Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Notional and Related Party Information) (Details 3) (Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments [Member], USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Notional Disclosures [Abstract]
Gross notional amount of forwards, futures, total return swaps and commodity swaps	$ 85,000,000	$ 97,000,000
Gross notional amount of foreign currency forward contracts	9,000,000	11,000,000
Macro hedge program [Member]
Notional Disclosures [Abstract]
Derivative, notional amount	3,700,000,000	2,700,000,000
Freestanding non-VA derivatives [Member]
Notional Disclosures [Abstract]
Notional amounts of index options and futures contracts	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Deferred compensation [Member]
Notional Disclosures [Abstract]
Gross notional amount of futures contracts	301,000,000	278,000,000
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Notional Disclosures [Abstract]
Derivative, notional amount	$ 139,100,000,000	$ 132,000,000,000

- Definition

The notional amount of derivative contracts the entity enters into to hedge its exposure to certain receivables and obligations denominated in non-functional currencies.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_NotionalAmountOfForeignCurrencyContracts
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The notional amount of derivative contracts the entity enters into to manage its exposure to price risk arising from seed money investments made in proprietary investment products.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_NotionalAmountOfFuturesAndTotalReturnSwapContracts
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the notional amount of futures contracts entered into by the entity to economically hedge its exposure related to deferred compensation plans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_NotionalAmountOfFuturesContracts
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The notional amount of derivative contracts the entity enters into to economically hedge its obligations under the provisions of equity indexed annuities and indexed indexed universal life insurance.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_NotionalAmountOfIndexOptionsAndFuturesContracts
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 12

-Section 13

-Sentence Column B

+ Details

Name:	invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_NotionalAmountOfDerivativesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=amp_GMWBAndGMABEmbeddedDerivativesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=amp_DeferredCompensationPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=amp_FreestandingnonVAderivativesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=amp_MacrohedgeprogramMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: