Investment securities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Available For Sale Securities Text Block

		At December 31, 2014
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
U.S. Treasury securities
	After 1 to 5 years	$	698,003	$	2,226	$	75	$	700,154	1.14	%
Total U.S. Treasury securities			698,003		2,226		75		700,154	1.14
Obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities
	Within 1 year		42,140		380		-		42,520	1.61
	After 1 to 5 years		1,603,245		1,168		9,936		1,594,477	1.26
	After 5 to 10 years		67,373		58		2,271		65,160	1.72
	After 10 years		23,000		-		184		22,816	3.18
Total obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities			1,735,758		1,606		12,391		1,724,973	1.31
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	Within 1 year		2,765		17		-		2,782	3.83
	After 1 to 5 years		1,024		38		-		1,062	8.40
	After 5 to 10 years		22,552		2		2,331		20,223	5.82
	After 10 years		48,823		40		11,218		37,645	6.22
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions			75,164		97		13,549		61,712	6.04
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies
	After 1 to 5 years		3,687		87		-		3,774	2.66
	After 5 to 10 years		25,202		985		-		26,187	2.93
	After 10 years		1,905,763		13,109		38,803		1,880,069	2.03
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			1,934,652		14,181		38,803		1,910,030	2.04
Mortgage-backed securities
	After 1 to 5 years		27,339		1,597		-		28,936	4.68
	After 5 to 10 years		147,182		7,314		1		154,495	3.51
	After 10 years		676,567		45,047		683		720,931	3.93
Total mortgage-backed securities			851,088		53,958		684		904,362	3.88
Equity securities (without contractual maturity)			1,351		1,271		-		2,622	5.03
Other
	After 1 to 5 years		9,277		10		-		9,287	1.69
	After 5 to 10 years		1,957		62		-		2,019	3.63
Total other			11,234		72		-		11,306	2.03
Total investment securities available-for-sale		$	5,307,250	$	73,411	$	65,502	$	5,315,159	2.04	%

		At December 31, 2013
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
U.S. Treasury securities
	After 1 to 5 years	$	26,474	$	2,008	$	-	$	28,482	3.85	%
Total U.S. Treasury securities			26,474		2,008		-		28,482	3.85
Obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities
	Within 1 year		25,021		39		-		25,060	1.85
	After 1 to 5 years		1,087,453		1,678		12,715		1,076,416	1.26
	After 5 to 10 years		528,611		100		21,742		506,969	1.52
	After 10 years		23,000		-		2,240		20,760	3.12
Total obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities			1,664,085		1,817		36,697		1,629,205	1.38
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	After 1 to 5 years		6,228		45		85		6,188	4.64
	After 5 to 10 years		23,147		-		1,978		21,169	6.33
	After 10 years		48,803		29		9,812		39,020	5.84
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political
	subdivisions		78,178		74		11,875		66,377	5.89
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies
	After 1 to 5 years		5,131		101		-		5,232	1.79
	After 5 to 10 years		31,613		921		-		32,534	2.98
	After 10 years		2,438,021		18,532		76,023		2,380,530	2.05
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			2,474,765		19,554		76,023		2,418,296	2.06
Collateralized mortgage obligations - private label
	After 10 years		509		4		-		513	3.78
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - private label			509		4		-		513	3.78
Mortgage-backed securities
	Within 1 year		419		24		-		443	3.14
	After 1 to 5 years		15,921		833		-		16,754	4.50
	After 5 to 10 years		62,373		3,058		1,214		64,217	4.12
	After 10 years		1,007,733		50,807		4,313		1,054,227	3.93
Total mortgage-backed securities			1,086,446		54,722		5,527		1,135,641	3.95
Equity securities (without contractual maturity)			3,178		1,109		171		4,116	4.06
Other
	After 1 to 5 years		9,638		-		141		9,497	1.68
	After 10 years		2,604		69		-		2,673	3.61
Total other			12,242		69		141		12,170	2.09
Total investment securities available-for-sale		$	5,345,877	$	79,357	$	130,434	$	5,294,800	2.30	%

Schedule Of Aggregate Amortized Cost And Fair Value Of Afs By Contractual Maturity [TableTextBlock]

(In thousands)		Amortized cost		Fair value
Within 1 year	$	44,905	$	45,302
After 1 to 5 years		2,342,575		2,337,690
After 5 to 10 years		264,266		268,084
After 10 years		2,654,153		2,661,461
Total		5,305,899		5,312,537
Equity securities		1,351		2,622
Total investment securities available-for-sale	$	5,307,250	$	5,315,159

Schedule Of Realized Gains Losses [Table Text Block]

	Years ended December 31,
(In thousands)		2014		2013		2012
Gross realized gains	$	4,461	$	2,110	$	65
Gross realized losses		(5,331)		-		(1,684)
Net realized (losses) gains on sale of investment securities available-for-sale	$	(870)	$	2,110	$	(1,619)

Investments In Debt And Marketable Equity Securities And Certain Trading Assets Disclosure Text Block

		2014				2013
(In thousands)	Amortized cost		Fair value		Amortized cost		Fair value
FNMA	$	1,746,807	$	1,736,987	$	2,318,171	$	2,266,610
FHLB		737,149		732,894		336,933		326,220
Freddie Mac		1,117,865		1,112,485		1,434,346		1,418,216

Held To Maturity Securities Text Block

		At December 31, 2014
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	Within 1 year	$	2,740	$	-	$	8	$	2,732	5.84	%
	After 1 to 5 years		12,830		-		764		12,066	5.95
	After 5 to 10 years		21,325		-		6,003		15,322	6.09
	After 10 years		64,678		3,342		5,543		62,477	2.22
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions			101,573		3,342		12,318		92,597	3.60
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies
	After 5 to 10 years		97		5		-		102	5.45
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			97		5		-		102	5.45
Other
	Within 1 year		250		-		-		250	1.33
	After 1 to 5 years		1,250		-		-		1,250	1.10
Total other			1,500		-		-		1,500	1.14
Total investment securities held-to-maturity		$	103,170	$	3,347	$	12,318	$	94,199	3.57	%

		At December 31, 2013
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	Within 1 year	$	12,570	$	-	$	12	$	12,558	2.06	%
	After 1 to 5 years		12,060		-		984		11,076	5.91
	After 5 to 10 years		20,015		-		5,251		14,764	6.06
	After 10 years		69,236		257		13,179		56,314	2.43
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions			113,881		257		19,426		94,712	3.40
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies
	After 10 years		115		7		-		122	5.45
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			115		7		-		122	5.45
Other
	Within 1 year		26,000		-		645		25,355	3.41
	After 1 to 5 years		500		-		1		499	1.33
Total other			26,500		-		646		25,854	3.37
Total investment securities held-to-maturity		$	140,496	$	264	$	20,072	$	120,688	3.40	%

Schedule Of Aggregate Amortized Cost And Fair Value Of Htms By Contractual Maturity [Table Text Block]

(In thousands)		Amortized cost		Fair value
Within 1 year	$	2,990	$	2,982
After 1 to 5 years		14,080		13,316
After 5 to 10 years		21,422		15,424
After 10 years		64,678		62,477
Total investment securities held-to-maturity	$	103,170	$	94,199

Available For Sale Securities Member

Schedule Of Unrealized Loss On Investments Table Text Block

		At December 31, 2014
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
U.S. Treasury securities		$	49,465	$	75	$	-	$	-	$	49,465	$	75
Obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities			888,325		6,866		429,835		5,525		1,318,160		12,391
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political
	subdivisions		14,419		3,031		41,084		10,518		55,503		13,549
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			539,658		13,774		733,814		25,029		1,273,472		38,803
Mortgage-backed securities			457		4		25,486		680		25,943		684
Total investment securities available-for-sale in an
	unrealized loss position	$	1,492,324	$	23,750	$	1,230,219	$	41,752	$	2,722,543	$	65,502

		At December 31, 2013
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
Obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities		$	1,326,866	$	32,457	$	69,257	$	4,240	$	1,396,123	$	36,697
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political
	subdivisions		54,256		11,685		8,330		190		62,586		11,875
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			1,567,654		70,378		96,676		5,645		1,664,330		76,023
Mortgage-backed securities			105,455		4,762		7,225		765		112,680		5,527
Equity securities			1,657		171		-		-		1,657		171
Other			-		-		9,497		141		9,497		141
Total investment securities available-for-sale in an
	unrealized loss position	$	3,055,888	$	119,453	$	190,985	$	10,981	$	3,246,873	$	130,434

Held To Maturity Securities Member

Schedule Of Unrealized Loss On Investments Table Text Block

		At December 31, 2014
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions		$	373	$	2	$	45,969	$	12,316	$	46,342	$	12,318
Total investment securities held-to-maturity in an unrealized
	loss position	$	373	$	2	$	45,969	$	12,316	$	46,342	$	12,318

		At December 31, 2013
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions		$	60,028	$	12,180	$	13,044	$	7,246	$	73,072	$	19,426
Other			24,604		646		-		-		24,604		646
Total investment securities held-to-maturity in an unrealized
	loss position	$	84,632	$	12,826	$	13,044	$	7,246	$	97,676	$	20,072