Investment Securities - (Tables) (Investment Securities [Member])

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Investment Securities [Member]

Schedule of Available-for-sale and Trading Securities [Line Items]

Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities and Trading Securities Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

The following tables present the amount outstanding, amortized cost, and fair values of Farmer Mac's investment securities as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:

Table 2.1

	March 31, 2014
	Amount Outstanding		Unamortized Premium/(Discount)			Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
	(in thousands)
Available-for-sale:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans	$	74,100	$	—		$	74,100	$	—	$	(9,137	)	$	64,963
Floating rate asset-backed securities	177,999		(176		)	177,823		385		(13		)	178,195
Floating rate corporate debt securities	107,130		2			107,132		411		(1		)	107,542
Fixed rate corporate debt securities	55,000		32			55,032		158		—			55,190
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities	640,910		4,056			644,966		4,891		(640		)	649,217
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (1)	1,123		3,860			4,983		3,601		—			8,584
Floating rate GSE subordinated debt	70,000		—			70,000		—		(6,615		)	63,385
Fixed rate GSE preferred stock	78,500		253			78,753		2,887		—			81,640
Fixed rate taxable municipal bonds	22,053		47			22,100		7		—			22,107
Fixed rate senior agency debt	518,691		204			518,895		149		(129		)	518,915
Floating rate U.S. Treasuries	75,000		(16		)	74,984		—		(26		)	74,958
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries	643,692		608			644,300		100		(4		)	644,396
Total available-for-sale	2,464,198		8,870			2,473,068		12,589		(16,565		)	2,469,092
Trading:
Floating rate asset-backed securities	3,270		—			3,270		—		(2,347		)	923
Total investment securities	$	2,467,468	$	8,870		$	2,476,338	$	12,589	$	(18,912	)	$	2,470,015

(1) Fair value includes $7.4 million of an interest-only security with a notional amount of $152.4 million.

	December 31, 2013
	Amount Outstanding		Unamortized Premium/(Discount)			Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
	(in thousands)
Available-for-sale:
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans	$	74,100	$	—		$	74,100	$	—	$	(8,815	)	$	65,285
Floating rate asset-backed securities	166,185		(217		)	165,968		195		(59		)	166,104
Floating rate corporate debt securities	109,345		(3		)	109,342		445		(18		)	109,769
Fixed rate corporate debt securities	55,000		48			55,048		97		(4		)	55,141
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities	612,413		4,336			616,749		4,955		(435		)	621,269
Fixed rate GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (1)	1,173		3,966			5,139		3,518		—			8,657
Floating rate GSE subordinated debt	70,000		—			70,000		—		(6,615		)	63,385
Fixed rate GSE preferred stock	78,500		365			78,865		4,296		—			83,161
Fixed rate taxable municipal bonds	30,595		84			30,679		5		(3		)	30,681
Fixed rate senior agency debt	523,691		294			523,985		107		(30		)	524,062
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries	754,405		1,141			755,546		95		(8		)	755,633
Total available-for-sale	2,475,407		10,014			2,485,421		13,713		(15,987		)	2,483,147
Trading:
Floating rate asset-backed securities	3,553		—			3,553		—		(2,625		)	928
Total investment securities	$	2,478,960	$	10,014		$	2,488,974	$	13,713	$	(18,612	)	$	2,484,075

(1) Fair value includes $7.4 million of an interest-only security with a notional amount of $152.4 million.

Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value [Table Text Block]

As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, unrealized losses on available-for-sale investment securities were as follows:

Table 2.2

	March 31, 2014
	Available-for-Sale Securities
	Unrealized loss position for less than 12 months					Unrealized loss position for more than 12 months
	Fair Value		Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Unrealized Loss
	(in thousands)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans	$	—	$	—		$	64,963	$	(9,137	)
Floating rate asset-backed securities	21,645		(13		)	—		—
Floating rate corporate debt securities	4,999		(1		)	—		—
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities	230,889		(615		)	7,337		(25		)
Floating rate GSE subordinated debt	—		—			63,385		(6,615		)
Fixed rate senior agency debt	284,512		(129		)	—		—
Floating rate U.S. Treasuries	74,958		(26		)	—		—
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries	150,045		(4		)	—		—
Total	$	767,048	$	(788	)	$	135,685	$	(15,777	)

	December 31, 2013
	Available-for-Sale Securities
	Unrealized loss position for less than 12 months					Unrealized loss position for more than 12 months
	Fair Value		Unrealized Loss			Fair Value		Unrealized Loss
	(in thousands)
Floating rate auction-rate certificates backed by Government guaranteed student loans	$	—	$	—		$	65,285	$	(8,815	)
Floating rate asset-backed securities	50,129		(59		)	—		—
Floating rate corporate debt securities	19,982		(18		)	—		—
Fixed rate corporate debt securities	10,058		(4		)	—		—
Floating rate Government/GSE guaranteed mortgage-backed securities	161,960		(435		)	—		—
Floating rate GSE subordinated debt	—		—			63,385		(6,615		)
Fixed rate taxable municipal bonds	8,041		(3		)	—		—
Fixed rate senior agency debt	316,273		(30		)	—		—
Fixed rate U.S. Treasuries	118,056		(8		)	—		—
Total	$	684,499	$	(557	)	$	128,670	$	(15,430	)

Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

The amortized cost, fair value, and weighted average yield of available-for-sale investment securities by remaining contractual maturity as of March 31, 2014 are set forth below. Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities are included based on their final maturities, although the actual maturities may differ due to prepayments of the underlying assets.

Table 2.3

	March 31, 2014
	Available-for-Sale Securities
	Amortized Cost		Fair Value		Weighted- Average Yield
	(dollars in thousands)
Due within one year	$	1,246,490	$	1,246,691	0.43%
Due after one year through five years	288,599		289,722		0.84%
Due after five years through ten years	325,128		323,229		0.79%
Due after ten years	612,851		609,450		2.35%
Total	$	2,473,068	$	2,469,092	1.00%