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, 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)	479	393			393				86
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(14)	42						42	(56)
Total comprehensive income	465	435							30
Net income (loss) reclassified to appropriated retained earnings		45				45			(45)
Dividends to shareholders	(110)	(110)			(110)
Noncontrolling interests, investments in subsidiaries	117								117
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(219)								(219)
Repurchase of common shares	(443)	(443)					(443)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(3,347,442)
Share-based compensation plans	144	144		78			66
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			2,033,870
Balances at Mar. 31, 2015	9,259	8,195	$ 3	7,423	8,752	279	(8,966)	704	1,064
Balances (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2015			181,795,937
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of change in accounting policies	6
Cumulative effect of change in accounting policies | Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]	(1,318)	(130)			1	(137)		6	(1,188)
Balances (Adjusted for change in accounting policies [Member]) at Dec. 31, 2015	7,087	7,087			9,552			259
Balances at Dec. 31, 2015	8,405	7,217	$ 3	7,611	9,551	$ 137	(10,338)	253	$ 1,188
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			171,033,260
Comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	364	364			364
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	183	183						183
Total comprehensive income	547	547
Dividends to shareholders	(117)	(117)			(117)
Repurchase of common shares	(485)	(485)					(485)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(5,542,213)
Share-based compensation plans	61	61		(1)			62
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			1,313,444
Balances at Mar. 31, 2016	$ 7,093	$ 7,093	$ 3	$ 7,610	$ 9,799		$ (10,761)	$ 442
Balances (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2016			166,804,491