LOANS RECEIVABLE AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Loans and Leases Receivable Disclosure [Abstract]

LOANS RECEIVABLE AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

NOTE 9 — LOANS RECEIVABLE AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

The Company’s loan portfolio includes originated and purchased loans. Originated and purchased loans, for which there was no evidence of credit deterioration at their acquisition date, are referred to collectively as non-PCI loans. Purchased credit impaired (“PCI”) loans are accounted for in accordance with ASC Subtopic 310-30, Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality. A purchased loan is deemed to be credit impaired when there is evidence of credit deterioration since its origination and it is probable at the acquisition date that the Company would be unable to collect all contractually required payments. PCI loans consist of loans acquired from the United Commercial Bank (“UCB”) FDIC assisted acquisition on November 6, 2009, the Washington First International Bank (“WFIB”) FDIC assisted acquisition on June 11, 2010 and, to a lesser extent, a small portion of loans acquired from the MetroCorp acquisition on January 17, 2014. The Company has elected to account for these acquired PCI loans on a pool level basis in accordance with ASC 310-30 at the time of acquisition. Refer to Note 3 — Business Combination to the Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this report, for further details on the MetroCorp acquisition and Note 8 — Covered Assets and FDIC Indemnification Asset to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company’s 2014 Form 10-K for additional details related to the UCB and WFIB acquisitions.

The following table presents the composition of the Company’s non-PCI and PCI loans as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014:




	September 30, 2015									December 31, 2014
($ in thousands)	Non-PCI Loans			PCI Loans ⁽¹⁾			Total ⁽¹⁾			Non-PCI Loans			PCI Loans ⁽¹⁾			Total ⁽¹⁾
CRE:
Income Producing	$	6,518,052		$	570,356		$	7,088,408		$	5,568,046		$	688,013		$	6,256,059
Construction	429,417			6,780			436,197			319,843			12,444			332,287
Land	178,976			6,423			185,399			214,327			16,840			231,167
Total CRE	7,126,445			583,559			7,710,004			6,102,216			717,297			6,819,513
C&I:
Commercial business	7,739,829			61,300			7,801,129			7,097,853			83,336			7,181,189
Trade finance	813,711			4,316			818,027			889,728			6,284			896,012
Total C&I	8,553,540			65,616			8,619,156			7,987,581			89,620			8,077,201
Residential:
Single-family	2,807,248			195,560			3,002,808			3,647,262			219,519			3,866,781
Multifamily	1,312,151			180,210			1,492,361			1,184,017			265,891			1,449,908
Total residential	4,119,399			375,770			4,495,169			4,831,279			485,410			5,316,689
Consumer	1,809,519			25,060			1,834,579			1,483,956			29,786			1,513,742
Total loans	$	21,608,903		$	1,050,005		$	22,658,908		$	20,405,032		$	1,322,113		$	21,727,145
Unearned fees, premiums, and discounts, net	(13,176		)	—			(13,176		)	2,804			—			2,804
Allowance for loan losses	(263,889		)	(541		)	(264,430		)	(260,965		)	(714		)	(261,679		)
Loans, net	$	21,331,838		$	1,049,464		$	22,381,302		$	20,146,871		$	1,321,399		$	21,468,270

(1) Loans net of ASC 310-30 discount.

The Company’s CRE lending activities include loans to finance income-producing properties, construction and land loans. The Company’s C&I lending activities include commercial business financing for small and middle-market businesses in a wide spectrum of industries. Included in commercial business loans are loans for working capital, accounts receivable lines, inventory lines, Small Business Administration loans and lease financing. The Company also offers a variety of international trade finance services and products, including letters of credit, revolving lines of credit, import loans, bankers’ acceptances, working capital lines, domestic purchase financing and pre-export financing.

The Company’s single-family residential loans are primarily comprised of adjustable rate (“ARM”) first mortgage loans secured by one-to-four unit residential properties. The Company’s ARM single-family residential loan programs generally have a one-year or three-year initial fixed period. The Company’s multifamily residential loans are primarily comprised of variable rate loans that have a six-month or three-year initial fixed period. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, consumer loans were primarily composed of home equity lines of credit (“HELOCs”).

All loans originated are subject to the Company’s underwriting guidelines and loan origination standards. Management believes that the Company’s underwriting criteria and procedures adequately consider the unique risks which may come from these products. The Company conducts a variety of quality control procedures and periodic audits, including review of criteria for lending and legal requirements, to ensure it is in compliance with its origination standards.

As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, loans totaling $15.73 billion and $14.66 billion, respectively, were pledged to secure borrowings and to provide additional borrowing capacity from the FHLB and the Federal Reserve Bank.

Credit Quality Indicators

All loans are subject to the Company’s internal and external credit review and monitoring. Loans are risk rated based on analysis of the current state of the borrower’s credit quality. The analysis of credit quality includes a review of all repayment sources, the borrower’s current payment performance/delinquency, current financial and liquidity status and all other relevant information. For single-family residential loans, payment performance/delinquency is the driving indicator for the risk ratings. However, the risk ratings remain the overall credit quality indicator for the Company, as well as the credit quality indicator utilized for estimating the appropriate allowance for loan losses. The Company utilizes a seven-grade risk rating system, which can be classified within the following categories: Pass, Watch, Special Mention, Substandard, Doubtful and Loss. The risk ratings reflect the relative strength of the repayment sources.

Pass and Watch loans are generally considered to have sufficient sources of repayment in order to repay the loan in full in accordance with all terms and conditions. These borrowers may have some credit risks that require monitoring, but full repayments are expected. Special Mention loans are considered to have potential weaknesses that warrant closer attention by management. Special Mention is considered a transitory grade. If any potential weaknesses are resolved, the loan is upgraded to a Pass or Watch grade. If negative trends in the borrower’s financial status or other information indicates that the repayment sources may become inadequate, the loan is downgraded to a Substandard grade. Substandard loans are considered to have well-defined weaknesses that jeopardize the full and timely repayment of the loan. Substandard loans have a distinct possibility of loss, if the deficiencies are not corrected. Additionally, when management has assessed a potential for loss but a distinct possibility of loss is not recognizable, the loan is still classified as Substandard. Doubtful loans have insufficient sources of repayment and a high probability of loss. Loss loans are considered to be uncollectible and of such little value that they are no longer considered bankable assets. These internal risk ratings are reviewed routinely and adjusted due to changes in the borrowers’ status and likelihood of loan repayment.

The following tables present the credit risk rating for non-PCI loans by portfolio segment as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014:




($ in thousands)	Pass/Watch		Special Mention		Substandard		Doubtful		Loss		Total Non-PCI Loans
September 30, 2015
CRE:
Income producing	$	6,241,315	$	52,904	$	223,833	$	—	$	—	$	6,518,052
Construction	425,354		—		4,063		—		—		429,417
Land	160,657		—		18,319		—		—		178,976
C&I:
Commercial business	7,430,295		153,160		156,030		344		—		7,739,829
Trade finance	767,236		17,382		29,093		—		—		813,711
Residential:
Single-family	2,783,817		4,328		19,103		—		—		2,807,248
Multifamily	1,250,706		1,190		60,255		—		—		1,312,151
Consumer	1,805,240		1,328		2,951		—		—		1,809,519
Total	$	20,864,620	$	230,292	$	513,647	$	344	$	—	$	21,608,903




($ in thousands)	Pass/Watch		Special Mention		Substandard		Doubtful		Loss		Total Non-PCI Loans
December 31, 2014
CRE:
Income producing	$	5,243,640	$	54,673	$	269,733	$	—	$	—	$	5,568,046
Construction	310,259		11		9,573		—		—		319,843
Land	185,220		5,701		23,406		—		—		214,327
C&I:
Commercial business	6,836,914		130,319		130,032		533		55		7,097,853
Trade finance	845,889		13,031		30,808		—		—		889,728
Residential:
Single-family	3,627,491		3,143		16,628		—		—		3,647,262
Multifamily	1,095,982		5,124		82,911		—		—		1,184,017
Consumer	1,480,208		1,005		2,743		—		—		1,483,956
Total	$	19,625,603	$	213,007	$	565,834	$	533	$	55	$	20,405,032

The following tables present the credit risk rating for PCI loans by portfolio segment as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014:




($ in thousands)	Pass/Watch		Special Mention		Substandard		Doubtful		Loss		Total PCI Loans
September 30, 2015
CRE:
Income producing	$	454,052	$	7,005	$	109,299	$	—	$	—	$	570,356
Construction	—		—		6,780		—		—		6,780
Land	4,625		—		1,798		—		—		6,423
C&I:
Commercial business	54,899		875		5,526		—		—		61,300
Trade finance	2,590		—		1,726		—		—		4,316
Residential:
Single-family	190,136		1,158		4,266		—		—		195,560
Multifamily	153,036		—		27,174		—		—		180,210
Consumer	24,244		338		478		—		—		25,060
Total ⁽¹⁾	$	883,582	$	9,376	$	157,047	$	—	$	—	$	1,050,005

(1) Loans net of ASC 310-30 discount.




($ in thousands)	Pass/Watch		Special Mention		Substandard		Doubtful		Loss		Total PCI Loans
December 31, 2014
CRE:
Income producing	$	534,015	$	9,960	$	144,038	$	—	$	—	$	688,013
Construction	589		1,744		10,111		—		—		12,444
Land	7,012		5,391		4,437		—		—		16,840
C&I:
Commercial business	70,586		1,103		11,647		—		—		83,336
Trade finance	4,620		—		1,664		—		—		6,284
Residential:
Single-family	213,829		374		5,316		—		—		219,519
Multifamily	230,049		—		35,842		—		—		265,891
Consumer	29,026		116		644		—		—		29,786
Total ⁽¹⁾	$	1,089,726	$	18,688	$	213,699	$	—	$	—	$	1,322,113

(1) Loans net of ASC 310-30 discount.

Nonaccrual and Past Due Loans

The following tables present the aging analysis on non-PCI loans as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014:




($ in thousands)	Accruing Loans 30-59 Days Past Due		Accruing Loans 60-89 Days Past Due		Total Accruing Past Due Loans		Nonaccrual Loans Less Than 90 Days Past Due		Nonaccrual Loans 90 or More Days Past Due		Total Nonaccrual Loans		Current Accruing Loans		Total Non-PCI Loans
September 30, 2015
CRE:
Income producing	$	12,964	$	11,770	$	24,734	$	10,817	$	18,822	$	29,639	$	6,463,679	$	6,518,052
Construction	—		11		11		14		745		759		428,647		429,417
Land	—		9,739		9,739		1,081		615		1,696		167,541		178,976
C&I:
Commercial business	29,143		737		29,880		43,574		17,129		60,703		7,649,246		7,739,829
Trade finance	—		—		—		—		—		—		813,711		813,711
Residential:
Single-family	7,053		3,491		10,544		99		10,968		11,067		2,785,637		2,807,248
Multifamily	5,107		7,155		12,262		7,922		5,205		13,127		1,286,762		1,312,151
Consumer	691		114		805		161		367		528		1,808,186		1,809,519
Total	$	54,958	$	33,017	$	87,975	$	63,668	$	53,851	$	117,519	$	21,403,409	$	21,608,903
Unearned fees, premiums and discounts, net															(13,176		)
Total recorded investment in non-PCI loans															$	21,595,727




($ in thousands)	Accruing Loans 30-59 Days Past Due		Accruing Loans 60-89 Days Past Due		Total Accruing Past Due Loans		Nonaccrual Loans Less Than 90 Days Past Due		Nonaccrual Loans 90 or More Days Past Due		Total Nonaccrual Loans		Current Accruing Loans		Total Non-PCI Loans
December 31, 2014
CRE:
Income producing	$	14,171	$	3,593	$	17,764	$	19,348	$	9,165	$	28,513	$	5,521,769	$	5,568,046
Construction	—		—		—		15		6,898		6,913		312,930		319,843
Land	—		—		—		221		2,502		2,723		211,604		214,327
C&I:
Commercial business	3,187		4,361		7,548		6,623		21,813		28,436		7,061,869		7,097,853
Trade finance	—		—		—		73		292		365		889,363		889,728
Residential:
Single-family	6,381		1,294		7,675		2,861		5,764		8,625		3,630,962		3,647,262
Multifamily	4,425		507		4,932		12,460		8,359		20,819		1,158,266		1,184,017
Consumer	2,154		162		2,316		169		3,699		3,868		1,477,772		1,483,956
Total	$	30,318	$	9,917	$	40,235	$	41,770	$	58,492	$	100,262	$	20,264,535	$	20,405,032
Unearned fees, premiums and discounts, net															2,804
Total recorded investment in non-PCI loans															$	20,407,836

Non-PCI loans that are 90 or more days past due are generally placed on nonaccrual status. Additionally, non-PCI loans that are not 90 or more days past due but have identified deficiencies are also placed on nonaccrual status. Once a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, interest accrual is discontinued and all unpaid accrued interest is reversed against interest income. Interest payments received on nonaccrual loans are reflected as a reduction of principal and not as interest income. A loan is returned to accrual status when the borrower has demonstrated a satisfactory payment trend subject to management’s assessment of the borrower’s ability to repay the loan.

PCI loans are excluded from the above aging analysis table as the Company has elected to account for these loans on a pool level basis in accordance with ASC 310-30 at the time of acquisition. Refer to the discussion of PCI Loans within this note for further details on interest income recognition of PCI loans. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, $47.4 million and $63.4 million of PCI loans, respectively, were on nonaccrual status.

Loans in Process of Foreclosure

As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had $18.7 million and $16.9 million, respectively, of recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans secured by residential real estate properties, for which formal foreclosure proceedings were in process according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdictions, which were not included in OREO. Foreclosed residential real estate properties with a carrying amount of $2.8 million were included in total net OREO of $12.3 million as of September 30, 2015. In comparison, foreclosed residential real estate properties with a carrying amount of $3.5 million were included in total net OREO of $32.1 million as of December 31, 2014.

Troubled Debt Restructurings

A troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) is a modification of the terms of a loan when the lender, for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s financial difficulties, grants a concession to the borrower. The concessions may be granted in various forms, including a below-market change in the stated interest rate, reduction in the loan balance or accrued interest, extension of the maturity date with a stated interest rate lower than the current market rate or note splits referred to as A/B notes. In A/B note restructurings, the original note is bifurcated into two notes where the A note represents the portion of the original loan which allows for acceptable loan-to-value and debt coverage on the collateral and is expected to be collected in full and the B note represents the portion of the original loan where there is a shortfall in value and is fully charged off. The A/B note balance is comprised of the A note balance only. A notes are not disclosed as TDRs in subsequent years after the year of restructuring if the restructuring agreement specifies an interest rate equal to or greater than the rate that the Company was willing to accept at the time of the restructuring for a new loan with comparable risk, the loan is not impaired based on the terms specified by the restructuring agreement and has demonstrated a period of sustained performance under the modified terms. The Company had $1.8 million and $2.9 million of performing A/B notes as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

Potential TDRs are individually evaluated and the type of restructuring is selected based on the loan type and the circumstances of the borrower’s financial difficulty in order to maximize the Company’s recovery. During the three months ended September 30, 2015, the Company restructured $4.4 million of C&I loans through principal deferments and extensions and $1.2 million of CRE loans through principal and interest reductions and other modified terms. During the three months ended September 30, 2014, the Company restructured $1.5 million of residential loans through principal and interest reductions, $504 thousand of consumer loans primarily through other modified terms and $165 thousand of C&I loans primarily through principal and interest reductions, as well as extensions. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company restructured $2.1 million of CRE loans primarily through principal and interest deferments and reductions, $35.4 million of C&I loans primarily through principal and interest reductions, extensions, as well as principal deferments, and $279 thousand of residential loans through principal deferments. During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company restructured $11.2 million residential loans primarily through principal deferments, extensions and other modified terms, $5.2 million of CRE loans primarily through principal and interest reductions, $2.3 million of C&I loans primarily through extensions and principal deferments and $504 thousand of consumer loans primarily through other modified terms.

The following tables present the additions to non-PCI TDRs during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:




	Loans Modified as TDRs During the Three Months Ended September 30,
	2015							2014
($ in thousands)	Number of Contracts	Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment ⁽¹⁾		Financial Impact ⁽²⁾		Number of Contracts	Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment ⁽¹⁾		Financial Impact⁽²⁾
CRE:
Income producing	1	$	451	$	403	$	—	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Land	1	$	2,056	$	788	$	—	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
C&I:
Commercial business	3	$	4,596	$	4,423	$	1,229	1	$	54	$	54	$	10
Trade finance	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	1	$	190	$	111	$	14
Residential:
Single-family	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	2	$	1,474	$	1,473	$	—
Consumer	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	1	$	509	$	504	$	—




	Loans Modified as TDRs During the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2015							2014
($ in thousands)	Number of Contracts	Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment ⁽¹⁾		Financial Impact ⁽²⁾		Number of Contracts	Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment ⁽¹⁾		Financial Impact⁽²⁾
CRE:
Income producing	2	$	1,279	$	1,209	$	—	2	$	5,318	$	5,193	$	—
Land	2	$	2,227	$	881	$	102	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
C&I:
Commercial business	16	$	42,686	$	35,365	$	6,726	8	$	2,940	$	2,167	$	1,821
Trade finance	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	1	$	190	$	111	$	14
Residential:
Single-family	1	$	281	$	279	$	2	9	$	11,454	$	8,356	$	—
Multifamily	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	1	$	2,513	$	2,832	$	—
Consumer	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	1	$	509	$	504	$	—

(1) Includes subsequent payments after modification and reflects the balance as of September 30, 2015 and 2014.

(2) The financial impact includes charge-offs and specific reserves recorded at the modification date.

Subsequent to restructuring, a TDR that becomes delinquent, generally beyond 90 days, is considered to have defaulted. Non-PCI loans that were modified as TDRs within the previous 12 months that have subsequently defaulted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 consisted of one CRE TDR contract with a recorded investment of $2.1 million. Non-PCI loans that were modified as TDRs within the previous 12 months that have subsequently defaulted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 consisted of one C&I TDR contract with a recorded investment of $967 thousand.

TDRs may be designated as performing or nonperforming. A TDR may be designated as performing, if the loan has demonstrated sustained performance under the modified terms. The period of sustained performance may include the periods prior to modification if prior performance has met or exceeded the modified terms. A loan will remain on nonaccrual status until the borrower demonstrates a sustained period of performance, generally six consecutive months of payments.

TDRs are included in the impaired loan quarterly valuation allowance process. Please refer to the sections below titled Allowance for Credit Losses and Impaired Loans for a complete discussion. All portfolio segments of TDRs are reviewed for necessary specific reserves in the same manner as impaired loans of the same portfolio segment which have not been identified as TDRs. The modification of the terms of each TDR is considered in the current impairment analysis of the respective TDR. For all portfolio segments of nonperforming TDRs, when the restructured loan is deemed to be uncollectible under modified terms and its fair value is less than the recorded investment in the loan, the deficiency is charged off against the allowance for loan losses. If the loan is a performing TDR, the deficiency is included in the specific reserves of the allowance for loan losses, as appropriate. The amount of additional funds committed to lend to borrowers whose terms have been modified were immaterial as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

Impaired Loans

The Company’s loans are grouped into heterogeneous and homogeneous (mostly consumer loans) categories. Classified loans in the heterogeneous category are identified and evaluated for impairment on an individual basis. A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all scheduled payments of principal or interest due according to the original contractual terms of the loan agreement. Impaired loans are measured based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate or, as expedient, at the loan’s observable market price or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent, less costs to sell. When the value of an impaired loan is less than the recorded investment in the loan and the loan is classified as nonperforming and uncollectible, the deficiency is charged-off against the allowance for loan losses. Impaired loans exclude the homogeneous consumer loan portfolio which is evaluated collectively for impairment. The Company’s impaired loans predominantly include non-PCI loans held-for-investment on nonaccrual status and any non-PCI loans modified in a TDR, on both accrual and nonaccrual status.

The following tables present the non-PCI impaired loans as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014:




($ in thousands)	Unpaid Principal Balance		Recorded Investment With No Allowance		Recorded Investment With Allowance		Total Recorded Investment		Related Allowance
September 30, 2015
CRE:
Income producing	$	49,302	$	29,352	$	12,731	$	42,083	$	1,322
Construction	805		745		14		759		3
Land	8,439		1,403		989		2,392		94
C&I:
Commercial business	85,352		19,760		55,251		75,011		20,368
Trade finance	11,119		—		11,119		11,119		91
Residential:
Single-family	19,581		6,322		11,786		18,108		689
Multifamily	26,491		17,699		6,518		24,217		273
Consumer	1,246		—		1,246		1,246		59
Total	$	202,335	$	75,281	$	99,654	$	174,935	$	22,899




($ in thousands)	Unpaid Principal Balance		Recorded Investment With No Allowance		Recorded Investment With Allowance		Total Recorded Investment		Related Allowance
December 31, 2014
CRE:
Income producing	$	58,900	$	35,495	$	15,646	$	51,141	$	1,581
Construction	6,913		6,913		—		6,913		—
Land	13,291		2,838		5,622		8,460		1,906
C&I:
Commercial business	44,569		12,723		25,717		38,440		15,174
Trade finance	12,967		6,431		274		6,705		28
Residential:
Single-family	18,908		6,003		11,398		17,401		461
Multifamily	37,649		21,523		12,890		34,413		313
Consumer	1,259		1,151		108		1,259		1
Total	$	194,456	$	93,077	$	71,655	$	164,732	$	19,464

The following table presents the average recorded investment and the amount of interest income recognized on non-PCI impaired loans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:




	Three Months Ended September 30,								Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2015				2014				2015				2014
($ in thousands)	Average Recorded Investment		Recognized Interest Income ⁽¹⁾		Average Recorded Investment		Recognized Interest Income ⁽¹⁾		Average Recorded Investment		Recognized Interest Income ⁽¹⁾		Average Recorded Investment		Recognized Interest Income ⁽¹⁾
CRE:
Income producing	$	43,227	$	130	$	62,973	$	273	$	45,154	$	393	$	64,820	$	940
Construction	759		—		6,888		—		695		—		6,888		—
Land	3,957		10		8,581		75		4,796		30		8,676		224
C&I:
Commercial business	75,655		161		42,832		207		75,951		489		42,403		619
Trade finance	11,285		50		363		4		11,584		185		383		12
Residential:
Single-family	18,192		68		19,668		87		18,338		205		19,372		263
Multifamily	24,338		178		35,547		177		24,546		530		35,610		529
Consumer	1,248		12		1,264		12		1,253		35		1,259		35
Total impaired non-PCI loans	$	178,661	$	609	$	178,116	$	835	$	182,317	$	1,867	$	179,411	$	2,622


(1)	Includes interest recognized on accruing non-PCI TDRs. Interest payments received on nonaccrual non-PCI loans are reflected as a reduction of principal and not as interest income.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses consists of the allowance for loan losses and the allowance for unfunded lending commitments. The Company’s methodology to determine the overall appropriateness of the allowance for credit losses is based on a classification migration model and qualitative considerations. The migration model examines pools of loans having similar characteristics and analyzes their loss rates over a historical period. The Company assigns loss rates to each loan grade within each pool of loans. Loss rates derived by the migration model are based predominantly on historical loss trends that may not be entirely indicative of the actual or inherent loss potential. As such, the Company utilizes qualitative and environmental factors as adjusting mechanisms to supplement the historical results of the classification migration model. Qualitative considerations include, but are not limited to, prevailing economic or market conditions, relative risk profiles of various loan segments, volume concentrations, growth trends, delinquency and nonaccrual status, problem loan trends and geographic concentrations. Qualitative and environmental factors are reflected as percentage adjustments and are added to the historical loss rates derived from the classified asset migration model to determine the appropriate allowance for each loan pool.

The allowance for loan losses on non-PCI loans consists of specific reserves and general reserves. The Company’s non-PCI loans fall into heterogeneous and homogeneous categories. Impaired loans are subject to specific reserves. Loans in the homogeneous category, as well as non-impaired loans in the heterogeneous category, are evaluated as part of the general reserves. General reserves are calculated by utilizing both quantitative and qualitative factors. There are different qualitative risks for the loans in each portfolio segment. The residential and CRE segments’ predominant risk characteristics are the collateral and the geographic locations of the properties collateralizing the loans. The risk is qualitatively assessed based on the total real estate loan concentration in those geographic areas. The C&I segment’s predominant risk characteristics are the global cash flows of the borrowers and guarantors and economic and market conditions. Consumer loans are largely comprised of HELOCs for which the predominant risk characteristic is the real estate collateral securing the loans.

The Company also maintains an allowance for loan losses on PCI loans when there is deterioration in credit quality subsequent to acquisition. Based on the Company’s estimates of cash flows expected to be collected, the Company establishes an allowance for the PCI loans, with a charge to income through the provision for loan losses. As of September 30, 2015, the Company has established an allowance of $541 thousand on $1.05 billion of PCI loans. As of December 31, 2014, an allowance of $714 thousand was established on $1.32 billion of PCI loans. The allowance balances for both periods were allocated mainly to the PCI CRE loan pools.

When determined uncollectible, it is the Company’s policy to promptly charge-off the difference in the outstanding loan balance and the fair value of the collateral or the discounted value of expected cash flows. Recoveries are recorded when payment is received on loans that were previously charged-off through the allowance for loan losses. Allocation of a portion of the allowance to one segment of the loan portfolio does not preclude its availability to absorb losses in other segments.

The following tables present a summary of the activity in the allowance for loan losses by portfolio segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:




	Non-PCI Loans
($ in thousands)	CRE			C&I			Residential			Consumer			Total			PCI Loans			Total
Three Months Ended September 30, 2015
Beginning balance	$	75,496		$	133,962		$	40,668		$	10,491		$	260,617		$	612		$	261,229
Provision for (reversal of) loan losses	2,333			11,221			(4,979		)	(70		)	8,505			(71		)	8,434
Charge-offs	(135		)	(7,187		)	(35		)	(123		)	(7,480		)	—			(7,480		)
Recoveries	83			933			1,158			73			2,247			—			2,247
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	(52		)	(6,254		)	1,123			(50		)	(5,233		)	—			(5,233		)
Ending balance	$	77,777		$	138,929		$	36,812		$	10,371		$	263,889		$	541		$	264,430




	Non-PCI Loans
($ in thousands)	CRE			C&I			Residential			Consumer			Total			PCI Loans			Total
Three Months Ended September 30, 2014
Beginning balance	$	60,895		$	131,057		$	45,949		$	11,889		$	249,790		$	1,558		$	251,348
Provision for (reversal of) loan losses	69			16,888			(839		)	574			16,692			(844		)	15,848
Charge-offs	(1,548		)	(16,027		)	(8		)	(134		)	(17,717		)	—			(17,717		)
Recoveries	259			3,342			95			3			3,699			—			3,699
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	(1,289		)	(12,685		)	87			(131		)	(14,018		)	—			(14,018		)
Ending balance	$	59,675		$	135,260		$	45,197		$	12,332		$	252,464		$	714		$	253,178




	Non-PCI Loans
($ in thousands)	CRE			C&I			Residential			Consumer			Total			PCI Loans			Total
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015
Beginning balance	$	72,263		$	134,598		$	43,856		$	10,248		$	260,965		$	714		$	261,679
Provision for (reversal of) loan losses	5,739			13,883			(9,868		)	305			10,059			(173		)	9,886
Charge-offs	(1,486		)	(16,619		)	(782		)	(586		)	(19,473		)	—			(19,473		)
Recoveries	1,261			7,067			3,606			404			12,338			—			12,338
Net (charge-offs) recoveries	(225		)	(9,552		)	2,824			(182		)	(7,135		)	—			(7,135		)
Ending balance	$	77,777		$	138,929		$	36,812		$	10,371		$	263,889		$	541		$	264,430




	Non-PCI Loans
($ in thousands)	CRE			C&I			Residential			Consumer			Total			PCI Loans			Total
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
Beginning balance	$	70,154		$	115,184		$	50,716		$	11,352		$	247,406		$	2,269		$	249,675
(Reversal of) provision for loan losses	(9,354		)	44,398			(5,462		)	1,187			30,769			(1,032		)	29,737
Charge-offs	(2,761		)	(28,971		)	(352		)	(217		)	(32,301		)	(523		)	(32,824		)
Recoveries	1,636			4,649			295			10			6,590			—			6,590
Net charge-offs	(1,125		)	(24,322		)	(57		)	(207		)	(25,711		)	(523		)	(26,234		)
Ending balance	$	59,675		$	135,260		$	45,197		$	12,332		$	252,464		$	714		$	253,178

The allowance for unfunded lending commitments is maintained at a level believed by management to be sufficient to absorb estimated probable losses related to unfunded credit facilities. The determination of the adequacy of the allowance is based on periodic evaluations of the unfunded credit facilities including an assessment of the probability of commitment usage, credit risk factors for loans outstanding to these same customers, and the terms and expiration dates of the unfunded credit facilities. The allowance for unfunded lending commitments was included in accrued expense and other liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Refer to Note 12 — Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to unfunded lending commitments.

The following table presents a summary of the activity in the allowance for unfunded lending commitments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:




	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands)	2015			2014			2015		2014
Beginning balance	$	19,741		$	12,326		$	12,712	$	11,282
(Reversal of) provision for unfunded lending commitments	(698		)	(623		)	6,331		421
Charge-offs	—			145			—		145
Ending balance	$	19,043		$	11,558		$	19,043	$	11,558

The following tables present the Company’s allowance for loan losses and recorded investments in loans by portfolio segment as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 and disaggregated on the basis of the Company’s impairment methodology:




($ in thousands)	CRE		C&I		Residential		Consumer		Total
As of September 30, 2015
Allowance for loan losses
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	1,419	$	20,459	$	962	$	59	$	22,899
Collectively evaluated for impairment	76,358		118,470		35,850		10,312		240,990
Acquired with deteriorated credit quality	541		—		—		—		541
Ending balance	$	78,318	$	138,929	$	36,812	$	10,371	$	264,430

Recorded investment in loans
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	45,234	$	86,130	$	42,325	$	1,246	$	174,935
Collectively evaluated for impairment	7,081,211		8,467,410		4,077,074		1,808,273		21,433,968
Acquired with deteriorated credit quality ⁽¹⁾	583,559		65,616		375,770		25,060		1,050,005
Ending balance ⁽¹⁾	$	7,710,004	$	8,619,156	$	4,495,169	$	1,834,579	$	22,658,908

(1) Loans net of ASC 310-30 discount.




($ in thousands)	CRE		C&I		Residential		Consumer		Total
As of December 31, 2014
Allowance for loan losses
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	3,487	$	15,202	$	774	$	1	$	19,464
Collectively evaluated for impairment	68,776		119,396		43,082		10,247		241,501
Acquired with deteriorated credit quality	714		—		—		—		714
Ending balance	$	72,977	$	134,598	$	43,856	$	10,248	$	261,679

Recorded investment in loans
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	66,514	$	45,145	$	51,814	$	1,259	$	164,732
Collectively evaluated for impairment	6,035,702		7,942,436		4,779,465		1,482,697		20,240,300
Acquired with deteriorated credit quality ⁽¹⁾	717,297		89,620		485,410		29,786		1,322,113
Ending balance ⁽¹⁾	$	6,819,513	$	8,077,201	$	5,316,689	$	1,513,742	$	21,727,145

(1) Loans net of ASC 310-30 discount.

PCI Loans

As of the respective acquisition dates, PCI loans were pooled and accounted for at fair value, which represents the discounted value of the expected cash flows of the loan portfolio. The amount of expected cash flows over the initial investment in the loan represent the “accretable yield,” which is recognized as interest income on a level yield basis over the life of the loan. The excess of total contractual cash flows over the cash flows expected to be received at origination is deemed the “nonaccretable difference”. In estimating the nonaccretable difference, the Company (a) calculated the contractual amount and timing of undiscounted principal and interest payments (the “undiscounted contractual cash flows”) and (b) estimated the amount and timing of undiscounted expected principal and interest payments (the “undiscounted expected cash flows”). The difference between the undiscounted contractual cash flows and the undiscounted expected cash flows is the nonaccretable difference.

Covered assets consist of loans receivable and OREO that were acquired in the UCB acquisition on November 6, 2009 and in the WFIB acquisition on June 11, 2010 for which the Company entered into shared-loss agreements with the FDIC. Pursuant to the terms of the shared-loss agreements, the FDIC is obligated to reimburse the Company 80% of eligible losses for both UCB and WFIB with respect to covered assets. For the UCB covered assets, the FDIC will reimburse the Company for 95% of eligible losses in excess of $2.05 billion. The Company has a corresponding obligation to reimburse the FDIC for 80% or 95%, as applicable, of eligible recoveries with respect to covered assets. The shared-loss coverage of the UCB and WFIB commercial loans ended after December 31, 2014 and June 30, 2015, respectively. In addition, the Company reached an agreement with the FDIC to terminate the WFIB shared-loss agreements early and made a payment of $7.0 million as consideration for the early termination. The loss recovery provisions of the UCB commercial shared-loss agreement are still in effect through December 31, 2017, while both the shared-loss coverage and loss recovery provisions of the UCB residential shared-loss agreement are in effect through November 30, 2019. Refer to Note 8 — Covered Assets and FDIC Indemnification Asset to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company’s 2014 Form 10-K for additional details related to the shared-loss agreements. Of the total $1.05 billion in PCI loans as of September 30, 2015, $212.5 million were covered under shared-loss agreements. Of the total $1.32 billion in PCI loans as of December 31, 2014, $1.23 billion were covered under shared-loss agreements. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, $238.4 million and $1.48 billion of total loans were covered under shared-loss agreements, respectively.

The following table presents the changes in the accretable yield for the PCI loans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:




	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands)	2015			2014			2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	271,862		$	392,894		$	311,688		$	461,545
Addition	—			—			—			6,745
Accretion	(30,608		)	(52,524		)	(84,537		)	(180,093		)
Changes in expected cash flows	1,518			11,232			15,621			63,405
Ending balance	$	242,772		$	351,602		$	242,772		$	351,602

FDIC Indemnification Asset/Net Payable to FDIC

The Company is amortizing the difference between the recorded amount of the FDIC indemnification asset and the expected reimbursement from the FDIC over the life of the indemnification asset. Due to continued payoffs and improved credit performance of the covered portfolio, compared to the Company’s original estimates, the expected reimbursement from the FDIC under the shared-loss agreements has decreased and a net payable to the FDIC has been recorded. In prior years, due to the estimated losses from the covered portfolio and the corresponding expected payments from the FDIC, the Company recorded an FDIC indemnification asset. As of September 30, 2015 and 2014, a net payable to the FDIC of $101.5 million and $64.5 million were included in accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The following table presents a summary of the FDIC indemnification asset/net payable to the FDIC for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:




	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands)	2015			2014			2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	(105,054	)	$	(24,337	)	$	(96,106	)	$	74,708
Amortization	(709		)	(28,175		)	(3,508		)	(85,968		)
Reductions ⁽¹⁾	(391		)	(5,676		)	(1,544		)	(31,629		)
Estimate of FDIC repayment ⁽²⁾	4,685			(6,272		)	(311		)	(21,571		)
Ending balance	$	(101,469	)	$	(64,460	)	$	(101,469	)	$	(64,460	)


(1)	Reductions relate to charge-offs, partial prepayments, loan payoffs and loan sales which result in a corresponding reduction of the indemnification asset.


(2)	Represents the change in the calculated estimate the Company will be required to pay the FDIC at the end of the FDIC shared-loss agreements, due to lower thresholds of losses.

Loans Held for Sale

Loans held for sale are carried at the LOCOM. When a determination is made at the time of commitment to originate loans as held-for-investment, it is the Company’s intent to hold these loans to maturity or for the “foreseeable future,” subject to periodic review under the Company’s management evaluation processes, including asset/liability management. When the Company subsequently changes its intent to hold certain loans, the loans would be transferred from the loans held-for-investment portfolio to the loans held for sale portfolio at LOCOM.

Loans held for sale were $349.4 million and $46.0 million as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. $400.1 million and $1.55 billion of loans held-for-investment were transferred to loans held for sale during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. These loans were primarily comprised of single-family residential and C&I loans. In comparison, $69.8 million and $675.5 million of loans held-for-investment were transferred to loans held for sale during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. These loans were primarily comprised of student and C&I loans.

The Company recorded $968 thousand and $3.1 million in write-downs related to loans transferred from loans held-for-investment to loans held for sale to allowance for loan losses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. There were no write-downs recorded on loans transferred from loans held-for-investment to loans held for sale for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.

Approximately $245.9 million of loans were sold, resulting in net gains of $5.1 million, during the three months ended September 30, 2015. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, approximately $1.24 billion of loans were sold, resulting in net gains of $20.4 million. Loans sold during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 were primarily comprised of single-family residential and C&I loans. Approximately $291.8 million and $748.4 million of loans, mainly comprised of student and C&I loans were sold during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. $7.7 million and $20.7 million of net gains on sales of loans were recorded during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. In addition, the Company recorded a $211 thousand and $728 thousand LOCOM adjustment related to the loans held for sale portfolio during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. The LOCOM adjustments were included in the net gains on sales of loans in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.