Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Assets & liabilities reported at FV) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Liabilities
Cumulative change in embedded derivatives due to nonperformance	$ (359)		$ (311)
Derivative liability	5,183		4,688
Ameriprise Financial [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	30,150		30,027
Separate account assets	84,243		83,256
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	17,218		17,165
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	6,270		6,207
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,694		2,630
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,405		1,470
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | State and municipal obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,243		2,239
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | U.S. government and agencies obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	56		47
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Foreign government bonds and obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	245		251
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	19		18
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Assets
Cash equivalents	32		27
Available-for-Sale securities	26		17
Trading securities	53		54
Other assets	227		283
Total assets at fair value	338		381
Liabilities
Other liabilities	304		377
Total liabilities at fair value	304		377
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Equity derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	226		282
Liabilities
Other liabilities	303		376
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Foreign exchange derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	1		1
Liabilities
Other liabilities	1		1
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | U.S. government and agencies obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	21		12
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	2,238		1,930
Available-for-Sale securities	28,133		28,020
Trading securities	84		28
Separate account assets	84,243		83,256
Investments segregated for regulatory purposes	65
Other assets	4,558		3,818
Total assets at fair value	119,321		117,052
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	6		6
Customer deposits	5		6
Other liabilities	3,785		3,590
Total liabilities at fair value	3,796		3,602
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Other liabilities [Member]
Liabilities
Other liabilities	14		12
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Interest rate derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	2,478		2,031
Liabilities
Other liabilities	1,244		1,136
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Equity derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	2,020		1,757
Liabilities
Other liabilities	2,413		2,326
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Foreign exchange derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	54		29
Liabilities
Other liabilities	5		2
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Credit derivative contracts [Member]
Liabilities
Other liabilities	3
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Other derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	6		1
Liabilities
Other liabilities	106		114
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | EIA embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	6		6
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	15,692		15,647
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	5,990		6,001
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,674		2,539
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,247		1,301
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | State and municipal obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,243		2,239
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	245		251
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	1,991		1,990
Trading securities	1		1
Total assets at fair value	1,992		1,991
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	1,097		721
Total liabilities at fair value	1,097		721
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | IUL embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	270		242
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	827		479
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,526		1,518
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	280		206
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	20		91
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	158		169
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	7		6
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member]
Assets
Cash equivalents	2,270		1,957
Available-for-Sale securities	30,150		30,027
Trading securities	138		83
Separate account assets	84,243		83,256
Investments segregated for regulatory purposes	65
Other assets	4,785		4,101
Total assets at fair value	121,651		119,424
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	1,103	[1]	727	[2]
Customer deposits	5		6
Other liabilities	4,089		3,967
Total liabilities at fair value	5,197		4,700
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Other liabilities [Member]
Liabilities
Other liabilities	14		12
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Interest rate derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	2,478		2,031
Liabilities
Other liabilities	1,244		1,136
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Equity derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	2,246		2,039
Liabilities
Other liabilities	2,716		2,702
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Foreign exchange derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	55		30
Liabilities
Other liabilities	6		3
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Credit derivative contracts [Member]
Liabilities
Other liabilities	3
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Other derivative contracts [Member]
Assets
Other assets	6		1
Liabilities
Other liabilities	106		114
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | EIA embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	6		6
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | IUL embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	270		242
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	827	[3]	479	[4]
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	17,218		17,165
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	6,270		6,207
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,694		2,630
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	1,405		1,470
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | State and municipal obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	2,243		2,239
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | U.S. government and agencies obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	56		47
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Foreign government bonds and obligations [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	245		251
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Total [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Assets
Available-for-Sale securities	19		18
GMWB and GMAB [Member] | Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims [Member] | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Liabilities
Derivative liability	979		700
Derivative asset	$ 152		$ 221

[1] The Company’s adjustment for nonperformance risk resulted in a $359 million cumulative decrease to the embedded derivatives.

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

[3] The fair value of the GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives included $979 million of individual contracts in a liability position and $152 million of individual contracts in an asset position.

[4] 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.