CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Total Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Shareholders' Equity [Member]	Common Shares [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Appropriated Retained Earnings of Consolidated Investment Entities [Member]	Treasury Shares [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]
Balances at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 9,232	$ 8,192	$ 3	$ 6,929	$ 7,289	$ 337	$ (6,961)	$ 595	$ 1,040
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013			192,118,307
Comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	1,547	1,194			1,194				353
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	135	151						151	(16)
Total comprehensive income	1,682	1,345							337
Net income (loss) reclassified to appropriated retained earnings		(29)				(29)			29
Dividends to shareholders	(326)	(326)			(326)
Noncontrolling interests, investments in subsidiaries	113								113
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(448)								(448)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,309)	(1,309)					(1,309)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(11,505,559)
Share-based compensation plans	396	387		303	(5)		89		9
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			4,780,391
Balances at Sep. 30, 2014	9,340	8,260	$ 3	7,232	8,152	308	(8,181)	746	1,080
Balances (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2014			185,393,139
Balances at Dec. 31, 2014	9,305	8,124	$ 3	7,345	8,469	234	(8,589)	662	1,181
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014			183,109,509
Comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	1,307	1,205			1,205				102
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(235)	(201)						(201)	(34)
Total comprehensive income	1,072	1,004							68
Net income (loss) reclassified to appropriated retained earnings		(60)				(60)			60
Dividends to shareholders	(355)	(355)			(355)
Noncontrolling interests, investments in subsidiaries	225								225
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(342)								(342)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,362)	(1,362)					(1,362)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(10,882,885)
Share-based compensation plans	278	278		212			66
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			2,794,851
Balances at Sep. 30, 2015	$ 8,821	$ 7,629	$ 3	$ 7,557	$ 9,319	$ 174	$ (9,885)	$ 461	$ 1,192
Balances (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2015			175,021,475