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Performance Additional Market Index Performance Additional Market Index [Text] Performance Availability Web Site Address Performance Availability Website Address [Text] Performance Information Illustrates Variability Of Returns Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] Performance Measure [Axis] Performance Measure [Axis] Performance Measure [Domain] Before Taxes Performance Narrative [Text Block] Performance Narrative [Text Block] Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] Performance Table [Text Block] Performance [Table] Portfolio Turnover Heading Portfolio Turnover [Heading] Portfolio Turnover Rate Portfolio Turnover, Rate Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] Prospectus Date ProspectusDate Prospectus Share Class [Axis] Share Class [Axis] Prospectus [Table] Prospectus: Redemption Fee Redemption or exchange fees Risk Heading Risk [Heading] Risk Lose Money Risk Lose Money [Text] Risk Narrative [Text Block] Risk Narrative [Text Block] Risk Not Insured Depository Institution Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] Risk Return [Abstract] Risk/Return: Risk Return Heading Risk/Return [Heading] S&P 500 R R I N D E X 00001 [Member] S&P 500 MSCI All Country World ex USA Index R R I N D E X 00002 [Member] MSCI All Country World ex USA Index Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index R R I N D E X 00003 [Member] Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index American Funds 2010 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015555 [Member] American Funds 2010 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2015 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015556 [Member] American Funds 2015 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015557 [Member] American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015558 [Member] American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2030 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015559 [Member] American Funds 2030 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015560 [Member] American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2040 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015561 [Member] American Funds 2040 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015562 [Member] American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000015563 [Member] American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) American Funds 2055 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) S 000027236 [Member] American Funds 2055 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) Share Class [Domain] Share Classes Shareholder Fees [Abstract] Shareholder Fees: Shareholder Fees Caption Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] Shareholder Fees Table [Text Block] Shareholder Fees [Table] Strategy Heading Strategy [Heading] Strategy Narrative [Text Block] Strategy Narrative [Text Block] American Funds 2010 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015555 [Member] American Funds 2010 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2015 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015556 [Member] American Funds 2015 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015557 [Member] American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015558 [Member] American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2030 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015559 [Member] American Funds 2030 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015560 [Member] American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2040 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015561 [Member] American Funds 2040 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015562 [Member] American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000015563 [Member] American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) American Funds 2055 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Summary S 000027236 [Member] American Funds 2055 Target Date Retirement Fund(R) (Prospectus Summary) Trading Symbol Trading Symbol Year To Date Return Label Year to Date Return, Label