Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Liabilities:
Cumulative decrease to the embedded derivative liability	$ 295,000,000	$ 389,000,000
Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	31,049,000,000	31,472,000,000
Separate account assets	75,499,000,000	72,397,000,000
Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value	1,713,000,000	1,712,000,000
GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total assets at fair value	266,000,000	833,000,000
Recurring | Level 1 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	17,000,000	18,000,000
Total Available-for-Sale securities	22,000,000	22,000,000
Trading securities	2,000,000	1,000,000
Total other assets	339,000,000	285,000,000
Total assets at fair value	380,000,000	326,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	143,000,000	260,000,000
Total liabilities at fair value	143,000,000	260,000,000
Recurring | Level 1 | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	18,000,000	19,000,000
Recurring | Level 1 | Common stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	4,000,000	3,000,000
Recurring | Level 1 | Equity derivatives contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	339,000,000	285,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	141,000,000	258,000,000
Recurring | Level 1 | Foreign currency derivative contract | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,000,000	1,000,000
Recurring | Level 1 | Other | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,000,000	1,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	1,561,000,000	1,539,000,000
Total Available-for-Sale securities	28,725,000,000	29,012,000,000
Trading securities	27,000,000	24,000,000
Separate account assets	75,499,000,000	72,397,000,000
Total other assets	3,035,000,000	3,338,000,000
Total assets at fair value	108,847,000,000	106,310,000,000
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	64,000,000	47,000,000
Customer deposits	9,000,000	8,000,000
Total other liabilities	3,257,000,000	3,054,000,000
Total liabilities at fair value	3,330,000,000	3,109,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	16,769,000,000	17,051,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	5,356,000,000	5,145,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	3,018,000,000	3,213,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,069,000,000	1,097,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,256,000,000	2,239,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	38,000,000	39,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	215,000,000	224,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Common stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	4,000,000	4,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Interest rate derivatives contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	2,094,000,000	2,358,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,421,000,000	1,486,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Equity derivatives contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	933,000,000	973,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,825,000,000	1,565,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Foreign currency derivative contract | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	7,000,000	6,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Commodity derivative contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1,000,000	1,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | EIA embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	3,000,000	2,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | IUL embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	61,000,000	45,000,000
Recurring | Level 2 | Other | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	10,000,000	3,000,000
Recurring | Level 3 | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,302,000,000	2,438,000,000
Total assets at fair value	2,302,000,000	2,438,000,000
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	266,000,000	833,000,000
Total liabilities at fair value	266,000,000	833,000,000
Recurring | Level 3 | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,764,000,000	1,764,000,000
Recurring | Level 3 | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	8,000,000	284,000,000
Recurring | Level 3 | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	204,000,000	206,000,000
Recurring | Level 3 | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	321,000,000	178,000,000
Recurring | Level 3 | Common stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	5,000,000	6,000,000
Recurring | Level 3 | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	266,000,000	833,000,000
Recurring | Total | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Cash equivalents	1,578,000,000	1,557,000,000
Total Available-for-Sale securities	31,049,000,000	31,472,000,000
Trading securities	29,000,000	25,000,000
Separate account assets	75,499,000,000	72,397,000,000
Total other assets	3,374,000,000	3,623,000,000
Total assets at fair value	111,529,000,000	109,074,000,000
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	330,000,000	880,000,000
Customer deposits	9,000,000	8,000,000
Total other liabilities	3,400,000,000	3,314,000,000
Total liabilities at fair value	3,739,000,000	4,202,000,000
Recurring | Total | Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	18,533,000,000	18,815,000,000
Recurring | Total | Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	5,364,000,000	5,429,000,000
Recurring | Total | Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	3,222,000,000	3,419,000,000
Recurring | Total | Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	1,390,000,000	1,275,000,000
Recurring | Total | State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	2,256,000,000	2,239,000,000
Recurring | Total | U.S. government and agencies obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	56,000,000	58,000,000
Recurring | Total | Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	215,000,000	224,000,000
Recurring | Total | Common stocks | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total Available-for-Sale securities	13,000,000	13,000,000
Recurring | Total | Interest rate derivatives contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	2,094,000,000	2,358,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,421,000,000	1,486,000,000
Recurring | Total | Equity derivatives contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1,272,000,000	1,258,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	1,966,000,000	1,823,000,000
Recurring | Total | Foreign currency derivative contract | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	7,000,000	6,000,000
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	2,000,000	1,000,000
Recurring | Total | Commodity derivative contracts | Ameriprise Financial
Assets
Total other assets	1,000,000	1,000,000
Recurring | Total | EIA embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	3,000,000	2,000,000
Recurring | Total | IUL embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	61,000,000	45,000,000
Recurring | Total | GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total future policy benefits and claims	266,000,000	833,000,000
Recurring | Total | Other | Ameriprise Financial
Liabilities:
Total other liabilities	11,000,000	4,000,000
Nonrecurring
Assets
Total assets at fair value	0
Liabilities:
Total liabilities at fair value	$ 0