Pricing Supplement
(To
Prospectus dated December 30, 2022
and
Series A Prospectus Supplement dated December 30, 2022)
January 25, 2022
|
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement Nos. 333-268718
and 333-268718-01
|

BofA Finance LLC
$1,205,000
Floating Rate Notes Linked to the Best Performing of Three U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rates®, due January 27,
2028
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by Bank of America
Corporation
|
· |
The
notes are unsecured senior notes issued by BofA Finance LLC (“BofA
Finance”), a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America
Corporation (“BAC” or the “Guarantor”). The notes are fully and
unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. |
|
· |
The
CUSIP number for the notes is 09709T6W6 |
|
· |
The
notes priced on January 25, 2023. |
|
· |
The
notes will mature on January 27, 2028. At maturity, you will
receive a cash payment equal to 100% of the principal amount of
your notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. |
|
· |
Interest
will be paid monthly on the 27th of each month, beginning on
February 27, 2023, and with the final interest payment occurring on
the maturity date. |
|
· |
From,
and including, the issue date to, but excluding, the maturity date,
the notes will bear interest at a floating rate per annum equal to
the highest of (a) the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®
for a tenor of 2 years (the
“2y SOFR Swap Rate””),
(b) the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® for a tenor of
10 years (the
“10y SOFR Swap Rate”),
and (c) the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® for a tenor
of 30 years (the
“30y SOFR Swap Rate”),
in each case, measured as of the applicable interest determination
date (as defined below). The floating interest rate will not be
less than 0.00% per annum. |
|
· |
The
U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® for all available tenors
was launched by ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (“IBA”) for
use as a benchmark on November 8, 2021. The rate and other
information about this benchmark that is publicly available is
limited. For additional information about the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE
Swap Rate® and the determination of interest on the
notes, see the discussion beginning on page PS-23 under the heading
“U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® and its
Methodology.” |
|
· |
We
will not have the option to redeem the notes prior to
maturity. |
|
· |
The
notes are issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and whole
multiples of $1,000. |
|
· |
The
notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. |
|
· |
The
initial estimated value of the notes is less than the public
offering price. The initial estimated value of the notes as of
January 25, 2023 (“the pricing date”) is $965.80 per $1,000 in
principal amount of notes. See “Summary” on page PS-5 of this
pricing supplement, “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 of this
pricing supplement and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-29 of
this pricing supplement for additional information. The actual
value of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and
cannot be predicted with accuracy. |
The notes and the related guarantee:
Are
Not FDIC Insured |
Are
Not Bank Guaranteed |
May
Lose Value |
|
Per
Note |
|
Total |
Public
Offering Price(1) |
100.00% |
|
$1,205,000 |
Underwriting
Discount(1)(2) |
2.00%* |
|
$ 24,100 |
Proceeds
(before expenses) to BofA Finance |
98.00% |
|
$1,180,900 |
(1)
Certain dealers who purchase the notes for sale to certain
fee-based advisory accounts and/or eligible institutional investors
may forgo some or all of their selling concessions, fees or
commissions. The price to public for investors purchasing the notes
in these accounts and/or for an eligible institutional investor may
be as low as $980.00 (98.00%) per $1,000 in principal amount of the
notes. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution; Role of BofAS and
Conflicts of Interest” in this pricing supplement.
(2)
We or one of our affiliates may pay varying selling concessions of
up to 2.00% in connection with the distribution of the notes to
other registered broker dealers.
(3)
The underwriting discount per $1,000 in principal amount of the
notes may be as high as $20.00, resulting in proceeds, before
expenses, to BofA Finance of as low as $980.00 per $1,000 in
principal amount of the notes.
|
The notes and the related guarantee of the notes by the
Guarantor are unsecured and are not savings accounts, deposits, or
other obligations of a bank. The notes are not guaranteed by Bank
of America, N.A. or any other bank, are not insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any other
governmental agency. Potential purchasers of
the notes should consider the information discussed in “Risk
Factors” beginning on page PS-8 of this pricing supplement, page
S-6 of the accompanying prospectus supplement, and page 7 of the
accompanying prospectus. There are important differences between
the notes and a conventional debt security, including different
investment risks and certain additional costs. Certain risks
relating to the SOFR Swap Rates and the interest rate on the notes
are discussed under the heading “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the
SOFR Swap Rates” beginning in page PS-8 of this pricing
supplement.
None of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state
securities commission, or any other regulatory body has approved or
disapproved of these notes or the guarantee, or passed upon the
adequacy or accuracy of this pricing supplement, or the
accompanying prospectus supplement or prospectus. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We will deliver the notes in book-entry form only through The
Depository Trust Company on January 27, 2023 against payment in
immediately available funds.
Prospectus Supplement and Prospectus dated December 30,
2022
BofA Securities
Selling Agent
EXPLANATORY NOTES
The U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® is administered by ICE
Benchmark Administration Limited (“IBA”). Disclosure in this
pricing supplement regarding the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®
and IBA is based on information publicly available on IBA’s website
at https://www.theice.com/iba/ice-swap-rate (including any
successor or replacement source, the “ICE Swap Rate® Website”). The
foregoing Internet website address is an inactive textual reference
only, and neither the ICE Swap Rate® Website, other pages on IBA’s
website to which the ICE Swap Rate® Website may contain hyperlinks,
nor any of the information or materials available thereon, are
incorporated by reference into this pricing supplement. In
addition, the historical rate information set forth in the section
“U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® And Its Methodology—Historical
Levels of SOFR Swap Rates” has been obtained from information
available by paid subscription to the Bloomberg Professional
Services service. Neither we nor the selling agent have
independently verified the accuracy or completeness of any
information publicly available on the ICE Swap Rate® Website with
respect to the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® and IBA, or any
historical rate information obtained from the Bloomberg
Professional Services service, in connection with the offer and
sale of the notes, and neither we nor they make any representation
that such publicly available information is accurate or
complete.
Capitalized or other defined terms used, but not defined, in this
pricing supplement have the respective meanings as are given to
them in the accompanying prospectus supplement or the accompanying
prospectus, as applicable. Capitalized or other defined terms used
and defined in this pricing supplement are sometimes defined after
their first use without a reference such as “as defined in this
pricing supplement.” Unless otherwise indicated or unless the
context requires otherwise, all references in this pricing
supplement to “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar references are to BofA
Finance, and not to BAC (or any other affiliate of BofA
Finance).
The above referenced prospectus and prospectus supplement may be
accessed at the link set forth at the bottom of the cover page of
this pricing supplement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
Page |
SUMMARY |
PS-5 |
RISK FACTORS |
PS-8 |
DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES |
PS-18 |
U.S. DOLLAR SOFR ICE SWAP RATE® AND ITS METHODOLOGY |
PS-23 |
Supplemental Plan of Distribution; Role of BofAS and Conflicts of
Interest |
PS-26 |
STRUCTURING THE NOTES |
PS-29 |
VALIDITY OF THE NOTES |
PS-30 |
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX SUMMARY |
PS-31 |
SUMMARY
The Floating Rate Notes Linked to the Best Performing of Three U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rates®, due January 27, 2028 (the
“notes”) are senior debt securities issued by BofA Finance, and the
payment obligations of BofA Finance under the notes are fully and
unconditionally guaranteed by BAC. The notes and the related
guarantee are not guaranteed or insured by the FDIC 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.
You should read carefully this entire pricing supplement, and the
applicable information in, and incorporated by reference into, the
accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, as applicable,
to understand fully the terms of the notes, as well as the tax and
other considerations important to you in making a decision about
whether to invest in the notes. In particular, you should review
carefully the section in this pricing supplement entitled “Risk
Factors,” which highlights a number of risks of an investment in
the notes, to determine whether an investment in the notes is
appropriate for you, including risks relating to the SOFR Swap
Rates. Information in this pricing supplement that is inconsistent
with information in the accompanying prospectus supplement or
prospectus will supersede such information in those documents. You
are urged to consult with your own attorneys and business and tax
advisors before making a decision to purchase any of the notes.
The information in this “Summary” section is qualified in its
entirety by the more detailed explanation set forth elsewhere in
this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement
and prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide any
information other than that contained or incorporated by reference
in this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus
supplement and prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can
provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other
information that others may provide. None of us, the Guarantor or
any selling agent is making an offer to sell these notes in any
jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should
not assume that the information in this pricing supplement and the
accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus is accurate as of
any date other than the date on the front of this pricing
supplement or the accompanying prospectus supplement or prospectus,
as applicable.
• |
Title
of the Series: |
|
Floating
Rate Notes Linked to the Best Performing of Three U.S. Dollar SOFR
ICE Swap Rates, due January 27, 2028 |
• |
Issuer: |
|
BofA
Finance LLC (“BofA Finance”) |
• |
Guarantor: |
|
Bank of
America Corporation (“BAC” or the “Guarantor”) |
• |
Issue
Price: |
|
100% |
• |
Aggregate Principal
Amount Initially Being Issued: |
|
$1,205,000 |
• |
Pricing
Date: |
|
January
25, 2023 |
• |
Issue
Date: |
|
January
27, 2023 |
• |
Maturity
Date: |
|
January
27, 2028 |
• |
Minimum
Denominations: |
|
$1,000 and
multiples of $1,000 in excess of $1,000 |
• |
Ranking: |
|
Senior,
unsecured |
• |
Day
Count Convention: |
|
30/360 |
• |
Interest
Periods: |
|
Monthly. Each
interest period (other than the first interest period, which will
begin on the issue date) will begin on, and will include, an
interest payment date, and will extend to, but will exclude the
next succeeding interest payment date or the maturity date, as
applicable. |
• |
Interest
Determination Dates: |
|
The second
U.S. government securities business day preceding each interest
reset date. |
• |
Interest Payment
Dates: |
|
Monthly on
the 27th of each month, beginning on February 27, 2023, and with
the final interest payment date occurring on the maturity
date. |
• |
Interest
Rates: |
|
From, and including, the issue date to, but excluding, the maturity
date, the notes will bear interest at a floating rate per annum
equal to highest of (a) the 2y SOFR Swap Rate, (b) the 10y SOFR
Swap Rate, and (c) the 30y SOFR Swap Rate, payable monthly in
arrears for each monthly interest period. We refer to each of these
rates as a “SOFR Swap Rate.” The rate of interest payable on the
notes will not be less than 0.00% per annum.
There can be no assurance as to which SOFR Swap Rate will be the
highest on any interest determination date, or whether any SOFR
Swap Rate will be at a sufficient level on one or more interest
determination dates to provide you with a significant return on the
notes.
|
• |
SOFR Swap
Rates: |
|
“2y
SOFR Swap Rate” means the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® for a tenor of 2 years as of the applicable
interest determination date.
“10y
SOFR Swap Rate” means the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® for a tenor of 10 years as of the applicable
interest determination date.
“30y
SOFR Swap Rate” means the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® for a tenor of 30 years as of the applicable
interest determination date.
For
additional information about SOFR Swap Rates, please see the
section in this pricing supplement entitled “Description of the
Notes—Interest—Determination of U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate®.”
|
• |
Unavailability
of a SOFR Swap Rate: |
|
If, on any interest determination
date, one or more of the SOFR Swap Rates does not appear on the
Designated SOFR Swap Rate Page at the SOFR Swap Rate Reference
Time, or if we or the calculation agent (after consulting with us)
determines that a SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event and related SOFR
Swap Rate Replacement Date have occurred with respect to one or
more of the SOFR Swap Rates, then the applicable SOFR Swap Rate for
such date will be determined as described under “Description of the
Notes —Interest—Determination of U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate®” in this pricing supplement.
|
• |
Calculation
Agent: |
|
Merrill
Lynch Capital Services, Inc. (“MLCS”) |
• |
Business
Day Convention: |
|
Following
unadjusted business day convention. |
• |
Business
Days: |
|
A
“business day” means any day other than a day on which banking
institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by
law, regulation, or executive order to close or a day on which
transactions in U.S. dollars are not conducted. |
• |
Redemption
at Our Option: |
|
None |
• |
Repayment
at Option of Holder: |
|
None |
• |
Record
Dates for Interest Payments: |
|
For
book-entry only notes, one business day in New York, New York prior
to the applicable interest payment date. If notes are not held in
book-entry only form, the record dates will be the fifteenth
calendar day preceding such interest payment date, whether or not
such record date is a business day. |
• |
Listing: |
|
None |
• |
Initial
Estimated Value: |
|
Payments on the notes depend on the
credit risk of BofA Finance, as issuer, and BAC, as guarantor, and
on the performance of each SOFR Swap Rate. The economic terms of
the notes are based on BAC’s internal funding rate, which is the
rate BAC would pay to borrow funds through the issuance of
market-linked notes, and the economic terms of certain related
hedging arrangements it enters 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
and the hedging related charges described below, reduced 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
are paying to purchase the notes is greater than the initial
estimated value of the notes.
On the cover page of this pricing
supplement, we have provided the initial estimated value for the
notes as of the pricing date. For more information about the
initial estimated value and the structuring of the notes, see “Risk
Factors” beginning on page PS-8 and “Structuring the Notes” on page
PS-29.
|
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 S-6 of
the accompanying prospectus supplement and page 7 of the
accompanying prospectus.
Risks Related to the SOFR Swap Rates
IBA launched the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®
for use as a benchmark in order to aid the market’s transition
to SOFR and away from U.S. dollar LIBOR. The following discussion
of certain risks relating to the notes is based on information
related to the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®
that is made publicly available on the ICE Swap Rate®
Website as of the date of this pricing supplement, which
information is subject to change at any time after such date. For
further information about the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate®, see “U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® And Its Methodology.”
The U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® is
a new benchmark that was launched by IBA on November 8, 2021. The
future performance of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® cannot be predicted based on the
limited historical information available. IBA began publication
of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® on
November 8, 2021. As a result, there is very limited historical
information on which to evaluate the performance of this benchmark
or on which to base a prediction as to its future performance,
which may bear little or no relation to such limited information.
The very limited historical information is not necessarily
indicative of the future performance of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE
Swap Rate® or the value of the notes, and any
historical upward or downward trend in the level of the U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® during any period is not an
indication that the level of the benchmark is more or less likely
to increase or decrease over the term of the notes. An investment
in the notes may involve more risk than investing in notes linked
to benchmarks or indices with established performance records,
where a longer history of performance may be available so that you
have more information on which to base an investment decision.
The composition of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® is not the same as the U.S. Dollar
LIBOR ICE Swap Rate®, and the U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® is not expected to be
a comparable substitute or replacement for the U.S. Dollar LIBOR
ICE Swap Rate®. The U.S. Dollar LIBOR
ICE Swap Rate® seeks to represent the mid-price
for the semi-annual fixed leg of an interest rate swap where the
floating leg is based on three-month U.S. dollar LIBOR payable
quarterly, calculated on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of
twelve 30-day months. The U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® seeks to represent the annual
fixed leg of an interest rate swap where the floating leg is based
on a compounded average of the daily Secured Overnight Financing
Rate (“SOFR”) administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
(the “New York Fed”) (or any successor administrator) compounded in
arrears for twelve months payable annually using standard market
conventions, calculated on the basis of the actual number of days
elapsed, with a year presumed to comprise 360 days. The composition
and characteristics of this SOFR rate are not the same as those of
three-month U.S. dollar LIBOR, nor is this SOFR rate the economic
equivalent of three-month U.S. dollar LIBOR. Thus, the U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® has been designed with
respect to swap transactions referencing a rate that differs in
significant respects from the rate referenced in the swap
transactions with respect to which the U.S. Dollar LIBOR ICE Swap
Rate® was designed. As a result, the interest
rate on and value of the notes may perform differently over time
from the manner in which the interest rate and value of notes with
comparable terms and provisions that were linked to the U.S. Dollar
LIBOR ICE Swap Rate® would perform.
A lack of input data may impact IBA’s ability to calculate and
publish the SOFR ICE Swap Rate® for one or more
tenors. The input data for the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® is based on swaps referencing SOFR as the
floating leg. The U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®
is dependent on receiving sufficient eligible input data, from the
trading venue sources identified by IBA in accordance with the
“Waterfall” methodology for each applicable U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE
Swap Rate® tenor. The ability of the applicable
trading venues to provide sufficient eligible input data in
accordance with the Waterfall methodology depends on, among other
things, there being a liquid market in swap contracts referencing
SOFR on such trading venues, which in turn depends, among other
things, on there being a liquid market in loans, floating rate
notes and other financial contracts referencing SOFR. Because
SOFR’s use as a reference rate for financial contracts began
relatively recently and the related market for SOFR-based swaps is
relatively new, there is limited information on which to assess
potential future liquidity in SOFR-based swap markets or in the
market for SOFR-based financial contracts more generally. If the
market for SOFR-based swap contracts is not sufficiently liquid, or
if the liquidity in such market proves to be volatile, this could
result in the inability of IBA to calculate the U.S. Dollar SOFR
ICE Swap Rate® on certain occasions, which could
materially adversely affect the reliability of U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE
Swap Rate®, and
could adversely affect the return on and value of the notes and the
price at which you are able to sell the notes in the secondary
market, if any. In addition, if SOFR does not maintain market
acceptance for use as a reference rate for U.S. dollar denominated
financial contracts, uncertainty about SOFR may adversely affect
the return on and the value of the notes.
The information regarding the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® that IBA makes publicly available is
limited. Certain information and materials relating to the U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® are available on ICE
Swap Rate® Website. Currently, publicly available rate
information for the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® can
be viewed only on the ICE Report Center on the ICE Swap
Rate® Website, and, for any particular day, the only
rate available for viewing is the rate published for the preceding
publication day. In addition, as of the date of this pricing
supplement, such rate appearing on the ICE Report Center is rounded
to two decimal places and does not represent the actual U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® rates that will be used to determine
the SOFR Swap Rates for purposes of calculating interest on the
notes (which rates will be those published on the Designated SOFR
Swap Rate Page and rounded to three decimal places). As of the date
of this pricing supplement, a paid subscription to the Bloomberg
Professional Services service is required to obtain additional U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® data (such as historical U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® rates rounded to three
decimal places). IBA has not indicated whether such information
will become publicly available in the future or the U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® will be made available from another
source. As a result of this limited publicly available information,
it may be difficult for you to determine the applicable U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® for a specific date or
dates.
The SOFR Swap Rates may be modified or discontinued, which could
adversely affect the return on, value of or market for the
notes. IBA (or any successor administrator) may make
methodological or other changes that could change the value of any
SOFR Swap Rate including changes related to the method by which
such rate is calculated, eligibility criteria applicable to the
transactions used to calculate such rates, including the trading
venues for such transactions, or timing related to the
determination or publication of such rates, or may cease the
calculation or dissemination of such rates. Depending on the
circumstances, such change or cessation could be implemented with
little or no public notice or consultation. Any such changes may
result in a reduction of the applicable SOFR Swap Rate and, in
turn, reduce the amount of interest payable on the notes, which may
adversely affect the return on, value of and market for of the
notes. In addition, the SOFR Swap Rates are determined by IBA based
on data received from sources other than BofA Finance or BAC, and
neither BofA Finance nor BAC has any control over the methods of
calculation, publication schedule, rate revision practices or
availability of such data.
If a SOFR Swap Rate does not appear on the Designated SOFR Swap
Rate Page at the specified time, and a SOFR Swap Rate Transition
Event and related SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date have not
occurred, the applicable rate will be determined by the calculation
agent (which is one of our affiliates) using alternative methods,
which will involve the exercise of discretion by the calculation
agent. If one or more of the SOFR Swap Rates do not appear on
the Designated SOFR Swap Rate Page at the specified time on an
applicable interest determination date (for example, as a result of
insufficient liquidity in the underlying applicable SOFR swap
contracts market) and a SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event and related
SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date have not occurred with respect to
such SOFR Swap Rates, the calculation agent will determine the
applicable SOFR Swap Rate for such applicable interest
determination date in its sole discretion, after consulting such
sources as it deems comparable to the Designated SOFR Swap Rate
Page or to the sources from which the administrator of such rate
obtains the swap rate input data used by the administrator to
calculate such rate, or any other source or data it determines to
be reasonable (including, if applicable, the SOFR Swap Rate that
was most recently published by the administrator of such rate) for
the purpose of estimating such rate. This method of determining a
SOFR Swap Rate may result in interest payments on the notes that
are higher than, lower than or that do not otherwise correlate over
time with the interest payments that would have been made on the
notes if the applicable SOFR Swap Rate had been published in
accordance with IBA’s (or any successor administrator’s) usual
policies and procedures governing determination and publication of
the such rate and appeared on the Designated SOFR Swap Rate Page at
the specified time. In addition, in determining a SOFR Swap Rate in
this manner, the calculation agent, will have no obligation to
consider your interests as an investor in the notes and may have
economic interests that are adverse to your interests.
If a SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event and related SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement Date are determined to have occurred with respect to
one or more of the SOFR Swap Rates, the applicable SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement may not be a suitable replacement for such rate. If
we or the calculation agent (after consulting with us) determines
that a SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event and related SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement Date have occurred with respect to one or more of the
SOFR Swap Rates, then the applicable SOFR Swap Rate Replacement
will replace the applicable SOFR Swap Rate for all purposes
relating to the notes in respect of such determination on such date
and all determinations on all subsequent dates, as described under
“Description of the Notes —Interest—Determination of U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate®” in this pricing supplement. The
applicable SOFR Swap Rate Replacement will be the alternate
interest rate that has been selected by us or the calculation agent
(after consulting with us) as an industry-accepted replacement for
the applicable SOFR Swap Rate for U.S. dollar-denominated
floating-rate notes at such time, plus the applicable SOFR Swap
Rate Replacement Adjustment (if any). If we or the calculation
agent (after consulting with us) determines that there is no such
replacement rate as of any applicable date of determination, then
the applicable SOFR Swap Rate will be determined by us or the
calculation agent (after consulting with us), after consulting such
sources as it deems comparable to the Designated SOFR Swap Rate
Page or to the sources from which the administrator of such rate
obtains the swap rate input data used by the administrator to
calculate such rate, or any other source or data it determines to
be reasonable (including, if applicable, the applicable SOFR Swap
Rate that was most recently published by the administrator of such
rate) for the purpose of estimating such rate. After determination
of the applicable SOFR Swap Rate Replacement, interest on the notes
no longer will be determined by reference to the applicable SOFR
Swap Rate, but instead will be determined by reference to the
applicable SOFR Swap Rate Replacement.
There is no assurance that any applicable SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement will be similar to the SOFR Swap Rates in any respect
as it is determined and published by IBA as of the date of this
pricing supplement, or that any applicable SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement will produce the economic equivalent of the SOFR Swap
Rates as a reference rate for determining the interest rate on the
notes or otherwise be a suitable replacement or successor for such
rate. In addition, it is possible that, at the time of the
occurrence of a SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Event and related SOFR
Swap Rate Replacement Date, no industry-accepted interest rate as a
replacement for the applicable SOFR Swap Rate will exist and there
may be disagreement regarding the selection of a replacement rate
for the applicable SOFR Swap Rate. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the determination of a SOFR Swap Rate Replacement will become
effective without your consent or the consent of any other party.
Use of a SOFR Swap Rate Replacement may result in interest payments
on the notes that are higher than, lower than or that do not
otherwise correlate over time with the interest payments that would
have
been
made on such notes in the absence of a SOFR Swap Rate Transition
Event and related SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date.
In addition, although the applicable swap rate transition
provisions set forth in this pricing supplement under set forth
under “Description of the Notes —Interest—Determination of U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®” provide for a SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement Adjustment to be added to the Unadjusted SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement, such SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Adjustment may be zero
or negative, and there is no guarantee that the SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement Adjustment (if any) will make the Unadjusted SOFR Swap
Rate Replacement equivalent to the applicable SOFR Swap Rate as it
is calculated and published by IBA as of the date of this pricing
supplement.
The secondary trading market for notes referencing the U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® may be limited.
Publication of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® began on November 8, 2021 and as of the
date of this pricing supplement, use of this rate as a reference
rate for floating rate notes is very limited. In addition, such
rate may not be widely used as such in the future. If the U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® does not prove to be
widely used as a benchmark in securities that are similar or
comparable to the notes, a trading market for the notes may fail to
develop or be maintained, and the trading price of the notes may be
lower than those of debt securities with interest rates based on
rates that are more widely used.
We or our affiliates may publish research that could affect the
market value of the notes. We or one or more of our affiliates
may, at present or in the future, publish research reports with
respect to movements in interest rates generally, or the SOFR Swap
Rates specifically. This research may be modified from time to time
without notice and may express opinions or provide recommendations
that are inconsistent with purchasing or holding the notes. Any of
these activities may affect the market value of the notes.
Structure-related Risks
Your return on the notes may be less than the yield on a
conventional debt security of comparable maturity. The 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
that affect the time value of money.
The notes will pay interest at a floating rate that may be as
low as 0.00% per annum on one or more interest payment dates.
The rate at which the notes will bear interest during each monthly
interest period will depend on the levels of the SOFR Swap Rates.
As a result, the interest payable on the notes will vary with
fluctuations in these rates, subject to the minimum interest rate
of 0.00% per annum. It is impossible to predict whether any of the
SOFR Swap Rates will rise or fall, or the amount of interest
payable on the notes. You may receive minimal or no interest for
extended periods of time or even throughout the remaining term of
the notes. The interest rate that will apply at any time on the
notes may be more or less than other prevailing market interest
rates at such time. As a result, the amount of interest you receive
on the notes may be less than the return you could earn on other
investments.
In general, longer-term rates, such as the 30y SOFR Swap Rate, are
higher than shorter-term rates, such as the 2y SOFR Swap Rate.
However, there can be no assurance as to which SOFR Swap Rate will
be highest on any interest determination date. The level of each
SOFR Swap Rate may not be sufficient on one or more interest
determination dates to provide you with a significant return on an
investment in the notes.
All payments on the notes are subject to our credit risk and the
credit risk of the Guarantor, and 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. All payments 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 all payments of interest and principal on the notes
will be dependent upon our ability and the ability of the Guarantor
to repay our respective obligations under the notes on
the
applicable payment date, regardless of the performance of the SOFR
Swap Rates. No assurance can be given as to what our financial
condition or the financial condition of the Guarantor will be at
any time during the term of the notes or on the maturity date. If
we and the Guarantor become unable to meet our respective financial
obligations as they become due, you may not receive the amounts
payable under the terms of the notes.
In addition, our credit ratings and the credit ratings of the
Guarantor are assessments by ratings agencies of our respective
abilities to pay our obligations. Consequently, our or the
Guarantor’s perceived creditworthiness and actual or anticipated
decreases in our or the Guarantor’s credit ratings or increases in
the spread between the yield on our respective securities and the
yield on U.S. Treasury securities (the “credit spread”) prior to
the maturity date of the notes may adversely affect the market
value of the notes. However, because your return on the notes
depends upon factors in addition to our ability and the ability of
the Guarantor to pay our respective obligations, such as the levels
of the SOFR Swap Rates during the term of the notes, 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
BAC, 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. However, we will have no assets
available for distributions to holders of the notes if they make
claims in respect of such notes in a bankruptcy, resolution or
similar proceeding. Accordingly, any recoveries by such holders in
respect of such claims will be limited to those available under the
Guarantor’s guarantee of such notes, and any obligations under that
guarantee will rank equally in right of payment with all other
unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Guarantor, except
obligations that are subject to any priorities or preferences by
law, and senior in right of payment to the Guarantor’s subordinated
obligations. Holders of the notes will have recourse only to a
single claim against the Guarantor and its assets under the
Guarantor’s guarantee of the notes, and holders of the notes should
accordingly assume that in any bankruptcy, resolution or similar
proceeding, they would not have priority over, and should be
treated equally with, the claims of all other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations of the Guarantor, including claims of
holders of unsecured senior debt securities issued by the
Guarantor.
The Guarantor’s ability to make payments under its guarantee of
the notes will depend upon its receipt of funds from its
subsidiaries, and applicable laws and regulations, and actions
taken under the Guarantor’s resolution plan, could restrict the
ability of its subsidiaries to transfer such funds. The
Guarantor is a holding company and conducts substantially all of
its operations through its subsidiaries. The Guarantor’s ability to
make payments under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the
notes depends upon the Guarantor’s receipt from its subsidiaries of
dividends and other distributions, loans, advances and other
payments. Any inability of these subsidiaries to pay dividends or
make payments to the Guarantor may adversely affect the Guarantor’s
cash flow and financial condition. Many of these subsidiaries,
including bank and broker-dealer subsidiaries, are subject to laws
that restrict dividend payments or authorize regulatory bodies to
block or reduce the flow of funds from those subsidiaries to the
Guarantor or to its other subsidiaries. In addition, the
Guarantor’s bank and broker-dealer subsidiaries are subject to
restrictions on their ability to lend or transact with affiliates
and to minimum regulatory capital and liquidity requirements. Lower
earnings in these subsidiaries can reduce the amount of funds
available to the Guarantor. Adverse business and economic
conditions, including changes in interest and currency exchange
rates, illiquidity or volatility in areas where the Guarantor has
concentrated credit risk, and a failure in or breach of its
operational or security systems or infrastructure, could affect its
businesses and results of operations. Intercompany arrangements the
Guarantor has entered into in connection with its resolution
planning could restrict the amount of funding available to it from
its subsidiaries under certain adverse conditions, as described
below under “—A resolution under the Guarantor’s preferred single
point of entry resolution strategy could materially adversely
affect its liquidity and financial condition and its ability to
make payments under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the
notes.” These restrictions could prevent the Guarantor’s
subsidiaries from paying dividends or making other
distributions to the Guarantor or otherwise providing funds to the
Guarantor that the Guarantor needs in order to make payments under
its guarantee of our payment obligations on the notes. Also, the
Guarantor’s right to participate in any distribution of assets of
any of its subsidiaries upon such subsidiary’s liquidation or
otherwise will be subject to the prior claims of creditors of that
subsidiary, except to the extent that any of the Guarantor’s claims
as a creditor of such subsidiary may be recognized.
A resolution under the Guarantor’s preferred single point of
entry resolution strategy could materially adversely affect its
liquidity and financial condition and its ability to make payments
under its guarantee of our payment obligations on the notes.
The Guarantor is required periodically to submit a plan to its
primary regulatory authorities describing its resolution strategy
under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the event of material financial
distress or failure. In the Guarantor’s current plan, its preferred
resolution strategy is a single point of entry strategy. This
strategy provides that only the Guarantor (the parent holding
company) files for resolution under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and
contemplates providing certain key operating subsidiaries with
sufficient capital and liquidity to operate through severe stress
and to enable such subsidiaries to continue operating or be wound
down in a solvent manner following a Guarantor bankruptcy. The
Guarantor has entered into intercompany arrangements governing the
contribution of capital and liquidity with these key subsidiaries.
As part of these arrangements, the Guarantor has transferred most
of its assets (and has agreed to transfer additional assets) to a
wholly-owned holding company subsidiary in exchange for a
subordinated note. Certain of the Guarantor’s remaining assets
secure its ongoing obligations under these intercompany
arrangements. The wholly-owned holding company subsidiary also has
provided a committed line of credit that, in addition to the
Guarantor’s cash, dividends and interest payments, including
interest payments the Guarantor receives in respect of the
subordinated note, may be used to fund the Guarantor’s obligations.
These intercompany arrangements include provisions to terminate the
line of credit, forgive the subordinated note and require the
Guarantor to contribute its remaining financial assets to the
wholly-owned holding company subsidiary if the Guarantor’s
projected liquidity resources deteriorate so severely that
resolution becomes imminent, which could materially and adversely
affect the Guarantor’s liquidity and ability to meet its payment
obligations, including under its guarantee of our payment
obligations on the notes. In addition, the Guarantor’s preferred
resolution strategy could result in holders of the notes being in a
worse position and suffering greater losses than would have been
the case under bankruptcy or other resolution scenarios or
plans.
Under Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and
Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Financial Reform Act”),
when a global systemically important banking
organization (“G-SIB”), such as the Guarantor, is
in default or danger of default, the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (“FDIC”) may be appointed receiver in order to conduct
an orderly liquidation of such institution. In the event of such
appointment, the FDIC could, among other things, invoke the orderly
liquidation authority, instead of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, if the
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury makes certain
financial distress and systemic risk determinations. In 2013, the
FDIC issued a notice describing its preferred “single point of
entry” strategy for resolving a G-SIB. Under this
approach, the FDIC could replace the Guarantor with a bridge
holding company, which could continue operations and result in an
orderly resolution of the underlying bank, but whose equity would
be held solely for the benefit of the Guarantor’s creditors. The
FDIC’s single point of entry strategy may result in holders of the
notes suffering greater losses than would have been the case under
a bankruptcy proceeding or a different resolution strategy with
respect to payments received under the Guarantors’ guarantee of the
notes.
The Guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of the notes
will be structurally subordinated to liabilities of the Guarantor’s
subsidiaries. Because the Guarantor is a holding company, its
right to participate in any distribution of assets of any
subsidiary upon such subsidiary’s liquidation or reorganization or
otherwise is subject to the prior claims of creditors of that
subsidiary, except to the extent the Guarantor may itself be
recognized as a creditor of that subsidiary. As a result, any
obligations of the Guarantor under its guarantee of the notes will
be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities
of the Guarantor’s subsidiaries, and claimants should look only to
the assets of the Guarantor for
payments under the Guarantor’s guarantee of the notes. Further,
creditors of the Guarantor’s subsidiaries recapitalized pursuant to
the Guarantor’s resolution plan generally would be entitled to
payment of their claims from the assets of the subsidiaries,
including the Guarantor’s contributed assets. In addition, any
obligations of the Guarantor under its guarantee of the notes will
be unsecured and, therefore, in a bankruptcy or similar proceeding,
will effectively rank junior to the Guarantor’s secured obligations
to the extent of the value of the assets securing such
obligations.
Each of BofA Finance LLC and the Guarantor is permitted to sell,
convey or transfer all or substantially all of its assets to one or
more of the Guarantor’s majority-owned subsidiaries and, in either
such event, such subsidiary or subsidiaries will not be required
under the indenture relating to the notes to assume our obligations
under the notes or the Guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee
of the notes, as the case may be. We and the Guarantor each may
sell, convey or transfer all or substantially all of its assets to
one or more entities that are direct or indirect majority-owned
subsidiaries of the Guarantor in which the Guarantor and/or one or
more of its subsidiaries owns more than 50% of the combined voting
power, and under the indenture under which the notes will be
issued, including the provisions thereof relating to the
Guarantor’s guarantee of the notes, such subsidiary or subsidiaries
will not be required to assume our obligations under the notes or
the Guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee thereof, as the
case may be. In either such event, (i) we will remain the sole
obligor on the notes and the Guarantor will remain the sole obligor
on the guarantee of the notes, as the case may be, (ii) creditors
of any such subsidiary or subsidiaries would have additional assets
from which to recover on their claims and (iii) obligations of the
Guarantor under its guarantee of our notes would be structurally
subordinated to creditors of such subsidiary or subsidiaries with
respect to such transferred assets. See “Description of Debt
Securities—Limitation on Mergers and Sales of Assets” beginning on
page 21 of the accompanying prospectus for more information.
The notes issued by us will not have the benefit of any
cross-default or cross-acceleration with other indebtedness of BofA
Finance LLC or the Guarantor; events of bankruptcy or insolvency or
resolution proceedings relating to the Guarantor and covenant
breach by the Guarantor will not constitute an event of default
with respect to the notes. The notes issued by us will not have
the benefit of any cross-default or cross-acceleration with other
indebtedness of BofA Finance LLC or the Guarantor. In addition,
events of bankruptcy or insolvency or resolution or similar
proceedings relating to the Guarantor will not constitute an event
of default with respect to the notes. Furthermore, it will not
constitute an event of default with respect to the notes if the
guarantee by the Guarantor ceases to be in full force and effect
for any reason. Therefore, events of bankruptcy or insolvency or
resolution or similar proceedings relating to the Guarantor (in the
absence of any such event occurring with respect to us) will not
permit the notes to be declared due and payable. In addition, a
breach of a covenant by the Guarantor (including, for example, a
breach of the Guarantor’s covenants with respect to mergers or the
sale of all or substantially all its assets) will not permit the
notes to be declared due and payable. The value you receive on the
notes may be significantly less than what you otherwise would have
received had the notes been declared due and payable immediately
upon certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency or resolution or
similar proceedings relating to the Guarantor or the breach of a
covenant by the Guarantor or upon the Guarantor’s guarantee ceasing
to be in full force and effect.
Valuation- and Market-related Risks
The public offering price you are paying for the notes exceeds
the initial estimated value. The initial estimated value of the
notes that is provided on the cover page of this pricing supplement
is an estimate only, determined as of the pricing date 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,
volatility, price-sensitivity analysis, and the expected term of
the notes. These pricing models rely in part on certain forecasts
about future events, which may prove to be incorrect.
The initial estimated value does not represent a minimum or maximum
price at which we, the Guarantor, BofA Securities, Inc. (“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 the pricing date will vary
based on many factors that cannot be predicted with accuracy,
including our and the Guarantor’s creditworthiness and changes in
market conditions.
If you attempt to sell the notes prior to maturity, their market
value may be lower than the price you paid for them and lower than
their initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things,
changes in the levels of the SOFR Swap Rates, changes in the
Guarantor’s internal funding rate, and the inclusion in the public
offering price of the underwriting discount 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.
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.
The development of a trading market for the notes will depend on
the Guarantor’s financial performance and other factors. The number
of potential buyers of your notes in any secondary market may be
limited. We anticipate that the selling agent will act as a
market-maker for the notes, but none of us, the Guarantor or the
selling agent is required to do so. There is no assurance that any
party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price in any
secondary market. The selling agent may discontinue its
market-making activities as to the notes at any time. To the extent
that the selling agent engages in any market-making activities, it
may bid for or offer the notes. Any price at which the selling
agent may bid for, offer, purchase, or sell any notes may differ
from the values determined by pricing models that it may use,
whether as a result of dealer discounts, mark-ups, or other
transaction costs. These bids, offers, or completed transactions
may affect the prices, if any, at which the notes might otherwise
trade in the market.
In addition, if at any time the selling agent were to cease acting
as a market-maker as to the notes, it is likely that there would be
significantly less liquidity in the secondary market. In such a
case, the price at which the notes could be sold likely would be
lower than if an active market existed.
If you attempt to sell the notes prior to maturity, their market
value, if any, will be affected by various factors that interrelate
in complex ways, and their market value may be less than the
principal amount of the notes. Unlike savings accounts,
certificates of deposit, and other similar investment products, you
have no right to have your notes redeemed prior to maturity. If you
wish to liquidate your investment in the notes prior to maturity,
your only option would be to sell them. At that time, there may be
an illiquid market for your notes or no market at all. Even if you
were able to sell your notes, there are many factors outside of our
control that may affect their market value, some of which, but not
all, are stated below. Some of these factors are interrelated in
complex ways. As a result, the effect of any one factor may be
offset or magnified by the effect of another factor. These factors
may interact with each other in complex and unpredictable ways. The
following paragraphs describe the expected impact on the market
value of the notes from a change in a specific factor, assuming all
other conditions remain constant.
|
· |
Changes in the
levels of interest rates may affect the market value of the
notes. The level of interest rates in the United States may
affect the U.S. economy and, in turn, the SOFR Swap Rates. Changes
in prevailing interest rates may decrease the SOFR Swap Rates
relative to previous interest periods, which would decrease the
interest rate on the notes. This, in turn, may decrease the market
value of the notes. |
|
· |
Potential
volatility of the performance of the SOFR Swap Rates.
Volatility is the term used to describe the size and frequency of
market fluctuations. The performance of the SOFR Swap Rates may be
subject to volatility due to a variety of factors affecting
interest rates generally, including, but not limited to: sentiment
regarding underlying strength in the U.S. and global economies,
expectations regarding the level of price inflation, sentiment
regarding credit quality in U.S. and global credit markets, central
bank policy regarding interest rates and the performance of capital
markets. Increases or decreases in the volatility of the SOFR Swap
Rates may have an adverse impact on the market value of the
notes. |
|
· |
Economic and other
conditions generally. Interest payable on the notes is expected
to be correlated to the performance of the SOFR Swap Rates.
Prevailing interest rates may be influenced by a number of factors,
including general economic conditions in the United States, U.S.
monetary and fiscal policies, inflation, supply and demand for
overnight U.S. Treasury repurchase agreements and other financial,
political, regulatory, and judicial events. These factors
interrelate in complex ways, and may disproportionately affect
short-term interest rates relative to long-term interest rates and
consequently adversely affecting the market value of your
notes. |
|
· |
Our
and the Guarantor’s financial condition and creditworthiness.
Our and the Guarantor’s perceived creditworthiness, including any
increases in our respective credit spreads and any actual or
anticipated decreases in our respective credit ratings, may
adversely affect the market value of the notes. In general, we
expect the longer the amount of time that remains until maturity,
the more significant the impact will be on the value of the notes.
However, a decrease in our or the Guarantor’s credit spreads or an
improvement in our of the Guarantor’s credit ratings will not
necessarily increase the market value of the notes. |
|
· |
Time to
maturity. There may be a disparity between the market value of
the notes prior to maturity and their value at maturity. This
disparity is often called a time “value,” “premium,” or “discount,”
and reflects expectations concerning the levels of the SOFR Swap
Rates prior to the maturity date. As the time to maturity
decreases, this disparity will likely decrease, such that the value
of the notes will approach a value that reflects the remaining
interest payments on the notes based on the then-current SOFR Swap
Rates. |
Conflict-related Risks
Our trading and hedging activities, and those of the Guarantor
and any of our other affiliates, including BofAS, may create
conflicts of interest with you. We, the Guarantor or one or
more of our other affiliates, including the selling agent, may
engage in trading activities related to any of the SOFR Swap Rates
that are not for your account or on your behalf. These entities
also may issue or underwrite other financial instruments with
returns linked to the SOFR Swap Rates. These trading and hedging
activities may present a conflict of interest between your interest
in the notes and the interests we, the Guarantor and our other
affiliates, including the selling agent, may have in our
proprietary accounts, in facilitating transactions, including block
trades, for our or their other customers, and in accounts under our
or their management. These trading and other business activities,
if they influence the levels of the SOFR Swap Rates or secondary
trading in your notes, could be adverse to your interests as a
beneficial owner of the notes.
We, the Guarantor and one or more of our other affiliates,
including BofAS, expect to enter into arrangements or adjust or
close out existing transactions to hedge our obligations under the
notes. We, the Guarantor, or our other affiliates, including BofAS,
also may enter into hedging transactions relating to other notes or
instruments that we or they issue, some of which may have returns
calculated in a manner related to that of the notes offered hereby.
We may enter into such hedging arrangements with one or more of our
affiliates. Our affiliates may enter into additional hedging
transactions with other parties relating to the notes and the SOFR
Swap Rates. This hedging activity is expected to result in a profit
to those engaging in the hedging activity, which could be more or
less than initially expected, but could also result
in a
loss. Each of these parties will price these hedging transactions
with the intent to realize a profit, regardless of whether the
value of the notes increases or decreases. Any profit in connection
with such hedging activities will be in addition to any other
compensation that we, the Guarantor, and our other affiliates,
including the selling agent, receive for the sale of the notes,
which creates an additional incentive to sell the notes to you.
There may be potential conflicts of interest involving the
calculation agent, which is an affiliate of ours. We have the right
to appoint and remove the calculation agent. One of our
affiliates, MLCS, will be the calculation agent for the notes and,
as such, will determine the amount of interest to be paid on the
notes. Under some circumstances, these duties could result in a
conflict of interest between MLCS’s status as our affiliate and its
responsibilities as calculation agent. For example, if a SOFR Swap
Rate Transition Event and related SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date
are determined to have occurred with respect to any SOFR Swap
Rates, as applicable, we or the calculation agent (after consulting
with us) will determine the SOFR Swap Rate Replacement and the SOFR
Swap Rate Replacement Adjustment and will make SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement Conforming Changes with respect to, among other things,
the determination of interest periods, the timing and frequency of
determining rates and making payments of interest and other
administrative matters, in connection with the applicable SOFR Swap
Rate Replacement as set forth in this pricing supplement under set
forth under “Description of the Notes —Interest—Determination of
U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®.” Certain
determinations, decisions and elections with respect to the SOFR
Swap Rate Replacement will, or the occurrence or non-occurrence of
a SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event and any SOFR Swap Rate Conforming
Changes may, require the exercise of discretion and the making of
subjective judgments by us or the calculation agent (after
consulting with us). Any determination, decision or election made
by us or the calculation agent pursuant to the applicable
provisions set forth under “Description of the Notes
—Interest—Determination of U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate®” will, if made by us, be made in our sole
discretion and, if made by the calculation agent, be made after
consultation with us and, in each case, will become effective
without consent from the holders of the notes or any other party.
In making these potentially subjective determinations, the Issuer
or its designee may have economic interests that are adverse to
your interests as holder of the notes, and none of us, the
Guarantor or any of our affiliates will have any obligation to
consider your interests as a holder of the notes in taking any
action or making any determination, which may adversely affect the
return on, value of and market for the notes.
For the reasons discussed above, we or the calculation agent may
exercise discretion with respect to significant aspects of the
terms and provisions of the notes (including with respect to
calculating interest payable on the notes).
DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES
General
The terms and provisions of the
notes are set forth in this pricing supplement and, as applicable,
the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus. The notes
will be part of a series of our medium-term notes entitled “Senior
Medium-Term Notes, Series A” issued under the senior indenture, as
amended and supplemented from time to time, among us, the Guarantor
and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company N.A., as trustee. The
senior indenture is described more fully in the accompanying
prospectus supplement and prospectus. The following description of
the notes supplements the description of the general terms and
provisions of the notes and debt securities set forth under the
headings “Description of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement
and “Description of Debt Securities” in the prospectus. These
documents should be read in connection with this pricing
supplement.
Our payment obligations on the
notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor.
The notes will rank equally in right of payment with all of our
other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations from time to time
outstanding and the guarantee of the notes will rank equally in
right of payment with all other unsecured and unsubordinated
obligations of the Guarantor, 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 principal, are subject
to our credit risk, as issuer, and the credit risk of BAC, as
guarantor.
The notes will be issued in
minimum denominations of $1,000, and whole multiples of $1,000. You
may transfer the notes only in whole multiples of $1,000. The notes
will mature on January 27, 2028.
If any scheduled interest payment
date or the maturity date is not a business day, no adjustment will
be made to the length of the corresponding monthly interest period.
The payment will be postponed to the next business day, and no
additional interest will be payable as a result of such
postponement.
The notes will be issued in
book-entry form only.
Interest
Interest Payment Dates, Interest Periods, Interest Reset Dates
Each interest payment due for a monthly interest period will be
paid on the 27th of each month, beginning on February 27, 2023, and
ending on the maturity date (such dates, the “interest payment
dates”).
Each monthly interest period (other than the first monthly interest
period from, and including, the original date of issuance of the
notes to, but excluding, February 27, 2023) will commence on, and
will include, an interest payment date, and will extend to, but
will exclude, the next succeeding interest payment date or the
maturity date, as applicable.
A “business day” means any day other than a day on which banking
institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by
law, regulation, or executive order to close or a day on which
transactions in U.S. dollars are not conducted.
The interest rate for each interest period will be reset on the
first day of that interest period, which we refer to as the
“interest reset date.” The “interest determination date” for each
such interest period will be the second U.S. government securities
business day preceding the applicable interest reset date for such
interest period. The calculation agent will determine the
applicable interest rate for each interest period on the interest
determination date. Once determined by the calculation agent, the
applicable interest rate for each monthly interest period will
apply from and including the interest reset date, through, but
excluding, the next interest reset date (or the maturity date, as
applicable).
Determination of Interest by the Calculation Agent
Interest is computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve
30-day months.
For each monthly interest period, the calculation agent will
determine the applicable annualized interest rate equal to the
highest of (a) the 2y SOFR Swap Rate, (b) the 10y SOFR Swap Rate,
and (c) the 30y SOFR Swap Rate.
In no event will the interest rate applicable to any interest
period be less than 0.00% per annum.
“30y SOFR Swap Rate” means the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® for a tenor of 30 years as of the applicable
interest determination date.
“10y SOFR Swap Rate” means the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® for a tenor of 10 years as of the applicable
interest determination date.
“2y SOFR Swap Rate” means the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® for a tenor of 2 years as of the applicable
interest determination date.
Determination of U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate®
In respect of each interest determination date, the “U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate®” for the applicable tenor will be
such rate as calculated and provided as of approximately 11:00
a.m., New York City time (or any amended time specified by the
administrator of the U.S. dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® in
the benchmark methodology) on such interest determination date by
IBA as the administrator of the benchmark (or a successor
administrator), as such rate appears for the indices “USISSO02
Index” (in the case of the 2y SOFR Swap Rate), “USISSO10 Index” (in
the case of the 10y SOFR Swap Rate) and “USISSO30 Index” (in the
case of the 30y SOFR Swap Rate) on the Designated SOFR Swap Rate
Page at the SOFR Swap Rate Reference Time, on such interest
determination date, as determined by the calculation agent.
If a SOFR Swap Rate cannot be determined in accordance with the
preceding paragraph on any interest determination date, and a SOFR
Swap Rate Transition Event and related SOFR Swap Rate Replacement
Date have not occurred with respect to such SOFR Swap Rate, then
the applicable SOFR Swap Rate for such interest determination date
will be determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion,
after consulting such sources as it deems comparable to the
Designated SOFR Swap Rate Page or to the sources from which the
administrator of such rate obtains the swap rate input data used by
the administrator to calculate such rate, or any other source or
data it determines to be reasonable (including, if applicable, the
SOFR Swap Rate that was most recently published by the
administrator of such rate) for the purpose of estimating such
rate.
Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, if we or the calculation
agent (after consulting with us) determines that a SOFR Swap Rate
Transition Event and related SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date have
occurred prior to the applicable SOFR Swap Rate Reference Time in
respect of any determination of a SOFR Swap Rate on any date, the
applicable SOFR Swap Rate Replacement will replace the applicable
SOFR Swap Rate for all purposes relating to the notes in respect of
such determination on such date and all determinations on all
subsequent dates unless and until another SOFR Swap Rate Transition
Event and related SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date have occurred
with respect to the applicable SOFR Swap Rate Replacement. In the
event that a SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event and related SOFR Swap
Rate Replacement Date have occurred with respect to the SOFR Swap
Rates and we or the calculation agent (after consulting with us)
have selected a SOFR Swap Rate Replacement, the provisions set
forth in this paragraph shall apply to any such SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement and references herein to the applicable SOFR Swap Rate
shall mean such SOFR Swap Rate Replacement. In connection with the
implementation of a SOFR Swap Rate Replacement, we or the
calculation agent (after consulting with us) will have the right to
make SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Conforming Changes from time to
time. If we or the calculation agent (after
consulting with us) determines that there is no such replacement
rate as of any date of determination, then we or the calculation
agent (after consulting with us) will determine a substitute rate
or substitute rate value to be used in place of the applicable SOFR
Swap Rate for that date of determination, after consulting such
sources as we or it deems comparable to the Designated SOFR Swap
Rate Page or to the sources from which the administrator of such
rate obtains the swap rate input data used by the administrator to
calculate such rate, or any other source or data it determines to
be reasonable (including, if applicable, the SOFR Swap Rate that
was most recently published by the administrator of such rate) for
the purpose of determining such substitute rate or substitute rate
value.
As used in the foregoing terms and provisions relating to the
determination of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate:
“Designated SOFR Swap Rate Page” means the page entitled “USD SOFR
(11:15am NY)” that can be accessed on the Bloomberg Professional
Services service (or any other page or screen that replaces that
page or screen on the Bloomberg Professional Services service or
such other service or services as may be nominated for the purpose
of displaying rates for U.S. dollar swaps referencing SOFR by IBA
or its successor or such other entity assuming the responsibility
of IBA or its successor in calculating rates for U.S. dollar swaps
referencing SOFR in the event IBA or its successor no longer does
so).
“SOFR Swap Rate Replacement” means the sum of (a) the alternate
rate of interest that has been selected by us or the calculation
agent (after consulting with us) as an industry-accepted
replacement for the applicable SOFR Swap Rate for U.S.
dollar-denominated floating-rate notes at such time and (b) the
SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Adjustment.
“SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Adjustment” means the spread adjustment
(which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been
selected by us or the calculation agent (after consulting with us)
giving due consideration to any industry-accepted spread
adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread
adjustment, for the replacement of the applicable SOFR Swap Rate
with the applicable Unadjusted SOFR Swap Rate Replacement for U.S.
dollar-denominated floating-rate notes at such time.
“SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Conforming Changes” means, with respect
to any SOFR Swap Rate Replacement, changes to (1) any interest
determination date, interest payment date, interest reset date,
business day convention or interest period, (2) the manner, timing
and frequency of determining rates and amounts of interest that are
payable on the relevant notes and the conventions relating to such
determination, (3) the timing and frequency of making payments of
interest, (4) rounding conventions, (5) tenors, and (6) any other
terms or provisions of the notes, in each case that we or the
calculation agent (after consulting with us) determines, from time
to time, to be appropriate to reflect the determination and
implementation of such SOFR Swap Rate Replacement giving due
consideration to any industry-accepted market practice.
“SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date” means the earliest to occur of
the following events with respect to the applicable SOFR Swap
Rate:
(1) in the case of clause (1) or (2) of the definition of “SOFR
Swap Rate Transition Event,” the later of (a) the date of the
public statement or publication of information referenced therein
and (b) the date on which the administrator of such rate, as
applicable, permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide such
rate; or
(2) in the case of clause (3) of the definition of “SOFR Swap Rate
Transition Event,” if such statement or publication referenced
therein indicates that the administrator or regulatory supervisor
for the administrator has determined that such rate is no longer
representative: (a) at the date of such statement or publication
referenced therein, the date of such statement or publication; or
(b) as of a specified future date, the first date on which such
rate would ordinarily have been published or provided and is
non-representative by reference to the most
recent
statement or publication referenced therein, even if such rate
continues to be published or provided on such date; or
(3) in the case of clause (4) or (5) of the definition of “SOFR
Swap Rate Transition Event,” the date of such determination.
For the avoidance of doubt, if the event giving rise to the SOFR
Swap Rate Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier
than, the SOFR Swap Rate Reference Time in respect of any
determination, the SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Date will be deemed
to have occurred prior to the SOFR Swap Rate Reference Time for
such determination.
“SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event” means the occurrence of one or
more of the following events with respect to the applicable SOFR
Swap Rate:
(1) a public statement or publication of information by or on
behalf of the administrator of such rate announcing that such
administrator has ceased or will cease to provide such rate,
permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such
statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that
will continue to provide such rate;
(2) a public statement or publication of information by the
regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such rate, the
central bank for the currency of such rate, an insolvency official
with jurisdiction over the administrator for such rate, a
resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for
the such rate or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or
resolution authority over the administrator for such rate, which
states that the administrator of such rate has ceased or will cease
to provide such rate permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at
the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor
administrator that will continue to provide such rate;
(3) a public statement or publication of information by the
administrator of such rate or the regulatory supervisor for the
administrator of such rate announcing that such rate is no longer,
or as of a specified future date will no longer be, representative
of the underlying market and economic reality that such rate is
intended to measure and that representativeness will not be
restored; or
(4) a determination by us or the calculation agent (after
consulting with us) that such rate has been permanently or
indefinitely discontinued; or
(5) a determination by us or the calculation agent (after
consulting with us) that (i) such rate as published is no longer an
industry-accepted rate of interest for U.S. dollar-denominated
floating-rate notes at such time or (ii) such rate as published is
no longer an industry-accepted rate of interest in the derivatives
market for hedging transactions related to U.S. dollar-denominated
floating-rate notes.
“SOFR Swap Rate Reference Time” with respect to any determination
of the applicable SOFR Swap Rate means approximately 12:15 p.m.,
New York City time, on the applicable interest determination date;
provided that if a SOFR Swap Rate Transition Event and related SOFR
Swap Rate Replacement Date have occurred and we or the calculation
agent (after consulting with us) has selected a SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement, “SOFR Swap Rate Reference Time” will mean the time
determined by us or the calculation agent (after consulting with
us) in accordance with the SOFR Swap Rate Replacement Conforming
Changes.
“Unadjusted SOFR Swap Rate Replacement” means the SOFR Swap Rate
Replacement excluding the SOFR Swap Rate Replacement
Adjustment.
Payment at Maturity
On the maturity date, you will be paid the principal amount of the
notes and any accrued and unpaid interest on the notes, subject to
our and the Guarantor’s credit risk. See “Risk
Factors—Structure-related Risks—All payments on the notes are
subject to our credit
risk
and the credit risk of the Guarantor, and actual or perceived
changes in our or the Guarantor’s creditworthiness are expected to
affect the value of the notes” above.
Regardless of the amounts of the interest payable during each
interest period over the term of the notes, you will receive your
principal amount at maturity, assuming that we are otherwise able
to pay our debts on the maturity date.
Role of the Calculation Agent
The calculation agent has the sole discretion to make all
determinations regarding the notes, including determinations
regarding the SOFR Swap Rates, the amount of each interest payment,
U.S. government securities business days, and business days. Absent
manifest error, all determinations of the calculation agent will be
final and binding on you and us, without any liability on the part
of the calculation agent.
We have initially appointed our affiliate, MLCS, as the calculation
agent, but we may change the calculation agent at any time without
notifying you.
Same-Day Settlement and Payment
The notes will be delivered in book-entry form only through DTC
against payment by purchasers of the notes in immediately available
funds. We will make payments of the principal amount and each
interest payment in immediately available funds so long as the
notes are maintained in book-entry form.
Events of Default and Rights of Acceleration
If an Event of Default, as defined in the senior indenture and in
the section entitled “Description of Debt Securities of BofA
Finance LLC—Events of Default and Rights of Acceleration; Covenant
Breaches” beginning on page 54 of the accompanying prospectus, 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 principal amount plus any
accrued and unpaid interest. 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.
Listing
The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.
U.S. DOLLAR SOFR ICE SWAP
RATE® AND ITS METHODOLOGY
General
The U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® was launched by IBA
for use as a benchmark on November 8, 2021 in order to aid the
market’s transition to SOFR and away from U.S. dollar LIBOR. IBA is
the administrator of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate®
and has overall responsibility for all aspects of the U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® determination process, including the
development, determination, dissemination, operation and governance
of the various U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® tenors.
IBA has published the ICE Swap Rate® Methodology and
certain other applicable policies which together set out IBA’s
method for determining and publishing, rules and criteria relating
to, and certain other information applicable to the U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate®. Information in the ICE Swap
Rate® Methodology and IBA’s other applicable policies
reflect the policies of, and are subject to change by, IBA. IBA
licenses the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® to users
for, among other purposes, use as a reference rate. The U.S. Dollar
SOFR ICE Swap Rate® is calculated on each weekday other
than those set forth in IBA’s ICE Swap Rate Holiday Calendar, which
is available on the ICE Swap Rate® Website, and
published in the ICE Report Center, a link to which is available on
the ICE Swap Rate® Website. For any particular day, the
only rate available for viewing on the ICE Report Center is the
rate published for the preceding publication day.
Pursuant to the ICE Swap Rate® Methodology, the U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® is calculated using eligible
prices and volumes for U.S. dollar swaps referencing a compounded
average of daily SOFR compounded in arrears for twelve months using
standard market conventions, calculated on the basis of the actual
number of days elapsed, with a year presumed to comprise 360 days).
Input data for calculation of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® consists of executable prices and volumes provided
by regulated, electronic, trading venues and, if such trading
venues do not provide sufficient eligible input data, dealer to
client prices and volumes displayed electronically by trading
venues. If there is insufficient eligible input data to calculate a
rate in accordance with the foregoing, IBA uses movement
interpolation, where possible for applicable tenors, to calculate a
rate. Where it is not possible to calculate an U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE
Swap Rate® for an applicable tenor in accordance with
the foregoing, then IBA’s Insufficient Data Policy will apply and
“No Publication” will be published for the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE
Swap Rate® of the applicable tenor. The U.S. Dollar SOFR
ICE Swap Rate® for the various applicable tenors as
reported on the ICE Report Center and the Designated SOFR Swap Rate
Page is expressed as an integer; however, for purpose of
calculations of interest with respect to the notes, such rate will
be deemed to be expressed as a percentage (for example, if the U.S.
Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® is reported on the ICE Report
Center and the Designated SOFR Swap Rate Page as 1.24, such rate
for purposes of calculations of interest with respect to the notes
will be deemed to be 1.24%).
IBA states that: (i) historical U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® and other information may not be indicative of
future information or performance, (ii) none of IBA,
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (“ICE”) or any third party that
provides data used to administer or determine the U.S. Dollar SOFR
ICE Swap Rate® and other information (“Data Provider”),
or any of its or their affiliates, makes any claim, prediction,
warranty or representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, as
to the timeliness, accuracy or completeness of the U.S. Dollar SOFR
ICE Swap Rate® or other information, the results to be
obtained from the use of the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® or other information, or as to the appropriateness
or suitability of any the U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® or other information for any particular purpose to
which it might be put, (iii) to the fullest extent permitted by
applicable law, none of IBA, ICE or any Data Provider, or any of
its or their affiliates will be liable in respect of any
inaccuracies, errors, omissions, delays, failures, cessations or
changes (material or otherwise) in IBA’s U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® and other information, or for any damage, expense
or other loss (whether direct or indirect) you may suffer arising
out of or in connection with IBA’s U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap
Rate® and other information or any reliance you may
place upon it and (iv) all implied terms, conditions and
warranties, including without limitation as to quality,
merchantability, fitness for purpose, title or non-infringement, in
relation to IBA’s U.S. Dollar
SOFR
ICE Swap Rate® and other information are hereby excluded
to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
Neither the ICE Swap Rate® Website, other pages to which
the ICE Swap Rate® Website may contain hyperlinks, nor
any of the information or materials available thereon, are
incorporated by reference into this pricing supplement. Use of the
U.S. Dollar SOFR ICE Swap Rate® is subject to important
disclaimers set forth in IBA’s Benchmark and Other Information
Notice and Disclaimer, available on the ICE Swap Rate®
Website and in the ICE Swap Rate® Methodology.
We, BAC, the selling agent and IBA are not affiliated with the New
York Fed. The New York Fed does not sanction, endorse, or recommend
any products or services offered by us or IBA.
Historical Levels of the SOFR Swap Rates
The following graphs set forth the historical performance of each
SOFR Swap Rate from November 8, 2021 (the date the U.S. Dollar SOFR
ICE Swap Rate® was launched by IBA for use as a
benchmark) through the pricing date. This data is not intended to
be indicative of the future performance of the SOFR Swap Rates or
what the value of or return on the notes may be. Any historical
upward or downward trend in the level of any SOFR Swap Rate during
any period set forth below is not an indication that the level of
any SOFR Swap Rate is more or less likely to increase or decrease
in value at any time over the term of the notes or that these
represent what the level of any SOFR Swap Rate would have been on
any hypothetical interest determination date. The graphs below use
2y SOFR Swap Rate, 10y SOFR Swap Rate and 30y SOFR Swap Rate as
quoted on the Bloomberg Professional Services service on page “USD
SOFR (11:15am NY)” for the indices “USISSO02 Index” (in the case of
the 2y SOFR Swap Rate), “USISSO10 Index” (in the case of the 10y
SOFR Swap Rate) and “USISSO30 Index” (in the case of the 30y SOFR
Swap Rate), at the SOFR Swap Rate Reference Time, on the applicable
date.
No one can predict what any SOFR Swap Rate will be on any day
throughout the life of the notes or what any SOFR Swap Rate will be
on any interest determination date. Each SOFR Swap Rate is a new
benchmark that was launched by IBA on November 8, 2021. The future
performance of any SOFR Swap Rate and, by extension, the amount
payable on and market value for the notes, cannot be predicted
based on the limited historical information available. The amount
payable on and market value for the notes may be lower and more
volatile than a comparable investment where interest payments are
determined by reference to a benchmark with more fulsome historical
information.



Supplemental 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 a selling agent in the distribution of the notes.
Accordingly, the offering of the notes will conform to the
requirements of FINRA Rule 5121. The selling agent is a party to
the Distribution Agreement described in the “Supplemental Plan of
Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” beginning on page S-54 of the
accompanying prospectus supplement.
The selling agent will receive the compensation set forth on the
cover page of this pricing supplement as to the notes sold through
its efforts. Certain dealers who purchase the notes for sale to
certain fee-based advisory accounts and/or eligible institutional
investors may forgo some or all of their selling concessions, fees
or commissions. The price to public for investors purchasing the
notes in these accounts may be as low as $980.00 (98.00%) per
$1,000 in principal amount of the notes. We or one of our
affiliates may pay varying selling concessions of up to 2.00% in
connection with the distribution of the notes to other registered
broker-dealers.
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 SOFR Swap Rates 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.
Sales Outside of the United States
The Notes have not been approved for public sale in any
jurisdiction outside of the United States. There has been no
registration or filing as to the Notes with any regulatory,
securities, banking, or local authority outside of the United
States and no action has been taken by BofA Finance, BAC, BofAS or
any other affiliate of BAC, to offer the Notes in any jurisdiction
other than the United States. As such, these Notes are made
available to investors outside of the United States only in
jurisdictions where it is lawful to make such offer or sale and
only under circumstances that will result in compliance with
applicable laws and regulations, including private placement
requirements.
Further, no offer or sale of the Notes is being made to residents
of:
You are urged to carefully review the selling restrictions that may
be applicable to your jurisdiction beginning on page S-56 of the
accompanying prospectus supplement.
European Economic Area and United Kingdom
None of this pricing 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 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 the United Kingdom which has implemented the
Prospectus Regulation (each, a “Relevant Member 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 Member
State of notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated
in this pricing 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 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.
United Kingdom
The communication of this pricing 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 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 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.
STRUCTURING THE NOTES
The notes are our debt securities, the return on which is linked to
the performance of the SOFR Swap Rates. The related guarantees are
BAC’s obligations. 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 resulted in the
initial estimated value of the notes at the time the terms of the
notes are set and 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 SOFR Swap Rates, the
tenor of the notes and the hedging arrangements. The economic terms
of the notes and their initial estimated value depend in part on
the terms of these hedging arrangements.
BofAS has advised us that the hedging arrangements will include
hedging related charges, reflecting the costs associated with, and
our affiliates’ profit earned from, these hedging arrangements.
Since hedging entails risk and may be influenced by unpredictable
market forces, actual profits or losses from these hedging
transactions may be more or less than any expected amounts.
For further information, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8
above.
VALIDITY OF THE NOTES
In the opinion of McGuireWoods LLP, as counsel to BofA Finance, as
issuer, and BAC, as guarantor, when the trustee has made the
appropriate entries or notations on Schedule 1 to the master global
note that represents the Notes (the “Master Note”) identifying the
Notes offered hereby as supplemental obligations thereunder in
accordance with the instructions of BofA Finance, and the Notes
have been delivered against payment therefor as contemplated in
this pricing supplement and the related prospectus, prospectus
supplement and product supplement, all in accordance with the
provisions of the indenture governing the Notes and the related
guarantee, such Notes will be the legal, valid and binding
obligations of BofA Finance, and the related guarantee will be the
legal, valid and binding obligation of BAC, subject, in each case,
to the effects of applicable bankruptcy, insolvency (including laws
relating to preferences, fraudulent transfers and equitable
subordination), reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws
affecting creditors’ rights generally, and to general principles of
equity. This opinion is given as of the date of this pricing
supplement and is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law
and the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (including the
statutory provisions, all applicable provisions of the Delaware
Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting either of
the foregoing) and the laws of the State of New York as in effect
on the date hereof. In addition, this opinion is subject to
customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution
and delivery of the indenture governing the Notes and due
authentication of the Master Note, the validity, binding nature and
enforceability of the indenture governing the Notes and the related
guarantee with respect to the trustee, the legal capacity of
individuals, the genuineness of signatures, the authenticity of all
documents submitted to McGuireWoods LLP as originals, the
conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to
McGuireWoods LLP as copies thereof, the authenticity of the
originals of such copies and certain factual matters, all as stated
in the opinion letter of McGuireWoods LLP dated December 8, 2022,
which has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement
(File Nos. 333-268718 and 333-268718-01) of BAC and BofA Finance,
filed with the SEC on December 8, 2022.
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX SUMMARY
The following summary of the material U.S. federal income tax
considerations of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of
the notes is based upon the advice of Sidley Austin LLP, our tax
counsel. The following discussion 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
Internal Revenue Service (“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 Bank of America Corporation for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. Accordingly throughout this tax discussion,
references to “we,” “our” or “us” are generally to Bank of America
Corporation unless the context requires otherwise.
This summary is directed solely to U.S. Holders and Non-U.S.
Holders that, except as otherwise specifically noted, will purchase
the 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. This discussion
does not address the tax consequences applicable to holders subject
to Section 451(b) of the Code. This summary assumes that the issue
price of the notes, as determined for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, equals the principal amount thereof.
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.
U.S. Holders
The notes will be treated as “variable rate debt instruments” for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under this characterization,
interest on a note generally will be included in the income of a
U.S. Holder as ordinary income at the time it is accrued or is
received in accordance with the U.S. Holder’s regular method of
accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Please see the
discussion in the prospectus under the section entitled “U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations—General—Consequences to U.S.
Holders—Variable Rate Debt Securities” for a discussion of these
rules.
Upon the sale, exchange, retirement, or other disposition of a
note, a U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss equal to the
difference between the amount realized upon the sale, exchange,
retirement, or other disposition (less an amount equal to any
accrued interest not previously included in income if the note is
disposed of between interest payment dates, which will be included
in income as interest income for U.S. federal income tax purposes)
and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the note. A U.S.
Holder’s adjusted tax basis in a note generally will be the cost of
the note to such U.S. Holder. Any gain or loss realized on the
sale, exchange, retirement, or other disposition of a note
generally will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term
capital gain or loss if the note has been held for more than one
year. The ability of U.S. Holders to deduct capital losses is
subject to limitations under the Code.
Non-U.S. Holders
Please see the discussion under “U.S. Federal Income Tax
Considerations—General—Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders” in the
accompanying prospectus for the material U.S. federal income tax
consequences that will apply to Non-U.S. Holders of the notes.
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.
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