Derivatives and Hedging Activity

The Corporation, through its mortgage banking and risk management operations, is party to various derivative instruments that are used for asset and liability management and customers’ financing needs. Derivative instruments are contracts between two or more parties that have a notional amount and underlying variable, require no net investment and allow for the net settlement of positions. The notional amount serves as the basis for the payment provision of the contract and takes the form of units, such as shares or dollars. The underlying variable represents a specified interest rate, index or other component. The interaction between the notional amount and the underlying variable determines the number of units to be exchanged between the parties and influences the market value of the derivative contract.

The predominant derivative and hedging activities include interest rate swaps and certain mortgage banking activities. Generally, these instruments help the Corporation manage exposure to market risk, and meet customer financing needs. Market risk represents the possibility that economic value or net interest income will be adversely affected by fluctuations in external factors, such as interest rates, market-driven rates and prices or other economic factors. Foreign exchange contracts are entered into to accommodate the needs of customers.

Derivatives Designated in Hedge Relationships

The Corporation’s fixed rate loans result in exposure to losses in value as interest rates change. The risk management objective for hedging fixed rate loans is to convert the fixed rate received to a floating rate. The Corporation hedges exposure to changes in the fair value of fixed rate loans through the use of swaps. For a qualifying fair value hedge, changes in the value of the derivatives that have been highly effective as hedges are recognized in current period earnings along with the corresponding changes in the fair value of the designated hedged item attributable to the risk being hedged.

At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the notional values or contractual amounts and fair value of the Corporation’s derivatives designated in hedge relationships were as follows:



	Asset Derivatives								Liability Derivatives
	December 31, 2015				December 31, 2014				December 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
(In thousands)	Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽¹⁾		Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽¹⁾		Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽²⁾		Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽²⁾
Interest rate swaps:
Commercial Loan Swaps (FRAPS)	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	55,689	$	3,536	$	93,313	$	6,683
Sub Debt Swap	250,000		8,739		250,000		5,256		—		—		—		—
Fair value hedges	$	250,000	$	8,739	$	250,000	$	5,256	$	55,689	$	3,536	$	93,313	$	6,683

(1) Included in Other Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

(2) Included in Other Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

Commercial Loan Swaps. Prior to 2008, the Corporation entered into interest rate swaps with dealer counterparties to convert certain fixed rate loans to variable rate instruments over the terms of the loans (termed by the Corporation as the FRAP Program). These interest rate swaps are designated as fair value hedges and meet the criteria to qualify for the short cut method of accounting. Based on this shortcut method of accounting treatment, no ineffectiveness is assumed. The Corporation discontinued originating interest rate swaps under the FRAP Program in February 2008.

Sub Debt Swap. During the fourth quarter of 2014, the Bank entered into a $250.0 million interest rate swap simultaneously with its long-term debt issuance for interest rate risk management purposes. This interest rate swap effectively modifies the receipt of fixed-rate interest amounts in exchange for floating-rate interest payments over the life of the swap, without an exchange of the underlying principal amount. This interest rate swap was designated as a fair value hedge, and through application of the short cut method of accounting, there is an assumption that the hedge is effective in offsetting changes in the fair value of the long-term debt due to changes in the U.S. LIBOR swap rate (the designated benchmark interest rate).

Derivatives Not Designated in Hedge Relationships

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the notional values or contractual amounts and fair value of the Corporation’s derivatives not designated in hedge relationships were as follows:



	Asset Derivatives								Liability Derivatives
	December 31, 2015				December 31, 2014				December 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
(In thousands)	Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽¹⁾		Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽¹⁾		Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽²⁾		Notional/ Contract Amount		Fair Value ⁽²⁾
Interest rate swaps	$	1,824,576	$	48,920	$	1,673,012	$	48,366	$	1,824,576	$	48,920	$	1,673,012	$	48,366
Mortgage loan commitments	20,635		149		102,523		1,408		—		—		—		—
Forward sales contracts	—		—		—		—		9,659		5		47,657		272
Credit contracts	—		—		10,001		—		73,715		—		69,227		—
Foreign exchange	13,671		299		22,406		167		11,706		284		6,580		118
Equity swap	—		—		—		—		36,631		—		25,198		—
Total	$	1,858,882	$	49,368	$	1,807,942	$	49,941	$	1,956,287	$	49,209	$	1,821,674	$	48,756

(1) Included in Other Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

(2) Included in Other Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

Interest Rate Swaps. The Corporation’s Back-to-Back Program is an interest rate swap program for commercial loan customers that provides the customer with a fixed rate loan while creating a variable rate asset for the Corporation through the customer entering into an interest rate swap with the Corporation on terms that match the loan. The Corporation offsets its risk exposure by entering into an offsetting interest rate swap with a dealer counterparty. These swaps do not qualify as designated hedges; therefore, each swap is accounted for as a stand-alone derivative.

Mortgage banking. In the normal course of business, the Corporation sells originated mortgage loans into the secondary mortgage loan markets. During the period of loan origination and prior to the sale of the loans in the secondary market, the Corporation has exposure to movements in interest rates associated with mortgage loans that are in the “mortgage pipeline” and the “mortgage warehouse”. A pipeline loan is one in which the Corporation has entered into a written mortgage loan commitment with a potential borrower that will be held for resale. Once a mortgage loan is closed and funded, it is included within the mortgage warehouse of loans awaiting sale and delivery into the secondary market.

Written loan commitments that relate to the origination of mortgage loans that will be held for resale are considered free-standing derivatives and do not qualify for hedge accounting. Written loan commitments generally have a term of up to 60 days before the closing of the loan. The loan commitment does not bind the potential borrower to entering into the loan, nor does it guarantee that the Corporation will approve the potential borrower for the loan. Therefore, when determining fair value, the Corporation makes estimates of expected “fallout” (loan commitments not expected to close), using models which consider cumulative historical fallout rates and other factors. In addition, expected net future cash flows related to loan servicing activities are included in the fair value measurement of a written loan commitment.

Written loan commitments in which the borrower has locked in an interest rate results in market risk to the Corporation to the extent market interest rates change from the rate quoted to the borrower. The Corporation economically hedges the risk of changing interest rates associated with its interest rate lock commitments by entering into forward sales contracts.

The Corporation’s warehouse (mortgage loans held for sale) is subject to changes in fair value, due to fluctuations in interest rates from the loan’s closing date through the date of sale of the loan into the secondary market. Typically, the fair value of the warehouse declines in value when interest rates increase and rises in value when interest rates decrease. To mitigate this risk, the Corporation enters into forward sales contracts on a significant portion of the warehouse to provide an economic hedge against those changes in fair value. Mortgage loans held for sale and the forward sales contracts were recorded at fair value with ineffective changes in value recorded in current earnings as Loan sales and servicing income.

Credit contracts. The Corporation has bought and sold credit protection in the form of participations in interest rate swaps (swap participations). These swap participations, which meet the definition of credit derivatives, were entered into in the ordinary course of business. Credit derivatives, whereby the Corporation has purchased credit protection, entitles the Corporation to receive a payment from the counterparty when the customer fails to make payment on any amounts due to the Corporation. Swap participations whereby the Corporation has purchased credit protection have maturities that range between two to eight years. For swap participations where the Corporation sold credit protection, the Corporation has guaranteed payment in the event that the counterparty experiences a loss on the swap due to a failure to pay by the Corporation’s commercial loan customer. The Corporation simultaneously entered into reimbursement agreements with the commercial loan customers obligating the customers to reimburse the Corporation for any payments it makes under the swap participations. The Corporation monitors its payment risk on its swap participations by monitoring the creditworthiness of its commercial loan customers, which is based on the normal credit review process the Corporation would have performed had it entered into these derivative instruments directly with the commercial loan customers. Credit derivatives whereby the Corporation has sold credit protection have maturities ranging from less than one to ten years. The Corporation’s maximum estimated exposure to sold swap participations, as measured by projecting a maximum value of the guaranteed derivative instruments based on interest rate curve simulations and assuming 100% default by all obligors on the maximum values, was approximately $4.7 million as of December 31, 2015. The fair values of the written swap participations were not material at December 31, 2015 or 2014.

Gains and losses recognized in income on nondesignated hedging instruments for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, are as follows:



(In thousands)
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	Location of Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative	Amount of Gain / (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives
		Year Ended December 31,
		2015			2014			2013
Mortgage loan commitments	Other operating income	$	(1,260	)	$	517		$	(3,509	)
Forward sales contracts	Other operating income	267			(656		)	446
Foreign exchange contracts	Other operating income	(2,154		)	(210		)	(233		)
Other	Other operating expense	—			(515		)	—
Total		$	(3,147	)	$	(864	)	$	(3,296	)

Counterparty Credit Risk

Like other financial instruments, derivatives contain an element of “credit risk” or the possibility that the Corporation will incur a loss because a counterparty, which may be a bank, a broker-dealer or a customer, fails to meet its contractual obligations. This risk is measured as the expected positive replacement value of contracts. All derivative contracts may be executed only with exchanges or counterparties approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors. Where contracts have been created for customers, the Corporation enters into derivatives with dealers to offset its risk exposure. To manage the credit exposure to exchanges and counterparties, the Corporation generally enters into bilateral collateral agreements with collateral delivery thresholds on all bilateral derivatives. Beyond the threshold levels, collateral in the form of securities made available from the investment portfolio or other forms of collateral acceptable under the bilateral collateral agreements are provided. The threshold levels for each counterparty are established by the Corporation’s Board of Directors. The Corporation generally posts collateral in the form of highly rated Government Agency issued bonds or MBS.

The majority of the Corporation's over-the-counter derivative transactions are cleared through a recognized derivative clearing organization ("Clearinghouse"). For cleared derivatives, the Clearinghouse is the Corporation's counterparty. The Clearinghouse notifies the clearing agent of the required initial and variation margin and the clearing agent notifies the Corporation of the required initial and variation margin. The requirement that the Corporation post initial and variation margin through the clearing agent to the Clearinghouse exposes the Corporation to institutional credit risk if the clearing agent or the Clearinghouse fails to meet its obligations. The use of cleared derivatives is intended to mitigate credit risk exposure because a central counterparty is substituted for individual counterparties and collateral is posted daily through a clearing agent for changes in the value of cleared derivatives.

The fair value of investment securities posted as collateral against derivative liabilities was $47.2 million and $53.5 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Derivative assets and liabilities are recorded at fair value on the balance sheet and do not take into account the effects of master netting agreements the Corporation has with its financial institution counterparties. These master netting agreements allow the Corporation to settle all derivative contracts held with a single financial institution counterparty on a net basis, and to offset net derivative positions with related collateral, where applicable. Collateral, usually in the form of investment securities, is posted by the counterparty with net liability position in accordance with contract thresholds. The following tables illustrate the potential effect of the Corporation’s derivative master netting arrangements, by type of financial instrument, on the Corporation’s statement of financial position as of December 31, 2015 and 2014. The swap agreements the Corporation has in place with its commercial customers are not subject to enforceable master netting arrangements, and, therefore, are excluded from these tables.



	As of December 31, 2015
	Gross amounts recognized		Gross amounts offset in the consolidated balance sheet		Net amounts presented in the consolidated balance sheet		Gross amounts not offset in the consolidated balance sheet						Net amount
(In thousands)	Gross amounts recognized		Gross amounts offset in the consolidated balance sheet		Net amounts presented in the consolidated balance sheet		Financial instruments ⁽¹⁾			Collateral ⁽²⁾			Net amount
Derivative Assets
Interest rate swaps - designated	$	8,739	$	—	$	8,739	$	—		$	—		$	8,739
Interest rate swaps - nondesignated	155		—		155		(155		)	—			—
Foreign exchange	—		—		—		—			—			—
Total derivative assets	$	8,894	$	—	$	8,894	$	(155	)	$	—		$	8,739

Derivative Liabilities
Interest rate swaps - designated	$	3,536	$	—	$	3,536	$	—		$	(3,536	)	$	—
Interest rate swaps - nondesignated	48,765		—		48,765		(155		)	(48,610		)	—
Foreign exchange	—		—		—		—			—			—
Total derivative liabilities	$	52,301	$	—	$	52,301	$	(155	)	$	(52,146	)	$	—



	As of December 31, 2014
	Gross amounts recognized		Gross amounts offset in the consolidated balance sheet		Net amounts presented in the consolidated balance sheet		Gross amounts not offset in the consolidated balance sheet						Net amount
(In thousands)	Gross amounts recognized		Gross amounts offset in the consolidated balance sheet		Net amounts presented in the consolidated balance sheet		Financial instruments ⁽¹⁾			Collateral ⁽²⁾			Net amount
Derivative Assets
Interest rate swaps - designated	$	5,256	$	—	$	5,256	$	—		$	—		$	5,256
Interest rate swaps - nondesignated	352		—		352		(352		)	—			—
Foreign exchange	134		—		134		(28		)	(106		)	—
Total derivative assets	$	5,742	$	—	$	5,742	$	(380	)	$	(106	)	$	5,256

Derivative Liabilities
Interest rate swaps - designated	$	6,683	$	—	$	6,683	$	—		$	(6,683	)	$	—
Interest rate swaps - nondesignated	48,014		—		48,014		(352		)	(47,662		)	—
Foreign exchange	28		—		28		(28		)	—			—
Total derivative liabilities	$	54,725	$	—	$	54,725	$	(380	)	$	(54,345	)	$	—

(1) For derivative assets, this includes any derivative liability fair values that could be offset in the event of counterparty default. For derivative liabilities, this includes any derivative asset fair values that could be offset in the event of counterparty default.

(2) For derivate assets, this includes the fair value of collateral received by the Corporation from the counterparty. Securities received as collateral are not included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet unless the counterparty defaults. For derivative liabilities, this includes the fair value of securities pledged by the Corporation to the counterparty. These securities are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet unless the Corporation defaults