Financing Receivables (Allowance for Loan Losses) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Rollforward of the allowance for loan losses
Beginning balance			$ 26	$ 29
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Write-downs			(2)	0
Provision for Loan, Lease, and Other Losses			0	(1)
Ending balance	$ 24	$ 28	24	28
Individually evaluated for impairment	0	3	0	3
Collectively evaluated for impairment	24	25	24	25
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Individually evaluated for impairment	16		16		$ 17
Collectively evaluated for impairment	3,227		3,227		3,258
Total	3,243		3,243		3,275
Recorded investment in financing receivables individually evaluated for impairment with no related allowance for loan losses	16		16		17
Syndicated loans [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Total	540		540		498
Loans purchased	36	18	181	154
Loans sold	13	$ 12	49	$ 16
Loans to financial advisors [Member] [Member]
Credit quality information [Line Items]
Principal amounts outstanding for advisor loans	537		537		509
Allowance for loan losses related to loans to financial advisors	24		24		23
Principal amounts outstanding for advisor loans no longer affiliated with the Ameriprise Financial	18		18		19
Allowance for loan losses related to loans to financial advisors no longer affiliated with Ameriprise Financial	$ 12		$ 12		$ 12

Allowance for loan losses related to loans to financial advisors

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- Definition

Allowance for loan losses related to loans to financial advisors no longer affiliated with Ameriprise Financial

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Principal amounts outstanding for advisor loans

+ References

No definition available.

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Principal amounts outstanding for advisor loans no longer affiliated with Ameriprise Financial

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- References

No definition available.

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- Definition

A valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible.

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- Definition

The valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible that were collectively evaluated for impairment.

+ References

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Amount of valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible that were individually evaluated for impairment.

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- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of direct write-downs of financing receivables charged against the allowance.

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- Definition

The balance of financing receivables that were collectively evaluated for impairment.

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The balance of financing receivables that were individually evaluated for impairment.

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- Definition

The amount of any significant purchases of financing receivables during the reporting period.

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The amount of any significant sales of financing receivables during the reporting period.

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- Definition

Amount of investment in impaired financing receivables for which there is no related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 14A
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- Definition

Amount representing an agreement for an unconditional promise by the maker to pay the entity (holder) a definite sum of money at a future date. Such amount may include accrued interest receivable in accordance with the terms of the note. The note also may contain provisions and related items including a discount or premium, payable on demand, secured, or unsecured, interest bearing or noninterest bearing, among a myriad of other features and characteristics. Excludes amounts related to receivables held-for-sale.

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Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
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- Definition

Amount of expense related loan transactions, lease transactions, credit loss from transactions other than loan and lease transactions, and other loss based on assessment of uncollectability from the counterparty to reduce the account to their net realizable value.

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Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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-SubTopic 10
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