| **Segment Information**          | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      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| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         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| Segment Information              | Segment InformationA.       Basis for Segment InformationWe report information internally for operating segments based on management responsibility.  Our operating segments offer financing to customers and dealers for the purchase and lease of Caterpillar and other equipment, as well as financing for Caterpillar sales to dealers.  Financing plans include operating and finance leases, installment sale contracts, working capital loans and wholesale financing plans within each of the respective segments.B.       Description of SegmentsWe have 5 operating segments that offer financing services.  Following is a brief description of our segments.•North America - Includes our operations in the United States and Canada.•Europe -  Includes our operations in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  •Asia/Pacific - Includes our operations in Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.  •Latin Americaand Caterpillar Power Finance - Includes our operations in Brazil, Mexico and Chile that serve local dealers and customers in Central and South America.  This segment also includes Caterpillar Power Finance (CPF), which finances marine vessels with Caterpillar engines worldwide and also provides debt financing for Caterpillar electrical power generation, gas compression and co-generation systems, as well as non-Caterpillar equipment that is powered by these systems worldwide. •Mining - Serves large mining customers worldwide and provides project financing in various countries. C.       Segment Measurement and ReconciliationsCash, debt and other expenses are allocated to our segments based on their respective portfolios.  The related Interest expense is calculated based on the amount of allocated debt and the rates associated with that debt.  The performance of each segment is assessed based on a consistent leverage ratio. The Provision for credit losses is based on each segment's respective portfolio.  Capital expenditures include expenditures for equipment on operating leases and other miscellaneous capital expenditures. Reconciling items are created based on accounting differences between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting. For the reconciliation of profit before income taxes, we have grouped the reconciling items as follows:•Unallocated - This item is related to corporate requirements and strategies that are considered to be for the benefit of the entire organization.  Also included are the consolidated results of the special purpose corporation (see Note 7 for additional information) and other miscellaneous items.•Timing - Timing differences in the recognition of costs between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting.•Methodology - Methodology differences between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting are as follows:◦Segment assets include off-balance sheet managed assets for which we maintain servicing responsibilities.◦The impact of differences between the actual leverage and the segment leverage ratios.◦Interest expense includes realized forward points on foreign currency forward contracts.◦The net gain or loss from interest rate derivatives.◦The profit attributable to noncontrolling interests is considered a component of segment profit.Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the three months ended March 31 was as follows:(Millions of dollars) 2016External Revenues Profitbeforeincometaxes InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses Assets atMarch 31,2016 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$300 $82 $73 $109 $9 $14,973 $172Europe66 20 8 20 2 3,860 38Asia/Pacific61 21 20 6 (1) 3,918 10Latin America and CPF125 27 42 17 17 7,320 17Mining81 10 13 51 4 2,761 58Total Segments633 160 156 203 31 32,832 295Unallocated18 (32) 24 — — 2,820 1Timing(8) (4) — — (2) 147 1Methodology— 21 (25) — — (194) —Inter-segment Eliminations (1)— — — — — (265) —Total$643 $145 $155 $203 $29 $35,340 $297              2015External Revenues Profitbeforeincometaxes InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses Assets atDecember 31,2015 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$284 $97 $63 $101 $(4) $14,419 $176Europe75 30 8 20 — 3,758 20Asia/Pacific80 20 31 5 9 3,923 4Latin America and CPF140 29 38 28 19 7,376 24Mining102 30 15 58 (10) 2,947 69Total Segments681 206 155 212 14 32,423 293Unallocated16 (20) 15 — — 1,743 —Timing(8) (11) — — 4 164 1Methodology— 12 (19) — — (216) —Inter-segment Eliminations (1)— — — — — (247) —Total$689 $187 $151 $212 $18 $33,867 $294               (1) Elimination is primarily related to intercompany loans. |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
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