Regulatory Matters

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Regulatory Capital Requirements [Abstract]

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory Matters

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, or the Reform Act, in July 2013, the federal bank regulatory agencies, issued final rules, or the Final Capital Rules, that subjected many savings and loan holding companies, including Astoria Financial Corporation, to consolidated capital requirements effective January 1, 2015. The Final Capital Rules also revised the quantity and quality of required minimum risk-based and leverage capital requirements, consistent with the Reform Act and the Third Basel Accord adopted by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, or Basel III capital standards.  In addition, the Final Capital Rules added a requirement to maintain a minimum conservation buffer, or the Conservation Buffer, composed of Common equity tier 1 capital, of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets, to be phased in over three years and applied to the Common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio and the Total risk-based capital ratio. Accordingly, banking organizations, on a fully phased in basis no later than January 1, 2019, must maintain a minimum Common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 7.0%, a minimum Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.5% and a minimum Total risk-based capital ratio of 10.5%.

The required minimum Conservation Buffer began to be phased in incrementally, starting at 0.625% on January 1, 2016, increased to 1.25% on January 1, 2017, and will increase to 1.875% on January 1, 2018 and 2.5% on January 1, 2019. The Final Capital Rules impose restrictions on capital distributions and certain discretionary cash bonus payments if the minimum Conservation Buffer is not met.

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the capital levels of both Astoria Financial Corporation and Astoria Bank exceeded all regulatory capital requirements and their regulatory capital ratios were above the minimum levels required to be considered well capitalized for regulatory purposes. The capital levels of both Astoria Financial Corporation and Astoria Bank at December 31, 2016 and 2015 also exceeded the minimum capital requirements shown in the table below including, at December 31, 2016, the currently applicable Conservation Buffer of 0.625%. The following table sets forth information regarding the regulatory capital requirements applicable to Astoria Financial Corporation and Astoria Bank.

	At December 31, 2016
	Actual				Minimum Capital Requirements					Minimum Capital Requirements with Conservation Buffer					To be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions
(Dollars in Thousands)	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio
Astoria Financial Corporation:
Tier 1 leverage	$	1,572,750	10.85	%		$	579,829	4.00	%		N/A		N/A			$	724,786	5.00	%
Common equity tier 1 risk-based	1,448,341		17.29			376,857		4.50			$	429,199	5.125	%		544,350		6.50
Tier 1 risk-based	1,572,750		18.78			502,477		6.00			554,818		6.625			669,969		8.00
Total risk-based	1,659,221		19.81			669,969		8.00			722,310		8.625			837,461		10.00
Astoria Bank:
Tier 1 leverage	$	1,742,580	12.09	%		$	576,660	4.00	%		N/A		N/A			$	720,825	5.00	%
Common equity tier 1 risk-based	1,742,580		20.85			376,129		4.50			$	428,369	5.125	%		543,297		6.50
Tier 1 risk-based	1,742,580		20.85			501,505		6.00			553,745		6.625			668,673		8.00
Total risk-based	1,829,051		21.88			668,673		8.00			720,913		8.625			835,841		10.00

	At December 31, 2015
	Actual				Minimum Capital Requirements					Minimum Capital Requirements with Conservation Buffer			To be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions
(Dollars in Thousands)	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount	Ratio		Amount		Ratio
Astoria Financial Corporation:
Tier 1 leverage	$	1,521,367	10.21	%		$	596,022	4.00	%		N/A	N/A		$	745,027	5.00	%
Common equity tier 1 risk-based	1,401,376		16.00			394,092		4.50			N/A	N/A		569,244		6.50
Tier 1 risk-based	1,521,367		17.37			525,456		6.00			N/A	N/A		700,608		8.00
Total risk-based	1,620,612		18.51			700,608		8.00			N/A	N/A		875,760		10.00
Astoria Bank:
Tier 1 leverage	$	1,670,312	11.29	%		$	591,787	4.00	%		N/A	N/A		$	739,734	5.00	%
Common equity tier 1 risk-based	1,670,312		19.12			393,153		4.50			N/A	N/A		567,888		6.50
Tier 1 risk-based	1,670,312		19.12			524,204		6.00			N/A	N/A		698,939		8.00
Total risk-based	1,769,557		20.25			698,939		8.00			N/A	N/A		873,674		10.00