Investment securities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Available For Sale Securities Text Block

		At December 31, 2012
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
U.S. Treasury securities
	Within 1 year	$	7,018	$	20	$	-	$	7,038	1.67	%
	After 1 to 5 years		27,236		2,964		-		30,200	3.83
Total U.S. Treasury securities			34,254		2,984		-		37,238	3.39
Obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities
	Within 1 year		460,319		7,614		-		467,933	3.82
	After 1 to 5 years		167,177		2,057		-		169,234	1.59
	After 5 to 10 years		456,480		3,263		592		459,151	1.74
Total obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities			1,083,976		12,934		592		1,096,318	2.60
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	Within 1 year		5,220		26		-		5,246	3.08
	After 1 to 5 years		6,254		130		39		6,345	4.65
	After 5 to 10 years		5,513		-		36		5,477	3.79
	After 10 years		37,265		648		-		37,913	5.38
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions			54,252		804		75		54,981	4.91
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies
	After 1 to 5 years		4,927		35		-		4,962	1.48
	After 5 to 10 years		39,897		1,794		-		41,691	2.94
	After 10 years		2,270,184		50,740		512		2,320,412	2.21
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			2,315,008		52,569		512		2,367,065	2.22
Collateralized mortgage obligations - private label
	After 10 years		2,414		59		-		2,473	4.59
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - private label			2,414		59		-		2,473	4.59
Mortgage-backed securities
	Within 1 year		288		13		-		301	3.47
	After 1 to 5 years		3,838		191		-		4,029	4.12
	After 5 to 10 years		81,645		6,207		-		87,852	4.71
	After 10 years		1,297,585		93,509		129		1,390,965	4.18
Total mortgage-backed securities			1,383,356		99,920		129		1,483,147	4.21
Equity securities (without contractual maturity)			6,507		909		10		7,406	3.46
Other
	After 1 to 5 years		9,992		-		207		9,785	1.67
	After 5 to 10 years		18,032		3,675		-		21,707	11.00
	After 10 years		3,945		136		-		4,081	3.62
Total other			31,969		3,811		207		35,573	7.17
Total investment securities available-for-sale		$	4,911,736	$	173,990	$	1,525	$	5,084,201	2.94	%

		At December 31, 2011
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
U.S. Treasury securities
	After 1 to 5 years	$	34,980	$	3,688	$	-	$	38,668	3.35	%
Total U.S. Treasury securities			34,980		3,688		-		38,668	3.35
Obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities
	Within 1 year		94,492		2,382		-		96,874	3.45
	After 1 to 5 years		655,625		25,860		-		681,485	3.38
	After 5 to 10 years		171,633		2,969		-		174,602	2.94
	After 10 years		32,086		499		-		32,585	3.20
Total obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities			953,836		31,710		-		985,546	3.30
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	Within 1 year		765		9		-		774	4.97
	After 1 to 5 years		14,824		283		31		15,076	4.07
	After 5 to 10 years		4,595		54		-		4,649	5.33
	After 10 years		37,320		909		-		38,229	5.38
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political
	subdivisions		57,504		1,255		31		58,728	5.03
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies
	After 1 to 5 years		2,424		49		-		2,473	3.28
	After 5 to 10 years		55,096		1,446		-		56,542	2.64
	After 10 years		1,589,373		49,462		208		1,638,627	2.84
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			1,646,893		50,957		208		1,697,642	2.83
Collateralized mortgage obligations - private label
	After 5 to 10 years		5,653		1		181		5,473	0.81
	After 10 years		59,460		-		7,141		52,319	2.44
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - private label			65,113		1		7,322		57,792	2.30
Mortgage-backed securities
	Within 1 year		57		1		-		58	3.91
	After 1 to 5 years		7,564		328		-		7,892	3.86
	After 5 to 10 years		111,639		8,020		1		119,658	4.66
	After 10 years		1,870,736		141,274		49		2,011,961	4.25
Total mortgage-backed securities			1,989,996		149,623		50		2,139,569	4.27
Equity securities (without contractual maturity)			6,594		426		104		6,916	2.96
Other
	After 5 to 10 years		17,850		700		-		18,550	10.99
	After 10 years		6,311		101		-		6,412	3.61
Total other			24,161		801		-		24,962	9.06
Total investment securities available-for-sale		$	4,779,077	$	238,461	$	7,715	$	5,009,823	3.58	%

Schedule Of Aggregate Amortized Cost And Fair Value Of Afs By Contractual Maturity [TableTextBlock]

(In thousands)		Amortized cost		Fair value
Within 1 year	$	472,845	$	480,518
After 1 to 5 years		219,424		224,555
After 5 to 10 years		601,567		615,878
After 10 years		3,611,393		3,755,844
Total		4,905,229		5,076,795
Equity securities		6,507		7,406
Total investment securities available-for-sale	$	4,911,736	$	5,084,201

Schedule Of Realized Gains Losses [Table Text Block]

	For the year ended December 31,
(In thousands)		2012		2011		2010
Gross realized gains	$	65	$	8,514	$	3,768
Gross realized losses		(1,684)		(130)		(6)
Net realized (losses) gains on sale of investment securities available-for-sale	$	(1,619)	$	8,384	$	3,762

Investments In Debt And Marketable Equity Securities And Certain Trading Assets Disclosure Text Block

		2012				2011
(In thousands)	Amortized cost		Fair value		Amortized cost		Fair value
FNMA	$	1,594,933	$	1,634,927	$	1,049,315	$	1,089,069
FHLB		520,127		528,287		553,940		578,617
Freddie Mac		1,198,969		1,221,863		984,270		1,010,669

Held To Maturity Securities Text Block

		At December 31, 2012
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	Within 1 year	$	2,420	$	8	$	-	$	2,428	5.74	%
	After 1 to 5 years		21,335		520		19		21,836	3.63
	After 5 to 10 years		18,780		866		5		19,641	6.03
	After 10 years		73,642		449		438		73,653	5.35
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions			116,177		1,843		462		117,558	5.15
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies
	After 10 years		140		4		-		144	5.45
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			140		4		-		144	5.45
Other
	Within 1 year		250		-		-		250	0.86
	After 1 to 5 years		26,250		31		-		26,281	3.40
Total other			26,500		31		-		26,531	3.38
Total investment securities held-to-maturity		$	142,817	$	1,878	$	462	$	144,233	4.82	%

		At December 31, 2011
				Gross		Gross				Weighted
		Amortized		unrealized		unrealized		Fair		average
(In thousands)		cost		gains		losses		value		yield
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions
	Within 1 year	$	7,275	$	6	$	-	$	7,281	2.24	%
	After 1 to 5 years		11,174		430		-		11,604	5.80
	After 5 to 10 years		18,512		266		90		18,688	5.99
	After 10 years		62,012		40		855		61,197	4.11
Total obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions			98,973		742		945		98,770	4.51
Collateralized mortgage obligations - private label
	After 10 years		160		-		9		151	5.45
Total collateralized mortgage obligations - private label			160		-		9		151	5.45
Other
	After 1 to 5 years		26,250		83		-		26,333	3.41
Total other			26,250		83		-		26,333	3.41
Total investment securities held-to-maturity		$	125,383	$	825	$	954	$	125,254	4.28	%

Schedule Of Aggregate Amortized Cost And Fair Value Of Htms By Contractual Maturity [Table Text Block]

(In thousands)		Amortized cost		Fair value
Within 1 year	$	2,670	$	2,678
After 1 to 5 years		47,585		48,117
After 5 to 10 years		18,780		19,641
After 10 years		73,782		73,797
Total investment securities held-to-maturity	$	142,817	$	144,233

Available For Sale Securities Member

Schedule Of Unrealized Loss On Investments Table Text Block

		At December 31, 2012
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
Obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities		$	139,278	$	592	$	-	$	-	$	139,278	$	592
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political
	subdivisions		6,229		44		2,031		31		8,260		75
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			170,136		512		-		-		170,136		512
Mortgage-backed securities			7,411		90		983		39		8,394		129
Equity securities			-		-		51		10		51		10
Other			9,785		207		-		-		9,785		207
Total investment securities available-for-sale in an
	unrealized loss position	$	332,839	$	1,445	$	3,065	$	80	$	335,904	$	1,525

		At December 31, 2011
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political
	subdivisions	$	7,817	$	28	$	191	$	3	$	8,008	$	31
Collateralized mortgage obligations - federal agencies			90,543		208		-		-		90,543		208
Collateralized mortgage obligations - private label			13,595		539		44,148		6,783		57,743		7,322
Mortgage-backed securities			5,577		14		1,466		36		7,043		50
Equity securities			5,199		95		2		9		5,201		104
Total investment securities available-for-sale in an
	unrealized loss position	$	122,731	$	884	$	45,807	$	6,831	$	168,538	$	7,715

Held To Maturity Securities Member

Schedule Of Unrealized Loss On Investments Table Text Block

		At December 31, 2012
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions		$	2,365	$	35	$	19,118	$	427	$	21,483	$	462
Total investment securities held-to-maturity in an unrealized
	loss position	$	2,365	$	35	$	19,118	$	427	$	21,483	$	462

		At December 31, 2011
		Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
				Gross				Gross				Gross
		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized		Fair		unrealized
(In thousands)		value		losses		value		losses		value		losses
Obligations of Puerto Rico, States and political subdivisions		$	10,323	$	92	$	31,062	$	853	$	41,385	$	945
Collateralized mortgage obligations - private label			-		-		151		9		151		9
Total investment securities held-to-maturity in an unrealized
	loss position	$	10,323	$	92	$	31,213	$	862	$	41,536	$	954