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]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of change in accounting policies	$ (1,318)	$ (130)			$ 1	$ (137)		$ 6	$ (1,188)
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2015	8,379	7,191	$ 3	$ 7,611	9,525	137	$ (10,338)	253	1,188
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			171,033,260
Comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Net income including portion attributable to noncontrolling interests		364			364
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0
Net income (loss)	364
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	183	183						183
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax									0
Other comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial, net of tax	183
Total comprehensive income	547	547
Comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	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
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2016	7,067	7,067	$ 3	7,610	9,773		(10,761)	442
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2016			166,804,491
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2016	6,292	6,292	$ 3	7,765	10,351	$ 0	(12,027)	200	0
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			154,759,904
Comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Net income including portion attributable to noncontrolling interests		403			403
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0
Net income (loss)	403
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	19	19						19
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax									$ 0
Other comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial, net of tax	19
Total comprehensive income	422	422
Comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	422
Dividends to shareholders	(121)	(121)			(121)
Repurchase of common shares	(509)	(509)					(509)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(4,118,826)
Share-based compensation plans	143	143		92			51
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			2,347,526
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2017	$ 6,227	$ 6,227	$ 3	$ 7,857	$ 10,633		$ (12,485)	$ 219
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2017			152,988,604