Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Unobservable inputs) (Details 4) - Level 3 [Member] - Ameriprise Financial [Member] - Discounted cash flow [Member] $ in Millions		Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Corporate debt securities [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Corporate debt securities (private placements), fair value		$ 991	$ 1,138
Corporate debt securities [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Yield/spread to U.S. Treasuries [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Corporate debt securities, (private placements), measurement inputs		0.007	0.007
Corporate debt securities [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Yield/spread to U.S. Treasuries [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Corporate debt securities, (private placements), measurement inputs		0.024	0.023
Corporate debt securities [Member] | Weighted average [Member] | Yield/spread to U.S. Treasuries [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Corporate debt securities, (private placements), measurement inputs		0.011	0.011
Asset-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, fair value		$ 9	$ 7
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Annual short-term default rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.023	0.038
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Discount rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.115	0.105
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Annual long-term default rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.025	0.025
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Constant prepayment rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.050	0.050
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Loss recovery [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.364	0.364
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Annual long-term default rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.035	0.030
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Constant prepayment rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.100	0.100
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Loss recovery [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.636	0.636
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Weighted average [Member] | Annual long-term default rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.030	0.027
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Weighted average [Member] | Constant prepayment rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.100	0.099
Asset-backed securities [Member] | Weighted average [Member] | Loss recovery [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Asset backed securities, measurement inputs		0.636	0.632
IUL embedded derivatives [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, fair value		$ 684	$ 601
IUL embedded derivatives [Member] | Nonperformance risk [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs	[1]	0.0083	0.0071
Indexed annuity embedded derivatives [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, fair value		$ 11
Indexed annuity embedded derivatives [Member] | Nonperformance risk [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs	[1]	0.0083
Indexed annuity embedded derivatives [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Surrender rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs		0.000
Indexed annuity embedded derivatives [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Surrender rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs		0.500
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, fair value		$ (686)	$ (49)
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member] | Nonperformance risk [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs	[1]	0.0083	0.0071
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Surrender rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs		0.001	0.001
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Utilization of guaranteed withdrawals [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs	[2]	0.000	0.000
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Market volatility [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs	[3]	0.037	0.037
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Surrender rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs		0.734	0.747
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Utilization of guaranteed withdrawals [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs	[2]	0.360	0.420
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Market volatility [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Embedded derivatives, measurement inputs	[3]	0.155	0.161
Contingent consideration liabilities [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Contigent consideration liabilities, fair value		$ 29	$ 28
Contingent consideration liabilities [Member] | Discount rate [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liabilities, measurement input		9.00%	9.00%

[1] The nonperformance risk is the spread added to the observable interest rates used in the valuation of the embedded derivatives.

[2] The utilization of guaranteed withdrawals represents the percentage of contractholders that will begin withdrawing in any given year.

[3] Market volatility is implied volatility of fund of funds and managed volatility funds.