Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Assets & Liabilities Reported at Fair Value) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Liabilities:
Cumulative change in embedded derivatives due to nonperformance	$ (311)		$ 150
Asset	4,101		3,418
Liability	4,688		4,370
Ameriprise Financial [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	30,027		30,310
Separate account assets	83,256		81,223
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	17,165		17,466
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	6,207		6,124
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,630		2,741
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,470		1,504
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | State and municipal obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,239		2,160
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | U.S. government and agencies obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	47		52
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Foreign government bonds and obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	251		245
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	18		18
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Assets
Cash equivalents	27		12
Available-for-Sale securities	17		22
Trading securities	54		3
Other assets	283		267
Total assets at fair value	381		304
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	377		550
Total liabilities at fair value	377		550
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Equity derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	282		265
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	376		550
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Foreign exchange derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	1		2
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	1
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | U.S. government and agencies obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	12		17
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	5		5
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Assets
Cash equivalents	1,930		1,841
Available-for-Sale securities	28,020		28,165
Trading securities	28		32
Separate account assets	83,256		81,223
Other assets	3,818		3,151
Total assets at fair value	117,052		114,412
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	6		5
Customer deposits	6		7
Other liabilities	3,590		4,270
Total liabilities at fair value	3,602		4,282
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Other liabilities [Member]
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	12		12
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Interest rate derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	2,031		1,566
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	1,136		1,672
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Equity derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	1,757		1,576
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	2,326		2,447
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Credit derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets			3
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Foreign exchange derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	29		2
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	2
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Other derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	1		4
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	114		139
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | EIA embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	6		5
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	15,647		15,826
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	6,001		5,937
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,539		2,711
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,301		1,244
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | State and municipal obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,239		2,160
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | U.S. government and agencies obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	35		35
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Foreign government bonds and obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	251		245
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	7		7
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,990		2,123
Trading securities	1		2
Other assets	0
Total assets at fair value	1,991		2,125
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	721		(450)
Other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities at fair value	721		(450)
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | IUL embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	242		125
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	479		(575)
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,518		1,640
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	206		187
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	91		30
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	169		260
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	6		6
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member]
Assets
Cash equivalents	1,957		1,853
Available-for-Sale securities	30,027		30,310
Trading securities	83		37
Separate account assets	83,256		81,223
Other assets	4,101		3,418
Total assets at fair value	119,424		116,841
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	727	[1]	(445)	[2]
Customer deposits	6		7
Other liabilities	3,967		4,820
Total liabilities at fair value	4,700		4,382
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Other liabilities [Member]
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	12		12
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Interest rate derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	2,031		1,566
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	1,136		1,672
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Equity derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	2,039		1,841
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	2,702		2,997
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Credit derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets			3
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Foreign exchange derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	30		4
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	3
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Other derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	1		4
Liabilities:
Other liabilities	114		139
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | EIA embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	6		5
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | IUL embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	242		125
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities:
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	479	[3]	(575)	[4]
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	17,165		17,466
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	6,207		6,124
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,630		2,741
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,470		1,504
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | State and municipal obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,239		2,160
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | U.S. government and agencies obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	47		52
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Foreign government bonds and obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	251		245
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	18		18
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims [Member] | GMWB and GMAB [Member] | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities:
Asset	221		742
Liability	$ 700		$ 167

[1] The Company’s adjustment for nonperformance risk resulted in a $311 million cumulative decrease to the embedded derivatives.

[2] The Company’s adjustment for nonperformance risk resulted in a $150 million cumulative increase to the embedded derivatives.

[3] The fair value of the GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives included $700 million of individual contracts in a liability position and $221 million of individual contracts in an asset position.

[4] The fair value of the GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives was reported as a contra liability, including $742 million of individual contracts in an asset position and $167 million of individual contracts in a liability position.