Financing Receivables (Credit Quality Information Text) (Details 2) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Total loans, gross	$ 3,275	$ 3,492
90 days or more past due
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Nonperforming loans	$ 19	15
Commercial mortgage loans [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Percentage of commercial mortgage loans with highest risk rating	0.00%
Total loans, gross	$ 2,775	2,702
Syndicated loans [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Loans purchased	200	92	$ 162
Sales of financing receivables			$ 16
Total loans, gross	498	482
Syndicated loans [Member] | 90 days or more past due
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Nonperforming loans	5	1
Loans to financial advisors [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Principal amounts outstanding for advisor loans	509	426
Allowance for loan losses related to loans to financial advisors	23	18
Principal amounts outstanding for advisor loans no longer affiliated with the Ameriprise Financial	19	16
Allowance for loan losses related to loans to financial advisors no longer affiliated with Ameriprise Financial	12	10
Consumer loans [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Sales of financing receivables	267	271
Total loans, gross	$ 2	$ 308
Percentage of residential mortgage loans below specific FICO score		2.00%
FICO score | item	640	640
LTV ratio	90.00%	90.00%
Percentage of loan portfolio represented by California		52.00%
Percentage of loan portfolio represented by Colorado		18.00%
Percentage of loan portfolio represented by Washington State		13.00%
Proceeds from sale of financing receivables	$ 252	$ 271
Loss on sale of financing receivables	$ 7	$ 11