Earnings per Share Attributable to Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Common Shareholders (Basic & Diluted) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Numerator:
Net income	$ 393	$ 335	$ 796	$ 699
Denominator:
Basic: Weighted-average common shares outstanding	155.1	168.3	156.3	170.4
Effect of potentially dilutive nonqualified stock options and other share-based awards (in shares)	2.4	1.8	2.5	1.8
Diluted: Weighted-average common shares outstanding	157.5	170.1	158.8	172.2
Basic:
Net income (in dollars per share)	$ 2.53	$ 1.99	$ 5.09	$ 4.10
Diluted:
Net income (in dollars per share)	$ 2.50	$ 1.97	$ 5.01	$ 4.06
Effect of potentially dilutive nonqualified stock options and other share-based awards (in shares)			2.6	4.9