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Subject to Completion
Preliminary Term Sheet dated January 26, 2024 |
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement No. 333-268718 and 333-268718-01 (To Prospectus dated December 30, 2022, Prospectus Supplement dated December 30, 2022 and Product Supplement EQUITY STR-1 dated May 31, 2023) |
Units
$10 principal amount per unit CUSIP No. |
Pricing Date*
Settlement Date* Maturity Date* |
February , 2024
March , 2024 January , 2027 |
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*Subject to change based on the actual date the notes are priced for initial sale to the public (the “pricing date”)
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BofA Finance LLC
Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities® Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by Bank of America Corporation
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Automatically callable if the closing level of the Index on any Observation Date, occurring approximately one, two and three years after the pricing date, is at or above the Starting Value
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In the event of an automatic call, the amount payable per unit will be:
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[$11.00 to $11.10] if called on the first Observation Date
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[$12.00 to $12.20] if called on the second Observation Date
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[$13.00 to $13.30] if called on the final Observation Date
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If not called on the first or second Observation Dates, a maturity of approximately three years
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If not called, 1-to-1 downside exposure to decreases in the Index, with up to 100% of your principal at risk
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All payments are subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance LLC, as issuer of the notes, and the credit risk of Bank of America Corporation, as guarantor of the notes
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No periodic interest payments
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In addition to the underwriting discount set forth below, the notes include a hedging-related charge of $0.05 per unit. See “Structuring the Notes”
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Limited secondary market liquidity, with no exchange listing
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Per Unit
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Total
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Public offering price(1)
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$10.00
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$
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Underwriting discount(1)
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$ 0.20
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$
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Proceeds, before expenses, to BofA Finance
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$ 9.80
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$
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(1)
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For any purchase of 300,000 units or more in a single transaction by an individual investor or in combined transactions with the investor's household in this offering, the public offering price and the underwriting discount will be $9.95 per unit and $0.15 per unit, respectively. See “Supplement to the Plan of Distribution; Conflicts of Interest” below.
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Are Not FDIC Insured
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Are Not Bank Guaranteed
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May Lose Value
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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Terms of the Notes
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Payment Determination
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Issuer:
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BofA Finance LLC (“BofA Finance”)
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Automatic Call Provision:
Redemption Amount Determination:
If the notes are not called you will receive the Redemption Amount per unit on the maturity date, determined as follows:
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Guarantor:
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Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”)
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Principal Amount:
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$10.00 per unit
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Term:
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Approximately three years, if not called on the first or second Observation Dates
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Market Measure:
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The EURO STOXX 50® Index (Bloomberg symbol: “SX5E”), a price return index
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Starting Value:
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The closing level of the Market Measure on the pricing date.
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Ending Value:
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The Observation Level of the Market Measure on the final Observation Date
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Observation Level:
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The closing level of the Market Measure on the applicable Observation Date
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Observation Dates:
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On or about March , 2025, February , 2026 and January , 2027 (the final Observation Date), approximately one, two and three years after the pricing date. The Observation Dates are subject to postponement in the event of Market Disruption Events, as described on page PS-29 of the accompanying product supplement.
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Call Level:
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100% of the Starting Value
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Because the Threshold Value for the notes is equal to the Starting Value, you will lose all or a portion of your investment if the Ending Value is less than the Starting Value.
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Call Amounts (per Unit) and Call Premiums:
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[$11.00 to $11.10], representing a Call Premium of [10.00% to 11.00%] of the principal amount, if called on the first Observation Date; [$12.00 to $12.20], representing a Call Premium of [20.00% to 22.00%] of the principal amount, if called on the second Observation Date; [$13.00 to $13.30], representing a Call Premium of [30.00% to 33.00%] of the principal amount, if called on the final Observation Date.
The actual Call Amounts and Call Premiums will be determined on the pricing date.
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Call Settlement Dates:
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Approximately the fifth business day following the applicable Observation Date, subject to postponement as described on page PS-26 of the accompanying product supplement; provided however, that the Call Settlement Date related to the final Observation Date will be the maturity date.
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Threshold Value:
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100% of the Starting Value.
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Fees and Charges:
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The underwriting discount of $0.20 per unit listed on the cover page and the hedging-related charge of $0.05 per unit described in “Structuring the Notes” on page TS-11.
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Calculation Agent:
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BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”), an affiliate of BofA Finance.
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-2
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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Product supplement EQUITY STR-1 dated May 31, 2023:
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Series A MTN prospectus supplement dated December 30, 2022 and prospectus dated December 30, 2022:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1682472/000119312522315195/d409418d424b3.htm |
You may wish to consider an investment in the notes if:
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The notes may not be an appropriate investment for you if:
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You anticipate that the closing level of the Index on any of the Observation Dates will be equal to or greater than the Starting Value and, in that case, you accept an early exit from your investment.
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You accept that the return on the notes will be limited to the return represented by the applicable Call Premium even if the percentage change in the level of the Index is greater than the applicable Call Premium.
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If the notes are not automatically called, you accept that your investment will result in a loss, which could be significant, if the Ending Value is below the Threshold Value.
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You are willing to forgo the interest payments that are paid on conventional interest bearing debt securities.
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You are willing to forgo dividends or other benefits of owning the stocks included in the Index.
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You are willing to accept a limited or no market for sales prior to maturity, and understand that the market prices for the notes, if any, will be affected by various factors, including our and BAC's actual and perceived creditworthiness, BAC's internal funding rate and fees and charges on the notes.
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You are willing to assume our credit risk, as issuer of the notes, and BAC's credit risk, as guarantor of the notes, for all payments under the notes, including the Call Amounts and the Redemption Amount.
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You wish to make an investment that cannot be automatically called prior to maturity.
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You believe that the notes will not be automatically called and the value of the Index will decrease from the Starting Value to the Ending Value.
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You anticipate that the Observation Level will be less than the Call Level on each Observation Date.
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You seek an uncapped return on your investment.
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You seek principal repayment or preservation of capital.
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You seek interest payments or other current income on your investment.
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You want to receive dividends or other distributions paid on the stocks included in the Index.
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You seek an investment for which there will be a liquid secondary market.
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You are unwilling or are unable to take market risk on the notes or to take our credit risk as issuer of the notes or to take BAC's credit risk, as guarantor of the notes.
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-3
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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1)
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a Starting Value of 100.00;
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2)
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a Threshold Value of 100.00;
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3)
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a Call Level of 100.00;
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4)
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an expected term of the notes of approximately three years, if the notes are not called on the first or second Observation Dates;
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5)
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a Call Premium of 10.50% of the principal amount if the notes are called on the first Observation Date; 21.00% if called on the second Observation Date; and 31.50% if called on the final Observation Date (the midpoint of the applicable Call Premium ranges); and
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6)
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Observation Dates occurring approximately one, two and three years after the pricing date.
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-4
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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Notes Are Called on an Observation Date
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Notes Are Not Called on Any Observation Date
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Example 1
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Example 2
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Example 3
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Example 4
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Starting Value
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100.00
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100.00
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100.00
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100.00
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Call level
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100.00
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100.00
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100.00
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100.00
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Threshold value
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100.00
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100.00
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100.00
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100.00
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Observation Level on the first Observation Date
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105.00
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78.00
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78.00
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78.00
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Observation Level on the second Observation Date
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N/A
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105.00
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78.00
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78.00
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Observation Level on the third Observation Date
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N/A
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N/A
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105.00
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85.00
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Return of the Index
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5.00%
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5.00%
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5.00%
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-15.00%
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Return of the Notes
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10.50%
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21.00%
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31.50%
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-15.00%
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Call Amount / Redemption Amount per Unit
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$11.05
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$12.10
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$13.15
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$8.50
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-5
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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If the notes are not automatically called, your investment may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of principal.
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Your return on the notes may be less than the yield you could earn by owning a conventional fixed or floating rate debt security of comparable maturity.
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Payments on the notes are subject to our credit risk, and the credit risk of BAC, and actual or perceived changes in our or BAC’s creditworthiness are expected to affect the value of the notes. If we and BAC become insolvent or are unable to pay our respective obligations, you may lose your entire investment.
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Your investment return is limited to the return represented by the applicable Call Premium and may be less than a comparable investment directly in the stocks included in the Index.
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We are a finance subsidiary and, as such, have no independent assets, operations or revenues.
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BAC’s obligations under its guarantee of the notes will be structurally subordinated to liabilities of its subsidiaries.
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The notes issued by us will not have the benefit of any cross-default or cross-acceleration with other indebtedness of BofA Finance or BAC; events of bankruptcy or insolvency or resolution proceedings relating to BAC and covenant breach by BAC will not constitute an event of default with respect to the notes.
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The initial estimated value of the notes considers certain assumptions and variables and relies in part on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. The initial estimated value of the notes is an estimate 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 BAC, BAC’s internal funding rate on the pricing date, mid-market terms on hedging transactions, expectations on interest rates and volatility, price-sensitivity analysis, and the expected term of the notes. These pricing models rely in part on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect.
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The public offering price you pay for the notes will exceed the initial estimated value. 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 the initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things, changes in the value of the Index, changes in BAC’s internal funding rate, and the inclusion in the public offering price of the underwriting discount and the hedging-related charge, all as further described in “Structuring the Notes” on page TS-11. 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.
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The initial estimated value does not represent a minimum or maximum price at which we, BAC, MLPF&S, 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 Index, our and BAC’s creditworthiness and changes in market conditions.
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A trading market is not expected to develop for the notes. None of us, BAC, MLPF&S or BofAS is obligated to make a market for, or to repurchase, the notes. There is no assurance that any party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price in any secondary market.
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BAC and its affiliates’ hedging and trading activities (including trades in shares of companies included in the Index) and any hedging and trading activities BAC or its affiliates engage in that are not for your account or on your behalf, may affect the market value and return of the notes and may create conflicts of interest with you.
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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.
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Your return on the notes may be affected by factors affecting the international securities markets, specifically changes within the Eurozone. The Eurozone is and has been undergoing severe financial stress, and the political, legal and regulatory ramifications are impossible to predict. Changes within the Eurozone could adversely affect the performance of the Index and, consequently, the value of the notes. In addition, you will not obtain the benefit of any increase in the value of the euro against
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-6
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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The Index sponsor may adjust the Index in a way that affects its level, and has no obligation to consider your interests.
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You will have no rights of a holder of the securities represented by the Index, and you will not be entitled to receive securities or dividends or other distributions by the issuers of those securities.
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While BAC and our other affiliates may from time to time own securities of companies included in the Index, we, BAC and our other affiliates do not control any company included in the Index, and have not verified any disclosure made by any other company.
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The U.S. federal income tax consequences of the notes are uncertain, and may be adverse to a holder of the notes. See “Summary Tax Consequences” below and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary” beginning on page PS-41 of the accompanying product supplement.
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-7
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-8
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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sponsor, endorse, sell, or promote the notes;
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recommend that any person invest in the notes or any other securities;
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have any responsibility or liability for or make any decisions about the timing, amount, or pricing of the notes;
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have any responsibility or liability for the administration, management, or marketing of the notes; or
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consider the needs of the notes or the holders of the notes in determining, composing, or calculating the Index, or have any obligation to do so.
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STOXX and its Licensors do not make any warranty, express or implied, and disclaims any and all warranty concerning:
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the results to be obtained by the notes, the holders of the notes or any other person in connection with the use of the Index and the data included in the Index;
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the accuracy or completeness of the Index and its data;
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the merchantability and the fitness for a particular purpose or use of the Index and its data;
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STOXX and its Licensors will have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions in the Index or its data; and
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Under no circumstances will STOXX be liable for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages or losses, even if STOXX or its Licensors knows that they might occur.
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-9
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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the investor’s spouse (including a domestic partner), siblings, parents, grandparents, spouse’s parents, children and grandchildren, but excluding accounts held by aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews or any other family relationship not directly above or below the individual investor;
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a family investment vehicle, including foundations, limited partnerships and personal holding companies, but only if the beneficial owners of the vehicle consist solely of the investor or members of the investor’s household as described above; and
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a trust where the grantors and/or beneficiaries of the trust consist solely of the investor or members of the investor’s household as described above; provided that, purchases of the notes by a trust generally cannot be aggregated together with any purchases made by a trustee’s personal account.
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-10
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-11
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, due January , 2027
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There is no statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addressing the characterization of the notes.
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You agree with us (in the absence of an administrative determination, or judicial ruling to the contrary) to characterize and treat the notes for all tax purposes as a callable single financial contract with respect to the Index.
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Under this characterization and tax treatment of the notes, a U.S. Holder (as defined on page 71 of the prospectus) generally will recognize capital gain or loss upon maturity or upon a sale, exchange, or redemption of the notes prior to maturity. This capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you held the notes for more than one year.
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No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or any court will agree with this characterization and tax treatment.
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Under current IRS guidance, withholding on “dividend equivalent” payments (as discussed in the product supplement), if any, will not apply to notes that are issued as of the date of this term sheet unless such notes are “delta-one” instruments.
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Autocallable Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®
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TS-12
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