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Financial Derivatives
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure
armer Mac enters into financial derivative transactions principally to protect against risk from the effects of market price or interest rate movements on the value of certain assets, future cash flows, or debt issuance, and not for trading or speculative purposes.  Certain financial derivatives are designated as fair value hedges of fixed rate assets, primarily classified as available-for-sale, to protect against fair value changes in the assets related to a benchmark interest rate (e.g., LIBOR). Other financial derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges to mitigate the volatility of future interest rate payments on floating rate debt.

Farmer Mac manages the interest rate risk related to loans it has committed to acquire, but has not yet permanently funded, through the use of forward sale contracts on the debt of other GSEs and futures contracts involving U.S. Treasury securities. Farmer Mac uses forward sale contracts on GSE securities to reduce its interest rate exposure to changes in both U.S. Treasury rates and spreads on Farmer Mac debt.  The notional amounts of these contracts are determined based on a duration-matched hedge ratio between the hedged item and the hedge instrument. Gains or losses generated by these hedge transactions are expected to offset changes in funding costs. All financial derivatives are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value as a freestanding asset or liability.

Effective first quarter 2018, Farmer Mac adopted ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." This ASU reduces the complexity of hedge accounting by eliminating the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and by requiring the entire change in the fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same income statement line as the income or expense effect from the hedged item. Upon the adoption of the ASU, Farmer Mac elected to retrospectively designate the hedged risk of its fair value hedges as the risk of changes in fair value resulting from changes in the benchmark interest rate component of the contractual coupon cash flows. Farmer Mac made this election for its fair value hedges designated upon the inception of the hedging instruments. For fair value hedges designated after the inception of the hedging instruments, Farmer Mac continues to designate the hedged risk as the risk of changes in fair value based on total contractual coupon cash flows. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.










The following tables summarize information related to Farmer Mac's financial derivatives on a gross basis without giving consideration to master netting arrangements as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:

Table 6.1
  
As of December 31, 2018
  
 
 
Fair Value
 
Weighted-
Average
Pay Rate
 
Weighted-
Average Receive Rate
 
Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
 
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term (in years)
  
Notional Amount
 
Asset
 
(Liability)
 
 
 
 
  
(dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pay fixed non-callable
$
3,097,084

 
$
3,004

 
$
(4,326
)
 
2.42%
 
2.58%
 
 
 
9.75
Receive fixed non-callable
2,031,200

 
885

 
(4,512
)
 
2.49%
 
1.94%
 
 
 
1.68
Cash flow hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pay fixed non-callable
373,000

 
2,441

 
(99
)
 
2.40%
 
2.83%
 
 
 
6.12
No hedge designation:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pay fixed non-callable
316,664

 
796

 
(10,399
)
 
3.69%
 
2.52%
 
 
 
6.25
Receive fixed non-callable
2,347,371

 
—

 
—

 
2.37%
 
2.10%
 
 
 
0.86
Basis swaps
1,770,026

 
421

 
(130
)
 
2.45%
 
2.49%
 
 
 
1.27
Treasury futures
20,400

 
—

 
(188
)
 
 
 
 
 
121.09

 
 
Credit valuation adjustment
 
 
(60
)
 
21

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total financial derivatives
$
9,955,745

 
$
7,487

 
$
(19,633
)
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
Collateral pledged
 
 
(1,778
)
 
47,018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net amount
 
 
$
5,709

 
$
27,385

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
As of December 31, 2017
  
 
 
Fair Value
 
Weighted-
Average
Pay Rate
 
Weighted-
Average Receive Rate
 
Weighted-
Average
Forward
Price
 
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Term (in years)
  
Notional Amount
 
Asset
 
(Liability)
 
 
 
 
  
(dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pay fixed non-callable
$
2,086,347

 
$
5,240

 
$
(5,990
)
 
1.88%
 
1.40%
 
 
 
5.46
Receive fixed non-callable
1,559,700

 
110

 
(4,033
)
 
1.38%
 
1.45%
 
 
 
1.68
Cash flow hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pay fixed non-callable
365,500

 
1,402

 
(138
)
 
2.16%
 
1.74%
 
 
 
5.84
No hedge designation:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pay fixed non-callable
345,333

 
339

 
(16,352
)
 
3.79%
 
1.40%
 
 
 
6.68
Receive fixed non-callable
3,409,916

 
—

 
—

 
1.25%
 
1.24%
 
 
 
0.92
Basis swaps
1,053,500

 
18

 
(106
)
 
1.33%
 
1.42%
 
 
 
0.91
Treasury futures
40,000

 
—

 
(36
)
 
 
 
 
 
123.96

 
 
Credit valuation adjustment
 
 
(16
)
 
56

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total financial derivatives
$
8,860,296

 
$
7,093

 
$
(26,599
)
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
Collateral pledged
 
 
—

 
24,926

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net amount
 
 
$
7,093

 
$
(1,673
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac expects to reclassify $1.7 million after tax from accumulated other comprehensive income to earnings over the next twelve months. This amount could differ from amounts actually recognized due to changes in interest rates, hedge de-designations, and the addition of other hedges after December 31, 2018. During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were no gains or losses from interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges reclassified to earnings because it became probable that the original forecasted transaction would not occur.

The following table summarizes the net income/(expense) recognized in the consolidated statements of operations related to derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016:

Table 6.2

 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
 
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
 
Net Interest Income
 
Non-Interest Income
 
Total
 
Interest Income
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
 
Interest Income Loans
 
Total Interest Expense
 
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives
 
 
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations:
$
290,953

 
$
198,152

 
$
(369,848
)
 
$
(3,687
)
 
$
115,570

Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recognized on derivatives
1,861

 
(630
)
 
(7,995
)
 
—

 
(6,764
)
Recognized on hedged items
65,238

 
6,284

 
(36,837
)
 
—

 
34,685

Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(668
)
 
—

 
(668
)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships
$
67,099

 
$
5,654

 
$
(45,500
)
 
$
—

 
$
27,253

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recognized on derivatives
(20,279
)
 
5,031

 
835

 
—

 
(14,413
)
Recognized on hedged items
21,460

 
(5,243
)
 
3,137

 
—

 
19,354

Gains/(losses) on fair value hedging relationships
$
1,181

 
$
(212
)
 
$
3,972

 
$
—

 
$
4,941

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives
—

 
—

 
316

 
—

 
316

Recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(9,182
)
 
—

 
(9,182
)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(6
)
 
—

 
(6
)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(8,872
)
 
$
—

 
$
(8,872
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gains on interest rate swaps
—

 
—

 
—

 
7,206

 
7,206

Interest expense on interest rate swaps
—

 
—

 
—

 
(10,920
)
 
(10,920
)
Treasury futures
—

 
—

 
—

 
27

 
27

Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(3,687
)
 
$
(3,687
)
 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2017
 
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
 
Net Interest Income
 
Non-Interest Income
 
Total
 
 Interest Income Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
 
Interest Income Loans
 
Total Interest Expense
 
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives
 
 
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations
$
203,796

 
$
162,150

 
$
(242,885
)
 
$
753

 
$
123,814

Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recognized on derivatives
(10,346
)
 
(1,141
)
 
2,642

 
—

 
(8,845
)
Recognized on hedged items
46,389

 
3,379

 
(14,283
)
 
—

 
35,485

Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(345
)
 
—

 
(345
)
Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships
$
36,043

 
$
2,238

 
$
(11,986
)
 
$
—

 
$
26,295

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Losses on fair value hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recognized on derivatives(1)
—

 
—

 
—

 
1,694

 
1,694

Recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
—

 
(2,413
)
 
(2,413
)
Losses on fair value hedging relationships
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(719
)
 
$
(719
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(1,974
)
 
$
—

 
$
(1,974
)
Recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(4,133
)
 
—

 
(4,133
)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(5
)
 
—

 
(5
)
Losses recognized in income for hedge ineffectiveness
—

 
—

 
—

 
(320
)
 
(320
)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(6,112
)
 
$
(320
)
 
$
(6,432
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gains on interest rate swaps
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
12,240

 
$
12,240

Interest expense on interest rate swaps
—

 
—

 
—

 
(10,200
)
 
(10,200
)
Agency forwards
—

 
—

 
—

 
(588
)
 
(588
)
Treasury futures
—

 
—

 
—

 
340

 
340

Gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
1,792

 
$
1,792

(1) 
Included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness as of December 31, 2017, but excluded from the amounts in the table, were gains of $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship. Accordingly, the amount recognized as hedge ineffectiveness for the year ended December 31, 2017 were gains of $0.6 million.

 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
 
Net Income/(Expense) Recognized in Consolidated Statement of Operations on Derivatives
 
Net Interest Income
 
Non-Interest Income
 
Total
 
 Interest Income Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
 
Interest Income Loans
 
Total Interest Expense
 
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives
 
 
(in thousands)
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statement of operations
$
150,281

 
$
134,577

 
$
(171,626
)
 
$
2,311

 
$
115,543

Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recognized on derivatives
(15,494
)
 
(1,011
)
 
132

 
—

 
(16,373
)
Recognized on hedged items
35,169

 
2,063

 
—

 
—

 
37,232

Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Income/(expense) related to interest settlements on fair value hedging relationships
$
19,675

 
$
1,052

 
$
132

 
$
—

 
$
20,859

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gains on fair value hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recognized on derivatives(1)
—

 
—

 
—

 
25,365

 
25,365

Recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
—

 
(20,322
)
 
(20,322
)
Gains on fair value hedging relationships
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
5,043

 
$
5,043

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expense related to interest settlements on cash flow hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest settlements reclassified from AOCI into net income on derivatives
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(2,126
)
 
$
—

 
$
(2,126
)
Recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(1,437
)
 
—

 
(1,437
)
Discount amortization recognized on hedged items
—

 
—

 
(1
)
 
—

 
(1
)
Losses recognized in income for hedge ineffectiveness
—

 
—

 
—

 
(353
)
 
(353
)
Expense recognized on cash flow hedges
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(3,564
)
 
$
(353
)
 
$
(3,917
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gains on interest rate swaps
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
9,489

 
$
9,489

Interest expense on interest rate swaps
—

 
—

 
—

 
(11,480
)
 
(11,480
)
Agency forwards
—

 
—

 
—

 
(226
)
 
(226
)
Treasury futures
—

 
—

 
—

 
(162
)
 
(162
)
Losses on financial derivatives not designated in hedge relationships
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
(2,379
)
 
$
(2,379
)
(1) 
Included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness as of December 31, 2016, but excluded from the amounts in the table, were losses of $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship. Accordingly, the amounts recognized as hedge ineffectiveness for the year ended December 31, 2016 were gains of $0.2 million.

The following table shows the carrying amount and associated cumulative basis adjustment related to the application of hedge accounting that is included in the carrying amount of hedged assets and liabilities in fair value hedging relationships as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:

Table 6.3

 
Hedged Items in Fair Value Relationship
 
Carrying Amount of Hedged Assets/(Liabilities)
 
Cumulative Amount of Fair Value Hedging Adjustments included in the Carrying Amount of the Hedged Assets/(Liabilities)
 
December 31, 2018
 
December 31, 2017
 
December 31, 2018
 
December 31, 2017
 
(in thousands)
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, Available-for-Sale, at fair value
$
2,882,919

 
$
1,928,220

 
$
(906
)
 
$
(22,853
)
Loans held for investment, at amortized cost
194,617

 
149,304

 
(5,287
)
 
(189
)
Notes Payable, due after one year(1)(2)
(2,021,356
)
 
(1,552,935
)
 
8,785

 
5,836

(1) 
Carrying amount represents amortized cost.
(2) 
Includes $0.3 million of hedging adjustments on a discontinued hedging relationship.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, Farmer Mac's credit exposure to interest rate swap counterparties, excluding netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, but including accrued interest, was $51.3 million and $28.5 million, respectively; however, including netting arrangements and accrued interest, Farmer Mac's credit exposure was $3.1 million and $0.5 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, Farmer Mac held $0.7 million of cash and $1.1 million of investment securities as collateral for its derivatives in net asset positions resulting in uncollateralized net asset positions of $1.4 million. As of December 31, 2017, Farmer Mac held no cash collateral for its derivatives in net asset positions, resulting in uncollateralized net asset positions of $0.5 million.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives in a net liability position including accrued interest but excluding netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, was $78.4 million and $58.2 million, respectively; however, including netting arrangements and accrued interest, the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives in a net liability position at the counterparty level was $13.9 million and $28.0 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Farmer Mac posted cash of $0 and $47.0 million of investment securities as of December 31, 2018 and posted cash of $0.1 million and $24.8 million investment securities as of December 31, 2017.  Farmer Mac records posted cash as a reduction in the outstanding balance of cash and cash equivalents and an increase in the balance of prepaid expenses and other assets. Any investment securities posted as collateral are included in the investment securities balances on the consolidated balance sheets.  If Farmer Mac had breached certain provisions of the derivative contracts as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements or post additional collateral of none and $3.1 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were no financial derivatives in a net payable position where Farmer Mac was required to pledge collateral which the counterparty had the right to sell or repledge.

For certain derivatives, Farmer Mac clears interest rate swaps through a clearinghouse, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME"). Farmer Mac posts initial and variation margin to this clearinghouse through which centrally-cleared derivatives and futures contracts are traded. These collateral postings expose Farmer Mac to institutional credit risk in the event that either the clearinghouse or the futures commission merchant that Farmer Mac uses to post collateral to the clearinghouse fails to meet its obligations. Conversely, the use of centrally-cleared derivatives mitigates Farmer Mac's credit risk to individual counterparties because clearinghouses assume the credit risk among counterparties in centrally-cleared derivatives transactions. Of Farmer Mac's $9.9 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2018, $8.5 billion were cleared through the swap clearinghouse. Of Farmer Mac's $8.8 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2017, $7.9 billion were cleared through the swap clearinghouse.