Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Available-for-Sale Securities, at Fair Value (Notes)

v2.4.1.9
Available-for-Sale Securities, at Fair Value (Notes)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Available-for-sale Securities [Abstract]  
Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]
Available-for-Sale Securities, at Fair Value
The Company holds available-for-sale, or AFS, investment securities, which are carried at fair value. AFS securities exclude the retained interests from the Company’s on-balance sheet securitizations, as they are eliminated in consolidation in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The following table presents the Company’s AFS investment securities by collateral type as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
(in thousands)
March 31,
2015
 
December 31,
2014
Mortgage-backed securities:
 
 
 
Agency
 
 
 
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
$
2,641,286

 
$
2,418,546

Federal National Mortgage Association
6,802,084

 
6,768,875

Government National Mortgage Association
2,083,548

 
2,104,896

Non-Agency
2,815,927

 
3,048,785

Total mortgage-backed securities
$
14,342,845

 
$
14,341,102



At both March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company pledged AFS securities with a carrying value of $14.2 billion as collateral for repurchase agreements and advances from Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, or the FHLB. See Note 16 - Repurchase Agreements and Note 18 - Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Advances.
At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company did not have any securities purchased from and financed with the same counterparty that did not meet the conditions of ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing, or ASC 860, to be considered linked transactions and, therefore, classified as derivatives.
The following tables present the amortized cost and carrying value (which approximates fair value) of AFS securities by collateral type as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
 
March 31, 2015
(in thousands)
Agency
 
Non-Agency
 
Total
Face Value
$
13,492,873

 
$
3,858,345

 
$
17,351,218

Unamortized premium
701,133

 
—

 
701,133

Unamortized discount
 
 
 
 
 
Designated credit reserve
—

 
(747,384
)
 
(747,384
)
Net, unamortized
(2,939,997
)
 
(871,983
)
 
(3,811,980
)
Amortized Cost
11,254,009

 
2,238,978

 
13,492,987

Gross unrealized gains
299,826

 
578,482

 
878,308

Gross unrealized losses
(26,917
)
 
(1,533
)
 
(28,450
)
Carrying Value
$
11,526,918

 
$
2,815,927

 
$
14,342,845

 
December 31, 2014
(in thousands)
Agency
 
Non-Agency
 
Total
Face Value
$
13,421,555


$
4,291,872

 
$
17,713,427

Unamortized premium
676,641


—

 
676,641

Unamortized discount
 
 
 
 
 
Designated credit reserve
—


(927,605
)
 
(927,605
)
Net, unamortized
(3,009,782
)

(967,368
)
 
(3,977,150
)
Amortized Cost
11,088,414


2,396,899

 
13,485,313

Gross unrealized gains
238,291


653,529

 
891,820

Gross unrealized losses
(34,388
)

(1,643
)
 
(36,031
)
Carrying Value
$
11,292,317

 
$
3,048,785

 
$
14,341,102



The following tables present the carrying value of the Company’s AFS investment securities by rate type as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
 
March 31, 2015
(in thousands)
 Agency
 
 Non-Agency
 
 Total
Adjustable Rate
$
124,939

 
$
2,340,052

 
$
2,464,991

Fixed Rate
11,401,979

 
475,875

 
11,877,854

Total
$
11,526,918

 
$
2,815,927

 
$
14,342,845

 
December 31, 2014
(in thousands)
Agency
 
Non-Agency
 
Total
Adjustable Rate
$
128,285


$
2,558,832

 
$
2,687,117

Fixed Rate
11,164,032


489,953

 
11,653,985

Total
$
11,292,317


$
3,048,785

 
$
14,341,102



When the Company purchases a credit-sensitive AFS security at a significant discount to its face value, the Company often does not amortize into income a significant portion of this discount that the Company is entitled to earn because it does not expect to collect it due to the inherent credit risk of the security. The Company may also record an other-than-temporary impairment, or OTTI, for a portion of its investment in the security to the extent the Company believes that the amortized cost will exceed the present value of expected future cash flows. The amount of principal that the Company does not amortize into income is designated as a credit reserve on the security, with unamortized net discounts or premiums amortized into income over time to the extent realizable.
The following table presents the changes for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, of the unamortized net discount and designated credit reserves on non-Agency AFS securities.
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2015
 
2014
(in thousands)
Designated Credit Reserve
 
Unamortized Net Discount
 
Total
 
Designated Credit Reserve
 
Unamortized Net Discount
 
Total
Beginning balance at January 1
$
(927,605
)
 
$
(967,368
)
 
$
(1,894,973
)
 
$
(1,234,449
)
 
$
(1,071,559
)
 
$
(2,306,008
)
Acquisitions
1,183

 
(935
)
 
248

 
(16,678
)
 
(18,254
)
 
(34,932
)
Accretion of net discount
—

 
27,465

 
27,465

 
—

 
31,831

 
31,831

Realized credit losses
3,727

 
—

 
3,727

 
3,868

 
—

 
3,868

Reclassification adjustment for other-than-temporary impairments
1,789

 
—

 
1,789

 
(212
)
 
—

 
(212
)
Transfers from (to)
41,092

 
(41,092
)
 
—

 
22,639

 
(22,639
)
 
—

Sales, calls, other
132,430

 
109,947

 
242,377

 
28,034

 
16,819

 
44,853

Ending balance at March 31
$
(747,384
)
 
$
(871,983
)
 
$
(1,619,367
)
 
$
(1,196,798
)
 
$
(1,063,802
)
 
$
(2,260,600
)


The following table presents the components comprising the carrying value of AFS securities not deemed to be other than temporarily impaired by length of time that the securities had an unrealized loss position as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. At March 31, 2015, the Company held 1,506 AFS securities, of which 116 were in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve consecutive months and 171 were in an unrealized loss position for more than twelve consecutive months. At December 31, 2014, the Company held 1,452 AFS securities, of which 57 were in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve months and 172 were in an unrealized loss position for more than twelve consecutive months.
 
Unrealized Loss Position for
 
Less than 12 Months
 
12 Months or More
 
Total
(in thousands)
Estimated Fair Value
 
Gross Unrealized Losses
 
Estimated Fair Value
 
Gross Unrealized Losses
 
Estimated Fair Value
 
Gross Unrealized Losses
March 31, 2015
$
1,075,418

 
$
(6,006
)
 
$
1,276,019

 
$
(22,444
)
 
$
2,351,437

 
$
(28,450
)
December 31, 2014
$
413,102

 
$
(3,146
)
 
$
1,323,688

 
$
(32,885
)
 
$
1,736,790

 
$
(36,031
)


Evaluating AFS Securities for Other-Than-Temporary Impairments
In evaluating AFS securities for OTTI, the Company determines whether there has been a significant adverse quarterly change in the cash flow expectations for a security. The Company compares the amortized cost of each security in an unrealized loss position against the present value of expected future cash flows of the security. The Company also considers whether there has been a significant adverse change in the regulatory and/or economic environment as part of this analysis. If the amortized cost of the security is greater than the present value of expected future cash flows using the original yield as the discount rate, an other-than-temporary credit impairment has occurred. If the Company does not intend to sell and will not be more likely than not required to sell the security, the credit loss is recognized in earnings and the balance of the unrealized loss is recognized in other comprehensive (loss) income. If the Company intends to sell the security or will be more likely than not required to sell the security, the full unrealized loss is recognized in earnings.
The Company recorded a $0.1 million other-than-temporary credit impairment during the three months ended March 31, 2015 on one non-Agency RMBS where the future expected cash flows for the security were less than its amortized cost. As of March 31, 2015, impaired securities with a carrying value of $144.8 million had actual weighted average cumulative losses of 10.1%, weighted average three-month prepayment speed of 4.6%, weighted average 60+ day delinquency of 28.8% of the pool balance, and weighted average FICO score of 664. At March 31, 2015, the Company did not intend to sell the securities and determined that it was not more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the securities; therefore, only the projected credit loss was recognized in earnings. During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company recorded a $0.2 million other-than-temporary credit impairment on a total of three non-Agency RMBS where the future expected cash flows for the security were less than its amortized cost.
The following table presents the changes in OTTI included in earnings for three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
(in thousands)
2015
 
2014
Cumulative credit loss at beginning of period
$
(8,241
)
 
$
(9,467
)
Additions:
 
 
 
Other-than-temporary impairments not previously recognized
—

 
(91
)
Increases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities with previously recognized other-than-temporary impairments
(127
)
 
(121
)
Reductions:
 
 
 
Decreases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities paid down
—

 
464

Decreases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities sold
1,916

 
—

Cumulative credit loss at end of period
$
(6,452
)
 
$
(9,215
)


Cumulative credit losses related to OTTI may be reduced for securities sold as well as for securities that mature, pay down, or are prepaid such that the outstanding principal balance is reduced to zero. Additionally, increases in cash flows expected to be collected over the remaining life of the security cause a reduction in the cumulative credit loss.
Gross Realized Gains and Losses
Gains and losses from the sale of AFS securities are recorded as realized gains (losses) within gain (loss) on investment securities in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company sold AFS securities for $900.1 million and $814.9 million with an amortized cost of $782.6 million and $853.7 million, for net realized gains of $117.5 million and losses of $38.8 million, respectively.
The following table presents the gross realized gains and losses on sales of AFS securities for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
(in thousands)
2015
 
2014
Gross realized gains
$
117,688

 
$
7,209

Gross realized losses
(220
)
 
(45,997
)
Total realized gains (losses) on sales, net
$
117,468

 
$
(38,788
)