Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Level 3 rollforwards-Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Transfers from Level 1 to Level 2, Assets		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Transfers from Level 2 to Level 1, Assets		0	0	0
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		1,311	1,425	1,518
Total gains (losses) included in net income			(1)	(2)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		(8)		(21)
Purchases		138	54	189
Settlements		(302)	(168)	(248)
Transfers into Level 3			1
Transfers out of Level 3				(11)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,139	1,311	1,425
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period			1	(2)
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Residential mortgage backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		268	218	206
Total gains (losses) included in net income			1
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		1	(1)	(2)
Purchases		132	209	334
Settlements		(43)	(67)	(55)
Transfers into Level 3		20
Transfers out of Level 3		(223)	(92)	(265)
Balance, at the end of the period		155	268	218
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period			1
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Commercial mortgage backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		0	3	91
Purchases		65	42	41
Settlements			(3)	(7)
Transfers into Level 3				6
Transfers out of Level 3		(65)	(42)	(128)
Balance, at the end of the period		0	0	3
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		68	162	169
Total gains (losses) included in net income			(1)	1
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		(4)	(4)	(2)
Purchases		64	58	72
Settlements		(29)	(2)	(22)
Transfers into Level 3		27	12	14
Transfers out of Level 3		(119)	(178)	(70)
Balance, at the end of the period		7	68	162
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period		(1)	(1)	1
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Asset backed securities [Member] | Cumulative effect of change in accounting policies [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period			21
Balance, at the end of the period				21
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Common stocks [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		1	0	2
Total gains (losses) included in net income		1
Sales		(1)
Transfers into Level 3		8	1
Transfers out of Level 3		(9)		(2)
Balance, at the end of the period		0	1	0
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Total available-for-sale securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		1,648	1,808	1,986
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[1]	1	(1)	(1)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)		(11)	(5)	(25)
Purchases		399	363	636
Sales		(1)
Settlements		(374)	(240)	(332)
Transfers into Level 3		55	14	20
Transfers out of Level 3		(416)	(312)	(476)
Balance, at the end of the period		1,301	1,648	1,808
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period	[1]	(1)	1	(1)
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Total available-for-sale securities [Member] | Cumulative effect of change in accounting policies [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period			21
Balance, at the end of the period				21
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Trading securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period			0	1
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[1]			(1)
Balance, at the end of the period				0
Ameriprise Financial [Member] | Other derivative contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, at the beginning of the period		$ 0	0
Total gains (losses) included in net income	[2]		(2)
Purchases			2
Balance, at the end of the period			0	$ 0
Changes in unrealized gains (losses) included in income relating to assets held at end of period	[2]		$ (2)

[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.