|
Subject to Completion
Preliminary Term Sheet dated
February 13, 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 STEPS-1 dated February 13, 2024) |
Units $10 principal amount per unit CUSIP No. |
Pricing Date* Settlement Date* Maturity Date* |
February , 2024 March , 2024
March , 2025
|
|||
*Subject to change based on the actual date the notes are priced for initial sale to the public (the “pricing date”)
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
||
BofA Finance LLC
STEP Income Securities® Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc.
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by Bank of America Corporation
●
Maturity of approximately one year and one week
●
Interest payable quarterly at the rate of 11.00% per year
●
A payment of [$0.10 to $0.50] per unit if the Underlying Stock increases to or above 111.00% of the Starting Value
●
1-to-1 downside exposure to decreases in the Underlying Stock, with up to 100% of your principal at risk
●
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
●
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”
●
Limited secondary market liquidity, with no exchange listing
|
|||||
|
|
Per Unit
|
Total
|
Public offering price(1)(2)
|
$10.00
|
$
|
Underwriting discount(2)
|
$ 0.15
|
$
|
Proceeds, before expenses, to BofA Finance
|
$ 9.85
|
$
|
(1)
|
Plus accrued interest from the scheduled settlement date, if settlement occurs after that date.
|
(2)
|
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 $0.10 per unit, respectively. See “Supplement to the Plan of Distribution; Conflicts of Interest” below.
|
Are Not FDIC Insured
|
Are Not Bank Guaranteed
|
May Lose Value
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
Terms of the Notes
|
Redemption Amount Determination
|
|
Issuer:
|
BofA Finance LLC (“BofA Finance”)
|
In addition to interest payable, on the maturity date, you will receive a cash payment per unit determined as follows:
|
Guarantor:
|
Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”)
|
|
Principal Amount:
|
$10.00 per unit
|
|
Term:
|
Approximately one year and one week
|
|
Market Measure:
|
Common stock of Amazon.com, Inc. (the “Underlying Company”) (Nasdaq symbol: AMZN)
|
|
Starting Value:
|
The Volume Weighted Average Price on the pricing date.
|
|
Volume Weighted Average Price:
|
The volume weighted average price (rounded to two decimal places) shown on page “AQR” on Bloomberg L.P. for trading in shares of the Underlying Stock taking place from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. on all U.S. exchanges on the pricing date.
|
|
Ending Value:
|
The Closing Market Price of the Underlying Stock on the Valuation date, multiplied by the Price Multiplier. The scheduled valuation date is subject to postponement in the event of Market Disruption Events, as described beginning on page PS-[23] of the accompanying product supplement.
|
|
Valuation Date:
|
Approximately the fifth scheduled trading day immediately prior to the maturity date.
|
|
Interest Rate:
|
11.00% per year
|
|
Interest Payment Dates:
|
June , 2024, September , 2024, December , 2024 and March , 2025
|
|
Step Payment:
|
[$0.10 to $0.50] per unit, which represents a return of [1% to 5%] of the principal amount. The actual Step Payment will be determined on the pricing date.
|
|
Step Level:
|
111.00% of the Starting Value, rounded to two decimal places.
|
|
Threshold Value:
|
100% of the Starting Value.
|
|
Fees and Charges:
|
The underwriting discount of $0.15 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-12.
|
|
Price Multiplier:
|
1, subject to adjustment for certain corporate events relating to the Underlying Stock described beginning on page PS-[24] of the accompanying product supplement.
|
|
Calculation Agent:
|
BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”), an affiliate of BofA Finance.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-2
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
■
|
Product supplement STEPS-1 dated February 13, 2024:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000119312524033165/d766686d424b5.htm |
■
|
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:
|
The notes may not be an appropriate investment for you if:
|
|
■
You anticipate that the Ending Value will be greater than or equal to the Starting Value.
■
You seek interest payments on your investment.
■
You accept that the maximum return on the notes is limited to the sum of the quarterly interest payments and the Step Payment, if any.
■
You accept that your investment may result in a loss, which could be significant, if the Ending Value is below the Threshold Value.
■
You are willing to forgo dividends or other benefits of owning shares of the Underlying Stock.
■
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.
■
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 Redemption Amount.
|
■
You anticipate that the Ending Value will be less than the Starting Value.
■
You anticipate that the price of the Underlying Stock will increase substantially and do not want a payment at maturity that is limited to the Step Payment.
■
You seek principal repayment or preservation of capital.
■
In addition to interest payments, you seek an additional guaranteed return above the principal amount.
■
You seek to receive dividends or other distributions paid on the Underlying Stock.
■
You want an investment for which there will be a liquid secondary market.
■
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.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-3
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
1)
|
a hypothetical Starting Value of 100;
|
2)
|
a hypothetical Threshold Value of 100 ;
|
3)
|
a hypothetical Step Level of 111.00;
|
4)
|
a hypothetical Step Payment of $0.30 per unit (the midpoint of the Step Payment range of [$0.10 to $0.50] per unit);
|
5)
|
an expected term of the notes of approximately one year and one week; and
|
6)
|
the interest rate of 11.00% per year.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-4
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
|
Example 1
|
Example 2
|
Example 3
|
|
The Ending Value is greater than or equal to the Step Level
|
The Ending Value is less than the Step Level but greater than or equal to the Threshold Value
|
The Ending Value is less than the Starting Value and the Threshold Value
|
Starting Value
|
100.00
|
100.00
|
100.00
|
Ending Value
|
115.00
|
105.00
|
70.00
|
Step Level
|
111.00
|
111.00
|
111.00
|
Threshold Value
|
100.00
|
100.00
|
100.00
|
Interest Rate (per year)
|
11.00%
|
11.00%
|
11.00%
|
Step Payment
|
$0.30
|
$0.00
|
$0.00
|
Redemption Amount per Unit
|
$10.30
|
$10.00
|
$7.00
|
Total Return of the Underlying Stock(1)
|
15.00%
|
5.00%
|
-30.00%
|
Total Return on the Notes(2)
|
14.21%
|
11.21%
|
-18.79%
|
(1)
|
The total return of the Underlying Stock assumes:
|
(a)
|
the percentage change in the price of the Underlying Stock from the Starting Value to the Ending Value;
|
(b)
|
a constant dividend yield of 0.00% per year; and
|
(c)
|
no transaction fees or expenses.
|
(2)
|
The total return on the notes includes interest paid on the notes and assumes an expected term of the notes of approximately one year and one week.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-5
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
■
|
Depending on the performance of the Underlying Stock as measured shortly before the maturity date, your investment may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of principal.
|
■
|
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.
|
■
|
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.
|
■
|
You will not receive a Step Payment at maturity unless the Ending Value is greater than or equal to the Step Level.
|
■
|
Your investment return is limited to the return represented by the periodic interest payments over the term of the notes and the Step Payment, if any, and may be less than a comparable investment directly in the Underlying Stock.
|
■
|
We are a finance subsidiary and, as such, have no independent assets, operations or revenues.
|
■
|
BAC’s obligations under its guarantee of the notes will be structurally subordinated to liabilities of its subsidiaries.
|
■
|
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.
|
■
|
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.
|
■
|
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 price of the Underlying Stock, 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-12. 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, 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 Underlying Stock, our and BAC’s creditworthiness and changes in market conditions.
|
■
|
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.
|
■
|
BAC and its affiliates’ hedging and trading activities (including trades in shares of the Underlying Stock) 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.
|
■
|
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.
|
■
|
The Underlying Company will have no obligations relating to the notes, and none of us, BAC, MLPF&S or BofAS will perform any due diligence procedures with respect to the Underlying Company in connection with this offering.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-6
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
■
|
You will have no rights of a holder of the Underlying Stock and you will not be entitled to receive shares of the Underlying Stock or dividends or other distributions by the Underlying Company.
|
■
|
While BAC and our other affiliates may from time to time own securities of the Underlying Company, we, BAC and our other affiliates do not control the Underlying Company, and have not verified any disclosure made by the Underlying Company.
|
■
|
Payments on the notes will not be adjusted for all corporate events that could affect the Underlying Stock. See “Description of the Notes-Anti-Dilution Adjustments” beginning on page PS-[24] of the accompanying product supplement.
|
■
|
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-[33] of product supplement STEPS-1.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-7
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-8
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-9
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
●
|
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;
|
●
|
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
|
●
|
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.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-10
|
STEP Income Securities®
Linked to the Common Stock of Amazon.com, Inc. due March , 2025
|
|
■
|
There is no statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addressing the characterization of the notes.
|
■
|
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 income-bearing single financial contracts linked to the Underlying Stock.
|
■
|
Under this characterization and tax treatment of the notes, we intend to take the position that the stated periodic interest payments constitute taxable ordinary income to a U.S. Holder (as defined on page 71 of the prospectus) at the time received or accrued in accordance with the U.S. Holder’s regular method of accounting. Upon receipt of a cash payment at maturity or upon a sale or exchange of the notes prior to maturity (other than amounts representing accrued stated periodic interest payments), a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss. This capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you hold the notes for more than one year.
|
■
|
No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or any court will agree with this characterization and tax treatment.
|
■
|
Under current IRS guidance, withholding on “dividend equivalent” payments (as discussed in the product supplement), if any, will not apply to notes issued as of the date of this term sheet unless such notes are “delta-one” instruments.
|
STEP Income Securities®
|
TS-11
|