This pricing supplement, which is not complete and may be changed,
relates to an effective Registration Statement under the Securities
Act of 1933. This pricing supplement and the accompanying product
supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus are not an offer
to sell these notes in any country or jurisdiction where such an
offer would not be permitted.

Linked to the Least Performing of the
Russell 2000® Index and the S&P 500®
Index
|
● |
Approximate 13 month
term if not
called prior to maturity. |
|
● |
Payments on the Notes will
depend on the individual performance of the Russell
2000® Index and the S&P 500® Index
(each an
“Underlying”). |
|
● |
Contingent coupon rate of 8.00%
per annum
(0.66667% per month)
payable
monthly if the
closing level of each Underlying on the applicable
Observation Date is greater than or equal to 70%
of its Starting
Value. |
|
● |
Beginning in June
2022,
automatically callable monthly for an amount equal to the
principal amount plus the relevant contingent coupon if the closing
level of each Underlying is greater than or
equal to its Starting Value on any
Observation Date (other than the final Observation
Date). |
|
● |
Assuming the Notes are not
called prior to maturity, if either Underlying has declined by more
than 30% from its Starting Value on any Trading Day during the
Knock-In Period and the Ending Value of the Least Performing
Underlying is less than its Starting Value, your investment will be
subject to 1:1 downside exposure to declines in the value of the
Least Performing Underlying, with up to 100% of the principal at
risk; otherwise, at maturity investors will receive the principal
amount. At maturity the investor will also receive the final
contingent coupon if the closing level of each Underlying on the final Observation Date
(which is also the Valuation Date) is greater than or equal to 70%
of its Starting Value. |
|
● |
The “Knock-In Period” will be
the period from the pricing date to and including the Valuation
Date. |
|
● |
All payments on the Notes are
subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance LLC (“BofA Finance”) and
Bank of America Corporation (“BAC” or the “Guarantor”). |
|
● |
The Notes are expected to
price on December 22, 2021, expected to issue on
December 28, 2021 and expected to mature
on January 26, 2023. |
|
● |
The Notes will not be listed
on any securities exchange. |
The initial estimated value of the Notes as of the pricing date
is expected to be between $920.00 and $970.00 per $1,000 in
principal amount of Notes, which is less than the public offering
price listed below. The actual value of your Notes at any time
will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted with accuracy.
See “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 of this pricing
supplement and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-19 of this
pricing supplement for additional information.
Potential purchasers of the Notes should consider the
information in “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 of this
pricing supplement, page PS-5 of the accompanying product
supplement, page S-5 of the accompanying prospectus supplement, and
page 7 of the accompanying prospectus.
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 determined if this
Note Prospectus (as defined on page PS-24) is truthful or complete.
Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
|
Public offering price(1) |
Underwriting discount(1)(2)(3) |
Proceeds, before expenses, to BofA Finance(2) |
Per Note |
$1,000.00 |
$5.00 |
$995.00 |
Total |
|
|
|
(1) |
Certain dealers who purchase the Notes for sale to certain
fee-based advisory accounts may forgo some or all of their selling
concessions, fees or commissions. The public
offering price for investors purchasing the Notes in these
fee-based advisory accounts may be as low as $995.00 per $1,000 in
principal amount of Notes. |
(2) |
The underwriting discount per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes
may be as high as $5.00, resulting in proceeds, before expenses, to
BofA Finance of as low as $995.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of
Notes. |
(3) |
In addition to the underwriting discount above, an affiliate of
BofA Finance will pay a referral fee of up to $9.00 per $1,000 in
principal amount of the Notes in connection with the distribution
of Notes to other registered broker-dealers. |
The Notes and the related guarantee:
Are Not FDIC Insured |
Are Not Bank Guaranteed |
May Lose Value |

Selling Agent
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Terms of the Notes
The Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index (the “Notes”) provide a monthly Contingent
Coupon Payment of $6.6667 on the applicable Contingent Payment Date
if, on any monthly Observation Date, the Observation Value of
each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Coupon
Barrier.
Beginning in June 2022, if the Observation Value of each
Underlying is greater than or equal to its Starting Value on any
Observation Date (other than the final Observation Date), the Notes
will be automatically called, in whole but not in part, at 100% of
the principal amount, together with the relevant Contingent Coupon
Payment. No further amounts will be payable following an Automatic
Call. If the Notes are not automatically called prior to maturity,
a Knock-In Event has occurred, and the Ending Value of the Least
Performing Underlying is less than its Starting Value, there is
full exposure to declines in the Least Performing Underlying, and
you may lose some or all of your investment in the Notes. If a
Knock-In Event has not occurred, or if a Knock-In Event has
occurred and the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is
greater than or equal to its Starting Value, at maturity you will
receive the principal amount. At maturity you will also receive the
final Contingent Coupon Payment if the Observation Value of
each Underlying on the final Observation Date is greater
than or equal to its Coupon Barrier. The Notes are not traditional
debt securities and it is possible that the Notes will not pay any
Contingent Coupon Payments, and you may lose a significant portion
or all of your principal amount at maturity. Any payments on the
Notes will be calculated based on $1,000 in principal amount of
Notes and will depend on the performance of the Underlyings,
subject to our and BAC’s credit risk.
Issuer: |
BofA Finance |
Guarantor: |
BAC |
Denominations: |
The Notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and
whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. |
Term: |
Approximately 13 months, unless previously automatically
called. |
Underlyings: |
The Russell 2000® Index (Bloomberg symbol: “RTY”) and
the S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg symbol: “SPX”), each a
price return index. |
Pricing
Date*: |
December 22, 2021 |
Issue
Date*: |
December 28, 2021 |
Valuation
Date*: |
January 23, 2023, subject to postponement as described under
“Description of the Notes—Certain Terms of the Notes—Events
Relating to Observation Dates” in the accompanying product
supplement. |
Maturity
Date*: |
January 26, 2023 |
Starting
Value: |
With respect to each Underlying, its closing level on the pricing
date. |
Observation
Value: |
With respect to each Underlying, its closing level on the
applicable Observation Date, as determined by the calculation
agent. |
Ending
Value: |
With respect to each Underlying, its closing level on the Valuation
Date, as determined by the calculation agent. |
Coupon
Barrier: |
With respect to each Underlying, 70% of its Starting Value. |
Threshold
Value: |
With respect to each Underlying, 70% of its Starting Value. |
Knock-In
Event: |
The closing level of any Underlying falls below its Threshold Value
on any Trading Day during the Knock-In Period. |
Knock-In
Period: |
The period from the pricing date to and including the Valuation
Date, excluding any date or dates that the calculation agent
determines is not a Trading Day with respect to any
Underlying. |
Contingent
Coupon
Payment:
|
If, on any monthly Observation Date, the Observation Value of
each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Coupon
Barrier, we will pay a Contingent Coupon Payment of $6.6667 per
$1,000 in principal amount of Notes (equal to a rate of 0.66667%
per month or 8.00% per annum) on the applicable Contingent Payment
Date (including the Maturity Date). |
Automatic
Call: |
Beginning in June 2022, all (but not less than all) of the Notes
will be automatically called if the Observation Value of
each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Starting
Value on any Observation Date (other than the final |
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-2 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
|
Observation Date). If the Notes are automatically called, the Early
Redemption Amount will be paid on the applicable Contingent Payment
Date. No further amounts will be payable following an Automatic
Call. |
Early Redemption
Amount:
|
For each $1,000 in principal amount of Notes, $1,000 plus the
applicable Contingent Coupon Payment. |
Redemption
Amount: |
If the Notes have not been automatically called prior to maturity,
the Redemption Amount per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes will
be:
a) If a Knock-In Event does not occur during the Knock-In
Period:
$1,000; or
b) If a Knock-In Event occurs during the Knock-In Period and the
Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or
equal to its Starting Value:
$1,000; or
c) If a Knock-In Event occurs during the Knock-In Period and the
Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its
Starting Value:

In this case, the Redemption Amount will be less than the principal
amount and could be zero.
The Redemption Amount will also include the final Contingent Coupon
Payment if the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is
greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier.
|
Observation
Dates*: |
As set forth on page PS-4. |
Contingent
Payment
Dates*:
|
As set forth on page PS-4. |
Calculation
Agent: |
BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”), an affiliate of BofA Finance. |
Selling
Agent: |
BofAS |
CUSIP: |
09709UWR5 |
Underlying
Return: |
With respect to each Underlying,

|
Least Performing
Underlying:
|
The Underlying with the lowest Underlying Return. |
Events of Default
and Acceleration: |
If an Event of Default, as defined in the senior indenture relating
to the Notes and in the section entitled “Description of Debt
Securities—Events of Default and Rights of Acceleration” beginning
on page 22 of the accompanying prospectus, with respect to the
Notes occurs and is continuing, the amount payable to a holder of
the Notes upon any acceleration permitted under the senior
indenture will be equal to the amount described under the caption
“Redemption Amount” above, calculated as though the date of
acceleration were the Maturity Date of the Notes and as though the
Valuation Date were the third Trading Day prior to the date of
acceleration. We will also determine whether the final Contingent
Coupon Payment is payable based upon the levels of the Underlyings
on the deemed Valuation Date; any such final Contingent Coupon
Payment will be prorated by the calculation agent to reflect the
length of the final contingent payment period. In case of a default
in the payment of the Notes, whether at their maturity or upon
acceleration, the Notes will not bear a default interest rate. |
*Subject to change.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-3 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Observation Dates and Contingent Payment Dates
|
Observation
Dates* |
|
Contingent
Payment Dates |
|
|
January 24, 2022 |
|
January 27, 2022 |
|
|
February 22, 2022 |
|
February 25, 2022 |
|
|
March 22, 2022 |
|
March 25, 2022 |
|
|
April 22, 2022 |
|
April 27, 2022 |
|
|
May 23, 2022 |
|
May 26, 2022 |
|
|
June 22, 2022 |
|
June 27, 2022 |
|
|
July 22, 2022 |
|
July 27, 2022 |
|
|
August 22, 2022 |
|
August 25, 2022 |
|
|
September 22, 2022 |
|
September 27, 2022 |
|
|
October 24, 2022 |
|
October 27, 2022 |
|
|
November 22, 2022 |
|
November 28, 2022 |
|
|
December 22, 2022 |
|
December 28, 2022 |
|
|
January 23, 2023 (the “Valuation Date”) |
|
January 26, 2023 (the “Maturity Date”) |
|
*
The Observation Dates are subject to postponement as set forth in
“Description of the Notes—Certain Terms of the Notes—Events
Relating to Observation Dates” beginning on page PS-22 of the
accompanying product supplement.
Any payments on the Notes depend on the credit risk of BofA
Finance, as Issuer, and BAC, as Guarantor, and on the performance
of the Underlyings. The economic terms of the Notes are based on
BAC’s internal funding rate, which is the rate it would pay to
borrow funds through the issuance of market-linked notes, and the
economic terms of certain related hedging arrangements BAC’s
affiliates enter into. BAC’s internal funding rate is typically
lower than the rate it would pay when it issues conventional fixed
or floating rate debt securities. This difference in funding rate,
as well as the underwriting discount, the referral fee and the
hedging related charges described below (see “Risk Factors”
beginning on page PS-8), will reduce the economic terms of the
Notes to you and the initial estimated value of the Notes. Due to
these factors, the public offering price you pay to purchase the
Notes will be greater than the initial estimated value of the Notes
as of the pricing date.
The initial estimated value range of the Notes as of the date of
this pricing supplement is set forth on the cover page of this
pricing supplement. The final pricing supplement will set forth the
initial estimated value of the Notes as of the pricing date. For
more information about the initial estimated value and the
structuring of the Notes, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8
and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-19.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-4 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Contingent Coupon Payment and Redemption Amount Determination
On each Contingent Payment
Date, you may receive a Contingent Coupon Payment per $1,000 in
principal amount of Notes
determined as follows:

Assuming the Notes have not
been automatically called, on the Maturity Date,
you will receive a cash payment
per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes determined as
follows:

All payments described above are subject to the credit risk of BofA
Finance, as Issuer, and BAC, as Guarantor.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-5 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Total Contingent Coupon Payment Examples
The table below illustrates the hypothetical total Contingent
Coupon Payments per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes over the
term of the Notes, based on the Contingent Coupon Payment of
$6.6667, depending on how many Contingent Coupon Payments are
payable prior to an Automatic Call or maturity. Depending on the
performance of the Underlyings, you may not receive any Contingent
Coupon Payments during the term of the Notes.
|
Number of
Contingent Coupon Payments |
|
Total
Contingent Coupon Payments |
|
|
0 |
|
$0.0000 |
|
|
2 |
|
$13.3334 |
|
|
4 |
|
$26.6668 |
|
|
6 |
|
$40.0002 |
|
|
8 |
|
$53.3336 |
|
|
10 |
|
$66.6670 |
|
|
12 |
|
$80.0004 |
|
|
13 |
|
$86.6671 |
|
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-6 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Hypothetical Payout Profile and Examples of Payments at
Maturity
Contingent Income Auto-Callable
Yield Notes Table
The following table is for purposes of illustration only. It
assumes the Notes have not been automatically called prior to
maturity and is based on hypothetical values and shows
hypothetical returns on the Notes. The table illustrates the
calculation of the Redemption Amount and the return on the Notes
based on a hypothetical Starting Value of 100 for the Least
Performing Underlying, a hypothetical Coupon Barrier of 70 for the
Least Performing Underlying, a hypothetical Threshold Value of 70
for the Least Performing Underlying, the Contingent Coupon Payment
of $6.6667 per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes and a range of
hypothetical Ending Values for the Least Performing Underlying.
The actual amount you receive and the resulting return will
depend on the actual Starting Values, Coupon Barriers, Threshold
Values, Observation Values and Ending Values of the Underlyings,
whether the Notes are automatically called prior to maturity,
whether a Knock-In Event has occurred and whether you hold the
Notes to maturity. The following examples do not take into
account any tax consequences from investing in the Notes.
For recent actual levels of the Underlyings, see “The Underlyings”
section below. Each Underlying is a price return index and as such
its Ending Value will not include any income generated by dividends
paid on the stocks included in that Underlying, which you would
otherwise be entitled to receive if you invested in those stocks
directly. In addition, all payments on the Notes are subject to
Issuer and Guarantor credit risk.
Ending Value of the
Least Performing Underlying |
Underlying Return of the
Least Performing Underlying |
Redemption Amount per Note (including any final Contingent
Coupon Payment), assuming a Knock-In Event has not
occurred |
Return
on the Notes, assuming a Knock-In Event has not occurred
(1) |
Redemption Amount per Note (including any final Contingent
Coupon Payment), assuming a Knock-In Event has
occurred |
Return
on the Notes, assuming a Knock-In Event has
occurred(1) |
160.00 |
60.00% |
$1,006.6667 (2) |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667(2) |
0.66667% |
150.00 |
50.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
140.00 |
40.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
130.00 |
30.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
120.00 |
20.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
110.00 |
10.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
105.00 |
5.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
102.00 |
2.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
100.00(3) |
0.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
90.00 |
-10.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$906.6667 |
-9.33333% |
80.00 |
-20.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$806.6667 |
-19.33333% |
70.00(4) |
-30.00% |
$1,006.6667 |
0.66667% |
$706.6667 |
-29.33333% |
69.99 |
-30.01% |
N/A |
N/A |
$699.9000 |
-30.01000% |
70.00 |
-30.00% |
N/A |
N/A |
$700.0000 |
-30.00000% |
25.00 |
-75.00% |
N/A |
N/A |
$250.0000 |
-75.00000% |
0.00 |
-100.00% |
N/A |
N/A |
$0.0000 |
-100.00000% |
(1) |
The
“Return on the Notes” is calculated based on the Redemption Amount
and potential final Contingent Coupon Payment, not including any
Contingent Coupon Payments paid prior to maturity. |
(2) |
This
amount represents the sum of the principal amount and the final
Contingent Coupon Payment. |
(3) |
The
hypothetical Starting Value of 100 used in the table above has been
chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a
likely Starting Value for any Underlying. |
(4) |
This is
the hypothetical Coupon Barrier and Threshold Value of the Least
Performing Underlying. |
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-7 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Risk Factors
Your investment in the Notes entails significant risks, many of
which differ from those of a conventional debt security. Your
decision to purchase the Notes should be made only after carefully
considering the risks of an investment in the Notes, including
those discussed below, with your advisors in light of your
particular circumstances. The Notes are not an appropriate
investment for you if you are not knowledgeable about significant
elements of the Notes or financial matters in general. You should
carefully review the more detailed explanation of risks relating to
the Notes in the “Risk Factors” sections beginning on page PS-5 of
the accompanying product supplement, page S-5 of the accompanying
prospectus supplement and page 7 of the accompanying prospectus,
each as identified on page PS-24 below.
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 Notes at maturity. If the Notes are not automatically
called prior to maturity, a Knock-In Event has occurred and the
Ending Value of any Underlying is less than its Starting
Value, at maturity you will lose 1% of the principal amount for
each 1% that the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is
less than its Starting Value. In that case, you will lose a
significant portion or all of your principal amount in the
Notes. |
|
● |
Your return on the Notes is limited to the return
represented by the Contingent Coupon Payments, if any, over the
term of the Notes. Your return on the Notes is limited to the
Contingent Coupon Payments paid over the term of the Notes,
regardless of the extent to which the Observation Value or Ending
Value of any Underlying exceeds its Coupon Barrier or Starting
Value, as applicable. Similarly, the amount payable at maturity or
upon an Automatic Call will never exceed the sum of the principal
amount and the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment, regardless of
the extent to which the Observation Value of any Underlying exceeds
its Starting Value. In contrast, a direct investment in the
securities included in one or more of the Underlyings would allow
you to receive the benefit of any appreciation in their values.
Thus, any return on the Notes will not reflect the return you would
realize if you actually owned those securities and received the
dividends paid or distributions made on them. |
|
● |
The Notes are subject to a potential Automatic Call, which
would limit your ability to receive the Contingent Coupon Payments
over the full term of the Notes. The Notes are subject to a
potential Automatic Call. Beginning in June 2022, the Notes will be
automatically called if, on any Observation Date (other than the
final Observation Date), the Observation Value of each Underlying
is greater than or equal to its Starting Value. If the Notes are
automatically called prior to the Maturity Date, you will be
entitled to receive the principal amount and the Contingent Coupon
Payment with respect to the applicable Observation Date. In this
case, you will lose the opportunity to continue to receive
Contingent Coupon Payments after the date of the Automatic Call. If
the Notes are called prior to the Maturity Date, you may be unable
to invest in other securities with a similar level of risk that
could provide a return that is similar to the Notes. |
|
● |
You may not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments. The
Notes do not provide for any regular fixed coupon payments.
Investors in the Notes will not necessarily receive any Contingent
Coupon Payments on the Notes. If the Observation Value of any
Underlying is less than its Coupon Barrier on an Observation Date,
you will not receive the Contingent Coupon Payment applicable to
that Observation Date. If the Observation Value of any Underlying
is less than its Coupon Barrier on all the Observation Dates during
the term of the Notes, you will not receive any Contingent Coupon
Payments during the term of the Notes, and will not receive a
positive return on the Notes. |
|
● |
The Contingent Coupon Payment or Early Redemption Amount, as
applicable, will not reflect the levels of the Underlyings other
than on the Observation Dates. The levels of the Underlyings
during the term of the Notes other than on the Observation Dates
will not affect any Contingent Coupon Payments on the Notes or
whether the Notes will be automatically called. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, investors should generally be aware of the performance
of the Underlyings while holding the Notes, as performance of the
Underlyings may influence the market value of the Notes. The
calculation agent will determine whether each Contingent Coupon
Payment is payable and will calculate the Early Redemption Amount
by comparing only the Coupon Barrier or the Starting Value, as
applicable, to the Observation Value for each Underlying. No other
levels of the Underlyings will be taken into account. |
|
● |
Because the Notes are linked to the least performing (and
not the average performance) of the Underlyings, you may not
receive any return on the Notes and may lose a significant portion
or all of your principal amount even if the Observation Value or
Ending Value of one Underlying is always greater than or equal to
its Coupon Barrier or Threshold Value, as applicable. Your
Notes are linked to the least performing of the Underlyings, and a
change in the level of one Underlying may not correlate with
changes in the level of the other Underlying(s). The Notes are not
linked to a basket composed of the Underlyings, where the
depreciation in the level of one Underlying could be offset to some
extent by the appreciation in the level of the other Underlying(s).
In the case of the Notes, the individual performance of each
Underlying would not be combined, and the depreciation in the level
of one Underlying would not be offset by any appreciation in the
level of the other Underlying(s). Even if the Observation Value of
an Underlying is at or above its Coupon Barrier on an Observation
Date, you will not receive the Contingent Coupon Payment with
respect to that Observation Date if the Observation Value of
another Underlying is below its Coupon Barrier on that day. Even if
the closing level of one Underlying is at or above its Threshold
Value on every Trading Day during the Knock-In Period, a Knock-In
Event will occur if the closing level of the other Underlying is
below its Threshold Value on any Trading Day during the Knock-In
Period. The Redemption Amount will be determined by reference as to
whether a Knock-In Event has occurred and, if so, the Underlying
Return of the Least Performing Underlying, but the Least Performing
Underlying may not necessarily be the same Underlying which
triggered the Knock-In Event. Lastly, assuming a Knock-In Event has
occurred, even if the Ending Value of one Underlying is at or above
its Starting Value, you will receive less than the principal amount
and may lose some or all of your principal if the Ending Value of
the other Underlying is below its Starting Value. |
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-8 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
|
● |
The Knock-In Period will be the period from the pricing date
to and including the Valuation Date. The Redemption Amount will
be determined, in part, by reference as to whether a Knock-In Event
has occurred. If a Knock-In Event occurs and the Ending Value of
the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Starting Value,
the Redemption Amount will be less than the principal amount and
you will lose some or all of your principal. Since the Knock-In
Period for the Notes encompasses the entire tenor of the Notes, you
will have a greater number of opportunities for a Knock-In Event to
occur, therefore exposing you to a loss of principal, than similar
Notes which have a shorter (or no) Knock-In Period. |
|
● |
Your return on the Notes may be less than the yield on a
conventional debt security of comparable maturity. Any return
that you receive on the Notes 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 Notes may not
reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you consider factors,
such as inflation, that affect the time value of money. In
addition, if interest rates increase during the term of the Notes,
the Contingent Coupon Payment (if any) may be less than the yield
on a conventional debt security of comparable maturity. |
|
● |
Any payment on the Notes is subject to our credit risk and
the credit risk of the Guarantor, and any actual or perceived
changes in our or the Guarantor’s creditworthiness are expected to
affect the value of the Notes. The Notes are our senior
unsecured debt securities. Any payment on the Notes will be fully
and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. The Notes are not
guaranteed by any entity other than the Guarantor. As a result,
your receipt of the Early Redemption Amount or the Redemption
Amount at maturity, as applicable, will be dependent upon our
ability and the ability of the Guarantor to repay our respective
obligations under the Notes on the applicable Contingent Payment
Date or the Maturity Date, regardless of the Ending Value of the
Least Performing Underlying as compared to its Starting Value. |
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 of your Notes may adversely affect the market
value of the Notes. However, because your return on the Notes
depends upon factors in addition to our ability and the ability of
the Guarantor to pay our respective obligations, such as the values
of the Underlyings, an improvement in our or the Guarantor’s credit
ratings will not reduce the other investment risks related to the
Notes.
|
● |
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 Notes in the ordinary course. Therefore, our
ability to make payments on the Notes may be limited. |
Valuation- and Market-related Risks
|
● |
The public offering price you pay for the Notes will exceed
their initial estimated value. The range of initial estimated
values of the Notes that is provided on the cover page of this
preliminary pricing supplement, and the initial estimated value as
of the pricing date that will be provided in the final pricing
supplement, are each estimates only, determined as of a particular
point 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, mid-market terms on hedging
transactions, expectations on interest rates, dividends and
volatility, price-sensitivity analysis, and the expected term of
the Notes. These pricing models rely in part on certain
forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. If
you attempt to sell the Notes prior to maturity, their market value
may be lower than the price you paid for them and lower than their
initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things,
changes in the levels of the Underlyings, changes in the
Guarantor’s internal funding rate, and the inclusion in the public
offering price of the underwriting discount, the referral fee and
the hedging related charges, all as further described in
“Structuring the Notes” below. These factors, together with various
credit, market and economic factors over the term of the Notes, are
expected to reduce the price at which you may be able to sell the
Notes in any secondary market and will affect the value of the
Notes in complex and unpredictable ways. |
|
● |
The initial estimated value does not represent a minimum or
maximum price at which we, BAC, BofAS or any of our other
affiliates would be willing to purchase your Notes in any secondary
market (if any exists) at any time. The value of your Notes at
any time after issuance will vary based on many factors that cannot
be predicted with accuracy, including the performance of the
Underlyings, our and BAC’s creditworthiness and changes in market
conditions. |
|
● |
We cannot assure you that a trading market for your Notes
will ever develop or be maintained. We will not list the Notes
on any securities exchange. We cannot predict how the Notes will
trade in any secondary market or whether that market will be liquid
or illiquid. |
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-9 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Conflict-related Risks
|
● |
Trading and hedging activities by us, the Guarantor and any
of our other affiliates, including BofAS, may create conflicts of
interest with you and may affect your return on the Notes and their
market value. We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other
affiliates, including BofAS, may buy or sell the securities held by
or included in the Underlyings, or futures or options contracts or
exchange traded instruments on the Underlyings or those securities,
or other instruments whose value is derived from the Underlyings or
those securities. While we, the Guarantor or one or more of our
other affiliates, including BofAS, may from time to time own
securities represented by the Underlyings, except to the extent
that BAC’s common stock may be included in the Underlyings, we, the
Guarantor and our other affiliates, including BofAS, do not control
any company included in the Underlyings, and have not verified any
disclosure made by any other company. We, the Guarantor or one or
more of our other affiliates, including BofAS, 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
Notes. These transactions may present a conflict of interest
between your interest in the Notes and the interests we, the
Guarantor and our other affiliates, including BofAS, 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 transactions may
adversely affect the value of the Underlyings in a manner that
could be adverse to your investment in the Notes. On or before the
pricing date, any purchases or sales by us, the Guarantor or our
other affiliates, including BofAS 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 Notes), may affect the
value of the Underlyings. Consequently, the value of the
Underlyings may change subsequent to the pricing date, which may
adversely affect the market value of the Notes.
We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including
BofAS, also expect to engage in hedging activities that could
affect the value of the Underlyings on the pricing date. In
addition, these hedging activities, including the unwinding of a
hedge, may decrease the market value of your Notes prior to
maturity, and may affect the amounts to be paid on the Notes. We,
the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including
BofAS, may purchase or otherwise acquire a long or short position
in the Notes and may hold or resell the Notes. For example, BofAS
may enter into these transactions in connection with any market
making activities in which it engages. We cannot assure you that
these activities will not adversely affect the value of the
Underlyings, the market value of your Notes prior to maturity or
the amounts payable on the Notes. |
|
● |
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 Notes and, as such, will make a variety of
determinations relating to the Notes, including the amounts that
will be paid on the Notes. Under some circumstances, these duties
could result in a conflict of interest between its status as our
affiliate and its responsibilities as calculation
agent. |
Underlying-related Risks
|
● |
The Notes are subject to risks associated with small-size
capitalization companies. The stocks comprising the RTY are
issued by companies with small-sized market capitalization. The
stock prices of small-size companies may be more volatile than
stock prices of large capitalization companies. Small-size
capitalization companies may be less able to withstand adverse
economic, market, trade and competitive conditions relative to
larger companies. Small-size capitalization companies may also be
more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products
or services. |
|
● |
The publisher of an Underlying may adjust that Underlying in
a way that affects its levels, and the publisher has no obligation
to consider your interests. The publisher of an Underlying can
add, delete, or substitute the components included in that
Underlying or make other methodological changes that could change
its level. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of
your Notes. |
Tax-related Risks
|
● |
The U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in
the Notes are uncertain, and may be adverse to a holder of the
Notes. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority
directly addresses the characterization of the Notes or securities
similar to the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a
result, significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax
consequences of an investment in the Notes are not certain. Under
the terms of the Notes, you will have agreed with us to treat the
Notes as contingent income-bearing single financial contracts, as
described below under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary—General.” If
the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) were successful in
asserting an alternative characterization for the Notes, the timing
and character of income, gain or loss with respect to the Notes may
differ. No ruling will be requested from the IRS with respect to
the Notes 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 Notes. |
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-10 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
The
Underlyings
All disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the
Underlyings, including, without limitation, their make-up, method
of calculation, and changes in their components, have been derived
from publicly available sources. The information reflects the
policies of, and is subject to change by, each of FTSE Russell, the
sponsor of the RTY, and S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”),
the sponsor of the SPX. We refer to FTSE Russell and SPDJI as the
“Underlying Sponsors”. The Underlying Sponsors, which license the
copyright and all other rights to the Underlyings, have no
obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication
of, the Underlyings. The consequences of any Underlying Sponsor
discontinuing publication of the applicable Underlying are
discussed in “Description of the Notes — Discontinuance of an
Index” in the accompanying product supplement. None of us, the
Guarantor, the calculation agent, or BofAS accepts any
responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of
any Underlying or any successor index. None of us, the Guarantor,
BofAS or any of our other affiliates makes any representation to
you as to the future performance of the Underlyings. You should
make your own investigation into the Underlyings.
The Russell 2000®
Index
The RTY was developed by Russell Investments (“Russell”) before
FTSE International Limited and Russell combined in 2015 to create
FTSE Russell, which is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group.
Additional information on the RTY is available at the following
website: http://www.ftserussell.com. No information on that website
is deemed to be included or incorporated by reference in this
pricing supplement.
Russell began dissemination of the RTY (Bloomberg L.P. index symbol
“RTY”) on January 1, 1984. FTSE Russell calculates and publishes
the RTY. The RTY was set to 135 as of the close of business on
December 31, 1986. The RTY is designed to track the performance of
the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. As a
subset of the Russell 3000® Index, the RTY consists
of the smallest 2,000 companies included in the Russell
3000® Index.
The Russell 3000® Index measures the
performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies, representing
approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. The RTY is
determined, comprised, and calculated by FTSE Russell without
regard to the Notes.
Selection of Stocks Comprising the RTY
All companies eligible for inclusion in the RTY must be classified
as a U.S. company under FTSE Russell’s country-assignment
methodology. If a company is incorporated, has a stated
headquarters location, and trades in the same country (American
Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Shares are not
eligible), then the company is assigned to its country of
incorporation. If any of the three factors are not the same, FTSE
Russell defines three Home Country Indicators (“HCIs”): country of
incorporation, country of headquarters, and country of the most
liquid exchange (as defined by a two-year average daily dollar
trading volume) (“ADDTV”) from all exchanges within a country.
Using the HCIs, FTSE Russell compares the primary location of the
company’s assets with the three HCIs. If the primary location of
its assets matches any of the HCIs, then the company is assigned to
the primary location of its assets. If there is insufficient
information to determine the country in which the company’s assets
are primarily located, FTSE Russell will use the country from which
the company’s revenues are primarily derived for the comparison
with the three HCIs in a similar manner. FTSE Russell uses the
average of two years of assets or revenues data to reduce potential
turnover. If conclusive country details cannot be derived from
assets or revenues data, FTSE Russell will assign the company to
the country of its headquarters, which is defined as the address of
the company’s principal executive offices, unless that country is a
Benefit Driven Incorporation “BDI” country, in which case the
company will be assigned to the country of its most liquid stock
exchange. BDI countries include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda,
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin
Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cook Islands, Curacao,
Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia,
Marshall Islands, Panama, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and
Turks and Caicos Islands. For any companies incorporated or
headquartered in a U.S. territory, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and
U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. HCI is assigned.
All securities eligible for inclusion in the RTY must trade on a
major U.S. exchange. Stocks must have a closing price at or above
$1.00 on their primary exchange on the last trading day in May to
be eligible for inclusion during annual reconstitution. However, in
order to reduce unnecessary turnover, if an existing member’s
closing price is less than $1.00 on the last day of May, it will be
considered eligible if the average of the daily closing prices
(from its primary exchange) during the month of May is equal to or
greater than $1.00. Initial public offerings are added each quarter
and must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on the last day of
their eligibility period in order to qualify for index inclusion.
If an existing stock does not trade on the “rank day” (typically
the last trading day in May but a confirmed timetable is announced
each spring) but does have a closing price at or above $1.00 on
another eligible U.S. exchange, that stock will be eligible for
inclusion.
An important criterion used to determine the list of securities
eligible for the RTY is total market capitalization, which is
defined as the market price as of the last trading day in May for
those securities being considered at annual reconstitution times
the total number of shares outstanding. Where applicable, common
stock, non-restricted exchangeable shares and partnership
units/membership interests are used to determine market
capitalization. Any other form of shares such as preferred stock,
convertible preferred stock, redeemable shares, participating
preferred stock, warrants and rights, installment receipts or trust
receipts, are excluded from the calculation. If multiple share
classes of common stock exist, they are combined. In cases where
the common stock share classes act independently of each other
(e.g., tracking stocks), each class is considered for inclusion
separately. If multiple share classes exist, the pricing vehicle
will be designated as the share class with the highest two-year
trading volume as of the rank day in May.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-11 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Companies with a total market capitalization of less than $30
million are not eligible for the RTY. Similarly, companies with
only 5% or less of their shares available in the marketplace are
not eligible for the RTY. Royalty trusts, limited liability
companies, closed-end investment companies (companies that are
required to report Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, as defined by
the SEC, including business development companies), blank check
companies, special purpose acquisition companies, and limited
partnerships are also ineligible for inclusion. Bulletin board,
pink sheets, and over-the-counter (“OTC”) traded securities are not
eligible for inclusion. Exchange traded funds and mutual funds are
also excluded.
Annual reconstitution is a process by which the RTY is completely
rebuilt. Based on closing levels of the company’s common stock on
its primary exchange on the rank day of May of each year, FTSE
Russell reconstitutes the composition of the RTY using the then
existing market capitalizations of eligible companies.
Reconstitution of the RTY occurs on the last Friday in June or,
when the last Friday in June is the 29th or 30th, reconstitution
occurs on the prior Friday. In addition, FTSE Russell adds initial
public offerings to the RTY on a quarterly basis based on total
market capitalization ranking within the market-adjusted
capitalization breaks established during the most recent
reconstitution. After membership is determined, a security’s shares
are adjusted to include only those shares available to the public.
This is often referred to as “free float.” The purpose of the
adjustment is to exclude from market calculations the
capitalization that is not available for purchase and is not part
of the investable opportunity set.
Historical Performance of the RTY
The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of
the RTY in the period from January 1, 2008 through November 26,
2021. We obtained this historical data from Bloomberg L.P. We have
not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the
information obtained from Bloomberg L.P. The horizontal line in the
graph represents the RTY’s hypothetical Coupon Barrier and
Threshold Value of 1,572.155 (rounded to three decimal places),
which is 70% of the RTY’s hypothetical Starting Value of 2,245.935,
which was its closing level on November 26, 2021. The actual
Starting Value, Coupon Barrier and Threshold Value will be
determined on the pricing date.

This historical data on the RTY is not necessarily indicative of
the future performance of the RTY or what the value of the Notes
may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the
RTY during any period set forth above is not an indication that the
level of the RTY is more or less likely to increase or decrease at
any time over the term of the Notes.
Before investing in the Notes, you should consult publicly
available sources for the levels of the RTY.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-12 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
License Agreement
“Russell 2000®”
and “Russell 3000®” are trademarks of FTSE
Russell and have been licensed for use by our affiliate, Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. The Notes are not
sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by FTSE Russell, and FTSE
Russell makes no representation regarding the advisability of
investing in the Notes.
FTSE Russell and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement
providing for the license to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith Incorporated and its affiliates, including us, in exchange
for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by FTSE
Russell in connection with some securities, including the Notes.
The license agreement provides that the following language must be
stated in this pricing supplement:
The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by FTSE
Russell. FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty, express
or implied, to the holders of the Notes or any member of the public
regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or
in the Notes particularly or the ability of the RTY to track
general stock market performance or a segment of the same. FTSE
Russell’s publication of the RTY in no way suggests or implies an
opinion by FTSE Russell as to the advisability of investment in any
or all of the securities upon which the RTY is based. FTSE
Russell’s only relationship to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith Incorporated and to us is the licensing of certain trademarks
and trade names of FTSE Russell and of the RTY, which is
determined, composed, and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard
to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, us, or
the Notes. FTSE Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed
the Notes nor any associated literature or publications and FTSE
Russell makes no representation or warranty express or implied as
to their accuracy or completeness, or otherwise. FTSE Russell
reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter,
amend, terminate, or in any way change the RTY. FTSE Russell has no
obligation or liability in connection with the administration,
marketing, or trading of the Notes.
FTSE RUSSELL DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE
COMPLETENESS OF THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND FTSE
RUSSELL SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR
INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE,
FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED, US, HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY
OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED
THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE RTY OR ANY DATA
INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO
EVENT SHALL FTSE RUSSELL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL,
PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST
PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-13 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
The S&P 500®
Index
The SPX includes a representative sample of 500 companies in
leading industries of the U.S. economy. The SPX is intended to
provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price
movement. The calculation of the level of the SPX is based on the
relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks
of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate
average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies
during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943.
The SPX includes companies from eleven main groups: Communication
Services; Consumer Discretionary; Consumer Staples; Energy;
Financials; Health Care; Industrials; Information Technology; Real
Estate; Materials; and Utilities. SPDJI may from time to time, in
its sole discretion, add companies to, or delete companies from,
the SPX to achieve the objectives stated above.
Company additions to the SPX must have an unadjusted company market
capitalization of $8.2 billion or more (an increase from the
previous requirement of an unadjusted company market capitalization
of $6.1 billion or more).
SPDJI calculates the SPX by reference to the prices of the
constituent stocks of the SPX without taking account of the value
of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the
Notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually
owned the SPX constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on
those stocks.
Computation of the SPX
While SPDJI currently employs the following methodology to
calculate the SPX, no assurance can be given that SPDJI will not
modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect
payments on the Notes.
Historically, the market value of any component stock of the SPX
was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the
number of then outstanding shares of such component stock. In March
2005, SPDJI began shifting the SPX halfway from a market
capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before
moving the SPX to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005.
SPDJI’s criteria for selecting stocks for the SPX did not change
with the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects
each company’s weight in the SPX.
Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the
SPX reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not
all of a company’s outstanding shares. Float adjustment excludes
shares that are closely held by control groups, other publicly
traded companies or government agencies.
In September 2012, all shareholdings representing more than 5% of a
stock’s outstanding shares, other than holdings by “block owners,”
were removed from the float for purposes of calculating the SPX.
Generally, these “control holders” will include officers and
directors, private equity, venture capital and special equity
firms, other publicly traded companies that hold shares for
control, strategic partners, holders of restricted shares, ESOPs,
employee and family trusts, foundations associated with the
company, holders of unlisted share classes of stock, government
entities at all levels (other than government retirement/pension
funds) and any individual person who controls a 5% or greater stake
in a company as reported in regulatory filings. However, holdings
by block owners, such as depositary banks, pension funds, mutual
funds and ETF providers, 401(k) plans of the company, government
retirement/pension funds, investment funds of insurance companies,
asset managers and investment funds, independent foundations and
savings and investment plans, will ordinarily be considered part of
the float.
Treasury stock, stock options, restricted shares, equity
participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock,
and rights are not part of the float. Shares held in a trust to
allow investors in countries outside the country of domicile, such
as depositary shares and Canadian exchangeable shares, are normally
part of the float unless those shares form a control block. If a
company has multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an
unlisted or non-traded class are treated as a control block.
For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated
by dividing the available float shares by the total shares
outstanding. Available float shares are defined as the total shares
outstanding less shares held by control holders. This calculation
is subject to a 5% minimum threshold for control blocks. For
example, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the
company’s shares, and no other control group holds 5% of the
company’s shares, SPDJI would assign that company an IWF of 1.00,
as no control group meets the 5% threshold. However, if a company’s
officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and another
control group holds 20% of the company’s shares, SPDJI would assign
an IWF of 0.77, reflecting the fact that 23% of the company’s
outstanding shares are considered to be held for control. As of
July 31, 2017, companies with multiple share class lines are no
longer eligible for inclusion in the SPX. Constituents of the SPX
prior to July 31, 2017 with multiple share class lines will be
grandfathered in and continue to be included in the SPX. If a
constituent company of the SPX reorganizes into a multiple share
class line structure, that company will remain in the SPX at the
discretion of the S&P Index Committee in order to minimize
turnover.
The SPX is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology.
The level of the SPX reflects the total market value of all
component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941
through 1943. An indexed number is used to represent the results of
this calculation in order to make the level easier to work with and
track over time. The actual total market value of the component
stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has
been set to an indexed level of 10. This is often indicated by the
notation 1941- 43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the
SPX is computed by dividing the total market value of the component
stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an
arbitrary number. However,
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-14 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
in the context of the calculation of the SPX, it serves as a link
to the original base period level of the SPX. The index divisor
keeps the SPX comparable over time and is the manipulation point
for all adjustments to the SPX, which is index maintenance.
Index Maintenance
Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the
adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes,
stock splits, stock dividends, and stock price adjustments due to
company restructuring or spinoffs. Some corporate actions, such as
stock splits and stock dividends, require changes in the common
shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the
SPX, and do not require index divisor adjustments.
To prevent the level of the SPX from changing due to corporate
actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of
the SPX require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index
divisor for the change in market value, the level of the SPX
remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of
individual companies in the SPX. Index divisor adjustments are made
after the close of trading and after the calculation of the SPX
closing level.
Changes in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more due to
mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, tender offers, Dutch
auctions, or exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably
possible. Share changes due to mergers or acquisitions of publicly
held companies that trade on a major exchange are implemented when
the transaction occurs, even if both of the companies are not in
the same headline index, and regardless of the size of the change.
All other changes of 5.00% or more (due to, for example, company
stock repurchases, private placements, redemptions, exercise of
options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt,
equity participation units, at-the-market offerings, or other
recapitalizations) are made weekly and are announced on Fridays for
implementation after the close of trading on the following Friday.
Changes of less than 5.00% are accumulated and made quarterly on
the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, and are
usually announced two to five days prior.
If a change in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more
causes a company’s IWF to change by five percentage points or more,
the IWF is updated at the same time as the share change. IWF
changes resulting from partial tender offers are considered on a
case by case basis.
Historical Performance of the SPX
The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of
the SPX in the period from January 1, 2008 through November 26,
2021. We obtained this historical data from Bloomberg L.P. We have
not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the
information obtained from Bloomberg L.P. The horizontal line in the
graph represents the SPX’s hypothetical Coupon Barrier and
Threshold Value of 3,216.23 (rounded to two decimal places), which
is 70% of the SPX’s hypothetical Starting Value of 4,594.62, which
was its closing level on November 26, 2021. The actual Starting
Value, Coupon Barrier and Threshold Value will be determined on the
pricing date.

This historical data on the SPX is not necessarily indicative of
the future performance of the SPX or what the value of the Notes
may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the
SPX during any period set forth above is not an indication that the
level of the SPX is more or less likely to increase or decrease at
any time over the term of the Notes.
Before investing in the Notes, you should consult publicly
available sources for the levels of the SPX.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-15 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
License Agreement
S&P® is a
registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services
LLC (“S&P”) and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark
of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). These trademarks
have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC.
“Standard & Poor’s®,” “S&P
500®” and
“S&P®” are
trademarks of S&P. These trademarks have been sublicensed for
certain purposes by our affiliate, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner
& Smith Incorporated. The SPX is a product of S&P Dow Jones
Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.
The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P
Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P or any of their
respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”).
S&P Dow Jones Indices make no representation or warranty,
express or implied, to the holders of the Notes or any member of
the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities
generally or in the Notes particularly or the ability of the SPX to
track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only
relationship to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated with respect to the SPX is the licensing of the SPX
and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P
Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors. The SPX is
determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices
without regard to us, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated, or the Notes. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no
obligation to take our needs, BAC’s needs or the needs of Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated or holders of the
Notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating
the SPX. S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have
not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of
the Notes or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Notes or in
the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Notes
are to be converted into cash. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no
obligation or liability in connection with the administration,
marketing or trading of the Notes. There is no assurance that
investment products based on the SPX will accurately track index
performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow
Jones Indices LLC and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors.
Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not
a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold
such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be
investment advice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc.
and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial
products unrelated to the Notes currently being issued by us, but
which may be similar to and competitive with the Notes. In
addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial
products which are linked to the performance of the SPX. It is
possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the
Notes.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY,
TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE SPX OR ANY DATA RELATED
THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH
RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO
ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS
THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO
RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, BAC, MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER
& SMITH INCORPORATED HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON
OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE SPX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA
RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT
WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY
INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST
TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR
OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS
OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND MERRILL
LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED, OTHER THAN THE
LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-16 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Supplement to the Plan of Distribution; Role of BofAS and Conflicts
of Interest
BofAS, a broker-dealer affiliate of ours, is a member of the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and will
participate as selling agent in the distribution of the Notes.
Accordingly, the offering of the Notes will conform to the
requirements of FINRA Rule 5121. BofAS may not make sales in this
offering to any of its discretionary accounts without the prior
written approval of the account holder.
We expect to deliver the Notes against payment therefor in New
York, New York on a date that is greater than two business days
following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are
required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any
such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, if the initial
settlement of the Notes occurs more than two business days from the
pricing date, purchasers who wish to trade the Notes more than two
business days prior to the original issue date will be required to
specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed
settlement.
Under our distribution agreement with BofAS, BofAS will purchase
the Notes from us as principal at the public offering price
indicated on the cover of this pricing supplement, less the
indicated underwriting discount. BofAS will sell the Notes to other
broker-dealers that will participate in the offering and that are
not affiliated with us, at an agreed discount to the principal
amount. Each of those broker-dealers may sell the Notes to one or
more additional broker-dealers. BofAS has informed us that these
discounts may vary from dealer to dealer and that not all dealers
will purchase or repurchase the Notes at the same discount. Certain
dealers who purchase the Notes for sale to certain fee-based
advisory accounts may forgo some or all of their selling
concessions, fees or commissions. The public offering price for
investors purchasing the Notes in these fee-based advisory accounts
may be as low as $995.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes.
In addition to the underwriting discount, an affiliate of BofA
Finance will pay a referral fee of up to $9.00 per $1,000 in
principal amount of the Notes in connection with the distribution
of the Notes to other registered broker-dealers.
BofAS and any of our other broker-dealer affiliates may use this
pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement,
prospectus supplement and prospectus for offers and sales in
secondary market transactions and market-making transactions in the
Notes. However, they are not obligated to engage in such secondary
market transactions and/or market-making transactions. These
broker-dealer affiliates may act as principal or agent in these
transactions, and any such sales will be made at prices related to
prevailing market conditions at the time of the sale.
At BofAS’s discretion, for a short, undetermined initial period
after the issuance of the Notes, BofAS may offer to buy the Notes
in the secondary market at a price that may exceed the initial
estimated value of the Notes. Any price offered by BofAS for the
Notes will be based on then-prevailing market conditions and other
considerations, including the performance of the Underlyings and
the remaining term of the Notes. However, none of us, the
Guarantor, BofAS or any of our other affiliates is obligated to
purchase your Notes at any price or at any time, and we cannot
assure you that any party will purchase your Notes at a price that
equals or exceeds the initial estimated value of the Notes.
Any price that BofAS may pay to repurchase the Notes will depend
upon then prevailing market conditions, the creditworthiness of us
and the Guarantor, and transaction costs. At certain times, this
price may be higher than or lower than the initial estimated value
of the Notes.
European Economic Area and United Kingdom
None of this pricing supplement, the accompanying product
supplement, the accompanying prospectus or the accompanying
prospectus supplement is a prospectus for the purposes of the
Prospectus Regulation (as defined below). This pricing supplement,
the accompanying product supplement, the accompanying prospectus
and the accompanying prospectus supplement have been prepared on
the basis that any offer of Notes in any Member State of the
European Economic Area (the “EEA”) or in the United Kingdom (each,
a “Relevant State”) will only be made to a legal entity which is a
qualified investor under the Prospectus Regulation (“Qualified
Investors”). Accordingly any person making or intending to make an
offer in that Relevant State of Notes which are the subject of the
offering contemplated in this pricing supplement, the accompanying
product supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the
accompanying prospectus supplement may only do so with respect to
Qualified Investors. Neither BofA Finance nor BAC has authorized,
nor does it authorize, the making of any offer of Notes other than
to Qualified Investors. The expression “Prospectus Regulation”
means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
PROHIBITION OF SALES TO EEA AND UNITED KINGDOM RETAIL
INVESTORS – The Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or
otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or
otherwise made available to any retail investor in the EEA or in
the United Kingdom. For these purposes: (a) a retail investor means
a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in
point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended
(“MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive
(EU) 2016/97 (the Insurance Distribution Directive) where that
customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in
point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified
investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation; and (b) the
expression “offer” includes the communication in any form and by
any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and
the Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to
purchase or subscribe for the Notes. Consequently no key
information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014, as
amended (the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the Notes
or otherwise making them available
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-17 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
to retail investors in the EEA or in the United Kingdom has been
prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise
making them available to any retail investor in the EEA or in the
United Kingdom may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.
United Kingdom
The communication of this pricing supplement, the accompanying
product supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus and any other document or materials
relating to the issue of the Notes offered hereby is not being
made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved,
by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the
United Kingdom’s Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as
amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, such documents and/or materials
are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the
general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such
documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being
made to those persons in the United Kingdom who have professional
experience in matters relating to investments and who fall within
the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article
19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial
Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Financial Promotion
Order”)), or who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the
Financial Promotion Order, or who are any other persons to whom it
may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order
(all such persons together being referred to as “relevant
persons”). In the United Kingdom, the Notes offered hereby are only
available to, and any investment or investment activity to which
this pricing supplement, the accompanying product supplement, the
accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus
relates will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person
in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act
or rely on this pricing supplement, the accompanying product
supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus or any of their contents.
Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity
(within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with
the issue or sale of the Notes may only be communicated or caused
to be communicated in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the
FSMA does not apply to BofA Finance, as Issuer, or BAC, as
Guarantor.
All applicable provisions of the FSMA must be complied with in
respect to anything done by any person in relation to the Notes in,
from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-18 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Structuring the Notes
The Notes are our debt securities, the return on which is linked to
the performance of the Underlyings. The related guarantee is BAC’s
obligation. As is the case for all of our and BAC’s respective debt
securities, including our market-linked notes, the economic terms
of the Notes reflect our and BAC’s actual or perceived
creditworthiness at the time of pricing. In addition, because
market-linked notes result in increased operational, funding and
liability management costs to us and BAC, BAC typically borrows the
funds under these types of notes at a rate, which we refer to in
this pricing supplement as BAC’s internal funding rate, that is
more favorable to BAC than the rate that it might pay for a
conventional fixed or floating rate debt security. This generally
relatively lower internal funding rate, which is reflected in the
economic terms of the Notes, along with the fees and charges
associated with market-linked notes, typically results in the
initial estimated value of the Notes on the pricing date being less
than their public offering price.
In order to meet our payment obligations on the Notes, at the time
we issue the Notes, we may choose to enter into certain hedging
arrangements (which may include call options, put options or other
derivatives) with BofAS or one of our other affiliates. The terms
of these hedging arrangements are determined based upon terms
provided by BofAS and its affiliates, and take into account a
number of factors, including our and BAC’s creditworthiness,
interest rate movements, the volatility of the Underlyings, the
tenor of the Notes and the hedging arrangements. The economic terms
of the Notes and their initial estimated value depend in part on
the terms of these hedging arrangements.
BofAS has advised us that the hedging arrangements will include
hedging related charges, reflecting the costs associated with, and
our affiliates’ profit earned from, these hedging arrangements.
Since hedging entails risk and may be influenced by unpredictable
market forces, actual profits or losses from these hedging
transactions may be more or less than any expected amounts.
For further information, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8
above and “Supplemental Use of Proceeds” on page PS-19 of the
accompanying product supplement.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-19 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary
The following summary of the material U.S. federal income and
estate tax considerations of the acquisition, ownership, and
disposition of the Notes supplements, and to the extent
inconsistent supersedes, the discussions under “U.S. Federal Income
Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus and under “U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus
supplement 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.
Although the Notes are issued by us, they will be treated as if
they were issued by BAC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Accordingly throughout this tax discussion, references to “we,”
“our” or “us” are generally to BAC 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 Notes upon original issuance and will hold the Notes 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 Notes, 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 Notes, we
intend to treat the Notes for all tax purposes as contingent
income-bearing single financial contracts with respect to the
Underlyings and under the terms of the Notes, we and every investor
in the Notes agree, in the absence of an administrative
determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to treat the
Notes in accordance with such characterization. In the opinion of
our counsel, Sidley Austin LLP, it is reasonable to treat the Notes
as contingent income-bearing single financial contracts with
respect to the Underlyings. However, Sidley Austin LLP has advised
us that it is unable to conclude that it is more likely than not
that this treatment will be upheld. This discussion assumes that
the Notes constitute contingent income-bearing single financial
contracts with respect to the Underlyings for U.S. federal income
tax purposes. If the Notes did not constitute contingent
income-bearing single financial contracts, the tax consequences
described below would be materially different.
This characterization of the Notes is not binding on the IRS or
the courts. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority
directly addresses the characterization of the Notes 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 Notes 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 pricing
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 Notes, 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 Notes.
We will not attempt to ascertain whether any issuer of a component
stock included in an Underlying 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 one or more stocks included in an Underlying were so
treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could
possibly apply to a holder of the Notes. You should refer to
information filed with the SEC by the issuers of the component
stocks included in the Underlyings and consult your tax advisor
regarding the possible consequences to you, if any, if any issuer
of a component stock included in an Underlying is or becomes a PFIC
or is or becomes a United States real property holding
corporation.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-20 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
U.S. Holders
Although the U.S. federal income tax treatment of any Contingent
Coupon Payment on the Notes is uncertain, we intend to take the
position, and the following discussion assumes, that any Contingent
Coupon Payment constitutes taxable ordinary income to a U.S. Holder
at the time received or accrued in accordance with the U.S.
Holder’s regular method of accounting. By purchasing the Notes you
agree, in the absence of an administrative determination or
judicial ruling to the contrary, to treat any Contingent Coupon
Payment as described in the preceding sentence.
Upon receipt of a cash payment at maturity or upon a sale,
exchange, or redemption of the Notes prior to maturity, a U.S.
Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the
difference between the amount realized (other than amounts
representing any Contingent Coupon Payment, which would be taxed as
described above) and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Notes. A
U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Notes will equal the amount paid by
that holder to acquire them. This capital gain or loss generally
will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder held the
Notes for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses
is subject to limitations.
Alternative Tax Treatments. Due to the absence of
authorities that directly address the proper tax treatment of the
Notes, prospective investors are urged to consult their tax
advisors regarding all possible alternative tax treatments of an
investment in the Notes. In particular, the IRS could seek to
subject the Notes 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 Notes 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,
exchange, or redemption of the Notes generally would be treated as
ordinary income, and any loss realized at maturity or upon a sale,
exchange, or redemption of the Notes 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.
In addition, it is possible that the Notes could be treated as a
unit consisting of a deposit and a put option written by the Note
holder, in which case the timing and character of income on the
Notes would be affected significantly.
The IRS released Notice 2008-2 (the “Notice”), which sought
comments from the public on the taxation of financial instruments
currently taxed as “prepaid forward contracts.” This Notice
addresses instruments such as the Notes. According to the Notice,
the IRS and Treasury are considering whether a holder of an
instrument such as the Notes 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 Notes, 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 Notes.
Because of the absence of authority regarding the appropriate tax
characterization of the Notes, it is also possible that the IRS
could seek to characterize the Notes 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, exchange, or
redemption of the Notes should be treated as ordinary gain or
loss.
Because each Underlying is an index that periodically rebalances,
it is possible that the Notes could be treated as a series of
contingent income-bearing single financial contracts, each of which
matures on the next rebalancing date. If the Notes were properly
characterized in such a manner, a U.S. Holder would be treated as
disposing of the Notes on each rebalancing date in return for new
Notes that mature on the next rebalancing date, and a U.S. Holder
would accordingly likely recognize capital gain or loss on each
rebalancing date equal to the difference between the holder’s tax
basis in the Notes (which would be adjusted to take into account
any prior recognition of gain or loss) and the fair market value of
the Notes on such date.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-21 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Non-U.S. Holders
Because the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Notes
(including any Contingent Coupon Payment) is uncertain, we (or the
applicable paying agent) will withhold U.S. federal income tax at a
30% rate (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty)
on the entire amount of any Contingent Coupon Payment made unless
such payments are effectively connected with the conduct by the
Non-U.S. Holder of a trade or business in the U.S. (in which case,
to avoid withholding, the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to
provide a Form W-8ECI). We (or the applicable paying agent) will
not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding. To
claim benefits under an income tax treaty, a Non-U.S. Holder must
obtain a taxpayer identification number and certify as to its
eligibility under the appropriate treaty’s limitations on benefits
article, if applicable. In addition, special rules may apply to
claims for treaty benefits made by Non-U.S. Holders that are
entities rather than individuals. The availability of a lower rate
of withholding under an applicable income tax treaty will depend on
whether such rate applies to the characterization of the payments
under U.S. federal income tax laws. A Non-U.S. Holder that is
eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax
pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess
amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the
IRS.
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 Notes (not including, for the avoidance of doubt,
amounts representing any Contingent Coupon Payment which would be
subject to the rules discussed in the previous paragraph) upon the
sale, exchange, or redemption of the Notes or their settlement at
maturity, 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, exchange, or redemption of the Notes 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, redemption, or settlement and certain other
conditions are satisfied.
If a Non-U.S. Holder of the Notes is engaged in the conduct of a
trade or business within the U.S. and if any Contingent Coupon
Payment and gain realized on the settlement at maturity, or upon
sale, exchange, or redemption of the Notes, 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
Contingent Coupon Payment and 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 Notes. 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 guidance 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, 2023.
Based on our determination that the Notes are not delta-one
instruments, Non-U.S. Holders should not be subject to withholding
on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the Notes. However,
it is possible that the Notes could be treated as deemed reissued
for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain
events affecting the Underlyings or the Notes, and following such
occurrence the Notes 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 Underlyings or
the Notes should consult their tax advisors as to the application
of the dividend equivalent withholding tax in the context of the
Notes 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 Notes 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
Notes to become subject to withholding tax in addition to the
withholding tax described above, tax will be withheld at the
applicable statutory rate. Prospective Non-U.S. Holders 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, a Note is 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 a Note.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-22 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Please see the discussion under “U.S. Federal Income Tax
Considerations — General — 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 Notes.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-23 |
Contingent Income Auto-Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least
Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index
Where You Can Find More Information
The terms and risks of the Notes are contained in this pricing
supplement and in the following related product supplement,
prospectus supplement and prospectus, which can be accessed at the
following links:
These documents (together, the “Note Prospectus”) have been filed
as part of a registration statement with the SEC, which may,
without cost, be accessed on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or
obtained from BofAS by calling 1-800-294-1322. Before you invest,
you should read the Note Prospectus, including this pricing
supplement, for information about us, BAC and this offering. Any
prior or contemporaneous oral statements and any other written
materials you may have received are superseded by the Note
Prospectus. Certain terms used but not defined in this pricing
supplement have the meanings set forth in the accompanying product
supplement or prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated or
unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this
document to “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar references are to BofA
Finance, and not to BAC.
The Notes are our senior debt securities. Any payments on the Notes
are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by BAC. The Notes and the
related guarantee are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or secured by collateral. The Notes will rank equally
in right of payment with all of our other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations, and the related guarantee will rank
equally in right of payment with all of BAC’s other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations, in each case, except obligations that
are subject to any priorities or preferences by law. Any payments
due on the Notes, including any repayment of the principal amount,
will be subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance, as Issuer, and
BAC, as Guarantor.
|
CONTINGENT INCOME AUTO-CALLABLE YIELD
NOTES | PS-24 |
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