Off-Balance Sheet Guarantees and Long Term Standby Purchase Commitments - Cash Flows from Off-balance sheet Guaranteed Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	$ 457,369	$ 231,242
Proceeds from Fees Received	2,333	2,704
Payments to Acquire Loans and Leases Held-for-investment	$ (2,118)	$ (2,244)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining maturity, Loans underlying guarantees not held by transferor	10 years 9 months 18 days		11 years 3 months 18 days
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	$ 6,300		$ 8,300
Institutional Credit [Member] \| Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining maturity, Loans underlying guarantees not held by transferor	11 months 8 days		1 year 8 months 8 days

Weighted average remaining maturity, Loans underlying guarantees not held by transferor

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- Definition

The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248

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+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The cash outflow from (a) purchases of loans held-for-investment, (b) purchases of leases held-for-investment, and (c) both.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3213-108585

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- Definition

Cash received for fees during the current period. This element excludes cash proceeds from license fees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3536-108585

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- Definition

The cash inflow associated with the sale of other investments not otherwise defined in the taxonomy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3179-108585

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
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-Section 45
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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
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-Section 45
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3574-108585

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