Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

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

v3.3.1.900
Available-for-Sale Securities, at Fair Value (Notes)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 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 AFS investment securities which are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets. 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 securities by collateral type as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
(in thousands)
December 31,
2015
 
December 31,
2014
Agency
 
 
 
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
$
1,678,814

 
$
2,418,546

Federal National Mortgage Association
3,602,348

 
6,768,875

Government National Mortgage Association
691,728

 
2,104,896

Non-Agency
1,852,430

 
3,048,785

Total available-for-sale securities
$
7,825,320

 
$
14,341,102



At December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company pledged AFS securities with a carrying value of $7.8 billion and $14.2 billion, respectively, as collateral for repurchase agreements and FHLB advances. See Note 17 - Repurchase Agreements and Note 19 - Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Advances.
At December 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 December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
 
December 31, 2015
(in thousands)
Agency
 
Non-Agency
 
Total
Face Value
$
8,257,030

 
$
2,655,381

 
$
10,912,411

Unamortized premium
394,787

 
—

 
394,787

Unamortized discount
 
 
 
 
 
Designated credit reserve
—

 
(409,077
)
 
(409,077
)
Net, unamortized
(2,721,979
)
 
(707,021
)
 
(3,429,000
)
Amortized Cost
5,929,838

 
1,539,283

 
7,469,121

Gross unrealized gains
98,389

 
329,206

 
427,595

Gross unrealized losses
(55,337
)
 
(16,059
)
 
(71,396
)
Carrying Value
$
5,972,890

 
$
1,852,430

 
$
7,825,320

 
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 December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:
 
December 31, 2015
(in thousands)
 Agency
 
 Non-Agency
 
 Total
Adjustable Rate
$
108,596

 
$
1,673,038

 
$
1,781,634

Fixed Rate
5,864,294

 
179,392

 
6,043,686

Total
$
5,972,890

 
$
1,852,430

 
$
7,825,320

 
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 the Company does not expect to collect the entire discount 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 years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 of the unamortized net discount and designated credit reserves on non-Agency AFS securities.
 
Year Ended December 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
557

 
(5,124
)
 
(4,567
)
 
(77,506
)
 
(58,007
)
 
(135,513
)
Accretion of net discount
—

 
96,061

 
96,061

 
—

 
127,352

 
127,352

Realized credit losses
18,068

 
—

 
18,068

 
16,528

 
—

 
16,528

Reclassification adjustment for other-than-temporary impairments
1,742

 
—

 
1,742

 
(392
)
 
—

 
(392
)
Transfers from (to)
154,580

 
(154,580
)
 
—

 
115,894

 
(115,894
)
 
—

Sales, calls, other
343,581

 
323,990

 
667,571

 
252,320

 
150,740

 
403,060

Ending balance at December 31
$
(409,077
)
 
$
(707,021
)
 
$
(1,116,098
)
 
$
(927,605
)
 
$
(967,368
)
 
$
(1,894,973
)


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 the securities had an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. At December 31, 2015, the Company held 1,181 AFS securities, of which 121 were in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve consecutive months and 182 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 consecutive 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
December 31, 2015
$
1,503,939

 
$
(26,984
)
 
$
1,141,839

 
$
(44,412
)
 
$
2,645,778

 
$
(71,396
)
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 either other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax, or gain (loss) on investment securities, depending on the accounting treatment. 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 $0.5 million other-than-temporary credit impairment during the year ended December 31, 2015 on a total of two non-Agency RMBS where the future expected cash flows for each security were less than its amortized cost. As of December 31, 2015, impaired securities with a carrying value of $129.2 million had actual weighted average cumulative losses of 11.1%, a weighted average three-month prepayment speed of 4.3%, weighted average 60+ day delinquencies of 25.0% of the pool balance, and weighted average FICO score of 666. At December 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 years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded $0.4 million and $1.7 million in other-than-temporary credit impairments on three and four non-Agency RMBS, respectively, where the future expected cash flows for each security were less than its amortized cost.
The following table presents the changes in OTTI included in earnings for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:
 
Year Ended
 
December 31,
(in thousands)
2015
 
2014
 
2013
Cumulative credit loss at beginning of period
$
(8,241
)
 
$
(9,467
)
 
$
(15,561
)
Additions:
 
 
 
 
 
Other-than-temporary impairments not previously recognized
(238
)
 
(91
)
 
—

Increases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities with previously recognized other-than-temporary impairments
(297
)
 
(301
)
 
(1,662
)
Reductions:
 
 
 
 
 
Decreases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities paid down
—

 
464

 
1,677

Decreases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities sold
2,277

 
1,154

 
6,079

Cumulative credit loss at end of period
$
(6,499
)
 
$
(8,241
)
 
$
(9,467
)


Cumulative credit losses related to OTTI may be reduced for securities sold as well as for securities that mature, are paid 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 consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income. For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company sold AFS securities for $7.0 billion, $3.5 billion and $4.4 billion with an amortized cost of $6.6 billion, $3.4 billion and $4.5 billion, for net realized gains of $369.4 million and $84.4 million, and losses of $64.5 million, respectively.
The following table presents the gross realized gains and losses on sales of AFS securities for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:
 
Year Ended
 
December 31,
(in thousands)
2015
 
2014
 
2013
Gross realized gains
$
388,392

 
$
162,235

 
$
202,112

Gross realized losses
(19,040
)
 
(77,820
)
 
(266,620
)
Total realized gains (losses) on sales, net
$
369,352

 
$
84,415

 
$
(64,508
)