Future Policy Benefits and Claims and Separate Account Liabilities (Details 2) (Ameriprise Financial, USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Ameriprise Financial
Separate Account Liabilities
Variable annuity variable sub-accounts	$ 62,752	$ 57,556
VUL insurance variable sub-accounts	6,003	5,575
Other insurance variable sub-accounts	43	43
Threadneedle investment liabilities	3,121	3,606
Total	$ 71,919	$ 66,780

Amount of liability for variable contracts that meet specified criteria that are backed by assets held in separate accounts and carried at the fair value of those assets.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details