Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Information

Segment Information:

Sterling's operations are divided into two primary business segments that represent its core businesses:

• Community Banking - providing traditional banking services through the retail banking, private banking and commercial banking groups, including the originating and servicing of commercial real estate, owner occupied CRE and C&I loans.

• Home Loan Division - originating and selling residential real estate loans through its mortgage banking operations, on both a servicing-retained and servicing-released basis.

In 2012, Sterling combined its Commercial Real Estate and Community Banking segments to improve how it made decisions and measured the segments' performance. Segment results for the 2011 comparable period have been restated to reflect current period presentation. The 2010 comparable period is grouped according to the original classifications, due to the impracticability of reclassification to current period presentation.

	As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2012
	Community Banking		Home Loan Division		Other and Eliminations			Total
	(in thousands)
Interest income	$	360,901	$	28,299	$	0		$	389,200
Interest expense	78,004		0		6,518			84,522
Net interest income	282,897		28,299		(6,518		)	304,678
Provision for credit losses	9,980		20		0			10,000
Noninterest income	46,433		108,391		(571		)	154,253
Noninterest expense	266,486		92,742		(3,975		)	355,253
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	52,864	$	43,928	$	(3,114	)	$	93,678
Total assets	$	8,754,170	$	477,127	$	5,613		$	9,236,910

	As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2011
	Community Banking		Home Loan Division		Other and Eliminations			Total
	(in thousands)
Interest income	$	387,365	$	16,927	$	0		$	404,292
Interest expense	102,963		0		6,134			109,097
Net interest income	284,402		16,927		(6,134		)	295,195
Provision for credit losses	56,507		71		(26,578		)	30,000
Noninterest income	76,337		48,865		1,126			126,328
Noninterest expense	295,139		58,979		(1,728		)	352,390
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	9,093	$	6,742	$	23,298		$	39,133
Total assets	$	9,219,398	$	2,594	$	(28,755	)	$	9,193,237

	As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2010
	Community Banking			Residential Construction Lending			Residential Mortgage Banking		Commercial Mortgage Banking		Other and Eliminations			Total
	(in thousands)
Interest income	$	393,754		$	34,559		$	13,243	$	3,573	$	4		$	445,133
Interest expense	128,294			18,967			7,742		0		6,103			161,106
Net interest income	265,460			15,592			5,501		3,573		(6,099		)	284,027
Provision for credit losses	177,232			64,767			8,230		0		0			250,229
Noninterest income	67,499			60			65,099		2,470		1,837			136,965
Noninterest expense	332,557			7,291			36,785		5,070		13,342			395,045
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	(176,830	)	$	(56,406	)	$	25,585	$	973	$	(17,604	)	$	(224,282	)
Total assets	$	7,643,294		$	25,562		$	1,811,601	$	6,340	$	6,372		$	9,493,169