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, 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
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)	1,313	1,313			1,313
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(59)	(59)						(59)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	1,254	1,254
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	6,289	6,289	$ 3	7,765	10,348		(12,027)	200
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			154,759,904
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	6
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption | Accounting Standards Update 2015-02 [Member]	(1,318)	(130)			1	(137)		6	(1,188)
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]	(2)	(2)			(2)
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	5,995	5,995	$ 3	8,085	11,326		(13,648)	229
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			146,634,664
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)	2,098	2,098			2,098
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(519)	(519)						(519)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	1,579	1,579
Dividends to shareholders	(516)	(516)			(516)
Repurchase of common shares	(1,705)	(1,705)					(1,705)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)			(12,124,840)
Share-based compensation plans	235	235		175			60
Share-based compensation plans (in shares)			1,820,923
Balances at Dec. 31, 2018	5,588	$ 5,588	$ 3	$ 8,260	12,909	$ 0	$ (15,293)	(291)	$ 0
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			136,330,747
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	(1)
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption | Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]	$ 0				$ 1			$ (1)