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]	AOCI Attributable to Parent [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		914			914
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0
Net income	914
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	336	336						336
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax									0
Other comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial, net of tax	336
Total comprehensive income	1,250	1,250
Comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	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	6,770	6,770	$ 3	7,709	10,072		(11,609)	595
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2016			158,496,336
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		1,299			1,299
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0
Net income	1,299
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	112	112						112
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax									$ 0
Other comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial, net of tax	112
Total comprehensive income	1,411	1,411
Comprehensive income attributable to Ameriprise Financial	1,411
Dividends to shareholders	(379)	(379)			(379)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,323)	(1,323)					(1,323)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(10,184,145)
Share-based compensation plans	304	304		252			52
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			3,761,769
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2017	$ 6,305	$ 6,305	$ 3	$ 8,017	$ 11,271		$ (13,298)	$ 312
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2017			148,337,528