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 EURO STOXX 50^® Index, the Russell 2000^® Index and the iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

●

Approximate 3 year term if not called prior to maturity.

●

Payments on the Notes will depend on the individual performance of the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (each an “Underlying”).

●

Contingent coupon rate of 9.25% per annum (0.77084% per month) payable monthly if the Observation Value of each Underlying on the applicable Observation Date is greater than or equal to 75% of its Starting Value.

●

Beginning on April 26, 2022, callable monthly at our option for an amount equal to the principal amount plus the relevant contingent coupon, if otherwise payable.

●

Assuming the Notes are not called prior to maturity, if any Underlying declines by more than 30% from its Starting Value, at maturity your investment will be exposed on a leveraged basis to any decrease in the value of the Least Performing Underlying beyond a 30% decline, with up to 100% of the principal at risk; otherwise, at maturity you will receive the principal amount. At maturity you will also receive the final contingent coupon if the Observation Value of each Underlying on the final Observation Date is greater than or equal to 75% of its Starting Value.

●

All payments on the Notes are subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance LLC (“BofA Finance”), as issuer of the Notes, and Bank of America Corporation (“BAC” or the “Guarantor”), as guarantor of the Notes.

●

The Contingent Income Buffered Issuer Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least Performing of the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, due January 24, 2025 (the “Notes”) are expected to price on January 21, 2022 and expected to issue on January 26, 2022.

●

The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.

●

CUSIP No. 09709UZF8.

 

The initial estimated value of the Notes as of the pricing date is expected to be between $940.00 and $990.00 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-9 of this pricing supplement and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-24 of this pricing supplement for additional information.

There are important differences between the Notes and a conventional debt security. Potential purchasers of the Notes should consider the information in “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-9 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 pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus 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	$2.50	$997.50
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 $997.50 per $1,000 in principal amount of the Notes.
(2)	The underwriting discount per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes may be as high as $2.50, resulting in proceeds, before expenses, to BofA Finance of as low as $997.50 per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes.
(3)	In addition to the underwriting discount above, if any, an affiliate of BofA Finance will pay a referral fee of up to $3.50 per $1,000 in principal amount of the Notes in connection with the distribution of the 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

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Terms of the Notes

The Notes provide a monthly Contingent Coupon Payment of $7.7084 per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes on the applicable Contingent Payment Date if, on the related monthly Observation Date, the Observation Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier.

 

Prior to the maturity date, beginning on April 26, 2022 and on each monthly Call Date thereafter, we have the right to call all, but not less than all, of the Notes at 100% of the principal amount, together with the relevant Contingent Coupon Payment, if otherwise payable. No further amounts will be payable following an Optional Early Redemption. If the Notes are not called prior to maturity and the Least Performing Underlying declines by more than 30% from its Starting Value, there is leveraged exposure to declines in the Least Performing Underlying beyond a 30% decline, and you will lose some or all of your investment in the Notes. Otherwise, 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. It is possible that the Notes will not pay any Contingent Coupon Payments, and you may lose some or all of your investment in the Notes 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 3 years, unless previously called.
Underlyings:	The EURO STOXX 50® Index (Bloomberg symbol: “SX5E”), a price return index, the Russell 2000® Index (Bloomberg symbol: “RTY”), a price return index, and the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (Bloomberg symbol: “EEM”).
Pricing Date*:	January 21, 2022
Issue Date*:	January 26, 2022
Valuation Date*:	January 21, 2025, 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 24, 2025
Starting Value:	With respect to the SX5E, its closing level on the pricing date. With respect to the RTY, its closing level on the pricing date. With respect to the EEM, its Closing Market Price on the pricing date.
Observation Value:	With respect to the SX5E, its closing level on the applicable Observation Date. With respect to the RTY, its closing level on the applicable Observation Date. With respect to the EEM, its Closing Market Price on the applicable Observation Date multiplied by its Price Multiplier.
Ending Value:	With respect to each Underlying, its Observation Value on the Valuation Date.
Price Multiplier:	With respect to the EEM, 1, subject to adjustment for certain events as described in “Description of the Notes — Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs” beginning on page PS-27 of the accompanying product supplement.
Coupon Barrier:	With respect to each Underlying, 75% of its Starting Value.
Threshold Value:	With respect to each Underlying, 70% of its Starting Value.
Threshold Rate:	The quotient of the Starting Value of the Least Performing Underlying divided by its Threshold Value (expressed as a percentage), which equals approximately 142.857%.
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 $7.7084 per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes (equal to a rate of 0.77084% per month or 9.25% per annum) on the applicable Contingent Payment Date (including the Maturity Date).

CONTINGENT INCOME BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-2

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Optional Early Redemption:	On any Call Date, we have the right to redeem all (but not less than all) of the Notes at the Early Redemption Amount. No further amounts will be payable following an Optional Early Redemption. We will give notice to the trustee at least five business days but not more than 60 calendar days before the applicable Call Date.
Early Redemption  Amount:	For each $1,000 in principal amount of Notes, $1,000. The Early Redemption Amount will also include the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment if the Observation Value of each Underlying on the corresponding Observation Date is greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier.
Redemption Amount:	If the Notes have not been called prior to maturity, the Redemption Amount per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes will be:
	a)          If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value:
	$1,000; or
	b)          If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value:
	In this case, the Redemption Amount will be less than the principal amount and you could lose up to 100% of your investment in the Notes.
	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.
Call Dates*:	The monthly Contingent Payment Dates beginning on April 26, 2022 and ending on December 27, 2024.
Calculation Agent:	BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”), an affiliate of BofA Finance.
Selling Agent:	BofAS
CUSIP:	09709UZF8
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 values 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 BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-3

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Observation Dates and Contingent Payment Dates

 

	Observation Dates*		Contingent Payment Dates
	February 22, 2022		February 25, 2022
	March 21, 2022		March 24, 2022
	April 21, 2022		April 26, 2022
	May 23, 2022		May 26, 2022
	June 21, 2022		June 24, 2022
	July 21, 2022		July 26, 2022
	August 22, 2022		August 25, 2022
	September 21, 2022		September 26, 2022
	October 21, 2022		October 26, 2022
	November 21, 2022		November 25, 2022
	December 21, 2022		December 27, 2022
	January 23, 2023		January 26, 2023
	February 21, 2023		February 24, 2023
	March 21, 2023		March 24, 2023
	April 21, 2023		April 26, 2023
	May 22, 2023		May 25, 2023
	June 21, 2023		June 26, 2023
	July 21, 2023		July 26, 2023
	August 21, 2023		August 24, 2023
	September 21, 2023		September 26, 2023
	October 23, 2023		October 26, 2023
	November 21, 2023		November 27, 2023
	December 21, 2023		December 27, 2023
	January 22, 2024		January 25, 2024
	February 21, 2024		February 26, 2024
	March 21, 2024		March 26, 2024
	April 22, 2024		April 25, 2024
	May 21, 2024		May 24, 2024
	June 21, 2024		June 26, 2024
	July 22, 2024		July 25, 2024
	August 21, 2024		August 26, 2024
	September 23, 2024		September 26, 2024
	October 21, 2024		October 24, 2024
	November 21, 2024		November 26, 2024
	December 23, 2024		December 27, 2024
	January 21, 2025 (the “Valuation Date”)		January 24, 2025 (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.

CONTINGENT INCOME BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-4

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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, if any, the referral fee and the hedging related charges described below (see “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-9), 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 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-9 and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-24.

CONTINGENT INCOME BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-5

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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 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 BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-6

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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 $7.7084, depending on how many Contingent Coupon Payments are payable prior to an Optional Early Redemption 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
	4		$30.8336
	8		$61.6672
	12		$92.5008
	16		$123.3344
	20		$154.1680
	24		$185.0016
	28		$215.8352
	32		$246.6688
	36		$277.5024

CONTINGENT INCOME BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-7

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Hypothetical Payout Profile and Examples of Payments at Maturity

Contingent Income Buffered Issuer Callable Yield Notes Table

The following table is for purposes of illustration only. It assumes the Notes have not been 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 75 for the Least Performing Underlying, a hypothetical Threshold Value of 70 for the Least Performing Underlying, the Contingent Coupon Payment of $7.7084 per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes, the Threshold Rate of 142.857% and a range of hypothetical Ending Values of 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 called prior to maturity, 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 values of the Underlyings, see “The Underlyings” section below. The Ending Value of each Underlying will not include any income generated by dividends or other distributions paid with respect to shares or units of that Underlying or on the securities included in that Underlying, as applicable. 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)	Return on the Notes(1)
160.00	60.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
150.00	50.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
140.00	40.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
130.00	30.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
120.00	20.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
110.00	10.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
105.00	5.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
102.00	2.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
100.00(2)	0.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
90.00	-10.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
80.00	-20.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
75.00(3)	-25.00%	$1,007.71	0.771%
74.99	-25.01%	$1,000.00	0.000%
70.00(4)	-30.00%	$1,000.00	0.000%
69.00	-31.00%	$985.71	-1.429%
50.00	-50.00%	$714.29	-28.571%
0.00	-100.00%	$0.00	-100.000%

 

 

(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)	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 of any Underlying.
(3)	This is the hypothetical Coupon Barrier of the Least Performing Underlying.
(4)	This is the hypothetical Threshold Value of the Least Performing Underlying.

CONTINGENT INCOME BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-8

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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-29 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 called prior to maturity and the Ending Value of any Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, at maturity, your investment will be exposed on a leveraged basis to any decrease in the value of the Least Performing Underlying and you will lose approximately 1.42857% of the principal amount for each 1% that the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value. In that case, you will lose some or all of your investment 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 Optional Early Redemption 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 an Underlying or in the securities included in one or more of the Underlyings, as applicable, would allow you to receive the benefit of any appreciation in their values. 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 Optional Early Redemption, which would limit your ability to receive the Contingent Coupon Payments over the full term of the Notes. On each Call Date, at our option, we may call your Notes in whole, but not in part. If the Notes are called prior to the Maturity Date, you will be entitled to receive the Early Redemption Amount. In this case, you will lose the opportunity to continue to receive Contingent Coupon Payments after the date of the Optional Early Redemption. 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. Even if we do not exercise our option to call your Notes, our ability to do so may adversely affect the market value of your Notes. It is our sole option whether to call your Notes prior to maturity on any such Call Date and we may or may not exercise this option for any reason. Because of this Optional Early Redemption potential, the term of your Notes could be anywhere between three and thirty-six months.

●

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.

●

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.

●

The Contingent Coupon Payment, Early Redemption Amount or Redemption Amount, as applicable, will not reflect changes in the values of the Underlyings other than on the Observation Dates. The values of the Underlyings during the term of the Notes other than on the Observation Dates will not affect payments on the Notes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, investors should generally be aware of the performance of the Underlyings while holding the Notes, as the 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 or the Redemption Amount, as applicable, by comparing only the Coupon Barrier or the Threshold Value, as applicable, to the Observation Value or the Ending Value for each Underlying. No other values of the Underlyings will be taken into account. As a result, if the Notes are not called prior to maturity, and the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, you will receive less than the principal amount at maturity even if the value of each Underlying was always above its Threshold Value prior to the Valuation Date.

●

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 some or all of your investment in the Notes even if the Observation Value or Ending Value of one Underlying is 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 value of one Underlying may not correlate with changes in the value of the other Underlying(s). The Notes are not linked to a basket composed of the Underlyings, where the depreciation in the value of one Underlying could be offset to some extent by the appreciation in the value 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 value of one Underlying would not be offset by any appreciation in the value 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. In addition, even if the Ending Value of an Underlying is at or above its Threshold Value, you will lose some or all of your investment in the Notes if the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is below its Threshold Value.

CONTINGENT INCOME BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-9

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●

Any payments on the Notes are 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 Call 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 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 values of the Underlyings, changes in the Guarantor’s internal funding rate, and the inclusion in the public offering price of the underwriting discount, if any, 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.

 

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 shares or units of the Underlyings or the securities held by or included in the Underlyings, as applicable, 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 shares or units of the Underlyings or the securities represented by the Underlyings, as applicable, 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 values 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 values of the Underlyings. Consequently, the values 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 values 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 values of the Underlyings, the market value of your Notes prior to maturity or the amounts payable on the Notes.

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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. 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

 

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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.

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The Notes are subject to risks associated with foreign securities markets. The SX5E and the EEM includes certain foreign equity securities. You should be aware that investments in securities linked to the value of foreign equity securities involve particular risks. The foreign securities markets comprising the SX5E and the EEM may have less liquidity and may be more volatile than U.S. or other securities markets and market developments may affect foreign markets differently from U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize these foreign securities markets, as well as cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in these markets. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC, and foreign companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies. Prices of securities in foreign countries are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that apply in those geographical regions. These factors, which could negatively affect those securities markets, include the possibility of recent or future changes in a foreign government’s economic and fiscal policies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to foreign companies or investments in foreign equity securities and the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies, the possibility of outbreaks of hostility and political instability and the possibility of natural disaster or adverse public health developments in the region. Moreover, foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in important respects such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.

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The Notes are subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. The EEM holds securities traded outside of the United States. Its share price will fluctuate based upon its net asset value, which will in turn depend in part upon changes in the value of the currencies in which the securities held by the EEM are traded. Accordingly, investors in the Notes will be exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to each of the currencies in which the securities held by the EEM are traded. An investor’s net exposure will depend on the extent to which these currencies strengthen or weaken against the U.S. dollar. If the dollar strengthens against these currencies, the net asset value of the EEM will be adversely affected and the price of the EEM may decrease.

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An investment in the Notes will involve risks that are associated with investments that are linked to the equity securities of issuers from emerging markets. The issuers included in the EEM and its underlying index are based in emerging market nations. Emerging market nations are undergoing rapid institutional change, including the restructuring of economic, political, financial, and legal systems. The regulatory and tax environments in these nations may be subject to change without review or appeal, and many emerging markets suffer from underdevelopment of their capital markets and their tax systems. In addition, in some of these nations, issuers of the relevant securities face the threat of expropriation of their assets, and/or nationalization of their businesses. It may be more difficult for an investor in these markets to monitor investments in these companies, because these companies may be subject to fewer disclosure requirements than companies in developed markets, and economic and financial data about some of these countries may be unreliable.

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The performance of the EEM may not correlate with the performance of its underlying index as well as the net asset value per share or unit of the Underlying, especially during periods of market volatility. The performance of the EEM and that of its underlying index generally will vary due to, for example, transaction costs, management fees, certain corporate actions, and timing variances. Moreover, it is also possible that the performance of the EEM may not fully replicate or may, in certain circumstances, diverge significantly from the performance of its underlying index. This could be due to, for example, the EEM not holding all or substantially all of the underlying assets included in its underlying index and/or holding assets that are not included in its underlying index, the temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market, the performance of any derivative instruments held by the EEM, differences in trading hours between the EEM (or the underlying assets held by the EEM) and its underlying index, or other circumstances. This variation in performance is called the “tracking error,” and, at times, the tracking error may be significant. In addition, because the shares or units of the EEM are traded on a securities exchange and are subject to market supply and investor demand, the market price of one share or unit of the EEM may differ from its net asset value per share or unit; shares or units of the EEM may trade at, above, or below its net asset value per share or unit. During periods of market volatility, securities held by the EEM may be unavailable in the secondary market, market participants may be unable to calculate accurately the net asset value per share or unit of the EEM and the liquidity of the EEM may be adversely affected. Market volatility may also disrupt the ability of market participants to trade shares or units of the EEM. Further, market volatility may adversely affect, sometimes materially, the prices at which market participants are willing to buy and sell shares or units of the EEM. As a result, under these circumstances, the market value of shares or units of the EEM may vary substantially from the net asset value per share or unit of the EEM.

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The anti-dilution adjustments will be limited. The calculation agent may adjust the Price Multiplier of the EEM and other terms of the Notes to reflect certain actions by the EEM, as described in the section “Description of the Notes—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs” in the accompanying product supplement. The calculation agent will not be required to make an adjustment for every event that may affect the EEM and will have broad discretion to determine whether and to what extent an adjustment is required.

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The publisher or the sponsor or investment advisor of an Underlying may adjust that Underlying in a way that affects its values, and the publisher or the sponsor or investment advisor has no obligation to consider your interests. The publisher or the sponsor or investment advisor of an Underlying can add, delete, or substitute the components included in that Underlying or make other methodological changes that could change its value. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of your Notes.

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Tax-related Risks

 

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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.

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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, the sponsor of the SX5E, the sponsor of the RTY, and the investment advisor of the EEM (collectively, the “Underlying Sponsors”). The Underlying Sponsors, which license the copyright and all other rights to the respective 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” and “Description of the Notes — Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs — Discontinuance of or Material Change to an ETF” 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 underlying. 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 EURO STOXX 50^® Index

The SX5E was created by STOXX, which is owned by Deutsche Börse AG. Publication of the SX5E began in February 1998, based on an initial index level of 1,000 at December 31, 1991.

 

Index Composition and Maintenance

The SX5E is composed of 50 stocks from 11 Eurozone countries (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain) of the STOXX Europe 600 Supersector indices. The STOXX 600 Supersector indices contain the 600 largest stocks traded on the major exchanges of 18 European countries and are organized into the following 20 Supersectors: automobiles & parts; banks; basic resources; chemicals; construction & materials; consumer products & services; energy; financial services; food, beverages & tobacco; health care; industrial goods & services; insurance; media; personal care, drug & grocery stores; real estate; retailers; technology; telecommunications; travel & leisure; and utilities.

 

For each of the 20 EURO STOXX regional supersector indices, the stocks are ranked in terms of free-float market capitalization. The largest stocks are added to the selection list until the coverage is close to, but still less than, 60% of the free-float market capitalization of the corresponding supersector index. If the next highest-ranked stock brings the coverage closer to 60% in absolute terms, then it is also added to the selection list. All current stocks in the SX5E are then added to the selection list. All of the stocks on the selection list are then ranked in terms of free-float market capitalization to produce the final index selection list. The largest 40 stocks on the selection list are selected; the remaining 10 stocks are selected from the largest remaining current stocks ranked between 41 and 60; if the number of stocks selected is still below 50, then the largest remaining stocks are selected until there are 50 stocks. In exceptional cases, STOXX’s management board can add stocks to and remove them from the selection list.

 

The index components are subject to a capped maximum index weight of 10%, which is applied on a quarterly basis.

 

The composition of the SX5E is reviewed annually, based on the closing stock data on the last trading day in August. Changes in the composition of the SX5E are made to ensure that the SX5E includes the 50 market sector leaders from within the EURO STOXX^® Index.

 

The free float factors for each component stock used to calculate the SX5E, as described below, are reviewed, calculated, and implemented on a quarterly basis and are fixed until the next quarterly review.

 

The SX5E is subject to a “fast exit rule.” The index components are monitored for any changes based on the monthly selection list ranking. A stock is deleted from the SX5E if: (a) it ranks 75 or below on the monthly selection list and (b) it has been ranked 75 or below for a consecutive period of two months in the monthly selection list. The highest-ranked stock that is not an index component will replace it. Changes will be implemented on the close of the fifth trading day of the month, and are effective the next trading day.

 

The SX5E is also subject to a “fast entry rule.” All stocks on the latest selection lists and initial public offering (IPO) stocks are reviewed for a fast-track addition on a quarterly basis. A stock is added, if (a) it qualifies for the latest STOXX blue-chip selection list generated end of February, May, August or November and (b) it ranks within the “lower buffer” on this selection list.

 

The SX5E is also reviewed on an ongoing monthly basis. Corporate actions (including initial public offerings, mergers and takeovers, spin-offs, delistings, and bankruptcy) that affect the index composition are announced immediately, implemented two trading days later and become effective on the next trading day after implementation.

 

Index Calculation

The SX5E is calculated with the “Laspeyres formula,” which measures the aggregate price changes in the component stocks against a fixed base quantity weight. The formula for calculating the index value can be expressed as follows:

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EURO STOXX 50^® Index = Free float market capitalization of the EURO STOXX 50^® Index

Divisor

 

The “free float market capitalization of the Index” is equal to the sum of the product of the price, the number of shares and the free float factor and the weighting cap factor for each component stock as of the time the SX5E is being calculated.

 

The SX5E is also subject to a divisor, which is adjusted to maintain the continuity of the index values across changes due to corporate actions, such as the deletion and addition of stocks, the substitution of stocks, stock dividends, and stock splits.

 

Neither we nor any of our affiliates, including Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance, or publication of, or for any error, omission, or disruption in, the SX5E or any successor to the SX5E. STOXX does not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of the SX5E or any data included in the SX5E. STOXX assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, or disruption in the calculation and dissemination of the SX5E. STOXX disclaims all responsibility for any errors or omissions in the calculation and dissemination of the SX5E or the manner in which the SX5E is applied in determining the amount payable on the Notes.

 

 

Historical Performance of the SX5E

The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the SX5E in the period from January 2, 2017 through January 19, 2022. 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 purple line in the graph represents the SX5E’s hypothetical Coupon Barrier of 3,201.21, which is 75% of the SX5E’s hypothetical Starting Value of 4,268.28, which was its closing level on January 19, 2022. The horizontal orange line in the graph represents the SX5E’s hypothetical Threshold Value of 2,987.80 (rounded to two decimal places), which is 70% of the SX5E’s hypothetical Starting Value. The actual Starting Value, Coupon Barrier and Threshold Value will be determined on the pricing date.

 

 

This historical data on the SX5E is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the SX5E or what the value of the Notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the closing level of the SX5E during any period set forth above is not an indication that the closing level of the SX5E 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 closing levels of the SX5E.

 

 

License Agreement

One of our affiliates has entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with STOXX providing for the license to it and certain of its affiliated companies, including us, of the right to use indices owned and published by STOXX (including the SX5E) in connection with certain securities, including the Notes.

 

The license agreement requires that the following language be stated in this pricing supplement:

 

“STOXX Limited, Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers have no relationship to us other than the licensing of the SX5E and the related trademarks for use in connection with the Notes.

 

STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not:

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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.

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consider the needs of the Notes or the owners of the Notes in determining, composing or calculating the SX5E or have any obligation to do so.

 

STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers give no warranty, and exclude any liability (whether in negligence or otherwise), in connection with the Notes or their performance.

 

STOXX does not assume any contractual relationship with the purchasers of the Notes or any other third parties.

 

Specifically,

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STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not give any warranty, express or implied, and exclude any liability about:

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The results to be obtained by the Notes, the owner of the Notes or any other person in connection with the use of the SX5E and the data included in the SX5E;

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The accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of the SX5E and its data;

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The merchantability and the fitness for a particular purpose or use of the SX5E and its data;

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The performance of the Notes generally.

●

STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers give no warranty and exclude any liability, for any errors, omissions or interruptions in the SX5E or its data;

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Under no circumstances will STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers be liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages or losses, arising as a result of such errors, omissions or interruptions in the SX5E or its data or generally in relation to the Notes, even in circumstances where STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers are aware that such loss or damage may occur.

 

The licensing agreement discussed above is solely for our benefit and that of STOXX, and not for the benefit of the owners of the Notes or any other third parties.”

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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

Each company 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.

 

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.

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Historical Performance of the RTY

The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the RTY in the period from January 2, 2017 through January 19, 2022. 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 purple line in the graph represents the RTY’s hypothetical Coupon Barrier of 1,547.087 (rounded to three decimal places), which is 75% of the RTY’s hypothetical Starting Value of 2,062.783, which was its closing level on January 19, 2022. The horizontal orange line in the graph represents the RTY’s hypothetical Threshold Value of 1,443.948 (rounded to three decimal places), which is 70% of the RTY’s hypothetical Starting Value. 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 closing level of the RTY during any period set forth above is not an indication that the closing 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 closing levels of the RTY.

 

 

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, BAC, BOFAS, 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

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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.

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The iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

The shares of the EEM are issued by iShares, Inc., a registered investment company. The EEM seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (“MXEF”), its underlying index. The EEM typically earns income dividends from securities included in the EEM. These amounts, net of expenses and taxes (if applicable), are passed along to the EEM’s shareholders as “ordinary income.” In addition, the EEM realizes capital gains or losses whenever it sells securities. Net long-term capital gains are distributed to shareholders as “capital gain distributions.” However, because the Notes are linked only to the share price of the EEM, you will not be entitled to receive income, dividend, or capital gain distributions from the EEM or any equivalent payments. The shares of the iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF trade on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “EEM.”

 

As investment adviser, BFA has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the EEM. For its investment advisory services to the EEM, BFA is paid a management fee based on the EEM’s average daily net assets as follows: 0.75% per annum of net assets of the EEM less than or equal to $14.0 billion, plus 0.68% per annum of the net assets of the EEM on amounts over $14.0 billion, up to and including $28.0 billion, plus 0.61% per annum of the net assets of the EEM on amounts over $28.0 billion up to and including $42.0 billion, plus 0.54% per annum of the net assets of the EEM on amounts over $42.0 billion, up to and including $56.0 billion, plus 0.47% per annum of the net assets of the EEM on amounts over $56.0 billion, up to and including $70.0 billion, plus 0.41% per annum of the net assets of the EEM on amounts over $70.0 billion, up to and including $84.0 billion, plus 0.35% per annum of the net assets of the EEM on amounts in excess of $84.0 billion.

 

The shares of the EEM are registered under the Exchange Act. Accordingly, information filed with the SEC relating to the EEM, including its periodic financial reports, may be found on the SEC’s website.

 

Investment Objective and Strategy

The EEM seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in emerging markets, as represented by the MXEF. The EEM’s investment objective and the MXEF may be changed at any time without shareholder approval. Notwithstanding the EEM’s investment objective, the return on your Notes will not reflect any dividends paid on the EEM shares, on the securities purchased by the EEM or on the securities that comprise the MXEF.

 

The return on your Notes is linked to the performance of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, and not to the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index on which the EEM is based. Although the EEM seeks results that correspond generally to the performance of the MXEF, the EEM follows a strategy of “representative sampling,” which means the EEM’s holdings do not identically correspond to the holdings and weightings of the MXEF, and may significantly diverge from the MXEF. Currently, the EEM holds substantially fewer securities than the MXEF. Additionally, when the EEM purchases securities not held by the MXEF, the EEM may be exposed to additional risks, such as counterparty credit risk or liquidity risk, to which the MXEF components are not exposed. Therefore, the EEM will not directly track the performance of the MXEF and there may be significant variation between the performance of the EEM and the MXEF on which it is based.

 

Representative Sampling

BFA uses a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index. Representative sampling is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The EEM may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Underlying Index.

 

The EEM generally invests at least 90% of its assets in the securities of the Underlying Index and in American Depositary Receipts or Global Depositary Receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index. The EEM may invest the remainder of its assets in securities, including securities that are not in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the EEM track the Underlying Index, and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, other types of options and swaps related to the Underlying Index, as well as cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds affiliated with BFA or its affiliates. BFA will waive portfolio management fees in an amount equal to the portfolio management fees of such other iShares funds for any portion of the EEM’s assets invested in shares of such other funds.

 

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index

The MXEF is intended to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The MXEF is a free float--adjusted market capitalization index with a base date of December 31, 1987 and an initial value of 100. The MXEF is calculated daily in U.S. dollars and published in real time every 60 seconds during market trading hours. The MXEF has a base value of 100.00 and a base date of December 31, 1987. As of March 31, 2019, the MXEF consists of the following 24 emerging market country indices: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Qatar, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

 

The MXEF is an “MSCI Index.”

 

The Country Indices

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Each country’s index included in an MSCI Index is referred to as a “Country Index.” Under the MSCI methodology, each Country Index is an “MSCI Global Standard Index.” The components of each Country Index used to be selected by the index sponsor from among the universe of securities eligible for inclusion in the relevant Country Index so as to target an 85% free float-adjusted market representation level within each of a number of industry groups, subject to adjustments to (i) provide for sufficient liquidity, (ii) reflect foreign investment restrictions (only those securities that can be held by non-residents of the country corresponding to the relevant Country Index are included) and (iii) meet certain other investibility criteria. Following a change in the index sponsor’s methodology implemented in May 2008, the 85% target is now measured at the level of the country universe of eligible securities rather than the industry group level-so each Country Index will seek to include the securities that represent 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization of all securities eligible for inclusion-but will still be subject to liquidity, foreign investment restrictions and other investibility adjustments. The index sponsor defines “free float” as total shares excluding shares held by strategic investors such as governments, corporations, controlling shareholders and management, and shares subject to foreign ownership restrictions.

 

Calculation of the Country Indices

Each Country Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the market performance, including price performance, of the equity securities in that country. Each Country Index is calculated in the relevant local currency as well as in U.S. dollars, with price, gross and net returns.

 

Each component is included in the relevant Country Index at a weight that reflects the ratio of its free float-adjusted market capitalization (i.e., free public float multiplied by price) to the free float-adjusted market capitalization of all the components in that Country Index. The index sponsor defines the free float of a security as the proportion of shares outstanding that is deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by international investors.

 

Calculation of the MSCI Indices

The performance of a MSCI Index on any given day represents the weighted performance of all of the components included in all of the Country Indices. Each component in a MSCI Index is included at a weight that reflects the ratio of its free float-adjusted market capitalization (i.e., free public float multiplied by price) to the free float-adjusted market capitalization of all the components included in all of the Country Indices.

 

Maintenance of and Changes to the MSCI Indices

The index sponsor maintains the MSCI Indices with the objective of reflecting, on a timely basis, the evolution of the underlying equity markets and segments. In maintaining the indices, emphasis is also placed on continuity, continuous investibility of the constituents, replicability, index stability and low turnover in the indices.

 

As part of the changes to the index sponsor’s methodology which became effective in May 2008, maintenance of the indices falls into three broad categories:

 

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semi-annual reviews, which will occur each May and November and will involve a comprehensive reevaluation of the market, the universe of eligible securities and other factors involved in composing the indices;

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quarterly reviews, which will occur each February, May, August and November and will focus on significant changes in the market since the last semi-annual review and on including significant new eligible securities (such as IPOs, which were not eligible for earlier inclusion in the indices); and

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ongoing event-related changes, which will generally be reflected in the indices at the time of the event and will include changes resulting from mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, bankruptcies, reorganizations and other similar corporate events.

 

Prices and Exchange Rates

 

Prices

The prices used to calculate the MSCI Indices are the official exchange closing prices or those figures accepted as such. The index sponsor reserves the right to use an alternative pricing source on any given day.

 

Exchange Rates

The index sponsor uses the closing spot rates published by WM / Reuters at 4:00 p.m., London time. The index sponsor uses WM / Reuters rates for all countries for which it provides indices.

 

In case WM/Reuters does not provide rates for specific markets on given days (for example Christmas Day and New Year’s Day), the previous business day’s rates are normally used. The index sponsor independently monitors the exchange rates on all its indices and may, under exceptional circumstances, elect to use an alternative exchange rate if the WM / Reuters rates are not available, or if the index sponsor determines that the WM / Reuters rates are not reflective of market circumstances for a given currency on a particular day. In such circumstances, an announcement would be sent to clients with the related information. If appropriate, the index sponsor may conduct a consultation with the investment community to gather feedback on the most relevant exchange rate.

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Historical Performance of the EEM

The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the EEM in the period from January 3, 2017 through January 19, 2022. 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 purple line in the graph represents the EEM’s hypothetical Coupon Barrier of $37.07 (rounded to two decimal places), which is 75% of the EEM’s hypothetical Starting Value of $49.43, which was its Closing Market Price on January 19, 2022. The horizontal orange line in the graph represents the EEM’s hypothetical Threshold Value of $34.60 (rounded to two decimal places), which is 70% of the EEM’s hypothetical Starting Value. The actual Starting Value, Coupon Barrier and Threshold Value will be determined on the pricing date.

 

 

This historical data on the EEM is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the EEM or what the value of the Notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the Closing Market Price of the EEM during any period set forth above is not an indication that the Closing Market Price of the EEM 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 Closing Market Prices and trading pattern of the EEM.

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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, if any. 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 $997.50 per $1,000 in principal amount of Notes. In addition to the underwriting discount, if any, an affiliate of BofA Finance will pay a referral fee of up to $3.50 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 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.

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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.

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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-9 above and “Supplemental Use of Proceeds” on page PS-19 of the accompanying product supplement.

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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 whether the issuer of an Underlying or the issuer of any component stock included in the 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 whether the issuer of an Underlying or the issuer of any component stock included in the Underlying is or becomes a PFIC or is or becomes a United States real property holding corporation.

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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. Subject to the discussion below concerning the possible application of the “constructive ownership” rules of Section 1260 of the Code, this capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder held the Notes for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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 Notice sought comments from the public on the taxation of financial instruments currently taxed as “prepaid forward contracts.” This Notice addresses instruments such as the 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

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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 the SX5E and the RTY 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.

 

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.

CONTINGENT INCOME BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-27

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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.

 

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 BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-28

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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:

 

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Product Supplement EQUITY-1 dated January 3, 2020: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000119312520001483/d836196d424b5.htm

 

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Series A MTN prospectus supplement dated December 31, 2019 and prospectus dated December 31, 2019: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000119312519326462/d859470d424b3.htm

 

This pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and 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 this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus 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 this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and 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 BUFFERED ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES  |  PS-29

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