Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Details ) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Liabilities:
Cumulative decrease to the embedded derivative liability	$ 429	$ 506
Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	34,425	34,505
Separate account assets	71,919	66,780
Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value	1,567
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value	1,142
Recurring | Level 1 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	18	20
Total Available-for-Sale securities	24	24
Total trading securities	1	1
Total other assets	404	274
Total assets at fair value	447	319
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	372	300
Total liabilities at fair value	372	300
Recurring | Level 1 | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	21	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	404	274
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	370	297
Recurring | Level 1 | Foreign exchange contract | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	2	3
Recurring | Level 2 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	2,815	2,287
Total Available-for-Sale securities	32,315	32,667
Total trading securities	20	30
Separate account assets	71,919	66,780
Total other assets	3,615	3,045
Total assets at fair value	110,709	105,102
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	40	5
Customer deposits	9	6
Total other liabilities	3,311	1,985
Total liabilities at fair value	3,360	1,996
Recurring | Level 2 | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	17,190	16,685
Recurring | Level 2 | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	6,868	7,198
Recurring | Level 2 | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	4,058	4,669
Recurring | Level 2 | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,704	1,779
Recurring | Level 2 | State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,229	2,130
Recurring | Level 2 | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	40	49
Recurring | Level 2 | Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	223	144
Recurring | Level 2 | Common Stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	3	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	25	293
Recurring | Level 2 | Interest rate derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	2,544	1,958
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,773	1,209
Recurring | Level 2 | Equity derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1,069	1,077
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,533	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	1	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	3	2
Recurring | Level 2 | IUL embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	37	3
Recurring | Level 2 | Other liabilities | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	5	2
Recurring | Level 3 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,086	1,814
Total assets at fair value	2,086	1,814
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	1,142	1,585
Total liabilities at fair value	1,142	1,585
Recurring | Level 3 | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,597	1,355
Recurring | Level 3 | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	72	198
Recurring | Level 3 | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	212	50
Recurring | Level 3 | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	200	206
Recurring | Level 3 | Common Stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	5	5
Recurring | Level 3 | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	1,142	1,585
Recurring | Total | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	2,833	2,307
Total Available-for-Sale securities	34,425	34,505
Total trading securities	21	31
Separate account assets	71,919	66,780
Total other assets	4,019	3,319
Total assets at fair value	113,242	107,235
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	1,182	1,590
Customer deposits	9	6
Total other liabilities	3,683	2,285
Total liabilities at fair value	4,874	3,881
Recurring | Total | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	18,787	18,040
Recurring | Total | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	6,940	7,396
Recurring | Total | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	4,270	4,719
Recurring | Total | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,904	1,985
Recurring | Total | State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,229	2,130
Recurring | Total | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	61	71
Recurring | Total | Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	223	144
Recurring | Total | Common Stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	11	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	25	293
Recurring | Total | Interest rate derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	2,544	1,958
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,773	1,209
Recurring | Total | Equity derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1,473	1,351
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,903	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	1	7
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	2	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	3	2
Recurring | Total | IUL embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	37	3
Recurring | Total | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	1,142	1,585
Recurring | Total | Other liabilities | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	$ 5	$ 2