Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Level 3 rollforwards-Assets) (Details 2) - Ameriprise Financial [Member] - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation
Transfers from Level 1 to Level 2, assets		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Transfers from Level 2 to Level 1, assets		0	0	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		1,411,000,000	1,526,000,000	1,425,000,000	1,518,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		13,000,000	(19,000,000)	31,000,000	(6,000,000)
Purchases		14,000,000	40,000,000	14,000,000	55,000,000
Settlements		(87,000,000)	(37,000,000)	(118,000,000)	(57,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,350,000,000	1,509,000,000	1,350,000,000	1,509,000,000
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of the period included in:
Changes in unrealized gains/ (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period			(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)
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		174,000,000	280,000,000	218,000,000	206,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		2,000,000		(1,000,000)
Purchases			104,000,000		219,000,000
Settlements		(23,000,000)	(13,000,000)	(39,000,000)	(22,000,000)
Transfers out of Level 3			(92,000,000)	(25,000,000)	(124,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		153,000,000	279,000,000	153,000,000	279,000,000
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		10,000,000	20,000,000	3,000,000	91,000,000
Purchases			41,000,000	9,000,000	41,000,000
Settlements		(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)	(3,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3					6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3		(9,000,000)	(15,000,000)	(9,000,000)	(91,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		0	44,000,000	0	44,000,000
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		170,000,000	158,000,000	162,000,000	169,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		0		(1,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		(3,000,000)		(6,000,000)
Purchases		15,000,000	9,000,000	16,000,000	32,000,000
Settlements		(1,000,000)	(12,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(14,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3		12,000,000		12,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3		(15,000,000)	(20,000,000)	(25,000,000)	(52,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		178,000,000	135,000,000	178,000,000	135,000,000
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of the period included in:
Changes in unrealized gains/ (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period				(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		2,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3			(2,000,000)		(2,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period			0		0
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		1,765,000,000	1,986,000,000	1,808,000,000	1,986,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[1]	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(3,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		12,000,000	(19,000,000)	24,000,000	(6,000,000)
Purchases		29,000,000	194,000,000	39,000,000	347,000,000
Settlements		(112,000,000)	(64,000,000)	(161,000,000)	(96,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3		12,000,000		12,000,000	6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3		(24,000,000)	(129,000,000)	(59,000,000)	(269,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,681,000,000	1,967,000,000	1,681,000,000	1,967,000,000
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) relating to assets held at the end of the period included in:
Changes in unrealized gains/ (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period			(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)	(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
Other derivative contracts [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Purchases		2,000,000		2,000,000
Balance, at the end of the period		$ 2,000,000		$ 2,000,000
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		1,000,000
Balance, at the end of the period			$ 1,000,000		$ 1,000,000

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