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]
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 9,305	$ 8,124	$ 3	$ 7,345	$ 8,469	$ 234	$ (8,589)	$ 662	$ 1,181
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014			183,109,509
Comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Net income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	1,205	1,205			1,205
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(102)								102
Net income	1,307
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ameriprise Financial, net of tax	(201)	(201)						(201)
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax	(34)								(34)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(235)
Comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	1,004	1,004
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(68)								68
Total comprehensive income	1,072
Net income reclassified to appropriated retained earnings	0	(60)				(60)			60
Dividends to shareholders	(355)	(355)			(355)
Noncontrolling interests investments in subsidiaries	225								225
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(342)								(342)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,362)	(1,362)					(1,362)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(10,882,885)
Share-based compensation plans	278	278		212			66
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			2,794,851
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2015	8,821	7,629	$ 3	7,557	9,319	174	(9,885)	461	1,192
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2015			175,021,475
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)
Beginning balance (Adjusted for change in accounting policies [Member]) at Dec. 31, 2015	7,087	7,087	$ 3	7,611	9,552	0	(10,338)	259	0
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2015	8,405	7,217	3	7,611	9,551	$ 137	(10,338)	253	1,188
Beginning balance (Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]) at Dec. 31, 2015			$ 0	0			0
Beginning balance (in shares) (Adjusted for change in accounting policies [Member]) at Dec. 31, 2015			171,033,260
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			171,033,260
Beginning balance (in shares) (Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]) at Dec. 31, 2015			0
Comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Net income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	914	914			914
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0
Net income	914
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ameriprise Financial, net of tax	336	336						336
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax	0								0
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	336
Comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	1,250	1,250
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0								$ 0
Total comprehensive income	1,250
Dividends to shareholders	(368)	(368)			(368)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,333)	(1,333)					(1,333)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(14,349,061)
Share-based compensation plans	160	160		98			62
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			1,812,137
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2016	$ 6,796	$ 6,796	$ 3	$ 7,709	$ 10,098		$ (11,609)	$ 595
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2016			158,496,336