Future Policy Benefits and Claims and Separate Account Liabilities (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Separate Account Liabilities
Total	$ 75,499	$ 72,397
Ameriprise Financial
Separate Account Liabilities
Variable annuity variable sub-accounts	66,121	63,302
VUL insurance variable sub-accounts	6,368	6,051
Other insurance variable sub-accounts	43	42
Threadneedle investment liabilities	2,967	3,002
Total	$ 75,499	$ 72,397

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

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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.

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

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

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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