FWP 1 dfwp.htm PRELIMINARY TERM SHEET Preliminary Term Sheet

Filed Pursuant to Rule 433

Registration No. 333-158663

Subject to Completion

Preliminary Term Sheet dated November 18, 2010

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The notes are being offered by Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”). The notes will have the terms specified in this term sheet as supplemented by the documents indicated below under “Additional Terms” (together, the “Note Prospectus”). Investing in the notes involves a number of risks. There are important differences between the notes and a conventional debt security, including different investment risks. See “Risk Factors” and “Additional Risk Factors” beginning on page TS-6 of this term sheet and beginning on page S-10 of product supplement STR-2. The notes:

 

 

Are Not FDIC Insured

 

 

 

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

 

 

 

May Lose Value

 

In connection with this offering, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S”) is acting in its capacity as principal for your account.

None of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), any state securities commission, or any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Note Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

    

Per Unit

      

Total

        

Public offering price (1)

   $ 10.000         $     

Underwriting discount (1)

   $ 0.125         $     

Proceeds, before expenses, to Bank of America Corporation

   $ 9.875         $     

 

  (1) The public offering price and underwriting discount for any purchase of 500,000 units or more in a single transaction by an individual investor will be $9.975 per unit and $0.100 per unit, respectively.

*Depending on the date the notes are priced for initial sale to the public (the “pricing date”), which may be in November or December 2010, the settlement date may occur in November or December 2010, the maturity date may occur in November or December 2011 and the Observation Dates may be adjusted accordingly. Any reference in this term sheet to the month in which the pricing date, settlement date, maturity date, or any Observation Date will occur is subject to change as specified above.

Merrill Lynch & Co.

November     , 2010

 

Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®

Units

Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®

Linked to the Financial Select Sector Index,

due December , 2011

$10 principal amount per unit

Term Sheet No.

  

Expected Pricing Date

* Settlement Date* Maturity Date*

CUSIP No.

  

November , 2010 December , 2010

December , 2011

Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®

  

STRUCTURED INVESTMENTS

PRINCIPAL PROTECTION

ENHANCED INCOME

MARKET PARTICIPATION

ENHANCED PARTICIPATION

  

• The notes will be called at an amount equal to the $10 principal amount per unit plus a Call Premium if the closing value of the Financial Select Sector Index (the “Index”) on any Observation Date is equal to or greater than 100% of its Starting Value.

• The Call Premium will be between 11% and 14% of the Original Offering Price per annum (equivalent to between 5.50% and 7.00% if the notes are called on the first Observation Date, and to between 8.25% and 10.50% if the notes are called on the second Observation Date)

• 1-to-1 downside loss if the notes are not called prior to maturity and the closing value of the Index decreases below the Threshold Value, with up to 95% of the principal amount at risk

• A maturity of approximately one year

• Payments on the notes are subject to the credit risk of Bank of America Corporation

• No periodic interest payments

• No listing on any securities exchange

     


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Summary

The Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities® Linked to the Financial Select Sector Index, due December     , 2011 (the “notes”), are our senior unsecured debt securities. The notes are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or secured by collateral. The notes will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt, and any payments due on the notes, including any repayment of principal, will be subject to the credit risk of BAC.

The notes provide for an automatic call if the Observation Level of Financial Select Sector Index (the “Index”) on any Observation Date is equal to or greater than the Call Level. If the notes are called on any Observation Date, you will receive on the Call Settlement Date an amount per unit (the “Call Amount”) equal to the Original Offering Price of the notes plus the applicable Call Premium. If your notes are not called, the amount you receive on the maturity date (the “Redemption Amount”) will not be greater than the Original Offering Price per unit and will be based on the direction of and percentage change in the level of the Index from the Starting Value, as determined on the pricing date, to the Ending Value, as determined on the final Observation Date. Investors must be willing to forgo interest payments on the notes and be willing to accept a repayment that may be less, and potentially significantly less, than the Original Offering Price of the notes. Investors also must be prepared to have us call their notes on any Observation Date. Investors’ gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the notes are held for more than one year, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. Accordingly, if the notes are called on the first or second Observation Date, any capital gain or loss generally will be short-term capital gain or loss. Any such gain or loss is subject to certain tax implications, set forth under “Summary Tax Consequences” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Taxation Considerations.”

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this term sheet have the meanings set forth in product supplement STR-2. Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this term sheet to “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar references are to BAC.

 

Terms of the Notes

 

Issuer:  

Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”)

 

Original Offering  Price:  

$10.00 per unit

 

Term:  

Approximately one year

 

Market Measure:  

Financial Select Sector Index (Bloomberg symbol: “IXM”)

 

Starting Value:  

The closing level of the Index on the pricing date. The Starting Value will be determined on the pricing date and set forth in the final term sheet that will be made available in connection with sales of the notes.

 

Ending Value:  

The Observation Level on the final Observation Date. If it is determined that a scheduled Observation Date is not a Market Measure Business Day, or if a Market Disruption Event occurs on a scheduled Observation Date, the Ending Value will be determined as more fully described beginning on page S-25 of product supplement STR-2.

 

Observation Level:  

The closing level of the Index on any Observation Date

 

Observation Dates:  

June     , 2011, September     , 2011, and December     , 2011 (the final Observation Date). The Observation Dates will occur approximately six, nine, and twelve months after the pricing date.

 

Call Level:  

100% of the Starting Value

 

Call Amounts (per Unit):  

$10.5500 - $10.7000 if called on June     , 2011, $10.8250 - $10.1050 if called on September     , 2011, and $11.1000 - $11.4000 if called on December     , 2011. The actual Call Amounts will be determined on the pricing date and will be set forth in the final term sheet that will be made available in connection with the sale of the notes.

 

Call Premium:  

11% - 14% of the Original Offering Price per annum. The actual Call Premium will be determined on the pricing date and will be set forth in the final term sheet that will be made available in connection with the sale of the notes.

 

Call Settlement Date:  

The fifth Banking Business Day following an Observation Date, if the notes are called on that Observation Date, subject to postponement as described on page S-25 product supplement STR-2; provided however, that the Call Settlement Date related to the final Observation Date will be the maturity date.

 

Threshold Value:  

95% of the Starting Value (rounded to two decimal places)

 

Leverage Factor:  

100%

 

Calculation Agent:  

MLPF&S, a subsidiary of BAC

 

 

Determining Payment on the Notes

Automatic Call Provision:

The notes will be automatically called on an Observation Date if the Observation Level on that Observation Date is equal to or greater than the Call Level. If the notes are called, you will receive on the Call Settlement Date the Call Amount per unit applicable to that Observation Date, which is equal to the Original Offering Price per unit plus the applicable Call Premium.

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Payment at Maturity:

If the notes are not called prior to the maturity date, you will receive the Redemption Amount per unit on the maturity date, calculated as follows:

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Hypothetical Payments

Set forth below are five hypothetical examples of payment calculations (rounded to four decimal places), assuming:

1) a hypothetical Starting Value of 149.57, the closing level of the Index on November 15, 2010;

2) a hypothetical Threshold Value of 142.09, or 95% of the hypothetical Starting Value (rounded to two decimal places);

3) a hypothetical Call Level of 149.57, or 100% of the hypothetical Starting Value;

4) a hypothetical term of the notes from November 22, 2010 to November 29, 2011, a term expected to be similar to that of the notes;

5) a hypothetical Call Premium of 12.50% of the Original Offering Price per unit per annum, the midpoint of the Call Premium range of 11% to 14% of the Original Offering Price per annum; and

6) hypothetical Observation Dates occurring on May 23, 2011, August 22, 2011, and November 22, 2011.

The Notes Are Called on One of the Observation Dates

The notes have not been previously called and the Observation Level on the relevant Observation Date is equal to or greater than the Call Level. Consequently, the notes will be called at the Call Amount per unit equal to $10.0000 plus the applicable Call Premium.

Example 1

If the call is related to the Observation Date that falls on May 23, 2011, the hypothetical Call Amount per unit will be:

$10.0000 plus the Call Premium of $0.6250 = $10.6250 per unit.

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Example 2

If the call is related to the Observation Date that falls on August 22, 2011, the hypothetical Call Amount per unit will be:

$10.0000 plus the Call Premium of $0.9375 = $10.9375 per unit.

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Example 3

If the call is related to the Observation Date that falls on November 22, 2011, the hypothetical Call Amount per unit will be:

$10.0000 plus the Call Premium of $1.2500 = $11.2500 per unit.

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The Notes Are Not Called on Any of the Observation Dates

Example 4

The notes are not called on any of the Observation Dates and the hypothetical Ending Value of the Index on the final Observation Date is not less than 142.09, the hypothetical Threshold Value. The hypothetical Redemption Amount per unit will therefore be $10.0000.

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Example 5

The notes are not called on any of the Observation Dates and the hypothetical Ending Value of the Index on the final Observation Date is less than 142.09, the hypothetical Threshold Value. The Redemption Amount will be less, and possibly significantly less, than the Original Offering Price per unit.

If the Ending Value is 127.13, or 85% of the hypothetical Starting Value, the hypothetical Redemption Amount will be:

 

 

$10 +

  [   $10 ×   (  

127.13 - 142.09

 

  )   × 100%   ]   = $9.00 per unit
         

 

149.57

       

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These examples have been prepared for purposes of illustration only. Your actual return will depend on the actual Starting Value, the Observation Level on the applicable Observation Date, the Ending Value, if applicable, the Call Premium, and the term of your investment.

 

       

Summary of the Hypothetical Examples

 

                  

Notes Are Called on an Observation Date

 

   Observation Date on
May 23, 2011
    Observation Date on
August 22, 2011
    Observation Date on
November 22, 2011
 

Hypothetical Starting Value

 

     149.57        149.57        149.57   

Hypothetical Call Level

 

     149.57        149.57        149.57   

Hypothetical Observation Level on the Observation Date

     164.53        157.05        157.05   

 

Hypothetical Return of the Index (excluding any dividends)

     10.00%        5.00%        5.00%   

 

Hypothetical Return of the Notes

     6.250%        9.375%        12.500%   

 

Hypothetical Call Amount per Unit

     $10.6250        $10.9375        $11.2500   
                          

 

     

Notes Are Not Called on Any Observation Date

 

   Hypothetical Ending Value Is
Greater than the
Hypothetical

Threshold Value
    Hypothetical Ending Value Is
Less than the Hypothetical
Threshold Value
 

 

Hypothetical Starting Value

     149.57        149.57   

 

Hypothetical Ending Value

     145.08        127.13   

 

Hypothetical Threshold Value

     142.09        142.09   

 

Hypothetical Return of the Index (excluding any dividends)

     -3.00%        -15.00%   

 

Hypothetical Return of the Notes

     0.000%        -10.000%   

 

Hypothetical Redemption Amount per Unit

     $10.0000        $9.0000   
                  

 

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Risk Factors

There are important differences between the notes and a conventional debt security. An investment in the notes involves significant risks, including those listed below. The following is a list of certain of the risks involved in investing in the notes. You should carefully review the more detailed explanation of risks relating to the notes in the “Risk Factors” sections beginning on page S-10 of product supplement STR-2 and page S-4 of the MTN prospectus supplement identified below under “Additional Terms.” We also urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting, and other advisors before you invest in the notes.

 

  §  

If the notes are not called prior to maturity, your investment may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of principal.

 

  §  

Your return, if any, is limited to the return represented by the Call Premium.

 

  §  

Your yield may be less than the yield on a conventional debt security of comparable maturity.

 

  §  

Your investment return may be less than the return on a comparable investment directly in the stocks included in the Index.

 

  §  

You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the Index.

 

  §  

In seeking to provide you with what we believe to be commercially reasonable terms for the notes while providing MLPF&S with compensation for its services, we have considered the costs of developing, hedging, and distributing the notes.

 

  §  

A trading market is not expected to develop for the notes. MLPF&S is not obligated to make a market for, or to repurchase, the notes.

 

  §  

The amount that you receive at maturity or upon a call will not be affected by all developments relating to the Index.

 

  §  

You will have no rights of a holder of the securities represented by the Index, and you will not be entitled to receive securities or dividends or other distributions by the issuers of those securities.

 

  §  

While we or our affiliates may from time to time own shares of companies included in the Index, except to the extent that our common stock is included in the Index, we do not control any company included in the Index, and are not responsible for any disclosure made by any other company.

 

  §  

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 their Original Offering Price.

 

  §  

Payments on the notes are subject to our credit risk, and changes in our credit ratings are expected to affect the value of the notes.

 

  §  

Purchases and sales by us and our affiliates of shares of companies included in the Index may affect your return.

 

  §  

Our trading and hedging activities may create conflicts of interest with you.

 

  §  

Our hedging activities may affect your return on the notes and their market value.

 

  §  

Our business activities relating to the companies represented by the Index may create conflicts of interest with you.

 

  §  

There may be potential conflicts of interest involving the calculation agent. We have the right to appoint and remove the calculation agent.

 

  §  

The U.S. federal income tax consequences of the notes are uncertain, and may be adverse to a holder of the notes. See “Summary Tax Consequences” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Taxation Considerations” below and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary” beginning on page S-43 of product supplement STR-2.

Additional Risk Factors

MLPF&S, acting as the Index Compilation Agent, determines the composition of the Select Sector Indices after consultation with Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). The stocks included in each Select Sector Index, including the Index, are selected by MLPF&S (the “Index Compilation Agent”). The Index Compilation Agent, after consultation with S&P, assigns a company’s stock to a particular Select Sector Index on the basis of the company’s sales and earnings composition and the sensitivity of the company’s stock price and business results to the common factors that affect other companies in each Select Sector Index. S&P has sole control over the removal of stocks from the S&P 500® Index and the selection of replacement stocks to be added to the S&P 500® Index. However, S&P plays only a consulting role in the Select Sector Index assignment of the S&P 500® Index component stocks, which is the sole responsibility of the Index Compilation Agent. The Index Compilation Agent will compile the Select Sector Indices without regard to the notes. The Index Compilation Agent has no obligation to take the interests of the holders of the notes into consideration in compiling the Select Sector Indices, including when compiling the Index.

S&P may cause an adjustment to the S&P 500® Index in a way that affects its level, and has no obligation to consider your interests. S&P is responsible for calculating and maintaining the S&P 500® Index, from which the stocks included in the Index are selected. S&P can add, delete, or substitute the stocks included in the S&P 500® Index or make other methodological changes that could change the level of the S&P 500® Index and therefore the composition and level of the Index. Changing the companies included in the Index may affect the level of the Index, as a newly added company may perform significantly better or worse than the company or companies it replaces. Additionally, S&P may alter, discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of the S&P 500® Index, any of which could adversely affect the value of the notes. S&P has no obligation to consider your interests in calculating or revising the S&P 500® Index.

 

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NYSE Euronext may discontinue the calculation or dissemination of the Index or adjust the methodology for calculating the Index in a way that affects its level, and NYSE Euronext has no obligation to consider your interests. NYSE Euronext is responsible for calculating and disseminating the Index. NYSE Euronext may make methodological changes that could change the level of the Index. Additionally, NYSE Euronext may discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of the Index, which could adversely affect the value of the notes. NYSE Euronext has no obligation to consider your interests in taking any of the foregoing actions.

The stocks included in the Index are concentrated in one sector. All of the stocks included in the Index are issued by companies in the financial sector. As a result, the stocks that will determine the performance of the notes are concentrated in one sector. Although an investment in the notes will not give holders any ownership or other direct interests in the stocks underlying the Index, the return on an investment in the notes will be subject to certain risks associated with a direct equity investment in companies in the technology sector. Accordingly, by investing in the notes, you will not benefit from the diversification which could result from an investment linked to companies that operate in multiple sectors.

The Index is linked to the performance of the financial services sector, and adverse conditions in the financial sector may reduce your return on the notes. All or substantially all of the equity securities included in the Index are issued by companies whose primary lines of business are directly associated with the financial services sector. The profitability of these companies is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds, and can fluctuate significantly, particularly when market interest rates change. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of these companies’ customers can negatively impact the sector. In addition, adverse economic, business, or political developments affecting the U.S., including with respect to real estate and loans secured by real estate, could have a major effect on the value of many of the stocks included in the Index. As a result of these factors, the value of the notes may be subject to greater volatility and be more adversely affected by economic, political, or regulatory events relating to the financial services sector.

The current financial crisis has adversely impacted the stock prices of many companies in the financial services sector, and may continue to do so during the term of the notes. The ongoing financial crisis in the United States has resulted, and may continue to result, in significant losses among companies that operate in the financial services sector. These recent events in the financial sector and deterioration in the credit markets generally have also resulted, and may continue to result, in a high degree of volatility in the stock prices of financial institutions, and substantial fluctuations in the profitability and ongoing viability of these companies. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial decreases in the value of their assets, taken action to raise capital (including the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. Further, companies in the financial services sector have been subject to unprecedented government actions and regulation, which may limit the scope of their operations and, in turn, result in a decrease in value of these companies. Any of these factors may have an adverse impact on the performance of the Index. As a result, the level of the Index may be adversely affected by ongoing economic, political, or regulatory events affecting the financial services sector or one of the sub-sectors of the financial services sector. This in turn could adversely impact the market value of the notes and decrease the Redemption Amount.

Investor Considerations

 

You may wish to consider an investment in the notes if:

 

§  

You anticipate that the closing level of the Index will be equal to or greater than the Call Level on any Observation Date and you seek an early exit prior to maturity at a premium in that case.

 

§  

You are willing to receive a pre-determined return on your investment, capped at the Call Premium, in case the notes are called, regardless of the performance of the Index from the Starting Value to the date on which the notes are called.

 

§  

You are willing to accept that the notes may not be called prior to the maturity date, in which case your return on your investment will be equal to or less than the Original Offering Price per unit.

 

§  

You accept that your investment will result in a loss, which could be significant, if the level of the Index decreases below the Threshold Value from the Starting Value to the Ending Value on the final Observation Date.

 

§  

You are willing to forgo interest payments on the notes, such as fixed or floating rate interest paid on traditional interest bearing debt securities.

 

§  

You seek exposure to the Index with no expectation of dividends or other benefits of owning the stocks included in the Index.

 

§  

You are willing to accept that a trading market is not expected to develop for the notes. You understand that secondary market prices for the notes, if any, will be affected by various factors, including our actual and perceived creditworthiness.

 

§  

You are willing to make an investment, the payment on which depends on our creditworthiness, as the issuer of the notes.

The notes may not be an appropriate investment for you if:

 

§  

You want to hold your notes for the full term.

 

§  

You anticipate that the level of the Index will decrease from the Starting Value to the Ending Value.

 

§  

You anticipate that the Observation Level will not be equal to or greater than the Call Level on any Observation Date.

 

§  

You seek a return on your investment that will not be capped at the Call Premium.

 

§  

You seek 100% principal protection or preservation of capital.

 

§  

You seek interest payments or other current income on your investment.

 

§  

You want to receive dividends or other distributions paid on the stocks included in the Index.

 

§  

You seek assurances that there will be a liquid market if and when you want to sell the notes prior to maturity.

 

§  

You are unwilling or are unable to assume the credit risk associated with us, as the issuer of the notes.


 

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Other Provisions

We may deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on a date that is greater than three business days following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in three business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, if the initial settlement of the notes occurs more than three business days from the pricing date, purchasers who wish to trade the notes more than three business days prior to the original issue date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

If you place an order to purchase the notes, you are consenting to MLPF&S acting as a principal in effecting the transaction for your account.

Supplement to the Plan of Distribution

MLPF&S, a broker-dealer subsidiary of BAC, is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”)) and will participate as selling agent in the distribution of the notes. Accordingly, offerings of the notes will conform to the requirements of NASD Rule 2720. Under our distribution agreement with MLPF&S, MLPF&S will purchase the notes from us on the issue date as principal at the purchase price indicated on the cover of this term sheet, less the indicated underwriting discount. MLPF&S will not receive an underwriting discount for notes sold to certain fee-based trusts, discretionary accounts, and advisory accounts managed by or maintained with U.S. Trust operating through Bank of America, N.A. In the original offering of the notes, the notes will be sold in minimum investment amounts of 100 units.

MLPF&S may use this Note Prospectus for offers and sales in secondary market transactions and market-making transactions in the notes but is not obligated to engage in such secondary market transactions and/or market-making transactions. MLPF&S may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and any such sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of the sale.

 

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The Index

All disclosures contained in this term sheet regarding the Index, the Select Sector Indices, and the S&P 500® Index, including, without limitation, their make up, method of their calculation, and changes in their components, have been derived from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, S&P, NYSE Euronext, and MLPF&S, as described in this section and in the section “Additional Risk Factors” above. The consequences of any discontinuance of the Index are discussed in the section of product supplement STR-2 beginning on page S-37 entitled “Description of Notes — Discontinuance of a Non-Exchange Traded Fund Market Measure.” None of us, the calculation agent, or MLPF&S accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance, or publication of the Index or any successor index.

The Select Sector Indices

The Index is one of the Select Sector Indices. The Select Sector Indices are sub-indices of the S&P 500® Index. Each stock in the S&P 500® Index is allocated to only one Select Sector Index, and the combined companies of the nine Select Sector Indices represent all of the companies in the S&P 500® Index. The industry indices are sub-categories within each Select Sector Index and represent a specific industry segment of the overall Select Sector Index. The nine Select Sector Indices seek to represent the S&P 500® Index sectors. The S&P 500® Index sectors, with the approximate percentage of the market capitalization of the S&P 500® Index included in each sector as of October 29, 2010 indicated in parentheses, are: Consumer Discretionary (10.58%); Consumer Staples (11.15%); Energy (11.13%); Financials (15.39%); Health Care (11.46%); Industrials (10.67%); Information Technology (19.32%); Materials (3.63%); Telecommunication Services (3.12%); and Utilities (3.55%). MLPF&S, acting as the Index Compilation Agent, determines the composition of the Select Sector Indices after consultation with S&P.

Each Select Sector Index was developed and is maintained in accordance with the following criteria:

 

   

Each of the component stocks in a Select Sector Index (the “Component Stocks”) is a constituent company of the S&P 500® Index.

 

   

The ten Select Sector Indices together will include all of the companies represented in the S&P 500® Index and each of the stocks in the S&P 500® Index will be allocated to one and only one of the Select Sector Indices.

 

   

The Index Compilation Agent assigns each constituent stock of the S&P 500® Index to a Select Sector Index. The Index Compilation Agent, after consultation with S&P, assigns a company’s stock to a particular Select Sector Index on the basis of that company’s sales and earnings composition and the sensitivity of the company’s stock price and business results to the common factors that affect other companies in each Select Sector Index.

 

   

Each Select Sector Index is calculated by NYSE Euronext using a modified “market capitalization” methodology. This design ensures that each of the component stocks within a Select Sector Index is represented in a proportion consistent with its percentage with respect to the total market capitalization of that Select Sector Index. However, under certain conditions, the number of shares of a component stock within the Select Sector Index may be adjusted to conform to Internal Revenue Code requirements.

Each Select Sector Index is calculated using the same methodology utilized by S&P in calculating the S&P 500® Index, using a base–weighted aggregate methodology. The daily calculation of each Select Sector Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the companies in the Select Sector Index by a number called the index divisor.

The Index Compilation Agent at any time may determine that a Component Stock which has been assigned to one Select Sector Index has undergone such a transformation in the composition of its business, and should be removed from that Select Sector Index and assigned to a different Select Sector Index. In the event that the Index Compilation Agent notifies NYSE Euronext that a Component Stock’s Select Sector Index assignment should be changed, NYSE Euronext will disseminate notice of the change following its standard procedure for announcing index changes and will implement the change in the affected Select Sector Indexes on a date no less than one week after the initial dissemination of information on the sector change to the maximum extent practicable. It is not anticipated that Component Stocks will change sectors frequently.

Component Stocks removed from and added to the S&P 500® Index will be deleted from and added to the appropriate Select Sector Index on the same schedule used by S&P for additions and deletions from the S&P 500® Index insofar as practicable.

The Index

The Index (Index symbol: “IXM”) is a modified market capitalization-based index. The Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the financial sector of the S&P 500 Index. The Index includes companies from the following industries: diversified financial services, insurance, commercial banks, capital markets, real estate investment trusts, thrift & mortgage finance, consumer finance, and real estate management & development. As of October 29, 2010, the Financial Select Sector Index included 81 component stocks, and our common stock constituted 6.95% of the weight of the Index. The Financial Select Sector Index, which serves as a benchmark for the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (Index fund symbol: “XLF”), was established with a value of 250 on June 30, 1998.

 

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The following graph sets forth the monthly historical performance of the Index in the period from January 2005 through October 2010. This historical data on the Index is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the Index or what the value of the notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the Index during any period set forth below is not an indication that the level of the Index is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the notes. On November 15, 2010, the closing level of the Index was 149.57.

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Before investing in the notes, you should consult publicly available sources for the levels and trading pattern of the Index. The generally unsettled international environment and related uncertainties, including the risk of terrorism, may result in the Index and financial markets generally exhibiting greater volatility than in earlier periods.

The S&P 500® Index

“Standard & Poor’s®”, “Standard & Poor’s 500TM”, “S&P 500®”, and “S&P®” are trademarks of S&P and have been licensed for use in this offering by our subsidiary, MLPF&S. The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by S&P, and S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the notes.

The S&P 500® Index is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement. The calculation of the level of the S&P 500® Index is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. As of October 29, 2010, 404 companies included in the Index traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and 96 companies included in the Index traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market. On October 29, 2010, the average market capitalization of the companies included in the Index was $21.45 billion. As of that date, the largest component of the Index had a market capitalization of $338.45 billion, and the smallest component of the Index had a market capitalization of $0.91 billion.

S&P chooses companies for inclusion in the S&P 500® Index with the aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of its Stock Guide Database of over 10,000 companies, which S&P uses as an assumed model for the composition of the total market. Relevant criteria employed by S&P include the viability of the particular company, the extent to which that company represents the industry group to which it is assigned, the extent to which the market price of that company’s common stock generally is responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry, and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company. S&P from time to time, in its sole discretion, may add companies to, or delete companies from, the S&P 500® Index to achieve the objectives stated above.

S&P calculates the S&P 500® Index by reference to the prices of the constituent stocks of the S&P 500® Index without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the S&P 500® Index constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks.

 

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Computation of the S&P 500® Index

While S&P currently employs the following methodology to calculate the S&P 500® Index, no assurance can be given that S&P will not modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect the Redemption Amount.

Historically, the market value of any component stock of the S&P 500® Index was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of then outstanding shares of such component stock. In March 2005, S&P began shifting the S&P 500® Index halfway from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the S&P 500® Index to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. S&P’s criteria for selecting stocks for the S&P 500® Index did not change with the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the S&P 500® Index.

Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the S&P 500® Index reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. S&P defines three groups of shareholders whose holdings are subject to float adjustment:

 

   

holdings by other publicly traded corporations, venture capital firms, private equity firms, strategic partners, or leveraged buyout groups;

 

   

holdings by government entities, including all levels of government in the U.S. or foreign countries; and

 

   

holdings by current or former officers and directors of the company, founders of the company, or family trusts of officers, directors, or founders, as well as holdings of trusts, foundations, pension funds, employee stock ownership plans, or other investment vehicles associated with and controlled by the company.

However, treasury stock, stock options, restricted shares, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. In cases where holdings in a group exceed 10% of the outstanding shares of a company, the holdings of that group are excluded from the float-adjusted count of shares to be used in the index calculation. Mutual funds, investment advisory firms, pension funds, or foundations not associated with the company and investment funds in insurance companies, shares of a U.S. company traded in Canada as “exchangeable shares,” shares that trust beneficiaries may buy or sell without difficulty or significant additional expense beyond typical brokerage fees, and, if a company has multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an unlisted or non-traded class if such shares are convertible by shareholders without undue delay and cost, are also part of the float.

For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing the available float shares, defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held in one or more of the three groups listed above where the group holdings exceed 10% of the outstanding shares, by the total shares outstanding. The float-adjusted index is then calculated by multiplying, for each stock in the Index, the IWF, the price, and total number of shares outstanding, adding together the resulting amounts, and then dividing that sum by the index divisor. For companies with multiple classes of stock, S&P calculates the weighted average IWF for each stock using the proportion of the total company market capitalization of each share class as weights.

The S&P 500® Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The level of the S&P 500® Index reflects the total market value of all 500 component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the level easier to work with and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed level of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941-43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the S&P 500® Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the S&P 500® Index, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the S&P 500® Index. The index divisor keeps the S&P 500® Index comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the S&P 500® Index, which is index maintenance.

S&P 500® Index Maintenance

S&P 500® Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends, and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs. Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the S&P 500® Index, and do not require index divisor adjustments.

To prevent the level of the S&P 500® Index from changing due to corporate actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of the S&P 500® Index require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index divisor for the change in market value, the level of the S&P 500® Index remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the S&P 500® Index. S&P 500® Index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the S&P 500® Index closing level.

Changes in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more due to mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, tender offers, Dutch auctions, or exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably possible. All other changes of 5.00% or more (due to, for example, company stock repurchases, private placements, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participation units, at the market offerings, or other recapitalizations) are made weekly and are announced on Wednesdays for implementation after the close of trading on the following Wednesday. Changes of less than 5.00% due to a company’s acquisition of another company in the Index are made as soon as reasonably possible. All other changes of less than 5.00% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, and are usually announced two to five days prior.

Changes in IWFs of more than ten percentage points caused by corporate actions (such as merger and acquisition activity, restructurings, or spinoffs) will be made as soon as reasonably possible. Other changes in IWFs will be made annually when IWFs are reviewed.

 

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License Agreement

S&P does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Index or any data included in the Index. S&P shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions in the Index. S&P makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by MLPF&S, us, holders of the notes, or any other person or entity from the use of the Index or any data included in the Index in connection with the rights licensed under the license agreement described in this term sheet or for any other use. S&P makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Index or any data included in the Index. Without limiting any of the above information, in no event shall S&P have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages, including lost profits, even if notified of the possibility of these damages.

S&P and MLPF&S have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to MLPF&S, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use the Index in connection with this offering. The license agreement provides that the following language must be stated in this term sheet:

“The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by S&P. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the notes particularly or the ability of the Index to track general stock market performance. S&P’s only relationship to MLPF&S and to us (other than transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business) is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of S&P and of the Index which is determined, composed, and calculated by S&P without regard to MLPF&S, us, or the notes. S&P has no obligation to take the needs of MLPF&S, our needs, or the needs of the holders of the notes into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating the Index. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of the sale of the notes, prices at which the notes are to initially be sold, or quantities of the notes to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the notes are to be converted into cash. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the notes.”

 

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Summary Tax Consequences

You should consider the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including the following:

 

   

You agree with us (in the absence of an administrative determination, or judicial ruling to the contrary) to characterize and treat the notes for all tax purposes as a callable single financial contract linked to the Index that requires you to pay us at inception an amount equal to the purchase price of the notes and that entitles you to receive at maturity or upon earlier redemption an amount in cash linked to the level of the Index.

 

   

Under this characterization and tax treatment of the notes, upon receipt of a cash payment at maturity or upon a sale, exchange, or redemption of the notes prior to maturity, you generally will recognize capital gain or loss. This capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you hold the notes for more than one year and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. Accordingly, if the notes are called on the first or second Observation Date, your capital gain or loss generally will be short-term capital gain or loss.

Certain U.S. Federal Income Taxation Considerations

Set forth below is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to an investment in the notes. The following summary is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by the discussion under the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary” beginning on page S-43 of product supplement STR-2, which you should carefully review prior to investing in the notes.

General. Although there is no statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addressing the characterization of the notes, we intend to treat the notes for all tax purposes as a callable single financial contract linked to the Index that requires you to pay us at inception an amount equal to the purchase price of the notes and that entitles you to receive at maturity or upon earlier redemption an amount in cash linked to the level of the Index. Under the terms of the notes, we and every investor in the notes agree, in the absence of an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to treat the notes as described in the preceding sentence. This discussion assumes that the notes constitute a callable single financial contract linked to the Index for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the notes did not constitute a callable single financial contract, the tax consequences described below would be materially different.

This characterization of the notes is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or the courts. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addresses the characterization of the notes or any similar instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and no ruling is being requested from the IRS with respect to their proper characterization and treatment. Due to the absence of authorities on point, significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes are not certain, and no assurance can be given that the IRS or any court will agree with the characterization and tax treatment described in product supplement STR-2. Accordingly, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including possible alternative characterizations. The discussion in this section and in the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary” in product supplement STR-2 assume that there is a significant possibility of a significant loss of principal on an investment in the notes.

Settlement at Maturity or Sale, Exchange, or Redemption Prior to Maturity. Assuming that the notes are properly characterized and treated as callable single financial contracts linked to the Index for U.S. federal income tax purposes, upon receipt of a cash payment at maturity or upon a sale, exchange, or redemption of the notes prior to maturity, a U.S. Holder (as defined on page S-44 of product supplement STR-2) generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s basis in the notes. This capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder holds the notes for more than one year and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. Accordingly, if the notes are called on the first or second Observation Date, a U.S. Holder’s capital gain or loss generally will be short-term capital gain or loss. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Possible Future Tax Law Changes. From time to time, there may be legislative proposals or interpretive guidance addressing the tax treatment of financial instruments such as the notes. We cannot predict the likelihood of any such legislation or guidance being adopted, or the ultimate impact on the notes. For example, on December 7, 2007, the IRS released Notice 2008-2 (“Notice”) seeking comments from the public on the taxation of financial instruments currently taxed as “prepaid forward contracts.” This Notice addresses instruments such as the notes. According to the Notice, the IRS and Treasury are considering whether a holder of an instrument such as the notes should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis, regardless of whether any payments are made prior to maturity. It is not possible to determine what guidance the IRS and Treasury will ultimately issue, if any. Any such future guidance may affect the amount, timing, and character of income, gain, or loss in respect of the notes, possibly with retroactive effect. The IRS and Treasury are also considering additional issues, including whether additional gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital, whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals, whether Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, concerning certain “constructive ownership transactions,” generally applies or should generally apply to such instruments, and whether any of these determinations depend on the nature of the underlying asset. We urge you to consult your own tax advisors concerning the impact and the significance of the above considerations. We intend to continue treating the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the manner described herein unless and until such time as we determine, or the IRS or Treasury determines, that some other treatment is more appropriate.

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. See the discussion under the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary” beginning on page S-43 of product supplement STR-2.

 

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Additional Terms

You should read this term sheet, together with the documents listed below, which together contain the terms of the notes and supersede all prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth under “Risk Factors” and “Additional Risk Factors” in the sections indicated on the cover of this term sheet. The notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting, and other advisors before you invest in the notes.

You may access the following documents on the SEC Website at www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC Website):

 

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Product supplement STR-2 dated April 21, 2009:

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000095014409003417/g18702p5e424b5.htm

 

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Series L MTN prospectus supplement dated April 21, 2009 and prospectus dated April 20, 2009:

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000095014409003387/g18667b5e424b5.htm

Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC Website is 70858.

We have filed a registration statement (including a product supplement, a prospectus supplement, and a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this term sheet relates. Before you invest, you should read the product supplement, the prospectus supplement, and the prospectus in that registration statement, and the other documents relating to this offering that we have filed with the SEC for more complete information about us and this offering. You may get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, we, any agent or any dealer participating in this offering will arrange to send you the Note Prospectus if you so request by calling MLPF&S toll-free at 1-866-500-5408.

Structured Investments Classification

MLPF&S classifies certain structured investments (the “Structured Investments”), including the notes, into four categories, each with different investment characteristics. The description below is intended to briefly describe the four categories of Structured Investments offered: Principal Protection, Enhanced Income, Market Participation, and Enhanced Participation. A Structured Investment may, however, combine characteristics that are relevant to one or more of the other categories. As such, a category should not be relied upon as a description of any particular Structured Investment.

Principal Protection: Principal Protected Structured Investments offer full or partial principal protection against decreases in the value of the underlying market measure (or increases in the value of an underlying market measure for bearish Structured Investments), while offering market exposure and the opportunity for a better return than may be available from comparable fixed income securities. Principal protection may not be achieved if the investment is sold prior to maturity.

Enhanced Income: Structured Investments offering enhanced income may offer an enhanced income stream through interim fixed or variable coupon payments. However, in exchange for receiving current income, investors may forfeit upside potential on the underlying asset. These investments generally do not include the principal protection feature.

Market Participation: Market Participation Structured Investments can offer investors exposure to specific market sectors, asset classes, and/or strategies that may not be readily available through traditional investment alternatives. Returns obtained from these investments are tied to the performance of the underlying asset. As such, subject to certain fees, the returns will generally reflect any increases or decreases in the value of such assets. These investments generally do not include the principal protection feature.

Enhanced Participation: Enhanced Participation Structured Investments may offer investors the potential to receive better than market returns on the performance of the underlying asset. Some structures may offer leverage in exchange for a capped or limited upside potential and also in exchange for downside risk. These investments generally do not include the principal protection feature.

The classification of Structured Investments is meant solely for informational purposes and is not intended to fully describe any particular Structured Investment nor guarantee any particular performance.

“Strategic Accelerated Redemption Securities®” is our registered service mark.

 

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