2.4.0.81150 - Disclosure - Contingencies and Guaranteestruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000727892duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Contingencies and Guarantees2false 2us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times New Roman;"> 15.       Contingencies and Guarantees   Insurance companies have been the subject of increasing regulatory, legislative and judicial scrutiny.  Numerous state and federal regulatory agencies have commenced examinations and other inquiries of insurance companies regarding sales and marketing practices (including sales to older consumers and disclosure practices), claims handling, and unclaimed property and escheatment practices and procedures. With regard to an industry-wide investigation of unclaimed property and escheatment practices and procedures, the Company is responding to regulatory audits, market conduct examinations and other inquires (including inquiries from the States of Minnesota and New York and a multistate insurance department examination).  The Company has cooperated and will continue to cooperate with the applicable regulators regarding their inquiries.   The Company is involved in the normal course of business in a number of other legal and arbitration proceedings concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of its business activities.  The Company believes that it is not a party to, nor are any of its properties the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory investigation or proceeding that is likely to have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is possible that the outcome of any current or future legal, arbitration or regulatory proceeding could have a material impact on results of operations in any particular reporting period as the proceedings are resolved.   The Company is required by law to be a member of the guaranty fund association in every state where it is licensed to do business.  In the event of insolvency of one or more unaffiliated insurance companies, the Company could be adversely affected by the requirement to pay assessments to the guaranty fund associations.  Uncertainty and volatility in the U.S. economy and financial markets in recent years have weakened the financial condition of numerous insurers, including insurers currently in receiverships, increasing the risk of triggering guaranty fund assessments.   The Company projects its cost of future guaranty fund assessments based on estimates of insurance company insolvencies provided by the National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations (“NOLHGA”) and the amount of its premiums written relative to the industry-wide premium in each state. The Company accrues the estimated cost of future guaranty fund assessments when it is considered probable that an assessment will be imposed, the event obligating the Company to pay the assessment has occurred  and the amount of the assessment can be reasonably estimated.   Executive Life Insurance Company of New York (“ELNY”) was placed into rehabilitation by a New York state court in 1991. On April 16, 2012, the court issued an order converting the rehabilitation into a liquidation proceeding under a plan submitted by the New York insurance regulator with support from NOLHGA and the industry.   During the second quarter of 2012, the Company established a liability for estimated guaranty fund assessments and a related premium tax asset, primarily associated with ELNY.  At June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the estimated liability was $22 million and $26 million, respectively, and the related premium tax asset was $17 million and $19 million, respectively. The Company has recently received assessments related to ELNY from some of the state guaranty fund associations, however, the expected period over which all of the assessments will be made and the related tax credits recovered is not known.   Uncertain economic conditions, heightened and sustained volatility in the financial markets and significant financial reform legislation may increase the likelihood that clients and other persons or regulators may present or threaten legal claims or that regulators increase the scope or frequency of examinations of the Company or the insurance industry generally. </div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 14 -Paragraph 3 -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 -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.25) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6449706&loc=d3e16207-108621 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6952336&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394976&loc=d3e25287-109308 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12 -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. false0Contingencies and GuaranteesfalseContingencies and GuaranteesUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.riversource.com/role/DisclosureContingenciesAndGuarantees12