Employee Benefits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefits

NOTE 17: EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Retirement Plan

The New York Community Bancorp, Inc. Retirement Plan (the “Retirement Plan”) covers substantially all employees who had attained minimum age, service, and employment status requirements prior to the date when the individual plans were frozen by the banks of origin. Once frozen, the individual plans ceased to accrue additional benefits, service, and compensation factors, and became closed to employees who would otherwise have met eligibility requirements after the “freeze” date.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Retirement Plan as of the dates indicated:

	December 31,
(in millions)	2022			2021
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	158		$	172
Interest cost		4			4
Actuarial gain		(38	)		(9	)
Annuity payments		(7	)		(6	)
Settlements		(1	)		(3	)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	116		$	158
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of assets at beginning of year	$	283		$	261
Actual return (loss) on plan assets		(47	)		31
Annuity payments		(7	)		(6	)
Settlements		(1	)		(3	)
Fair value of assets at end of year	$	228		$	283
Funded status (included in “Other assets”)	$	112		$	125
Changes recognized in other comprehensive income for the year ended    December 31:
Amortization of actuarial loss		(2	)		(7	)
Net actuarial (gain) loss arising during the year		26			(23	)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income for the year (pre-tax)	$	24		$	(30	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (pre-tax) not yet recognized    in net periodic benefit cost at December 31:
Actuarial loss, net		66			43
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss (pre-tax)	$	66		$	43

In 2023, an estimated $7 million of unrecognized net actuarial loss for the Retirement Plan will be amortized from AOCL into net periodic benefit cost. The comparable amount recognized as net periodic benefit cost in 2022 was $2 million. No prior service cost was amortized in 2022 or 2021. The discount rates used to determine the benefit obligation at December 31, 2022 and 2021 were 4.9 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively.

The discount rate reflects rates at which the benefit obligation could be effectively settled. To determine this rate, the Company considers rates of return on high-quality fixed-income investments that are currently available and are expected to be available during the period until the pension benefits are paid. The expected future payments are discounted based on a portfolio of high-quality rated bonds (AA or better) for which the Company relies on the Financial Times Stock Exchange (“FTSE”) Pension Liability Index that is published as of the measurement date.

The components of net periodic pension (credit) expense were as follows for the years indicated:

	Years Ended December 31,
(in millions)	2022			2021			2020
Components of net periodic pension expense (credit):
Interest cost	$	4		$	4		$	5
Expected return on plan assets		(16	)		(16	)		(15	)
Amortization of net actuarial loss		2			7			7
Net periodic pension credit	$	(10	)	$	(5	)	$	(3	)

The following table indicates the weighted average assumptions used in determining the net periodic benefit cost for the years indicated:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2022			2021			2020
Discount rate		2.6	%		2.2	%		3.0	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		6.0			6.3			6.5

As of December 31, 2022, Retirement Plan assets were invested in two diversified investment portfolios of the Pentegra Retirement Trust (the “Trust”), a private placement investment fund.

The Company (in this context, the “Plan Sponsor”) chooses the specific asset allocation for the Retirement Plan within the parameters set forth in the Trust’s Investment Policy Statement. The long-term investment objectives are to maintain the Retirement Plan’s assets at a level that will sufficiently cover the Plan Sponsor’s long-term obligations, and to generate a return on those assets that will meet or exceed the rate at which the Plan Sponsor’s long-term obligations will grow.

The Retirement Plan allocates its assets in accordance with the following targets:

•To hold 55 percent of its assets in equity securities via investment in the Trust’s Long-Term Growth—Equity (“LTGE”) Portfolio, a diversified portfolio that invests in a number of actively and passively managed equity mutual funds and collective trusts in order to gain exposure to both U.S. and non-U.S. equity markets;

•To hold 44 percent of its assets in intermediate-term investment-grade bonds via investment in the Long-Term Growth—Fixed Income (“LTGFI”) Portfolio, a diversified portfolio that invests in a number of fixed-income mutual funds and collective investment trusts, primarily including intermediate-term bond funds with a focus on U.S. investment grade securities and opportunistic allocations to below-investment grade and non-U.S. investments; and

•To hold 1 percent in a cash equivalents portfolio for liquidity purposes.

In addition, the Retirement Plan holds Company shares, the value of which is approximately equal to 11 percent of the assets that are held by the Trust.

The LTGE and LTGFI portfolios are designed to provide long-term growth of equity and fixed-income assets with the objective of achieving an investment return in excess of the cost of funding the active life, deferred vesting, and all 30-year term and longer obligations of retired lives in the Trust. Risk and volatility are further managed in accordance with the distinct investment objectives of the Trust’s respective portfolios.

The following table presents information about the fair value measurements of the investments held by the Retirement Plan as of December 31, 2022:

(in millions)	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Equity:
Large-cap value (1)	$	23	$	—	$	23	$	—
Large-cap growth (2)		17		—		17		—
Large-cap core (3)		13		—		13		—
Mid-cap value (4)		5		—		5		—
Mid-cap growth (5)		4		—		4		—
Mid-cap core (6)		5		—		5		—
Small-cap value (7)		3		—		3		—
Small-cap growth (8)		6		—		6		—
Small-cap core (9)		4		—		4		—
International equity (10)		30		—		30		—
Fixed Income Funds:
Fixed Income – U.S. Core (11)		65		—		65		—
Intermediate duration (12)		22		—		22		—
Equity Securities:
Company common stock		26		26		—		—
Cash Equivalents:
Money market *		5		1		4		—
	$	228	$	27	$	201	$	—

* Includes cash equivalent investments in equity and fixed income strategies.

(1)This category contains large-cap stocks with above-average yield. The portfolio typically holds between 60 and 70 stocks.

(2)This category seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in large growth companies based in the U.S.

(3)This fund tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index by purchasing the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same weightings as the Index.

(4)This category employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the CRSP US Mid-Cap Value Index.

(5)This category employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the CRSP US Mid-Cap Growth Index.

(6)This category seeks to track the performance of the S&P Midcap 400 Index.

(7)This category consists of a selection of investments based on the Russell 2000 Value Index.

(8)This category consists of a mutual fund invested in small cap growth companies along with a fund invested in a selection of investments based on the Russell 2000 Growth Index.

(9)This category consists of a mutual fund investing in readily marketable securities of U.S. companies with market capitalizations within the smallest 10 percent of the market universe, or smaller than the 1000th largest US company.

(10)This category invests primarily in medium to large non-US companies in developed and emerging markets. Under normal circumstances, at least 80 percent of total assets will be invested in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks, and convertible securities.

(11)This category currently includes equal investments in three mutual funds, two of which usually hold at least 80 percent of fund assets in investment grade fixed income securities, seeking to outperform the Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index while maintaining a similar duration to that index. The third fund targets investments of 50 percent or more in mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the US government and its agencies.

(12)This category consists of a mutual fund which invest in a diversified portfolio of high-quality bonds and other fixed income securities, including U.S. Government obligations, mortgage-related and asset backed securities, corporate and municipal bonds, CMOs, and other securities mostly rated A or better.

Current Asset Allocation

The asset allocations for the Retirement Plan were as follows:

	At December 31,
	2022			2021
Equity securities		60	%		62	%
Debt securities		38			36
Cash equivalents		2			2
Total		100	%		100	%

Determination of Long-Term Rate of Return

The long-term rate of return on Retirement Plan assets assumption was based on historical returns earned by equities and fixed income securities, and adjusted to reflect expectations of future returns as applied to the Retirement Plan’s target allocation of asset classes. Equities and fixed income securities were assumed to earn long-term rates of return in the ranges of 6 percent to 8 percent and 3 percent to 5 percent, respectively, with an assumed long-term inflation rate of 2.5 percent reflected within these ranges. When these overall return expectations are applied to the Retirement Plan’s target allocations, the result is an expected rate of return of 5 percent to 7 percent.

Expected Contributions

The Company does not expect to contribute to the Retirement Plan in 2022.

Expected Future Annuity Payments

The following annuity payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid by the Retirement Plan during the years indicated:

(in millions)
2023	$	8
2024		8
2025		8
2026		8
2027		8
2028 and thereafter		42
Total	$	82

Qualified Savings Plan (401(k) Plan)

The Company maintains a defined contribution qualified savings plan in the form of a 401(k) plan in which all salaried employees are able to participate after one month of service and having attained age 21. The Company instituted a safe harbor matching contribution program during the year ended December 31, 2020, and accordingly, the Company matches a portion of employee 401(k) plan contributions. Such expense totaled $7 million and $6 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Flagstar also maintains a defined contribution qualified savings plan in the form of a 401(k) plan in which certain employees are able to participate.

Post-Retirement Health and Welfare Benefits

The Company offers certain post-retirement benefits, including medical, dental, and life insurance (the “Health & Welfare Plan”) to retired employees, depending on age and years of service at the time of retirement. The costs of such benefits are accrued during the years that an employee renders the necessary service.

The Health & Welfare Plan is an unfunded plan and is not expected to hold assets for investment at any time. Any contributions made to the Health & Welfare Plan are used to immediately pay plan premiums and claims as they come due.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Health & Welfare Plan as of the dates indicated:

		December 31,
(in millions)		2022			2021
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$		10		$	12
Interest cost			—			—
Actuarial gain			(2	)		(2	)
Premiums and claims paid			(1	)		—
Benefit obligation at end of year	$		7			10
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of assets at beginning of year	$		—		$	—
Employer contribution			1			—
Premiums and claims paid			(1	)		—
Fair value of assets at end of year	$		—		$	—
Funded status (included in “Other liabilities”)	$		(7	)		(10	)
Changes recognized in other comprehensive income for    the year ended December 31:
Amortization of prior service cost	$		—		$	—
Amortization of actuarial gain			—			—
Net actuarial (gain) loss arising during the year			(2	)		(2	)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income for the year (pre-tax)	$		(2	)	$	(2	)
Accumulated other comprehensive (gain) loss (pre-tax) not yet recognized    in net periodic benefit cost at December 31:
Prior service cost	$		—		$	—
Actuarial (gain) loss, net			(2	)		—
Total accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax)	$		(2	)		—

The discount rates used in the preceding table were 4.8 percent at December 31, 2022 and 2.3 percent at December 31, 2021.

The estimated net actuarial loss and the prior service liability that will be amortized from AOCL into net periodic benefit cost in 2023 are $0 and $0, respectively.

The net periodic benefit costs and all components thereof for the years-ended December 2022, 2021 and 2020 were less than $1 million.

The following table presents the weighted average assumptions used in determining the net periodic benefit cost for the years indicated:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2022			2021			2020
Discount rate		2.3	%		2.0	%		2.9	%
Current medical trend rate		6.5			6.5			6.5
Ultimate trend rate		5.0			5.0			5.0
Year when ultimate trend rate will be reached	2028			2027			2026

Expected Contributions

The Company expects to contribute $1 million to the Health & Welfare Plan to pay premiums and claims in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022.

Expected Future Payments for Premiums and Claims

The following amounts are currently expected to be paid for premiums and claims during the years indicated under the Health & Welfare Plan:

(in millions)
2023	$	1
2024		1
2025		1
2026		1
2027		1
2028 and thereafter		2
Total	$	7