Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Level 3 rollforwards-Assets) (Details 2) - Ameriprise Financial [Member] - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 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		1,350,000,000	1,509,000,000	1,425,000,000	1,518,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		0	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		(2,000,000)	(3,000,000)	29,000,000	(9,000,000)
Purchases		20,000,000	124,000,000	34,000,000	179,000,000
Settlements		(26,000,000)	(90,000,000)	(144,000,000)	(147,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,342,000,000	1,539,000,000	1,342,000,000	1,539,000,000
Corporate debt securities [Member] | Net investment income [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Changes in unrealized gains/(losses) relating to assets held at end of period			(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)
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		153,000,000	279,000,000	218,000,000	206,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		0
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		1,000,000	(1,000,000)		(1,000,000)
Purchases		144,000,000	93,000,000	144,000,000	312,000,000
Settlements		(14,000,000)	(14,000,000)	(53,000,000)	(36,000,000)
Transfers out of Level 3		1,000,000	(71,000,000)	(24,000,000)	(195,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		285,000,000	286,000,000	285,000,000	286,000,000
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		0	44,000,000	3,000,000	91,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		0
Purchases		33,000,000		42,000,000	41,000,000
Settlements			(2,000,000)	(3,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3					6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3		0	(37,000,000)	(9,000,000)	(128,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		33,000,000	5,000,000	33,000,000	5,000,000
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		178,000,000	135,000,000	162,000,000	169,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income		1,000,000	1,000,000		1,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		1,000,000	2,000,000	(5,000,000)	2,000,000
Purchases		12,000,000	5,000,000	28,000,000	37,000,000
Settlements		0	(8,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(22,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3				12,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3		(27,000,000)	(13,000,000)	(52,000,000)	(65,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		165,000,000	122,000,000	165,000,000	122,000,000
Asset backed securities [Member] | Net investment income [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Changes in unrealized gains/(losses) relating to assets held at end of period			1,000,000		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
Transfers out of Level 3					(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		1,681,000,000	1,967,000,000	1,808,000,000	1,986,000,000
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[1]	1,000,000	0	(2,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)			(2,000,000)	24,000,000	(8,000,000)
Purchases		209,000,000	222,000,000	248,000,000	569,000,000
Settlements		(40,000,000)	(114,000,000)	(201,000,000)	(210,000,000)
Transfers into Level 3				12,000,000	6,000,000
Transfers out of Level 3		(26,000,000)	(121,000,000)	(85,000,000)	(390,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,825,000,000	1,952,000,000	1,825,000,000	1,952,000,000
Total available-for-sale securities [Member] | Net investment income [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Changes in unrealized gains/(losses) relating to assets held at end of period			0	(1,000,000)	(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
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
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[1]		(1,000,000)		(1,000,000)
Balance, at the end of the period			$ 0		$ 0
Other derivative contracts [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		0
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[2]	(2,000,000)		(2,000,000)
Purchases		0		2,000,000
Balance, at the end of the period		0		0
Other derivative contracts [Member] | Benefits, claims, losses and settlement expenses [Member]
Summary of changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis [Rollforward]
Changes in unrealized gains/(losses) relating to assets held at end of period		$ (2,000,000)		$ (2,000,000)

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

[2] Included in benefits, claims, losses and settlement expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.