424B2 1 d431484d424b2.htm 424B2 424B2
Table of Contents

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement No. 333-268718
and 333-268718-01

Product Supplement No. EQUITY ARN-1

(To Prospectus dated December 30, 2022

and Series A MTN Prospectus Supplement dated December 30, 2022)

January 12, 2023

 

 

LOGO

BofA Finance LLC

Accelerated Return Notes® “ARNs®” Linked to One or More Equity Indices or Exchange Traded Funds

Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by Bank of America Corporation

 

 

The ARNs are unsecured senior notes issued by BofA Finance LLC, a consolidated finance subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (the “Guarantor”). Any payment due on the ARNs is fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. Any payments due on the ARNs, including any repayment of principal, will be subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance LLC, as issuer of the ARNs, and the credit risk of Bank of America Corporation, as guarantor of the ARNs.

 

 

The ARNs do not guarantee the return of principal at maturity, and we will not pay interest on the ARNs. Instead, the return on the ARNs will be based on the performance of an underlying “Market Measure,” which will be an equity index (an “Index”), an exchange traded fund (an “Underlying Fund”) or a basket of the foregoing.

 

 

The ARNs provide an opportunity to earn a multiple (which will be 3 times, unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet) of the positive performance of the Market Measure, up to a specified cap (the “Capped Value”), while exposing you to any negative performance of the Market Measure on a 1-to-1 basis.

 

 

If the value of the Market Measure increases from its Starting Value to its Ending Value (each as defined in “Summary” below), you will receive at maturity a cash payment per unit (the “Redemption Amount”) that equals the principal amount of your ARNs plus a multiple of that increase, up to the Capped Value. If the value of the Market Measure does not change from its Starting Value to its Ending Value, you will receive a Redemption Amount that equals the principal amount.

 

 

If the value of the Market Measure decreases from its Starting Value to its Ending Value, you will be subject to 1-to-1 downside exposure to that decrease. In such a case, you may lose all or a significant portion of the principal amount of your ARNs.

 

 

This product supplement describes the general terms of the ARNs, the risk factors to consider before investing, the general manner in which the ARNs may be offered and sold, and other relevant information.

 

 

For each offering of the ARNs, we will provide you with a pricing supplement (which we refer to as a “term sheet”) that will describe the specific terms of that offering, including the specific Market Measure, the Capped Value, the Participation Rate (as defined in “Summary” below) and certain risk factors. The applicable term sheet will identify, if applicable, any additions or changes to the terms specified in this product supplement.

 

 

The ARNs will be issued in denominations of whole units. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, each unit will have a principal amount of $10. The applicable term sheet may also set forth a minimum number of units that you must purchase.

 

 

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the ARNs will not be listed on a securities exchange or quotation system.

 

 

One or more of our affiliates, including BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”), may act as our selling agents to offer the ARNs and will act in a principal capacity in such role.

 

 

The ARNs are unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of BofA Finance LLC and the related guarantee of the ARNs is an unsecured and unsubordinated obligation of Bank of America Corporation. The ARNs and the related guarantee are not savings accounts, deposits, or other obligations of a bank. The ARNs are not guaranteed by Bank of America, N.A. or any other bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any other governmental agency and may involve investment risks, including possible loss of principal. Potential purchasers of the ARNs should consider the information in “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-7 of this product supplement, page S-6 of the accompanying Series A MTN prospectus supplement, and page 7 of the accompanying prospectus. You may lose all or a significant portion of your investment in the ARNs.

None of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), any state securities commission, or any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this product supplement or the accompanying prospectus supplement or prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

BofA Securities


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

SUMMARY

     PS-3  

RISK FACTORS

     PS-7  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     PS-22  

DESCRIPTION OF THE ARNs

     PS-23  

SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     PS-36  

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX SUMMARY

     PS-37  

 

 

ARNs® and “Accelerated Return Notes®” are the Guarantor’s registered service marks.

 

PS-2


Table of Contents

SUMMARY

The information in this “Summary” section is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed explanation set forth elsewhere in this product supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, as well as the applicable term sheet. None of us, the Guarantor or BofAS have authorized any other person to provide you with any information different from the information set forth in these documents. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information about the ARNs, you should not rely on it.

Key Terms:

 

General:   

The ARNs are senior debt securities issued by BofA Finance LLC, and are not guaranteed or insured by the FDIC or secured by collateral. The ARNs are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Bank of America Corporation. The ARNs will rank equally in right of payment with all other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of BofA Finance LLC from time to time outstanding, except obligations that are subject to any priorities or preferences by law. The guarantee of the ARNs will rank equally in right of payment with all other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of Bank of America Corporation, except obligations that are subject to any priorities or preferences by law, and senior in right of payment to its subordinated obligations. Any payments due on the ARNs, including any repayment of principal, are subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance LLC, as issuer of the ARNs, and the credit risk of Bank of America Corporation, as guarantor of the ARNs.

 

The return on the ARNs will be based on the performance of a Market Measure, and there is no guaranteed return of principal at maturity. Therefore, you may lose all or a significant portion of your principal amount if the value of the Market Measure decreases from the Starting Value to the Ending Value.

 

Each issue of the ARNs will mature on the date set forth in the applicable term sheet. We cannot redeem the ARNs at any earlier date, except under the limited circumstances set forth below in “Description of the ARNs — Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds — Discontinuance of or Material Change to an Underlying Fund”. We will not make any payments on the ARNs until maturity, and you will not receive any interest payments.

Market Measure:   

The Market Measure may consist of one or more of the following:

 

•  U.S. broad-based Indices;

 

•  U.S. sector or style-based Indices;

 

•  non-U.S. or global Indices;

 

•  Underlying Funds; or

 

•  any combination of the above.

 

The Market Measure may consist of a group, or “Basket,” of the foregoing. We refer to each Index or Underlying Fund included in any Basket as a “Basket Component.” If the Market Measure to which your ARNs are linked is a Basket, the Basket Components will be set forth in the applicable term sheet.

Market Measure Performance:    The performance of the Market Measure will be measured according to the percentage change of the Market Measure from its Starting Value to its Ending Value.

 

 

PS-3

 


Table of Contents
  

 

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:

 

In the case of an Index, the “Starting Value will be the closing level of the Index on the date when the ARNs are priced for initial sale to the public (the “pricing date”).

 

In the case of an Underlying Fund, the “Starting Value” will be the Closing Market Price, as defined in “Description of the ARNs–– The Starting Value and the Ending Value”, of the Underlying Fund on the pricing date.

 

If the Market Measure consists of a Basket, the Starting Value will be equal to 100. See “Description of the ARNs—Basket Market Measures.”

 

In the case of an Index, the “Ending Value” will equal the average of the closing levels of the Index on each calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period (as defined in “Description of the ARNs—The Starting Value and the Ending Value”).

 

In the case of an Underlying Fund, the “Ending Value” will equal the average of the products of the Closing Market Price of the Underlying Fund on each calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period and its Price Multiplier (as defined below) on that day.

 

If the Market Measure consists of a Basket, the Ending Value will be determined as described in “Description of the ARNs—Basket Market Measures—Ending Value of the Basket.”

 

If a Market Disruption Event (as defined in “Description of the ARNs—Market Disruption Events”) occurs and is continuing on a scheduled calculation day, or if certain other events occur, the calculation agent will determine the Ending Value as described in “Description of the ARNs—The Starting Value and the Ending Value—Ending Value” or “—Basket Market Measures—Ending Value of the Basket”, as applicable.

Participation Rate:    The rate at which investors participate in any increase in the value of the Market Measure, calculated as described in “Redemption Amount at Maturity” below. The Participation Rate will be 300% for the ARNs, unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet.
Capped Value:    The maximum Redemption Amount. Your investment return is limited to the return represented by the Capped Value specified in the applicable term sheet. We will determine the applicable Capped Value on the pricing date of each issue of the ARNs.
Price Multiplier:    Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, the “Price Multiplier” for each Underlying Fund will be 1, and will be subject to adjustment for certain events relating to an Underlying Fund as described in “Description of the ARNs—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds.”
Redemption Amount at Maturity:    At maturity, you will receive a Redemption Amount that is greater than the principal amount if the value of the Market Measure increases from the Starting Value to the Ending Value. However, in no event will the Redemption Amount exceed the Capped Value. If the value of the Market Measure does not change from the Starting Value to the Ending Value, you will receive a Redemption Amount that equals the principal amount.

 

 

PS-4

 


Table of Contents
  

If the value of the Market Measure decreases from the Starting Value to the Ending Value, you will be subject to 1-to-1 downside exposure to that decrease and will receive a Redemption Amount that is less than the principal amount and could be zero.

 

Any payments due the ARNs, including any repayment of principal, are subject to our credit risk, as issuer of the ARNs, and the credit risk of Bank of America Corporation, as guarantor of the ARNs.

 

The Redemption Amount, denominated in U.S. dollars, will be calculated as follows:

 

 

LOGO

Principal at Risk:    You may lose all or a significant portion of the principal amount of your ARNs. Further, if you sell your ARNs prior to maturity, the price you may receive may be less than the price that you paid for your ARNs.
Calculation Agent:    The calculation agent will make all determinations associated with the ARNs. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, we will appoint our affiliate, BofAS, or one of our other affiliates to act as calculation agent for the ARNs. See “Description of the ARNs—Role of the Calculation Agent.”
Selling Agents:    One or more of our affiliates, including BofAS, will act as our selling agent(s) in connection with each offering of the ARNs and will receive a commission or an underwriting discount based on the number of units of the ARNs sold. None of the selling agents is your fiduciary or advisor solely as a result of the making of any offering of the ARNs, and you should not rely on this product supplement, the applicable term sheet, or the accompanying prospectus or prospectus supplement as investment advice or a recommendation to purchase the ARNs.
Listing:    Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the ARNs will not be listed on a securities exchange or quotation system.
ERISA Considerations:    See “ERISA Considerations” beginning on page 92 of the accompanying prospectus.

 

 

PS-5

 


Table of Contents

This product supplement relates only to the ARNs and does not relate to any Index or Underlying Fund that comprises the Market Measure described in any applicable term sheet. You should read carefully the entire prospectus, prospectus supplement and this product supplement, together with the applicable term sheet, to understand fully the terms of your ARNs, as well as the tax and other considerations important to you in making a decision about whether to invest in any ARNs. In particular, you should review carefully the section in this product supplement entitled “Risk Factors,” which highlights a number of risks of an investment in the ARNs, to determine whether an investment in the ARNs is appropriate for you. Additional risk factors may be set forth in the applicable term sheet. If information in this product supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus or prospectus supplement, this product supplement will supersede those documents. However, if information in any term sheet is inconsistent with this product supplement, that term sheet will supersede this product supplement. You should carefully review the applicable term sheet to understand the specific terms of your ARNs.

None of us, the Guarantor or any selling agent is making an offer to sell the ARNs in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Certain terms used and not defined in this product supplement have the meanings ascribed to them in the accompanying prospectus supplement or prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this product supplement to “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar references are to BofA Finance LLC, and not to Bank of America Corporation (or any other affiliate of ours).

You are urged to consult with your own attorneys and business and tax advisors before making a decision to purchase any ARNs.

 

 

PS-6

 


Table of Contents

RISK FACTORS

Your investment in the ARNs is subject to investment risks, many of which differ from those of a conventional debt security. Your decision to purchase the ARNs should be made only after carefully considering the risks, including those discussed below, together with the risk information contained in the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, in light of your particular circumstances. The ARNs are not an appropriate investment for you if you are not knowledgeable about the material terms of the ARNs or investments in equity or equity-based securities in general.

Structure-related Risks

Your investment may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of principal. There is no fixed principal repayment amount on the ARNs at maturity. The return on the ARNs will be based on the performance of the Market Measure. If the Ending Value is less than the Starting Value, then you will receive a Redemption Amount at maturity that will be less than, and possibly significantly less than, the principal amount of your ARNs.

Your investment return is limited to the return represented by the Capped Value and may be less than a comparable investment directly in the Market Measure or the securities, commodities or other assets represented by the Market Measure or Basket Component, as applicable. The appreciation potential of the ARNs is limited to the Capped Value. You will not receive a Redemption Amount greater than the Capped Value, regardless of the appreciation of the Market Measure. In contrast, a direct investment in the Market Measure or the securities, commodities or other assets represented by the Market Measure or Basket Component would allow you to receive the full benefit of any appreciation in the value of the Market Measure (or those underlying assets).

In addition, unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, the Ending Value will not reflect the value of dividends paid, or distributions made, on the Market Measure or Basket Component or any of its underlying assets or any other rights associated with the Market Measure, Basket Component or those underlying assets. Thus, any return on the ARNs will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned shares or units of the Market Measure, Basket Component or any of its underlying assets, as applicable.

Additionally, the Market Measure may consist of one or more Indices or Underlying Funds that include components traded in a non-U.S. currency that, for purposes of calculating the level of such Index or Underlying Fund, are not converted into U.S. dollars. If the value of that currency strengthens against the U.S. dollar during the term of your ARNs, you may not obtain the benefit of that increase, which you would have received if you had owned shares or units of the Market Measure or those components, as applicable.

The Redemption Amount will not reflect changes in the value of the Market Measure that occur other than during the Maturity Valuation Period. Changes in the value of the Market Measure during the term of the ARNs other than during the Maturity Valuation Period will not be reflected in the calculation of the Redemption Amount. To calculate the Redemption Amount, the calculation agent will compare only the Ending Value to the Starting Value. No other values of the Market Measure will be taken into account. As a result, even if the value of the Market Measure has increased at certain times during the term of the ARNs, you will receive a Redemption Amount that is less than the principal amount if the Ending Value is less than the Starting Value. In addition, since the Ending Value will equal the average of the values of the Market Measure on each calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period, the Ending Value may be less than the value of the Market Measure on any particular calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period.

If your ARNs are linked to a Basket, increases in the values of one or more of the Basket Components may be offset by decreases in the values of one or more of the other Basket Components. The Market Measure of your ARNs may be a Basket. In such a case, changes in the values of one or more of the Basket

 

PS-7


Table of Contents

Components may not correlate with changes in the values of one or more of the other Basket Components. The values of one or more Basket Components may increase, while the values of one or more of the other Basket Components may decrease or not increase as much. Therefore, in calculating the value of the Market Measure at any time, increases in the value of one Basket Component may be moderated or wholly offset by decreases or lesser increases in the values of one or more of the other Basket Components. If the weightings of the applicable Basket Components are not equal, adverse changes in the values of the Basket Components that are more heavily weighted could have a greater impact upon the value of the Market Measure and, consequently, the return on your ARNs.

Your return on the ARNs may be less than the yield on a conventional fixed or floating rate debt security of comparable maturity. There will be no periodic interest payments on the ARNs as there would be on a conventional fixed-rate or floating-rate debt security having the same maturity. Any return that you receive on the ARNs may be less than the return you would earn if you purchased a conventional debt security with the same maturity date. As a result, your investment in the ARNs may not reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you consider factors, such as inflation, that affect the time value of money.

Payments on the ARNs are subject to our credit risk and the credit risk of the Guarantor, and any actual or perceived changes in our or the Guarantors creditworthiness are expected to affect the value of, or any amounts payable on, the ARNs. The ARNs are our senior unsecured debt securities, the payment on which will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. The ARNs are not guaranteed by any entity other than the Guarantor. As a result, your receipt of the Redemption Amount at maturity is dependent upon our ability and the ability of the Guarantor to repay our respective obligations under the ARNs on the maturity date, regardless of whether the Market Measure increases from the Starting Value to the Ending Value. No assurance can be given as to what our financial condition or the financial condition of the Guarantor will be on the maturity date. If we and the Guarantor become unable to meet our respective financial obligations as they become due, you may not receive the amounts payable under the terms of the ARNs.

In addition, our credit ratings and the credit ratings of the Guarantor are assessments by ratings agencies of our respective abilities to pay our obligations. Consequently, our or the Guarantor’s perceived creditworthiness and actual or anticipated decreases in our or the Guarantor’s credit ratings or increases in the spread between the yield on our respective securities and the yield on U.S. Treasury securities (the “credit spread”) prior to the maturity date may adversely affect the market value of the ARNs. However, because your return on the ARNs depends upon factors in addition to our ability and the ability of the Guarantor to pay our respective obligations, such as the value of the Market Measure, an improvement in our or the Guarantor’s credit ratings will not reduce the other investment risks related to the ARNs.

We are a finance subsidiary and, as such, have no independent assets, operations or revenues. We are a finance subsidiary of the Guarantor, have no operations other than those related to the issuance, administration and repayment of our debt securities that are guaranteed by the Guarantor, and are dependent upon the Guarantor and/or its other subsidiaries to meet our obligations under the ARNs in the ordinary course. However, we will have no assets available for distributions to holders of the ARNs if they make claims in respect of such ARNs in a bankruptcy, resolution or similar proceeding. Accordingly, any recoveries by such holders in respect of such claims in any such proceeding will be limited to those available under the Guarantor’s guarantee of such ARNs, and any obligations under that guarantee will rank equally in right of payment with all other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Guarantor, except obligations that are subject to any priorities or preferences by law, and senior in right of payment to the Guarantor’s subordinated obligations. Holders of the ARNs will have recourse only to a single claim against the Guarantor and its assets under the Guarantor’s guarantee of the ARNs, and holders of the ARNs should accordingly assume that in any bankruptcy, resolution or similar proceeding, they would not have priority over, and should be treated equally with, the claims of all other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Guarantor, including claims of holders of unsecured senior debt securities issued by the Guarantor.

 

PS-8


Table of Contents

The Guarantor’s ability to make payments under its guarantee of the ARNs will depend upon its receipt of funds from its subsidiaries, and applicable laws and regulations, and actions taken under the Guarantor’s resolution plan, could restrict the ability of its subsidiaries to transfer such funds. The Guarantor is a holding company and conducts substantially all of its operations through its subsidiaries. The Guarantor depends on dividends and other distributions, loans and other payments from its subsidiaries to fund payments under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the ARNs. Any inability of these subsidiaries to pay dividends or make payments to the Guarantor may adversely affect its cash flow and financial condition. Many of these subsidiaries, including bank and broker-dealer subsidiaries, are subject to laws that restrict dividend payments or authorize regulatory bodies to block or reduce the flow of funds from those subsidiaries to the Guarantor or to its other subsidiaries. In addition, the Guarantor’s bank and broker-dealer subsidiaries are subject to restrictions on their ability to lend or transact with affiliates and to minimum regulatory capital and liquidity requirements. Lower earnings in the Guarantor’s subsidiaries can reduce the amount of funds available to the Guarantor as a holding company. Adverse business and economic conditions, including changes in interest and currency exchange rates, illiquidity or volatility in areas where the Guarantor has concentrated credit risk, and a failure in or breach of the Guarantor’s operational or security systems or infrastructure, could affect the Guarantor’s business and results of operations. Intercompany arrangements the Guarantor has entered into in connection with its resolution planning could restrict the amount of funding available to it from its subsidiaries under certain adverse conditions, as described below under “—A resolution under the Guarantor’s single point of entry resolution strategy could materially adversely affect its liquidity and financial condition and its ability to make payments under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the ARNs.” These restrictions could prevent the Guarantor’s subsidiaries from paying dividends or making other distributions to the Guarantor or otherwise providing funds to the Guarantor that the Guarantor needs in order to make payments under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the ARNs. In addition, the Guarantor’s right to participate in any distribution of assets of any of its subsidiaries upon such subsidiary’s liquidation or otherwise, will be subject to the prior claims of creditors of that subsidiary, except to the extent that any of the Guarantor’s claims as a creditor of such subsidiary may be recognized.

A resolution under the Guarantor’s single point of entry resolution strategy could materially adversely affect its liquidity and financial condition and its ability to make payments under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the ARNs. The Guarantor is required periodically to submit a plan to the FDIC and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System describing its resolution strategy under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the event of material financial distress or failure. In the Guarantor’s current plan, its preferred resolution strategy is a single point of entry (“SPOE”) strategy. This strategy provides that only the Guarantor (the parent holding company) would file for bankruptcy under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and contemplates providing certain key operating subsidiaries with sufficient capital and liquidity to operate through severe stress and to enable such subsidiaries to continue operating or be wound down in a solvent manner following a Guarantor bankruptcy. The Guarantor has entered into intercompany arrangements governing the contribution of most of its capital and liquidity with these key subsidiaries. As part of these arrangements, the Guarantor has transferred most of its assets (and has agreed to transfer additional assets) to a wholly-owned holding company subsidiary in exchange for a subordinated note. Certain of the Guarantor’s remaining assets secure its ongoing obligations under these intercompany arrangements. The wholly-owned holding company subsidiary also has provided the Guarantor with a committed line of credit that, in addition to the Guarantor’s cash, dividends and interest payments, including interest payments the Guarantor receives in respect of the subordinated note, may be used to fund the Guarantor’s obligations. These intercompany arrangements include provisions to terminate the line of credit and forgive the subordinated note and require the Guarantor to contribute its remaining financial assets to the wholly-owned holding company subsidiary if the Guarantor’s projected liquidity resources deteriorate so severely that resolution becomes imminent, which could materially and adversely affect the Guarantor’s liquidity and ability to meet its payment obligations, including under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the ARNs. In addition, the Guarantor’s preferred resolution strategy could result in holders of the ARNs being in a worse position and suffering greater losses than would have been the case under a bankruptcy proceeding or other resolution scenarios or plans.

 

PS-9


Table of Contents

The Guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of the ARNs will be structurally subordinated to liabilities of the Guarantor’s subsidiaries. Because the Guarantor is a holding company, its right to participate in any distribution of assets of any subsidiary upon such subsidiary’s liquidation or reorganization or otherwise is subject to the prior claims of creditors of that subsidiary, except to the extent the Guarantor may itself be recognized as a creditor of that subsidiary. As a result, any obligations of the Guarantor under its guarantee of the ARNs will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities of the Guarantor’s subsidiaries, and claimants should look only to the assets of the Guarantor for payments under the Guarantor’s guarantee of the ARNs. Further, creditors of the Guarantor’s subsidiaries recapitalized pursuant to the Guarantor’s resolution plan generally would be entitled to payment of their claims from the assets of the subsidiaries, including the Guarantor’s contributed assets. In addition, any obligations of the Guarantor under its guarantee of the ARNs will be unsecured and, therefore, in a bankruptcy or similar proceeding, will effectively rank junior to the Guarantor’s secured obligations to the extent of the value of the assets securing such obligations.

Each of BofA Finance LLC and the Guarantor is permitted to sell, convey or transfer all or substantially all of its assets to one or more of the Guarantor’s majority-owned subsidiaries and, in either such event, such subsidiary or subsidiaries will not be required under the indenture relating to the ARNs to assume our obligations under the ARNs or the Guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of the ARNs, as the case may be. We and the Guarantor each may sell, convey or transfer all or substantially all of its assets to one or more entities that are direct or indirect subsidiaries of the Guarantor in which the Guarantor and/or one or more of its subsidiaries owns more than 50% of the combined voting power, and under the indenture under which the ARNs will be issued, including the provisions thereof relating to the Guarantor’s guarantee of the ARNs, such subsidiary or subsidiaries will not be required to assume our obligations under the ARNs or the Guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee thereof, as the case may be. In either such event, (i) we will remain the sole obligor on the ARNs and the Guarantor will remain the sole obligor on the guarantee of the ARNs, as the case may be, (ii) creditors of any such subsidiary or subsidiaries would have additional assets from which to recover on their claims and (iii) obligations of the Guarantor under its guarantee of our ARNs would be structurally subordinated to creditors of such subsidiary or subsidiaries with respect to such transferred assets. See “Description of Debt Securities of BofA Finance LLC—Limitation on Mergers and Sales of Assets” beginning on page 52 of the accompanying prospectus for more information.

The ARNs issued by us will not have the benefit of any cross-default or cross-acceleration with other indebtedness of BofA Finance LLC or the Guarantor; events of bankruptcy or insolvency or resolution proceedings relating to the Guarantor and covenant breach by the Guarantor will not constitute an event of default with respect to the ARNs. The ARNs issued by us will not have the benefit of any cross-default or cross-acceleration with other indebtedness of BofA Finance LLC or the Guarantor. In addition, events of bankruptcy or insolvency or resolution or similar proceedings relating to the Guarantor will not constitute an event of default with respect to the ARNs. Furthermore, it will not constitute an event of default with respect to the ARNs if the guarantee by the Guarantor ceases to be in full force and effect for any reason. Therefore, events of bankruptcy or insolvency or resolution or similar proceedings relating to the Guarantor (in the absence of any such event occurring with respect to us) will not permit the ARNs to be declared due and payable. In addition, a breach of a covenant by the Guarantor (including, for example, a breach of the Guarantor’s covenants with respect to mergers or the sale of all or substantially all its assets), will not permit the ARNs to be declared due and payable. The value you receive on the ARNs may be significantly less than what you otherwise would have received had the ARNs been declared due and payable immediately upon certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency or resolution or similar proceedings relating to the Guarantor or the breach of a covenant by the Guarantor or upon the Guarantor’s guarantee ceasing to be in full force and effect.

Valuation- and Market-related Risks

The initial estimated value of the ARNs considers certain assumptions and variables and relies in part on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. The initial estimated value of the ARNs, which will be set forth in the applicable term sheet, is an estimate only, determined as of a particular point

 

PS-10


Table of Contents

in time by reference to our and our affiliates’ pricing models. These pricing models consider certain assumptions and variables, including our credit spreads and those of the Guarantor, the Guarantor’s internal funding rate on the pricing date, mid-market terms on hedging transactions, expectations on interest rates and volatility, price-sensitivity analysis, and the expected term of the ARNs. These pricing models rely in part on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect.

The public offering price you pay for the ARNs will exceed the initial estimated value. If you attempt to sell the ARNs prior to maturity, their market value may be lower than the price you paid for them and lower than the initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things, changes in the value of the Market Measure, changes in the Guarantor’s internal funding rate, and the inclusion in the public offering price of the underwriting discount and an expected hedging-related charge. These factors, together with various credit, market and economic factors over the term of the ARNs, are expected to reduce the price at which you may be able to sell the ARNs in any secondary market and will affect the value of the ARNs in complex and unpredictable ways.

The initial estimated value does not represent a minimum or maximum price at which we, the Guarantor, BofAS or any of our other affiliates would be willing to purchase your ARNs in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. The value of your ARNs at any time after issuance will vary based on many factors that cannot be predicted with accuracy, including the performance of the Market Measure, our and the Guarantor’s creditworthiness and changes in market conditions.

We cannot assure you that there will be a trading market for your ARNs. If a secondary market exists, we cannot predict how the ARNs will trade, or whether that market will be liquid or illiquid. The development of a trading market for the ARNs will depend on various factors, including the Guarantor’s financial performance and changes in the value of the Market Measure. The number of potential buyers of your ARNs in any secondary market may be limited. There is no assurance that any party will be willing to purchase your ARNs at any price in any secondary market.

We anticipate that one or more of the selling agents or their affiliates will act as a market-maker for the ARNs that it offers, but none of them is required to do so and may cease to do so at any time. Any price at which a selling agent or its affiliate may bid for, offer, purchase, or sell any ARNs may be higher or lower than the applicable public offering price, and that price may differ from the values determined by pricing models that it may use, whether as a result of dealer discounts, mark-ups, or other transaction costs. These bids, offers, or transaction costs may adversely affect the prices, if any, at which those ARNs might otherwise trade in the market. In addition, if at any time any selling agent or their affiliate were to cease acting as a market-maker for any issue of the ARNs, it is likely that there would be significantly less liquidity in that secondary market. In such a case, the price at which those ARNs could be sold likely would be lower than if an active market existed.

Unless otherwise stated in the applicable term sheet, we will not list the ARNs on any securities exchange or quotation system. Even if an application were made to list your ARNs, we cannot assure you that the application will be approved or that your ARNs will be listed and, if listed, that they will remain listed for their entire term. The listing of the ARNs on any securities exchange or quotation system will not necessarily ensure that a trading market will develop or, if a trading market does develop, that there will be liquidity in the trading market.

The ARNs are not designed to be short-term trading instruments, and if you attempt to sell the ARNs prior to maturity, their market value, if any, will be affected by various factors that interrelate in complex ways, and their market value may be less than the principal amount. The ARNs are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. You have no right to have your ARNs redeemed prior to maturity. If you wish to liquidate your investment in the ARNs prior to maturity, your only option would be to sell them in the secondary market. At that time, there may be an illiquid market for your ARNs or no market at all. Even if you were able to sell your ARNs, there are many factors outside of our control that may affect their market value, some of which, but not all, are stated below. The impact of any one factor may be offset or magnified by the effect of another factor. These factors may interact with each other in complex and unpredictable ways. The following paragraphs

 

PS-11


Table of Contents

describe a specific factor’s expected impact on the market value of the ARNs, assuming all other conditions remain constant.

 

   

Value of the Market Measure. We anticipate that the market value of the ARNs prior to maturity generally will depend to a significant extent on the value of the Market Measure. In general, it is expected that the market value of the ARNs will decrease as the value of the Market Measure decreases and increase as the value of the Market Measure increases. However, as the value of the Market Measure increases, the market value of the ARNs may decrease or may not increase at the same rate. If you sell your ARNs when the value of the Market Measure is less than, or not sufficiently above, the applicable Starting Value, then you may receive less than the principal amount of your ARNs.

In addition, because the Redemption Amount will not exceed the applicable Capped Value, we do not expect that the ARNs will trade in any secondary market at a price that is greater than the Capped Value.

 

   

Volatility of the Market Measure. Volatility is the term used to describe the size and frequency of market fluctuations. The volatility of the Market Measure during the term of the ARNs may vary. In addition, an unsettled international environment and related uncertainties may result in greater market volatility, which may continue over the term of the ARNs. Increases or decreases in the volatility of the Market Measure may have an adverse impact on the market value of the ARNs. Even if the value of the Market Measure increases after the applicable pricing date, if you are able to sell your ARNs before their maturity date, you may receive substantially less than the amount that would be payable at maturity based on that value because of the anticipation that the value of the Market Measure will continue to fluctuate until the Ending Value is determined.

 

   

Economic and Other Conditions Generally. The general economic conditions of the capital markets in the United States, as well as geopolitical conditions and other financial, political, public health, regulatory and judicial events, natural disasters, acts of terrorism or war, and related uncertainties that affect stock or commodity markets generally, may adversely affect the value of the Market Measure and the market value of the ARNs. If the Market Measure or a Basket Component, as applicable, includes one or more Underlying Funds or Indices that have returns that are calculated based upon securities, commodities or other assets traded in one or more non-U.S. markets (a “non-U.S. Market Measure”), the value of your ARNs may also be adversely affected by similar events in the markets of the relevant foreign countries.

 

   

Interest Rates. We expect that changes in interest rates will affect the market value of the ARNs. In general, if U.S. interest rates increase, we expect that the market value of the ARNs will decrease. In general, we expect that the longer the amount of time that remains until maturity, the more significant the impact of these changes will be on the value of the ARNs. In the case of non-U.S. Market Measures, the level of interest rates in the relevant foreign countries may also affect their economies and in turn the value of the non-U.S. Market Measure, and, thus, the market value of the ARNs may be adversely affected.

 

   

Dividend Yields. In general, if the cumulative dividend yields on the securities included in the Market Measure or a Basket Component, as applicable, increase, we anticipate that the market value of the ARNs will decrease.

 

   

Exchange Rate Movements and Volatility. If the Market Measure of your ARNs or any Basket Component, as applicable, consists of or includes any non-U.S. Market Measures, changes in, and the volatility of, the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the relevant non-U.S. currency or currencies could have an adverse impact on the value of your ARNs, and the Redemption Amount may depend in part on the relevant exchange rates. In addition, the correlation between the relevant exchange rate and any applicable non-U.S. Market Measure reflects the extent to which a percentage change in that exchange rate corresponds to a percentage change in the applicable non-U.S. Market Measure, and changes in these correlations may have an adverse impact on the value of your ARNs.

 

PS-12


Table of Contents
   

Our and the Guarantor’s Financial Condition and Creditworthiness. Our and the Guarantor’s perceived creditworthiness, including any increases in our respective credit spreads and any actual or anticipated decreases in our respective credit ratings, may adversely affect the market value of the ARNs. In general, we expect the longer the amount of time that remains until maturity, the more significant the impact will be on the value of the ARNs. However, a decrease in our or the Guarantor’s credit spreads or an improvement in our or the Guarantor’s credit ratings will not necessarily increase the market value of the ARNs.

 

   

Time to Maturity. There may be a disparity between the market value of the ARNs prior to maturity and their value at maturity. This disparity is often called a time “value,” “premium,” or “discount,” and reflects expectations concerning the value of the Market Measure prior to the maturity date. As the time to maturity decreases, this disparity will likely decrease, such that the market value of the ARNs will approach the expected Redemption Amount to be paid at maturity.

Conflict-related Risks

Trading and hedging activities by us, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may affect your return on the ARNs and their market value. We, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may buy or sell shares or units of the Market Measure or the Basket Components, or any of their respective underlying assets, as applicable, or futures or options contracts or exchange-traded instruments on the Market Measure or Basket Component or their respective underlying assets, or other listed or over-the-counter derivative instruments whose value is derived from the Market Measure or Basket Component or their respective underlying assets. We, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may execute such purchases or sales for our own or their own accounts, for business reasons, or in connection with hedging our obligations under the ARNs. These transactions could adversely affect the value of these assets and, in turn, the value of a Market Measure in a manner that could be adverse to your investment in the ARNs. On or before the applicable pricing date, any purchases or sales by us, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including the selling agents, or others on our or their behalf (including those for the purpose of hedging some or all of our anticipated exposure in connection with the ARNs), may have the effect of increasing the value of a Market Measure or Basket Component or their respective underlying assets. Consequently, the values of that Market Measure or Basket Component or the assets included in that Market Measure or Basket Component may decrease subsequent to the pricing date of an issue of the ARNs, which may adversely affect the market value of the ARNs.

We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, also expect to engage in hedging activities that could have the effect of increasing the value of the Market Measure on the applicable pricing date. In addition, these hedging activities, including the unwinding of a hedge, may decrease the market value of your ARNs prior to maturity, including during the Maturity Valuation Period, and may reduce the Redemption Amount.

We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may purchase or otherwise acquire a long or short position in the ARNs, the Market Measure, a Basket Component or the assets included in the Market Measure or Basket Component and may hold or resell the ARNs, the Market Measure, a Basket Component or the assets included in the Market Measure or Basket Component. For example, the selling agents may enter into these transactions in connection with any market making activities in which they engage. We cannot assure you that these activities will not adversely affect the value of the Market Measure, the market value of your ARNs prior to maturity or the Redemption Amount.

Our trading, hedging and other business activities, and those of the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may create conflicts of interest with you. We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may engage in trading activities related to the Market Measure or a Basket Component, as applicable, and to any underlying assets included in the Market Measure or

 

PS-13


Table of Contents

Basket Component that are not for your account or on your behalf. We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, also may issue or underwrite other financial instruments with returns based upon the applicable Market Measure or Basket Component. These trading and other business activities may present a conflict of interest between your interest in the ARNs and the interests we, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may have in our or their proprietary accounts, in facilitating transactions, including block trades, for our or their other customers, and in accounts under our or their management. These trading and other business activities, if they influence the value of the Market Measure or secondary trading in your ARNs, could be adverse to your interests as a beneficial owner of the ARNs.

We, the Guarantor and one or more of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, expect to enter into arrangements or adjust or close out existing transactions to hedge our obligations under the ARNs. We, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including the selling agents, also may enter into hedging transactions relating to other notes or instruments that we or they issue, some of which may have returns calculated in a manner related to that of a particular issue of the ARNs. We may enter into such hedging arrangements with one or more of our affiliates. Our affiliates may enter into additional hedging transactions with other parties relating to the ARNs and the applicable Market Measure or Basket Components. This hedging activity is expected to result in a profit to those engaging in the hedging activity, which could be more or less than initially expected, but could also result in a loss. We, the Guarantor and our affiliates, including the selling agents, will price these hedging transactions with the intent to realize a profit, regardless of whether the value of the ARNs increases or decreases or whether the Redemption Amount on the ARNs is more or less than the principal amount of the ARNs. Any profit in connection with such hedging activities will be in addition to any other compensation that we, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, receive for the sale of the ARNs, which creates an additional incentive to sell the ARNs to you.

There may be potential conflicts of interest involving the calculation agent, which is an affiliate of ours. We have the right to appoint and remove the calculation agent. One of our affiliates will be the calculation agent for the ARNs and, as such, will determine the Starting Value, the Price Multiplier, the Ending Value and the Redemption Amount. Under some circumstances, these duties could result in a conflict of interest between its status as our affiliate and its responsibilities as calculation agent. These conflicts could occur, for instance, in connection with the calculation agent’s determination as to whether a Market Disruption Event has occurred, or in connection with judgments that it would be required to make if the publication of a Market Measure is discontinued. See the sections entitled “Description of the ARNs—Market Disruption Events,” “—Adjustments to an Index,” “—Discontinuance of an Index” and “—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds.” The calculation agent will be required to carry out its duties in good faith and use its reasonable judgment. However, because we expect that the Guarantor will control the calculation agent, potential conflicts of interest could arise. None of us, the Guarantor or any of our affiliates will have any obligation to consider your interests as a holder or the ARNs in taking any action that might affect the value of the ARNs.

Market Measure-related Risks

No sponsor, publisher, or investment advisor of an Underlying Fund, an Index, or any index underlying an Underlying Fund (Underlying Index) (each a Market Measure Publisher) will have any obligations relating to the ARNs. No Market Measure Publisher will have any financial or legal obligation with respect to the ARNs or the amounts to be paid to you, including any obligation to take our needs or the needs of noteholders into consideration for any reason, including taking any actions that might adversely affect the value of the Market Measure or the value of the ARNs. No Market Measure Publisher will receive any of the proceeds from any offering of the ARNs, and no Market Measure Publisher will be responsible for, or participate in, the offering of the ARNs. No Market Measure Publisher will be responsible for, or participate in, the determination or calculation of the amount receivable by holders of the ARNs.

We, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including the selling agents, do not make any representation to any purchasers of the ARNs regarding any matters whatsoever relating to the issuers of the securities included in

 

PS-14


Table of Contents

a Market Measure or Basket Component. Any prospective purchaser of the ARNs should undertake an independent investigation of the companies included in the Market Measure or Basket Component to a level that, in its judgment, is appropriate to make an informed decision regarding an investment in the ARNs. Neither we nor any agent has made any independent investigation as to the completeness or accuracy of publicly available information regarding any Market Measure or as to the future performance of any Market Measure.

The Market Measure Publisher of an Index or an Underlying Index may adjust it in a way that affects its level, and that Market Measure Publisher has no obligation to consider your interests. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, we, the Guarantor, the selling agents and our respective affiliates have no affiliation with any Market Measure Publisher of an Index or an Underlying Index. Consequently, we have no control of the actions of any Market Measure Publisher of an Index or Underlying Index. The Market Measure Publisher can add, delete, or substitute the components included in that Index or Underlying Index or make other methodological changes that could change its level. A new security included in an Index or Underlying Index may perform significantly better or worse than the replaced security, and the performance will impact the level of the applicable Index or Underlying Index. Additionally, a Market Measure Publisher may alter, discontinue, or suspend calculation or dissemination of an Index or Underlying Index. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of your ARNs. The Market Measure Publishers will have no obligation to consider your interests in calculating or revising any Index or any Underlying Index.

You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the applicable Market Measure. In the ordinary course of business, our affiliates may have expressed views on expected movements in a Market Measure, a Basket Component or the assets included in the Market Measure or Basket Component, and may do so in the future. These views or reports may be communicated to our clients and clients of our affiliates. However, these views are subject to change from time to time. Moreover, other professionals who deal in markets relating to a Market Measure or a Basket Component may at any time have significantly different views from those of our affiliates. For these reasons, you are encouraged to derive information concerning a Market Measure or Basket Component and their respective assets from multiple sources, and you should not rely on the views expressed by our affiliates.

You will have no rights as a security holder, you will have no rights to receive shares or units of the Market Measure or Basket Component, as applicable, or any of the assets included in the Market Measure or a Basket Component, as applicable, and you will not be entitled to dividends or other distributions by the issuers of those securities. The ARNs are our debt securities. They are not equity instruments, shares of stock, or securities of any other issuer, other than the related guarantees, which are the securities of the Guarantor. Investing in the ARNs will not make you a holder of shares or units of the Market Measure or Basket Component or any of the assets included in the Market Measure or a Basket Component, as applicable. You will not have any voting rights, any rights to receive dividends or other distributions, any rights against a Market Measure Publisher, or any other rights with respect to the Market Measure or any of its underlying assets. As a result, the return on your ARNs may not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the Market Measure or Basket Component or any of its underlying assets and received the dividends paid or other distributions made in connection with them. Additionally, the values of certain Underlying Funds or Indices reflect only the prices of the securities included in such Underlying Funds or Indices and do not take into consideration the value of dividends paid on those securities. Your ARNs will be paid in cash and you have no right to receive the Market Measure or any of its underlying assets.

Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, we, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, do not control any company included in any Market Measure or Basket Component, as applicable, and have not verified any disclosure made by any Market Measure Publisher or any of those companies. We, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including the selling agents, currently, or in the future, may engage in business with Market Measure Publishers or companies included in a Market Measure or Basket Component, as applicable, or Underlying Index, and we, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may from time to time own securities of an Underlying Fund or of

 

PS-15


Table of Contents

companies included in a Market Measure or Basket Component or an Underlying Index. However, none of us, the Guarantor or any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, have the ability to control the actions of any Market Measure Publisher or any of these companies or have undertaken any independent review of, or made any due diligence inquiry with respect to, any Market Measure Publisher or any of these companies, unless (and only to the extent that) our securities or the securities of the Guarantor or our other affiliates are included in that Market Measure or Basket Component or Underlying Index. In addition, unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, none of us, the Guarantor or any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, are responsible for the calculation of any Index, Underlying Fund or Underlying Index. You should make your own investigation into the Market Measure or Basket Component or Underlying Index.

The business activities of us, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including the selling agents, relating to the companies included in a Market Measure or Basket Component, as applicable, may create conflicts of interest with you. We, the Guarantor and/or our other affiliates, including the selling agents, at the time of any offering of the ARNs or in the future, may engage in business with the companies included in a Market Measure or Basket Component, including making loans to or equity investments in, or providing investment banking, asset management, or other services to those companies, their affiliates and their competitors.

In connection with these activities, we, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including the selling agents, may receive information about those companies that we or they will not divulge to you or other third parties. One or more of our affiliates may have published, and in the future may publish, research reports on one or more of these companies. This research is modified from time to time without notice and may express opinions or provide recommendations that are inconsistent with purchasing or holding your ARNs. Any of these activities may adversely affect the value of the Market Measure or Basket Component and, consequently, the market value of your ARNs. We, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including the selling agents, do not make any representation to any purchasers of the ARNs regarding any matters whatsoever relating to the issuers of the securities included in a Market Measure or Basket Component. Any prospective purchaser of the ARNs should undertake an independent investigation of the companies included in the Market Measure or Basket Component to a level that, in its judgment, is appropriate to make an informed decision regarding an investment in the ARNs. The composition of the Market Measure or Basket Component does not reflect any investment recommendations from us, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including the selling agents.

Exchange rate movements may adversely impact the value of the ARNs. If any security or commodity represented by a Market Measure or a Basket Component, as applicable, is traded in a currency other than U.S. dollars, and, for purposes of calculating the value of the Market Measure, is converted into U.S. dollars, then the value of the Market Measure may depend in part on the relevant exchange rates. If the value of the U.S. dollar strengthens against the currencies of those underlying assets, the value of the applicable Market Measure may be adversely affected and the Redemption Amount may be reduced.

Exchange rate movements may be impacted particularly by existing and expected rates of inflation and interest rate levels; political, civil or military unrest; the balance of payments between countries; and the extent of governmental surpluses or deficits in the relevant countries and the United States. All of these factors are in turn sensitive to the monetary, fiscal and trade policies pursued by the governments of those countries and the United States and other countries important to international trade and finance.

If the Market Measure or a Basket Component, as applicable, to which your ARNs are linked includes equity securities traded on foreign exchanges, your return may be affected by factors affecting international securities markets. The value of securities traded outside of the U.S. may be adversely affected by a variety of factors relating to the relevant securities markets. Factors which could affect those markets, and therefore the return on your ARNs, include:

 

   

Market Liquidity and Volatility. The relevant foreign securities markets may be less liquid and/or more volatile than U.S. or other securities markets and may be affected by market developments in different ways than U.S. or other securities markets.

 

PS-16


Table of Contents
   

Political, Economic and Other Factors. The prices and performance of securities of companies in foreign countries may be affected by political, economic, financial, and social factors in those regions. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize a particular securities market and cross-shareholdings in companies in the relevant foreign markets may affect prices and the volume of trading in those markets. In addition, recent or future changes in government, economic and fiscal policies in the relevant jurisdictions, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws, or other laws or restrictions, and possible fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies, are factors that could adversely affect the relevant securities markets. The relevant foreign economies may differ from the U.S. economy in economic factors such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.

In particular, many emerging nations are undergoing rapid change involving the restructuring of economic, political, financial and legal systems. Regulatory and tax environments may be subject to change without review or appeal, and many emerging markets suffer from underdevelopment of capital markets and tax systems. In addition, in some of these nations, issuers of the relevant securities face the threat of expropriation of their assets and/or nationalization of their businesses. The economic and financial data about some of these countries may be unreliable.

 

   

Publicly Available Information. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC. Additionally, the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements applicable to foreign companies may differ from those applicable to U.S. companies.

Additional Risks Relating to Underlying Funds

There are liquidity and management risks associated with Underlying Funds. Although shares or units of any Underlying Fund to which your ARNs are linked will be listed for trading on a securities exchange and a number of similar products have been traded on various exchanges for varying periods of time, there is no assurance that an active trading market will continue for the shares or units of that Underlying Fund or that there will be liquidity in the trading market.

Underlying Funds are subject to management risk, which is the risk that the investment adviser’s investment strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results.

A Market Measure Publisher may adjust the Underlying Fund or its Underlying Index in a way that affects its value, and it has no obligation to consider your interests. A Market Measure Publisher can change the investment policies of the applicable Underlying Fund or the policies concerning the calculation of the applicable Underlying Fund’s net asset value, or add, delete, or substitute the underlying assets held by the Underlying Fund or the components included in an Underlying Index, as the case may be, or make other methodological changes that could change the value of that Underlying Fund or Underlying Index. Additionally, a Market Measure Publisher may alter, discontinue, or suspend calculation or dissemination of the price of its Underlying Fund, the net asset value of its Underlying Fund, or the level of its Underlying Index, as the case may be. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of your ARNs. This could also result in the early redemption of your ARNs. See “Description of the ARNs—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds—Discontinuance of or Material Change to an Underlying Fund.” The Market Measure Publishers will have no obligation to consider your interests in calculating or revising any Underlying Fund or Underlying Index.

Risks associated with the applicable Underlying Index, or underlying assets of an Underlying Fund, as applicable, will affect the value of that Underlying Fund and hence the value of the ARNs. An Underlying Fund is a fund that may hold a variety of underlying assets, including stocks, bonds, commodities or derivative instruments, and its performance may be designed to track the performance of an Underlying Index. While the ARNs are linked to an Underlying Fund and not to its underlying assets or Underlying Index, risks associated

 

PS-17


Table of Contents

with its underlying assets or Underlying Index will affect the share or unit price of that Underlying Fund and hence the value of the ARNs. Some of the risks that relate to an Underlying Fund include those discussed below in this product supplement in relation to equity based- and commodity-based Underlying Funds, which you should review before investing in the ARNs.

The performance of an Underlying Fund may not correlate with the performance of its Underlying Index, as applicable, as well as the net asset value per share or unit of the Underlying Fund, especially during periods of market volatility. If an Underlying Fund is designed to track the performance of an Underlying Index, the performance of the Underlying Fund and that of its Underlying Index generally will vary due to, for example, transaction costs, management fees, certain corporate actions, and timing variances. Moreover, it is also possible that the performance of an Underlying Fund may not fully replicate or may, in certain circumstances, diverge significantly from the performance of its Underlying Index. This could be due to, for example, the Underlying Fund not holding all or substantially all of the underlying assets included in the Underlying Index and/or holding assets that are not included in the Underlying Index, the temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market, the performance of any derivative instruments held by the Underlying Fund, differences in trading hours between the Underlying Fund (or the underlying assets held by the Underlying Fund) and the Underlying Index, or due to other circumstances. This variation in performance is called the “tracking error,” and, at times, the tracking error may be significant.

In addition, because the shares or units of an Underlying Fund are traded on a securities exchange and are subject to market supply and investor demand, the market price of one share or unit of the Underlying Fund may differ from its net asset value per share or unit; shares or units of the Underlying Fund may trade at, above, or below its net asset value per share or unit.

During periods of market volatility, securities held by an Underlying Fund may be unavailable in the secondary market, market participants may be unable to calculate accurately the net asset value per share or unit of the Underlying Fund and the liquidity of the Underlying Fund may be adversely affected. This kind of market volatility may also disrupt the ability of market participants to create and redeem shares or units of the Underlying Fund. Further, market volatility may adversely affect, sometimes materially, the prices at which market participants are willing to buy and sell shares or units of the Underlying Fund. As a result, under these circumstances, the market value of shares or units of the Underlying Fund may vary substantially from the net asset value per share or unit of the Underlying Fund.

For the foregoing reasons, the performance of an Underlying Fund may not match the performance of its Underlying Index over the same period. Because of this variance, the return on the ARNs to the extent dependent on the performance of the Underlying Fund may not be the same as an investment directly in the securities, commodities or other assets included in the Underlying Index or the same as a debt security with a return linked to the performance of the Underlying Index.

If an Underlying Fund holds underlying assets traded on foreign exchanges, time zone differences may create discrepancies between the values of those underlying assets and the value of the ARNs. As a result of the time zone difference, if applicable, between the cities where the underlying assets held by an Underlying Fund trade and the cities in which shares or units of that Underlying Fund are traded, there may be discrepancies between the values of the relevant underlying assets and the trading prices of that Underlying Fund. In addition, there may be periods when the foreign exchange markets are closed for trading (for example during holidays in a country other than the United States) that may result in the values of the relevant non-U.S. underlying assets remaining unchanged for multiple Market Measure Business Days (as defined below in “Description of the ARNs—The Starting Value and the Ending Value—Ending Value”) in the locations where the ARNs (or any related Underlying Fund) trade. Conversely, there may be periods in which the foreign exchange markets are open, but the securities markets in which the ARNs (or any related Underlying Fund) trade are closed.

 

PS-18


Table of Contents

The payment on the ARNs will not be adjusted for all events that could affect an Underlying Fund. The Price Multiplier(s), the Ending Value, the Redemption Amount, and other terms of the ARNs may be adjusted for specified events affecting any Underlying Fund, as described in the section entitled “Description of the ARNs—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds.” However, these adjustments do not cover all events that could affect the market price of an Underlying Fund. The occurrence of any event that does not require the calculation agent to adjust the applicable Price Multiplier or the amount paid to you at maturity may adversely affect the Closing Market Price of any Underlying Fund, the Ending Value and the Redemption Amount and, as a result, the market value of the ARNs.

Risks Relating to Commodity-Based Underlying Funds

The prices of commodities held by an Underlying Fund may change unpredictably, affecting the value of your ARNs in unforeseeable ways. Trading in commodities and futures contracts is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Their market prices may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships; weather; trends in agriculture; trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; disease, pestilence and technological developments; changes in interest rates, whether through governmental action or market movements; currency exchange rates; volatility from speculative activities; the development, availability and/or decrease in price of substitutes; monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction; macroeconomic or geopolitical and military events, including political instability in some oil-producing countries or other countries in which the production of particular commodities may be concentrated; and natural or nuclear disasters. These factors may affect the value of an Underlying Fund in varying ways, and different factors may cause the levels and volatilities of commodity prices to move in inconsistent directions at inconsistent rates. Additionally, certain Underlying Funds may be concentrated in only a few industries or even a single industry (e.g., energy). These Underlying Funds are likely to be more volatile than those that hold a broad base of commodities.

If the liquidity of the components of any Underlying Fund is limited, the ARNs would likely be impaired. Commodities and derivatives contracts on commodities may be difficult to buy or sell, particularly during adverse market conditions. Reduced liquidity would likely have an adverse effect on the value of any such Underlying Fund and, therefore, on the return, if any, on your ARNs. Limited liquidity relating to the components of an Underlying Fund may also result in the Market Measure Publisher being unable to determine the value of its Underlying Fund using its normal means. The resulting discretion by the Market Measure Publisher of an Underlying Fund in determining the value could adversely affect the value of the ARNs.

Suspension or disruptions of market trading in the applicable commodities and related futures contracts may adversely affect the value of your ARNs. The commodity markets are subject to disruptions due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets, the participation of speculators, and government regulation and intervention. In addition, U.S. futures exchanges and some foreign exchanges have regulations that limit the amount of fluctuation in futures contract prices that may occur during a single business day. These limits are generally referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits,” and the maximum or minimum price of a contract on any given day as a result of these limits is referred to as a “limit price.” Once the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made at a different price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices. Any such disruption, or any other force majeure (such as an act of God, fire, flood, severe weather conditions, act of governmental authority, labor difficulty, etc.) could have an adverse effect on the value of or trading in shares of an Underlying Fund and therefore, the value of the ARNs.

Legal and regulatory changes could adversely affect the return on and value of your ARNs. The value of the commodities held by an Underlying Fund could be adversely affected by new laws or regulations or by the reinterpretation of existing laws or regulations (including, without limitation, those related to taxes and duties on commodities and futures contracts) by one or more governments, courts, or other official bodies.

 

PS-19


Table of Contents

In the U.S., the regulation of commodity transactions is subject to ongoing modification by governmental and judicial action. For example, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has interpreted the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”), which was enacted in July 2010, to require the CFTC to impose limits on the size of positions that can be held by market participants in futures contracts and OTC derivatives on certain physical commodities. The CFTC adopted final position limits rules in October 2020; the final rules became effective in March 2021 and are in the process of being phased in. While the ultimate effect of the final position limit rules are not yet known, these limits will likely restrict the ability of many market participants to trade in the commodities markets to the same extent as they have in the past, including affecting their ability to enter into or maintain hedge positions in the applicable commodity or futures contracts. These rules and various other legislative and regulatory requirements may, among other things, reduce liquidity, increase market volatility, and increase costs in these markets. These consequences could adversely affect an Underlying Fund and the value of your ARNs.

In addition, other governmental or regulatory bodies (such as the European Commission) have proposed or may propose in the future legislation or regulations containing restrictions similar to those contemplated by Dodd-Frank, or other legislation or regulations containing other restrictions that could adversely impact the liquidity of and increase costs of participating in the commodities markets. If such legislation or regulations are adopted or other legislation or regulations are adopted in the future, they could have an adverse effect on the value of the applicable Underlying Fund and your ARNs.

The ARNs will not be regulated by the CFTC. The ARNs will not be interests in a commodity pool nor will they be regulated by the CFTC as a commodity pool. Further, we will not be registered with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator. The ARNs will not constitute investments by you or by us on your behalf in futures contracts traded on regulated futures exchanges, which may only be transacted through a person registered with the CFTC as a “futures commission merchant” (“FCM”). We are not registered with the CFTC as an FCM, and you will not benefit from the CFTC’s or any other non-U.S. regulatory authority’s regulatory protections for persons who trade in futures contracts or who invest in regulated commodity pools.

An Underlying Fund may include commodities or futures contracts traded on foreign exchanges that are less regulated than U.S. markets and may involve different and greater risks than trading on U.S. exchanges. An Underlying Fund may own commodities or futures contracts that trade on exchanges located outside the U.S. The regulations of the CFTC do not apply to trading on foreign exchanges, and trading on foreign exchanges may involve different and greater risks than trading on U.S. exchanges. Certain foreign markets may be more susceptible to disruption than U.S. exchanges due to the lack of a government-regulated clearinghouse system. Trading on foreign exchanges also involves certain other risks that are not applicable to trading on U.S. exchanges. Those risks include: (a) exchange rate risk relative to the U.S. dollar; (b) exchange controls; (c) expropriation; (d) burdensome or confiscatory taxation; and (e) moratoriums, and political or diplomatic events. It may also be more costly and difficult for participants in those markets to enforce the laws or regulations of a foreign country or exchange, and it is possible that the foreign country or exchange may not have laws or regulations which adequately protect the rights and interests of investors in the relevant commodities or contracts. These factors could reduce the value of the applicable Underlying Fund and the value of your ARNs.

Other Risk Factors Relating to the Applicable Market Measure

The applicable term sheet may set forth additional risk factors as to the Market Measure or Basket Components, as applicable, that you should review prior to purchasing the ARNs.

Tax-related Risks

The U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the ARNs are uncertain and may be adverse to a holder of the ARNs. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addresses the characterization of the ARNs or securities similar to the ARNs for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result,

 

PS-20


Table of Contents

significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the ARNs are not certain. Under the terms of the ARNs, you will have agreed with us to treat the ARNs as single financial contracts, as described under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary—General.” If the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) were successful in asserting an alternative characterization for the ARNs, the timing and character of gain or loss with respect to the ARNs may differ. No ruling will be requested from the IRS with respect to the ARNs and no assurance can be given that the IRS will agree with the statements made in the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary.” You are urged to consult with your own tax advisor regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the ARNs.

 

PS-21


Table of Contents

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, we intend to lend the net proceeds we receive from each sale of the ARNs to the Guarantor and/or its other subsidiaries. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the Guarantor expects that it and/or its subsidiaries will use the proceeds from these loans to provide additional funds for operations and for other general corporate purposes. In addition, we may use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of the ARNs to hedge our obligations under the ARNs by entering into hedging arrangements with one or more of our affiliates.

See “Use of Proceeds” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

PS-22


Table of Contents

DESCRIPTION OF THE ARNS

General

Each issue of the ARNs will be part of a series of medium-term notes entitled “Medium-Term Notes, Series A” that will be issued under the senior indenture, as amended and supplemented from time to time, among us, the Guarantor and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company N.A., as trustee. The senior indenture is described more fully in the accompanying prospectus and prospectus supplement. The following description of the ARNs supplements and, to the extent it is inconsistent with, supersedes the description of the general terms and provisions of the notes and debt securities set forth under the headings “Description of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement and “Description of Debt Securities of BofA Finance LLC” in the prospectus. These documents should be read in connection with the applicable term sheet.

Our payment obligations on the ARNs are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. The ARNs will rank equally in right of payment with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations from time to time outstanding, except obligations that are subject to any priorities or preferences by law. The guarantee of the ARNs will rank equally in right of payment with all other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Guarantor from time to time outstanding, except obligations that are subject to any priorities or preferences by law, and senior in right of payment to its subordinated obligations. Any payments due on the ARNs, including any repayment of principal, are subject to our credit risk, as issuer, and the credit risk of Bank of America Corporation, as guarantor.

The maturity date of the ARNs and the aggregate principal amount of each issue of the ARNs will be stated in the applicable term sheet. If the scheduled maturity date is not a business day (as defined in the accompanying prospectus supplement in “Description of the Notes—Payment of Principal, Interest and Other Amounts Payable—Business Day Conventions”), we will make the required payment on the next business day, and no interest will accrue as a result of such delay.

We will not pay interest on the ARNs. The ARNs do not guarantee the return of principal at maturity. The ARNs will be payable only in U.S. dollars.

Prior to the maturity date, the ARNs are not redeemable by us or repayable at the option of any holder, except under the limited circumstances as set forth below in “—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds”. The ARNs are not subject to any sinking fund.

We will issue the ARNs in denominations of whole units. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, each unit will have a principal amount of $10. The CUSIP number for each issue of the ARNs will be set forth in the applicable term sheet. You may transfer the ARNs only in whole units.

Payment at Maturity

At maturity, subject to our credit risk as issuer of the ARNs and the credit risk of Bank of America Corporation as guarantor of the ARNs, you will receive a Redemption Amount, denominated in U.S. dollars. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the “Redemption Amount” will be calculated as follows:

 

   

If the Ending Value is greater than the Starting Value, then the Redemption Amount will equal:

 

 

LOGO

However, the Redemption Amount will not exceed the “Capped Value” set forth in the applicable term sheet.

 

PS-23


Table of Contents
   

If the Ending Value is less than or equal to the Starting Value, then the Redemption Amount will equal:

 

LOGO

The Redemption Amount will not be less than zero.

Your participation in any upside performance of the Market Measure underlying your ARNs will also be impacted by the Participation Rate. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet, the “Participation Rate” applicable to your ARNs will be 300%.

The applicable term sheet will provide examples of Redemption Amounts based on a range of hypothetical Ending Values.

The applicable term sheet will set forth information as to the specific Market Measure, including information as to the historical values of the Market Measure or the Basket Components, as applicable. However, historical values of the Market Measure or the Basket Components are not indicative of its future performance or the performance of your ARNs.

An investment in the ARNs does not entitle you to any ownership interest in or any other rights with respect to the Market Measure or any of its underlying assets, including any voting rights, dividends paid, or other distributions made, or any other rights with respect to the Market Measure, a Basket Component or their respective underlying assets.

The Starting Value and the Ending Value

Starting Value

In the case of an Index, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the “Starting Value” will be the closing level of the Index on the applicable pricing date.

In the case of an Underlying Fund, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the “Starting Value” will be the Closing Market Price (as defined below) of the Underlying Fund on the applicable pricing date.

If the Market Measure consists of a Basket, the Starting Value will be equal to 100. See “—Basket Market Measures.”

Ending Value

In the case of an Index, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the “Ending Value” will equal the average of the closing levels of the Index determined on each calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period.

In the case of an Underlying Fund, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the “Ending Value” will equal the average of the products of the Closing Market Price of the Underlying Fund on each calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period and its Price Multiplier on that day.

If the Market Measure consists of a Basket, the Ending Value of the Basket will be determined as described in “—Basket Market Measures—Ending Value of the Basket.”

 

PS-24


Table of Contents

The “Closing Market Price” for one share of an Underlying Fund (or one unit of any other security for which a Closing Market Price must be determined) on any Market Measure Business Day means any of the following:

 

   

if the Underlying Fund (or such other security) is listed or admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, the last reported sale price, regular way (or, in the case of The Nasdaq Stock Market, the official closing price), of the principal trading session on that day on the principal U.S. securities exchange registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, on which the Underlying Fund (or such other security) is listed or admitted to trading;

 

   

if the Underlying Fund (or such other security) is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange but is included in the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board (the “OTC Bulletin Board”), the last reported sale price of the principal trading session on the OTC Bulletin Board on that day;

 

   

if the closing price of the Underlying Fund (or such other security) cannot be determined as set forth in the two bullet points above, and the Underlying Fund (or such other security) is listed or admitted to trading on a non-U.S. securities exchange or market, the last reported sale price, regular way, of the principal trading session on that day on the primary non-U.S. securities exchange or market on which the Underlying Fund (or such other security) is listed or admitted to trading (converted to U.S. dollars using such exchange rate as the calculation agent, in its sole discretion, determines to be commercially reasonable); or

 

   

if the Closing Market Price cannot be determined as set forth in the prior bullets, the mean, as determined by the calculation agent, of the bid prices for the Underlying Fund (or such other security) obtained from as many dealers in that security (which may include us, BofAS and/or any of its affiliates), but not exceeding three, as will make the bid prices available to the calculation agent. If no such bid price can be obtained, the Closing Market Price will be determined (or, if not determinable, estimated) by the calculation agent in its sole discretion in a commercially reasonable manner.

Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable pricing supplement, for any applicable Market Measure Business Day under the terms of the ARNs, the value of an Underlying Fund will be determined by multiplying its Closing Market Price on that day by its “Price Multiplier.” The initial Price Multiplier for each Underlying Fund will be 1, unless otherwise set forth in the applicable term sheet. The Price Multiplier for each Underlying Fund will be subject to adjustment for certain events relating to that Underlying Fund as described in “—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds.”

The “Maturity Valuation Period” means a period consisting of one or more calculation days shortly before the maturity date. The timing and length of the period will be set forth in the applicable term sheet.

A “calculation day” means any scheduled Market Measure Business Day during the Maturity Valuation Period.

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, as to any Index, a “Market Measure Business Day” means a day on which (1) the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and The Nasdaq Stock Market, or their successors, are open for trading and (2) the Index (or any successor) is calculated and published. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, as to any Underlying Fund, a “Market Measure Business Day” means a day on which the securities exchange on which that Underlying Fund has its primary listing is open for trading.

If (i) a Market Disruption Event occurs on a scheduled calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period or (ii) any scheduled calculation day is determined by the calculation agent not to be a Market Measure Business Day by reason of an extraordinary event, occurrence, declaration, or otherwise (any such day in either (i) or (ii) being a “non-calculation day”), the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of the Market Measure

 

PS-25


Table of Contents

or Basket Component, as applicable, for the applicable non-calculation day will be the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of the Market Measure or Basket Component on the next calculation day that occurs during the Maturity Valuation Period that is not a non-calculation day. For example, if the first and second scheduled calculation days during the Maturity Valuation Period are non-calculation days, then the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of the Market Measure or Basket Component on the next calculation day will also be deemed to be the closing level or the Closing Market Price, as applicable, for the Market Measure or Basket Component on the first and second scheduled calculation days during the Maturity Valuation Period. If no further scheduled calculation days occur after a non-calculation day, or if every scheduled calculation day after that non-calculation day is also a non-calculation day, then the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of the Market Measure or Basket Component, as applicable, for that non-calculation day and for each following non-calculation day, if any, will be determined (or, if not determinable, estimated) by the calculation agent in a commercially reasonable manner on the last scheduled calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period, regardless of whether that last scheduled calculation day is a non-calculation day.

Market Disruption Events

As to any Index, a “Market Disruption Event” means one or more of the following events, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion:

 

  (A)

the suspension of or material limitation on trading, in each case, for more than two consecutive hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, on the primary exchange where the securities included in the Index trade, as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session), in 20% or more of the securities which then comprise the Index or any successor index (as defined in “—Discontinuance of an Index”); or

 

  (B)

the suspension of or material limitation on trading, in each case, for more than two consecutive hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, on the primary exchange that trades options contracts or futures contracts related to the Index, as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session), in options contracts or futures contracts related to the Index or any successor index, whether by reason of movements in price otherwise exceeding levels permitted by the relevant exchange or otherwise.

For the purpose of determining whether a Market Disruption Event as to any Index has occurred:

 

  (1)

a limitation on the hours in a Market Measure Business Day and/or number of days of trading will not constitute a Market Disruption Event if it results from an announced change in the regular business hours of the relevant exchange;

 

  (2)

a decision to permanently discontinue trading in the relevant futures or options contracts related to the Index, or any successor index, will not constitute a Market Disruption Event;

 

  (3)

a suspension in trading in a futures or options contract on the Index, or any successor index, by a major securities market by reason of (a) a price change violating limits set by that securities market, (b) an imbalance of orders relating to those contracts, or (c) a disparity in bid and ask quotes relating to those contracts will constitute a suspension of or material limitation on trading in futures or options contracts related to the Index, or any successor index;

 

  (4)

a suspension of or material limitation on trading on the relevant exchange will not include any time when that exchange is closed for trading under ordinary circumstances; and

 

  (5)

if applicable to Indices with component securities listed on the NYSE, for the purpose of clause (A) above, any limitations on trading during significant market fluctuations under NYSE Rule 80B, or any applicable rule or regulation enacted or promulgated by the NYSE or any other self-regulatory organization or the SEC of similar scope as determined by the calculation agent, will be considered “material.”

 

PS-26


Table of Contents

As to any Underlying Fund, a Market Disruption Event means one or more of the following events, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion:

 

  (A)

the suspension of or material limitation on trading, in each case, for more than two consecutive hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, of the shares or units of the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund, as defined in “—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds—Discontinuance of or Material Change to an Underlying Fund”) on the primary exchange where such shares or units trade, as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session);

 

  (B)

the suspension of or material limitation on trading, in each case, for more than two consecutive hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, on the primary exchange that trades options contracts or futures contracts related to the shares or units of the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund), as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session), in options contracts or futures contracts related to the shares or units of the Underlying Fund;

 

  (C)

with respect to an Underlying Fund that holds equity securities, the suspension of or material limitation on trading, in each case, for more than two consecutive hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, on the primary exchange where component stocks of the relevant Underlying Index (or the successor underlying index, as defined in “—Anti- Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds—Discontinuance of or Material Change to an Underlying Fund”) trade, as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session), in 20% or more of the stocks which then comprise the Underlying Index or any successor underlying index;

 

  (D)

the suspension of or material limitation on trading, in each case, for more than two consecutive hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, on the primary exchange that trades options contracts or futures contracts related to the relevant Underlying Index (or the successor underlying index) as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session), in options contracts or futures contracts related to the Underlying Index or any successor underlying index;

The applicable term sheet will identify, if applicable, any additions or changes to the Market Disruption Events for an Underlying Fund, including a commodity-based Underlying Fund.

For the purpose of determining whether a Market Disruption Event as to any Underlying Fund has occurred:

 

  (1)

a limitation on the hours in a Market Measure Business Day and/or number of days of trading will not constitute a Market Disruption Event if it results from an announced change in the regular business hours of the relevant exchange;

 

  (2)

a decision to permanently discontinue trading in the shares or units of the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund) or the relevant futures or options contracts relating to such shares or units or the relevant Underlying Index (or any successor underlying index) will not constitute a Market Disruption Event;

 

  (3)

a suspension in trading in a futures or options contract on the shares or units of the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund) or the relevant Underlying Index (or any successor underlying index), by a major securities market by reason of (a) a price change violating limits set by that securities market, (b) an imbalance of orders relating to those contracts, or (c) a disparity in bid and ask quotes relating to those contracts, will each constitute a suspension of or material limitation on trading in futures or options contracts relating to the Underlying Fund;

 

  (4)

subject to paragraph (3) above, a suspension of or material limitation on trading on the relevant exchange will not include any time when that exchange is closed for trading under ordinary circumstances; and

 

PS-27


Table of Contents
  (5)

if applicable to an Underlying Fund or an Underlying Index with component stocks listed on the NYSE, for the purpose of clauses (A) and (C) above, any limitations on trading during significant market fluctuations under NYSE Rule 80B, or any applicable rule or regulation enacted or promulgated by the NYSE or any other self-regulatory organization or the SEC of similar scope as determined by the calculation agent, will be considered “material.”

Adjustments to an Index

After the applicable pricing date, an Index Publisher may make a material change in the method of calculating an Index or in another way that changes the Index such that it does not, in the opinion of the calculation agent, fairly represent the level of the Index had those changes or modifications not been made. In this case, the calculation agent will, at the close of business in New York, New York, on each date that the closing level is to be calculated, make adjustments to the Index. Those adjustments will be made in good faith as necessary to arrive at a calculation of a level of the Index as if those changes or modifications had not been made, and calculate the closing level of the Index, as so adjusted.

Discontinuance of an Index

After the applicable pricing date, the publisher of an Index to which your ARNs are linked (an “Index Publisher”) may discontinue publication of an Index to which an issue of the ARNs is linked. The Index Publisher or another entity may then publish a substitute index that the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, to be comparable to the original Index (a “successor index”). If this occurs, the calculation agent will substitute the successor index as calculated by the relevant Index Publisher or other entity and calculate the Ending Value as described in “—The Starting Value and the Ending Value” or in “—Basket Market Measures”, as applicable. If the calculation agent selects a successor index, the calculation agent will give written notice of the selection to the trustee, to us, to the Guarantor and to the holders of the ARNs.

If an Index Publisher discontinues publication of the applicable Index before the end of the Maturity Valuation Period and the calculation agent does not select a successor index, then on each day that would have been a calculation day, until the earlier to occur of:

 

   

the determination of the Ending Value; and

 

   

a determination by the calculation agent that a successor index is available,

the calculation agent will compute a substitute level for the Index in accordance with the procedures last used to calculate the Index before any discontinuance as if that day were a calculation day. The calculation agent will make available to holders of the ARNs information regarding those levels by means of Bloomberg L.P., Thomson Reuters, a website, or any other means selected by the calculation agent in its reasonable discretion.

If a successor index is selected or the calculation agent calculates a level as a substitute as to any Index, the successor index or level will be used as a substitute for all purposes, including for the purpose of determining whether a Market Disruption Event exists.

Notwithstanding these alternative arrangements, any modification or discontinuance of the publication of any Index to which your ARNs are linked may adversely affect trading in the ARNs.

Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds

As to any Underlying Fund, the calculation agent, in its sole discretion, may adjust the Price Multiplier (and as a result, the Ending Value), and any other terms of the ARNs (such as the Starting Value), if an event described below occurs after the applicable pricing date and on or before the final calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period and if the calculation agent determines that such an event has a dilutive or concentrative effect on the theoretical value of the shares of the applicable Underlying Fund or successor underlying fund.

 

PS-28


Table of Contents

The Price Multiplier resulting from any of the adjustments specified below will be rounded to the eighth decimal place with five one-billionths being rounded upward. No adjustments to the Price Multiplier will be required unless the adjustment would require a change of at least 0.1% in the Price Multiplier then in effect. Any adjustment that would require a change of less than 0.1% in the Price Multiplier which is not applied at the time of the event may be reflected at the time of any subsequent adjustment that would require an adjustment of the Price Multiplier. The required adjustments specified below do not cover all events that could affect an Underlying Fund.

No adjustments to the Price Multiplier for any Underlying Fund or any other terms of the ARNs will be required other than those specified below. However, the calculation agent may, at its sole discretion, make additional adjustments or adjustments that differ from those described herein to the Price Multiplier or any other terms of the ARNs to reflect changes to an Underlying Fund if the calculation agent determines in good faith and a commercially reasonable manner that the adjustment is appropriate to ensure an equitable result.

The calculation agent will be solely responsible for the determination of any adjustments to the Price Multiplier for any Underlying Fund or any other terms of the ARNs and of any related determinations with respect to any distributions of stock, other securities or other property or assets, including cash, in connection with any event described below; its determinations and calculations will be conclusive absent a determination of a manifest error.

No adjustments are required to be made for certain other events, such as offerings of equity securities by the Underlying Fund for cash or in connection with the occurrence of a partial tender or exchange offer for shares of the Underlying Fund by the Underlying Fund.

Following an event that results in an adjustment to the Price Multiplier for any Underlying Fund or any of the other terms of the ARNs, the calculation agent may (but is not required to) provide holders of the ARNs with information about that adjustment as it deems appropriate, depending on the nature of the adjustment. Upon written request by any holder of the ARNs, the calculation agent will provide that holder with information about such adjustment.

Anti-Dilution Adjustments

The calculation agent, in its sole discretion and as it deems reasonable, may adjust the Price Multiplier for any Underlying Fund and the other terms of the ARNs, and hence the Ending Value, as a result of certain events related to an Underlying Fund, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Share Splits and Reverse Share Splits. If an Underlying Fund is subject to a share split or reverse share split, then once such split has become effective, the Price Multiplier for that Underlying Fund will be adjusted such that the new Price Multiplier will equal the product of:

 

   

the prior Price Multiplier; and

 

   

the number of shares or units that a holder of one share or unit of the Underlying Fund before the effective date of the share split or reverse share split would have owned immediately following the applicable effective date.

For example, a two-for-one share split would ordinarily change a Price Multiplier of one into a Price Multiplier of two. In contrast, a one-for-two reverse share split would ordinarily change a Price Multiplier of one into a Price Multiplier of one-half.

Share Dividends. If an Underlying Fund is subject to a share dividend (i.e., an issuance of additional shares or units of Underlying Fund) that is given ratably to all holders of the Underlying Fund, then once the dividend has become effective and the Underlying Fund is trading ex-dividend, the Price Multiplier for that Underlying

 

PS-29


Table of Contents

Fund will be adjusted on the ex-dividend date such that the new Price Multiplier will equal the prior Price Multiplier plus the product of:

 

   

the prior Price Multiplier; and

 

   

the number of additional shares or units issued in the share dividend with respect to one share or unit of the Underlying Fund;

provided that no adjustment will be made for a share dividend for which the number of shares or units of the Underlying Fund paid or distributed is based on a fixed cash equivalent value, unless such distribution is an Extraordinary Dividend (as defined below).

For example, a share dividend of one new share or unit for each share or unit held would ordinarily change a Price Multiplier of one into a Price Multiplier of two.

Extraordinary Dividends. There will be no adjustments to the Price Multiplier of an Underlying Fund to reflect any cash dividends or cash distributions paid with respect to that Underlying Fund other than Extraordinary Dividends, as defined below, and distributions described in “—Other Distributions” below and in “—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds—Reorganization Events”.

An “Extraordinary Dividend” means, with respect to a cash dividend or other distribution with respect to an Underlying Fund, a dividend or other distribution that the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, is not declared or otherwise made according to the relevant Underlying Fund’s then existing policy or practice of paying such dividends on a quarterly or other regular basis. If an Extraordinary Dividend occurs, the Price Multiplier for that Underlying Fund will be adjusted on the ex-dividend date so that the new Price Multiplier will equal the product of:

 

   

the prior Price Multiplier; and

 

   

a fraction, the numerator of which is the Closing Market Price per share or unit of the Underlying Fund on the Market Measure Business Day preceding the ex-dividend date and the denominator of which is the amount by which the Closing Market Price per share or unit of the Underlying Fund on that preceding Market Measure Business Day exceeds the Extraordinary Dividend Amount.

The “Extraordinary Dividend Amount” with respect to an Extraordinary Dividend will equal:

 

   

in the case of cash dividends or other distributions that are paid as regular dividends, the amount per share or unit of the applicable Underlying Fund of that Extraordinary Dividend minus the amount per share or unit of the immediately preceding non-Extraordinary Dividend for that share or unit; or

 

   

in the case of cash dividends or other distributions that are not paid as regular dividends, the amount per share or unit of the applicable Underlying Fund of that Extraordinary Dividend.

To the extent an Extraordinary Dividend is not paid in cash, the value of the non-cash component will be determined by the calculation agent, whose determination will be conclusive. A distribution on the applicable Underlying Fund described in “—Other Distributions” below and in “—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds—Reorganization Events” that also constitutes an Extraordinary Dividend will only cause an adjustment under those respective sections.

Other Distributions. If an Underlying Fund, after the applicable pricing date, declares or makes a distribution to all holders of the shares or units of the applicable Underlying Fund of any class of its securities (other than shares or units of the applicable Underlying Fund), evidences of its indebtedness or other non-cash assets, including, but not limited to, transferable rights and warrants, then, in each of these cases, once the

 

PS-30


Table of Contents

distribution has become effective and the shares or units are trading ex-dividend, the Price Multiplier for such Underlying Fund will be adjusted such that the new Price Multiplier will equal the product of:

 

   

the prior Price Multiplier; and

 

   

a fraction, the numerator of which will be the Current Market Price per share or unit of the applicable Underlying Fund, and the denominator of which will be the Current Market Price per share or unit of the applicable Underlying Fund, less the fair market value, as determined by the calculation agent, as of the time the adjustment is effected of the portion of the capital stock, evidences of indebtedness, rights or warrants, or other non-cash assets so distributed or issued applicable to one share or unit of the applicable Underlying Fund.

The “Current Market Price” of any Underlying Fund means the arithmetic average of the Closing Market Prices of one share of such Underlying Fund for the five Market Measure Business Days prior to the Market Measure Business Day immediately preceding the ex-dividend date of the distribution requiring an adjustment to the Price Multiplier.

Ex-dividend date” means the first Market Measure Business Day on which transactions in the shares or units of the Underlying Fund trade on the relevant exchange without the right to receive that cash dividend or other cash distribution.

The “fair market value” of any such distribution means the value of such distribution on the ex-dividend date for such distribution, as determined by the calculation agent. If such distribution consists of property traded on the ex-dividend date on a U.S. national securities exchange, the fair market value will equal the Closing Market Price of such distributed property on such ex-dividend date.

Reorganization Events

If after the pricing date and on or before the final calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period as to any Underlying Fund, the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund, as defined below) has been subject to a merger, combination, consolidation, or statutory exchange of securities with another exchange traded fund, and the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund) is not the surviving entity, then, on or after the date of such event, the calculation agent shall, in its sole discretion, make an adjustment to the Price Multiplier for such Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund) or any other terms of the ARNs as the calculation agent, in its sole discretion, determines appropriate to account for the economic effect on the ARNs of that event (including adjustments to account for changes in volatility, expected dividends, stock loan rate, or liquidity relevant to the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund) or to the ARNs), and determine the effective date of that adjustment. If the calculation agent determines that no adjustment that it could make will produce a commercially reasonable result, then the calculation agent may deem the Underlying Fund (or successor underlying fund) to be de-listed, liquidated, discontinued, or otherwise terminated, the treatment of which is described in “—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Events Relating to Underlying Funds—Discontinuance of or Material Change to an Underlying Fund.” For the avoidance of doubt, any adjustment will be made after the effective date of the reorganization and not on the date of the announcement or a plan or intention to effect such an event.

Discontinuance of or Material Change to an Underlying Fund

If shares or units of an Underlying Fund are de-listed from its primary securities exchange (or any other relevant exchange), liquidated, or otherwise terminated, the calculation agent will substitute an exchange traded fund that the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, is comparable to the discontinued Underlying Fund (that exchange traded fund being referred to herein as a “successor underlying fund”). In that event, the calculation agent will adjust the applicable Price Multiplier, as necessary, such that the successor underlying fund closely replicates the performance of the Underlying Fund.

 

PS-31


Table of Contents

If an Underlying Fund (or a successor underlying fund) is de-listed, liquidated, or otherwise terminated and the calculation agent determines that no adequate substitute for the Underlying Fund (or a successor underlying fund) is available, then the calculation agent will, in its sole discretion, calculate the Closing Market Price of that Underlying Fund (or a successor underlying fund) by a computation methodology that the calculation agent determines will as closely as reasonably possible replicate that Underlying Fund (or a successor underlying fund). If the calculation agent determines that no such computation methodology will produce a commercially reasonable result, then the calculation agent, in its discretion, may cause the maturity date of the ARNs to be accelerated as described below.

If a successor underlying fund is selected or the calculation agent calculates the Closing Market Price by a computation methodology that the calculation agent determines will as closely as reasonably possible replicate the Underlying Fund (or a successor underlying fund), that successor underlying fund or substitute computation methodology, as applicable, will be substituted for the Underlying Fund (or that successor underlying fund) for all purposes of the ARNs.

If at any time:

 

   

the Underlying Index of an Underlying Fund (or the underlying index related to a successor underlying fund) is discontinued or ceases to be published and (i) the Market Measure Publisher of the Underlying Index or another entity does not publish a successor or substitute underlying index that the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, to be comparable to the Underlying Index (a “successor underlying index”) or (ii) the Market Measure Publisher of the Underlying Fund does not announce that the Underlying Fund will track the successor underlying index; or

 

   

an Underlying Fund (or a successor underlying fund) in any way is modified (including, but not limited to, a material change in the investment policies, objectives or methodology of the Underlying Fund, or a material change to the related Underlying Index) so that the Underlying Fund does not, in the opinion of the calculation agent, fairly represent the price per share or unit of that Underlying Fund (or that successor underlying fund) had those changes or modifications not been made;

then, from and after that time, the calculation agent will make those calculations and adjustments that, in the good faith judgment of the calculation agent, may be necessary in order to arrive at a Closing Market Price of that Underlying Fund (or that successor underlying fund) as if those changes or modifications had not been made. The calculation agent also may determine that no adjustment is required. If the calculation agent determines that no such calculation or adjustment will produce a commercially reasonable result, then the calculation agent, in its discretion, may cause the maturity date of the ARNs to be accelerated as described below.

The calculation agent will be solely responsible for the method of calculating the Closing Market Price of the Underlying Fund (or any successor underlying fund) and of any related determinations and calculations, and its determinations and calculations with respect thereto will be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.

Notwithstanding these alternative arrangements, any modification or discontinuance of the Underlying Fund or the related Underlying Index may adversely affect trading in the ARNs.

If the calculation agent determines that no adjustment that it could make will produce a commercially reasonable result, then the calculation agent, in its discretion, may cause the payment of the ARNs to be accelerated to the fifth business day (the “date of acceleration”) following the date of that determination, and the amount payable to you will be calculated as though the date of acceleration were the stated maturity date of the ARNs and as if the final calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period were the fifth Market Measure Business Day prior to the date of acceleration. In addition, the ARNs will not bear a default interest rate.

Basket Market Measures

If the Market Measure to which your ARNs are linked is a Basket, the Basket Components, and if necessary, the definition of Market Measure Business Day, will be set forth in the applicable term sheet. We will assign

 

PS-32


Table of Contents

each Basket Component a weighting (the “Initial Component Weight”) so that each Basket Component represents a percentage of the Starting Value of the Basket on the pricing date. The Basket Components may or may not have equal Initial Component Weights, as set forth in the applicable term sheet.

Determination of the Component Ratio for Each Basket Component

The “Starting Value” of the Basket will be equal to 100. We will set a fixed factor (the “Component Ratio”) for each Basket Component on the applicable pricing date, based on the weighting of that Basket Component. The Component Ratio for each Basket Component will equal:

 

   

the Initial Component Weight (expressed as a percentage) for that Basket Component, multiplied by 100; divided by

 

   

the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of that Basket Component on the applicable pricing date.

Each Component Ratio will be rounded to eight decimal places.

The Component Ratios will be calculated in this way so that the Starting Value of the Basket will equal 100 on the applicable pricing date. The Component Ratios will not be revised subsequent to their determination on the applicable pricing date, except that the calculation agent may in its good faith judgment adjust the Component Ratio of any Basket Component in the event that Basket Component is materially changed or modified in a manner that does not, in the opinion of the calculation agent, fairly represent the value of that Basket Component had those material changes or modifications not been made.

The following table is for illustration purposes only, and does not reflect the actual composition, Initial Component Weights or Component Ratios of a Basket, all of which will be set forth in the applicable term sheet.

Example: The hypothetical Basket Components are Underlying Fund ABC, Index XYZ and Index RST, with their Initial Component Weights being 50.00%, 25.00% and 25.00%, respectively, on a hypothetical pricing date:

 

Basket Component

   Initial
Component
Weight
    Hypothetical
Closing
Level or
Closing
Market
Price(1)
     Hypothetical
Component
Ratio(2)
     Initial Basket
Value
Contribution
 

Underlying Fund ABC

     50.00     500.00        0.10000000        50.00  

Index XYZ

     25.00     2,420.00        0.01033058        25.00  

Index RST

     25.00     1,014.00        0.02465483        25.00  
          

 

 

 

Starting Value

 

     100.00  

 

(1)

This column sets forth the hypothetical closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of each Basket Component on the hypothetical pricing date.

 

(2)

The hypothetical Component Ratio for each Basket Component equals its Initial Component Weight (expressed as a percentage) multiplied by 100, and then divided by the hypothetical closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of that Basket Component on the hypothetical pricing date, with the result rounded to eight decimal places.

Unless otherwise stated in the applicable term sheet, if a Market Disruption Event occurs on the applicable pricing date as to any Basket Component or the pricing date is determined by the calculation agent not to be a Market Measure Business Day for any Basket Component by reason of an extraordinary event, occurrence, declaration or otherwise, the calculation agent will establish the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of that Basket Component (the “Basket Component Closing Level”), and thus its Component Ratio, based on the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of that Basket Component on the first Market

 

PS-33


Table of Contents

Measure Business Day following the pricing date on which no Market Disruption Event occurs for that Basket Component. In the event that a Market Disruption Event or non-Market Measure Business Day occurs for that Basket Component on the pricing date and on each scheduled Market Measure Business Day to and including the second scheduled Market Measure Business Day following the pricing date, the calculation agent (not later than the close of business in New York, New York on the second scheduled Market Measure Business Day following the pricing date) will estimate the Basket Component Closing Level, and thus the applicable Component Ratio, in a manner that the calculation agent considers commercially reasonable. The final term sheet will provide the Basket Component Closing Level, a brief statement of the facts relating to the establishment of the Basket Component Closing Level (including the applicable Market Disruption Event(s)), and the applicable Component Ratio.

For purposes of determining whether a Market Disruption Event has occurred as to any Basket Component, “Market Disruption Event” will have the meaning set forth in “—Market Disruption Events.”

Ending Value of the Basket

The calculation agent will calculate the value of the Basket for a calculation day by summing the products of the closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of each Basket Component on that calculation day (multiplied by its Price Multiplier on that day, if applicable) and the Component Ratio for that Basket Component. The value of the Basket will vary based on the increase or decrease in the value of each Basket Component. Any increase in the value of a Basket Component (assuming no change in the value of the other Basket Component or Basket Components) will result in an increase in the value of the Basket. Conversely, any decrease in the value of a Basket Component (assuming no change in the value of the other Basket Component or Basket Components) will result in a decrease in the value of the Basket.

The “Ending Value” of the Basket will equal the average of the values of the Basket on each calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period.

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, if, for any Basket Component (an “Affected Basket Component”), (i) a Market Disruption Event occurs on a scheduled calculation day during the Maturity Valuation Period or (ii) any scheduled calculation day is determined by the calculation agent not to be a Market Measure Business Day by reason of an extraordinary event, occurrence, declaration, or otherwise (any such day in either (i) or (ii) being a “non-calculation day”), the calculation agent will determine the closing levels or the Closing Market Prices, as applicable, of the Basket Components for such non-calculation day, and as a result, the Ending Value, as follows:

 

   

The closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of each Basket Component that is not an Affected Basket Component will be its closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, on such non-calculation day.

 

   

The closing level or Closing Market Price, as applicable, of each Basket Component that is an Affected Basket Component for the applicable non-calculation day will be determined in the same manner as described in “—The Starting Value and the Ending Value—Ending Value,” provided that references to “Market Measure” will be deemed to be references to “Basket Component.”

Role of the Calculation Agent

The calculation agent has the sole discretion to make all determinations regarding the ARNs as described in this product supplement, including determinations regarding the Starting Value, the Ending Value, the Market Measure, the Basket Components, as applicable, the Price Multiplier, the Redemption Amount, any Market Disruption Events, a successor index or successor underlying fund, Market Measure Business Days, business days, calculation days, non-calculation days and determinations related to any adjustments to, or discontinuance of, any Index or Underlying Fund. Absent manifest error, all determinations of the calculation agent will be

 

PS-34


Table of Contents

conclusive for all purposes and final and binding on you, the Guarantor and us, without any liability on the part of the calculation agent.

We expect to appoint BofAS or one of our other affiliates as the calculation agent for each issue of the ARNs. However, we may change the calculation agent at any time without notifying you. The identity of the calculation agent will be set forth in the applicable term sheet.

Same-Day Settlement and Payment

The ARNs will be delivered in book-entry form only through The Depository Trust Company against payment by purchasers of the ARNs in immediately available funds. We will pay the Redemption Amount in immediately available funds so long as the ARNs are maintained in book-entry form.

Events of Default and Acceleration

Events of Default are defined in the senior indenture relating to the ARNs and in the section entitled “Description of Debt Securities of BofA Finance LLC—Events of Default and Rights of Acceleration; Covenant Breaches” beginning on page 54 of the accompanying prospectus. If such event occurs and is continuing, unless otherwise stated in the applicable term sheet, the amount payable to a holder of the ARNs upon any acceleration permitted under the senior indenture will be equal to the Redemption Amount described in “—Payment at Maturity,” determined as if the ARNs matured on the date of acceleration, and as if the final calculation day of the Maturity Valuation Period were the fifth Market Measure Business Day prior to the date of acceleration. If a bankruptcy proceeding is commenced in respect of us, your claim may be limited under applicable bankruptcy law. In case of a default in payment of the ARNs, whether at their maturity or upon acceleration, they will not bear a default interest rate.

Listing

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the ARNs will not be listed on a securities exchange or quotation system.

 

PS-35


Table of Contents

SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

One or more of our affiliates may act as our selling agent for any offering of the ARNs. The selling agents will act on a principal basis, as set forth in the applicable term sheet. Each selling agent will be a party to the distribution agreement described in “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” beginning on page S-54 of the accompanying prospectus supplement.

Each selling agent will receive an underwriting discount or commission that is a percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the ARNs sold through its efforts, which will be set forth in the applicable term sheet. You must have an account with the applicable selling agent in order to purchase the ARNs.

None of the selling agents is acting as your fiduciary or advisor solely as a result of the making of any offering of the ARNs, and you should not rely upon this product supplement, the applicable term sheet, or the accompanying prospectus or prospectus supplement as investment advice or a recommendation to purchase any ARNs. You should make your own investment decision regarding the ARNs after consulting with your legal, tax and other advisors.

BofAS and any of our other affiliates may use this product supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, together with the applicable term sheet, in a market-making transaction for any ARNs after their initial sale.

 

PS-36


Table of Contents

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX SUMMARY

The following summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the ARNs supplements and, to the extent inconsistent, supersedes the discussions under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus and is not exhaustive of all possible tax considerations. This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), regulations promulgated under the Code by the U.S. Treasury Department (“Treasury”) (including proposed and temporary regulations), rulings, current administrative interpretations and official pronouncements of the IRS, and judicial decisions, all as currently in effect and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences described below. This summary does not include any description of the tax laws of any state or local governments, or of any foreign government, that may be applicable to a particular holder. If the tax consequences associated with the ARNs are different than those described below, they will be described in the applicable term sheet.

Although the ARNs are issued by us, they will be treated as if they were issued by Bank of America Corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly throughout this tax discussion, references to “we,” “our” or “us” are generally to Bank of America Corporation unless the context requires otherwise.

This summary is directed solely to U.S. Holders and Non-U.S. Holders that, except as otherwise specifically noted, will purchase the ARNs upon original issuance and will hold the ARNs as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, which generally means property held for investment, and that are not excluded from the discussion under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus.

You should consult your own tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences to you of acquiring, owning, and disposing of the ARNs, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local, foreign, or other tax jurisdiction and the possible effects of changes in U.S. federal or other tax laws.

General

Although there is no statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addressing the characterization of the ARNs, in the opinion of our counsel, Sidley Austin LLP, and based on certain factual representations received from us, the ARNs with terms described in this product supplement should be treated as single financial contracts with respect to the Market Measure and under the terms of the ARNs, we and every investor in the ARNs agree, in the absence of an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to treat the ARNs in accordance with such characterization. This discussion assumes that the ARNs constitute single financial contracts with respect to the Market Measure for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the ARNs did not constitute single financial contracts, the tax consequences described below would be materially different.

This characterization of the ARNs is not binding on the IRS or the courts. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addresses the characterization of the ARNs or any similar instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and no ruling is being requested from the IRS with respect to their proper characterization and treatment. Due to the absence of authorities on point, significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the ARNs are not certain, and no assurance can be given that the IRS or any court will agree with the characterization and tax treatment described in this product supplement. Accordingly, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the ARNs, including possible alternative characterizations.

Unless otherwise stated, the following discussion is based on the characterization described above. The discussion in this section assumes that there is a significant possibility of a significant loss of principal on an investment in the ARNs.

 

PS-37


Table of Contents

We will not attempt to ascertain whether the issuer of any Market Measure or the issuer of any component stocks included in a Market Measure that is or includes an index would be treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”), within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code, or a United States real property holding corporation, within the meaning of Section 897(c) of the Code. If the issuer of a Market Measure or the issuer of one or more stocks included in a Market Measure that is or includes an index were so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply to a holder of the ARNs. You should refer to information filed with the SEC by the issuer of any Market Measure or the issuers of any component stocks included in a Market Measure that is or includes an index and consult your tax advisor regarding the possible consequences to you, if any, if any issuer of a Market Measure or any issuer of the component stocks included in a Market Measure that is or includes an index is or becomes a PFIC or is or becomes a United States real property holding corporation.

U.S. Holders

Upon receipt of a cash payment at maturity or upon a sale or exchange of the ARNs prior to maturity, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ARNs. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ARNs will equal the amount paid by that holder to acquire them. Subject to the discussion below concerning the possible application of the “constructive ownership” rules of Section 1260 of the code, this capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder held the ARNs for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Possible Application of Section 1260 of the Code. If a Market Measure is or includes an Underlying Fund which is the type of financial asset described under Section 1260 of the Code (including, among others, any equity interest in pass-through entities such as exchange traded funds, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, partnerships, and passive foreign investment companies, each a “Section 1260 Financial Asset”), while the matter is not entirely clear, there may exist a risk that an investment in the ARNs will be treated, in whole or in part, as a “constructive ownership transaction” to which Section 1260 of the Code applies. If Section 1260 of the Code applies, all or a portion of any long-term capital gain recognized by a U.S. Holder in respect of the ARNs will be recharacterized as ordinary income (the “Excess Gain”). In addition, an interest charge will also apply to any deemed underpayment of tax in respect of any Excess Gain to the extent such gain would have resulted in gross income inclusion for the U.S. Holder in taxable years prior to the taxable year of the sale, exchange, or settlement (assuming such income accrued at a constant rate equal to the applicable federal rate as of the date of sale, exchange, or settlement).

If an investment in the ARNs is treated as a constructive ownership transaction, it is not clear to what extent any long-term capital gain of a U.S. Holder in respect of the ARNs will be recharacterized as ordinary income. It is possible, for example, that the amount of the Excess Gain (if any) that would be recharacterized as ordinary income in respect of the ARNs will equal the excess of (i) any long-term capital gain recognized by the U.S. Holder in respect of the ARNs and attributable to Section 1260 Financial Assets, over (ii) the “net underlying long-term capital gain” (as defined in Section 1260 of the Code) such U.S. Holder would have had if such U.S. Holder had acquired an amount of the corresponding Section 1260 Financial Assets at fair market value on the original issue date for an amount equal to the portion of the issue price of the ARNs attributable to the corresponding Section 1260 Financial Assets and sold such amount of Section 1260 Financial Assets at maturity or upon sale or exchange of the ARNs at fair market value. Unless otherwise established by clear and convincing evidence, the net underlying long-term capital gain is treated as zero and therefore it is possible that all long-term capital gain recognized by a U.S. Holder in respect of the ARNs will be recharacterized as ordinary income if Section 1260 of the Code applies to an investment in the ARNs. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of Section 1260 of the Code to an investment in the ARNs.

As described below, the IRS, as indicated in Notice 2008-2 (the “Notice”), is considering whether Section 1260 of the Code generally applies or should apply to the ARNs, including in situations where a Market Measure is not the type of financial asset described under Section 1260 of the Code.

 

PS-38


Table of Contents

Alternative Tax Treatments. Due to the absence of authorities that directly address the proper tax treatment of the ARNs, prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding all possible alternative tax treatments of an investment in the ARNs. In particular, if the ARNs have a term that exceeds one year, the IRS could seek to subject the ARNs to the Treasury regulations governing contingent payment debt instruments. If the IRS were successful in that regard, the timing and character of income on the ARNs would be affected significantly. Among other things, a U.S. Holder would be required to accrue original issue discount every year at a “comparable yield” determined at the time of issuance. In addition, any gain realized by a U.S. Holder at maturity, or upon a sale or exchange, of the ARNs generally would be treated as ordinary income, and any loss realized at maturity or upon sale or exchange of the ARNs generally would be treated as ordinary loss to the extent of the U.S. Holder’s prior accruals of original issue discount, and as capital loss thereafter. If the ARNs have a term of one year or less, a U.S. holder who uses the accrual method of accounting generally should be required to accrue any original issue discount on an ARN on a straight-line basis. At maturity, or upon a sale or exchange, a U.S. holder using either a cash or accrual method of accounting generally should recognize taxable gain (all or a portion of which may be treated as ordinary income) or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and such holder’s tax basis in the ARNs.

The Notice sought comments from the public on the taxation of financial instruments currently taxed as “prepaid forward contracts.” This Notice addresses instruments such as the ARNs. According to the Notice, the IRS and Treasury are considering whether a holder of an instrument such as the ARNs should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis, regardless of whether any payments are made prior to maturity. It is not possible to determine what guidance the IRS and Treasury will ultimately issue, if any. Any such future guidance may affect the amount, timing and character of income, gain, or loss in respect of the ARNs, possibly with retroactive effect.

The IRS and Treasury are also considering additional issues, including whether additional gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital, whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals, whether Section 1260 of the Code, concerning certain “constructive ownership transactions,” generally applies or should generally apply to such instruments, and whether any of these determinations depend on the nature of the underlying asset.

In addition, proposed Treasury regulations require the accrual of income on a current basis for contingent payments made under certain notional principal contracts. The preamble to the regulations states that the “wait and see” method of accounting does not properly reflect the economic accrual of income on those contracts, and requires current accrual of income for some contracts already in existence. While the proposed regulations do not apply to prepaid forward contracts, the preamble to the proposed regulations expresses the view that similar timing issues exist in the case of prepaid forward contracts. If the IRS or Treasury publishes future guidance requiring current economic accrual for contingent payments on prepaid forward contracts, it is possible that you could be required to accrue income over the term of the ARNs.

Because of the absence of authority regarding the appropriate tax characterization of the ARNs, it is also possible that the IRS could seek to characterize the ARNs in a manner that results in tax consequences that are different from those described above. For example, the IRS could possibly assert that any gain or loss that a holder may recognize at maturity or upon the sale or exchange of the ARNs should be treated as ordinary gain or loss. It is possible that the IRS could assert that a U.S. Holder’s holding period in respect of the ARNs should end on the first calculation date during the Maturity Valuation Period, even though such holder will not receive any amounts in respect of the ARNs prior to the maturity of the ARNs. In such case, if the first calculation date during the Maturity Valuation Period is not in excess of one year from the original issue date, a U.S. Holder may be treated as having a holding period in respect of the ARNs equal to one year or less, in which case any gain or loss such holder recognizes at such time would be treated as short-term capital gain or loss.

If a Market Measure is or includes an index that periodically rebalances, an index that tracks what is known as a rolling futures position, or an index that both periodically rebalances and tracks a rolling futures position,

 

PS-39


Table of Contents

then it is possible that the ARNs could be treated as a series of single financial contracts, each of which matures on the earlier of (i) the next rebalancing date or (ii) the next date on which futures contracts are “rolled” into other futures contracts (each such date, a “deemed exchange date”), as applicable. If the ARNs were properly characterized in such a manner, a U.S. Holder would be treated as disposing of the ARNs on each deemed exchange date in return for new ARNs that mature on the next deemed exchange date, and a U.S. Holder would accordingly likely recognize capital gain or loss on each such deemed exchange date equal to the difference between the holder’s tax basis in the ARNs (which would be adjusted to take into account any prior recognition of gain or loss) and the fair market value of the ARNs on such deemed exchange date.

Non-U.S. Holders

Except as discussed below, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax for amounts paid in respect of the ARNs, provided that the Non-U.S. Holder complies with applicable certification requirements and that the payment is not effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Holder of a U.S. trade or business. Notwithstanding the foregoing, gain from the sale or exchange of the ARNs or their settlement at maturity may be subject to U.S. federal income tax if that Non-U.S. Holder is a non-resident alien individual and is present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the sale, exchange, or settlement and certain other conditions are satisfied.

If a Non-U.S. Holder of the ARNs is engaged in the conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. and if gain realized on the settlement at maturity, or upon sale or exchange of the ARNs, is effectively connected with the conduct of such trade or business (and, if certain tax treaties apply, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the U.S.), the Non-U.S. Holder, although exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax, generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such gain on a net income basis in the same manner as if it were a U.S. Holder. Such Non-U.S. Holders should read the material under the heading “—U.S. Holders,” for a description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of the ARNs. In addition, if such Non-U.S. Holder is a foreign corporation, it may also be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or such lower rate provided by any applicable tax treaty) of a portion of its earnings and profits for the taxable year that are effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the U.S., subject to certain adjustments.

A “dividend equivalent” payment is treated as a dividend from sources within the United States and such payments generally would be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax if paid to a Non-U.S. Holder. Under Treasury regulations, payments (including deemed payments) with respect to equity-linked instruments (“ELIs”) that are “specified ELIs” may be treated as dividend equivalents if such specified ELIs reference an interest in an “underlying security,” which is generally any interest in an entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes if a payment with respect to such interest could give rise to a U.S. source dividend. However, IRS provides that withholding on dividend equivalent payments will not apply to specified ELIs that are not delta-one instruments and that are issued before January 1, 2025. Based on our determination that the ARNs are not delta-one instruments, Non-U.S. Holders should not be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the ARNs. However, it is possible that the ARNs could be treated as deemed reissued for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain events affecting the Market Measure or the ARNs, and following such occurrence the ARNs could be treated as subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments. Non-U.S. Holders that enter, or have entered, into other transactions in respect of the Market Measure or the ARNs should consult their tax advisors as to the application of the dividend equivalent withholding tax in the context of the ARNs and their other transactions. If any payments are treated as dividend equivalents subject to withholding, we (or the applicable paying agent) would be entitled to withhold taxes without being required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.

As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the ARNs for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization, by reason of change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments as to the ARNs to become subject to withholding tax, tax will be withheld at the

 

PS-40


Table of Contents

applicable statutory rate. As discussed above, the IRS has indicated in the Notice that it is considering whether income in respect of instruments such as the ARNs should be subject to withholding tax. Prospective Non-U.S. Holders of the ARNs should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of such alternative characterizations.

U.S. Federal Estate Tax. Under current law, while the matter is not entirely clear, individual Non-U.S. Holders, and entities whose property is potentially includible in those individuals’ gross estates for U.S. federal estate tax purposes (for example, a trust funded by such an individual and with respect to which the individual has retained certain interests or powers), should note that, absent an applicable treaty benefit, the ARNs are likely to be treated as U.S. situs property, subject to U.S. federal estate tax. These individuals and entities should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of investing in the ARNs.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Please see the discussion under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation of Debt Securities—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of the backup withholding and information reporting rules to payments made on the ARNs.

 

PS-41