| **PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION**                                         | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     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| **Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company Only Disclosure [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                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| PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION                                             | PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL INFORMATIONCondensed financial information of the parent company is as follows:BALANCE SHEETS   AT DECEMBER 31,  2013 2012  (in thousands)Assets    Cash and cash equivalents $295,031 $332,821Available-for-sale investment securities 39,382 39,382Loans to non-bank subsidiaries — —Investment in subsidiaries:    Bank subsidiary 8,450,766 8,697,439Non-bank subsidiaries 4,519,452 4,325,650Equity method investments 2,961,938 2,701,426Other assets 294,905 257,045Total assets $16,561,474 $16,353,763Liabilities and stockholder's equity    Borrowings and other debt obligations $2,589,503 $2,568,422Borrowings from non-bank subsidiaries 138,495 137,600Other liabilities 288,493 405,739Total liabilities 3,016,491 3,111,761Stockholder's equity 13,544,983 13,242,002Total liabilities and stockholder's equity $16,561,474 $16,353,763 NOTE 21. PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME   YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,  2013 2012 2011  (in thousands)Dividends from bank subsidiary $— $148,747 $—Dividends from non-bank subsidiaries — 35,253 425,762Interest income 3,365 2,749 3,676Income from equity method investments (1) 449,357 444,326 982,913Other income 2,009 2,018 677Total income 454,731 633,093 1,413,028Interest expense 161,812 162,659 148,937Other expense 44,678 344,019 376,092Total expense 206,490 506,678 525,029Income before income taxes and equity in earnings of subsidiaries 248,241 126,415 887,999Income tax provision/(benefit) 54,235 (177,105) 307,412Income before equity in earnings of subsidiaries 194,006 303,520 580,587Equity in undistributed earnings of:      Bank subsidiary 344,994 203,735 316,934Non-bank subsidiaries 89,103 53,980 360,725Net income 628,103 561,235 1,258,246Other comprehensive income, net of tax:      Net unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedge derivative financial instruments 39,751 28,822 (2,744)Net unrealized (losses)/gains recognized on investment securities (359,616) 72,471 188,720Amortization of defined benefit plans 11,163 (241) (10,000)Total other comprehensive (loss)/income (308,702) 101,052 175,976Comprehensive income $319,401 $662,287 $1,434,222 (1)In the year ended December 31, 2011, a pre-tax gain of $987.7 million was recognized in Other income related to the SCUSA Transaction and an equity method investment of $2.65 billion was recognized in Other assets. NOTE 21. PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS   FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31  2013 2012 2011  (in thousands)CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:      Net income $628,103 $561,235 $1,258,246Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (paid in)/provided by operating activities:      Undistributed earnings of:      Bank subsidiary (344,994) (203,735) (316,934)Non-bank subsidiaries (89,103) (53,980) (360,725)Stock based compensation expense 2,057 3,720 4,054Remittance to Santander for stock based compensation (3,877) (5,568) (4,333)Equity earnings from equity method investments (449,357) (444,326) (987,650)Dividends from equity method investments 188,661 477,502 —Net change in other assets and other liabilities (152,575) (87,677) 550,541Net cash (paid in)/provided by operating activities (221,085) 247,171 143,199CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:      Net capital returned from/(contributed to) subsidiaries 178,266 (1,765) 806,094Net (increase)/decrease in loans to subsidiaries — 2,000 8,000Cash paid related to the SCUSA Transaction — — (10,000)Net cash provided by / (used in) investing activities 178,266 235 804,094CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES:      Repayment of other debt obligations (481,267) (764,383) (463,740)Net proceeds received from senior notes and senior credit facility 500,000 598,242 500,000Net change in commercial paper — (18,090) (951,502)Net change in borrowings 896 995 566Dividends to preferred stockholders (14,600) (14,600) (14,600)Dividends to non-controlling interest — — (39,552)Net proceeds from the issuance of preferred stock — — —Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities 5,029 (197,836) (968,828)(Decrease)/Increase in cash and cash equivalents (37,790) 49,570 (21,535)Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 332,821 283,251 304,786Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $295,031 $332,821 $283,251 |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for condensed financial information, including the financial position, cash flows, and the results of operations of the registrant (parent company) as of the same dates or for the same periods for which audited consolidated financial statements are being presented. Alternatively, the details of this disclosure can be reported by the specific parent company taxonomy elements, indicating the appropriate date and period contexts in an instance document.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 06 -Article 9Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (SX 210.12-04) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e24072-122690Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7656940&loc=d3e5283-111683Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Article 12Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Paragraph c -Article 5Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 05 -Paragraph c -Article 7
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