Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The interim unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac") and subsidiaries have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present a fair statement of the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of Farmer Mac and subsidiaries for the interim periods presented. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the annual consolidated financial statements have been omitted as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. The December 31, 2014 consolidated balance sheet presented in this report has been derived from Farmer Mac's audited 2014 consolidated financial statements. Management believes that the disclosures are adequate to present fairly the consolidated financial statements as of the dates and for the periods presented. These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the 2014 consolidated financial statements of Farmer Mac and subsidiaries included in Farmer Mac's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the SEC on March 16, 2015. That Form 10-K describes Farmer Mac's significant accounting policies, which include its policies on Principles of Consolidation; Cash and Cash Equivalents and Statements of Cash Flows; Transfers of Financial Assets and Liabilities; Investment Securities, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities; Loans; Securitization of Loans; Real Estate Owned; Financial Derivatives; Notes Payable; Allowance for Loan Losses and Reserve for Losses; Earnings Per Common Share; Income Taxes; Stock-Based Compensation; Comprehensive Income; Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments; Fair Value Measurement; and Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of those that may be expected for the fiscal year. Presented below are Farmer Mac's significant accounting policies that contain updated information for the three months ended March 31, 2015.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Farmer Mac and its three subsidiaries: (1) Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation ("FMMSC"), whose principal activities are to facilitate the purchase and issuance of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities; (2) Farmer Mac II LLC, whose principal activity is the operation of substantially all of the business related to the USDA Guarantees line of business – primarily the acquisition of USDA Securities; and (3) Contour Valuation Services, LLC, whose principal activity is to provide appraisal services related to agricultural real estate. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of VIEs in which Farmer Mac determined itself to be the primary beneficiary.

The following tables present, by line of business, details about the consolidation of VIEs:

Table 1.1



	Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities
	As of March 31, 2015
	Farm & Ranch		USDA Guarantees		Rural Utilities		Institutional Credit		Corporate		Total
	(in thousands)
On-Balance Sheet:
Consolidated VIEs:
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost	$	457,117	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	457,117
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties⁽¹⁾	457,903		—		—		—		—		457,903
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Carrying value⁽²⁾	—		23,505		—		32,367		—		55,872
Maximum exposure to loss⁽³⁾	—		23,098		—		30,000		—		53,098
Investment securities:
Carrying value⁽⁴⁾	—		—		—		—		479,548		479,548
Maximum exposure to loss⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾	—		—		—		—		482,757		482,757
Off-Balance Sheet:
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Maximum exposure to loss⁽³⁾⁽⁵⁾	598,236		12,847		—		970,000		—		1,581,083


⁽¹⁾	Includes borrower remittances of $0.8 million. The borrower remittances have not been passed through to third party investors as of March 31, 2015.


⁽²⁾	Includes $0.4 million of unamortized premiums and discounts and fair value adjustments related to the USDA Guarantees line of business. Includes fair value adjustments related to the Institutional Credit line of business of $2.4 million.


⁽³⁾	Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balance and outstanding face amount of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.


⁽⁴⁾	Includes auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.


⁽⁵⁾	The amount under the Farm & Ranch line of business relates to unconsolidated trusts where Farmer Mac determined it was not the primary beneficiary due to shared power with an unrelated party.



	Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities
	As of December 31, 2014
	Farm & Ranch		USDA Guarantees		Rural Utilities		Institutional Credit		Corporate		Total
	(in thousands)
On-Balance Sheet:
Consolidated VIEs:
Loans held for investment in consolidated trusts, at amortized cost⁽¹⁾	$	421,355	$	—	$	271,123	$	—	$	—	$	692,478
Debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties⁽²⁾	424,214		—		—		—		—		424,214
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Carrying value⁽³⁾	—		27,620		—		32,415		—		60,035
Maximum exposure to loss⁽⁴⁾	—		27,832		—		30,000		—		57,832
Investment securities:
Carrying value⁽⁵⁾	—		—		—		—		409,657		409,657
Maximum exposure to loss⁽⁴⁾⁽⁵⁾	—		—		—		—		412,690		412,690
Off-Balance Sheet:
Unconsolidated VIEs:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities:
Maximum exposure to loss⁽⁴⁾⁽⁶⁾	636,086		13,978		—		970,000		—		1,620,064


⁽¹⁾	Includes unamortized premiums related to the Rural Utilities line of business of $3.7 million.


⁽²⁾	Includes borrower remittances of $2.9 million, which have not been passed through to third party investors as of December 31, 2014.


⁽³⁾	Includes $0.2 million of unamortized premiums and discounts and fair value adjustments related to the USDA Guarantees line of business. Includes fair value adjustments related to the Institutional Credit line of business of $2.4 million.


⁽⁴⁾	Farmer Mac uses unpaid principal balance and the outstanding face amount of investment securities to represent maximum exposure to loss.


⁽⁵⁾	Includes auction-rate certificates, asset-backed securities, and government-sponsored enterprise ("GSE")-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.


⁽⁶⁾	The amount under the Farm & Ranch line of business relates to unconsolidated trusts where Farmer Mac determined it was not the primary beneficiary due to shared power with an unrelated party.

Statements of Cash Flows

The following table sets forth information regarding certain non-cash transactions for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:

Table 1.2



	For the Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2015		March 31, 2014
	(in thousands)
Non-cash activity:
Loans acquired and securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	$	49,487	$	62,751
Consolidation of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from off-balance sheet to loans held for investment in consolidated trusts and to debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties	49,487		62,751
Purchases of securities - traded, not yet settled	14,915		—
Issuance costs on the retirement of Farmer Mac II LLC Preferred Stock	8,147		—
Transfers of available-for-sale Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities to held-to-maturity	—		1,612,086

On January 1, 2014, Farmer Mac transferred $1.6 billion of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity because Farmer Mac determined it has the ability and intent to hold these securities until maturity or payoff. Farmer Mac transferred these securities at fair value which reflected an unrealized holding gain of $22.3 million. Farmer Mac accounts for held-to-maturity securities at amortized cost. The unrealized holding gain is being amortized out of accumulated other comprehensive income over the remaining life of the transferred securities.

Earnings Per Common Share

Basic earnings per common share ("EPS") is based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Diluted earnings per common share is based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding adjusted to include all potentially dilutive common stock options, stock appreciation rights ("SARs"), and non-vested restricted stock awards. The following schedule reconciles basic and diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:

Table 1.3



	For the Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2015						March 31, 2014
	Net Income		Weighted-Average Shares	$ per Share			Net Income		Weighted-Average Shares	$ per Share
	(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Basic EPS
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	1,818	10,938	$	0.17		$	813	10,887	$	0.07
Effect of dilutive securities⁽¹⁾:
Stock options, SARs and restricted stock	—		393	(0.01		)	—		459	—
Diluted EPS	$	1,818	11,331	$	0.16		$	813	11,346	$	0.07

⁽¹⁾

For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, stock options and SARs of 201,401 and 32,983, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share of common stock because they were anti-dilutive. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, contingent shares of non-vested restricted stock of 30,514 and 31,594, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share of common stock because performance conditions have not yet been met.

New Accounting Standards

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, "Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis." This update modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are VIEs or voting interest entities and eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. It also affects the consolidation analysis of reporting entities that are involved with VIEs, particularly those that have fee arrangements and related party relationships. ASU 2015-02 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of the new guidance will not have a material effect on Farmer Mac's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Reclassifications

Beginning January 1, 2015, Farmer Mac classified all of the income from Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities that it holds in its portfolio as interest income. Prior to January 1, 2015, Farmer Mac classified a portion of the income from those securities, $2.7 million in first quarter 2014, as guarantee and commitment fees. This change in classification does not affect the timing or amount of income recognized from these securities. The corresponding guarantee and commitment fee receivable balance as of December 31, 2014 also was reclassified to accrued interest receivable. Certain reclassifications of prior period information, including the aforementioned change, were made to conform to the current period presentation.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity.

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