COVERED ASSETS AND FDIC INDEMNIFICATION ASSET (Details 5) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	$ 126,895,000	[1],[2],[3]	$ 204,310,000	[1],[2],[3]
Total nonperforming loans	126,895,000		204,310,000
Other real estate owned covered, net	21,373,000		26,808,000
Total covered nonperforming assets	148,268,000		231,118,000
Percentage of any reimbursable expense recorded as interest income under ASC 310-30	80.00%
Covered TDR activity
Balance at beginning of period	157,736,000		146,709,000
Additions	35,865,000		72,917,000
Transfers to OREO			(6,351,000)
Charge-offs	(10,167,000)		(8,658,000)
Paydowns/ Reductions	(67,427,000)		(46,881,000)
Balance at end of period	116,007,000		157,736,000		146,709,000
Changes in the accretable yield for the covered loans
Balance at beginning of period	556,986,000		785,165,000
Accretion	(347,010,000)		(382,132,000)
Changes in expected cash flows	251,569,000		153,953,000
Balance at end of period	461,545,000		556,986,000		785,165,000
Covered assets - other disclosures
Amount reclassified from nonaccretable yield to accretable yield due to changes in loss rate assumptions	190,300,000		38,600,000
Amount of loans removed from the covered loans accounted for under ASC 310-30, excluding scheduled principal payments	739,300,000		924,700,000		932,200,000
Loan discount related to payoffs and removals of loans	168,100,000		124,700,000		102,100,000
Covered loans accounted for under ASC 310-10
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	17,700,000		29,600,000
Covered OREO Properties
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Aggregate carrying value of covered OREO properties	21,400,000		26,800,000
Number of covered OREO properties added during the period	26
Aggregate carrying value of covered OREO properties added during the period	31,200,000
Net adjustments included in aggregate carrying value on covered OREO properties	2,400,000
Number of covered OREO properties sold during the period	46
Total proceeds value of covered OREO properties sold during the period	38,900,000
Total net gains (losses) on covered OREO properties sold during the period	$ 4,700,000
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | California
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	31.00%
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | Massachusetts
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total	31.00%
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 $17.7 million and $29.6 million of loans at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, accounted for under 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.