CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Total Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	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]
Balances at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 9,279	$ 8,098	$ 3	$ 7,345	$ 8,443	$ 234	$ (8,589)	$ 662	$ 1,181
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014			183,109,509
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)	1,687	1,562			1,562				125
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(469)	(409)						(409)	(60)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	1,218	1,153							65
Net income (loss) reclassified to appropriated retained earnings	0	(97)				(97)			97
Dividends to shareholders	(474)	(474)			(474)
Noncontrolling interests investments in subsidiaries	255								255
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(415)								(415)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,815)	(1,815)					(1,815)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(14,951,703)
Share-based compensation plans	331	326		266	(6)		66		5
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			2,875,454
Balances at Dec. 31, 2015	8,379	7,191	$ 3	7,611	9,525	137	(10,338)	253	1,188
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			171,033,260
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption								6
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)	1,314	1,314			1,314
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(59)	(59)						(59)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	1,255	1,255
Dividends to shareholders	(489)	(489)			(489)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,751)	(1,751)					(1,751)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(18,367,742)
Share-based compensation plans	216	216		154			62
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			2,094,386
Balances at Dec. 31, 2016	6,292	6,292	$ 3	7,765	10,351		(12,027)	200
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			154,759,904
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption | Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]	(1,318)	(130)			1	(137)		6	(1,188)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)	1,480	1,480			1,480
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	29	29						29
Total comprehensive income (loss)	1,509	1,509
Dividends to shareholders	(502)	(502)			(502)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,675)	(1,675)					(1,675)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(12,388,348)
Share-based compensation plans	374	374		320			54
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			4,263,108
Balances at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 5,998	$ 5,998	$ 3	$ 8,085	$ 11,329	$ 0	$ (13,648)	$ 229	$ 0
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			146,634,664