Regulatory Capital

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Banking and Thrift [Abstract]

Regulatory Capital

REGULATORY CAPITAL

Capital adequacy is an important indicator of financial stability and performance.  The Corporation and the Bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies and are assigned to a capital category.  The assigned capital category is largely determined by four ratios that are calculated according to the regulations: total risk-based capital, tier 1 risk-based capital, common equity tier 1 capital, and tier 1 leverage ratios. The ratios are intended to measure capital relative to assets and credit risk associated with those assets and off-balance sheet exposures of the entity.  The capital category assigned to an entity can also be affected by qualitative judgments made by regulatory agencies about the risk inherent in the entity's activities that are not part of the calculated ratios.  

There are five capital categories defined in the regulations, ranging from well capitalized to critically undercapitalized. Classification of a bank in any of the undercapitalized categories can result in actions by regulators that could have a material effect on a bank's operations. Quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy require the Bank to maintain minimum amounts and ratios of total and tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets, and of tier 1 capital to average assets, or leverage ratio, all of which are calculated as defined in the regulations.  Banks with lower capital levels are deemed to be undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized, depending on their actual levels.  The appropriate federal regulatory agency may also downgrade a bank to the next lower capital category upon a determination that the bank is in an unsafe or unsound practice.  Banks are required to monitor closely their capital levels and to notify their appropriate regulatory agency of any basis for a change in capital category.

Basel III was effective for the Corporation on January 1, 2015. Basel III requires the Corporation and the Bank to maintain minimum amounts and ratio of common equity tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets, as defined in the regulation. Under the new Basel III rules, in order to avoid limitations on capital distributions, including dividends, the Corporation must hold a capital conservation buffer above the adequately capitalized common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio. The capital conservation buffer is being phased in from zero percent to 2.50 percent by 2019. Under Basel III, the Corporation and Bank elected to opt-out of including accumulated other comprehensive income in regulatory capital. Regulatory capital ratios at December 31, 2015, were calculated under Basel III while regulatory capital ratios at December 31, 2014, were calculated under Basel I.

As of December 31, 2015, the Bank met all capital adequacy requirements to be considered well capitalized. There is no threshold for well capitalized status for bank holding companies. The Corporation's and Bank's actual and required capital ratios as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 were as follows:

					Prompt Corrective Action Thresholds
	Actual				Adequately Capitalized				Well Capitalized
December 31, 2015	Amount		Ratio		Amount		Ratio		Amount		Ratio
Total risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets
First Merchants Corporation	$	783,776	14.94	%	$	419,809	8.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Merchants Bank	739,793		13.98		423,242		8.00		$	529,052	10.00	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
First Merchants Corporation	$	656,323	12.51	%	$	314,857	6.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Merchants Bank	677,340		12.80		317,431		6.00		$	423,242	8.00	%
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
First Merchants Corporation	$	603,063	11.49	%	$	236,143	4.50	%	N/A		N/A
First Merchants Bank	677,340		12.80		238,074		4.50		$	343,884	6.50	%
Tier 1 capital to average assets
First Merchants Corporation	$	656,323	10.85	%	$	242,001	4.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Merchants Bank	677,340		11.22		241,423		4.00		$	301,779	5.00	%
					Prompt Corrective Action Thresholds
	Actual				Adequately Capitalized				Well Capitalized
December 31, 2014	Amount		Ratio		Amount		Ratio		Amount		Ratio
Total risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets
First Merchants Corporation	$	685,507	15.34	%	$	357,581	8.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Merchants Bank	653,169		14.64		356,884		8.00		$	446,105	10.00	%
Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets
First Merchants Corporation	$	564,535	12.63	%	$	178,791	4.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Merchants Bank	597,305		13.39		178,442		4.00		$	267,663	6.00	%
Tier 1 capital to average assets
First Merchants Corporation	$	564,535	10.15	%	$	222,533	4.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Merchants Bank	597,305		10.56		226,339		4.00		$	282,953	5.00	%