Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011 D
Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities
Maximum original maturities of highly liquid investments included in cash equivalents (in days)	90

The maximum original maturity of items (in days) classified as cash equivalents on the balance sheet.

No definition available.

Name:	amp_CashEquivalentsOriginalMaturity
Namespace Prefix:	amp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration