Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Astoria Financial Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Astoria Bank and its subsidiaries, referred to as Astoria Bank, and AF Insurance Agency, Inc. As used in this quarterly report, "Astoria," “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Astoria Financial Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial condition as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our results of operations and other comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, changes in our stockholders’ equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and our cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. In preparing the consolidated financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities for the consolidated statements of financial condition as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, and amounts of revenues, expenses and other comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The results of operations and other comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations and other comprehensive income to be expected for the remainder of the year. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our December 31, 2014 audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Recent Developments On October 28, 2015, Astoria entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, or the Merger Agreement, with New York Community Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or NYCB. The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Astoria will merge with and into NYCB, with NYCB as the surviving corporation, such merger referred to as the Merger. Immediately following the Merger, Astoria’s wholly owned subsidiary, Astoria Bank, will merge with and into NYCB’s wholly owned subsidiary, New York Community Bank, such merger referred to as the Bank Merger. New York Community Bank will be the surviving entity in the Bank Merger. The Merger Agreement was unanimously approved and adopted by the Board of Directors of each of Astoria and NYCB. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, or the Effective Time, Astoria stockholders will have the right to receive one share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of NYCB, or NYCB Common Stock, for each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Astoria Financial Corporation, or Astoria Common Stock, and $0.50 in cash. The Merger Agreement also provides that, among other things, the boards of directors of NYCB and New York Community Bank following the Effective Time will each be increased in size by two, and NYCB will appoint Monte N. Redman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Astoria and Astoria Bank, and Ralph Palleschi, Chairman of Astoria and Astoria Bank to fill the resulting vacancies. The Merger Agreement also provides that NYCB will invite the Astoria directors who do not join the boards of directors of NYCB and New York Community Bank to serve as members of the board of the Astoria Bank Division of New York Community Bank for three years. The Merger Agreement contains customary representations and warranties from both Astoria and NYCB, and each party has agreed to customary covenants, including, among others, covenants relating to (1) the conduct of Astoria’s and NYCB’s businesses during the interim period between the execution of the Merger Agreement and the Effective Time, (2) the obligation of NYCB to call a meeting of its stockholders to adopt the Merger Agreement and approve an amendment to its charter to increase the authorized shares of NYCB Common Stock from 600 million to 900 million, and, subject to certain exceptions, to recommend that its stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, (3) the obligation of Astoria to call a meeting of its stockholders to adopt the Merger Agreement, and, subject to certain exceptions, to recommend that its stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement, (4) Astoria’s non-solicitation obligations relating to alternative acquisition proposals. Astoria and NYCB have agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to prepare and file all applications, notices, and other documents to obtain all necessary consents and approvals for consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. The completion of the Merger is subject to customary conditions, including (1) adoption of the Merger Agreement by Astoria’s stockholders, (2) adoption of the Merger Agreement and approval of the charter amendment by NYCB’s stockholders, (3) authorization for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, of the shares of NYCB Common Stock to be issued in the Merger, (4) the receipt of required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the FRB, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the FDIC, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, or the DFS, (5) effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-4 for the NYCB Common Stock to be issued in the Merger, and (6) the absence of any order, injunction or other legal restraint preventing the completion of the Merger or making the completion of the Merger illegal. Each party’s obligation to complete the Merger is also subject to certain additional customary conditions, including (1) subject to certain exceptions, the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the other party, (2) performance in all material respects by the other party of its obligations under the Merger Agreement and (3) receipt by such party of an opinion from its counsel to the effect that the Merger will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. The Merger Agreement also provides certain termination rights for both Astoria and NYCB and further provides that a termination fee of $69.5 million will be payable by either Astoria or NYCB, as applicable, upon termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances. Changes in Income Tax Legislation New York State, or NY State, income tax reform legislation, or the 2014 NY State legislation, was enacted on March 31, 2014. While the 2014 NY State legislation generally became effective in 2015, the nature of the changes resulted in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets in the 2014 first quarter. Prior to the effective date of the 2014 NY State legislation, we were subject to taxation in NY State under an alternative taxation method based on assets. The 2014 NY State legislation, among other things, removed that alternative method. Further, the new law (1) required that we be taxed in a manner that resulted in an increase in our NY State income tax expense beginning in 2015 and (2) caused us to recognize temporary differences and net operating loss carry-forward benefits in 2014 which we were unable to recognize previously. On April 13, 2015, a package of additional legislation, or the 2015 NY State legislation, was signed into law in NY State that, among other things, (1) largely conforms New York City, or NY City, banking income tax laws to the 2014 NY State legislation, and (2) makes technical corrections to the 2014 NY State legislation. The 2015 NY State legislation is effective retroactively to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2015. In addition, on June 30, 2015, the State of Connecticut enacted tax legislation that changed the method for calculating Connecticut income taxes, resulting in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets. Under GAAP, the effects of changes in tax law on current and deferred taxes are accounted for in the period that includes the enactment date of the change, which means that we recorded the impacts of the legislation in the second quarter of 2015. The tax law changes effective in 2014 and 2015 resulted in an increase in our net deferred tax asset with a corresponding reduction in income tax expense of $11.5 million in the 2014 first quarter and a reduction in income tax expense of $11.4 million in the 2015 second quarter comprised of (i) the elimination of our valuation allowance totaling $7.2 million, which previously offset certain deferred tax assets, and (ii) the recognition of additional deferred tax assets totaling $4.2 million, primarily related to NY City taxation. As a result of these changes to state and local tax legislation, we expect our effective income tax rate in future periods to be higher than that in prior periods.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Astoria Financial Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Astoria Bank and its subsidiaries, referred to as Astoria Bank, and AF Insurance Agency, Inc. As used in this quarterly report, "Astoria," “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Astoria Financial Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial condition as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our results of operations and other comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, changes in our stockholders’ equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and our cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. In preparing the consolidated financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities for the consolidated statements of financial condition as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, and amounts of revenues, expenses and other comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The results of operations and other comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations and other comprehensive income to be expected for the remainder of the year. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.

These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our December 31, 2014 audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Recent Developments

On October 28, 2015, Astoria entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, or the Merger Agreement, with New York Community Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or NYCB. The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Astoria will merge with and into NYCB, with NYCB as the surviving corporation, such merger referred to as the Merger. Immediately following the Merger, Astoria’s wholly owned subsidiary, Astoria Bank, will merge with and into NYCB’s wholly owned subsidiary, New York Community Bank, such merger referred to as the Bank Merger. New York Community Bank will be the surviving entity in the Bank Merger. The Merger Agreement was unanimously approved and adopted by the Board of Directors of each of Astoria and NYCB.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, or the Effective Time, Astoria stockholders will have the right to receive one share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of NYCB, or NYCB Common Stock, for each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Astoria Financial Corporation, or Astoria Common Stock, and $0.50 in cash.

The Merger Agreement also provides that, among other things, the boards of directors of NYCB and New York Community Bank following the Effective Time will each be increased in size by two, and NYCB will appoint Monte N. Redman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Astoria and Astoria Bank, and Ralph Palleschi, Chairman of Astoria and Astoria Bank to fill the resulting vacancies. The Merger Agreement also provides that NYCB will invite the Astoria directors who do not join the boards of directors of NYCB and New York Community Bank to serve as members of the board of the Astoria Bank Division of New York Community Bank for three years.

The Merger Agreement contains customary representations and warranties from both Astoria and NYCB, and each party has agreed to customary covenants, including, among others, covenants relating to (1) the conduct of Astoria’s and NYCB’s businesses during the interim period between the execution of the Merger Agreement and the Effective Time, (2) the obligation of NYCB to call a meeting of its stockholders to adopt the Merger Agreement and approve an amendment to its charter to increase the authorized shares of NYCB Common Stock from 600 million to 900 million, and, subject to certain exceptions, to recommend that its stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, (3) the obligation of Astoria to call a meeting of its stockholders to adopt the Merger Agreement, and, subject to certain exceptions, to recommend that its stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement, (4) Astoria’s non-solicitation obligations relating to alternative acquisition proposals. Astoria and NYCB have agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to prepare and file all applications, notices, and other documents to obtain all necessary consents and approvals for consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

The completion of the Merger is subject to customary conditions, including (1) adoption of the Merger Agreement by Astoria’s stockholders, (2) adoption of the Merger Agreement and approval of the charter amendment by NYCB’s stockholders, (3) authorization for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, of the shares of NYCB Common Stock to be issued in the Merger, (4) the receipt of required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the FRB, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the FDIC, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, or the DFS, (5) effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-4 for the NYCB Common Stock to be issued in the Merger, and (6) the absence of any order, injunction or other legal restraint preventing the completion of the Merger or making the completion of the Merger illegal. Each party’s obligation to complete the Merger is also subject to certain additional customary conditions, including (1) subject to certain exceptions, the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the other party, (2) performance in all material respects by the other party of its obligations under the Merger Agreement and (3) receipt by such party of an opinion from its counsel to the effect that the Merger will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code.

The Merger Agreement also provides certain termination rights for both Astoria and NYCB and further provides that a termination fee of $69.5 million will be payable by either Astoria or NYCB, as applicable, upon termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances.

Changes in Income Tax Legislation

New York State, or NY State, income tax reform legislation, or the 2014 NY State legislation, was enacted on March 31, 2014. While the 2014 NY State legislation generally became effective in 2015, the nature of the changes resulted in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets in the 2014 first quarter. Prior to the effective date of the 2014 NY State legislation, we were subject to taxation in NY State under an alternative taxation method based on assets. The 2014 NY State legislation, among other things, removed that alternative method. Further, the new law (1) required that we be taxed in a manner that resulted in an increase in our NY State income tax expense beginning in 2015 and (2) caused us to recognize temporary differences and net operating loss carry-forward benefits in 2014 which we were unable to recognize previously.

On April 13, 2015, a package of additional legislation, or the 2015 NY State legislation, was signed into law in NY State that, among other things, (1) largely conforms New York City, or NY City, banking income tax laws to the 2014 NY State legislation, and (2) makes technical corrections to the 2014 NY State legislation. The 2015 NY State legislation is effective retroactively to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2015. In addition, on June 30, 2015, the State of Connecticut enacted tax legislation that changed the method for calculating Connecticut income taxes, resulting in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets. Under GAAP, the effects of changes in tax law on current and deferred taxes are accounted for in the period that includes the enactment date of the change, which means that we recorded the impacts of the legislation in the second quarter of 2015.

The tax law changes effective in 2014 and 2015 resulted in an increase in our net deferred tax asset with a corresponding reduction in income tax expense of $11.5 million in the 2014 first quarter and a reduction in income tax expense of $11.4 million in the 2015 second quarter comprised of (i) the elimination of our valuation allowance totaling $7.2 million, which previously offset certain deferred tax assets, and (ii) the recognition of additional deferred tax assets totaling $4.2 million, primarily related to NY City taxation.

As a result of these changes to state and local tax legislation, we expect our effective income tax rate in future periods to be higher than that in prior periods.