UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant	Filed by a Party other than the Registrant

Check the appropriate box:
	Preliminary Proxy Statement
	Confidential, for use of the Commission only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
	Definitive Proxy Statement
	Definitive Additional Materials
	Soliciting Material Pursuant to ss.240.14a-12

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
	No fee required.
	Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.
	(1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
	(2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
	(3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
	(4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
	(5) Total fee paid:
	Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
	Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
	(1) Amount Previously Paid:
	(2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
	(3) Filing Party:
	(4) Date Filed:

	TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION 200 Lake Street East Wayzata, MN 55391-1693 (952) 745-2760
Dear Stockholder:   You are invited to attend TCF Financial Corporation’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders at the Marriott Minneapolis West, 9960 Wayzata Boulevard, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, on April 26, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. local time.   At the Annual Meeting you will be asked to elect 14 Directors and to approve an amended and restated Certificate of Incorporation to permit removal of Directors without cause. You will also be asked to give advisory (non-binding) votes to approve executive compensation, recommend the frequency of the stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation as disclosed in the proxy statement, and to ratify the Audit Committee’s appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants for 2017. The Board of Directors recommends a vote of “Annual” on the frequency of the stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation and that you vote “FOR” each nominee and all of the other proposals.   Your vote is important, regardless of the number of shares you own. I urge you to vote now, even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. We are mailing a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) to the majority of stockholders who are eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting, which instructs stockholders how to access TCF’s proxy materials and vote their shares of TCF common stock online.   If you are sent this Notice but would prefer to receive the traditional printed proxy materials free of charge, please follow the instructions on the Notice to request the printed materials via U.S. mail. If you received the traditional printed proxy materials in lieu of the Notice, you may vote your TCF shares online, by telephone, or by mail by following the instructions on the proxy card. If you received more than one proxy card, please vote each card.   Finally, if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, you will be required to present a valid form of photo identification to be admitted.   Sincerely,   Craig R. Dahl Vice Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer March 15, 2017

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of TCF Financial Corporation (“TCF”) is scheduled as shown below:

April 26, 2017

4:00 p.m. local time

Marriott Minneapolis West, 9960 Wayzata Boulevard, St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Meeting Agenda

You are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting if you owned TCF common stock at the close of business on the record date, February 27, 2017. If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, you will need a valid form of photo identification to be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote now to make sure there will be a quorum for the Annual Meeting. You may access TCF’s proxy materials and vote your shares online by following the instructions on the Notice. If you receive a proxy card, you may vote your shares online, by telephone, or by mail by following the instructions on your proxy card. You may revoke your proxy by submitting another timely proxy, by notifying the Corporate Secretary of TCF in writing before your shares are voted at the Annual Meeting, or by voting your shares in person at the Annual Meeting. If you hold shares through a broker or other nominee, please follow the voting instructions provided to you by that broker or other nominee.

TCF is making its Proxy Statement for the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and its 2016 Annual Report to Stockholders available through the Investor Relations section of TCF’s website at http://ir.tcfbank.com. A free webcast of the Annual Meeting also will be available at http://ir.tcfbank.com on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. local time.

Wayzata, Minnesota
March 15, 2017

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Craig R. Dahl

Vice Chairman, President, and

Chief Executive Officer

Table of Contents

PROXY STATEMENT

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of TCF Financial Corporation (“TCF Financial,” “TCF,” “we,” “our” or the “Company”) requests your proxy for the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), which is being solicited on behalf of the Board and TCF. The Annual Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. local time at the Marriott Minneapolis West, 9960 Wayzata Boulevard, St. Louis Park, MN 55426.

The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) or, in some cases, this Proxy Statement and the accompanying form of proxy, will first be mailed on or about March 15, 2017. Stockholders are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting if they owned shares of TCF’s common stock at the close of business on February 27, 2017 (the “Record Date”). There were 170,810,887 shares of TCF common stock outstanding on the Record Date.

The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders take the following actions at the Annual Meeting:

Each Director listed below has been nominated by the Board for election to a one-year term. Unless instructed otherwise by the person submitting the proxy, all proxies received will be voted in favor of the Nominees listed in the following table. All Nominees agree they will serve if elected. However, if any Nominee is unable to serve or for good cause will not serve, a proxy submitted to TCF may be voted for a replacement nominee by your proxies.

* Excludes Director service with subsidiaries, predecessor companies or companies merged with TCF Financial.

Each Nominee’s qualifications and contributions made to the Board were considered before each individual was nominated for election at the Annual Meeting. We believe that each Director brings unique abilities and insights and that the Board is comprised of a strong and diverse group of Directors. The background of each candidate including relevant experience and why TCF believes each is a valuable member of the Board is set forth below.

Recommendation of the Board

The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” all of the Nominees listed above.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    5

Background of the Nominees

The following describes at least the last five years of business experience of each Nominee proposed for election as a Director, as well as the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led to the conclusion that the Nominee should serve as a Director of TCF. The descriptions also include any other directorships at public companies held during the past five years by the Nominees. There is no family relationship between any of the Directors, Nominees or executive officers of TCF.

Peter Bell   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2009   Peter Bell is currently the Chair of the BSA (Bank Secrecy Act) and Compliance Committee, and a member of the Compensation, Nominating, and Corporate Governance (“Compensation”), Finance, and Risk Committees. Since December 2010, Mr. Bell has served as Senior Advisor to the Center of the American Experiment, a public policy institution. From 2003 until December 2010, he was the Chair of the Metropolitan Council, a regional agency serving the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, that operates the bus, wastewater, and parks systems, and administers funds for affordable housing opportunities, and he was responsible for strategic long-range growth planning for the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. He was Executive Vice President at Hazelden Publishing and Educational Services from 1999 to 2002 and Executive Vice President of Corporate Community Relations at TCF National Bank, a wholly-owned national bank subsidiary of TCF Financial (“TCF Bank”), from 1994 to 1999. He was the co-founder and Executive Director of the Institute on Black Chemical Abuse and has authored and published numerous books on chemical dependence. He is a former member of the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota, and serves on the Board of Directors of the American Action Forum, Friends of Education, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Questscope, and many other local and national social and civic organizations. In addition to unique management experience in the public and private sectors, Mr. Bell contributes his extensive experience in government affairs to the Board. As a bank holding company regulated by several federal agencies, TCF has numerous dealings with regulatory bodies, and Mr. Bell’s expertise in dealing with a wide variety of state and federal regulators is very helpful in Board deliberations that involve TCF’s regulatory relationships.

William F. Bieber   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 1997   William F. Bieber is currently a member of the BSA and Compliance, Compensation, Executive, Finance, and Risk Committees. He is currently Chairman of the Board of ATEK Companies, Inc., a Minnesota-based organization supplying various products to the commercial, medical, and industrial marketplace, a position he has held since 1984. As the Chief Executive Officer and owner of Acrometal Products, a position he first held in 1973, Mr. Bieber acquired numerous manufacturing and production entities, expanding the business that would become the ATEK family of companies. He previously served as President of the Board of Hammer Residences Inc. and as a cabinet member to the Minneapolis United Way. In these roles, Mr. Bieber obtained years of management experience and financial expertise. The Board especially values his extensive experience in starting, acquiring and growing businesses. TCF attempts to run its business lines with an entrepreneurial spirit, and Mr. Bieber’s knowledge of how to turn a product concept into a profitable business venture benefits Board discussions regarding products and strategic initiatives.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    6

Theodore J. Bigos   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2008   Theodore J. Bigos is currently a member of the Compensation, Finance, and Risk Committees and the Risk Management Subcommittee. He is the owner of Bigos Management, Inc., an apartment ownership and management firm located in Minnesota, and he has been involved in the ownership or operation of apartment complexes for over 40 years. As TCF’s primary businesses include both residential and commercial lending, Mr. Bigos’ unique experience in long-term management of an apartment conglomerate and corresponding knowledge of the real estate markets make him a valuable contributor to the Board.

Craig R. Dahl   Director and Vice Chairman of TCF Financial Director Since: 2012 Vice Chairman Since: 2012   Craig R. Dahl is currently a member of the Executive and Technology Committees. He has been President and CEO of TCF Financial since January 1, 2016 and has been President of the Company since March 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Dahl had been an Executive Vice President of the Company since 1999. During his tenure, Mr. Dahl has also held numerous leadership positions with many of TCF’s wholly-owned lending subsidiaries, including Chairman of TCF Inventory Finance, Inc., Chairman and CEO of Winthrop Resources Corporation, and Chairman of Gateway One Lending and Finance, LLC. Mr. Dahl’s expertise in the lending and finance industries enables him to make meaningful contributions during Board discussions.

Karen L. Grandstrand   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2010   Karen L. Grandstrand is currently the Chair of the Risk Committee and the Risk Management Subcommittee and a member of the Audit, Compensation, Executive, and Finance Committees. She is a shareholder in the Minneapolis law firm of Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. and Chair of the firm’s Bank and Finance Group. Prior to joining the firm in 1999, Ms. Grandstrand was Senior Vice President of the Banking Supervision and Risk Management Departments at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, where she worked from 1985 to 1999. She served as a director of Thrivent Financial Bank from 2006 to 2010 and has also served as a director for various Minnesota civic and educational entities. Ms. Grandstrand’s contributions as a Director include her insight into the regulatory environment in which TCF operates and expertise in regulatory compliance. As the banking industry is highly regulated, her knowledge, experience, and skills are invaluable to the Board’s decision making.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    7

Thomas F. Jasper   Director and Vice Chairman of TCF Financial Director Since: 2012 Vice Chairman Since: 2012   Thomas F. Jasper has been the Chief Operating Officer of TCF Financial since January 1, 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Jasper had been an Executive Vice President of the Company since 2007 and was the Chief Financial Officer of TCF Financial from 2007 to 2011. From 2001 through 2007, Mr. Jasper served in various leadership positions, including Chief Financial Officer, with TCF’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. Prior to joining TCF, he held various positions at KPMG LLP, last serving as a Senior Manager. From 2008 through February 2015, Mr. Jasper served on the Board of Directors of CommonBond Communities, the largest non-profit developer of affordable housing in the Midwest. During the last two years of his Board tenure at CommonBond he served as Board Chair. With his extensive financial, operational and risk management experience and expertise, Mr. Jasper provides an important level of insight to the Board and its review of the Company’s financial statements.

George G. Johnson   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 1998   George G. Johnson is currently the Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the BSA and Compliance, Finance, and Risk Committees. Mr. Johnson is a certified public accountant and Managing Director of George Johnson & Company, a certified public accounting firm which he founded in 1971, and George Johnson Consultants, a consulting firm which he founded in 1995. Until July 1, 2016, he served as a board member and Chair of the Finance Committee of the American Alliance of Museums, which has over 4,000 member organizations, and he serves as a director for various civic and educational organizations in the Detroit, Michigan area. In addition to management and entrepreneurial experience, Mr. Johnson contributes accounting expertise to the Board grounded in his 40-plus year career as a certified public accountant. As TCF is a publicly traded financial services company, the Board is focused on the integrity of TCF’s financial statements, and Mr. Johnson’s financial acumen is invaluable in the Board’s reviews.

Richard H. King   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2014   Richard H. King is currently the Chair of the Technology Committee and a member of the Audit, Finance, and Risk Committees. He is the Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer at Thomson Reuters Corporation, a global provider of intelligent information, a position he has held since 2015. Mr. King has been with Thomson Reuters since 2000 serving in various positions of leadership including Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for Technology from 2012 to 2015 and Chief Technology Officer of Thomson Reuters Professional Division and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Thomson West from 2008 to 2012. Mr. King’s extensive technology experience in the information industry is beneficial to the Board, and allows him to provide special insights with respects to TCF’s information technology and information security issues.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    8

Vance K. Opperman   Lead Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2009 Lead Director Since: 2014   Vance K. Opperman is currently the Chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit, Executive, Finance, Risk, and Technology Committees and the Risk Management Subcommittee. He is President and CEO of Key Investment, a private investment company involved in publishing and other activities, a position he has held since 1996. From 1993 to 1996, he was President of West Publishing Company, a provider of legal and business information research now owned by Thomson Reuters. He has served on the Board of Directors of Thomson Reuters since 1996, has been Lead Director since 2013, and is currently the Chair of the Audit Committee of that Board. He also served on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota until June 2014. Mr. Opperman’s background in executive management and expertise in finance make him a valuable member of the Board. The legal skills he acquired as an attorney and as the president of a large public company in the legal publishing business are useful in the Board’s discussions of legal risk and regulatory issues. As president of West Publishing, Mr. Opperman acquired managerial and analytical skills which enable him to provide valuable insight to Board discussions. In addition, Mr. Opperman’s experience in the healthcare industry is unique to the Board, and allows him to provide special insights with respect to TCF’s healthcare and medical benefits issues.

James M. Ramstad   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2011   James M. Ramstad is currently a member of the BSA and Compliance, Finance, and Risk Committees. He served nine terms as Minnesota Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009, during which time he was a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Health and Trade Subcommittees, and Chairman of the IRS Oversight Subcommittee. Mr. Ramstad is currently a Senior Advisor to alliantgroup, LLC, a provider of specialty tax services, and a Director of the National Center on Addiction at Columbia University. After retiring from Congress in 2009, Mr. Ramstad was a teaching fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He is also the founder of the Ramstad Recovery Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, which provides grants for treatment of veterans suffering from addiction. Mr. Ramstad’s service as a United States Congressman brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in political, legislative, and governmental affairs to the Board.

Roger J. Sit   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2015   Roger J. Sit is currently Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Audit, Compensation, and Risk Committees. He is the CEO, Global Chief Investment Officer and a Director of Sit Investment Associates, a privately-owned institutional investment management firm, positions he has held since 2008, and has held various positions at Sit Investment Associates since 1998. Mr. Sit has over twenty-five years of financial services experience. He currently serves on the Boards of Convergent Capital, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the McKnight Foundation. As a CEO of a successful investment management firm, Mr. Sit has acquired managerial and analytical skills which enable him to provide valuable insight to the Board.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    9

Julie H. Sullivan   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2016   Julie H. Sullivan is currently a member of the Audit, Finance, Risk, and Technology Committees. Dr. Sullivan has been the President of the University of St. Thomas (MN) since July 2013. Prior to that, she served as Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of San Diego from 2005 to 2013, with responsibility over academic and budgetary affairs. She served as a director of SI Group, a privately owned global chemical company, from 2001 to 2016, and was also a member of the Audit, Compensation, and Pension Committees. Dr. Sullivan previously served on the boards of PICO Holdings Inc. from 2009 to 2015, Applied Micro Circuits Corp from 2005 to 2011, and United PanAm Financial Corporation from 2007 to 2008, serving as the Chair of the Audit Committee for each during her tenure. She also currently serves on the Boards of the non-profits Loyola University Chicago and the Greater Twin Cities United Way. Dr. Sullivan is a non-practicing certified public accountant and a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Dr. Sullivan brings a unique perspective to the Board given her long career in academia, as well as extensive financial experience and acumen which are invaluable in the Board’s review of TCF’s financial statements.

Barry N. Winslow   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2008   Barry N. Winslow is currently a member of the BSA and Compliance, Finance, and Risk Committees and the Risk Management Subcommittee. Mr. Winslow served as Vice Chairman, Corporate Development of TCF Financial from January 2012 until his retirement in July 2014, and had been a Vice Chairman of TCF since 2008. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Winslow had held various leadership positions with TCF and its subsidiaries since 1993, with the exception of January 2008 to July 2008. During that time, Mr. Winslow was a financial consultant for several banks, including TCF, with a primary focus on advice, analysis, and strategic planning related to mergers and acquisitions, as well as strategies for non-performing asset dispositions. He has served as a director of Sit Mutual Funds since 2010. Mr. Winslow has also served as an adjunct professor of finance at several universities, including Ohio State, Cincinnati, Xavier, and North Texas. Mr. Winslow has extensive knowledge of the banking industry, with an emphasis in commercial lending, which he obtained through his distinguished career. This knowledge and his experience as an advisor and former employee of TCF make him a valuable member of the Board.

Richard A. Zona   Director of TCF Financial Director Since: 2011   Richard A. Zona is currently Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Audit, Executive, and Risk Committees and the Risk Management Subcommittee. Mr. Zona held the position of Vice Chairman of Wholesale Banking and Wealth Management for U.S. Bancorp from 1996 until his retirement in 2000. He joined U.S. Bancorp in 1989 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and from 1991 to 1996 served as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Bancorp. Mr. Zona practiced as a certified public accountant with Ernst & Young from 1970 to 1989 and was admitted to the partnership in 1979. While at Ernst & Young, Mr. Zona served as National Director of the firm’s financial institutions practice. He has served on the Boards of ING Direct Bank fsb (USA) from 2001 to 2005, New Century Financial Corporation from 2000 to 2007, Piper Jaffray Companies from 2004 to 2005, Polaris Industries Inc. from 2000 to 2007, and ShopKo Stores Inc. from 2003 to 2006. Mr. Zona contributes extensive management, finance, and accounting experience from his lengthy career in the financial services industry. In addition, his knowledge of the challenges facing financial institutions is particularly useful to the Board.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    10

Corporate Governance

TCF has established and operates within a comprehensive plan for membership, independence, committee membership, and ethical conduct of the Board. TCF’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide, along with applicable rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the criteria used by TCF to make its independence determination for each Director. The Corporate Governance Guidelines are available on TCF’s website at https://www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Guidelines.

TCF’s corporate governance policies recognize the importance of sound governance practices in the financial services industry.

The Board currently consists of 14 members. The number of Directors is determined by the Board from time to time and may range in size from 7 to 25 members. The Board typically meets at least quarterly in January, April, July, and October.

Directors are elected by a plurality vote of the stockholders provided that, in an uncontested election, any Director nominee who receives a greater number of “WITHHOLD” votes from his or her election than votes “FOR” such election shall immediately offer his or her resignation to the Board. The Board will then decide whether to accept the resignation.

The Compensation Committee, which consists entirely of independent Directors as determined by the Board under applicable rules, is responsible for the nomination of Director candidates. The Board has adopted a Director Selection Policy, which sets forth the process by which the Compensation Committee will identify and nominate Director candidates and the criteria that the Compensation Committee will utilize to evaluate such candidates. The Director Selection Policy is available on TCF’s website at https://www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Director-Selection-Policy.

The Compensation Committee will identify Director candidates based on suggestions from current Directors and senior management, recommendations from stockholders and the use of a search firm, if necessary. TCF has not, to date, paid any fees to any firm in connection with locating or evaluating any Director candidates. After potential candidates are identified, the Compensation Committee will then review the candidate’s qualifications to determine which candidates best meet the following criteria: integrity, maturity and judgment, experience and reputation, collegiality, expertise, commitment, independence and diversity. The Compensation Committee’s consideration of diversity includes identifying candidates that can provide a range of talents, expertise and perspectives representative of the interests of the constituencies TCF serves. The candidates that best meet these criteria will then be interviewed by the Chair of the Compensation Committee, another committee member, the CEO, Lead Director, and the Chairman of the Board. Once the Compensation Committee selects a candidate, it provides the Board with a recommendation and the Board will then either formally nominate the candidate for election at an annual meeting or appoint the candidate to fill a current vacancy.

The Board has also adopted amendments to the Bylaws to allow stockholders proxy access for Director nominations. Article II, Section 13(c) of the Bylaws permits a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, which have owned shares of TCF representing an aggregate of at least three percent of the voting power entitled to vote in the election of directors continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in TCF’s annual meeting proxy materials director nominees in a number up to 25 percent of the Board. Such nominations are subject to certain eligibility, procedural and disclosure requirements set forth in Article II, Section 13(c), including the requirement that TCF must receive notice of such nominations between 150 and 120 calendar days prior to the anniversary date of the previous year’s annual proxy materials mailing, except as otherwise provided in Article II, Section 13(c).

Stockholders may submit nominations to the Compensation Committee for consideration at next year’s Annual Meeting prior to the deadlines set forth under “Additional Information – How Can Stockholders Submit Proposals and Nominate Directors for Next Year’s Annual Meeting?” Any such nomination must include the information specified in Article II, Section 13 of TCF’s Bylaws and nominations should be mailed to the attention of the Compensation, Nominating, and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o TCF’s Corporate Secretary at the TCF address provided in the next sentence. A copy of the Bylaws can be obtained from the Company’s Corporate Secretary at 200 Lake Street East, Mail Code EX0-01-G, Wayzata, MN 55391-1693. The Compensation Committee will evaluate all recommended nominees, including those submitted by stockholders, based on the criteria set forth above.

TCF’s Chairman of the Board, William A. Cooper, passed away in February 2017, and a new Chairman has not yet been elected. Prior to the death of our Chairman, TCF’s independent lead Director (the “Lead Director”) served as the liaison between the Chairman and the independent Directors. Pursuant to TCF’s Bylaws, the Lead Director will chair the Board meetings until a new Chairman is selected by the Board, which includes the executive sessions of the Board’s independent Directors. In selecting a new Chairman, the Board will consider the leadership structure that it believes is appropriate for TCF at this time.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    11

The Lead Director works with management, including the CEO, to determine the information and materials that are provided to Board members, and is available for direct communication and consultation with regulators upon request.The Lead Director also has the authority to call meetings of the independent Directors. The Lead Director is elected annually by the independent members of the Board. Vance K. Opperman currently serves as Lead Director.

In his role as CEO, Mr. Dahl proposes strategic priorities to the Board and with input from the Lead Director, communicates the Board’s guidance to management and is ultimately responsible for implementing the Company’s key strategic initiatives.

The Company also places a significant emphasis on Board independence. Currently, 11 of the Board’s 14 members (79%) meet the independence requirements under NYSE rules and the Company’s own independence requirements. These independent Directors regularly meet in executive session without management present. Each member of the Board’s Audit, BSA and Compliance, Compensation, Finance, and Risk Committees and the Risk Management Subcommittee is independent (other than Mr. Winslow who serves on the BSA and Compliance, Finance, Risk Committees, and the Risk Management Subcommittee) and, in addition to the Lead Director, serve in oversight roles. Through the Audit, Compensation, and Risk Committees, the Board is actively involved in oversight of risk, compliance, potential conflicts of interest and related party transactions, and business results. The Compensation Committee is also specifically responsible for an annual review of the CEO’s performance and compensation. Since all Board members have complete access to management and outside advisors, there are multiple sources of information for the Board.

The Board has provided a process for stockholders and other interested parties to communicate directly with the Lead Director, any other Director, the full Board, or with independent Directors as a group. This process is discussed on TCF’s website at https://www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Communications-with-Directors.

The non-employee Directors, all of whom are independent under NYSE rules as of the date of this Proxy Statement (other than Mr. Winslow), meet independently in executive sessions following the regularly scheduled meetings of the Board. The Lead Director presides over each executive session.

TCF has adopted a code of ethics applicable to the Principal Executive Officer (“PEO”), Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”), and Principal Accounting Officer (“PAO”) (the “Senior Financial Management Code of Ethics”), as well as a code of ethics generally applicable to all employees (including the PEO, PFO, and PAO) and Directors of TCF (the “Code of Ethics”). The Code of Ethics and Senior Financial Management Code of Ethics are both available for review on TCF’s website at https://www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Code-of-Ethics-Policy and https://www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/ Corporate-Governance-Code-of-Ethics-for-Senior-Financial-Management, respectively. Any changes to either code will be posted on the website, and any waivers granted to or violations by the PEO, PFO, PAO, or any Director will be posted on TCF’s website. To date, there have been no waivers granted to or violations by the PEO, PFO, PAO, or any Director.

The business, property, and affairs of TCF are managed by or under the direction of the Board. The Board met seven times in 2016. All Board members are expected to attend all Board meetings, as well as all committee meetings of which they are a member and are invited to attend meetings of committees of which they are not members. TCF requests Directors to attend the Annual Meeting if their schedules permit. Fourteen Directors attended the 2016 Annual Meeting.

During 2015, Director Bigos was forced to miss two Board and committee meeting dates due to unavoidable business conflicts. As a result, Mr. Bigos attended fewer than 75% of his aggregate Board and committee meetings and received less than majority support from stockholders at the 2016 Annual Meeting. He then tendered his resignation for consideration in accordance with TCF’s Director Resignation Policy. After weighing his offer carefully, the Board rejected his resignation in July 2016, the complete rationale for which was detailed in a filing on Form 8-K on July 26, 2016. The Board carefully considered the value that Director Bigos brings to the Board, including his vast expertise in the real estate market, his attendance at over 90% of meetings of the Board and committees of which he was a member since joining the Board, including attending 100% of such meetings held in five of his years of service, and his diligence on occasions where he missed meetings in contacting the Chairman prior to the meeting to voice any questions or concerns he had. The Company discussed Mr. Bigos’ resignation offer in its investor outreach, with the great majority of stockholders expressing support for the Company’s process and its decision to carefully weigh the value Mr. Bigos brings to the Board against the failure to attend 75% of meetings in a single year. Based on this feedback and the Board’s careful evaluation of the value Director Bigos brings to TCF, the Board rejected his resignation offer.

During 2016, all Directors attended at least 75% of the combined meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served, and median Director attendance was 100% of the aggregate of Board and committee meetings.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    12

The following table identifies the principal responsibilities, number of meetings held in 2016, and the members for each of the standing Board committees (those which meet regularly) including those with audit, compensation, and nominating responsibilities. Messrs. Dahl and Jasper are executive officers of TCF and do not serve on any of the standing Board Committees, other than Mr. Dahl who serves on the Technology Committee. In addition to the committees reflected below, there is a duly-elected Executive Committee of the Board consisting of Ms. Grandstrand, and Messrs. Bieber, Dahl (appointed February 2016), Opperman, and Zona. The Executive Committee, which serves as a liaison between management and the Board, also included Mr. Cooper prior to his death in February 2017, and did not meet during 2016.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    13

All members of the Audit Committee are listed above and are independent under the standards outlined below under “Director Independence and Related Person Transactions - How Does the Board Determine Which Directors are Independent?” and under the additional audit committee independence standards under Section 36(g) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The Board has determined that Dr. Sullivan and Messrs. Johnson, Opperman, Sit, and Zona are Audit Committee Financial Experts, as defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Exchange Act (“Regulation S-K”). The Audit Committee operates under a formal charter that may be accessed on our website at https:// www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Audit-Committee-Charter.

All members of the Compensation Committee are listed above and are independent under the standards outlined below under “Director Independence and Related Person Transactions – How Does the Board Determine Which Directors are Independent?” and under the additional compensation committee independence standards under Section 303A.02(a)(ii) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. Each member of the Compensation Committee also currently meets the requirements for an “outside director” under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and is a “non-employee director” under Rule 16b-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), other than Mr. Bell who is a former TCF Bank officer. The Compensation Committee operates under a formal charter that may be accessed on our website at https://www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Compensation-Nominating-and-Corporate-Governance-Committee-Charter.

Scope of Authority

Full authority is delegated from the Board to the Compensation Committee (or the Independent Subcommittee (defined below)) to act on the following matters without Board approval:

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    14

Delegation of Authority

The Compensation Committee may establish subcommittees from time to time, including an independent subcommittee consisting of Compensation Committee members who are “outside directors” under Section 162(m) of the Code and are “non-employee directors” under Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act. The Compensation Committee has delegated to an independent subcommittee (the “Independent Subcommittee”) consisting of each member of the Compensation Committee other than Mr. Bell, a former TCF Bank officer, all responsibility with regard to equity awards and performance-based compensation. The Compensation Committee has the power to delegate such duties and authority to the subcommittees as it approves.

Use of Consultants

The Compensation Committee has authority to retain consulting firms for the purpose of evaluating compensation and other compensation-related matters for TCF’s Directors, CEO and other executive officers. The Compensation Committee has retained Frederic W. Cook & Co. (“FW Cook”), principally to provide advice and peer group information, which the Compensation Committee considers when developing the terms of long-term incentive awards, incentive compensation plans, and overall compensation amounts for the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table (the “NEOs”). During 2016, FW Cook was paid approximately $82,250 for these services to the Compensation Committee. FW Cook did not provide any other services to TCF other than those provided to the Compensation Committee during 2016. FW Cook has internal policies regarding conflicts of interest. The Board affirmatively determined that no conflicts of interest have been raised in connection with the services provided by FW Cook, and that FW Cook was independent under applicable NYSE rules at the time services were provided to the Compensation Committee.

Process for Determining Director Compensation

The Compensation Committee generally meets in January, April, July, and October, with additional special meetings held as needed. Director compensation is reviewed from time to time on an informal basis by the CEO and Chair of the Compensation Committee. Their recommendations concerning any change in Director compensation are referred to the Compensation Committee and the Board.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Directors Bell, Bieber, Bigos, Grandstrand, Opperman, and Sit served on the Compensation Committee in 2016. None of these Directors has ever served as an officer or employee of TCF or any of its subsidiaries, other than Mr. Bell who was an officer of TCF Bank from 1994 to 1999. The Board has determined that all members of the Compensation Committee were independent for 2016 under standards outlined below and under applicable NYSE rules. Certain relationships with Directors are disclosed below under “Director Independence and Related Person Transactions - What Transactions Were Considered Non-Material?”

How Does the Board Determine Which Directors are Independent?

Pursuant to NYSE listing standards, at least a majority of TCF Directors must be independent. For a Director to be considered independent, the Board must make an affirmative determination that the Director has “no material relationship” with TCF. The NYSE independence standards, as incorporated into the regulations of the SEC, identify certain transactions or relationships which automatically disqualify a Director from being considered independent. In the case of transactions or relationships with a Director’s business, annual payments of more than the greater of $1.0 million or 2.0% of the gross revenues of the Director’s business are automatically disqualifying.

In addition, the Board has adopted the categorical standards listed below to assist it in determinations of independence. The additional categorical independence standards are included in TCF’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, which may be accessed on our website at https://www.tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Guidelines. The Board deems transactions or relationships falling within a categorical standard listed below to automatically be non-material:

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    15

What Transactions Were Considered Non-Material?

During 2014 through 2016, TCF was a party to relationships with certain Directors, their related companies, or immediate family members, each of which was determined by the Board to be not material for purposes of Director independence for each Director who served during 2016 and for each Nominee.

Commercial Loans, Consumer Loans, and Retail Banking Accounts

Each of the following transactions and relationships was reviewed by the Board and was determined to not constitute a material relationship for purposes of Director independence, based on the categorical standards described above:

All commercial loans and leases, and all home mortgages and consumer loans, were made in the ordinary course of business on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with persons not related to TCF and do not involve more than the normal risk of collectability, nor do they present other unfavorable features. All such loans and leases have been approved by the Board when required by Regulation O.

Related Person Transactions Involving Independent Directors

Mr. King is an executive officer of Thomson Reuters. During 2016, 2015, and 2014, the Company made payments to Thomson Reuters and its related entities in the ordinary course of business totaling $1.5 million, $1.4 million, and $1.1 million, respectively, under standard terms and conditions. Thomson Reuters’ total revenues for the 12 months ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 were $11.2 billion, $12.2 billion, and $12.6 billion, respectively. Based on its various agreements with Thomson Reuters, the Company expects to make aggregate payments for goods and services to Thomson Reuters of approximately $4.8 million from 2017-2019. Mr. King’s only interest in these transactions is as an officer of Thomson Reuters. The Board considered these payments in light of the annual revenue of Thomson Reuters and Mr. King’s status as an officer of Thomson Reuters, and affirmatively determined (with Mr. King abstaining) that the payments were on ordinary market terms and would not impair the independent judgment of Mr. King, and therefore determined that Mr. King is independent.

Other Business Relationships Involving Independent Directors

Each of the following additional transactions and business relationships was reviewed and was determined by the Board to be not material, either individually or in the aggregate, for purposes of Director independence:

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    16

Which Directors are Independent?

The evaluation of director independence under NYSE listing standards is based on the previous three-year period. On the basis of the foregoing categorical standards and review of the transactions and relationships between Directors and TCF during 2014 through 2016, the Compensation Committee and the Board each affirmatively determined in January 2017 that the following Directors or nominees have no material relationship with TCF and are considered to be independent: Ms. Grandstrand, Dr. Sullivan, and Messrs. Bell, Bieber, Bigos, Cusick, Johnson, King, Opperman, Ramstad, Sit, and Zona. All members of the Audit, BSA and Compliance, Compensation, Finance, and Risk Committees and the Risk Management Subcommittee are independent under all applicable rules (other than Mr. Winslow who serves on the BSA and Compliance, Finance, and Risk Committees and Risk Management Subcommittee). The Board determined that the following Directors are not independent: Mr. Cooper (former CEO) , Mr. Dahl (TCF Vice Chairman, President, and CEO), Mr. Jasper (TCF Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer), and Mr. Winslow (former TCF Vice Chairman, Corporate Development), because current executives and employees who have terminated their employment within the past three years are deemed to be non-independent under the NYSE standards.

Related Person Transactions

During 2016, TCF engaged in transactions in the ordinary course of business with some of its Directors and officers, and entities with which they are associated. As noted above under “What Transactions Were Considered Non-Material?”, all such transactions were made in the ordinary course of business and all loans and leases with Directors, officers, and their related entities were on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with others not related to TCF and did not involve more than the normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features.

Related Person Transaction Approval Process

By written policy and regulation, loans to Directors, executive officers or their immediate family members are submitted for review to the Board of Directors of TCF Bank as and to the extent required by Regulation O. Transactions with Directors, executive officers or their immediate family members that present a possible conflict of interest under the Code of Ethics are reviewed by the General Counsel and submitted to the Board where appropriate or required under the Code of Ethics. In practice, all other transactions between TCF and Directors, Director nominees, executive officers and their immediate family members or related companies that are reportable in the proxy statement are reported to the Audit Committee and, for transactions involving independent Directors, the Compensation Committee and the Board. All such reports are in writing and maintained with the records of the applicable committee or Board meetings. The Board and the respective committees are responsible for reviewing and evaluating any transactions submitted to them and, where appropriate or otherwise required under applicable regulations, for approving, denying, ratifying, or terminating such transactions. The Board, or a committee of the Board, evaluates these transactions and specifically determines whether or not they serve the best interest of TCF and its stockholders, whether they present a conflict of interest for the affected person, and whether the relationship should be continued or eliminated. Any such action is reflected in the minutes of the Board or the respective committees.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    17

Director Compensation

TCF’s compensation of non-employee Directors in 2016, including cash and other non-cash compensation, is shown in the following table. Messrs. Dahl and Jasper are executive officers of TCF and do not receive any compensation for their service as Directors. Mr. Cooper was an executive officer, other than a named executive officer, until the time of his death, and also served on the Board without additional compensation.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    18

Material Information Regarding Directors’ Compensation

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    19

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Executive Summary

We have designed our compensation to attract and retain experienced, highly qualified executives. We continually review and improve our practices in order to succeed in delivering consistent operating performance and ensuring alignment between the interests of stockholders and our executives. Our compensation objectives include:

Our CD&A provides a discussion regarding the following NEOs: Craig R. Dahl (Vice Chairman, President, and CEO), Brian W. Maass (Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer), William S. Henak (Executive Vice President, Wholesale Banking), Michael S. Jones (Executive Vice President, Consumer Banking), and Thomas F. Jasper (Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer).

Key Compensation and Governance Features

We regularly engage with stockholders to solicit feedback on a variety of subjects, including business, compensation, and governance issues. In total, TCF management conducted 196 meetings with investors in 2016, representing 63% of our institutional ownership as of December 31, 2016. In addition, our Compensation Committee has engaged an independent compensation consultant to assist our efforts to ensure that our compensation program achieves the goals and objectives discussed above and provides competitive compensation designed to align the interests of management and stockholders. Key features of our compensation program include:

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    20

Compensation Overview

Below is a summary of key actions taken and 2016 results which are more fully detailed in the CD&A below:

Performance		Realized return on average assets (“ROA”) of 1.05%, ranking us 18 of 47 among the 2016 Peer Group (defined below) average.
		Return on average tangible common equity (“ROTCE”) of 10.29%, ranking us 28 of 47 among the 2016 Peer Group.
		Sold $3.8 billion in loans and leases, up 41.6% from $2.7 billion sold in 2015.
		Increased revenue by 4.1% from 2015.
		Increased loan and lease originations by 10.3% from 2015.
		Increased period-end loans and leases by 2.3% from December 31, 2015.
		Increased average deposits by 7.2% from 2015.
		Achieved strong above-peer 2016 average yield on loans and leases of 4.87%, while paying a below-peer average interest rate on deposits of .36%.
		Maintained strong credit quality with net charge-off ratio of .26% for 2016, down from .30% for 2015.
2016 Compensation of Named Executive Officers		Focused NEO compensation on retaining highly qualified executives as we implemented our CEO’s new management structure.
		Annual cash incentive payments were 104.4% of target for each NEO, or 104.4% of base salary for Mr. Dahl and 78.3% of base salary for each other NEO.
		A significant portion of 2016 NEO compensation was contingent on performance, or “at risk,” tied to financial performance metrics relative to our peers.
		Performance-based awards, including annual cash incentives and performance-based long-term incentives, accounted for 45.7% of NEOs’ 2016 aggregate total compensation as disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table.
		Performance-based awards which are tied to our three-year TSR relative to our peers accounted for 44.9% of the equity awards granted to NEOs during 2016.
Compensation & Governance Best Practices		All employee restricted stock awards include a “double trigger” so that the awards do not vest after a change in control unless the recipient’s employment is terminated.
		Our Executive Severance Policy limits the maximum termination benefits payable in future awards to senior executives to 2.99x the sum of their salary and target bonus unless approved by stockholders.
		We perform an annual review of compensation policies and practices as they relate to risk management.
		We follow strong, robust roles and responsibilities in establishing executive compensation, including a detailed compensation analysis, and have in place a planning process to establish appropriate financial and business performance metrics.
		We maintain stock ownership guidelines and prohibit hedging transactions, such as puts, calls, short sales, futures, or other transactions that limit investment risk, in order to encourage executives to retain a significant long-term position in our common stock and thereby align their interests with the long-term interests of our stockholders.
		We structure compensation to discourage our executives from taking excessive risk by providing varied and balanced performance targets while reserving the discretionary authority of the Compensation Committee to reduce award payouts.
		We do not permit tax gross ups, hedging of our stock, or backdating or repricing of stock option awards.
Why should stockholders approve our Say on Pay?	1.	The structure of our compensation program provides appropriate incentives to attract, retain, and motivate executives without encouraging excessive risk taking.
	2.	We continuously engage in investor outreach and have shown our responsiveness to stockholders by adopting TSR as a metric for equity awards, eliminating the use of single-trigger stock awards for executives, enacting our Executive Severance Policy and adopting proxy access in recent years.
	3.	Our incentive compensation payouts for 2016 reflect TCF’s financial performance.
	4.	Our 2016 total stockholder return (“TSR”) was above that of the 2016 Peer Group median.

Performance

During 2016, our experienced executive team continued to deliver sustained performance, despite low prevailing interest rates and a competitive lending market. We continued to expand our origination capabilities through the expansion of our national lending businesses, while managing concentration risk, using loan sales and securitizations, and funding asset growth with core retail deposits that have a low cost and very strong liquidity profile. During 2016, management (i) kept TCF positioned to succeed in a rising interest rate environment, (ii) maintained the diversification of our business, (iii) continued to strongly increase loan originations, leading to increased revenue through the use of loan sales and securitizations and expansion of servicing revenue on loans sold to others, (iv) maintained strong credit performance and metrics and firm underwriting standards with a disciplined underwriting approach, and (v) increased capital and book value.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    21

Since a substantial portion of the long-term incentives awarded to management are tied to our relative total stockholder return, the interests of management are aligned with those of the stockholders to bring improved stock price performance both in the short- and long-term.

Our 2016 financial and operational performance included the following:

Compensation of Named Executive Officers

Primary Elements of Compensation

The Compensation Committee uses several components to achieve its compensation goals, including base salary, annual cash incentives and long-term incentives. These elements are designed to reward individual performance, achievement of our financial and business goals, and the sustained creation of stockholder value. This balanced use of the various elements provides short- and long-term incentives to executives for individual and company performance while not encouraging excessive risk-taking within the organization. The Compensation Committee believes that above average Company performance should be rewarded through the use of variable elements of compensation such as annual cash incentives and stock awards. To achieve this, the Compensation Committee utilizes multiple performance goals to discourage NEOs from becoming overly focused on a single measure of performance. The Compensation Committee reviews executive compensation at least annually in light of its compensation objectives and compares levels of base salary, annual cash incentives, long-term incentives and aggregate total compensation with those of our peers.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    22

Other Forms of Compensation

Retirement and Other Benefits

The Compensation Committee believes that benefits are an important aspect of our ability to attract and retain quality employees, and believes our benefits programs are consistent with market practices based on its supervision of management’s analysis of industry peers and other local employers. Each NEO generally has access to the benefits provided to all full-time employees, including the TCF 401K Plan (the “401(k) Plan”). Standard benefits received by each NEO as a full-time employee have no impact on the amount of other elements of compensation awarded to the NEO.

401(k) Plan and SERP

Our 401(k) Plan offers matching contributions made after the employee’s first year of service. The plan qualifies as an employee stock ownership plan and qualified tax or deferred compensation plan, or 401(k) Plan, under the Code. In combination with the TCF 401K Supplemental Plan (the “SERP”) described below, each NEO may receive the same match percentage as any employee.

The Code limits the amount of employee contributions and Company matching contributions under the 401(k) Plan for certain individuals, including each NEO. The SERP, a nonqualified supplemental plan approved by stockholders in 2006, was created to address these limitations. For the approximately 156 participants as of January 31, 2017, all amounts contributed over the 401(k) Plan limit are credited to the SERP, the operation of which generally mirrors the 401(k) Plan. All employer matching contributions in the SERP are invested in TCF common stock, which cannot be sold until the participant’s employment with TCF terminates. The Compensation Committee believes the SERP is an important tool to further the interests of executives with those of our stockholders by providing the SERP matching contribution in TCF common stock which cannot be sold while the participant remains employed by TCF.

Pension Benefits

We froze our pension plan in 2004 and discontinued further pay credits in 2006. Pension benefits are disclosed below in the “Pension Benefits in 2016” table and described in the narrative following that table.

Insurance Benefits

NEOs are eligible for the same group medical, dental, disability, life insurance and other similar benefits that are generally available to our full-time employees.

Perquisites

Perquisites received by NEOs include use of Company-owned or leased automobiles or car allowances, club memberships, executive physicals, incentive trips, and tax return preparation. Mr. Dahl receives personal use of our airplane and may also approve personal use of our airplane by other NEOs on a case-by-case basis. The purpose of these perquisites is to provide additional benefits, reduce security risks, and enhance scheduling and efficient use of the NEOs’ time. The Compensation Committee reviews the perquisites of the NEOs and other officers annually.

NEO Pay Determinations

In overseeing executive compensation, the Compensation Committee seeks to construct a compensation structure that will attract and retain highly qualified personnel by providing compensation that is competitive relative to those companies with which TCF competes for executive talent.

The Compensation Committee considers overall performance in the areas of scope of responsibility, management and communication skills, department objectives, leadership qualities, innovation and creative abilities, risk controls and difficulties encountered in achieving results. Taking the CEO’s recommendations into consideration, the Compensation Committee establishes base salary levels, annual cash incentive amounts and long-term incentive awards for each NEO other than the CEO. A similar process is followed by the Compensation Committee in determining the compensation for the CEO. While the Compensation Committee uses competitive market data as a reference point when setting each component of compensation and target compensation levels, the Compensation Committee ultimately uses its own business judgment and expertise to determine the appropriate components and levels of compensation for our executive officers, including the NEOs, and generally attempts to set base salaries at levels which it believes are appropriate to attract and retain highly qualified executives using data provided by its compensation consultant and other sources, as appropriate. The Compensation Committee believes strongly in linking compensation paid to each NEO to TCF’s performance. In measuring 2016 performance, the Compensation Committee utilized the following performance metrics: ROA, ROTCE, and TSR (as defined under “Compensation Overview”).

FW Cook, which the Compensation Committee determined to be independent from TCF, is TCF’s independent executive compensation consultant. FW Cook reports directly to the Compensation Committee, which retains the sole authority to hire or terminate FW Cook, approve its professional fees, determine the nature and scope of services, and evaluate performance. Representatives of FW Cook attend Compensation Committee meetings and communicate with the Chair of the Compensation Committee between meetings as necessary. The Compensation Committee makes all final decisions with respect to compensation matters. FW Cook has been and will only be engaged for compensation-related services performed for the Compensation Committee.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    23

Analysis of Tools the Compensation Committee Uses

During 2016, the Compensation Committee used a compensation analysis prepared by FW Cook, which analyzed each element of compensation, as well as total compensation and included comparisons to peer data, an incentive compensation risk assessment, tally sheets, and a perquisite report to determine whether the objectives of our executive compensation program are being met. The Compensation Committee reviewed the analyses to ensure that the compensation of each NEO sufficiently depends on our relative financial performance, and made adjustments to compensation as it deemed appropriate.

Compensation Competitiveness Analysis

The Compensation Committee had FW Cook review executive compensation at peer companies. The analysis presented compensation data based on both functional responsibilities (e.g., CFO) as well as pay rank utilizing proxy data. The analysis covered all facets of compensation.

Incentive Compensation Risk Assessment

The Compensation Committee annually reviews an incentive compensation risk assessment of TCF’s incentive compensation plans performed by TCF’s Incentive Compensation Risk Officer.

The purpose of the assessment is to: (i) identify any inherent material risks, (ii) identify individuals with significant influence over those risks (each, a “covered employee”), and (iii) review TCF’s incentive compensation plans to determine whether they incentivize inappropriate risk taking. The assessment for 2016 concluded that TCF’s incentive compensation plans (i) do not incentivize inappropriate risk taking; (ii) maintain an appropriate balance between short- and long-term components; and (iii) provide appropriate mechanisms to downwardly adjust compensation in the event excessive risk is undertaken by a covered employee.

Tally Sheets

The Compensation Committee reviews tally sheets annually to determine the total compensation that each NEO would receive in the event of various termination and change in control scenarios, and include amounts that would be paid to each NEO under employment agreements and outstanding equity award agreements.

Peer Groups

The 2016 Peer Group consists of all publicly-traded banks and thrift institutions with assets between $10 billion and $50 billion as of September 30, 2015 that reported a full year of fiscal 2016 earnings results by February 15, 2017:

Our stockholders have consistently commented that our peer group, which has included approximately 50 peers annually, was large compared to peer banks which averaged using fewer than 20 peers. As a result, TCF’s Compensation Committee decided to take a more qualitative approach to the selection of the 2017 Peer Group and identify a smaller peer group made up of those banks with assets between $10 billion and $50 billion which are most similar to TCF. To accomplish this, each of these companies was then compared against TCF based on key metrics including assets; market capitalization; revenue; balance sheet composition; branch and employee profile; and net interest margin. Each peer received a score for each metric based upon numerical criteria.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    24

The 2017 Peer Group was determined in accordance with this process and included the 21 highest scoring peers, and will include all of the following institutions provided that they report a full year of fiscal 2017 results by February 15, 2018:

Our total assets as of September 30, 2016 are at approximately the median of the 2017 Peer Group, and our YTD revenue was at the high end of the 2017 Peer Group, both as shown below:

Key 2016 and Early 2017 Compensation Events

All key decisions by the Compensation Committee regarding executive compensation for 2016 were made prior to the 2016 Say on Pay vote. During 2016 and early 2017, the Compensation Committee took the following actions which are further detailed below:

2016 Annual Cash Incentive

In January 2016, the Compensation Committee approved the 2016 Management Incentive Plan (“MIP”), effective for services beginning on January 1, 2016 for certain executives, including each NEO. Under the 2016 MIP, each NEO, other than Mr. Dahl, was eligible to receive an annual cash incentive award not to exceed 150% of base salary based on the achievement of performance goals described below. Mr. Dahl, as CEO, was eligible to receive an annual cash incentive award not to exceed 200% of his base salary.

The Compensation Committee, as it had in 2015, selected relative ROTCE and relative ROA as the performance criteria because they are commonly used by stockholders and investment professionals when making investment decisions and evaluating our performance with that of our peers. Each performance goal represents 50% of the total award and each is evaluated independently of the other. The Compensation Committee believes that these performance goals measure the key operational performance metrics of TCF against the 2016 Peer Group. The Compensation Committee believes that measuring performance relative to peers which are of similar size and subject to similar macroeconomic factors and regulatory requirements provides better insight into management performance.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    25

The Compensation Committee established threshold, target, and maximum targets and corresponding award opportunities for the eligible NEOs expressed as a percentage of base salary paid during the fiscal year, as follows:

Under the 2016 MIP, participants were eligible to receive annual cash incentive awards (i) not to exceed 150% of base salary for each NEO other than Mr. Dahl and (ii) not to exceed 200% of base salary for Mr. Dahl based on the following performance criteria:

For results between payout levels, the payout was interpolated in a linear fashion, as shown below:

Given the heavily regulated nature of the banking industry and regulatory focus on the impact of executive compensation on organizational risk, the Compensation Committee determined that it was prudent to set the target payout levels for ROTCE and ROA at median or average levels as it did not want to encourage excessive short-term risk taking by our NEOs by overweighting short-term performance at the expense of our long-term growth and performance.

ROTCE represents net income available to common stockholders adjusted for the after-tax effect of intangibles amortization divided into average tangible common equity, which is average total equity less average preferred stock, goodwill, other intangible assets and non-controlling interest in subsidiaries. TCF’s 2016 MIP further provides that TCF’s ROA and ROTCE are calculated excluding extraordinary or non-recurring items as well as the results from any businesses newly acquired or commenced by TCF (or its subsidiaries) during fiscal 2016. As shown above, ROTCE for 2016 was at the 41^st percentile, resulting in below target payout, and ROA for 2016 was equal to approximately 110% of the average ROA of the 2016 Peer Group, resulting in above target payout. As a result, Mr. Dahl received a 2016 MIP award of 104.4% of base salary and each other NEO received 78.3% of base salary. The Compensation Committee made no adjustments to ROA and ROTCE.

The Compensation Committee may reduce or eliminate the annual cash incentive award for each executive in its discretion, which could include its subjective evaluation of our performance relative to the 2016 Peer Group or our relative TSR, as well as evaluation of each NEO’s individual performance and risk management considerations. The Compensation Committee believes that its compensation plan, including its mix of both short- and long-term elements, provides appropriate incentives without promoting excessive risk taking.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    26

2016 Long-term Incentives

Because the Compensation Committee believed the amount remained appropriate and furthered their goals by putting more weight on long-term incentive awards to further align stockholder interests with those of the NEOs, the Compensation Committee applied the same formula as in 2016 in determining the size of each NEO’s long-term incentive, granting a target long-term incentive opportunity to Mr. Dahl of 162% of base salary and a target long-term incentive opportunity to each NEO other than Mr. Dahl of 125% of base salary. The target long-term incentive opportunity for each NEO consisted of 50% time-based restricted stock vesting pro-rata over three years and 50% performance-based RSUs. The Compensation Committee again utilized TSR over a three-year period relative to TCF’s peer group for the vesting of the RSUs because it believed that is a meaningful long-term metric that is important to stockholders. The time-based restricted stock awards vest pro rata on January 1, 2017, 2018, and 2019. All unvested shares will also vest if the executive’s employment is terminated within one year following a “change in control.” All unvested shares will be forfeited upon termination of employment for any other reason.

For the performance-based RSUs granted to each NEO, the Compensation Committee established threshold, target, and maximum targets, and corresponding vesting opportunities expressed as a percentage of base salary:

The performance goal for the performance-based RSUs granted in January 2016 is our TSR over the three-year performance period ending December 31, 2018 compared to our 2016 Peer Group, excluding peers which do not remain publicly traded for the full three-year performance period. The Compensation Committee selected relative TSR as the performance metric again because it is a direct measure of stockholder value creation which will increase the alignment of executive and stockholder interests, and was recommended by stockholders during TCF’s engagement process.

The performance-based RSUs will vest as follows:

For results between payout levels, the payout will be interpolated in a linear fashion, as shown below:

THREE-YEAR RELATIVE TSR RANKING

For levels below threshold, no units will vest. Given the heavily regulated nature of the banking industry and regulatory focus on the impact of executive compensation on organizational risk, the Compensation Committee determined that it was prudent to set the target payout levels for our three-year TSR at the median level to discourage excessive short-term risk taking by these NEOs to achieve three-year performance targets at the potential expense of our long-term growth and performance.

As discussed below under “William S. Henak,” Mr. Henak also received an award of time–based restricted stock in April 2016. This award will vest pro rata on April 1, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Following a “change in control” (as defined in the award agreement), all unvested shares will only vest if there is a qualifying termination of employment. The shares of restricted stock, both time - and performance–based, and performance-based RSUs are not entitled to dividends until they vest.

Looking Forward: 2017 Annual Cash Incentive

For 2017, the Compensation Committee again set annual cash incentive awards at the same level for the CEO and for each other NEO as were set in 2016. For 2017, the Compensation Committee, with input from FW Cook, determined that relative ROA and relative ROTCE remain the best metrics to measure TCF’s financial performance.

Looking Forward: 2017 Long-Term Incentives

For 2017, the Compensation Committee again set long-term incentive awards at the same levels, vesting, and with the same targets (in the case of the performance-based RSUs) used in 2016 for the CEO and for each other NEO. The Compensation Committee, with input from FW Cook, determined that relative TSR remains the best metric to measure TCF’s financial performance.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    27

Craig R. Dahl

Mr. Dahl became the CEO effective January 1, 2016. His key accomplishments in 2016 and related compensation are provided below:

Key Accomplishments
	Completed a successful transition to CEO role and restructured TCF’s Executive Team, resulting in strong leadership and continued strong performance
	Implemented a management process around TCF’s Four Strategic Pillars, and advanced the One TCF initiative
	Consolidated the role of the Chief Risk Officer and Chief Credit Officer and integrated Credit and Risk departments, increasing collaboration and reducing costs
	Invested in TCF’s future with new senior management roles in Strategic Planning, Corporate Development, and Market Risk, and continued the investment in our Information Technology talent
	Interacted with over 60% of all employees during 2016, providing direct communication regarding TCF’s Four Strategic Pillars and One TCF initiatives

Following his election as CEO, the Compensation Committee entered into a new employment agreement with Mr. Dahl effective January 1, 2016, which provided for a base salary of at least $850,000. As shown below, the Compensation Committee again set Mr. Dahl’s 2017 target compensation at a level that is slightly above the low end of the market range and under the CEO competitive median provided by FW Cook, which is also reflective of the responsiveness of the Compensation Committee and the Board to stockholder concerns regarding executive compensation. Effective January 1, 2017, in consultation with TCF’s compensation consultant and based on data and analysis including a competitive review, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Dahl’s salary to $900,000.

For information regarding Mr. Dahl’s 2016 long-term incentive awards, see “Key 2016 and Early 2017 Compensation Events – 2016 Long-term Incentives” in this CD&A. For information regarding Mr. Dahl’s employment agreement, see “Executive Compensation – Employment Agreements.”

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    28

Brian W. Maass

Mr. Maass became Chief Financial Officer on January 1, 2016. His key accomplishments in 2016 and related compensation are provided below:

Key Accomplishments
	Managed improvement in operating leverage (efficiency ratio decreased 163bps)
	Successfully managed to strong levels of liquidity and capital for the organization
	Developed strong talent to enable succession planning process
	Effectively managed liquidity (deposit growth to support loan growth) while managing costs to limit margin impact

In January 2016, the Compensation Committee approved a base salary increase for Mr. Maass to $330,000 in connection with his assumption of the role of Chief Financial Officer. Effective January 1, 2017, in consultation with TCF’s compensation consultant and based on data and analysis including a competitive review of compensation of Chief Financial Officers of TCF’s peers, the Compensation Committee increased the salary of Mr. Maass to $370,000. The Compensation Committee felt that this adjustment was warranted based on input from Mr. Dahl regarding the performance of Mr. Maass, as well as to further TCF’s compensation goals to retain key talent and provide competitive compensation.

For information regarding Mr. Maass’ 2016 long-term incentive awards, see “Key 2016 and Early 2017 Compensation Events – 2016 Long-term Incentives” in this CD&A.

William S. Henak

Mr. Henak became Executive Vice President, Wholesale Banking on January 1, 2016 with responsibility over all wholesale business lines, including commercial real estate and business lending, leasing and equipment finance, and inventory finance. His key accomplishments in 2016 and related compensation are provided below:

Key Accomplishments
	Successfully assumed newly-created role with responsibility for all of Wholesale Banking, and executed an organization and succession plan for Wholesale Banking segment
	Recruited, developed and retained key leadership and key producers in the Wholesale Banking units
	Supported key strategic pillars of profitable growth and diversification by increasing Wholesale Banking assets
	Delivered strong origination, net income and earning asset growth in Wholesale Banking segment

In January 2016, the Compensation Committee approved a base salary increase for Mr. Henak to $475,000 in connection with his assumption of the role of Executive Vice President, Wholesale Banking, a critical segment of TCF’s business that has grown in importance in recent years.

In April 2016, the Compensation Committee granted to Mr. Henak 40,000 shares of restricted stock. The award will vest pro rata on April 1, 2017, 2018, and 2019. All unvested shares will also vest if Mr. Henak’s employment is terminated within one year following a “change in control” (as defined in the award agreement). All unvested shares will be forfeited upon termination of employment for any reason. The shares of restricted stock are not entitled to dividends until they vest. The size of the award was subjectively determined by the Compensation Committee, with input from Mr. Dahl, based on its consideration of several factors. For information regarding Mr. Henak’s other 2016 long-term incentive awards, see “Key 2016 and Early 2017 Compensation Events – 2016 Long-term Incentives” in this CD&A.

Effective January 1, 2017, in consultation with TCF’s compensation consultant and based on data and analysis including a competitive review, the Compensation Committee increased the salary of Mr. Henak to $495,000.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    29

Michael S. Jones

Mr. Jones became Executive Vice President, Consumer Banking on January 1, 2016 with responsibility over all consumer-facing business lines, including retail banking, consumer real estate, and auto finance. His key accomplishments in 2016 and related compensation are provided below:

Key Accomplishments
	Exceeded projections with respect to Consumer Banking net income
	Grew average deposits, our core funding source, while maintaining a low cost of deposits in a competitive marketplace
	Enhanced digital assets and customer experience for retail banking customers
	Increased loan product penetration in key markets

In January 2016, the Compensation Committee approved a base salary increase for Mr. Jones to $550,000 in connection with his assumption of the role of Executive Vice President, Consumer Banking. When determining Mr. Jones’ compensation, the Compensation Committee took into consideration the fact that Mr. Jones is a key member of the executive team with extensive experience in all aspects of TCF’s business, including leading Consumer Banking, having worked for the lending businesses, and having served as TCF’s Chief Financial Officer. As a result of his importance to our future, the Compensation Committee believed it was important to place Mr. Jones’ compensation at the higher end of the peer range for similar roles in order to ensure his retention.

Effective January 1, 2017, in consultation with TCF’s compensation consultant and based on data and analysis including a competitive review, the Compensation Committee increased the salary of Mr. Jones to $560,000.

For information regarding Mr. Jones’ 2016 long-term incentive awards, see “Key 2016 and Early 2017 Compensation Events – 2016 Long-term Incentives” in this CD&A.

Thomas F. Jasper

Mr. Jasper, Vice Chairman since 2012, assumed the additional role of Chief Operating Officer on January 1, 2016 with responsibility over TCF’s functional support areas, including bank operations, finance, investor relations, corporate development, legal and human resources. His key accomplishments in 2016 and related compensation are provided below:

Key Accomplishments
	Successfully managed CFO transition
	Successfully assumed new COO role and responsibilities and improved function of key organizational areas
	Improved Enterprise and Corporate Development functions
	Implemented key long-term initiatives related to increased efficiency to support improved TCF operating leverage

In January 2016, the Compensation Committee approved a base salary increase for Mr. Jasper to $550,000 in connection with his assumption of the role of Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer. When determining Mr. Jasper’s compensation, the Compensation Committee took into consideration the fact that Mr. Jasper is a key member of the executive team with extensive experience in all aspects of TCF’s business, including having worked for the lending businesses, led Retail Banking and served as TCF’s Chief Financial Officer. As a result of his importance to our future, the Compensation Committee believed it was important to place Mr. Jasper’s compensation at the higher end of the peer range for similar roles in order to ensure his retention.

Effective January 1, 2017, in consultation with TCF’s compensation consultant and based on data and analysis including a competitive review, the Compensation Committee increased the salary of Mr. Jasper to $560,000.

For information regarding Mr. Jasper’s 2016 long-term incentive awards, see “Key 2016 and Early 2017 Compensation Events – 2016 Long-term Incentives” in this CD&A.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    30

Compensation & Governance Best Practices

Recovery (“Clawback”) of Performance-Based Compensation

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”) requires recovery of certain compensation from the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial Officer in the event of a restatement of financial results due to misconduct. The Audit Committee is responsible for determining whether annual cash incentive or long-term incentive compensation paid to the Principal Executive Officer or the Principal Financial Officer should be recovered in the event of a restatement. Mr. Dahl’s employment agreement sets forth his obligations to comply with these provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley, if applicable.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (“Dodd-Frank”) required the SEC to issue rules that require all public companies to adopt additional mandatory clawback policies to recover any incentive-based compensation paid to current and former executive officers based on financial information that was subsequently required to be restated due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirements. In 2015 the SEC issued proposed rules, however there are a number of areas addressed by the proposed rules that require clarification and will likely result in material changes from the proposed rule issued. As a result, the Compensation Committee believes it is appropriate to await comprehensive final rules and subsequent changes to the NYSE listing standards before it adopts a clawback policy. Mr. Dahl’s employment agreement sets forth his obligations to comply with these provisions of Dodd-Frank, when applicable.

Compensation Policies and Practices as They Relate to Risk Management

On an annual basis, the Compensation Committee performs a review of our incentive compensation policies and practices for senior executive officers and others, individually or in the aggregate, who may have the potential to expose us to material levels of risk. The Compensation Committee bases this review in part on an analysis of such compensation arrangements by our incentive compensation risk officer. The analysis and the Compensation Committee’s review consider, among other things, the balance between short- and long-term components of incentive compensation for the senior executive officers, the factors used to determine eligibility for annual cash incentive awards, terms of vesting for long-term incentive awards to the senior executive officers, risk management considerations, and how these elements relate to our most significant risks. In the case of senior executive officers, the Compensation Committee places significant reliance on its ability to reduce or withhold an award if it determines that the executive incurred excessive risk. Based on these reviews, the Compensation Committee determined that the risks arising from our incentive compensation arrangements, and compensation policies and practices in general, are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on TCF.

Annual Perquisite Report

The Compensation Committee annually reviews a report of executive perquisites. The Compensation Committee uses the report to determine, in its own judgment, whether perquisites for our executives are reasonable. The Compensation Committee will reduce or eliminate any perquisite if it is determined that the perquisite, or total perquisites, are excessive based on its judgment and understanding of industry norms.

Stock Ownership Guidelines for NEOs

On January 17, 2012, the Board adopted Stock Ownership Guidelines for the Directors, the CEO, the other NEOs and certain other executives. The Stock Ownership Guidelines provide that the CEO is expected to own shares of TCF common stock worth an amount equal to five times his base salary and each other NEO is expected to own shares of TCF common stock equal to three times his base salary.

All shares of TCF common stock owned directly or indirectly by an NEO will be considered in determining whether the Stock Ownership Guidelines have been met, including restricted stock (vested and unvested) and shares held in the 401(k) Plan and SERP. Stock options will not count towards the Stock Ownership Guidelines. The shares of TCF common stock are valued at the higher of fair market value or the executive’s cost basis.

Each NEO has until the fifth anniversary of his or her appointment to an executive officer position to reach the applicable target ownership level. The stock ownership guidelines are currently applicable to each executive officer other than Messrs. Maass and Henak, who have until January 1, 2021 to reach their target ownership level. The Compensation Committee is responsible for monitoring the application of the Stock Ownership Guidelines and prepare s and deliver s a report to the Board annually. Failure to meet, or in unique circumstances, to show sustained progress toward meeting the Stock Ownership Guidelines as determined by the Compensation Committee, may result in an individual being required to retain all net shares obtained through equity awards . As of the Record Date, each NEO other than Mr. Maass owned a sufficient number of shares of TCF common stock to be in compliance with the Stock Ownership Guidelines. It is expected that Mr. Maass will own sufficient shares in advance of the January 2021 compliance deadline applicable to him.

The Compensation Committee adopted the Stock Ownership Guidelines because it believes that it is in our and our stockholders’

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    31

best interests to further align the long-term financial interests of executive management with those of our stockholders by encouraging stock ownership among our executives. The Board believes that executive stock ownership demonstrates a long-term commitment to our growth and profitability.

Our Insider Trading Policy prohibits Directors and employees, including executive officers, from hedging the economic risk of ownership of any TCF securities they own, and requires prior approval from the General Counsel before any Director or employee, including executive officers, pledges any TCF securities.

Executive Severance Policy

TCF has enacted an Executive Severance Policy that applies to all executive officers of TCF and limits amounts payable under future severance agreements to 2.99 times the sum of the executive’s salary and target bonus unless stockholder approval is received. The Executive Severance Policy is available on our website at https://tcfbank.com/About-TCF/Corporate-Governance-Executive-Officer-Severance-Policy. Mr. Dahl’s new employment agreement described below under “Executive Compensation – Employment Agreements – Current CEO and Other NEOs” complies with this policy.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the preceding Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on that review and discussion, the Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in TCF’s Proxy Statement.

BY THE COMMITTEE:

Vance K. Opperman, Chair
Peter Bell
William F. Bieber
Theodore J. Bigos
Karen L. Grandstrand
Roger J. Sit

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    32

Executive Compensation

Summary Compensation Table

The following summary compensation table (the “Summary Compensation Table”) identifies the cash and non-cash compensation awarded to or earned by the NEOs in 2016, 2015, and 2014.

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    33

Employment Agreements

Provisions of the employment agreement of Mr. Dahl, the only executive with an employment agreement, are described below under “Executive Compensation – Employment Agreements.”

Amount of Salary and Bonus in Proportion to Total Compensation

The relationship of salary to the NEOs’ total compensation will vary from year to year primarily depending on the amount of non-equity incentive compensation (annual cash incentive) and grant date fair value of long-term awards, as discussed in the CD&A.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2016

The following table shows plan-based awards granted to the NEOs in 2016:

TCF FINANCIAL CORPORATION - 2017 Proxy Statement    34

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2016

The following table shows all equity awards that were outstanding at December 31, 2016 for each NEO: