2.4.0.81020 - Disclosure - Recent Accounting Pronouncementstruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000727892duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementsAndChangesInAccountingPrinciplesAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Recent Accounting Pronouncements2false 2us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementsAndChangesInAccountingPrinciplesTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times New Roman;"> 2.              Recent Accounting Pronouncements   Adoption of New Accounting Standards   Comprehensive Income   In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) updated the accounting standard related to comprehensive income. The update requires entities to provide information about significant amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”). The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2012 and is required to be applied prospectively. The Company adopted the standard in the first quarter of 2013. The adoption of the standard did not have any effect on the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations. See Note 13 for the required disclosures.   Balance Sheet   In December 2011, the FASB updated the accounting standards to require new disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. The standard requires an entity to disclose both gross and net information about certain financial instruments and transactions subject to master netting arrangements (or similar agreements) or eligible for offset in the statement of financial position. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013 on a retrospective basis. The Company adopted the standard in the first quarter of 2013. The adoption of the standard did not have any effect on the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations. See Note 11 for the required disclosures.   Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts   In October 2010, the FASB updated the accounting standard for deferred acquisition costs (“DAC”). Under this new standard, only the following costs incurred in the acquisition of new and renewal insurance contracts are capitalizable as DAC: (i) incremental direct costs of a successful contract acquisition, (ii) portions of employees’ compensation and benefits directly related to time spent performing acquisition activities (that is, underwriting, policy issuance and processing, medical and inspection, and contract selling) for a contract that has been acquired, (iii) other costs related to  acquisition activities that would not have been incurred had the acquisition of the contract not occurred, and (iv) advertising costs that meet the capitalization criteria in other GAAP guidance for certain direct-response marketing. All other acquisition related costs are expensed as incurred. The Company retrospectively adopted the new standard on January 1, 2012. The cumulative effect of the adoption reduced retained earnings by $1.4 billion after-tax and increased AOCI by $112 million after-tax, totaling to a $1.3 billion after-tax reduction in total equity at January 1, 2012.   Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards   Income Taxes   In July 2013, the FASB updated the accounting standard for income taxes. The update provides guidance on the financial statement presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2013 and should be applied prospectively to all unrecognized tax benefits that exist at the effective date. Retrospective application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its consolidated financial condition and results of operations. </div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure of changes in accounting principles, including adoption of new accounting pronouncements, that describes the new methods, amount and effects on financial statement line items.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 01 -Paragraph b -Subparagraph 6 -Article 10 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 270 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6372559&loc=d3e765-108305 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 270 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6372559&loc=d3e725-108305 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6801783&loc=d3e22499-107794 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6801783&loc=d3e22580-107794 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Accounting Change -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6503790 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Direct Effects of a Change in Accounting Principle -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510796 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Indirect Effects of a Change in Accounting Principle -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515603 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Change in Accounting Principle -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507316 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 270 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.10-01.(b)(6)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6958853&loc=d3e46468-122699 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6801783&loc=d3e22583-107794 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Retrospective Application -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6523989 false0Recent Accounting PronouncementsfalseRecent Accounting PronouncementsUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.riversource.com/role/DisclosureRecentAccountingPronouncements12