Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Liabilities:
Cumulative decrease to the embedded derivative liability	$ 389	$ 506
Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	31,472	34,505
Separate account assets	72,397	66,780
Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value	1,712
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value	833
Recurring | Level 1 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	18	20
Total Available-for-Sale securities	22	24
Total trading securities	1	1
Total other assets	285	274
Total assets at fair value	326	319
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	260	300
Total liabilities at fair value	260	300
Recurring | Level 1 | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	19	22
Recurring | Level 1 | Common Stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	3	2
Recurring | Level 1 | Equity derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	285	274
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	258	297
Recurring | Level 1 | Foreign exchange contract | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1	3
Recurring | Level 1 | Other liabilities | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1
Recurring | Level 2 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	1,539	2,287
Total Available-for-Sale securities	29,012	32,667
Total trading securities	24	30
Separate account assets	72,397	66,780
Total other assets	3,338	3,045
Total assets at fair value	106,310	105,102
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	47	5
Customer deposits	8	6
Total other liabilities	3,054	1,985
Total liabilities at fair value	3,109	1,996
Recurring | Level 2 | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	17,051	16,685
Recurring | Level 2 | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	5,145	7,461
Recurring | Level 2 | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	3,213	4,669
Recurring | Level 2 | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,097	1,516
Recurring | Level 2 | State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,239	2,130
Recurring | Level 2 | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	39	49
Recurring | Level 2 | Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	224	144
Recurring | Level 2 | Common Stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	4	2
Recurring | Level 2 | Other debt obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities		11
Recurring | Level 2 | Investments segregated for regulatory purposes | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value		293
Recurring | Level 2 | Interest rate derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	2,358	1,958
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,486	1,209
Recurring | Level 2 | Equity derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	973	1,077
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,565	764
Recurring | Level 2 | Credit derivative contract | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets		1
Recurring | Level 2 | Foreign exchange contract | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	6	7
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities		10
Recurring | Level 2 | Commodity derivative contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1	2
Recurring | Level 2 | Equity indexed annuity embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	2	2
Recurring | Level 2 | IUL embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	45	3
Recurring | Level 2 | Other liabilities | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	3	2
Recurring | Level 3 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,438	1,814
Total assets at fair value	2,438	1,814
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	833	1,585
Total liabilities at fair value	833	1,585
Recurring | Level 3 | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,764	1,355
Recurring | Level 3 | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	284	215
Recurring | Level 3 | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	206	50
Recurring | Level 3 | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	178	189
Recurring | Level 3 | Common Stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	6	5
Recurring | Level 3 | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	833	1,585
Recurring | Total | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	1,557	2,307
Total Available-for-Sale securities	31,472	34,505
Total trading securities	25	31
Separate account assets	72,397	66,780
Total other assets	3,623	3,319
Total assets at fair value	109,074	107,235
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	880	1,590
Customer deposits	8	6
Total other liabilities	3,314	2,285
Total liabilities at fair value	4,202	3,881
Recurring | Total | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	18,815	18,040
Recurring | Total | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	5,429	7,676
Recurring | Total | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	3,419	4,719
Recurring | Total | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,275	1,705
Recurring | Total | State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,239	2,130
Recurring | Total | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	58	71
Recurring | Total | Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	224	144
Recurring | Total | Common Stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	13	9
Recurring | Total | Other debt obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities		11
Recurring | Total | Investments segregated for regulatory purposes | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value		293
Recurring | Total | Interest rate derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	2,358	1,958
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,486	1,209
Recurring | Total | Equity derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1,258	1,351
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,823	1,061
Recurring | Total | Credit derivative contract | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets		1
Recurring | Total | Foreign exchange contract | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	6	7
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1	13
Recurring | Total | Commodity derivative contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1	2
Recurring | Total | Equity indexed annuity embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	2	2
Recurring | Total | IUL embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	45	3
Recurring | Total | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	833	1,585
Recurring | Total | Other liabilities | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	$ 4	$ 2