Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Level 3 rollforwards-Assets) (Details 2) - Ameriprise Financial [Member] - USD ($)		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation
Transfers from Level 1 to Level 2, assets		$ 0	$ 0
Transfers from Level 2 to Level 1, assets		0	0
Corporate debt securities [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		1,425,000,000	1,518,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		(1,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		18,000,000	13,000,000
Purchases			15,000,000
Settlements		(31,000,000)	(20,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,411,000,000	1,526,000,000
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		218,000,000	206,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		(3,000,000)
Purchases			115,000,000
Settlements		(16,000,000)	(9,000,000)
Transfers out of Level 3		(25,000,000)	(32,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		174,000,000	280,000,000
Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		3,000,000	91,000,000
Purchases		9,000,000
Settlements		(2,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3			6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3			(76,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		10,000,000	20,000,000
Asset backed securities [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		162,000,000	169,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		(1,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		(3,000,000)
Purchases		1,000,000	23,000,000
Settlements			(2,000,000)
Transfers out of Level 3		(10,000,000)	(32,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		170,000,000	158,000,000
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of the period included in:
Net investment income		(1,000,000)
Asset backed securities [Member] | Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		21,000,000
Common stocks [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period			2,000,000
Balance, at the end of the period			2,000,000
Total available-for-sale securities [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		1,808,000,000	1,986,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[1]	(2,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		12,000,000	13,000,000
Purchases		10,000,000	153,000,000
Settlements		(49,000,000)	(32,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3			6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3		(35,000,000)	(140,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,765,000,000	1,986,000,000
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of the period included in:
Net investment income		(1,000,000)
Total available-for-sale securities [Member] | Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		$ 21,000,000
Trading securities [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period			1,000,000
Balance, at the end of the period			$ 1,000,000

[1] Included in net investment income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.