Nature of Operations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of Operations

Nature of Operations

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (Bank) is a federally chartered corporation and is one of 11 district Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks). Each FHLBank operates as a separate entity within a defined geographic district and has its own management, employees, and board of directors. The Bank’s defined geographic district includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises that were organized under the Federal Home Loan Bank Act of 1932, as amended (FHLBank Act), to serve the public by enhancing the availability of credit for residential mortgages and targeted community developments. The primary function of the Bank is to provide readily available, competitively priced funding to its member institutions.

The Bank is a cooperative whose member institutions own substantially all of the capital stock of the Bank. Former members and certain non-members, which own the Bank’s capital stock as a result of a merger or acquisition of a member of the Bank, own the remaining capital stock to support business transactions still carried on the Bank’s Statements of Condition. All holders of the Bank’s capital stock are entitled to receive dividends on their capital stock, to the extent declared by the Bank’s board of directors.

Federally-insured depository institutions, insurance companies, privately-insured state-chartered credit unions, and community development financial institutions that are located in the Bank’s defined geographic district and engaged in residential housing finance are eligible to apply for membership. All members must purchase and hold capital stock of the Bank. A member’s stock requirement is based on the amount of its total assets, as well as the amount of certain of its business activities with the Bank. Housing associates (including state and local housing authorities) that meet certain statutory criteria may also borrow from the Bank. While they are eligible to borrow, housing associates are not members of the Bank and are not allowed to hold capital stock.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (Finance Agency) is the independent federal regulator of the FHLBanks and is responsible for ensuring that the FHLBanks (1) operate in a safe and sound manner, including that they maintain adequate capital and internal controls; (2) foster liquid, efficient, competitive, and resilient national housing finance markets through their operations and activities; (3) comply with applicable laws and regulations; and (4) carry out their housing finance mission through authorized activities that are consistent with the public interest. The Finance Agency also establishes policies and regulations covering the operations of the FHLBanks. The Bank does not have any special purpose entities or any other types of off-balance sheet conduits.

The Federal Home Loan Banks Office of Finance (Office of Finance), a joint office of the FHLBanks, facilitates the issuance and servicing of the FHLBanks’ debt instruments, known as consolidated obligations, and prepares the combined quarterly and annual financial reports of the FHLBanks. As provided by the FHLBank Act and applicable regulations, the Bank’s consolidated obligations are backed only by the financial resources of the FHLBanks. Consolidated obligations are the primary source of funds for the Bank in addition to deposits, other borrowings, and capital stock issued to members. The Bank primarily uses these funds to provide advances to members. The Bank also provides members and non-members with correspondent banking services, such as safekeeping, wire transfer, and cash management services.