Investments (Details 3) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Balance of Credit Losses Impairment Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income
Beginning balance	$ 297	$ 263	$ 258
Credit losses for which other-than-temporary impairment was not previously recognized	15	15	8
Credit losses for which other-than-temporary impairment was previously recognized	19	19	57
Reductions for securities sold during the period (realized)	(28)		(60)
Ending balance	303	297	263
Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	298	488
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	3,669	4,189
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(87)	(104)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	242	232
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	1,389	1,247
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(430)	(430)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	540	720
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	5,058	5,436
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(517)	(534)
Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	124	115
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	1,647	1,859
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(40)	(46)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	10	13
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	259	157
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(41)	(12)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	134	128
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	1,906	2,016
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(81)	(58)
Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	105	108
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	1,269	782
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(33)	(12)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	141	133
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	717	712
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(298)	(311)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	246	241
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	1,986	1,494
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(331)	(323)
Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	14	30
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	182	498
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(2)	(7)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	5	1
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	29	23
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses		(1)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	19	31
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	211	521
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(2)	(8)
Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	49	29
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	543	354
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(11)	(8)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	33	25
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	155	123
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(33)	(32)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	82	54
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	698	477
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(44)	(40)
State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions		206
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value		696
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses		(31)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	53	60
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	229	232
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(58)	(74)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	53	266
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	229	928
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(58)	(105)
Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	6
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	28
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(1)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	6
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	28
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	$ (1)