Regulatory Matters

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Regulatory Capital Requirements [Abstract]

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory Matters

Restrictions on Cash and Due From Banks

The Corporation’s bank subsidiary is required to maintain certain vault cash and reserve balances with the Federal Reserve Bank to meet specific reserve requirements. These requirements approximated $115 million at December 31, 2016.

Regulatory Capital Requirements

The Corporation and its subsidiary bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possible additional discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Corporation’s financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Corporation must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of the Corporation’s assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The Corporation’s capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings, and other factors.

Quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy require the Corporation to maintain minimum amounts and ratios (set forth in the table below) of total and Common equity Tier 1 capital (as defined in the regulations) to risk-weighted assets (as defined), and of Tier 1 capital (as defined) to average assets (as defined). Management believes, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, that the Corporation meets all capital adequacy requirements to which it is subject.

For additional information on the capital requirements applicable for the Corporation and the Bank, please see Part I, Item 1.

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the most recent notifications from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation categorized the subsidiary bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized, the subsidiary bank must maintain minimum ratios as set forth in the table. There are no conditions or events since that notification that management believes have changed the institution’s category. The actual capital amounts and ratios of the Corporation and its significant subsidiary are presented below. No deductions from capital were made for interest rate risk in 2016 or 2015.

	Actual				For Capital Adequacy Purposes					To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions:(2)
	Amount		Ratio(1)		Amount		Ratio(1)			Amount		Ratio(1)
	($ in Thousands)
As of December 31 , 2016
Associated Banc-Corp
Total capital	$	2,706,760	12.68	%	$	1,707,276	≥	8.00	%
Tier 1 capital	2,191,798		10.27		1,280,457		≥	6.00	%
Common equity Tier 1 capital	2,032,587		9.52		960,343		≥	4.50	%
Leverage	2,191,798		7.83		1,119,685		≥	4.00	%
Associated Bank, N.A.
Total capital	$	2,565,062	12.07	%	$	1,700,737	≥	8.00	%	$	2,125,921	≥	10.00	%
Tier 1 capital	2,298,812		10.81		1,275,553		≥	6.00	%	1,700,737		≥	8.00	%
Common equity Tier 1 capital	2,098,812		9.87		956,664		≥	4.50	%	1,381,849		≥	6.50	%
Leverage	2,298,812		8.24		1,115,731		≥	4.00	%	1,394,663		≥	5.00	%
As of December 31 , 2015
Associated Banc-Corp
Total capital	$	2,515,861	12.62	%	$	1,594,397	≥	8.00	%
Tier 1 capital	2,016,861		10.12		1,195,798		≥	6.00	%
Common equity Tier 1 capital	1,897,944		9.52		896,848		≥	4.50	%
Leverage	2,016,861		7.60		1,061,325		≥	4.00	%
Associated Bank, N.A.
Total capital	$	2,532,563	12.76	%	$	1,588,070	≥	8.00	%	$	1,985,088	≥	10.00	%
Tier 1 capital	2,283,785		11.50		1,191,053		≥	6.00	%	1,588,070		≥	8.00	%
Common equity Tier 1 capital	2,084,589		10.50		893,289		≥	4.50	%	1,290,307		≥	6.50	%
Leverage	2,283,785		8.64		1,057,228		≥	4.00	%	1,321,535		≥	5.00	%

(1) When fully phased-in on January 1, 2019, the Basel III capital rules include a capital conservation buffer of 2.5% that is added on top of each of the minimum risk-based capital ratios noted above. Implementation began on January 1, 2016 at the 0.625% level and will increase each subsequent January 1, until it reaches 2.5% on January 1, 2019.

(2) Prompt corrective action provisions are not applicable at the bank holding company level.