Policyholder Account Balances, Future Policy Benefits and Claims and Separate Account Liabilities (Balances by product) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Policyholder account balances	$ 20,596	$ 20,650
Future policy benefits	9,032	8,180
Policy claims and other policyholders' funds	887	869
Policyholder account balances, future policy benefits and claims	30,515	29,699
Fixed annuities [Member]
Policyholder account balances	11,068	11,239
Variable annuity fixed sub-accounts [Member]
Policyholder account balances	4,966	4,912
VUL/UL insurance [Member]
Policyholder account balances	2,918	2,897
IUL [Member]
Policyholder account balances	859	808
Other life insurance [Member]
Policyholder account balances	785	794
Variable annuity GMWB [Member]
Future policy benefits	1,706	1,057
Variable annuity GMAB [Member]
Future policy benefits	31	0
Other annuity liabilities [Member]
Future policy benefits	78	31
Fixed annuities life contingent liabilities [Member]
Future policy benefits	1,499	1,501
EIA [Member]
Future policy benefits	27	27
Life, disability income and long term care insurance [Member]
Future policy benefits	5,212	5,112
VUL/UL and other life insurance additional liabilities [Member]
Future policy benefits	$ 479	$ 452

The aggregate amount of policy reserves (provided for future obligations including unpaid claims and claims adjustment expenses) and policy benefits (liability for future policy benefits) as of the balance sheet date; grouped amount of all the liabilities associated with the company's insurance policies. Also includes the liability as of the balance sheet date for the policyholders funds held that are returnable under the terms of insurance contracts.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amp_PolicyholderAccountBalancesFuturePolicyBenefitsandClaims
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount needed to reflect the estimated ultimate cost of settling claims relating to insured events that have occurred on or before the balance sheet date, whether or not reported to the insurer at that date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a),(b),(c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6482485&loc=d3e14764-158437

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilityForClaimsAndClaimsAdjustmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of accrued obligation to policyholders that relates to insured events for long-duration contracts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Section 25
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28366191&loc=d3e13145-158430

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.13(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilityForFuturePolicyBenefits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total liability as of the balance sheet date of amounts due policy holders, excluding future policy benefits and claims, including unpaid policy dividends, retrospective refunds, and undistributed earnings on participating business.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.13,14)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderFunds
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_FixedAnnuitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=us-gaap_VariableAnnuityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_VariableUniversalLifeAndUniversalLifeInsuranceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_IndexedUniversalLifeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_OtherLifeInsuranceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=us-gaap_GuaranteedMinimumWithdrawalBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=us-gaap_GuaranteedMinimumAccumulationBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_OtherVariableAnnuityGuaranteesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_FixedannuitieslifecontingentliabilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_EquityIndexedAnnuitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_OtherLifeDisabilityIncomeAndLongTermCareInsuranceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	amp_LiabilityforPolicyholderAccountBalancesandFuturePolicyBenefitandUnpaidClaimsbyPolicyTypeAxis=amp_VULULandotherlifeinsuranceadditionalliabilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: