Financing Receivables (Credit Quality Information Text) (Details 2) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) item
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Total loans, gross	$ 3,944	$ 3,993
90 days or more past due
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	10	12
Commercial mortgage loans [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Total loans, gross	$ 2,755	$ 2,729
Percentage of commercial mortgage loans with highest risk rating	1.00%	1.00%
Syndicated loans [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Total loans, gross	$ 553	$ 511
Syndicated loans [Member] \| 90 days or more past due
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	6	4
Consumer loans [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Total loans, gross	$ 636	$ 753
Percentage of residential mortgage loans below specific FICO score	4.00%	6.00%
Specific FICO score \| item	640	640
Percentage of residential mortgage loans above specific LTV ratio	2.00%	2.00%
Specific LTV ratio	90.00%	90.00%
Percentage of total loan portfolio represented by state of California	37.00%	37.00%

Represents the percentage of commercial mortgage loans that the company has assigned its highest risk rating.

No definition available.

Name:	amp_PercentageOfCommercialMortgageLoansWithHighestRiskRating
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the percentage of total loan portfolio represented by California State.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_PercentageOfLoanPortfolioRepresentedByCaliforniaState
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the percentage of residential mortgage loans which are above specified Loan-To-Value ratios.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_PercentageOfResidentialMortgageLoansAboveSpecifiedLTVRatios
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the percentage of residential mortgage loans which are below specified FICO score.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_PercentageOfResidentialMortgageLoansBelowSpecifiedFICOScore
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the maximum specified FICO score used for analysis of credit worthiness of borrowers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_SpecificFICOScore
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the minimum specified Loan-To-Value ratio used for analysis of collateral characteristics.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_SpecifiedLTVRatios
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Recorded Investment in financing receivables that are past due at the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953401-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentPastDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount representing an agreement for an unconditional promise by the maker to pay the entity (holder) a definite sum of money at a future date. Such amount may include accrued interest receivable in accordance with the terms of the note. The note also may contain provisions and related items including a discount or premium, payable on demand, secured, or unsecured, interest bearing or noninterest bearing, among a myriad of other features and characteristics. Excludes amounts related to receivables held-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.10(3))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NotesReceivableGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesEqualToGreaterThan90DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_CommercialRealEstatePortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=amp_SyndicatedLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=amp_ResidentialandConsumerPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: