,907 million of margin loans and $1,167 million of other loans at Dec. 31, 2019. Allowance for credit losses activity for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018 Lease Wealth management loans and mortgages Other All Other Foreign Total (in millions) Commercial Commercial Financial Beginning balance $ 77 $ 76 $ 23 $ 8 $ 22 $ 20 $ — $ 35 $ 261 Charge-offs — — — — — (1) — — (1) Recoveries — — — — — 2 — 1 3 Net recoveries — — — — — 1 — 1 2 Provision 4 (1) (1) (3) (1) (5) — (4) (11) Ending balance $ 81 $ 75 $ 22 $ 5 $ 21 $ 16 $ — $ 32 $ 252 Allowance for: Loan losses $ 24 $ 56 $ 7 $ 5 $ 18 $ 16 $ — $ 20 $ 146 Unfunded commitments 57 19 15 — 3 — — 12 106 Individually evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 4 $ — $ — $ — $ 4 Allowance for loan losses — — — — — — — — — Collectively evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ 1,949 $ 4,787 $ 5,091 $ 706 $ 15,839 $ 594 $ 16,074 (a) $ 11,520 $ 56,560 Allowance for loan losses 24 56 7 5 18 16 — 20 146 (a) Includes $1,550 million of domestic overdrafts, $13,343 million of margin loans and $1,181 million of other loans at Dec. 31, 2018. Nonperforming assets The table below presents our nonperforming assets. Nonperforming assets Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Recorded investment With an Without an allowance (in millions) Total Nonperforming loans: Other residential mortgages $ 57 $ — $ 57 $ 62 Wealth management loans and mortgages 10 20 30 24 Commercial real estate 1 — 1 — Total nonperforming loans 68 20 88 86 Other assets owned — 1 1 3 Total nonperforming assets $ 68 $ 21 $ 89 $ 89 At Dec. 31, 2020, undrawn commitments to borrowers whose loans were classified as nonaccrual or reduced rate were not material. Past due loans The table below presents our past due loans. Past due loans and still accruing interest Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Days past due Total Days past due Total (in millions) 30-59 60-89 ≥90 30-59 60-89 ≥90 Wealth management loans and mortgages $ 54 $ 1 $ — $ 55 $ 22 $ 5 $ — $ 27 Commercial real estate 19 16 — 35 6 12 — 18 Financial institutions 11 — — 11 1 30 — 31 Other residential mortgages 3 1 — 4 8 3 — 11 Total past due loans $ 87 $ 18 $ — $ 105 $ 37 $ 50 $ — $ 87 Loan modifications Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been two forms of relief provided for classifying loans as TDRs: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), the relevant provisions of which were extended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and the Interagency Guidance. See Note 1 for additional details on the CARES Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and Interagency Guidance. Financial institutions may account for eligible loan modifications either under the CARES Act or the Interagency Guidance. The Company has elected to apply both the CARES Act and the Interagency Guidance, as applicable, in providing borrowers with loan modification relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. We modified loans of $404 million in 2020. Nearly all of the modifications were short-term loan payment forbearances or modified principal and/or interest payments. These loans were primarily residential mortgage and Credit quality indicators Our credit strategy is to focus on investment-grade clients that are active users of our non-credit services. Each customer is assigned an internal credit rating, which is mapped to an external rating agency grade equivalent, if possible, based upon a number of dimensions, which are continually evaluated and may change over time. The table below provides information about the credit profile of the loan portfolio by the period of origination. Credit profile of the loan portfolio Dec. 31, 2020 Revolving loans Originated, at amortized cost Amortized cost Converted to term loans – Amortized cost Accrued (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 Prior to 2016 Total (a) Commercial: Investment grade $ 128 $ 18 $ 71 $ 420 $ 57 $ — $ 493 $ — $ 1,187 Non-investment grade 142 — 6 — — — 94 — 242 Total commercial 270 18 77 420 57 — 587 — 1,429 $ 2 Commercial real estate: Investment grade 778 1,010 458 543 312 346 127 — 3,574 Non-investment grade 285 619 643 159 376 144 229 27 2,482 Total commercial real estate 1,063 1,629 1,101 702 688 490 356 27 6,056 8 Financial institutions: Investment grade 132 146 47 125 13 156 8,760 — 9,379 Non-investment grade 84 36 — — — — 1,746 — 1,866 Total financial institutions 216 182 47 125 13 156 10,506 — 11,245 12 Wealth management loans and mortgages: Investment grade 18 85 11 147 59 112 7,786 — 8,218 Non-investment grade — — — — — — 54 — 54 Wealth management mortgages 1,117 1,044 637 1,188 1,515 2,546 38 — 8,085 Total wealth management loans and mortgages 1,135 1,129 648 1,335 1,574 2,658 7,878 — 16,357 27 Lease financings 116 18 14 9 20 813 — — 990 — Other residential mortgages — — — — — 389 — — 389 1 Other loans — — — — — — 1,904 — 1,904 1 Margin loans 4,614 — — — — — 10,802 — 15,416 8 Total loans $ 7,414 $ 2,976 $ 1,887 $ 2,591 $ 2,352 $ 4,506 $ 32,033 $ 27 $ 53,786 $ 59 (a) Excludes overdrafts of $2,683 million. Overdrafts occur on a daily basis primarily in the custody and securities clearance business and are generally repaid within two Commercial loans The commercial loan portfolio is divided into investment grade and non-investment grade categories based on the assigned internal credit ratings, which are generally consistent with those of the public rating agencies. Customers with ratings consistent with BBB- (S&P)/Baa3 (Moody’s) or better are considered to be investment grade. Those clients with ratings lower than this threshold are considered to be non-investment grade. Commercial real estate Our income-producing commercial real estate facilities are focused on experienced owners and are structured with moderate leverage based on existing cash flows. Our commercial real estate lending activities also include construction and renovation facilities. Financial institutions Financial institution exposures are high quality, with 95% of the exposures meeting the investment grade equivalent criteria of our internal credit rating classification at Dec. 31, 2020. In addition, 74% of the financial institutions exposure is secured. For example, securities industry clients and asset managers often borrow against marketable securities held in custody. The exposure to financial institutions is generally short term, with 89% expiring within one year. Wealth management loans and mortgages Wealth management non-mortgage loans are not typically rated by external rating agencies. A majority of the wealth management loans are secured by the customers’ investment management accounts or custody accounts. Eligible assets pledged for these loans are typically investment grade fixed-income securities, equities and/or mutual funds. Internal ratings for this portion of the wealth management portfolio, therefore, would equate to investment grade external ratings. Wealth management loans are provided to select customers based on the pledge of other types of assets, including business assets, fixed assets or a modest amount of commercial real estate. For the loans collateralized by other assets, the credit quality of the obligor is carefully analyzed, but we do not consider this portfolio of loans to be investment grade. Credit quality indicators for wealth management mortgages are not correlated to external ratings. Wealth management mortgages are typically loans to high-net-worth individuals, which are secured primarily by residential property. These loans are primarily interest-only, adjustable rate mortgages with a weighted-average loan-to-value ratio of 62% at origination. Delinquency rate is a key indicator of credit quality in the wealth management portfolio. At Dec. 31, 2020, less than 1% of the mortgages were past due. At Dec. 31, 2020, the wealth management mortgage portfolio consisted of the following geographic concentrations: California – 22%; New York – 17%; Massachusetts – 10%; Florida – 8%; and other – 43%. Lease financing At Dec. 31, 2020, the lease financings portfolio consisted of exposures backed by well-diversified assets, primarily large-ticket transportation equipment and real estate. The largest component of our lease residual value exposure is freight-related rail cars. Assets are both domestic and foreign-based, with primary concentrations in the U.S. and Germany. Other residential mortgages The other residential mortgage portfolio primarily consists of 1-4 family residential mortgage loans and totaled $389 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $494 million at Dec. 31, 2019. These loans are not typically correlated to external ratings. Included in this portfolio at Dec. 31, 2020 were $68 million of mortgage loans purchased in 2005, 2006 and the first quarter of 2007, of which 19% of the serviced loan balance was at least 60 days delinquent. Overdrafts Overdrafts primarily relate to custody and securities clearance clients and totaled $2.7 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Overdrafts occur on a daily basis and are generally repaid within two Other loans Other loans primarily include loans to consumers that are fully collateralized with equities, mutual funds and fixed-income securities. Margin loans We had $15.4 billion of secured margin loans at Dec. 31, 2020, compared with $13.4 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. Margin loans are collateralized with marketable securities, and borrowers are required to maintain a daily collateral margin in excess of 100% of the value of the loan. We have rarely suffered a loss on these types of loans. Reverse repurchase agreements Reverse repurchase agreements at Dec. 31, 2020 were fully secured with high quality collateral. As a result,

Leasing

Leasing	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Leasing	LeasingWe have operating and finance leases for corporate offices, data centers and certain equipment. Our leases have remaining lease terms up to 18 years, some of which include options to extend or terminate the lease. In some of our corporate office locations, we may enter into sublease arrangements for portions or all of the space and/or lease term. The table below presents the consolidated balance sheet information related to operating and finance leases. Balance sheet information Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (dollar in millions) Operating Finance Total Operating Finance Total ROU assets (a) $ 1,432 $ 11 $ 1,443 $ 1,530 $ 12 $ 1,542 Lease liability (b) $ 1,669 $ 11 $ 1,680 $ 1,772 $ 2 $ 1,774 Weighted average: Remaining lease term 10.8 years 1.1 years 11.3 years 2.6 years Discount rate (annualized) 2.55 % 0.29 % 2.76 % 2.88 % (a) Included in premises and equipment on the consolidated balance sheet. (b) Operating lease liabilities are included in other liabilities The table below presents the components of lease expense. Lease expense Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Operating lease expense $ 263 $ 266 Variable lease expense 47 39 Sublease income (35) (33) Finance lease expense: Amortization of ROU assets 1 7 Total lease expense $ 276 $ 279 The table below presents cash flow information related to leases. Cash flow information Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Cash paid for amounts included in measurement of liabilities: Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 284 $ 285 Financing cash flows from finance leases $ 1 $ 20 See Note 26 for information on non-cash operating and/or finance lease transactions. The table below presents the maturities of lease liabilities. Maturities of lease liabilities Operating Finance (in millions) For the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 $ 247 $ 11 2022 229 — 2023 194 — 2024 146 — 2025 138 — 2026 and thereafter 964 — Total lease payments 1,918 11 Less: Imputed interest 249 — Total $ 1,669 $ 11
Leasing	LeasingWe have operating and finance leases for corporate offices, data centers and certain equipment. Our leases have remaining lease terms up to 18 years, some of which include options to extend or terminate the lease. In some of our corporate office locations, we may enter into sublease arrangements for portions or all of the space and/or lease term. The table below presents the consolidated balance sheet information related to operating and finance leases. Balance sheet information Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (dollar in millions) Operating Finance Total Operating Finance Total ROU assets (a) $ 1,432 $ 11 $ 1,443 $ 1,530 $ 12 $ 1,542 Lease liability (b) $ 1,669 $ 11 $ 1,680 $ 1,772 $ 2 $ 1,774 Weighted average: Remaining lease term 10.8 years 1.1 years 11.3 years 2.6 years Discount rate (annualized) 2.55 % 0.29 % 2.76 % 2.88 % (a) Included in premises and equipment on the consolidated balance sheet. (b) Operating lease liabilities are included in other liabilities The table below presents the components of lease expense. Lease expense Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Operating lease expense $ 263 $ 266 Variable lease expense 47 39 Sublease income (35) (33) Finance lease expense: Amortization of ROU assets 1 7 Total lease expense $ 276 $ 279 The table below presents cash flow information related to leases. Cash flow information Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Cash paid for amounts included in measurement of liabilities: Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 284 $ 285 Financing cash flows from finance leases $ 1 $ 20 See Note 26 for information on non-cash operating and/or finance lease transactions. The table below presents the maturities of lease liabilities. Maturities of lease liabilities Operating Finance (in millions) For the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 $ 247 $ 11 2022 229 — 2023 194 — 2024 146 — 2025 138 — 2026 and thereafter 964 — Total lease payments 1,918 11 Less: Imputed interest 249 — Total $ 1,669 $ 11

Goodwill and intangible assets

Goodwill and intangible assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and intangible assets	Goodwill and intangible assets Goodwill The table below provides a breakdown of goodwill by business. Goodwill by business (in millions) Investment Investment Other Consolidated Balance at Dec. 31, 2018 $ 8,333 $ 8,970 $ 47 $ 17,350 Foreign currency translation (1) 37 — 36 Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 $ 8,332 $ 9,007 $ 47 $ 17,386 Foreign currency translation 77 33 — 110 Other (a) 47 — (47) — Balance at Dec. 31, 2020 $ 8,456 $ 9,040 $ — $ 17,496 (a) Reflects the transfer of goodwill associated with the Capital Markets business. Total goodwill increased in 2020 compared with 2019 reflecting the impact of foreign currency translation on non-U.S. dollar denominated goodwill. Intangible assets The table below provides a breakdown of intangible assets by business. Intangible assets – net carrying amount by business (in millions) Investment Investment Other Consolidated Balance at Dec. 31, 2018 $ 758 $ 1,613 $ 849 $ 3,220 Amortization (80) (37) — (117) Foreign currency translation — 4 — 4 Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 $ 678 $ 1,580 $ 849 $ 3,107 Acquisition — 2 — 2 Amortization (71) (33) — (104) Foreign currency translation 1 6 — 7 Balance at Dec. 31, 2020 $ 608 $ 1,555 $ 849 $ 3,012 Intangible assets decreased in 2020 compared with 2019 primarily reflecting amortization. The table below provides a breakdown of intangible assets by type. Intangible assets Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Gross Accumulated Net Remaining Gross Accumulated Net Subject to amortization: (a) Customer contracts—Investment Services $ 1,435 $ (1,199) $ 236 10 years $ 1,520 $ (1,214) $ 306 Customer relationships—Investment and Wealth Management 705 (564) 141 10 years 712 (544) 168 Other 59 (15) 44 14 years 64 (16) 48 Total subject to amortization 2,199 (1,778) 421 10 years 2,296 (1,774) 522 Not subject to amortization: (b) Tradenames 1,295 N/A 1,295 N/A 1,293 N/A 1,293 Customer relationships 1,296 N/A 1,296 N/A 1,292 N/A 1,292 Total not subject to amortization 2,591 N/A 2,591 N/A 2,585 N/A 2,585 Total intangible assets $ 4,790 $ (1,778) $ 3,012 N/A $ 4,881 $ (1,774) $ 3,107 (a) Excludes fully amortized intangible assets. (b) Intangible assets not subject to amortization have an indefinite life. N/A – Not applicable. Estimated annual amortization expense for current intangibles for the next five years is as follows: For the year ended Estimated amortization expense (in millions) 2021 $ 81 2022 63 2023 53 2024 46 2025 39 Impairment testing The goodwill impairment test is performed at least annually at the reporting unit level. Intangible assets not subject to amortization are tested for impairment annually or more often if events or circumstances indicate they may be impaired. BNY Mellon’s three business segments include six reporting units for which goodwill impairment testing is performed on an annual basis. The Investment Services segment is comprised of four reporting units and the Investment and Wealth Management segment is comprised of two reporting units. As a result of the annual goodwill impairment test of the six reporting units conducted in the second quarter of 2020 , no goodwill impairment was recognized.

Other assets

Other assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Other Assets [Abstract]
Other assets	Other assets The following table provides the components of other assets presented on the consolidated balance sheet. Other assets Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Corporate/bank-owned life insurance $ 5,301 $ 5,219 Accounts receivable 3,619 3,802 Software 1,884 1,590 Prepaid pension assets 1,556 1,464 Fails to deliver 1,371 1,671 Equity in a joint venture and other investments 1,259 1,102 Renewable energy investments 1,206 1,144 Qualified affordable housing project investments 1,145 1,024 Income taxes receivable 599 388 Federal Reserve Bank stock 479 466 Prepaid expense 477 491 Seed capital 215 184 Fair value of hedging derivatives 19 21 Other (a) 1,338 1,655 Total other assets $ 20,468 $ 20,221 (a) At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, other assets include $7 million and $22 million, respectively, of Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost. Non-readily marketable equity securities Non-readily marketable equity securities do not have readily determinable fair values. These investments are valued using a measurement alternative where the investments are carried at cost, less any impairment, and plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. The observable price changes are recorded in investment and other income on the consolidated income statement. Our non-readily marketable equity securities totaled $129 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $61 million at Dec. 31, 2019 and are included in equity in a joint venture and other investments in the table above. The following table presents the adjustments on the non-readily marketable equity securities. Adjustments on non-readily marketable equity securities Life-to-date (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Upward adjustments $ 21 $ 4 $ 28 $ 53 Downward adjustments — (3) (1) (4) Net adjustments $ 21 $ 1 $ 27 $ 49 Qualified affordable housing project investments We invest in affordable housing projects primarily to satisfy the Company’s requirements under the Community Reinvestment Act. Our total investment in qualified affordable housing projects totaled $1.1 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $1.0 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. Commitments to fund future investments in qualified affordable housing projects totaled $514 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $422 million at Dec. 31, 2019 and are recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. A summary of the commitments to fund future investments is as follows: 2021 – $207 million; 2022 – $106 million; 2023 – $144 million; 2024 – $31 million; 2025 – $1 million; and 2026 and thereafter – $25 million. Tax credits and other tax benefits recognized were $137 million in 2020, $148 million in 2019 and $163 million in 2018. Investments valued using net asset value (“NAV”) per share In our Investment and Wealth Management business, we make seed capital investments in certain funds we manage. We also hold private equity investments, specifically small business investment companies (“SBICs”), which are compliant with the Volcker Rule, and certain other corporate investments. Seed capital, private equity and other corporate investments are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. The fair value of certain of these investments was estimated using the NAV per share for our ownership interest in the funds. The table below presents information on our investments valued using NAV. Investments valued using NAV Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Fair value Unfunded Fair value Unfunded Seed capital (a) $ 52 $ 22 $ 59 $ — Private equity investments (SBICs) (b) 102 52 89 55 Other (c) 47 — 33 — Total $ 201 $ 74 $ 181 $ 55 ( a) Primarily includes leveraged loans and structured credit funds, which are generally not redeemable. Distributions from such investments will be received as the underlying investments in the funds, which have lives of three of six years at Dec. 31, 2019, are liquidated. (b) Private equity investments include Volcker Rule-compliant investments in SBICs that invest in various sectors of the economy. Private equity investments do not have redemption rights. Distributions from such investments will be received as the underlying investments in the private equity investments, which have a life of 10 years, are liquidated.

Deposits

Deposits	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Deposits [Abstract]
Deposits	Deposits Time deposits in denominations of $250,000 or more totaled $1.2 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $44.1 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. In 2020, the Federal Reserve reduced the minimum reserve requirement to 0%. As a result, we suspended our process of establishing time deposits, as an agent, derived from client demand deposits. At Dec. 31, 2020, the scheduled maturities of total time deposits are $1.4 billion in 2021 and $2 million in 2022. No time deposits are scheduled to mature after 2022.

Contract revenue

Contract revenue	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Contract revenue	Contract revenue Fee revenue in Investment Services and Investment and Wealth Management is primarily variable, based on levels of assets under custody and/or administration (“AUC/A”), AUM and the level of client-driven transactions, as specified in fee schedules. Investment services fees are based primarily on the market value of AUC/A; client accounts, balances and the volume of transactions; securities lending volume and spreads; and fees for other services. Certain fees based on the market value of assets are calculated in arrears on a monthly or quarterly basis. Substantially all services within the Investment Services business are provided over time. Revenue on these services is recognized using the time elapsed method, equal to the expected invoice amount, which typically represents the value provided to the customer for our performance completed to date. Clearing services revenue includes multiple types of fees, some of which are driven by customer actions and are delivered at a point-in-time. These transaction-based fees are generally recognized on trade date. Other contractual clearing services fees are driven by the amount of AUC/A or the number of accounts or securities positions and are billed on a monthly or quarterly basis. Investment management fees are dependent on the overall level and mix of AUM. The management fees, expressed in basis points, are charged for managing those assets. Management fees are typically subject to fee schedules based on the overall level of assets managed and products in which those assets are invested. Investment management fee revenue also includes transactional- and account-based fees. These fees, along with distribution and servicing fees, are recognized when the services have been completed. Clients are generally billed for services performed on a monthly or quarterly basis. Performance fees are generally calculated as a percentage of the applicable portfolio’s performance in excess of a benchmark index or a peer group’s performance. Performance fees are recognized at the end of the measurement period when they are determinable. See Note 24 for additional information on our principal businesses, Investment Services and Investment and Wealth Management, and the primary services provided. Disaggregation of contract revenue Contract revenue is included in fee revenue on the consolidated income statement. The following table presents fee revenue related to contracts with customers, disaggregated by type of fee revenue, for each business segment. Business segment data has been determined on an internal management basis of accounting, rather than GAAP which is used for consolidated financial reporting. Disaggregation of contract revenue by business segment Year ended Dec. 31, 2020 2019 (a) 2018 (a) (in millions) IS IWM Other Total IS IWM Other Total IS IWM Other Total Fee revenue – contract revenue: Investment services fees: Asset servicing fees $ 4,532 $ 95 $ (53) $ 4,574 $ 4,399 $ 85 $ (33) $ 4,451 $ 4,416 $ 88 $ (20) $ 4,484 Clearing services fees 1,716 — — 1,716 1,649 — (1) 1,648 1,615 — — 1,615 Issuer services fees 1,093 — — 1,093 1,130 — — 1,130 1,099 — — 1,099 Treasury services fees 602 1 — 603 560 1 — 561 553 1 — 554 Total investment services fees 7,943 96 (53) 7,986 7,738 86 (34) 7,790 7,683 89 (20) 7,752 Investment management and performance fees 17 3,373 (17) 3,373 17 3,389 (16) 3,390 16 3,634 (15) 3,635 Financing-related fees 77 2 1 80 59 — 1 60 61 1 (2) 60 Distribution and servicing (22) 137 — 115 (49) 178 — 129 (51) 191 — 140 Investment and other income 239 (148) 1 92 282 (197) — 85 279 (202) 2 79 Total fee revenue – contract revenue 8,254 3,460 (68) 11,646 8,047 3,456 (49) 11,454 7,988 3,713 (35) 11,666 Fee and other revenue – not in scope of ASC 606 (b)(c) 1,002 35 139 1,176 879 29 886 1,794 956 86 84 1,126 Total fee and other revenue $ 9,256 $ 3,495 $ 71 $ 12,822 $ 8,926 $ 3,485 $ 837 $ 13,248 $ 8,944 $ 3,799 $ 49 $ 12,792 (a) Restated to reflect the 2020 business segment reclassifications. There was no impact on total revenue, by type or in aggregate. See Note 24 for additional information related to the reclassifications. (b) Primarily includes foreign exchange and other trading revenue, financing-related fees, investment and other income (loss), asset servicing fees and net securities gains (losses), all of which are accounted for using other accounting guidance. (c) The Investment and Wealth Management business segment includes income (loss) from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests, of $75 million in 2020, $30 million in 2019 and $(1) million in 2018. IS – Investment Services business segment. IWM – Investment and Wealth Management business segment. Contract balances Our clients are billed based on fee schedules that are agreed upon in each customer contract. Receivables from customers were $2.4 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Contract assets represent accrued revenues that have not yet been billed to the customers due to certain contractual terms other than the passage of time and were $32 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Accrued revenues recorded as contract assets are usually billed on an annual basis. Both receivables from customers and contract assets are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. Contract liabilities represent payments received in advance of providing services under certain contracts and were $167 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $168 million at Dec. 31, 2019. Contract liabilities are included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. Revenue recognized in 2020 relating to contract liabilities as of Dec. 31, 2019 was $102 million. Changes in contract assets and liabilities primarily relate to either party’s performance under the contracts. Contract costs Incremental costs for obtaining contracts that are deemed recoverable are capitalized as contract costs. Such costs result from the payment of sales incentives, primarily in the Wealth Management business, and totaled $73 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $86 million at Dec. 31, 2019. Capitalized sales incentives are amortized based on the transfer of goods or services to which the assets relate and typically average nine years. The amortization of capitalized sales incentives, which is primarily included in staff expense on the consolidated income statement, totaled $21 million in 2020 and $22 million in 2019 and 2018. Costs to fulfill a contract are capitalized when they relate directly to an existing contract or a specific anticipated contract, generate or enhance resources that will be used to fulfill performance obligations, and are recoverable. Such costs generally represent set-up costs, which include any direct cost incurred at the inception of a contract which enables the fulfillment of the performance obligation, and totaled $15 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $16 million at Dec. 31, 2019. These capitalized costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected contract period, which generally ranges from seven Unsatisfied performance obligations We do not have any unsatisfied performance obligations other than those that are subject to a practical expedient election under ASC 606, Revenue From Contracts With Customers . The practical expedient election applies to (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less, and (ii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed.

Net interest revenue

Net interest revenue	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Interest Revenue (Expense), Net [Abstract]
Net interest revenue	Net interest revenue The following table provides the components of net interest revenue presented on the consolidated income statement. Net interest revenue Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Interest revenue Deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks $ 50 $ 448 $ 531 Deposits with banks 134 265 219 Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements 545 2,154 1,116 Margin loans 211 454 510 Non-margin loans 931 1,335 1,356 Securities: Taxable 2,118 2,701 2,520 Exempt from federal income taxes 28 36 54 Total securities 2,146 2,737 2,574 Trading securities 92 155 126 Total interest revenue 4,109 7,548 6,432 Interest expense Deposits in domestic offices 176 958 537 Deposits in foreign offices (15) 636 340 Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements 283 1,437 758 Trading liabilities 15 35 29 Other borrowed funds 16 59 58 Commercial paper 7 55 51 Customer payables 28 238 191 Long-term debt 622 942 857 Total interest expense 1,132 4,360 2,821 Net interest revenue 2,977 3,188 3,611 Provision for credit losses 336 (25) (11) Net interest revenue after provision for credit losses $ 2,641 $ 3,213 $ 3,622

Income taxes

Income taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income taxes	Income taxes The components of the income tax provision are as follows: Provision for income taxes Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Current tax expense: Federal $ 465 $ 592 $ 902 Foreign 407 484 442 State and local 163 113 119 Total current tax expense 1,035 1,189 1,463 Deferred tax (benefit) expense: Federal (145) (3) (556) Foreign 16 (13) 9 State and local (64) (53) 22 Total deferred tax (benefit) (193) (69) (525) Provision for income taxes $ 842 $ 1,120 $ 938 In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“U.S. tax legislation”) was signed into law and the Securities and Exchange Commission staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No.118 (“SAB 118”). SAB 118 allowed companies up to one year to complete and record the income tax impact of the U.S. tax legislation. In 2018, a $106 million tax benefit was recorded for U.S. tax legislation. The components of income before taxes are as follows: Income before taxes Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Domestic $ 2,698 $ 3,516 $ 3,008 Foreign 1,770 2,071 2,184 Income before taxes $ 4,468 $ 5,587 $ 5,192 The components of our net deferred tax liability are as follows: Net deferred tax liability Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Depreciation and amortization $ 2,197 $ 2,136 Pension obligation 299 282 Renewable energy investment 278 268 Other liabilities 233 229 Securities valuation 118 1 Equity investments 61 63 Lease financings 23 42 Other assets (57) (43) Credit losses on loans (118) (46) Reserves not deducted for tax (118) (120) Employee benefits (259) (257) U.S. foreign tax credits (62) (39) Valuation allowance 62 39 Net deferred tax liability $ 2,657 $ 2,555 As of Dec. 31, 2020, BNY Mellon had $62 million of U.S. foreign tax credit carryforwards which will begin to expire in 2029. We believe it is more likely than not that the benefit from these foreign tax credits will not be realized. Accordingly, we have recorded a valuation allowance of $62 million. We believe it is more likely than not that we will fully realize our remaining deferred tax assets. This conclusion is based on historical financial results and profit forecasts. As of Dec. 31, 2020, we had approximately $340 million of earnings attributable to foreign subsidiaries that have been permanently reinvested abroad and for which no local distribution tax provision has been recorded. If these earnings were to be repatriated, the estimated tax liability as of Dec. 31, 2020 would be up to $80 million. The statutory federal income tax rate is reconciled to our effective income tax rate below: Effective tax rate Year ended Dec. 31, 2020 2019 2018 Federal rate 21.0 % 21.0 % 21.0 % State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit 1.8 0.9 2.1 Foreign operations 1.5 2.4 0.5 Tax credits (4.1) (3.2) (3.3) Tax-exempt income (1.0) (0.7) (0.8) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) assessment 0.3 0.2 0.5 Stock compensation — (0.4) (0.6) U.S. tax legislation — — (1.7) Other – net (0.7) (0.2) 0.4 Effective tax rate 18.8 % 20.0 % 18.1 % Unrecognized tax positions (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Beginning balance at Jan. 1, – gross $ 173 $ 103 $ 128 Prior period tax positions: Increases 45 60 6 Decreases (14) (3) (8) Current period tax positions 15 17 9 Settlements (100) (4) (32) Ending balance at Dec. 31, – gross $ 119 $ 173 $ 103 Our total tax reserves as of Dec. 31, 2020 were $119 million compared with $173 million at Dec. 31, 2019. If these tax reserves were unnecessary, $119 million would affect the effective tax rate in future periods. We recognize accrued interest and penalties, if applicable, related to income taxes in income tax expense. Included in the balance sheet at Dec. 31, 2020 is accrued interest, where applicable, of $32 million. The additional tax expense related to interest for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020 was $15 million, compared with $13 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019. It is reasonably possible the total reserve for uncertain tax positions could decrease within the next 12 months by approximately $10 million as a result of adjustments related to tax years that are still subject to examination.

Long-term debt

Long-term debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term debt	Long-term debt Long-term debt Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (dollars in millions) Rate Maturity Amount Rate Amount Senior debt: Fixed rate 0.35 - 4.15% 2021 - 2028 $ 23,429 1.95 - 4.60% $ 23,519 Floating rate 0.04 - 1.29% 2023 - 2038 779 1.71 - 2.96% 2,328 Subordinated debt (a) 3.00 - 7.50% 2021 - 2029 1,776 3.00 - 7.50% 1,654 Total $ 25,984 $ 27,501 (a) Fixed rate.

Variable interest entities and

Variable interest entities and securitization	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Securitizations And Variable Interest Entities Disclosure [Abstract]
Variable interest entities and securitization	Variable interest entities and securitization We have variable interests in variable interest entities (“VIEs”), which include investments in retail, institutional and alternative investment funds, including CLO structures in which we provide asset management services, some of which are consolidated. We earn management fees from these funds as well as performance fees in certain funds and may also provide start-up capital for new funds. The funds are primarily financed by our customers’ investments in the funds’ equity or debt. Additionally, we invest in qualified affordable housing and renewable energy projects, which are designed to generate a return primarily through the realization of tax credits. The projects, which are structured as limited partnerships and limited liability companies, are also VIEs, but are not consolidated. The following table presents the incremental assets and liabilities included in the consolidated balance sheet as of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. The net assets of any consolidated VIE are solely available to settle the liabilities of the VIE and to settle any investors’ ownership liquidation requests, including any seed capital we invested in the VIE. Consolidated investments Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Investment Securitization Total Investment Securitization Total Trading assets $ 482 $ 400 $ 882 $ 229 $ 400 $ 629 Other assets 5 — 5 16 — 16 Total assets $ 487 (a) $ 400 $ 887 $ 245 (b) $ 400 $ 645 Other liabilities $ 3 $ 400 $ 403 $ 1 $ 387 $ 388 Total liabilities $ 3 (a) $ 400 $ 403 $ 1 (b) $ 387 $ 388 Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests $ 143 (a) $ — $ 143 $ 102 (b) $ — $ 102 (a) Includes VMEs with assets of $314 million, liabilities of $3 million and nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of $76 million. (b) Includes VMEs with assets of $50 million, liabilities of $1 million and nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of $1 million. We have not provided financial or other support that was not otherwise contractually required to be provided to our VIEs. Additionally, creditors of any consolidated VIEs do not have any recourse to the general credit of BNY Mellon. Non-consolidated VIEs As of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, the following assets and liabilities related to the VIEs where we are not the primary beneficiary were included in our consolidated balance sheets and primarily related to accounting for our investments in qualified affordable housing and renewable energy projects. The maximum loss exposure indicated in the following table relates solely to our investments in, and unfunded commitments to, the VIEs. Non-consolidated VIEs Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Assets Liabilities Maximum Assets Liabilities Maximum Securities – Available-for-sale (a) $ 217 $ — $ 217 $ 208 $ — $ 208 Other 2,565 514 3,096 2,400 422 2,822 (a) Includes investments in the Company’s sponsored CLOs.

Shareholders' equity

Shareholders' equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Shareholders’ equity	Shareholders’ equity Common stock BNY Mellon has 3.5 billion authorized shares of common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. At Dec. 31, 2020, 886,763,531 shares of common stock were outstanding. Common stock repurchase program In June 2019, in connection with the Federal Reserve’s non-objection to our 2019 capital plan, BNY Mellon announced a share repurchase plan providing for the repurchase of up to $3.94 billion of common stock starting in the third quarter of 2019 and continuing through the second quarter of 2020. In March 2020, we and the other members of the Financial Services Forum announced the temporary suspension of share repurchases until the end of the second quarter of 2020 to preserve capital and liquidity in order to further the objective of using capital and liquidity to support clients and customers. In June 2020, the Federal Reserve announced that it required participating Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (“CCAR”) firms, including us, to update and resubmit their capital plans and that, as a result, unless otherwise approved by the Federal Reserve, participating firms were not permitted to conduct open market common stock repurchases in the third quarter of 2020. In September 2020, the Federal Reserve extended the limitation on open market common stock repurchases through the fourth quarter of 2020. During the third and fourth quarters of 2020, participating CCAR firms were also subject to limitations on common stock dividends. In December 2020, the Federal Reserve released the results of the second round of CCAR stress tests during 2020 and extended the restriction on common stock dividends and open market common share repurchases applicable to participating CCAR firms, including us, to the first quarter of 2021, with certain modifications. Under the modified restrictions, the Company must maintain the current dividend rate and may pay common stock dividends and make open market common share repurchases that, in the aggregate, do not exceed an amount equal to the average of its net income for the four preceding calendar quarters. In December 2020, in connection with the Federal Reserve’s release of these results, the Company announced a share repurchase plan approved by its Board of Directors. The 2020 share repurchase program provides for the repurchase of up to approximately $4.451 billion from the third quarter of 2020 through the third quarter of 2021. Any repurchases during that period will be made in a manner consistent with any applicable distribution limitations imposed by the Federal Reserve. This new share repurchase plan replaces all previously authorized share repurchase plans. The Company has declared its common stock dividend for the first quarter of 2021 and is authorized during the quarter to conduct open market common share repurchases in an amount up to approximately $625 million under the Federal Reserve’s modified distribution limitation. Share repurchases may be executed through open market repurchases, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means, including through repurchase plans designed to comply with Rule 10b5-1 and other derivative, accelerated share repurchase and other structured transactions. In 2020, we repurchased 21.8 million common shares at an average price of $45.42 per common share for a total of $989 million. At Dec. 31, 2020, the maximum dollar value of shares that can be purchased under the 2020 share repurchase program, including employee benefit plan repurchases, totaled $4.4 billion. Preferred stock The Parent has 100 million authorized shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. The following table summarizes the Parent’s preferred stock issued and outstanding at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Preferred stock summary (a) Total shares issued and outstanding Carrying value (b) (in millions) Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Per annum dividend rate Series A Greater of (i) three-month LIBOR plus 0.565% for the related distribution period; or (ii) 4.000% 5,001 5,001 $ 500 $ 500 Series C 5.2% — 5,825 — 568 Series D 4.50% to but excluding June 20, 2023, then a floating rate equal to the three-month LIBOR plus 2.46% 5,000 5,000 494 494 Series E 4.950% to but excluding June 20, 2020, then a floating rate equal to the three-month LIBOR plus 3.42% 10,000 10,000 990 990 Series F 4.625% to but excluding Sept. 20, 2026, then a floating rate equal to the three-month LIBOR plus 3.131% 10,000 10,000 990 990 Series G 4.700% to but excluding Sept. 20, 2025, then a floating rate equal to the five-year treasury rate plus 4.358% 10,000 — 990 — Series H 3.700% to but excluding March 20, 2026, then a floating rate equal to the five-year treasury rate plus 3.352% 5,825 — 577 — Total 45,826 35,826 $ 4,541 $ 3,542 (a) All outstanding preferred stock is noncumulative perpetual preferred stock with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share. (b) The carrying value of the Series C, Series D, Series E, Series F, Series G and Series H preferred stock is recorded net of issuance costs. Holders of the Series A preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by the Parent’s Board of Directors, on each March 20, June 20, September 20 and December 20. Holders of the Series D preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by the Parent’s Board of Directors, on each June 20 and December 20, to but excluding June 20, 2023; and on each March 20, June 20, September 20 and December 20, from and including June 20, 2023. Holders of the Series E preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by the Parent’s Board of Directors, on each June 20 and December 20, to and including June 20, 2020; and on each March 20, June 20, September 20 and December 20, from and including Sept. 20, 2020. Holders of the Series F preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by the Parent’s Board of Directors, on each March 20 and September 20, to and including Sept. 20, 2026; and on each March 20, June 20, September 20 and December 20, from and including Dec. 20, 2026. Holders of the Series G preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by the Parent’s Board of Directors, on each March 20 and September 20. Holders of the Series H preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by the Parent’s Board of Directors, on each March 20, June 20, September 20 and December 20, commencing on March 20, 2021. BNY Mellon’s ability to declare or pay dividends on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, shares of our common stock or any of our shares that rank junior to the preferred stock as to the payment of dividends and/or the distribution of any assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Parent will be prohibited, subject to certain restrictions, in the event that we do not declare and pay in full preferred dividends for the then current dividend period (in the case of dividends) or most recently completed dividend period (in the case of repurchases) of the Series A preferred stock or the last preceding dividend period (in the case of dividends) or most recently completed dividend period (in the case of repurchases) of the Series D, Series E, Series F, Series G and Series H preferred stock. All of the outstanding shares of the Series A preferred stock are owned by Mellon Capital IV, a 100% owned financing subsidiary of the Parent, which will pass through any dividend on the Series A preferred stock to the holders of its Normal Preferred Capital Securities. The Parent’s obligations under the trust and other agreements relating to Mellon Capital IV have the effect of providing a full and unconditional guarantee, on a subordinated basis, of payments due on the Normal Preferred Capital Securities. All of the outstanding shares of the Series D, Series E, Series F, Series G and Series H preferred stock are held by the depositary of the depositary shares, which will pass through the applicable portion of any dividend on the Series D, Series E, Series F, Series G and Series H preferred stock to the holders of record of their respective depositary shares. In December 2020, the Parent redeemed all outstanding shares of its Series C preferred stock, $100,000 liquidation preference per share. Deferred fees of approximately $15 million were realized as preferred stock dividends upon redemption. The table below presents the dividends paid on the Parent’s preferred stock. Preferred dividends paid (dollars in millions, except per share amounts) Depositary shares 2020 2019 2018 Per share Total Per share Total Per share Total Series A 100 (a) $ 4,055.55 $ 20 $ 4,055.55 $ 20 $ 4,055.55 $ 20 Series C 4,000 5,200.00 46 (b) 5,200.00 31 5,200.00 31 Series D 100 4,500.00 22 4,500.00 22 4,500.00 22 Series E 100 4,359.63 44 4,950.00 50 4,950.00 50 Series F 100 4,625.00 46 4,625.00 46 4,625.00 46 Series G 100 1,579.72 16 N/A N/A N/A N/A Total $ 194 $ 169 $ 169 (a) Represents Normal Preferred Capital Securities. (b) Includes deferred fees of approximately $15 million related to the redemption of the Series C preferred stock. N/A – Not applicable. Temporary equity Temporary equity was $176 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $143 million at Dec. 31, 2019. Temporary equity represents the redemption value recorded for redeemable noncontrolling interests resulting from equity-classified share-based payment arrangements that are currently redeemable or are expected to become redeemable. The regulatory capital ratios of our consolidated and largest bank subsidiary, The Bank of New York Mellon, are shown below. Consolidated and largest bank subsidiary regulatory capital ratios (a) Dec. 31, 2020 2019 Consolidated regulatory capital ratios: Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) ratio 13.1 % 11.5 % Tier 1 capital ratio 15.8 13.7 Total capital ratio 16.7 14.4 Tier 1 leverage ratio 6.3 6.6 Supplementary leverage ratio (“SLR”) (b)(c) 8.6 6.1 The Bank of New York Mellon regulatory capital ratios: CET1 ratio 17.1 % 15.1 % Tier 1 capital ratio 17.1 15.1 Total capital ratio 17.3 15.2 Tier 1 leverage ratio 6.4 6.9 SLR (b) 8.5 6.4 (a) For our CET1, Tier 1 capital and Total capital ratios, our effective capital ratios under U.S. capital rules are the lower of the ratios as calculated under the Standardized and Advanced Approaches, which for the periods noted above was the Advanced Approaches. The Tier 1 leverage ratio is based on Tier 1 capital and quarterly average total assets. For BNY Mellon to qualify as “well capitalized,” its Tier 1 capital and Total capital ratios must be at least 6% and 10%, respectively. For The Bank of New York Mellon, our largest bank subsidiary, to qualify as “well capitalized,” its CET1, Tier 1 capital, Total capital and Tier 1 leverage ratios must be at least 6.5%, 8%, 10% and 5%, respectively. (b) The SLR is based on Tier 1 capital and total leverage exposure, which includes certain off-balance sheet exposures. The SLR at Dec. 31, 2020 reflects the exclusion of certain central bank deposits from total leverage exposure. For The Bank of New York Mellon to qualify as “well capitalized,” its SLR must be at least 6%. (c) The consolidated SLR at Dec. 31, 2020 reflects the temporary exclusion of U.S. Treasury securities from the total leverage exposure. Failure to satisfy regulatory standards, including “well capitalized” status or capital adequacy rules more generally, could result in limitations on our activities and adversely affect our financial condition. If a BHC such as BNY Mellon, or a bank such as The Bank of New York Mellon or BNY Mellon, N.A., fails to qualify as “adequately capitalized,” regulatory sanctions and limitations will be imposed. The following table presents our capital components and risk-weighted assets (“RWAs”) determined under the Standardized and Advanced Approaches, the average assets used for leverage capital purposes and leverage exposure used for SLR purposes. Regulatory capital ratio components Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 CET1: Common shareholders’ equity $ 41,260 $ 37,941 Adjustments for: Goodwill and intangible assets (a) (18,697) (18,725) Net pension fund assets (319) (272) Equity method investments (306) (311) Deferred tax assets (54) (46) Other (9) (47) Total CET1 21,875 18,540 Other Tier 1 capital: Preferred stock 4,541 3,542 Other (106) (86) Total Tier 1 capital $ 26,310 $ 21,996 Tier 2 capital: Subordinated debt $ 1,248 $ 1,248 Allowance for credit losses 490 216 Other (10) (11) Total Tier 2 capital – Standardized Approach 1,728 1,453 Excess of expected credit losses 247 — Less: Allowance for credit losses 490 216 Total Tier 2 capital – Advanced Approaches $ 1,485 $ 1,237 Total capital: Standardized Approach $ 28,038 $ 23,449 Advanced Approaches $ 27,795 $ 23,233 Risk-weighted assets: Standardized Approach $ 163,848 $ 148,695 Advanced Approaches: Credit Risk $ 98,262 $ 95,490 Market Risk 4,226 4,020 Operational Risk 63,938 61,388 Total Advanced Approaches $ 166,426 $ 160,898 Average assets for Tier 1 leverage ratio $ 417,982 $ 334,869 Total leverage exposure for SLR $ 304,823 $ 362,452 (a) Reduced by deferred tax liabilities associated with intangible assets and tax deductible goodwill. The following table presents the amount of capital by which BNY Mellon and our largest bank subsidiary, The Bank of New York Mellon, exceeded the capital thresholds determined under U.S. capital rules. Capital above thresholds at Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Consolidated (a) The Bank of New York Mellon CET1 $ 7,729 $ 13,324 (a) Tier 1 capital 9,667 11,343 (a) Total capital 7,824 8,979 (a) Tier 1 leverage ratio 9,591 5,072 (b) SLR 11,069 6,580 (b) (a) Based on minimum required standards, with applicable buffers. (b) Based on well capitalized standards.

Other comprehensive income (los

Other comprehensive income (loss)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Equity [Abstract]
Other comprehensive income (loss)	Other comprehensive income (loss) Components of other comprehensive income (loss) Year ended Dec. 31, 2020 2019 2018 (in millions) Pre-tax Tax After-tax Pre-tax Tax After-tax Pre-tax Tax After-tax Foreign currency translation: Foreign currency translation adjustments arising during the period (a) $ 441 $ 67 $ 508 $ 135 $ 16 $ 151 $ (157) $ (156) $ (313) Total foreign currency translation 441 67 508 135 16 151 (157) (156) (313) Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale: Unrealized gain (loss) arising during the period 1,573 (371) 1,202 680 (168) 512 (542) 126 (416) Reclassification adjustment (b) (33) 8 (25) 18 (4) 14 48 (12) 36 Net unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale 1,540 (363) 1,177 698 (172) 526 (494) 114 (380) Defined benefit plans: Prior service cost arising during the period — — — (1) — (1) — — — Net (loss) arising during the period (138) 31 (107) (121) 34 (87) (244) 55 (189) Amortization of prior service credit, net loss and initial obligation included in net periodic benefit cost (b) 95 (18) 77 52 (18) 34 93 (24) 69 Total defined benefit plans (43) 13 (30) (70) 16 (54) (151) 31 (120) Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges: Unrealized hedge gain (loss) arising during the period 5 (1) 4 16 (7) 9 (15) 4 (11) Reclassification of net (gain) loss to net income : Interest rate contracts – interest expense — — — (7) 2 (5) — — — Foreign exchange (“FX”) contracts – other revenue — — — — — — (2) — (2) FX contracts – staff expense 1 — 1 (3) 2 (1) 4 (1) 3 Total reclassifications to net income 1 — 1 (10) 4 (6) 2 (1) 1 Net unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges 6 (1) 5 6 (3) 3 (13) 3 (10) Total other comprehensive income (loss) $ 1,944 $ (284) $ 1,660 $ 769 $ (143) $ 626 $ (815) $ (8) $ (823) (a) Includes the impact of hedges of net investments in foreign subsidiaries. See Note 23 for additional information. (b) The reclassification adjustment related to the unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale is recorded as net securities gains on the consolidated income statement. The amortization of prior service credit, net loss and initial obligation included in net periodic benefit cost is recorded as other expense on the consolidated income statement. Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges Total accumulated (in millions) Foreign currency translation Pensions Other post-retirement benefits 2017 ending balance $ (1,613) $ (887) $ (50) $ 186 $ 7 $ (2,357) Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying ASU 2017-12 for derivatives and hedging — — — (2) — (2) Adjusted balance at Jan. 1, 2018 (1,613) (887) (50) 184 7 (2,359) Change in 2018 (302) (118) (2) (380) (10) (812) 2018 ending balance $ (1,915) $ (1,005) $ (52) $ (196) $ (3) $ (3,171) Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying ASU 2018-02 for income taxes 115 (213) — 6 2 (90) Adjusted balance at Jan. 1, 2019 (1,800) (1,218) (52) (190) (1) (3,261) Change in 2019 148 (57) 3 526 3 623 2019 ending balance (1,652) (1,275) (49) 336 2 (2,638) Impact of adopting ASU 2016-03, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses — — — (5) — (5) Adjusted balance at Jan. 1, 2020 (1,652) (1,275) (49) 331 2 (2,643) Change in 2020 506 (24) (6) 1,177 5 1,658 2020 ending balance $ (1,146) $ (1,299) $ (55) $ 1,508 $ 7 $ (985)

Stock-based compensation

Stock-based compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation	Stock-based compensation Our Long-Term Incentive Plans provide for the issuance of restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and other stock-based awards, including options, to employees and directors of BNY Mellon. At Dec. 31, 2020, under the Long-Term Incentive Plan approved in April 2019, we may issue 30,425,882 new stock-based awards, all of which may be issued as restricted stock or RSUs. Stock-based compensation expense related to retirement eligibility vesting totaled $43 million in 2020, $84 million in 2019 and $93 million in 2018. Restricted stock, RSUs and Performance share units Restricted stock and RSUs are granted under our long-term incentive plans at no cost to the recipient. These awards are subject to forfeiture until certain restrictions have lapsed, including continued employment, for a specified period. The recipient of a share of restricted stock is entitled to voting rights and generally is entitled to dividends on the common stock. An RSU entitles the recipient to receive a share of common stock after the applicable restrictions lapse. The recipient generally is entitled to receive cash payments equivalent to any dividends paid on the underlying common stock during the period the RSU is outstanding but does not receive voting rights. The fair value of restricted stock and RSUs is equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. The expense is recognized over the vesting period, which is generally zero BNY Mellon’s Executive Committee members were granted a target award of 402,486 performance share units (“PSUs”) in 2020, 576,855 in 2019 and 362,798 in 2018. The awards cliff vest in three years with the number of shares that vest determined based on a payout table that references performance conditions related to average revenue growth and average operating margin, both as adjusted and subject to Human Resources and Compensation Committee discretion. These awards are classified as equity and marked-to-market to earnings as a result of this discretion. The following table summarizes our non-vested PSU, restricted stock and RSU activity for 2020. Non-vested PSU, restricted stock and RSU activity Number of shares (a) Weighted-average fair value at grant date Non-vested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs at Dec. 31, 2019 12,733,298 $ 50.77 Granted 6,158,398 45.52 Vested (5,451,413) 48.36 Forfeited (903,384) 49.29 Non-vested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs at Dec. 31, 2020 12,536,899 $ 49.35 (a) Includes dividend shares earned on the Executive Committee PSUs and Board of Director’s stock awards. As of Dec. 31, 2020, $238 million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to non-vested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.3 years. The total fair value of restricted stock, RSUs and PSUs that vested was $263 million in 2020, $278 million in 2019 and $289 million in 2018. The actual excess tax benefit (expense) realized for the tax deductions from shares vested totaled $(4) million in 2020, $11 million in 2019 and $26 million in 2018. The tax benefits were recognized in the provision for income taxes. Subsidiary Long-Term Incentive Plans BNY Mellon also has several subsidiary Long-Term Incentive Plans which have issued restricted subsidiary shares to certain employees. These share awards are subject to forfeiture until certain restrictions have lapsed, including continued employment for a specified period of time. The shares are generally non-voting and non-dividend paying. Once the restrictions lapse, which generally occurs in three Stock options Our Long-Term Incentive Plans provide for the issuance of stock options at fair market value at the date of grant to officers and employees of BNY Mellon. Generally, each option granted is exercisable between one Compensation costs that were charged against income were less than $1 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018. The income tax benefit recognized in the consolidated income statement related to compensation costs was less than $1 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018. A summary of the status of our options as of Dec. 31, 2020, and changes during the year, is presented below: Stock option activity Shares subject Weighted-average Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years) Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 4,143,575 $ 26.03 1.4 Granted — — Exercised (1,717,323) 28.65 Canceled/Expired (91,014) 28.96 Balance at Dec. 31, 2020 2,335,238 $ 23.99 0.9 Vested and expected to vest at Dec. 31, 2020 2,335,238 23.99 0.9 Exercisable at Dec. 31, 2020 2,335,238 23.99 0.9 Stock options outstanding at Dec. 31, 2020 Options outstanding Options exercisable (a) Range of exercise prices Outstanding Weighted-average remaining contractual life (in years) Weighted-average Exercisable Weighted-average $21 to 31 2,335,238 0.9 $ 23.99 2,335,238 $ 23.99 (a) At Dec. 31, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2018, 4,143,575 and 6,714,283 options were exercisable at a weighted-average price per common share of $26.03 and $25.67, respectively. Aggregate intrinsic value of options (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Outstanding at Dec. 31, $ 43 $ 101 $ 144 Exercisable at Dec. 31, $ 43 $ 101 $ 144 The total intrinsic value of options exercised was $21 million in 2020, $63 million in 2019 and $61 million in 2018. Cash received from option exercises totaled $46 million in 2020, $65 million in 2019 and $80 million in 2018. The actual excess tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from options exercised totaled $2 million in 2020, $10 million in 2019 and $10 million in 2018. The tax benefits were recognized in the provision for income taxes.

Employee benefit plans

Employee benefit plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Employee benefit plans	Employee benefit plans BNY Mellon has defined benefit and/or defined contribution retirement plans and other post-retirement plans providing healthcare benefits. The defined benefit pension plans cover approximately 9,800 U.S. employees and approximately 13,900 non-U.S. employees. BNY Mellon has one qualified and several non-qualified defined benefit pension plans in the U.S. and several pension plans overseas. Effective June 30, 2015, the benefit accruals under the U.S. qualified and non-qualified defined benefit plans were frozen. This change resulted in no additional benefits being earned by participants in those plans based on service or pay after June 30, 2015. These plans were previously closed to new participants effective Dec. 31, 2010, at which time a non-elective contribution was added to the Company’s defined contribution plan for employees not eligible to join the pension plan. Employees previously participating in the pension plan received this non-elective contribution starting July 1, 2015. Effective Dec. 31, 2018, the benefit accruals were frozen under our largest foreign plan, which covers certain UK employees. This change results in no additional benefits being earned by participants in that plan based on service or pay after Dec. 31, 2018. Most UK employees currently earn benefits only on a defined contribution basis. UK employees impacted by the pension plan freeze began earning benefits on a defined contribution basis on Jan. 1, 2019. Pension and post-retirement healthcare plans The following tables report the combined data for our domestic and foreign defined benefit pension and post-retirement healthcare plans. Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign (dollars in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations Discount rate 2.80 % 3.45 % 1.59 % 2.02 % 2.80 % 3.45 % 1.65 % 2.10 % Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A 3.12 3.19 3.00 3.00 N/A N/A Cash balance interest crediting rate 4.00 4.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Change in benefit obligation (a) Benefit obligation at beginning of period $ (4,659) $ (4,123) $ (1,394) $ (1,104) $ (145) $ (149) $ (6) $ (5) Service cost — — (12) (11) (1) (1) — — Interest cost (156) (178) (27) (32) (5) (6) — — Amendments — — — (1) — — — — Actuarial (loss) gain (455) (585) (167) (264) (14) (1) 2 (1) Benefits paid 240 227 47 40 9 12 — — Foreign exchange adjustment N/A N/A (61) (22) N/A N/A — — Benefit obligation at end of period (5,030) (4,659) (1,614) (1,394) (156) (145) (4) (6) Change in fair value of plan assets Fair value at beginning of period 5,738 5,040 1,529 1,316 117 99 — — Actual return on plan assets 619 910 232 191 10 18 — — Employer contributions 15 15 10 30 9 12 — — Benefit payments (240) (227) (47) (40) (9) (12) — — Foreign exchange adjustment N/A N/A 62 32 N/A N/A — — Fair value at end of period 6,132 5,738 1,786 1,529 127 117 — — Funded status at end of period $ 1,102 $ 1,079 $ 172 $ 135 $ (29) $ (28) $ (4) $ (6) Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss (income) consist of: Net loss $ 1,625 $ 1,557 $ 184 $ 221 $ 77 $ 70 $ (1) $ 1 Prior service cost (credit) — — 2 2 (26) (33) — — Total loss (before tax effects) $ 1,625 $ 1,557 $ 186 $ 223 $ 51 $ 37 $ (1) $ 1 (a) The benefit obligation for pension benefits is the projected benefit obligation, and for healthcare benefits, it is the accumulated benefit obligation. N/A – Not applicable. A number of key assumptions and measurement date values determine pension expense. The key elements include the long-term rate of return on plan assets, the discount rate, the market-related value of plan assets and the price used to value stock in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”). The discount rate for U.S. pension plans was determined after reviewing equivalent rates obtained by discounting the pension plans’ expected cash flows using various high-quality, long-term corporate bond yield curves. We also reviewed the results of several models that matched bonds to our pension cash flows. After reviewing the various indices and models, we selected a discount rate of 2.80% as of Dec. 31, 2020. The discount rates for foreign pension plans are based on high-quality corporate bond rates in countries that have an active corporate bond market. In those countries with no active corporate bond market, discount rates are based on local government bond rates plus a credit spread. Actuarial losses on the benefit obligation for the domestic and foreign pension plans in 2020 and 2019 are primarily attributable to decreases in discount rates. Net periodic benefit (credit) cost Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign (dollars in millions) 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 Weighted-average assumptions as of Jan. 1: Market-related value of plan assets $ 5,437 $ 5,304 $ 5,238 $ 1,415 $ 1,277 $ 1,266 $ 116 $ 111 $ 108 N/A N/A N/A Discount rate 3.45 % 4.45 % 3.97 % 2.02 % 2.95 % 2.45 % 3.45 % 4.45 % 3.97 % 2.10 % 3.10 % 2.50 % Expected rate of return on plan assets 6.00 6.50 6.625 2.85 3.54 4.56 6.00 6.50 6.625 N/A N/A N/A Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A N/A 3.19 2.98 3.02 3.00 3.00 3.00 N/A N/A N/A Cash balance interest crediting rate 4.00 4.00 4.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Components of net periodic benefit (credit) cost: Service cost $ — $ — $ — $ 12 $ 11 $ 28 $ 1 $ 1 $ 1 $ — $ — $ — Interest cost 156 178 169 27 32 32 5 6 7 — — — Expected return on assets (319) (337) (339) (39) (45) (57) (7) (7) (8) — — — Amortization of: Prior service cost (credit) — — — — — — (7) (7) (9) — — — Net actuarial loss 87 53 68 11 2 22 4 4 7 — — — Settlement loss — — 5 — — — — — — — — — Net periodic benefit (credit) cost $ (76) $ (106) $ (97) $ 11 $ — $ 25 $ (4) $ (3) $ (2) $ — $ — $ — N/A – Not applicable. Changes in other comprehensive loss (income) in 2020 Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits (in millions) Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign Net loss (gain) arising during period $ 155 $ (26) $ 11 $ (2) Recognition of prior years’ net (loss) (87) (11) (4) — Recognition of prior years’ service credit — — 7 — Total recognized in other comprehensive loss (income) (before tax effects) $ 68 $ (37) $ 14 $ (2) Domestic Foreign (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Pension benefits: Prepaid benefit cost $ 1,272 $ 1,249 $ 284 $ 222 Accrued benefit cost (170) (170) (112) (87) Total pension benefits $ 1,102 $ 1,079 $ 172 $ 135 Healthcare benefits: Accrued benefit cost $ (29) $ (28) $ (4) $ (6) Total healthcare benefits $ (29) $ (28) $ (4) $ (6) The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit plans was $6.6 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $6.0 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. Plans with obligations in excess of plan assets Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 Projected benefit obligation $ 170 $ 170 $ 459 $ 384 N/A N/A N/A N/A Fair value of plan assets — — 347 297 N/A N/A N/A N/A Accumulated benefit obligation 170 170 196 164 94 85 4 6 Fair value of plan assets — — 113 114 — — — — N/A – Not applicable. Assumed healthcare cost trend The assumed healthcare cost trend rate used in determining domestic benefit expense for 2021 is 6.15%, decreasing to 4.04% in 2075 for pre-Medicare costs and 5.30% decreasing to 4.04% in 2075 for Medicare costs. The initial trend rate assumption represents an estimate of short term cost increases based on recent health care marketplace experience, and taking into consideration the cost characteristics of plans available to retirees. Annual increases in national health expenditures have exceeded the general growth in GDP for many years. However, there are practical limitations to how long these trends can continue. It is unrealistic to assume that health care expenditures will be allowed to consume the majority of the economy. Therefore, over the long term we expect that health care costs will be constrained by the public’s ability and willingness to pay the higher cost of health care coverage. This assumption implies that the ultimate trend rate should be related to the expected long-term growth in the economy. Therefore, we assume the ultimate rate to be comprised of real growth in per capita GDP, long-term growth attributable to technology innovations, and the assumed long-term inflation rate. The initial trend is assumed to decrease to this ultimate rate over time. These long-range trend impacts were developed using the Getzen Model of Long-Run Medical Cost Trends. The following benefit payments for the pension and healthcare plans, which reflect expected future service as appropriate, are expected to be paid over the next 10 years: Expected benefit payments (in millions) Domestic Foreign Pension benefits: Year 2021 $ 271 $ 39 2022 272 39 2023 275 43 2024 284 42 2025 281 43 2026-2030 1,352 252 Total pension benefits $ 2,735 $ 458 Healthcare benefits: Year 2021 $ 11 $ — 2022 11 — 2023 11 — 2024 10 — 2025 10 — 2026-2030 45 1 Total healthcare benefits $ 98 $ 1 Plan contributions We expect to make cash contributions to fund our defined benefit pension plans in 2021 of $15 million for the domestic plans and $11 million for the foreign plans. We expect to make cash contributions to fund our post-retirement healthcare plans in 2021 of $11 million for the domestic plans and less than $1 million for the foreign plans. Investment strategy and asset allocation We are responsible for the administration of various employee pension and healthcare post-retirement benefits plans, both domestically and internationally. The domestic plans are administered by BNY Mellon’s Benefits Administration Committee, a named fiduciary. Subject to the following, at all relevant times, BNY Mellon’s Benefits Investment Committee, another named fiduciary to the domestic plans, is responsible for the investment of plan assets. The Benefits Investment Committee’s responsibilities include the investment of all domestic defined benefit plan assets, as well as the determination of investment options offered to participants in all domestic defined contribution plans. The Benefits Investment Committee conducts periodic reviews of investment performance, asset allocation and investment manager suitability. In addition, the Benefits Investment Committee has oversight of the Regional Governance Committees for the foreign defined benefit plans. Our investment objective for U.S. and foreign plans is to maximize total return while maintaining a broadly diversified portfolio for the primary purpose of satisfying obligations for future benefit payments. Our plans are primarily invested in fixed income and equity securities. In general, for the domestic plan’s portfolio, fixed income securities can range from 40% to 80% of plan assets, equity securities and alternative investments can range from 20% to 60% of plan assets and cash equivalents can be held in amounts ranging from 0% to 10% of plan assets. Actual asset allocation within the approved ranges varies from time to time based on economic conditions (both current and forecast), the timing of transitional reallocations and the advice of professional advisors. Our pension assets were invested as follows: Asset allocations Domestic Foreign 2020 2019 2020 2019 Fixed income 62 % 56 % 82 % 80 % Equities 36 42 8 8 Alternative investments 2 2 9 10 Private equities — (a) — (a) — — Cash — (a) — (a) 1 2 Total pension benefits 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % (a) The allocation percentage is less than 1%. We held no The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation stock in our pension plans at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Assets of the U.S. post-retirement healthcare plan are invested in an insurance contract. Fair value measurement of plan assets In accordance with ASC 715, Compensation – Retirement Benefits , we have established a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements of its pension plan assets based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset as of the measurement date. The valuation hierarchy is consistent with guidance in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement , which is detailed in Note 20. The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such assets pursuant to the valuation hierarchy. Cash and currency This category consists primarily of foreign currency balances and is included in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Foreign currency is translated monthly based on current foreign exchange rates. Common and preferred stock and mutual funds These investments include equities and mutual funds and are valued at the closing price reported in the active market in which the individual securities are traded, if available. Common and preferred stock and mutual funds are included in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Derivative instruments Our derivative positions are valued using internally developed models that use as their basis readily observable market parameters, and we classify them in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. Such derivative financial instruments include foreign exchange contracts, equity options, credit default swaps and interest rate contracts. Collective trust funds Collective trust funds include commingled and U.S. equity funds that have no readily available market quotations. The fair value of the funds is based on the securities in the portfolio, which typically are the amount that the fund might reasonably expect to receive for the securities upon a sale. These funds are valued using observable inputs on either a daily or monthly basis. Collective trust funds are included in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. Fixed-income investments Fixed-income investments include U.S. Treasury securities, U.S. government agencies, sovereign government obligations, state and political subdivisions, U.S. corporate bonds and foreign corporate debt funds. U.S. Treasury securities are valued at the closing price reported in the active market in which the individual security is traded and included as Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. U.S. government agencies, sovereign government obligations, state and political subdivisions, U.S. corporate bonds and foreign corporate debt funds are valued based on quoted prices for comparable securities with similar yields and credit ratings. When quoted prices are not available for identical or similar bonds, the bonds are valued using discounted cash flows that maximize observable inputs, such as current yields of similar instruments, but includes adjustments for certain risks that may not be observable, such as credit and liquidity risks. U.S. government agencies, sovereign government obligations, state and political subdivisions, U.S. corporate bonds and foreign corporate debt funds are primarily included in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. Other assets measured at NAV per share, as a practical expedient Other assets measured at NAV, as a practical expedient, include funds of funds, venture capital and partnership interests, property funds and other funds. There are no readily available market quotations for these funds. The fair value of the funds of funds is based on NAVs of the funds in the portfolio, which reflects the value of the underlying investments held by the fund, less its liabilities. The fair value of the underlying investments is typically the amount that the fund might reasonably expect to receive upon selling those hard to value or illiquid investments within the portfolios. These funds are either valued on a daily or monthly basis. The fair value of the venture capital and partnership interests is based on the pension plan’s ownership percentage of the fair value of the underlying funds as provided by the fund managers. These funds are typically valued on a quarterly basis. The following tables present the fair value of each major category of plan assets as of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, by captions and by ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement , valuation hierarchy. Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— domestic plans at Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Common and preferred stock: U.S. equity $ 578 $ — $ — $ 578 Non-U.S. equity 147 — — 147 Collective trust funds: U.S. equity — 1,285 — 1,285 Commingled — 712 — 712 Fixed income: U.S. corporate bonds — 2,866 — 2,866 U.S. Treasury securities 228 — — 228 State and political subdivisions — 50 — 50 Sovereign government obligations — 47 — 47 U.S. government agencies — 31 — 31 Other — 37 — 37 Mutual funds 1 — — 1 Total domestic plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 954 $ 5,028 $ — $ 5,982 Other assets measured at NAV: Funds of funds 135 Venture capital and partnership interests 15 Total domestic plan assets, at fair value $ 6,132 Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— foreign plans at Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Corporate debt funds $ — $ 1,305 $ — $ 1,305 Sovereign/government obligation funds — 156 — 156 Equity funds — 146 — 146 Cash and currency 21 — — 21 Total foreign plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 21 $ 1,607 $ — $ 1,628 Other assets measured at NAV 158 Total foreign plan assets, at fair value $ 1,786 Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— domestic plans at Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Common and preferred stock: U.S. equity $ 1,638 $ — $ — $ 1,638 Non-U.S. equity 195 — — 195 Derivatives — (130) — (130) Collective trust funds: Commingled — 1,982 — 1,982 U.S. equity — 688 — 688 Fixed income: U.S. corporate bonds — 814 — 814 U.S. Treasury securities 362 — — 362 U.S. government agencies — 7 — 7 Sovereign government obligations 3 — — 3 Other — 15 — 15 Mutual funds 3 — — 3 Total domestic plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 2,201 $ 3,376 $ — $ 5,577 Other assets measured at NAV: Funds of funds 134 Venture capital and partnership interests 27 Total domestic plan assets, at fair value $ 5,738 Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— foreign plans at Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Corporate debt funds $ — $ 1,091 $ — $ 1,091 Sovereign/government obligation funds — 130 — 130 Equity funds — 129 — 129 Cash and currency 20 — — 20 Total foreign plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 20 $ 1,350 $ — $ 1,370 Other assets measured at NAV 159 Total foreign plan assets, at fair value $ 1,529 Other assets measured at NAV per share, as a practical expedient Certain pension and post-retirement plan assets are invested in funds of funds, venture capital and partnership interests, property funds and other contracts valued using NAV, as a practical expedient. The funds of funds investments are redeemable at NAV under agreements with the funds of funds managers. Assets valued using NAV at Dec. 31, 2020 (dollars in millions) Fair Unfunded Redemption Redemption notice period Funds of funds (a) $ 135 $ — Monthly 30-45 days Venture capital and partnership interests (b) 138 — N/A N/A Other contracts ( c) 35 — N/A N/A Total $ 308 $ — Assets valued using NAV at Dec. 31, 2019 (dollars in millions) Fair Unfunded Redemption Redemption notice period Funds of funds (a) $ 136 $ — Monthly 30-45 days Venture capital and partnership interests (b) 158 — N/A N/A Property funds (d) 4 — Monthly 0-90 days Other contracts (c) 22 — N/A N/A Total $ 320 $ — (a) Funds of funds include multi-strategy hedge funds that utilize investment strategies that invest over both long-term investment and short-term investment horizons. (b) Venture capital and partnership interests do not have redemption rights. Distributions from such funds will be received as the underlying investments are liquidated. (c) Other contracts include assets invested in pooled accounts at insurance companies that are privately valued by the asset manager. (d) Property funds include funds invested in regional real estate vehicles that hold direct interest in real estate properties. N/A – Not applicable. Defined contribution plans We sponsor defined contribution plans in the U.S. and in certain non-U.S. locations, all of which are administered in accordance with local laws. The most significant defined contribution plan is The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan sponsored by the Company in the U.S. and covers substantially all U.S. employees. Under The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan, the Company matched 100% of the first 4% of an employee’s eligible base pay plus 50% of the next 2% of eligible pay contributed by the participant for a maximum matching contribution of 5% for 2020, 2019 and 2018, subject to statutory limits. In addition, annual non-elective contributions equal to 2% of eligible base pay were also made in 2020, 2019 and 2018. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan owned 10.8 million and 11.5 million shares of our common stock, respectively. The fair value of total assets was $8.2 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $7.4 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. We recorded expenses of $249 million in 2020 and $244 million in 2019 and 2018, primarily for contributions to our defined contribution plans. We also have an ESOP covering certain domestic full-time employees hired on or before July 1, 2008. The ESOP works in conjunction with the defined benefit pension plan. Employees are entitled to the higher of their benefit under the ESOP or such defined benefit pension plan at retirement. Benefits payable under the defined benefit pension plan are offset by the equivalent value of benefits earned under the ESOP. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, the ESOP owned 4.3 million and 4.6 million shares of our common stock, respectively. The fair value of total ESOP assets was $187 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $235 million at Dec. 31, 2019. The Company is not permitted to make contributions to the ESOP. The Benefits Investment Committee appointed Fiduciary Counselors, Inc. to serve as the independent fiduciary to (i) make all fiduciary decisions related to the continued prudence of offering the common stock of BNY Mellon or its affiliates as an investment option under the plans, other than plan sponsor decisions, and (ii) select and monitor any actively or passively managed investments of BNY Mellon or its affiliates to be offered to participants as investment options under the plans, excluding self-directed accounts.

Company financial information (

Company financial information (Parent Corporation)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Condensed Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Company financial information (Parent Corporation)	Note 19–Company financial information (Parent Corporation) In connection with our single point of entry resolution strategy, we have established an intermediate holding company (“IHC”) to facilitate the provision of capital and liquidity resources to certain key subsidiaries in the event of material financial distress or failure. In 2017, we entered into a binding support agreement with those key subsidiaries and other related entities that requires the IHC to provide that support. The support agreement requires the Parent to transfer cash and other liquid financial assets to the IHC on an ongoing basis, subject to certain amounts retained by the Parent to meet its near-term cash needs. The Parent’s and the IHC’s obligations under the support agreement are secured. The IHC has provided unsecured subordinated funding notes to the Parent as well as a committed line of credit that allows the Parent to draw funds necessary to service near-term obligations. As a result, during business-as-usual circumstances, the Parent is expected to continue to have access to the funds necessary to pay dividends, repurchase common stock, service its debt and satisfy its other obligations. If our projected liquidity resources deteriorate so severely that resolution of the Parent becomes imminent, the committed line of credit the IHC provided to the Parent will automatically terminate, with all amounts outstanding becoming due and payable, and the support agreement will require the Parent to transfer most of its remaining assets (other than stock in subsidiaries and a cash reserve to fund bankruptcy expenses) to the IHC. As a result, during a period of severe financial stress, the Parent could become unable to meet its debt and payment obligations (including with respect to its securities), causing the Parent to seek protection under bankruptcy laws earlier than it otherwise would have. Our bank subsidiaries are subject to dividend limitations under the federal and state banking laws. Under these statutes, prior regulatory consent is required for dividends in any year that would exceed the bank’s net profits for such year combined with retained net profits for the prior two years. Additionally, such bank subsidiaries may not declare dividends in excess of net profits on hand, as defined, after deducting the amount by which the principal amount of all loans, on which interest is past due for a period of six months or more, exceeds the allowance for credit losses. The payment of dividends also is limited by minimum capital requirements and buffers imposed on banks. As of Dec. 31, 2020, our bank subsidiaries exceeded these requirements. Subsequent to Dec. 31, 2020, our U.S. bank subsidiaries could declare dividends to the Parent of approximately $803 million, without the need for a regulatory waiver. In addition, at Dec. 31, 2020, non-bank subsidiaries of the Parent had liquid assets of approximately $1.6 billion. The bank subsidiaries declared dividends of $1.5 billion in 2020, $3.2 billion in 2019 and $3.8 billion in 2018. The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have issued additional guidelines that require BHCs and national banks to continually evaluate the level of cash dividends in relation to their respective operating income, capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. The Federal Reserve policy with respect to the payment of cash dividends by BHCs provides that, as a matter of prudent banking, a BHC should not maintain a rate of cash dividends unless its net income available to common shareholders has been sufficient to fully fund the dividends, and the prospective rate of earnings retention appears to be consistent with the holding company’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. The Federal Reserve can also prohibit a dividend if payment would constitute an unsafe or unsound banking practice. In March 2020, we and the other members of the Financial Services Forum announced the temporary suspension of share repurchases until the end of the second quarter of 2020 to preserve capital and liquidity in order to further the objective of using capital and liquidity to support clients and customers. In June 2020, the Federal Reserve announced that it required participating CCAR firms, including us, to update and resubmit their capital plans and that, as a result, unless otherwise approved by the Federal Reserve, participating firms were not permitted to conduct open market common stock repurchases in the third quarter of 2020 or to increase their common stock dividends. In September 2020, the Federal Reserve extended the limitation on open market common stock repurchases and increases in common stock dividends through the fourth quarter of 2020. In December 2020, the Federal Reserve released the results of the second round of CCAR stress tests during 2020 and extended the restriction on common stock dividends and open market common share repurchases applicable to participating CCAR firms, including us, to the first quarter of 2021, with certain modifications. Under the modified restrictions, the Company must maintain the current dividend rate and may pay common stock dividends and make open market common share repurchases that, in the aggregate, do not exceed an amount equal to the average of its net income for the four preceding calendar quarters. The Company has declared its common stock dividend for the first quarter of 2021 and is authorized during the quarter to conduct open market common share repurchases in an amount up to approximately $625 million under the Federal Reserve’s modified distribution limitation. The Federal Reserve Act limits, and requires collateral for, extensions of credit by our insured subsidiary banks to the Parent and certain of its non-bank affiliates. Also, there are restrictions on the amounts of investments by such banks in stock and other securities of BNY Mellon and such affiliates, and restrictions on the acceptance of their securities as collateral for loans by such banks. Extensions of credit by the banks to each of our affiliates are limited to 10% of such bank’s regulatory capital, and in the aggregate for BNY Mellon and all such affiliates to 20%, and collateral must be between 100% and 130% of the amount of the credit, depending on the type of collateral. In the event of impairment of the capital stock of one of the Parent’s national banks or The Bank of New York Mellon, the Parent, as the banks’ stockholder, could be required to pay such deficiency. The Parent guaranteed the debt issued by Mellon Funding Corporation, a wholly-owned financing subsidiary of the Company. No debt issued by Mellon Funding Corporation was outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2020. The Parent also guarantees the committed and uncommitted lines of credit of Pershing LLC and Pershing Limited subsidiaries. The Parent guarantees described above are full and unconditional and contain the standard provisions relating to parent guarantees of subsidiary debt. Additionally, the Parent guarantees or indemnifies obligations of its consolidated subsidiaries as needed. Generally, there are no stated notional amounts included in these indemnifications and the contingencies triggering the obligation for indemnification are not expected to occur. As a result, we are unable to develop an estimate of the maximum payout under these indemnifications. However, we believe the possibility is remote that we will have to make any material payment under these guarantees and indemnifications. The condensed financial statements of the Parent include the accounts of the Parent; Mellon Funding Corporation and MIPA, LLC, a single-member limited liability company, created to hold and administer corporate-owned life insurance. In 2020, the process commenced to dissolve Mellon Funding Corporation via a liquidating dividend of its cash and deferred taxes to the Parent. MIPA, LLC was dissolved in 2019 via a liquidating dividend of its assets to the Parent. Financial data for the Parent, the financing subsidiary and the single-member limited liability company are combined for financial reporting purposes because of the limited function of these entities and the unconditional guarantee by BNY Mellon of their obligations. Condensed Income Statement—The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (Parent Corporation ) Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Dividends from bank subsidiaries $ 1,485 $ 3,209 $ 3,874 Dividends from nonbank subsidiaries 1,199 2,075 1,869 Interest revenue from bank subsidiaries — 4 13 Interest revenue from nonbank subsidiaries 53 153 200 (Loss) gain on securities held for sale — (11) 1 Other revenue 50 39 36 Total revenue 2,787 5,469 5,993 Interest expense (including $30, $64 and $59, to subsidiaries, respectively) 520 941 658 Other expense 168 197 439 Total expense 688 1,138 1,097 Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries 2,099 4,331 4,896 (Benefit) for income taxes (289) (208) (165) Equity in undistributed net income: Bank subsidiaries 1,278 (139) (508) Nonbank subsidiaries (49) 41 (287) Net income 3,617 4,441 4,266 Preferred stock dividends and redemption charge (194) (169) (169) Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation $ 3,423 $ 4,272 $ 4,097 Condensed Balance Sheet—The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (Parent Corporation) Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Assets: Cash and due from banks $ 330 $ 345 Securities 6 8 Investment in and advances to subsidiaries and associated companies: Banks 36,431 32,511 Other 38,064 36,948 Subtotal 74,495 69,459 Corporate-owned life insurance 782 773 Other assets 202 319 Total assets $ 75,815 70,904 Liabilities: Deferred compensation $ 417 455 Affiliate borrowings 2,176 1,500 Other liabilities 1,866 1,631 Long-term debt 25,555 25,835 Total liabilities 30,014 29,421 Shareholders’ equity 45,801 41,483 Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 75,815 70,904 Condensed Statement of Cash Flows—The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (Parent Corporation) Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Operating activities: Net income $ 3,617 $ 4,441 $ 4,266 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities: Equity in undistributed net loss (income) of subsidiaries (1,229) 98 795 Change in accrued interest receivable (17) (12) 27 Change in accrued interest payable (26) (17) 29 Change in taxes payable (a) (281) 331 224 Other, net 368 (107) (257) Net cash provided by operating activities 2,432 4,734 5,084 Investing activities: Sales of securities — — 13 Acquisitions of, investments in, and advances to subsidiaries (b) (1,442) 1,495 (53) Other, net — — 1 Net cash (used for) provided by investing activities (1,442) 1,495 (39) Financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 2,993 1,745 4,144 Repayments of long-term debt (3,950) (4,250) (3,650) Change in advances from subsidiaries 1,195 242 (1,561) Issuance of common stock 58 86 120 Issuance of preferred stock 1,567 — — Treasury stock acquired (989) (3,327) (3,269) Redemption of preferred stock (583) — — Cash dividends paid (1,296) (1,289) (1,221) Net cash (used for) financing activities (1,005) (6,793) (5,437) Change in cash and due from banks (15) (564) (392) Cash and due from banks at beginning of year 345 909 1,301 Cash and due from banks at end of year $ 330 $ 345 $ 909 Supplemental disclosures Interest paid $ 546 $ 958 $ 629 Income taxes paid 3 2 12 Income taxes refunded — — 7 (a) Includes payments received from subsidiaries for taxes of $736 million in 2020, $823 million in 2019 and $837 million in 2018. (b) Includes $3,715 million of cash outflows, net of $2,273 million of cash inflows in 2020, $2,139 million of cash outflows, net of $3,634 million of cash inflows in 2019 and $2,807 million of cash outflows, net of $2,754 million of cash inflows in 2018.

Fair value measurement

Fair value measurement	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value measurement	Fair value measurement Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset, or paid to transfer a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements is utilized based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. BNY Mellon’s own creditworthiness is considered when valuing liabilities. Fair value focuses on exit price in an orderly transaction (that is, not a forced liquidation or distressed sale) between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions. If there has been a significant decrease in the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability, a change in valuation technique or the use of multiple valuation techniques may be appropriate. In such instances, determining the price at which willing market participants would transact at the measurement date under current market conditions depends on the facts and circumstances and requires the use of significant judgment. The objective is to determine from weighted indicators of fair value a reasonable point within the range that is most representative of fair value under current market conditions. Determination of fair value We have established processes for determining fair values. Fair value is based upon quoted market prices in active markets, where available. For financial instruments where quotes from recent exchange transactions are not available, we determine fair value based on discounted cash flow analysis, comparison to similar instruments and the use of financial models. Discounted cash flow analysis is dependent upon estimated future cash flows and the level of interest rates. Model-based pricing uses inputs of observable prices, where available, for interest rates, foreign exchange rates, option volatilities and other factors. Models are benchmarked and validated by an independent internal risk management function. Our valuation process takes into consideration factors such as counterparty credit quality, liquidity, concentration concerns and observability of model parameters. Valuation adjustments may be made to record financial instruments at fair value. Most derivative contracts are valued using models which are calibrated to observable market data and employ standard market pricing theory for their valuations. Valuation models incorporate counterparty credit risk by discounting each trade’s expected exposures to the counterparty using the counterparty’s credit spreads, as implied by the credit default swap market. We also adjust expected liabilities to the counterparty using BNY Mellon’s own credit spreads, as implied by the credit default swap market. Accordingly, the valuation of our derivative positions is sensitive to the current changes in our own credit spreads, as well as those of our counterparties. In certain cases, recent prices may not be observable for instruments that trade in inactive or less active markets. Upon evaluating the uncertainty in valuing financial instruments subject to liquidity issues, we make an adjustment to their value. The determination of the liquidity adjustment includes the availability of external quotes, the time since the latest available quote and the price volatility of the instrument. Certain parameters in some financial models are not directly observable and, therefore, are based on management’s estimates and judgments. These financial instruments are normally traded less actively. We apply valuation adjustments to mitigate the possibility of error and revision in the model-based estimate value. Examples include products where parameters such as correlation and recovery rates are unobservable. The methods described above for instruments that trade in inactive or less active markets may produce a current fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. We believe our methods of determining fair value are appropriate and consistent with other market participants. However, the use of different methodologies or different assumptions to value certain financial instruments could result in a different estimate of fair value. Valuation hierarchy A three-level valuation hierarchy is used for disclosure of fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are described below. Level 1 : Inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Level 1 assets and liabilities include certain debt and equity securities, derivative financial instruments actively traded on exchanges and highly liquid government bonds. Level 2 : Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, for example, quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, and inputs that are observable or can be corroborated, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument. Level 2 assets and liabilities include debt instruments that are traded less frequently than exchange-traded securities and derivative financial instruments whose model inputs are observable in the market or can be corroborated by market-observable data. Examples in this category are MBS, corporate debt securities and over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivative contracts. Level 3 : Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement. A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Valuation methodology Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy. Securities We determine fair value primarily based on pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. Where quoted prices are available in an active market, we classify the securities within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Securities include both long and short positions. Level 1 securities include U.S. Treasury and certain sovereign debt securities that are actively traded in highly liquid OTC markets, money market funds and exchange-traded equities. If quoted market prices are not available, fair values are primarily determined using pricing models using observable trade data, market data, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or discounted cash flows. Examples of such instruments, which would generally be classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy, include MBS, state and political subdivisions, certain sovereign debt, corporate bonds and foreign covered bonds. Specifically, the pricing sources obtain recent transactions for similar types of securities (e.g., vintage, position in the securitization structure) and ascertain variables such as discount rate and speed of prepayment for the types of transaction and apply such variables to similar types of bonds. We view these as observable transactions in the current marketplace and classify such securities as Level 2. Pricing sources discontinue pricing any specific security whenever they determine there is insufficient observable data to provide a good faith opinion on price. In certain cases where there is limited activity or less transparency around inputs to the valuation, we classify those securities in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. As of Dec. 31, 2020, we have no instruments included in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. At Dec. 31, 2020, approximately 99% of our securities were valued by pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. The remaining securities were generally valued using observable inputs. Additional disclosures of securities are provided in Note 4. Derivative financial instruments We classify exchange-traded derivative financial instruments valued using quoted prices in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Examples include exchange-traded equity and foreign exchange options. Since few other classes of derivative contracts are listed on an exchange, most of our derivative positions are valued using models that use as their basis readily observable market parameters, and we classify them in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. Such derivative financial instruments include swaps and options, foreign exchange spot and forward contracts and credit default swaps. Derivatives valued using models with significant unobservable market parameters in markets that lack two-way flow are classified in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. Examples may include long-dated swaps and options, where parameters may be unobservable for longer maturities; and certain highly structured products, where correlation risk is unobservable. As of Dec. 31, 2020, we have no Level 3 derivatives. Additional disclosures of derivative instruments are provided in Note 23. Seed capital In our Investment and Wealth Management business, we make seed capital investments in certain funds we manage. Seed capital is generally included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. When applicable, we value seed capital based on the published NAV of the fund. For other types of investments in funds, we consider all of the rights and obligations inherent in our ownership interest, including the reported NAV as well as other factors that affect the fair value of our interest in the fund. Interests in securitizations For the interests in securitizations that are classified in trading assets—equity instruments and long-term debt—we use discounted cash flow models, which generally include assumptions of projected finance charges related to the securitized assets, estimated net credit losses, prepayment assumptions and estimates of payments to third-party investors. When available, we compare our fair value estimates and assumptions to market activity and to the actual results of the securitized portfolio. Other assets measured at NAV We hold private equity investments, specifically SBICs, which are compliant with the Volcker Rule. There are no readily available market quotations for these investment partnerships. The fair value of the SBICs is based on our ownership percentage of the fair value of the underlying investments as provided by the partnership managers. These investments are typically valued on a quarterly basis. Our SBIC private equity investments are valued at NAV as a practical expedient for fair value. The following tables present the financial instruments carried at fair value at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, by caption on the consolidated balance sheet and by the three-level valuation hierarchy. We have included credit ratings information in certain of the tables because the information indicates the degree of credit risk to which we are exposed, and significant changes in ratings classifications could result in increased risk for us. Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2020 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Available-for-sale securities: U.S. Treasury $ 24,894 $ — $ — $ — $ 24,894 Agency RMBS — 22,347 — — 22,347 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 5,909 6,482 — — 12,391 Agency commercial MBS — 9,228 — — 9,228 Supranational — 7,160 — — 7,160 Foreign covered bonds — 6,725 — — 6,725 CLOs — 4,703 — — 4,703 Foreign government agencies — 4,135 — — 4,135 U.S. government agencies — 3,853 — — 3,853 Other ABS — 3,164 — — 3,164 Non-agency commercial MBS — 3,017 — — 3,017 Non-agency RMBS (b) — 2,326 — — 2,326 State and political subdivisions — 2,308 — — 2,308 Corporate bonds — 1,994 — — 1,994 Commercial paper/CDs — 249 — — 249 Other debt securities — 1 — — 1 Total available-for-sale securities 30,803 77,692 — — 108,495 Trading assets: Debt instruments 1,803 3,868 — — 5,671 Equity instruments (c) 5,775 — — — 5,775 Derivative assets not designated as hedging: Interest rate 5 4,477 — (1,952) 2,530 Foreign exchange — 7,688 — (6,392) 1,296 Equity and other contracts — 2 — (2) — Total derivative assets not designated as hedging 5 12,167 — (8,346) 3,826 Total trading assets 7,583 16,035 — (8,346) 15,272 Other assets: Derivative assets designated as hedging: Foreign exchange — 19 — — 19 Total derivative assets designated as hedging — 19 — — 19 Other assets (d) 111 191 — — 302 Assets measured at NAV (d) 201 Subtotal assets of operations at fair value 38,497 93,937 — (8,346) 124,289 Percentage of assets of operations prior to netting 29 % 71 % — % Assets of consolidated investment management funds 393 94 — — 487 Total assets $ 38,890 $ 94,031 $ — $ (8,346) $ 124,776 Percentage of total assets prior to netting 29 % 71 % — % Liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2020 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Trading liabilities: Debt instruments $ 2,287 $ 35 $ — $ — $ 2,322 Equity instruments 11 — — — 11 Derivative liabilities not designated as hedging: Interest rate 2 3,878 — (2,348) 1,532 Foreign exchange — 7,622 — (5,484) 2,138 Equity and other contracts 7 34 — (13) 28 Total derivative liabilities not designated as hedging 9 11,534 — (7,845) 3,698 Total trading liabilities 2,307 11,569 — (7,845) 6,031 Long-term debt (c) — 400 — — 400 Other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging: Interest rate — 666 — — 666 Foreign exchange — 441 — — 441 Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging — 1,107 — — 1,107 Subtotal liabilities of operations at fair value 2,307 13,076 — (7,845) 7,538 Percentage of liabilities of operations prior to netting 15 % 85 % — % Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds 1 2 — — 3 Total liabilities $ 2,308 $ 13,078 $ — $ (7,845) $ 7,541 Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting 15 % 85 % — % (a) ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, permits the netting of derivative receivables and derivative payables under legally enforceable master netting agreements and permits the netting of cash collateral. Netting is applicable to derivatives not designated as hedging instruments included in trading assets or trading liabilities and derivatives designated as hedging instruments included in other assets or other liabilities. Netting is allocated to the derivative products based on the net fair value of each product. (b) Includes $487 million in Level 2 that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (c) Includes certain interests in securitizations. (d) Includes seed capital, private equity investments and other assets. Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2019 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Available-for-sale securities: Agency RMBS $ — $ 27,043 $ — $ — $ 27,043 U.S. Treasury 15,431 — — — 15,431 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 7,784 4,862 — — 12,646 Agency commercial MBS — 9,417 — — 9,417 Foreign covered bonds — 4,197 — — 4,197 CLOs — 4,063 — — 4,063 Supranational — 3,709 — — 3,709 Foreign government agencies — 2,643 — — 2,643 Non-agency commercial MBS — 2,178 — — 2,178 Other ABS — 2,143 — — 2,143 U.S. government agencies — 1,949 — — 1,949 Non-agency RMBS (b) — 1,233 — — 1,233 State and political subdivisions — 1,044 — — 1,044 Corporate bonds — 853 — — 853 Other debt securities — 1 — — 1 Total available-for-sale securities 23,215 65,335 — — 88,550 Trading assets: Debt instruments 1,568 4,243 — — 5,811 Equity instruments (c) 4,539 — — — 4,539 Derivative assets not designated as hedging: Interest rate 4 3,686 — (1,792) 1,898 Foreign exchange — 5,331 — (4,021) 1,310 Equity and other contracts — 19 — (6) 13 Total derivative assets not designated as hedging 4 9,036 — (5,819) 3,221 Total trading assets 6,111 13,279 — (5,819) 13,571 Other assets : Derivative assets designated as hedging: Foreign exchange — 21 — — 21 Total derivative assets designated as hedging — 21 — — 21 Other assets (d) 38 179 — — 217 Assets measured at NAV (d) 181 Subtotal assets of operations at fair value 29,364 78,814 — (5,819) 102,540 Percentage of assets of operations prior to netting 27 % 73 % — % Assets of consolidated investment management funds 212 33 — — 245 Total assets $ 29,576 $ 78,847 $ — $ (5,819) $ 102,785 Percentage of total assets prior to netting 27 % 73 % — % Liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2019 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Trading liabilities: Debt instruments $ 1,477 $ 107 $ — $ — $ 1,584 Equity instruments 73 — — — 73 Derivative liabilities not designated as hedging: Interest rate 6 3,244 — (1,986) 1,264 Foreign exchange — 5,340 — (3,428) 1,912 Equity and other contracts 3 6 — (1) 8 Total derivative liabilities not designated as hedging 9 8,590 — (5,415) 3,184 Total trading liabilities 1,559 8,697 — (5,415) 4,841 Long-term debt (c) — 387 — — 387 Other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging: Interest rate — 350 — — 350 Foreign exchange — 257 — — 257 Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging — 607 — — 607 Subtotal liabilities of operations at fair value 1,559 9,691 — (5,415) 5,835 Percentage of liabilities of operations prior to netting 14 % 86 % — % Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds 1 — — — 1 Total liabilities $ 1,560 $ 9,691 $ — $ (5,415) $ 5,836 Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting 14 % 86 % — % (a) ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, permits the netting of derivative receivables and derivative payables under legally enforceable master netting agreements and permits the netting of cash collateral. Netting is applicable to derivatives not designated as hedging instruments included in trading assets or trading liabilities and derivatives designated as hedging instruments included in other assets or other liabilities. Netting is allocated to the derivative products based on the net fair value of each product. (b) Includes $640 million in Level 2 that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (c) Includes certain interests in securitizations. (d) Includes seed capital, private equity investments and other assets. Details of certain available-for-sale securities measured at fair value on a recurring basis Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Total Ratings (a) Total Ratings (a) AAA/ A+/ BBB+/ BB+ and AAA/ A+/ BBB+/ BB+ and (dollars in millions) (b) (b) Non-agency RMBS (c) , originated in: 2008-2020 $ 1,548 100 % — % — % — % $ 215 100 % — % — % — % 2007 179 12 3 — 85 249 17 2 — 81 2006 237 — 23 — 77 291 — 21 — 79 2005 227 3 — 7 90 305 5 2 8 85 2004 and earlier 135 19 10 11 60 173 22 24 4 50 Total non-agency RMBS $ 2,326 69 % 3 % 1 % 27 % $ 1,233 25 % 9 % 3 % 63 % Non-agency commercial MBS originated in: 2009-2020 $ 3,017 99 % 1 % — % — % $ 2,178 98 % 2 % — % — % Foreign covered bonds: Canada $ 2,552 100 % — % — % — % $ 1,798 100 % — % — % — % UK 1,259 100 — — — 984 100 — — — Australia 951 100 — — — 431 100 — — — Norway 703 100 — — — 287 100 — — — Germany 494 100 — — — 357 100 — — — Other 766 100 — — — 340 100 — — — Total foreign covered bonds $ 6,725 100 % — % — % — % $ 4,197 100 % — % — % — % Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed: Germany $ 2,222 100 % — % — % — % $ 1,997 100 % — % — % — % Italy 2,010 — — 100 — 1,260 — — 100 — Spain 1,920 — 5 95 — 1,453 — 6 94 — France 1,697 100 — — — 1,272 100 — — — UK 1,089 100 — — — 3,318 100 — — — Singapore 984 100 — — — 742 100 — — — Canada 572 100 — — — 271 100 — — — Netherlands 491 100 — — — 791 100 — — — Japan 408 — 100 — — 274 — 100 — — Austria 256 100 — — — 240 100 — — — Ireland 252 — 100 — — 301 — 100 — — Other (d) 490 74 — — 26 727 80 1 — 19 Total sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed $ 12,391 62 % 6 % 31 % 1 % $ 12,646 73 % 5 % 21 % 1 % Foreign government agencies: Germany $ 1,473 100 % — % — % — % $ 1,131 100 % — % — % — % Netherlands 847 100 — — — 678 100 — — — Canada 511 75 25 — — 71 — 100 — — France 305 100 — — — 42 100 — — — Sweden 281 100 — — — 202 100 — — — Norway 273 100 — — — 216 100 — — — Finland 225 100 — — — 245 100 — — — Other 220 55 45 — — 58 — 100 — — Total foreign government agencies $ 4,135 95 % 5 % — % — % $ 2,643 95 % 5 % — % — % (a) Represents ratings by S&P or the equivalent. (b) At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed securities were included in Level 1 and Level 2 in the valuation hierarchy. All other assets in the table are Level 2 assets in the valuation hierarchy. (c) Includes $487 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $640 million at Dec. 31, 2019 that were included in the former Grantor Trust. (d) Includes non-investment grade sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed securities related to Brazil of $125 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $134 million at Dec. 31, 2019. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis Under certain circumstances, we make adjustments to the fair value of our assets, liabilities and unfunded lending-related commitments, although they are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis. Examples would be the recording of an impairment of an asset and non-readily marketable equity securities carried at cost with upward or downward adjustments. The following table presents the financial instruments carried on the consolidated balance sheet by caption and level in the fair value hierarchy as of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Total carrying Total carrying (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Loans (a) $ — $ 48 $ — $ 48 $ — $ 58 $ — $ 58 Other assets (b) — 131 — 131 — 64 — 64 Total assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis $ — $ 179 $ — $ 179 $ — $ 122 $ — $ 122 (a) The fair value of these loans decreased $1 million in both 2020 and 2019, based on the fair value of the underlying collateral, as required by guidance in ASC 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses, with an offset to the allowance for credit losses. (b) Includes non-readily marketable equity securities carried at cost with upward or downward adjustments and other assets received in satisfaction of debt. Estimated fair value of financial instruments The following tables present the estimated fair value and the carrying amount of financial instruments not carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, by caption on the consolidated balance sheet and by the valuation hierarchy. Summary of financial instruments Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Carrying Assets: Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks $ — $ 141,775 $ — $ 141,775 $ 141,775 Interest-bearing deposits with banks — 17,310 — 17,310 17,300 Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements — 30,907 — 30,907 30,907 Securities held-to-maturity 4,120 45,104 — 49,224 47,946 Loans (a) — 53,586 — 53,586 55,121 Other financial assets 6,252 1,160 — 7,412 7,412 Total $ 10,372 $ 289,842 $ — $ 300,214 $ 300,461 Liabilities: Noninterest-bearing deposits $ — $ 83,854 $ — $ 83,854 $ 83,854 Interest-bearing deposits — 257,287 — 257,287 257,691 Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements — 11,305 — 11,305 11,305 Payables to customers and broker-dealers — 25,085 — 25,085 25,085 Borrowings — 563 — 563 563 Long-term debt — 27,306 — 27,306 25,584 Total $ — $ 405,400 $ — $ 405,400 $ 404,082 (a) Does not include the leasing portfolio. Summary of financial instruments Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total estimated Carrying Assets: Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks $ — $ 95,042 $ — $ 95,042 $ 95,042 Interest-bearing deposits with banks — 14,832 — 14,832 14,811 Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements — 30,182 — 30,182 30,182 Securities held-to-maturity 4,630 30,175 — 34,805 34,483 Loans (a) — 54,194 — 54,194 53,718 Other financial assets 4,830 1,233 — 6,063 6,063 Total $ 9,460 $ 225,658 $ — $ 235,118 $ 234,299 Liabilities: Noninterest-bearing deposits $ — $ 57,630 $ — $ 57,630 $ 57,630 Interest-bearing deposits — 200,846 — 200,846 201,836 Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements — 11,401 — 11,401 11,401 Payables to customers and broker-dealers — 18,758 — 18,758 18,758 Commercial paper — 3,959 — 3,959 3,959 Borrowings — 917 — 917 917 Long-term debt — 27,858 — 27,858 27,114 Total $ — $ 321,369 $ — $ 321,369 $ 321,615 (a) Does not include the leasing portfolio.

Fair value option

Fair value option	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value option	Fair value option We elected fair value as an alternative measurement for selected financial assets and liabilities that are not otherwise required to be measured at fair value, including the assets and liabilities of consolidated investment management funds and certain long-term debt. The following table presents the assets and liabilities of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value. Assets and liabilities of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Assets of consolidated investment management funds: Trading assets $ 482 $ 229 Other assets 5 16 Total assets of consolidated investment management funds $ 487 $ 245 Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds: Other liabilities 3 1 Total liabilities of consolidated investment management funds $ 3 $ 1 BNY Mellon values the assets and liabilities of its consolidated investment management funds using quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets or observable inputs such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities. Quoted prices for either identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets may also be used. Accordingly, fair value best reflects the interests BNY Mellon holds in the economic performance of the consolidated investment management funds. Changes in the value of the assets and liabilities are recorded in the consolidated income statement as investment income of consolidated investment management funds and in the interest of investment management fund note holders, respectively. We have elected the fair value option on $240 million of long-term debt. The fair value of this long-term debt was $400 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $387 million at Dec. 31, 2019. The long-term debt is valued using observable market inputs and is included in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. The following table presents the changes in fair value of long-term debt recorded in foreign exchange and other trading revenue in the consolidated income statement. Change in fair value of long-term debt (a) Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Foreign exchange and other trading revenue $ (13) $ (16) $ (4) (a) The changes in fair value are approximately offset by an economic hedge included in foreign exchange and other trading revenue.

Commitments and contingent liab

Commitments and contingent liabilities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and contingent liabilities	Commitments and contingent liabilities Off-balance sheet arrangements In the normal course of business, various commitments and contingent liabilities are outstanding that are not reflected in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Our significant trading and off-balance sheet risks are securities, foreign currency and interest rate risk management products, commercial lending commitments, letters of credit and securities lending indemnifications. We assume these risks to reduce interest rate and foreign currency risks, to provide customers with the ability to meet credit and liquidity needs and to hedge foreign currency and interest rate risks. These items involve, to varying degrees, credit, foreign currency and interest rate risks not recognized on the balance sheet. Our off-balance sheet risks are managed and monitored in manners similar to those used for on-balance sheet risks. The following table presents a summary of our off-balance sheet credit risks. Off-balance sheet credit risks Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Lending commitments $ 47,577 $ 49,119 Standby letters of credit (“SBLC”) (a) 2,265 2,298 Commercial letters of credit 60 74 Securities lending indemnifications (b)(c) 469,121 408,378 (a) Net of participations totaling $154 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $146 million at Dec. 31, 2019. (b) Excludes the indemnification for securities for which BNY Mellon acts as an agent on behalf of CIBC Mellon clients, which totaled $62 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $57 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. (c) Includes cash collateral, invested in indemnified repurchase agreements, held by us as securities lending agent of $41 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $37 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. The total potential loss on undrawn lending commitments, standby and commercial letters of credit, and securities lending indemnifications is equal to the total notional amount if drawn upon, which does not consider the value of any collateral. Since many of the lending commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total amount does not necessarily represent future cash requirements. A summary of lending commitment maturities is as follows: $30.7 billion in less than one year, $16.4 billion in one to five years and $449 million over five years. SBLCs principally support obligations of corporate clients and were collateralized with cash and securities of $194 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $184 million at Dec. 31, 2019. At Dec. 31, 2020, $1.5 billion of the SBLCs will expire within one year, $743 million in one to five years and none over five years. We must recognize, at the inception of an SBLC and foreign and other guarantees, a liability for the fair value of the obligation undertaken in issuing the guarantee. The fair value of the liability, which was recorded with a corresponding asset in other assets, was estimated as the present value of contractual customer fees. The estimated liability for losses related to SBLCs and foreign and other guarantees, if any, is included in the allowance for lending-related commitments. Payment/performance risk of SBLCs is monitored using both historical performance and internal ratings criteria. BNY Mellon’s historical experience is that SBLCs typically expire without being funded. SBLCs below investment grade are monitored closely for payment/performance risk. The table below shows SBLCs by investment grade: Standby letters of credit Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Investment grade 82 % 90 % Non-investment grade 18 % 10 % A commercial letter of credit is normally a short-term instrument used to finance a commercial contract for the shipment of goods from a seller to a buyer. Although the commercial letter of credit is contingent upon the satisfaction of specified conditions, it represents a credit exposure if the buyer defaults on the underlying transaction. As a result, the total contractual amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. Commercial letters of credit totaled $60 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $74 million at Dec. 31, 2019. We expect many of the lending commitments and letters of credit to expire without the need to advance any cash. The revenue associated with guarantees frequently depends on the credit rating of the obligor and the structure of the transaction, including collateral, if any. The allowance for lending-related commitments was $121 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $94 million at Dec. 31, 2019. A securities lending transaction is a fully collateralized transaction in which the owner of a security agrees to lend the security (typically through an agent, in our case, The Bank of New York Mellon) to a borrower, usually a broker-dealer or bank, on an open, overnight or term basis, under the terms of a prearranged contract. We typically lend securities with indemnification against borrower default. We generally require the borrower to provide collateral with a minimum value of 102% of the fair value of the securities borrowed, which is monitored on a daily basis, thus reducing credit risk. Market risk can also arise in securities lending transactions. These risks are controlled through policies limiting the level of risk that can be undertaken. Securities lending transactions are generally entered into only with highly rated counterparties. Securities lending indemnifications were secured by collateral of $493 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $428 billion at Dec. 31, 2019. CIBC Mellon, a joint venture between BNY Mellon and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (“CIBC”), engages in securities lending activities. CIBC Mellon, BNY Mellon and CIBC jointly and severally indemnify securities lenders against specific types of borrower default. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, $62 billion and $57 billion, respectively, of borrowings at CIBC Mellon, for which BNY Mellon acts as agent on behalf of CIBC Mellon clients, were secured by collateral of $66 billion and $61 billion, respectively. If, upon a default, a borrower’s collateral was not sufficient to cover its related obligations, certain losses related to the indemnification could be covered by the indemnitors. Unsettled repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements In the normal course of business, we enter into repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements that settle at a future date. In repurchase agreements, BNY Mellon receives cash from and provides securities as collateral to a counterparty at settlement. In reverse repurchase agreements, BNY Mellon advances cash to and receives securities as collateral from the counterparty at settlement. These transactions are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet on the settlement date. At Dec. 31, 2020, we had no unsettled repurchase agreements and $3.2 billion of unsettled reverse repurchase agreements. Industry concentrations We have significant industry concentrations related to credit exposure at Dec. 31, 2020. The tables below present our credit exposure in the financial institutions and commercial portfolios. Financial institutions portfolio exposure (in billions) Dec. 31, 2020 Loans Unfunded Total exposure Securities industry $ 2.3 $ 21.6 $ 23.9 Asset managers 1.4 6.4 7.8 Banks 6.7 1.1 7.8 Insurance 0.1 2.8 2.9 Government 0.1 0.2 0.3 Other 0.6 0.7 1.3 Total $ 11.2 $ 32.8 $ 44.0 Commercial portfolio exposure (in billions) Dec. 31, 2020 Loans Unfunded Total exposure Manufacturing $ 0.5 $ 4.1 $ 4.6 Services and other 0.6 3.8 4.4 Energy and utilities 0.3 3.9 4.2 Media and telecom — 0.9 0.9 Total $ 1.4 $ 12.7 $ 14.1 Major concentrations in securities lending are primarily to broker-dealers and are generally collateralized with cash and/or securities. Sponsored member repo program BNY Mellon is a sponsoring member in the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (“FICC”) sponsored member program, where we submit eligible overnight repurchase and reverse repurchase transactions in U.S. Treasury securities (“Sponsored Member Transactions”) between BNY Mellon and our sponsored member clients for novation and clearing through FICC pursuant to the FICC Government Securities Division rulebook (the “FICC Rules”). We also guarantee to FICC the prompt and full payment and performance of our sponsored member clients’ respective obligations under the FICC Rules in connection with such clients’ Sponsored Member Transactions. We minimize our credit exposure under this guaranty by obtaining a security interest in our sponsored member clients’ collateral and rights under Sponsored Member Transactions. See “Offsetting assets and liabilities” in Note 23 for additional information on our repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements. Indemnification arrangements We have provided standard representations for underwriting agreements, acquisition and divestiture agreements, sales of loans and commitments, and other similar types of arrangements and customary indemnification for claims and legal proceedings related to providing financial services that are not otherwise included above. Insurance has been purchased to mitigate certain of these risks. Generally, there are no stated or notional amounts included in these indemnifications and the contingencies triggering the obligation for indemnification are not expected to occur. Furthermore, often counterparties to these transactions provide us with comparable indemnifications. We are unable to develop an estimate of the maximum payout under these indemnifications for several reasons. In addition to the lack of a stated or notional amount in a majority of such indemnifications, we are unable to predict the nature of events that would trigger indemnification or the level of indemnification for a certain event. We believe, however, that the possibility that we will have to make any material payments for these indemnifications is remote. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, we have not recorded any material liabilities under these arrangements. Clearing and settlement exchanges We are a noncontrolling equity investor in, and/or member of, several industry clearing or settlement exchanges through which foreign exchange, securities, derivatives or other transactions settle. Certain of these industry clearing and settlement exchanges require their members to guarantee their obligations and liabilities and/or to provide liquidity support in the event other members do not honor their obligations. We believe the likelihood that a clearing or settlement exchange (of which we are a member) would become insolvent is remote. Additionally, certain settlement exchanges have implemented loss allocation policies that enable the exchange to allocate settlement losses to the members of the exchange. It is not possible to quantify such mark-to-market loss until the loss occurs. Any ancillary costs that occur as a result of any mark-to-market loss cannot be quantified. In addition, we also sponsor clients as members on clearing and settlement exchanges and guarantee their obligations. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, we did not record any material liabilities under these arrangements. Legal proceedings In the ordinary course of business, The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and its subsidiaries are routinely named as defendants in or made parties to pending and potential legal actions. We also are subject to governmental and regulatory examinations, information-gathering requests, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal). Claims for significant monetary damages are often asserted in many of these legal actions, while claims for disgorgement, restitution, penalties and/or other remedial actions or sanctions may be sought in governmental and regulatory matters. It is inherently difficult to predict the eventual outcomes of such matters given their complexity and the particular facts and circumstances at issue in each of these matters. However, on the basis of our current knowledge and understanding, we do not believe that judgments, settlements or orders, if any, arising from these matters (either individually or in the aggregate, after giving effect to applicable reserves and insurance coverage) will have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or liquidity of BNY Mellon, although they could have a material effect on our results of operations in a given period. In view of the inherent unpredictability of outcomes in litigation and regulatory matters, particularly where (i) the damages sought are substantial or indeterminate, (ii) the proceedings are in the early stages, or (iii) the matters involve novel legal theories or a large number of parties, as a matter of course there is considerable uncertainty surrounding the timing or ultimate resolution of litigation and regulatory matters, including a possible eventual loss, fine, penalty or business impact, if any, associated with each such matter. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, we establish accruals for litigation and regulatory matters when those matters proceed to a stage where they present loss contingencies that are both probable and reasonably estimable. In such cases, there may be a possible exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. We regularly monitor such matters for developments that could affect the amount of the accrual, and will adjust the accrual amount as appropriate. If the loss contingency in question is not both probable and reasonably estimable, we do not establish an accrual and the matter continues to be monitored for any developments that would make the loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable. We believe that our accruals for legal proceedings are appropriate and, in the aggregate, are not material to the consolidated financial position of BNY Mellon, although future accruals could have a material effect on the results of operations in a given period. In addition, if we have the potential to recover a portion of an estimated loss from a third party, we record a receivable up to the amount of the accrual that is probable of recovery. For certain of those matters described here for which a loss contingency may, in the future, be reasonably possible (whether in excess of a related accrued liability or where there is no accrued liability), BNY Mellon is currently unable to estimate a range of reasonably possible loss. For those matters described here where BNY Mellon is able to estimate a reasonably possible loss, the aggregate range of such reasonably possible loss is up to $730 million in excess of the accrued liability (if any) related to those matters. For matters where a reasonably possible loss is denominated in a foreign currency, our estimate is adjusted quarterly based on prevailing exchange rates. We do not consider potential recoveries when estimating reasonably possible losses. The following describes certain judicial, regulatory and arbitration proceedings involving BNY Mellon: Mortgage-Securitization Trusts Proceedings The Bank of New York Mellon has been named as a defendant in a number of legal actions brought by MBS investors alleging that the trustee has expansive duties under the governing agreements, including the duty to investigate and pursue breach of representation and warranty claims against other parties to the MBS transactions. Three actions commenced in December 2014, December 2015 and February 2017 are pending in New York federal court; and one action commenced in May 2016 is pending in New York state court. Matters Related to R. Allen Stanford In late December 2005, Pershing LLC (“Pershing”) became a clearing firm for Stanford Group Co. (“SGC”), a registered broker-dealer that was part of a group of entities ultimately controlled by R. Allen Stanford (“Stanford”). Stanford International Bank, also controlled by Stanford, issued certificates of deposit (“CDs”). Some investors allegedly wired funds from their SGC accounts to purchase CDs. In 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Stanford with operating a Ponzi scheme in connection with the sale of CDs, and SGC was placed into receivership. Alleged purchasers of CDs have filed two putative class action proceedings against Pershing: one in November 2009 in Texas federal court, and one in May 2016 in New Jersey federal court. After dismissals, three lawsuits remain against Pershing in Louisiana and New Jersey federal courts, which were filed in January 2010, October 2015 and May 2016. The purchasers allege that Pershing, as SGC’s clearing firm, assisted Stanford in a fraudulent scheme and assert contractual, statutory and common law claims. In March 2019, a group of investors filed a putative class action against The Bank of New York Mellon in New Jersey federal court, making the same allegations as in the prior actions brought against Pershing. All the cases that have been brought in federal court against Pershing and the case brought against The Bank of New York Mellon have been consolidated in Texas federal court for discovery purposes. In July 2020, after being enjoined from pursuing claims before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), an investment firm filed an action against Pershing in Texas federal court. FINRA arbitration proceedings also have been initiated by alleged purchasers asserting similar claims. Brazilian Postalis Litigation BNY Mellon Servicos Financeiros DTVM S.A. (“DTVM”), a subsidiary that provides asset services in Brazil, acts as administrator for certain investment funds in which a public pension fund for postal workers called Postalis-Instituto de Seguridade Social dos Correios e Telégrafos (“Postalis”) invested. On Aug. 22, 2014, Postalis sued DTVM in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for losses related to a Postalis fund for which DTVM is administrator. Postalis alleges that DTVM failed to properly perform duties, including to conduct due diligence of and exert control over the manager. On March 12, 2015, Postalis filed a lawsuit in Rio de Janeiro against DTVM and BNY Mellon Administração de Ativos Ltda. (“Ativos”) alleging failure to properly perform duties relating to another fund of which DTVM is administrator and Ativos is manager. On Dec. 14, 2015, Associacão dos Profissionais dos Correios (“ADCAP”), a Brazilian postal workers association, filed a lawsuit in São Paulo against DTVM and other defendants alleging that DTVM improperly contributed to Postalis investment losses. On March 20, 2017, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, and ADCAP has appealed that decision. On Dec. 17, 2015, Postalis filed three lawsuits in Rio de Janeiro against DTVM and Ativos alleging failure to properly perform duties with respect to investments in several other funds. On Feb. 4, 2016, Postalis filed a lawsuit in Brasilia against DTVM, Ativos and BNY Mellon Alocação de Patrimônio Ltda. (“Alocação de Patrimônio”), an investment management subsidiary, alleging failure to properly perform duties and liability for losses with respect to investments in various funds of which the defendants were administrator and/or manager. On Jan. 16, 2018, the Brazilian Federal Prosecution Service (“MPF”) filed a civil lawsuit in São Paulo against DTVM alleging liability for Postalis losses based on alleged failures to properly perform certain duties as administrator to certain funds in which Postalis invested or as controller of Postalis’s own investment portfolio. On April 18, 2018, the court dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, and the MPF has appealed that decision. In addition, the Tribunal de Contas da Uniao (“TCU”), an administrative tribunal, has initiated two proceedings with the purpose of determining liability for losses to two investment funds administered by DTVM in which Postalis was the exclusive investor. On Sept. 9, 2020, TCU rendered a decision in one of the proceedings, finding DTVM and two former Postalis directors jointly and severally liable for approximately $45 million. TCU also imposed on DTVM a fine of approximately $2 million. DTVM has filed an administrative appeal of the decision. On Oct. 4, 2019, Postalis and another pension fund filed a request for arbitration in São Paulo against DTVM and Ativos alleging liability for losses to an investment fund for which DTVM was administrator and Ativos was manager. On Oct. 25, 2019, Postalis filed a lawsuit in Rio de Janeiro against DTVM and Alocação de Patrimônio, alleging liability for losses in another fund for which DTVM was administrator and Alocação de Patrimônio and Ativos were managers. On June 19, 2020, a lawsuit was filed in federal court in Rio de Janeiro against DTVM, Postalis, and various other defendants alleging liability against DTVM for certain Postalis losses in an investment fund of which DTVM was administrator. Brazilian Silverado Litigation DTVM acts as administrator for the Fundo de Investimento em Direitos Creditórios Multisetorial Silverado Maximum (“Silverado Maximum Fund”), which invests in commercial credit receivables. On June 2, 2016, the Silverado Maximum Fund sued DTVM in its capacity as administrator, along with Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemão in its capacity as custodian and Silverado Gestão e Investimentos Ltda. in its capacity as investment manager. The Fund alleges that each of the defendants failed to fulfill its respective duty, and caused losses to the Fund for which the defendants are jointly and severally liable. German Tax Matters German authorities are investigating past “cum/ex” trading, which involved the purchase of equity securities on or shortly before the dividend date, but settled after that date, potentially resulting in an unwarranted refund of withholding tax. German authorities have taken the view that past cum/ex trading may have resulted in tax avoidance or evasion. European subsidiaries of BNY Mellon have been informed by German authorities about investigations into potential cum/ex trading by certain third-party investment funds, where one of the subsidiaries had acquired entities that served as depositary and/or fund manager for those third-party investment funds. We have received information requests from the authorities relating to pre-acquisition activity and are cooperating fully with those requests. In August 2019, the District Court of Bonn ordered that one of these subsidiaries be joined as a secondary party in connection with the prosecution of unrelated individual defendants. Trial commenced in September 2019. In March 2020, the court stated that it would refrain from taking action against the subsidiary in order to expedite the conclusion of the trial. The court convicted the unrelated individual defendants, and determined that the cum/ex trading activities of the relevant third-party investment funds were unlawful. In November and December 2020, we received secondary liability notices from the German tax authorities totaling approximately $150 million related to pre-acquisition activity in various funds for which the entities we acquired were depositary and/or fund manager. We have appealed the notices. In connection with the acquisition of the subject entities, we obtained an indemnity for liabilities from the sellers that we intend to pursue as necessary.

Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative instruments	Derivative instrumentsWe use derivatives to manage exposure to market risk, including interest rate risk, equity price risk and foreign currency risk, as well as credit risk. Our trading activities are focused on acting as a market-maker for our customers and facilitating customer trades in compliance with the Volcker Rule. The notional amounts for derivative financial instruments express the dollar volume of the transactions; however, credit risk is much smaller. We perform credit reviews and enter into netting agreements and collateral arrangements to minimize the credit risk of derivative financial instruments. We enter into offsetting positions to reduce exposure to foreign currency, interest rate and equity price risk. Use of derivative financial instruments involves reliance on counterparties. Failure of a counterparty to honor its obligation under a derivative contract is a risk we assume whenever we engage in a derivative contract. There were no counterparty default losses recorded in 2020. Hedging derivatives We utilize interest rate swap agreements to manage our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. We enter into fair value hedges as an interest rate risk management strategy to reduce fair value variability by converting certain fixed rate interest payments associated with available-for-sale securities and long-term debt to floating interest rates. We also utilize interest rate swaps and forward exchange contracts as cash flow hedges to manage our exposure to interest rate and foreign exchange rate changes. The available-for-sale securities hedged consist of U.S. Treasury, agency and non-agency commercial MBS, sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed, corporate bonds and foreign covered bonds. At Dec. 31, 2020, $17.4 billion par value of available-for-sale securities were hedged with interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges that had notional values of $17.5 billion. The fixed rate long-term debt instruments hedged generally have original maturities of five In addition, we utilize forward foreign exchange contracts as hedges to mitigate foreign exchange exposures. We use forward foreign exchange contracts as cash flow hedges to convert certain forecasted non-U.S. dollar revenue and expenses into U.S. dollars. We use forward foreign exchange contracts with maturities of 15 months or less as cash flow hedges to hedge our foreign exchange exposure to currencies such as Indian rupee, British pound, Euro, Hong Kong dollar, Polish zloty and Singapore dollar used in revenue and expense transactions for entities that have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency. As of Dec. 31, 2020, the hedged forecasted foreign currency transactions and designated forward foreign exchange contract hedges were $346 million (notional), with a pre-tax gain of $10 million recorded in accumulated OCI. This gain will be reclassified to earnings over the next 12 months. We also utilize forward foreign exchange contracts as fair value hedges of the foreign exchange risk associated with available-for-sale securities. Forward points are designated as an excluded component and amortized into earnings over the hedge period. The unamortized derivative value associated with the excluded component is recognized in accumulated OCI. At Dec. 31, 2020, $148 million par value of available-for-sale securities was hedged with foreign currency forward contracts that had a notional value of $148 million. Forward foreign exchange contracts are also used to hedge the value of our net investments in foreign subsidiaries. These forward foreign exchange contracts have maturities of less than one year. The derivatives employed are designated as hedges of changes in value of our foreign investments due to exchange rates. The change in fair market value of these forward foreign exchange contracts is reported within foreign currency translation adjustments in shareholders’ equity, net of tax. At Dec. 31, 2020, forward foreign exchange contracts with notional amounts totaling $8.2 billion were designated as net investment hedges. In addition to forward foreign exchange contracts, we also designate non-derivative financial instruments as hedges of our net investments in foreign subsidiaries. Those non-derivative financial instruments designated as hedges of our net investments in foreign subsidiaries were all long-term liabilities of BNY Mellon and, at Dec. 31, 2020, had a combined U.S. dollar equivalent carrying value of $187 million. The following table presents the pre-tax gains (losses) related to our fair value and cash flow hedging activities recognized in the consolidated income statement. Income statement impact of fair value and cash flow hedges (in millions) Location of 2020 2019 2018 Interest rate fair value hedges of available-for-sale securities Derivative Interest revenue $ (627) $ (795) $ 284 Hedged item Interest revenue 624 788 (273) Interest rate fair value hedges of long-term debt Derivative Interest expense 587 486 (328) Hedged item Interest expense (586) (483) 330 Foreign exchange fair value hedges of available-for-sale securities Derivative (a) Other revenue (9) 9 (2) Hedged item Other revenue 11 (8) 2 Cash flow hedge of interest rate risk Gain reclassified from OCI into income Interest expense — 7 — Cash flow hedges of forecasted FX exposures Gain reclassified from OCI into income Other revenue — — 2 (Loss) gain reclassified from OCI into income Staff expense (1) 3 (4) (Loss) gain recognized in the consolidated income statement due to fair value and cash flow hedging relationships $ (1) $ 7 $ 11 (a) Includes gains of $1 million in 2020 and $2 million in 2019 and a (loss) of $1 million in 2018 associated with the amortization of the excluded component. At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, the remaining accumulated OCI balance associated with the excluded component was de minimis. The following table presents the impact of hedging derivatives used in net investment hedging relationships. Impact of derivative instruments used in net investment hedging relationships (in millions) Derivatives in net investment hedging relationships Gain or (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI on derivatives Location of gain or (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI into income Gain or (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI into income 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 FX contracts $ (284) $ (19) $ 535 Net interest revenue $ — $ — $ — The following table presents information on the hedged items in fair value hedging relationships. Hedged items in fair value hedging relationships Carrying amount of hedged Hedge accounting basis adjustment increase (decrease) (a) Dec. 31, Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Available-for-sale securities (b)(c) $ 17,536 $ 13,792 $ 1,428 $ 687 Long-term debt $ 14,784 $ 13,945 $ 783 $ 116 (a) Includes $177 million and $53 million of basis adjustment increases on discontinued hedges associated with available-for-sale securities at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, respectively, and $118 million and $200 million of basis adjustment decreases on discontinued hedges associated with long-term debt at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, respectively. (b) Excludes hedged items where only foreign currency risk is the designated hedged risk, as the basis adjustments related to foreign currency hedges will not reverse through the consolidated income statement in future periods. The carrying amount excluded for available-for-sale securities was $148 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $142 million at Dec. 31, 2019. (c) Carrying amount represents the amortized cost. The following table summarizes the notional amount and carrying values of our total derivative portfolio at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Impact of derivative instruments on the balance sheet Notional value Asset derivatives Liability derivatives Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: (a)(b) Interest rate contracts $ 31,360 $ 28,365 $ — $ — $ 666 $ 350 Foreign exchange contracts 8,706 8,390 19 21 441 257 Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 19 $ 21 $ 1,107 $ 607 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: (b)(c) Interest rate contracts $ 198,865 $ 306,790 $ 4,482 $ 3,690 $ 3,880 $ 3,250 Foreign exchange contracts 813,003 848,961 7,688 5,331 7,622 5,340 Equity contracts 5,142 3,189 2 19 37 5 Credit contracts 165 165 — — 4 4 Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments $ 12,172 $ 9,040 $ 11,543 $ 8,599 Total derivatives fair value (d) $ 12,191 $ 9,061 $ 12,650 $ 9,206 Effect of master netting agreements (e) (8,346) (5,819) (7,845) (5,415) Fair value after effect of master netting agreements $ 3,845 $ 3,242 $ 4,805 $ 3,791 (a) The fair value of asset derivatives and liability derivatives designated as hedging instruments is recorded as other assets and other liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheet. (b) For derivative transactions settled at clearing organizations, cash collateral exchanged is deemed a settlement of the derivative each day. The settlement reduces the gross fair value of derivative assets and liabilities and results in a corresponding decrease in the effect of master netting agreements, with no impact to the consolidated balance sheet. (c) The fair value of asset derivatives and liability derivatives not designated as hedging instruments is recorded as trading assets and trading liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheet. (d) Fair values are on a gross basis, before consideration of master netting agreements, as required by ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. (e) Effect of master netting agreements includes cash collateral received and paid of $1,552 million and $1,051 million, respectively, at Dec. 31, 2020, and $1,022 million and $618 million, respectively, at Dec. 31, 2019. Trading activities (including trading derivatives) Our trading activities are focused on acting as a market-maker for our customers, facilitating customer trades and risk-mitigating economic hedging in compliance with the Volcker Rule. The change in the fair value of the derivatives utilized in our trading activities is recorded in foreign exchange and other trading revenue on the consolidated income statement. The following table presents our foreign exchange and other trading revenue. Foreign exchange and other trading revenue Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Foreign exchange $ 776 $ 577 $ 663 Other trading revenue 13 77 69 Total foreign exchange and other trading revenue $ 789 $ 654 $ 732 Foreign exchange revenue includes income from purchasing and selling foreign currencies and currency forwards, futures and options. Other trading revenue reflects results from trading in cash instruments, including fixed income and equity securities and non-foreign exchange derivatives. We also use derivative financial instruments as risk-mitigating economic hedges, which are not formally designated as accounting hedges. This includes hedging the foreign currency, interest rate or market risks inherent in some of our balance sheet exposures, such as seed capital investments and deposits, as well as certain investment management fee revenue streams. We also use total return swaps to economically hedge obligations arising from the Company’s deferred compensation plan whereby the participants defer compensation and earn a return linked to the performance of investments they select. The gains or losses on these total return swaps are recorded in staff expense on the consolidated income statement and were gains of $22 million in 2020 and $36 million in 2019 and a loss of $20 million in 2018. We manage trading risk through a system of position limits, a value-at-risk (“VaR”) methodology based on historical simulation and other market sensitivity measures. Risk is monitored and reported to senior management by a separate unit, independent from trading, on a daily basis. Based on certain assumptions, the VaR methodology is designed to capture the potential overnight pre-tax dollar loss from adverse changes in fair values of all trading positions. The calculation assumes a one VaR methodology does not evaluate risk attributable to extraordinary financial, economic or other occurrences. As a result, the risk assessment process includes a number of stress scenarios based upon the risk factors in the portfolio and management’s assessment of market conditions. Additional stress scenarios based upon historical market events are also performed. Stress tests may incorporate the impact of reduced market liquidity and the breakdown of historically observed correlations and extreme scenarios. VaR and other statistical measures, stress testing and sensitivity analysis are incorporated into other risk management materials. Counterparty credit risk and collateral We assess the credit risk of our counterparties through regular examination of their financial statements, confidential communication with the management of those counterparties and regular monitoring of publicly available credit rating information. This and other information is used to develop proprietary credit rating metrics used to assess credit quality. Collateral requirements are determined after a comprehensive review of the credit quality of each counterparty. Collateral is generally held or pledged in the form of cash and/or highly liquid government securities. Collateral requirements are monitored and adjusted daily. Additional disclosures concerning derivative financial instruments are provided in Note 20. Disclosure of contingent features in OTC derivative instruments Certain OTC derivative contracts and/or collateral agreements contain credit risk-contingent features triggered upon a rating downgrade in which the counterparty has the right to request additional collateral or the right to terminate the contracts in a net liability position. The following table shows the aggregate fair value of OTC derivative contracts in net liability positions that contained credit risk-contingent features and the value of collateral that has been posted. Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Aggregate fair value of OTC derivatives in net liability positions (a) $ 5,235 $ 3,442 Collateral posted $ 5,568 $ 3,671 (a) Before consideration of cash collateral. The aggregate fair value of OTC derivative contracts containing credit risk-contingent features can fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to changes in market conditions, composition of counterparty trades, new business or changes to the contingent features. The Bank of New York Mellon, our largest banking subsidiary, enters into the substantial majority of our OTC derivative contracts and/or collateral agreements. As such, the contingent features may be triggered if The Bank of New York Mellon’s long-term issuer rating were downgraded. The following table shows the fair value of contracts falling under early termination provisions that were in net liability positions for three key ratings triggers. Potential close-out exposures (fair value) (a) Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) If The Bank of New York Mellon’s rating changed to: (b) A3/A- $ 79 $ 56 Baa2/BBB $ 813 $ 608 Ba1/BB+ $ 2,859 $ 2,084 (a) The amounts represent potential total close-out values if The Bank of New York Mellon’s long-term issuer rating were to immediately drop to the indicated levels, and do not reflect collateral posted. (b) Represents ratings by Moody’s/S&P. If The Bank of New York Mellon’s debt rating had fallen below investment grade on Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, existing collateral arrangements would have required us to post additional collateral of $41 million and $63 million, respectively. Offsetting assets and liabilities The following tables present derivative and financial instruments and their related offsets. There were no derivative instruments or financial instruments subject to a legally enforceable netting agreement for which we are not currently netting. Offsetting of derivative assets and financial assets at Dec. 31, 2020 Gross assets recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Net assets recognized in the balance sheet Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral received Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 2,972 $ 1,952 $ 1,020 $ 311 $ — $ 709 Foreign exchange contracts 7,128 6,392 736 146 — 590 Equity and other contracts 2 2 — — — — Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 10,102 8,346 1,756 457 — 1,299 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 2,089 — 2,089 — — 2,089 Total derivatives 12,191 8,346 3,845 457 — 3,388 Reverse repurchase agreements 78,828 59,561 (b) 19,267 19,252 — 15 Securities borrowing 11,640 — 11,640 11,166 — 474 Total $ 102,659 $ 67,907 $ 34,752 $ 30,875 $ — $ 3,877 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral received. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of reverse repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system. Offsetting of derivative assets and financial assets at Dec. 31, 2019 Gross assets recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Net assets recognized Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral received Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 2,394 $ 1,792 $ 602 $ 207 $ — $ 395 Foreign exchange contracts 4,861 4,021 840 44 — 796 Equity and other contracts 9 6 3 — — 3 Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 7,264 5,819 1,445 251 — 1,194 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 1,797 — 1,797 — — 1,797 Total derivatives 9,061 5,819 3,242 251 — 2,991 Reverse repurchase agreements 112,355 93,794 (b) 18,561 18,554 — 7 Securities borrowing 11,621 — 11,621 11,278 — 343 Total $ 133,037 $ 99,613 $ 33,424 $ 30,083 $ — $ 3,341 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral received. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of reverse repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system. Offsetting of derivative liabilities and financial liabilities at Dec. 31, 2020 Net liabilities recognized in the balance sheet Gross liabilities recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral pledged Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 4,533 $ 2,348 $ 2,185 $ 2,115 $ — $ 70 Foreign exchange contracts 7,280 5,484 1,796 143 — 1,653 Equity and other contracts 37 13 24 7 — 17 Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 11,850 7,845 4,005 2,265 — 1,740 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 800 — 800 — — 800 Total derivatives 12,650 7,845 4,805 2,265 — 2,540 Repurchase agreements 69,831 59,561 (b) 10,270 10,270 — — Securities lending 1,035 — 1,035 983 — 52 Total $ 83,516 $ 67,406 $ 16,110 $ 13,518 $ — $ 2,592 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral paid. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system. Offsetting of derivative liabilities and financial liabilities at Dec. 31, 2019 Net liabilities recognized Gross liabilities recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral pledged Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 3,550 $ 1,986 $ 1,564 $ 1,539 $ — $ 25 Foreign exchange contracts 4,873 3,428 1,445 74 — 1,371 Equity and other contracts 5 1 4 2 — 2 Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 8,428 5,415 3,013 1,615 — 1,398 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 778 — 778 — — 778 Total derivatives 9,206 5,415 3,791 1,615 — 2,176 Repurchase agreements 104,451 93,794 (b) 10,657 10,657 — — Securities lending 718 — 718 694 — 24 Total $ 114,375 $ 99,209 $ 15,166 $ 12,966 $ — $ 2,200 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral paid. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system. Secured borrowings The following table presents the contract value of repurchase agreements and securities lending transactions accounted for as secured borrowings by the type of collateral provided to counterparties. Repurchase agreements and securities lending transactions accounted for as secured borrowings Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Remaining contractual maturity Total Remaining contractual maturity Total (in millions) Overnight and continuous Up to 30 days 30 days or more Overnight and continuous Up to 30 days 30 days or more Repurchase agreements: U.S. Treasury $ 62,381 $ — $ — $ 62,381 $ 94,788 $ 10 $ — $ 94,798 Agency RMBS 3,117 — 80 3,197 4,234 774 — 5,008 Corporate bonds 190 218 1,436 1,844 266 236 1,617 2,119 State and political subdivisions 66 40 864 970 38 166 1,077 1,281 U.S. government agencies 425 — — 425 594 16 — 610 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed — — — — — 22 — 22 Other debt securities 7 21 138 166 2 — 2 4 Equity securities — 21 827 848 31 99 479 609 Total $ 66,186 $ 300 $ 3,345 $ 69,831 $ 99,953 $ 1,323 $ 3,175 $ 104,451 Securities lending: Agency RMBS $ 161 $ — $ — $ 161 $ 160 $ — $ — $ 160 U.S. government agencies — — — — 19 — — 19 Other debt securities 52 — — 52 41 — — 41 Equity securities 822 — — 822 498 — — 498 Total $ 1,035 $ — $ — $ 1,035 $ 718 $ — $ — $ 718 Total secured borrowings $ 67,221 $ 300 $ 3,345 $ 70,866 $ 100,671 $ 1,323 $ 3,175 $ 105,169

Lines of business

Lines of business	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Lines of business	Lines of businessWe have an internal information system that produces performance data along product and service lines for our two principal businesses and the Other segment. The primary products and services and types of revenue for our principal businesses and a description of the Other segment are presented below. Investment Services business Line of business Primary products and services Primary types of revenue Asset Servicing Custody, Trust & Depositary, accounting, ETF services, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, prime brokerage and data analytics – Asset servicing fees (includes securities lending revenue) – Net interest revenue – Foreign exchange revenue – Financing-related fees Pershing Clearing and custody, investment, wealth and retirement solutions, technology and enterprise data management, trading services and prime brokerage – Clearing services fees Issuer Services Corporate Trust (trustee, paying agency, fiduciary, escrow and other financial services) and Depositary Receipts (issuer services and support for brokers and investors) – Issuer services fees Treasury Services Integrated cash management solutions including payments, foreign exchange, liquidity management, receivables processing and payables management and trade finance and processing – Treasury services fees Clearance and Collateral Management Clearance (including U.S. government and global clearing services) and Global Collateral Management (including tri-party services) – Asset servicing fees Investment and Wealth Management business Line of business Primary products and services Primary types of revenue Investment Management Diversified investment management strategies and distribution of investment products – Investment management fees Wealth Management Investment management, custody, wealth and estate planning, private banking services, investment services and information management – Investment management fees Other segment Description Primary types of revenue Includes leasing portfolio, corporate treasury activities, including our securities portfolio, derivatives and other trading activity, corporate and bank-owned life insurance, renewable energy investments and certain business exits – Foreign exchange and other trading revenue – Net gain (loss) on securities – Investment and other income – Net interest revenue (expense) Business accounting principles Our business data has been determined on an internal management basis of accounting, rather than GAAP which is used for consolidated financial reporting. These measurement principles are designed so that reported results of the businesses will track their economic performance. Business results are subject to reclassification when organizational changes are made, or for refinements in revenue and expense allocation methodologies. Refinements are typically reflected on a prospective basis. In 2020, we reclassified the results of certain services provided between the segments from noninterest expense to fee and other revenue. The intersegment activity is eliminated in the Other segment and relates to services that are also provided to third parties and provides consistency with the reporting of the revenues. This adjustment had no impact on income before taxes of the businesses. Also in 2020, we reclassified the results related to certain lending activities from the Wealth Management business to the Pershing business. These loans were originated by the Wealth Management business as a service to Pershing clients. This resulted in an increase in total revenue, noninterest expense and income before taxes in the Pershing business and corresponding decrease in the Wealth Management business. Prior periods were restated for both reclassifications. The accounting policies of the businesses are the same as those described in Note 1. The results of our businesses are presented and analyzed on an internal management reporting basis. • Revenue amounts reflect fee and other revenue generated by each business and include revenue for services provided between the segments that are also provided to third parties. Fee and other revenue transferred between businesses under revenue transfer agreements is included within other revenue in each business. • Revenues and expenses associated with specific client bases are included in those businesses. For example, foreign exchange activity associated with clients using custody products is included in Investment Services. • Net interest revenue is allocated to businesses based on the yields on the assets and liabilities generated by each business. We employ a funds transfer pricing system that matches funds with the specific assets and liabilities of each business based on their interest sensitivity and maturity characteristics. • The provision for credit losses associated with the respective credit portfolios is reflected in each business segment. • Incentives expense related to restricted stock and RSUs is allocated to the businesses. • Support and other indirect expenses, including services provided between segments that are not provided to third parties or not subject to a revenue transfer agreement, are allocated to businesses based on internally developed methodologies and reflected in noninterest expense. • Recurring FDIC expense is allocated to the businesses based on average deposits generated within each business. • Litigation expense is generally recorded in the business in which the charge occurs. • Management of the securities portfolio is a shared service contained in the Other segment. As a result, gains and losses associated with the valuation of the securities portfolio are generally included in the Other segment. • Client deposits serve as the primary funding source for our securities portfolio. We typically allocate all interest revenue to the businesses generating the deposits. Accordingly, accretion related to the portion of the securities portfolio restructured in 2009 has been included in the results of the businesses. • Balance sheet assets and liabilities and their related income or expense are specifically assigned to each business. Businesses with a net liability position have been allocated assets. • Goodwill and intangible assets are reflected within individual businesses. The following consolidating schedules present the contribution of our businesses to our overall profitability. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2020 Investment Investment and Wealth Other Consolidated (dollars in millions) Total fee and other revenue $ 9,256 $ 3,495 (a) $ 71 $ 12,822 (a) Net interest revenue (expense) 2,925 197 (145) 2,977 Total revenue (loss) 12,181 3,692 (a) (74) 15,799 (a) Provision for credit losses 315 20 1 336 Noninterest expense 8,170 2,701 133 11,004 Income (loss) before income taxes $ 3,696 $ 971 (a) $ (208) $ 4,459 (a) Pre-tax operating margin (b) 30 % 26 % N/M 28 % Average assets $ 331,809 $ 30,459 $ 51,050 $ 413,318 (a) Total fee and other revenue includes net income from consolidated investment management funds of $75 million, representing $84 million of income and noncontrolling interests of $9 million. Total revenue and income before income taxes are net of noncontrolling interests of $9 million. (b) Income before income taxes divided by total revenue. N/M – Not meaningful. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 Investment Investment and Wealth Other Consolidated (dollars in millions) Total fee and other revenue $ 8,926 $ 3,485 (a) $ 837 $ 13,248 (a) Net interest revenue (expense) 3,126 222 (160) 3,188 Total revenue 12,052 3,707 (a) 677 16,436 (a) Provision for credit losses (16) (1) (8) (25) Noninterest expense 8,096 2,647 157 10,900 Income before income taxes $ 3,972 $ 1,061 (a) $ 528 $ 5,561 (a) Pre-tax operating margin (b) 33 % 29 % N/M 34 % Average assets $ 267,278 $ 29,479 $ 49,198 $ 345,955 (a) Total fee and other revenue includes net income from consolidated investment management funds of $30 million, representing $56 million of income and noncontrolling interests of $26 million. Total revenue and income before income taxes are net of noncontrolling interests of $26 million. (b) Income before income taxes divided by total revenue. N/M – Not meaningful. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2018 Investment Investment and Wealth Other Consolidated (dollars in millions) Total fee and other revenue $ 8,944 $ 3,799 (a) $ 49 $ 12,792 (a) Net interest revenue (expense) 3,403 272 (64) 3,611 Total revenue (loss) 12,347 4,071 (a) (15) 16,403 (a) Provision for credit losses 1 3 (15) (11) Noninterest expense 8,100 2,814 296 11,210 (b) Income (loss) before income taxes $ 4,246 $ 1,254 (a) $ (296) $ 5,204 (a)(b) Pre-tax operating margin (c) 34 % 31 % N/M 32 % Average assets $ 262,889 $ 29,365 $ 51,520 $ 343,774 (a) Total fee and other revenue includes a net loss from consolidated investment management funds of $1 million, representing $13 million of losses and a loss attributable to noncontrolling interests of $12 million. Total revenue and income before income taxes are net of a loss attributable to noncontrolling interests of $12 million. (b) Noninterest expense and income before income taxes include a loss attributable to noncontrolling interest of $1 million related to other consolidated subsidiaries. (c) Income before taxes divided by total revenue. N/M – Not meaningful.

International operations

International operations	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Segments, Geographical Areas [Abstract]
International operations	International operationsInternational activity includes Investment Services and Investment and Wealth Management fee revenue generating businesses, foreign exchange trading activity, loans and other revenue producing assets and transactions in which the customer is domiciled outside of the United States and/or the international activity is resident at an international entity. Due to the nature of our international and domestic activities, it is not possible to precisely distinguish our international operations between internationally and domestically domiciled customers. As a result, it is necessary to make certain subjective assumptions such as: • Income from international operations is determined after internal allocations for interest revenue, taxes, expenses and provision for credit losses. • Expense charges to international operations include those directly incurred in connection with such activities, as well as an allocable share of general support and overhead charges. Total assets, total revenue, income before income taxes and net income of our international operations are shown in the table below. International operations International Total Total (in millions) Europe, the Middle East and Africa Asia-Pacific region Other Total 2020 Total assets at period end (a) $ 92,374 (b) $ 28,416 $ 2,513 $ 123,303 $ 346,330 $ 469,633 Total revenue 3,964 (b) 1,168 698 5,830 9,978 15,808 Income before income taxes 1,549 607 437 2,593 1,875 4,468 Net income 1,179 462 332 1,973 1,653 3,626 2019 Total assets at period end (a) $ 74,504 (b) $ 36,347 $ 2,636 $ 113,487 $ 268,021 $ 381,508 Total revenue 3,833 (b) 1,161 737 5,731 10,731 16,462 Income before income taxes 1,447 548 506 2,501 3,086 5,587 Net income 1,116 423 390 1,929 2,538 4,467 2018 Total assets at period end (a) $ 74,982 (b) $ 23,199 $ 1,483 $ 99,664 $ 263,209 $ 362,873 Total revenue 4,252 (b) 1,103 684 6,039 10,353 16,392 Income before income taxes 1,694 564 455 2,713 2,479 5,192 Net income 1,345 448 361 2,154 2,100 4,254 (a) Total assets include long-lived assets, which are not considered by management to be significant in relation to total assets. Long-lived assets are primarily located in the U.S. (b) Includes assets of approximately $38.1 billion, $30.8 billion and $30.6 billion and revenue of approximately $2.6 billion, $2.6 billion and $2.6 billion in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, of international operations domiciled in the UK, which is 8%, 8% and 8% of total assets and 16%, 16% and 16% of total revenue, respectively.

Supplemental information to the

Supplemental information to the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
Supplemental information to the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows	Supplemental information to the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Non-cash investing and financing transactions that, appropriately, are not reflected in the consolidated statement of cash flows are listed below. Non-cash investing and financing transactions Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Transfers from loans to other assets for other real estate owned $ 1 $ 2 $ 2 Change in assets of consolidated investment management funds 242 16 268 Change in liabilities of consolidated investment management funds 2 1 — Change in nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of consolidated investment management funds 41 1 215 Securities purchased not settled 205 497 227 Securities sold not settled — — 187 Available-for-sale securities transferred to held-to-maturity 501 — — Available-for-sale securities transferred to trading assets — — 963 Held-to-maturity securities transferred to available-for-sale — — 1,087 Premises and equipment/capitalized software funded by finance lease obligations 10 14 26 Premises and equipment/operating lease obligations 208 1,754 (a) — Investment redemptions not settled 9 20 — (a) Includes $1,244 million related to the adoption of ASU 2016-02, Leases, and $510 million related to new or modified leases.

Summary of significant accoun_2

Summary of significant accounting and reporting policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of operations	Nature of operationsBNY Mellon is a global leader in providing a broad range of financial products and services in domestic and international markets. Through our two principal businesses, Investment Services and Investment and Wealth Management, we serve institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals.
Basis of presentation	Basis of presentation The accounting and financial reporting policies of BNY Mellon, a global financial services company, conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and prevailing industry practices.
Reclassifications	Certain immaterial reclassifications have been made to prior periods to place them on a basis comparable with current period presentation.
Use of estimates	Use of estimatesThe preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates based upon assumptions about future economic and market conditions which affect reported amounts and related disclosures in our financial statements. Our most significant estimates pertain to our allowance for credit losses, fair value of financial instruments and derivatives, goodwill and other intangibles and litigation and regulatory contingencies. Although our current estimates contemplate current conditions and how we expect them to change in the future, it is reasonably possible that actual conditions could be worse than anticipated in those estimates, which could materially affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Foreign currency translation	Foreign currency translationAssets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to U.S. dollars at the rate of exchange on the balance sheet date. Transaction gains and losses are included in the income statement. Translation gains and losses on investments in foreign entities with functional currencies that are not the U.S. dollar are recorded as foreign currency translation adjustments in other comprehensive income (“OCI”). Revenue and expense transactions are translated at the applicable daily rate or the weighted average monthly exchange rate when applying the daily rate is not practical.
Acquired businesses	Acquired businesses The income statement and balance sheet include results of acquired businesses accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, Business Combinations and equity investments from the dates of acquisition. Contingent purchase consideration is measured at its fair value and recorded on the purchase date. Any subsequent changes in the fair value of a contingent consideration liability are recorded through the income statement.
Consolidation	Consolidation We evaluate an entity for possible consolidation in accordance with ASC 810, Consolidation . We first determine whether or not we have variable interests in the entity, which are investments or other interests that absorb portions of an entity’s expected losses or receive portions of the entity’s expected returns. Our variable interests may include decision-maker or service provider fees, direct and indirect investments and investments made by related parties, including related parties under common control. If it is determined that we do not have a variable interest in the entity, no further analysis is required and the entity is not consolidated. If we hold a variable interest in the entity, further analysis is performed to determine if the entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) or a voting model entity (“VME”). We consider the underlying facts and circumstances of individual entities when assessing whether or not an entity is a VIE. An entity is determined to be a VIE if the equity investors: • do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; or • lack one or more of the following characteristics of a controlling financial interest: • the power, through voting rights or similar rights, to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance; • the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity; and • the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity. We reconsider and reassess whether or not we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE when governing documents or contractual arrangements are changed that would reallocate the obligation to absorb expected losses or receive expected residual returns between BNY Mellon and the other investors. This could occur when BNY Mellon disposes of any portion of its variable interests in the VIE, when we acquire additional variable interests in the VIE, when additional variable interests are issued to other investors or when other investors liquidate their variable interest in the VIE. We consolidate a VIE if it is determined that we have a controlling financial interest in the entity. We have a controlling financial interest in a VIE when we have both (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (2) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to that VIE. For entities that do not meet the definition of a VIE, the entity is considered a VME. We consolidate these entities if we can exert control over the financial and operating policies of an investee, which can occur if we have a 50% or more voting interest in the entity. See Note 14 for additional disclosures related to our variable interests.
Equity method investments, including renewable energy investments	Equity method investments, including renewable energy investments Equity investments of less than a majority but at least 20% ownership are accounted for by the equity method and included in other assets. Earnings on these investments are reflected as investment services fees, investment management and performance fees or investment and other income, as appropriate, in the period earned. A loss in value of an equity investment that is determined to be other-than-temporary is recognized by reducing the carrying value of the equity investment to its fair value. Renewable energy investment projects through limited liability companies are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. The hypothetical liquidation at book value (“HLBV”) methodology is used to determine the pre-tax loss that is recognized in each period. HLBV estimates the liquidation value at the beginning and end of each period, with the difference recognized as the amount of loss under the equity method.
Restricted cash and securities	Restricted cash and securitiesCash and securities may be segregated under federal and other regulatory requirements and consists of excess client funds held by our broker-dealer entities. Restricted cash is included in interest-bearing deposits with banks on the balance sheet and with cash and due from banks when reconciling the beginning and end-of-period balances on the consolidated statement of cash flows.
Securities purchased under resale agreements and securities sold under repurchase agreement	Securities purchased under resale agreements and securities sold under repurchase agreements Securities purchased under resale agreements and securities sold under repurchase agreements are accounted for as collateralized financings. Generally, these agreements are recorded at the amounts at which the securities will be subsequently resold or repurchased, plus accrued interest. Securities purchased under resale agreements are fully collateralized with high-quality liquid securities. Collateral requirements are monitored and additional collateral is received or provided, as required. As such, these transactions carry minimal credit risk and are generally not allocated an allowance for credit losses. Where an enforceable netting agreement exists, resale and repurchase agreements executed with the same counterparty and the same maturity date are reported on a net basis on the balance sheet.
Securities - Debt & Equity	Securities – Debt Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale, held-to-maturity or trading securities when they are purchased. Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale securities when we intend to hold the securities for an indefinite period of time or when the securities may be used for tactical asset/liability purposes and may be sold from time to time to effectively manage interest rate exposure, prepayment risk and liquidity needs. Debt securities are classified as held-to-maturity securities when we intend and have the ability to hold them until maturity. Debt securities are classified as trading securities when our intention is to resell the securities. Available-for-sale securities are measured at fair value. The difference between fair value and amortized cost representing unrealized gains or losses on assets classified as available-for-sale is recorded net of tax as an addition to, or deduction from, OCI, unless an expected credit loss is recognized. If we determine that a credit loss exists, the amount is recognized as an allowance for credit losses in securities – available-for-sale, with a corresponding adjustment to the provision for credit losses and the non-credit portion of the unrealized loss is recognized in OCI. Realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities are reported on the income statement. The cost of debt securities sold is determined on a specific identification method. Held-to-maturity securities are measured at amortized cost. If we determine that a credit loss exists, the amount is recognized as an allowance for credit losses in securities – held-to-maturity, with a corresponding adjustment to the provision for credit losses. The accounting policy for estimating credit losses related to securities held-to-maturity changed beginning in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . This ASU also included targeted amendments with respect to credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities. Additional information regarding the Company’s policy for recognition of expected credit losses for securities available-for-sale and securities held-to-maturity is contained within “Allowance for credit losses – Securities – Debt” and “Allowance for credit losses – Other” below. Trading securities are measured at fair value and included in trading assets on the balance sheet. Trading revenue includes both realized and unrealized gains and losses. The liability incurred on short-sale transactions, representing the obligation to deliver securities, is included in trading liabilities at fair value. Income on securities purchased is adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount on a level yield basis, generally over their contractual life. For debt securities that are beneficial interests in securitized financial assets and are not high credit quality, ASC 325, Investments – Other , provides that cash flows be discounted at the current yield used to accrete the beneficial interest. A credit loss is recognized when there is an adverse change in expected cash flows. If we intend to sell the security or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security prior to recovery of its cost basis, the security is written down to fair value and the credit and non-credit components of the unrealized loss are recognized in earnings and subsequently accreted to interest income on an effective yield basis over the life of the security. Subsequent increases in the fair value of the security after the write-down are included in OCI. Securities – Equity Investments in equity securities that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method are measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through earnings, unless one of two available exceptions applies. The first exception, a scope exception, allows Federal Reserve Bank stock, Federal Home Loan Bank stock and exchange memberships to remain accounted for at cost, less impairment. The second practicability exception is an election available for equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values. For certain investments where the Company has chosen the practicability exception, such investments are accounted for in other assets on the balance sheet at cost adjusted for impairment, if any, plus or minus observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer with any such changes reflected in investment and other income. Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are classified in trading assets with changes in fair value reflected in foreign exchange and other trading revenue.
Loans	Loans Loans are reported at amortized cost, net of any unearned income and deferred fees and costs. Certain loan origination and upfront commitment fees, as well as certain direct loan origination and commitment costs, are deferred and amortized as a yield adjustment over the lives of the related loans. Loans held for sale are carried at the lower of cost or fair value.
Troubled debt restructuring/loan modifications	Troubled debt restructurings/loan modifications A modified loan is considered a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) if the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties and the creditor grants a concession to the debtor that would not otherwise be considered. A TDR may include a transfer of real estate or other assets from the debtor to the creditor, or a modification of the term of the loan. Credit losses related to TDRs are accounted for under an individual evaluation methodology (see “Allowance for credit losses” below). Credit losses for anticipated TDRs are accounted for similarly to TDRs and are identified when there is a reasonable expectation that a TDR will be executed with the borrower and when we expect the modification to affect the timing or amount of payments and/or the payment term. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been two forms of relief provided for classifying loans as TDRs: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) and the Interagency Guidance (as defined below). Financial institutions may account for eligible loan modifications either under the CARES Act or the Interagency Guidance. The Company has elected to apply both the CARES Act and the Interagency Guidance, as applicable, in providing borrowers with loan modification relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act, which became law on March 27, 2020, provides that financial institutions may, subject to certain conditions, elect to temporarily suspend the U.S. GAAP requirements with respect to loan modifications related to the coronavirus pandemic that were current as of Dec. 31, 2019 and that would otherwise be identified and treated as TDRs. On Dec. 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 was signed into law and extends the period established by the CARES Act under which consideration of TDR identification and accounting triggered by effects of the coronavirus pandemic are suspended. That period is extended one year to the earlier of Jan. 1, 2022, or 60 days after the date on which the national emergency terminates. Various banking regulators issued guidance in the April 7, 2020 “Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for Financial Institutions Working with Customers Affected by the Coronavirus (revised)” (“Interagency Guidance”) on loan modification treatment pursuant to which financial institutions can apply the U.S. GAAP requirements for loan modifications. In accordance with this guidance, a loan modification is not considered a TDR if the modification is related to the coronavirus pandemic, the borrower had been current when the modification program was implemented, and the modification includes payment deferrals for not more than six months.
Nonperforming assets	Nonperforming assets Commercial loans are placed on nonaccrual status when principal or interest is past due 90 days or more, or when there is reasonable doubt that interest or principal will be collected. When a first or second lien residential mortgage loan reaches 90 days delinquent, it is subject to an individual evaluation of credit loss and placed on nonaccrual status. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, previously accrued and uncollected interest is reversed against current period interest revenue. Interest receipts on nonaccrual loans are recognized as interest revenue or are applied to principal when we believe the ultimate collectability of principal is in doubt. Nonaccrual loans generally are restored to an accrual basis when principal and interest become current and remain current for a specified period.
Allowance for loan losses and allowance for lending-related commitments	Allowance for credit losses The accounting policy for estimating credit losses related to financial assets measured at amortized cost, including loans and lending-related commitments, changed beginning in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . This ASU also included targeted amendments with respect to credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities. The accounting policy for determining the allowances has been identified as a “critical accounting estimate” as it requires us to make numerous complex and subjective estimates and assumptions relating to amounts which are judgmental and inherently uncertain. Credit quality is monitored by management and is reflected within the allowance for credit losses. The allowance represents management’s estimate of expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of the financial instruments as of the balance sheet date. The allowance methodology is designed to provide procedural discipline in assessing the appropriateness of the allowance. A quantitative methodology and qualitative framework is used to estimate the allowance for credit losses. The qualitative framework is described in further detail within “Allowance for credit losses – Other” below. The quantitative component of our estimate uses models and methodologies that categorize financial assets based on product type, collateral type, and other credit trends and risk characteristics, including relevant information about past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions that affect the collectability of the recorded amounts. The allowance may be determined using various methods, including discounted cash flow methods, loss-rate methods, probability of default methods or other methods that we determine to be appropriate. We estimate our expected credit losses using the probability of default method for the majority of our financial assets. We measure expected credit losses of financial assets on a collective (pool) basis when similar risk characteristics exist. For a financial asset that does not share risk characteristics with other assets, expected credit losses are measured based on an individual evaluation method. In our estimate, with the exception of our small home equity line of credit portfolio, available-for-sale debt securities, and individually evaluated financial assets, we utilize a multi-scenario macroeconomic forecast which includes a weighting of three scenarios: a baseline and upside and downside scenarios and allows us to develop our estimate using a wide span of economic variables. Our baseline scenario reflects a view on likely performance of each global region and the other two scenarios are designed relative to the baseline scenario. This approach incorporates a reasonable and supportable forecast period spanning the life of the asset, and this period includes both an initial estimated economic outlook component as well as a reversion component for each economic input variable. The length of each of the two components depends on the underlying financial instrument, scenario and underlying economic input variable. In general, the initial economic outlook period for each economic input variable under each scenario ranges between several months and two years. The speed at which the scenario-specific forecasts revert to long-term historical mean is based on observed historical patterns of mean reversion at the economic variable input level that are reflected in our model parameter estimates. Certain macroeconomic variables such as unemployment or home prices take longer to revert after a contraction, though specific recovery times are scenario-specific. Reversion will usually take longer the further away the scenario-specific forecast is from the historical mean. On a quarterly basis, within a developed governance structure, we update these scenarios for current economic conditions and may adjust the scenario weighting based on our economic outlook. Allowance for credit losses – Loans and lending-related commitments The allowance for credit losses on loans is presented as a valuation allowance to loans, and the allowance for credit losses on lending-related commitments is recorded in other liabilities. The components of the allowance for credit losses on loans and lending-related commitments consist of the following three elements: • a pooled allowance component for higher risk-rated and pass-rated commercial and institutional credits; • a pooled allowance component for residential mortgage loans; and • an asset-specific allowance component involving individually evaluated credits of $1 million or greater. The first element, a pooled allowance component for higher risk-rated and pass-rated commercial and institutional credits, is based on our expected credit loss model using the probability of default method, which has been adjusted for the forecast of economic conditions. Individual credit analyses are performed on such loans before being assigned a credit rating. All borrowers are collectively evaluated based on their credit rating. The loss expected in each loan incorporates the borrower’s credit rating, facility rating and maturity. The loss given default, derived from the facility rating, incorporates a recovery expectation, and for unfunded lending exposures, an estimate of the use of the facility at default (usage given default). The borrower’s probability of default is derived from the associated credit rating. The probability of default and the loss given default are applied to the estimated facility amount at default to determine the quantitative component of the allowance. For each of the different parameters, specific credit models are developed for each segment of our portfolio, including commercial loans and lease financing, commercial real estate, financial institutions and other. Segmentation is established based on risk characteristics of the loans and how risk is monitored. We use both internal and external data in the development of these parameters. In estimating the term of the exposures and resulting effect on the measurement of expected credit loss, we consider the impact of potential prepayments as well as the effect of borrower extension options. Borrower ratings are reviewed at least annually and are periodically mapped to third-party databases, including rating agency and default and recovery databases, to ensure ongoing consistency and validity. Higher risk-rated loans and lending-related commitments are reviewed quarterly. The second element, a pooled allowance component for residential mortgage loans, is determined by first segregating our mortgage pools into two categories: (i) our wealth management mortgages and (ii) our legacy mortgage portfolio disclosed as other residential mortgages. We then apply models to each portfolio to predict prepayments, default rates and loss severity. We consider historical loss experience and use a loan-level, multi-period default model which further segments each portfolio by product type, including first lien fixed rate mortgages, first lien adjustable rate mortgages, second lien mortgages and interest-only mortgages. We calculate the mortgage loss up to loan contractual maturity and embed a reasonable and supportable forecast and macroeconomic variable inputs which are described above. For home equity lines of credit, probability of default and loss given default are based on external data from third-party databases due to the small size of the portfolio and limited internal data. Our legacy mortgage portfolio and home equity line of credit portfolios represent small sub-segments of our mortgage loans. The third element, individually evaluated credits, is based on individual analysis of loans of $1 million and greater which no longer share the risk characteristics with other loans. Factors we consider in measuring the extent of expected credit loss include the payment status, collateral value, the borrower’s financial condition, guarantor support, the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due, anticipated modifications of payment structure or term for troubled borrowers, and recoveries if they can be reasonably estimated. We measure the expected credit loss as the difference between the amortized cost basis in the loan and the present value of the expected future cash flows from the borrower which is generally discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, or the fair value of the collateral, if the loan is collateral dependent. We generally consider nonperforming loans as well as loans that have been or are anticipated to be modified under a troubled debt restructuring for individual evaluation given the risk characteristics of such loans. Allowance for credit losses – Securities – Debt When estimating expected credit losses, we segment our available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities portfolios by major asset class. This is influenced by whether the security is structured or non-structured (i.e., direct obligation), as well as the issuer type. Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale securities when we intend to hold the securities for an indefinite period of time or when the securities may be used for tactical asset/liability management purposes and may be sold from time to time to effectively manage interest rate exposure, prepayment risk and liquidity needs. Available-for-sale securities are measured at fair value. The difference between fair value and amortized cost represents the unrealized gains or losses on assets classified as available-for-sale, and is recorded net of tax as an addition to, or deduction from, OCI, unless we determine that this difference or a portion thereof represents an expected credit loss. If we determine that a credit loss exists, the amount is recognized as an allowance for credit losses in securities – available-for-sale, with a corresponding adjustment to the provision for credit losses. We evaluate credit losses at the individual security level and do not recognize credit losses if the fair value exceeds amortized cost, and if we determine that a credit loss exists, we limit the recognition of the loss to the difference between fair value and amortized cost. In our determination of whether an expected credit loss exists, we routinely conduct periodic reviews and examine various quantitative and qualitative factors that are unique to each portfolio, including the severity of the unrealized loss position, agency rating, credit enhancement, cash flow deterioration and other factors. The measurement of an expected credit loss is then based on the best estimate of the present value of cash flows to be collected from the debt security. Generally, cash flows are discounted at the effective interest rate implicit in the debt security. Changes to the present value of cash flows due to the passage of time are recognized within the allowance for credit losses. We estimate expected credit losses for held-to-maturity debt securities using a similar methodology as described in the first allowance element within “Allowance for credit losses – Loans and lending-related commitments” above. The allowance for credit losses on held-to-maturity debt securities is recorded in securities – held-to-maturity. The components of the credit loss calculation for each major portfolio or asset class include a probability of default and loss given default and their values depend on the forecast behavior of variables in the macroeconomic environment. For structured debt securities, we estimated expected credit losses at the individual security level and use a cash flow model to project principal losses. Generally, cash flows are discounted at the effective interest rate implicit in the debt security. The difference is reflected in the allowance for credit losses, and changes to the present value of cash flows due to the passage of time are recognized within the allowance for credit losses. We currently do not require an estimate of expected credit losses to be measured and recorded for U.S. Treasury securities, agency debt securities, and other debt securities that meet certain conditions that are based on a combination of factors such as guarantees, credit ratings and other credit quality factors. These assets are monitored within our established governance structure on a recurring basis to determine if any changes are warranted. Allowance for credit losses – Other financial instruments We also estimate expected credit losses associated with margin loans, reverse repurchase agreements, security lending indemnifications, and deposits with third-party financial institutions using a similar methodology as described in the first allowance element within “Allowance for credit losses – Loans and lending-related commitments” above. The allowance for credit losses on reverse repurchase agreements is recorded in federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements; the allowance for credit losses on securities lending indemnifications is recorded in other liabilities and the allowance for credit losses on deposits with third-party financial institutions is recorded in cash and due from banks or interest-bearing deposits with banks. Our reverse repurchase agreements are short term and subject to continuous over-collateralization by our counterparties and timely collateral replenishment, when necessary. As a result, we estimate the expected credit loss related to the uncollateralized portion of the asset at the balance sheet date, if any, and when there is a reasonable expectation that the counterparty will not replenish the collateral in compliance with the terms of the repurchase agreement. This method is also applied to margin lending arrangements and securities lending indemnifications. Allowance for credit losses – Other We do not apply our credit loss measurement methodologies to accrued interest receivable balances related to our loan, debt securities and deposits with third-party financial institution assets given our nonaccrual policy that requires charge-off of interest receivable when deemed uncollectible. Accrued interest receivable related to these instruments is presented in total with other interest-bearing instruments in the consolidated balance sheet. Accrued interest receivable related to each major loan class is disclosed within our credit quality disclosure in Note 5. Our policy for credit losses related to purchased financial assets requires an evaluation to be performed prior to the effective purchase date to determine if more than an insignificant decline in credit quality has occurred during the period between the origination and purchase date, or, in the case of debt securities, the period between the issuance and purchase date. If we purchase a financial asset with more than insignificant deterioration in credit quality, the measurement of expected credit loss is performed using the methodologies described above, and the credit loss is recorded as an allowance for credit losses on the purchase date. Subsequent to purchase, changes (favorable and unfavorable) in expected cash flows are recognized immediately in net income by adjusting the allowance. We evaluate various factors in the determination of whether a more than an insignificant decline in credit quality has occurred and these factors vary depending upon the type of asset purchased. Such factors include changes in risk rating and/or agency rating, collateral deterioration, payment status, purchase price, credit spreads and other factors. We did not purchase any such assets in 2020 and did not own such assets as of Dec. 31, 2020. We apply a separate credit loss methodology to accounts receivables to estimate the expected credit losses associated with these short-term receivables which historically have not resulted in significant credit losses. The allowance for credit losses on accounts receivables is reflected in other assets. The qualitative component of our estimate for the allowance for credit losses is intended to capture expected losses that may not have been fully captured
Premises and equipment	Premises and equipmentPremises and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the owned asset and, for leasehold improvements, over the lesser of the remaining term of the leased facility or the estimated economic life of the improvement. For owned and capitalized assets, estimated useful lives range from two
Leasing	Leasing We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments. The ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date or at lease modification date for certain lease modifications. For all leases, we use a discount rate that represents a collateralized incremental borrowing rate based on similar terms and information available at lease commencement date or at the modification date for certain lease modifications in determining the present value of lease payments. In addition to the lease payments, the determination of an ROU asset may also include certain adjustments related to lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred. Options to extend or terminate a lease are included in the determination of the ROU asset and lease liability only when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, while the lease expense for finance leases is recognized using the effective interest method. ROU assets are reviewed for impairment when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. For operating leases, if deemed impaired, the ROU asset is written down and the remaining balance is subsequently amortized on a straight-line basis which results in lease expense recognition that is similar to finance leases. For all leases, we have elected to account for the contractual lease and non-lease components as a single lease component and include them in the calculation of the lease liability. The non-lease variable components, such as maintenance expense and other variable costs, including non-index or rate escalations, have been excluded from the calculation and disclosed separately. Additionally, for certain equipment leases, we apply a portfolio approach to account for the operating lease ROU assets and liabilities. For subleasing activities, the rental income is reported as part of net occupancy expense, as this activity is not a significant business activity and is part of the Company’s customary business practice. For direct finance leases, unearned revenue is accreted over the lives of the leases in decreasing amounts to provide a constant rate of return on the net investment in the leases. We have leveraged lease transactions that were entered into prior to Dec. 31, 2018. These leases are grandfathered under ASC 842, Leases , which became effective Jan. 1, 2019, and will continue to be accounted for under the prior guidance unless the leases are subsequently modified. Revenue on leveraged leases is recognized on a basis to achieve a constant yield on the outstanding investment in the lease, net of the related deferred tax liability, in the years in which the net investment is positive. Gains and losses on residual values of leased equipment sold are included in investment and other income. Impairment of leveraged lease residual values that is deemed other-than-temporary is reflected in net interest revenue. Considering the
Software	Software We capitalize costs relating to acquired software and internal-use software development projects that provide new or significantly improved functionality. We capitalize projects that are expected to result in longer-term operational benefits, such as replacement systems or new applications that result in significantly increased operational efficiencies or functionality. All other costs incurred in connection with an internal-use software project are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software is recorded in other assets on the balance sheet. We record amortization of capitalized software in software and equipment expense on the income statement.
Identified intangible assets and goodwill	Identified intangible assets and goodwill Identified intangible assets with estimable lives are amortized in a pattern consistent with the assets’ identifiable cash flows or using a straight-line method over their remaining estimated benefit periods if the pattern of cash flows is not estimable. Intangible assets with estimable lives are reviewed for possible impairment when events or changed circumstances may affect the underlying basis of the asset. Goodwill and intangibles with indefinite lives are not amortized, but are assessed annually for impairment, or more often if events and circumstances indicate it is more likely than not they may be impaired and to determine if the lives are no longer indefinite and should be amortized. The amount of goodwill impairment, if any, is determined by the excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit over its fair value. The accounting policy for valuing and impairment testing of identified intangible assets and goodwill has been identified as a “critical accounting estimate” as it requires us to make numerous complex and subjective estimates. See Note 7 for additional disclosures related to goodwill and intangible assets.
Investments in qualified affordable housing projects	Investments in qualified affordable housing projects Investments in qualified affordable housing projects through a limited liability entity are accounted for utilizing the proportional amortization method. Under the proportional amortization method, the initial cost of the investment is amortized to the
Seed capital	Seed capital Seed capital investments are generally classified as other assets and carried at fair value unless we are required to consolidate the investee due to having a controlling financial interest. Unrealized gains and losses on seed capital investments are recorded in investment and other income. Certain risk retention investments in our collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) are classified as available-for-sale securities.
Noncontrolling interests	Noncontrolling interests Noncontrolling interests represent the portion of consolidated entities that are owned by parties other than BNY Mellon. Noncontrolling interests included in permanent equity are adjusted for the income or loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest holders and any distributions to those shareholders. Redeemable noncontrolling interests are reported as temporary equity and represent the redemption value resulting from equity-classified share-based payment arrangements that are currently redeemable or are expected to become redeemable. We recognize changes in the redemption value of the redeemable noncontrolling interests as they occur and adjust the carrying value to be equal to the redemption value.
Fee revenue	Fee revenue Investment Services and Investment and Wealth Management revenue is based on terms specified in a contract with a customer and are shown net of fee waivers and excludes any amounts collected on behalf of third parties. Revenue is recognized when, or as, a performance obligation is satisfied by transferring control of a good or service to a customer. A performance obligation may be satisfied over time or at a point in time. Revenue from a performance obligation satisfied over time is recognized by measuring our progress in satisfying the performance obligation in a manner that reflects the transfer of goods and services to the customer. Revenue from a performance obligation satisfied at a point in time is recognized at the point in time the customer obtains control of the promised good or service. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for the promised goods and services. Taxes assessed by a governmental authority, that are both imposed on, and concurrent with, a specific revenue-producing transaction, are collected from a customer and are excluded from revenue. Performance fees are recognized in the period in which the performance fees are earned and become determinable. Performance fees are constrained until all uncertainties are resolved and reversal of previously recorded amounts is not probable. Performance fees are generally calculated as a percentage of the applicable portfolio’s performance in excess of a benchmark index or a peer group’s performance. When a portfolio underperforms its benchmark or fails to generate positive performance, subsequent years’ performance must generally exceed this shortfall prior to fees being earned. Amounts billable, which are subject to a clawback if future performance thresholds in current or future years are not met, are not recognized since the fees are potentially uncollectible. These fees are recognized when it is determined that they will be collected. When a multi-year performance contract provides that fees earned are billed ratably over the performance period, only the portion of the fees earned that are non-refundable are recognized. Additionally, we recognize revenue from non-refundable, implementation fees under outsourcing contracts using a straight-line method, commencing in the period the ongoing services are performed through the expected term of the contractual relationship. Incremental direct set-up costs of implementation, up to the related customer margin or minimum fee revenue amount, are deferred and amortized over the same period that the related implementation fees are recognized. If a client terminates an outsourcing contract prematurely, the unamortized deferred incremental direct set-up costs and the unamortized deferred implementation fees related to that contract are recognized in the period the contract is terminated. We record foreign exchange and other trading revenue, financing-related fees and other revenue when the services are provided and earned based on
Net interest revenue	Net interest revenue Revenue on interest-earning assets and expense on interest-bearing liabilities are recognized based on the effective yield of the related financial instrument. The amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts are included in interest revenue and are adjusted for prepayments when they occur, such that, the effective yield remains constant throughout the contractual life of the security. Negative interest incurred on assets or charged on liabilities is presented as contra interest revenue and contra interest expense, respectively.
Pension	Pension The measurement date for BNY Mellon’s pension plans is December 31. Plan assets are determined based on fair value generally representing observable market prices. The projected benefit obligation is determined based on the present value of projected benefit distributions at an assumed discount rate. The discount rate utilized is based on the yield curves of high-quality corporate bonds available in the marketplace. The net periodic pension expense or credit includes service costs (if applicable), interest costs based on an assumed discount rate, an expected return on plan assets based on an actuarially derived market-related value, amortization of prior service cost and amortization of prior years’ actuarial gains and losses. Actuarial gains and losses include gains or losses related to changes in the amount of the projected benefit obligation or plan assets resulting from demographic or investment experience different than assumed, changes in the discount rate or other assumptions. To the extent an actuarial gain or loss exceeds 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets, the excess is generally recognized over the future service periods of active employees. Benefit accruals under the U.S. pension plans and the largest foreign pension plan in the UK are frozen. Future unrecognized actuarial gains and losses for these frozen plans that exceed a threshold amount are amortized over the average future life expectancy of plan participants with a maximum of 15 years. Our expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is based on anticipated returns for each applicable asset class. Anticipated returns are weighted for the expected allocation for each asset class and are based on forecasts for prospective returns in the equity and fixed-income markets, which should track the long-term historical returns for these markets. We also consider the growth outlook for U.S. and global economies, as well as current and prospective interest rates. The market-related value utilized to determine the expected return on plan assets is based on the fair value of plan assets adjusted for the difference between expected returns and actual performance of plan assets. The difference between actual experience and expected returns on plan assets is included as an adjustment in the market-related value over a five
Stock-based compensation	Stock-based compensation Compensation expense relating to share-based payments is recognized in staff expense on the income statement, on a straight-line basis, over the applicable vesting period. Certain stock compensation grants vest when the employee retires. New grants with this feature are expensed by the first date the employee is eligible to retire. We estimate forfeitures when recording compensation cost related to share-based payment awards.
Severance	Severance BNY Mellon provides separation benefits for U.S.-based employees through The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan. These benefits are provided to eligible employees separated from their jobs for business reasons not related to individual performance. Basic separation benefits are generally based on the employee’s years of continuous benefited service. Severance for employees based outside of the U.S. is determined in accordance with local agreements and legal requirements. Severance expense is recorded when management commits to an action that will result in separation and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated.
Income taxes	Income taxesWe record current tax liabilities or assets through charges or credits to the current tax provision for the estimated taxes payable or refundable for the current year. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A deferred tax valuation allowance is established if it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. A tax position that fails to meet a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold will result in either reduction of current or deferred tax assets, and/or recording of current or deferred tax liabilities. Interest and penalties related to income taxes are recorded as income tax expense.
Derivative financial instruments	Derivative financial instruments Derivatives are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value and include futures, forwards, interest rate swaps, foreign currency swaps and options and similar products. Derivatives in an unrealized gain position are recognized as assets while derivatives in unrealized loss position are recognized as liabilities. Derivatives are reported net by counterparty and after consideration of cash collateral, to the extent subject to legally enforceable netting agreements. Derivatives designated and effective in qualifying hedging relationships are classified in other assets or other liabilities on the balance sheet. All other derivatives are classified within trading assets or trading liabilities on the balance sheet. Gains and losses on trading derivatives are generally included in foreign exchange and other trading revenue. We enter into various derivative financial instruments for non-trading purposes primarily as part of our asset/liability management process. These non-trading derivatives are designated as one of three types of hedge activities: fair value, cash flow or net investment hedges. Gains and losses on derivatives associated with fair value hedges are recorded in income as well as any change in the value of the related hedged item associated with the designated risks being hedged. Gains and losses on cash flow hedges are recorded in OCI, until reclassified into earnings in the same period the hedged item impacts earnings. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses related to a hedged net investment in a foreign operation, net of their tax effect, are recorded with cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments within OCI. To qualify for hedge accounting, each hedge relationship is required to be highly effective at reducing the risk associated with the exposure being hedged, both prospectively and retrospectively. We formally document all relationships, including hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as our risk management objectives and strategy for undertaking each hedging transaction. At inception, the potential cause of ineffectiveness related to each of our hedges is assessed to determine if we can expect the hedge to be highly effective over the life of the transaction. At hedge inception, we document the methodology to be utilized for evaluating effectiveness on an ongoing basis, and we monitor ongoing hedge effectiveness at least quarterly. For qualifying fair value hedges, changes in the fair value of the derivative, and changes in the value of the hedged item associated with the designated risks being hedged, are recognized in earnings. Certain amounts excluded from the assessment of effectiveness are recorded in OCI and recognized in earnings through an amortization approach over the life of the derivative. We discontinue hedge accounting prospectively when we determine that the hedge is no longer effective or the derivative expires, is sold, or management discontinues the derivative’s hedge designation. Subsequent gains and losses on these derivatives are included in foreign exchange and other trading revenue. For discontinued fair value hedges, the accumulated gain or loss on the hedged item is amortized on a yield basis over the remaining life of the hedged item. For qualifying cash flow hedges, changes in the fair value of the derivative are recorded in OCI, until reclassified into earnings in the same period the hedged item impacts earnings. If the hedge relationship is terminated, then the change in value will be reclassified from OCI to earnings when the cash flows that were previously hedged affect earnings. If cash flow hedge accounting is discontinued as a result of a forecasted transaction no longer being probable to occur, then the amount reported in OCI is immediately reclassified to current earnings. Derivative amounts affecting earnings are recognized in the same income statement line as the hedged item affects earnings, principally interest revenue, interest expense, other revenue and staff expense. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses related to qualifying hedges of net investments in a foreign operation are recorded with cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments within OCI net of their tax effect. The Company evaluates effectiveness of its foreign currency derivatives designated as hedges of its net investments utilizing the forward rate method.
Earnings per common share	Earnings per common share Earnings per common share is calculated using the two-class method under which earnings are allocated to common shareholders and holders of participating securities. Unvested stock-based compensation awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents are considered participating securities under the two-class method. Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income allocated to common shareholders of BNY Mellon by the average number of common shares outstanding and vested stock-based compensation awards where recipients have satisfied either the explicit vesting terms or retirement-eligibility requirements. Diluted earnings per common share is computed under the more dilutive of either the treasury stock method or the two-class method. We increase the average number of shares of common stock outstanding by the assumed number of shares of common stock that would be issued assuming the exercise of stock options and the issuance of shares related to stock-based compensation awards using the treasury stock method, if dilutive. Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income allocated to common shareholders of BNY Mellon by the adjusted average number of common shares outstanding.
Statement of cash flows	Statement of cash flowsWe have defined cash as cash and due from banks. Cash flows from hedging activities are classified in the same category as the items hedged. Distributions received from equity method investees are classified as cash inflows from operating activities on the statement of cash flows. Excess returns on investments of equity method investments are classified as cash flows from investing activities on the statement of cash flows.
Accounting changes and new accounting guidance	The following accounting guidance was adopted in 2020. ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an ASU, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . This ASU introduces a new current expected credit losses model, which applies to financial assets subject to credit losses and measured at amortized cost, including held-to-maturity securities and certain off-balance sheet credit exposures. The guidance also changes current practice for the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities by requiring the use of an allowance to record estimated credit losses and subsequent recoveries. The standard requires a cumulative effect of initial application to be recognized in retained earnings at the date of initial application. In conjunction with adopting the new standard, we developed expected credit loss models and approaches that include consideration of multiple forecast scenarios and other methodologies. On Jan. 1, 2020, we adopted this new accounting guidance on a modified retrospective basis and recognized a $45 million after-tax increase in retained earnings, primarily attributable to a reduction to the allowance for credit losses for our commercial lending portfolios. The comparative financial information for prior periods has not been restated. See the Consolidated Balance Sheet and Notes 4 and 5 for the disclosures required by this ASU. ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform: Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting In March 2020, the FASB issued an ASU, Reference Rate Reform: Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This ASU provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to financial contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by reference rate reform. Specifically, the ASU provides for the election to account for certain contract amendments related to reference rate reform as modifications rather than extinguishments without the requirement to assess the significance of the amendments. In addition, the ASU allows for certain practical expedients and elections to preserve hedge accounting uninterrupted during the Replacement of Interbank Offered Rates (“IBORs”) transition period. This ASU also permits an entity to make a one-time election to sell and/or transfer held-to-maturity securities that are affected by reference rate reform and were classified as held-to-maturity on or before Jan. 1, 2020.
Fair value measurement	Fair value measurement Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset, or paid to transfer a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements is utilized based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. BNY Mellon’s own creditworthiness is considered when valuing liabilities. Fair value focuses on exit price in an orderly transaction (that is, not a forced liquidation or distressed sale) between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions. If there has been a significant decrease in the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability, a change in valuation technique or the use of multiple valuation techniques may be appropriate. In such instances, determining the price at which willing market participants would transact at the measurement date under current market conditions depends on the facts and circumstances and requires the use of significant judgment. The objective is to determine from weighted indicators of fair value a reasonable point within the range that is most representative of fair value under current market conditions. Determination of fair value We have established processes for determining fair values. Fair value is based upon quoted market prices in active markets, where available. For financial instruments where quotes from recent exchange transactions are not available, we determine fair value based on discounted cash flow analysis, comparison to similar instruments and the use of financial models. Discounted cash flow analysis is dependent upon estimated future cash flows and the level of interest rates. Model-based pricing uses inputs of observable prices, where available, for interest rates, foreign exchange rates, option volatilities and other factors. Models are benchmarked and validated by an independent internal risk management function. Our valuation process takes into consideration factors such as counterparty credit quality, liquidity, concentration concerns and observability of model parameters. Valuation adjustments may be made to record financial instruments at fair value. Most derivative contracts are valued using models which are calibrated to observable market data and employ standard market pricing theory for their valuations. Valuation models incorporate counterparty credit risk by discounting each trade’s expected exposures to the counterparty using the counterparty’s credit spreads, as implied by the credit default swap market. We also adjust expected liabilities to the counterparty using BNY Mellon’s own credit spreads, as implied by the credit default swap market. Accordingly, the valuation of our derivative positions is sensitive to the current changes in our own credit spreads, as well as those of our counterparties. In certain cases, recent prices may not be observable for instruments that trade in inactive or less active markets. Upon evaluating the uncertainty in valuing financial instruments subject to liquidity issues, we make an adjustment to their value. The determination of the liquidity adjustment includes the availability of external quotes, the time since the latest available quote and the price volatility of the instrument. Certain parameters in some financial models are not directly observable and, therefore, are based on management’s estimates and judgments. These financial instruments are normally traded less actively. We apply valuation adjustments to mitigate the possibility of error and revision in the model-based estimate value. Examples include products where parameters such as correlation and recovery rates are unobservable. The methods described above for instruments that trade in inactive or less active markets may produce a current fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. We believe our methods of determining fair value are appropriate and consistent with other market participants. However, the use of different methodologies or different assumptions to value certain financial instruments could result in a different estimate of fair value. Valuation hierarchy A three-level valuation hierarchy is used for disclosure of fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are described below. Level 1 : Inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Level 1 assets and liabilities include certain debt and equity securities, derivative financial instruments actively traded on exchanges and highly liquid government bonds. Level 2 : Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, for example, quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, and inputs that are observable or can be corroborated, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument. Level 2 assets and liabilities include debt instruments that are traded less frequently than exchange-traded securities and derivative financial instruments whose model inputs are observable in the market or can be corroborated by market-observable data. Examples in this category are MBS, corporate debt securities and over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivative contracts. Level 3 : Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement. A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Valuation methodology Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy. Securities We determine fair value primarily based on pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. Where quoted prices are available in an active market, we classify the securities within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Securities include both long and short positions. Level 1 securities include U.S. Treasury and certain sovereign debt securities that are actively traded in highly liquid OTC markets, money market funds and exchange-traded equities. If quoted market prices are not available, fair values are primarily determined using pricing models using observable trade data, market data, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or discounted cash flows. Examples of such instruments, which would generally be classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy, include MBS, state and political subdivisions, certain sovereign debt, corporate bonds and foreign covered bonds. Specifically, the pricing sources obtain recent transactions for similar types of securities (e.g., vintage, position in the securitization structure) and ascertain variables such as discount rate and speed of prepayment for the types of transaction and apply such variables to similar types of bonds. We view these as observable transactions in the current marketplace and classify such securities as Level 2. Pricing sources discontinue pricing any specific security whenever they determine there is insufficient observable data to provide a good faith opinion on price. In certain cases where there is limited activity or less transparency around inputs to the valuation, we classify those securities in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. As of Dec. 31, 2020, we have no instruments included in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. At Dec. 31, 2020, approximately 99% of our securities were valued by pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. The remaining securities were generally valued using observable inputs. Additional disclosures of securities are provided in Note 4. Derivative financial instruments We classify exchange-traded derivative financial instruments valued using quoted prices in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Examples include exchange-traded equity and foreign exchange options. Since few other classes of derivative contracts are listed on an exchange, most of our derivative positions are valued using models that use as their basis readily observable market parameters, and we classify them in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. Such derivative financial instruments include swaps and options, foreign exchange spot and forward contracts and credit default swaps. Derivatives valued using models with significant unobservable market parameters in markets that lack two-way flow are classified in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. Examples may include long-dated swaps and options, where parameters may be unobservable for longer maturities; and certain highly structured products, where correlation risk is unobservable. As of Dec. 31, 2020, we have no Level 3 derivatives. Additional disclosures of derivative instruments are provided in Note 23. Seed capital In our Investment and Wealth Management business, we make seed capital investments in certain funds we manage. Seed capital is generally included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. When applicable, we value seed capital based on the published NAV of the fund. For other types of investments in funds, we consider all of the rights and obligations inherent in our ownership interest, including the reported NAV as well as other factors that affect the fair value of our interest in the fund. Interests in securitizations For the interests in securitizations that are classified in trading assets—equity instruments and long-term debt—we use discounted cash flow models, which generally include assumptions of projected finance charges related to the securitized assets, estimated net credit losses, prepayment assumptions and estimates of payments to third-party investors. When available, we compare our fair value estimates and assumptions to market activity and to the actual results of the securitized portfolio. Other assets measured at NAV We hold private equity investments, specifically SBICs, which are compliant with the Volcker Rule. There are no readily available market quotations for these investment partnerships. The fair value of the SBICs is based on our ownership percentage of the fair value of the underlying investments as provided by the partnership managers. These investments are typically valued on a quarterly basis. Our SBIC private equity investments are valued at NAV as a practical expedient for fair value.

Summary of significant accoun_3

Summary of significant accounting and reporting policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Equity Method Investments	Below are our most significant equity method investments, other than the investments in renewable energy. Equity method investments at Dec. 31, 2020 (dollars in millions) Percentage ownership Book value CIBC Mellon Global Securities Services Company (“CIBC Mellon”) 50 % $ 698 Siguler Guff 20 % $ 223

Accounting changes and new ac_2

Accounting changes and new accounting guidance (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Reconciliation of Allowance for Credit Losses	The table below presents the reconciliation of the allowance for credit losses (pre-tax). Allowance for credit losses (in millions) Allowance for credit losses – Dec. 31, 2019 $ 216 Impact of adopting ASU 2016-13: Securities 7 Loans (a) (69) Other 3 Total impact of adoption of ASU 2016-13 (59) Reclassification of credit-related reserves on accounts receivable 4 Allowance for credit losses – Jan. 1, 2020 $ 161 (a) Includes $48 million related to loans and $21 million for lending-related commitments.

Securities (Tables)

Securities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Securities [Abstract]
Amortized Cost and Fair Values of Securities	The following tables present the amortized cost, the gross unrealized gains and losses and the fair value of securities at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Securities at Dec. 31, 2020 Gross Fair Amortized cost (in millions) Gains Losses Available-for-sale: U.S. Treasury $ 23,557 $ 1,358 $ 21 $ 24,894 Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) 21,919 479 51 22,347 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 12,202 190 1 12,391 Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) 8,605 625 2 9,228 Supranational 7,086 75 1 7,160 Foreign covered bonds 6,658 68 1 6,725 Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) 4,706 7 10 4,703 Foreign government agencies 4,086 49 — 4,135 U.S. government agencies 3,680 174 1 3,853 Other asset-backed securities (“ABS”) 3,135 32 3 3,164 Non-agency commercial MBS 2,864 159 6 3,017 Non-agency RMBS (a) 2,178 157 9 2,326 State and political subdivisions 2,270 39 1 2,308 Corporate bonds 1,945 50 1 1,994 Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”) 249 — — 249 Other debt securities 1 — — 1 Total securities available-for-sale (b)(c) $ 105,141 $ 3,462 $ 108 $ 108,495 Held-to-maturity: Agency RMBS $ 38,355 $ 1,055 $ 14 $ 39,396 U.S. Treasury 2,938 90 — 3,028 U.S. government agencies 2,816 4 6 2,814 Agency commercial MBS 2,659 105 2 2,762 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 1,050 42 — 1,092 Non-agency RMBS 58 3 — 61 Supranational 55 — — 55 State and political subdivisions 15 1 — 16 Total securities held-to-maturity $ 47,946 $ 1,300 $ 22 $ 49,224 Total securities $ 153,087 $ 4,762 $ 130 $ 157,719 (a) Includes $487 million that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (b) In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The amortized cost of available-for-sale securities is net of the allowance for credit loss of $11 million. The allowance for credit loss primarily relates to CLOs. See Note 2 for additional information. (c) Includes gross unrealized gains of $75 million and gross unrealized losses of $44 million recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized gains are primarily related to agency commercial MBS and losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. Securities at Dec. 31, 2019 Gross Amortized cost Fair (in millions) Gains Losses Available-for-sale: Agency RMBS $ 27,022 $ 164 $ 143 $ 27,043 U.S. Treasury 14,979 472 20 15,431 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 12,548 109 11 12,646 Agency commercial MBS 9,231 203 17 9,417 Foreign covered bonds 4,189 15 7 4,197 CLOs 4,078 1 16 4,063 Supranational 3,697 18 6 3,709 Foreign government agencies 2,638 7 2 2,643 Non-agency commercial MBS 2,134 46 2 2,178 Other ABS 2,141 7 5 2,143 U.S. government agencies 1,890 61 2 1,949 Non-agency RMBS (a) 1,038 202 7 1,233 State and political subdivisions 1,017 27 — 1,044 Corporate bonds 832 21 — 853 Other debt securities 1 — — 1 Total securities available-for-sale (b) $ 87,435 $ 1,353 $ 238 $ 88,550 Held-to-maturity: Agency RMBS $ 27,357 $ 292 $ 46 $ 27,603 U.S. Treasury 3,818 28 3 3,843 Agency commercial MBS 1,326 21 3 1,344 U.S. government agencies 1,023 1 2 1,022 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 756 31 — 787 Non-agency RMBS 80 4 1 83 Foreign covered bonds 79 — — 79 Supranational 27 — — 27 State and political subdivisions 17 — — 17 Total securities held-to-maturity $ 34,483 $ 377 $ 55 $ 34,805 Total securities $ 121,918 $ 1,730 $ 293 $ 123,355 (a) Includes $640 million that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (b) Includes gross unrealized gains of $32 million and gross unrealized losses of $65 million recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized gains and losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities.
Schedule of Realized Gains, Losses, and Impairments	The following table presents the realized gains, losses and impairments, on a gross basis. Net securities gains (losses) (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Realized gross gains $ 46 $ 23 $ 8 Realized gross losses (13) (39) (55) Recognized gross impairments — (2) (1) Total net securities gains (losses) $ 33 $ (18) $ (48)
Pre-Tax Securities Gains (Losses) by Type	The following table presents pre-tax net securities gains (losses) by type. Net securities gains (losses) (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Foreign government agencies $ 8 $ (3) $ (1) U.S. Treasury 8 (13) (4) Supranational 7 (2) — Agency RMBS — 1 (42) Other 10 (1) (1) Total net securities gains (losses) $ 33 $ (18) $ (48)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale Securities, Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	The following table shows the aggregate fair value of available-for-sale securities with a continuous unrealized loss position for less than 12 months and those that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or more without an allowance for credit losses. Available-for-sale securities in an unrealized loss position without an allowance for credit losses at Dec. 31, 2020 (a) Less than 12 months 12 months or more Total Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized (in millions) Agency RMBS $ 850 $ 4 $ 1,965 $ 47 $ 2,815 $ 51 U.S. Treasury 4,253 21 — — 4,253 21 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 1,349 1 135 — 1,484 1 Agency commercial MBS 440 1 266 1 706 2 Foreign covered bonds 468 1 90 — 558 1 Supranational 1,041 1 132 — 1,173 1 CLOs 1,849 6 579 4 2,428 10 U.S. government agencies 160 1 — — 160 1 Other ABS 449 2 226 1 675 3 Non-agency commercial MBS 468 4 170 2 638 6 Non-agency RMBS (b) 973 3 103 6 1,076 9 State and political subdivisions 273 1 2 — 275 1 Corporate bonds 282 1 — — 282 1 Total securities available-for-sale (c) $ 12,855 $ 47 $ 3,668 $ 61 $ 16,523 $ 108 (a) Includes $1.6 billion of securities with an unrealized loss of greater than $1 million. (b) Includes $16 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for less than 12 months and $2 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for 12 months or more that were included in the former Grantor Trust. (c) Includes gross unrealized losses of $44 million for 12 months or more recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. There were no gross unrealized losses for less than 12 months. The following table presents the temporarily impaired securities under the disclosure guidance that existed prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13 and shows the aggregate fair value of available-for-sale securities with a continuous unrealized loss position for less than 12 months and those that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or more. Temporarily impaired securities at Dec. 31, 2019 Less than 12 months 12 months or more Total (in millions) Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized Fair Unrealized Available-for-sale: Agency RMBS $ 8,373 $ 33 $ 5,912 $ 110 $ 14,285 $ 143 U.S. Treasury 1,976 16 766 4 2,742 20 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 4,045 10 225 1 4,270 11 Agency commercial MBS 1,960 12 775 5 2,735 17 Foreign covered bonds 1,009 4 690 3 1,699 7 CLOs 1,066 2 1,499 14 2,565 16 Supranational 1,336 6 360 — 1,696 6 Foreign government agencies 1,706 2 47 — 1,753 2 Non-agency commercial MBS 525 2 45 — 570 2 Other ABS 456 3 305 2 761 5 U.S. government agencies 377 2 — — 377 2 Non-agency RMBS (a) 101 — 113 7 214 7 State and political subdivisions — — 16 — 16 — Corporate bonds 82 — 21 — 103 — Total securities available-for-sale (b) $ 23,012 $ 92 $ 10,774 $ 146 $ 33,786 $ 238 (a) Includes $2 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for less than 12 months and $2 million of securities with an unrealized loss of less than $1 million for 12 months or more that were included in the former Grantor Trust. (b) Includes gross unrealized losses of $65 million for 12 months or more recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to securities that were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. The unrealized losses are primarily related to agency RMBS and will be amortized into net interest revenue over the contractual lives of the securities. There were no gross unrealized losses for less than 12 months.
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator	The following table shows the credit quality of the held-to-maturity securities. We have included certain credit ratings information because the information can indicate the degree of credit risk to which we are exposed. Significant changes in ratings classifications could indicate increased credit risk for us and could be accompanied by a reduction in the fair value of our securities portfolio. Held-to-maturity securities portfolio at Dec. 31, 2020 (a) Ratings (b) Net unrealized gain BB+ A1+/A2/SP-1 (dollars in millions) Amortized AAA/ A+/ BBB+/ Not Agency RMBS $ 38,355 $ 1,041 100 % — % — % — % — % — % U.S. Treasury 2,938 90 100 — — — — — U.S. government agencies 2,816 (2) 100 — — — — — Agency commercial MBS 2,659 103 100 — — — — — Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed (c) 1,050 42 98 — — — 2 — Non-agency RMBS 58 3 28 55 2 14 — 1 Supranational 55 — 100 — — — — — State and political subdivisions 15 1 6 2 6 — — 86 Total held-to-maturity securities $ 47,946 $ 1,278 100 % — % — % — % — % — % (a) In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 for additional information. (b) Represents ratings by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or the equivalent. (c) Primarily consists of exposure to France, UK and Germany.
Maturity Distribution by Carrying Amount and Yield (on Tax Equivalent Basis) of Investment Securities Portfolio	The following table shows the maturity distribution by carrying amount and yield (on a tax equivalent basis) of our securities portfolio. Maturity distribution and yields on securities at Dec. 31, 2020 U.S. Treasury U.S. government State and political Other bonds, notes and debentures Mortgage/ (dollars in millions) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Amount Yield (a) Total Securities available-for-sale: One year or less $ 3,549 1.47 % $ 25 2.55 % $ 744 1.30 % $ 9,067 0.50 % $ — — % $ 13,385 Over 1 through 5 years 10,619 1.16 2,125 0.71 530 2.94 18,806 0.58 — — 32,080 Over 5 through 10 years 7,571 1.43 1,562 2.30 688 1.58 4,531 0.72 — — 14,352 Over 10 years 3,155 3.11 141 1.98 346 2.23 251 1.04 — — 3,893 Mortgage-backed securities — — — — — — — — 36,918 2.19 36,918 Asset-backed securities — — — — — — — — 7,867 1.64 7,867 Total $ 24,894 1.53 % $ 3,853 1.41 % $ 2,308 1.90 % $ 32,655 0.58 % $ 44,785 2.10 % $ 108,495 Securities held-to-maturity: One year or less $ 1,031 2.11 % $ — — % $ — — % $ 70 0.19 % $ — — % $ 1,101 Over 1 through 5 years 1,907 1.91 880 0.68 2 5.67 953 0.69 — — 3,742 Over 5 through 10 years — — 1,518 1.07 — — 82 0.60 — — 1,600 Over 10 years — — 418 2.30 13 4.76 — — — — 431 Mortgage-backed securities — — — — — — — — 41,072 2.46 41,072 Total $ 2,938 1.98 % $ 2,816 1.13 % $ 15 4.91 % $ 1,105 0.65 % $ 41,072 2.46 % $ 47,946 (a) Yields are based upon the amortized cost of securities.

Loans and asset quality (Tables

Loans and asset quality (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Receivables [Abstract]
Schedule of Loan Portfolio and Industry Concentrations of Credit Risk	The table below provides the details of our loan portfolio. Loans Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Domestic: Commercial $ 1,356 $ 1,442 Commercial real estate 6,056 5,575 Financial institutions 4,495 4,852 Lease financings 431 537 Wealth management loans and mortgages 16,211 16,050 Other residential mortgages 389 494 Overdrafts 651 524 Other 1,823 1,167 Margin loans 13,141 11,907 Total domestic 44,553 42,548 Foreign: Commercial 73 347 Commercial real estate — 7 Financial institutions 6,750 7,626 Lease financings 559 576 Wealth management loans and mortgages 146 140 Other (primarily overdrafts) 2,113 2,230 Margin loans 2,275 1,479 Total foreign 11,916 12,405 Total loans (a) $ 56,469 $ 54,953 (a) Net of unearned income of $274 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $313 million at Dec. 31, 2019 primarily related to domestic and foreign lease financings.
Summary of Transactions in the Allowance for Credit Losses	Activity in the allowance for credit losses on loans and lending-related commitments is presented below. This does not include activity in the allowance for credit losses related to other financial instruments, including cash and due from banks, interest-bearing deposits with banks, federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements, held-to-maturity securities, available-for-sale securities and accounts receivable. In prior years, the allowance for loan losses and lending-related commitments was accounted for under ASC 450, Contingencies , to absorb losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date, also referred to as the incurred loss methodology. Key elements of our incurred loss methodology included a quantitative assessment for higher risk-rated credits, impaired credits and residential mortgage loans, as well as a qualitative assessment based on internal and environmental risk factors. This methodology differed from the estimate of expected credit losses in the current year primarily in that it was based on historical loss experience and did not include an estimate of credit losses using a reasonable and supportable forecast methodology. Allowance for credit losses activity for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020 Wealth management loans and mortgages Other Foreign Total (in millions) Commercial Commercial Financial Lease (a) Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 $ 60 $ 76 $ 20 $ 3 $ 20 $ 13 $ 24 $ 216 Impact of adopting ASU 2016-13 (43) 14 (6) — (12) 2 (24) (69) Balance at Jan. 1, 2020 17 90 14 3 8 15 — 147 Charge-offs — — — — — (1) — (1) Recoveries — — — — — 5 — 5 Net recoveries — — — — — 4 — 4 Provision (b) (1) 340 (4) (1) — (6) — 328 Ending balance (c) $ 16 $ 430 $ 10 $ 2 $ 8 $ 13 $ — $ 479 Allowance for: Loan losses $ 6 $ 324 $ 6 $ 2 $ 7 $ 13 $ — $ 358 Lending-related commitments 10 106 4 — 1 — — 121 Individually evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 20 (d) $ — $ — $ 20 Allowance for loan losses — — — — — — — — (a) The allowance related to foreign exposure has been reclassified to financial institutions ($10 million), commercial ($10 million) and lease financings ($4 million). (b) Does not include provision for credit losses related to other financial instruments of $8 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020. (c) Includes $6 million of allowance for credit losses related to foreign loans, primarily financial institutions. (d) Includes collateral dependent loans of $20 million with $30 million of collateral at fair value. The provision in 2020 primarily reflects additional reserves in the commercial real estate portfolio and as a result of the challenging macroeconomic outlook due to the coronavirus pandemic. Allowance for credit losses activity for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 Wealth management loans and mortgages Other All Foreign Total (in millions) Commercial Commercial Financial Lease Beginning balance $ 81 $ 75 $ 22 $ 5 $ 21 $ 16 $ — $ 32 $ 252 Charge-offs (12) — — — (1) (1) — — (14) Recoveries — — — — — 3 — — 3 Net (charge-offs) recoveries (12) — — — (1) 2 — — (11) Provision (9) 1 (2) (2) — (5) — (8) (25) Ending balance $ 60 $ 76 $ 20 $ 3 $ 20 $ 13 $ — $ 24 $ 216 Allowance for: Loan losses $ 11 $ 57 $ 5 $ 3 $ 18 $ 13 $ — $ 15 $ 122 Lending-related commitments 49 19 15 — 2 — — 9 94 Individually evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 15 $ — $ — $ — $ 15 Allowance for loan losses — — — — — — — — — Collectively evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ 1,442 $ 5,575 $ 4,852 $ 537 $ 16,035 $ 494 $ 13,598 (a) $ 12,405 $ 54,938 Allowance for loan losses 11 57 5 3 18 13 — 15 122 (a) Includes $524 million of domestic overdrafts, $11,907 million of margin loans and $1,167 million of other loans at Dec. 31, 2019. Allowance for credit losses activity for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018 Lease Wealth management loans and mortgages Other All Other Foreign Total (in millions) Commercial Commercial Financial Beginning balance $ 77 $ 76 $ 23 $ 8 $ 22 $ 20 $ — $ 35 $ 261 Charge-offs — — — — — (1) — — (1) Recoveries — — — — — 2 — 1 3 Net recoveries — — — — — 1 — 1 2 Provision 4 (1) (1) (3) (1) (5) — (4) (11) Ending balance $ 81 $ 75 $ 22 $ 5 $ 21 $ 16 $ — $ 32 $ 252 Allowance for: Loan losses $ 24 $ 56 $ 7 $ 5 $ 18 $ 16 $ — $ 20 $ 146 Unfunded commitments 57 19 15 — 3 — — 12 106 Individually evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 4 $ — $ — $ — $ 4 Allowance for loan losses — — — — — — — — — Collectively evaluated for impairment: Loan balance $ 1,949 $ 4,787 $ 5,091 $ 706 $ 15,839 $ 594 $ 16,074 (a) $ 11,520 $ 56,560 Allowance for loan losses 24 56 7 5 18 16 — 20 146 (a) Includes $1,550 million of domestic overdrafts, $13,343 million of margin loans and $1,181 million of other loans at Dec. 31, 2018.
Distribution of Nonperforming Assets	The table below presents our nonperforming assets. Nonperforming assets Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Recorded investment With an Without an allowance (in millions) Total Nonperforming loans: Other residential mortgages $ 57 $ — $ 57 $ 62 Wealth management loans and mortgages 10 20 30 24 Commercial real estate 1 — 1 — Total nonperforming loans 68 20 88 86 Other assets owned — 1 1 3 Total nonperforming assets $ 68 $ 21 $ 89 $ 89
Information about Past Due Loans	The table below presents our past due loans. Past due loans and still accruing interest Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Days past due Total Days past due Total (in millions) 30-59 60-89 ≥90 30-59 60-89 ≥90 Wealth management loans and mortgages $ 54 $ 1 $ — $ 55 $ 22 $ 5 $ — $ 27 Commercial real estate 19 16 — 35 6 12 — 18 Financial institutions 11 — — 11 1 30 — 31 Other residential mortgages 3 1 — 4 8 3 — 11 Total past due loans $ 87 $ 18 $ — $ 105 $ 37 $ 50 $ — $ 87
Credit Profile of Loan Portfolio by Origination	The table below provides information about the credit profile of the loan portfolio by the period of origination. Credit profile of the loan portfolio Dec. 31, 2020 Revolving loans Originated, at amortized cost Amortized cost Converted to term loans – Amortized cost Accrued (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 Prior to 2016 Total (a) Commercial: Investment grade $ 128 $ 18 $ 71 $ 420 $ 57 $ — $ 493 $ — $ 1,187 Non-investment grade 142 — 6 — — — 94 — 242 Total commercial 270 18 77 420 57 — 587 — 1,429 $ 2 Commercial real estate: Investment grade 778 1,010 458 543 312 346 127 — 3,574 Non-investment grade 285 619 643 159 376 144 229 27 2,482 Total commercial real estate 1,063 1,629 1,101 702 688 490 356 27 6,056 8 Financial institutions: Investment grade 132 146 47 125 13 156 8,760 — 9,379 Non-investment grade 84 36 — — — — 1,746 — 1,866 Total financial institutions 216 182 47 125 13 156 10,506 — 11,245 12 Wealth management loans and mortgages: Investment grade 18 85 11 147 59 112 7,786 — 8,218 Non-investment grade — — — — — — 54 — 54 Wealth management mortgages 1,117 1,044 637 1,188 1,515 2,546 38 — 8,085 Total wealth management loans and mortgages 1,135 1,129 648 1,335 1,574 2,658 7,878 — 16,357 27 Lease financings 116 18 14 9 20 813 — — 990 — Other residential mortgages — — — — — 389 — — 389 1 Other loans — — — — — — 1,904 — 1,904 1 Margin loans 4,614 — — — — — 10,802 — 15,416 8 Total loans $ 7,414 $ 2,976 $ 1,887 $ 2,591 $ 2,352 $ 4,506 $ 32,033 $ 27 $ 53,786 $ 59 (a) Excludes overdrafts of $2,683 million. Overdrafts occur on a daily basis primarily in the custody and securities clearance business and are generally repaid within two

Leasing (Tables)

Leasing (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Leases, Balance Sheet Information	The table below presents the consolidated balance sheet information related to operating and finance leases. Balance sheet information Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (dollar in millions) Operating Finance Total Operating Finance Total ROU assets (a) $ 1,432 $ 11 $ 1,443 $ 1,530 $ 12 $ 1,542 Lease liability (b) $ 1,669 $ 11 $ 1,680 $ 1,772 $ 2 $ 1,774 Weighted average: Remaining lease term 10.8 years 1.1 years 11.3 years 2.6 years Discount rate (annualized) 2.55 % 0.29 % 2.76 % 2.88 % (a) Included in premises and equipment on the consolidated balance sheet. (b) Operating lease liabilities are included in other liabilities
Lease, Cost	The table below presents the components of lease expense. Lease expense Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Operating lease expense $ 263 $ 266 Variable lease expense 47 39 Sublease income (35) (33) Finance lease expense: Amortization of ROU assets 1 7 Total lease expense $ 276 $ 279 The table below presents cash flow information related to leases. Cash flow information Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Cash paid for amounts included in measurement of liabilities: Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 284 $ 285 Financing cash flows from finance leases $ 1 $ 20
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Maturity	The table below presents the maturities of lease liabilities. Maturities of lease liabilities Operating Finance (in millions) For the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 $ 247 $ 11 2022 229 — 2023 194 — 2024 146 — 2025 138 — 2026 and thereafter 964 — Total lease payments 1,918 11 Less: Imputed interest 249 — Total $ 1,669 $ 11
Finance Lease, Liability, Maturity	The table below presents the maturities of lease liabilities. Maturities of lease liabilities Operating Finance (in millions) For the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 $ 247 $ 11 2022 229 — 2023 194 — 2024 146 — 2025 138 — 2026 and thereafter 964 — Total lease payments 1,918 11 Less: Imputed interest 249 — Total $ 1,669 $ 11

Goodwill and intangible assets

Goodwill and intangible assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Breakdown of Goodwill by Business	The table below provides a breakdown of goodwill by business. Goodwill by business (in millions) Investment Investment Other Consolidated Balance at Dec. 31, 2018 $ 8,333 $ 8,970 $ 47 $ 17,350 Foreign currency translation (1) 37 — 36 Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 $ 8,332 $ 9,007 $ 47 $ 17,386 Foreign currency translation 77 33 — 110 Other (a) 47 — (47) — Balance at Dec. 31, 2020 $ 8,456 $ 9,040 $ — $ 17,496 (a) Reflects the transfer of goodwill associated with the Capital Markets business.
Breakdown of Intangible Assets by Business	The table below provides a breakdown of intangible assets by business. Intangible assets – net carrying amount by business (in millions) Investment Investment Other Consolidated Balance at Dec. 31, 2018 $ 758 $ 1,613 $ 849 $ 3,220 Amortization (80) (37) — (117) Foreign currency translation — 4 — 4 Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 $ 678 $ 1,580 $ 849 $ 3,107 Acquisition — 2 — 2 Amortization (71) (33) — (104) Foreign currency translation 1 6 — 7 Balance at Dec. 31, 2020 $ 608 $ 1,555 $ 849 $ 3,012
Breakdown of Intangible Assets by Type	The table below provides a breakdown of intangible assets by type. Intangible assets Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Gross Accumulated Net Remaining Gross Accumulated Net Subject to amortization: (a) Customer contracts—Investment Services $ 1,435 $ (1,199) $ 236 10 years $ 1,520 $ (1,214) $ 306 Customer relationships—Investment and Wealth Management 705 (564) 141 10 years 712 (544) 168 Other 59 (15) 44 14 years 64 (16) 48 Total subject to amortization 2,199 (1,778) 421 10 years 2,296 (1,774) 522 Not subject to amortization: (b) Tradenames 1,295 N/A 1,295 N/A 1,293 N/A 1,293 Customer relationships 1,296 N/A 1,296 N/A 1,292 N/A 1,292 Total not subject to amortization 2,591 N/A 2,591 N/A 2,585 N/A 2,585 Total intangible assets $ 4,790 $ (1,778) $ 3,012 N/A $ 4,881 $ (1,774) $ 3,107 (a) Excludes fully amortized intangible assets. (b) Intangible assets not subject to amortization have an indefinite life. N/A – Not applicable.
Estimated Annual Amortization Expense	Estimated annual amortization expense for current intangibles for the next five years is as follows: For the year ended Estimated amortization expense (in millions) 2021 $ 81 2022 63 2023 53 2024 46 2025 39

Other assets (Tables)

Other assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Other Assets [Abstract]
Summary of Other Assets Presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	The following table provides the components of other assets presented on the consolidated balance sheet. Other assets Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Corporate/bank-owned life insurance $ 5,301 $ 5,219 Accounts receivable 3,619 3,802 Software 1,884 1,590 Prepaid pension assets 1,556 1,464 Fails to deliver 1,371 1,671 Equity in a joint venture and other investments 1,259 1,102 Renewable energy investments 1,206 1,144 Qualified affordable housing project investments 1,145 1,024 Income taxes receivable 599 388 Federal Reserve Bank stock 479 466 Prepaid expense 477 491 Seed capital 215 184 Fair value of hedging derivatives 19 21 Other (a) 1,338 1,655 Total other assets $ 20,468 $ 20,221 (a) At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, other assets include $7 million and $22 million, respectively, of Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost.
Equity Securities without Readily Determinable Fair Value	The following table presents the adjustments on the non-readily marketable equity securities. Adjustments on non-readily marketable equity securities Life-to-date (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Upward adjustments $ 21 $ 4 $ 28 $ 53 Downward adjustments — (3) (1) (4) Net adjustments $ 21 $ 1 $ 27 $ 49
Summary of Investments Valued Using NAV	The table below presents information on our investments valued using NAV. Investments valued using NAV Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Fair value Unfunded Fair value Unfunded Seed capital (a) $ 52 $ 22 $ 59 $ — Private equity investments (SBICs) (b) 102 52 89 55 Other (c) 47 — 33 — Total $ 201 $ 74 $ 181 $ 55 ( a) Primarily includes leveraged loans and structured credit funds, which are generally not redeemable. Distributions from such investments will be received as the underlying investments in the funds, which have lives of three of six years at Dec. 31, 2019, are liquidated. (b) Private equity investments include Volcker Rule-compliant investments in SBICs that invest in various sectors of the economy. Private equity investments do not have redemption rights. Distributions from such investments will be received as the underlying investments in the private equity investments, which have a life of 10 years, are liquidated.

Contract revenue (Tables)

Contract revenue (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue	The following table presents fee revenue related to contracts with customers, disaggregated by type of fee revenue, for each business segment. Business segment data has been determined on an internal management basis of accounting, rather than GAAP which is used for consolidated financial reporting. Disaggregation of contract revenue by business segment Year ended Dec. 31, 2020 2019 (a) 2018 (a) (in millions) IS IWM Other Total IS IWM Other Total IS IWM Other Total Fee revenue – contract revenue: Investment services fees: Asset servicing fees $ 4,532 $ 95 $ (53) $ 4,574 $ 4,399 $ 85 $ (33) $ 4,451 $ 4,416 $ 88 $ (20) $ 4,484 Clearing services fees 1,716 — — 1,716 1,649 — (1) 1,648 1,615 — — 1,615 Issuer services fees 1,093 — — 1,093 1,130 — — 1,130 1,099 — — 1,099 Treasury services fees 602 1 — 603 560 1 — 561 553 1 — 554 Total investment services fees 7,943 96 (53) 7,986 7,738 86 (34) 7,790 7,683 89 (20) 7,752 Investment management and performance fees 17 3,373 (17) 3,373 17 3,389 (16) 3,390 16 3,634 (15) 3,635 Financing-related fees 77 2 1 80 59 — 1 60 61 1 (2) 60 Distribution and servicing (22) 137 — 115 (49) 178 — 129 (51) 191 — 140 Investment and other income 239 (148) 1 92 282 (197) — 85 279 (202) 2 79 Total fee revenue – contract revenue 8,254 3,460 (68) 11,646 8,047 3,456 (49) 11,454 7,988 3,713 (35) 11,666 Fee and other revenue – not in scope of ASC 606 (b)(c) 1,002 35 139 1,176 879 29 886 1,794 956 86 84 1,126 Total fee and other revenue $ 9,256 $ 3,495 $ 71 $ 12,822 $ 8,926 $ 3,485 $ 837 $ 13,248 $ 8,944 $ 3,799 $ 49 $ 12,792 (a) Restated to reflect the 2020 business segment reclassifications. There was no impact on total revenue, by type or in aggregate. See Note 24 for additional information related to the reclassifications. (b) Primarily includes foreign exchange and other trading revenue, financing-related fees, investment and other income (loss), asset servicing fees and net securities gains (losses), all of which are accounted for using other accounting guidance. (c) The Investment and Wealth Management business segment includes income (loss) from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests, of $75 million in 2020, $30 million in 2019 and $(1) million in 2018. IS – Investment Services business segment. IWM – Investment and Wealth Management business segment.

Net interest revenue (Tables)

Net interest revenue (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Interest Revenue (Expense), Net [Abstract]
Components of Net Interest Revenue	The following table provides the components of net interest revenue presented on the consolidated income statement. Net interest revenue Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Interest revenue Deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks $ 50 $ 448 $ 531 Deposits with banks 134 265 219 Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements 545 2,154 1,116 Margin loans 211 454 510 Non-margin loans 931 1,335 1,356 Securities: Taxable 2,118 2,701 2,520 Exempt from federal income taxes 28 36 54 Total securities 2,146 2,737 2,574 Trading securities 92 155 126 Total interest revenue 4,109 7,548 6,432 Interest expense Deposits in domestic offices 176 958 537 Deposits in foreign offices (15) 636 340 Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements 283 1,437 758 Trading liabilities 15 35 29 Other borrowed funds 16 59 58 Commercial paper 7 55 51 Customer payables 28 238 191 Long-term debt 622 942 857 Total interest expense 1,132 4,360 2,821 Net interest revenue 2,977 3,188 3,611 Provision for credit losses 336 (25) (11) Net interest revenue after provision for credit losses $ 2,641 $ 3,213 $ 3,622

Income taxes (Tables)

Income taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of the Income Tax Provision	The components of the income tax provision are as follows: Provision for income taxes Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Current tax expense: Federal $ 465 $ 592 $ 902 Foreign 407 484 442 State and local 163 113 119 Total current tax expense 1,035 1,189 1,463 Deferred tax (benefit) expense: Federal (145) (3) (556) Foreign 16 (13) 9 State and local (64) (53) 22 Total deferred tax (benefit) (193) (69) (525) Provision for income taxes $ 842 $ 1,120 $ 938
Components of Income Before Taxes	The components of income before taxes are as follows: Income before taxes Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Domestic $ 2,698 $ 3,516 $ 3,008 Foreign 1,770 2,071 2,184 Income before taxes $ 4,468 $ 5,587 $ 5,192
Components of Net Deferred Tax Liability	The components of our net deferred tax liability are as follows: Net deferred tax liability Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Depreciation and amortization $ 2,197 $ 2,136 Pension obligation 299 282 Renewable energy investment 278 268 Other liabilities 233 229 Securities valuation 118 1 Equity investments 61 63 Lease financings 23 42 Other assets (57) (43) Credit losses on loans (118) (46) Reserves not deducted for tax (118) (120) Employee benefits (259) (257) U.S. foreign tax credits (62) (39) Valuation allowance 62 39 Net deferred tax liability $ 2,657 $ 2,555
Tax Rate Reconciliations	The statutory federal income tax rate is reconciled to our effective income tax rate below: Effective tax rate Year ended Dec. 31, 2020 2019 2018 Federal rate 21.0 % 21.0 % 21.0 % State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit 1.8 0.9 2.1 Foreign operations 1.5 2.4 0.5 Tax credits (4.1) (3.2) (3.3) Tax-exempt income (1.0) (0.7) (0.8) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) assessment 0.3 0.2 0.5 Stock compensation — (0.4) (0.6) U.S. tax legislation — — (1.7) Other – net (0.7) (0.2) 0.4 Effective tax rate 18.8 % 20.0 % 18.1 %
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	Unrecognized tax positions (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Beginning balance at Jan. 1, – gross $ 173 $ 103 $ 128 Prior period tax positions: Increases 45 60 6 Decreases (14) (3) (8) Current period tax positions 15 17 9 Settlements (100) (4) (32) Ending balance at Dec. 31, – gross $ 119 $ 173 $ 103

Long-term debt (Tables)

Long-term debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Long-Term Debt	Long-term debt Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (dollars in millions) Rate Maturity Amount Rate Amount Senior debt: Fixed rate 0.35 - 4.15% 2021 - 2028 $ 23,429 1.95 - 4.60% $ 23,519 Floating rate 0.04 - 1.29% 2023 - 2038 779 1.71 - 2.96% 2,328 Subordinated debt (a) 3.00 - 7.50% 2021 - 2029 1,776 3.00 - 7.50% 1,654 Total $ 25,984 $ 27,501 (a) Fixed rate.

Variable interest entities an_2

Variable interest entities and securitization (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Securitizations And Variable Interest Entities Disclosure [Abstract]
Incremental Assets and Liabilities Included in Consolidated Financial Statements	The following table presents the incremental assets and liabilities included in the consolidated balance sheet as of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. The net assets of any consolidated VIE are solely available to settle the liabilities of the VIE and to settle any investors’ ownership liquidation requests, including any seed capital we invested in the VIE. Consolidated investments Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Investment Securitization Total Investment Securitization Total Trading assets $ 482 $ 400 $ 882 $ 229 $ 400 $ 629 Other assets 5 — 5 16 — 16 Total assets $ 487 (a) $ 400 $ 887 $ 245 (b) $ 400 $ 645 Other liabilities $ 3 $ 400 $ 403 $ 1 $ 387 $ 388 Total liabilities $ 3 (a) $ 400 $ 403 $ 1 (b) $ 387 $ 388 Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests $ 143 (a) $ — $ 143 $ 102 (b) $ — $ 102 (a) Includes VMEs with assets of $314 million, liabilities of $3 million and nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of $76 million. (b) Includes VMEs with assets of $50 million, liabilities of $1 million and nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of $1 million.
Schedule of Variable Interest Entities	As of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, the following assets and liabilities related to the VIEs where we are not the primary beneficiary were included in our consolidated balance sheets and primarily related to accounting for our investments in qualified affordable housing and renewable energy projects. The maximum loss exposure indicated in the following table relates solely to our investments in, and unfunded commitments to, the VIEs. Non-consolidated VIEs Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Assets Liabilities Maximum Assets Liabilities Maximum Securities – Available-for-sale (a) $ 217 $ — $ 217 $ 208 $ — $ 208 Other 2,565 514 3,096 2,400 422 2,822 (a) Includes investments in the Company’s sponsored CLOs.

Shareholders' equity (Tables)

Shareholders' equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Preferred Stock Summary	The following table summarizes the Parent’s preferred stock issued and outstanding at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Preferred stock summary (a) Total shares issued and outstanding Carrying value (b) (in millions) Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Per annum dividend rate Series A Greater of (i) three-month LIBOR plus 0.565% for the related distribution period; or (ii) 4.000% 5,001 5,001 $ 500 $ 500 Series C 5.2% — 5,825 — 568 Series D 4.50% to but excluding June 20, 2023, then a floating rate equal to the three-month LIBOR plus 2.46% 5,000 5,000 494 494 Series E 4.950% to but excluding June 20, 2020, then a floating rate equal to the three-month LIBOR plus 3.42% 10,000 10,000 990 990 Series F 4.625% to but excluding Sept. 20, 2026, then a floating rate equal to the three-month LIBOR plus 3.131% 10,000 10,000 990 990 Series G 4.700% to but excluding Sept. 20, 2025, then a floating rate equal to the five-year treasury rate plus 4.358% 10,000 — 990 — Series H 3.700% to but excluding March 20, 2026, then a floating rate equal to the five-year treasury rate plus 3.352% 5,825 — 577 — Total 45,826 35,826 $ 4,541 $ 3,542 (a) All outstanding preferred stock is noncumulative perpetual preferred stock with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share. (b) The carrying value of the Series C, Series D, Series E, Series F, Series G and Series H preferred stock is recorded net of issuance costs.
Summary of Preferred Dividends Paid	The table below presents the dividends paid on the Parent’s preferred stock. Preferred dividends paid (dollars in millions, except per share amounts) Depositary shares 2020 2019 2018 Per share Total Per share Total Per share Total Series A 100 (a) $ 4,055.55 $ 20 $ 4,055.55 $ 20 $ 4,055.55 $ 20 Series C 4,000 5,200.00 46 (b) 5,200.00 31 5,200.00 31 Series D 100 4,500.00 22 4,500.00 22 4,500.00 22 Series E 100 4,359.63 44 4,950.00 50 4,950.00 50 Series F 100 4,625.00 46 4,625.00 46 4,625.00 46 Series G 100 1,579.72 16 N/A N/A N/A N/A Total $ 194 $ 169 $ 169 (a) Represents Normal Preferred Capital Securities. (b) Includes deferred fees of approximately $15 million related to the redemption of the Series C preferred stock. N/A – Not applicable.
Schedule of Regulatory Capital Ratios	The regulatory capital ratios of our consolidated and largest bank subsidiary, The Bank of New York Mellon, are shown below. Consolidated and largest bank subsidiary regulatory capital ratios (a) Dec. 31, 2020 2019 Consolidated regulatory capital ratios: Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) ratio 13.1 % 11.5 % Tier 1 capital ratio 15.8 13.7 Total capital ratio 16.7 14.4 Tier 1 leverage ratio 6.3 6.6 Supplementary leverage ratio (“SLR”) (b)(c) 8.6 6.1 The Bank of New York Mellon regulatory capital ratios: CET1 ratio 17.1 % 15.1 % Tier 1 capital ratio 17.1 15.1 Total capital ratio 17.3 15.2 Tier 1 leverage ratio 6.4 6.9 SLR (b) 8.5 6.4 (a) For our CET1, Tier 1 capital and Total capital ratios, our effective capital ratios under U.S. capital rules are the lower of the ratios as calculated under the Standardized and Advanced Approaches, which for the periods noted above was the Advanced Approaches. The Tier 1 leverage ratio is based on Tier 1 capital and quarterly average total assets. For BNY Mellon to qualify as “well capitalized,” its Tier 1 capital and Total capital ratios must be at least 6% and 10%, respectively. For The Bank of New York Mellon, our largest bank subsidiary, to qualify as “well capitalized,” its CET1, Tier 1 capital, Total capital and Tier 1 leverage ratios must be at least 6.5%, 8%, 10% and 5%, respectively. (b) The SLR is based on Tier 1 capital and total leverage exposure, which includes certain off-balance sheet exposures. The SLR at Dec. 31, 2020 reflects the exclusion of certain central bank deposits from total leverage exposure. For The Bank of New York Mellon to qualify as “well capitalized,” its SLR must be at least 6%. (c) The consolidated SLR at Dec. 31, 2020 reflects the temporary exclusion of U.S. Treasury securities from the total leverage exposure.
Summary of Capital Components and Risk-Weighted Assets Determined Under the Standardized and Advanced Approaches	The following table presents our capital components and risk-weighted assets (“RWAs”) determined under the Standardized and Advanced Approaches, the average assets used for leverage capital purposes and leverage exposure used for SLR purposes. Regulatory capital ratio components Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 CET1: Common shareholders’ equity $ 41,260 $ 37,941 Adjustments for: Goodwill and intangible assets (a) (18,697) (18,725) Net pension fund assets (319) (272) Equity method investments (306) (311) Deferred tax assets (54) (46) Other (9) (47) Total CET1 21,875 18,540 Other Tier 1 capital: Preferred stock 4,541 3,542 Other (106) (86) Total Tier 1 capital $ 26,310 $ 21,996 Tier 2 capital: Subordinated debt $ 1,248 $ 1,248 Allowance for credit losses 490 216 Other (10) (11) Total Tier 2 capital – Standardized Approach 1,728 1,453 Excess of expected credit losses 247 — Less: Allowance for credit losses 490 216 Total Tier 2 capital – Advanced Approaches $ 1,485 $ 1,237 Total capital: Standardized Approach $ 28,038 $ 23,449 Advanced Approaches $ 27,795 $ 23,233 Risk-weighted assets: Standardized Approach $ 163,848 $ 148,695 Advanced Approaches: Credit Risk $ 98,262 $ 95,490 Market Risk 4,226 4,020 Operational Risk 63,938 61,388 Total Advanced Approaches $ 166,426 $ 160,898 Average assets for Tier 1 leverage ratio $ 417,982 $ 334,869 Total leverage exposure for SLR $ 304,823 $ 362,452 (a) Reduced by deferred tax liabilities associated with intangible assets and tax deductible goodwill.
Schedule of Capital Above Thresholds Table	The following table presents the amount of capital by which BNY Mellon and our largest bank subsidiary, The Bank of New York Mellon, exceeded the capital thresholds determined under U.S. capital rules. Capital above thresholds at Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Consolidated (a) The Bank of New York Mellon CET1 $ 7,729 $ 13,324 (a) Tier 1 capital 9,667 11,343 (a) Total capital 7,824 8,979 (a) Tier 1 leverage ratio 9,591 5,072 (b) SLR 11,069 6,580 (b) (a) Based on minimum required standards, with applicable buffers.

Other comprehensive income (l_2

Other comprehensive income (loss) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Equity [Abstract]
Components of Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Components of other comprehensive income (loss) Year ended Dec. 31, 2020 2019 2018 (in millions) Pre-tax Tax After-tax Pre-tax Tax After-tax Pre-tax Tax After-tax Foreign currency translation: Foreign currency translation adjustments arising during the period (a) $ 441 $ 67 $ 508 $ 135 $ 16 $ 151 $ (157) $ (156) $ (313) Total foreign currency translation 441 67 508 135 16 151 (157) (156) (313) Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale: Unrealized gain (loss) arising during the period 1,573 (371) 1,202 680 (168) 512 (542) 126 (416) Reclassification adjustment (b) (33) 8 (25) 18 (4) 14 48 (12) 36 Net unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale 1,540 (363) 1,177 698 (172) 526 (494) 114 (380) Defined benefit plans: Prior service cost arising during the period — — — (1) — (1) — — — Net (loss) arising during the period (138) 31 (107) (121) 34 (87) (244) 55 (189) Amortization of prior service credit, net loss and initial obligation included in net periodic benefit cost (b) 95 (18) 77 52 (18) 34 93 (24) 69 Total defined benefit plans (43) 13 (30) (70) 16 (54) (151) 31 (120) Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges: Unrealized hedge gain (loss) arising during the period 5 (1) 4 16 (7) 9 (15) 4 (11) Reclassification of net (gain) loss to net income : Interest rate contracts – interest expense — — — (7) 2 (5) — — — Foreign exchange (“FX”) contracts – other revenue — — — — — — (2) — (2) FX contracts – staff expense 1 — 1 (3) 2 (1) 4 (1) 3 Total reclassifications to net income 1 — 1 (10) 4 (6) 2 (1) 1 Net unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges 6 (1) 5 6 (3) 3 (13) 3 (10) Total other comprehensive income (loss) $ 1,944 $ (284) $ 1,660 $ 769 $ (143) $ 626 $ (815) $ (8) $ (823) (a) Includes the impact of hedges of net investments in foreign subsidiaries. See Note 23 for additional information. (b) The reclassification adjustment related to the unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale is recorded as net securities gains on the consolidated income statement. The amortization of prior service credit, net loss and initial obligation included in net periodic benefit cost is recorded as other expense on the consolidated income statement. Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges Total accumulated (in millions) Foreign currency translation Pensions Other post-retirement benefits 2017 ending balance $ (1,613) $ (887) $ (50) $ 186 $ 7 $ (2,357) Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying ASU 2017-12 for derivatives and hedging — — — (2) — (2) Adjusted balance at Jan. 1, 2018 (1,613) (887) (50) 184 7 (2,359) Change in 2018 (302) (118) (2) (380) (10) (812) 2018 ending balance $ (1,915) $ (1,005) $ (52) $ (196) $ (3) $ (3,171) Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying ASU 2018-02 for income taxes 115 (213) — 6 2 (90) Adjusted balance at Jan. 1, 2019 (1,800) (1,218) (52) (190) (1) (3,261) Change in 2019 148 (57) 3 526 3 623 2019 ending balance (1,652) (1,275) (49) 336 2 (2,638) Impact of adopting ASU 2016-03, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses — — — (5) — (5) Adjusted balance at Jan. 1, 2020 (1,652) (1,275) (49) 331 2 (2,643) Change in 2020 506 (24) (6) 1,177 5 1,658 2020 ending balance $ (1,146) $ (1,299) $ (55) $ 1,508 $ 7 $ (985)

Stock-based compensation (Table

Stock-based compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Summary of Non-vested PSU, Restricted Stock, and RSU Activity	The following table summarizes our non-vested PSU, restricted stock and RSU activity for 2020. Non-vested PSU, restricted stock and RSU activity Number of shares (a) Weighted-average fair value at grant date Non-vested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs at Dec. 31, 2019 12,733,298 $ 50.77 Granted 6,158,398 45.52 Vested (5,451,413) 48.36 Forfeited (903,384) 49.29 Non-vested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs at Dec. 31, 2020 12,536,899 $ 49.35 (a) Includes dividend shares earned on the Executive Committee PSUs and Board of Director’s stock awards.
Summary of Stock Option Activity	A summary of the status of our options as of Dec. 31, 2020, and changes during the year, is presented below: Stock option activity Shares subject Weighted-average Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years) Balance at Dec. 31, 2019 4,143,575 $ 26.03 1.4 Granted — — Exercised (1,717,323) 28.65 Canceled/Expired (91,014) 28.96 Balance at Dec. 31, 2020 2,335,238 $ 23.99 0.9 Vested and expected to vest at Dec. 31, 2020 2,335,238 23.99 0.9 Exercisable at Dec. 31, 2020 2,335,238 23.99 0.9
Summary of Stock Options Outstanding by Exercise Price	Stock options outstanding at Dec. 31, 2020 Options outstanding Options exercisable (a) Range of exercise prices Outstanding Weighted-average remaining contractual life (in years) Weighted-average Exercisable Weighted-average $21 to 31 2,335,238 0.9 $ 23.99 2,335,238 $ 23.99 (a) At Dec. 31, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2018, 4,143,575 and 6,714,283 options were exercisable at a weighted-average price per common share of $26.03 and $25.67, respectively.
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Options	Aggregate intrinsic value of options (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Outstanding at Dec. 31, $ 43 $ 101 $ 144 Exercisable at Dec. 31, $ 43 $ 101 $ 144

Employee benefit plans (Tables)

Employee benefit plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Combined Data for Domestic and Foreign Defined Benefit Pension and Post Retirement Healthcare Plans	The following tables report the combined data for our domestic and foreign defined benefit pension and post-retirement healthcare plans. Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign (dollars in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations Discount rate 2.80 % 3.45 % 1.59 % 2.02 % 2.80 % 3.45 % 1.65 % 2.10 % Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A 3.12 3.19 3.00 3.00 N/A N/A Cash balance interest crediting rate 4.00 4.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Change in benefit obligation (a) Benefit obligation at beginning of period $ (4,659) $ (4,123) $ (1,394) $ (1,104) $ (145) $ (149) $ (6) $ (5) Service cost — — (12) (11) (1) (1) — — Interest cost (156) (178) (27) (32) (5) (6) — — Amendments — — — (1) — — — — Actuarial (loss) gain (455) (585) (167) (264) (14) (1) 2 (1) Benefits paid 240 227 47 40 9 12 — — Foreign exchange adjustment N/A N/A (61) (22) N/A N/A — — Benefit obligation at end of period (5,030) (4,659) (1,614) (1,394) (156) (145) (4) (6) Change in fair value of plan assets Fair value at beginning of period 5,738 5,040 1,529 1,316 117 99 — — Actual return on plan assets 619 910 232 191 10 18 — — Employer contributions 15 15 10 30 9 12 — — Benefit payments (240) (227) (47) (40) (9) (12) — — Foreign exchange adjustment N/A N/A 62 32 N/A N/A — — Fair value at end of period 6,132 5,738 1,786 1,529 127 117 — — Funded status at end of period $ 1,102 $ 1,079 $ 172 $ 135 $ (29) $ (28) $ (4) $ (6) Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss (income) consist of: Net loss $ 1,625 $ 1,557 $ 184 $ 221 $ 77 $ 70 $ (1) $ 1 Prior service cost (credit) — — 2 2 (26) (33) — — Total loss (before tax effects) $ 1,625 $ 1,557 $ 186 $ 223 $ 51 $ 37 $ (1) $ 1 (a) The benefit obligation for pension benefits is the projected benefit obligation, and for healthcare benefits, it is the accumulated benefit obligation. N/A – Not applicable.
Schedule of Net Benefit Costs	Net periodic benefit (credit) cost Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign (dollars in millions) 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 Weighted-average assumptions as of Jan. 1: Market-related value of plan assets $ 5,437 $ 5,304 $ 5,238 $ 1,415 $ 1,277 $ 1,266 $ 116 $ 111 $ 108 N/A N/A N/A Discount rate 3.45 % 4.45 % 3.97 % 2.02 % 2.95 % 2.45 % 3.45 % 4.45 % 3.97 % 2.10 % 3.10 % 2.50 % Expected rate of return on plan assets 6.00 6.50 6.625 2.85 3.54 4.56 6.00 6.50 6.625 N/A N/A N/A Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A N/A 3.19 2.98 3.02 3.00 3.00 3.00 N/A N/A N/A Cash balance interest crediting rate 4.00 4.00 4.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Components of net periodic benefit (credit) cost: Service cost $ — $ — $ — $ 12 $ 11 $ 28 $ 1 $ 1 $ 1 $ — $ — $ — Interest cost 156 178 169 27 32 32 5 6 7 — — — Expected return on assets (319) (337) (339) (39) (45) (57) (7) (7) (8) — — — Amortization of: Prior service cost (credit) — — — — — — (7) (7) (9) — — — Net actuarial loss 87 53 68 11 2 22 4 4 7 — — — Settlement loss — — 5 — — — — — — — — — Net periodic benefit (credit) cost $ (76) $ (106) $ (97) $ 11 $ — $ 25 $ (4) $ (3) $ (2) $ — $ — $ — N/A – Not applicable.
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Changes in other comprehensive loss (income) in 2020 Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits (in millions) Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign Net loss (gain) arising during period $ 155 $ (26) $ 11 $ (2) Recognition of prior years’ net (loss) (87) (11) (4) — Recognition of prior years’ service credit — — 7 — Total recognized in other comprehensive loss (income) (before tax effects) $ 68 $ (37) $ 14 $ (2)
Schedule of Net Funded Status	Domestic Foreign (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Pension benefits: Prepaid benefit cost $ 1,272 $ 1,249 $ 284 $ 222 Accrued benefit cost (170) (170) (112) (87) Total pension benefits $ 1,102 $ 1,079 $ 172 $ 135 Healthcare benefits: Accrued benefit cost $ (29) $ (28) $ (4) $ (6) Total healthcare benefits $ (29) $ (28) $ (4) $ (6)
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan with Projected Benefit Obligation in Excess of Plan Assets	Plans with obligations in excess of plan assets Pension Benefits Healthcare Benefits Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 Projected benefit obligation $ 170 $ 170 $ 459 $ 384 N/A N/A N/A N/A Fair value of plan assets — — 347 297 N/A N/A N/A N/A Accumulated benefit obligation 170 170 196 164 94 85 4 6 Fair value of plan assets — — 113 114 — — — — N/A – Not applicable.
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments	The following benefit payments for the pension and healthcare plans, which reflect expected future service as appropriate, are expected to be paid over the next 10 years: Expected benefit payments (in millions) Domestic Foreign Pension benefits: Year 2021 $ 271 $ 39 2022 272 39 2023 275 43 2024 284 42 2025 281 43 2026-2030 1,352 252 Total pension benefits $ 2,735 $ 458 Healthcare benefits: Year 2021 $ 11 $ — 2022 11 — 2023 11 — 2024 10 — 2025 10 — 2026-2030 45 1 Total healthcare benefits $ 98 $ 1
Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets	Our pension assets were invested as follows: Asset allocations Domestic Foreign 2020 2019 2020 2019 Fixed income 62 % 56 % 82 % 80 % Equities 36 42 8 8 Alternative investments 2 2 9 10 Private equities — (a) — (a) — — Cash — (a) — (a) 1 2 Total pension benefits 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %
Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets	The following tables present the fair value of each major category of plan assets as of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, by captions and by ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement , valuation hierarchy. Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— domestic plans at Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Common and preferred stock: U.S. equity $ 578 $ — $ — $ 578 Non-U.S. equity 147 — — 147 Collective trust funds: U.S. equity — 1,285 — 1,285 Commingled — 712 — 712 Fixed income: U.S. corporate bonds — 2,866 — 2,866 U.S. Treasury securities 228 — — 228 State and political subdivisions — 50 — 50 Sovereign government obligations — 47 — 47 U.S. government agencies — 31 — 31 Other — 37 — 37 Mutual funds 1 — — 1 Total domestic plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 954 $ 5,028 $ — $ 5,982 Other assets measured at NAV: Funds of funds 135 Venture capital and partnership interests 15 Total domestic plan assets, at fair value $ 6,132 Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— foreign plans at Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Corporate debt funds $ — $ 1,305 $ — $ 1,305 Sovereign/government obligation funds — 156 — 156 Equity funds — 146 — 146 Cash and currency 21 — — 21 Total foreign plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 21 $ 1,607 $ — $ 1,628 Other assets measured at NAV 158 Total foreign plan assets, at fair value $ 1,786 Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— domestic plans at Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Common and preferred stock: U.S. equity $ 1,638 $ — $ — $ 1,638 Non-U.S. equity 195 — — 195 Derivatives — (130) — (130) Collective trust funds: Commingled — 1,982 — 1,982 U.S. equity — 688 — 688 Fixed income: U.S. corporate bonds — 814 — 814 U.S. Treasury securities 362 — — 362 U.S. government agencies — 7 — 7 Sovereign government obligations 3 — — 3 Other — 15 — 15 Mutual funds 3 — — 3 Total domestic plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 2,201 $ 3,376 $ — $ 5,577 Other assets measured at NAV: Funds of funds 134 Venture capital and partnership interests 27 Total domestic plan assets, at fair value $ 5,738 Plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis— foreign plans at Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total fair value Corporate debt funds $ — $ 1,091 $ — $ 1,091 Sovereign/government obligation funds — 130 — 130 Equity funds — 129 — 129 Cash and currency 20 — — 20 Total foreign plan assets in the fair value hierarchy $ 20 $ 1,350 $ — $ 1,370 Other assets measured at NAV 159 Total foreign plan assets, at fair value $ 1,529
Schedule Of Fair Value Of Plan Assets Valued Using Net Asset Value Per Share Table	Assets valued using NAV at Dec. 31, 2020 (dollars in millions) Fair Unfunded Redemption Redemption notice period Funds of funds (a) $ 135 $ — Monthly 30-45 days Venture capital and partnership interests (b) 138 — N/A N/A Other contracts ( c) 35 — N/A N/A Total $ 308 $ — Assets valued using NAV at Dec. 31, 2019 (dollars in millions) Fair Unfunded Redemption Redemption notice period Funds of funds (a) $ 136 $ — Monthly 30-45 days Venture capital and partnership interests (b) 158 — N/A N/A Property funds (d) 4 — Monthly 0-90 days Other contracts (c) 22 — N/A N/A Total $ 320 $ — (a) Funds of funds include multi-strategy hedge funds that utilize investment strategies that invest over both long-term investment and short-term investment horizons. (b) Venture capital and partnership interests do not have redemption rights. Distributions from such funds will be received as the underlying investments are liquidated. (c) Other contracts include assets invested in pooled accounts at insurance companies that are privately valued by the asset manager. (d) Property funds include funds invested in regional real estate vehicles that hold direct interest in real estate properties.

Company financial information_2

Company financial information (Parent Corporation) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Condensed Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Condensed Income Statement - The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (Parent Corporation)	Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Dividends from bank subsidiaries $ 1,485 $ 3,209 $ 3,874 Dividends from nonbank subsidiaries 1,199 2,075 1,869 Interest revenue from bank subsidiaries — 4 13 Interest revenue from nonbank subsidiaries 53 153 200 (Loss) gain on securities held for sale — (11) 1 Other revenue 50 39 36 Total revenue 2,787 5,469 5,993 Interest expense (including $30, $64 and $59, to subsidiaries, respectively) 520 941 658 Other expense 168 197 439 Total expense 688 1,138 1,097 Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries 2,099 4,331 4,896 (Benefit) for income taxes (289) (208) (165) Equity in undistributed net income: Bank subsidiaries 1,278 (139) (508) Nonbank subsidiaries (49) 41 (287) Net income 3,617 4,441 4,266 Preferred stock dividends and redemption charge (194) (169) (169) Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation $ 3,423 $ 4,272 $ 4,097
Condensed Balance Sheet - The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (Parent Corporation)	Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Assets: Cash and due from banks $ 330 $ 345 Securities 6 8 Investment in and advances to subsidiaries and associated companies: Banks 36,431 32,511 Other 38,064 36,948 Subtotal 74,495 69,459 Corporate-owned life insurance 782 773 Other assets 202 319 Total assets $ 75,815 70,904 Liabilities: Deferred compensation $ 417 455 Affiliate borrowings 2,176 1,500 Other liabilities 1,866 1,631 Long-term debt 25,555 25,835 Total liabilities 30,014 29,421 Shareholders’ equity 45,801 41,483 Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 75,815 70,904
Condensed Statement of Cash Flows - The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (Parent Corporation)	Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Operating activities: Net income $ 3,617 $ 4,441 $ 4,266 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities: Equity in undistributed net loss (income) of subsidiaries (1,229) 98 795 Change in accrued interest receivable (17) (12) 27 Change in accrued interest payable (26) (17) 29 Change in taxes payable (a) (281) 331 224 Other, net 368 (107) (257) Net cash provided by operating activities 2,432 4,734 5,084 Investing activities: Sales of securities — — 13 Acquisitions of, investments in, and advances to subsidiaries (b) (1,442) 1,495 (53) Other, net — — 1 Net cash (used for) provided by investing activities (1,442) 1,495 (39) Financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 2,993 1,745 4,144 Repayments of long-term debt (3,950) (4,250) (3,650) Change in advances from subsidiaries 1,195 242 (1,561) Issuance of common stock 58 86 120 Issuance of preferred stock 1,567 — — Treasury stock acquired (989) (3,327) (3,269) Redemption of preferred stock (583) — — Cash dividends paid (1,296) (1,289) (1,221) Net cash (used for) financing activities (1,005) (6,793) (5,437) Change in cash and due from banks (15) (564) (392) Cash and due from banks at beginning of year 345 909 1,301 Cash and due from banks at end of year $ 330 $ 345 $ 909 Supplemental disclosures Interest paid $ 546 $ 958 $ 629 Income taxes paid 3 2 12 Income taxes refunded — — 7 (a) Includes payments received from subsidiaries for taxes of $736 million in 2020, $823 million in 2019 and $837 million in 2018. (b) Includes $3,715 million of cash outflows, net of $2,273 million of cash inflows in 2020, $2,139 million of cash outflows, net of $3,634 million of cash inflows in 2019 and $2,807 million of cash outflows, net of $2,754 million of cash inflows in 2018.

Fair value measurement (Tables)

Fair value measurement (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Financial Instruments Carried at Fair Value on Recurring Basis	The following tables present the financial instruments carried at fair value at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, by caption on the consolidated balance sheet and by the three-level valuation hierarchy. We have included credit ratings information in certain of the tables because the information indicates the degree of credit risk to which we are exposed, and significant changes in ratings classifications could result in increased risk for us. Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2020 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Available-for-sale securities: U.S. Treasury $ 24,894 $ — $ — $ — $ 24,894 Agency RMBS — 22,347 — — 22,347 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 5,909 6,482 — — 12,391 Agency commercial MBS — 9,228 — — 9,228 Supranational — 7,160 — — 7,160 Foreign covered bonds — 6,725 — — 6,725 CLOs — 4,703 — — 4,703 Foreign government agencies — 4,135 — — 4,135 U.S. government agencies — 3,853 — — 3,853 Other ABS — 3,164 — — 3,164 Non-agency commercial MBS — 3,017 — — 3,017 Non-agency RMBS (b) — 2,326 — — 2,326 State and political subdivisions — 2,308 — — 2,308 Corporate bonds — 1,994 — — 1,994 Commercial paper/CDs — 249 — — 249 Other debt securities — 1 — — 1 Total available-for-sale securities 30,803 77,692 — — 108,495 Trading assets: Debt instruments 1,803 3,868 — — 5,671 Equity instruments (c) 5,775 — — — 5,775 Derivative assets not designated as hedging: Interest rate 5 4,477 — (1,952) 2,530 Foreign exchange — 7,688 — (6,392) 1,296 Equity and other contracts — 2 — (2) — Total derivative assets not designated as hedging 5 12,167 — (8,346) 3,826 Total trading assets 7,583 16,035 — (8,346) 15,272 Other assets: Derivative assets designated as hedging: Foreign exchange — 19 — — 19 Total derivative assets designated as hedging — 19 — — 19 Other assets (d) 111 191 — — 302 Assets measured at NAV (d) 201 Subtotal assets of operations at fair value 38,497 93,937 — (8,346) 124,289 Percentage of assets of operations prior to netting 29 % 71 % — % Assets of consolidated investment management funds 393 94 — — 487 Total assets $ 38,890 $ 94,031 $ — $ (8,346) $ 124,776 Percentage of total assets prior to netting 29 % 71 % — % Liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2020 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Trading liabilities: Debt instruments $ 2,287 $ 35 $ — $ — $ 2,322 Equity instruments 11 — — — 11 Derivative liabilities not designated as hedging: Interest rate 2 3,878 — (2,348) 1,532 Foreign exchange — 7,622 — (5,484) 2,138 Equity and other contracts 7 34 — (13) 28 Total derivative liabilities not designated as hedging 9 11,534 — (7,845) 3,698 Total trading liabilities 2,307 11,569 — (7,845) 6,031 Long-term debt (c) — 400 — — 400 Other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging: Interest rate — 666 — — 666 Foreign exchange — 441 — — 441 Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging — 1,107 — — 1,107 Subtotal liabilities of operations at fair value 2,307 13,076 — (7,845) 7,538 Percentage of liabilities of operations prior to netting 15 % 85 % — % Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds 1 2 — — 3 Total liabilities $ 2,308 $ 13,078 $ — $ (7,845) $ 7,541 Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting 15 % 85 % — % (a) ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, permits the netting of derivative receivables and derivative payables under legally enforceable master netting agreements and permits the netting of cash collateral. Netting is applicable to derivatives not designated as hedging instruments included in trading assets or trading liabilities and derivatives designated as hedging instruments included in other assets or other liabilities. Netting is allocated to the derivative products based on the net fair value of each product. (b) Includes $487 million in Level 2 that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (c) Includes certain interests in securitizations. (d) Includes seed capital, private equity investments and other assets. Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2019 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Available-for-sale securities: Agency RMBS $ — $ 27,043 $ — $ — $ 27,043 U.S. Treasury 15,431 — — — 15,431 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed 7,784 4,862 — — 12,646 Agency commercial MBS — 9,417 — — 9,417 Foreign covered bonds — 4,197 — — 4,197 CLOs — 4,063 — — 4,063 Supranational — 3,709 — — 3,709 Foreign government agencies — 2,643 — — 2,643 Non-agency commercial MBS — 2,178 — — 2,178 Other ABS — 2,143 — — 2,143 U.S. government agencies — 1,949 — — 1,949 Non-agency RMBS (b) — 1,233 — — 1,233 State and political subdivisions — 1,044 — — 1,044 Corporate bonds — 853 — — 853 Other debt securities — 1 — — 1 Total available-for-sale securities 23,215 65,335 — — 88,550 Trading assets: Debt instruments 1,568 4,243 — — 5,811 Equity instruments (c) 4,539 — — — 4,539 Derivative assets not designated as hedging: Interest rate 4 3,686 — (1,792) 1,898 Foreign exchange — 5,331 — (4,021) 1,310 Equity and other contracts — 19 — (6) 13 Total derivative assets not designated as hedging 4 9,036 — (5,819) 3,221 Total trading assets 6,111 13,279 — (5,819) 13,571 Other assets : Derivative assets designated as hedging: Foreign exchange — 21 — — 21 Total derivative assets designated as hedging — 21 — — 21 Other assets (d) 38 179 — — 217 Assets measured at NAV (d) 181 Subtotal assets of operations at fair value 29,364 78,814 — (5,819) 102,540 Percentage of assets of operations prior to netting 27 % 73 % — % Assets of consolidated investment management funds 212 33 — — 245 Total assets $ 29,576 $ 78,847 $ — $ (5,819) $ 102,785 Percentage of total assets prior to netting 27 % 73 % — % Liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at Dec. 31, 2019 Total carrying (dollars in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting (a) Trading liabilities: Debt instruments $ 1,477 $ 107 $ — $ — $ 1,584 Equity instruments 73 — — — 73 Derivative liabilities not designated as hedging: Interest rate 6 3,244 — (1,986) 1,264 Foreign exchange — 5,340 — (3,428) 1,912 Equity and other contracts 3 6 — (1) 8 Total derivative liabilities not designated as hedging 9 8,590 — (5,415) 3,184 Total trading liabilities 1,559 8,697 — (5,415) 4,841 Long-term debt (c) — 387 — — 387 Other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging: Interest rate — 350 — — 350 Foreign exchange — 257 — — 257 Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging — 607 — — 607 Subtotal liabilities of operations at fair value 1,559 9,691 — (5,415) 5,835 Percentage of liabilities of operations prior to netting 14 % 86 % — % Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds 1 — — — 1 Total liabilities $ 1,560 $ 9,691 $ — $ (5,415) $ 5,836 Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting 14 % 86 % — % (a) ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, permits the netting of derivative receivables and derivative payables under legally enforceable master netting agreements and permits the netting of cash collateral. Netting is applicable to derivatives not designated as hedging instruments included in trading assets or trading liabilities and derivatives designated as hedging instruments included in other assets or other liabilities. Netting is allocated to the derivative products based on the net fair value of each product. (b) Includes $640 million in Level 2 that was included in the former Grantor Trust. (c) Includes certain interests in securitizations. (d) Includes seed capital, private equity investments and other assets.
Details Of Certain Items Measured At Fair Value on Recurring Basis	Details of certain available-for-sale securities measured at fair value on a recurring basis Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Total Ratings (a) Total Ratings (a) AAA/ A+/ BBB+/ BB+ and AAA/ A+/ BBB+/ BB+ and (dollars in millions) (b) (b) Non-agency RMBS (c) , originated in: 2008-2020 $ 1,548 100 % — % — % — % $ 215 100 % — % — % — % 2007 179 12 3 — 85 249 17 2 — 81 2006 237 — 23 — 77 291 — 21 — 79 2005 227 3 — 7 90 305 5 2 8 85 2004 and earlier 135 19 10 11 60 173 22 24 4 50 Total non-agency RMBS $ 2,326 69 % 3 % 1 % 27 % $ 1,233 25 % 9 % 3 % 63 % Non-agency commercial MBS originated in: 2009-2020 $ 3,017 99 % 1 % — % — % $ 2,178 98 % 2 % — % — % Foreign covered bonds: Canada $ 2,552 100 % — % — % — % $ 1,798 100 % — % — % — % UK 1,259 100 — — — 984 100 — — — Australia 951 100 — — — 431 100 — — — Norway 703 100 — — — 287 100 — — — Germany 494 100 — — — 357 100 — — — Other 766 100 — — — 340 100 — — — Total foreign covered bonds $ 6,725 100 % — % — % — % $ 4,197 100 % — % — % — % Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed: Germany $ 2,222 100 % — % — % — % $ 1,997 100 % — % — % — % Italy 2,010 — — 100 — 1,260 — — 100 — Spain 1,920 — 5 95 — 1,453 — 6 94 — France 1,697 100 — — — 1,272 100 — — — UK 1,089 100 — — — 3,318 100 — — — Singapore 984 100 — — — 742 100 — — — Canada 572 100 — — — 271 100 — — — Netherlands 491 100 — — — 791 100 — — — Japan 408 — 100 — — 274 — 100 — — Austria 256 100 — — — 240 100 — — — Ireland 252 — 100 — — 301 — 100 — — Other (d) 490 74 — — 26 727 80 1 — 19 Total sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed $ 12,391 62 % 6 % 31 % 1 % $ 12,646 73 % 5 % 21 % 1 % Foreign government agencies: Germany $ 1,473 100 % — % — % — % $ 1,131 100 % — % — % — % Netherlands 847 100 — — — 678 100 — — — Canada 511 75 25 — — 71 — 100 — — France 305 100 — — — 42 100 — — — Sweden 281 100 — — — 202 100 — — — Norway 273 100 — — — 216 100 — — — Finland 225 100 — — — 245 100 — — — Other 220 55 45 — — 58 — 100 — — Total foreign government agencies $ 4,135 95 % 5 % — % — % $ 2,643 95 % 5 % — % — % (a) Represents ratings by S&P or the equivalent. (b) At Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed securities were included in Level 1 and Level 2 in the valuation hierarchy. All other assets in the table are Level 2 assets in the valuation hierarchy. (c) Includes $487 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $640 million at Dec. 31, 2019 that were included in the former Grantor Trust. (d) Includes non-investment grade sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed securities related to Brazil of $125 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $134 million at Dec. 31, 2019.
Assets Measured at Fair Value on Nonrecurring Basis	The following table presents the financial instruments carried on the consolidated balance sheet by caption and level in the fair value hierarchy as of Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Total carrying Total carrying (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Loans (a) $ — $ 48 $ — $ 48 $ — $ 58 $ — $ 58 Other assets (b) — 131 — 131 — 64 — 64 Total assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis $ — $ 179 $ — $ 179 $ — $ 122 $ — $ 122 (a) The fair value of these loans decreased $1 million in both 2020 and 2019, based on the fair value of the underlying collateral, as required by guidance in ASC 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses, with an offset to the allowance for credit losses. (b) Includes non-readily marketable equity securities carried at cost with upward or downward adjustments and other assets received in satisfaction of debt.
Summary of Financial Instruments Not Carried at Fair Value	The following tables present the estimated fair value and the carrying amount of financial instruments not carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, by caption on the consolidated balance sheet and by the valuation hierarchy. Summary of financial instruments Dec. 31, 2020 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Carrying Assets: Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks $ — $ 141,775 $ — $ 141,775 $ 141,775 Interest-bearing deposits with banks — 17,310 — 17,310 17,300 Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements — 30,907 — 30,907 30,907 Securities held-to-maturity 4,120 45,104 — 49,224 47,946 Loans (a) — 53,586 — 53,586 55,121 Other financial assets 6,252 1,160 — 7,412 7,412 Total $ 10,372 $ 289,842 $ — $ 300,214 $ 300,461 Liabilities: Noninterest-bearing deposits $ — $ 83,854 $ — $ 83,854 $ 83,854 Interest-bearing deposits — 257,287 — 257,287 257,691 Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements — 11,305 — 11,305 11,305 Payables to customers and broker-dealers — 25,085 — 25,085 25,085 Borrowings — 563 — 563 563 Long-term debt — 27,306 — 27,306 25,584 Total $ — $ 405,400 $ — $ 405,400 $ 404,082 (a) Does not include the leasing portfolio. Summary of financial instruments Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total estimated Carrying Assets: Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks $ — $ 95,042 $ — $ 95,042 $ 95,042 Interest-bearing deposits with banks — 14,832 — 14,832 14,811 Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements — 30,182 — 30,182 30,182 Securities held-to-maturity 4,630 30,175 — 34,805 34,483 Loans (a) — 54,194 — 54,194 53,718 Other financial assets 4,830 1,233 — 6,063 6,063 Total $ 9,460 $ 225,658 $ — $ 235,118 $ 234,299 Liabilities: Noninterest-bearing deposits $ — $ 57,630 $ — $ 57,630 $ 57,630 Interest-bearing deposits — 200,846 — 200,846 201,836 Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements — 11,401 — 11,401 11,401 Payables to customers and broker-dealers — 18,758 — 18,758 18,758 Commercial paper — 3,959 — 3,959 3,959 Borrowings — 917 — 917 917 Long-term debt — 27,858 — 27,858 27,114 Total $ — $ 321,369 $ — $ 321,369 $ 321,615 (a) Does not include the leasing portfolio.

Fair value option (Tables)

Fair value option (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated Investment Management Funds, at Fair Value	The following table presents the assets and liabilities of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value. Assets and liabilities of consolidated investment management funds, at fair value Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Assets of consolidated investment management funds: Trading assets $ 482 $ 229 Other assets 5 16 Total assets of consolidated investment management funds $ 487 $ 245 Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds: Other liabilities 3 1 Total liabilities of consolidated investment management funds $ 3 $ 1 The following table presents the changes in fair value of long-term debt recorded in foreign exchange and other trading revenue in the consolidated income statement. Change in fair value of long-term debt (a) Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Foreign exchange and other trading revenue $ (13) $ (16) $ (4) (a) The changes in fair value are approximately offset by an economic hedge included in foreign exchange and other trading revenue.

Commitments and contingent li_2

Commitments and contingent liabilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Off-Balance Sheet Credit Risks, Net of Participations	The following table presents a summary of our off-balance sheet credit risks. Off-balance sheet credit risks Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Lending commitments $ 47,577 $ 49,119 Standby letters of credit (“SBLC”) (a) 2,265 2,298 Commercial letters of credit 60 74 Securities lending indemnifications (b)(c) 469,121 408,378 (a) Net of participations totaling $154 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $146 million at Dec. 31, 2019. (b) Excludes the indemnification for securities for which BNY Mellon acts as an agent on behalf of CIBC Mellon clients, which totaled $62 billion at Dec. 31, 2020 and $57 billion at Dec. 31, 2019.
Standby Letters of Credits by Investment Grade	The table below shows SBLCs by investment grade: Standby letters of credit Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Investment grade 82 % 90 % Non-investment grade 18 % 10 %
Summary of Credit Exposure in the Financial Institutions and Commercial Portfolios	The tables below present our credit exposure in the financial institutions and commercial portfolios. Financial institutions portfolio exposure (in billions) Dec. 31, 2020 Loans Unfunded Total exposure Securities industry $ 2.3 $ 21.6 $ 23.9 Asset managers 1.4 6.4 7.8 Banks 6.7 1.1 7.8 Insurance 0.1 2.8 2.9 Government 0.1 0.2 0.3 Other 0.6 0.7 1.3 Total $ 11.2 $ 32.8 $ 44.0 Commercial portfolio exposure (in billions) Dec. 31, 2020 Loans Unfunded Total exposure Manufacturing $ 0.5 $ 4.1 $ 4.6 Services and other 0.6 3.8 4.4 Energy and utilities 0.3 3.9 4.2 Media and telecom — 0.9 0.9 Total $ 1.4 $ 12.7 $ 14.1

Derivative instruments (Tables)

Derivative instruments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Gains (Losses) Related to Hedging	The following table presents the pre-tax gains (losses) related to our fair value and cash flow hedging activities recognized in the consolidated income statement. Income statement impact of fair value and cash flow hedges (in millions) Location of 2020 2019 2018 Interest rate fair value hedges of available-for-sale securities Derivative Interest revenue $ (627) $ (795) $ 284 Hedged item Interest revenue 624 788 (273) Interest rate fair value hedges of long-term debt Derivative Interest expense 587 486 (328) Hedged item Interest expense (586) (483) 330 Foreign exchange fair value hedges of available-for-sale securities Derivative (a) Other revenue (9) 9 (2) Hedged item Other revenue 11 (8) 2 Cash flow hedge of interest rate risk Gain reclassified from OCI into income Interest expense — 7 — Cash flow hedges of forecasted FX exposures Gain reclassified from OCI into income Other revenue — — 2 (Loss) gain reclassified from OCI into income Staff expense (1) 3 (4) (Loss) gain recognized in the consolidated income statement due to fair value and cash flow hedging relationships $ (1) $ 7 $ 11
Impacts of Hedging Derivatives in Net Investment Hedging Relationships	The following table presents the impact of hedging derivatives used in net investment hedging relationships. Impact of derivative instruments used in net investment hedging relationships (in millions) Derivatives in net investment hedging relationships Gain or (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI on derivatives Location of gain or (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI into income Gain or (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI into income 2020 2019 2018 2020 2019 2018 FX contracts $ (284) $ (19) $ 535 Net interest revenue $ — $ — $ —
Summary of Hedged Items in Fair Value Hedging Relationships	The following table presents information on the hedged items in fair value hedging relationships. Hedged items in fair value hedging relationships Carrying amount of hedged Hedge accounting basis adjustment increase (decrease) (a) Dec. 31, Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Available-for-sale securities (b)(c) $ 17,536 $ 13,792 $ 1,428 $ 687 Long-term debt $ 14,784 $ 13,945 $ 783 $ 116 (a) Includes $177 million and $53 million of basis adjustment increases on discontinued hedges associated with available-for-sale securities at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, respectively, and $118 million and $200 million of basis adjustment decreases on discontinued hedges associated with long-term debt at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019, respectively. (b) Excludes hedged items where only foreign currency risk is the designated hedged risk, as the basis adjustments related to foreign currency hedges will not reverse through the consolidated income statement in future periods. The carrying amount excluded for available-for-sale securities was $148 million at Dec. 31, 2020 and $142 million at Dec. 31, 2019. (c) Carrying amount represents the amortized cost.
Impact of Derivative Instruments on the Balance Sheet	The following table summarizes the notional amount and carrying values of our total derivative portfolio at Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019. Impact of derivative instruments on the balance sheet Notional value Asset derivatives Liability derivatives Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: (a)(b) Interest rate contracts $ 31,360 $ 28,365 $ — $ — $ 666 $ 350 Foreign exchange contracts 8,706 8,390 19 21 441 257 Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 19 $ 21 $ 1,107 $ 607 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: (b)(c) Interest rate contracts $ 198,865 $ 306,790 $ 4,482 $ 3,690 $ 3,880 $ 3,250 Foreign exchange contracts 813,003 848,961 7,688 5,331 7,622 5,340 Equity contracts 5,142 3,189 2 19 37 5 Credit contracts 165 165 — — 4 4 Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments $ 12,172 $ 9,040 $ 11,543 $ 8,599 Total derivatives fair value (d) $ 12,191 $ 9,061 $ 12,650 $ 9,206 Effect of master netting agreements (e) (8,346) (5,819) (7,845) (5,415) Fair value after effect of master netting agreements $ 3,845 $ 3,242 $ 4,805 $ 3,791 (a) The fair value of asset derivatives and liability derivatives designated as hedging instruments is recorded as other assets and other liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheet. (b) For derivative transactions settled at clearing organizations, cash collateral exchanged is deemed a settlement of the derivative each day. The settlement reduces the gross fair value of derivative assets and liabilities and results in a corresponding decrease in the effect of master netting agreements, with no impact to the consolidated balance sheet. (c) The fair value of asset derivatives and liability derivatives not designated as hedging instruments is recorded as trading assets and trading liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheet. (d) Fair values are on a gross basis, before consideration of master netting agreements, as required by ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. (e) Effect of master netting agreements includes cash collateral received and paid of $1,552 million and $1,051 million, respectively, at Dec. 31, 2020, and $1,022 million and $618 million, respectively, at Dec. 31, 2019.
Revenue from Foreign Exchange and Other Trading	The following table presents our foreign exchange and other trading revenue. Foreign exchange and other trading revenue Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Foreign exchange $ 776 $ 577 $ 663 Other trading revenue 13 77 69 Total foreign exchange and other trading revenue $ 789 $ 654 $ 732
Fair Value of Derivative Contracts Falling under Early Termination Provisions that were in Net Liability Position	The following table shows the aggregate fair value of OTC derivative contracts in net liability positions that contained credit risk-contingent features and the value of collateral that has been posted. Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) Aggregate fair value of OTC derivatives in net liability positions (a) $ 5,235 $ 3,442 Collateral posted $ 5,568 $ 3,671 (a) Before consideration of cash collateral. The following table shows the fair value of contracts falling under early termination provisions that were in net liability positions for three key ratings triggers. Potential close-out exposures (fair value) (a) Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 (in millions) If The Bank of New York Mellon’s rating changed to: (b) A3/A- $ 79 $ 56 Baa2/BBB $ 813 $ 608 Ba1/BB+ $ 2,859 $ 2,084 (a) The amounts represent potential total close-out values if The Bank of New York Mellon’s long-term issuer rating were to immediately drop to the indicated levels, and do not reflect collateral posted. (b) Represents ratings by Moody’s/S&P.
Offsetting Assets	The following tables present derivative and financial instruments and their related offsets. There were no derivative instruments or financial instruments subject to a legally enforceable netting agreement for which we are not currently netting. Offsetting of derivative assets and financial assets at Dec. 31, 2020 Gross assets recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Net assets recognized in the balance sheet Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral received Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 2,972 $ 1,952 $ 1,020 $ 311 $ — $ 709 Foreign exchange contracts 7,128 6,392 736 146 — 590 Equity and other contracts 2 2 — — — — Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 10,102 8,346 1,756 457 — 1,299 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 2,089 — 2,089 — — 2,089 Total derivatives 12,191 8,346 3,845 457 — 3,388 Reverse repurchase agreements 78,828 59,561 (b) 19,267 19,252 — 15 Securities borrowing 11,640 — 11,640 11,166 — 474 Total $ 102,659 $ 67,907 $ 34,752 $ 30,875 $ — $ 3,877 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral received. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of reverse repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system. Offsetting of derivative assets and financial assets at Dec. 31, 2019 Gross assets recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Net assets recognized Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral received Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 2,394 $ 1,792 $ 602 $ 207 $ — $ 395 Foreign exchange contracts 4,861 4,021 840 44 — 796 Equity and other contracts 9 6 3 — — 3 Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 7,264 5,819 1,445 251 — 1,194 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 1,797 — 1,797 — — 1,797 Total derivatives 9,061 5,819 3,242 251 — 2,991 Reverse repurchase agreements 112,355 93,794 (b) 18,561 18,554 — 7 Securities borrowing 11,621 — 11,621 11,278 — 343 Total $ 133,037 $ 99,613 $ 33,424 $ 30,083 $ — $ 3,341 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral received. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of reverse repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system.
Offsetting Liabilities	Offsetting of derivative liabilities and financial liabilities at Dec. 31, 2020 Net liabilities recognized in the balance sheet Gross liabilities recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral pledged Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 4,533 $ 2,348 $ 2,185 $ 2,115 $ — $ 70 Foreign exchange contracts 7,280 5,484 1,796 143 — 1,653 Equity and other contracts 37 13 24 7 — 17 Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 11,850 7,845 4,005 2,265 — 1,740 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 800 — 800 — — 800 Total derivatives 12,650 7,845 4,805 2,265 — 2,540 Repurchase agreements 69,831 59,561 (b) 10,270 10,270 — — Securities lending 1,035 — 1,035 983 — 52 Total $ 83,516 $ 67,406 $ 16,110 $ 13,518 $ — $ 2,592 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral paid. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system. Offsetting of derivative liabilities and financial liabilities at Dec. 31, 2019 Net liabilities recognized Gross liabilities recognized Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet (in millions) (a) Financial instruments Cash collateral pledged Net amount Derivatives subject to netting arrangements: Interest rate contracts $ 3,550 $ 1,986 $ 1,564 $ 1,539 $ — $ 25 Foreign exchange contracts 4,873 3,428 1,445 74 — 1,371 Equity and other contracts 5 1 4 2 — 2 Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements 8,428 5,415 3,013 1,615 — 1,398 Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements 778 — 778 — — 778 Total derivatives 9,206 5,415 3,791 1,615 — 2,176 Repurchase agreements 104,451 93,794 (b) 10,657 10,657 — — Securities lending 718 — 718 694 — 24 Total $ 114,375 $ 99,209 $ 15,166 $ 12,966 $ — $ 2,200 (a) Includes the effect of netting agreements and net cash collateral paid. The offset related to the OTC derivatives was allocated to the various types of derivatives based on the net positions. (b) Offsetting of repurchase agreements relates to our involvement in the FICC, where we settle government securities transactions on a net basis for payment and delivery through the Fedwire system.
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings	The following table presents the contract value of repurchase agreements and securities lending transactions accounted for as secured borrowings by the type of collateral provided to counterparties. Repurchase agreements and securities lending transactions accounted for as secured borrowings Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Remaining contractual maturity Total Remaining contractual maturity Total (in millions) Overnight and continuous Up to 30 days 30 days or more Overnight and continuous Up to 30 days 30 days or more Repurchase agreements: U.S. Treasury $ 62,381 $ — $ — $ 62,381 $ 94,788 $ 10 $ — $ 94,798 Agency RMBS 3,117 — 80 3,197 4,234 774 — 5,008 Corporate bonds 190 218 1,436 1,844 266 236 1,617 2,119 State and political subdivisions 66 40 864 970 38 166 1,077 1,281 U.S. government agencies 425 — — 425 594 16 — 610 Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed — — — — — 22 — 22 Other debt securities 7 21 138 166 2 — 2 4 Equity securities — 21 827 848 31 99 479 609 Total $ 66,186 $ 300 $ 3,345 $ 69,831 $ 99,953 $ 1,323 $ 3,175 $ 104,451 Securities lending: Agency RMBS $ 161 $ — $ — $ 161 $ 160 $ — $ — $ 160 U.S. government agencies — — — — 19 — — 19 Other debt securities 52 — — 52 41 — — 41 Equity securities 822 — — 822 498 — — 498 Total $ 1,035 $ — $ — $ 1,035 $ 718 $ — $ — $ 718 Total secured borrowings $ 67,221 $ 300 $ 3,345 $ 70,866 $ 100,671 $ 1,323 $ 3,175 $ 105,169

Lines of business (Tables)

Lines of business (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Contribution of Segments to Overall Profitability	The following consolidating schedules present the contribution of our businesses to our overall profitability. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2020 Investment Investment and Wealth Other Consolidated (dollars in millions) Total fee and other revenue $ 9,256 $ 3,495 (a) $ 71 $ 12,822 (a) Net interest revenue (expense) 2,925 197 (145) 2,977 Total revenue (loss) 12,181 3,692 (a) (74) 15,799 (a) Provision for credit losses 315 20 1 336 Noninterest expense 8,170 2,701 133 11,004 Income (loss) before income taxes $ 3,696 $ 971 (a) $ (208) $ 4,459 (a) Pre-tax operating margin (b) 30 % 26 % N/M 28 % Average assets $ 331,809 $ 30,459 $ 51,050 $ 413,318 (a) Total fee and other revenue includes net income from consolidated investment management funds of $75 million, representing $84 million of income and noncontrolling interests of $9 million. Total revenue and income before income taxes are net of noncontrolling interests of $9 million. (b) Income before income taxes divided by total revenue. N/M – Not meaningful. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 Investment Investment and Wealth Other Consolidated (dollars in millions) Total fee and other revenue $ 8,926 $ 3,485 (a) $ 837 $ 13,248 (a) Net interest revenue (expense) 3,126 222 (160) 3,188 Total revenue 12,052 3,707 (a) 677 16,436 (a) Provision for credit losses (16) (1) (8) (25) Noninterest expense 8,096 2,647 157 10,900 Income before income taxes $ 3,972 $ 1,061 (a) $ 528 $ 5,561 (a) Pre-tax operating margin (b) 33 % 29 % N/M 34 % Average assets $ 267,278 $ 29,479 $ 49,198 $ 345,955 (a) Total fee and other revenue includes net income from consolidated investment management funds of $30 million, representing $56 million of income and noncontrolling interests of $26 million. Total revenue and income before income taxes are net of noncontrolling interests of $26 million. (b) Income before income taxes divided by total revenue. N/M – Not meaningful. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2018 Investment Investment and Wealth Other Consolidated (dollars in millions) Total fee and other revenue $ 8,944 $ 3,799 (a) $ 49 $ 12,792 (a) Net interest revenue (expense) 3,403 272 (64) 3,611 Total revenue (loss) 12,347 4,071 (a) (15) 16,403 (a) Provision for credit losses 1 3 (15) (11) Noninterest expense 8,100 2,814 296 11,210 (b) Income (loss) before income taxes $ 4,246 $ 1,254 (a) $ (296) $ 5,204 (a)(b) Pre-tax operating margin (c) 34 % 31 % N/M 32 % Average assets $ 262,889 $ 29,365 $ 51,520 $ 343,774 (a) Total fee and other revenue includes a net loss from consolidated investment management funds of $1 million, representing $13 million of losses and a loss attributable to noncontrolling interests of $12 million. Total revenue and income before income taxes are net of a loss attributable to noncontrolling interests of $12 million. (b) Noninterest expense and income before income taxes include a loss attributable to noncontrolling interest of $1 million related to other consolidated subsidiaries. (c) Income before taxes divided by total revenue. N/M – Not meaningful.

International operations (Table

International operations (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Segments, Geographical Areas [Abstract]
Foreign Revenue, Income before Income Taxes, Net Income and Assets from Foreign Operations	Total assets, total revenue, income before income taxes and net income of our international operations are shown in the table below. International operations International Total Total (in millions) Europe, the Middle East and Africa Asia-Pacific region Other Total 2020 Total assets at period end (a) $ 92,374 (b) $ 28,416 $ 2,513 $ 123,303 $ 346,330 $ 469,633 Total revenue 3,964 (b) 1,168 698 5,830 9,978 15,808 Income before income taxes 1,549 607 437 2,593 1,875 4,468 Net income 1,179 462 332 1,973 1,653 3,626 2019 Total assets at period end (a) $ 74,504 (b) $ 36,347 $ 2,636 $ 113,487 $ 268,021 $ 381,508 Total revenue 3,833 (b) 1,161 737 5,731 10,731 16,462 Income before income taxes 1,447 548 506 2,501 3,086 5,587 Net income 1,116 423 390 1,929 2,538 4,467 2018 Total assets at period end (a) $ 74,982 (b) $ 23,199 $ 1,483 $ 99,664 $ 263,209 $ 362,873 Total revenue 4,252 (b) 1,103 684 6,039 10,353 16,392 Income before income taxes 1,694 564 455 2,713 2,479 5,192 Net income 1,345 448 361 2,154 2,100 4,254 (a) Total assets include long-lived assets, which are not considered by management to be significant in relation to total assets. Long-lived assets are primarily located in the U.S. (b) Includes assets of approximately $38.1 billion, $30.8 billion and $30.6 billion and revenue of approximately $2.6 billion, $2.6 billion and $2.6 billion in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, of international operations domiciled in the UK, which is 8%, 8% and 8% of total assets and 16%, 16% and 16% of total revenue, respectively.

Supplemental information to t_2

Supplemental information to the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
Noncash Investing and Financing Transactions that are Not Reflected in Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows	Non-cash investing and financing transactions that, appropriately, are not reflected in the consolidated statement of cash flows are listed below. Non-cash investing and financing transactions Year ended Dec. 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 2018 Transfers from loans to other assets for other real estate owned $ 1 $ 2 $ 2 Change in assets of consolidated investment management funds 242 16 268 Change in liabilities of consolidated investment management funds 2 1 — Change in nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of consolidated investment management funds 41 1 215 Securities purchased not settled 205 497 227 Securities sold not settled — — 187 Available-for-sale securities transferred to held-to-maturity 501 — — Available-for-sale securities transferred to trading assets — — 963 Held-to-maturity securities transferred to available-for-sale — — 1,087 Premises and equipment/capitalized software funded by finance lease obligations 10 14 26 Premises and equipment/operating lease obligations 208 1,754 (a) — Investment redemptions not settled 9 20 — (a) Includes $1,244 million related to the adoption of ASU 2016-02, Leases, and $510 million related to new or modified leases.

Summary of significant accoun_4

Summary of significant accounting and reporting policies - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)business
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Number of principal businesses (business) | business	2
Minimum amount of majority of loans primarily to institutional customers | $	$ 1,000,000
Maximum percentage of excess actuarial gain or loss before excess is recognized (percentage)	10.00%
Period of time to amortize unrecognized gains or losses for pension plans with inactive participants (years)	15 years
Period of time that difference of expected return on plan assets vs. actual performance of plan assets included as adjustment in market related value (years)	5 years
Minimum
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Premises and equipment, useful life (in years)	2 years
Maximum
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Premises and equipment, useful life (in years)	40 years
Commercial Loan
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Threshold period past due for nonaccrual status	90 days
First Lien Residential Mortgage
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Threshold period past due subject to impairment test	90 days
Second Lien Residential Mortgage
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Threshold period past due subject to impairment test	90 days

Summary of significant accoun_5

Summary of significant accounting and reporting policies - Equity Method Investments (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
CIBC Mellon
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Percentage ownership	50.00%
Book value	$ 698
Siguler Guff
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Percentage ownership	20.00%
Book value	$ 223

Accounting changes and new ac_3

Accounting changes and new accounting guidance - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying the ASU	$ 45,944	[1]	$ 41,585	[1],[2]	$ 40,739	[2],[3]	$ 41,567	[3]
Retained earnings
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying the ASU	$ 34,241		31,894		28,652		$ 25,635
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying the ASU			40		0
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Retained earnings
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Adjustment for the cumulative effect of applying the ASU			$ 45		$ 90
[1]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019 and $41,260 million at Dec. 31, 2020.
[2]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018 and $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019.
[3]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,709 million at Dec. 31, 2017 and $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018.

Accounting changes and new ac_4

Accounting changes and new accounting guidance - Allowance for Credit Losses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Jan. 01, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Allowance for credit losses, loans	$ 479		$ 216	$ 252	$ 261
Securities	11
Allowance for credit losses		$ 161
Reclassification of credit-related reserves on accounts receivable		4
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Allowance for credit losses, loans		(69)	(69)
Securities		7
Other		3
Allowance for credit losses		(59)
Loans
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Allowance for credit losses, loans	358	48	122	146
Lending-related commitments
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Allowance for credit losses, loans	$ 121	$ 21	$ 94	$ 106

Acquisitions and dispositions -

Acquisitions and dispositions - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	Nov. 08, 2019USD ($)	Jun. 29, 2018USD ($)	Jan. 02, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)entity	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent payments					$ 9
Potential obligation to pay additional consideration, upper range				$ 5	$ 5
Disposal group, number of legal entities | entity				2
Gain (loss) on disposal				$ (34)
Promontory Interfinancial Network
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on disposal	$ 622
CenterSquare
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Assets under management divestiture			$ 10,000
Goodwill, written off related to sale of business unit			$ 52
Amherst Capital Management LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill, written off related to sale of business unit		$ 13

Securities - Amortized Cost, Gr

Securities - Amortized Cost, Gross Unrealized Gains and Losses and Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	$ 105,141	$ 87,435
Gross unrealized, Gain	3,462	1,353
Gross unrealized, Loss	108	238
Available-for-sale	108,495	88,550
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	47,946	34,483
Gross unrealized, Gains	1,300	377
Gross unrealized, Losses	22	55
Securities held-to-maturity	49,224	34,805
Amortized cost, Total	153,087	121,918
Gross unrealized, Gain, Total	4,762	1,730
Gross unrealized, Losses, Total	130	293
Fair value, Total	157,719	123,355
Debt securities, available-for-sale, allowance for credit loss	11
AOCI, transfers from AFS to HTM Securities, gross unrealized gains	75	32
AOCI, transfers from AFS to HTM Securities, gross unrealized losses	44	65
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	21,919	27,022
Gross unrealized, Gain	479	164
Gross unrealized, Loss	51	143
Available-for-sale	22,347	27,043
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	38,355	27,357
Gross unrealized, Gains	1,055	292
Gross unrealized, Losses	14	46
Securities held-to-maturity	39,396	27,603
U.S. Treasury
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	23,557	14,979
Gross unrealized, Gain	1,358	472
Gross unrealized, Loss	21	20
Available-for-sale	24,894	15,431
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	2,938	3,818
Gross unrealized, Gains	90	28
Gross unrealized, Losses	0	3
Securities held-to-maturity	3,028	3,843
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	12,202	12,548
Gross unrealized, Gain	190	109
Gross unrealized, Loss	1	11
Available-for-sale	12,391	12,646
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	1,050	756
Gross unrealized, Gains	42	31
Gross unrealized, Losses	0	0
Securities held-to-maturity	1,092	787
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	8,605	9,231
Gross unrealized, Gain	625	203
Gross unrealized, Loss	2	17
Available-for-sale	9,228	9,417
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	2,659	1,326
Gross unrealized, Gains	105	21
Gross unrealized, Losses	2	3
Securities held-to-maturity	2,762	1,344
Supranational
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	7,086	3,697
Gross unrealized, Gain	75	18
Gross unrealized, Loss	1	6
Available-for-sale	7,160	3,709
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	55	27
Gross unrealized, Gains	0	0
Gross unrealized, Losses	0	0
Securities held-to-maturity	55	27
Foreign covered bonds
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	6,658	4,189
Gross unrealized, Gain	68	15
Gross unrealized, Loss	1	7
Available-for-sale	6,725	4,197
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost		79
Gross unrealized, Gains		0
Gross unrealized, Losses		0
Securities held-to-maturity		79
Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	4,706	4,078
Gross unrealized, Gain	7	1
Gross unrealized, Loss	10	16
Available-for-sale	4,703	4,063
Foreign government agencies
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	4,086	2,638
Gross unrealized, Gain	49	7
Gross unrealized, Loss	0	2
Available-for-sale	4,135	2,643
U.S. government agencies
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	3,680	1,890
Gross unrealized, Gain	174	61
Gross unrealized, Loss	1	2
Available-for-sale	3,853	1,949
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	2,816	1,023
Gross unrealized, Gains	4	1
Gross unrealized, Losses	6	2
Securities held-to-maturity	2,814	1,022
Other ABS
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	3,135	2,141
Gross unrealized, Gain	32	7
Gross unrealized, Loss	3	5
Available-for-sale	3,164	2,143
Non-agency commercial MBS
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	2,864	2,134
Gross unrealized, Gain	159	46
Gross unrealized, Loss	6	2
Available-for-sale	3,017	2,178
Non-agency RMBS
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	2,178	1,038
Gross unrealized, Gain	157	202
Gross unrealized, Loss	9	7
Available-for-sale	2,326	1,233
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	58	80
Gross unrealized, Gains	3	4
Gross unrealized, Losses	0	1
Securities held-to-maturity	61	83
Non-agency RMBS | Grantor Trust
Available-for-sale:
Available-for-sale	487	640
State and political subdivisions
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	2,270	1,017
Gross unrealized, Gain	39	27
Gross unrealized, Loss	1	0
Available-for-sale	2,308	1,044
Held-to-maturity:
Amortized cost	15	17
Gross unrealized, Gains	1	0
Gross unrealized, Losses	0	0
Securities held-to-maturity	16	17
Corporate bonds
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	1,945	832
Gross unrealized, Gain	50	21
Gross unrealized, Loss	1	0
Available-for-sale	1,994	853
Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”)
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	249
Gross unrealized, Gain	0
Gross unrealized, Loss	0
Available-for-sale	249
Other debt securities
Available-for-sale:
Amortized cost	1	1
Gross unrealized, Gain	0	0
Gross unrealized, Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale	$ 1	$ 1

Securities - Net Securities Gai

Securities - Net Securities Gains (Losses) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Securities [Abstract]
Realized gross gains	$ 46	$ 23	$ 8
Realized gross losses	(13)	(39)	(55)
Recognized gross impairments	0	(2)	(1)
Total net securities gains (losses)	$ 33	$ (18)	$ (48)

Securities - Pre-Tax Net Securi

Securities - Pre-Tax Net Securities Gains (Losses) by Type (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Schedule of Investment Income, Reported Amounts, by Category [Line Items]
Total net securities gains (losses)	$ 33	$ (18)	$ (48)
Foreign government agencies
Schedule of Investment Income, Reported Amounts, by Category [Line Items]
Total net securities gains (losses)	8	(3)	(1)
U.S. Treasury
Schedule of Investment Income, Reported Amounts, by Category [Line Items]
Total net securities gains (losses)	8	(13)	(4)
Supranational
Schedule of Investment Income, Reported Amounts, by Category [Line Items]
Total net securities gains (losses)	7	(2)	0
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Schedule of Investment Income, Reported Amounts, by Category [Line Items]
Total net securities gains (losses)	0	1	(42)
Other
Schedule of Investment Income, Reported Amounts, by Category [Line Items]
Total net securities gains (losses)	$ 10	$ (1)	$ (1)

Securities - Narrative (Details

Securities - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2020
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt securities, available-for-sale, allowance for credit loss	$ 11		$ 11
AOCI, transfers from AFS to HTM Securities, gross unrealized losses	$ 44	$ 65
Available-for-sale securities transferred to held-to-maturity			501	$ 0	$ 0
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
AOCI, transfers from AFS to HTM Securities, gross unrealized losses, amortized cost			448
Available-for-sale securities transferred to held-to-maturity			$ 501
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt securities, available-for-sale, allowance for credit loss						$ 7

Securities - Fair Value of Inve

Securities - Fair Value of Investments with Continuous Unrealized Loss Position (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	$ 12,855,000,000	$ 23,012,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	47,000,000	92,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	3,668,000,000	10,774,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	61,000,000	146,000,000
Total, Fair value	16,523,000,000	33,786,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	108,000,000	238,000,000
AOCI, transfers from AFS to HTM Securities, gross unrealized losses, greater than 12 months	44,000,000	65,000,000
AOCI, transfers from AFS to HTM Securities, gross unrealized losses, less than 12 months	0	0
Grantor Trust
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	1,600,000,000
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	850,000,000	8,373,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	4,000,000	33,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	1,965,000,000	5,912,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	47,000,000	110,000,000
Total, Fair value	2,815,000,000	14,285,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	51,000,000	143,000,000
U.S. Treasury
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	4,253,000,000	1,976,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	21,000,000	16,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	0	766,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	0	4,000,000
Total, Fair value	4,253,000,000	2,742,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	21,000,000	20,000,000
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	1,349,000,000	4,045,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	10,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	135,000,000	225,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	0	1,000,000
Total, Fair value	1,484,000,000	4,270,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	11,000,000
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	440,000,000	1,960,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	12,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	266,000,000	775,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	5,000,000
Total, Fair value	706,000,000	2,735,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	2,000,000	17,000,000
Foreign covered bonds
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	468,000,000	1,009,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	4,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	90,000,000	690,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	0	3,000,000
Total, Fair value	558,000,000	1,699,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	7,000,000
Supranational
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	1,041,000,000	1,336,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	6,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	132,000,000	360,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	0	0
Total, Fair value	1,173,000,000	1,696,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	6,000,000
Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	1,849,000,000	1,066,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	6,000,000	2,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	579,000,000	1,499,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	4,000,000	14,000,000
Total, Fair value	2,428,000,000	2,565,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	10,000,000	16,000,000
Foreign government agencies
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value		1,706,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses		2,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value		47,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses		0
Total, Fair value		1,753,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses		2,000,000
U.S. government agencies
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	160,000,000	377,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	2,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	0	0
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	0	0
Total, Fair value	160,000,000	377,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	2,000,000
Other ABS
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	449,000,000	456,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	2,000,000	3,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	226,000,000	305,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	2,000,000
Total, Fair value	675,000,000	761,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	3,000,000	5,000,000
Non-agency commercial MBS
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	468,000,000	525,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	4,000,000	2,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	170,000,000	45,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	2,000,000	0
Total, Fair value	638,000,000	570,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	6,000,000	2,000,000
Non-agency RMBS
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	973,000,000	101,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	3,000,000	0
12 months or more, Fair value	103,000,000	113,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	6,000,000	7,000,000
Total, Fair value	1,076,000,000	214,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	9,000,000	7,000,000
Non-agency RMBS | Grantor Trust
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	16,000,000	2,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	1,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	2,000,000	2,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	1,000,000
State and political subdivisions
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	273,000,000	0
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	0
12 months or more, Fair value	2,000,000	16,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	0	0
Total, Fair value	275,000,000	16,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	1,000,000	0
Corporate bonds
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value		82,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses		0
12 months or more, Fair value		21,000,000
12 months or more, Unrealized losses		0
Total, Fair value		103,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses		$ 0
Corporate Bond Securities
Available-for-sale:
Less than 12 months, Fair value	282,000,000
Less than 12 months, Unrealized losses	1,000,000
12 months or more, Fair value	0
12 months or more, Unrealized losses	0
Total, Fair value	282,000,000
Total, Unrealized losses	$ 1,000,000

Securities - Debt Securities, H

Securities - Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 47,946	$ 34,483
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 1,278
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 38,355	27,357
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 1,041
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
U.S. Treasury
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 2,938	3,818
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 90
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
U.S. government agencies
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 2,816	1,023
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ (2)
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 2,659	1,326
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 103
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 1,050	756
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 42
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
Non-agency RMBS
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 58	80
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 3
Ratings (percent)	1.00%
Supranational
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 55	27
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 0
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
State and political subdivisions
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 15	$ 17
Unrealized gain (loss)	$ 1
Ratings (percent)	86.00%
AAA/ AA-
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	100.00%
AAA/ AA- | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	100.00%
AAA/ AA- | U.S. Treasury
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	100.00%
AAA/ AA- | U.S. government agencies
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	100.00%
AAA/ AA- | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	100.00%
AAA/ AA- | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	98.00%
AAA/ AA- | Non-agency RMBS
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	28.00%
AAA/ AA- | Supranational
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	100.00%
AAA/ AA- | State and political subdivisions
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	6.00%
A+/ A-
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A+/ A- | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A+/ A- | U.S. Treasury
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A+/ A- | U.S. government agencies
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A+/ A- | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A+/ A- | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A+/ A- | Non-agency RMBS
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	55.00%
A+/ A- | Supranational
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A+/ A- | State and political subdivisions
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	2.00%
BBB+/ BBB-
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | U.S. Treasury
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | U.S. government agencies
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | Non-agency RMBS
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	2.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | Supranational
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BBB+/ BBB- | State and political subdivisions
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	6.00%
BB+ and lower
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BB+ and lower | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BB+ and lower | U.S. Treasury
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BB+ and lower | U.S. government agencies
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BB+ and lower | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BB+ and lower | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BB+ and lower | Non-agency RMBS
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	14.00%
BB+ and lower | Supranational
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
BB+ and lower | State and political subdivisions
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | U.S. Treasury
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | U.S. government agencies
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	2.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | Non-agency RMBS
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | Supranational
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%
A1+/A2/SP-1 | State and political subdivisions
Debt Securities, Held-to-maturity, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Ratings (percent)	0.00%

Securities - Maturity Distribut

Securities - Maturity Distribution and Yield of Investment Securities Portfolio (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
One year or less	$ 13,385
Over 1 through 5 years	32,080
Over 5 through 10 years	14,352
Over 10 years	3,893
Total	108,495	$ 88,550
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
One year or less	1,101
Over 1 through 5 years	3,742
Over 5 through 10 years	1,600
Over 10 years	431
Amortized cost	47,946	34,483
Mortgage-backed securities
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
Without single maturity date	36,918
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
Mortgage-backed securities	41,072
Asset-backed securities
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
Without single maturity date	7,867
U.S. Treasury
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
One year or less	3,549
Over 1 through 5 years	10,619
Over 5 through 10 years	7,571
Over 10 years	3,155
Total	$ 24,894	15,431
Securities available-for-sale (Yield):
One year or less	1.47%
Over 1 through 5 years	1.16%
Over 5 through 10 years	1.43%
Over 10 years	3.11%
Total	1.53%
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
One year or less	$ 1,031
Over 1 through 5 years	1,907
Over 5 through 10 years	0
Over 10 years	0
Amortized cost	$ 2,938	3,818
Securities held-to-maturity (Yield):
One year or less	2.11%
Over 1 through 5 years	1.91%
Over 5 through 10 years	0.00%
Over 10 years	0.00%
Total	1.98%
U.S. government agencies
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
One year or less	$ 25
Over 1 through 5 years	2,125
Over 5 through 10 years	1,562
Over 10 years	141
Total	$ 3,853	1,949
Securities available-for-sale (Yield):
One year or less	2.55%
Over 1 through 5 years	0.71%
Over 5 through 10 years	2.30%
Over 10 years	1.98%
Total	1.41%
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
One year or less	$ 0
Over 1 through 5 years	880
Over 5 through 10 years	1,518
Over 10 years	418
Amortized cost	$ 2,816	1,023
Securities held-to-maturity (Yield):
One year or less	0.00%
Over 1 through 5 years	0.68%
Over 5 through 10 years	1.07%
Over 10 years	2.30%
Total	1.13%
State and political subdivisions
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
One year or less	$ 744
Over 1 through 5 years	530
Over 5 through 10 years	688
Over 10 years	346
Total	$ 2,308	1,044
Securities available-for-sale (Yield):
One year or less	1.30%
Over 1 through 5 years	2.94%
Over 5 through 10 years	1.58%
Over 10 years	2.23%
Total	1.90%
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
One year or less	$ 0
Over 1 through 5 years	2
Over 5 through 10 years	0
Over 10 years	13
Amortized cost	$ 15	$ 17
Securities held-to-maturity (Yield):
One year or less	0.00%
Over 1 through 5 years	5.67%
Over 5 through 10 years	0.00%
Over 10 years	4.76%
Total	4.91%
Other bonds, notes and debentures
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
One year or less	$ 9,067
Over 1 through 5 years	18,806
Over 5 through 10 years	4,531
Over 10 years	251
Total	$ 32,655
Securities available-for-sale (Yield):
One year or less	0.50%
Over 1 through 5 years	0.58%
Over 5 through 10 years	0.72%
Over 10 years	1.04%
Total	0.58%
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
One year or less	$ 70
Over 1 through 5 years	953
Over 5 through 10 years	82
Over 10 years	0
Amortized cost	$ 1,105
Securities held-to-maturity (Yield):
One year or less	0.19%
Over 1 through 5 years	0.69%
Over 5 through 10 years	0.60%
Over 10 years	0.00%
Total	0.65%
Mortgage/ asset-backed
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
Total	$ 44,785
Securities available-for-sale (Yield):
Total	2.10%
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
Amortized cost	$ 41,072
Securities held-to-maturity (Yield):
Total	2.46%
Mortgage/ asset-backed | Mortgage-backed securities
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
Without single maturity date	$ 36,918
Securities available-for-sale (Yield):
Without single maturity date	2.19%
Securities held-to-maturity, Amount:
Mortgage-backed securities	$ 41,072
Securities held-to-maturity (Yield):
Without single maturity date	2.46%
Mortgage/ asset-backed | Asset-backed securities
Securities available-for-sale, Amount:
Without single maturity date	$ 7,867
Securities available-for-sale (Yield):
Without single maturity date	1.64%

Securities - Pledged assets (De

Securities - Pledged assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Securities [Abstract]
Pledged assets	$ 141	$ 118
Pledged collateral for potential borrowings at the Federal Reserve Discount Window	113	80
Pledged asset, other not separately reported, potential borrowings at FHLB	5	6
Pledged securities	124	98
Pledged loans	11	13
Pledged trading assets	6	7
Pledged interest-bearing deposits	1	1
Financial instruments owned and pledged as collateral, amount eligible to be pledged by counterparty	18	29
Pledged assets permitted to be sold or repledged	121	153
Market value of securities received as collateral that have been sold or repledged	84	107
Cash segregated under federal or other regulations	3	2
Securities segregated under federal or other regulations	$ 6	$ 1

Loans and asset quality - Loan

Loans and asset quality - Loan Distribution and Industry Concentrations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	$ 56,469	$ 54,953
Unearned income on lease financings	274	313
Commercial
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	1,400
Financial institutions
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	11,200
Other residential mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	389	494
Margin loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	15,400	13,400
Domestic
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	44,553	42,548
Domestic | Commercial
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	1,356	1,442
Domestic | Commercial real estate
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	6,056	5,575
Domestic | Financial institutions
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	4,495	4,852
Domestic | Lease financings
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	431	537
Domestic | Wealth management loans and mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	16,211	16,050
Domestic | Other residential mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	389	494
Domestic | Overdrafts
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	651	524
Domestic | Other
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	1,823	1,167
Domestic | Margin loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	13,141	11,907
Foreign
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	11,916	12,405
Foreign | Commercial
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	73	347
Foreign | Commercial real estate
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	0	7
Foreign | Financial institutions
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	6,750	7,626
Foreign | Lease financings
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	559	576
Foreign | Wealth management loans and mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	146	140
Foreign | Other
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	2,113	2,230
Foreign | Margin loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	$ 2,275	$ 1,479

Loans and asset quality - Loans

Loans and asset quality - Loans Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020segmentclass_of_receivable
Receivables [Abstract]
Number of portfolio segments (segment) | segment	3
Number of classes of financing receivables (class of receivable) | class_of_receivable	6

Loans and asset quality - Allow

Loans and asset quality - Allowance for Credit Losses Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 216	$ 252	$ 261
Charge-offs	(1)	(14)	(1)
Recoveries	5	3	3
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	4	(11)	2
Provision	328	(25)	(11)
Ending balance	479	216	252
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance	20	15	4
Allowance for loan losses	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		54,938	56,560
Allowance for loan losses		122	146
Collateral dependent loans	20
Fair value of collateral	30
Loan balance		54,938	56,560
Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	122	146
Ending balance	358	122	146
Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	94	106
Ending balance	121	94	106
Other Financial Instruments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Provision	8
Domestic | Overdrafts
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		524	1,550
Loan balance		524	1,550
Domestic | Margin loans
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		11,907	13,343
Loan balance		11,907	13,343
Domestic | Other
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		1,167	1,181
Loan balance		1,167	1,181
Foreign
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	24	32	35
Charge-offs	0	0	0
Recoveries	0	0	1
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	0	0	1
Provision	0	(8)	(4)
Ending balance	0	24	32
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		0	0
Allowance for loan losses		0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		12,405	11,520
Allowance for loan losses		15	20
Loan balance		12,405	11,520
Foreign | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	15	20
Ending balance		15	20
Foreign | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	9	12
Ending balance		9	12
Commercial | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	60	81	77
Charge-offs	0	(12)	0
Recoveries	0	0	0
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	0	(12)	0
Provision	(1)	(9)	4
Ending balance	16	60	81
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance	0	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		1,442	1,949
Allowance for loan losses		11	24
Loan balance		1,442	1,949
Commercial | Domestic | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	11	24
Ending balance	6	11	24
Commercial | Domestic | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	49	57
Ending balance	10	49	57
Commercial | Foreign | Reclassification
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	10
Ending balance		10
Commercial real estate | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	76	75	76
Charge-offs	0	0	0
Recoveries	0	0	0
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	0	0	0
Provision	340	1	(1)
Ending balance	430	76	75
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance	0	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		5,575	4,787
Allowance for loan losses		57	56
Loan balance		5,575	4,787
Commercial real estate | Domestic | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	57	56
Ending balance	324	57	56
Commercial real estate | Domestic | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	19	19
Ending balance	106	19	19
Financial institutions | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	20	22	23
Charge-offs	0	0	0
Recoveries	0	0	0
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	0	0	0
Provision	(4)	(2)	(1)
Ending balance	10	20	22
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance	0	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		4,852	5,091
Allowance for loan losses		5	7
Loan balance		4,852	5,091
Financial institutions | Domestic | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	5	7
Ending balance	6	5	7
Financial institutions | Domestic | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	15	15
Ending balance	4	15	15
Financial institutions | Foreign
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Ending balance	6
Financial institutions | Foreign | Reclassification
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	10
Ending balance		10
Lease financings | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	3	5	8
Charge-offs	0	0	0
Recoveries	0	0	0
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	0	0	0
Provision	(1)	(2)	(3)
Ending balance	2	3	5
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance	0	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		537	706
Allowance for loan losses		3	5
Loan balance		537	706
Lease financings | Domestic | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	3	5
Ending balance	2	3	5
Lease financings | Domestic | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0	0
Ending balance	0	0	0
Lease financings | Foreign | Reclassification
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	4
Ending balance		4
Wealth management loans and mortgages | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	20	21	22
Charge-offs	0	(1)	0
Recoveries	0	0	0
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	0	(1)	0
Provision	0	0	(1)
Ending balance	8	20	21
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance	20	15	4
Allowance for loan losses	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		16,035	15,839
Allowance for loan losses		18	18
Loan balance		16,035	15,839
Wealth management loans and mortgages | Domestic | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	18	18
Ending balance	7	18	18
Wealth management loans and mortgages | Domestic | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	2	3
Ending balance	1	2	3
Other residential mortgages | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	13	16	20
Charge-offs	(1)	(1)	(1)
Recoveries	5	3	2
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	4	2	1
Provision	(6)	(5)	(5)
Ending balance	13	13	16
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance	0	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		494	594
Allowance for loan losses		13	16
Loan balance		494	594
Other residential mortgages | Domestic | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	13	16
Ending balance	13	13	16
Other residential mortgages | Domestic | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0	0
Ending balance	0	0	0
All other | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0	0	0
Charge-offs		0	0
Recoveries		0	0
Net (charge-offs) recoveries		0	0
Provision		0	0
Ending balance		0	0
Individually evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		0	0
Allowance for loan losses		0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment:
Loan balance		13,598	16,074
Allowance for loan losses		0	0
Loan balance		13,598	16,074
All other | Domestic | Loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0	0
Ending balance		0	0
All other | Domestic | Lending-related commitments
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0	0
Ending balance		0	$ 0
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(69)
Ending balance		(69)
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Foreign
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(24)
Ending balance		(24)
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Commercial | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(43)
Ending balance		(43)
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Commercial real estate | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	14
Ending balance		14
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Financial institutions | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(6)
Ending balance		(6)
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Lease financings | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0
Ending balance		0
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Wealth management loans and mortgages | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(12)
Ending balance		(12)
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment | Other residential mortgages | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	2
Ending balance		2
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	147
Ending balance		147
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance | Foreign
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0
Ending balance		0
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance | Commercial | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	17
Ending balance		17
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance | Commercial real estate | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	90
Ending balance		90
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance | Financial institutions | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	14
Ending balance		14
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance | Lease financings | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	3
Ending balance		3
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance | Wealth management loans and mortgages | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	8
Ending balance		8
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance | Other residential mortgages | Domestic
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 15
Ending balance		$ 15

Loans and asset quality - Nonpe

Loans and asset quality - Nonperforming Assets (Details) - Domestic - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
With an allowance	$ 68
Without an allowance	20
Total nonperforming loans	88	$ 86
With an allowance, Other assets owned	0
Without an allowance, Other assets owned	1
Other assets owned	1	3
With an allowance, Total nonperforming assets	68
Without an allowance, Total nonperforming assets	21
Total nonperforming assets	89	89
Other residential mortgages
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
With an allowance	57
Without an allowance	0
Total nonperforming loans	57	62
Wealth management loans and mortgages
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
With an allowance	10
Without an allowance	20
Total nonperforming loans	$ 30	$ 24

Loans and asset quality - Past

Loans and asset quality - Past Due Loans (Details) - Domestic - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	$ 105	$ 87
30 to 59 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	87	37
60 to 89 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	18	50
Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	0	0
Wealth management loans and mortgages
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	55	27
Wealth management loans and mortgages | 30 to 59 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	54	22
Wealth management loans and mortgages | 60 to 89 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	1	5
Wealth management loans and mortgages | Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	0	0
Other residential mortgages
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	4	11
Other residential mortgages | 30 to 59 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	3	8
Other residential mortgages | 60 to 89 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	1	3
Other residential mortgages | Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	0	0
Financial institutions
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	11	31
Financial institutions | 30 to 59 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	11	1
Financial institutions | 60 to 89 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	0	30
Financial institutions | Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	0	0
Commercial real estate
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	35	18
Commercial real estate | 30 to 59 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	19	6
Commercial real estate | 60 to 89 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	16	12
Commercial real estate | Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due loans	$ 0	$ 0

Loans and asset quality - Loa_2

Loans and asset quality - Loan Modifications (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modifications, CARES Act	$ 404
Unpaid principal balance	92
Commercial real estate
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modifications, CARES Act	$ 56
Other residential mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Outstanding recorded investment post-modification		$ 6

Loans and asset quality - Credi

Loans and asset quality - Credit Risk Profile by Origination (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	$ 7,414
2019	2,976
2018	1,887
2017	2,591
2016	2,352
Prior to 2016	4,506
Amortized cost	32,033
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	27
Total	53,786
Accrued interest receivable	59
Wealth management mortgages
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	1,117
2019	1,044
2018	637
2017	1,188
2016	1,515
Prior to 2016	2,546
Amortized cost	38
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	8,085
Wealth management loans and mortgages
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	1,135
2019	1,129
2018	648
2017	1,335
2016	1,574
Prior to 2016	2,658
Amortized cost	7,878
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	16,357
Accrued interest receivable	27
Other residential mortgages
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	0
2019	0
2018	0
2017	0
2016	0
Prior to 2016	389
Amortized cost	0
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	389
Accrued interest receivable	1
Other loans
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	0
2019	0
2018	0
2017	0
2016	0
Prior to 2016	0
Amortized cost	1,904
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	1,904
Accrued interest receivable	1
Margin loans
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	4,614
2019	0
2018	0
2017	0
2016	0
Prior to 2016	0
Amortized cost	10,802
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	15,416
Accrued interest receivable	8
Investment grade | Loans receivable
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	18
2019	85
2018	11
2017	147
2016	59
Prior to 2016	112
Amortized cost	7,786
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	8,218
Non-investment grade | Loans receivable
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	0
2019	0
2018	0
2017	0
2016	0
Prior to 2016	0
Amortized cost	54
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	54
Commercial
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	270
2019	18
2018	77
2017	420
2016	57
Prior to 2016	0
Amortized cost	587
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	1,429
Accrued interest receivable	2
Commercial | Investment grade
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	128
2019	18
2018	71
2017	420
2016	57
Prior to 2016	0
Amortized cost	493
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	1,187
Commercial | Non-investment grade
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	142
2019	0
2018	6
2017	0
2016	0
Prior to 2016	0
Amortized cost	94
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	242
Commercial real estate
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	1,063
2019	1,629
2018	1,101
2017	702
2016	688
Prior to 2016	490
Amortized cost	356
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	27
Total	6,056
Accrued interest receivable	8
Commercial real estate | Investment grade
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	778
2019	1,010
2018	458
2017	543
2016	312
Prior to 2016	346
Amortized cost	127
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	3,574
Commercial real estate | Non-investment grade
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	285
2019	619
2018	643
2017	159
2016	376
Prior to 2016	144
Amortized cost	229
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	27
Total	2,482
Financial institutions
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	216
2019	182
2018	47
2017	125
2016	13
Prior to 2016	156
Amortized cost	10,506
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	11,245
Accrued interest receivable	12
Financial institutions | Investment grade
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	132
2019	146
2018	47
2017	125
2016	13
Prior to 2016	156
Amortized cost	8,760
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	9,379
Financial institutions | Non-investment grade
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	84
2019	36
2018	0
2017	0
2016	0
Prior to 2016	0
Amortized cost	1,746
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	1,866
Lease financings
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2020	116
2019	18
2018	14
2017	9
2016	20
Prior to 2016	813
Amortized cost	0
Converted to term loans – Amortized cost	0
Total	990
Accrued interest receivable	$ 0

Loans and asset quality - Cre_2

Loans and asset quality - Credit Risk Indicators Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Percentage of exposure to investment grade securities	95.00%
Percentage of financial institution exposure secured	74.00%
Percent of financial institution exposure expiring within one year	89.00%
Loans	$ 56,469,000,000	$ 54,953,000,000
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements, allowance for credit losses	$ 0
Wealth management loans and mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loan to value ratio at origination (percent)	62.00%
Percentage of past due mortgages (less than)	1.00%
Wealth management loans and mortgages | California
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Geographic concentrations (percent)	22.00%
Wealth management loans and mortgages | New York
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Geographic concentrations (percent)	17.00%
Wealth management loans and mortgages | Massachusetts
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Geographic concentrations (percent)	10.00%
Wealth management loans and mortgages | Florida
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Geographic concentrations (percent)	8.00%
Wealth management loans and mortgages | Other
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Geographic concentrations (percent)	43.00%
Other residential mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	$ 389,000,000	494,000,000
Overdrafts
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Overdraft repayment period	2 days
Margin loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	$ 15,400,000,000	13,400,000,000
Domestic
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	44,553,000,000	42,548,000,000
Domestic | Wealth management loans and mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	16,211,000,000	16,050,000,000
Domestic | Other residential mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	389,000,000	494,000,000
Purchased mortgages	68,000,000
Domestic | Overdrafts
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	651,000,000	524,000,000
Domestic | Margin loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	$ 13,141,000,000	$ 11,907,000,000
Domestic | Margin loans | Minimum
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Required daily collateral margin (in excess of)	100.00%
Equal to or greater than 60 days past due | Domestic | Other residential mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Percentage of past due mortgages (less than)	19.00%
Overdrafts | Overdrafts
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans	$ 2,683,000,000

Leasing - Narrative (Details)

Leasing - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Lease, remaining lease term (years)	18 years

Leasing - Balance Sheet Informa

Leasing - Balance Sheet Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease, right-of-use asset	$ 1,432	$ 1,530
Finance lease, right-of-use asset	11	12
Right-of-use asset	1,443	1,542
Operating lease, liability	1,669	1,772
Finance lease, liability	11	2
Lease liability	$ 1,680	$ 1,774
Operating lease, weighted average remaining lease term	10 years 9 months 18 days	11 years 3 months 18 days
Finance lease, weighted average remaining lease term	1 year 1 month 6 days	2 years 7 months 6 days
Operating lease, weighted average discount rate, percent	2.55%	2.76%
Finance lease, weighted average discount rate, percent	0.29%	2.88%
Finance Lease, Liability, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List]	us-gaap:OtherBorrowings	us-gaap:OtherBorrowings
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List]	us-gaap:PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	us-gaap:PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Operating Lease, Liability, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List]	us-gaap:OtherLiabilities	us-gaap:OtherLiabilities
Finance Lease, Right-of-Use Asset, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List]	us-gaap:PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	us-gaap:PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet

Leasing - Components of Lease E

Leasing - Components of Lease Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease expense	$ 263	$ 266
Variable lease expense	47	39
Sublease income	(35)	(33)
Finance lease expense:
Amortization of ROU assets	1	7
Total lease expense	$ 276	$ 279

Leasing - Cash Flow Information

Leasing - Cash Flow Information Related to Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$ 284	$ 285
Financing cash flows from finance leases	$ 1	$ 20

Leasing - Maturities of Operati

Leasing - Maturities of Operating and Finance Leases After Adopting 2016-02 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Operating leases
2021	$ 247
2022	229
2023	194
2024	146
2025	138
2026 and thereafter	964
Total lease payments	1,918
Less: Imputed interest	(249)
Total	1,669	$ 1,772
Finance leases
2021	11
2022	0
2023	0
2024	0
2025	0
2026 and thereafter	0
Total lease payments	11
Less: Imputed interest	0
Total	$ 11	$ 2

Goodwill and intangible asset_2

Goodwill and intangible assets - Goodwill (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 17,386	$ 17,350
Foreign currency translation	110	36
Other	0
Ending balance	17,496	17,386
Investment Services
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	8,332	8,333
Foreign currency translation	77	(1)
Other	47
Ending balance	8,456	8,332
Investment and Wealth Management
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	9,007	8,970
Foreign currency translation	33	37
Other	0
Ending balance	9,040	9,007
Other
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	47	47
Foreign currency translation	0	0
Other	(47)
Ending balance	$ 0	$ 47

Goodwill and intangible asset_3

Goodwill and intangible assets - Intangible Assets by Business Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$ 3,107	$ 3,220
Acquisition	2
Amortization	(104)	(117)	$ (180)
Foreign currency translation	7	4
Ending Balance	3,012	3,107	3,220
Investment Services
Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	678	758
Acquisition	0
Amortization	(71)	(80)
Foreign currency translation	1	0
Ending Balance	608	678	758
Investment and Wealth Management
Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	1,580	1,613
Acquisition	2
Amortization	(33)	(37)
Foreign currency translation	6	4
Ending Balance	1,555	1,580	1,613
Other
Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	849	849
Acquisition	0
Amortization	0	0
Foreign currency translation	0	0
Ending Balance	$ 849	$ 849	$ 849

Goodwill and intangible asset_4

Goodwill and intangible assets - Intangible Assets by Type (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	$ 4,790	$ 4,881
Accumulated amortization	(1,778)	(1,774)
Net carrying amount	3,012	3,107	$ 3,220
Finite-lived Intangible Assets
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	2,199	2,296
Accumulated amortization	(1,778)	(1,774)
Net carrying amount	$ 421	522
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Weighted Average
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Remaining weighted- average amortization period	10 years
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Customer contracts—Investment Services
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	$ 1,435	1,520
Accumulated amortization	(1,199)	(1,214)
Net carrying amount	$ 236	306
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Customer contracts—Investment Services | Weighted Average
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Remaining weighted- average amortization period	10 years
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Customer relationships
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	$ 705	712
Accumulated amortization	(564)	(544)
Net carrying amount	$ 141	168
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Customer relationships | Weighted Average
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Remaining weighted- average amortization period	10 years
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Other
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	$ 59	64
Accumulated amortization	(15)	(16)
Net carrying amount	$ 44	48
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Other | Weighted Average
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Remaining weighted- average amortization period	14 years
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	$ 2,591	2,585
Net carrying amount	2,591	2,585
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets | Tradenames
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	1,295	1,293
Net carrying amount	1,295	1,293
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets | Customer relationships
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	1,296	1,292
Net carrying amount	$ 1,296	$ 1,292

Goodwill and intangible asset_5

Goodwill and intangible assets - Estimated Annual Amortization Expense (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net, Amortization Expense, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2021	$ 81
2022	63
2023	53
2024	46
2025	$ 39

Goodwill and intangible asset_6

Goodwill and intangible assets - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)reporting_unitSegment
Goodwill [Line Items]
Number of operating segments (segment) | Segment	3
Number of reporting units (reporting unit)	6
Goodwill impairment | $	$ 0
Investment Services
Goodwill [Line Items]
Number of reporting units (reporting unit)	4
Investment and Wealth Management
Goodwill [Line Items]
Number of reporting units (reporting unit)	2

Other assets - Components of Ot

Other assets - Components of Other Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Other Assets [Abstract]
Corporate/bank-owned life insurance	$ 5,301	$ 5,219
Accounts receivable	3,619	3,802
Software	1,884	1,590
Prepaid pension assets	1,556	1,464
Fails to deliver	1,371	1,671
Equity in a joint venture and other investments	1,259	1,102
Renewable energy investments	1,206	1,144
Qualified affordable housing project investments	1,145	1,024
Income taxes receivable	599	388
Federal Reserve Bank stock	479	466
Prepaid expense	477	491
Seed capital	215	184
Fair value of hedging derivatives	19	21
Other	1,338	1,655
Total other assets	20,468	20,221
Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost	$ 7	$ 22

Other assets - Non-Readily Mark

Other assets - Non-Readily Marketable Equity Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Other Assets [Abstract]
Equity securities without readily determinable fair value, amount	$ 129	$ 61
Equity securities without readily determinable fair value, upward price adjustment, annual amount	21	4	$ 28
Equity securities without readily determinable fair value, downward price adjustment, annual amount	0	(3)	(1)
Equity securities without readily determinable fair value, net adjustment, annual amount	21	$ 1	$ 27
Equity securities without readily determinable fair value, upward price adjustment, cumulative amount amount	53
Equity securities without readily determinable fair value, downward price adjustment, cumulative amount	(4)
Equity securities without readily determinable fair value, net price adjustment, cumulative amount	$ 49

Other assets - Qualified Afford

Other assets - Qualified Affordable Housing Project Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Other Assets [Abstract]
Qualified affordable housing project investments	$ 1,145	$ 1,024
Qualified affordable housing project investments, commitment	514	422
Qualified affordable housing project commitment - 2021	207
Qualified affordable housing project commitment - 2022	106
Qualified affordable housing project commitment - 2023	144
Qualified affordable housing project commitment - 2024	31
Qualified affordable housing project commitment - 2025	1
Qualified affordable housing project commitment - 2026 and thereafter	25
Tax credits and other tax benefits	137	148	$ 163
Amortization expense included in the provision for income taxes	$ 113	$ 121	$ 136

Other assets - Seed Capital and

Other assets - Seed Capital and Private Equity Investments (Details) - Other Assets - NAV - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	$ 201	$ 181
Unfunded  commitments	74	55
Seed capital
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	52	59
Unfunded  commitments	22	$ 0
Fair value, investments, entities that calculate net asset value per share, liquidating investment, remaining period		6 years
Private equitiy investments (SBICs)
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	102	$ 89
Unfunded  commitments	$ 52	55
Fair value, investments, entities that calculate net asset value per share, liquidating investment, remaining period	10 years
Other
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	$ 47	33
Unfunded  commitments	$ 0	$ 0
Minimum | Seed capital
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value, investments, entities that calculate net asset value per share, liquidating investment, remaining period	3 years
Maximum | Seed capital
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value, investments, entities that calculate net asset value per share, liquidating investment, remaining period	11 years
Maximum | Other
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Redemption notice period	95 days	95 days

Deposits - Narrative (Details)

Deposits - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Deposits [Abstract]
Time Deposits, at or Above FDIC Insurance Limit	$ 1,200,000,000	$ 44,100,000,000
Time deposits mature in 2021	1,400,000,000
Time deposits mature in 2022	2,000,000
Time deposits mature in 2023	0
Time deposits mature in 2024	0
Time deposits mature in 2025	0
Time deposits mature in 2026 and thereafter	$ 0

Contract revenue - Disaggregati

Contract revenue - Disaggregation of Contract Revenues (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee and other revenue	$ 12,747	$ 13,218	$ 12,794
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests	3,617	4,441	4,266
Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	11,646	11,454	11,666
Fee and other revenue - not in scope of ASC 606	1,176	1,794	1,126
Total fee and other revenue	12,822	13,248	12,792
Asset servicing fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	4,574	4,451	4,484
Clearing services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	1,716	1,648	1,615
Issuer services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	1,093	1,130	1,099
Treasury services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	603	561	554
Total investment services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	7,986	7,790	7,752
Investment management and performance fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	3,373	3,390	3,635
Financing-related fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	80	60	60
Distribution and servicing | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	115	129	140
Investment and other income | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	92	85	79
Investment Services | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	8,254	8,047	7,988
Fee and other revenue - not in scope of ASC 606	1,002	879	956
Total fee and other revenue	9,256	8,926	8,944
Investment Services | Asset servicing fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	4,532	4,399	4,416
Investment Services | Clearing services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	1,716	1,649	1,615
Investment Services | Issuer services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	1,093	1,130	1,099
Investment Services | Treasury services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	602	560	553
Investment Services | Total investment services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	7,943	7,738	7,683
Investment Services | Investment management and performance fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	17	17	16
Investment Services | Financing-related fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	77	59	61
Investment Services | Distribution and servicing | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	(22)	(49)	(51)
Investment Services | Investment and other income | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	239	282	279
Investment and Wealth Management
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests			(1)
Investment and Wealth Management | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	3,460	3,456	3,713
Fee and other revenue - not in scope of ASC 606	35	29	86
Total fee and other revenue	3,495	3,485	3,799
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests	75	30	(1)
Investment and Wealth Management | Asset servicing fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	95	85	88
Investment and Wealth Management | Clearing services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	0	0	0
Investment and Wealth Management | Issuer services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	0	0	0
Investment and Wealth Management | Treasury services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	1	1	1
Investment and Wealth Management | Total investment services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	96	86	89
Investment and Wealth Management | Investment management and performance fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	3,373	3,389	3,634
Investment and Wealth Management | Financing-related fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	2	0	1
Investment and Wealth Management | Distribution and servicing | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	137	178	191
Investment and Wealth Management | Investment and other income | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	(148)	(197)	(202)
Other | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	(68)	(49)	(35)
Fee and other revenue - not in scope of ASC 606	139	886	84
Total fee and other revenue	71	837	49
Other | Asset servicing fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	(53)	(33)	(20)
Other | Clearing services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	0	(1)	0
Other | Issuer services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	0	0	0
Other | Treasury services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	0	0	0
Other | Total investment services fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	(53)	(34)	(20)
Other | Investment management and performance fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	(17)	(16)	(15)
Other | Financing-related fees | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	1	1	(2)
Other | Distribution and servicing | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	0	0	0
Other | Investment and other income | Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total fee revenue - contract revenue	$ 1	$ 0	$ 2

Contract revenue - Narrative (D

Contract revenue - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Contract with customer, asset	$ 2,400,000,000	$ 2,400,000,000
Contract assets representing accrued revenues not yet billed	32,000,000	32,000,000
Contract with customer, liability	167,000,000	168,000,000
Contract with customer, liability, revenue recognized	102,000,000
Capitalized contract cost, impairment	0
Incremental costs for obtaining contracts
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract costs	$ 73,000,000	86,000,000
Capitalized contract cost, amortization period	9 years
Capitalized contract cost, amortization	$ 21,000,000	22,000,000	$ 22,000,000
Costs to fulfill contract
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract costs	15,000,000	16,000,000
Capitalized contract cost, amortization	$ 5,000,000	$ 5,000,000	$ 5,000,000
Costs to fulfill contract | Minimum
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract cost, amortization period	7 years
Costs to fulfill contract | Maximum
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract cost, amortization period	9 years

Net interest revenue (Details)

Net interest revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Interest revenue
Deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks		$ 50	$ 448	$ 531
Deposits with banks		134	265	219
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements		545	2,154	1,116
Margin loans		211	454	510
Non-margin loans		931	1,335	1,356
Securities:
Taxable		2,118	2,701	2,520
Exempt from federal income taxes		28	36	54
Total securities		2,146	2,737	2,574
Trading securities		92	155	126
Total interest revenue		4,109	7,548	6,432
Interest expense
Deposits in domestic offices		176	958	537
Deposits in foreign offices		(15)	636	340
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements		283	1,437	758
Trading liabilities		15	35	29
Other borrowed funds		16	59	58
Commercial paper		7	55	51
Customer payables		28	238	191
Long-term debt		622	942	857
Total interest expense		1,132	4,360	2,821
Net interest revenue		2,977	3,188	3,611
Provision for credit losses	[1],[2]	336	(25)	(11)
Net interest revenue after provision for credit losses		$ 2,641	$ 3,213	$ 3,622
[1]	In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
[2]	The provision for credit losses for 2020 relates to the financial instruments within the scope of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Income taxes - Provision (Benef

Income taxes - Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current tax expense:
Federal	$ 465	$ 592	$ 902
Foreign	407	484	442
State and local	163	113	119
Total current tax expense	1,035	1,189	1,463
Deferred tax (benefit) expense:
Federal	(145)	(3)	(556)
Foreign	16	(13)	9
State and local	(64)	(53)	22
Total deferred tax (benefit)	(193)	(69)	(525)
Provision for income taxes	$ 842	$ 1,120	$ 938

Income taxes - Narrative (Detai

Income taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, provisional income tax benefit			$ (106)
Deferred tax assets, tax credit carryforwards, foreign	$ 62	$ 39
Valuation allowance	62	39
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries		340
Deferred tax liabilities, undistributed foreign earnings	80
Tax reserves	119	173	$ 103	$ 128
Impact on effective tax rate if tax reserves were unnecessary	119
Accrued interest, related to income taxes in the balance sheet	32
Additional tax expense related to interest	15	$ 13
Reasonably possible decrease in uncertain tax positions within the next 12 months, if a re-evaluation is required	$ 10

Income taxes - Components of In

Income taxes - Components of Income before Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Domestic	$ 2,698	$ 3,516	$ 3,008
Foreign	1,770	2,071	2,184
Income before income taxes	$ 4,468	$ 5,587	$ 5,192

Income taxes - Components of Ne

Income taxes - Components of Net Deferred Tax Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Depreciation and amortization	$ 2,197	$ 2,136
Pension obligation	299	282
Renewable energy investment	278	268
Equity investments	61	63
Lease financings	23	42
Securities valuation	118	1
Credit losses on loans	(118)	(46)
Reserves not deducted for tax	(118)	(120)
Employee benefits	(259)	(257)
Other assets	(57)	(43)
Other liabilities	233	229
U.S. foreign tax credits	(62)	(39)
Valuation allowance	62	39
Net deferred tax liability	$ 2,657	$ 2,555

Income taxes - Reconciliation o

Income taxes - Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal rate	21.00%	21.00%	21.00%
State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit	1.80%	0.90%	2.10%
Foreign operations	1.50%	2.40%	0.50%
Tax credits	(4.10%)	(3.20%)	(3.30%)
Tax-exempt income	(1.00%)	(0.70%)	(0.80%)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) assessment	0.30%	0.20%	0.50%
Stock compensation	0.00%	(0.40%)	(0.60%)
U.S. tax legislation	0	0	(0.017)
Other – net	(0.70%)	(0.20%)	0.40%
Effective tax rate	18.80%	20.00%	18.10%

Income taxes - Unrecognized Tax

Income taxes - Unrecognized Tax Positions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 173	$ 103	$ 128
Prior period tax positions:
Increases	45	60	6
Decreases	(14)	(3)	(8)
Current period tax positions	15	17	9
Settlements	(100)	(4)	(32)
Ending balance	$ 119	$ 173	$ 103

Long-term debt - Schedule of Lo

Long-term debt - Schedule of Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 25,984	$ 27,501
Fixed Rate Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, interest rate, minimum (percent)	0.35%	1.95%
Debt, interest rate, maximum (percent)	4.15%	4.60%
Debt, maturity date, beginning	2021
Debt, maturity date, end	2028
Long-term debt	$ 23,429	$ 23,519
Floating Rate Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, interest rate, minimum (percent)	0.04%	1.71%
Debt, interest rate, maximum (percent)	1.29%	2.96%
Debt, maturity date, beginning	2023
Debt, maturity date, end	2038
Long-term debt	$ 779	$ 2,328
Subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, interest rate, minimum (percent)	3.00%	3.00%
Debt, interest rate, maximum (percent)	7.50%	7.50%
Debt, maturity date, beginning	2021
Debt, maturity date, end	2029
Long-term debt	$ 1,776	$ 1,654

Long-term debt - Narrative (Det

Long-term debt - Narrative (Details) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Notes and debentures that mature in 2021	$ 4.6
Notes and debentures that mature in 2022	2.3
Notes and debentures that mature in 2023	7
Notes and debentures that mature in 2024	2.8
Notes and debentures that mature in 2025	$ 2.4

Variable interest entities an_3

Variable interest entities and securitization - Assets and Liabilities of VIEs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 143	$ 102
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Trading assets	882	629
Other assets	5	16
Total assets	887	645
Other liabilities	403	388
Total liabilities	403	388
Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests	143	102
VME classification of carrying amount, assets	314	50
VME classification of carrying amount, liabilities	3	1
Noncontrolling interest in VME	76	1
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Investment Management funds
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Trading assets	482	229
Other assets	5	16
Total assets	487	245
Other liabilities	3	1
Total liabilities	3	1
Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests	143	102
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Securitization
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Trading assets	400	400
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	400	400
Other liabilities	400	387
Total liabilities	400	387
Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 0	$ 0

Variable interest entities an_4

Variable interest entities and securitization - Non-consolidated VIEs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	$ 469,633	$ 381,508	$ 362,873
Liabilities	423,513	339,780
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary | Securities available-for-sale
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	217	208
Liabilities	0	0
Maximum loss exposure	217	208
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary | Other
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Assets	2,565	2,400
Liabilities	514	422
Maximum loss exposure	$ 3,096	$ 2,822

Shareholders' equity - Narrativ

Shareholders' equity - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Authorized shares of common stock (shares)	3,500,000,000		3,500,000,000
Common stock, par value (usd per share)	$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Common stock, shares, outstanding (shares)	886,763,531
Authorized amount of shares to repurchase	$ 4,451			$ 3,940
Treasury stock acquired (shares)	21,800,000
Treasury stock acquired, average cost per share (usd per share)	$ 45.42
Shares repurchased during period, value	$ 989
Stock repurchase program, remaining authorized repurchase amount	$ 4,400
Preferred stock, shares authorized (shares)	100,000,000		100,000,000
Preferred stock, par value (usd per share)	$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Temporary equity	$ 176		$ 143
Forecast
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Authorized amount of shares to repurchase		$ 625

Shareholders' equity - Preferre

Shareholders' equity - Preferred Stock Summary (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	45,826	35,826
Carrying value	$ 4,541	$ 3,542
Series A Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per annum dividend rate	4.00%
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	5,001	5,001
Carrying value	$ 500	$ 500
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share)	$ 100,000
Series A Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock | LIBOR
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, basis spread on variable rate	0.565%
Series C Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per annum dividend rate	5.20%
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	0	5,825
Carrying value	$ 0	$ 568
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share)	$ 100,000
Series D Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per annum dividend rate	4.50%
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	5,000	5,000
Carrying value	$ 494	$ 494
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share)	$ 100,000
Series D Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock | LIBOR
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, basis spread on variable rate	2.46%
Series E Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per annum dividend rate	4.95%
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	10,000	10,000
Carrying value	$ 990	$ 990
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share)	$ 100,000
Series E Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock | LIBOR
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, basis spread on variable rate	3.42%
Series F Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per annum dividend rate	4.625%
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	10,000	10,000
Carrying value	$ 990	$ 990
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share)	$ 100,000
Series F Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock | LIBOR
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, basis spread on variable rate	3.131%
Series G Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per annum dividend rate	4.70%
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	10,000	0
Carrying value	$ 990	$ 0
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share)	$ 100,000
Series G Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock | LIBOR
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, basis spread on variable rate	4.358%
Series H Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per annum dividend rate	3.70%
Total shares issued and outstanding (shares)	5,825	0
Carrying value	$ 577	$ 0
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share)	$ 100,000
Series H Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock | LIBOR
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, basis spread on variable rate	3.352%

Shareholders' equity - Prefer_2

Shareholders' equity - Preferred Stock Narrative (Details) - Series C Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)$ / shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Liquidation preference per share (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 100,000
Amortization of preferred stock discount | $	$ 15

Shareholders' equity - Summary

Shareholders' equity - Summary of Preferred Dividends Paid (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred dividends paid	$ 194	$ 169	$ 169
Series A Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Depositary shares per share	1.00%
Dividend paid per share (usd per share)	$ 4,055.55	$ 4,055.55	$ 4,055.55
Preferred dividends paid	$ 20	$ 20	$ 20
Series C Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Depositary shares per share	0.03%
Dividend paid per share (usd per share)	$ 5,200	$ 5,200	$ 5,200
Preferred dividends paid	$ 46	$ 31	$ 31
Series D Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Depositary shares per share	1.00%
Dividend paid per share (usd per share)	$ 4,500	$ 4,500	$ 4,500
Preferred dividends paid	$ 22	$ 22	$ 22
Series E Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Depositary shares per share	1.00%
Dividend paid per share (usd per share)	$ 4,359.63	$ 4,950	$ 4,950
Preferred dividends paid	$ 44	$ 50	$ 50
Series F Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Depositary shares per share	1.00%
Dividend paid per share (usd per share)	$ 4,625	$ 4,625	$ 4,625
Preferred dividends paid	$ 46	$ 46	$ 46
Series G Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Depositary shares per share	1.00%
Dividend paid per share (usd per share)	$ 1,579.72
Preferred dividends paid	$ 16

Shareholders' equity - Regulato

Shareholders' equity - Regulatory Capital Ratios (Details)	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1 ratio	0.131	0.115
Tier 1 capital ratio	0.158	0.137
Total capital ratio	0.167	0.144
Tier 1 leverage ratio	0.063	0.066
SLR	0.086	0.061
The Bank of New York Mellon
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1 ratio	0.171	0.151
Tier 1 capital ratio	0.171	0.151
Total capital ratio	0.173	0.152
Tier 1 leverage ratio	0.064	0.069
SLR	0.085	0.064

Shareholders' equity - Componen

Shareholders' equity - Components of Regulatory Capital Ratio (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1:	$ 21,875	$ 18,540
Other Tier 1 capital:	26,310	21,996
Average assets for Tier 1 leverage ratio	417,982	334,869
Total leverage exposure for SLR purposes	304,823	362,452
Common stock
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1:	41,260	37,941
Goodwill and intangible assets
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1:	(18,697)	(18,725)
Net pension fund assets
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1:	(319)	(272)
Equity method investments
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1:	(306)	(311)
Deferred tax assets
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1:	(54)	(46)
Other
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1:	(9)	(47)
Other Tier 1 capital:	(106)	(86)
Tier 2 capital:	(10)	(11)
Preferred stock
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Other Tier 1 capital:	4,541	3,542
Subordinated debt
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Tier 2 capital:	1,248	1,248
Allowance for credit losses
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Tier 2 capital:	490	216
Standardized Approach
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Tier 2 capital:	1,728	1,453
Total capital:	28,038	23,449
Risk-weighted assets:	163,848	148,695
Excess of expected credit losses
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Tier 2 capital:	247	0
Advanced Approach
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Tier 2 capital:	1,485	1,237
Total capital:	27,795	23,233
Risk-weighted assets:	166,426	160,898
Advanced Approach | Credit Risk
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Risk-weighted assets:	98,262	95,490
Advanced Approach | Market Risk
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Risk-weighted assets:	4,226	4,020
Advanced Approach | Operational Risk
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Risk-weighted assets:	$ 63,938	$ 61,388

Shareholders' equity - Amounts

Shareholders' equity - Amounts of Capital (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1	$ 7,729
Tier 1 capital	9,667
Total capital	7,824
Tier 1 leverage ratio	9,591
SLR	11,069
The Bank of New York Mellon
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
CET1	13,324
Tier 1 capital	11,343
Total capital	8,979
Tier 1 leverage ratio	5,072
SLR	$ 6,580

Other comprehensive income (l_3

Other comprehensive income (loss) - Components (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Pre-tax amount
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		$ 1,944	$ 769	$ (815)
Tax (expense) benefit
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		(284)	(143)	(8)
After-tax amount
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	[1]	1,660	626	(823)
Foreign currency translation
Pre-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		441	135	(157)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		441	135	(157)
Tax (expense) benefit
Other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		67	16	(156)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		67	16	(156)
After-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), After-tax amount		508	151	(313)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax		508	151	(313)
Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale
Pre-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		1,573	680	(542)
Reclassification adjustment, Pre-tax amount		(33)	18	48
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		1,540	698	(494)
Tax (expense) benefit
Other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		(371)	(168)	126
Reclassification adjustment, Tax (expense) benefit		8	(4)	(12)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		(363)	(172)	114
After-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), After-tax amount		1,202	512	(416)
Reclassification adjustment, After-tax amount		(25)	14	36
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax		1,177	526	(380)
Prior service cost arising during the period
Pre-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		0	(1)	0
Tax (expense) benefit
Other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		0	0	0
After-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), After-tax amount		0	(1)	0
Defined benefit plans
Pre-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		(138)	(121)	(244)
Reclassification adjustment, Pre-tax amount		95	52	93
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		(43)	(70)	(151)
Tax (expense) benefit
Other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		31	34	55
Reclassification adjustment, Tax (expense) benefit		(18)	(18)	(24)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		13	16	31
After-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), After-tax amount		(107)	(87)	(189)
Reclassification adjustment, After-tax amount		77	34	69
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax		(30)	(54)	(120)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges
Pre-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		5	16	(15)
Reclassification adjustment, Pre-tax amount		1	(10)	2
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Pre-tax amount		6	6	(13)
Tax (expense) benefit
Other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		(1)	(7)	4
Reclassification adjustment, Tax (expense) benefit		0	4	(1)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), Tax (expense) benefit		(1)	(3)	3
After-tax amount
Other comprehensive income (loss), After-tax amount		4	9	(11)
Reclassification adjustment, After-tax amount		1	(6)	1
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax		5	3	(10)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges | Interest expense
Pre-tax amount
Reclassification adjustment, Pre-tax amount		0	(7)	0
Tax (expense) benefit
Reclassification adjustment, Tax (expense) benefit		0	2	0
After-tax amount
Reclassification adjustment, After-tax amount		0	(5)	0
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges | Other revenue
Pre-tax amount
Reclassification adjustment, Pre-tax amount		0	0	(2)
Tax (expense) benefit
Reclassification adjustment, Tax (expense) benefit		0	0	0
After-tax amount
Reclassification adjustment, After-tax amount		0	0	(2)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges | Staff expense
Pre-tax amount
Reclassification adjustment, Pre-tax amount		1	(3)	4
Tax (expense) benefit
Reclassification adjustment, Tax (expense) benefit		0	2	(1)
After-tax amount
Reclassification adjustment, After-tax amount		$ 1	$ (1)	$ 3
[1]	Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation shareholders was $1,658 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020, $623 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 and $(812) million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018.

Other comprehensive income (l_4

Other comprehensive income (loss) - Changes in AOCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 41,585	[1],[2]	$ 40,739	[1],[3]	$ 41,567	[3]
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	1,658		623		(812)
Ending balance	45,944	[2]	41,585	[1],[2]	40,739	[1],[3]
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	40		0
Ending balance			40		0
Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	41,625		40,739		41,537
Ending balance			41,625		40,739
Foreign currency translation
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(1,652)		(1,915)		(1,613)
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	506		148		(302)
Ending balance	(1,146)		(1,652)		(1,915)
Foreign currency translation | Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0		115		0
Ending balance			0		115
Foreign currency translation | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(1,652)		(1,800)		(1,613)
Ending balance			(1,652)		(1,800)
Accumulated defined benefits adjustment | Pension Benefits
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(1,275)		(1,005)		(887)
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(24)		(57)		(118)
Ending balance	(1,299)		(1,275)		(1,005)
Accumulated defined benefits adjustment | Pension Benefits | Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0		(213)		0
Ending balance			0		(213)
Accumulated defined benefits adjustment | Pension Benefits | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(1,275)		(1,218)		(887)
Ending balance			(1,275)		(1,218)
Accumulated defined benefits adjustment | Other post-retirement benefits
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(49)		(52)		(50)
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(6)		3		(2)
Ending balance	(55)		(49)		(52)
Accumulated defined benefits adjustment | Other post-retirement benefits | Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0		0		0
Ending balance			0		0
Accumulated defined benefits adjustment | Other post-retirement benefits | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(49)		(52)		(50)
Ending balance			(49)		(52)
Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	336		(196)		186
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	1,177		526		(380)
Ending balance	1,508		336		(196)
Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale | Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(5)		6		(2)
Ending balance			(5)		6
Unrealized gain (loss) on assets available-for-sale | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	331		(190)		184
Ending balance			331		(190)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	2		(3)		7
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	5		3		(10)
Ending balance	7		2		(3)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges | Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	0		2		0
Ending balance			0		2
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	2		(1)		7
Ending balance			2		(1)
Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(2,638)		(3,171)		(2,357)
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)			623		(812)
Ending balance	(985)		(2,638)		(3,171)
Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax | Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(5)		(90)		(2)
Ending balance			(5)		(90)
Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax | Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ (2,643)		(3,261)		(2,359)
Ending balance			$ (2,643)		$ (3,261)
[1]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018 and $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019.
[2]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,941 million at Dec. 31, 2019 and $41,260 million at Dec. 31, 2020.
[3]	Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,709 million at Dec. 31, 2017 and $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018.

Stock-based compensation - Narr

Stock-based compensation - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested awards	$ 238
Unrecognized compensation cost expected to be recognized for nonvested award over a weighted-average period (in years)	2 years 3 months 18 days
Stock option exercisable period - minimum	1 year
Stock option exercisable period - maximum	10 years
Granted (shares)	0	0	0
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$ 21	$ 63	$ 61
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	46	65	80
Excess tax benefit realized for tax deductions from options exercised	2	10	10
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation cost	188	222	270
Tax benefit recognized from awards	$ 45	$ 53	$ 65
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, vesting period	0 years
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, vesting period	4 years
Performance Units | Executive Committee
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, vesting period	3 years
Shares granted (shares)	402,486	576,855	362,798
Restricted Stock, RSUs and PSUs
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total fair value of stock-based compensation that vested during the period	$ 263	$ 278	$ 289
Tax benefit from awards vested during period	$ (4)	11	26
Subsidiary Long Term Incentive Plans | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, required service period	3 years
Subsidiary Long Term Incentive Plans | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, required service period	5 years
Stock Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation cost	$ 1	1	1
Tax benefit recognized from awards	$ 1	1	1
Long-Term Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, authorized shares (shares)	30,425,882
Long-Term Incentive Plan, Portion for the Vesting of Retirement Eligible Employees
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation cost	$ 43	$ 84	$ 93

Stock-based compensation - Nonv

Stock-based compensation - Nonvested Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Activity (Details) - Non-Vested Performance-Based Stock Units, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020$ / sharesshares
Number of Shares
Nonvested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs, beginning balance (shares) | shares	12,733,298
Granted (shares) | shares	6,158,398
Vested (shares) | shares	(5,451,413)
Forfeited (shares) | shares	(903,384)
Nonvested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs, ending balance (shares) | shares	12,536,899
Weighted-average fair value
Nonvested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs, beginning balance (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 50.77
Granted (usd per share) | $ / shares	45.52
Vested (usd per share) | $ / shares	48.36
Forfeited (usd per share) | $ / shares	49.29
Nonvested PSUs, restricted stock and RSUs, ending balance (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 49.35

Stock-based compensation - Summ

Stock-based compensation - Summary of Stock Option Activity (Details) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Shares subject to option
Beginning Balance (shares)	4,143,575
Granted (shares)	0	0	0
Exercised (shares)	(1,717,323)
Canceled/Expired (shares)	(91,014)
Ending Balance (shares)	2,335,238	4,143,575
Vested and expected to vest (shares)	2,335,238
Exercisable (shares)	2,335,238
Weighted-average exercise price
Beginning Balance (usd per share)	$ 26.03
Granted (usd per share)	0
Exercised (usd per share)	28.65
Canceled/Expired (usd per share)	28.96
Ending Balance (usd per share)	23.99	$ 26.03
Vested and expected to vest (usd per share)	23.99
Exercisable (usd per share)	$ 23.99
Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years)
Weighted- average remaining contractual term (in years)	10 months 24 days	1 year 4 months 24 days
Vested and expected to vest	10 months 24 days
Exercisable	10 months 24 days

Stock-based compensation - Stoc

Stock-based compensation - Stock Options Outstanding (Details) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Option, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options exercisable (shares)		4,143,575	6,714,283
Options exercisable, Weighted-average exercise price (usd per share)		$ 26.03	$ 25.67
$21 to 31
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Option, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Range of exercise prices, lower range (usd per share)	$ 21
Range of exercise prices, upper range (usd per share)	$ 31
Options outstanding (shares)	2,335,238
Options outstanding, Weighted-average remaining contractual life (in years)	10 months 24 days
Options outstanding, Weighted-average exercise price (usd per share)	$ 23.99
Options exercisable (shares)	2,335,238
Options exercisable, Weighted-average exercise price (usd per share)	$ 23.99

Stock-based compensation - Aggr

Stock-based compensation - Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Options (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Outstanding	$ 43	$ 101	$ 144
Exercisable	$ 43	$ 101	$ 144

Employee benefit plans - Narrat

Employee benefit plans - Narrative (Details) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)planemployeeshares	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)shares	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit plans	$ 6,600	$ 6,000
Recognized cost of defined contribution plans, excluding the ESOP	$ 249	$ 244	$ 244
Shares of stock owned by Employee Stock Ownership Plan (shares) | shares	4.3	4.6
Fair value of shares total ESOP assets	$ 187	$ 235
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
401(k) Employer matching contribution (percent)	5.00%	5.00%	5.00%
401(k), Employer non-elective contribution based on earnings (percent)	2.00%	2.00%	2.00%
401(k), shares of common stock owned (shares) | shares	10.8	11.5
401(k), fair value of total assets	$ 8,200	$ 7,400
United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of employees covered by defined contribution plan | employee	9,800
United States | Equities | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of plan assets	20.00%
United States | Equities | Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of plan assets	60.00%
United States | Fixed income | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of plan assets	40.00%
United States | Fixed income | Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of plan assets	80.00%
United States | Defined Benefit Plan, Cash and Cash Equivalents | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of plan assets	0.00%
United States | Defined Benefit Plan, Cash and Cash Equivalents | Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of plan assets	10.00%
Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of employees covered by defined contribution plan | employee	13,900
Pension Plan | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate	2.80%	3.45%
Cash contributions expected to be made to fund defined benefit plans in the next fiscal year	$ 15
Pension Plan | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate	1.59%	2.02%
Cash contributions expected to be made to fund defined benefit plans in the next fiscal year	$ 11
pre-Medicare | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Assumed healthcare cost trend rate used in determining benefit expense for next fiscal year (percent)	6.15%
Assumed healthcare cost trend rate used in determining benefit expense for ultimate year (percent)	4.04%
Medicare | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Assumed healthcare cost trend rate used in determining benefit expense for next fiscal year (percent)	5.30%
Assumed healthcare cost trend rate used in determining benefit expense for ultimate year (percent)	4.04%
Healthcare Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate	2.80%	3.45%
Cash contributions expected to be made to fund defined benefit plans in the next fiscal year	$ 11
Healthcare Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate	1.65%	2.10%
Cash contributions expected to be made to fund defined benefit plans in the next fiscal year	$ 1
Qualified Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plans | plan	1
Defined Contribution Plan, Tranche One | The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
401(k) Employer matching contribution, percent match	100.00%
401(k) Employer matching contribution, percent of employees' base pay	4.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Tranche Two | The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
401(k) Employer matching contribution, percent match	50.00%
401(k) Employer matching contribution, percent of employees' base pay	2.00%

Employee benefit plans - Combin

Employee benefit plans - Combined Data for Defined Benefit Pension and Post Retirement Healthcare Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Pension Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Benefit Obligation [Abstract]
Discount rate	2.80%	3.45%
Cash balance interest crediting rate	4.00%	4.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period	$ (4,659)	$ (4,123)
Service cost	0	0	$ 0
Interest cost	(156)	(178)	(169)
Amendments	0	0
Actuarial (loss) gain	(455)	(585)
Benefits paid	240	227
Benefit obligation at end of period	(5,030)	(4,659)	(4,123)
Change in fair value of plan assets
Fair value at beginning of period	5,738	5,040
Actual return on plan assets	619	910
Employer contributions	15	15
Benefit payments	(240)	(227)
Fair value at end of period	6,132	5,738	5,040
Funded status at end of period	1,102	1,079
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, before Tax
Net loss (gain)	(1,625)	(1,557)
Prior service cost (credit)	0	0
Total (before tax effects)	$ 1,625	$ 1,557
Pension Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Benefit Obligation [Abstract]
Discount rate	1.59%	2.02%
Rate of compensation increase	3.12%	3.19%
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period	$ (1,394)	$ (1,104)
Service cost	(12)	(11)	(28)
Interest cost	(27)	(32)	(32)
Amendments	0	(1)
Actuarial (loss) gain	(167)	(264)
Benefits paid	47	40
Foreign exchange adjustment	(61)	(22)
Benefit obligation at end of period	(1,614)	(1,394)	(1,104)
Change in fair value of plan assets
Fair value at beginning of period	1,529	1,316
Actual return on plan assets	232	191
Employer contributions	10	30
Benefit payments	(47)	(40)
Foreign exchange adjustments	62	32
Fair value at end of period	1,786	1,529	1,316
Funded status at end of period	172	135
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, before Tax
Net loss (gain)	(184)	(221)
Prior service cost (credit)	2	2
Total (before tax effects)	$ 186	$ 223
Healthcare Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Benefit Obligation [Abstract]
Discount rate	2.80%	3.45%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00%	3.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period	$ (145)	$ (149)
Service cost	(1)	(1)	(1)
Interest cost	(5)	(6)	(7)
Amendments	0	0
Actuarial (loss) gain	(14)	(1)
Benefits paid	9	12
Benefit obligation at end of period	(156)	(145)	(149)
Change in fair value of plan assets
Fair value at beginning of period	117	99
Actual return on plan assets	10	18
Employer contributions	9	12
Benefit payments	(9)	(12)
Fair value at end of period	127	117	99
Funded status at end of period	(29)	(28)
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, before Tax
Net loss (gain)	(77)	(70)
Prior service cost (credit)	(26)	(33)
Total (before tax effects)	$ 51	$ 37
Healthcare Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan, Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Calculating Benefit Obligation [Abstract]
Discount rate	1.65%	2.10%
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period	$ (6)	$ (5)
Service cost	0	0	0
Interest cost	0	0	0
Amendments	0	0
Actuarial (loss) gain	2	(1)
Benefits paid	0	0
Foreign exchange adjustment	0	0
Benefit obligation at end of period	(4)	(6)	(5)
Change in fair value of plan assets
Fair value at beginning of period	0	0
Actual return on plan assets	0	0
Employer contributions	0	0
Benefit payments	0	0
Foreign exchange adjustments	0	0
Fair value at end of period	0	0	$ 0
Funded status at end of period	(4)	(6)
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, before Tax
Net loss (gain)	1	(1)
Prior service cost (credit)	0	0
Total (before tax effects)	$ (1)	$ 1

Employee benefit plans - Net Pe

Employee benefit plans - Net Periodic Benefit (Credit) Cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Pension Benefits | United States
Weighted-average assumptions to calculate net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Market-related value of plan assets	$ 5,437	$ 5,304	$ 5,238
Discount rate	3.45%	4.45%	3.97%
Expected rate of return on plan assets	6.00%	6.50%	6.625%
Cash balance interest crediting rate	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%
Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Service cost	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Interest cost	156	178	169
Expected return on assets	(319)	(337)	(339)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (credit)	0	0	0
Net actuarial loss	87	53	68
Settlement loss	0	0	5
Net periodic benefit (credit) cost	(76)	(106)	(97)
Pension Benefits | Foreign
Weighted-average assumptions to calculate net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Market-related value of plan assets	$ 1,415	$ 1,277	$ 1,266
Discount rate	2.02%	2.95%	2.45%
Expected rate of return on plan assets	2.85%	3.54%	4.56%
Rate of compensation increase	3.19%	2.98%	3.02%
Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Service cost	$ 12	$ 11	$ 28
Interest cost	27	32	32
Expected return on assets	(39)	(45)	(57)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (credit)	0	0	0
Net actuarial loss	11	2	22
Settlement loss	0	0	0
Net periodic benefit (credit) cost	11	0	25
Healthcare Benefits | United States
Weighted-average assumptions to calculate net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Market-related value of plan assets	$ 116	$ 111	$ 108
Discount rate	3.45%	4.45%	3.97%
Expected rate of return on plan assets	6.00%	6.50%	6.625%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Service cost	$ 1	$ 1	$ 1
Interest cost	5	6	7
Expected return on assets	(7)	(7)	(8)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (credit)	(7)	(7)	(9)
Net actuarial loss	4	4	7
Settlement loss	0	0	0
Net periodic benefit (credit) cost	$ (4)	$ (3)	$ (2)
Healthcare Benefits | Foreign
Weighted-average assumptions to calculate net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Discount rate	2.10%	3.10%	2.50%
Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Service cost	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Interest cost	0	0	0
Expected return on assets	0	0	0
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (credit)	0	0	0
Net actuarial loss	0	0	0
Settlement loss	0	0	0
Net periodic benefit (credit) cost	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Employee benefit plans - Change

Employee benefit plans - Changes in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Pension Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net loss (gain) arising during period	$ 155
Recognition of prior years’ net (loss)	(87)
Recognition of prior years’ service credit	0
Total recognized in other comprehensive loss (income) (before tax effects)	68
Pension Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net loss (gain) arising during period	(26)
Recognition of prior years’ net (loss)	(11)
Recognition of prior years’ service credit	0
Total recognized in other comprehensive loss (income) (before tax effects)	(37)
Healthcare Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net loss (gain) arising during period	11
Recognition of prior years’ net (loss)	(4)
Recognition of prior years’ service credit	7
Total recognized in other comprehensive loss (income) (before tax effects)	14
Healthcare Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net loss (gain) arising during period	(2)
Recognition of prior years’ net (loss)	0
Recognition of prior years’ service credit	0
Total recognized in other comprehensive loss (income) (before tax effects)	$ (2)

Employee benefit plans - Amount

Employee benefit plans - Amounts Expected to be Recognized in Net Periodic Benefit Income (Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Prepaid benefit cost	$ 1,556	$ 1,464
Pension Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Prepaid benefit cost	1,272	1,249
Accrued benefit cost	(170)	(170)
Total pension and healthcare benefits	1,102	1,079
Pension Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Prepaid benefit cost	284	222
Accrued benefit cost	(112)	(87)
Total pension and healthcare benefits	172	135
Healthcare Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accrued benefit cost	(29)	(28)
Total pension and healthcare benefits	(29)	(28)
Healthcare Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accrued benefit cost	(4)	(6)
Total pension and healthcare benefits	$ (4)	$ (6)

Employee benefit plans - Plans

Employee benefit plans - Plans with Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Pension Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation	$ 170	$ 170
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Accumulated benefit obligation	170	170
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Pension Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation	459	384
Fair value of plan assets	347	297
Accumulated benefit obligation	196	164
Fair value of plan assets	113	114
Healthcare Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	94	85
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Healthcare Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	4	6
Fair value of plan assets	$ 0	$ 0

Employee benefit plans - Benefi

Employee benefit plans - Benefit Payments and Expected to be Paid (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Pension Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
2021	$ 271
2022	272
2023	275
2024	284
2025	281
2026-2030	1,352
Total pension and healthcare benefits	2,735
Pension Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
2021	39
2022	39
2023	43
2024	42
2025	43
2026-2030	252
Total pension and healthcare benefits	458
Healthcare Benefits | United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
2021	11
2022	11
2023	11
2024	10
2025	10
2026-2030	45
Total pension and healthcare benefits	98
Healthcare Benefits | Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
2024	0
2025	0
2026-2030	1
Total pension and healthcare benefits	$ 1

Employee benefit plans - Pensio

Employee benefit plans - Pension Investment Asset Allocation (Details)	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
United States | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	100.00%	100.00%
United States | Fixed income | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	62.00%	56.00%
United States | Equities | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	36.00%	42.00%
United States | Alternative investments | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	2.00%	2.00%
United States | Private equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	0.00%	0.00%
United States | Cash | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign | Fixed income | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	82.00%	80.00%
Foreign | Equities | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	8.00%	8.00%
Foreign | Alternative investments | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	9.00%	10.00%
Foreign | Private equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign | Cash | Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total pension benefits	1.00%	2.00%

Employee benefit plans - Pens_2

Employee benefit plans - Pension Plan Investment Assets on Recurring Basis (Details) - Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	$ 6,132	$ 5,738
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	5,982	5,577
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	578	1,638
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Non-U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	147	195
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Derivatives
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value		(130)
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Commingled
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	712	1,982
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1,285	688
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	2,866	814
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | U.S. Treasury securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	228	362
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | State and political subdivisions
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	50
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | U.S. government agencies
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	31	7
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	47	3
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Other debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	37	15
United States | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1	3
United States | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	954	2,201
United States | Level 1 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	578	1,638
United States | Level 1 | Non-U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	147	195
United States | Level 1 | Derivatives
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value		0
United States | Level 1 | Commingled
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 1 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 1 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 1 | U.S. Treasury securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	228	362
United States | Level 1 | State and political subdivisions
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0
United States | Level 1 | U.S. government agencies
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 1 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	3
United States | Level 1 | Other debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 1 | Mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1	3
United States | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	5,028	3,376
United States | Level 2 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 2 | Non-U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 2 | Derivatives
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value		(130)
United States | Level 2 | Commingled
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	712	1,982
United States | Level 2 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1,285	688
United States | Level 2 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	2,866	814
United States | Level 2 | U.S. Treasury securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 2 | State and political subdivisions
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	50
United States | Level 2 | U.S. government agencies
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	31	7
United States | Level 2 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	47	0
United States | Level 2 | Other debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	37	15
United States | Level 2 | Mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | Non-U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | Derivatives
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value		0
United States | Level 3 | Commingled
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | U.S. equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | U.S. Treasury securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | State and political subdivisions
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0
United States | Level 3 | U.S. government agencies
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | Other debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | Level 3 | Mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
United States | NAV | Funds of funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	135	134
United States | NAV | Venture capital and partnership interests
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	15	27
Foreign
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1,786	1,529
Foreign | Level 1, 2 and 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1,628	1,370
Foreign | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	156	130
Foreign | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Equity funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	146	129
Foreign | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1,305	1,091
Foreign | Level 1, 2 and 3 | Cash
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	21	20
Foreign | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	21	20
Foreign | Level 1 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 1 | Equity funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 1 | Corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 1 | Cash
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	21	20
Foreign | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1,607	1,350
Foreign | Level 2 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	156	130
Foreign | Level 2 | Equity funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	146	129
Foreign | Level 2 | Corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	1,305	1,091
Foreign | Level 2 | Cash
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 3 | Sovereign government obligations
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 3 | Equity funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 3 | Corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | Level 3 | Cash
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	0	0
Foreign | NAV | Other assets measured at NAV
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Plan assets, at fair value	$ 158	$ 159

Employee benefit plans - Pens_3

Employee benefit plans - Pension Plan Assets Valued Using Net Asset Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Funds of funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Redemption frequency	Monthly	Monthly
Property funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Redemption frequency		Monthly
Minimum | Funds of funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Redemption notice period	30 days	30 days
Minimum | Property funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Redemption notice period		0 days
Maximum | Funds of funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Redemption notice period	45 days	45 days
Maximum | Property funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Redemption notice period		90 days
NAV | Funds of funds, venture capital and partnership interests, property funds and other contracts | Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	$ 308	$ 320
Unfunded  commitments	0	0
NAV | Funds of funds | Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	135	136
Unfunded  commitments	0	0
NAV | Venture capital and partnership interests | Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	138	158
Unfunded  commitments	0	0
NAV | Property funds | Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value		4
Unfunded  commitments		0
NAV | Other contracts | Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value	35	22
Unfunded  commitments	$ 0	$ 0

Company financial information_3

Company financial information (Parent Corporation) - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2019
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Dividend payments without regulatory approval	$ 803
Liquid asset held, amount	1,600
Authorized amount of shares to repurchase	$ 4,451				$ 3,940
Forecast
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Authorized amount of shares to repurchase				$ 625
Minimum
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Collateral percentage requirement for bank loans to affiliates	100.00%
Maximum
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Collateral percentage requirement for bank loans to affiliates	130.00%
Credit Extensions To Affiliates
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Maximum percentage of regulatory capital allowable for bank credit extensions	10.00%
Credit Extensions In Aggregate To Bank Of New York And All Affiliates
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Maximum percentage of regulatory capital allowable for bank credit extensions	20.00%
Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Common stock, dividends declared	$ 1,500	$ 3,200	$ 3,800

Company financial information_4

Company financial information (Parent Corporation) - Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 15,808	$ 16,462	$ 16,392
Interest expense (including, $64, $59, $73, to subsidiaries, respectively)	1,132	4,360	2,821
(Benefit) for income taxes	842	1,120	938
Net income applicable to shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation	3,617	4,441	4,266
Preferred stock dividends and redemption charge	(194)	(169)	(169)
Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation	3,423	4,272	4,097
Interest expense, related party	30	64	59
Parent Company
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
(Loss) gain on securities held for sale	0	(11)	1
Other revenue	50	39	36
Total revenue	2,787	5,469	5,993
Interest expense (including, $64, $59, $73, to subsidiaries, respectively)	520	941	658
Other expense	168	197	439
Total expense	688	1,138	1,097
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries	2,099	4,331	4,896
(Benefit) for income taxes	(289)	(208)	(165)
Equity in undistributed net income	1,229	(98)	(795)
Net income applicable to shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation	3,617	4,441	4,266
Preferred stock dividends and redemption charge	(194)	(169)	(169)
Net income applicable to common shareholders of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation	3,423	4,272	4,097
Parent Company | Bank Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Dividends from subsidiaries	1,485	3,209	3,874
Interest revenue from subsidiaries	0	4	13
Equity in undistributed net income	1,278	(139)	(508)
Parent Company | Nonbank Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Dividends from subsidiaries	1,199	2,075	1,869
Interest revenue from subsidiaries	53	153	200
Equity in undistributed net income	$ (49)	$ 41	$ (287)

Company financial information_5

Company financial information (Parent Corporation) - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Corporate-owned life insurance	$ 5,301	$ 5,219
Other assets	20,468	20,221
Total assets	469,633	381,508	$ 362,873
Long-term debt	25,984	27,501
Total liabilities	423,513	339,780
Shareholders’ equity	45,801	41,483
Total liabilities, temporary equity and permanent equity	469,633	381,508
Parent Company
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and due from banks	330	345
Securities	6	8
Investment in and advances to subsidiaries and associated companies:	74,495	69,459
Corporate-owned life insurance	782	773
Other assets	202	319
Total assets	75,815	70,904
Deferred compensation	417	455
Affiliate borrowings	2,176	1,500
Other liabilities	1,866	1,631
Long-term debt	25,555	25,835
Total liabilities	30,014	29,421
Shareholders’ equity	45,801	41,483
Total liabilities, temporary equity and permanent equity	75,815	70,904
Parent Company | Bank Subsidiaries
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investment in and advances to subsidiaries and associated companies:	36,431	32,511
Parent Company | Nonbank Subsidiaries
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investment in and advances to subsidiaries and associated companies:	$ 38,064	$ 36,948

Company financial information_6

Company financial information (Parent Corporation) - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating activities
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests	$ 3,617	$ 4,441	$ 4,266
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	5,038	96	5,996
Investing activities
Other, net	(728)	676	(153)
Net cash (used for) provided by investing activities	(78,455)	(10,548)	3,299
Financing activities
Net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt	2,993	2,993	5,143
Repayments of long-term debt	(5,200)	(5,250)	(3,650)
Issuance of common stock	12	21	40
Issuance of preferred stock	1,567	0	0
Treasury stock acquired	(989)	(3,327)	(3,269)
Redemption of preferred stock	(583)	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	75,508	9,459	(8,098)
Change in cash and due from banks	2,152	(991)	1,125
Cash and due from banks and restricted cash at beginning of period	7,267	8,258	7,133
Cash and due from banks and restricted cash at end of period	9,419	7,267	8,258
Supplemental disclosures
Interest paid	1,236	4,400	2,711
Income taxes paid	1,341	989	983
Income taxes refunded	60	669	175
Parent Company
Operating activities
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests	3,617	4,441	4,266
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in undistributed net loss (income) of subsidiaries	(1,229)	98	795
Change in accrued interest receivable	(17)	(12)	27
Change in accrued interest payable	(26)	(17)	29
Change in taxes payable	(281)	331	224
Other, net	368	(107)	(257)
Net cash provided by operating activities	2,432	4,734	5,084
Investing activities
Sales of securities	0	0	13
Acquisitions of, investments in, and advances to subsidiaries (b)	(1,442)	1,495	(53)
Other, net	0	0	1
Net cash (used for) provided by investing activities	(1,442)	1,495	(39)
Financing activities
Net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt	2,993	1,745	4,144
Repayments of long-term debt	(3,950)	(4,250)	(3,650)
Change in advances from subsidiaries	1,195	242	(1,561)
Issuance of common stock	58	86	120
Issuance of preferred stock	1,567	0	0
Treasury stock acquired	(989)	(3,327)	(3,269)
Redemption of preferred stock	(583)	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(1,296)	(1,289)	(1,221)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(1,005)	(6,793)	(5,437)
Change in cash and due from banks	(15)	(564)	(392)
Cash and due from banks and restricted cash at beginning of period	345	909	1,301
Cash and due from banks and restricted cash at end of period	330	345	909
Supplemental disclosures
Interest paid	546	958	629
Income taxes paid	3	2	12
Income taxes refunded	0	0	7
Payments received from subsidiaries for taxes	(736)	823	837
Payments for acquisition of investments in and advances to subsidiaries	3,715	2,139	2,807
Proceeds from sale of investments in and advances from subsidiaries	$ 2,273	$ 3,634	$ 2,754

Fair value measurement - Narrat

Fair value measurement - Narrative (Details)	Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Percentage of securities valued with reasonable level of price transparency	99.00%

Fair value measurement - Assets

Fair value measurement - Assets and Liabilities on Recurring Basis (Details) - USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		$ 108,495,000,000	$ 88,550,000,000
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		12,191,000,000	9,061,000,000
Effect of master netting agreements		(8,346,000,000)	(5,819,000,000)
Total derivative assets		3,845,000,000	3,242,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		12,650,000,000	9,206,000,000
Effect of master netting agreements		(7,845,000,000)	(5,415,000,000)
Derivative liabilities		4,805,000,000	3,791,000,000
Long-term debt		400,000,000	387,000,000
Investment management funds
Trading assets:
Trading assets		482,000,000	229,000,000
Other assets		5,000,000	16,000,000
Total assets		487,000,000	245,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		3,000,000	1,000,000
Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Effect of master netting agreements		(1,952,000,000)	(1,792,000,000)
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(2,348,000,000)	(1,986,000,000)
Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Effect of master netting agreements		(6,392,000,000)	(4,021,000,000)
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(5,484,000,000)	(3,428,000,000)
Equity contracts
Trading assets:
Effect of master netting agreements		(2,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(13,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		22,347,000,000	27,043,000,000
U.S. Treasury
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		24,894,000,000	15,431,000,000
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		12,391,000,000	12,646,000,000
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		9,228,000,000	9,417,000,000
Supranational
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		7,160,000,000	3,709,000,000
Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		4,703,000,000	4,063,000,000
Foreign covered bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		6,725,000,000	4,197,000,000
U.S. government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,853,000,000	1,949,000,000
Other ABS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,164,000,000	2,143,000,000
Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		249,000,000
Non-agency RMBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		2,326,000,000	1,233,000,000
State and political subdivisions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		2,308,000,000	1,044,000,000
Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		1,994,000,000	853,000,000
Other debt securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		1,000,000	1,000,000
Not designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		12,172,000,000	9,040,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		11,543,000,000	8,599,000,000
Not designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		4,482,000,000	3,690,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		3,880,000,000	3,250,000,000
Not designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		7,688,000,000	5,331,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		7,622,000,000	5,340,000,000
Not designated as hedging | Equity contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		2,000,000	19,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		37,000,000	5,000,000
Designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		19,000,000	21,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		1,107,000,000	607,000,000
Designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		666,000,000	350,000,000
Designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		19,000,000	21,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		441,000,000	257,000,000
Operating segments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale	[1]	108,495,000,000	88,550,000,000
Trading assets:
Trading assets		15,272,000,000	13,571,000,000
Other assets		522,000,000	419,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Long-term debt		400,000,000	387,000,000
Operating segments | Investment management funds
Trading assets:
Total assets		487,000,000	245,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		3,000,000	1,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Trading assets:
Effect of master netting agreements		(8,346,000,000)	(5,819,000,000)
Total assets		124,776,000,000	102,785,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(7,845,000,000)	(5,415,000,000)
Total liabilities		7,541,000,000	5,836,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Level 1
Trading assets:
Total assets		$ 38,890,000,000	$ 29,576,000,000
Percentage of total assets prior to netting		29.00%	27.00%
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		$ 2,308,000,000	$ 1,560,000,000
Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting		15.00%	14.00%
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Level 2
Trading assets:
Total assets		$ 94,031,000,000	$ 78,847,000,000
Percentage of total assets prior to netting		71.00%	73.00%
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		$ 13,078,000,000	$ 9,691,000,000
Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting		85.00%	86.00%
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Level 2 | Grantor Trust
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		$ 487,000,000	$ 640,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Level 3
Trading assets:
Total assets		$ 0	$ 0
Percentage of total assets prior to netting		0.00%	0.00%
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		$ 0	$ 0
Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting		0.00%	0.00%
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		$ 108,495,000,000	$ 88,550,000,000
Trading assets:
Debt instruments		5,671,000,000	5,811,000,000
Equity instruments		5,775,000,000	4,539,000,000
Effect of master netting agreements		(8,346,000,000)	(5,819,000,000)
Trading assets		15,272,000,000	13,571,000,000
Other assets		302,000,000	217,000,000
Total assets		124,289,000,000	102,540,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		6,031,000,000	4,841,000,000
Effect of master netting agreements		(7,845,000,000)	(5,415,000,000)
Long-term debt		400,000,000	387,000,000
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging		1,107,000,000
Total liabilities		7,538,000,000	5,835,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Investment management funds
Trading assets:
Total assets		487,000,000	245,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		3,000,000	1,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Effect of master netting agreements		(1,952,000,000)	(1,792,000,000)
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(2,348,000,000)	(1,986,000,000)
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Effect of master netting agreements		(6,392,000,000)	(4,021,000,000)
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(5,484,000,000)	(3,428,000,000)
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Equity contracts
Trading assets:
Effect of master netting agreements		(2,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(13,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		22,347,000,000	27,043,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | U.S. Treasury
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		24,894,000,000	15,431,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		12,391,000,000	12,646,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		9,228,000,000	9,417,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Supranational
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		7,160,000,000	3,709,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Foreign government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		4,135,000,000	2,643,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		4,703,000,000	4,063,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Foreign covered bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		6,725,000,000	4,197,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | U.S. government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,853,000,000	1,949,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Other ABS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,164,000,000	2,143,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Non-agency commercial MBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,017,000,000	2,178,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		249,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Non-agency RMBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		2,326,000,000	1,233,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | State and political subdivisions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		2,308,000,000	1,044,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		1,994,000,000	853,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Other debt securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		1,000,000	1,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Not designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivative assets		3,826,000,000	3,221,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Effect of master netting agreements		(7,845,000,000)
Derivative liabilities		3,698,000,000	3,184,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Not designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivative assets		2,530,000,000	1,898,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Derivative liabilities		1,532,000,000	1,264,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Not designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivative assets		1,296,000,000	1,310,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Derivative liabilities		2,138,000,000	1,912,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Not designated as hedging | Equity contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivative assets		0	13,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Derivative liabilities		28,000,000	8,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivative assets		19,000,000	21,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging			607,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading liabilities:
Derivative liabilities		666,000,000	350,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivative assets		19,000,000	21,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Derivative liabilities		441,000,000	257,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Debt instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		2,322,000,000	1,584,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Equity instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		11,000,000	73,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		30,803,000,000	23,215,000,000
Trading assets:
Debt instruments		1,803,000,000	1,568,000,000
Equity instruments		5,775,000,000	4,539,000,000
Trading assets		7,583,000,000	6,111,000,000
Other assets		111,000,000	38,000,000
Total assets		$ 38,497,000,000	$ 29,364,000,000
Percentage of total assets prior to netting		29.00%	27.00%
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		$ 2,307,000,000	$ 1,559,000,000
Long-term debt		0	0
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging		0
Total liabilities		$ 2,307,000,000	$ 1,559,000,000
Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting		15.00%	14.00%
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Investment management funds
Trading assets:
Total assets		$ 393,000,000	$ 212,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		1,000,000	1,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | U.S. Treasury
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		24,894,000,000	15,431,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		5,909,000,000	7,784,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Supranational
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Foreign government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Foreign covered bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | U.S. government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Other ABS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Non-agency commercial MBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Non-agency RMBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | State and political subdivisions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Other debt securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Not designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		5,000,000	4,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		9,000,000	9,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Not designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		5,000,000	4,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		2,000,000	6,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Not designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Not designated as hedging | Equity contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		7,000,000	3,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging			0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Debt instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		2,287,000,000	1,477,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 1 | Equity instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		11,000,000	73,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		77,692,000,000	65,335,000,000
Trading assets:
Debt instruments		3,868,000,000	4,243,000,000
Equity instruments		0	0
Trading assets		16,035,000,000	13,279,000,000
Other assets		191,000,000	179,000,000
Total assets		$ 93,937,000,000	$ 78,814,000,000
Percentage of total assets prior to netting		71.00%	73.00%
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		$ 11,569,000,000	$ 8,697,000,000
Long-term debt		400,000,000	387,000,000
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging		1,107,000,000
Total liabilities		$ 13,076,000,000	$ 9,691,000,000
Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting		85.00%	86.00%
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Investment management funds
Trading assets:
Total assets		$ 94,000,000	$ 33,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		2,000,000	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		22,347,000,000	27,043,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | U.S. Treasury
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		6,482,000,000	4,862,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		9,228,000,000	9,417,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Supranational
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		7,160,000,000	3,709,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Foreign government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		4,135,000,000	2,643,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		4,703,000,000	4,063,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Foreign covered bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		6,725,000,000	4,197,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | U.S. government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,853,000,000	1,949,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Other ABS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,164,000,000	2,143,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Non-agency commercial MBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		3,017,000,000	2,178,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		249,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Non-agency RMBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		2,326,000,000	1,233,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | State and political subdivisions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		2,308,000,000	1,044,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		1,994,000,000	853,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Other debt securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		1,000,000	1,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Not designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		12,167,000,000	9,036,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		11,534,000,000	8,590,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Not designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		4,477,000,000	3,686,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		3,878,000,000	3,244,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Not designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		7,688,000,000	5,331,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		7,622,000,000	5,340,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Not designated as hedging | Equity contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		2,000,000	19,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		34,000,000	6,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		19,000,000	21,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging			607,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		666,000,000	350,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		19,000,000	21,000,000
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		441,000,000	257,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Debt instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		35,000,000	107,000,000
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 2 | Equity instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Trading assets:
Debt instruments		0	0
Equity instruments		0	0
Total derivative assets		0
Trading assets		0	0
Other assets		0	0
Total assets		$ 0	$ 0
Percentage of total assets prior to netting		0.00%	0.00%
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		$ 0	$ 0
Long-term debt		0	0
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging		0
Total liabilities		$ 0	$ 0
Percentage of total liabilities prior to netting		0.00%	0.00%
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Investment management funds
Trading assets:
Total assets		$ 0	$ 0
Trading liabilities:
Total liabilities		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | U.S. Treasury
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Supranational
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Foreign government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Foreign covered bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | U.S. government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Other ABS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Non-agency commercial MBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Commercial paper/certificates of deposit (“CDs”)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Non-agency RMBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | State and political subdivisions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Other debt securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Not designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Not designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Not designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Not designated as hedging | Equity contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Designated as hedging
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total other liabilities – derivative liabilities designated as hedging			0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Trading assets:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Trading liabilities:
Total derivatives fair value		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Debt instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | Level 3 | Equity instruments
Trading liabilities:
Total trading liabilities		0	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis | Operating segments | NAV
Trading assets:
Assets measured at NAV		$ 201,000,000	$ 181,000,000
[1]	In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Fair value measurement - Certai

Fair value measurement - Certain Items on Recurring Basis (Details) - Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Non-agency RMBS | Origination in 2004 and Earlier, 2005, 2006 and 2007 through 2020
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 487	$ 640
Non-agency RMBS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 2,326	$ 1,233
Non-agency RMBS | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	69.00%	25.00%
Non-agency RMBS | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	3.00%	9.00%
Non-agency RMBS | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	1.00%	3.00%
Non-agency RMBS | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	27.00%	63.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2008-2020
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 1,548	$ 215
Non-agency RMBS | 2008-2020 | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2008-2020 | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2008-2020 | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2008-2020 | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2007
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 179	$ 249
Non-agency RMBS | 2007 | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	12.00%	17.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2007 | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	3.00%	2.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2007 | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2007 | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	85.00%	81.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2006
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 237	$ 291
Non-agency RMBS | 2006 | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2006 | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	23.00%	21.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2006 | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2006 | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	77.00%	79.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2005
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 227	$ 305
Non-agency RMBS | 2005 | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	3.00%	5.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2005 | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	2.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2005 | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	7.00%	8.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2005 | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	90.00%	85.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2004 and earlier
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 135	$ 173
Non-agency RMBS | 2004 and earlier | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	19.00%	22.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2004 and earlier | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	10.00%	24.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2004 and earlier | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	11.00%	4.00%
Non-agency RMBS | 2004 and earlier | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	60.00%	50.00%
Non-agency commercial MBS | 2009-2020 | Domestic
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 3,017	$ 2,178
Non-agency commercial MBS | 2009-2020 | AAA/ AA- | Domestic
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	99.00%	98.00%
Non-agency commercial MBS | 2009-2020 | A+/ A- | Domestic
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	1.00%	2.00%
Non-agency commercial MBS | 2009-2020 | BBB+/ BBB- | Domestic
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Non-agency commercial MBS | 2009-2020 | BB+ and lower | Domestic
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 6,725	$ 4,197
Foreign covered bonds | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign covered bonds | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Canada
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 2,552	$ 1,798
Foreign covered bonds | Canada | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Canada | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Canada | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Canada | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | UK
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 1,259	$ 984
Foreign covered bonds | UK | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign covered bonds | UK | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | UK | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | UK | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Australia
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 951	$ 431
Foreign covered bonds | Australia | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Australia | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Australia | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Australia | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Norway
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 703	$ 287
Foreign covered bonds | Norway | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Norway | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Norway | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Norway | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Germany
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 494	$ 357
Foreign covered bonds | Germany | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Germany | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Germany | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Germany | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Other
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 766	$ 340
Foreign covered bonds | Other | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Other | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Other | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign covered bonds | Other | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 12,391	$ 12,646
Sovereign Debt | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	62.00%	73.00%
Sovereign Debt | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	6.00%	5.00%
Sovereign Debt | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	31.00%	21.00%
Sovereign Debt | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	1.00%	1.00%
Sovereign Debt | Canada
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 572	$ 271
Sovereign Debt | Canada | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Canada | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Canada | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Canada | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | UK
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 1,089	$ 3,318
Sovereign Debt | UK | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | UK | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | UK | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | UK | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Germany
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 2,222	$ 1,997
Sovereign Debt | Germany | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Germany | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Germany | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Germany | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | France
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 1,697	$ 1,272
Sovereign Debt | France | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | France | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | France | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | France | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Spain
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 1,920	$ 1,453
Sovereign Debt | Spain | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Spain | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	5.00%	6.00%
Sovereign Debt | Spain | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	95.00%	94.00%
Sovereign Debt | Spain | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Italy
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 2,010	$ 1,260
Sovereign Debt | Italy | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Italy | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Italy | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Italy | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Singapore
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 984	$ 742
Sovereign Debt | Singapore | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Singapore | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Singapore | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Singapore | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Ireland
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 252	$ 301
Sovereign Debt | Ireland | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Ireland | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Ireland | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Ireland | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Netherlands
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 491	$ 791
Sovereign Debt | Netherlands | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Netherlands | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Netherlands | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Netherlands | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Japan
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 408	$ 274
Sovereign Debt | Japan | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Japan | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Japan | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Japan | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Austria
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 256	$ 240
Sovereign Debt | Austria | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Sovereign Debt | Austria | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Austria | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Austria | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Other
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 490	$ 727
Sovereign Debt | Other | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	74.00%	80.00%
Sovereign Debt | Other | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	1.00%
Sovereign Debt | Other | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Sovereign Debt | Other | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	26.00%	19.00%
Foreign government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 4,135	$ 2,643
Foreign government agencies | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	95.00%	95.00%
Foreign government agencies | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	5.00%	5.00%
Foreign government agencies | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Canada
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 511	$ 71
Foreign government agencies | Canada | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	75.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Canada | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	25.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | Canada | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Canada | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Norway
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 273	$ 216
Foreign government agencies | Norway | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | Norway | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Norway | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Norway | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Germany
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 1,473	$ 1,131
Foreign government agencies | Germany | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | Germany | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Germany | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Germany | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | France
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 305	$ 42
Foreign government agencies | France | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | France | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | France | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | France | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Netherlands
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 847	$ 678
Foreign government agencies | Netherlands | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | Netherlands | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Netherlands | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Netherlands | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Other
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 220	$ 58
Foreign government agencies | Other | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	55.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Other | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	45.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | Other | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Other | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Sweden
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 281	$ 202
Foreign government agencies | Sweden | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | Sweden | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Sweden | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Sweden | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Finland
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 225	$ 245
Foreign government agencies | Finland | AAA/ AA-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	100.00%	100.00%
Foreign government agencies | Finland | A+/ A-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Finland | BBB+/ BBB-
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign government agencies | Finland | BB+ and lower
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Ratings	0.00%	0.00%
Carrying amount | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed | Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed | Brazil
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total carrying value	$ 125	$ 134

Fair value measurement - Asse_2

Fair value measurement - Assets on Nonrecurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Decrease in fair value of loans of underlying collateral (less than)	$ 1	$ 1
Measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Loans	48	58
Other assets	131	64
Total assets	179	122
Measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis | Level 1
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Loans	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis | Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Loans	48	58
Other assets	131	64
Total assets	179	122
Measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis | Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Loans	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	$ 0	$ 0

Fair value measurement - Financ

Fair value measurement - Financial Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Assets:
Securities held-to-maturity	$ 49,224	$ 34,805
Liabilities:
Long-term debt	400	387
Estimated fair value
Assets:
Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks	141,775	95,042
Interest-bearing deposits with banks	17,310	14,832
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements	30,907	30,182
Securities held-to-maturity	49,224	34,805
Loans	53,586	54,194
Other assets, fair value	7,412	6,063
Total assets	300,214	235,118
Liabilities:
Noninterest-bearing deposits	83,854	57,630
Interest-bearing deposits	257,287	200,846
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements	11,305	11,401
Payables to customers and broker-dealers	25,085	18,758
Commercial paper		3,959
Borrowings	563	917
Long-term debt	27,306	27,858
Total liabilities	405,400	321,369
Estimated fair value | Level 1
Assets:
Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks	0	0
Interest-bearing deposits with banks	0	0
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements	0	0
Securities held-to-maturity	4,120	4,630
Loans	0	0
Other assets, fair value	6,252	4,830
Total assets	10,372	9,460
Liabilities:
Noninterest-bearing deposits	0	0
Interest-bearing deposits	0	0
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements	0	0
Payables to customers and broker-dealers	0	0
Commercial paper		0
Borrowings	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Estimated fair value | Level 2
Assets:
Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks	141,775	95,042
Interest-bearing deposits with banks	17,310	14,832
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements	30,907	30,182
Securities held-to-maturity	45,104	30,175
Loans	53,586	54,194
Other assets, fair value	1,160	1,233
Total assets	289,842	225,658
Liabilities:
Noninterest-bearing deposits	83,854	57,630
Interest-bearing deposits	257,287	200,846
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements	11,305	11,401
Payables to customers and broker-dealers	25,085	18,758
Commercial paper		3,959
Borrowings	563	917
Long-term debt	27,306	27,858
Total liabilities	405,400	321,369
Estimated fair value | Level 3
Assets:
Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks	0	0
Interest-bearing deposits with banks	0	0
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements	0	0
Securities held-to-maturity	0	0
Loans	0	0
Other assets, fair value	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Liabilities:
Noninterest-bearing deposits	0	0
Interest-bearing deposits	0	0
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements	0	0
Payables to customers and broker-dealers	0	0
Commercial paper		0
Borrowings	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Carrying amount
Assets:
Interest-bearing deposits with the Federal Reserve and other central banks	141,775	95,042
Interest-bearing deposits with banks	17,300	14,811
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements	30,907	30,182
Securities held-to-maturity	47,946	34,483
Loans	55,121	53,718
Other assets, fair value	7,412	6,063
Total assets	300,461	234,299
Liabilities:
Noninterest-bearing deposits	83,854	57,630
Interest-bearing deposits	257,691	201,836
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements	11,305	11,401
Payables to customers and broker-dealers	25,085	18,758
Commercial paper		3,959
Borrowings	563	917
Long-term debt	25,584	27,114
Total liabilities	$ 404,082	$ 321,615

Fair value option - Assets and

Fair value option - Assets and Liabilities (Details) - Investment Management funds - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Assets of consolidated investment management funds:
Trading assets	$ 482	$ 229
Other assets	5	16
Total assets	487	245
Liabilities of consolidated investment management funds:
Other liabilities	3	1
Total liabilities	$ 3	$ 1

Fair value option - Narrative (

Fair value option - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value option of long-term debt	$ 240
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 400	$ 387

Fair value option - Changes in

Fair value option - Changes in Fair Value of Loans and Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Long-term debt | Foreign exchange and other trading revenue
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Gain (loss) change in fair value	$ (13)	$ (16)	$ (4)

Commitments and contingent li_3

Commitments and contingent liabilities - Summary of Off-Balance Sheet Credit Risks, Net of Participations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Securities lending indemnifications, joint venture	$ 62,000	$ 57,000
Invested in reverse repurchase agreements
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Cash collateral invested in indemnified repurchase agreements	41,000	37,000
Lending commitments
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Off-balance sheet credit risks	47,577	49,119
Standby letters of credit
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Off-balance sheet credit risks	2,265	2,298
Off-balance sheet credit risks participations	154	146
Commercial letters of credit
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Off-balance sheet credit risks	60	74
Securities lending indemnifications
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Off-balance sheet credit risks	$ 469,121	$ 408,378

Commitments and contingent li_4

Commitments and contingent liabilities - Narrative (Details)	Sep. 09, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 17, 2015lawsuit	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)claim	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)claim	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009claim
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Lending commitment maturing in less than one year			$ 30,700,000,000	$ 30,700,000,000
Lending commitment maturing in one to five years			16,400,000,000	16,400,000,000
Lending commitment maturing over five years			$ 449,000,000	$ 449,000,000
Collateralization percentage generally required for a securities lending transaction with indemnification against broker default			102.00%	102.00%
Securities lending indemnifications, secured amount of collateral			$ 493,000,000,000	$ 493,000,000,000	$ 428,000,000,000
Securities lending indemnifications, joint venture			62,000,000,000	62,000,000,000	57,000,000,000
Securities lending indemnifications, collateral joint venture			66,000,000,000	$ 66,000,000,000	61,000,000,000
Matters Related to R. Allen Stanford
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits or class actions pending | claim						2
Number of lawsuits filed | claim				3
Brazilian Postalis Litigation
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits filed | lawsuit		3
Loss contingency, damages awarded, value	$ 45,000,000
Loss contingency, damages sought, value	$ 2,000,000
German Tax Matters | Foreign Tax Authority
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Loss contingency, damages sought, value			150,000,000
Maximum
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Loss contingency, aggregate range of reasonable loss (up to)			730,000,000	$ 730,000,000
Standby letters of credit
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Standby letters of credit (SBLC) collateralized with cash and securities			194,000,000	194,000,000	184,000,000
SBLC expiring within one year			1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000
SBLC expiring within one to five years			743,000,000	743,000,000
SBLC expiring after five years			0	0
Off-balance sheet credit risks			2,265,000,000	2,265,000,000	2,298,000,000
Commercial letters of credit
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Off-balance sheet credit risks			60,000,000	60,000,000	74,000,000
Unsettled Repurchase Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Guarantor obligations, maximum exposure, undiscounted			0	0
Unsettled Reverse Repurchase Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Guarantor obligations, maximum exposure, undiscounted			3,200,000,000	3,200,000,000
Operating segments
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Allowance for credit losses on lending related commitments			$ 121,000,000	$ 121,000,000	$ 94,000,000
Federal Court | Mortgage-Securitization Trusts Proceedings
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits or class actions pending | claim			3	3
State Court | Mortgage-Securitization Trusts Proceedings
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits or class actions pending | claim			1	1

Commitments and contingent li_5

Commitments and contingent liabilities - Standby Letters of Credits by Investment Grade (Details) - Standby letters of credit	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Investment grade
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Standby letters of credit by investment grade	82.00%	90.00%
Non-investment grade
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Standby letters of credit by investment grade	18.00%	10.00%

Commitments and contingent li_6

Commitments and contingent liabilities - Significant Industry Concentrations Related to Credit Exposure (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	$ 56,469	$ 54,953
Financial institutions
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	11,200
Unfunded commitments	32,800
Total exposure	44,000
Financial institutions | Securities industry
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	2,300
Unfunded commitments	21,600
Total exposure	23,900
Financial institutions | Asset managers
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	1,400
Unfunded commitments	6,400
Total exposure	7,800
Financial institutions | Banks
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	6,700
Unfunded commitments	1,100
Total exposure	7,800
Financial institutions | Insurance
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	100
Unfunded commitments	2,800
Total exposure	2,900
Financial institutions | Government
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	100
Unfunded commitments	200
Total exposure	300
Financial institutions | Other
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	600
Unfunded commitments	700
Total exposure	1,300
Commercial
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	1,400
Unfunded commitments	12,700
Total exposure	14,100
Commercial | Services and other
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	600
Unfunded commitments	3,800
Total exposure	4,400
Commercial | Manufacturing
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	500
Unfunded commitments	4,100
Total exposure	4,600
Commercial | Energy and utilities
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	300
Unfunded commitments	3,900
Total exposure	4,200
Commercial | Media and telecom
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Loans	0
Unfunded commitments	900
Total exposure	$ 900

Derivative instruments - Narrat

Derivative instruments - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Counterparty default losses recorded	$ 0
Hedging derivatives, maturities, maximum	1 year
Non-derivative financial instruments designated as hedges of net investments in foreign subsidiaries were all long-term liabilities of BNY Mellon in various currencies	$ 187,000,000
Gain or (loss) recognized in income on derivatives	$ (1,000,000)	$ 7,000,000	$ 11,000,000
Value-at-risk methodology assumed holding period for instruments	1 day
Value-at-risk methodology confidence level percentage	99.00%
Additional collateral The Bank of New York Mellon would have to post for existing collateral arrangements, if The Bank of New York Mellon had fallen below investment grade	$ 41,000,000	63,000,000
Foreign exchange contracts | Net investment hedging
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Hedged financial instruments, notional amount of derivative	8,200,000,000
Foreign exchange contracts | Forecasted Foreign Currency
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Amount of pre-tax gain (loss) to be reclassified in the next 12 months from AOCI to earnings	10,000,000
Foreign exchange contracts | Forecasted Foreign Currency | Cash flow hedges
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Hedged financial instruments, notional amount of derivative	$ 346,000,000
Original maturities, maximum, of hedged instruments	15 months
Pre-tax gain (loss) recognized in OCI related to cash flow hedges	$ 10,000,000
Securities available-for-sale | Interest rate swap
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Hedged financial instruments	17,400,000,000
Hedged financial instruments, notional amount of derivative	17,500,000,000
Securities available-for-sale | Foreign currency forward
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Hedged financial instruments	148,000,000
Hedged financial instruments, notional amount of derivative	148,000,000
Long-term debt | Interest rate swap
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Hedged financial instruments	13,900,000,000
Hedged financial instruments, notional amount of derivative	$ 13,900,000,000
Original maturities, minimum, of hedged instruments	5 years
Original maturities, maximum, of hedged instruments	30 years
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument, Economic Hedge | Staff expense | Equity Swap
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) recognized in income on derivatives	$ 22,000,000	$ 36,000,000	$ (20,000,000)

Derivative instruments - Gains

Derivative instruments - Gains (Losses) Related to Hedging Derivative Portfolio Recognized in the Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
(Loss) gain recognized in the consolidated income statement due to fair value and cash flow hedging relationships	$ (1)	$ 7	$ 11
Interest rate contracts | Interest expense
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) on cash flow hedges	0	7	0
Interest rate contracts | Long-term debt | Interest expense
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) recognized on derivatives	587	486	(328)
Gain or (loss) recognized on hedged item	(586)	(483)	330
Interest rate contracts | Securities available-for-sale | Interest revenue
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) recognized on derivatives	(627)	(795)	284
Gain or (loss) recognized on hedged item	624	788	(273)
FX contracts | Other revenue
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) on cash flow hedges	0	0	2
FX contracts | Staff expense
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) on cash flow hedges	(1)	3	(4)
FX contracts | Securities available-for-sale
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain from components excluded from assessment of fair value hedge effectiveness, net	1	2	(1)
FX contracts | Securities available-for-sale | Other revenue
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) recognized on derivatives	(9)	9	(2)
Gain or (loss) recognized on hedged item	$ 11	$ (8)	$ 2

Derivative instruments - Impact

Derivative instruments - Impact of Hedging Derivatives Used in Net Investment Hedging Relationships (Details) - FX contracts - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI on derivatives Year ended Dec. 31,	$ (284)	$ (19)	$ 535
Net interest revenue
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain or (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI into income Year ended Dec. 31,	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Derivative instruments - Hedged

Derivative instruments - Hedged Items in Fair Value Hedging Relationships (Details) - Fair value hedging - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Long-term debt
Derivative [Line Items]
Carrying amount of hedged asset or liability, Long-term debt	$ 14,784,000,000	$ 13,945,000,000
Hedged liability, fair value hedge, cumulative increase (decrease)	783,000,000	116,000,000
Hedged liability, discontinued fair value hedge, cumulative decrease	(118,000,000)	(200,000,000)
Securities available-for-sale
Derivative [Line Items]
Carrying amount of hedged asset or liability, Available-for-sale securities	17,536,000,000	13,792,000,000
Hedge accounting basis adjustment increase (decrease), Available-for-sale securities	1,428,000,000	687,000,000
Hedge accounting basis adjustment increase (decrease), discontinued hedges	177,000,000	53,000,000
Not designated as hedging | Securities available-for-sale | Foreign exchange contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Hedged financial instruments, carrying amount	$ 148,000,000	$ 142,000,000

Derivative instruments - Impa_2

Derivative instruments - Impact of Derivative Instruments on the Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	$ 12,191	$ 9,061
Effect of master netting agreements	(8,346)	(5,819)
Fair value after effect of master netting agreements	3,845	3,242
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	12,650	9,206
Effect of master netting agreements	(7,845)	(5,415)
Fair value after effect of master netting agreements	4,805	3,791
Derivative asset, collateral, obligation to return cash, offset	1,552	1,022
Derivative liability, collateral, right to reclaim cash, offset	1,051	618
Interest rate contracts
Asset derivatives fair value
Effect of master netting agreements	(1,952)	(1,792)
Liability derivatives fair value
Effect of master netting agreements	(2,348)	(1,986)
Foreign exchange contracts
Asset derivatives fair value
Effect of master netting agreements	(6,392)	(4,021)
Liability derivatives fair value
Effect of master netting agreements	(5,484)	(3,428)
Equity contracts
Asset derivatives fair value
Effect of master netting agreements	(2)	(6)
Liability derivatives fair value
Effect of master netting agreements	(13)	(1)
Designated as hedging
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	19	21
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	1,107	607
Designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Notional value
Notional amount of hedge	31,360	28,365
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	0	0
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	666	350
Designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Notional value
Notional amount of hedge	8,706	8,390
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	19	21
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	441	257
Not designated as hedging
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	12,172	9,040
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	11,543	8,599
Not designated as hedging | Interest rate contracts
Notional value
Notional amount of hedge	198,865	306,790
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	4,482	3,690
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	3,880	3,250
Not designated as hedging | Foreign exchange contracts
Notional value
Notional amount of hedge	813,003	848,961
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	7,688	5,331
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	7,622	5,340
Not designated as hedging | Equity contracts
Notional value
Notional amount of hedge	5,142	3,189
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	2	19
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	37	5
Not designated as hedging | Credit contracts
Notional value
Notional amount of hedge	165	165
Asset derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	0	0
Liability derivatives fair value
Total derivatives fair value	$ 4	$ 4

Derivative instruments - Revenu

Derivative instruments - Revenue from Foreign Exchange and Other Trading (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Foreign exchange	$ 776	$ 577	$ 663
Other trading revenue	13	77	69
Total foreign exchange and other trading revenue	$ 789	$ 654	$ 732

Derivative instruments - Contra

Derivative instruments - Contracts Falling under Early Termination Provisions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Credit Derivatives [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value of OTC derivatives in net liability positions	$ 5,235	$ 3,442
Collateral posted	5,568	3,671
A3 | A-
Credit Derivatives [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value of OTC derivatives in net liability positions	79	56
Baa2 | BBB
Credit Derivatives [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value of OTC derivatives in net liability positions	813	608
Ba1 | BB plus
Credit Derivatives [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value of OTC derivatives in net liability positions	$ 2,859	$ 2,084

Derivative instruments - Offset

Derivative instruments - Offsetting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Derivative Asset
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross assets recognized	$ 10,102	$ 7,264
Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	8,346	5,819
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net assets recognized in the balance sheet	1,756	1,445
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	457	251
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral received	0	0
Derivative assets subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	1,299	1,194
Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements	2,089	1,797
Total derivatives, Gross assets recognized	12,191	9,061
Fair value after effect of master netting agreements	3,845	3,242
Total derivatives, Net amount	3,388	2,991
Reverse repurchase agreements, Gross assets recognized	78,828	112,355
Reverse repurchase agreements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	59,561	93,794
Reverse repurchase agreements, Net assets recognized on the balance sheet	19,267	18,561
Reverse repurchase agreements, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	19,252	18,554
Reverse repurchase agreements, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral received	0	0
Reverse repurchase agreements, Net amount	15	7
Securities borrowing, Gross assets recognized	11,640	11,621
Securities borrowing, Net assets recognized on the balance sheet	11,640	11,621
Securities borrowing, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	11,166	11,278
Securities borrowing, Net amount	474	343
Total, Gross assets recognized	102,659	133,037
Total, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	67,907	99,613
Total, Net assets recognized on the balance sheet	34,752	33,424
Total, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	30,875	30,083
Total, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral received	0	0
Total, Net amount	3,877	3,341
Derivative Liability
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross liabilities recognized	11,850	8,428
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	7,845	5,415
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net liabilities recognized in the balance sheet	4,005	3,013
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	2,265	1,615
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral pledged	0	0
Derivative liabilities subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	1,740	1,398
Total derivatives not subject to netting arrangements	800	778
Total derivatives, Gross liabilities recognized	12,650	9,206
Fair value after effect of master netting agreements	4,805	3,791
Total derivatives, Net amount	2,540	2,176
Repurchase agreements, Gross liabilities recognized	69,831	104,451
Repurchase agreements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	59,561	93,794
Repurchase agreements, Net liabilities recognized on the balance sheet	10,270	10,657
Repurchase agreements, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	10,270	10,657
Repurchase agreements, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral pledged	0	0
Repurchase agreements, Net amount	0	0
Securities lending, Gross liabilities recognized	1,035	718
Securities lending, Net liabilities recognized on the balance sheet	1,035	718
Securities lending, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	983	694
Securities lending, Net amount	52	24
Total, Gross liabilities recognized	83,516	114,375
Total, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	67,406	99,209
Total, Net liabilities recognized on the balance sheet	16,110	15,166
Total, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	13,518	12,966
Total, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral pledged	0	0
Total, Net amount	2,592	2,200
Interest rate contracts
Derivative Asset
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross assets recognized	2,972	2,394
Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	1,952	1,792
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net assets recognized in the balance sheet	1,020	602
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	311	207
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral received	0	0
Derivative assets subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	709	395
Derivative Liability
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross liabilities recognized	4,533	3,550
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	2,348	1,986
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net liabilities recognized in the balance sheet	2,185	1,564
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	2,115	1,539
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral pledged	0	0
Derivative liabilities subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	70	25
Foreign exchange contracts
Derivative Asset
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross assets recognized	7,128	4,861
Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	6,392	4,021
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net assets recognized in the balance sheet	736	840
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	146	44
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral received	0	0
Derivative assets subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	590	796
Derivative Liability
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross liabilities recognized	7,280	4,873
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	5,484	3,428
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net liabilities recognized in the balance sheet	1,796	1,445
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	143	74
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral pledged	0	0
Derivative liabilities subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	1,653	1,371
Equity and other contracts
Derivative Asset
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross assets recognized	2	9
Total derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	2	6
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net assets recognized in the balance sheet	0	3
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	0	0
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral received	0	0
Derivative assets subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	0	3
Derivative Liability
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross liabilities recognized	37	5
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	13	1
Derivatives subject to netting arrangements, Net liabilities recognized in the balance sheet	24	4
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Financial instruments	7	2
Total derivatives, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet, Cash collateral pledged	0	0
Derivative liabilities subject to netting arrangements, Net amount	$ 17	$ 2

Derivative instruments - Secure

Derivative instruments - Secured Borrowings (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	$ 69,831	$ 104,451
Securities lending	1,035	718
Total borrowings	70,866	105,169
Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	66,186	99,953
Securities lending	1,035	718
Total borrowings	67,221	100,671
Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	300	1,323
Securities lending	0	0
Total borrowings	300	1,323
30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	3,345	3,175
Securities lending	0	0
Total borrowings	3,345	3,175
U.S. Treasury
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	62,381	94,798
U.S. Treasury | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	62,381	94,788
U.S. Treasury | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	10
U.S. Treasury | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	0
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”)
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	3,197	5,008
Securities lending	161	160
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	3,117	4,234
Securities lending	161	160
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	774
Securities lending	0	0
Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	80	0
Securities lending	0	0
Corporate bonds
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	1,844	2,119
Corporate bonds | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	190	266
Corporate bonds | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	218	236
Corporate bonds | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	1,436	1,617
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	22
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	0
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	22
Sovereign debt/sovereign guaranteed | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	0
State and political subdivisions
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	970	1,281
State and political subdivisions | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	66	38
State and political subdivisions | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	40	166
State and political subdivisions | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	864	1,077
U.S. government agencies
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	425	610
Securities lending	0	19
U.S. government agencies | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	425	594
Securities lending	0	19
U.S. government agencies | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	16
Securities lending	0	0
U.S. government agencies | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	0
Securities lending	0	0
Other debt securities
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	166	4
Securities lending	52	41
Other debt securities | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	7	2
Securities lending	52	41
Other debt securities | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	21	0
Securities lending	0	0
Other debt securities | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	138	2
Securities lending	0	0
Equity securities
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	848	609
Securities lending	822	498
Equity securities | Overnight and continuous
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	0	31
Securities lending	822	498
Equity securities | Up to 30 days
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	21	99
Securities lending	0	0
Equity securities | 30 days or more
Transfer of Certain Financial Assets Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	827	479
Securities lending	$ 0	$ 0

Lines of business - Narrative (

Lines of business - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020business
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of principal businesses (business)	2

Lines of business - Contributio

Lines of business - Contribution of Segments to Overall Profitability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total fee and other revenue		$ 12,747	$ 13,218	$ 12,794
Net interest revenue (expense)		2,977	3,188	3,611
Total revenue		15,808	16,462	16,392
Provision for credit losses	[1],[2]	336	(25)	(11)
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests		3,617	4,441	4,266
Investment income (loss), net		84	56	(13)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		9	26	(12)
Investment and Wealth Management
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests				(1)
Operating segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total fee and other revenue		12,822	13,248	12,792
Net interest revenue (expense)		2,977	3,188	3,611
Total revenue		15,799	16,436	16,403
Provision for credit losses		336	(25)	(11)
Noninterest expense		11,004	10,900	11,210
Income (loss) before income taxes		$ 4,459	$ 5,561	$ 5,204
Pre-tax operating margin		28.00%	34.00%	32.00%
Average assets		$ 413,318	$ 345,955	$ 343,774
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests				1
Operating segments | Investment Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total fee and other revenue		9,256	8,926	8,944
Net interest revenue (expense)		2,925	3,126	3,403
Total revenue		12,181	12,052	12,347
Provision for credit losses		315	(16)	1
Noninterest expense		8,170	8,096	8,100
Income (loss) before income taxes		$ 3,696	$ 3,972	$ 4,246
Pre-tax operating margin		30.00%	33.00%	34.00%
Average assets		$ 331,809	$ 267,278	$ 262,889
Operating segments | Investment and Wealth Management
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total fee and other revenue		3,495	3,485	3,799
Net interest revenue (expense)		197	222	272
Total revenue		3,692	3,707	4,071
Provision for credit losses		20	(1)	3
Noninterest expense		2,701	2,647	2,814
Income (loss) before income taxes		$ 971	$ 1,061	$ 1,254
Pre-tax operating margin		26.00%	29.00%	31.00%
Average assets		$ 30,459	$ 29,479	$ 29,365
Income from consolidated investment management funds, net of noncontrolling interests		75	30	(1)
Investment income (loss), net		84	56	(13)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		9	26	(12)
Operating segments | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total fee and other revenue		71	837	49
Net interest revenue (expense)		(145)	(160)	(64)
Total revenue		(74)	677	(15)
Provision for credit losses		1	(8)	(15)
Noninterest expense		133	157	296
Income (loss) before income taxes		(208)	528	(296)
Average assets		$ 51,050	$ 49,198	$ 51,520
[1]	In 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance included in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
[2]	The provision for credit losses for 2020 relates to the financial instruments within the scope of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

International operations (Detai

International operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	$ 469,633	$ 381,508	$ 362,873
Total revenue	15,808	16,462	16,392
Income before income taxes	4,468	5,587	5,192
Net income	3,626	4,467	4,254
Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	92,374	74,504	74,982
Total revenue	3,964	3,833	4,252
Income before income taxes	1,549	1,447	1,694
Net income	1,179	1,116	1,345
Asia-Pacific region
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	28,416	36,347	23,199
Total revenue	1,168	1,161	1,103
Income before income taxes	607	548	564
Net income	462	423	448
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	2,513	2,636	1,483
Total revenue	698	737	684
Income before income taxes	437	506	455
Net income	332	390	361
Total International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	123,303	113,487	99,664
Total revenue	5,830	5,731	6,039
Income before income taxes	2,593	2,501	2,713
Net income	1,973	1,929	2,154
Total Domestic
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	346,330	268,021	263,209
Total revenue	9,978	10,731	10,353
Income before income taxes	1,875	3,086	2,479
Net income	1,653	2,538	2,100
UK
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	38,100	30,800	30,600
Total revenue	$ 2,600	$ 2,600	$ 2,600
Percentage of asset	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Percentage of revenue	16.00%	16.00%	16.00%

Supplemental information to t_3

Supplemental information to the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
Transfers from loans to other assets for other real estate owned	$ 1	$ 2	$ 2
Change in assets of consolidated investment management funds	242	16	268
Change in liabilities of consolidated investment management funds	2	1	0
Change in nonredeemable noncontrolling interests of consolidated investment management funds	41	1	215
Securities purchased not settled	205	497	227
Securities sold not settled	0	0	187
Available-for-sale securities transferred to held-to-maturity	501	0	0
Available-for-sale securities transferred to trading assets	0	0	963
Held-to-maturity securities transferred to available-for-sale	0	0	1,087
Premises and equipment/capitalized software funded by finance lease obligations	10	14	26
Premises and equipment/operating lease obligations	208	1,754	0
Investment redemptions not settled	$ 9	$ 20	$ 0

Supplemental information to t_4

Supplemental information to the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - Footnote (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Premises and equipment/operating lease obligations	$ 208	$ 1,754	$ 0
New or Modified Leases
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Premises and equipment/operating lease obligations		510
Cumulative Effect, Period Of Adoption, Adjustment
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Premises and equipment/operating lease obligations		$ 1,244

Uncategorized Items - _IXDS

Label	Element	Value
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents	$ 2,394,000,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents	3,167,000,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents	2,437,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue	5,864,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue	4,830,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue	$ 6,252,000,000