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                                                                 EXHIBIT 31.1

                                CERTIFICATION

I, Mark E. Schwarzmann, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of IDS Life
      Insurance Company;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
      to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
      such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
      covered by this report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this report, fairly present in all material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
      of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.    The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
      registrant and have:

      (a)   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
            disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
            supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
            registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
            known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
            the period in which this report is being prepared;

      (b)   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
            controls and procedures and presented in this report our
            conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
            and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
            report based on such evaluation; and

      (c)   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
            control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act
            Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) that occurred during the
            registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth
            fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
            materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
            affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
            reporting; and

5.    The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed,
      based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
      reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
      registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
      functions):

      (a)   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
            design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
            which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
            ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
            information; and

      (b)   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 9, 2006
                                           /s/ Mark E. Schwarzmann
                                           -----------------------
                                           Mark E. Schwarzmann
                                           Chief Executive Officer