COVERED ASSETS AND FDIC INDEMNIFICATION ASSET (Details 5) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	$ 207,683,000	[1],[2],[3]		$ 204,310,000	[1],[2],[3]
Total nonperforming loans	207,683,000			204,310,000
Other real estate owned covered, net	28,567,000			26,808,000
Total covered nonperforming assets	236,250,000			231,118,000
Changes in the accretable yield for the covered loans
Balance at beginning of period	556,986,000		785,165,000
Accretion	(46,146,000)		(25,606,000)
Changes in expected cash flows	(7,364,000)		(62,893,000)
Balance at end of period	503,476,000		696,666,000
Covered assets - other disclosures
Amount of loans removed from the covered loans accounted under ASC 310-30, excluding scheduled principal payments	172,300,000		219,600,000
Loan discount related to payoffs and removals of loans	32,700,000		4,100,000
Covered loans accounted for under ASC 310-10
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	37,000,000			29,600,000
Covered OREO Properties
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Number of covered OREO properties	30			37
Number of covered OREO properties added during the period	8
Aggregate carrying value of covered OREO properties	28,600,000			26,800,000
Aggregate carrying value of covered OREO properties added during the period	14,900,000
Net adjustments included in aggregate carrying value on covered OREO properties	64,000
Number of covered OREO properties sold during the period	15
Total proceeds value of covered OREO properties sold during the period	16,000,000
Combined net gains (losses) on covered OREO properties sold during the period	$ 2,800,000
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | California
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	60.00%
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | Texas
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	14.00%
United Commercial Bank (UCB)
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	94.00%
Number of general geographic regions	3
United Commercial Bank (UCB) | Geographic Concentration | California
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	64.00%
United Commercial Bank (UCB) | Geographic Concentration | New York
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	11.00%
United Commercial Bank (UCB) | Geographic Concentration | Hong Kong
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	10.00%

[1] Includes $37.0 million and $29.6 million of loans at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, accounted forunder ASC 310-10, of which some loans have additional partial balances accounted for under ASC 310-30.

[2] Covered nonaccrual loans include loans that meet the criteria for nonaccrual but have a yield accreted through interest income under ASC 310-30 and all losses on covered loans are 80% reimbursed by the FDIC.

[3] Represents principal balance net of discount.