Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

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

v3.6.0.2
Available-for-Sale Securities, at Fair Value (Notes)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
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 investment securities by collateral type as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015:
(in thousands)
December 31,
2016
 
December 31,
2015
Agency
 
 
 
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
$
2,742,630

 
$
1,678,814

Federal National Mortgage Association
8,274,507

 
3,602,348

Government National Mortgage Association
209,337

 
691,728

Non-Agency
1,902,383

 
1,852,430

Total available-for-sale securities
$
13,128,857

 
$
7,825,320



At December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company pledged AFS securities with a carrying value of $13.1 billion and $7.8 billion, respectively, as collateral for repurchase agreements and advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, or the FHLB. See Note 15 - Repurchase Agreements and Note 17 - Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Advances.
At December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, 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, 2016 and December 31, 2015:
 
December 31, 2016
(in thousands)
Agency
 
Non-Agency
 
Total
Face Value
$
13,571,417

 
$
2,732,139

 
$
16,303,556

Unamortized premium
571,749

 
—

 
571,749

Unamortized discount
 
 
 
 
 
Designated credit reserve
—

 
(367,437
)
 
(367,437
)
Net, unamortized
(2,758,445
)
 
(808,975
)
 
(3,567,420
)
Amortized Cost
11,384,721

 
1,555,727

 
12,940,448

Gross unrealized gains
79,040

 
353,358

 
432,398

Gross unrealized losses
(237,287
)
 
(6,702
)
 
(243,989
)
Carrying Value
$
11,226,474

 
$
1,902,383

 
$
13,128,857

 
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



The following tables present the carrying value of the Company’s AFS securities by rate type as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015:
 
December 31, 2016
(in thousands)
 Agency
 
 Non-Agency
 
 Total
Adjustable Rate
$
30,463

 
$
1,574,850

 
$
1,605,313

Fixed Rate
11,196,011

 
327,533

 
11,523,544

Total
$
11,226,474

 
$
1,902,383

 
$
13,128,857

 
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



The following table presents the Company’s AFS securities according to their estimated weighted average life classifications as of December 31, 2016:
 
December 31, 2016
(in thousands)
 Agency
 
 Non-Agency
 
 Total
≤ 1 year
$
1,198

 
$
20,684

 
$
21,882

> 1 and ≤ 3 years
48,595

 
56,498

 
105,093

> 3 and ≤ 5 years
614,633

 
207,724

 
822,357

> 5 and ≤ 10 years
10,532,188

 
946,609

 
11,478,797

> 10 years
29,860

 
670,868

 
700,728

Total
$
11,226,474

 
$
1,902,383

 
$
13,128,857



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, 2016 and 2015 of the unamortized net discount and designated credit reserves on non-Agency AFS securities.
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
(in thousands)
Designated Credit Reserve
 
Unamortized Net Discount
 
Total
 
Designated Credit Reserve
 
Unamortized Net Discount
 
Total
Beginning balance at January 1
$
(409,077
)
 
$
(707,021
)
 
$
(1,116,098
)
 
$
(927,605
)
 
$
(967,368
)
 
$
(1,894,973
)
Acquisitions
(70,108
)
 
(189,754
)
 
(259,862
)
 
557

 
(5,124
)
 
(4,567
)
Accretion of net discount
—

 
69,542

 
69,542

 
—

 
96,061

 
96,061

Realized credit losses
1,969

 
—

 
1,969

 
18,068

 
—

 
18,068

Reclassification adjustment for other-than-temporary impairments
914

 
—

 
914

 
1,742

 
—

 
1,742

Transfers from (to)
74,972

 
(74,972
)
 
—

 
154,580

 
(154,580
)
 
—

Sales, calls, other
33,893

 
93,230

 
127,123

 
343,581

 
323,990

 
667,571

Ending balance at December 31
$
(367,437
)
 
$
(808,975
)
 
$
(1,176,412
)
 
$
(409,077
)
 
$
(707,021
)
 
$
(1,116,098
)


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 December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. At December 31, 2016, the Company held 1,239 AFS securities, of which 252 were in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve consecutive months and 125 were in an unrealized loss position for more than twelve consecutive months. 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. Of the $6.4 billion and $1.5 billion of AFS securities in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve consecutive months as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, $6.1 billion, or 95.8%, and $1.1 billion, or 73.6%, respectively, were Agency AFS securities, whose principal and interest are guaranteed by the GSEs.
 
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, 2016
$
6,416,820

 
$
(204,034
)
 
$
504,978

 
$
(39,955
)
 
$
6,921,798

 
$
(243,989
)
December 31, 2015
$
1,503,939

 
$
(26,984
)
 
$
1,141,839

 
$
(44,412
)
 
$
2,645,778

 
$
(71,396
)


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 (loss) gain 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 $1.8 million other-than-temporary credit impairment during the year ended December 31, 2016 on four non-Agency RMBS where the future expected cash flows for each security were less than its amortized cost. As of December 31, 2016, impaired securities with a carrying value of $111.5 million had actual weighted average cumulative losses of 4.9%, weighted average three-month prepayment speed of 5.9%, weighted average 60+ day delinquency of 23.0% of the pool balance, and weighted average FICO score of 660. At December 31, 2016, 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, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded $0.5 million and $0.4 million in other-than-temporary credit impairments on two and three non-Agency RMBS, respectively, 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 the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014:
 
Year Ended
 
December 31,
(in thousands)
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Cumulative credit loss at beginning of period
$
(6,499
)
 
$
(8,241
)
 
$
(9,467
)
Additions:
 
 
 
 
 
Other-than-temporary impairments not previously recognized
(1,307
)
 
(238
)
 
(91
)
Increases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities with previously recognized other-than-temporary impairments
(515
)
 
(297
)
 
(301
)
Reductions:
 
 
 
 
 
Decreases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities paid down
1,387

 
—

 
464

Decreases related to other-than-temporary impairments on securities sold
1,328

 
2,277

 
1,154

Cumulative credit loss at end of period
$
(5,606
)
 
$
(6,499
)
 
$
(8,241
)


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 (loss) gain on investment securities in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company sold AFS securities for $14.4 billion, $7.0 billion and $3.5 billion with an amortized cost of $14.5 billion, $6.6 billion and $3.4 billion for net realized losses of $126.2 million and gains of $369.4 million and $84.4 million, respectively.
The following table presents the gross realized gains and losses on sales of AFS securities for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014:
 
Year Ended
 
December 31,
(in thousands)
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Gross realized gains
$
97,049

 
$
388,392

 
$
162,235

Gross realized losses
(223,277
)
 
(19,040
)
 
(77,820
)
Total realized (losses) gains on sales, net
$
(126,228
)
 
$
369,352

 
$
84,415