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Bank of America

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FY2012 Annual Report · Bank of America
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Bank of America Corporation 
2012 Annual Report

The relationship
that kept her financial life on track

The conversation
that grew their business

The advice
that helped secure their retirement 

The know-how
that relaunched an airline

The common vision
that strengthened a community

Life’s better when we’re connected

Imagine a company that shapes its culture  
around its customers rather than its products —  
that discovers what matters most to every customer 
and client and brings the most relevant assets to 
bear. A company that connects people, companies 
and institutional investors to the broadest array of 
products and services in the business. 

This is Bank of America 
today. Meeting a world of 
individual needs. By being 
more than a bank; we are  
a financial services provider  
that connects with you 
every step of the way.

Bank of America 
Life’s better when we’re connected

To our shareholders,
Three years ago, we started on  
a path to make Bank of America a 
less complex and stronger company. 
At the heart of our plan was a 
strategy to focus on the three 
groups of customers we serve — 
people, companies and institutional 
investors — and to become their 
primary financial services partner. 

Doing so required that we focus along two fronts: we had 
to strengthen our foundation and work through the issues 
that arose a(cid:143)er the economic downturn of 2008 and were 
obscuring the promise and potential of our company. At the 
same time, we established a clear strategy to only do what 
is core for the customers and clients we serve, to be the 
best in those areas and drive growth.

In addressing those issues and executing our strategy,  
we have transformed our company. 

A strong foundation

We built a fortress balance sheet that gives us the platform 
to accelerate business growth. We reduced long-term debt 
by nearly $100 billion from the end of 2011 while maintain-
ing significant excess liquidity of $372 billion. 

Our capital is at industry-leading levels. We ended the  
year with a Tier 1 common capital ratio under Basel 1 of 
11.06 percent, a more than 3 percentage point improvement 
from three years ago. Although the industry has until 2019 
to meet the more stringent requirements of the Basel 3 
standards, our estimated Tier 1 common capital ratio under 
those standards today exceeds the minimum requirement —  
six years before full implementation. We have simplified our 
company and we have more than adequate capital to support 
our strategic plans. We are well positioned to return excess 
capital to our shareholders and we believe that buying back 
common shares is the best way to continue to drive value  
for our shareholders.  

Brian T. Moynihan Chief Executive Officer

2

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

We’re delivering our capabilities how,  
where and when our customers and clients 
want them — whether it’s through one of  
our approximately 5,500 banking centers  
and 16,300 ATMs, or our leading online  
and mobile platforms.

We have narrowed our focus to concentrate on the busi-
nesses and services that matter most to our customers and 
clients. We divested more than $60 billion of assets in non-
core activities with no meaningful impact to core earnings 
and large improvements to capital ratios and liquidity. 

We continue to reduce risk throughout the company while 
maintaining a strong risk management culture. Credit risk 
measurements continued to improve in 2012. Loss rates  
were at their lowest levels in several years, reflecting  
improvements in credit quality across major consumer and 
commercial portfolios. 

Two years ago we began a program we call New BAC, to 
solicit thousands of ideas from our own employees on how 
to streamline the company, be more efficient in our opera-
tions, reduce the red tape amongst ourselves and with our 
customers and, ultimately, to decrease our expenses. That 
work is well under way. 

In addition, we are focused on reducing expenses in our 
Legacy Assets & Servicing business. We have made  
significant progress reducing the number of delinquent 
mortgage loans and helping more than 1.5 million customers 
avoid foreclosure with modifications, short sales and  
other programs. 

In 2012, the number of 60+ day delinquent loans declined by 
33 percent to approximately 773,000 loans. We expect to drive 
that even lower in 2013. That improvement has enabled us to 
shi(cid:143) resources to originate mortgages for our customers and 
reduce staffing levels in Legacy Assets & Servicing. 

As we reduce costs, we are investing in many areas of the 
company — including our industry-leading online and  
mobile banking platforms and in growth areas such as small 
business, mortgage, and wealth management. 

Our financial results for the year show the clear progress 
we’ve made as well as the impact of continuing to put  
the Countrywide mortgage issues behind us. Your company 
earned $4.2 billion in 2012 compared to earnings  
of $1.4 billion in 2011. Our tangible book value per share  
also improved to $13.36 at December 31, 2012 from  
$12.95 at December 31, 2011.1

While we are not yet where we want to be, our results reflect  
the underlying strength and earnings potential of the company  
that I believe will become even more apparent this year. 

A clear purpose

We value the investment and trust each of you as sharehold-
ers has made in Bank of America — and we believe you  
own a great company. The capabilities we’ve built over nearly  
230 years are second to none, and we can do more for the 
people, companies and institutional investors who choose to 
do business with us than any other financial services company 
can. Every day our team is hard at work proving it; taking 
advantage of all the capabilities, expertise and resources at 
our disposal to make financial lives better. Quite simply, that 
is our purpose — to make financial lives better, through the 
power of every connection. 

1  Tangible book value per share is a non-GAAP financial measure. Other companies may define or calculate these 
measures differently. For additional information and reconciliation to a GAAP financial measure, see Supplemental 
Financial Data on page 31 and Statistical Table XV on page 141 of the 2012 Financial Review section.

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

3

Whether it’s closing a deal in Asia or clearing 
a trade in New York, our team of professionals 
brings expertise and integrity to every 
relationship and every transaction.

It comes down to one customer, 
one client, one interaction at a time. 
It comes down to delivering what 
our customers need and doing it 
fl awlessly over and over again.
It comes down to better connecting as a team and working 
together to deliver one company. Throughout this report, 
we will share some stories that exemplify how we deliver for 
our shareholders through the power of our connections with 
our customers, our clients, and the communities we serve. 

Delivering one company 

Looking across every customer group we serve — whether 
a retail customer, an individual investor client, or a large 
corporate client — you can see how the work to deliver one 
company and the relationship strategy we’ve put in place 
are driving results.

For people, we’re delivering products and capabilities our 
customers want in a targeted way that takes into account 
each customer’s relationship and preferences. One particu-
lary exciting area is the growth we see in online and mobile 
banking. The number of mobile banking customers increased 

by 30 percent during the year to more than 12 million 
customers, and we are averaging about 10,000 new mobile 
subscribers a day. 

We also increased our specialized sales force of mortgage 
loan offi  cers, small business bankers and fi nancial solutions 
advisors to nearly 6,200 — providing customers improved 
access to specialists. As a result, deposits continue to grow 
and retail mortgage production was up more than 40 per-
cent in the fourth quarter of 2012 from a year ago. 

Small business loan originations increased 28 percent to 
$8.7 billion for the year, refl ecting our focus on supporting 
this key segment of the U.S. economy. Our preferred client 
growth was strong, with brokerage assets in Merrill Edge® 
up 14 percent from a year ago. Wealth management revenue, 
earnings and pretax margin were also at record levels for 
the year. Both Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust had strong, 
increased client fl ows, meaning clients are doing more 
business with us. 

For companies, we are connecting them with our expertise 
and capabilities so they can do more and get the solutions 
they need. Loan growth expanded; commercial loans were up 
nearly 12 percent from a year ago. Investment banking fees 
are strong and we maintained our No. 2 global market share 
position for the third consecutive year. 

4 

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

Capital raised for clients
(in billions, full year)

Risk-weighted assets
(at year-end, in trillions)

2012

2011

2010

$605

$645

$569

2012

2011

2010

Tier 1 common capital ratio
(at year-end)

Net income (loss)
(in billions, full year)

2012

2011

2010

11.1%

9.9%

8.6%

2012

2011

2010

$1.4

$(2.2)

$1.2

$1.3

$1.5

$4.2

What really diff erentiates us is our ability to deliver leading 
capabilities and expertise across multiple products. 
We served as advisor on some of the largest deals of 2012, 
including the second-largest equity off ering globally — 
Japan Airlines, which is described later in this report.

plan for college, or bringing a large deal to a successful close. 
But, I’m equally proud of the impact our team has outside the 
boundaries of our day jobs — the 1.5 million volunteer hours, 
the community renewal projects, and the monetary support 
for causes like education, hunger relief and job training. 

For institutional investors, we have the ability to serve 
clients in more than 100 countries. We trade in many mar-
kets and provide research on more than 3,300 companies. 
Our research team was recognized as best in the world for 
the second straight year by Institutional Investor magazine. 
For the full year, sales and trading revenue did well in a 
tough environment. 

We believe the customer-focused strategy we’ve put in place 
is helping our customers and clients do more. It’s a strategy 
that at its core means listening to what our customers want 
and bringing together the full power of our company to help 
them get the solutions they need.

Our team

We believe that by being the best place to work for our 
employees they can better serve our customers and clients, 
which in turn will drive better returns for our shareholders. 

Every day I hear from customers and clients about how 
our employees have made a diff erence — helping a small 
business get up and running, advising a family on a fi nancial 

As we think about what the future holds, with the team we 
have and the company we’ve built, there is good reason to 
be optimistic and excited about what lies ahead. 

Our heading is set, our course clearly defi ned and we are 
pushing forward with the heavy drag of legacy weight 
greatly reduced. We have leading capabilities and expertise 
that enable us to outdistance the competition and win in the 
marketplace. We are focused on the horizon and committed 
to being better every day for those we serve, for the com-
munities where we live and for each other. 

We are grateful to have you continue to share this journey 
with us. As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback 
as we move forward together.

Brian T. Moynihan
Chief Executive Offi  cer
March 15, 2013

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

5

The relationship

that kept her  
financial life on track

Television producer Marguerite Henry likes a  
little drama, but not with her bank. She keeps her 
accounts with Bank of America to stay connected 
and in control of her finances. Marguerite uses  
our award-winning online and mobile platforms  
to keep up with her balances, pay bills, make 
transfers and deposit checks, whenever and 
wherever it’s convenient for her. 

6 

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

Consumer banking that brings it all together. 
By listening to our customers and understanding 
what they want from a fi nancial partner, we’ve built 
a full range of consumer fi nancial products and 
services designed to help meet their needs. Where 
we really add value is helping our customers put it 
all together. We make it easier for our customers to 
do their banking, and we provide access to guidance 
and solutions that match their fi nancial goals and 
lifestyles. It helps that our products and services 
are among the most innovative in the industry, 
all developed with the goal of making banking 
with us clear, straightforward and rewarding. 

Top mobile platform: With the Bank of America 
Mobile Banking app, customers can check balances, 
deposit checks, transfer funds, pay bills and fi nd nearby 

banking centers and ATMs anytime, anywhere. It’s like having 
a banking center in your smartphone.

Credit solutions: We’re an active and responsible 
lender, ready to offer appropriate credit solutions for 
our customers. Whether a customer needs a line of 
credit, credit card or home loan, the credit terms offered by 
Bank of America are clear and easy to understand. 

$

Investing: We can help our customers by introducing 
them to the Merrill Edge® investing and trading platform, 
where they can invest with confi dence. Merrill Edge 
offers access to a full range of Merrill Lynch investment and 
Bank of America banking products to provide customers with 
the capabilities and expertise they need for every life stage or 
fi nancial decision.

Specialized service: It’s not just about checking 
accounts. We’re connecting customers to a growing 
team of nearly 6,200 specialists in investment 

management, small business lending and home loans. We’re 
adding more of these specialists this year in banking centers 
and centralized locations.

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

7

As founders of the BOKA Restaurant 
Group, Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm 
discovered their recipe for success  
in hard work and help from the right 
financial institution. For the past 
decade, their team at Bank of 
America has shared their highly 
successful vision of chef-centric 
restaurants and helped them grow 
and expand. Along the way, their 
relationship with the bank has 
expanded to include products and 
services such as business checking 
accounts, credit cards, merchant 
services, online cash management, 
credit for capital expenditures, bank 
and SBA financing for their buildings,  
Bank of America at Work® for their 
employees and personal wealth 
management through U.S. Trust.  

The conversation        

that grew  
their business

Financial management made easier. Starting a new business is both 
exciting and challenging. At Bank of America, we have a long history 
of serving our small business community. Our team of Small Business 
Banking specialists works closely with its clients, helping them run their 
businesses efficiently and plan for the future. And for those businesses 
that outgrow their small business roots, our Business Banking team can 
provide advice and integrated solutions for larger companies ($5 million  
to $50 million in annual revenue) to optimize working capital and help 
these businesses continue to grow.

8

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

Financial management: Expert advice combined with 
cutting-edge tools, such as express invoicing, direct 

Lending: We originated approximately $8.7 billion 
in new small business loans and commitments in 

payments, remote deposit and CashPro® Online, give our business 
clients an edge in effi ciency. 

2012, up 28 percent from 2011, refl ecting a continued focus 
on supporting small businesses.

Personalized service: We have hired more than 
1,000 small business bankers to help bring our small 
business expertise closer to our clients in local markets. 

In addition, 450 fi eld-based client managers meet the needs of 
our Business Banking clients. Each of these bankers serves as 
the go-to person in the local market, consulting with business 
owners at their places of business and helping them achieve 
their fi nancial objectives. 

Convenience: Bank of America is committed to 
delivering the power of its national network to more 
than 3 million small business clients. We have added 
more online chat and direct phone sales and service associates 
who interact with hundreds of thousands of clients per year. 
In addition, more than 2 million small businesses use our 
Online Banking services and more than 500,000 now use our 
Mobile Banking platform.

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

9

Aft er Dr. and Mrs. Ko moved to California in 1983, 
Dr. Ko worked to build a new practice in pulmonary 
medicine. As the practice grew, so did the Kos’ 
needs for fi nancial advice and guidance. For more 
than 20 years, they have worked with Bank of 
America to help meet those needs, and are now 
also Merrill Lynch clients. Their Merrill Lynch 
fi nancial advisor, Robyn Lawhon, has built a close 
relationship with the couple by understanding 
and helping them meet their life goals, including 
preparing their legacy for the next generation. 
Based on the Kos’ particular fi nancial needs 
and goals, Robyn advises them on a wide range 
of solutions, including access to real estate 
fi nancing and investing for their retirement.

The advice

that helped secure 
their retirement

10

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

A passion for building and preserving wealth. 
The cornerstone of our wealth management practice 
is the personal relationship our advisors offer our 
clients. Building on that relationship, we design 
our wealth management solutions and services to 
meet our clients’ unique needs at every stage of 
their fi nancial lives, whether we are helping a client 
map out a strategy for retirement, or managing 
the fi nancial estate of a business owner and 
philanthropist. Our Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust advisors 
take the time to understand each client’s specifi c 
goals, and then bring the full power of our fi rm to 
each client relationship through our investment, 
banking and retirement products.

Personalized wealth management and trust 
services: The wealth management businesses of Bank 
of America bring personalized fi nancial advice and 

services to millions of clients. Through the years, our combined 
fi rms have helped our clients build, preserve and pass on their 
wealth, and we have stood by them in periods of hardship and 
uncertainty. Our commitment to our clients in every interaction 
is to deliver expertise and advice that are based on judgment, 
trust and time-honored values.

Expert insight: Information is critical in today’s fast-
paced world. We bring the leading experts, insights 
and analysis to our advisors and clients, so that clients 
can better gauge how developments in markets, economies and 
countries around the world will impact them personally. 

Meeting client needs: Within Merrill Lynch Wealth 
Management and U.S. Trust, we begin with a dialogue 
that grows into an ongoing collaboration between the 
advisor and client. We listen to our clients to set priorities and 
agree on a personalized approach to help them achieve their 
goals. Whether we are helping a client manage investments or 
risk within a portfolio, transfer wealth to the next generation, 
or plan a fulfi lling life a› er retirement, our advisors can offer 
a wide range of capabilities to clients, including investments, 
wealth structuring, cash management and credit.

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

11

The know-how       

that relaunched  
an airline

When Japan Airlines (JAL) was ready to re-enter 
the global capital markets, Bank of America 
Merrill Lynch was ready to help the deal soar. 
We acted as a strategic partner and advisor to 
JAL as they prepared for their 2012 initial public 
offering, helping them position their equity 
story with investors from all around the world. 
Resulting investor demand enabled JAL to price 
their share sale at the top of the range offered 
to investors. All the hard work by the JAL and 
Bank of America Merrill Lynch teams paid off 
with an impressive $8.5 billion initial public 
offering for the airline — the second-largest 
equity offering globally in 2012. Our partnership 
with JAL continues today through global banking 
services designed specifically for the needs of 
this fast-growing international company.

12 

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

Unrivaled global connections and expertise. 
With operations spanning the globe, we meet our clients’ 
needs wherever they are in the world. Our approach to the 
complex business requirements of global companies is simple: 
create a client-centered culture that ensures our advice and 
recommendations align with our clients’ strategic business 
needs; invest in a global platform that can achieve and maintain 
leading positions in M&A advisory, capital raising, fi nancings 
of all kinds, debt, equity and commodities sales and trading, 
cash management and other major services; and bring together 
smart, driven and client-focused professionals to deliver shared 
success for our clients and our company. Our client base 
includes 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 1000 and 84 percent 
of the Global Fortune 500.

Global research: Our award-winning research 
expertise is core to the value we offer clients 
in Global Wealth and Investment Management, 

Industry and regional expertise: Our corporate 
and investment banking and treasury capabilities, 
coupled with industry and regional expertise, 

Global Banking, and Global Markets. Our nearly 700 analysts 
provide insightful, objective and decisive research that 
helps clients make more informed investment decisions. 
BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research achieves research 
excellence through the quality of its staff and the breadth 
and depth of its global resources.

Global distribution: A broad-based team of Global 
Markets professionals is at the center of the 
world’s debt, equity, currency and commodities 
markets, providing liquidity, hedging strategies, industry-
leading insights, analytics and competitive pricing to more 
than 12,000 institutional clients on six continents.

enable us to deliver for corporations and fi nancial 
institutions globally. Whether it’s structuring and 
underwriting capital-raising transactions, providing 
M&A advice, or developing comprehensive treasury 
solutions, we provide our clients with integrated fi nancial 
products and services built upon an in-depth knowledge 
of their company, industry and regions in which 
they operate.

Commercial banking: Bank of America Merrill 
Lynch is one of the largest commercial banks in 
the United States, serving some 30,000 companies 

with revenues of $50 million to more than $2 billion. With 
offi ces across the United States, we provide clients with 
in-depth expertise and a full range of fi nancial solutions, 
including credit, treasury, derivatives, capital markets 
and retirement services, as well as wealth management 
products provided through Merrill Lynch Wealth 
Management and U.S. Trust.

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report 

13

 
The 
common 
vision 

that strengthened a community

Developed by WinnCompanies, Curtain Lofts 
preserves a piece of history in Fall River, 
Massachusetts, and allows friends like Rose Black 
and Marsha Byron to live in their community at 
affordable rents. Bank of America provided a  
$14 million construction loan and $20 million in  
tax credit equity investments to help redevelop the 
century-old mill building, converting it into 97 rent- 
and income-restricted and market-rate loft-style 
apartments for people age 55 and older. For Rose 
and Marsha, Curtain Lofts offers comfort and 
community. For the residents of Fall River, Curtain 
Lofts provides economic development to help 
revitalize and strengthen their community.

14 

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

Local impact, global momentum. Corporate Social 
Responsibility (CSR) is integral to the success of our 
company and the customers, clients, shareholders 
and communities we serve around the world. Our 
CSR activities — lending, investing and giving — 
are core to our business, as we continually strive 
to be a better and more responsible company. Our 
global work force is committed to serving all of our 
stakeholders through daily interactions, listening and 
collaborating, and responding with the best solutions. 
From helping to structure innovative business 
deals that benefi t the environment, to working with 
nonprofi t leaders to better understand important 
issues, we are making every effort to be responsive 
to our customers and to society.

Responsible business practices: We rigorously review 
our business practices and policies, including simplifying 
information for customers, maintaining a strong risk 

Leadership and service: We’re developing leaders 
through signature programs, from mentoring emerging 
women leaders from developing countries to working 

culture, building up industry-leading levels of capital, and 
managing all of our businesses to be accountable to shareholders 
and stakeholders.

with high-performing nonprofi ts across the United States. And our 
employees give their time and expertise to improve communities 
through volunteerism, helping individuals gain fi nancial stability, 
feeding the hungry and building affordable housing.

Strong economies: Through lending, investing 
and giving, we are supporting the economic health 
of communities, from fi nancing more than 114,000 units of 
affordable housing in low-income communities over the past 
eight years to providing more than $22 million in housing grants 
last year. We continue to help small businesses grow by offering 
local expertise in the markets that we serve. 

Environmental sustainability: We put our capital and 
expertise to work to address climate change, reduce 
demands on natural resources and advance lower-
carbon economic solutions. We’ve delivered $21.6 billion in 
fi ve years to fi nance energy effi ciency and wind, solar and other 
renewable energy projects that are powering communities and 
creating thousands of jobs.

Arts and culture: Through innovative programs, 
we promote local economic growth and community 
engagement worldwide, including grants to help 

preserve global works of art, loaned exhibits for museums and 
free admission to U.S. cultural institutions for Bank of America 
and Merrill Lynch cardholders. 

Diversity and inclusion: With a global work force in 
more than 40 countries, we value our differences — in 
thought, style, culture, ethnicity and experience — understanding 
that diversity and inclusion are good for business, allowing 
our company to better serve employees, customers, clients 
and shareholders.

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

15

Bank of America Corporation — Financial Highlights

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. As of December 31, 2012, we operated 
in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 40 countries. Through our banking and various nonbanking 
subsidiaries throughout the United States and in international markets, we provide a diversifi ed range of banking and 
nonbanking fi nancial services and products through fi ve business segments: Consumer and Business Banking, Consumer 
Real Estate Services, Global Banking, Global Markets and Global Wealth and Investment Management.

Financial Highlights (in millions, except per share information)

For the year 

Revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)1 
Net income (loss) 
Net income, excluding goodwill impairment charges1 
Earnings (loss) per common share 
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share 
Diluted earnings per common share, excluding goodwill impairment charges1 
Dividends paid per common share 
Return on average assets 
Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity1 
Effi ciency ratio (FTE basis)1 
Average diluted common shares issued and outstanding 

At year-end 

Total loans and leases 
Total assets 
Total deposits 
Total shareholders’ equity 
Book value per common share 
Tangible book value per common share1 
Market price per common share 
Common shares issued and outstanding 
Tier 1 common capital ratio 
Tangible common equity ratio1 

$ 

2012

84,235 
4,188 
4,188 
0.26 
0.25 
0.25 
0.04 
0.19% 
2.60 
85.59 
10,841 

2012

$  907,819 
  2,209,974 
  1,105,261 
236,956 
20.24 
13.36 
11.61 
10,778 

$ 

2011

94,426 
1,446 
4,630 
0.01 
0.01 
0.32 
0.04 
0.06% 
0.96 
85.01 
10,255 

2011

$  926,200 
2,129,046 
1,033,041 
230,101 
20.09 
12.95 
5.56 
10,536 

2010

$  111,390
(2,238)
10,162
(0.37)
(0.37)
0.86
0.04
n/m
n/m
74.61
9,790

2010

$  940,440
2,264,909
1,010,430
228,248
20.99
12.98
13.34
10,085

11.06% 
6.74 

9.86% 
6.64 

8.60%
5.99

1 Represents a non-GAAP fi nancial measure. Net income (loss) and diluted earnings (loss) per common share have been calculated excluding goodwill impairment charges of 
$3.2 billion in 2011 and $12.4 billion in 2010. There were no goodwill impairment charges in 2012. For additional information on these measures and ratios, and a correspond-
ing reconciliation to GAAP fi nancial measures, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31 and Statistical Table XV on page 141 of the 2012 Financial Review section. 
n/m=not meaningful

BAC fi ve-year stock performance

Total cumulative shareholder return2

$120

$100

$80

$60

$40

$20

$0

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

December 31 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012

  BAC  BANK OF AMERICA CORP 
  SPX  S&P 500 COMP 
  BKX  KBW BANK INDEX 

$100  

$100 

$100 

$37 

$63 

$53 

$40 

$80 

$52 

$35 

$92 

$64 

$15 

$94 

$49 

$31

$109

$65

2 This graph compares the yearly change in the Corporation’s total cumulative shareholder return 
on its common stock with (i) the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and (ii) the KBW Bank Index for 
the years ended December 31, 2008 through 2012. The graph assumes an initial investment of 
$100 at the end of 2007 and the  reinvestment of all dividends during the years indicated. 

16 
16

Bank of America 2012 Annual Report
Bank of America 2012 Annual Report

$50

$40

$30

$20

$10

$0

2008
  HIGH  $45.03 

2009
$18.59 

2010

2011
2012
$19.48  $15.25  $11.61

  LOW  11.25 

3.14 

 CLOSE  14.08 

15.06 

10.95 

13.34 

4.99 
5.56 

5.80

11.61

BAC stock price and credit default 
swap spread3
$12
$10
$8
$6
$4

e
c
i
r
P
k
c
o
t
S

$2
$0
12/31/11

3/31/12
  STOCK PRICE 

6/30/12

9/30/12

12/31/12
  BAC 5Y CDS

3  Credit default swap spreads are calculated off of 5-year LIBOR.

500

400

300

200

100

0

)
s
p
b
(
S
D
C

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2012 Financial Review

Financial Review Contents

Executive Summary

Recent Events

Performance Overview

Financial Highlights

Balance Sheet Overview

Business Segment Results

Supplemental Financial Data

Business Segment Operations

Consumer & Business Banking

Consumer Real Estate Services

Global Banking

Global Markets

Global Wealth & Investment Management

All Other

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations

Regulatory Matters

Managing Risk

Strategic Risk Management

Capital Management

Liquidity Risk

Credit Risk Management

Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management

Commercial Portfolio Credit Risk Management

Non-U.S. Portfolio

Provision for Credit Losses

Allowance for Credit Losses

Market Risk Management

Trading Risk Management

Interest Rate Risk Management for Nontrading Activities

Mortgage Banking Risk Management

Compliance Risk Management

Operational Risk Management

Complex Accounting Estimates

2011 Compared to 2010

Overview

Business Segment Operations

Statistical Tables

Glossary

Throughout the MD&A, we use certain acronyms and
abbreviations which are defined in the Glossary.

18     Bank of America 2012

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

represent 

This report, the documents that it incorporates by reference and 
the documents into which it may be incorporated by reference may 
contain,  and  from  time  to  time  Bank  of  America  Corporation 
(collectively  with  its  subsidiaries,  the  Corporation)  and  its 
management may make certain statements that constitute forward-
looking  statements  within  the  meaning  of  the  Private  Securities 
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified 
by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current 
facts.  Forward-looking  statements  often  use  words  such  as 
“expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “intends,” 
“plans,” “goal” and other similar expressions or future or conditional 
verbs such as “will,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “would” and “could.” The 
forward-looking  statements  made 
the  current 
expectations, plans or forecasts of the Corporation regarding the 
Corporation’s future results and revenues, and future business and 
economic  conditions  more  generally, 
including  statements 
concerning:  expectations  regarding  actions  to  be  taken  by  the 
Federal Reserve; transfers of servicing rights scheduled to occur in 
stages over the course of 2013 with the delinquent loans scheduled 
to  be  transferred  after  the  current  loans;  that  the  criteria  for 
inclusion in the Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolios will continue 
to be evaluated over time; the expectation that approximately $200 
million in servicing fees recognized per quarter related to servicing 
transferred  will  decrease  throughout  2013  as  the  servicing  is 
transferred  and  that  over  time  the  impact  on  earnings  will  be 
negligible as expenses are expected to also decrease after servicing 
is transferred, especially the loans which are 60 days or more past 
due; the expectation that liability management actions taken in the 
fourth  quarter  of  2012  will  result  in  pre-tax  net  interest  income 
benefit of approximately $350 million in 2013; effects of the FNMA 
Settlement and 2013 IFR Acceleration Agreement; the achievement 
of  cost  savings  in  certain  noninterest  expense  categories  as 
workflows  continue  to  be  streamlined,  processes  simplified  and 
expenses  aligned  with  the  overall  strategic  plan  and  operating 
principles; projected New BAC Phase 1 annualized cost savings of 
more  than  $5  billion  by  the  fourth  quarter  of  2013  with  the  full 
impact expected to be realized in 2014; the expectation that New 
BAC Phase 2 will result in an additional $3 billion of annualized cost 
savings by mid-2015; that the Corporation may conduct additional 
redemptions, tender offers, exercises and other transactions in the 
future  depending  on  prevailing  market  conditions,  liquidity, 
regulatory and other factors; the expectation that the Corporation 
would record a charge to income tax expense of approximately $800 
million if the income tax rate were reduced to 21 percent by 2014 
as  suggested  in  U.K. Treasury  announcements  and  assuming  no 
change  in  the  deferred  tax  asset  balance;  the  goal  to  manage 
interest rate sensitivity so that movements in interest rates do not 
significantly adversely affect earnings and capital; that the sale of 
the  GWIM  international  wealth  management  business  and  the 
Japanese  brokerage  joint  venture  are  not  expected  to  have  a 
significant  impact  on  the  Corporation’s  balance  sheet,  results  of 
operations or capital ratios; the expectation that the Corporation 
will make at least $319 million of contributions to pension plans 
during 2013; the expectation that unresolved repurchase claims 
related  to  private-label  securitization  trustees  and  third-party 
securitization sponsors will continue to increase; the resolution of 
representations and warranties repurchase and other claims; the 
final  resolution  of  the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement;  the  estimates  of 
liability  and  range  of  possible  loss  for  representations  and 

that 

the  possibility 

repurchase  claims; 

warranties 
future 
representations and warranties losses may occur in excess of the 
amounts  recorded  for  those  exposures;  that  the  expiration  and 
mutual non-renewal of certain contractual delivery commitments 
and variances with Fannie Mae will not have a material impact on 
our  CRES  business,  as  the  Corporation  expects  to  rely  on  other 
sources of liquidity to actively extend mortgage credit to customers 
including  continuing  to  deliver  such  products  into  Freddie  Mac 
mortgage-backed securities pools; that there will likely be additional 
requests  from  monolines  for  loan  files  in  the  future  leading  to 
repurchase claims; the belief that increases in requests for loan 
files from certain private-label securitization trustees and requests 
for tolling agreements to toll the applicable statutes of limitation 
related to representations and warranties repurchase claims will 
likely lead to an increase in repurchase claims from private-label 
securitization  trustees  with  standing  to  bring  such  claims;  the 
disposition and resolution of servicing matters; that implementation 
of uniform servicing standards is expected to contribute to elevated 
costs associated with the servicing process but is not expected to 
result in material delays or dislocation in the performance of the 
mortgage  servicing  obligations  including  the  completion  of 
foreclosures; beliefs and expectations concerning the impact of the 
National  Mortgage  Settlement;  the  Corporation’s  belief  that  the 
decline in default-related servicing costs will continue to accelerate 
in  2013;  that  swap  dealers  will  continue  to  become  subject  to 
additional CFTC rules as and when such rules take effect; that the 
proposed rule regarding credit risk retention would likely have an 
adverse impact on the Corporation’s ability to engage in many types 
of  the  MBS  and ABS  securitizations  conducted  in  CRES,  Global 
Markets  and  other  business  segments, 
impose  additional 
operational  and  compliance  costs  and  negatively  influence  the 
value, liquidity and transferability of ABS or MBS, loans and other 
assets;  that  the  Dodd-Frank  Wall  Street  Reform  and  Consumer 
Protection  Act  (Financial  Reform  Act)  will  continue  to  have  a 
significant and negative impact on earnings through fee reductions, 
higher costs and new restrictions as well as reductions to available 
capital; the substance and timing of the final rules implementing 
Basel 3; the expectation that the Corporation will comply with the 
final Basel 3 rules when issued and effective; that estimates under 
the Basel 3 Advanced Approach will be refined over time as a result 
of further rulemaking or clarification by U.S. banking regulators and 
as its understanding and interpretation of the rules evolve; that the 
final  rules  when  adopted  and  fully  implemented  are  likely  to 
influence regulatory capital and liquidity planning processes and 
may  impose  additional  operational  and  compliance  costs  on  the 
Corporation;  the  expectation  that  the  Liquidity  Coverage  Ratio 
requirement  will  be  implemented  in  January  2015  and  the  Net 
Stable  Funding  Ratio  requirement  in  January  2018,  following  an 
observation period that began in 2011; the goal to seek to maintain 
safety  and  soundness  at  all  times,  including  under  adverse 
conditions,  to  take  advantage  of  organic  growth  opportunities, 
maintain ready access to financial markets, continue to serve as a 
credit intermediary, remain a source of strength for the Corporation’s 
subsidiaries,  and  satisfy  current  and  future  regulatory  capital 
requirements;  the  goal  of  mitigating  refinancing  risk  by  actively 
managing the amount of borrowings that will likely mature within 
any month or quarter; the objective of maintaining high-quality credit 
ratings;  that,  if  the  Corporation’s  analytical  models  for  capital 
measurement under Basel 3 are not approved by the U.S. regulatory 

Bank of America 2012     19

agencies, it would likely lead to an increase in the Corporation’s risk-
weighted assets, which in some cases could be significant; that the 
Market  Risk  Final  Rule  and  the  Basel  3 Advanced Approach,  if 
adopted  as  proposed,  are  expected  to  substantially  increase  the 
Corporation’s capital requirements; that results from using stress 
scenario  assumptions  provided  by  the  Federal  Reserve  will  be 
received from the Federal Reserve on March 14, 2013; that funding 
trading activities in broker/dealer subsidiaries is more cost-efficient 
and  less  sensitive  to  changes  in  credit  ratings  than  unsecured 
financing;  that  VaR  model  results  will  be  supplemented  if  risks 
associated with positions that are illiquid and/or unobservable are 
material;  the  cost  and  availability  of  unsecured  funding;  the 
Corporation’s  belief  that  it  can  quickly  obtain  cash  for  certain 
securities even in stressed market conditions, through repurchase 
agreements or outright sales; the Corporation’s belief that a portion 
of structured liability obligations will remain outstanding beyond the 
earliest put or redemption date; the Corporation’s anticipation that 
debt  levels  will  continue  to  decline,  primarily  due  to  maturities, 
through  2013;  that,  of  the  loans  in  the  pay  option  portfolio  at 
December 31, 2012 that have not already experienced a payment 
reset, one percent are expected to reset in 2013 and approximately 
23  percent  thereafter,  and  that  seven  percent  are  expected  to 
prepay and 69 percent are expected to default prior to being reset, 
most of which were severely delinquent as of December 31, 2012; 
effects of the ongoing debt crisis in Europe, including the expectation 
of continued volatility as long as challenges remain, the expectation 
that the Corporation will continue to support client activities in the 
region and that exposures may vary over time as the Corporation 
monitors the situation and manages its risk profile; the expectation 
that, absent unexpected deterioration in the economy, reductions 
in the allowance for loan and lease losses, excluding the valuation 
allowance for PCI loans, will continue in the near term, though at a 
slower  pace  than  in  2012;  the  goal  of  mitigating  market  risk 
exposures by using techniques that encompass a variety of financial 
instruments in both the cash and derivatives markets; the accuracy 
of forward-looking forecasts of net interest income used in interest 
rate risk management; and other matters relating to the Corporation 
and the securities that it may offer from time to time. The foregoing 
is  not  an  exclusive  list  of  all  forward-looking  statements  the 
Corporation makes. These statements are not guarantees of future 
results or performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and 
assumptions that are difficult to predict and are often beyond the 
Corporation’s  control.  Actual  outcomes  and  results  may  differ 
materially  from  those  expressed  in,  or  implied  by,  any  of  these 
forward-looking statements.

You  should  not  place  undue  reliance  on  any  forward-looking 
statement and should consider the following uncertainties and risks, 
as well as the risks and uncertainties more fully discussed elsewhere 
in this report, under Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K, and in any of the Corporation’s subsequent Securities 
and Exchange Commission filings: the Corporation’s ability to resolve 

representations  and  warranties  repurchase  claims  made  by 
monolines and private-label and other investors, including as a result 
of any adverse court rulings, and the chance that the Corporation 
could face related servicing, securities, fraud, indemnity or other 
claims from one or more of the monolines or private-label and other 
investors; the Corporation’s resolution of remaining differences with 
the  government-sponsored  enterprises  regarding  representations 
and  warranties  repurchase  claims,  including  in  some  cases  with 
respect to mortgage insurance rescissions and foreclosure delays 
if future representations and warranties losses occur in excess of 
the Corporation’s recorded liability and estimated range of possible 
loss for its representations and warranties exposures; uncertainties 
about  the  financial  stability  of  several  countries  in  the  EU,  the 
increasing risk that those countries may default on their sovereign 
debt or exit the EU and related stresses on financial markets, the 
Euro  and  the  EU  and  the  Corporation’s  exposures  to  such  risks, 
including direct, indirect and operational; the uncertainty regarding 
the timing and final substance of any capital or liquidity standards, 
including the final Basel 3 requirements and their implementation 
for U.S. banks through rulemaking by the Federal Reserve, including 
anticipated requirements to hold higher levels of regulatory capital, 
liquidity and meet higher regulatory capital ratios as a result of final 
Basel 3 or other capital or liquidity standards; the negative impact 
of the Financial Reform Act on the Corporation’s businesses and 
earnings, including as a result of additional regulatory interpretation 
and  rulemaking  and  the  success  of  the  Corporation’s  actions  to 
mitigate such impacts; the Corporation’s satisfaction of its borrower 
assistance programs under the National Mortgage Settlement with 
federal  agencies  and  state  Attorneys  General  and  under  the 
acceleration  agreement  with  the  OCC  and  the  Federal  Reserve; 
adverse changes to the Corporation’s credit ratings from the major 
credit rating agencies; estimates of the fair value of certain of the 
Corporation’s  assets  and  liabilities;  unexpected  claims,  damages 
and fines resulting from pending or future litigation and regulatory 
proceedings; the Corporation’s ability to fully realize the cost savings 
and other anticipated benefits from Project New BAC, including in 
accordance with currently anticipated timeframes; and other similar 
matters.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are 
made, and the Corporation undertakes no obligation to update any 
forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or 
events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was 
made.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements referred to in 
the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition 
and Results of Operations (MD&A) are incorporated by reference 
into  the  MD&A.  Certain  prior  period  amounts  have  been 
reclassified to conform to current period presentation. Throughout 
the  MD&A,  the  Corporation  uses  certain  acronyms  and 
abbreviations which are defined in the Glossary.

20     Bank of America 2012

Executive Summary

Business Overview
The Corporation is a Delaware corporation, a bank holding company 
and a financial holding company. When used in this report, “the 
Corporation” may refer to Bank of America Corporation individually, 
Bank  of  America  Corporation  and  its  subsidiaries,  or  certain  of 
Bank  of  America  Corporation’s  subsidiaries  or  affiliates.  Our 
principal executive offices are located in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
Through  our  banking  and  various  nonbanking  subsidiaries 
throughout  the  U.S.  and  in  international  markets,  we  provide  a 
diversified range of banking and nonbanking financial services and 
products through five business segments: Consumer & Business 
Banking  (CBB),  Consumer  Real  Estate  Services  (CRES),  Global 
Banking,  Global  Markets  and  Global  Wealth  &  Investment 
Management (GWIM), with the remaining operations recorded in 

the  Corporation  had 
All  Other.  At  December 31,  2012, 
approximately $2.2 trillion in assets and approximately 267,000 
full-time equivalent employees.

As of December 31, 2012, we operated in all 50 states, the 
District of Columbia and more than 40 countries. Our retail banking 
footprint covers approximately 80 percent of the U.S. population 
and we serve more than 53 million consumer and small business 
relationships with approximately 5,500 banking centers, 16,300 
ATMs,  nationwide  call  centers,  and  leading  online  and  mobile 
banking platforms. We offer industry-leading support to more than 
three million small business owners. We are a global leader in 
corporate  and  investment  banking  and  trading  across  a  broad 
range  of  asset  classes  serving  corporations,  governments, 
institutions and individuals around the world.

Table 1 provides selected consolidated financial data for 2012 

and 2011.

Table 1 Selected Financial Data

(Dollars in millions, except per share information)

Income statement

Revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis) (1)
Net income
Net income, excluding goodwill impairment charges (2)
Diluted earnings per common share
Diluted earnings per common share, excluding goodwill impairment charges (2)
Dividends paid per common share

Performance ratios

Return on average assets
Return on average assets, excluding goodwill impairment charges (2)
Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity (1)
Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity, excluding goodwill impairment charges (1, 2)
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis) (1)
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis), excluding goodwill impairment charges (1, 2)

Asset quality

2012

2011

$ 84,235
4,188
4,188
0.25
0.25
0.04

$ 94,426
1,446
4,630
0.01
0.32
0.04

0.19%
0.19
2.60
2.60
85.59
85.59

0.06%
0.20
0.96
3.08
85.01
81.64

Allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases outstanding at December 31 (3)
Nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties at December 31 (3)
Net charge-offs (4)
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (3, 4)
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding, excluding the purchased credit-impaired loan portfolio (3)
Net charge-offs and purchased credit-impaired write-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (3, 5)
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs (4)
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs, excluding the purchased credit-impaired loan portfolio
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs and purchased credit-impaired write-offs (5)

$ 24,179

$ 33,783

2.69%

3.68%

$ 23,555
14,908

$ 27,708
20,833

1.67%
1.73
1.99
1.62
1.25
1.36

2.24%
2.32
2.24
1.62
1.22
1.62

Balance sheet at year end
Total loans and leases
Total assets
Total deposits
Total common shareholders’ equity
Total shareholders’ equity

Capital ratios at year end
Tier 1 common capital
Tier 1 capital
Total capital
Tier 1 leverage

$ 907,819
2,209,974
1,105,261
218,188
236,956

$ 926,200
2,129,046
1,033,041
211,704
230,101

11.06%
12.89
16.31
7.37

9.86%

12.40
16.75
7.53

(1)  Fully taxable-equivalent (FTE) basis, return on average tangible shareholders’ equity and the efficiency ratio are non-GAAP financial measures. Other companies may define or calculate these measures 
differently. For additional information on these measures and ratios, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31, and for a corresponding reconciliation to GAAP financial measures, see Statistical 
Table XV.

(2)  Net income, diluted earnings per common share, return on average assets, return on average tangible shareholders’ equity and the efficiency ratio have been calculated excluding the impact of the 
goodwill impairment charges of $3.2 billion in 2011, and accordingly, these are non-GAAP financial measures. For additional information on these measures and ratios, see Supplemental Financial 
Data on page 31, and for a corresponding reconciliation to GAAP financial measures, see Statistical Table XV.

(3)  Balances and ratios do not include loans accounted for under the fair value option. For additional exclusions from nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties, see Nonperforming Consumer 
Loans and Foreclosed Properties Activity on page 89 and corresponding Table 37, and Nonperforming Commercial Loans, Leases and Foreclosed Properties Activity on page 97 and corresponding 
Table 46.

(4)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity purchased credit-impaired loan portfolio for 2012. These write-offs decreased the purchased credit-impaired valuation 
allowance included as part of the allowance for loan and lease losses. For information on purchased credit-impaired write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 
86.

(5)  There were no write-offs of purchased credit-impaired loans in 2011.

Bank of America 2012     21

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2012 Economic and Business Environment
The  U.S.  economy  began  2012  with  momentum  in  consumer 
spending, led by stronger vehicle sales and supported by larger 
private  payroll  gains.  However,  over  the  course  of  the  year, 
consumer spending slowed and business spending continued to 
weaken following the expiration of 2011 tax incentives and ongoing 
uncertainties surrounding fiscal issues in the U.S. and Europe. 
Payroll gains steadied to a moderate pace, while business profits 
and  cash  flows  continued  to  rise  throughout  the  year.  The 
unemployment rate ended the year at 7.8 percent. Equity markets 
were  volatile  but  finished  with  appreciable  gains  in  2012.  The 
housing sector improved as new and existing home sales rose, 
home prices increased and residential building activity ended the 
year with its seventh consecutive quarterly rise.

After briefly rising early in the year, bond yields fell as the U.S. 
economy slowed and economic uncertainties in Europe intensified. 
The low bond yields also reflected the Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System’s (Federal Reserve) monetary easing and 
related efforts to keep bond yields low. In December 2012, the 
Federal Reserve announced that it would purchase an additional 
$45  billion  per  month  of  long-term  U.S.  Treasury  securities,  in 
addition to its $40 billion per month in mortgage-backed securities 
(MBS) purchases, and that any policy rate increase would be tied 
to a 6.5 percent unemployment rate target as long as inflation did 
not exceed 2.5 percent.

Europe experienced financial market turmoil, numerous policy 
interventions  and  spreading  recession  in  2012.  The  European 
Central Bank’s (ECB) long-term refinancing operations helped calm 
markets for a time but proved insufficient as emerging stresses 
generated renewed turmoil. In response to sharply rising sovereign 
bond  yields,  the  ECB  announced  its  willingness  to  intervene  in 
sovereign debt markets under specified conditions which calmed 
markets and pushed down sovereign bond yields. Near year end, 
the benefits of structural reform, such as lower labor costs and 
smaller structural budget deficits, were becoming evident in select 
nations  while  sovereign  spreads  stabilized  at  lower  levels. 
However, widespread recession persisted.

Although  the  Asian  economy  continued  to  expand  in  2012, 
several  key  nations  slowed  during  the  year.  China’s  economic 
growth 
impacting 
international  trade  and  overall  Asian  economic  performance. 
Japan’s economy expanded in the first half of the year but returned 
to recession in the second half of the year. 

in  2012,  adversely 

remained  subdued 

repurchase claims associated with the loans, subject to certain 
exceptions which we do not expect to be material.

In January 2013, we made a cash payment to FNMA of $3.6 
billion  and  also  repurchased  for  $6.6  billion  certain  residential 
mortgage loans that had previously been sold to FNMA, which we 
have valued at less than the purchase price. 

This  agreement  also  clarified  the  parties’  obligations  with 
respect to mortgage insurance, including establishing timeframes 
for  certain  payments  and  other  actions,  setting  parameters  for 
potential bulk settlements and providing for cooperation in future 
dealings with mortgage insurers.

In  addition,  pursuant  to  a  separate  agreement,  we  settled 
substantially  all  of  FNMA’s  outstanding  and  future  claims  for 
compensatory fees arising out of past foreclosure delays. 

Collectively, these agreements are the FNMA Settlement. For 
additional information, see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and 
Contractual Obligations – Representations and Warranties on page 
50 and Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations and 
Corporate Guarantees to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Independent Foreclosure Review Acceleration 
Agreement
On January 7, 2013, Bank of America and other mortgage servicing 
institutions  entered  into  an  agreement  with  the  Office  of  the 
Comptroller  of  the  Currency  (OCC)  and  the  Federal  Reserve  to 
cease  the  Independent  Foreclosure  Review  (IFR)  that  had 
commenced pursuant to a consent order entered into by Bank of 
America with the Federal Reserve and by BANA with the OCC on 
April 13, 2011 (2011 OCC Consent Order) and replace it with an 
accelerated 
IFR  Acceleration 
Agreement).  Under  the  2013  IFR  Acceleration  Agreement,  the 
mortgage servicing institutions agreed to make aggregate cash 
payments totaling $3.8 billion and provide $6.0 billion of other 
assistance  to  help  borrowers,  such  as  loan  modifications  and 
forgiveness of deficiency judgments. The 2013 IFR Acceleration 
Agreement requires us to make a cash payment of $1.1 billion 
and provide $1.8 billion of borrower assistance in the form of loan 
modifications  and  other  foreclosure  prevention  actions.  For 
additional information, see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and 
Contractual Obligations – Other Mortgage-related Matters on page 
57.

remediation  process 

(2013 

Recent Events

Fannie Mae Settlement
On January 6, 2013, we entered into an agreement with Fannie 
Mae (FNMA) to resolve substantially all outstanding and potential 
repurchase  and  certain  other  claims  relating  to  the  origination, 
sale and delivery of residential mortgage loans originated and sold 
directly  to  FNMA  from  January  1,  2000  through  December  31, 
2008  by  entities  related  to  legacy  Countrywide  Financial 
Corporation (Countrywide) and Bank of America, N.A. (BANA).

This agreement covers loans with an aggregate original principal 
balance  of  approximately  $1.4  trillion.  Unresolved  repurchase 
claims  submitted  by  FNMA  for  alleged  breaches  of  selling 
representations and warranties with respect to these loans totaled 
$12.2 billion at December 31, 2012. This agreement extinguished 
substantially all of those unresolved repurchase claims, as well 
as  substantially  all  future  representations  and  warranties 

22     Bank of America 2012

Sales of Mortgage Servicing Rights
On  January  6,  2013,  Bank  of  America  entered  into  definitive 
agreements with two different counterparties, and on February 19, 
2013 with an additional counterparty to sell the servicing rights 
on certain residential mortgage loans serviced for FNMA, Freddie 
Mac  (FHLMC),  the  Government  National  Mortgage  Association 
(GNMA) and private-label securitizations, with an aggregate unpaid 
principal balance of approximately $317 billion. The sales involve 
approximately 2.1 million loans currently serviced by us, including 
approximately  234,000 
loans  and 
approximately  24,000  home  equity  loans  that  were  60  days  or 
more past due at December 31, 2012. 

residential  mortgage 

The  transfers  of  servicing  rights  are  scheduled  to  occur  in 
stages throughout 2013 and are subject to the approval or consent 
of certain third parties. There is no assurance that all the required 
approvals and consents will be obtained, and accordingly, some 
of  these  transfers  may  not  be  consummated.  We  may  conduct 
additional sales of mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) in the future.

At December 31, 2012, we included a positive $342 million in 
the valuation of our MSRs based on information in the offers we 
had received on portions of our MSR portfolio. We will recognize 
as gain on sale any additional increases over the book value of 
the  MSR  asset  in  future  periods  at  the  time  of  the  servicing 
transfers.  Our  ability  to  recognize  such  expected  additional 
increases  is  subject  to  the  consummation  of  these  servicing 
transfers and the amount of such benefit will be dependent upon 
certain factors such as interest rates.

Capital and Liquidity Related Matters
In the fourth quarter of 2012, we repurchased certain of our debt 
and trust preferred securities with an aggregate carrying value of 
$5.2 billion for $5.3 billion in cash resulting in a loss of $110 
million upon redemption, partially offset by a related pre-tax net 
interest  income  benefit  of  $57  million.  We  expect  that  these 
liability management actions will result in a pre-tax net interest 
income benefit of approximately $350 million in 2013.

We  may  conduct  additional  redemptions,  tender  offers, 
exercises  and  other  transactions  in  the  future  depending  on 
prevailing market conditions, capital, liquidity and other factors.

Performance Overview
Net income was $4.2 billion, or $0.25 per diluted share in 2012 
compared to $1.4 billion, or $0.01 per diluted share in 2011.

Net interest income on a fully taxable-equivalent (FTE) basis 
decreased  $4.0  billion  to  $41.6  billion  for  2012  compared  to 
2011.  The  most  significant  driver  of  the  decline  was  lower 
consumer  loan  balances  and  yields  partially  offset  by  ongoing 
reductions in long-term debt.

Noninterest  income  decreased  $6.2  billion  to  $42.7  billion. 
The most significant drivers of the decline included a decrease of 
$5.3  billion  in  equity  investment  income,  negative  fair  value 
adjustments  of  $5.1  billion  on  structured  liabilities  in  2012 
compared to positive fair value adjustments of $3.3 billion in 2011 
and debit valuation adjustment (DVA) losses on derivatives of $2.5 
billion, net of hedges, compared to DVA gains on derivatives of 
$1.0 billion, net of hedges, in 2012 and 2011, respectively. These 
declines were partially offset by significantly lower representations 
and warranties provision of $3.9 billion in 2012 compared to $15.6 
billion in 2011.

The provision for credit losses decreased $5.2 billion in 2012 
to  $8.2  billion.  The  decline  was  primarily  in  the  home  loans 
portfolio due to improved portfolio trends and  increasing  home 
prices.

Noninterest expense decreased $8.2 billion to $72.1 billion. 
The most significant drivers of the decline were the absence of 
goodwill impairment charges in 2012 compared to $3.2 billion in 
2011, and declines of $1.4 billion and $1.3 billion in litigation and 
personnel expenses, respectively. These declines were partially 
offset by a provision of $1.1 billion in 2012 related to the 2013 
IFR Acceleration Agreement. 

Included in the income tax benefit for 2012 was a $1.7 billion 
tax benefit related to the recognition of certain foreign tax credits.
For  summary  information  on  the  Corporation’s  results,  see 
Executive  Summary  –  Financial  Highlights  below  and  Business 
Segment Results on page 28.

Table 2 Summary Income Statement

(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis) (1)
Noninterest income

Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis) (1)

Provision for credit losses
Goodwill impairment
All other noninterest expense
Income before income taxes
Income tax benefit (FTE basis) (1)

Net income

Preferred stock dividends

2012
$ 41,557
42,678
84,235
8,169
—
72,093
3,973
(215)
4,188
1,428

2011
$ 45,588
48,838
94,426
13,410
3,184
77,090
742
(704)
1,446
1,361

Net income applicable to common shareholders

$

2,760

$

85

Per common share information

Earnings
Diluted earnings

$

$

0.26
0.25

0.01
0.01

(1)  FTE basis is a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information on this measure, see 
Supplemental Financial Data on page 31, and for a corresponding reconciliation to a GAAP 
financial measure, see Statistical Table XV.

Financial Highlights

Net Interest Income
Net interest income on a FTE basis decreased $4.0 billion to $41.6 
billion for 2012 compared to 2011. The decline was primarily due 
to lower consumer loan balances and yields, the asset and liability 
management  (ALM)  portfolio  recouponing  to  a  lower  yield  and 
decreased  commercial  loan  yields.  Lower  trading-related  net 
interest  income  also  negatively  impacted  2012  results.  These 
were partially offset by ongoing reductions in long-term debt and 
lower rates paid on deposits. The net interest yield on a FTE basis 
decreased  13 basis  points  (bps)  to  2.35  percent  for  2012 
compared to 2011 as the yield continued to be under pressure 
due to the aforementioned items and the low rate environment.

Noninterest Income

Table 3 Noninterest Income

(Dollars in millions)

2012

2011

Card income
Service charges
Investment and brokerage services
Investment banking income
Equity investment income
Trading account profits
Mortgage banking income (loss)
Insurance income (loss)
Gains on sales of debt securities
Other income (loss)
Net impairment losses recognized in earnings on AFS 

debt securities

Total noninterest income

$

6,121
7,600
11,393
5,299
2,070
5,870
4,750
(195)
1,662
(1,839)

$

7,184
8,094
11,826
5,217
7,360
6,697
(8,830)
1,346
3,374
6,869

(53)

(299)

$ 42,678

$ 48,838

Bank of America 2012     23

 
 
Noninterest income decreased $6.2 billion to $42.7 billion for 
2012 compared to 2011. The following highlights the significant 
changes.

Card  income  decreased  $1.1  billion  primarily  driven  by  the 
implementation  of  interchange  fee  rules  under  the  Durbin 
Amendment, which became effective on October 1, 2011.
Service charges decreased $494 million primarily due to the 
impact of lower accretion on acquired portfolios and reduced 
reimbursed merchant processing fees.
Investment  and  brokerage  services  income  decreased  $433 
million primarily driven by lower transactional volumes.
Equity investment income decreased $5.3 billion. The results 
for 2012 included $1.6 billion of gains which primarily related 
to the sales of certain equity and strategic investments. The 
results for 2011 included $6.5 billion of gains on the sale of 
China  Construction  Bank  (CCB)  shares,  $836  million  of  CCB 
dividends and a $377 million gain on the sale of our investment 
in BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock), partially offset by $1.1 billion of 
impairment charges on our merchant services joint venture. 
Trading account profits decreased $827 million. Net DVA losses 
on derivatives were $2.5 billion in 2012 compared to net DVA 
gains of $1.0 billion in 2011. Excluding net DVA, trading account 
profits increased $2.7 billion in 2012 compared to 2011 due 
to an improved market environment.
Mortgage banking income increased $13.6 billion primarily due 
to  an  $11.7  billion  decrease  in  the  representations  and 
warranties provision. The 2012 results included $2.5 billion in 
provision  related  to  the  FNMA  Settlement,  a  $500  million 
provision for obligations to FNMA related to mortgage insurance 
rescissions, partially offset by an increase in servicing income 
of $1.1 billion due to improved MSR results. The 2011 results 
included  $15.6  billion  in  representations  and  warranties 
provision related to the agreement to resolve nearly all legacy 
Countrywide-issued 
non-government-sponsored 
enterprise 
residential  mortgage-backed  securities 
(RMBS) repurchase exposures and other non-GSE exposures.
Insurance income decreased $1.5 billion driven by the impact 
of the sale of the Balboa Insurance Company’s lender-placed 
insurance business (Balboa) in 2011 and an increase to the 
provision related to payment protection insurance in the U.K. in 
2012.

first-lien 

(GSE) 

  Other income decreased $8.7 billion due to negative fair value 
adjustments  on  our  structured  liabilities  of  $5.1  billion 
compared to positive fair value adjustments of $3.3 billion in 
2011. In addition, 2012 included $1.6 billion of gains related 
to debt repurchases and exchanges of trust preferred securities 
compared to gains of $1.2 billion in the prior year. The prior year 
also included a net gain of $752 million on the sale of Balboa.

Provision for Credit Losses
The  provision  for  credit  losses  decreased  $5.2  billion  to  $8.2 
billion for 2012 compared to 2011. The provision for credit losses 
was $6.7 billion lower than net charge-offs for 2012, resulting in 
a reduction in the allowance for credit losses driven by improved 
portfolio  trends  and  increasing  home  prices  in  consumer  real 
estate  products,  lower  bankruptcy  filings  and  delinquencies 
affecting the Card Services portfolio, and improvement in overall 
credit  quality  within  the  core  commercial  portfolio  (total 
commercial  products  excluding  U.S.  small  business).  Absent 
unexpected deterioration in the economy, we expect reductions in 
the allowance for credit losses, excluding the valuation allowance 

24     Bank of America 2012

for purchase credit-impaired (PCI) loans, to continue in the near 
term, though at a slower pace than in 2012. For more information 
on the provision for credit losses, see Provision for Credit Losses 
on page 105.

Net charge-offs totaled $14.9 billion, or 1.67 percent of average 
loans  and  leases  for  2012  compared  to  $20.8  billion,  or  2.24 
percent  for  2011.  Included  in  2012  net  charge-offs  was  $596 
million related to the impact of new regulatory guidance regarding 
the treatment of loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and 
$435 million related to loans forgiven as a part of the National 
Mortgage  Settlement.  The  decrease  in  net  charge-offs  was 
primarily driven by fewer delinquent loans and lower bankruptcy 
filings in the Card Services portfolio, as well as lower net charge-
offs in the consumer real estate and core commercial portfolios 
in 2012.

Noninterest Expense

Table 4 Noninterest Expense

(Dollars in millions)

Personnel
Occupancy
Equipment
Marketing
Professional fees
Amortization of intangibles
Data processing
Telecommunications
Other general operating
Goodwill impairment
Merger and restructuring charges

Total noninterest expense

2012
$ 35,648
4,570
2,269
1,873
3,574
1,264
2,961
1,660
18,274
—
—
$ 72,093

2011
$ 36,965
4,748
2,340
2,203
3,381
1,509
2,652
1,553
21,101
3,184
638
$ 80,274

Noninterest expense decreased $8.2 billion to $72.1 billion 
for 2012 compared to 2011 with the decrease primarily driven by 
the absence of goodwill impairment charges in 2012 compared 
to $3.2 billion in 2011, a $2.8 billion decrease in other general 
operating expense primarily related to lower litigation expense and 
mortgage-related assessments, waivers and similar costs related 
to foreclosure delays, partially offset by a provision of $1.1 billion 
in  2012  related  to  the  2013  IFR  Acceleration  Agreement. 
Personnel  expense  decreased  $1.3  billion  in  2012  as  we 
continued  to  streamline  processes  and  achieve  cost  savings. 
Partially offsetting the decreases were increases in professional 
fees  and  data  processing  expenses  due  to  continuing  default 
management  activities  in  Legacy  Assets  &  Servicing.  The  prior 
year  also  included  $638  million  in  merger  and  restructuring 
charges.

In connection with Project New BAC, we expect to continue to 
achieve cost savings in certain noninterest expense categories as 
we continue to further streamline workflows, simplify processes 
and align expenses with our overall strategic plan and operating 
principles. During 2012, we continued implementation of Phase 
1  initiatives,  completed  Phase  2  evaluations  and  began 
implementation of certain Phase 2 initiatives. With regard to Phase 
1, we expect to realize more than $5 billion of annualized cost 
savings by the fourth quarter of 2013 with the full impact expected 
to be realized in 2014. We expect that Phase 2 will result in an 
additional $3 billion of annualized cost savings by mid-2015.

Income Tax Benefit
The income tax benefit was $1.1 billion on pre-tax income of $3.1 
billion for 2012 compared to an income tax benefit of $1.7 billion 
on the pre-tax loss of $230 million for 2011. 

Included in the income tax benefit for 2012 was a $1.7 billion 
tax  benefit  attributable  to  the  excess  of  foreign  tax  credits 
recognized in the U.S. upon repatriation of the earnings of certain 
subsidiaries over the related U.S. tax liability. Also included in the 
income tax benefit was a $788 million charge to reduce the carrying 
value of certain U.K. deferred tax assets due to the two percent 
U.K. corporate income tax rate reduction enacted in 2012. Our 
effective tax rate for 2012 excluding these two items was a benefit 
of seven percent and differed from the statutory rate due to the 
impact  of  our  recurring  tax  preference  items  (e.g.,  affordable 
housing  credits  and  tax-exempt  income)  on  the  level  of  pre-tax 
earnings.

The income tax benefit for 2011 was driven by our recurring 
tax preference items, a $1.0 billion benefit from the release of the 
remaining valuation allowance applicable to the Merrill Lynch & 

Co., Inc. (Merrill Lynch) capital loss carryover deferred tax asset 
and a benefit of $823 million for planned realization of previously 
unrecognized deferred tax assets related to the tax basis in certain 
subsidiaries. These benefits were partially offset by a $782 million 
charge for the two percent U.K. corporate income tax rate reduction 
enacted in 2011. The $3.2 billion of goodwill impairment charges 
recorded during 2011 were non-deductible. 

On July 17, 2012, the U.K. 2012 Finance Bill was enacted, 
which reduced the U.K. corporate income tax rate by two percent 
to 23 percent. The first one percent reduction was effective April 
1,  2012  and  the  second  will  be  effective  April  1,  2013.  These 
reductions  favorably  affect  income  tax  expense  on  future  U.K. 
earnings, but also required us to remeasure our U.K. net deferred 
tax assets using the lower tax rates. If the corporate income tax 
rate were to be reduced to 21 percent by 2014 as suggested in 
U.K.  Treasury  announcements  and  assuming  no  change  in  the 
deferred tax asset balance, we would record a charge to income 
tax  expense  of  approximately  $800  million  in  the  period  of 
enactment, which we expect to be in 2013.

Balance Sheet Overview

Table 5 Selected Balance Sheet Data

(Dollars in millions)

Assets

Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell
Trading account assets
Debt securities
Loans and leases
Allowance for loan and lease losses
All other assets
Total assets

Liabilities

Deposits
Federal funds purchased and securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase
Trading account liabilities
Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings
Long-term debt
All other liabilities
Total liabilities
Shareholders’ equity

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

December 31

Average Balance

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

219,924
237,226
336,387
907,819
(24,179)
532,797
$ 2,209,974

$ 211,183
169,319
311,416
926,200
(33,783)
544,711
$ 2,129,046

$

236,042
182,359
337,653
898,768
(29,843)
566,377
$ 2,191,356

$ 245,069
187,340
337,120
938,096
(37,623)
626,320
$ 2,296,322

$ 1,105,261
293,259
73,587
30,731
275,585
194,595
1,973,018
236,956
$ 2,209,974

$ 1,033,041
214,864
60,508
35,698
372,265
182,569
1,898,945
230,101
$ 2,129,046

$ 1,047,782
281,899
78,554
36,501
316,393
194,550
1,955,679
235,677
$ 2,191,356

$ 1,035,802
272,375
84,689
51,894
421,229
201,238
2,067,227
229,095
$ 2,296,322

At  December 31,  2012,  total  assets  were  $2.2  trillion,  an 
increase  of  $80.9  billion,  or  four  percent,  from  December 31, 
2011.  Average  total  assets  decreased  $105.0  billion,  or  five 
percent, in 2012 compared to 2011. At December 31, 2012, total 
liabilities were $2.0 trillion, an increase of $74.1 billion, or four 
percent,  from  December 31,  2011.  Average  total  liabilities 
decreased $111.5 billion, or five percent, in 2012 compared to 
2011.

Year-end  balance  sheet  amounts  may  vary  from  average 
balance  sheet  amounts  due  to  liquidity  and  balance  sheet 
management activities, primarily involving our portfolios of highly 

liquid assets, that are designed to ensure the adequacy of capital 
while enhancing our ability to manage liquidity requirements for 
the Corporation and for our customers, and to position the balance 
sheet  in  accordance  with  the  Corporation’s  risk  appetite.  The 
execution of these activities requires the use of balance sheet 
and capital-related limits including spot, average and risk-weighted 
asset limits, particularly within the market-making activities of our 
trading  businesses.  One  of  our  key  regulatory  metrics,  Tier  1 
leverage ratio, is calculated based on adjusted quarterly average 
total assets. 

Bank of America 2012     25

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Assets

Liabilities

Federal Funds Sold and Securities Borrowed or Purchased 
Under Agreements to Resell
Federal funds transactions involve lending reserve balances on a 
short-term basis. Securities borrowed and securities purchased 
under agreements to resell are utilized to accommodate customer 
transactions, earn interest rate spreads, and obtain securities for 
settlement  and  for  collateral.  Year-end  federal  funds  sold  and 
securities borrowed under agreements to resell increased $8.7 
billion due to increases in client short positions and increased 
collateral requirements. Average federal funds sold and securities 
borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell decreased $9.0 
billion attributable to changes in the investment composition of 
excess liquidity.

Trading Account Assets
Trading account assets consist primarily of fixed-income securities 
including  government  and  corporate  debt,  and  equity  and 
convertible 
trading  account  assets 
increased  $67.9  billion  primarily  due  to  a  strategic  decision  to 
increase U.S. Treasuries and agency securities.

instruments.  Year-end 

Debt Securities
Debt  securities  primarily  include  U.S.  Treasury  and  agency 
securities, MBS, principally agency MBS, foreign bonds, corporate 
bonds and municipal debt. We use the debt securities portfolio 
primarily  to  manage  interest  rate  and  liquidity  risk  and  to  take 
advantage  of  market  conditions  that  create  more  economically 
attractive returns on these investments. Year-end balances of debt 
securities increased $25.0 billion primarily due to net purchases 
of agency MBS. For additional information on debt securities, see 
Note 4 – Securities to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Loans and Leases
Year-end and average loans and leases decreased $18.4 billion 
and $39.3 billion. The decreases were primarily due to continued 
run-off in targeted portfolios partially offset by growth in non-U.S. 
commercial  and  U.S.  commercial  loans.  For  a  more  detailed 
discussion of the loan portfolio, see Credit Risk Management on 
page 75.

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses
Year-end  and  average  allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses 
decreased $9.6 billion and $7.8 billion primarily due to the impact 
of  the  improving  economy  and  reserve  reductions  in  the  PCI 
portfolio mostly related to the National Mortgage Settlement. For 
a more detailed discussion, see Allowance for Credit Losses on 
page 105.

All Other Assets
Year-end other assets decreased $11.9 billion driven by lower cash 
and cash equivalent balances. Average other assets decreased 
$59.9 billion primarily driven by asset sales, lower derivative dealer 
assets and a reduction in loans held-for-sale (LHFS).

Deposits
Year-end and average deposits increased $72.2 billion and $12.0 
billion. The increases were attributable to growth in our noninterest-
bearing deposits driven by higher client balances.

to 

Federal Funds Purchased and Securities Loaned or Sold 
Under Agreements to Repurchase
Federal funds transactions involve borrowing reserve balances on 
a short-term basis. Securities loaned and securities sold under 
agreements 
repurchase  are  collateralized  borrowing 
transactions utilized to accommodate customer transactions, earn 
interest rate spreads and finance assets on the balance sheet. 
Year-end  and  average  federal  funds  purchased  and  securities 
loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase increased $78.4 
billion and $9.5 billion primarily due to funding of trading inventory 
resulting from customer demand.

Trading Account Liabilities
Trading account liabilities consist primarily of short positions in 
fixed-income securities including government and corporate debt, 
equity  and  convertible  instruments.  Year-end  trading  account 
liabilities increased $13.1 billion primarily due to higher trading 
activity  in  equity  securities.  Average  trading  account  liabilities 
decreased $6.1 billion primarily due to a decrease in basis trading 
on government debt.

Commercial Paper and Other Short-term Borrowings
Commercial  paper  and  other  short-term  borrowings  provide  an 
additional funding source. Year-end and average commercial paper 
and other short-term borrowings decreased $5.0 billion and $15.4 
billion  due  to  planned  reductions  in  wholesale  borrowings.  For 
additional information on Commercial Paper and Other Short-term 
Borrowings, see Note 11 – Federal Funds Sold, Securities Borrowed 
or  Purchased  Under  Agreements  to  Resell  and  Short-term 
Borrowings to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Long-term Debt
Year-end and average long-term debt decreased $96.7 billion and 
$104.8  billion.  The  decreases  were  attributable  to  planned 
reductions in long-term debt. For additional information on long-
term  debt,  see  Note  12  –  Long-term  Debt  to  the  Consolidated 
Financial Statements.

All Other Liabilities
Year-end all other liabilities increased $12.0 billion primarily driven 
by  an  increase  in  customer  margin  credits.  Average  all  other 
liabilities decreased $6.7 billion primarily driven by decreases in 
bank acceptances outstanding and accrued interest payable.

Shareholders’ Equity
Year-end and average shareholders’ equity increased $6.9 billion 
and $6.6 billion. The increases were primarily driven by earnings, 
an  increase  in  unrealized  gains  on  available-for-sale  (AFS)  debt 
securities  in  other  comprehensive  income  (OCI),  and  common 
stock  issued  under  employee  plans  and  in  connection  with 
exchanges of preferred stock and trust preferred securities.

26     Bank of America 2012

Cash Flows Overview
The  Corporation’s  operating  assets  and  liabilities  support  our 
global markets and lending activities. We believe that cash flows 
from  operations,  available  cash  balances  and  our  ability  to 
generate cash through short- and long-term debt are sufficient to 
fund our operating liquidity needs. Our investing activities primarily 
include  the  AFS  securities  portfolio  and  other  short-term 
investments. Our financing activities reflect cash flows primarily 
related to increased customer deposits and net long-term debt 
reductions.

Cash and cash equivalents decreased $9.4 billion during 2012 
due to net purchases of debt securities and planned reductions 
in long-term debt partially offset by higher federal funds purchased 
and  securities  loaned  or  sold  under  agreements  to  repurchase 
and growth in our deposits. Cash and cash equivalents increased 
$11.7 billion during 2011 due to sales of non-core assets and net 
sales  of  debt  securities  partially  offset  by  repayment  and 
maturities of certain long-term debt.

During 2012, net cash used in operating activities was $13.9 
billion. The more significant adjustments to net income to arrive 
at cash used in operating activities included the net increase in 

trading  and  derivative  instruments  and  the  provision  for  credit 
losses. During 2011, net cash provided by operating activities was 
$64.4 billion. The more significant adjustments to net income to 
arrive  at  cash  provided  by  operating  activities  included  the  net 
decrease in trading and derivative instruments and the provision 
for credit losses.

During 2012, net cash used in investing activities was $37.2 
billion primarily driven by net purchases of debt securities. During 
2011, net cash provided by investing activities was $52.4 billion 
primarily driven by net sales of debt securities.

During 2012, net cash provided by financing activities of $42.4 
billion primarily reflected an increase in federal funds purchased 
and  securities  loaned  or  sold  under  agreements  to  repurchase 
and growth in deposits partially offset by planned reductions in 
long-term  debt  as  maturities  outpaced  new  issuances.  During 
2011, the net cash used in financing activities of $104.7 billion 
primarily  reflected  planned  reductions  in  long-term  debt  as 
maturities  outpaced  new  issuances  as  well  as  the  decrease  in 
federal  funds  purchased  and  securities  loaned  or  sold  under 
agreements to repurchase partially offset by growth in deposits.

Bank of America 2012     27

Business Segment Results
The following discussion provides an overview of the results of our business segments and All Other for 2012 compared to 2011. For 
additional information on these results, see Business Segment Operations on page 33.

Table 6 Business Segment Results

(Dollars in millions)

Consumer & Business Banking 
Consumer Real Estate Services 
Global Banking
Global Markets
Global Wealth & Investment Management 
All Other

Total FTE basis

FTE adjustment

Total Consolidated

Total Revenue (1)

2012

29,023
8,759
17,207
13,519
16,517
(790)
84,235
(901)
83,334

$

$

2011
$ 32,880
(3,154)
17,312
14,798
16,495
16,095
94,426
(972)
$ 93,454

$

$

Provision for Credit
Losses

Noninterest Expense

Net Income (Loss)

2012

2011

2012

3,941
1,442
(103)
3
266
2,620
8,169
—
8,169

$

3,490
4,524
(1,118)
(56)
398
6,172
13,410
—
$ 13,410

$

$

16,793
17,306
8,308
10,839
12,755
6,092
72,093
—
72,093

2011
$ 17,719
21,791
8,884
12,244
13,383
6,253
80,274
—
$ 80,274

2012

2011

5,321
(6,507)
5,725
1,054
2,223
(3,628)
4,188
—
4,188

$

$

7,447
(19,465)
6,046
988
1,718
4,712
1,446
—
1,446

$

$

(1)  Total revenue is net of interest expense and is on a FTE basis which for consolidated revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure. For more information on this measure, see Supplemental Financial 

Data on page 31, and for a corresponding reconciliation to a GAAP financial measure, see Statistical Table XVI.

CBB net income decreased compared to the prior year. Revenue 
decreased driven by lower average loan balances, the continued 
low  rate  environment,  the  full-year  impact  of  the  Durbin 
Amendment, lower gains on sales of portfolios and the impact of 
charges  related  to  our  consumer  protection  products.  The 
provision for credit losses increased as portfolio trends stabilized 
during 2012. Noninterest expense declined due to lower Federal 
Deposit  Insurance  Corporation  (FDIC)  and  operating  expenses, 
partially offset by an increase in litigation expense.

CRES net loss decreased compared to the prior year. Revenue 
increased  due  to  a  significantly  lower  representations  and 
warranties  provision,  an  increase  in  servicing  income  and  core 
production  income,  partially  offset  by  a  decrease  in  insurance 
income. The provision for credit losses decreased due to improved 
portfolio trends and increasing home prices in both the non-PCI 
and  PCI  home  equity  loan  portfolios.  Noninterest  expense 
decreased due to a decline in litigation expense, the absence of 
a  goodwill  impairment  charge  and  lower  mortgage-related 
assessments,  waivers  and  similar  costs  related  to  foreclosure 
delays, partially offset by higher default-related servicing costs and 
a provision for the 2013 IFR Acceleration Agreement.

Global Banking net income decreased compared to the prior 
year.  Revenue  decreased  primarily  driven  by  lower  investment 
banking  fees,  lower  net  interest  income  as  a  result  of  spread 
compression and the benefit in the prior year from higher accretion 
on  acquired  portfolios,  partially  offset  by  the  impact  of  higher 
average loan and deposit balances and gains from certain legacy 
portfolios. The provision for credit losses increased as a result of 
stabilization of asset quality, core commercial loan growth and the 
impact of a higher volume of loan resolutions in the commercial 
real  estate  portfolio  in  the  prior  year.  Noninterest  expense 

decreased  primarily  due  to  lower  personnel  and  operating 
expenses.

Global  Markets  net  income  increased  compared  to  the  prior 
year. Sales and trading revenue decreased due to net DVA losses 
compared to net DVA gains in the prior year. Excluding net DVA, 
sales and trading revenue increased primarily driven by our fixed 
income, currencies and commodities (FICC) business as a result 
of improved performance in our rates and currencies, and credit-
related businesses due to an improved global economic climate, 
and  a  gain  on  the  sale  of  an  equity  investment.  Noninterest 
expense decreased largely due to a reduction in personnel-related 
expenses.

GWIM  net  income  increased  compared  to  the  prior  year. 
Revenue was relatively unchanged as higher asset management 
fees  were  offset  by  lower  transactional  revenue  and  lower  net 
interest  income  driven  by  the  impact  of  the  continued  low  rate 
environment. The provision for credit losses decreased driven by 
lower  delinquencies  and  improving  portfolio  trends  within  the 
residential  mortgage  portfolio.  Noninterest  expense  decreased 
due to lower FDIC expense, lower litigation costs and other expense 
reductions, partially offset by higher production-related expenses.
All Other decreased to a net loss compared to net income in 
the prior year. The change was primarily due to negative fair value 
adjustments  on  structured  liabilities  compared  to  positive  fair 
value adjustments in the prior year, a decrease in equity investment 
income  and  lower  gains  on  sales  of  debt  securities.  Partially 
offsetting these items were a reduction in the provision for credit 
losses, net gains resulting from the repurchase of certain debt 
and trust preferred securities and a net income tax benefit related 
to the recognition of certain foreign tax credits.

28     Bank of America 2012

 
Table 7 Five Year Summary of Selected Financial Data

(In millions, except per share information)

Income statement

Net interest income
Noninterest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense
Provision for credit losses
Goodwill impairment
Merger and restructuring charges
All other noninterest expense (1)
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income tax expense (benefit)
Net income (loss)
Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders
Average common shares issued and outstanding
Average diluted common shares issued and outstanding (2)

Performance ratios

Return on average assets
Return on average common shareholders’ equity
Return on average tangible common shareholders’ equity (3)
Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity (3)
Total ending equity to total ending assets
Total average equity to total average assets
Dividend payout

Per common share data

Earnings (loss)
Diluted earnings (loss) (2)
Dividends paid
Book value
Tangible book value (3)

Market price per share of common stock

Closing
High closing
Low closing

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

$

$

$

$

$

40,656
42,678
83,334
8,169
—
—
72,093
3,072
(1,116)
4,188
2,760
10,746
10,841

0.19%
1.27
1.94
2.60
10.72
10.75
15.86

0.26
0.25
0.04
20.24
13.36

$

11.61
11.61
5.80
$ 125,136

44,616
48,838
93,454
13,410
3,184
638
76,452
(230)
(1,676)
1,446
85
10,143
10,255

0.06%
0.04
0.06
0.96
10.81
9.98
n/m

0.01
0.01
0.04
20.09
12.95

$

$

51,523
58,697
110,220
28,435
12,400
1,820
68,888
(1,323)
915
(2,238)
(3,595)
9,790
9,790

n/m
n/m
n/m
n/m
10.08%
9.56
n/m

(0.37)
(0.37)
0.04
20.99
12.98

$

$

47,109
72,534
119,643
48,570
—
2,721
63,992
4,360
(1,916)
6,276
(2,204)
7,729
7,729

0.26%
n/m
n/m
4.18
10.38
10.01
n/m

(0.29)
(0.29)
0.04
21.48
11.94

5.56
15.25
4.99
58,580

$

13.34
19.48
10.95
$ 134,536

$

15.06
18.59
3.14
$ 130,273

$

$

$

45,360
27,422
72,782
26,825
—
935
40,594
4,428
420
4,008
2,556
4,592
4,596

0.22%
1.80
4.72
5.19
9.74
8.94
n/m

0.54
0.54
2.24
27.77
10.11

14.08
45.03
11.25
70,645

Market capitalization
(1)  Excludes merger and restructuring charges and goodwill impairment charges.
(2)  Due to a net loss applicable to common shareholders for 2010 and 2009, the impact of antidilutive equity instruments was excluded from diluted earnings (loss) per share and average diluted 

$

$

common shares.

(3)  Tangible equity ratios and tangible book value per share of common stock are non-GAAP financial measures. Other companies may define or calculate these measures differently. For additional 

information on these ratios and corresponding reconciliations to GAAP financial measures, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31 and Statistical Table XV on page 141.

(4)  For more information on the impact of the PCI loan portfolio on asset quality, see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 76. 
(5) 

Includes the allowance for loan and lease losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments.

(6)  Balances and ratios do not include loans accounted for under the fair value option. For additional exclusions from nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties, see Nonperforming Consumer 
Loans and Foreclosed Properties Activity on page 89 and corresponding Table 37, and Nonperforming Commercial Loans, Leases and Foreclosed Properties Activity on page 97 and corresponding 
Table 46.

(7)  Amounts included in allowance that are excluded from nonperforming loans primarily include amounts allocated to the U.S. credit card and unsecured consumer lending portfolios in CBB, PCI loans 

and the non-U.S. credit card portfolio in All Other.

(8)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012. These write-offs decreased the PCI valuation allowance included as part of the allowance 

for loan and lease losses. For information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

(9)  There were no write-offs of PCI loans in 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008.
n/m = not meaningful

Bank of America 2012     29

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 7 Five Year Summary of Selected Financial Data (continued)

(Dollars in millions)

Average balance sheet

Total loans and leases
Total assets
Total deposits
Long-term debt
Common shareholders’ equity
Total shareholders’ equity

Asset quality (4)

Allowance for credit losses (5)
Nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties (6)
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases 

outstanding (6)

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

$ 898,768
2,191,356
1,047,782
316,393
216,996
235,677

$ 938,096
2,296,322
1,035,802
421,229
211,709
229,095

$ 958,331
2,439,606
988,586
490,497
212,686
233,235

$ 948,805
2,443,068
980,966
446,634
182,288
244,645

$ 910,871
1,843,985
831,157
231,235
141,638
164,831

$

24,692
23,555

$

34,497
27,708

$

43,073
32,664

$

38,687
35,747

$

23,492
18,212

2.69%

3.68%

4.47%

4.16%

2.49%

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and 

leases (6)

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and 

leases, excluding the PCI loan portfolio (6)

Amounts included in allowance that are excluded from nonperforming loans and leases (7) $
Allowance as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and leases, excluding amounts 
included in the allowance that are excluded from nonperforming loans and leases (7)

107

82

135

101

136

116

111

99

141

136

12,021

$

17,490

$

22,908

$

17,690

$

11,679

54%

65%

62%

58%

70%

$

14,908

$

20,833

$

34,334

$

33,688

$

16,231

1.67%

2.24%

3.60%

3.58%

1.79%

1.73

1.99

2.52

2.62

1.62

1.25

1.36

2.32

2.24

2.74

3.01

1.62

1.22

1.62

3.73

3.60

3.27

3.48

1.22

1.04

1.22

3.71

3.58

3.75

3.98

1.10

1.00

1.10

1.83

1.79

1.77

1.96

1.42

1.38

1.42

11.06%
12.89
16.31
7.37
7.62
6.74

9.86%

8.60%

7.81%

12.40
16.75
7.53
7.54
6.64

11.24
15.77
7.21
6.75
5.99

10.40
14.66
6.88
6.40
5.56

4.80%
9.15
13.00
6.44
5.11
2.93

Net charge-offs (8)
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (6, 8)
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding, excluding the 

PCI loan portfolio (6)

Net charge-offs and PCI write-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases 

outstanding (6, 9)

Nonperforming loans and leases as a percentage of total loans and leases 

outstanding (6)

Nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties as a percentage of total loans, 

leases and foreclosed properties (6)

Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs (8)
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs, 

excluding the PCI loan portfolio

Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs and 

PCI write-offs (9)

Capital ratios (year end)
Risk-based capital:
Tier 1 common
Tier 1
Total
Tier 1 leverage
Tangible equity (3)
Tangible common equity (3)

For footnotes see page 29.

30     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Supplemental Financial Data
We view net interest income and related ratios and analyses on a 
FTE  basis,  which  when  presented  on  a  consolidated  basis,  are 
non-GAAP financial measures. We believe managing the business 
with net interest income on a FTE basis provides a more accurate 
picture of the interest margin for comparative purposes. To derive 
the FTE basis, net interest income is adjusted to reflect tax-exempt 
income  on  an  equivalent  before-tax  basis  with  a  corresponding 
increase in income tax expense. For purposes of this calculation, 
we use the federal statutory tax rate of 35 percent. This measure 
ensures comparability of net interest income arising from taxable 
and tax-exempt sources.

Certain performance measures including the efficiency ratio 
and net interest yield utilize net interest income (and thus total 
revenue) on a FTE basis. The efficiency ratio measures the costs 
expended to generate a dollar of revenue, and net interest yield 
measures the bps we earn over the cost of funds. 

We also evaluate our business based on certain ratios that 
utilize  tangible  equity,  a  non-GAAP  financial  measure.  Tangible 
equity  represents  an  adjusted  shareholders’  equity  or  common 
shareholders’ equity amount which has been reduced by goodwill 
and intangible assets (excluding MSRs), net of related deferred 
tax liabilities. These measures are used to evaluate our use of 
equity. In addition, profitability, relationship and investment models 
all use return on average tangible shareholders’ equity (ROTE) as 
key measures to support our overall growth goals. These ratios 
are as follows:

Return  on  average  tangible  common  shareholders’  equity 
measures our earnings contribution as a percentage of adjusted 
common shareholders’ equity. The tangible common equity ratio 
represents adjusted common shareholders’ equity divided by 
total  assets  less  goodwill  and  intangible  assets  (excluding 
MSRs), net of related deferred tax liabilities. 
ROTE measures our earnings contribution as a percentage of 
adjusted average total shareholders’ equity. The tangible equity 
ratio represents adjusted total shareholders’ equity divided by 

Table 8 Five Year Supplemental Financial Data

(Dollars in millions, except per share information)
Fully taxable-equivalent basis data

Net interest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense
Net interest yield
Efficiency ratio

Performance ratios, excluding goodwill impairment charges (1)

Per common share information

Earnings
Diluted earnings

Efficiency ratio (FTE basis)
Return on average assets
Return on average common shareholders’ equity
Return on average tangible common shareholders’ equity
Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity

total  assets  less  goodwill  and  intangible  assets  (excluding 
MSRs), net of related deferred tax liabilities.
Tangible  book  value  per  common  share  represents  adjusted 
ending common shareholders’ equity divided by ending common 
shares outstanding.
The  aforementioned  supplemental  data  and  performance 
measures are  presented  in Table  7  and Statistical  Table  XII. In 
addition, in Table 8 and Statistical Table XIV, we have excluded the 
impact of goodwill impairment charges of $3.2 billion and $12.4 
billion  recorded  in  2011  and  2010  when  presenting  certain  of 
these  metrics.  Accordingly,  these  are  non-GAAP 
financial 
measures. 

In addition, we evaluate our business segment results based 
on measures that utilize return on average economic capital, a 
non-GAAP financial measure, including the following: 

Return  on  average  economic  capital  for  the  segments  is 
calculated  as  net  income,  adjusted  for  cost  of  funds  and 
earnings credits and certain expenses related to intangibles, 
divided by average economic capital. 
Economic capital represents allocated equity less goodwill and 
a percentage of intangible assets (excluding MSRs). 
In 2009, Common Equivalent Securities (CES) were reflected 
in  our  reconciliations  given  the  expectation  that  the  underlying 
Common Equivalent Junior Preferred Stock, Series S would convert 
into common stock following shareholder approval of additional 
authorized  shares.  Shareholders  approved  the  increase  in  the 
number of authorized shares of common stock and the Common 
Equivalent Stock converted into common stock on February 24, 
2010. 

Statistical Tables XV, XVI and XVII on pages 141, 142 and 144 
provide reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures with 
GAAP financial measures. We believe the use of these non-GAAP 
financial  measures  provides  additional  clarity  in  assessing  the 
results of the Corporation and our segments. Other companies 
may define or calculate these measures and ratios differently.

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

$

41,557
84,235

$

45,588
94,426

$

52,693
111,390

$

48,410
120,944

$

46,554
73,976

2.35%

85.59

2.48%

85.01

2.78%

74.61

2.65%

55.16

2.98%

56.14

$

$

0.32
0.32
81.64%
0.20
1.54
2.46
3.08

0.87
0.86
63.48%
0.42
4.14
7.03
7.11

(1)  Performance ratios are calculated excluding the impact of goodwill impairment charges of $3.2 billion and $12.4 billion recorded during 2011 and 2010.

Bank of America 2012     31

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net  interest  income  excluding  trading-related  net  interest 
income decreased $3.6 billion to $38.2 billion for 2012 compared 
to 2011. The decline was primarily due to lower consumer loan 
balances and yields, the ALM portfolio recouponing to a lower yield 
and decreased commercial loan yields, partially offset by ongoing 
reductions  in  long-term  debt  and  lower  interest  rates  paid  on 
deposits. 

Average  earning  assets  excluding  trading-related  earning 
assets  decreased  $68.8  billion  to  $1,320.3  billion  for  2012 
compared to 2011. The decrease was primarily due to declines in 
consumer loans, securities purchased under agreement to resell, 
time deposits placed and LHFS, partially offset by an increase in 
commercial loans. 

Net interest yield on earning assets excluding trading-related 
activities decreased 12 bps to 2.90 percent for 2012 compared 
to 2011 primarily due to the factors noted above for net interest 
income. The yield curve flattened significantly in 2012 with long-
term rates near historical lows. This has resulted in net interest 
yield compression as assets have repriced down and liability yields 
have declined less significantly due to the absolute low level of 
short-end rates.

Net Interest Income Excluding Trading-related Net 
Interest Income
We manage net interest income on a FTE basis and excluding the 
impact of trading-related activities. As discussed in Global Markets 
on  page  44,  we  evaluate  our  sales  and  trading  results  and 
strategies on a total market-based revenue approach by combining 
net interest income and noninterest income for Global Markets. 
An analysis of net interest income, average earning assets and 
net interest yield on earning assets,  all  of  which  adjust  for  the 
impact of trading-related net interest income from reported net 
interest income on a FTE basis, is shown below. We believe the 
use of this non-GAAP presentation in Table 9 provides additional 
clarity in assessing our results.

Table 9 Net Interest Income Excluding Trading-related

Net Interest Income

(Dollars in millions)

2012

2011

Net interest income (FTE basis)
As reported (1)
Impact of trading-related net interest income (2)
Net interest income excluding trading-related 

$

41,557
(3,308)

$

45,588
(3,690)

net interest income (3)

$

38,249

$

41,898

Average earning assets
As reported
Impact of trading-related earning assets (2)
Average earning assets excluding trading-

$ 1,769,969
(449,660)

$1,834,659
(445,574)

related earning assets (3)

$ 1,320,309

$1,389,085

Net interest yield contribution (FTE basis)
As reported (1)
Impact of trading-related activities (2)

Net interest yield on earning assets excluding 

trading-related activities (3)

2.35%
0.55

2.48%
0.54

2.90%

3.02%

(1)  For 2012 and 2011, net interest income and net interest yield include fees earned on overnight 
deposits placed with the Federal Reserve and, for 2012, fees earned on deposits, primarily 
overnight, placed with certain non-U.S. central banks, of $189 million and $186 million.

(2)  Represents the impact of trading-related amounts included in Global Markets.
(3)  Represents a non-GAAP financial measure.

32     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
Business Segment Operations

Segment Description and Basis of Presentation
We  report  the  results  of  our  operations  through  five  business 
segments: CBB, CRES, Global Banking, Global Markets and GWIM, 
with the remaining operations recorded in All Other. 

We prepare and evaluate segment results using certain non-
GAAP  financial  measures.  For  additional  information,  see 
Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

The  management  accounting  and  reporting  process  derives 
segment  and  business 
results  by  utilizing  allocation 
methodologies for revenue and expense. The net income derived 
for the businesses is dependent upon revenue and cost allocations 
using an activity-based costing model, funds transfer pricing, and 
other methodologies and assumptions management believes are 
appropriate to reflect the results of the business.

Total  revenue,  net  of  interest  expense,  includes  net  interest 
income on a FTE basis and noninterest income. The adjustment 
of net interest income to a FTE basis results in a corresponding 
increase in income tax expense. The segment results also reflect 
certain revenue and expense methodologies that are utilized to 
determine net income. The net interest income of the businesses 
includes  the  results  of  a  funds  transfer  pricing  process  that 
matches assets and liabilities with similar interest rate sensitivity 
and  maturity  characteristics.  For  presentation  purposes,  in 
segments where the total of liabilities and equity exceeds assets, 
which are generally deposit-taking segments, we allocate assets 
to match liabilities. Net interest income of the business segments 
also includes an allocation of net interest income generated by 
certain of our ALM activities.

Our  ALM  activities  include  an  overall  interest  rate  risk 
management  strategy  that  incorporates  the  use  of  various 
derivatives  and  cash  instruments  to  manage  fluctuations  in 
earnings and capital that are caused by interest rate volatility. Our 

goal is to manage interest rate sensitivity so that movements in 
interest rates do not significantly adversely affect earnings and 
capital.  The  majority  of  our  ALM  activities  are  allocated  to  the 
business  segments  and  fluctuate  based  on  performance.  ALM 
activities  include  external  product  pricing  decisions  including 
deposit pricing strategies, the effects of our internal funds transfer 
pricing process and the net effects of other ALM activities.

Certain expenses not directly attributable to a specific business 
segment are allocated to the segments. The most significant of 
these  expenses  include  data  and  item  processing  costs  and 
certain centralized or shared functions. Data processing costs are 
allocated  to  the  segments  based  on  equipment  usage.  Item 
processing  costs  are  allocated  to  the  segments  based  on  the 
volume of items processed for each segment. The costs of certain 
other  centralized  or  shared  functions  are  allocated  based  on 
methodologies that reflect utilization.

We allocate economic capital to the business segments and 
related  businesses  using  a 
risk-adjusted  methodology 
incorporating  each  segment’s  credit,  market,  interest  rate, 
strategic and operational risk components. See Managing Risk on 
page  62  and  Strategic  Risk  Management  on  page 66  for  more 
information on the nature of these risks. A business segment’s 
allocated equity includes this economic capital allocation and also 
includes  the  portion  of  goodwill  and  intangibles  specifically 
assigned  to  the  business  segment.  We  benefit  from  the 
diversification of risk across these components which is reflected 
as  a  reduction  to  allocated  equity  for  each  segment.  The  risk-
adjusted methodology is periodically refined and such refinements 
are reflected as changes to allocated equity in each segment.

For  more  information  on  the  business  segments  and 
reconciliations  to consolidated  total  revenue,  net  income (loss) 
and  year-end  total  assets,  see  Note  26  –  Business  Segment 
Information to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Bank of America 2012     33

Consumer & Business Banking

(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income:

Card income
Service charges
All other income (loss)

Total noninterest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense 

(FTE basis)

Deposits

Card 
Services

Business 
Banking

Total Consumer &
Business Banking

2012

2011

$

7,857

$

8,472

2012
$ 10,047

2011
$ 11,502

2012

2011

$

1,221

$

1,404

2012
$ 19,125

2011
$ 21,378

% Change
(11)%

—
3,922
276
4,198

—
4,000
224
4,224

5,261
1
(54)
5,208

6,286
—
328
6,614

—
361
131
492

—
524
140
664

5,261
4,284
353
9,898

6,286
4,524
692
11,502

12,055

12,696

15,255

18,116

1,713

2,068

29,023

32,880

Provision for credit losses
Noninterest expense

Income before income taxes
Income tax expense (FTE basis)

Net income

208
10,409
1,438
521
917

$

173
10,600
1,923
706
1,217

$

3,452
5,496
6,307
2,246
4,061

3,072
5,961
9,083
3,272
5,811

$

$

$

281
888
544
201
343

245
1,158
665
246
419

$

3,941
16,793
8,289
2,968
5,321

$

3,490
17,719
11,671
4,224
7,447

$

Net interest yield (FTE basis)
Return on average allocated equity
Return on average economic capital
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis)

1.81%
3.77
14.35
86.34

2.02%
5.13
21.10
83.49

8.93%

9.04%

19.73
40.20
36.03

27.50
55.30
32.90

2.68%
3.92
5.16
51.81

3.23%
5.20
7.03
56.09

3.88%
9.92
23.01
57.86

4.45%

14.07
33.52
53.89

Balance Sheet

Average
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets (1)
Total assets (1)
Total deposits
Allocated equity
Economic capital

n/m
$ 433,908
460,074
434,261
24,329
6,405

n/m $ 111,642
112,489
118,763
n/m
20,578
10,131

$419,996
446,475
421,106
23,734
5,786

$126,083
127,258
130,254
n/m
21,127
10,538

$ 23,764
45,549
52,690
42,837
8,739
6,642

$ 26,889
43,542
51,553
40,679
8,047
5,949

$ 136,171
492,965
532,546
477,440
53,646
23,178

$153,641
480,590
518,076
462,087
52,908
22,273

(16)
(5)
(49)
(14)

(12)

13
(5)
(29)
(30)
(29)

(11)
3
3
3
1
4

Year end
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets (1)
Total assets (1)
Total deposits
(1)  For presentation purposes, in segments and businesses where the total of liabilities and equity exceeds assets, we allocate assets to match liabilities. As a result, total earning assets and total 

n/m $ 110,380
110,831
117,904
n/m

n/m
$ 455,999
482,339
455,871

$120,668
121,991
127,623
n/m

$ 134,657
514,521
554,878
498,669

$ 25,006
46,516
53,950
41,519

$146,378
480,972
521,097
464,264

$ 23,396
44,712
51,655
42,382

$419,215
446,274
421,871

(8)
7
6
7

assets of the businesses may not equal total CBB.

n/m = not meaningful

CBB,  which  is  comprised  of  Deposits,  Card  Services  and 
Business Banking, offers a diversified range of credit, banking and 
investment products and services to consumers and businesses. 
Our customers and clients have access to a franchise network 
that stretches coast to coast through 32 states and the District 
of Columbia. The franchise network includes approximately 5,500 
banking centers, 16,300 ATMs, nationwide call centers, and online 
and mobile platforms. 

The Federal Reserve adopted a final rule with respect to the 
Durbin Amendment, which became effective October 1, 2011, that 
established the maximum allowable interchange fees a bank can 
receive  for  a  debit  card  transaction.  The  interchange  fee  rules 
resulted in a reduction of debit card revenue of approximately $1.7 
billion in 2012 compared to a $430 million reduction in 2011. For 
more  information  on  the  Durbin  Amendment  and  the  final 
interchange rules, see Regulatory Matters on page 60.

CBB Results
Net income for CBB decreased $2.1 billion to $5.3 billion in 2012 
compared  to  2011  primarily  due  to  lower  revenue  and  higher 
provision  for  credit  losses,  partially  offset  by  lower  noninterest 
expense.  Net  interest  income  decreased  $2.3  billion  to  $19.1 
billion  due  to  lower  average  loan  balances  primarily  in  Card 
Services  as  well  as  compressed  deposit  spreads  due  to  the 
continued low rate environment. Noninterest income decreased 
$1.6  billion  to  $9.9  billion  primarily  due  to  a  decline  in  Card 
Services. The provision for credit losses increased $451 million 
to  $3.9  billion  with  the  increase  largely  in  Card  Services. 
Noninterest  expense  decreased  $926  million  to  $16.8  billion 
primarily due to lower FDIC and operating expenses, partially offset 
by an increase in litigation expense.

The return on average economic capital decreased primarily 
due to lower net income. For more information regarding economic 
capital, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

34     Bank of America 2012

Deposits
Deposits includes the results of consumer deposit activities which 
consist  of  a  comprehensive  range  of  products  provided  to 
consumers and small businesses. Our deposit products include 
traditional savings accounts, money market savings accounts, CDs 
and IRAs, noninterest- and interest-bearing checking accounts, as 
well  as  investment  accounts  and  products.  Deposit  products 
provide a relatively stable source of funding and liquidity for the 
Corporation. We earn net interest spread revenue from investing 
this liquidity in earning assets through client-facing lending and 
ALM activities. The revenue is allocated to the deposit products 
using our funds transfer pricing process that matches assets and 
liabilities  with  similar  interest  rate  sensitivity  and  maturity 
characteristics.

Deposits also generates fees such as account service fees, 
non-sufficient funds fees, overdraft charges and ATM fees, as well 
as  investment  and  brokerage  fees  from  Merrill  Edge  accounts. 
Merrill Edge is an integrated investing and banking service targeted 
at clients with less than $250,000 in investable assets. Merrill 
Edge  provides  investment  advice  and  guidance,  brokerage 
services, a self-directed online investing platform and key banking 
capabilities  including  access  to  the  Corporation’s  network  of 
banking centers and ATMs. Deposits includes the net impact of 
migrating customers and their related deposit balances between 
Deposits and GWIM as well as other client-managed businesses. 
For more information on the migration of customer balances to or 
from GWIM, see GWIM on page 46.

Net  income  for  Deposits  decreased  $300  million  to  $917 
million  in  2012  primarily  driven  by  lower  net  interest  income, 
partially offset by lower noninterest expense. Net interest income 
declined $615 million to $7.9 billion driven by compressed deposit 
spreads due to the continued low rate environment, partially offset 
by growth in deposit balances, a customer shift to higher spread 
liquid  products  and  continued  pricing  discipline.  Noninterest 
income of $4.2 billion remained relatively unchanged. Noninterest 
expense decreased $191 million to $10.4 billion as lower FDIC 
expense  was  partially  offset  by  higher  operating  and  litigation 
expenses.

Average deposits increased $13.2 billion to $434.3 billion in 
2012 driven by a customer shift to more liquid products in a low 
rate  environment  as  checking,  traditional  savings  and  money 
market savings grew $23.9 billion. Growth in liquid products was 
partially  offset  by  a  decline  in  average  time  deposits  of  $10.7 
billion.  As  a  result  of  the  shift  in  the  mix  of  deposits  and  our 
continued  pricing  discipline,  the  rate  paid  on  average  deposits 
declined by seven bps to 20 bps.

Key Statistics

Total deposit spreads (excludes noninterest costs) (1)

2012

  2011

1.81%

2.12%

Year end
Client brokerage assets (in millions)
Online banking active accounts (units in thousands)
Mobile banking active accounts (units in thousands)
Banking centers
ATMs
(1)   Total deposit spreads include the Deposits and Business Banking businesses.

$75,946
29,638
12,013
5,478
16,347

$66,576
29,870
9,166
5,702
17,756

Mobile  banking  customers  increased  2.8  million  in  2012 
reflecting a change in our customers’ banking preferences. The 
number of banking centers declined 224 and ATMs declined 1,409 
as  we  continue  to  improve  our  cost-to-serve  and  optimize  our 
consumer banking network.

Card Services
Card Services is one of the leading issuers of credit and debit 
cards to consumers and small businesses in the U.S. In addition 
to earning net interest spread revenue on its lending activities, 
Card Services generates interchange revenue from credit and debit 
card  transactions  as  well  as  annual  credit  card  fees  and  other 
miscellaneous fees.

Net income for Card Services decreased $1.8 billion to $4.1 
billion in 2012 primarily driven by a decrease in revenue and an 
increase in the provision for credit losses, partially offset by lower 
noninterest expense. Net interest income decreased $1.5 billion 
to $10.0 billion driven by lower average loan balances and yields. 
The net interest yield decreased 11 bps to 8.93 percent due to 
charge-offs  and  paydowns  of  higher  interest  rate  products. 
Noninterest income decreased $1.4 billion to $5.2 billion primarily 
due  to  lower  interchange  fees  as  a  result  of  implementing  the 
Durbin  Amendment,  lower  gains  on  sales  of  portfolios  and  the 
impact of charges related to our consumer protection products.

The provision for credit losses increased $380 million to $3.5 
billion in 2012 as portfolio trends stabilized during 2012. For more 
information,  see  Provision  for  Credit  Losses  on  page  105. 
Noninterest  expense  decreased  $465  million  to  $5.5  billion 
primarily due to lower personnel and operating expenses.

Average  loans  decreased  $14.4  billion  to  $111.6  billion  in 
2012  driven  by  the  impact  of  portfolio  sales,  charge-offs  and 
continued run-off of non-core portfolios.

Key Statistics

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. credit card

Gross interest yield
Risk-adjusted margin
New accounts (in thousands)
Purchase volumes

Debit card purchase volumes

2012

2011

10.02%
7.54
3,258
$ 193,500
258,363

10.25%
5.81
3,035
$192,358
250,545

During  2012,  the  U.S.  credit  card  risk-adjusted  margin 
increased 173 bps due to a decrease in net charge-offs driven by 
an improvement in credit quality. U.S. credit card new accounts 
grew by approximately 223,000 accounts to 3.3 million. During 
2012, U.S. credit card purchase volumes increased $1.1 billion 
to $193.5 billion reflecting higher levels of consumer spending, 
partially offset by the impact of portfolio sales. Debit card purchase 
volumes increased $7.8 billion to $258.4 billion reflecting higher 
levels of consumer spending.

Bank of America 2012     35

 
Business Banking
Business  Banking  provides  a  wide  range  of  lending-related 
products  and  services,  integrated  working  capital  management 
and treasury solutions to clients through our network of offices 
and client relationship teams along with various product partners. 
Our clients include U.S.-based companies generally with annual 
sales  of  $1  million  to  $50  million.  Our  lending  products  and 
services include commercial loans, lines of credit and real estate 
lending. Our capital management and treasury solutions include 
treasury management, foreign exchange and short-term investing 
options.  Business  Banking  also  includes  the  results  of  our 
merchant services joint venture.

Net  income  for  Business  Banking  decreased  $76  million  to 
$343  million  in  2012  primarily  driven  by  lower  revenue  and  an 
increase in the provision for credit losses, largely offset by lower 

noninterest expense. Net interest income decreased $183 million 
to $1.2 billion driven by lower average loan balances. Noninterest 
income decreased $172 million to $492 million primarily due to 
the  transfer  of  certain  processing  activities  to  our  merchant 
services  joint  venture  in  2012.  The  provision  for  credit  losses 
increased $36 million to $281 million primarily driven by a slower 
pace  of  improvement  in  credit  quality  than  in  the  prior  year. 
Noninterest  expense  decreased  $270  million  to  $888  million 
driven by lower FDIC and merchant processing expenses.

Average loans decreased $3.1 billion to $23.8 billion in 2012 
primarily  driven  by  the  net  transfer  of  certain  loans  to  other 
businesses, higher prepayments and continued run-off of non-core 
portfolios. Average deposits increased $2.2 billion to $42.8 billion 
in 2012 due to the current client preference for liquidity and the 
net transfer of certain deposits from other businesses.

36     Bank of America 2012

Consumer Real Estate Services

(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income:

Mortgage banking income (loss)
Insurance income
All other income (loss)

Total noninterest income (loss)
Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

Provision for credit losses
Goodwill impairment
All other noninterest expense

Income (loss) before income taxes
Income tax expense (benefit) (FTE basis)

Net income (loss)

Net interest yield (FTE basis)
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis)

Balance Sheet

Average
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets
Total assets
Allocated equity
Economic capital 

Year end
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets
Total assets
n/m = not meaningful
n/a = not applicable

Home Loans

Legacy Assets &
Servicing

Total Consumer Real
Estate Services

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

% Change

$

1,361

$

1,828

$

1,598

$

1,379

$

2,959

$

3,207

(8)%

3,284
6
(5)
3,285
4,646

72
—
3,171
1,403
511
892

$

2,312
750
971
4,033
5,861

233
—
4,563
1,065
396
669

$

2,247
—
268
2,515
4,113

(10,505)
—
111
(10,394)
(9,015)

5,531
6
263
5,800
8,759

(8,193)
750
1,082
(6,361)
(3,154)

1,370
—
14,135
(11,392)
(3,993)

4,291
2,603
14,625
(30,534)
(10,400)
$ (7,399) $ (20,134)

1,442
—
17,306
(9,989)
(3,482)

4,524
2,603
19,188
(29,469)
(10,004)
$ (6,507) $ (19,465)

2.41%

68.25

2.59%

77.85

2.45%
n/m

1.63%
n/m

2.43%
n/m

2.07%
n/m

$ 50,023
56,581
57,550
n/a
n/a

$ 54,663
70,488
71,508
n/a
n/a

$ 54,731
65,288
89,055
n/a
n/a

$ 65,157
84,402
118,859
n/a
n/a

$ 104,754
121,869
146,605
13,687
13,687

$119,820
154,890
190,367
16,202
14,852

$ 47,742
54,394
55,463

$ 52,371
58,819
59,647

$ 48,230
53,892
76,925

$ 59,988
73,562
104,065

$ 95,972
108,286
132,388

$112,359
132,381
163,712

(168)
(99)
(76)
(191)
n/m

(68)
(100)
(10)
(66)
(65)
(67)

(13)
(21)
(23)
(16)
(8)

(15)
(18)
(19)

CRES operations include Home Loans and Legacy Assets & 
Servicing. Home Loans is responsible for ongoing loan production 
activities and the CRES home equity loan portfolio not selected 
for  inclusion  in  the  Legacy  Assets  &  Servicing  owned  portfolio. 
Legacy Assets & Servicing is responsible for all of our mortgage 
servicing activities related to loans serviced for others and loans 
held by the Corporation, including loans that have been designated 
as the Legacy Assets & Servicing Portfolios. The Legacy Assets 
& Servicing Portfolios (both owned and serviced), herein referred 
to  as  the  Legacy  Owned  and  Legacy  Serviced  Portfolios, 
respectively,  (together,  the  Legacy  Portfolios),  and  as  further 
defined  below,  include  those  loans  that  would  not  have  been 
originated under our underwriting standards as of December 31, 
2010.  For  additional  information  on  our  Legacy  Portfolios,  see 
page 39. In addition, Legacy Assets & Servicing is responsible for 
managing legacy exposures related to CRES (e.g., representations 
and warranties). This alignment allows CRES management to lead 
the  ongoing  Home  Loans  business  while  also  providing  greater 
focus on legacy mortgage issues and servicing activities.

CRES,  primarily  through  Home  Loans  operations,  generates 
revenue  by  providing  an  extensive  line  of  consumer  real  estate 
products and services to customers nationwide. CRES products 
offered by Home Loans include fixed- and adjustable-rate first-lien 
mortgage loans for home purchase and refinancing needs, home 
equity  lines  of  credit  (HELOCs)  and  home  equity  loans.  First 

mortgage products are either sold into the secondary mortgage 
market to investors, while we generally retain MSRs and the Bank 
of  America  customer  relationships,  or  are  held  on  the  balance 
sheet in All Other for ALM purposes. Home Loans is compensated 
for  loans  held  for  ALM  purposes  on  a  management  accounting 
basis with the corresponding offset in All Other. Newly originated 
HELOCs and home equity loans are retained on the CRES balance 
sheet in Home Loans. 

CRES includes the impact of transferring customers and their 
related  loan  balances  between  GWIM  and  CRES.  For  more 
information on the migration of customer balances, see GWIM on 
page 46.

CRES Results
The net loss for CRES decreased $13.0 billion to $6.5 billion for 
2012  compared  to  2011  primarily  driven  by  mortgage  banking 
income of $5.5 billion in 2012 compared to a loss of $8.2 billion 
in 2011. Also contributing to the decrease in the net loss was 
lower  provision  for  credit  losses  and  a  decline  in  noninterest 
expense,  partially  offset  by  lower  insurance  income  and  other 
income. Mortgage banking income increased $13.7 billion due to 
an  $11.7  billion  decrease  in  representations  and  warranties 
provision,  and  higher  servicing  income  and  core  production 
revenue.  The  provision  for  credit  losses  decreased  $3.1  billion 
driven by improved portfolio trends and increasing home prices in 

Bank of America 2012     37

both the non-PCI and PCI home equity loan portfolios. Noninterest 
expense  decreased  $4.5  billion  primarily  due  to  a  decline  in 
litigation expense, the absence of a goodwill impairment charge 
in 2012 compared to $2.6 billion in 2011, a decline in production 
and insurance expenses in Home Loans and a reduction in Legacy 
Assets & Servicing expenses.

Average  economic  capital  decreased  eight  percent  primarily 
due to a reduction in operational risk driven by the sale of Balboa 
and  a  reduction  in  credit  risk.  For  more  information  regarding 
economic capital, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

Home Loans
Home Loans products are available to our customers through our 
retail network of approximately 5,500 banking centers, mortgage 
loan  officers  in  375  locations  and  a  sales  force  offering  our 
customers direct telephone and online access to our products. 
These  products  were  also  offered  through  our  correspondent 
lending channel which we exited in the second half of 2011 and 
the reverse mortgage origination business which we exited in the 
first half of 2011. These strategic changes were made to allow 
greater  focus  on  our  direct-to-consumer  channels,  deepen 
relationships with existing customers and use mortgage products 
to acquire new relationships.

Home Loans also included the Balboa insurance operations 
through June 30, 2011, when the ongoing insurance business was 
transferred to CBB following the sale of Balboa. 

Net income for Home Loans increased $223 million to $892 
million primarily driven by a decrease in noninterest expense and 
lower provision for credit losses, partially offset by a decline in 
revenue.

The $1.2 billion decline in revenue was the result of a decrease 
of $744 million in insurance income as a result of the Balboa sale 
in 2011 and a $467 million decline in net interest income primarily 
driven  by  lower  LHFS  balances  due  to  our  exit  from  the 
correspondent lending channel and lower home equity balances. 
In addition, a net gain of $752 million on the sale of Balboa in 
2011 contributed to the decline in revenue. These declines were 
partially offset by an increase of $972 million in mortgage banking 
income  as  higher  retail  margins  more  than  offset  lower 
originations. 

The $161 million decline in the provision for credit losses was 
driven by improved portfolio trends and increasing home prices. 
The $1.4 billion decline in noninterest expense was primarily due 
to lower insurance expense as a result of the sale of Balboa, lower 
production expense driven by lower retail originations and our exit 
from the correspondent lending channel.

Legacy Assets & Servicing
Legacy Assets & Servicing is responsible for all of our servicing 
activities related to the residential, home equity and discontinued 
real  estate  loan  portfolios,  including  owned  loans  and  loans 
serviced for others (collectively, the mortgage serviced portfolio). 
A  portion  of  this  portfolio  has  been  designated  as  the  Legacy 
Serviced Portfolio, which represents 39 percent, 42 percent and 
49 percent of the total mortgage serviced portfolio, as measured 
by  unpaid  principal  balance,  at  December 31,  2012,  2011  and 
2010, respectively. 

Legacy Assets & Servicing results reflect the net cost of legacy 
exposures  that  are  included  in  the  results  of  CRES,  including 

representations and warranties provision, litigation costs, financial 
results of the CRES home equity portfolio selected as part of the 
Legacy  Owned  Portfolio,  the  financial  results  of  the  servicing 
operations and the results of MSR activities, including net hedge 
results. The financial results of the servicing operations reflect 
certain  revenues  and  expenses  on  loans  serviced  for  others, 
including  owned  loans  serviced  for  Home  Loans,  GWIM  and  All 
Other.

Servicing  activities  include  collecting  cash  for  principal, 
interest  and  escrow  payments  from  borrowers,  and  disbursing 
customer draws for lines of credit and accounting for and remitting 
principal and interest payments to investors and escrow payments 
to third parties along with responding to customer inquiries. Our 
home retention efforts, including single point of contact resources, 
are  also  part  of  our  servicing  activities,  along  with  supervising 
foreclosures  and  property  dispositions.  In  an  effort  to  help  our 
customers avoid foreclosure, Legacy Assets & Servicing evaluates 
various workout options prior to foreclosure sales which, combined 
with  our  temporary  halt  of  foreclosures  announced  in  October 
2010, has resulted in elongated default timelines. Although we 
have  resumed  foreclosure  proceedings  in  all  states,  there 
continues to be significant inventory levels in judicial states. For 
additional  information  on  our  servicing  activities,  including  the 
impact of foreclosure delays, see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 
and Contractual Obligations – Other Mortgage-related Matters on 
page 57.

The net loss for Legacy Assets & Servicing decreased $12.7 
billion  to  $7.4  billion  driven  by  an  improvement  in  mortgage 
banking  income,  a  decrease  in  noninterest  expense  and  a 
decrease  in  the  provision  for  credit  losses.  The  $12.8  billion 
increase  in  mortgage  banking  income  was  primarily  due  to  a 
decrease  of  $11.7  billion  in  representations  and  warranties 
provision. The 2012 representations and warranties provision of 
$3.9 billion included $2.5 billion in provision related to the FNMA 
Settlement and $500 million for obligations to FNMA related to 
mortgage insurance rescissions. The 2011 representations and 
warranties  provision  of  $15.6  billion  included  $8.6  billion  in 
provision and other costs related to the settlement with Bank of 
New York Mellon (BNY Mellon Settlement) to resolve nearly all of 
the  legacy  Countrywide-issued  first-lien  non-GSE  repurchase 
exposures, and $7.0 billion in provision related to other non-GSE, 
and to a lesser extent, GSE exposures. The provision for credit 
losses  decreased  $2.9  billion  due  to  improved  portfolio  trends 
and  increasing  home  prices  in  both  the  non-PCI  and  PCI  home 
equity loan portfolios.

Noninterest expense decreased $3.1 billion primarily due to a 
$3.0 billion decline in litigation expense, the absence of a goodwill 
impairment charge in 2012 compared to $2.6 billion in 2011, and 
$1.0  billion  lower  mortgage-related  assessments,  waivers  and 
similar costs related to foreclosure delays. These declines were 
partially  offset  by  an  increase  of  $2.4  billion  in  default-related 
servicing expenses and a $1.1 billion provision for the 2013 IFR 
Acceleration Agreement. For more information on the 2013 IFR 
Acceleration Agreement, see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and 
Contractual  Obligations  –  Servicing  Matters  and  Foreclosure 
Processes on page 57. The increase in default-related servicing 
expenses  was  due  to  resources  needed  to  implement  new 
servicing standards mandated for the industry, including as part 
of the National Mortgage Settlement, other operational changes 
and costs due to delayed foreclosures.

38     Bank of America 2012

Legacy Portfolios
The  Legacy  Portfolios  (both  owned  and  serviced)  include  those 
loans that would not have been originated under our underwriting 
standards at December 31, 2010. The Countrywide PCI portfolio 
as well as certain loans that met a pre-defined delinquency status 
or probability of default threshold as of January 1, 2011 are also 
included in the Legacy Portfolios. Since determining the pool of 
loans to be included in the Legacy Portfolios as of January 1, 2011, 
the criteria have not changed for these portfolios, but will continue 
to be evaluated over time. 

Legacy Owned Portfolio
The  Legacy  Owned  Portfolio  includes  those  loans  that  met  the 
criteria as described above and are on the balance sheet of the 
Corporation. The home equity loan portfolio is held on the balance 
sheet  of  Legacy  Assets  &  Servicing;  whereas,  the  residential 
mortgage and discontinued real estate loan portfolios are held on 
the  balance  sheet  of  All  Other.  The  financial  results  of  the  on-
balance sheet loans are reported in the segment that owns the 
loans or in All Other. During 2012, the total loans in the Legacy 
Owned  Portfolio  decreased  $23.8  billion  to  $131.1  billion  at 
December 31, 2012, of which $48.2 billion was reflected on the 
Legacy Assets & Servicing balance sheet and the remainder was 
held on the balance sheet of All Other. The decline was primarily 
related to paydowns and payoffs, but also reflects forgiveness of 
loans in connection with the National Mortgage Settlement, and 
charge-offs recorded on loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy 
under  new  regulatory  guidance  implemented  during  2012.  For 
more information on the National Mortgage Settlement and the 
new  regulatory  guidance,  see  Consumer  Portfolio  Credit  Risk 
Management on page 76.

Legacy Serviced Portfolio
The Legacy Serviced Portfolio includes the Legacy Owned Portfolio 
and those loans serviced for outside investors that met the criteria 
as described above. The following table summarizes the balances 
of  the  residential  mortgage  and  discontinued  real  estate  loans 
included in the Legacy Serviced Portfolio (collectively, the Legacy 
Residential Mortgage Serviced Portfolio) representing 39 percent, 
41  percent  and  48  percent  of  the  total  residential  mortgage 
serviced portfolio, as measured by unpaid principal balance, of 
$1.2 trillion, $1.6 trillion and $1.9 trillion at December 31, 2012, 
2011 and 2010, respectively. The decline in the Legacy Residential 
Mortgage  Serviced  Portfolio  was  primarily  related  to  servicing 
transfers, paydowns and payoffs.

Legacy Residential Mortgage Serviced Portfolio, a subset 
of the Residential Mortgage Serviced Portfolio (1)

(Dollars in billions)

Unpaid principal balance
Residential mortgage loans (2)

Total
60 days or more past due

Number of loans serviced (in thousands)
Residential mortgage loans (2)

December 31
2011

2010

2012

$

$

467
137

$

659
235

912
312

Total
60 days or more past due

2,542
649

3,440
1,061

4,660
1,373

(1)  Excludes  $57  billion,  $84  billion  and  $99  billion  of  home  equity  loans  and  HELOCs  at 

December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.
Includes discontinued real estate loans.

(2) 

Non-Legacy Portfolio
As discussed above, Legacy Assets & Servicing is responsible for 
all of our servicing activities. The following table summarizes the 
balances of the residential mortgage and discontinued real estate 
loans that are not included in the Legacy Serviced Portfolio (the 
Non-Legacy Residential Mortgage Serviced Portfolio) representing 
61  percent,  59  percent  and  52  percent  of  the  total  residential 
mortgage  serviced  portfolio,  as  measured  by  unpaid  principal 
balance,  at  December 31,  2012,  2011  and  2010,  respectively. 
The  decline  in  the  Non-Legacy  Residential  Mortgage  Serviced 
Portfolio  was  primarily  related  to  servicing  transfers,  paydowns 
and payoffs.

Non-Legacy Residential Mortgage Serviced Portfolio, a 
subset of the Residential Mortgage Serviced Portfolio (1)

(Dollars in billions)

Unpaid principal balance
Residential mortgage loans (2)

Total
60 days or more past due

Number of loans serviced (in thousands)
Residential mortgage loans (2)

December 31
2011

2010

2012

$

$

744
22

$

953
17

977
1

Total
60 days or more past due

4,764
124

5,731
95

5,773
—

(1)  Excludes  $64  billion,  $67  billion  and  $69  billion  of  home  equity  loans  and  HELOCs  at 

December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.
Includes discontinued real estate loans.

(2) 

Mortgage Banking Income
CRES  mortgage  banking  income  (loss)  is  categorized  into 
production  and  servicing  income.  Core  production  income  is 
comprised  of  revenue  from  the  fair  value  gains  and  losses 
recognized  on  our  interest  rate  lock  commitments  (IRLCs)  and 
LHFS, the related secondary market execution, and costs related 
to representations and warranties in the sales transactions along 
with  other  obligations  incurred  in  the  sales  of  mortgage  loans. 
Ongoing costs related to representations and warranties and other 
obligations that were incurred in the sales of mortgage loans in 
prior periods are also included in production income.

Servicing income includes income earned in connection with 
servicing activities and MSR valuation adjustments, net of results 
from  risk  management  activities  used  to  hedge  certain  market 
risks  of  the  MSRs.  The  costs  associated  with  our  servicing 
activities are included in noninterest expense.

Bank of America 2012     39

The  table  below  summarizes  the  components  of  mortgage 

The representations and warranties provision decreased $11.7 

banking income (loss).

Mortgage Banking Income (Loss)

(Dollars in millions)

Production income (loss):
Core production revenue
Representations and warranties provision

Total production loss

Servicing income:
Servicing fees
Impact of customer payments (1)
Fair value changes of MSRs, net of risk management 

billion to $3.9 billion as described earlier in this section.

Net  servicing  income  increased  $1.1  billion  to  $5.7  billion 
primarily  due  to  $1.2  billion  in  improved  MSR  results,  net  of 
hedges, and $1.1 billion in reduced impact of customer payments 
driven  by  a  lower  MSR  asset,  partially  offset  by  a  $1.3  billion 
decrease in servicing fees primarily due to a reduction in the size 
of the servicing portfolio. For additional information, see Note 24 
–  Mortgage  Servicing  Rights  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements. 

2012

  2011

$ 3,730
(3,939)
(209)

$ 2,797
(15,591)
(12,794)

4,734
(1,484)

6,035
(2,621)

Key Statistics

(Dollars in millions, except as noted)

2012

2011

Loan production
Total Corporation (1):
First mortgage
First mortgage (excluding
correspondent lending)

Home equity

CRES:

First mortgage
First mortgage (excluding
correspondent lending)

Home equity

$ 75,074

$ 151,756  

75,074

3,585

80,300

4,388  

$ 58,518

$ 139,273  

58,518

2,832

67,817

3,694  

Year end
Mortgage serviced portfolio (in billions) (2, 3)
Mortgage loans serviced for investors 

(in billions)

Mortgage servicing rights:

Balance
Capitalized mortgage servicing rights
 (% of loans serviced for investors)

$

1,332  

$

1,763  

1,045

5,716

1,379  

7,378  

55 bps

54 bps

(1) 

In  addition  to  loan  production  in  CRES,  the  remaining  first  mortgage  and  home  equity  loan 
production is primarily in GWIM.

(2)  Servicing  of  residential  mortgage  loans,  HELOCs,  home  equity  loans  and  discontinued  real 

estate mortgage loans.

(3)  The mortgage serviced portfolio at December 31, 2010 was $2,057 billion.

Retail first mortgage loan originations for the total Corporation 
were $75.1 billion for 2012 compared to $80.3 billion for 2011, 
excluding  correspondent  lending.  The  decrease  was  primarily 
driven by our decision to price loan products in order to manage 
our fulfillment capacity.

Home equity production was $3.6 billion for 2012 compared 
to $4.4 billion for 2011 primarily due to our decision to exit the 
reverse mortgage business.

activities used to hedge certain market risks (2)

1,845

655

Other servicing-related revenue
Total net servicing income
Total CRES mortgage banking income (loss)

645
5,740
5,531
(781)
Total consolidated mortgage banking income (loss) $ 4,750

532
4,601
(8,193)
(637)
$ (8,830)
(1)  Represents the change in the market value of the MSR asset due to the impact of customer 

Eliminations (3)

payments received during the year.
Includes gains (losses) on sales of MSRs.
Includes the effect of transfers of mortgage loans from CRES to the ALM portfolio in All Other.

(2) 

(3) 

CRES first mortgage loan originations declined $80.8 billion, 
or  58  percent,  primarily  as  a  result  of  our  exit  from  the 
correspondent lending channel in 2011. CRES retail first mortgage 
loan originations were $58.5 billion in 2012 compared to $67.8 
billion in 2011, excluding correspondent lending, reflecting a drop 
in  estimated  retail  market  share  as  the  overall  market  for 
mortgages increased. Our decline in market share was primarily 
due to our decision to price loan products in order to manage our 
fulfillment  capacity.  Core  production  revenue  increased  $933 
million  to  $3.7  billion  as  the  impact  of  our  exit  from  the 
correspondent  lending  channel  and  the  decline  in  retail 
originations were more than offset by higher retail margins. On an 
industry-wide basis margins increased as historically low mortgage 
rates drove strong consumer demand for refinance transactions 
at  a  time  when  most  lenders  had  capacity  constraints  which, 
combined  with  our  pricing  strategy,  contributed  to  higher  retail 
margins. In addition, a higher proportion of refinance transactions, 
particularly  Home  Affordable  Refinance  Programs 
(HARP), 
contributed to higher margins. During 2012, 84 percent of our first 
mortgage production volume was for refinance originations and 
16 percent was for purchase originations compared to 60 percent 
and 40 percent in 2011.

40     Bank of America 2012

 
 
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
Mortgage Servicing Rights
At  December 31,  2012,  the  consumer  MSR  balance  was  $5.7 
billion, which represented 55 bps of the related unpaid principal 
balance compared to $7.4 billion or 54 bps of the related unpaid 
principal  balance  at  December 31,  2011.  The  consumer  MSR 
balance  decreased  $1.7  billion  during  2012  primarily  driven  by 
lower  mortgage  rates,  which  resulted  in  higher  forecasted 
prepayment speeds and the change in the MSR asset value due 
to customer payments received during the period. During 2012, 
the  fair  value  changes  of  MSRs,  net  of  results  from  risk 
management activities used to hedge certain market risks of the 
MSRs, were a positive $1.8 billion as the positive hedge results 
more than offset the impact of the market valuation decline on 
the  MSR  balance.  The  hedges  outperformed  the  MSRs  due  to 
significant upward price movements in the MBS market in the later 
part of 2012. For additional information on our servicing activities, 
see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations 
– Servicing Matters and Foreclosure Processes on page 57. For 
additional information on MSRs, see Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing 
Rights to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Sales of Mortgage Servicing Rights
On  January  6,  2013,  Bank  of  America  entered  into  definitive 
agreements with two different counterparties, and on February 19, 
2013 with an additional counterparty to sell the servicing rights 
on certain residential mortgage loans serviced for others, with an 
aggregate unpaid principal balance of approximately $317 billion. 
The  sales  involve  approximately  2.1  million  loans  currently 
serviced  by  us,  including  approximately  234,000  residential 
mortgage loans and approximately 24,000 home equity loans that 
were  60  days  or  more  past  due  at  December 31,  2012.  The 
transfers  of  servicing  rights  are  scheduled  to  occur  in  stages 
throughout  2013  with  the  delinquent  loans  scheduled  to  be 
transferred  after  the  current  loans.  Currently,  we  recognize 
approximately  $200  million  in  servicing  revenues  per  quarter 
associated  with  these  loans,  which  is  expected  to  decrease 
throughout 2013 as we transfer the servicing rights. Over time we 
expect  the  impact  on  earnings  to  be  negligible  as  we  expect 
expenses to also decrease after we transfer the servicing rights, 
especially  for  loans  that  are  60  days  or  more  past  due.  For 
additional  information  on  servicing  sales,  see  Recent  Events – 
Sale of Mortgage Servicing Rights on page 22.

Bank of America 2012     41

Global Banking

(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income:
Service charges
Investment banking fees
All other income

Total noninterest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

Provision for credit losses
Noninterest expense

Income before income taxes
Income tax expense (FTE basis)

Net income

Net interest yield (FTE basis)
Return on average allocated equity
Return on average economic capital
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis)

Balance Sheet

Average
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets
Total assets
Total deposits
Allocated equity
Economic capital

Year end
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets
Total assets
Total deposits

2012

2011

% Change

$

9,225

$

9,490

(3)%

3,168
2,787
2,027
7,982
17,207

(103)
8,308
9,002
3,277
5,725

3,420
3,061
1,341
7,822
17,312

(1,118)
8,884
9,546
3,500
6,046

$

$

3.01%

3.26%

12.47
27.21
48.28

12.76
26.59
51.31

$ 272,625
306,724
352,969
249,317
45,907
21,053

$ 265,568
290,797
337,337
237,312
47,384
22,761

$ 288,261
315,638
362,797
269,738

$ 278,177
301,662
348,773
246,360

(7)
(9)
51
2
(1)

(91)
(6)
(6)
(6)
(5)

3
5
5
5
(3)
(8)

4
5
4
9

Global Banking, which includes Global Corporate and Global 
Commercial  Banking,  and  Investment  Banking,  provides  a  wide 
range of lending-related products and services, integrated working 
capital  management  and  treasury  solutions  to  clients,  and 
underwriting and advisory services through our network of offices 
and client relationship teams. Our lending products and services 
include  commercial  loans,  leases,  commitment  facilities,  trade 
finance,  real  estate  lending,  asset-based  lending  and  direct/
indirect consumer loans. Our treasury solutions business includes 
treasury management, foreign exchange and short-term investing 
options.  We  also  work  with  our  clients  to  provide  investment 
banking  products  such  as  debt  and  equity  underwriting  and 
distribution,  and  merger-related  and  other  advisory  services. 
Underwriting debt and equity issuances, fixed-income and equity 
research,  and  certain  market-based  activities  are  executed 
through our global broker/dealer affiliates which are our primary 
dealers  in  several  countries.  Within  Global  Banking,  Global 
Commercial  Banking  clients  generally  include  middle-market 
companies, commercial real estate firms, auto dealerships, not-
for-profit  companies,  federal  and  state  governments,  and 
municipalities.  Global  Corporate  Banking  includes  large  global 
corporations, financial institutions and leasing clients.

Net income for Global Banking decreased $321 million to $5.7 
billion in 2012 compared to 2011 driven by an increase in the 
provision  for  credit  losses,  partially  offset  by  lower  noninterest 
expense.

Revenue decreased $105 million in 2012 primarily due to lower 
investment banking fees, lower net interest income as a result of 
spread compression and the benefit in the prior year from higher 
accretion on acquired portfolios, partially offset by the impact of 
higher average loan and deposit balances and gains from certain 
legacy portfolios. 

The provision for credit losses was a benefit of $103 million in 
2012 compared to a benefit of $1.1 billion in 2011. The $1.0 
billion reduction in benefit was primarily as a result of stabilization 
of asset quality, core commercial loan growth and the impact of a 
higher volume of loan resolutions in the commercial real estate 
portfolio in the prior year.

Noninterest expense decreased $576 million in 2012 primarily 

due to lower personnel and operating expenses.

Average  loans  and  leases  increased  $7.1  billion  in  2012 
primarily driven by growth in U.S. and non-U.S. commercial and 
industrial loans in large corporate and middle-market segments, 
specialized  industries  and  trade  finance,  partially  offset  by 
managed reductions in commercial real estate. Average deposits 
increased $12.0 billion in 2012 as balances continued to grow 
from client liquidity, growth in international balances and limited 
alternative investment options.

The return on average economic capital increased in 2012 as 
a  decrease  in  average  economic  capital  was  partially  offset  by 
lower net income. Average economic capital decreased primarily 
due to a reduction in credit risk driven by decreases in reservable 

42     Bank of America 2012

criticized  balances  and  NPAs.  For  more  information  regarding 
economic capital, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

Global Corporate and Global Commercial Banking 
Global Corporate and Global Commercial Banking includes Global 
Treasury Services and Business Lending activities. Global Treasury 
Services  includes  deposits,  treasury  management,  credit  card, 

foreign exchange, short-term investment and custody solutions to 
corporate  and  commercial  banking  clients.  Business  Lending 
includes  various  loan-related  products  and  services  including 
commercial loans, leases, commitment facilities, trade finance, 
real  estate  lending,  asset-based  lending  and  direct/indirect 
consumer loans. The table below presents a summary of Global 
Corporate and Global Commercial Banking results.

Global Corporate and Global Commercial Banking

(Dollars in millions)

Revenue

Business Lending
Global Treasury Services

Total revenue, net of interest expense

Average

Total loans and leases
Total deposits

Year end

Total loans and leases
Total deposits

Global Corporate Banking

Global Commercial Banking

Total

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

$

$

3,202
2,629
5,831

$

$

3,240
2,507
5,747

110,109
114,185

$ 101,956
108,749

116,234
131,181

$ 113,978
110,898

$

$

$

$

4,585
3,561
8,146

$

$

4,996
3,489
8,485

161,951
135,096

$ 162,526
128,513

172,018
138,517

$ 163,256
135,423

$

$

$

$

7,787
6,190
13,977

$

$

8,236
5,996
14,232

272,060
249,281

$ 264,482
237,262

288,252
269,698

$ 277,234
246,321

Global  Corporate  and  Global  Commercial  Banking  revenue 
decreased  $255  million  to  $14.0  billion  in  2012  compared  to 
2011 primarily due to lower revenue in Business Lending that was 
partially offset by an increase in Global Treasury Services revenue.
Global  Treasury  Services  revenue  increased  $122  million  in 
Global Corporate Banking and $72 million in Global Commercial 
Banking in 2012 as growth in U.S. and non-U.S. deposit balances 
and  higher  service  charges  offset  the  impact  of  the  low  rate 
environment.

Business  Lending  revenue  in  Global  Corporate  Banking 
remained relatively unchanged in 2012 compared to 2011 as lower 
net  interest  income  impacted  by  the  low  rate  environment  and 
lower accretion on acquired portfolios was offset by growth in the 
loan  portfolio  and  gains  on  fair  value  option  loans.  Business 
Lending  revenue  decreased  $411  million  in  Global  Commercial 
Banking  as  managed  reductions  of  commercial  real  estate 
criticized assets, run-off of a liquidating auto loan portfolio and 
lower  accretion  on  acquired  portfolios  were  partially  offset  by 
increases in the commercial and industrial loan portfolio.

Average  loans  and  leases  in  Global  Corporate  and  Global 
Commercial Banking increased three percent in 2012 driven by 
growth in U.S. and non-U.S. commercial and industrial loans from 
greater client demand, partially offset by managed reductions of 
commercial real estate criticized assets and run-off of a liquidating 
auto  loan  portfolio.  Average  deposits  in  Global  Corporate  and 
Global  Commercial  Banking  increased  five  percent  in  2012 
compared to 2011 as balances continued to grow due to client 
liquidity,  international  growth  and  limited  alternative  investment 
options.

Investment Banking 
Client  teams  and  product  specialists  underwrite  and  distribute 
debt, equity and other loan products, and provide advisory services 
and tailored risk management solutions. The economics of certain 
investment banking and underwriting activities are shared primarily 
between  Global  Banking  and  Global  Markets  based  on  the 
contribution  by  and  involvement  of  each  segment.  To  provide  a 
complete discussion of our consolidated investment banking fees, 
the  table  below  presents  total  Corporation  investment  banking 
fees as well as the portion attributable to Global Banking.

Investment Banking Fees

(Dollars in millions)

Products

Advisory
Debt issuance
Equity issuance
Gross investment banking 

fees

Self-led

Total investment banking 

fees

Global Banking

2012

2011

Total Corporation
2012
2011

$

995
1,385
407

$ 1,183
1,287
591

$

1,066
3,362
1,026

$ 1,248
2,878
1,459

$

2,787

$ 3,061

$

5,454

$ 5,585

(42)

(164)

(155)

(368)

$

2,745

$ 2,897

$

5,299

$ 5,217

Total Corporation investment banking fees, excluding self-led 
deals remained relatively unchanged in 2012 compared to 2011 
as higher debt issuance fees partially offset lower equity issuance 
and advisory fees.

Bank of America 2012     43

 
Global Markets

(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income:

Investment and brokerage services
Investment banking fees
Trading account profits
All other income

Total noninterest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

Provision for credit losses
Noninterest expense

Income before income taxes
Income tax expense (FTE basis)

Net income

Return on average allocated equity
Return on average economic capital
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis)

Balance Sheet

Average
Total trading-related assets (1)
Total earning assets (1)
Total assets
Allocated equity
Economic capital 

Year end
Total trading-related assets (1)
Total earning assets (1)
Total assets
(1)  Trading-related assets include assets which are not considered earning assets (i.e., derivative assets).
n/m = not meaningful

2012

2011

% Change

$

3,310

$

3,682

(10)%

1,820
2,214
5,706
469
10,209
13,519

3
10,839
2,677
1,623
1,054

2,249
2,214
6,417
236
11,116
14,798

(56)
12,244
2,610
1,622
988

$

5.99%
8.20
80.18

4.36%
5.54
82.75

$

$ 466,045
449,660
588,459
17,595
12,956

$ 472,446
445,574
590,474
22,671
18,046

$ 465,836
474,335
615,297

$ 397,876
372,894
501,867

(19)
—
(11)
99
(8)
(9)

n/m
(11)
3
—
7

(1)
1
—
(22)
(28)

17
27
23

Global  Markets  offers  sales  and  trading  services,  including 
research,  to  institutional  clients  across  fixed-income,  credit, 
currency,  commodity  and  equity  businesses.  Global  Markets 
product coverage includes securities and derivative products in 
both the primary and secondary markets. Global Markets provides 
market-making,  financing,  securities  clearing,  settlement  and 
custody  services  globally  to  our  institutional  investor  clients  in 
support of their investing and trading activities. We also work with 
our commercial and corporate clients to provide risk management 
products using interest rate, equity, credit, currency and commodity 
derivatives, foreign exchange, fixed-income and mortgage-related 
products.  As  a  result  of  our  market-making  activities  in  these 
products,  we  may  be  required  to  manage  risk  in  government 
securities, equity and equity-linked securities, high-grade and high-
yield  corporate  debt  securities,  commercial  paper,  MBS, 
commodities and asset-backed securities (ABS). In addition, the 
economics  of  certain  investment  banking  and  underwriting 
activities are shared primarily between Global Markets and Global 
Banking based on the activities performed by each segment. Global 
Banking  originates  certain  deal-related  transactions  with  our 
corporate  and  commercial  clients  that  are  executed  and 
distributed  by  Global  Markets.  For  additional  information  on 
investment banking fees on a consolidated basis, see page 43. 

Net income for Global Markets increased $66 million to $1.1 
billion in 2012 compared to 2011. In 2012, net DVA losses were 
$2.4 billion compared to net DVA gains of $1.0 billion in 2011. 
Excluding net DVA, net income increased $2.2 billion to $2.6 billion 
primarily driven by higher sales and trading revenue. Noninterest 
expense decreased $1.4 billion to $10.8 billion due to a reduction 
in personnel-related expenses, brokerage, clearing and exchange 
fees, and other operating expenses. The income tax expense in 
2012 included a $781 million charge for remeasurement of certain 
deferred tax assets due to decreases in the U.K. corporate tax 
rate compared to a similar charge of $774 million in 2011. 

Year-end assets increased $113.4 billion in 2012 to $615.3 
billion at December 31, 2012 largely driven by increased client-
facing activity in the equity business as well as increases in trading-
related assets and securities borrowed transactions.

Average economic capital decreased due to a decline in the 
risk composition of trading-related balances. The return on average 
economic capital increased primarily due to higher net income and 
a  decline  in  average  economic  capital.  For  more  information 
regarding economic capital, see Supplemental Financial Data on 
page 31.

44     Bank of America 2012

FICC revenue, including net DVA, remained relatively unchanged 
in  2012  compared  to  2011.  Excluding  net  DVA,  FICC  revenue 
increased  $2.9  billion  to  $11.0  billion  driven  by  our  rates  and 
currencies  business  as  a  result  of  stronger  client  flows  and 
improved positioning, a gain on the sale of an equity investment, 
an  improved  global  economic  climate  resulting  in  tightening  of 
spreads  in  credit  markets  as  well  as  higher  trading  volume 
reflecting an increase in investor confidence. This was partially 
offset by our exit from the stand-alone proprietary trading business 
in  June  2011.  Equities  revenue,  including  net  DVA,  decreased 
$943 million to $3.0 billion. Excluding net DVA, equities revenue 
decreased $483 million to $3.3 billion as equity market volumes 
remained at low levels impacting commissions. Sales and trading 
revenue included total commissions and brokerage fee revenue 
of  $1.8  billion  in  2012  compared  to  $2.2  billion  in  2011, 
substantially  all  from  equities  in  both  years.  The  $429  million 
decrease in commissions and brokerage fee revenue was primarily 
due to lower equity market volumes.

Sales and Trading Revenue
Sales and trading revenue includes unrealized and realized gains 
and losses on trading and other assets, net interest income, and 
fees primarily from commissions on equity securities. The table 
below  and  related  discussion  present  total  sales  and  trading 
revenue, substantially all of which is in Global Markets with the 
remainder  in  Global  Banking.  Sales  and  trading  revenue  is 
segregated  into  fixed  income  (government  debt  obligations, 
investment and non-investment grade corporate debt obligations, 
commercial mortgage-backed securities, RMBS and collateralized 
debt  obligations  (CDOs)),  currencies  (interest  rate  and  foreign 
exchange  contracts),  commodities  (primarily  futures,  forwards, 
swaps  and  options)  and  equity  income  from  equity-linked 
derivatives and cash equity activity. 

Sales and Trading Revenue (1, 2)

(Dollars in millions)

Sales and trading revenue

2012

2011

Fixed income, currencies and commodities
Equities

Total sales and trading revenue

$

8,812
3,014
$ 11,826

$

8,897
3,957
$ 12,854

Sales and trading revenue, excluding net DVA (3)
Fixed income, currencies and commodities
Equities

$ 11,007
3,267

$

8,103
3,750

Total sales and trading revenue, excluding net DVA

$ 14,274

$ 11,853

(1) 

(2) 

Includes FTE adjustments of $219 million and $204 million for 2012 and 2011. For additional 
information on sales and trading revenue, see Note 3 – Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements.
Includes Global Banking sales and trading revenue of $521 million and $270 million for 2012 
and 2011.

(3)  Sales and trading revenue, excluding DVA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Net DVA losses 
included in  FICC revenue and  equities revenue were $2.2  billion and $253 million in 2012 
compared to net DVA gains of $794 million and $207 million in 2011.

Bank of America 2012     45

Global Wealth & Investment Management

(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income:

Investment and brokerage services
All other income

Total noninterest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

Provision for credit losses
Noninterest expense

Income before income taxes
Income tax expense (FTE basis)

Net income

Net interest yield (FTE basis)
Return on average allocated equity
Return on average economic capital
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis)

Balance Sheet

Average
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets
Total assets
Total deposits
Allocated equity
Economic capital

Year end
Total loans and leases
Total earning assets
Total assets
Total deposits

2012

2011

% Change

$

5,827

$

5,885

(1)%

8,849
1,841
10,690
16,517

266
12,755
3,496
1,273
2,223

2.34%

12.53
30.52
77.22

$

$ 100,456
249,368
268,490
242,384
17,739
7,359

8,750
1,860
10,610
16,495

398
13,383
2,714
996
1,718

2.26%
9.90
25.46
81.13

96,974
260,479
279,815
241,535
17,352
6,866

$

$

$ 105,928
277,107
297,330
266,188

$

98,654
253,407
273,106
240,540

1
(1)
1
—

(33)
(5)
29
28
29

4
(4)
(4)
—
2
7

7
9
9
11

GWIM consists of two primary businesses: Merrill Lynch Global 
Wealth Management (MLGWM) and U.S. Trust, Bank of America 
Private Wealth Management (U.S. Trust).

results of operations or capital ratios. As a result of these actions, 
the results of these businesses were moved to All Other and the 
prior periods have been reclassified.

MLGWM’s  advisory  business  provides  a  high-touch  client 
experience  through  a  network  of  financial  advisors  focused  on 
clients with over $250,000 in total investable assets. MLGWM 
provides tailored solutions to meet our clients’ needs through a 
full set of brokerage, banking and retirement products.

U.S.  Trust,  together  with  MLGWM’s  Private  Banking  & 
Investments Group, provides comprehensive wealth management 
solutions  targeted  to  wealthy  and  ultra-wealthy  clients  with 
investable assets of more than $5 million, as well as customized 
solutions  to  meet  clients’  wealth  structuring,  investment 
management, trust and banking needs, including specialty asset 
management services.

In 2012, the Corporation entered into an agreement to sell the 
GWIM International Wealth Management (IWM) businesses based 
outside  of  the  U.S.,  subject  to  regulatory  approval  in  multiple 
jurisdictions,  and  the  first  of  a  series  of  closings  occurred  in 
February  2013.  Also,  in  late  2012,  the  Corporation  sold  its 
investment in a Japanese brokerage joint venture which resulted 
in a gain of approximately $370 million. The IWM businesses and 
the  Japanese  brokerage  joint  venture  had  combined  client 
balances of approximately $115 billion. These transactions will 
not have a significant impact on the Corporation’s balance sheet, 

Net  income  increased  $505  million  to  $2.2  billion  in  2012 
compared to 2011 driven by lower noninterest expense and lower 
provision for credit losses. Revenue was relatively unchanged as 
higher  asset  management  fees  due  to  long-term  assets  under 
management (AUM) flows and higher market levels were offset by 
lower transactional revenue and lower net interest income driven 
by the impact of the continued low rate environment. The provision 
for credit losses decreased $132 million to $266 million driven 
by lower delinquencies and improving portfolio trends within the 
residential  mortgage  portfolio.  Noninterest  expense  decreased 
$628 million to $12.8 billion due to lower FDIC expense, lower 
litigation costs and other expense reductions, partially offset by 
higher production-related expenses. 

In  2012,  revenue  from  MLGWM  was  $13.8  billion,  up  one 
percent,  due  to  higher  noninterest  income.  Revenue  from  U.S. 
Trust  was  $2.6  billion,  down  four  percent,  driven  by  lower  net 
interest income. 

The return on average economic capital increased as higher 
net  income  offset  the  increase  in  average  economic  capital. 
Average economic capital was higher primarily due to loan growth. 
For  more 
regarding  economic  capital,  see 
Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

information 

46     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
Migration Summary
GWIM results are impacted by the migration of clients and their 
related deposit and loan balances to or from CBB, CRES and the 
ALM portfolio, as presented in the table below. Migration in 2011 
included  the  movement  of  balances  to  Merrill  Edge,  which  is 
included  in  CBB.  Subsequent  to  the  date  of  the  migration,  the 
associated  net 
income  and 
noninterest expense are recorded in the business to which the 
clients migrated.

income,  noninterest 

interest 

Migration Summary

(Dollars in millions)

2012

2011

Average
Total deposits – GWIM from / (to) CBB
Total loans – GWIM to CRES and the ALM portfolio
Year end
Total deposits – GWIM from / (to) CBB
Total loans – GWIM to CRES and the ALM portfolio

$

$

$

$

407
(225)

1,170
(335)

(2,032)
(174)

(2,918)
(299)

Client Balances
The table below presents client balances which consist of AUM, 
brokerage  assets,  assets  in  custody,  deposits,  and  loans  and 
leases.

Client Balances by Type

(Dollars in millions)

Assets under management
Brokerage assets
Assets in custody
Deposits
Loans and leases (1)

Total client balances 

December 31

$

2012
698,095
975,388
117,686
266,188
109,305
$ 2,166,662

2011
$ 635,570
944,532
107,982
240,540
101,844
$ 2,030,468

(1)  Includes  margin  receivables  which  are  classified  in  customer  and  other  receivables  on  the 

Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

The  increase  of  $136.2  billion,  or  seven  percent,  in  client 
balances was primarily driven by higher market levels and inflows 
into long-term AUM, as well as increases in deposits and loans.

Bank of America 2012     47

All Other

(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income:

Card income
Equity investment income
Gains on sales of debt securities
All other income (loss)

Total noninterest income (loss)
Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

Provision for credit losses
Goodwill impairment
Merger and restructuring charges
All other noninterest expense

Income (loss) before income taxes

Income tax benefit (FTE basis)

Net income (loss)

Balance Sheet

Average
Loans and leases:

Residential mortgage
Non-U.S. credit card
Discontinued real estate
Other

Total loans and leases

Total assets (1)
Total deposits
Allocated equity (2)

Year end
Loans and leases:

Residential mortgage
Non-U.S. credit card
Discontinued real estate
Other

Total loans and leases

2012

2011

% Change

$

1,111

$

1,946

(43)%

360
1,135
1,510
(4,906)
(1,901)
(790)

2,620
—
—
6,092
(9,502)
(5,874)
(3,628) $

465
7,105
3,097
3,482
14,149
16,095

6,172
581
638
5,034
3,670
(1,042)
4,712

213,715
13,549
10,223
20,525
258,012
302,287
43,083
87,103

$ 227,698
24,049
12,106
25,157
289,010
380,253
62,582
72,578

(23)
(84)
(51)
n/m
n/m
n/m

(58)
(100)
(100)
21
n/m
n/m
n/m

(6)
(44)
(16)
(18)
(11)
(21)
(31)
20

201,727
11,697
9,892
17,351
240,667
247,284
36,061

$ 224,657
14,418
11,095
22,215
272,385
320,491
45,532

(10)
(19)
(11)
(22)
(12)
(23)
(21)

$

$

$

Total assets (1)
Total deposits
(1)  For presentation purposes, in segments where the total of liabilities and equity exceeds assets, which are generally deposit-taking segments, we allocate assets from All Other to those segments 
to match liabilities (i.e., deposits) and allocated equity. Such allocated assets were $520.5 billion and $496.1 billion for 2012 and 2011, and $554.4 billion and $492.3 billion at December 31, 
2012 and 2011.

(2)  Represents the economic capital assigned to All Other as well as the remaining portion of equity not specifically allocated to the business segments. Allocated equity increased due to the disposition 

of certain assets, as previously disclosed. 

n/m = not meaningful

All  Other  consists  of  ALM  activities,  equity  investments, 
liquidating businesses and other. ALM activities encompass the 
whole-loan 
investment 
residential  mortgage  portfolio  and 
securities,  interest  rate  and  foreign  currency  risk  management 
activities  including  the  residual  net  interest  income  allocation, 
gains/losses on structured liabilities, and the impact of certain 
allocation methodologies and accounting hedge ineffectiveness. 
For more information on our ALM activities, see Interest Rate Risk 
Management  for  Nontrading  Activities  on  page  113.  Equity 
investments include Global Principal Investments (GPI) which is 
comprised of a diversified portfolio of equity, real estate and other 
alternative  investments.  These  investments  are  made  either 
directly in a company or held through a fund with related income 

recorded  in  equity  investment  income.  Equity  investments  also 
include strategic investments, which include our investment in CCB 
in  which  we  currently  hold  approximately  one  percent  of  the 
outstanding common shares, and certain other investments. Other 
includes certain residential mortgage and discontinued real estate 
loans that are managed by Legacy Assets & Servicing. In 2012, 
the Corporation entered into an agreement to sell the GWIM IWM 
businesses  based  outside  of  the  U.S.  and  sold  its  Japanese 
brokerage  joint  venture.  As  a  result  of  these  actions,  the  IWM 
businesses and the Japanese brokerage joint venture results were 
moved from GWIM to All Other and the prior periods have been 
reclassified.

48     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The net loss for All Other of $3.6 billion in 2012 compared to 
net income of $4.7 billion in 2011 was primarily due to negative 
fair  value  adjustments  on  structured  liabilities  of  $5.1  billion 
related  to  the  improvement  in  our  credit  spreads  during  2012 
compared to $3.3 billion of positive fair value adjustments in 2011, 
a  $6.0  billion  decrease  in  equity  investment  income  and  $1.6 
billion of lower gains on sales of debt securities. Partially offsetting 
these items were a $3.6 billion reduction in the provision for credit 
losses,  $1.6  billion  of  net  gains  resulting  from  repurchases  of 
certain  debt  and  trust  preferred  securities  in  2012  and  a  net 
income  tax  benefit  of  $1.7  billion  related  to  the  recognition  of 
certain foreign tax credits. Equity investment income decreased 
as 2011 included a $6.5 billion gain on the sale of a portion of 
our investment in CCB, an $836 million CCB dividend and a $377 
million gain on the sale of our investment in BlackRock. Partially 
offsetting  these  items  were  an  impairment  write-down  of  $1.1 
billion on our merchant services joint venture in 2011 and a $370 
million gain related to the sale of the Japanese brokerage joint 
venture in 2012. 

The provision for credit losses decreased $3.6 billion to $2.6 
billion in 2012 primarily driven by continued improvement in credit 
quality in the residential mortgage portfolio and reserve reductions 
in 2012 compared to reserve additions in 2011 in the Countrywide 
PCI discontinued real estate and residential mortgage portfolios 
driven by an improved home price outlook.

All other noninterest expense increased $1.1 billion to $6.1 
billion due to higher litigation expense primarily related to the costs 
associated with the settlement of a class action lawsuit during 
2012 brought on behalf of investors who purchased or held Bank 
of America equity securities at the time we announced plans to 
acquire  Merrill  Lynch  and  other  litigation,  partially  offset  by  a 
decrease in personnel expense. Excluding litigation expense, all 
other noninterest expense decreased compared to 2011. There 
were no merger and restructuring expenses for 2012 compared 
to $638 million in 2011. A goodwill impairment charge of $581 
million was recorded during 2011 as a result of a change in the 
estimated value of the European consumer card business.

The income tax benefit was $5.9 billion in 2012 compared to 
a benefit of $1.0 billion in 2011. Included in the income tax benefit 
for 2012 was a $1.7 billion tax benefit attributable to the excess 
of foreign tax credits recognized in the U.S. upon repatriation of 
the  earnings  of  certain  subsidiaries  over  the  related  U.S.  tax 
liability, and 2011 included the release of a valuation allowance 
applicable to a Merrill Lynch capital loss carryforward deferred tax 
asset.

The tables below present the components of equity investments 
in  All  Other  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011,  and  also  a 
reconciliation to the total consolidated equity investment income 
for 2012 and 2011.

Equity Investments

(Dollars in millions)

Global Principal Investments
Strategic and other investments

Total equity investments included in All Other

Equity Investment Income

(Dollars in millions)

Global Principal Investments
Strategic and other investments

Total equity investment income included in All 

Other

Total equity investment income included in the

business segments

$

$

$

December 31

2012

2011

3,470
2,038
5,508

$

$

5,659
1,439
7,098

2012

2011

$

589
546

399
6,706

1,135

7,105

935

255

Total consolidated equity investment income

$

2,070

$

7,360

Equity investments included in All Other decreased $1.6 billion 
to $5.5 billion during 2012, with the decrease due to sales in the 
GPI  portfolio.  In  connection  with  the  Corporation’s  strategy  to 
reduce  risk-weighted  assets,  we  sold  certain  investments, 
including  related  commitments.  GPI  had  unfunded  equity 
commitments of $224 million at December 31, 2012 compared 
to  $710  million  at  December 31,  2011.  The  increase  in  equity 
investment  income  in  the  business  segments  for  2012  was 
primarily driven by gains on the sale of an equity investment in 
Global Markets.

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, we owned 2.0 billion shares 
representing approximately one percent of CCB. Sales restrictions 
on these shares continue until August 2013. Because the sales 
restrictions  on  these  shares  will  expire  within  one  year,  these 
securities are accounted for as AFS marketable equity securities 
and  are  carried  at  fair  value  with  the  after-tax  unrealized  gain 
reflected in accumulated OCI. As a result, a pre-tax unrealized gain 
of  $718  million,  or  $452  million  after-tax,  was  reflected  in 
accumulated  OCI.  At  December 31,  2012,  the  cost  basis  was 
$716 million and the carrying value and the fair value were $1.4 
billion. During 2011, we sold 23.6 billion common shares of our 
investment in CCB and recorded a pre-tax gain of $6.5 billion. For 
additional information, see Note 4 – Securities to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements.

Bank of America 2012     49

 
that  are 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and 
Contractual Obligations
We have contractual obligations to make future payments on debt 
and  lease  agreements.  Additionally,  in  the  normal  course  of 
business,  we  enter  into  contractual  arrangements  whereby  we 
commit  to  future  purchases  of  products  or  services  from 
unaffiliated  parties.  Obligations 
legally  binding 
agreements whereby we agree to purchase products or services 
with a specific minimum quantity at a fixed, minimum or variable 
price  over  a  specified  period  of  time  are  defined  as  purchase 
obligations. Included in purchase obligations are commitments to 
purchase  loans  of  $1.3  billion  and  vendor  contracts  of  $23.2 
billion.  The  most  significant  vendor  contracts 
include 
communication  services,  processing  services  and  software 
contracts.  Other  long-term  liabilities  include  our  contractual 
funding obligations related to the Qualified Pension Plans, Non-
U.S. Pension Plans, Nonqualified and Other Pension Plans, and 
Postretirement  Health  and  Life  Plans  (collectively,  the  Plans). 
Obligations to the Plans are based on the current and projected 

obligations of the Plans, performance of the Plans’ assets and 
any participant contributions, if applicable. During 2012 and 2011, 
we contributed $381 million and $287 million to the Plans, and 
we expect to make at least $319 million of contributions during 
2013.

Debt,  lease,  equity  and  other  obligations  are  more  fully 
discussed in Note 12 – Long-term Debt and Note 13 – Commitments 
and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The 
Plans are more fully discussed in Note 18 – Employee Benefit Plans 
to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

We  enter  into  commitments  to  extend  credit  such  as  loan 
commitments, standby letters of credit (SBLCs) and commercial 
letters of credit to meet the financing needs of our customers. For 
a  summary  of  the  total  unfunded,  or  off-balance  sheet,  credit 
extension commitment amounts by expiration date, see the table 
in Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements.

Table  10 

includes  certain  contractual  obligations  at 

December 31, 2012.

Table 10 Contractual Obligations

(Dollars in millions)

December 31, 2012

Due After
One Year 
Through
Three Years

Due After
Three Years 
Through
Five Years

Due in One 
Year or Less

Due After
Five Years

Total

Long-term debt and capital leases
Operating lease obligations
Purchase obligations
Time deposits
Other long-term liabilities
Estimated interest expense on long-term debt and time deposits (1)

275,585
16,996
25,181
126,980
3,863
34,504
483,109  
(1)  Represents estimated, forecasted net interest expense on long-term debt and time deposits. Forecasts are based on the contractual maturity dates of each liability, and are net of derivative hedges.

73,009
4,573
8,420
11,598
1,037
9,260
107,897

83,470
6,237
4,208
2,671
1,133
11,647
109,366

55,197
2,984
6,719
110,157
898
5,703
181,658

63,909
3,202
5,834
2,554
795
7,894
84,188

Total contractual obligations

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

Representations and Warranties
We securitize first-lien residential mortgage loans generally in the 
form of MBS guaranteed by the GSEs or by GNMA in the case of 
the  Federal  Housing  Administration 
(FHA)-insured,  U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-guaranteed and Rural Housing 
Service-guaranteed  mortgage  loans.  In  addition,  in  prior  years, 
legacy companies and certain subsidiaries sold pools of first-lien 
residential mortgage loans and home equity loans as private-label 
securitizations (in certain of these securitizations, monolines or 
financial guarantee providers insured all or some of the securities) 
or in the form of whole loans. In connection with these transactions, 
we  or  certain  of  our  subsidiaries  or  legacy  companies  make  or 
have made various representations and warranties. Breaches of 
these  representations  and  warranties  may  result  in  the 
requirement to repurchase mortgage loans or to otherwise make 
whole or provide other remedies to the GSEs, U.S. Department of 
Housing  and  Urban  Development  (HUD)  with  respect  to  FHA-
insured  loans,  VA,  whole-loan  investors,  securitization  trusts, 
monoline  insurers  or  other  financial  guarantors  (collectively, 
repurchases). In all such cases, we would be exposed to any credit 
loss on the repurchased mortgage loans after accounting for any 
mortgage insurance (MI) or mortgage guarantee payments that we 
may receive.

Subject to the requirements and limitations of the applicable 
sales and securitization agreements, these representations and 
warranties can be enforced by the GSEs, HUD, VA, the whole-loan 
investor, the securitization trustee or others as governed by the 
applicable  agreement  or,  in  certain  first-lien  and  home  equity 
securitizations  where  monoline  insurers  or  other  financial 
guarantee  providers  have  insured  all  or  some  of  the  securities 
issued, by the monoline insurer or other financial guarantor, where 
the contract so provides. In the case of loans sold to parties other 
than  the  GSEs  or  GNMA,  the  contractual  liability  to  repurchase 
typically arises only if there is a breach of the representations and 
warranties that materially and adversely affects the interest of the 
investor, or investors, or of the monoline insurer or other financial 
guarantor (as applicable) in the loan. Contracts with the GSEs do 
not  contain  equivalent  language,  while  GNMA  generally  limits 
repurchases  to  loans  that  are  not  insured  or  guaranteed  as 
required.

For additional information about accounting for representations 
and warranties and our representations and warranties repurchase 
claims  and  exposures,  see  Note  8  –  Representations  and 
Warranties Obligations and Corporate Guarantees and Note 13 – 
Commitments  and  Contingencies  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements and Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K.

50     Bank of America 2012

 
Representations and Warranties Bulk Settlement Actions
We have settled, or entered into agreements to settle, certain bulk 
representations  and  warranties  claims  (1)  with  a  trustee  (the 
Trustee) for certain legacy Countrywide private-label securitization 
trusts (the BNY Mellon Settlement); (2) with two monoline insurers, 
Assured  Guaranty  Ltd.  and  subsidiaries  (the  Assured  Guaranty 
Settlement), and Syncora Guarantee Inc. and Syncora Holdings, 
Ltd. (the Syncora Settlement), (3) with each of the GSEs in 2010 
(2010 GSE Agreements), and (4) with FNMA pursuant to the FNMA 
Settlement in 2013.

We have vigorously contested any request for repurchase when 
we conclude that a valid basis for repurchase does not exist and 
will continue to do so in the future. However, in an effort to resolve 
these  legacy  mortgage-related  issues,  we  have  reached  bulk 
settlements,  or  agreements  for  bulk  settlements,  including 
settlement  amounts  which  have  been  material,  with  the  above-
referenced counterparties in lieu of a loan-by-loan review process. 
We may reach other settlements in the future if opportunities arise 
on terms we believe to be advantageous. However, there can be 
no assurance that we will reach future settlements or, if we do, 
that the terms of past settlements can be relied upon to predict 
the terms of future settlements. These bulk settlements generally 
did not cover all transactions with the relevant counterparties or 
all potential claims that may arise, including in some instances 
securities  law,  fraud  and  servicing  claims,  and  our  liability  in 
connection with the transactions and claims not covered by these 
settlements could be material. For a summary of the larger bulk 
settlement actions taken in the past few years and the related 
impact  on  the  representations  and  warranties  provision  and 
liability, see Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations 
and  Corporate  Guarantees  and  Note  13  –  Commitments  and 
Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

FNMA Settlement and 2010 GSE Agreements
On  January 6,  2013,  we  entered  into  the  FNMA  Settlement  to 
resolve substantially all outstanding and potential repurchase and 
certain other claims relating to the origination, sale and delivery 
of residential mortgage loans originated and sold directly to FNMA 
from  January 1,  2000  through  December 31,  2008  by  entities 
related to legacy Countrywide and BANA.

The FNMA Settlement covers loans with an aggregate original 
principal balance of approximately $1.4 trillion and an aggregate 
outstanding  principal  balance  of  approximately  $300  billion. 
Unresolved  repurchase  claims  submitted  by  FNMA  for  alleged 
breaches of selling representations and warranties with respect 
to these loans totaled $12.2 billion of unpaid principal balance at 
December 31,  2012.  The  FNMA  Settlement  extinguished 
substantially all of those unresolved repurchase claims, as well 
as  substantially  all  future  representations  and  warranties 
repurchase claims associated with such loans, subject to certain 
exceptions which we do not expect to be material.

In January 2013, we made a cash payment to FNMA of $3.6 
billion  and  also  repurchased  for  $6.6  billion  certain  residential 
mortgage loans that had previously been sold to FNMA, which we 
have valued at less than the purchase price. 

The  FNMA  Settlement  also  clarified  the  parties’  obligations 
with respect to MI including establishing timeframes for certain 
payments and other actions, setting parameters for potential bulk 
settlements and providing for cooperation in future dealings with 
mortgage insurers. For additional information, see Open Mortgage 
Insurance Rescission Notices on page 53.

In addition, we settled substantially all of FNMA’s outstanding 
and  future  claims  for  compensatory  fees  arising  out  of  past 
foreclosure delays. For additional information, see Other Mortgage-
related Matters – Impact of Foreclosure Delays on page 59.

On  December 31,  2010,  we  entered  into  the  2010  GSE 
Agreements,  which  extinguished  certain  claims  arising  out  of 
alleged breaches of selling representations and warranties related 
to  loans  sold  directly  by  legacy  Countrywide  to  the  GSEs.  The 
FHLMC agreement extinguished all such claims for loans sold to 
FHLMC  through  2008,  subject  to  certain  exceptions,  while  the 
FNMA  agreement  substantially  resolved  the  existing  pipeline  of 
such claims outstanding as of September 20, 2010. 

Monoline Settlements 
On July 17, 2012, we entered into a settlement with a monoline 
insurer,  Syncora  Guarantee  Inc.  and  Syncora  Holdings,  Ltd. 
(Syncora),  to  resolve  all  of  Syncora’s  outstanding  and  potential 
claims related to alleged representations and warranties breaches 
involving eight first- and six second-lien private-label securitization 
trusts  where  it  provided  financial  guarantee  insurance.  The 
settlement covers private-label securitization trusts that had an 
original principal balance of first-lien mortgages of approximately 
$9.6  billion  and  second-lien  mortgages  of  approximately  $7.7 
billion. The settlement provided for a cash payment of $375 million 
to  Syncora  and  other  transactions  to  terminate  certain  other 
relationships among the parties.

On  April 14,  2011,  Bank  of  America,  including  our  legacy 
Countrywide  affiliates,  entered  into  an  agreement  with  Assured 
Guaranty Ltd. and subsidiaries (Assured Guaranty), to resolve all 
of the monoline insurer’s outstanding and potential repurchase 
claims related to alleged representations and warranties breaches 
involving  21  first-  and  eight  second-lien  RMBS  trusts  where 
Assured Guaranty provided financial guarantee insurance.

BNY Mellon Settlement
The BNY Mellon Settlement is subject to final court approval and 
certain other conditions. On August 10, 2012, the Court issued 
an order setting a schedule for discovery and other proceedings, 
and setting May 30, 2013 as the date for the final court hearing 
on the settlement to begin. We are not a party to the proceeding.
If final court approval is not obtained by December 31, 2015, 
we  and  legacy  Countrywide  may  withdraw  from  the  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement, if the Trustee consents. The BNY Mellon Settlement 
also  provides  that  if  trusts  among  the  525  legacy  Countrywide 
first-lien  and  five  second-lien  non-GSE  securitization  trusts 
(Covered Trusts) holding loans with an unpaid principal balance 
exceeding  a  specified  amount  are  excluded  from  the  final  BNY 
Mellon Settlement, based on investor objections or otherwise, we 
and legacy Countrywide have the option to withdraw from the BNY 
Mellon  Settlement  pursuant  to  the  terms  of  the  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement agreement. 

It  is  not  currently  possible  to  predict  how  many  parties  will 
ultimately  object  to  the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement,  whether  the 
objections will prevent receipt of final court approval or the ultimate 
outcome of the court approval process, which can include appeals 
and  could  take  a  substantial  period  of  time.  In  particular,  any 
appeals could take a substantial period of time and these factors 
could materially delay the timing of final court approval. Accordingly, 
it is not possible to predict when the court approval process will 
be completed.

Bank of America 2012     51

There can be no assurance that final court approval of the BNY 
Mellon Settlement will be obtained, that all conditions to the BNY 
Mellon Settlement will be satisfied or, if certain conditions to the 
BNY Mellon Settlement permitting withdrawal are met, that we and 
legacy Countrywide will not withdraw from the settlement. If final 
court  approval  is  not  obtained  or  if  we  and  legacy  Countrywide 
withdraw from the BNY Mellon Settlement in accordance with its 
terms, our future representations and warranties losses could be 
substantially different than existing accruals and the estimated 
range of possible loss over existing accruals. For more information 
about the risks associated with the BNY Mellon Settlement, see 
Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Unresolved Claims Status

Unresolved Repurchase Claims
Prior to the FNMA Settlement on January 6, 2013, the total notional 
amount  of  our  unresolved  representations  and  warranties 
repurchase  claims  was  approximately  $28.3  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 compared to $12.6 billion at December 31, 
2011. These repurchase claims do not include any repurchase 
claims  related  to  the  Covered  Trusts.  Unresolved  repurchase 
claims represent the notional amount of repurchase claims made 
by counterparties, typically the outstanding principal balance or 
the unpaid principal balance at the time of default. In the case of 
first-lien mortgages, the claim amount is often significantly greater 
than the expected loss amount due to the benefit of collateral and, 
in  some  cases,  MI  or  mortgage  guarantee  payments.  Claims 
received  from  a  counterparty  remain  outstanding  until  the 
underlying  loan  is  repurchased,  the  claim  is  rescinded  by  the 
counterparty or the claim is otherwise resolved. When a claim is 
denied and we do not receive a response from the counterparty, 
the claim remains in the unresolved repurchase claims balance 
until resolution. 

The  notional  amount  of  unresolved  GSE  repurchase  claims 
totaled $13.5 billion at December 31, 2012 compared to $6.2 
billion at December 31, 2011. As a result of the FNMA Settlement, 
$12.2  billion  of  GSE  repurchase  claims  outstanding  at 
December 31, 2012 were resolved in January 2013.

The  notional  amount  of  unresolved  monoline  repurchase 
claims totaled $2.4 billion at December 31, 2012 compared to 
$3.1 billion at December 31, 2011. The decrease in unresolved 
repurchase claims was driven by resolution of claims through the 
Syncora Settlement. We have had limited loan-level repurchase 
claims experience with monoline insurers due to ongoing litigation. 
We have reviewed and declined to repurchase substantially all of 
the unresolved repurchase claims at December 31, 2012 based 
on an assessment of whether a breach exists that materially and 
adversely  affected  the  insurer’s  interest  in  the  mortgage  loan. 
Further,  in  our  experience,  the  monolines  have  been  generally 
unwilling  to  withdraw  repurchase  claims,  regardless  of  whether 
and what evidence was offered to refute a claim. Substantially all 
of the unresolved monoline claims pertain to second-lien loans 
and are currently the subject of litigation.

The  notional  amount  of  unresolved  repurchase  claims  from 
private-label  securitization  trustees,  third-party  securitization 

sponsors,  whole-loan  investors  and  others  increased  to  $12.3 
billion  at  December 31,  2012  compared  to  $3.3  billion  at 
December 31,  2011.  The  increase  in  the  notional  amount  of 
unresolved repurchase claims is primarily due to increases in the 
submission of claims by private-label securitization trustees and 
a third-party securitization sponsor; the level of detail, support and 
analysis which impacts overall claim quality and, therefore, claims 
resolution;  and  the  lack  of  an  established  process  to  resolve 
disputes related to these claims. We anticipated an increase in 
aggregate  non-GSE  claims  at  the  time  of  the  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement  in  June  2011,  and  such  increase  in  aggregate  non-
GSE  claims  was  taken  into  consideration  in  developing  the 
increase in our representations and warranties liability at that time. 
We expect unresolved repurchase claims related to private-label 
securitizations to continue to increase as claims continue to be 
submitted by private-label securitization trustees and third-party 
securitization sponsors and there is not an established process 
for  the  ultimate  resolution  of  claims  on  which  there  is  a 
disagreement. 

During  2012,  we  received  $22.4  billion  in  new  repurchase 
claims, including $10.3 billion submitted by FNMA and covered by 
the FNMA Settlement, $2.3 billion submitted by the GSEs for both 
legacy Countrywide and legacy Bank of America originations not 
covered by the 2010 GSE Agreements or the FNMA Settlement, 
$8.0 billion submitted by private-label securitization trustees, $1.5 
billion from whole-loan investors, primarily third-party securitization 
sponsors, and $295 million submitted by monolines. During 2012, 
$6.6 billion in claims were resolved, primarily with the GSEs and 
through  the  Syncora  Settlement.  Of  the  resolved  claims,  $4.6 
billion  were  resolved  through  rescissions  and  $2.0  billion  were 
resolved 
repurchases  and  make-whole 
payments. For more information on repurchase claims received 
from  the  GSEs,  monoline  insurers,  private-label  securitization 
trustees, whole-loan investors and others, the resolution of such 
claims and for a table of unresolved repurchase claims, see Note 
8  –  Representations  and  Warranties  Obligations  and  Corporate 
Guarantees to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

through  mortgage 

In addition to the total unresolved repurchase claims, we have 
received  repurchase  demands  from  private-label  securitization 
investors and a master servicer where we believe the claimants 
have  not  satisfied  the  contractual  thresholds  to  direct  the 
securitization trustee to take action and/or that these demands 
are  otherwise  procedurally  or  substantively  invalid.  The  total 
amounts outstanding of such demands were $1.6 billion and $1.7 
billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. At December 31, 2011, 
the $1.7 billion of demands outstanding were related to Covered 
Trusts in the BNY Mellon Settlement of which $1.4 billion were 
subsequently resolved through the July 2012 dismissal of a lawsuit 
brought by Walnut Place (11 entities with the common name Walnut 
Place, including Walnut Place LLC, and Walnut Place II LLC through 
Walnut Place XI LLC). Additional demands totaling $1.3 billion were 
received during 2012. We do not believe that the $1.6 billion in 
demands outstanding at December 31, 2012 are valid repurchase 
claims, and therefore it is not possible to predict the resolution 
with respect to such demands. 

52     Bank of America 2012

Open Mortgage Insurance Rescission Notices
In addition to repurchase claims, we receive notices from mortgage 
insurance companies of claim denials, cancellations or coverage 
rescission (collectively, MI rescission notices) and the number of 
such  notices  has  remained  elevated.  By  way  of  background, 
mortgage insurance compensates lenders or investors for certain 
losses resulting from borrower default on a mortgage loan. When 
there  is  disagreement  with  the  mortgage  insurer  as  to  the 
resolution  of  a  MI  rescission  notice,  meaningful  dialogue  and 
negotiation  between  the  mortgage  insurance  company  and  the 
Corporation are generally necessary to reach a resolution on an 
individual  notice.  The  level  of  engagement  of  the  mortgage 
insurance companies varies and ongoing litigation involving some 
of  the  mortgage  insurance  companies  over  individual  and  bulk 
rescissions or claims for rescission limits our ability to engage in 
constructive dialogue leading to resolution.

For  loans  sold  to  GSEs  or  private-label  securitization  trusts 
(including those wrapped by the monoline bond insurers), when 
we  receive  a  MI  rescission  notice  from  a  mortgage  insurance 
company, it may give rise to a claim for breach of the applicable 
representations  and  warranties  from  the  GSEs  or  private-label 
securitization trusts, depending on the governing sales contracts. 
In those cases where the governing contract contains MI-related 
representations and warranties, which upon rescission require us 
to repurchase the affected loan or indemnify the investor for the 
related loss, we realize the loss without the benefit of MI. See 
below for a discussion of the impact of the FNMA Settlement. In 
addition,  mortgage  insurance  companies  have  in  some  cases 
asserted the ability to curtail MI payments as a result of alleged 
foreclosure  delays,  which  if  successful,  would  reduce  the  MI 
proceeds available to reduce the loss on the loan. 

At December 31, 2012, we had approximately 110,000 open 
MI rescission notices compared to 90,000 at December 31, 2011, 
including  49,000  pertaining  principally  to  first-lien  mortgages 
serviced for others, 11,000 pertaining to loans held-for-investment 
(HFI), and 50,000 pertaining to ongoing litigation for second-lien 
mortgages.  Approximately  27,000  of  the  open  MI  rescission 
notices pertaining to first-lien mortgages serviced for others are 
related  to  loans  sold  to  FNMA.  As  of  December 31,  2012,  32 
percent of the MI rescission notices received have been resolved. 
Of  those  resolved,  20  percent  were  resolved  through  our 
acceptance of the MI rescission, 58 percent were resolved through 
reinstatement of coverage or payment of the claim by the mortgage 
insurance company, and 22 percent were resolved on an aggregate 
basis 
through  settlement,  policy  commutation  or  similar 
arrangement.  As  of  December 31,  2012,  68  percent  of  the  MI 
rescission notices we have received have not yet been resolved. 
Of those not yet resolved, 46 percent are implicated by ongoing 
litigation where no loan-level review is currently contemplated nor 
required to preserve our legal rights. In this litigation, the litigating 
mortgage insurance companies are also seeking bulk rescission 
of certain policies, separate and apart from loan-by-loan denials 
or rescissions. We are in the process of reviewing 37 percent of 
the remaining open MI rescission notices, and we have reviewed 
and are contesting the MI rescission with respect to 63 percent 
of these remaining open MI rescission notices. Of the remaining 
open MI rescission notices, 40 percent are also the subject of 
ongoing litigation; although, at present, these MI rescissions are 
being processed in a manner generally consistent with those not 
affected by litigation. 

In  addition  to  the  discussion  above,  the  FNMA  Settlement 
resolved  significant  representations  and  warranties  exposures 

including unresolved and potential repurchase claims from FNMA 
resulting solely from MI rescission notices relating to loans covered 
by the FNMA Settlement. Our pipeline of unresolved repurchase 
claims from the GSEs resulting solely from MI rescission notices 
increased to $2.3 billion at December 31, 2012 from $1.2 billion 
at  December 31,  2011.  The  FNMA  Settlement 
resolved 
approximately $1.9 billion of such unresolved repurchase claims. 
In 2011, FNMA issued an announcement requiring servicers to 
report all MI rescission notices with respect to loans sold to FNMA 
and  confirmed  FNMA’s  view  of  its  position  that  a  mortgage 
insurance company’s issuance of a MI rescission notice in and of 
itself  constitutes  a  breach  of  the  lender’s  representations  and 
warranties and permits FNMA to require the lender to repurchase 
the  mortgage  loan  or  promptly  remit  a  make-whole  payment 
covering  FNMA’s  loss  even  if  the  lender  is  contesting  the  MI 
rescission notice. We had informed FNMA that we did not believe 
that the new policy was valid under our contracts with FNMA. The 
parties resolved this and other MI-related issues as part of the 
FNMA  Settlement,  which  clarified  the  parties’  obligations  with 
respect  to  MI  including  establishing  timeframes  for  certain 
payments and other actions, setting parameters for potential bulk 
settlements and providing for cooperation in future dealings with 
mortgage insurers. As a result, we will be required to remit to FNMA 
the  amount  of  certain  MI  coverage  as  a  result  of  MI  claims 
rescissions in advance of collection from the mortgage insurance 
companies and, in certain cases, we may not ultimately collect all 
such  amounts  from  the  mortgage  insurance  companies.  For 
additional  information,  see  Note  8  –  Representations  and 
the 
Warranties  Obligations  and  Corporate  Guarantees 
Consolidated Financial Statements.

to 

Representations and Warranties Liability
The  liability  for  representations  and  warranties  and  corporate 
guarantees is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities 
on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet and the related 
provision  is  included  in  mortgage  banking  income  (loss).  Our 
estimate  of  the  liability  for  representations  and  warranties 
exposure and the corresponding range of possible loss is based 
on  currently  available  information,  significant  judgment  and  a 
number of factors and assumptions that are subject to change. 
For additional information, see the Estimated Range of Possible 
Loss section below and Note 8 – Representations and Warranties 
Obligations  and  Corporate  Guarantees  to  the  Consolidated 
Financial Statements and, for information related to the sensitivity 
of the assumptions used to estimate our liability for obligations 
under representations and warranties, see Complex Accounting 
Estimates – Representations and Warranties on page 122.

The  liability  for  obligations  under  representations  and 
warranties and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss 
for  these  representations  and  warranties  exposures  do  not 
consider any losses related to litigation matters, including litigation 
brought by monoline insurers, nor do they include any separate 
foreclosure  costs  and 
related  costs,  assessments  and 
compensatory  fees  or  any  other  possible  losses  related  to 
potential  claims  for  breaches  of  performance  of  servicing 
obligations, except as such losses are included as potential costs 
of the BNY Mellon Settlement, potential securities law or fraud 
claims or potential indemnity or other claims against us, including 
claims related to loans insured by the FHA. We are not able to 
reasonably estimate the amount of any possible loss with respect 
to any such servicing, securities law, fraud or other claims against 
us, except to the extent reflected in the aggregate range of possible 

Bank of America 2012     53

liability 

loss for litigation and regulatory matters disclosed in Note 13 – 
Commitments  and  Contingencies  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements; however, such loss could be material.
the 
At  December 31,  2012  and  2011, 

for 
representations  and  warranties  and  corporate  guarantees  was 
$19.0  billion  and  $15.9  billion.  For  2012,  the  provision  for 
representations  and  warranties  and  corporate  guarantees  was 
$3.9 billion compared to $15.6 billion for 2011. The provision in 
2012  included  $2.5  billion  in  provision  related  to  the  FNMA 
Settlement and $500 million for obligations to FNMA related to 
MI  rescissions.  The  provision  in  2011  included  $8.6  billion  in 
provision and other expenses related to the BNY Mellon Settlement 
to resolve nearly all of the legacy Countrywide-issued first-lien non-
GSE repurchase exposures, and $7.0 billion in provision related 
to other non-GSE, and to a lesser extent, GSE exposures. 

Estimated Range of Possible Loss
Our estimated liability at December 31, 2012 for obligations under 
representations and warranties is necessarily dependent on, and 
limited  by,  a  number  of  factors,  including  for  private-label 
securitizations, the implied repurchase experience based on the 
BNY Mellon Settlement, as well as certain other assumptions and 
judgmental factors. Accordingly, future provisions associated with 
obligations  under  representations  and  warranties  may  be 
materially  impacted  if  actual  experiences  are  different  from 
historical  experience  or  our  understandings,  interpretations  or 
assumptions. 

In  the  case  of  non-GSE  exposures,  including  private-label 
securitizations, our estimate of the representations and warranties 
liability and the corresponding range of possible loss considers, 
among  other  things,  repurchase  experience  based  on  the  BNY 
Mellon  Settlement,  adjusted  to  reflect  differences  between  the 
Covered Trusts and the remainder of the population of private-label 
securitizations, and assumes that the conditions to the BNY Mellon 
Settlement will be met. Where relevant, we also take into account 
more recent experience, such as increased claims and other facts 
and  circumstances,  such  as  bulk  settlements,  as  we  believe 
appropriate. 

it 

is 

that 

reasonably  possible 

The  representations  and  warranties  liability  represents  our 
best  estimate  of  probable  incurred  losses  as  of  December 31, 
2012.  However, 
future 
representations and warranties losses may occur in excess of the 
amounts recorded for these exposures. In addition, we have not 
recorded any representations and warranties liability for certain 
potential  private-label  securitization  and  whole-loan  exposures 
where we have little to no claim experience. We currently estimate 
that the range of possible loss for representations and warranties 
exposures could be up to $4 billion over accruals at December 31, 
2012 compared to up to $5 billion over accruals at December 31, 
2011 for only non-GSE representations and warranties exposures. 
The  range  of  possible  loss  at  December 31,  2012  reflects  the 
impact  of  the  FNMA  Settlement  and,  as  a  result,  addresses 
principally  non-GSE  exposures.  The  reduction  in  the  range  of 
possible loss from December 31, 2011 is the net impact of, among 
other  changes,  updated  assumptions  and  other  developments. 
The  estimated  range  of  possible  loss  related  to  these 
representations and warranties exposures does not represent a 
probable  loss,  and  is  based  on  currently  available  information, 
significant judgment and a number of assumptions that are subject 
to change. For additional information about the methodology used 
to estimate the representations and warranties liability and the 
loss,  see  Note  8  – 
corresponding 

range  of  possible 

54     Bank of America 2012

Representations  and  Warranties  Obligations  and  Corporate 
Guarantees to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Future  provisions  and/or  ranges  of  possible  loss  for 
representations and warranties may be significantly impacted if 
actual  experiences  are  different  from  our  assumptions  in  our 
predictive models, including, without limitation, ultimate resolution 
of  the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement,  estimated  repurchase  rates, 
economic  conditions,  estimated  home  prices,  consumer  and 
counterparty behavior, and a variety of other judgmental factors. 
Adverse  developments  with  respect  to  one  or  more  of  the 
assumptions  underlying  the  liability  for  representations  and 
warranties and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss 
could result in significant increases to future provisions and/or 
the estimated range of possible loss. For example, if courts, in 
the  context  of  claims  brought  by  private-label  securitization 
trustees,  were  to  disagree  with  our  interpretation  that  the 
underlying  agreements  require  a  claimant  to  prove  that  the 
representations and warranties breach was the cause of the loss, 
it could significantly impact the estimated range of possible loss. 
Additionally, if recent court rulings related to monoline litigation, 
including one related to us, that have allowed sampling of loan 
files instead of requiring a loan-by-loan review to determine if a 
representations and warranties breach has occurred, are followed 
generally by the courts in future monoline litigation, private-label 
securitization  counterparties  may  view  litigation  as  a  more 
attractive  alternative  compared  to  a  loan-by-loan  review.  For 
additional information regarding these issues, see MBIA litigation 
in Litigation and Regulatory Matters in Note 13 – Commitments 
and  Contingencies  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements. 
Finally,  although  we  believe  that  the  representations  and 
warranties typically given in non-GSE transactions are less rigorous 
and actionable than those given in GSE transactions, we do not 
have significant experience resolving loan-level claims in non-GSE 
transactions to measure the impact of these differences on the 
probability that a loan will be required to be repurchased.

Government-sponsored Enterprises Experience
Prior to the FNMA Settlement, our repurchase claims experience 
with the GSEs had been concentrated in the 2004 through 2008 
vintages where we believed that our exposure to representations 
and  warranties  liability  was  most  significant.  Our  repurchase 
claims experience related to loans originated prior to 2004 has 
not  been  significant  and  we  believe  that  changes  made  to  our 
operations and underwriting policies reduced our exposure related 
to loans originated after 2008. 

Bank of America and legacy Countrywide sold approximately 
$1.1 trillion of loans originated from 2004 through 2008 to the 
GSEs. As of December 31, 2012, 12 percent of the original funded 
balance of loans in these vintages had defaulted or were 180 days 
or more past due (severely delinquent). As of December 31, 2012, 
we  had received $43.5  billion  in repurchase  claims  associated 
with these vintages, representing approximately four percent of 
the original funded balance of loans sold to the GSEs in these 
vintages. Prior to the FNMA Settlement, we had resolved $29.6 
billion of these claims with a net loss experience of approximately 
29 percent, after considering the effect of collateral. Our collateral 
loss  severity  rate  on  approved  repurchases  had  averaged 
approximately 55 percent. The FNMA Settlement in January 2013 
resolved  an  additional  $12.2  billion  in  repurchase  claims 
outstanding  at  December 31,  2012,  primarily  related  to  loans 
originated from 2004 through 2008.

We and our subsidiaries have an established history of working 
with the GSEs on repurchase claims. In 2012, we continued to 
experience elevated levels of claims from FNMA, including claims 
on loans on which borrowers have made a significant number of 
payments  (e.g.,  at  least  25  payments)  and,  to  a  lesser  extent, 
loans that defaulted more than 18 months prior to the repurchase 
request.  The  FNMA  Settlement  resolved  substantially  all  of  the 

claims with respect to loans originated and sold to FNMA between 
January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2008, as well as substantially 
all  future  representations  and  warranties  repurchase  claims 
associated with these loans. 

Table 11 highlights our experience with the GSEs related to 

loans originated from 2004 through 2008. 

Table 11 Overview of GSE Balances – 2004-2008 Originations

(Dollars in billions)

Original funded balance
Principal payments
Defaults

Total outstanding balance at December 31, 2012

Outstanding principal balance 180 days or more past due (severely delinquent)
Defaults plus severely delinquent
Payments made by borrower

Less than 13
13-24
25-36
More than 36

Total payments made by borrower

Unresolved GSE representations and warranties repurchase claims (all vintages)

As of December 31, 2011
As of December 31, 2012
As of December 31, 2012 (pro forma reflecting the FNMA Settlement)

Cumulative GSE representations and warranties losses (2004-2008 vintages)

Beginning in February 2012, we stopped delivering purchase 
money and non-Making Home Affordable (MHA) refinance first-lien 
residential mortgage products into FNMA MBS pools because of 
the  expiration  and  mutual  non-renewal  of  certain  contractual 
delivery commitments and variances that permit efficient delivery 
of such loans to FNMA. While we continue to have a valid agreement 
with  FNMA  permitting  the  delivery  of  purchase  money  and  non-
MHA  refinance  first-lien  residential  mortgage  products  without 
such contractual variances, the delivery of such products without 
contractual  delivery  commitments  and  variances  would  involve 
time and expense to implement the necessary operational and 
systems  changes  and  otherwise  presents  practical  operational 
issues. We do not expect this change to have a material impact 
on our CRES business, as we expect to rely on other sources of 
liquidity  to  actively  extend  mortgage  credit  to  our  customers 
including  continuing  to  deliver  such  products  into  FHLMC  MBS 
pools.  Additionally,  we  continue  to  deliver  MHA  refinancing 
products into FNMA MBS pools.

Experience with Investors Other than Government-
sponsored Enterprises
In  prior  years,  legacy  companies  and  certain  subsidiaries  sold 
pools of first-lien mortgage loans and home equity loans as private-
label securitizations or in the form of whole loans originated from 
2004  through  2008  with  an  original  principal  balance  of  $963 
billion  to  investors  other  than  GSEs  (although  the  GSEs  are 
investors  in  certain  private-label  securitizations),  of  which 
approximately $530 billion in principal has been paid and $244 
billion has defaulted or is severely delinquent at December 31, 
2012.

As  it  relates  to  private-label  securitizations,  a  contractual 

Legacy Originator

Countrywide

Other

Total

Percent of
Total

$

$
$

$

$
$

846
(508)
(77)
261
34
111

$

$
$

272
(177)
(14)
81
8
22

  $

  $

  $

1,118
(685)
(91)
342
42
133

15
31
34
53
133

6.2
13.5
1.3
9.8

11%
23
26
40
100%

liability  to  repurchase  mortgage  loans  generally  arises  only  if 
counterparties prove there is a breach of the representations and 
warranties that materially and adversely affects the interest of the 
investor or all investors in a securitization trust or of the monoline 
insurer or other financial guarantor (as applicable). We believe that 
the  longer  a  loan  performs,  the  less  likely  it  is  that  an  alleged 
representations and warranties breach had a material impact on 
the loan’s performance or that a breach even exists. Because the 
majority of the borrowers in this population would have made a 
significant number of payments if they are not yet 180 days or 
more past due, we believe that the principal balance at the greatest 
risk  for  repurchase  claims  in  this  population  of  private-label 
securitizations are loans that have already defaulted and those 
that  are  currently  severely  delinquent.  Additionally,  only 
counterparties with the contractual right to demand repurchase of 
a loan can present valid repurchase claims (in the case of private-
label  securitization  trust  investors,  they  generally  have  to  meet 
certain  contractual  thresholds  in  order  to  require  trustees  to 
present repurchase claims). While we believe the agreements for 
private-label  securitizations  generally  contain  less  rigorous 
representations  and  warranties  and  place  higher  burdens  on 
investors seeking repurchases than the explicit provisions of the 
comparable  agreements  with  the  GSEs  without  regard  to  any 
variations that may have arisen as a result of dealings with the 
GSEs,  the  agreements  generally  include  a  representation  that 
underwriting practices were prudent and customary.

Any amounts paid related to repurchase claims from a monoline 
insurer  are  paid  to  the  securitization  trust  and  are  applied  in 
accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  governing  securitization 
documents, which may include use by the securitization trust to 
repay  any  outstanding  monoline  advances  or  reduce  future 
advances from the monolines. To the extent that a monoline has 

Bank of America 2012     55

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
not advanced funds or does not anticipate that it will be required 
to  advance  funds  to  the  securitization  trust,  the  likelihood  of 
receiving a repurchase claim from a monoline may be reduced as 
the monoline would receive limited or no benefit from the payment 
of repurchase claims. Moreover, some monolines are not currently 
performing their obligations under the financial guaranty policies 
they  issued  which  may,  in  certain  circumstances,  impact  their 
ability  to  present  repurchase  claims;  although 
in  those 
circumstances, trustees can bring repurchase claims, including at 
the direction of investors if contractual thresholds are met.

Table 12 details the population of loans originated between 
2004 and 2008 and the population of loans sold as whole loans 
or in non-agency securitizations by entity and product together with 
the  defaulted  and  severely  delinquent  loans  stratified  by  the 

number  of  payments  the  borrower  made  prior  to  default  or 
becoming  severely  delinquent  as  of  December 31,  2012.  We 
believe  many  of  the  defaults  observed  in  these  securitizations 
have been, and continue to be, driven by external factors like the 
substantial  depreciation  in  home  prices,  persistently  high 
unemployment and other negative economic trends, diminishing 
the likelihood that any loan defect (assuming one exists at all) was 
the  cause  of  a  loan’s  default.  As  of  December 31,  2012, 
approximately 25 percent of the loans sold to non-GSEs that were 
originated between 2004 and 2008 have defaulted or are severely 
delinquent. Of the original principal balance for Countrywide, $409 
billion is included in the BNY Mellon Settlement and of this amount 
$112 billion was defaulted or severely delinquent at December 31, 
2012.

Table 12 Overview of Non-Agency Securitization and Whole Loan Balances

Principal Balance

 Defaulted or Severely Delinquent

(Dollars in billions)

By Entity

Bank of America
Countrywide
Merrill Lynch
First Franklin
Total (1, 2)

By Product
Prime
Alt-A
Pay option
Subprime
Home Equity
Other

$

$

$

Original
Principal
Balance

100
716
65
82
963

$

$

$

302
172
150
245
88
6
963

Outstanding
 Principal
Balance
December
31, 2012

Outstanding
Principal 
Balance
180 Days or 
More
Past Due

Defaulted
Principal
Balance

Defaulted or
Severely
Delinquent

Borrower 
Made
Less than 13 
Payments

Borrower
Made
13 to 24
Payments

Borrower
Made
25 to 36
Payments

Borrower
Made
More than 36
Payments

$

$

$

22
204
16
18
260

83
58
43
63
12
1
260

$

$

$

4
58
4
5
71

11
15
19
24
—
2
71

$

$

$

6
131
13
23
173

23
35
37
58
18
2
173

10
189
17
28
244

34
50
56
82
18
4
244

$

$

$

$

1
25
3
5
34

2
8
5
17
2
—
34

$

$

$

$

2
46
4
6
58

6
12
14
20
5
1
58

$

$

$

$

2
46
3
5
56

7
12
16
17
4
—
56

$

$

$

$

5
72
7
12
96

19
18
21
28
7
3
96

Total

$
(1)  Excludes transactions sponsored by Bank of America and Merrill Lynch where no representations or warranties were made.
(2) 

Includes exposures on third-party sponsored transactions related to legacy entity originations.

$

$

$

$

Monoline Insurers
Legacy companies sold $184.5 billion of loans originated between 
2004 and 2008 into monoline-insured securitizations, which are 
included  in  Table  12,  including  $103.9  billion  of  first-lien 
mortgages and $80.6 billion of second-lien mortgages. Of these 
balances, $48.9 billion of the first-lien mortgages and $51.8 billion 
of the second-lien mortgages have been paid in full and $35.1 
billion of the first-lien mortgages and $17.6 billion of the second-
lien  mortgages  have  defaulted  or  are  severely  delinquent  at 
December 31, 2012. At least 25 payments have been made on 
approximately 56 percent of the defaulted and severely delinquent 
loans. Of the first-lien mortgages sold, $39.1 billion, or 38 percent, 
were sold as whole loans to other institutions which subsequently 
included these loans with those of other originators in private-label 
securitization transactions in which the monolines insured one or 
more securities. 

As of December 31, 2012, we have received $6.0 billion of 
representations and warranties repurchase claims associated with 
these vintages from the monoline insurers related to the monoline-
insured transactions, predominately second-lien transactions. Of 
these repurchase claims, $2.4 billion were resolved through the 
Assured  Guaranty  and  Syncora  Settlements,  $816  million  were 
resolved  through  repurchase  or  indemnification  with  losses  of 
$649 million, and $302 million were rescinded by the monoline 

insurers or paid in full. Our limited experience with most of the 
monoline insurers has varied in terms of process, and experience 
with these counterparties has not been predictable. Our limited 
claims experience with the monoline insurers in the repurchase 
process is a result of these monoline insurers having instituted 
litigation  against  legacy  Countrywide  and/or  Bank  of  America, 
which impacts our ability to enter into constructive dialogue with 
these monolines to resolve the open claims. 

At December 31, 2012, for loans originated between 2004 and 
2008, the unpaid principal balance of loans related to unresolved 
monoline repurchase claims was $2.4 billion, substantially all of 
which we have reviewed and declined to repurchase based on an 
assessment of whether a material breach exists. At December 31, 
2012, the unpaid principal balance of loans in these vintages for 
which the monolines had requested loan files for review but for 
which no repurchase claim had been received was $5.3 billion, 
excluding  loans  that  had  been  paid  in  full  or  resolved  through 
settlements.  Of  these  file  requests,  $4.0  billion  are  aged  and 
subject to ongoing litigation. There will likely be additional requests 
for loan files in the future leading to repurchase claims. In addition, 
we have received claims from private-label securitization trustees 
and a third-party securitization sponsor related to first-lien third-
party sponsored securitizations that include monoline insurance.

56     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It is not possible at this time to reasonably estimate probable 
future repurchase obligations with respect to those monolines with 
whom we have limited repurchase experience and, therefore, no 
representations  and  warranties  liability  has  been  recorded  in 
connection  with  these  monolines,  other  than  a  liability  for 
repurchase claims where we have determined that there are valid 
loan  defects  and  determined  that  there  is  a  breach  of  a 
representation and warranty and that any other requirements for 
repurchase have been met. Outside of the standard quality control 
process that is an integral part of our loan origination process, we 
do not generally review loan files until we receive a repurchase 
claim,  including  with  respect  to  monoline  exposures.  Our 
estimated range of possible loss related to representations and 
warranties exposures as of December 31, 2012 does not include 
possible losses related to these monoline insurers. For additional 
information, see Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Whole Loans and Private-label Securitizations
Legacy entities, and to a lesser extent Bank of America, sold loans 
to investors as whole loans or via private-label securitizations. The 
majority  of  the  loans  sold  were  included  in  private-label 
securitizations, including third-party sponsored transactions. We 
provided  representations  and  warranties  to  the  whole-loan 
investors and these investors may retain those rights even when 
the whole loans were aggregated with other collateral into private-
label securitizations sponsored by the whole-loan investors. The 
loans sold with a total principal balance of $778.2 billion, included 
in Table 12, were originated between 2004 and 2008, of which 
$429.0  billion  have  been  paid  in  full  and  $191.4  billion  are 
defaulted or severely delinquent at December 31, 2012. At least 
25 payments have been made on approximately 64 percent of the 
defaulted  and  severely  delinquent  loans.  We  have  received 
approximately  $19.4  billion  of  representations  and  warranties 
repurchase claims from whole-loan investors, including third-party 
sponsors, and private-label securitization investors and trustees 
related to these vintages, including $10.5 billion from private-label 
securitization trustees, $8.0 billion from whole-loan investors and 
$815 million from one private-label securitization counterparty. In 
private-label securitizations, certain presentation thresholds need 
to  be  met  in  order  for  investors  to  direct  a  trustee  to  assert 
repurchase claims. Recent increases in new private-label claims 
are primarily related to repurchase requests received from trustees 
and 
for  private-label  securitization 
transactions not included in the BNY Mellon Settlement, including 
claims  related  to  first-lien  third-party  sponsored  securitizations 
that include monoline insurance. Over time, there has been an 
increase  in  requests  for  loan  files  from  certain  private-label 
securitization trustees, as well as requests for tolling agreements 
to 
to 
representations and warranties repurchase claims, and we believe 
it is likely that these requests will lead to an increase in repurchase 
claims from private-label securitization trustees with standing to 
bring such claims.

the  applicable  statutes  of 

third-party  sponsors 

limitation 

relating 

toll 

We have resolved $7.3 billion of the claims received from whole-
loan  investors  and  private-label  securitization  investors  and 
trustees with losses of $1.6 billion. The majority of these resolved 
claims were from third-party whole-loan investors. Approximately 
$2.9 billion of these claims were resolved through repurchase or 
indemnification and $4.4 billion were rescinded by the investor. At 
December 31,  2012,  for  loans  originated  between  2004  and 
2008,  the  notional  amount  of  unresolved  repurchase  claims 

submitted by private-label securitization trustees and whole-loan 
investors was $12.2 billion. We have performed an initial review 
with respect to $10.9 billion of these claims and do not believe a 
valid basis for repurchase has been established by the claimant 
and are still in the process of reviewing the remaining $1.3 billion 
of these claims.

Certain  whole-loan  investors  have  engaged  with  us  in  a 
consistent repurchase process and we have used that and other 
experience to record a liability related to existing and future claims 
from  such  counterparties.  The  BNY  Mellon  Settlement  and 
subsequent  activity  with  certain  counterparties  led  to  the 
determination that we had sufficient experience to record a liability 
related to our exposure on certain private-label securitizations but 
did not provide sufficient experience related to certain private-label 
securitizations sponsored by third-party whole-loan investors. As 
it relates to the other private-label securitizations sponsored by 
third-party whole-loan investors and certain other whole loan sales, 
it is not possible to determine whether a loss has occurred or is 
probable; and therefore, no representations and warranties liability 
has been recorded in connection with these transactions. Until we 
receive a repurchase claim, we generally have not reviewed loan 
files  related  to  private-label  securitizations  sponsored  by  third-
party whole-loan investors (and are not required by the governing 
documents to do so). Our estimated range of possible loss related 
to representations and warranties exposures as of December 31, 
2012 included possible losses related to these whole loan sales 
and private-label securitizations sponsored by third-party whole-
loan investors.

Private-label securitization investors generally do not have the 
contractual right to demand repurchase of loans directly or the 
right to access loan files. We have received repurchase demands 
totaling $1.6 billion from private-label securitization investors and 
a master servicer where in each case we believe the claimant has 
not satisfied the contractual thresholds to direct the securitization 
trustee  to  take  action  and/or  that  the  demands  are  otherwise 
procedurally or substantively invalid. 

Other Mortgage-related Matters

Servicing Matters and Foreclosure Processes
We service a large portion of the loans we or our subsidiaries have 
securitized  and  also  service  loans  on  behalf  of  third-party 
securitization  vehicles  and  other  investors.  Our  servicing 
obligations  are  set  forth  in  servicing  agreements  with  the 
applicable counterparty. These obligations may include, but are 
not 
in  certain 
circumstances, indemnifications, payment of fees, advances for 
foreclosure costs that are not reimbursable, or responsibility for 
losses in excess of guarantees for VA loans. 

loan  repurchase  requirements 

limited  to, 

Servicing agreements with the GSEs generally provide the GSEs 
with  broader  rights  relative  to  the  servicer  than  are  found  in 
servicing  agreements  with  private  investors.  For  example,  each 
GSE  typically  claims  the  right  to  demand  that  the  servicer 
repurchase  loans  that  breach  the  seller’s  representations  and 
warranties made in connection with the initial sale of the loans 
even if the servicer was not the seller. The GSEs claim that they 
have  the  contractual  right  to  demand  indemnification  or  loan 
repurchase for certain servicing breaches. In addition, the GSEs’ 
first-lien mortgage seller/servicer guides provide for timelines to 
resolve delinquent loans through workout efforts or liquidation, if 
necessary, and purport to require the imposition of compensatory 
fees if those deadlines are not satisfied except for reasons beyond 

Bank of America 2012     57

the control of the servicer; although, we believe that the governing 
contracts, our course of dealing, and collective past practices and 
understandings  should  inform  resolution  of  these  matters.  In 
addition,  many  non-agency  RMBS  and  whole-loan  servicing 
agreements  state  that  the  servicer  may  be  liable  for  failure  to 
perform its servicing obligations in keeping with industry standards 
or for acts or omissions that involve willful malfeasance, bad faith 
or gross negligence in the performance of, or reckless disregard 
of, the servicer’s duties. 

It  is  not  possible  to  reasonably  estimate  our  liability  with 
respect  to  potential  servicing-related  claims.  While  we  have 
recorded certain accruals for servicing-related claims, the amount 
of potential liability in excess of existing accruals could be material.
In  October  2010,  we  voluntarily  stopped  taking  residential 
mortgage  foreclosure  proceedings  to  judgment  in  states  where 
foreclosure  requires  a  court  order  following  a  legal  proceeding 
(judicial states) and stopped foreclosure sales in all states in order 
to complete an assessment of related business processes. We 
have resumed foreclosure sales in all states, but our progress on 
foreclosure sales in judicial states has been much slower than in 
states  where  foreclosure  does  not  require  a  court  order  (non-
judicial states).

to 

required  servicers 

their  servicing  operations, 

2011 OCC Consent Order and 2013 IFR Acceleration 
Agreement
We entered into the 2011 OCC Consent Order on April 13, 2011. 
to  make  several 
This  consent  order 
including 
enhancements 
implementation of a single point of contact model for borrowers 
throughout  the  loss  mitigation  and  foreclosure  processes, 
adoption of measures designed to ensure that foreclosure activity 
is halted once a borrower has been approved for a modification 
unless the borrower fails to make payments under the modified 
loan  and  implementation  of  enhanced  controls  over  third-party 
vendors  that  provide  default  servicing  support  services.  In 
addition, the 2011 OCC Consent Order required that we retain an 
independent consultant, approved by the OCC, to conduct a review 
of  all  foreclosure  actions  pending,  or  foreclosure  sales  that 
occurred, between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 and 
submit  a  plan  to  the  OCC  to  remediate  all  financial  injury  to 
borrowers caused by any deficiencies identified through the review. 
On January 7, 2013, we and other mortgage servicing institutions 
entered into the 2013 IFR Acceleration Agreement with the Federal 
Reserve  and  the  OCC  to  cease  the  case-by-case  IFR  program 
created by the 2011 OCC Consent Order and replace it with an 
accelerated  remediation  process.  The  2013  IFR  Acceleration 
Agreement requires us to make a cash payment of $1.1 billion 
and provide $1.8 billion of borrower assistance in the form of loan 
modifications  and  other  foreclosure  prevention  actions.  The 
borrower  assistance  program  is  not  expected  to  result  in  any 
incremental  credit  provision,  as  we  believe  that  the  existing 
allowance for credit losses is adequate to absorb any costs that 
have not already been recorded as charge-offs.

National Mortgage Settlement
In  March  2012,  we  entered  into  settlement  agreements 
(collectively, the National Mortgage Settlement) with (1) the U.S. 
Department of Justice, various federal regulatory agencies and 49 
state Attorneys General to resolve federal and state investigations 
into  certain  residential  mortgage  origination,  servicing  and 
foreclosure practices, (2) HUD to resolve certain claims relating 

58     Bank of America 2012

to  the  origination  of  FHA-insured  mortgage  loans,  primarily  by 
Countrywide prior to and for a period following our acquisition of 
that  lender,  and  (3)  each  of  the  Federal  Reserve  and  the  OCC 
regarding civil monetary penalties related to conduct that was the 
subject of consent orders entered into with the banking regulators 
in April 2011. The National Mortgage Settlement was entered by 
the court as a consent judgment on April 5, 2012. The National 
Mortgage  Settlement  provided  for  the  establishment  of  certain 
uniform  servicing  standards,  upfront  cash  payments  of 
approximately $1.9 billion to the state and federal governments 
and for borrower restitution, approximately $7.6 billion in borrower 
assistance in the form of, among other things, credits earned for 
principal reduction, short sales, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure and 
approximately  $1.0  billion  of  credits  earned  for  interest  rate 
reduction  modifications.  In  addition,  the  settlement  with  HUD 
provided for an upfront cash payment of $500 million to settle 
certain  claims  related  to  FHA-insured  loans.  We  will  also  be 
obligated to provide additional cash payments of up to $850 million 
if we fail to earn an additional $850 million of credits stemming 
from incremental first-lien principal reductions over a three-year 
period. 

The  borrower  assistance  program  did  not  result  in  any 
incremental credit provision during 2012, as we believe that the 
existing  allowance  for  credit  losses  is  adequate  to  absorb  any 
costs  that  have  not  already  been  recorded  as  charge-offs.  The 
interest  rate  modification  program  consisted  of  interest  rate 
reductions on first-lien loans originated prior to January 1, 2009 
that  have  a  current  loan-to-value  (LTV)  ratio  greater  than  100 
percent  and  that  meet  certain  eligibility  criteria,  including  the 
requirement that all payments due for the last twelve months have 
been made in a timely manner. This program commits us to forego 
future interest payments that we may not otherwise have agreed 
to  forego,  and  no  loss  has  been  recognized  in  the  financial 
statements  related  to  such  forgone  interest.  Modifications  of 
approximately  7,500  loans  with  an  aggregate  unpaid  principal 
balance  of  $2.1  billion  providing  for  an  average  interest  rate 
reduction  of  approximately  two  percent  were  completed  as  of 
December 31, 2012, resulting in an estimated decrease in fair 
value of the modified loans of approximately $242 million. The 
interest  rate  modification  program  is  expected  to  include 
approximately 20,000 to 25,000 loans with an aggregate unpaid 
principal  balance  of  $5.4  billion  to  $6.8  billion.  Assuming  an 
average interest rate reduction of approximately two percent, the 
modifications  are  expected  to  result  in  a  reduction  of  annual 
interest  income  of  approximately  $100  million  to  $130  million 
when the program is complete. Assuming a weighted-average loan 
life  of  approximately  eight  years,  the  fair  value  of  loans  in  the 
program is expected to decrease by approximately $600 million 
to $800 million as a result of the interest rate reductions. The 
financial impact will vary depending on final terms of modifications 
offered and the rate of borrower acceptance. We do not expect 
loans modified under the program to be accounted for as troubled 
debt restructurings (TDRs). If the program is expanded to include 
loans  that  do  not  meet  specified  underwriting  criteria,  such  as 
maximum  debt-to-income  ratios  or  minimum  FICO  scores,  the 
modifications of such loans will be accounted for as TDRs. 

We could be required to make additional payments if we fail to 
meet  our  borrower  assistance  and  rate  reduction  modification 
commitments over a three-year period, in an amount equal to 125 
percent to 140 percent of the shortfall, dependent on the two- and 
three-year commitment target. We also entered into agreements 
with several states under which we committed to perform certain 

minimum levels of principal reduction and related activities within 
those states in connection with the National Mortgage Settlement, 
and under which we could be required to make additional payments 
if we fail to meet such minimum levels. 

We  believe  that  it  is  likely  that  we  will  meet  all  borrower 
assistance,  rate  reduction  modification  and  principal  reduction 
commitments required under the National Mortgage Settlement 
and, therefore, do not expect to be required to make additional 
cash payments. Although it is possible that the cost of fulfilling 
the commitments could increase, leading to an incremental credit 
provision,  the  amount  of  any  such  incremental  provision  is  not 
reasonably estimable. Although we may incur additional operating 
costs such as servicing costs to implement parts of the National 
Mortgage Settlement in future periods, we do not expect that those 
costs will be material. 

Under  the  terms  of  the  National  Mortgage  Settlement,  the 
federal and participating state governments agreed to release us 
from  further  liability  for  certain  alleged  residential  mortgage 
origination,  servicing  and  foreclosure  deficiencies.  In  settling 
origination issues related to FHA-guaranteed loans originated on 
or before April 30, 2009, we received a release from further liability 
for all origination claims with respect to such loans if an insurance 
claim had been submitted to the FHA prior to January 1, 2012 and 
a  release  of  multiple  damages  and  penalties,  but  not  single 
damages,  if  no  such  claim  had  been  submitted.  In  addition, 
provided we meet our assistance and remediation commitments, 
the OCC agreed not to assess, and we will not be obligated to pay 
to the Federal Reserve, any civil monetary penalties.

The  National  Mortgage  Settlement  does  not  cover  certain 
claims  arising  out  of  origination,  securitization 
(including 
representations made to investors with respect to MBS), criminal 
claims, private claims by borrowers, claims by certain states for 
injunctive relief or actual economic damages to borrowers related 
to the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS), and 
claims by the GSEs (including repurchase demands), among other 
items. 

Additionally, we continue to be subject to additional borrower 
and  non-borrower  litigation  and  governmental  and  regulatory 
scrutiny related to our past and current origination, servicing and 
foreclosure activities, including those claims not covered by the 
National Mortgage Settlement. This scrutiny may extend beyond 
our pending foreclosure matters to issues arising out of alleged 
irregularities  with  respect  to  previously  completed  foreclosure 
activities.  The  current  environment  of  heightened  regulatory 
scrutiny may subject us to inquiries or investigations that could 
significantly adversely affect our reputation and result in material 
costs to us.

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.
Mortgage  notes,  assignments  or  other  documents  are  often 
required  to  be  maintained  and  are  often  necessary  to  enforce 
mortgage loans. There has been significant public commentary 
regarding the common industry practice of recording mortgages 
in the name of MERS, as nominee on behalf of the note holder, 
and whether securitization trusts own the loans purported to be 
conveyed to them and have valid liens securing those loans. We 
currently use the MERS system for a substantial portion of the 
residential mortgage loans that we originate, including loans that 
have been sold to investors or securitization trusts. A component 
of  the  OCC  consent  order  requires  significant  changes  in  the 

manner  in  which  we  service  loans  that  identify  MERS  as  the 
mortgagee. Additionally, certain local and state governments have 
commenced  legal  actions  against  us,  MERS  and  other  MERS 
members,  questioning  the  validity  of  the  MERS  model.  Other 
challenges have also been made to the process for transferring 
mortgage loans to securitization trusts, asserting that having a 
mortgagee  of  record  that  is  different  than  the  holder  of  the 
mortgage  note  could  “break  the  chain  of  title”  and  cloud  the 
ownership of the loan. In order to foreclose on a mortgage loan, 
in certain cases it may be necessary or prudent for an assignment 
of the mortgage to be made to the holder of the note, which in the 
case of a mortgage held in the name of MERS as nominee would 
need  to  be  completed  by  a  MERS  signing  officer.  As  such,  our 
practice is to obtain assignments of mortgages from MERS prior 
to  instituting  foreclosure.  If  certain  required  documents  are 
missing or defective, or if the use of MERS is found not to be valid, 
we  could  be  obligated  to  cure  certain  defects  or  in  some 
circumstances be subject to additional costs and expenses. Our 
use  of  MERS  as  nominee  for  the  mortgage  may  also  create 
reputational risks for us.

Impact of Foreclosure Delays
Foreclosure delays impact our default-related servicing costs. We 
believe  default-related  servicing  costs  peaked  during  the  third 
quarter of 2012 and began to decline in the fourth quarter of 2012, 
and  we  anticipate  that  this  decline  will  accelerate  in  2013. 
However, unexpected foreclosure delays in 2013 could impact the 
rate  of  decline.  Default-related  servicing  costs  include  costs 
related  to  resources  needed  for  implementing  new  servicing 
standards  mandated  for  the  industry,  including  as  part  of  the 
National  Mortgage  Settlement,  other  operational  changes  and 
operational costs due to delayed foreclosures and do not include 
mortgage-related assessments, waivers and similar costs related 
to foreclosure delays.

Other areas of our operations are also impacted by foreclosure 
delays. In 2012, we recorded $867 million of mortgage-related 
assessments,  waivers  and  similar  costs  related  to  foreclosure 
delays, including $258 million related to compensatory fees as 
part of the FNMA Settlement. It is also possible that the delays in 
foreclosure  sales  may  result  in  additional  costs  and  expenses, 
including costs associated with the maintenance of properties or 
possible  home  price  declines  while  foreclosures  are  delayed. 
Finally, the time to complete foreclosure sales may continue to be 
protracted, which may result in a greater number of nonperforming 
loans  and  increased  servicing  advances,  and  may  impact  the 
collectability of such advances and the value of our MSR asset, 
MBS and real estate owned properties. Accordingly, the ultimate 
resolution  of  disagreements  with  counterparties,  delays  in 
foreclosure  sales  beyond  those  currently  anticipated,  and  any 
issues that may arise out of alleged irregularities in our foreclosure 
process could significantly increase the costs associated with our 
mortgage operations.

Mortgage-related Settlements – Servicing Matters
In connection with the BNY Mellon Settlement, BANA has agreed 
to implement certain servicing changes. The Trustee and BANA 
have  agreed  to  clarify  and  conform  certain  servicing  standards 
related to loss mitigation. In particular, the BNY Mellon Settlement 
clarifies that it is permissible to apply the same loss mitigation 
strategies to the Covered Trusts as are applied to BANA affiliates’ 

Bank of America 2012     59

HFI portfolios. This portion of the agreement was effective in the 
second  quarter  of  2011  and  is  not  conditioned  on  final  court 
approval. 

BANA  also  agreed  to  transfer  the  servicing  rights  related  to 
certain high-risk loans to qualified subservicers on a schedule that 
began with the signing of the BNY Mellon Settlement. This servicing 
transfer protocol will reduce the servicing fees payable to BANA 
in  the  future.  Upon  final  court  approval  of  the  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement,  failure  to  meet  the  established  benchmarking 
standards for loans not in subservicing arrangements can trigger 
the  payment  of  agreed-upon  fees.  Additionally,  we  and  legacy 
Countrywide have agreed to work to resolve with the Trustee certain 
mortgage documentation issues related to the enforceability of 
mortgages in foreclosure and to reimburse the related Covered 
Trust for any loss if BANA is unable to foreclose on the mortgage 
and the Covered Trust is not made whole by a title policy because 
of  these  issues.  These  agreements  will  terminate  if  final  court 
approval of the BNY Mellon Settlement is not obtained, although 
we  could  still  have  exposure  under  the  pooling  and  servicing 
agreements related to the mortgages in the Covered Trusts for 
these issues.

requirements  associated  with 

In connection with the National Mortgage Settlement, BANA 
has agreed to implement certain additional servicing changes. The 
uniform  servicing  standards  established  under  the  National 
Mortgage Settlement are broadly consistent with the residential 
mortgage servicing practices imposed by the 2011 OCC Consent 
Order; however, they are more prescriptive and cover a broader 
range  of  our  residential  mortgage  servicing  activities.  These 
standards are intended to strengthen procedural safeguards and 
documentation 
foreclosure, 
bankruptcy, and loss mitigation activities, as well as addressing 
the imposition of fees and the integrity of documentation, with a 
goal of ensuring greater transparency for borrowers. These uniform 
servicing  standards  also  obligate  us  to  implement  compliance 
processes  reasonably  designed  to  provide  assurance  of  the 
achievement  of  these  objectives.  Compliance  with  the  uniform 
servicing standards will be assessed by a monitor based on the 
measurement  of  outcomes  with  respect  to  these  objectives. 
Implementation of these uniform servicing standards is expected 
to  contribute  to  elevated  costs  associated  with  the  servicing 
process,  but  is  not  expected  to  result  in  material  delays  or 
dislocation  in  the  performance  of  our  mortgage  servicing 
obligations, including the completion of foreclosures. 

Regulatory Matters
See Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and 
Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated 
Financial  Statements 
regarding 
for  additional 
regulatory matters and risks. 

information 

Financial Reform Act
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act 
(Financial Reform Act), which was signed into law on July 21, 2010, 
enacted sweeping financial regulatory reform and has altered and 
will  continue  to  alter  the  way  in  which  we  conduct  certain 
businesses, increase our costs and reduce our revenues. Many 
aspects  of  the  Financial  Reform  Act  remain  subject  to  final 
rulemaking and will take effect over several years, making it difficult 
to anticipate the precise impact on the Corporation, our customers 

or the financial services industry. 

Debit Interchange Fees
On June 29, 2011, the Federal Reserve adopted a final rule with 
respect to the Durbin Amendment effective on October 1, 2011 
which, among other things, established a regulatory cap for many 
types of debit interchange transactions to equal no more than 21 
cents plus five bps of the value of the transaction. The Federal 
Reserve also adopted a rule to allow a debit card issuer to recover 
one cent per transaction for fraud prevention purposes if the issuer 
complies with certain fraud-related requirements, with which we 
are currently in compliance. The Federal Reserve also approved 
rules governing routing and exclusivity, requiring issuers to offer 
two unaffiliated networks for routing transactions on each debit 
or  prepaid  product,  which  became  effective  April  1,  2012.  For 
additional information on the impact to revenue, see CBB on page 
34.

Limitations  on  Proprietary  Trading;  Sponsorship  and 
Investment in Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds
On  October  11,  2011,  the  Federal  Reserve,  OCC,  FDIC  and 
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), representing four of 
the five regulatory agencies charged with promulgating regulations 
implementing  limitations  on  proprietary  trading  as  well  as  the 
sponsorship of or investment in hedge funds and private equity 
funds (the Volcker Rule) established by the Financial Reform Act, 
released  for  comment  proposed  implementing  regulations.  On 
January 11, 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission 
(CFTC),  the  fifth  agency,  released  for  comment  its  proposed 
regulations  under  the  Volcker  Rule.  The  proposed  regulations 
include clarifications to the definition of proprietary trading and 
distinctions between permitted and prohibited activities. However, 
in light of the complexity of the proposed regulations and the large 
volume of comments received (the proposal requested comments 
on over 1,300 questions on 400 different topics), it is not possible 
to predict the content of the final regulations or when they will be 
issued. 

The statutory provisions of the Volcker Rule became effective 
on July 21, 2012 and gave financial institutions two years from 
the effective date, with the possibility for extensions for certain 
investments, to bring activities and investments into compliance 
with the statutory provisions and final regulations. Although Global 
Markets exited its stand-alone proprietary trading business as of 
June 30, 2011 in anticipation of the Volcker Rule and to further 
our initiative to optimize our balance sheet, the ultimate impact 
of the Volcker Rule on us remains uncertain as the regulations 
implementing the Volcker Rule are not final. However, based on 
the contents of the proposed regulations, it is possible the Volcker 
Rule implementation could limit or restrict our remaining trading 
activities.  If  exemptions  in  the  Volcker  Rule  and  the  proposed 
regulations are not available, the Volcker Rule could also limit or 
restrict our ability to sponsor and hold ownership interests in hedge 
funds, private equity funds, commodity pools and other subsidiary 
operations.  Additionally,  the  Volcker  Rule  could  increase  our 
operational and compliance costs, reduce our trading revenues, 
and adversely affect our results of operations. The date on which 
final regulations will be issued is currently uncertain. For additional 
information  about  our  trading  business,  see  Global  Markets  on 
page 44.

60     Bank of America 2012

Derivatives
The Financial Reform Act includes measures to broaden the scope 
of derivative instruments subject to regulation by requiring clearing 
and exchange trading of certain derivatives; imposing new capital, 
margin, reporting, registration and business conduct requirements 
for certain market participants; and imposing position limits on 
certain over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives. The Financial Reform 
Act grants the CFTC and the SEC substantial new authority and 
requires numerous rulemakings by these agencies. Swap dealers 
conducting dealing activity with U.S. persons above a specified 
dollar threshold were required to register with the CFTC on or before 
December  31,  2012.  We  registered  BANA,  Merrill  Lynch 
Commodities Inc., Merrill Lynch Capital Services Inc., Merrill Lynch 
Financial Markets Inc., Merrill Lynch International and Merrill Lynch 
International  Bank  Limited  as  swap  dealers  on  December  31, 
2012.  Upon  registration,  swap  dealers  became  subject  to 
additional CFTC rules relating to business conduct and reporting, 
and will continue to become subject to additional CFTC rules as 
and when such rules take effect. Those rules include, but are not 
limited to, measures that require clearing and exchange trading 
of  certain  derivatives,  new  capital  and  margin  requirements  for 
certain market participants, and additional reporting requirements 
for derivatives under the jurisdiction of the CFTC. The CFTC also 
granted  relief  from  some  of  the  rules  that  would  have  become 
effective  during  the  fourth  quarter  of  2012,  either  completely 
suspending or delaying the application of some requirements.

While the CFTC has provided temporary exemptive relief from 
application of derivatives requirements of the Financial Reform Act 
for  certain  non-U.S.  derivatives  activity,  there  remains  some 
uncertainty as to how the derivatives requirements of the Financial 
Reform Act will apply to non-U.S. derivatives activity because the 
CFTC has not yet adopted final cross-border guidance. The CFTC 
has completed much of its other rulemakings, with the exception 
of final margin, capital and exchange trading rules, while the SEC 
has finalized a small number of clearing-related rules. The ultimate 
impact  of  the  derivatives  regulations  that  have  not  yet  been 
finalized and the time it will take to comply remain uncertain. The 
final regulations will impose additional operational and compliance 
costs on us and may require us to restructure certain businesses 
and may negatively impact our results of operations.

FDIC Deposit Insurance Assessments
The  FDIC  has  broad  discretionary  authority  to 
increase 
assessments on large and highly complex institutions on a case 
by case basis. Any future increases in required deposit insurance 
premiums  or  other  bank  industry  fees  could  have  an  adverse 
impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

the  Federal  Reserve  may  jointly  impose  more  stringent  capital, 
leverage  or  liquidity  requirements  or  restrictions  on  growth, 
activities or operations of the Corporation. We submitted our initial 
plan in 2012, which is to be updated annually.

Similarly, in the U.K., the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has 
issued  proposed  rules  requiring  the  submission  of  significant 
information about certain U.K. incorporated subsidiaries and other 
financial  institutions,  as  well  as  branches  of  non-U.K.  banks 
located  in  the  U.K.  (including  information  on  intra-group 
dependencies, legal entity separation and barriers to resolution) 
to allow the FSA to develop resolution plans. As a result of the 
FSA review, we could be required to take certain actions over the 
next  several  years  which  could  impose  operational  costs  and 
potentially  result  in  the  restructuring  of  certain  business  and 
subsidiaries. 

Orderly Liquidation Authority
Under  the  Financial  Reform  Act,  when  a  systemically  important 
financial institution such as the Corporation is in default or danger 
of default, the FDIC may be appointed receiver in order to conduct 
an  orderly  liquidation  of  such  systemically  important  financial 
institution. In the event of such appointment, the FDIC could invoke 
a new form of resolution authority, the orderly liquidation authority, 
instead  of  the  U.S.  Bankruptcy  Code,  if  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  makes  certain  financial  distress  and  systemic  risk 
determinations. The orderly liquidation authority is modeled in part 
on  the  Federal  Deposit  Insurance  Act,  but  also  adopts  certain 
concepts from the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

The orderly liquidation authority contains certain differences 
from  the  U.S.  Bankruptcy  Code.  Macroprudential  systemic 
protection  is  the  primary  objective  of  the  orderly  liquidation 
authority, subject to minimum threshold protections for creditors. 
Accordingly, in certain circumstances under the orderly liquidation 
authority,  the  FDIC  could  permit  payment  of  obligations  it 
determines  to  be  systemically  significant  (e.g.,  short-term 
creditors or operating creditors) in lieu of paying other obligations 
(e.g.,  long-term  creditors)  without  the  need  to  obtain  creditors’ 
consent  or  prior  court  review.  The  insolvency  and  resolution 
process could also lead to a large reduction or total elimination 
of the value of a BHC’s outstanding equity. For example, the FDIC 
could  follow  a  “single  point  of  entry”  approach  and  replace  a 
distressed  BHC  with  a  bridge  holding  company,  which  could 
continue  operations  and  result  in  an  orderly  resolution  of  the 
underlying bank, but whose equity is held solely for the benefit of 
creditors  of  the  original  BHC.  Additionally,  under  the  orderly 
liquidation  authority,  amounts  owed  to  the  U.S.  government 
generally receive a statutory payment priority.

Resolution Planning
The Federal Reserve and the FDIC  require  that the  Corporation 
and  other  bank  holding  companies  (BHCs)  with  assets  of  $50 
billion or more, as well as companies designated as systemically 
important  by  the  Financial  Stability  Oversight  Council,  submit 
annually their plans for a rapid and orderly resolution in the event 
of material financial distress or failure. 

A resolution plan is intended to be a detailed roadmap for the 
orderly resolution of the BHC and material entities pursuant to the 
U.S. Bankruptcy Code under one or more hypothetical scenarios 
assuming no extraordinary government assistance. If the FDIC and 
the Federal Reserve determine that our plan is not credible and 
we fail to cure the deficiencies in a timely manner, the FDIC and 

Credit Risk Retention
On March 29, 2011, federal regulators jointly issued a proposed 
rule regarding credit risk retention that would, among other things, 
require sponsors to retain at least five percent of the credit risk 
of the assets underlying certain ABS and MBS securitizations and 
would  limit  the  ability  to  transfer  or  hedge  that  credit  risk.  The 
proposed rule as currently written would likely have an adverse 
impact on our ability to engage in many types of the MBS and ABS 
securitizations  conducted  in  CRES,  Global  Markets  and  other 
business  segments, 
impose  additional  operational  and 
compliance  costs  on  us,  and  negatively  influence  the  value, 
liquidity and transferability of ABS or MBS, loans and other assets. 
However, it remains unclear what requirements will be included in 

Bank of America 2012     61

the final rule and what the ultimate impact of the final rule will be 
on our CRES, Global Markets and other business segments or on 
our results of operations.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The  Financial  Reform  Act  established  the  Consumer  Financial 
Protection Bureau (CFPB), which principally regulates the offering 
of consumer financial products or services under federal consumer 
financial  laws,  and  which  has  commenced  its  supervisory 
oversight. Certain federal consumer financial laws to which the 
Corporation is subject including, but not limited to, the Equal Credit 
Opportunity Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, Electronic Fund 
Transfers Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Lending and Truth 
in  Savings  Acts  are  enforced  by  the  CFPB,  subject  to  certain 
statutory limitations. Through its rulemaking authority, the CFPB 
has promulgated several proposed and final rules that will affect 
our consumer businesses. Among these initiatives is a recently-
issued final rule implementing sections of the Financial Reform 
Act  establishing  “ability  to  repay”  and  “qualified  mortgage” 
standards under the Truth in Lending Act. In addition, the CFPB 
issued a final rule establishing mortgage loan servicing standards 
through amendments to the Real Estate Settlement Procedures 
Act. The CFPB has also proposed rules addressing items such as 
remittance  transfer  services,  appraisal  requirements  and  loan 
originator  compensation  requirements.  The  Corporation  is 
evaluating  the  various  CFPB  rules  and  proposals  and  devoting 
substantial compliance, legal and operational business resources 
to  facilitate  compliance  with  these  rules  by  their  respective 
effective dates. In addition, the Corporation has cooperated with 
the  CFPB  on  several  industry-related  information  collection 
requests  involving  consumer  financial  products  and  services, 
including overdraft fees and practices.

Certain Other Provisions
The Financial Reform Act also expands the role of state regulators 
in  enforcing  consumer  protection  requirements  over  banks  and 
disqualifies  trust  preferred  securities  and  other  hybrid  capital 
securities from Tier 1 capital. Many of the provisions under the 
Financial Reform Act have only begun to be implemented or remain 
to be implemented in the future and will be subject both to further 
rulemaking and the discretion of applicable regulatory bodies. For 
additional information regarding regulatory capital and other rules 
proposed  by  federal  regulators,  see  Capital  Management  – 
Regulatory Capital Changes on page 68. 

The  Financial  Reform  Act  will  continue  to  have  an  adverse 
impact on our earnings through fee reductions, higher costs and 
imposition of new restrictions on us. The Financial Reform Act may 
also continue to have a material adverse impact on the value of 
certain  assets  and  liabilities  held  on  our  balance  sheet.  The 
ultimate impact of the Financial Reform Act on our businesses will 
depend on regulatory interpretation and rulemaking, as well as the 
success of any of our actions to mitigate the negative impact of 
certain provisions.

Transactions with Affiliates
The  terms  of  certain  of  our  OTC  derivative  contracts  and  other 
trading  agreements  of  the  Corporation  provide  that  upon  the 
occurrence of certain specified events, such as a change in our 
credit ratings, Merrill Lynch and other non-bank affiliates may be 
required  to  provide  additional  collateral  or  to  provide  other 
remedies, or our counterparties may have the right to terminate 

62     Bank of America 2012

or  otherwise  diminish  our  rights  under  these  contracts  or 
agreements.  In  the  event  of  further  downgrades  of  the  credit 
ratings of the Corporation and other non-bank affiliates, we may 
engage  in  discussions  with  certain  derivative  and  other 
counterparties  regarding  their  rights  under  these  agreements, 
including  potentially  naming  new  counterparties.  Our  ability  to 
substitute  or  make  changes  to  these  agreements  to  meet 
counterparties’  requests  may  be  subject  to  certain  limitations, 
including  counterparty  willingness,  regulatory  limitations  on 
naming BANA as the new counterparty, and the type or amount of 
collateral required. It is possible that such limitations on our ability 
to  substitute  or  make  changes  to  these  agreements,  including 
naming BANA as the new counterparty, could adversely affect our 
results of operations. 

Other Matters
The  Corporation  has  established  guidelines  and  policies  for 
managing  capital  across  its  subsidiaries.  The  guidance  for  the 
Corporation’s  subsidiaries  with  regulatory  capital  requirements, 
including branch operations of banking subsidiaries, requires each 
entity to maintain satisfactory capital levels. This includes setting 
internal capital targets for the U.S. bank subsidiaries to exceed 
“well-capitalized” levels. The U.K. has adopted increased capital 
and liquidity requirements for local financial institutions, including 
regulated U.K. subsidiaries of non-U.K. BHCs and other financial 
institutions as well as branches of non-U.K. banks located in the 
U.K. In addition, the U.K. has proposed the creation and production 
of recovery and resolution plans, commonly referred to as living 
wills, by significant regulated legal entities. 

Managing Risk

Overview
Risk  is  inherent  in  every  material  business  activity  that  we 
undertake. Our business exposes us to strategic, credit, market, 
liquidity, compliance, operational and reputational risks. We must 
manage these risks to maximize our long-term results by ensuring 
the integrity of our assets and the quality of our earnings.

Strategic risk is the risk that results from adverse business 
decisions, ineffective or inappropriate business plans, or failure 
to respond to changes in the competitive environment, business 
cycles, customer preferences, product obsolescence, regulatory 
environment, business strategy execution, and/or other inherent 
risks of the business including reputational risk. Credit risk is the 
risk of loss arising from a borrower’s or counterparty’s inability to 
meet its obligations. Market risk is the risk that values of assets 
and liabilities or revenues will be adversely affected by changes 
in market conditions such as interest rate movements. Liquidity 
risk is the inability to meet contractual and contingent financial 
obligations,  on-  or  off-balance  sheet,  as  they  come  due. 
Compliance risk is the risk that arises from the failure to adhere 
to  laws,  rules,  regulations,  or  internal  policies  and  procedures. 
Operational risk is the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or 
failed internal processes, people and systems, or external events. 
Reputational risk is the potential that negative publicity regarding 
an  organization’s  conduct  or  business  practices  will  adversely 
affect its profitability, operations or customer base, or result in 
costly  litigation  or  require  other  measures.  Reputational  risk  is 
evaluated along with all of the risk categories and throughout the 
risk  management  process,  and  as  such  is  not  discussed 
following  sections,  Strategic  Risk 
separately  herein.  The 

Management and Capital Management both on page 66, Liquidity 
Risk  on  page 71,  Credit  Risk  Management  on  page 75,  Market 
Risk Management on page 109, Compliance Risk Management 
and Operational Risk Management both on page 116, address in 
more detail the specific procedures, measures and analyses of 
the major categories of risk that we manage.

In  choosing  when  and  how  to  take  risks,  we  evaluate  our 
capacity for risk and seek to protect our brand and reputation, our 
financial  flexibility,  the  value  of  our  assets  and  the  strategic 
potential of the Corporation. We intend to maintain a strong and 
flexible financial position. We also intend to focus on maintaining 
our 
to  customers,  employees  and 
shareholders. As part of our efforts to achieve these objectives, 
we continue to build a comprehensive risk management culture 
and to implement governance and control measures to strengthen 
that culture.

relevance  and  value 

We take a comprehensive approach to risk management. We 
have a defined risk framework and clearly articulated risk appetite 
which is approved annually by the Corporation’s Board of Directors 
(the  Board).  Risk  management  planning  is  integrated  with 
strategic, financial and customer/client planning so that goals and 
responsibilities  are  aligned  across  the  organization.  Risk  is 
managed in a systematic manner by focusing on the Corporation 
as a whole as well as managing risk across the enterprise and 
within 
individual  business  units,  products,  services  and 
transactions, and across all geographic locations. We maintain a 
governance structure that delineates the responsibilities for risk 
management activities, as well as governance and oversight of 
those activities.

Executive  management  assesses,  with  Board  oversight,  the 
risk-adjusted  returns  of  each  business  segment.  Management 
reviews and approves strategic and financial operating plans, and 
recommends to the Board for approval a financial plan annually. 
By allocating economic capital to and establishing a risk appetite 
for a business segment, we seek to effectively manage the ability 
to take on risk. Economic capital is assigned to each business 
segment  using  a  risk-adjusted  methodology  incorporating  each 
segment’s stand-alone credit, market, interest rate and operational 
risk components, and is used to measure risk-adjusted returns. 
We  regularly  evaluate  these  allocations  as  part  of  our  overall 
governance  processes  as  the  businesses  and  the  economic 
environment in which we operate continue to evolve.

In addition to reputational considerations, businesses operate 
within  their  credit,  market,  compliance  and  operational  risk 
standards and limits in order to adhere to the risk appetite. These 
limits are based on analyses of risk and reward in each business. 
Executive management is responsible for tracking and reporting 
performance  measurements  as  well  as  any  exceptions  to 
guidelines  or  limits.  The  Board,  and  its  committees  when 
appropriate,  monitor  financial  performance,  execution  of  the 
strategic and financial operating plans, compliance with the risk 
appetite and the adequacy of internal controls.

The Board has completed its review of the Risk Framework and 
the Risk Appetite Statement for the Corporation, and both the Risk 
Framework and Risk Appetite Statement were approved in January 
2013.  The  Risk  Framework  defines  the  accountability  of  the 
Corporation and its employees and the Risk Appetite Statement 
defines  the  parameters  under  which  we  will  take  risk.  Both 
documents are intended to enable us to maximize our long-term 
results and ensure the integrity of our assets and the quality of 
our earnings. The Risk Framework is designed to be used by our 
employees  to  understand  risk  management  activities,  including 

their individual roles and accountabilities. It also defines how risk 
management is integrated into our core business processes, and 
it defines the risk management governance structure, including 
management’s involvement. The risk management responsibilities 
of  the  businesses,  governance  and  control  functions,  and 
Corporate  Audit  are  also  clearly  defined.  The  risk  management 
process includes four critical elements: identify and measure risk, 
mitigate and control risk, monitor and test risk, and report and 
review risk, and is applied across all business activities to enable 
an integrated and comprehensive review of risk consistent with 
the Risk Appetite Statement.

Risk Management Processes and Methods
To support our corporate goals and objectives, risk appetite, and 
business and risk strategies, we maintain a governance structure 
that delineates the responsibilities for risk management activities, 
as  well  as  governance  and  oversight  of  those  activities,  by 
management and the Board. All employees have accountability for 
risk  management 
risk  management.  Each  employee’s 
responsibilities  falls  into  one  of  three  major  categories: 
businesses, governance and control, and Corporate Audit.

Business  managers  and  employees  are  accountable  for 
identifying, managing and escalating attention to all risks in their 
business units, including existing and emerging risks. Business 
managers must ensure that their business activities are conducted 
within the risk appetite defined by management and approved by 
the  Board.  The  limits  and  controls  for  each  business  must  be 
consistent with the Risk Appetite Statement. Employees in client 
and  customer  facing  businesses  are  responsible  for  day-to-day 
business activities, including developing and delivering profitable 
products  and  services, 
requests  and 
maintaining desirable customer relationships. These employees 
are accountable for conducting their daily work in accordance with 
policies and procedures. It is the responsibility of each employee 
to  protect  the  Corporation  and  defend  the  interests  of  the 
shareholders.

fulfilling  customer 

Governance and control functions are comprised of Global Risk 
Management, Global Compliance, Legal and the enterprise control 
functions  and  are  tasked  with  independently  overseeing  and 
managing  risk  activities.  Global  Compliance  (which  includes 
Regulatory  Relations)  and  Legal  report  to  the  Chief  Legal, 
Compliance and Regulatory Relations Executive. Enterprise control 
functions consist of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Group, Global 
Technology and Operations, Global Human Resources, and Global 
Marketing and Corporate Affairs. 

Global Risk Management is led by the Chief Risk Officer (CRO). 
The  CRO  leads  senior  management  in  managing  risk,  is 
independent  from  the  Corporation’s  businesses  and  enterprise 
control functions, and maintains sufficient autonomy to develop 
and  implement  meaningful  risk  management  measures.  This 
position serves to protect the Corporation and its shareholders. 
The CRO reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and is the 
management  team  lead  or  a  participant  in  Board-level  risk 
governance committees. The CRO has the mandate to ensure that 
appropriate  risk  management  practices  are  in  place,  and  are 
effective  and  consistent  with  our  overall  business  strategy  and 
risk appetite. Global Risk Management is comprised of two types 
of risk teams, Enterprise risk teams and independent business 
risk teams, which report to the CRO and are independent from the 
business and enterprise control functions.

Bank of America 2012     63

Enterprise  risk  teams  are  responsible  for  setting  and 
establishing  enterprise  policies,  programs  and  standards, 
assessing  program  adherence,  providing  enterprise-level  risk 
oversight, and reporting and monitoring systemic and emerging 
risk issues. In addition, the enterprise risk teams are responsible 
for monitoring and ensuring that risk limits are reasonable and 
consistent with the risk appetite. These risk teams also carry out 
risk-based oversight of the enterprise control functions.

Independent  business  risk  teams  are  responsible 
for 
establishing  policies,  limits,  standards,  controls,  metrics  and 
thresholds  within  the  defined  corporate  standards  for  the 
businesses to which they are aligned. The independent business 
risk teams are also responsible for ensuring that risk limits and 
standards are reasonable and consistent with the risk appetite.

Enterprise control functions are independent of the businesses 
and  have  risk  governance  and  control  responsibilities  for 
enterprise programs. In this role, they are responsible for setting 
policies, standards and limits; providing risk reporting; monitoring 
systemic  risk  issues  including  existing  and  emerging;  and 
implementing  procedures  and  controls  at  the  enterprise  and 
business levels for their respective control functions. 

The Corporate Audit function maintains independence from the 
businesses  and  governance  and  control  functions  by  reporting 
directly  to  the  Audit  Committee  of  the  Board.  Corporate  Audit 
provides independent assessment and validation through testing 
of key processes and controls across the Corporation. Corporate 
independent  assessment  of  the 
Audit  also  provides  an 
Corporation’s  management  and 
internal  control  systems. 
Corporate  Audit  activities  are  designed  to  provide  reasonable 
assurance  that  resources  are  adequately  protected;  significant 
financial,  managerial  and  operating  information  is  materially 
complete, accurate and reliable; and employees’ actions are in 
compliance with the Corporation’s policies, standards, procedures, 
and applicable laws and regulations.

To assist the Corporation in achieving its goals and objectives, 
risk appetite, and business and risk strategies, we utilize a risk 
management process that is applied across the execution of all 
business activities. This risk management process, which is an 
integral part of our Risk Framework, enables the Corporation to 
review risk in an integrated and comprehensive manner across all 
risk categories and make strategic and business decisions based 
on that comprehensive view. Corporate goals and objectives are 
established  by  management,  and  management  reflects  these 
goals and objectives in our risk appetite which is approved by the 
Board and serves as a key driver for setting business and risk 
strategy.

One of the key tools of the risk management process is the 
use of Risk and Control Self Assessments (RCSAs). RCSAs are 
the primary method for facilitating the management of business 
environment and internal control factor data. The end-to-end RCSA 
process  incorporates  risk  identification  and  assessment  of  the 
control  environment;  monitoring,  reporting  and  escalating  risk; 
quality assurance and data validation; and integration with the risk 
appetite. The RCSA process also incorporates documentation by 
either  the  business  or  governance  and  control  functions  of  the 
business  environment,  risks,  controls,  and  monitoring  and 
reporting. This results in a comprehensive risk management view 
that enables understanding of and action on operational risks and 
controls for all of our processes, products, activities and systems.

The formal processes used to manage risk represent a part of 
our overall risk management process. Corporate culture and the 
actions  of  our  employees  are  also  critical  to  effective  risk 
management. Through our Code of Ethics, we set a high standard 
for our employees. The Code of Ethics provides a framework for 
all  of  our  employees  to  conduct  themselves  with  the  highest 
integrity. We instill a strong and comprehensive risk management 
culture  through  communications,  training,  policies,  procedures, 
and  organizational  roles  and  responsibilities.  Additionally,  we 
continue to strengthen the link between the employee performance 
management process and individual compensation to encourage 
employees to work toward enterprise-wide risk goals.

Enterprise-wide Stress Testing
As  a  part  of  our  core  risk  management  practices,  we  conduct 
enterprise-wide  stress  tests  on  a  periodic  basis  to  better 
understand  balance  sheet,  earnings,  capital  and  liquidity 
sensitivities  to  certain  economic  and  business  scenarios, 
including economic and market conditions that are more severe 
than  anticipated.  These  enterprise-wide  stress  tests  provide 
illustrative hypothetical potential impacts from our risk profile on 
our balance sheet, earnings, capital and liquidity and serve as a 
key  component  of  our  capital,  liquidity  and  risk  management 
practices. Scenarios are selected by the Asset Liability and Market 
Risk Committee (ALMRC) and approved by the CFO and the CRO. 
Impacts to each business from each scenario are then determined 
and analyzed, primarily by leveraging the models and processes 
utilized in everyday management routines. Impacts are assessed 
along with potential mitigating actions that may be taken. Analysis 
from such stress scenarios is compiled for and reviewed through 
our Chief Financial Officer Risk Committee (CFORC), ALMRC and 
the Board’s Enterprise Risk Committee.

Contingency Planning Routines
We have developed and maintain contingency plans that prepare 
us  in  advance  to  respond  in  the  event  of  potential  adverse 
outcomes  and  scenarios. These  contingency  planning  routines 
include capital contingency planning, liquidity contingency funding 
plans, recovery planning and enterprise resiliency, and provide for 
monitoring, escalation routines, and response plans. Contingency 
response  plans  are  designed  to  enable  us  to  increase  capital, 
access funding sources, and reduce risk through consideration of 
potential actions that includes asset sales, business sales, capital 
or debt issuances, and other de-risking strategies. 

Board Oversight of Risk
The  Board,  comprised  of  a  substantial  majority  of  independent 
directors,  including  an  independent  Chairman  of  the  Board, 
oversees  the  management  of  the  Corporation  through  a 
governance  structure  that  includes  Board  committees  and 
management committees. The Board’s standing committees that 
oversee the management of the majority of the risks faced by the 
Corporation  include  the  Audit  and  Enterprise  Risk  Committees, 
comprised of independent directors, and the Credit Committee, 
comprised  of  non-management  directors.  This  governance 
structure  is  designed  to  align  the  interests  of  the  Board  and 
management with those of our stockholders and to foster integrity 
throughout the Corporation. 

64     Bank of America 2012

The chart below illustrates the inter-relationship among the Board, Board committees and management committees with the majority 

of risk oversight responsibilities for the Corporation.

(1)   Chart is not comprehensive; there may be additional subcommittees not represented in this chart. This presentation does not include committees for other legal entities.
(2)   Reports through the Audit Committee for compliance and through the Enterprise Risk Committee for operational and reputational risk.
(3)   Reports to the CEO and CFO with oversight by the Audit Committee.

Our Board’s Audit, Credit and Enterprise Risk Committees have 
the principal responsibility for assisting the Board with enterprise-
wide oversight of the Corporation’s management and handling of 
risk.

legal  and 

Our  Audit  Committee  assists  the  Board  in  the  oversight  of, 
among  other  things,  the  integrity  of  our  consolidated  financial 
statements,  our  compliance  with 
regulatory 
requirements,  and  the  overall  effectiveness  of  our  system  of 
internal  controls.  Our  Audit  Committee  also,  taking  into 
consideration the Board’s allocation of the review of risk among 
various  committees  of  the  Board,  discusses  with  management 
guidelines  and  policies  to  govern  the  process  by  which  risk 
assessment and risk management are undertaken, including the 
assessment of our major financial risk exposures and the steps 
management has taken to monitor and control such exposures.

Our  Credit  Committee  oversees,  among  other  things,  the 
identification  and  management  of  our  credit  exposures  on  an 
enterprise-wide  basis,  our  responses  to  trends  affecting  those 
exposures, the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses and 
our credit related policies. 

Our Enterprise Risk Committee oversees, among other things, 
our identification of, management of and planning for material risks 
on an enterprise-wide basis, including market risk, interest rate 
risk,  liquidity  risk,  operational  risk  and  reputational  risk.  Our 
Enterprise Risk Committee also oversees our capital management 
and liquidity planning.

Each of these committees regularly reports to our Board on 
risk-related matters within the committee’s responsibilities, which 
collectively provides our Board with integrated, thorough insight 
about our management of our enterprise-wide risks. At meetings 
of our Audit, Credit and Enterprise Risk Committees and our Board, 
directors receive updates from management regarding enterprise 
risk  management,  including  our  performance  against  our  risk 
appetite. 

Executive  management  develops  for  Board  approval  the 
Corporation’s  Risk  Framework,  Risk  Appetite  Statement  and 
financial operating plans. Management monitors, and the Board 
oversees,  through  the  Credit,  Enterprise  Risk  and  Audit 
Committees, financial performance, execution of the strategic and 
financial operating plans, compliance with the risk appetite and 
the adequacy of internal controls.

Bank of America 2012(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:25)(cid:24)

from  adverse  business  decisions, 

Strategic Risk Management
Strategic risk is embedded in every business and is one of the 
major  risk  categories  along  with  credit,  market,  liquidity, 
compliance, operational and reputational risks. It is the risk that 
ineffective  or 
results 
inappropriate business plans, or failure to respond to changes in 
the  competitive  environment,  business  cycles,  customer 
preferences,  product  obsolescence,  regulatory  environment, 
business  strategy  execution  and/or  other  inherent  risks  of  the 
business. Other inherent risks of the business include reputational 
and operational risk. In the financial services industry, strategic 
risk  is  elevated  due  to  changing  customer,  competitive  and 
regulatory  environments.  Our  appetite  for  strategic  risk  is 
assessed within the context of the strategic plan, with strategic 
risks  selectively  and  carefully  considered  in  the  context  of  the 
evolving marketplace. Strategic risk is managed in the context of 
our overall financial condition and assessed, managed and acted 
on  by  the  CEO  and  executive  management  team.  Significant 
strategic actions, such as material acquisitions or capital actions, 
require review and approval by the Board.

Executive  management  approves  a  strategic  plan  each  year. 
Annually,  executive  management  develops  a  financial  operating 
plan that implements the strategic goals for that year, which is 
reviewed and approved by the Board. With oversight by the Board, 
executive  management  ensures  consistency  is  applied  while 
executing the Corporation’s strategic plan, core operating tenets 
and  risk  appetite.  The  following  are  assessed  in  their  reviews: 
forecasted earnings and returns on capital, the current risk profile, 
current  capital  and  liquidity  requirements,  staffing  levels  and 
changes required to support the plan, stress testing results, and 
other qualitative factors such as market growth rates and peer 
analysis. At the business level, as we introduce new products, we 
monitor  their  performance  to  evaluate  expectations  (e.g.,  for 
earnings  and  returns  on  capital).  With  oversight  by  the  Board, 
executive management performs similar analyses throughout the 
year, and evaluates changes to the financial forecast or the risk, 
capital  or  liquidity  positions  as  deemed  appropriate  to  balance 
and  optimize  between  achieving  the  targeted  risk  appetite, 
shareholder  returns  and  maintaining  the  targeted  financial 
strength.

We use proprietary models to measure the capital requirements 
for  credit,  country,  market,  operational  and  strategic  risks.  The 
economic capital assigned to each business is based on its unique 
risk  exposures.  With  oversight  by 
the  Board,  executive 
management assesses the risk-adjusted returns of each business 
in  approving  strategic  and  financial  operating  plans.  The 
businesses use economic capital to define business strategies, 
price products and transactions, and evaluate client profitability. 
For additional information on how this measure is calculated, see 
Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

Capital Management
The Corporation manages its capital position to maintain sufficient 
capital  to  support  our  business  activities  and  maintain  capital, 
risk and risk appetite commensurate with one another. Additionally, 
we seek to maintain safety and soundness at all times including 
under  adverse  conditions,  take  advantage  of  organic  growth 
opportunities,  maintain  ready  access  to  financial  markets, 
continue  to  serve  as  a  credit  intermediary,  remain  a  source  of 
strength  for  our  subsidiaries,  and  satisfy  current  and  future 
regulatory capital requirements.

66     Bank of America 2012

To determine the appropriate level of capital, we assess the 
results  of  our  Internal  Capital  Adequacy  Assessment  Process 
(ICAAP),  the  current  economic  and  market  environment,  and 
feedback  from  key  stakeholders  including  investors,  rating 
agencies  and  regulators.  Based  upon  this  analysis,  we  set 
guidelines  for  capital  ratios  to  maintain  an  adequate  capital 
position,  including  in  severe  adverse  economic  scenarios. 
Management and the Board annually approve a comprehensive 
capital  plan  which  documents  the  ICAAP  and  related  results, 
analysis and support for the capital guidelines, and planned capital 
actions.

The ICAAP incorporates capital forecasts, stress test results, 
economic capital, qualitative risk assessments and assessment 
of regulatory changes. Throughout the year, we generate regulatory 
capital and economic capital forecasts that are aligned to the most 
recent  earnings,  balance  sheet  and  risk  forecasts.  We  utilize 
quarterly  stress  tests  to  assess  the  potential  impacts  to  our 
balance sheet, earnings, capital and liquidity of a variety of stress 
scenarios.  We  perform  qualitative  risk  assessments  to  identify 
and assess material risks not fully captured in the forecasts, stress 
tests or economic capital. We regularly assess the capital impacts 
of  proposed  changes  to  regulatory  capital  requirements. 
Management  regularly  assesses  ICAAP  results  and  provides 
documented quarterly assessments of the adequacy of the capital 
guidelines and capital position to the Board or its committees.

Capital management is integrated into our risk and governance 
processes, as capital is a key consideration in the development 
of the strategic plan, risk appetite and risk limits. Economic capital 
is  allocated  to  each  business  unit  and  used  to  perform  risk-
adjusted return analyses at the business unit, client relationship 
and transaction levels.

Regulatory Capital
As a financial services holding company, we are subject to the risk-
based  capital  guidelines  (Basel  1)  issued  by  federal  banking 
regulators. At December 31, 2012, we operated banking activities 
primarily under two charters: BANA and FIA Card Services, N.A. 
(FIA).  Under  these  guidelines,  the  Corporation  and  its  affiliated 
banking  entities  measure  capital  adequacy  based  on  Tier  1 
common capital, Tier 1 capital and Total capital (Tier 1 plus Tier 
2 capital). Capital ratios are calculated by dividing each capital 
amount  by  risk-weighted  assets.  Additionally,  Tier  1  capital  is 
divided by adjusted quarterly average total assets to derive the 
Tier 1 leverage ratio.

Tier  1  capital  is  calculated  as  the  sum  of  “core  capital 
elements,”  the  principal  components  of  which  are  qualifying 
common  shareholders’  equity  and  qualifying  non-cumulative 
perpetual  preferred  stock.  Also  included  in  Tier  1  capital  are 
qualifying  trust  preferred  securities  (Trust  Securities),  hybrid 
securities  and  qualifying  noncontrolling  interest  in  subsidiaries 
which are subject to the rules governing “restricted core capital 
elements.”  Goodwill,  other  disallowed 
intangible  assets, 
disallowed deferred tax assets and the cumulative changes in fair 
value of all financial liabilities accounted for under the fair value 
option that are included in retained earnings and are attributable 
to changes in the company’s own creditworthiness are deducted 
from the sum of the core capital elements. Total capital is the sum 
of  Tier  1  plus  supplementary  Tier  2  capital  elements  such  as 
qualifying subordinated debt, a limited portion of the allowance 
for loan and lease losses, and a portion of net unrealized gains 
on AFS marketable equity securities. Tier 1 common capital is not 

an  official  regulatory  ratio,  but  was  introduced  by  the  Federal 
Reserve during the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program in 
2009. Tier 1 common capital is Tier 1 capital less preferred stock, 
Trust  Securities,  hybrid  securities  and  qualifying  noncontrolling 
interest in subsidiaries.

Risk-weighted assets are calculated for credit risk for all on- 
and  off-balance  sheet  credit  exposures  and  for  market  risk  on 
trading assets and liabilities, including derivative exposures. Credit 
risk-weighted assets are calculated by assigning a prescribed risk-
weight to all on-balance sheet assets and to the credit equivalent 
amount of certain off-balance sheet exposures. The risk-weight is 
defined in the regulatory rules based upon the obligor or guarantor 
type  and  collateral  if  applicable.  Off-balance  sheet  exposures 
include  financial  guarantees,  unfunded  lending  commitments, 
letters of credit and derivatives. Market risk-weighted assets are 
calculated  using  risk  models  for  the  trading  account  positions, 
including all foreign exchange and commodity positions regardless 
of the applicable accounting guidance. Under Basel 1 there are 
no risk-weighted assets calculated for operational risk. Any assets 
that are a direct deduction from the computation of capital are 
excluded  from  risk-weighted  assets  and  adjusted  average  total 
assets consistent with regulatory guidance.

Certain corporate-sponsored trust companies which issue Trust 
Securities  are  not  consolidated.  In  accordance  with  Federal 
Reserve  guidance  effective  March  31,  2011,  Trust  Securities 
continue to qualify as Tier 1 capital with revised quantitative limits. 
As a result, the Corporation includes Trust Securities in Basel 1 
Tier 1 capital. The Financial Reform Act includes a provision under 
which Trust Securities will no longer qualify as Tier 1 capital. Under 
one of three notices of proposed rulemaking on Basel 3 issued 
by U.S. banking regulatory agencies, the Corporation’s previously 
issued and outstanding Trust Securities in the aggregate qualifying 
amount of $6.2 billion (approximately 51 bps of Tier 1 capital) at 
December 31, 2012, will not qualify as Tier 1 capital. While not 
yet final, the proposed rules provide a three-year transition period 
in which the exclusion of Trust Securities from Tier 1 capital will 
be phased in incrementally each year.

The Federal Reserve requires BHCs to submit a capital plan 
and requests for capital actions on an annual basis, consistent 
with the rules governing the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and 
Review (CCAR). The CCAR is the central element to the Federal 
Reserve’s approach to ensuring large BHCs have adequate capital 
and robust processes for managing their capital. In January 2012, 
we submitted our 2012 capital plan, and received results on March 
13, 2012. The Federal Reserve’s stress scenario projections for 
the  Corporation,  based  on  the  2012  capital  plan,  estimated  a 
minimum Basel 1 Tier 1 common capital ratio of 5.9 percent under 
severe  adverse  economic  conditions  with  all  proposed  capital 
actions  through  the  end  of  2013,  exceeding  the  five  percent 
reference rate for all institutions involved in the CCAR. The capital 

plan submitted by the Corporation to the Federal Reserve did not 
include a request to return capital to stockholders in 2012 above 
the current dividend rate. The Federal Reserve did not object to 
our 2012 capital plan. On January 7, 2013, we submitted our 2013 
capital  plan  and  related  supervisory  stress  tests.  The  Federal 
Reserve  has  announced  its  intention  to  notify  the  2013  CCAR 
participants  of  the  supervisory  stress  test  results  on  March  7, 
2013 and the capital plan on March 14, 2013.

For  additional  information  on  these  and  other  regulatory 
requirements,  see  Note  17  –  Regulatory  Requirements  and 
Restrictions to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Capital Composition and Ratios
Under Basel 1, Tier 1 common capital increased $6.7 billion in 
2012 to $133.4 billion at December 31, 2012. The increase was 
primarily driven by earnings eligible to be included in capital, which 
positively  impacted  the  Tier  1  common  capital  ratio  by 
approximately  59  bps,  including  the  impact  of  repurchases  of 
certain of our debt and Trust Securities. The Tier 1 common capital 
ratio also benefited seven bps from the issuance of common stock 
in lieu of cash for a portion of employee incentive compensation. 
Total capital decreased $18.4 billion in 2012 to $196.7 billion at 
December 31, 2012 primarily due to a reduction in subordinated 
debt as a result of redemptions and a reduction in Trust Securities 
from redemptions and exchanges.

Risk-weighted  assets  decreased  $78.5  billion  in  2012  to 
$1,206 billion at December 31, 2012. The decrease was primarily 
driven  by  decreases  in  derivatives,  letters  of  credit  and  other 
assets. These decreases positively impacted Tier 1 common, Tier 
1  and  Total  capital  ratios  by  64  bps,  78  bps  and  102  bps, 
respectively. The Tier 1 leverage ratio decreased 16 bps in 2012 
primarily driven by the decrease in Tier 1 capital.

Table 13 presents Bank of America Corporation’s capital ratios 
and  related  information  in  accordance  with  Basel  1  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. 

Table 13 Bank of America Corporation Regulatory

Capital

(Dollars in billions)

December 31

2012

2011

Tier 1 common capital ratio
12.40
Tier 1 capital ratio
16.75
Total capital ratio
7.53
Tier 1 leverage ratio
1,284
Risk-weighted assets
2,114
Adjusted quarterly average total assets (1)
(1)  Reflects adjusted average total assets for the three months ended December 31, 2012 and

11.06%
12.89
16.31
7.37
1,206
2,111

$

$

9.86%

2011.

Bank of America 2012     67

 
Table 14 presents the capital composition at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Table 14 Capital Composition

(Dollars in millions)

December 31

2012

2011

Total common shareholders’ equity
Goodwill
Nonqualifying intangible assets (includes core deposit intangibles, affinity relationships, customer relationships and other intangibles)
Net unrealized gains on AFS debt and marketable equity securities and net losses on derivatives recorded in accumulated OCI, 

$

$

218,188
(69,976)
(4,994)

net-of-tax

Unamortized net periodic benefit costs recorded in accumulated OCI, net-of-tax
Fair value adjustment related to structured liabilities (1)
Disallowed deferred tax asset
Other

Total Tier 1 common capital

Qualifying preferred stock
Trust preferred securities
Noncontrolling interests
Total Tier 1 capital

Long-term debt qualifying as Tier 2 capital
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments
Allowance for loan and lease losses exceeding 1.25 percent of risk-weighted assets
45 percent of the pre-tax net unrealized gains on AFS marketable equity securities
Other

Total capital

$
(1)  Represents loss on structured liabilities, net-of-tax, that is excluded from Tier 1 common capital, Tier 1 capital and Total capital for regulatory capital purposes.

(2,036)

4,456
4,084
(17,940)
1,621
133,403
15,851
6,207
—
155,461
24,287
24,179
513
(9,459)
329
1,370
196,680

$

211,704
(69,967)
(5,848)

682

4,391
944
(16,799)
1,583
126,690
15,479
16,737
326
159,232
38,165
33,783
714
(18,159)
1
1,365
215,101

Regulatory Capital Changes
At  December  31,  2012,  we  measured  and  reported  our  capital 
ratios  and  related  information  in  accordance  with  Basel  1.  We 
manage regulatory capital to adhere to internal capital guidelines 
and regulatory standards of capital adequacy based on our current 
understanding of the rules and the application of such rules to 
our business as currently conducted. See Capital Management on 
page 66 for additional information. 

In June 2012, U.S. banking regulators issued the Market Risk 
Final Rule that amends the Basel 1 Market Risk rules (Market Risk 
Final Rule) effective January 1, 2013. The Market Risk Final Rule 
introduces new measures of market risk, a charge related to a 
stressed  Value-at-Risk  (VaR),  an  incremental  risk  charge  and  a 
comprehensive  risk  measure,  as  well  as  other  technical 
modifications. As of December 31, 2012, the estimated impact 
of the Market Risk Final Rule would have been a 68 bps decrease 
in the Tier 1 common capital ratio to 10.38 percent as a result of 
a $78.8 billion increase in risk-weighted assets for market risk 
exposures.

The regulatory capital rules continue to expand and evolve. In 
December 2007, U.S. banking regulators published final Basel 2 
rules  (Basel  2).  We  measure  and  report  our  capital  ratios  and 
related information under Basel 2 on a confidential basis to U.S. 
banking regulators during the required parallel period, during which 
we provide the U.S. banking regulators both Basel 1 and Basel 2 
related information  in  parallel.  The  parallel  period  will  continue 
until we receive regulatory approval to exit parallel reporting and 
subsequently  begin  publicly  reporting  our  Basel  2  regulatory 
capital results and related disclosures.

In June 2012, U.S. banking regulators issued three notices of 
proposed  rulemaking  (collectively,  the  Basel  3  NPRs)  which,  if 
adopted as proposed, would materially change Tier 1 common, 
Tier  1  and  Total  capital  calculations.  The  Basel  3  NPRs  also 
introduce  new  minimum  capital  ratios  and  buffer  requirements, 

expand and modify the calculation of risk-weighted assets for credit 
and  market  risk  (the  Advanced  Approach)  and  introduce  a 
Standardized Approach for the calculation of risk-weighted assets, 
which  would  replace  Basel  1  and  provide  a  floor  for  minimum, 
adequately capitalized regulatory capital requirements under the 
Prompt Corrective Action framework. The Prompt Corrective Action 
framework establishes categories of capitalization, including “well-
capitalized,” based on regulatory ratio requirements. U.S. banking 
regulators  are  required  to  take  certain  mandatory  actions 
depending on the category of capitalization. No mandatory actions 
are  required  under  the  Prompt  Corrective  Action  framework  for 
“well-capitalized” banking entities.

Under the Basel 3 NPRs, Trust Securities will be phased out 
of  Tier  1  capital  in  equal  annual  installments  over  a  three-year 
transition  period.  Many  of  the  changes  to  the  composition  of 
regulatory  capital  are  subject  to  a  transition  period  where  the 
impact  is  recognized  in  20  percent  increments,  phased  in 
incrementally each year over a five-year period. The phase-in period 
for the new minimum capital requirements and related buffers is 
proposed to occur from the effective date of the Basel 3 NPRs 
through  2019.  On  November  9,  2012,  U.S.  banking  regulators 
announced that they did not expect any of the Basel 3 NPRs to 
become effective January 1, 2013. Final rules for Basel 3 have 
not yet been issued by U.S. banking regulators. 

Under the Basel 3 NPRs we will be subject to the Advanced 
Approach for measuring risk-weighted assets (Basel 3 Advanced 
Approach) when finalized and implemented. The Basel 3 Advanced 
Approach also requires approval by the U.S. regulatory agencies 
of analytical models used as part of capital measurement. If these 
models are not approved, it would likely lead to an increase in our 
risk-weighted assets, which in some cases could be significant. 
The  Basel  3  Advanced  Approach,  if  adopted  as  proposed,  is 
expected  to  substantially  increase  our  capital  requirements  as 
discussed below.

68     Bank of America 2012

 
capital  would  be  $128.6  billion  and  total  risk-weighted  assets 
would  be  $1,391  billion,  also  on  a  fully  phased-in  basis.  This 
assumes  approval  by  U.S.  banking  regulators  of  our  internal 
analytical models, but does not include the benefit of the removal 
of the surcharge applicable to the Comprehensive Risk Measure 
(CRM). The CRM is used to determine the risk-weighted assets for 
correlation  trading  positions.  Under  the  Basel  3  NPRs,  Tier  1 
common  capital  includes  components  that  exhibit  heightened 
sensitivity to changes in interest rates, such as the cumulative 
change in the fair value of AFS debt securities and at least 10 
percent of the fair value of MSRs recognized on the Corporation’s 
Consolidated Balance Sheet. 

Important differences between Basel 1 and Basel 3 include 
capital deductions related to our MSRs, deferred tax assets and 
defined benefit pension assets, and the inclusion of unrealized 
gains  and  losses  on  debt  and  equity  securities  recognized  in 
accumulated OCI, each of which will be impacted by future changes 
in interest rates, overall earnings performance or other Corporate 
actions. Our estimates under the Basel 3 Advanced Approach will 
be refined over time as a result of further rulemaking or clarification 
by  U.S.  banking  regulators  and  as  our  understanding  and 
interpretation of the rules evolve. 

Basel 3 regulatory capital metrics are non-GAAP measures until 
they  are  fully  adopted  and  required by  U.S.  banking  regulators. 
Table 15 presents a reconciliation of our Basel 1 Tier 1 common 
capital  and  risk-weighted  assets  to  our  Basel  3  estimates  at 
December 31,  2012,  assuming 
fully  phased-in  measures 
according to the Basel 3 Advanced Approach.

For additional information regarding Basel 2, the Market Risk 
Final Rule, Basel 3 and other proposed regulatory capital changes, 
see Note 17 – Regulatory Requirements and Restrictions to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements.

important 

for  global,  systemically 

In  2011,  the  Basel  Committee  on  Banking  Supervision  (the 
issued  proposed  guidance  on  capital 
Basel  Committee) 
requirements 
financial 
institutions, of which we are one, including the methodology for 
measuring  systemic  importance,  the  additional  capital  required 
(the SIFI buffer), and the arrangements by which the guidance will 
be phased in. As proposed, the SIFI buffer would increase minimum 
capital requirements for Tier 1 common capital from one percent 
to 2.5 percent, and in certain circumstances, 3.5 percent. As of 
December 31, 2012, we estimate our SIFI buffer would have been 
1.5  percent,  in  line  with  the  Financial  Stability  Board’s  report, 
“Update of Group of Global Systemically Important Banks,” issued 
on November 1, 2012. U.S. banking regulators have not yet issued 
proposed or final rules related to the SIFI buffer.

On December 20, 2011, the Federal Reserve issued proposed 
rules  to  implement  enhanced  supervisory  and  prudential 
requirements, and the early remediation requirements established 
under the Financial Reform Act. The enhanced standards include 
liquidity  standards,  requirements  for  overall  risk  management, 
single-counterparty credit limits, stress test requirements and a 
debt-to-equity limit for certain companies determined to pose a 
threat to financial stability. The final rules, when adopted and fully 
implemented,  are  likely  to  influence  our  regulatory  capital  and 
liquidity planning process, and may impose additional operational 
and compliance costs on us.

Preparing for the implementation of the new capital rules is a 
top strategic priority, and we expect to comply with the final rules 
when issued and effective. Based on Basel 2, the Market Risk 
Final Rule and our current understanding of the Basel 3 Advanced 
Approach  issued  by  U.S.  banking  regulators,  we  estimated  our 
Basel 3 Advanced Approach Tier 1 common capital ratio, on a fully 
phased-in basis, to be 9.25 percent at December 31, 2012. As 
of  December 31,  2012,  we  estimated  that  our  Tier  1  common 

Table 15 Basel 1 to Basel 3 (fully phased-in) Reconciliation

(Dollars in millions)

Regulatory capital – Basel 1 to Basel 3 (fully phased-in)
Basel 1 Tier 1 capital

Deduction of qualifying preferred stock and trust preferred securities

Basel 1 Tier 1 common capital

Deduction of defined benefit pension assets
Change in deferred tax assets and threshold deductions (deferred tax asset temporary differences, MSRs and significant investments)
Change in all other deductions, net

Basel 3 (fully phased-in) Tier 1 common capital

Risk-weighted assets – Basel 1 to Basel 3 (fully phased-in)
Basel 1 risk-weighted assets

Net change in credit and other risk-weighted assets
Increase due to Market Risk Final Rule
Basel 3 (fully phased-in) risk-weighted assets

Tier 1 common capital ratios

Basel 1
Basel 3 (fully phased-in)

December 31
2012

$

$

155,461
(22,058)
133,403
(737)
(3,020)
(1,020)
128,626

$ 1,205,976
103,085
81,811
$ 1,390,872

11.06%
9.25

Bank of America 2012     69

 
Bank of America, N.A. and FIA Card Services, N.A. Regulatory Capital
Table 16 presents regulatory capital information for BANA and FIA at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Table 16 Bank of America, N.A. and FIA Card Services, N.A. Regulatory Capital

(Dollars in millions)

Tier 1

Bank of America, N.A.
FIA Card Services, N.A.

Total

Bank of America, N.A.
FIA Card Services, N.A.

Tier 1 leverage

Bank of America, N.A.
FIA Card Services, N.A.

December 31

2012

2011

Ratio

Amount

Ratio

Amount

12.44% $
17.34

118,431
22,061

11.74% $ 119,881
24,660
17.63

14.76
18.64

8.59
13.67

140,434
23,707

118,431
22,061

15.17
19.01

8.65
14.22

154,885
26,594

119,881
24,660

BANA’s Tier 1 capital ratio increased 70 bps to 12.44 percent 
and the Total capital ratio decreased 41 bps to 14.76 percent at 
December 31, 2012 compared to December 31, 2011. The Tier 
1  leverage  ratio  decreased  six  bps  to  8.59  percent  at 
December 31,  2012  compared  to  December 31,  2011.  The 
increase in the Tier 1 capital ratio was driven by earnings eligible 
to be included in capital of $12.3 billion and a decrease in risk-
weighted assets of $69.1 billion compared to the prior year, largely 
offset by dividends paid to the Corporation of $14.1 billion during 
2012. The decrease in the Total capital ratio was driven by a $12.0 
billion decrease in qualifying subordinated debt, partially offset by 
the net impact of earnings eligible to be included in capital and a 
decrease  in  risk-weighted  assets.  The  decrease  in  the  Tier  1 
leverage ratio was driven by a decrease in Tier 1 capital, partially 
offset by a decrease in adjusted quarterly average total assets.

FIA’s Tier 1 capital ratio decreased 29 bps to 17.34 percent 
and the Total capital ratio decreased 37 bps to 18.64 percent at 
December 31, 2012 compared to December 31, 2011. The Tier 
1  leverage  ratio  decreased  55  bps  to  13.67  percent  at 
December 31,  2012  compared  to  December 31,  2011.  The 
decrease in the Tier 1 capital and Total capital ratios was driven 
by returns of capital of $6.6 billion to the Corporation during 2012, 
partially offset by earnings eligible to be included in capital of $4.2 
billion and a decrease in risk-weighted assets primarily due to a 
decrease in loans. The decrease in the Tier 1 leverage ratio was 
driven  by  the  decrease  in  Tier  1  capital,  partially  offset  by  a 
decrease  in  adjusted  quarterly  average  total  assets  of  $12.0 
billion.

Broker/Dealer Regulatory Capital
The  Corporation’s  principal  U.S.  broker/dealer  subsidiaries  are 
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith (MLPF&S) and Merrill Lynch 
Professional Clearing Corp (MLPCC). MLPCC is a fully-guaranteed 
subsidiary  of  MLPF&S  and  provides  clearing  and  settlement 
services. Both entities are subject to the net capital requirements 
of SEC Rule 15c3-1. Both entities are also registered as futures 
commission merchants and are subject to the CFTC Regulation 
1.17.

MLPF&S  has  elected  to  compute  the  minimum  capital 
requirement  in  accordance  with  the  Alternative  Net  Capital 
Requirement as permitted by SEC Rule 15c3-1. At December 31, 

2012, MLPF&S’s regulatory net capital as defined by Rule 15c3-1 
was $10.3 billion and exceeded the minimum requirement of $683 
million by $9.7 billion. MLPCC’s net capital of $2.1 billion exceeded 
the minimum requirement of $236 million by $1.8 billion.

In accordance with the Alternative Net Capital Requirements, 
MLPF&S is required to maintain tentative net capital in excess of 
$1.0 billion, net capital in excess of $500 million and notify the 
SEC in the event its tentative net capital is less than $5.0 billion. 
At December 31, 2012, MLPF&S had tentative net capital and net 
capital in excess of the minimum and notification requirements.

Economic Capital
Our economic capital measurement process provides a risk-based 
measurement of the capital required for unexpected credit, market 
and  operational  losses  over  a  one-year  time  horizon  at  a 
99.97 percent confidence level. Economic capital is allocated to 
each business unit and is used for capital adequacy, performance 
measurement  and  risk  management  purposes.  The  strategic 
planning  process  utilizes  economic  capital  with  the  goal  of 
allocating risk appropriately and measuring returns consistently 
across all businesses and activities. Economic capital allocation 
plans are incorporated into the Corporation’s financial plan which 
is approved by the Board on an annual basis. 

Credit Risk Capital
Economic capital for credit risk captures two types of risks: default 
risk, which represents the loss of principal due to outright default 
or  the  borrower’s  inability  to  repay  an  obligation  in  full,  and 
migration risk, which represents potential loss in market value due 
to credit deterioration over a one-year capital time horizon. Credit 
risk is assessed and modeled for all on- and off-balance sheet 
credit  exposures  within  sub-categories  for  commercial,  retail, 
counterparty  and  investment  securities.  The  economic  capital 
methodology  captures  dimensions  such  as  concentration  and 
country risk and originated securitizations. The economic capital 
methodology  is  based  on  the  probability  of  default,  loss  given 
default  (LGD),  exposure  at  default  (EAD)  and  maturity  for  each 
credit exposure, and the portfolio correlations across exposures. 
See page 75 for more information on Credit Risk Management.

70     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Market Risk Capital
Market  risk  reflects  the  potential  loss  in  the  value  of  financial 
instruments  or  portfolios  due  to  movements  in  interest  and 
currency exchange rates, equity and futures prices, the implied 
volatility of interest rates, credit spreads, and other economic and 
business factors. The Corporation’s primary market risk exposures 
are  in  its  trading  portfolio,  equity  investments,  MSRs  and  the 
interest rate exposure of our core balance sheet. Economic capital 
is  determined  by  utilizing  the  same  models  we  use  to  manage 
these risks including, for example, VaR, simulation, stress testing 
and scenario analysis. See page 109 for additional information 
on Market Risk Management.

Operational Risk Capital
We  calculate  operational  risk  capital  at  the  business  unit  level 
using  actuarial-based  models  and  historical  loss  data.  We 
supplement the calculations with scenario analysis and risk control 
assessments. See  Operational  Risk  Management  on  page 116 
for more information.

Common Stock Dividends
For  a  summary  of  our  declared  quarterly  cash  dividends  on 
common stock during 2012 and through February 28, 2013, see 
Note  14  –  Shareholders’  Equity  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

Liquidity Risk

Funding and Liquidity Risk Management
We  define  liquidity  risk  as  the  potential  inability  to  meet  our 
contractual and contingent financial obligations, on- or off-balance 
sheet,  as  they  come  due.  Our  primary  liquidity  objective  is  to 
provide adequate funding for our businesses throughout market 
cycles,  including  periods  of  financial  stress.  To  achieve  that 
objective, we analyze and monitor our liquidity risk, maintain excess 
liquidity and access diverse funding sources including our stable 
deposit  base.  We  define  excess  liquidity  as  readily  available 
assets,  limited  to  cash  and  high-quality,  liquid,  unencumbered 
securities that we can use to meet our funding requirements as 
those obligations arise.

Global  funding  and  liquidity  risk  management  activities  are 
centralized within Corporate Treasury. We believe that a centralized 
approach to funding and liquidity risk management enhances our 
ability  to  monitor  liquidity  requirements,  maximizes  access  to 
funding sources, minimizes borrowing costs and facilitates timely 
responses to liquidity events.

The  Enterprise  Risk  Committee  approves  the  Corporation’s 
liquidity policy and contingency funding plan, including establishing 
liquidity risk tolerance levels. The ALMRC monitors our liquidity 
position  and  reviews  the  impact  of  strategic  decisions  on  our 
liquidity.  ALMRC  is  responsible  for  managing  liquidity  risks  and 
maintaining  exposures  within  the  established  tolerance  levels. 
ALMRC  delegates  additional  oversight  responsibilities  to  the 
CFORC,  which  reports  to  the  ALMRC.  The  CFORC  reviews  and 
monitors our liquidity position, cash flow forecasts, stress testing 
scenarios  and  results,  and  implements  our  liquidity  limits  and 
guidelines. For more information, see Board Oversight of Risk on 
page 64. Under this governance framework, we have developed 
certain  funding  and  liquidity  risk  management  practices  which 
include: maintaining excess liquidity at the parent company and 
selected  subsidiaries,  including  our  bank  and  broker/dealer 

subsidiaries;  determining  what  amounts  of  excess  liquidity  are 
appropriate for these entities based on analysis of debt maturities 
and other potential cash outflows, including those that we may 
experience during stressed market conditions; diversifying funding 
sources, considering our asset profile and legal entity structure; 
and performing contingency planning.

Global Excess Liquidity Sources and Other 
Unencumbered Assets
We  maintain  excess  liquidity  available  to  Bank  of  America 
Corporation, or the parent company, and selected subsidiaries in 
the form of cash and high-quality, liquid, unencumbered securities. 
These assets, which we call our Global Excess Liquidity Sources, 
serve as our primary means of liquidity risk mitigation. Our cash 
is primarily on deposit with the Federal Reserve and central banks 
outside of the U.S. We limit the composition of high-quality, liquid, 
unencumbered  securities  to  U.S.  government  securities,  U.S. 
agency securities, U.S. agency MBS and a select group of non-
U.S. government and supranational securities. We believe we can 
quickly obtain cash for these securities, even in stressed market 
conditions, through repurchase agreements or outright sales. We 
hold our Global Excess Liquidity Sources in entities that allow us 
to meet the liquidity requirements of our global businesses, and 
we consider the impact of potential regulatory, tax, legal and other 
restrictions  that  could  limit  the  transferability  of  funds  among 
entities.

Our  Global  Excess  Liquidity  Sources  were  $372  billion  and 
$378 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011 and were maintained 
as presented in Table 17.

Table 17 Global Excess Liquidity Sources

(Dollars in billions)

Parent company
Bank subsidiaries
Broker/dealers

$

Total global excess liquidity sources $

December 31

2012

2011

Average for
Three Months
Ended
December 31
2012

103
247
22
372

$

$

125 $
222
31
378 $

99
264
25
388

As shown in Table 17, parent company Global Excess Liquidity 
Sources totaled $103 billion and $125 billion at December 31, 
2012 and 2011. The decrease in parent company liquidity was 
primarily due to reductions in long-term debt, partially offset by 
dividends  and  capital  repayments  from  subsidiaries.  Typically, 
parent company cash is deposited overnight with BANA.

Global  Excess  Liquidity  Sources  available  to  our  bank 
subsidiaries totaled $247 billion and $222 billion at December 31, 
2012  and  2011.  These  amounts  are  distinct  from  the  cash 
deposited by the parent company. The increase in liquidity available 
to  our  bank  subsidiaries  was  primarily  due  to  an  increase  in 
deposits, partially offset by capital returns to the parent company 
and reductions in debt. In addition to their Global Excess Liquidity 
Sources,  our  bank  subsidiaries  hold  other  unencumbered 
investment-grade securities that we believe could also be used to 
generate  liquidity.  Our  bank  subsidiaries  can  also  generate 
incremental liquidity by pledging a range of other unencumbered 
loans and securities to certain Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) 
and the Federal Reserve Discount Window. The cash we could have 
obtained by borrowing against this pool of specifically-identified 

Bank of America 2012     71

 
eligible assets was approximately $194 billion and $189 billion 
at  December 31,  2012  and  2011.  We  have  established 
operational  procedures  to  enable  us  to  borrow  against  these 
assets,  including  regularly  monitoring  our  total  pool  of  eligible 
loans and securities collateral. Eligibility is defined by guidelines 
outlined by the FHLBs and the Federal Reserve and is subject to 
change at their discretion. Due to regulatory restrictions, liquidity 
generated  by  the  bank  subsidiaries  can  only  be  used  to  fund 
obligations  within  the  bank  subsidiaries  and  can  only  be 
transferred to the parent company or nonbank subsidiaries with 
prior regulatory approval.

Global Excess Liquidity Sources available to our broker/dealer 
subsidiaries totaled $22 billion and $31 billion at December 31, 
2012  and  2011.  Our  broker/dealers  also  held  other 
unencumbered investment-grade securities and equities that we 
believe could also be used to generate additional liquidity. Liquidity 
held  in  a  broker/dealer  subsidiary  is  available  to  meet  the 
obligations of that entity and can only be transferred to the parent 
company or to any other subsidiary with prior regulatory approval 
due to regulatory restrictions and minimum requirements.

Table 18 presents the composition of Global Excess Liquidity 

Sources at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Table 18 Global Excess Liquidity Sources Composition

(Dollars in billions)

Cash on deposit
U.S. treasuries
U.S. agency securities and mortgage-backed securities
Non-U.S. government and supranational securities

Total global excess liquidity sources

December 31

2012

2011

$

$

65
21
271
15
372

$

$

79
48
228
23
378

Time to Required Funding and Stress Modeling
We use a variety of metrics to determine the appropriate amounts 
of excess liquidity to maintain at the parent company and our bank 
and broker/dealer subsidiaries. One metric we use to evaluate the 
appropriate level of excess liquidity at the parent company is “Time 
to Required Funding.” This debt coverage measure indicates the 
number of months that the parent company can continue to meet 
its unsecured contractual obligations as they come due using only 
its Global Excess Liquidity Sources without issuing any new debt 
or accessing any additional liquidity sources. We define unsecured 
contractual obligations for purposes of this metric as maturities 
of senior or subordinated debt issued or guaranteed by Bank of 
America  Corporation  or  Merrill  Lynch.  These  include  certain 
unsecured debt instruments, primarily structured liabilities, which 
we  may  be  required  to  settle  for  cash  prior  to  maturity.  The 
Corporation has established a target for Time to Required Funding 
of 21 months. Our Time to Required Funding was 33 months at 
December 31, 2012. For purposes of calculating Time to Required 
Funding  at  December 31,  2012,  we  have  also  included  in  the 
amount  of  unsecured  contractual  obligations  the  $8.6  billion 
liability  related  to  the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement.  The  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement  is  subject  to  final  court  approval  and  certain  other 
conditions, and the timing of payment is not certain.

We utilize liquidity stress models to assist us in determining 
the  appropriate  amounts  of  excess  liquidity  to  maintain  at  the 
parent  company  and  our  bank  and  broker/dealer  subsidiaries. 
These  models  are  risk  sensitive  and  have  become  increasingly 
important  in  analyzing  our  potential  contractual  and  contingent 
cash outflows beyond those outflows considered in the Time to 
Required Funding analysis. We evaluate the liquidity requirements 
under a range of scenarios with varying levels of severity and time 
horizons.  The  scenarios  we  consider  and  utilize  incorporate 
market-wide and Corporation-specific events, including potential 
credit  rating  downgrades  for  the  parent  company  and  our 
subsidiaries, and are based on historical experience, regulatory 
guidance, and both expected and unexpected future events.

The types of potential contractual and contingent cash outflows 
we consider in our scenarios may include, but are not limited to, 
upcoming contractual maturities of unsecured debt and reductions 
in  new  debt  issuance;  diminished  access  to  secured  financing 
markets;  potential  deposit  withdrawals  and  reduced  rollover  of 
maturing term deposits by customers; increased draws on loan 
commitments,  liquidity  facilities  and  letters  of  credit,  including 
Variable  Rate  Demand  Notes;  additional  collateral 
that 
counterparties  could  call  if  our  credit  ratings  were  downgraded 
further;  collateral,  margin  and  subsidiary  capital  requirements 
arising from losses; and potential liquidity required to maintain 
businesses and finance customer activities. Changes in certain 
market  factors,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  credit  rating 
downgrades,  could  negatively  impact  potential  contractual  and 
contingent outflows and the related financial instruments, and in 
some  cases  these  impacts  could  be  material  to  our  financial 
results.

We consider all sources of funds that we could access during 
each stress scenario and focus particularly on matching available 
sources with corresponding liquidity requirements by legal entity. 
We also use the stress modeling results to manage our asset-
liability  profile  and  establish  limits  and  guidelines  on  certain 
funding sources and businesses.

Basel 3 Liquidity Standards
In December 2010, the Basel Committee proposed two measures 
of  liquidity  risk  which  are  considered  part  of  Basel  3.  The  first 
proposed liquidity measure is the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR), 
which  is  calculated  as  the  amount  of  a  financial  institution’s 
unencumbered, high-quality, liquid assets relative to the net cash 
outflows the institution could encounter under a significant 30-day 
stress scenario. The Basel Committee announced in January 2013 
that  an  initial  minimum  LCR  requirement  of  60  percent  will  be 
implemented in January 2015, and will thereafter increase in 10 
percent  annual  increments  through  January  2019.  The  second 
proposed liquidity measure is the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR), 
which  measures  the  amount  of  longer-term,  stable  sources  of 
funding employed by a financial institution relative to the liquidity 
profiles of the assets funded and the potential for contingent calls 
on funding liquidity arising from off-balance sheet commitments 
and obligations over a one-year period. The Basel Committee is 
currently  reviewing  the  NSFR  requirement  and  intends  for  the 
requirement  to  be  implemented  by  January  2018,  following  an 
observation  period  that  is  currently  underway.  We  continue  to 
monitor  the  development  and  the  potential  impact  of  these 
proposals and assuming adoption by U.S. banking regulators, we 
expect to meet the final standards within the regulatory timelines.

72     Bank of America 2012

Diversified Funding Sources
We fund our assets primarily with a mix of deposits and secured 
and unsecured liabilities through a globally coordinated funding 
strategy.  We  diversify  our  funding  globally  across  products, 
programs, markets, currencies and investor groups. 

We fund a substantial portion of our lending activities through 
our  deposits,  which  were  $1.11  trillion  and  $1.03  trillion  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. Deposits are primarily generated 
by our CBB, GWIM and Global Banking segments. These deposits 
are  diversified  by  clients,  product  type  and  geography,  and  the 
majority of our U.S. deposits are insured by the FDIC. We consider 
a substantial portion of our deposits to be a stable, low-cost and 
consistent source of funding. We believe this deposit funding is 
generally less sensitive to interest rate changes, market volatility 
or changes in our credit ratings than wholesale funding sources. 
Our  lending  activities  may  also  be  financed  through  secured 
borrowings,  including  securitizations  with  GSEs,  the  FHA  and 
private-label investors, as well as FHLB loans. 

Our trading activities in broker/dealer subsidiaries are primarily 
funded  on  a  secured  basis  through  securities  lending  and 
repurchase  agreements  and  these  amounts  will  vary  based  on 
customer activity and market conditions. We believe funding these 
activities in the secured financing markets is more cost-efficient 
and less sensitive to changes in our credit ratings than unsecured 
financing. Repurchase agreements are generally short-term and 
often  overnight.  Disruptions  in  secured  financing  markets  for 
financial institutions have occurred in prior market cycles which 
resulted in adverse changes in terms or significant reductions in 
the availability of such financing. We manage the liquidity risks 
arising from secured funding by sourcing funding globally from a 
diverse group of counterparties, providing a range of securities 
collateral and pursuing longer durations, when appropriate.

We issue the majority of our long-term unsecured debt at the 
parent company. During 2012, the parent company issued $17.6 
billion of long-term unsecured debt, including structured liabilities 
of  $9.2  billion.  We  may  also  issue  long-term  unsecured  debt 
through BANA in a variety of maturities and currencies to achieve 
cost-efficient  funding  and  to  maintain  an  appropriate  maturity 
profile, although there were no new issuances through BANA during 
2012. While the cost and availability of unsecured funding may be 
negatively impacted by general market conditions or by matters 
specific to the financial services industry or the Corporation, we 
seek to mitigate refinancing risk by actively managing the amount 
of our borrowings that we anticipate will mature within any month 
or quarter. 

The  primary  benefits  expected  from  our  centralized  funding 
strategy include greater control, reduced funding costs, wider name 
recognition by investors and greater flexibility to meet the variable 
funding  requirements  of  subsidiaries.  Where  regulations,  time 
zone differences or other business considerations make parent 
company funding impractical, certain other subsidiaries may issue 
their own debt.

Table  19  presents  our  long-term  debt  by  major  currency  at 

December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Table 19 Long-term Debt by Major Currency

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. Dollar
Euro
Japanese Yen
British Pound
Canadian Dollar
Australian Dollar
Swiss Franc
Other

Total long-term debt

December 31

2012
$ 180,329
58,985
12,749
11,126
3,560
2,760
1,917
4,159
$ 275,585

2011
$ 255,262
68,799
19,568
12,554
4,621
4,900
2,268
4,293
$ 372,265

Total long-term debt decreased $96.7 billion, or 26 percent, in 
2012,  primarily  driven  by  maturities  and  liability  management 
actions.  This  reflects  our  ongoing  initiative  to  reduce  our  debt 
balances over time and we anticipate that debt levels will continue 
to decline from maturities through 2013. We may, from time to 
time, purchase outstanding debt securities in various transactions, 
depending  on  prevailing  market  conditions,  liquidity  and  other 
factors.  In  addition,  our  broker/dealer  subsidiaries  may  make 
markets in our debt instruments to provide liquidity for investors. 
For additional information on long-term debt funding, see Note 12 
– Long-term Debt to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

We use derivative transactions to manage the duration, interest 
rate  and  currency  risks  of  our  borrowings,  considering  the 
characteristics of the assets they are funding. For further details 
on  our  ALM  activities,  see  Interest  Rate  Risk  Management  for 
Nontrading Activities on page 113.

We  also  diversify  our  unsecured  funding  sources  by  issuing 
various types of debt instruments including structured liabilities, 
which are debt obligations that pay investors returns linked to other 
debt or equity securities, indices, currencies or commodities. We 
typically  hedge  the  returns  we  are  obligated  to  pay  on  these 
liabilities  with  derivative  positions  and/or  investments  in  the 
underlying instruments, so that from a funding perspective, the 
cost is similar to our other unsecured long-term debt. We could 
be required to settle certain structured liability obligations for cash 
or other securities prior to maturity under certain circumstances, 
which  we  consider  for  liquidity  planning  purposes.  We  believe, 
however, that a portion of such borrowings will remain outstanding 
beyond the earliest put or redemption date. We had outstanding 
structured  liabilities  with  a  carrying  value  of  $51.7  billion  and 
$50.9 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 

Substantially  all  of  our  senior  and  subordinated  debt 
obligations contain no provisions that could trigger a requirement 
for an early repayment, require additional collateral support, result 
in  changes  to  terms,  accelerate  maturity  or  create  additional 
financial obligations upon an adverse change in our credit ratings, 
financial ratios, earnings, cash flows or stock price. 

Bank of America 2012     73

Prior to 2010, we participated in the FDIC’s Temporary Liquidity 
Guarantee  Program  (TLGP),  which  allowed  us  to  issue  senior 
unsecured debt guaranteed by the FDIC in return for a fee based 
on the amount and maturity of the debt. At December 31, 2012, 
there were no outstanding borrowings under the TLGP and we no 
longer issue debt under this program. At December 31, 2011, we 
had $23.9 billion outstanding and all of the debt issued under the 
TLGP matured by June 30, 2012.

Contingency Planning
We maintain contingency funding plans that outline our potential 
responses to liquidity stress events at various levels of severity. 
These  policies  and  plans  are  based  on  stress  scenarios  and 
include  potential  funding  strategies  and  communication  and 
notification procedures that we would implement in the event we 
experienced stressed liquidity conditions. We periodically review 
and test the contingency funding plans to validate efficacy and 
assess readiness.

Our  U.S.  bank  subsidiaries  can  access  contingency  funding 
through the Federal Reserve Discount Window. Certain non-U.S. 
subsidiaries  have  access  to  central  bank  facilities  in  the 
jurisdictions in which they operate. While we do not rely on these 
sources  in  our  liquidity  modeling,  we  maintain  the  policies, 
procedures and governance processes that would enable us to 
access these sources if necessary.

Credit Ratings
Our borrowing costs and ability to raise funds are impacted by our 
credit  ratings.  In  addition,  credit  ratings  may  be  important  to 
customers or counterparties when we compete in certain markets 
and  when  we  seek  to  engage  in  certain  transactions,  including 
OTC derivatives. Thus, it is our objective to maintain high-quality 
credit ratings.

Credit ratings and outlooks are opinions expressed by rating 
agencies on our creditworthiness and that of our obligations or 
securities,  including  long-term  debt,  short-term  borrowings, 
including  asset 
preferred  stock  and  other  securities, 
securitizations. Our credit ratings are subject to ongoing review by 
the rating agencies which consider a number of factors, including 
our own financial strength, performance, prospects and operations 
as well as factors not under our control. The rating agencies could 
make adjustments to our ratings at any time and they provide no 
assurances that they will maintain our ratings at current levels.

Other factors that influence our credit ratings include changes 
to the rating agencies’ methodologies for our industry or certain 
security  types,  the  rating  agencies’  assessment  of  the  general 
operating  environment  for  financial  services  companies,  our 
mortgage exposures, our relative positions in the markets in which 
we  compete,  reputation,  liquidity  position,  diversity  of  funding 
sources,  funding  costs,  the  level  and  volatility  of  earnings, 
corporate  governance  and  risk  management  policies,  capital 
position,  capital  management  practices,  and  current  or  future 
regulatory and legislative initiatives.

On December 20, 2012, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services 
(S&P) published a full credit analysis report on the Corporation, 
leaving  the  credit  ratings  for  the  company  and  its  subsidiaries 
unchanged as of that date. On October 10, 2012, Fitch Ratings 
(Fitch) announced the results of its periodic review of its ratings 
for  12  large,  complex  securities  trading  and  universal  banks, 
including the Corporation. As part of this action, Fitch affirmed the 

74     Bank of America 2012

Corporation’s credit ratings. On June 21, 2012, Moody’s Investors 
Service Inc. (Moody’s) completed its previously-announced review 
for possible downgrade of financial institutions with global capital 
markets  operations,  downgrading  the  ratings  of  15  banks  and 
securities firms, including our ratings. The Corporation’s long-term 
debt rating and BANA’s long-term and short-term debt ratings were 
downgraded  one  notch  as  part  of  this  action.  The  Moody’s 
downgrade  has  not  had  a  material  impact  on  our  financial 
condition, results of operations or liquidity. Each of the three major 
rating agencies, Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, downgraded the ratings 
for the Corporation and its rated subsidiaries in late 2011.

Currently, the Corporation’s long-term/short-term senior debt 
ratings  and  outlooks  expressed  by  the  rating  agencies  are  as 
follows: Baa2/P-2 (negative) by Moody’s, A-/A-2 (negative) by S&P, 
and  A/F1  (stable)  by  Fitch.  BANA’s  long-term/short-term  senior 
debt  ratings  and  outlooks  are  as  follows:  A3/P-2  (stable)  by 
Moody’s, A/A-1 (negative) by S&P, and A/F1 (stable) by Fitch. The 
credit ratings of Merrill Lynch from the three major credit rating 
agencies are the same as those of the Corporation. The major 
credit rating agencies have indicated that the primary drivers of 
Merrill Lynch’s credit ratings are the Corporation’s credit ratings. 
MLPF&S’s long-term/short-term senior debt ratings and outlooks 
are  A/A-1  (negative)  by  S&P  and  A/F1  (stable)  by  Fitch.  Merrill 
Lynch International’s long-term/short-term senior debt rating is A/
A-1 (negative) by S&P. 

The  major  rating  agencies  have  each  indicated  that,  as  a 
systemically  important  financial  institution,  our  credit  ratings 
currently  reflect  their  expectation  that,  if  necessary,  we  would 
receive  significant  support  from  the  U.S.  government,  and  that 
they  will  continue  to  assess  such  support  in  the  context  of 
sovereign  financial  strength  and  regulatory  and  legislative 
developments.

A further reduction in certain of our credit ratings or the ratings 
of  certain  asset-backed  securitizations  may  have  a  material 
adverse effect on our liquidity, potential loss of access to credit 
markets, the related cost of funds, our businesses and on certain 
trading  revenues,  particularly  in  those  businesses  where 
counterparty  creditworthiness  is  critical.  In  addition,  under  the 
terms  of  certain  OTC  derivative  contracts  and  other  trading 
agreements, in the event of further downgrades of our or our rated 
subsidiaries’  credit 
those 
agreements may require us to provide additional collateral, or to 
terminate these contracts or agreements, which could cause us 
to sustain losses and/or adversely impact our liquidity. If the short-
term credit ratings of our parent company, bank or broker/dealer 
subsidiaries were downgraded by one or more levels, the potential 
loss  of  access  to  short-term  funding  sources  such  as  repo 
financing and the effect on our incremental cost of funds could be 
material. 

the  counterparties 

ratings, 

to 

At December 31, 2012, if the rating agencies had downgraded 
their long-term senior debt ratings for the Corporation or certain 
subsidiaries by one incremental notch, the amount of additional 
collateral contractually required by derivative contracts and other 
trading agreements would have been approximately $3.3 billion 
comprised of $2.9 billion for BANA and $418 million for Merrill 
Lynch  and  certain  of  its  subsidiaries.  If  the  agencies  had 
downgraded their long-term senior debt ratings for these entities 
by  a  second  incremental  notch,  approximately  $4.4  billion  in 
additional  incremental  collateral  comprised  of  $455  million  for 
BANA  and  $4.0  billion  for  Merrill  Lynch  and  certain  of  its 
subsidiaries would have been required. 

Also,  if  the  rating  agencies  had  downgraded  their  long-term 
senior debt ratings for the Corporation or certain subsidiaries by 
one incremental notch, the derivative liability that would be subject 
to  unilateral  termination  by  counterparties  as  of  December 31, 
2012 was $3.8 billion, against which $3.0 billion of collateral has 
been posted. If the rating agencies had downgraded their long-
term  senior  debt  ratings  for  the  Corporation  and  certain 
subsidiaries by a second incremental notch, the derivative liability 
that would be subject to unilateral termination by counterparties 
as of December 31, 2012 was an incremental $1.7 billion, against 
which $1.1 billion of collateral has been posted.

While  certain  potential 

impacts  are  contractual  and 
quantifiable, the full scope of consequences of a credit ratings 
downgrade to a financial institution is inherently uncertain, as it 
depends  upon  numerous  dynamic,  complex  and  inter-related 
factors and assumptions, including whether any downgrade of a 
firm’s long-term credit ratings precipitates downgrades to its short-
term credit ratings, and assumptions about the potential behaviors 
of various customers, investors and counterparties. For additional 
information on potential impacts of credit rating downgrades, see 
Time to Required Funding and Stress Modeling on page 72.

For  information  regarding  the  additional  collateral  and 
termination payments that could be required in connection with 
certain OTC derivative contracts and other trading agreements as 
a  result  of  such  a  credit  rating  downgrade,  see  Item  1A.  Risk 
Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

On  June  8,  2012,  S&P  affirmed  its  AA+  long-term  and  A-1+ 
short-term  sovereign  credit  rating  on  the  U.S.  government.  The 
outlook remains negative. On July 10, 2012, Fitch affirmed its AAA 
long-term and F1+ short-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. 
government.  The  outlook  remains  negative.  Moody’s  also  rates 
the U.S. government AAA with a negative outlook. All three rating 
agencies have indicated that they will continue to assess fiscal 
projections and consolidation measures, as well as the medium-
term economic outlook for the U.S. 

Credit Risk Management
Credit  quality  improved  during  2012  due  in  part  to  improving 
economic  conditions.  Our  proactive  credit  risk  management 
initiatives positively impacted the credit portfolio as charge-offs 
and delinquencies continued to improve across most portfolios 
and risk ratings improved in the commercial portfolios. For more 
information,  see  Executive  Summary  –  2012  Economic  and 
Business Environment on page 22.

Credit risk is the risk of loss arising from the inability or failure 
of a borrower or counterparty to meet its obligations. Credit risk 
can also arise from operational failures that result in an erroneous 
advance, commitment or investment of funds. We define the credit 
exposure to a borrower or counterparty as the loss potential arising 
from all product classifications including loans and leases, deposit 
overdrafts, derivatives, assets held-for-sale and unfunded lending 
commitments which include loan commitments, letters of credit 
and financial guarantees. Derivative positions are recorded at fair 
value and assets held-for-sale are recorded at either fair value or 
the  lower  of  cost  or  fair  value.  Certain  loans  and  unfunded 
commitments are accounted for under the fair value option. Credit 
risk for these categories of assets is not accounted for as part of 
the  allowance  for  credit  losses  but  as  part  of  the  fair  value 
adjustments  recorded  in  earnings.  For  derivative  positions,  our 
credit  risk  is  measured  as  the  net  cost  in  the  event  the 

counterparties with contracts in which we are in a gain position 
fail to perform under the terms of those contracts. We use the 
current mark-to-market value to represent credit exposure without 
giving consideration to future mark-to-market changes. The credit 
risk  amounts  take  into  consideration  the  effects  of  legally 
enforceable master netting agreements and cash collateral. Our 
consumer and commercial credit extension and review procedures 
take  into  account  funded  and  unfunded  credit  exposures.  For 
additional 
information  on  derivative  and  credit  extension 
commitments,  see  Note  3  –  Derivatives  and  Note  13  – 
Commitments  and  Contingencies  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

We manage credit risk based on the risk profile of the borrower 
or  counterparty,  repayment  sources,  the  nature  of  underlying 
collateral, and other support given current events, conditions and 
expectations.  We  classify  our  portfolios  as  either  consumer  or 
commercial and monitor credit risk in each as discussed below.

We proactively refine our underwriting and credit management 
practices  as  well  as  credit  standards  to  meet  the  changing 
economic environment. To actively mitigate losses and enhance 
customer support in our consumer businesses, we have in place 
collection  programs  and 
loan  modification  and  customer 
assistance  infrastructures.  We  utilize  a  number  of  actions  to 
mitigate losses in the commercial businesses including increasing 
the frequency and intensity of portfolio monitoring, hedging activity 
and  our  practice  of  transferring  management  of  deteriorating 
commercial exposures to independent special asset officers as 
credits enter criticized categories.

In January 2013, in connection with the FNMA Settlement, we 
repurchased  for  $6.6  billion  certain  residential  mortgage  loans 
that had previously been sold to FNMA, which we have valued at 
less than the purchase price. The majority of these repurchased 
loans will be included in our PCI portfolio. For additional information 
on  the  FNMA  Settlement,  see  Off-Balance  Sheet  Arrangements 
and Contractual Obligations – Representations and Warranties on 
page 50 and Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations 
and  Corporate  Guarantees  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

During  2012,  new  regulatory  guidance  issued  regarding  the 
treatment  of  loans  discharged  in  Chapter  7  bankruptcy  and 
regulatory  interagency  guidance  issued  on  junior-lien  consumer 
real  estate  loans  adversely  impacted  the  consumer  portfolio’s 
nonperforming loan and net charge-off statistics. In addition, the 
National Mortgage Settlement adversely impacted net charge-offs 
but resulted in a corresponding reduction in nonperforming loans. 
For  more  information,  see  Consumer  Portfolio  Credit  Risk 
Management on page 76 and Table 21.

Certain  European  countries,  including  Greece,  Ireland,  Italy, 
Portugal and Spain, have experienced varying degrees of financial 
stress in recent years. For additional information on our exposures 
and related risks in non-U.S. countries, see Non-U.S. Portfolio on 
page 101 and Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on form 
10-K.

For information on our Credit Risk Management activities, see 
Consumer  Portfolio  Credit  Risk  Management  on  page  76, 
Commercial Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 91, Non-
U.S.  Portfolio  on  page  101,  Provision  for  Credit  Losses  and 
Allowance for Credit Losses both on page 105, Note 1 – Summary 
of Significant Accounting Principles and Note 5 – Outstanding Loans 
and Leases to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Bank of America 2012     75

Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management
Credit  risk  management  for  the  consumer  portfolio  begins  with 
initial underwriting and continues throughout a borrower’s credit 
cycle.  Statistical  techniques  in  conjunction  with  experiential 
judgment  are  used  in  all  aspects  of  portfolio  management 
including underwriting, product pricing, risk appetite, setting credit 
limits,  and  establishing  operating  processes  and  metrics  to 
quantify and balance risks and returns. Statistical models are built 
using detailed behavioral information from external sources such 
as  credit  bureaus  and/or  internal  historical  experience.  These 
models are a component of our consumer credit risk management 
process and are used in part to help make both new and existing 
credit  decisions,  as  well  as  portfolio  management  strategies, 
including authorizations and line management, collection practices 
and strategies, determination of the allowance for loan and lease 
losses, and economic capital allocations for credit risk.

Since January 2008, and through 2012, Bank of America and 
Countrywide  have  completed  approximately  1.2  million  loan 
modifications with customers. During 2012, we completed more 
than  156,000  customer  loan  modifications  with  a  total  unpaid 
principal  balance  of  approximately  $34  billion, 
including 
approximately  41,400  permanent  modifications  under  the 
government’s  Making  Home  Affordable  Program.  Of  the  loan 
modifications completed in 2012, in terms of both the volume of 
modifications and the unpaid principal balance associated with 
the  underlying  loans,  most  were  in  the  portfolio  serviced  for 
investors and were not on our balance sheet. The most common 
types  of  modifications  include  a  combination  of  rate  reduction 
and/or capitalization of past due amounts which represented 54 
percent of the volume of modifications completed in 2012, while 
principal forbearance represented 18 percent, principal reductions 
and forgiveness represented 17 percent and capitalization of past 
due amounts represented seven percent. For modified loans on 
our  balance  sheet,  these  modification  types  are  generally 
considered  TDRs.  For  more  information  on  TDRs  and  portfolio 
impacts,  see  Nonperforming  Consumer  Loans  and  Foreclosed 
Properties Activity on page 89 and Note 5 – Outstanding Loans 
and Leases to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Consumer Credit Portfolio
Improvement in the U.S. economy, labor markets and home prices 
during  2012  resulted  in  lower  credit  losses  across  all  major 
consumer portfolios. Although home prices have shown signs of 
improvement, the declines over the past several years continued 
to adversely impact the home loans portfolio.

Improved credit quality across the consumer portfolio and the 
impact of the National Mortgage Settlement, as discussed in the 
following section, drove an $8.6 billion decrease in the consumer 
allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses  to  $21.1  billion  at 
December 31,  2012.  For  more  information,  see  Allowance  for 
Credit Losses on page 105.

As a result of the National Mortgage Settlement in 2012, which 
among other things provided for borrower assistance, we recorded 
charge-offs of $435 million related to fully forgiven non-PCI loans 
in the home equity portfolio, which resulted in reductions of the 
same  amount  in  nonperforming  loans.  Associated  with  the 
National Mortgage Settlement in 2012, we also fully forgave home 

equity loans in the Countrywide PCI portfolio with a carrying value 
before reserves of $2.5 billion and an unpaid principal balance of 
$2.9  billion  which  resulted  in  a  decrease  in  the  corresponding 
allowance for loan and lease losses. These items had no impact 
on  the  provision  for  credit  losses  as  these  loans  were  fully 
reserved.  For  more  information  on  the  National  Mortgage 
Settlement, see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual 
Obligations – Other Mortgage-related Matters on page 57.

In  2012,  new  regulatory  guidance  was  issued  addressing 
consumer real estate loans that have been discharged in Chapter 
7  bankruptcy.  In  accordance  with  this  new  guidance,  we  now 
classify consumer real estate and other secured consumer loans 
that  have  been  discharged  in  Chapter  7  bankruptcy  and  not 
reaffirmed  by  the  borrower,  as  TDRs,  irrespective  of  payment 
history or delinquency status, even if the repayment terms for the 
loan have not been otherwise modified. We continue to have a lien 
on the underlying collateral. Previously, such loans were classified 
as TDRs only if there had been a change in contractual payment 
terms  that  represented  a  concession  to  the  borrower.  The  net 
impact upon implementation to the consumer real estate and other 
secured  consumer  portfolios  of  adopting  this  new  regulatory 
guidance was a $551 million increase in net charge-offs as these 
loans were written-down to collateral value, and the full-year impact 
was a $596 million increase in net charge-offs in 2012. This also 
resulted in an increase of $3.6 billion in TDRs and $1.2 billion in 
net new nonperforming loans upon implementation, of which $1.1 
billion  of  such  loans  were  included  in  nonperforming  loans  at 
December 31,  2012.  Of  the  $1.1  billion,  $1.0  billion,  or  92 
percent,  were  current  on  their  contractual  payments.  Of  these 
contractually current nonperforming loans, more than 70 percent 
were discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy more than 12 months 
ago, and more than 40 percent were discharged 24 months or 
more ago. As subsequent cash payments are received, the interest 
component  of  the  payments  is  generally  recorded  as  interest 
income on a cash basis and the principal component is generally 
recorded as a reduction in the carrying value of the loan. For more 
information on the impacts to consumer loans as a result of this 
new  regulatory  guidance,  see  Note  5  –  Outstanding  Loans  and 
Leases to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In  2012,  the  bank  regulatory  agencies  jointly  issued 
interagency supervisory guidance on nonaccrual status for junior-
lien consumer real estate loans. In accordance with this regulatory 
interagency guidance, we now classify junior-lien home equity loans 
as nonperforming when the first-lien loan becomes 90 days past 
due even if the junior-lien loan is performing, and as a result, we 
reclassified  $1.9  billion  of  performing  home  equity  loans  to 
nonperforming  upon  implementation,  and  $1.5  billion  of  such 
loans  were  included  in  nonperforming  loans  at  December 31, 
2012. The regulatory interagency guidance had no impact on our 
allowance for loan and lease losses or provision for credit losses 
as the delinquency status of the underlying first-lien was already 
considered in our reserving process. For more information, see 
Consumer  Portfolio  Credit  Risk  Management  –  Home  Equity  on 
page 83 and Table 21.

For  further  information  on  our  accounting  policies  regarding 
delinquencies, nonperforming status, charge-offs and TDRs for the 
consumer  portfolio,  see  Note  1  –  Summary  of  Significant 
Accounting Principles to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

76     Bank of America 2012

Table 20 presents our outstanding consumer loans and the 
Countrywide  PCI  loan  portfolio.  Loans  that  were  acquired  from 
Countrywide and considered credit-impaired were recorded at fair 
value  upon  acquisition.  In  addition  to  being  included  in  the 
“Outstandings” columns in Table 20, these loans are also shown 
separately,  net  of  purchase  accounting  adjustments,  in  the 
“Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio” column. 
For additional information, see Note 5 – Outstanding Loans and 
Leases to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The impact of 

the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio on certain credit statistics is 
reported where appropriate. See Countrywide Purchased Credit-
impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86 for more information. Under 
certain  circumstances,  loans  that  were  originally  classified  as 
discontinued  real  estate  loans  upon  acquisition  have  been 
subsequently  modified  from  pay  option  or  subprime  loans  into 
loans with more conventional terms and are now included in the 
residential mortgage portfolio, but continue to be classified as PCI 
loans as shown in Table 20. 

Table 20 Consumer Loans

(Dollars in millions)

Residential mortgage (1)
Home equity
Discontinued real estate (2)
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer (3)
Other consumer (4)

Consumer loans excluding loans accounted for under the fair value option

Loans accounted for under the fair value option (5)

Total consumer loans

December 31

Outstandings

2012
243,181
107,996
9,892
94,835
11,697
83,205
1,628
552,434
1,005
553,439

$

$

2011
262,290
124,699
11,095
102,291
14,418
89,713
2,688
607,194
2,190
609,384

$

$

Countrywide Purchased
Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio

2012

2011

$

$

8,737
8,547
8,834
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
26,118
n/a
26,118

$

$

9,966
11,978
9,857
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
31,801
n/a
31,801

(1)  Outstandings include non-U.S. residential mortgage loans of $93 million and $85 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
(2)  Outstandings include $8.8 billion and $9.9 billion of pay option loans and $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion of subprime loans at December 31, 2012 and 2011. We no longer originate these products.
(3)  Outstandings include dealer financial services loans of $35.9 billion and $43.0 billion, consumer lending loans of $4.7 billion and $8.0 billion, U.S. securities-based lending margin loans of $28.3 
billion and $23.6 billion, student loans of $4.8 billion and $6.0 billion, non-U.S. consumer loans of $8.3 billion and $7.6 billion and other consumer loans of $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion at December 
31, 2012 and 2011.

(4)  Outstandings include consumer finance loans of $1.4 billion and $1.7 billion, other non-U.S. consumer loans of $5 million and $929 million and consumer overdrafts of $177 million and $103 

million at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(5)  Consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option include residential mortgage loans of $147 million and $906 million and discontinued real estate loans of $858 million and $1.3 billion 
at December 31, 2012 and 2011. See Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management – Consumer Loans Accounted for Under the Fair Value Option on page 89 and Note 22 – Fair Value Option to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on the fair value option.

n/a = not applicable

Bank of America 2012     77

Table  21  presents  the  impact  of  the  National  Mortgage 
Settlement, the impact of the new regulatory guidance on loans 
discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and the impact of regulatory 
interagency  guidance  on  nonaccrual  status  for  junior-lien 

consumer  real  estate  loans  for  the  Core  and  Legacy  Assets  & 
Servicing  portfolios  within  the  home  loans  portfolio  and  other 
secured consumer portfolio within direct/indirect consumer. These 
impacts are included in the following consumer credit discussions. 

Table 21 Impact of the National Mortgage Settlement and Regulatory Agency Guidance

(Dollars in millions)

Core portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity

Total Core portfolio

Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Home loans portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total home loans portfolio
Direct/Indirect consumer portfolio
Total consumer portfolio

National 
Mortgage Settlement

New Regulatory Guidance on
Treatment of Bankruptcies

Regulatory 
Interagency 
Guidance (1)

Nonperforming

Net Charge-offs (2)

Nonperforming

Net Charge-offs (3)

Nonperforming

December 31
2012

2012

December 31
2012

2012

December 31
2012

$

— $
(91)
(91)

—
(344)
—
(344)

— $
91
91

—
344
—
344

$

190
170
360

382
308
14
704

—
(435)
—
(435)
n/a
(435) $

—
435
—
435
n/a
435

572
478
14
1,064
58
1,122

11
66
77

64
408
—
472

75
474
—
549
47
596

$

$

—
457
457

—
1,000
—
1,000

—
1,457
—
1,457
n/a
1,457

$
$
In 2012, the bank regulatory agencies jointly issued interagency supervisory guidance on nonaccrual status for junior-lien consumer real estate loans.

$

(1) 

(2)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.5 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio in connection with the National Mortgage Settlement in 2012. These write-offs decreased the PCI 

valuation allowance included as part of the allowance for loan and lease losses. For information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

(3)  Net charge-offs include $551 million of current or less than 60 days past due loans charged off as a result of the completion of implementation of new regulatory guidance on loans discharged in 

Chapter 7 bankruptcy and $45 million of loans charged off subsequent to the implementation.

n/a = not applicable

78     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 22 presents accruing consumer loans past due 90 days 
or more and consumer nonperforming loans. Nonperforming loans 
do  not  include  past  due  consumer  credit  card  loans,  other 
unsecured loans and in general, consumer non-real estate-secured 
loans (excluding those loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy) 
as these loans are typically charged off no later than the end of 
the month in which the loan becomes 180 days past due. Real 
estate-secured past due consumer loans that are insured by the 
FHA or individually insured under long-term stand-by agreements 
with FNMA and FHLMC (collectively, the fully-insured loan portfolio) 
are reported as accruing as opposed to nonperforming since the 

principal  repayment  is  insured.  Fully-insured  loans  included  in 
accruing past due 90 days or more are primarily related to our 
purchases  of  delinquent  FHA  loans  pursuant  to  our  servicing 
agreements.  Additionally,  nonperforming  loans  and  accruing 
balances past due 90 days or more do not include the Countrywide 
PCI loan portfolio or loans accounted for under the fair value option 
even  though  the  customer  may  be  contractually  past  due.  For 
additional  information  on  FHA  loans,  see  Off-Balance  Sheet 
Arrangements  and  Contractual  Obligations  –  Other  Mortgage-
related Matters on page 57.

Table 22 Consumer Credit Quality

(Dollars in millions)

Residential mortgage (2)
Home equity 
Discontinued real estate 
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total (3)

Consumer loans as a percentage of outstanding consumer loans (3)
Consumer loans as a percentage of outstanding loans excluding Countrywide PCI and fully-insured loan 

December 31

Accruing Past Due
90 Days or More

2012

2011

$

$

22,157
—
—
1,437
212
545
2
24,353

$

$

21,164
—
—
2,070
342
746
2
24,324

Nonperforming

   2012 (1)
14,808
4,281
248
n/a
n/a
92
2
19,431

$

$

2011

15,970
2,453
290
n/a
n/a

40
15
18,768

$

$

4.41%

4.01%

3.52%

3.09%

portfolios (3)

0.50

0.66

4.46

3.90

(1)  Nonperforming loans include the impacts of the National Mortgage Settlement and guidance issued by regulatory agencies. For more information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management 

on page 76 and Table 21. 

(2)  Balances accruing past due 90 days or more are fully-insured loans. These balances include $17.8 billion and $17.0 billion of loans on which interest has been curtailed by the FHA, and therefore 

are no longer accruing interest, although principal is still insured and $4.4 billion and $4.2 billion of loans on which interest was still accruing at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(3)  Balances exclude consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, $391 million and $713 million of loans accounted for under the fair value option were 

past due 90 days or more and not accruing interest.

n/a = not applicable

Table 23 presents net charge-offs and related ratios for consumer loans and leases.

Table 23 Consumer Net Charge-offs and Related Ratios (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total

Net Charge-offs (2)

Net Charge-off Ratios (2, 3)

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

3,053
4,237
63
4,632
581
763
232
13,561

$

$

3,832
4,473
92
7,276
1,169
1,476
202
18,520

1.21%
3.62
0.61
4.88
4.29
0.90
9.85
2.36

1.45%
3.42
0.75
6.90
4.86
1.64
7.32
2.94

(1)  Net charge-offs and related ratios for 2012 include the impacts of the National Mortgage Settlement and new regulatory guidance on loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. For more information, 

see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 76 and Table 21.

(2)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012. These write-offs decreased the PCI valuation allowance included as part of the allowance 

for loan and lease losses. For information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

(3)  Net charge-off ratios are calculated as net charge-offs divided by average outstanding loans excluding loans accounted for under the fair value option.

Net charge-off ratios, excluding the Countrywide PCI and fully-
insured loan portfolios, were 2.02 percent and 2.27 percent for 
residential  mortgage,  3.98  percent  and  3.77  percent  for  home 
equity, 6.10 percent and 7.14 percent for discontinued real estate 
and 2.99 percent and 3.62 percent for the total consumer portfolio 
for 2012 and 2011.  These are the  only product  classifications 
impacted by the Countrywide PCI and fully-insured loan portfolios 
for 2012 and 2011.

Net  charge-offs  exclude  $2.8  billion  of  write-offs  in  the 
Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012. These write-
offs decreased the PCI valuation allowance included as part of the 
allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses.  The  net  charge-off  ratio 
including the PCI write-offs for home equity was 6.02 percent in 
2012.  For  information  on  PCI  write-offs,  see  Countrywide 
Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

Bank of America 2012     79

 
 
Table 24 presents outstandings, nonperforming balances, net charge-offs, allowance for loan and lease losses and provision for 
loan and lease losses for the Core portfolio and the Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio within the home loans portfolio. For more 
information on Legacy Assets & Servicing, see page 37.

Table 24 Home Loans Portfolio

(Dollars in millions)

Core portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity

Total Core portfolio

Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Residential mortgage (3)
Home equity
Discontinued real estate (3)

Total Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Home loans portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total home loans portfolio

Core portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity

Total Core portfolio

Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Home loans portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total home loans portfolio

December 31

Outstandings

Nonperforming

Net Charge-offs (1)

2012

2011

   2012 (2)

2011

   2012 (2)

2011

$ 170,116
60,851
230,967

$ 178,337
67,055
245,392

$

$

3,190
1,265
4,455

$

2,414
439
2,853

544
811
1,355

2,509
3,426
63
5,998

3,053
4,237
63
7,353

$

$

348
501
849

3,484
3,972
92
7,548

3,832
4,473
92
8,397

11,618
3,016
248
14,882

14,808
4,281
248
19,337

$

13,556
2,014
290
15,860

15,970
2,453
290
18,713

$

December 31

Allowance for loan 
and lease losses (4)

Provision for loan 
and lease losses

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

829
1,269
2,098

$

850
2,054
2,904

$

523
256
779

4,175
6,576
2,084
12,835

5,004
7,845
2,084
14,933

$

4,865
11,040
2,270
18,175

5,715
13,094
2,270
21,079

$

1,842
1,492
(40)
3,294

2,365
1,748
(40)
4,073

450
386
836

4,003
4,296
1,165
9,464

4,453
4,682
1,165
10,300

$

73,065
47,145
9,892
130,102

83,953
57,644
11,095
152,692

243,181
107,996
9,892
$ 361,069

262,290
124,699
11,095
$ 398,084

$

$

$

(1)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012 which is included in the Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio. 
(2)  Nonperforming loans and net charge-offs include the impacts of the National Mortgage Settlement and guidance issued by regulatory agencies. For more information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit 

Risk Management on page 76 and Table 21.

(3)  Balances exclude consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option of $147 million and $906 million of residential mortgage loans and $858 million and $1.3 billion of discontinued real 
estate loans at December 31, 2012 and 2011. See Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management – Consumer Loans Accounted for Under the Fair Value Option on page 89 and Note 22 – Fair Value 
Option to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on the fair value option.

(4)  The $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012 decreased the PCI valuation allowance included as part of the allowance for loan and lease losses. For 

information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

We  believe  that  the  presentation  of  information  adjusted  to 
exclude the impact of the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio, the fully-
insured loan portfolio and loans accounted for under the fair value 
option is more representative of the ongoing operations and credit 
quality of the business. As a result, in the following discussions 
of the residential mortgage, home equity and discontinued real 
estate portfolios, we provide information that excludes the impact 
of the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio, the fully-insured loan portfolio 
and loans accounted for under the fair value option in certain credit 
quality  statistics.  We  separately  disclose  information  on  the 
Countrywide PCI loan portfolios on page 86.

Residential Mortgage
The  residential  mortgage  portfolio,  which  for  purposes  of  the 
consumer credit portfolio discussion and related tables excludes 

the discontinued real estate portfolio acquired from Countrywide, 
makes up the largest percentage of our consumer loan portfolio 
at  44 percent  of  consumer  loans  at  December 31,  2012. 
Approximately 17 percent of the residential mortgage portfolio is 
in GWIM and represents residential mortgages that are originated 
for  the  home  purchase  and  refinancing  needs  of  our  wealth 
management  clients.  The  remaining  portion  of  the  portfolio  is 
primarily  in  All  Other  and  is  comprised  of  originated  loans, 
purchased loans used in our overall ALM activities, delinquent FHA 
loans  repurchased  pursuant  to  our  servicing  agreements  with 
GNMA as well as loans repurchased related to our representations 
and warranties.

Outstanding  balances  in  the  residential  mortgage  portfolio, 
excluding $147 million of loans accounted for under the fair value 
option, decreased $19.1 billion in 2012 as paydowns, charge-offs 

80     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  transfers  to  foreclosed  properties  more  than  offset  new 
origination volume retained on our balance sheet. 

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the residential mortgage 
portfolio included $90.9 billion and $93.9 billion of outstanding 
fully-insured  loans.  On  this  portion  of  the  residential  mortgage 
portfolio, we are protected against principal loss as a result of 
either FHA insurance or long-term stand-by agreements with FNMA 
and FHLMC. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, $66.6 billion and 
$69.5 billion had FHA insurance and $24.3 billion and $24.4 billion 
were  protected  by  long-term  stand-by  agreements.  All  of  these 
loans are individually insured and therefore the Corporation does 
not record an allowance for credit losses with respect to these 
loans.

At  December  31,  2012  and  2011,  $25.5  billion  and  $24.0 
billion  of  the  FHA-insured  loan  population  were  delinquent  FHA 
loans  repurchased  pursuant  to  our  servicing  agreements  with 
GNMA.

In addition to the long-term stand-by agreements with FNMA 
and FHLMC, we have mitigated a portion of our credit risk on the 
residential  mortgage  portfolio  through  the  use  of  synthetic 
securitization vehicles as described in Note 5 – Outstanding Loans 
and  Leases  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements.  At 
December  31,  2012  and  2011,  the  synthetic  securitization 
vehicles referenced principal balances of $17.6 billion and $23.9 
billion of residential mortgage loans and provided loss protection 
up to $500 million and $783 million. At December 31, 2012 and 
2011, the Corporation had a receivable of $305 million and $359 
million  from  these  vehicles  for  reimbursement  of  losses.  The 

Table 25 Residential Mortgage – Key Credit Statistics

(Dollars in millions)

Outstandings
Accruing past due 30 days or more
Accruing past due 90 days or more
Nonperforming loans (2)
Percent of portfolio

Refreshed LTV greater than 90 but less than 100
Refreshed LTV greater than 100
Refreshed FICO below 620
2006 and 2007 vintages (3)

Corporation  records  an  allowance  for  credit  losses  on  loans 
referenced by the synthetic securitization vehicles. The reported 
net charge-offs for the residential mortgage portfolio do not include 
the  benefit  of  amounts  reimbursable  from  these  vehicles. 
Adjusting for the benefit of the credit protection from the synthetic 
securitizations,  the  residential  mortgage  net  charge-off  ratio, 
excluding the Countrywide PCI and fully-insured loan portfolios, for 
2012 would have been reduced by nine bps, and 13 bps for 2011.
long-term  stand-by 
agreements with FNMA and FHLMC together reduce our regulatory 
risk-weighted assets due to the transfer of a portion of our credit 
risk to unaffiliated parties. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, these 
programs had the cumulative effect of reducing our risk-weighted 
assets by $7.2 billion and $7.9 billion, increasing our Tier 1 capital 
ratio by eight bps for both periods, and our Tier 1 common capital 
ratio by seven bps and six bps.

Synthetic  securitizations  and 

the 

Table  25  presents  certain  residential  mortgage  key  credit 
statistics on both a reported basis excluding loans accounted for 
under the fair value option, and excluding the Countrywide PCI loan 
portfolio, fully-insured loan portfolio and loans accounted for under 
the fair value option. We believe the presentation of information 
adjusted to exclude these loan portfolios is more representative 
of  the  credit  risk  in  the  residential  mortgage  loan  portfolio.  As 
such, the following discussion presents the residential mortgage 
portfolio  excluding  the  Countrywide  PCI  loan  portfolio,  the  fully-
insured loan portfolio and loans accounted for under the fair value 
option. For more information on the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio, 
see page 86.

December 31

Excluding Countrywide
Purchased Credit-impaired
and Fully-insured Loans

Reported Basis (1)

2012
$ 243,181
28,780
22,157
14,808

2011
$ 262,290
28,688
21,164
15,970

2012
$ 143,590
3,082
n/a
14,808

2011
$ 158,470
3,950
n/a
15,970

16%
28
22
24
1.21

15%
33
21
27
1.45

10%
20
14
34
2.02

11%
26
15
37
2.27

Net charge-off ratio (2, 4)
(1)  Outstandings, accruing past due, nonperforming loans and percentages of portfolio exclude loans accounted for under the fair value option. There were $147 million and $906 million of residential 
mortgage loans accounted for under the fair value option at December 31, 2012 and 2011. See Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management – Consumer Loans Accounted for Under the Fair Value 
Option on page 89 and Note 22 – Fair Value Option to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on the fair value option.

(2)  Nonperforming loans at December 31, 2012 and net charge-off ratios for 2012 include the impact of new regulatory guidance on loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. For more information, 

see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 76 and Table 21.

(3)  These vintages of loans account for 60 percent and 63 percent of nonperforming residential mortgage loans at December 31, 2012 and 2011, and 72 percent and 73 percent of residential mortgage 

net charge-offs in 2012 and 2011.

(4)  Net charge-off ratios are calculated as net charge-offs divided by average outstanding loans excluding loans accounted for under the fair value option.
n/a = not applicable

Nonperforming  residential  mortgage  loans  decreased  $1.2 
billion in 2012 as paydowns, charge-offs and returns to performing 
status,  outpaced  new  inflows.  In  addition,  nonperforming 
residential  mortgage  loan  balances  at  December 31,  2012 
included $572 million due to new regulatory guidance related to 
loans less than 60 days past due that were discharged in Chapter 
7 bankruptcy. At December 31, 2012, borrowers were current on 
contractual payments with respect to $3.5 billion, or 24 percent 
of nonperforming residential mortgage loans, and $8.7 billion, or 

59 percent  of  nonperforming  residential  mortgage  loans  were 
180 days  or  more  past  due  and  had  been  written  down  to  the 
estimated fair value of the collateral less estimated costs to sell. 
Accruing loans past due 30 days or more decreased $868 million 
in 2012.

Net charge-offs decreased $779 million to $3.1 billion in 2012, 
or  2.02  percent  of  total  average  residential  mortgage  loans, 
compared to $3.8 billion, or 2.27 percent, for 2011. This decrease 
in net charge-offs for 2012 was primarily driven by decreased write-

Bank of America 2012     81

 
 
 
 
 
downs on loans greater than 180 days past due which were written 
down to the estimated fair value of the collateral less estimated 
costs to sell, and favorable delinquency trends. In addition, 2012 
included $75 million in net charge-offs related to loans discharged 
in Chapter 7 bankruptcy that were written down to the underlying 
collateral value as a result of new regulatory guidance. For more 
information on the new regulatory guidance on loans discharged 
in  Chapter  7  bankruptcy,  see  Consumer  Portfolio  Credit  Risk 
Management on page 76 and Table 21. Net charge-off ratios were 
further impacted by lower loan balances primarily due to paydowns 
and charge-offs outpacing new originations.

Loans  in  the  residential  mortgage  portfolio  with  certain 
characteristics  have  greater  risk  of  loss  than  others.  These 
characteristics  include  loans  with  a  high  refreshed  LTV,  loans 
originated at the peak of home prices in 2006 and 2007, interest-
only loans and loans to borrowers located in California and Florida 
where we have concentrations and where significant declines in 
home prices have been experienced. Although the disclosures in 
this section address each of these risk characteristics separately, 
there  is  significant  overlap  in  loans  with  these  characteristics, 
which contributed to a disproportionate share of the losses in the 
portfolio. The residential mortgage loans with all of these higher 
risk characteristics comprised four percent and six percent of the 
residential mortgage portfolio at December 31, 2012 and 2011, 
and  accounted  for  20  percent  of  the  residential  mortgage  net 
charge-offs in 2012, and 23 percent in 2011.

Residential mortgage loans with a greater than 90 percent but 
less than 100 percent refreshed LTV represented 10 percent and 
11 percent of the residential mortgage portfolio at December 31, 
2012  and  2011.  Loans  with  a  refreshed  LTV  greater  than 
100 percent  represented  20  percent  and  26  percent  of  the 
residential  mortgage  loan  portfolio  at  December  31,  2012  and 
2011. Of the loans with a refreshed LTV greater than 100 percent, 
92 percent were performing at both December 31, 2012 and 2011. 
Loans with a refreshed LTV greater than 100 percent reflect loans 
where the outstanding carrying value of the loan is greater than 

the most recent valuation of the property securing the loan. The 
majority  of  these  loans  have  a  refreshed  LTV  greater  than  100 
percent primarily due to home price deterioration over the past 
several  years.  Loans  to  borrowers  with  refreshed  FICO  scores 
below  620  represented  14  percent  and  15  percent  of  the 
residential mortgage portfolio at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
Of  the  $143.6  billion  and  $158.5  billion  in  total  residential 
mortgage loans outstanding at December 31, 2012 and 2011, as 
shown in Table 26, 41 percent and 40 percent were originated as 
interest-only  loans.  The  outstanding  balance  of  interest-only 
residential  mortgage  loans  that  have  entered  the  amortization 
period was $13.7 billion, or 23 percent, at December 31, 2012. 
Residential  mortgage  loans  that  have  entered  the  amortization 
period have experienced a higher rate of early stage delinquencies 
and nonperforming status compared to the residential mortgage 
portfolio as a whole. As of December 31, 2012, $368 million, or 
three percent of outstanding interest-only residential mortgages 
that had entered the amortization period were accruing past due 
30  days  or  more  compared  to  $3.1  billion,  or  two  percent  of 
accruing  past  due  30  days  or  more  for  the  entire  residential 
mortgage  portfolio.  In  addition,  at  December 31,  2012,  $2.1 
billion,  or  16  percent  of  outstanding  interest-only  residential 
mortgages  that  had  entered  the  amortization  period  were 
nonperforming  compared  to  $14.8  billion,  or  10  percent  of 
nonperforming loans for the entire residential mortgage portfolio. 
Loans in our interest-only residential mortgage portfolio have an 
interest-only period of three to 10 years and more than 85 percent 
of  these  loans  will  not  be  required  to  make  a  fully-amortizing 
payment until 2015 or later.

Table 26 presents outstandings, nonperforming loans and net 
charge-offs  by  certain  state  concentrations  for  the  residential 
mortgage  portfolio.  The  Los  Angeles-Long  Beach-Santa  Ana 
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) within California represented 
12 percent of outstandings at both December 31, 2012 and 2011. 
Loans within this MSA comprised only eight percent and seven 
percent of net charge-offs for 2012 and 2011.

Table 26 Residential Mortgage State Concentrations

December 31

Outstandings (1)

Nonperforming (1)

Net Charge-offs

(Dollars in millions)

California
New York (3)
Florida (3)
Texas
Virginia
Other U.S./Non-U.S.

Residential mortgage loans (4)

Fully-insured loan portfolio
Countrywide purchased credit-impaired residential mortgage loan portfolio

Total residential mortgage loan portfolio

2012

2011

$

48,281
11,240
10,994
6,885
5,067
61,123
$ 143,590
90,854
8,737
$ 243,181

$

54,203
11,539
12,338
7,525
5,709
67,156
$ 158,470
93,854
9,966
$ 262,290

   2012 (2)
$

4,510
956
1,729
488
404
6,721
14,808

2011

5,606
838
1,900
425
399
6,802
15,970

$

$

$

$

   2012 (2)
$

2011

1,326
106
595
55
64
1,686
3,832

$

$

1,117
79
372
51
50
1,384
3,053

(1)  Outstandings and nonperforming amounts exclude loans accounted for under the fair value option. There were $147 million and $906 million of residential mortgage loans accounted for under the 
fair value option at December 31, 2012 and 2011. See Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management – Consumer Loans Accounted for Under the Fair Value Option on page 89 and Note 22 – Fair 
Value Option to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on the fair value option.

(2)  Nonperforming loans and net charge-offs include the impact of new regulatory guidance on loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. For more information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk 

Management on page 76 and Table 21.
In these states, foreclosure requires a court order following a legal proceeding (judicial states).

(3) 

(4)  Amount excludes the Countrywide PCI residential mortgage and fully-insured loan portfolios.

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) encourages banks to 
meet the credit needs of their communities for housing and other 
purposes,  particularly  in  neighborhoods  with  low  or  moderate 
incomes. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, our CRA portfolio was 

$11.3 billion and $12.5 billion, or eight percent of the residential 
mortgage  loan  balances  for  both  periods.  The  CRA  portfolio 
included  $2.5 billion  of  nonperforming  loans  at  both  December 
31, 2012 and 2011 representing 17 percent and 15 percent of 

82     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
total nonperforming residential mortgage loans. Net charge-offs 
related to the CRA portfolio were $643 million and $732 million 
for 2012 and 2011, or 21 percent and 19 percent of total net 
charge-offs for the residential mortgage portfolio. 

For information on representations and warranties related to 
our  residential  mortgage  portfolio,  see  Off-Balance  Sheet 
Arrangements and Contractual Obligations – Representations and 
Warranties  on  page  50  and  Note  8  –  Representations  and 
Warranties  Obligations  and  Corporate  Guarantees 
the 
Consolidated Financial Statements.

to 

Home Equity
The home equity portfolio makes up 20 percent of the consumer 
portfolio  and  is  comprised  of  HELOCs,  home  equity  loans  and 
reverse mortgages. As of December 31, 2012, our HELOC portfolio 
had an outstanding balance of $91.3 billion, or 85 percent of the 
total home equity portfolio. HELOCs generally have an initial draw 
period of 10 years with approximately nine percent of the portfolio 
having a draw period of five years with a five-year renewal option. 
During the initial draw period, the borrowers are only required to 
pay the interest due on the loans on a monthly basis. After the 
initial  draw  period  ends,  the  loans  generally  convert  to  15-year 
amortizing loans. 

As of December 31, 2012, our home equity loan portfolio had 
an outstanding balance of $15.3 billion, or 14 percent of the total 
home equity portfolio. Home equity loans are almost all fixed-rate 
loans with amortizing payment terms of 10 to 30 years and 51 
percent of these loans have 25 to 30-year terms. 

As of December 31, 2012, our reverse mortgage portfolio had 
an outstanding balance of $1.4 billion, or one percent of the total 
home equity portfolio. In 2011, we exited the reverse mortgage 
origination business.

Table 27 Home Equity – Key Credit Statistics

At December 31, 2012, 88 percent of the home equity portfolio 
was  included  in  CRES  while  the  remainder  of  the  portfolio  was 
primarily  in  GWIM.  Outstanding  balances  in  the  home  equity 
portfolio  decreased  $16.7  billion  in  2012  primarily  due  to 
paydowns and charge-offs outpacing new originations and draws 
on  existing  lines.  In  addition,  in  2012,  $2.9  billion  of  loans, 
including $2.5 billion of Countrywide PCI loans in the home equity 
portfolio, were forgiven in connection with the National Mortgage 
Settlement. Of the total home equity portfolio at December 31, 
2012 and 2011, $21.1 billion, or 20 percent, and $24.5 billion, 
or  20  percent,  were  in  first-lien  positions  (21  percent  and 
22 percent excluding the Countrywide PCI home equity portfolio 
at  December  31,  2012  and  2011).  As  of  December 31,  2012, 
outstanding balances in the home equity portfolio that were in a 
second-lien or more junior-lien position and where we also held 
the first-lien loan totaled $29.8 billion, or 30 percent of our total 
home equity portfolio excluding the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio.
Unused HELOCs totaled $60.9 billion at December 31, 2012 
compared to $67.5 billion at December 31, 2011. This decrease 
was  primarily  due  to  customers  choosing  to  close  accounts  as 
well  as  line  management  initiatives  on  deteriorating  accounts, 
which more than offset new production. The HELOC utilization rate 
was 60 percent at December 31, 2012 compared to 61 percent 
at December 31, 2011.

Table  27  presents  certain  home  equity  portfolio  key  credit 
statistics  on  both  a  reported  basis  as  well  as  excluding  the 
Countrywide  PCI  loan  portfolio.  We  believe  the  presentation  of 
information adjusted to exclude the impact of the Countrywide PCI 
loan  portfolio  is  more  representative  of  the  credit  risk  in  this 
portfolio.

(Dollars in millions)

Outstandings
Accruing past due 30 days or more (1)
Nonperforming loans (1, 2)
Percent of portfolio

Refreshed combined LTV greater than 90 but less than 100
Refreshed combined LTV greater than 100
Refreshed FICO below 620 (3)
2006 and 2007 vintages (4)

December 31

Excluding Countrywide
Purchased
Credit-impaired Loans

Reported Basis

2012
$ 107,996
1,098
4,281

2011
$ 124,699
1,658
2,453

$

2012

99,449
1,098
4,281

2011
$ 112,721
1,658
2,453

10%
31
9
48
3.62

10%
36
11
50
3.42

10%
29
8
46
3.98

11%
32
9
46
3.77

Net charge-off ratio (2, 5)
(1)  Accruing past due 30 days or more includes $321 million and $609 million and nonperforming loans includes $824 million and $703 million of loans where we serviced the underlying first-lien at 

December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(2)  Nonperforming loans at December 31, 2012 and net charge-off ratios for 2012 include the impacts of the National Mortgage Settlement and guidance issued by regulatory agencies. For more 

information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 76 and Table 21.

(3)  Beginning in 2012, home equity FICO metrics reflected an updated scoring model that is more representative of the credit risk of our borrowers. Prior period amounts were adjusted to reflect these 

updates.

(4)  These vintages of loans have higher refreshed combined LTV ratios and accounted for 51 percent and 54 percent of nonperforming home equity loans at December 31, 2012 and 2011, and accounted 

for 60 percent and 65 percent of net charge-offs in 2012 and 2011.

(5)  Net charge-off ratios are calculated as net charge-offs divided by average outstanding loans.

The  following  discussion  presents  the  home  equity  portfolio 

excluding the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio.

Nonperforming  outstanding  balances  in  the  home  equity 
portfolio increased $1.8 billion in 2012 due to the reclassification 
to nonperforming of junior-lien loans less than 90 days past due 
that have a senior-lien loan that is 90 days or more past due which 

resulted in a $1.5 billion increase as of December 31, 2012, and 
the reclassification to nonperforming of loans less than 60 days 
past  due  that  were  discharged  in  Chapter  7  bankruptcy  which 
resulted in an increase of $478 million at December 31, 2012, in 
both cases pursuant to new regulatory guidance. 

Bank of America 2012     83

 
 
 
 
 
These additions to nonperforming loans were partially offset 
by  the  $435  million  of  loans  forgiven  related  to  the  National 
Mortgage  Settlement.  Excluding  the  impact  of  these  items, 
nonperforming loans increased compared to December 31, 2011 
as inflows outpaced outflows in 2012. At December 31, 2012, on 
$2.0 billion, or 46 percent of nonperforming home equity loans, 
the  borrowers  were  current  on  contractual  payments  and  $1.2 
billion, or 28 percent of nonperforming home equity loans, were 
180  days  or  more  past  due  and  had  been  written  down  to  the 
estimated fair value of the collateral less estimated costs to sell. 
Outstanding  balances  accruing  past  due  30  days  or  more 
decreased  $560  million  during  2012  driven  in  part  by  the 
reclassification of junior-lien home equity loans to nonperforming 
in  accordance  with  regulatory  interagency  guidance.  For  more 
information on the changes as a result of regulatory guidance and 
the National Mortgage Settlement, see Consumer Portfolio Credit 
Risk Management on page 76.

In some cases, the junior-lien home equity outstanding balance 
that we hold is performing, but the underlying first-lien is not. For 
outstanding  balances  in  the  home  equity  portfolio  in  which  we 
service the first-lien loan, we are able to track whether the first-
lien loan is in default. For loans where the first-lien is serviced by 
a  third  party,  we  utilize  credit  bureau  data  to  estimate  the 
delinquency status of the first-lien. Given that the credit bureau 
database  we  use  does  not  include  a  property  address  for  the 
mortgages,  we  are  unable  to  identify  with  certainty  whether  a 
reported  delinquent  first-lien  mortgage  pertains  to  the  same 
property  for  which  we  hold  a  junior-lien  loan.  At  December 31, 
2012, we estimate that $2.6 billion of current and $559 million 
of 30 to 89 days past due junior-lien loans were behind a delinquent 
first-lien loan. We service the first-lien loans on $958 million of 
these combined amounts, with the remaining $2.2 billion serviced 
by third parties. Of the $3.2 billion current to 89 days past due 
junior-lien loans, based on available credit bureau data and our 
own internal servicing data, we estimate that approximately $1.5 
billion had first-lien loans that were 90 days or more past due. 

Net charge-offs decreased $236 million to $4.2 billion, or 3.98 
percent  of  the  total  average  home  equity  portfolio,  for  2012 
compared to $4.5 billion, or 3.77 percent, for 2011 primarily driven 
by  favorable  portfolio  trends  due  in  part  to  improvement  in  the 
U.S. economy partially offset by $435 million in net charge-offs 
associated  with  the  National  Mortgage  Settlement  and  $474 
million in net charge-offs related to loans discharged in Chapter 
7 bankruptcy that were written down to the underlying collateral 
value due to new regulatory guidance. Net charge-off ratios were 
further  impacted  by  lower  outstanding  balances  primarily  as  a 
result of paydowns and charge-offs outpacing new originations and 
draws on existing lines.

There are certain characteristics of the home equity portfolio 
that have contributed to higher losses including those loans with 
a high refreshed combined loan-to-value (CLTV), loans that were 
originated  at  the  peak  of  home  prices  in  2006  and  2007,  and 
loans  in  geographic  areas  that  have  experienced  the  most 
significant declines in home prices. Home price declines coupled 
with the fact that most home equity outstandings are secured by 
second-lien  positions  have  significantly  reduced  and,  in  some 
cases,  eliminated  all  collateral  value  after  consideration  of  the 
first-lien position. Although the disclosures in this section address 
each of these risk characteristics separately, there is significant 
overlap in outstanding balances with these characteristics, which 
has  contributed  to  a  disproportionate  share  of  losses  in  the 
portfolio. Outstanding balances in the home equity portfolio with 

84     Bank of America 2012

all  of  these  higher  risk  characteristics  comprised  eight  percent 
and 10 percent of the total home equity portfolio at December 31, 
2012 and 2011, and accounted for 24 percent of the home equity 
net charge-offs in 2012 compared to 28 percent in 2011.

Outstanding balances in the home equity portfolio with greater 
than  90 percent  but  less  than  100 percent  refreshed  CLTVs 
comprised 10 percent and 11 percent of the home equity portfolio 
at  December  31,  2012  and  2011.  Outstanding  balances  with 
refreshed CLTVs greater than 100 percent comprised 29 percent 
and 32 percent of the home equity portfolio at December 31, 2012 
and 2011. Outstanding balances in the home equity portfolio with 
a refreshed CLTV greater than 100 percent reflect loans where the 
carrying value and available line of credit of the combined loans 
are  equal  to  or  greater  than  the  most  recent  valuation  of  the 
property securing the loan. Depending on the value of the property, 
there may be collateral in excess of the first-lien that is available 
to  reduce  the  severity  of  loss  on  the  second-lien.  Home  price 
deterioration over the past several years has contributed to an 
increase  in  CLTV  ratios.  Of  those  outstanding  balances  with  a 
refreshed  CLTV  greater  than  100 percent,  95 percent  of  the 
customers were current at December 31, 2012 and 92 percent 
of  second-lien  loans  with  a  refreshed  CLTV  greater  than  100 
percent were current on both their second-lien and underlying first-
lien loans at December 31, 2012. Outstanding balances in the 
home equity portfolio to borrowers with a refreshed FICO score 
below 620 represented eight percent and nine percent of the home 
equity portfolio at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Of the $99.4 billion and $112.7 billion in total home equity 
portfolio  outstandings  at  December  31,  2012  and  2011, 
79 percent and 78 percent were interest-only loans, almost all of 
which were HELOCs. The outstanding balance of HELOCs that have 
entered the amortization period was $2.1 billion, or two percent 
of total HELOCs, at December 31, 2012. The HELOCs that have 
entered  the  amortization  period  have  experienced  a  higher 
percentage of early stage delinquencies and nonperforming status 
when  compared  to  the  HELOC  portfolio  as  a  whole.  As  of 
December 31, 2012, $72 million, or three percent of outstanding 
HELOCs that had entered the amortization period were accruing 
past  due  30 days  or  more  compared  to  $972  million,  or  one 
percent of outstanding accruing past due 30 days or more for the 
entire HELOC portfolio. In addition, at December 31, 2012, $131 
million, or six percent of outstanding HELOCs that had entered the 
amortization period were nonperforming compared to $3.7 billion, 
or four percent of outstandings that were nonperforming for the 
entire  HELOC  portfolio.  Loans  in  our  HELOC  portfolio  generally 
have an initial draw period of 10 years and more than 85 percent 
of  these  loans  will  not  be  required  to  make  a  fully-amortizing 
payment until 2015 or later.

Although we do not actively track how many of our home equity 
customers pay only the minimum amount due on their home equity 
loans and lines, we can infer some of this information through a 
review of our HELOC portfolio that we service and that is still in 
its revolving period (i.e., customers may draw on and repay their 
line of credit, but are generally only required to pay interest on a 
monthly basis). During 2012, approximately 50 percent of these 
customers did not pay any principal on their HELOCs.

Table 28 presents outstandings, nonperforming balances and 
net charge-offs by certain state concentrations for the home equity 
portfolio. In the New York area, the New York-Northern New Jersey-
Long Island MSA made up 11 percent of the outstanding home 
equity portfolio at both December 31, 2012 and 2011. This MSA 
comprised eight percent and seven percent of net charge-offs in 

2012  and  2011.  The  Los  Angeles-Long  Beach-Santa  Ana  MSA 
within  California  made  up  12  percent  of  the  outstanding  home 
equity portfolio at both December 31, 2012 and 2011. This MSA 
comprised 11 percent and 12 percent of net charge-offs in 2012 
and 2011.

For information on representations and warranties related to 
our home equity portfolio, see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 
and Contractual Obligations – Representations and Warranties on 
page 50 and Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations 
and  Corporate  Guarantees  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

Table 28 Home Equity State Concentrations

(Dollars in millions)

California
Florida (3)
New Jersey (3)
New York (3)
Massachusetts
Other U.S./Non-U.S.

Home equity loans (4)

Countrywide purchased credit-impaired home equity portfolio

Total home equity loan portfolio

December 31

Outstandings

Nonperforming

Net Charge-offs

2012

2011

$

28,728
11,898
6,788
6,734
4,381
40,920
99,449
8,547
$ 107,996

$

$

32,398
13,450
7,483
7,423
4,919
47,048
$ 112,721
11,978
$ 124,699

   2012 (1)
$

2011

627
411
175
242
67
931
2,453

$

$

   2012 (1, 2)
1,333
$
602
210
222
91
1,779
4,237

$

2011

1,481
853
164
196
71
1,708
4,473

$

$

1,127
706
312
419
140
1,577
4,281

$

(1)  Nonperforming loans and net charge-offs include the impacts of the National Mortgage Settlement and guidance issued by regulatory agencies. For more information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit 

Risk Management on page 76 and Table 21.

(2)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012. These write-offs decreased the PCI valuation allowance included as part of the allowance 

for loan and lease losses. For information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.
In these states, foreclosure requires a court order following a legal proceeding (judicial states). 

(3) 

(4)  Amount excludes the Countrywide PCI home equity loan portfolio.

Discontinued Real Estate
The discontinued real estate portfolio, excluding $858 million of 
loans accounted for under the fair value option, totaled $9.9 billion 
at December 31, 2012 and consists of pay option and subprime 
loans acquired in the Countrywide acquisition. Upon acquisition, 
the  majority  of  the  discontinued  real  estate  portfolio  was 
considered  credit-impaired  and  written  down  to  fair  value.  At 
December 31, 2012, the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio was $8.8 
billion, or 89 percent of the total discontinued real estate portfolio. 
This portfolio is included in All Other and is managed as part of 
our  overall  ALM  activities.  See  Countrywide  Purchased  Credit-
impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86 for more information on the 
discontinued  real  estate  portfolio.  At  December 31,  2012,  the 
purchased discontinued real estate portfolio that was not credit-
impaired  was  $1.1  billion.  Loans  with  greater  than  90 percent 
refreshed LTVs and CLTVs comprised 32 percent of the portfolio 
and  those  with  refreshed  FICO  scores  below  620  represented 
41 percent  of  the  portfolio.  The  Los  Angeles-Long  Beach-Santa 
Ana  MSA  within  California  made  up  16  percent  of  outstanding 
discontinued real estate loans at December 31, 2012.

Pay  option  adjustable-rate  mortgages  (ARMs),  which  are 
included in the discontinued real estate portfolio, have interest 
rates that adjust monthly and minimum required payments that 
adjust  annually,  subject  to  resetting  if  minimum  payments  are 
made and deferred interest limits are reached. Annual payment 
adjustments are subject to a 7.5 percent maximum change. To 
ensure that contractual loan payments are adequate to repay a 
loan, the fully-amortizing loan payment amount is re-established 
after the initial five- or 10-year period and again every five years 
thereafter. These payment adjustments are not subject to the 7.5 
percent limit and may be substantial due to changes in interest 
rates  and  the  addition  of  unpaid  interest  to  the  loan  balance. 
Payment advantage ARMs have interest rates that are fixed for an 
initial period of five years. Payments are subject to reset if the 
minimum  payments  are  made  and  deferred  interest  limits  are 
reached. If interest deferrals cause a loan’s principal balance to 

reach a certain level within the first 10 years of the life of the loan, 
the payment is reset to the interest-only payment; then at the 10-
year point, the fully-amortizing payment is required.

The difference between the frequency of changes in a loan’s 
interest rates and payments along with a limitation on changes in 
the minimum monthly payments of 7.5 percent per year can result 
in payments that are not sufficient to pay all of the monthly interest 
charges (i.e., negative amortization). Unpaid interest is added to 
the loan balance until the loan balance increases to a specified 
limit, which can be no more than 115 percent of the original loan 
amount, at which time a new monthly payment amount adequate 
to repay the loan over its remaining contractual life is established.
At  December 31,  2012,  the  unpaid  principal  balance  of  pay 
option  loans  was  $9.4 billion,  with  a  carrying  amount  of 
$8.8 billion,  including  $8.1  billion  of  loans  that  were  credit-
impaired upon acquisition, and accordingly, the reserve is based 
on a life-of-loan loss estimate. The total unpaid principal balance 
of pay option loans with accumulated negative amortization was 
$6.4 billion including $464 million of negative amortization. For 
those  borrowers  who  are  making  payments  in  accordance  with 
their contractual terms, 17 percent and 22 percent at December 
31, 2012 and 2011 elected to make only the minimum payment 
on  option  ARMs.  We  believe  the  majority  of  borrowers  are  now 
making  scheduled  payments  primarily  because  the  low  rate 
environment has caused the fully indexed rates to be affordable 
to  more  borrowers.  We  continue  to  evaluate  our  exposure  to 
payment  resets  on  the  acquired  negative-amortizing  loans 
including the Countrywide PCI pay option loan portfolio and have 
taken  into  consideration  several  assumptions  regarding  this 
evaluation including prepayment and default rates. Of the loans 
in the pay option portfolio at December 31, 2012 that have not 
already experienced a payment reset, one percent are expected 
to  reset  in  2013  and  approximately  23  percent  thereafter.  In 
addition, seven percent are expected to prepay and 69 percent 
are expected to default prior to being reset, most of which were 
severely delinquent as of December 31, 2012.

Bank of America 2012     85

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio
Loans acquired with evidence of credit quality deterioration since 
origination and for which it is probable at purchase that we will be 
unable to collect all contractually required payments are accounted 
for under the accounting guidance for PCI loans, which addresses 
accounting for differences between contractual and expected cash 
flows  to  be  collected  from  the  purchaser’s  initial  investment  in 
loans if those differences are attributable, at least in part, to credit 
quality. Evidence of credit quality deterioration as of the acquisition 
date may include statistics such as past due status, refreshed 
FICO scores and refreshed LTVs. PCI loans are recorded at fair 
value  upon  acquisition  and  the  applicable  accounting  guidance 
prohibits carrying over or recording a valuation allowance in the 
initial accounting.

PCI loans that have similar risk characteristics, primarily credit 
risk, collateral type and interest rate risk, are pooled and accounted 
for as a single asset with a single composite interest rate and an 

aggregate expectation of cash flows. Once a pool is assembled, 
it is considered as if it were one loan for purposes of applying the 
accounting guidance for PCI loans. An individual loan is removed 
from  a  PCI  loan  pool  if  it  is  sold,  foreclosed,  forgiven  or  the 
expectation  of  any  future  proceeds  is  remote.  When  a  loan  is 
removed from a PCI loan pool and the foreclosure or recovery value 
of the loan is less than the loan’s carrying value, the difference is 
first applied against the PCI pool’s nonaccretable difference. If the 
nonaccretable difference has been fully utilized, only then is the 
PCI  pool’s  basis  applicable  to  that  loan  written-off  against  its 
valuation reserve; however, the integrity of the pool is maintained 
and it continues to be accounted for as if it were one loan.

Table 29 presents the unpaid principal balance, carrying value, 
related  valuation  allowance  and  the  net  carrying  value  as  a 
percentage of the unpaid principal balance for the Countrywide 
PCI loan portfolio.

Table 29 Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio

(Dollars in millions)

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total Countrywide purchased credit-impaired loan portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total Countrywide purchased credit-impaired loan portfolio

December 31, 2012

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

Carrying
Value

Related
Valuation
Allowance

Carrying
Value Net of
Valuation
Allowance

Percent of
Unpaid
Principal
Balance

$

$

$

$

8,898
8,324
9,281
26,503

10,426
12,516
11,891
34,833

$

$

$

$

8,737
8,547
8,834
26,118

$

$

1,061
2,428
2,047
5,536

$

$

December 31, 2011
$

$

1,111
5,129
2,219
8,459

$

$

9,966
11,978
9,857
31,801

7,676
6,119
6,787
20,582

8,855
6,849
7,638
23,342

86.27%
73.51
73.13
77.66

84.93%
54.72
64.23
67.01

The total Countrywide PCI unpaid principal balance decreased 
$8.3  billion,  or  24  percent,  in  2012  to  $26.5  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 primarily driven by liquidations, paydowns and 
payoffs.  In  addition,  the  decline  includes  loans  with  an  unpaid 
principal balance of $2.9 billion within the home equity portfolio 
that  were  forgiven  in  connection  with  the  National  Mortgage 
Settlement of which 92 percent were 180 days or more past due. 
For more information on the National Mortgage Settlement, see 
Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 76. 

Of  the  unpaid  principal  balance  of  $26.5  billion  at 
December 31, 2012, $7.3 billion was 180 days or more past due, 
including $6.5 billion of first-lien and $795 million of home equity 
loans. Of the $19.2 billion that was less than 180 days past due, 
$17.1 billion, or 89 percent of the total unpaid principal balance, 
was current based on the contractual terms while $1.3 billion, or 
seven percent, was in early stage delinquency. The home equity 
180 days or more past due balances declined $2.9 billion, or 79 
percent,  during  2012,  due  primarily  to  the  loans  forgiven  as 
discussed above.

During 2012, we recorded a provision benefit of $103 million 
for the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio including a benefit of $88 
million for discontinued real estate, a benefit of $27 million for 
residential mortgage loans and a provision expense of $12 million 
for home equity. This compared to a total provision of $2.1 billion 
in 2011. The decline in provision in 2012 was primarily driven by 
an improvement in our home price outlook. 

The  Countrywide  PCI  allowance  declined  $2.9  billion  during 
2012  driven  by  a  $2.7  billion  reduction  in  the  Countrywide  PCI 
home equity allowance primarily as a result of liquidations including 
the forgiveness of $2.5 billion of fully reserved home equity loans 
in connection with the National Mortgage Settlement. For further 
information on the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio, see Note 5 – 
Outstanding  Loans  and  Leases  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

In January 2013, in connection with the FNMA Settlement, we 
repurchased  for  $6.6  billion  certain  residential  mortgage  loans 
that had previously been sold to FNMA, which we have valued at 
less than the purchase price. The majority of these loans were 
classified as PCI loans when they were recorded in January 2013. 
For additional information, see Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 
and Contractual Obligations – Representations and Warranties on 
page 50.

Additional  information  on  the  Countrywide  PCI  residential 
mortgage,  home  equity  and  discontinued  real  estate  loan 
portfolios is provided in the following sections.

Purchased Credit-impaired Residential Mortgage Loan 
Portfolio
The Countrywide PCI residential mortgage loan portfolio comprised 
33  percent  of  the  total  Countrywide  PCI  loan  portfolio  at 
December 31, 2012. Those loans to borrowers with a refreshed 
FICO score below 620 represented 37 percent of the Countrywide 

86     Bank of America 2012

 
 
PCI  residential  mortgage  loan  portfolio  at  December 31,  2012. 
Loans  with  a  refreshed  LTV  greater  than  90 percent,  after 
consideration of purchase accounting adjustments and the related 
valuation allowance, represented 60 percent of the Countrywide 
PCI residential mortgage loan portfolio and 80 percent based on 
the unpaid principal balance at December 31, 2012. Those loans 
that were originally classified as Countrywide PCI discontinued real 
estate  loans  upon  acquisition  and  have  been  subsequently 
modified  are  now  included  in  the  Countrywide  PCI  residential 
mortgage  outstandings.  Table  30  presents  outstandings  net  of 
purchase accounting adjustments and before the related valuation 
allowance, by certain state concentrations.

Table 30 Outstanding Countrywide Purchased Credit-

impaired Loan Portfolio – Residential
Mortgage State Concentrations

(Dollars in millions)

California
Florida (1)
Virginia
Maryland
Texas
Other U.S./Non-U.S.

$

December 31

2012

2011

$

4,762
693
479
239
107
2,457
8,737

5,509
779
535
262
130
2,751
9,966

Total
In this state, foreclosure requires a court order following a legal proceeding (judicial state).

$

$

(1) 

Purchased Credit-impaired Home Equity Loan Portfolio
The Countrywide PCI home equity portfolio comprised 33 percent 
of the total Countrywide PCI loan portfolio at December 31, 2012. 
Those loans with a refreshed FICO score below 620 represented 
23  percent  of  the  Countrywide  PCI  home  equity  portfolio  at 
December 31, 2012. Loans with a refreshed CLTV greater than 
90 percent,  after  consideration  of  purchase  accounting 
adjustments and the related valuation allowance, represented 76 
percent  of  the  Countrywide  PCI  home  equity  portfolio  and  77 
percent based on the unpaid principal balance at December 31, 
2012. Table 31 presents outstandings net of purchase accounting 
adjustments and before the related valuation allowance, by certain 
state concentrations.

Table 31 Outstanding Countrywide Purchased Credit-

impaired Loan Portfolio – Home Equity State
Concentrations

(Dollars in millions)

California
Florida (1)
Virginia
Arizona
Colorado
Other U.S./Non-U.S.

$

December 31

2012

2011

$

2,614
509
380
294
260
4,490
8,547

4,051
840
467
422
335
5,863
11,978

Total
In this state, foreclosure requires a court order following a legal proceeding (judicial state).

$

$

(1) 

FICO score below 620 represented 62 percent of the Countrywide 
PCI discontinued real estate loan portfolio at December 31, 2012. 
Loans with a refreshed LTV, or CLTV in the case of second-liens, 
greater  than  90 percent,  after  consideration  of  purchase 
accounting  adjustments  and  the  related  valuation  allowance, 
represented 42 percent of the Countrywide PCI discontinued real 
estate loan portfolio and 81 percent based on the unpaid principal 
balance at December 31, 2012. Those loans that were originally 
classified as discontinued real estate loans upon acquisition and 
have  been  subsequently  modified  are  now  excluded  from  this 
portfolio and included in the Countrywide PCI residential mortgage 
loan portfolio, but remain in the PCI loan pool. Table 32 presents 
outstandings net of purchase accounting adjustments and before 
the related valuation adjustment, by certain state concentrations.

Table 32 Outstanding Countrywide Purchased Credit-
impaired Loan Portfolio – Discontinued Real
Estate State Concentrations

(Dollars in millions)

California
Florida (1)
Washington
Virginia
Arizona
Other U.S./Non-U.S.

$

December 31

2012

2011

$

4,492
1,119
282
240
202
2,499
8,834

5,285
1,041
311
273
241
2,706
9,857

Total
In this state, foreclosure requires a court order following a legal proceeding (judicial state).

$

$

(1) 

U.S. Credit Card
The U.S. credit card portfolio is managed in CBB. Outstandings in 
the U.S. credit card portfolio decreased $7.5 billion in 2012 due 
to higher payments, charge-offs and portfolio sales. Net charge-
offs  decreased  $2.6  billion  to  $4.6  billion  in  2012  due  to 
improvements in delinquencies and bankruptcies as a result of 
an  improved  economic  environment,  account  management  on 
higher  risk  accounts  and  the  impact  of  higher  credit  quality 
originations. U.S. credit card loans 30 days or more past due and 
still accruing interest decreased $1.1 billion while loans 90 days 
or more past due and still accruing interest decreased $633 million 
in  2012  due  to  improvement  in  the  U.S.  economy.  Table  33 
presents certain key credit statistics for the consumer U.S. credit 
card portfolio.

Table 33 U.S. Credit Card – Key Credit Statistics

(Dollars in millions)

Outstandings
Accruing past due 30 days or more
Accruing past due 90 days or more

December 31

2012
$ 94,835
2,748
1,437

2011
$ 102,291
3,823
2,070

2012

2011

Net charge-offs
Net charge-off ratios (1)
(1)  Net charge-off ratios are calculated as net charge-offs divided by average outstanding loans.

4.88%

7,276

4,632

6.90%

$

$

Purchased Credit-impaired Discontinued Real Estate Loan 
Portfolio
The  Countrywide  PCI  discontinued  real  estate  loan  portfolio 
comprised 34 percent of the total Countrywide PCI loan portfolio 
at December 31, 2012. Those loans to borrowers with a refreshed 

Unused lines of credit for U.S. credit card totaled $335.5 billion 
and $368.1 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. The $32.6 
billion decrease was driven by closure of inactive accounts and 
account management initiatives on higher risk accounts.

Bank of America 2012     87

Table 34 presents certain state concentrations for the U.S. credit card portfolio.

Table 34 U.S. Credit Card State Concentrations

(Dollars in millions)

California
Florida
Texas
New York
New Jersey
Other U.S.

Total U.S. credit card portfolio

December 31

Outstandings

Accruing Past Due
90 Days or More

Net Charge-offs

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

14,101
7,469
6,448
5,746
3,959
57,112
94,835

$

15,246
7,999
6,885
6,156
4,183
61,822
$ 102,291

$

$

235
149
92
91
60
810
1,437

$

$

352
221
131
126
86
1,154
2,070

$

$

840
512
290
263
178
2,549
4,632

$

$

1,402
838
429
403
275
3,929
7,276

Non-U.S. Credit Card
Outstandings  in  the  non-U.S.  credit  card  portfolio,  which  are 
recorded  in  All  Other,  decreased  $2.7  billion  in  2012  due  to 
transfers to LHFS, lower origination volume and charge-offs. Net 
charge-offs decreased $588 million to $581 million in 2012 due 
to the sale of the Canadian consumer credit card portfolio in 2011 
and improvement in delinquencies. 

Unused lines of credit for non-U.S. credit card decreased $1.1 
billion to $35.7 billion in 2012 driven by a decline in the number 
of outstanding accounts primarily offset by strengthening of the 
British Pound against the U.S. Dollar.

Table 35 presents certain key credit statistics for the non-U.S. 

credit card portfolio.

Table 35 Non-U.S. Credit Card – Key Credit Statistics

(Dollars in millions)

Outstandings
Accruing past due 30 days or more
Accruing past due 90 days or more

December 31

2012
$ 11,697
403
212

2011
$ 14,418
610
342

2012

2011

Net charge-offs
4.86%
Net charge-off ratios (1)
(1)  Net charge-off ratios are calculated as net charge-offs divided by average outstanding loans 

581
4.29%

1,169

$

$

and leases.

Direct/Indirect Consumer
At December 31, 2012, approximately 43 percent of the direct/
indirect portfolio was included in Global Banking (dealer financial 

Table 36 Direct/Indirect State Concentrations

services  -  automotive,  marine,  aircraft  and  recreational  vehicle 
loans), 39 percent was included in GWIM (principally securities-
based  lending  margin  loans  and  unsecured  personal  loans), 
12 percent  was  included  in All  Other  (the  IWM  business  based 
outside of the U.S. that was moved from GWIM and student loans) 
and the remaining portion was in CBB (consumer personal loans).
Outstanding loans and leases decreased $6.5 billion in 2012 
due  to  run-off  of  an  auto  loan  portfolio,  an  auto  loan  sale  and 
securitization  within  the  dealer  financial  services  portfolio  and 
lower outstandings in the unsecured consumer lending portfolio 
partially offset by growth in securities-based lending. For 2012, 
net charge-offs decreased $713 million to $763 million, or 0.90 
percent of total average direct/indirect loans compared to 1.64 
percent  for  2011.  This  decrease  was  primarily  driven  by 
improvements in delinquencies, collections and bankruptcies in 
the  unsecured  consumer  lending  portfolio  as  a  result  of  an 
improved economic environment as well as reduced outstandings. 
Partially offsetting this decline was $47 million of net charge-offs 
related to other secured consumer loans discharged in Chapter 7 
bankruptcy  as  a  result  of  new  regulatory  guidance.  For  more 
information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on 
page 76 and Table 21.

Net charge-offs in the unsecured consumer lending portfolio 
decreased $610 million to $485 million in 2012, or 7.68 percent 
of total average unsecured consumer lending loans compared to 
10.93 percent for 2011. Direct/indirect loans that were past due 
30 days or more and still accruing interest declined $537 million 
to $1.4 billion in 2012 due to improvements in both the unsecured 
consumer lending and dealer financial services portfolios.

Table 36 presents certain state concentrations for the direct/

indirect consumer loan portfolio.

(Dollars in millions)

California
Florida
Texas
New York
Georgia
Other U.S./Non-U.S.

Total direct/indirect loan portfolio

88     Bank of America 2012

December 31

Outstandings

Accruing Past Due
90 Days or More

Net Charge-offs

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

10,793
7,363
7,239
4,794
2,491
50,525
83,205

$

$

11,152
7,456
7,882
5,160
2,828
55,235
89,713

$

$

53
37
41
28
31
355
545

$

$

81
55
54
40
38
478
746

$

$

102
88
64
43
30
436
763

$

$

222
148
117
79
61
849
1,476

 
Other Consumer
At  December 31,  2012,  approximately  87  percent  of  the  $1.6 
billion  other  consumer  portfolio  was  associated  with  certain 
consumer finance businesses that we previously exited and non-
U.S. consumer loan portfolios that are included in All Other. The 
remainder is primarily deposit overdrafts included in CBB.

Consumer Loans Accounted for Under the Fair Value 
Option
Outstanding consumer loans accounted for under the fair value 
option were $1.0 billion at December 31, 2012 and included $858 
million  of  discontinued  real  estate  loans  and  $147  million  of 
residential  mortgage  loans  in  consolidated  variable  interest 
entities  (VIEs).  During  2012,  we  recorded  gains  of  $57  million 
resulting from changes in the fair value of the loan portfolio. These 
were offset by losses recorded on the related long-term debt.

Nonperforming Consumer Loans and Foreclosed 
Properties Activity
Table 37 presents nonperforming consumer loans and foreclosed 
properties activity during 2012 and 2011. Nonperforming LHFS 
are excluded from nonperforming loans as they are recorded at 
either fair value or the lower of cost or fair value. Nonperforming 
loans do not include past due consumer credit card loans, other 
unsecured loans and in general, consumer non-real estate-secured 
loans (excluding those loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy), 
as these loans are typically charged off no later than the end of 
the  month  in  which  the  loan  becomes  180 days  past  due.  The 
fully-insured  loan  portfolio  is  not  reported  as  nonperforming  as 
principal repayment is insured. Additionally, nonperforming loans 
do  not  include  the  Countrywide  PCI  loan  portfolio  or  loans 
accounted for under the fair value option. For further information 
on  nonperforming  loans,  see  Note  1  –  Summary  of  Significant 
Accounting Principles to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Nonperforming loans increased $663 million in 2012 to $19.4 
billion. During 2012, we reclassified to nonperforming $1.9 billion 
of junior-lien loans less than 90 days past due that have a senior-
lien loan that is 90 days or more past due and $1.2 billion of loans 
less than 60 days past due that were discharged in Chapter 7 

bankruptcy  upon  implementation  of  new  regulatory  guidance. 
These additions to nonperforming loans were partially offset by 
$435 million of nonperforming loans forgiven in connection with 
the National Mortgage Settlement. Excluding the impact of these 
items, nonperforming loans declined in 2012 as outflows outpaced 
new  inflows  which  continued  to  improve  due  to  favorable 
delinquency trends. For more information on the impacts related 
to  the  National  Mortgage  Settlement  and  guidance  issued  by 
regulatory  agencies,  see  Consumer  Portfolio  Credit  Risk 
Management on page 76 and Table 21.

The outstanding balance of a real estate-secured loan that is 
in  excess  of  the  estimated  property  value,  after  reducing  the 
estimated property value for estimated costs to sell, is charged 
off no later than the end of the month in which the loan becomes 
180 days past due unless repayment of the loan is fully insured. 
At  December 31,  2012,  $10.7 billion,  or  54 percent,  of 
nonperforming  consumer  real  estate  loans  and  foreclosed 
properties had been written down to their estimated property value 
including  $10.1 billion  of 
less  estimated  costs 
nonperforming loans 180 days or more past due and $650 million 
of foreclosed properties.

to  sell, 

Foreclosed  properties  decreased  $1.3  billion  in  2012  as 
liquidations  outpaced  additions.  PCI  loans  are  excluded  from 
nonperforming loans as these loans were written down to fair value 
at the acquisition date; however, once the underlying real estate 
is acquired by the Corporation upon foreclosure of the delinquent 
PCI loan, it is included in foreclosed properties. Countrywide PCI 
related  foreclosed  properties  decreased  $322  million  in  2012. 
Not included in foreclosed properties at December 31, 2012 was 
$2.5 billion of real estate that was acquired upon foreclosure of 
delinquent  FHA-insured  loans.  We  hold  this  real  estate  on  our 
balance sheet until we convey these properties to the FHA. We 
exclude  these  amounts  from  our  nonperforming  loans  and 
foreclosed properties activity as we will be reimbursed once the 
property is conveyed to the FHA for principal  and, up to certain 
limits, costs incurred during the foreclosure process and interest 
incurred during the holding period. For additional information on 
the review of our foreclosure processes, see Off-Balance Sheet 
Arrangements  and  Contractual  Obligations  –  Other  Mortgage-
related Matters on page 57.

Bank of America 2012     89

Restructured Loans
Nonperforming loans also include certain loans that have been 
modified in TDRs where economic concessions have been granted 
to borrowers experiencing financial difficulties. These concessions 
typically result from the Corporation’s loss mitigation activities and 
could include reductions in the interest rate, payment extensions, 
forgiveness  of  principal,  forbearance  or  other  actions.  Certain 

TDRs are classified as nonperforming at the time of restructuring 
and may only be returned to performing status after considering 
the borrower’s sustained repayment performance for a reasonable 
period, generally six months. Nonperforming TDRs, excluding those 
modified loans in the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio, are included 
in Table 37.

Table 37 Nonperforming Consumer Loans and Foreclosed Properties Activity (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Nonperforming loans, January 1
Additions to nonperforming loans:

New nonperforming loans
Implementation of change in treatment of loans discharged in bankruptcies (2)
Implementation of regulatory interagency guidance (3)

Reductions to nonperforming loans:

Paydowns and payoffs
Sales
Returns to performing status (4)
Charge-offs (5)
Transfers to foreclosed properties (6)

Total net additions (reductions) to nonperforming loans
Total nonperforming loans, December 31 (7)

Foreclosed properties, January 1 (8)
Additions to foreclosed properties:
New foreclosed properties (6)

Reductions to foreclosed properties:

Sales
Write-downs

Total net additions (reductions) to foreclosed properties
Total foreclosed properties, December 31
Nonperforming consumer loans and foreclosed properties, December 31

2012

2011

$

18,768

$

20,854

13,084
1,162
1,853

(3,801)
(47)
(4,203)
(6,544)
(841)
663
19,431
1,991

15,723
n/a
n/a

(3,318)
—
(4,741)
(8,095)
(1,655)
(2,086)
18,768
1,249

1,129

2,996

(2,283)
(187)
(1,341)
650
20,081

$

(1,993)
(261)
742
1,991
20,759

$

Nonperforming consumer loans as a percentage of outstanding consumer loans (9)
Nonperforming consumer loans and foreclosed properties as a percentage of outstanding consumer loans and foreclosed properties (9)
(1)  Balances do not include nonperforming LHFS of $676 million and $659 million and nonaccruing TDRs removed from the Countrywide PCI portfolio prior to January 1, 2010 of $521 million and $477 
million at December 31, 2012 and 2011 as well as loans accruing past due 90 days or more as presented in Table 22 and Note 5 – Outstanding Loans and Leases to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements.
In 2012, we added $1.2 billion to nonperforming loans as a result of new regulatory guidance on loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. For more information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk 
Management on page 76 and Table 21.

3.09%
3.41

3.52%
3.63

(2) 

(3)  As a result of the regulatory interagency guidance, we reclassified $1.9 billion of performing home equity loans to nonperforming during 2012. For more information, see Consumer Portfolio Credit 

Risk Management on page 76.

(4)  Consumer loans may be returned to performing status when all principal and interest is current and full repayment of the remaining contractual principal and interest is expected, or when the loan 

otherwise becomes well-secured and is in the process of collection.

(5)  Our policy is to not classify consumer credit card and non-bankruptcy related consumer loans not secured by real estate as nonperforming; therefore, the charge-offs on these loans have no impact 

on nonperforming activity and accordingly are excluded from this table.

(6)  New foreclosed properties represents transfers of nonperforming loans to foreclosed properties net of charge-offs taken during the first 90 days after transfer of a loan to foreclosed properties. New 
foreclosed properties also includes properties obtained upon foreclosure of delinquent PCI loans, properties repurchased due to representations and warranties exposure and properties acquired 
with newly consolidated subsidiaries.

(7)  At December 31, 2012, 52 percent of nonperforming loans were 180 days or more past due and were written down through charge-offs to 62 percent of the unpaid principal balance.
(8)  Foreclosed property balances do not include loans that are insured by the FHA and have entered foreclosure of $2.5 billion and $1.4 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 
(9)  Outstanding consumer loans exclude loans accounted for under the fair value option.
n/a = not applicable

Our policy is to record any losses in the value of foreclosed 
properties as a reduction in the allowance for loan and lease losses 
during  the  first  90 days  after  transfer  of  a  loan  to  foreclosed 
properties.  Thereafter,  further  losses  in  value  are  recorded  in 
noninterest expense. New foreclosed properties included in Table 
37  are  net  of  $261  million  and  $352  million  of  charge-offs  for 
2012 and 2011, recorded during the first 90 days after transfer. 
In  2012,  new  regulatory  guidance  was  issued  addressing 
secured consumer loans that have been discharged in Chapter 7 

bankruptcy, and as a result, $3.6 billion of loans were included in 
TDRs at December 31, 2012, of which $1.2 billion were current 
or less than 60 days past due upon implementation. Of the $3.6 
billion  of  TDRs,  approximately  27  percent,  41  percent  and  32 
percent had been discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2012, 
2011  and  prior  years,  respectively.  For  more  information,  see 
Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 76 and Table 
21.

90     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 38 presents TDRs for the home loans portfolio. Performing TDR balances are excluded from nonperforming loans in Table 

37.

Table 38 Home Loans Troubled Debt Restructurings

(Dollars in millions)

Residential mortgage (1, 2)
Home equity (3)
Discontinued real estate (4)

Total home loans troubled debt restructurings

December 31

Total

27,758
2,125
367
30,250

$

$

2012
Nonperforming
8,806
$
1,242
234
10,282

$

$

$

Performing

Total

18,952
883
133
19,968

$

$

19,287
1,776
399
21,462

2011
Nonperforming
5,034
$
543
214
5,791

$

$

$

Performing

14,253
1,233
185
15,671

(1)  Residential mortgage TDRs deemed collateral dependent totaled $9.1 billion and $5.3 billion, and included $6.2 billion and $2.2 billion of loans classified as nonperforming and $2.9 billion and 

$3.1 billion of loans classified as performing at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(2)  Residential mortgage performing TDRs included $11.9 billion and $7.0 billion of loans that were fully-insured at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
(3)  Home equity TDRs deemed collateral dependent totaled $1.4 billion and $824 million, and included $1.0 billion and $282 million of loans classified as nonperforming and $348 million and $542 

million of loans classified as performing at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(4)  Discontinued real estate TDRs deemed collateral dependent totaled $253 million and $230 million, and included $170 million and $118 million of loans classified as nonperforming and $83 million 

and $112 million as performing at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

We work with customers that are experiencing financial difficulty 
by modifying credit card and other consumer loans, while complying 
with  Federal  Financial  Institutions  Examination  Council  (FFIEC) 
guidelines. Substantially all of our credit card and other consumer 
loan modifications involve a reduction in the customer’s interest 
rate on the account and placing the customer on a fixed payment 
plan not exceeding 60 months, both of which are considered to 
be TDRs (the renegotiated TDR portfolio). We make modifications 
primarily through internal renegotiation programs utilizing direct 
customer  contact,  but  may  also  utilize  external  renegotiation 
programs.  The  renegotiated  TDR  portfolio  is  generally  excluded 
from Table 37 as substantially all of the loans remain on accrual 
status until either charged off or paid in full. The renegotiated TDR 
portfolio included $58 million of non-real estate-secured loans at 
December 31, 2012 that were discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy 
as  a  result  of  new  regulatory  guidance  and  classified  as 
nonperforming  loans.  At  December  31,  2012  and  2011,  our 
renegotiated TDR portfolio was $3.9 billion and $7.1 billion, of 
which  $3.1  billion  and  $5.5  billion  were  current  or  less  than 
30 days past due under the modified terms. The decline in the 
renegotiated TDR portfolio was primarily driven by paydowns and 
charge-offs as well as lower new program enrollments. For more 
information  on  the  renegotiated  TDR  portfolio,  see  Note  5  – 
Outstanding  Loans  and  Leases  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

Commercial Portfolio Credit Risk Management
Credit risk management for the commercial portfolio begins with 
an  assessment  of  the  credit  risk  profile  of  the  borrower  or 
counterparty based on an analysis of its financial position. As part 
of  the  overall  credit  risk  assessment,  our  commercial  credit 
exposures are assigned a risk rating and are subject to approval 
based on defined credit approval standards. Subsequent to loan 
origination, risk ratings are monitored on an ongoing basis, and if 
necessary, adjusted to reflect changes in the financial condition, 

cash flow, risk profile or outlook of a borrower or counterparty. In 
making credit decisions, we consider risk rating, collateral, country, 
industry and single name concentration limits while also balancing 
the total borrower or counterparty relationship. Our business and 
risk management personnel use a variety of tools to continuously 
monitor the ability of a borrower or counterparty to perform under 
its obligations. We use risk rating aggregations to measure and 
evaluate concentrations within portfolios. In addition, risk ratings 
are a factor in determining the level of assigned economic capital 
and the allowance for credit losses.

For 

information  on  our  accounting  policies 

regarding 
delinquencies, nonperforming status and net charge-offs for the 
commercial  portfolio,  see  Note  1  –  Summary  of  Significant 
Accounting Principles to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Management of Commercial Credit Risk
Concentrations
Commercial credit risk is evaluated and managed with the goal 
that concentrations of credit exposure do not result in undesirable 
levels of risk. We review, measure and manage concentrations of 
credit  exposure  by  industry,  product,  geography,  customer 
relationship and loan size. We also review, measure and manage 
commercial real estate loans by geographic location and property 
type.  In  addition,  within  our  international  portfolio,  we  evaluate 
exposures  by region  and  by  country.  Tables  43,  48, 56 and  57 
summarize  our  concentrations.  We  also  utilize  syndications  of 
exposure  to  third  parties,  loan  sales,  hedging  and  other  risk 
mitigation techniques to manage the size and risk profile of the 
commercial credit portfolio. 

As part of our ongoing risk mitigation initiatives, we attempt to 
work with clients experiencing financial difficulty to modify their 
loans to terms that better align with their current ability to pay. In 
situations where an economic concession has been granted to a 
borrower experiencing financial difficulty, we identify these loans 
as TDRs.

Bank of America 2012     91

 
We  account  for  certain  large  corporate  loans  and  loan 
commitments,  including  issued  but  unfunded  letters  of  credit 
which are considered utilized for credit risk management purposes, 
that exceed our single name credit risk concentration guidelines 
under the fair value option. Lending commitments, both funded 
and  unfunded,  are  actively  managed  and  monitored,  and  as 
appropriate,  credit  risk  for  these  lending  relationships  may  be 
mitigated  through  the  use  of  credit  derivatives,  with  the 
Corporation’s credit view and market perspectives determining the 
size and timing of the hedging activity. In addition, we purchase 
credit  protection  to  cover  the  funded  portion  as  well  as  the 
unfunded portion of certain other credit exposures. To lessen the 

Table 39 Commercial Loans and Leases

cost  of  obtaining  our  desired  credit  protection  levels,  credit 
exposure  may  be  added  within  an  industry,  borrower  or 
counterparty group by selling protection. These credit derivatives 
do not meet the requirements for treatment as accounting hedges. 
They are carried at fair value with changes in fair value recorded 
in other income (loss).

Commercial Credit Portfolio
Table 39 presents our commercial loans and leases, and related 
credit quality information at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate (1)
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

U.S. small business commercial (2)

Commercial loans excluding loans accounted for under the fair value option

Loans accounted for under the fair value option (3)

Total commercial loans and leases

December 31

Outstandings

Nonperforming

Accruing Past Due
90 Days or More

2012
$ 197,126
38,637
23,843
74,184
333,790
12,593
346,383
7,997
$ 354,380

2011
$ 179,948
39,596
21,989
55,418
296,951
13,251
310,202
6,614
$ 316,816

$

$

2012

2011

2012

2011

1,484
1,513
44
68
3,109
115
3,224
11
3,235

$

$

2,174
3,880
26
143
6,223
114
6,337
73
6,410

$

$

65
29
15
—
109
120
229
—
229

$

$

75
7
14
—
96
216
312
—
312

(1) 

(2) 

Includes U.S. commercial real estate loans of $37.2 billion and $37.8 billion and non-U.S. commercial real estate loans of $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
Includes card-related products.

(3)  Commercial loans accounted for under the fair value option include U.S. commercial loans of $2.3 billion and $2.2 billion, and non-U.S. commercial loans of $5.7 billion and $4.4 billion at December 

31, 2012 and 2011. See Note 22 – Fair Value Option to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on the fair value option.

Outstanding  commercial  loans  and  leases  increased  $37.6 
billion  in  2012,  primarily  in  non-U.S.  commercial  and  U.S. 
commercial. During 2012, credit quality in the commercial loan 
portfolio continued to show improvement relative to the prior year. 
Reservable criticized balances and nonperforming loans, leases 
and foreclosed property balances in the commercial credit portfolio 
declined  during  2012  and  the  declines  were  primarily  in  the 
commercial 
real  estate  and  U.S.  commercial  portfolios. 
Commercial real estate continued to show improvement in both 
the  residential  and  non-residential  portfolios.  The  reduction  in 
reservable criticized U.S. commercial loans was driven by broad-
based  improvements  in  terms  of  clients,  industries  and 
businesses.  Most  other  credit  indicators  across  the  remaining 
commercial portfolios also improved in 2012. The allowance for 
loan and lease losses declined $1.0 billion from December 31, 
2011 to $3.1 billion at December 31, 2012 due to improvements 

Table 40 Commercial Net Charge-offs and Related Ratios

in  the  core  commercial  portfolio  (total  commercial  products 
excluding  U.S.  small  business).  For  more  information,  see 
Allowance for Credit Losses on page 105. 

Nonperforming commercial loans and leases as a percentage 
of  outstanding  commercial  loans  and  leases  was  0.91  percent 
and 2.02 percent (0.93 percent and 2.04 percent excluding loans 
accounted for under the fair value option) at December 31, 2012 
and 2011. Accruing commercial loans and leases past due 90 
days or more as a percentage of outstanding commercial loans 
and leases was 0.06 percent and 0.10 percent at December 31, 
2012 and 2011. 

Table 40 presents net charge-offs and related ratios for our 
commercial  loans  and  leases  for  2012  and  2011.  Improving 
portfolio  trends  drove  lower  charge-offs  across  most  of  the 
portfolio. 

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial

Net Charge-offs

Net Charge-off Ratios (1)

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

242
384
(6)
28
648
699
1,347

$

$

195
947
24
152
1,318
995
2,313

0.13%
1.01
(0.03)
0.05
0.21
5.46
0.43

0.11%
2.13
0.11
0.36
0.46
7.12
0.77

(1)  Net charge-off ratios are calculated as net charge-offs divided by average outstanding loans and leases excluding loans accounted for under the fair value option.

92     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
Table  41  presents  commercial  credit  exposure  by  type  for 
utilized, unfunded and total binding committed credit exposure. 
Commercial utilized credit exposure includes SBLCs and financial 
guarantees,  bankers’  acceptances  and  commercial  letters  of 
credit  for  which  we  are  legally  bound  to  advance  funds  under 
prescribed conditions, during a specified period. Although funds 
have not yet been advanced, these exposure types are considered 
utilized  for  credit  risk  management  purposes.  Total  commercial 
committed  credit  exposure  increased  $16.5  billion  in  2012 
primarily driven by increases in loans and LHFS, partially offset by 
decreases  in  derivative  assets,  and  SBLCs  and  financial 
guarantees.

Table 41 Commercial Credit Exposure by Type

Total commercial utilized credit exposure increased $5.2 billion 
in 2012 primarily driven by the same factors as total commercial 
committed exposure as described in the previous paragraph. The 
decrease in derivatives relates primarily to a lower valuation of 
existing trades due to interest rate decreases along with reduced 
trading volume. The utilization rate for loans and leases, SBLCs 
and financial guarantees, commercial letters of credit and bankers’ 
acceptances  was  58  percent  and  57  percent  at  December 31, 
2012 and 2011.

(Dollars in millions)

Loans and leases
Derivative assets (4)
Standby letters of credit and financial guarantees
Debt securities and other investments
Loans held-for-sale
Commercial letters of credit
Bankers’ acceptances
Foreclosed properties and other (5)

Total

Commercial 
Utilized (1)

December 31

Commercial 
Unfunded (2, 3)

Total Commercial
Committed

2012
$ 354,380
53,497
41,036
10,937
7,928
2,065
185
1,699
$ 471,727

2011
$ 316,816
73,023
55,384
11,108
5,006
2,411
797
1,964
$ 466,509

2012
$ 281,915
—
2,119
6,914
3,763
564
3
—
$ 295,278

2011
$ 276,195
—
1,592
5,147
229
832
28
—
$ 284,023

2012
$ 636,295
53,497
43,155
17,851
11,691
2,629
188
1,699
$ 767,005

2011
$ 593,011
73,023
56,976
16,255
5,235
3,243
825
1,964
$ 750,532

(1)  Total commercial utilized exposure at December 31, 2012 and 2011 includes loans and issued letters of credit and is comprised of loans outstanding of $8.0 billion and $6.6 billion and commercial 

letters of credit with a notional value of $672 million and $1.3 billion accounted for under the fair value option.

(2)  Total commercial unfunded exposure at December 31, 2012 and 2011 includes loan commitments with a notional value of $17.6 billion and $24.4 billion accounted for under the fair value option.
(3)  Excludes unused business card lines which are not legally binding.
(4)  Derivative assets are carried at fair value, reflect the effects of legally enforceable master netting agreements and have been reduced by cash collateral of $58.1 billion and $58.9 billion at December 
31, 2012 and 2011. Not reflected in utilized and committed exposure is additional derivative collateral held of $18.7 billion and $16.1 billion which consists primarily of other marketable securities.
Includes $1.3 billion of monoline exposure at both December 31, 2012 and 2011, as discussed in Monoline Exposure on page 99.

(5) 

Table  42  presents  commercial  utilized  reservable  criticized 
exposure by product type. Criticized exposure corresponds to the 
Special Mention, Substandard and Doubtful asset categories as 
defined  by  regulatory  authorities.  Total  commercial  utilized 
reservable  criticized  exposure  decreased  $11.3  billion,  or  42 
percent,  in  2012  primarily  in  commercial  real  estate  and  U.S. 

commercial property types driven largely by continued paydowns, 
rating upgrades, charge-offs and sales outpacing downgrades. At 
December 31,  2012,  approximately  82  percent  of  commercial 
utilized reservable criticized exposure was secured compared to 
85 percent at December 31, 2011.

Table 42 Commercial Utilized Reservable Criticized Exposure

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. commercial 
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial utilized reservable criticized exposure

December 31

2012

2011

Amount (1)
8,631
$
3,782
969
1,614
14,996
940
15,936

$

Percent (2)

Amount (1)
3.72% $ 11,731
9.24
11,525
4.06
1,140
2.02
1,524
3.98
25,920
7.45
1,327
4.10
$ 27,247

Percent (2)

5.16%

27.13
5.18
2.44
7.32
10.01
7.41

(1)  Total commercial utilized reservable criticized exposure at December 31, 2012 and 2011 includes loans and leases of $14.6 billion and $25.3 billion and commercial letters of credit of $1.3 billion 

and $1.9 billion.

(2)  Percentages are calculated as commercial utilized reservable criticized exposure divided by total commercial utilized reservable exposure for each exposure category.

Bank of America 2012     93

 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Commercial
At December 31, 2012, 68 percent of the U.S. commercial loan 
portfolio,  excluding  small  business,  was  managed  in  Global 
Banking, 10 percent in Global Markets, 10 percent in CBB and the 
remainder primarily in GWIM (business-purpose loans for wealthy 
clients).  U.S.  commercial  loans,  excluding  loans  accounted  for 
under the fair value option, increased $17.2 billion, or 10 percent, 
in 2012 primarily due to greater client demand in middle-market 
segments, dealer financing and specialized industries, and growth 
in  certain  asset-backed  lending  products.  Reservable  criticized 
balances  and  nonperforming  loans  and  leases  declined  $3.1 
billion and $690 million in 2012. The declines were broad-based 
in  terms  of  clients  and  industries  and  were  driven  by  improved 
client credit profiles and liquidity. Net charge-offs increased $47 
million  in  2012  due  primarily  to  lower  recoveries  compared  to 
2011.

Commercial Real Estate
The commercial real estate portfolio is predominantly managed in 
Global Banking and consists of loans made primarily to public and 

private developers, and commercial real estate firms. Outstanding 
loans  decreased  $959  million,  or  two  percent,  in  2012  due  to 
paydowns outpacing new originations and renewals.

The  portfolio  remains  diversified  across  property  types  and 
geographic  regions.  California  represented  the  largest  state 
concentration at 23 percent and 20 percent of commercial real 
estate loans and leases at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 

Commercial  real  estate  credit  quality  improved  significantly 
during  2012.  Nonperforming  commercial  real  estate  loans  and 
foreclosed  properties  decreased  $2.7  billion,  or  61  percent,  in 
2012  primarily  in  the  non-residential  portfolio.  Reservable 
criticized balances decreased $7.7 billion, or 67 percent, primarily 
due  to  declines  in  the  non-residential  portfolio.  Net  charge-offs 
declined  $563  million  in  2012  compared  to  2011  due  to 
improvement in both the residential and non-residential portfolios.
Table 43 presents outstanding commercial real estate loans 
by  geographic  region,  based  on  the  geographic  location  of  the 
collateral, and by property type. Commercial real estate primarily 
includes  commercial  loans  and  leases  secured  by  non-owner-
occupied real estate which is dependent on the sale or lease of 
the real estate as the primary source of repayment.

Table 43 Outstanding Commercial Real Estate Loans

(Dollars in millions)

By Geographic Region 

California
Northeast
Southwest
Southeast
Midwest
Florida
Midsouth
Illinois
Northwest
Non-U.S. 
Other (1)

Total outstanding commercial real estate loans

By Property Type
Non-residential

Office
Multi-family rental
Shopping centers/retail
Industrial/warehouse
Hotels/motels
Multi-use
Land and land development
Other

Total non-residential

Residential

Total outstanding commercial real estate loans

December 31

2012

2011

$

$

$

$

8,792
7,315
4,612
4,440
3,421
2,148
1,980
1,700
1,553
1,483
1,193
38,637

9,324
5,893
5,780
3,839
3,095
2,186
1,157
5,722
36,996
1,641
38,637

$

7,957
6,554
5,243
4,844
4,051
2,502
1,751
1,871
1,574
1,824
1,425
$ 39,596

$

7,571
6,105
5,985
3,988
2,653
3,218
1,599
6,050
37,169
2,427
$ 39,596

(1) 

Includes unsecured outstandings to real estate investment trusts and national home builders whose portfolios of properties span multiple geographic regions and properties in the states of Colorado, 
Utah, Hawaii, Wyoming and Montana.

During 2012, we continued to see improvements in both the 
residential and non-residential portfolios; however, portions of the 
non-residential  portfolio  in  certain  markets  may  be  subject  to 
additional  risk.  We  use  a  number  of  proactive  risk  mitigation 
initiatives  to  reduce  utilized  and  potential  exposure  in  the 

commercial real estate portfolios including ongoing refinement of 
our  credit  standards,  additional  transfers  of  deteriorating 
exposures to management by independent special asset officers 
and the pursuit of loan restructurings or asset sales to achieve 
the best results for our customers and the Corporation.

94     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
Tables 44 and 45 present commercial real estate credit quality 
data  by  non-residential  and  residential  property  types.  The 
residential portfolio presented in Tables 43, 44 and 45 includes 
condominiums and other residential real estate. Other property 

types in Tables 43, 44 and 45 primarily include special purpose, 
nursing/retirement homes, medical facilities and restaurants, as 
well as unsecured loans to borrowers whose primary business is 
commercial real estate.

Table 44 Commercial Real Estate Credit Quality Data

(Dollars in millions)

Non-residential

Office
Multi-family rental
Shopping centers/retail
Industrial/warehouse
Hotels/motels
Multi-use
Land and land development
Other

Total non-residential

Residential

Total commercial real estate

(1) 

(2) 

Includes commercial foreclosed properties of $250 million and $612 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
Includes loans, SBLCs and bankers’ acceptances and excludes loans accounted for under the fair value option.

Table 45 Commercial Real Estate Net Charge-offs and Related Ratios

(Dollars in millions)

Non-residential

Office
Multi-family rental
Shopping centers/retail
Industrial/warehouse
Hotels/motels
Multi-use
Land and land development
Other

Total non-residential

Residential

December 31

Nonperforming Loans and
Foreclosed Properties (1)

Utilized Reservable
Criticized Exposure (2)

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

$

295
109
230
160
45
123
321
87
1,370
393
1,763

$

$

807
339
561
521
173
345
530
223
3,499
993
4,492

$

$

914
375
464
324
202
309
359
301
3,248
534
3,782

$

$

2,375
1,604
1,378
1,317
716
971
749
997
10,107
1,418
11,525

Net Charge-offs

Net Charge-off Ratios (1)

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

106
13
57
49
11
66
(23)
31
310
74
384

126
36
184
88
23
61
152
19
689
258
947

1.36%
0.23
1.00
1.31
0.39
2.46
(1.73)
0.51
0.86
3.74
1.01

1.51%
0.52
2.69
1.94
0.86
1.63
7.58
0.33
1.67
8.00
2.13

Total commercial real estate

$
(1)  Net charge-off ratios are calculated as net charge-offs divided by average outstanding loans excluding loans accounted for under the fair value option.

$

At  December 31,  2012,  total  committed  non-residential 
exposure  was  $54.5  billion  compared  to  $53.1  billion  at 
December 31, 2011, of which $37.0 billion and $37.2 billion were 
funded secured loans. Non-residential nonperforming loans and 
foreclosed  properties  were  $1.4  billion  and  $3.5  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011, which represented 3.68 percent 
and  9.29  percent  of  total  non-residential  loans  and  foreclosed 
properties.  The  decline  in  nonperforming  loans  and  foreclosed 
properties in the non-residential portfolio was driven by decreases 
in the office, industrial/warehouse, shopping centers/retail and 
multi-family 
types.  Non-residential  utilized 
reservable criticized exposure decreased to $3.2 billion, or 8.27 
percent  of  non-residential  utilized  reservable  exposure,  at 
December 31, 2012 compared to $10.1 billion, or 25.34 percent, 
at  December 31,  2011  primarily  driven  by  repayments  and  an 
overall improvement in credit quality. The decrease in reservable 
criticized  exposure  was  primarily  driven  by  office,  multi-family 
rental, industrial/warehouse and shopping centers/retail property 
types  in  the  non-residential  portfolio.  For  the  non-residential 
portfolio,  net  charge-offs  decreased  $379  million  in  2012 

rental  property 

compared  to  2011  primarily  due  to  improving  appraisal  values, 
improved borrower credit profiles and higher recoveries.

At December 31, 2012, total committed residential exposure 
was $3.2 billion compared to $3.9 billion at December 31, 2011, 
of which $1.6 billion and $2.4 billion were funded secured loans. 
The  decline  in  residential  committed  exposure  was  due  to 
repayments,  net  charge-offs,  and  continued  risk  reduction  and 
mitigation initiatives in line with our portfolio strategy. Residential 
nonperforming loans and foreclosed properties decreased $600 
million  in  2012  due  to  repayments,  a  decline  in  the  volume  of 
loans being downgraded to nonaccrual status and net charge-offs. 
Residential  utilized  reservable  criticized  exposure  decreased 
$884 million to $534 million due to repayments and net charge-
offs. The nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties 
and  the  utilized  reservable  criticized  ratios  for  the  residential 
portfolio were 23.33 percent and 31.56 percent at December 31, 
2012  compared  to  38.89  percent  and  54.65  percent  at 
December 31, 2011. Net charge-offs for the residential portfolio 
decreased $184 million in 2012 compared to 2011.

Bank of America 2012     95

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the commercial real estate 
loan  portfolio  included  $6.7  billion  and  $10.9  billion  of  funded 
construction and land development loans that were originated to 
fund  the  construction  and/or  rehabilitation  of  commercial 
properties.  The  decline  in  construction  and  land  development 
loans was driven by repayments, net charge-offs, continued risk 
mitigation initiatives and a reduced emphasis on new originations. 
This portfolio is mostly secured and diversified across property 
types and geographic regions but faces continuing challenges in 
the housing markets. Reservable criticized construction and land 
development  loans  totaled  $1.5  billion  and  $4.9  billion,  and 
nonperforming  construction  and  land  development  loans  and 
foreclosed  properties  totaled  $730  million  and  $2.1  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. During a property’s construction 
phase, interest income is typically paid from interest reserves that 
are established at the inception of the loan. As construction is 
completed  and  the  property  is  put  into  service,  these  interest 
reserves are depleted and interest payments from operating cash 
flows  begin.  Loans  generally  continue  to  be  classified  as 
construction loans until operating cash flows reach appropriate 
levels or the loans are refinanced. We do not recognize interest 
income on nonperforming loans regardless of the existence of an 
interest reserve.

Non-U.S. Commercial
At December 31, 2012, 72 percent of the non-U.S. commercial 
loan portfolio was managed in Global Banking and 28 percent in 
Global Markets. Outstanding loans, excluding loans accounted for 
under  the  fair  value  option,  increased  $18.8  billion  in  2012 
primarily  due  to  increased  client  financing  activity,  structured 
lending and trade finance exposures. Net charge-offs decreased 
$124  million  in  2012  compared  to  2011.  For  additional 
information on the non-U.S. commercial portfolio, see Non-U.S. 
Portfolio on page 101.

U.S. Small Business Commercial
The U.S. small business commercial loan portfolio is comprised 
of small business card and small business loans managed in CBB. 
Card-related products were 45 percent and 46 percent of the U.S. 

small business commercial portfolio at December 31, 2012 and 
2011. U.S. small business commercial net charge-offs decreased 
$296 million in 2012 compared to 2011 driven by improvements 
in delinquencies, collections and bankruptcies resulting from an 
improved economic environment as well as the reduction of higher 
risk vintages and the impact of higher credit quality originations. 
Of the U.S. small business commercial net charge-offs, 58 percent 
were credit card-related products in 2012 compared to 74 percent 
in 2011.

Commercial Loans Accounted for Under the Fair Value 
Option
The  portfolio  of  commercial  loans  accounted  for  under  the  fair 
value option is managed primarily in Global Banking. Outstanding 
commercial  loans  accounted  for  under  the  fair  value  option 
increased $1.4 billion to an aggregate fair value of $8.0 billion at 
December 31,  2012  primarily  due  to  increased  corporate 
borrowings under bank credit facilities. We recorded net gains of 
$213 million in 2012 compared to net losses of $174 million in 
2011 resulting from changes in the fair value of the loan portfolio. 
These  amounts  were  primarily  attributable  to  changes  in 
instrument-specific  credit  risk,  were  recorded  in  other  income 
(loss) and do not reflect the results of hedging activities.

In addition, unfunded lending commitments and letters of credit 
accounted for under the fair value option had an aggregate fair 
value of $528 million and $1.2 billion at December 31, 2012 and 
2011  which  was  recorded  in  accrued  expenses  and  other 
liabilities. The associated aggregate notional amount of unfunded 
lending commitments and letters of credit accounted for under the 
fair  value  option  was  $18.3  billion  and  $25.7  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. We recorded net gains of $704 
million from changes in the fair value of commitments and letters 
of credit during 2012 compared to net losses of $429 million in 
2011 resulting from maturities and terminations at par value and 
changes in the fair value of the loan portfolio. These amounts were 
primarily attributable to changes in instrument-specific credit risk, 
were recorded in other income (loss) and do not reflect the results 
of hedging activities.

96     Bank of America 2012

Nonperforming Commercial Loans, Leases and 
Foreclosed Properties Activity
Table 46 presents the nonperforming commercial loans, leases 
and  foreclosed  properties  activity  during  2012  and  2011. 
Nonperforming  commercial  loans  and  leases  decreased  $3.1 
billion to $3.2 billion at December 31, 2012 driven by paydowns, 
charge-offs  and  sales  outpacing  new  nonperforming  loans. 
Approximately  94  percent  of  commercial  nonperforming  loans, 

leases and foreclosed properties are secured and approximately 
45 percent are contractually current. Commercial nonperforming 
loans  are  carried  at  approximately  76  percent  of  their  unpaid 
principal balance before consideration of the allowance for loan 
and lease losses as the carrying value of these loans has been 
reduced to the estimated property value less estimated costs to 
sell.

Table 46 Nonperforming Commercial Loans, Leases and Foreclosed Properties Activity (1, 2)

(Dollars in millions)

Nonperforming loans and leases, January 1
Additions to nonperforming loans and leases:

New nonperforming loans and leases
Advances

Reductions to nonperforming loans and leases:

Paydowns
Sales
Returns to performing status (3)
Charge-offs (4)
Transfers to foreclosed properties (5)
Transfers to loans held-for-sale

Total net reductions to nonperforming loans and leases
Total nonperforming loans and leases, December 31

Foreclosed properties, January 1
Additions to foreclosed properties:
New foreclosed properties (5)

Reductions to foreclosed properties:

Sales
Write-downs

Total net reductions to foreclosed properties
Total foreclosed properties, December 31
Nonperforming commercial loans, leases and foreclosed properties, December 31

Nonperforming commercial loans and leases as a percentage of outstanding commercial loans and leases (6)
Nonperforming commercial loans, leases and foreclosed properties as a percentage of outstanding commercial loans, leases and 

foreclosed properties (6)

(1)  Balances do not include nonperforming LHFS of $437 million and $1.1 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
(2) 

Includes U.S. small business commercial activity.

2012

2011

$

6,337

$

9,836

2,334
85

(2,372)
(840)
(808)
(1,164)
(302)
(46)
(3,113)
3,224
612

4,656
157

(3,457)
(1,153)
(1,183)
(1,576)
(774)
(169)
(3,499)
6,337
725

222

507

(516)
(68)
(362)
250
3,474

(539)
(81)
(113)
612
6,949

$

0.93%

2.04%

$

1.00

2.24

(3)  Commercial loans and leases may be returned to performing status when all principal and interest is current and full repayment of the remaining contractual principal and interest is expected or 
when the loan otherwise becomes well-secured and is in the process of collection. TDRs are generally classified as performing after a sustained period of demonstrated payment performance.
(4)  Small business card loans are not classified as nonperforming; therefore, the charge-offs on these loans have no impact on nonperforming activity and accordingly are excluded from this table.
(5)  New foreclosed properties represents transfers of nonperforming loans to foreclosed properties net of charge-offs recorded during the first 90 days after transfer of a loan to foreclosed properties.
(6)  Excludes loans accounted for under the fair value option.

Table 47 presents our commercial TDRs by product type and 
performing  status.  U.S.  small  business  commercial  TDRs  are 
comprised of renegotiated small business card loans and are not 
classified as nonperforming as they are charged off no later than 

the end of the month in which the loan becomes 180 days past 
due. For additional information on TDRs, see Note 5 – Outstanding 
Loans and Leases to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Table 47 Commercial Troubled Debt Restructurings

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial troubled debt restructurings

Total

1,328
1,391
100
202
3,021

$

$

2012
Nonperforming
565
$
740
15
—
1,320

$

December 31

Performing
763
$
651
85
202
1,701

$

Total

1,329
1,675
54
389
3,447

$

$

2011
Nonperforming
531
$
1,076
38
—
1,645

$

Performing
798
$
599
16
389
1,802

$

Bank of America 2012     97

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Industry Concentrations
Table  48  presents  commercial  committed  and  utilized  credit 
exposure by industry and the total net credit default protection 
purchased to cover the funded and unfunded portions of certain 
credit exposures. Our commercial credit exposure is diversified 
across a broad range of industries. Total committed commercial 
credit exposure increased $16.5 billion, or two percent, to $767.0 
billion  at  December 31,  2012.  The  increase  in  commercial 
committed  exposure  was  concentrated  in  food,  beverage  and 
tobacco, banking, energy, diversified financials, and real estate, 
partially  offset  by  lower  exposure  to  government  and  public 
education.

Industry  limits  are  used  internally  to  manage  industry 
concentrations and are based on committed exposures and capital 
usage that are allocated on an industry-by-industry basis. A risk 
management framework is in place to set and approve industry 
limits  as  well  as  to  provide  ongoing  monitoring.  Management’s 
Credit Risk Committee (CRC) oversees industry limit governance. 
Diversified  financials,  our  largest  industry  concentration, 
experienced an increase in committed exposure of $4.7 billion, or 
five percent, in 2012 primarily driven by increases in margin loans 
and certain asset-backed lending products, partially offset by a 
decrease in derivative exposure.

Real  estate,  our  second  largest  industry  concentration, 
experienced an increase in committed exposure of $3.1 billion, or 
five percent, in 2012 primarily due to new originations and renewals 
outpacing paydowns and sales. Real estate construction and land 
development exposure represented 14 percent of the total real 
estate industry committed exposure at December 31, 2012, down 
from 20 percent at December 31, 2011. For more information on 

commercial  real  estate  and  related  portfolios,  see  Commercial 
Real Estate on page 94.

Committed  exposure  in  the  food,  beverage  and  tobacco 
industry increased $6.8 billion, or 22 percent, in 2012 primarily 
related to short-term acquisition financing. Government and public 
education  committed  exposure  decreased  $6.7  billion,  or  12 
percent, in 2012 primarily driven by decreases in loans and SBLCs. 
Banking committed exposure increased $6.5 billion, or 17 percent, 
in 2012 primarily driven by loans to mortgage finance companies 
and trade finance activity with non-U.S. banks. Energy committed 
exposure increased $6.4 billion, or 20 percent, in 2012 reflecting 
loan growth in the exploration and production, and integrated oil 
sectors.

Our committed state and municipal exposure of $38.0 billion 
at December 31, 2012 consisted of $30.9 billion of commercial 
utilized exposure (including $17.6 billion of funded loans, $8.9 
billion of SBLCs and $3.6 billion of derivative assets) and unfunded 
commercial  exposure  of  $7.2  billion  (primarily  unfunded  loan 
commitments  and  letters  of  credit)  and  is  reported  in  the 
government and public education industry in Table 48. While the 
slow economic recovery continues to pressure budgets, most U.S. 
state and local governments have implemented offsetting fiscal 
adjustments and continue to honor debt obligations as agreed. 
While historical default rates have been low, as part of our overall 
and ongoing risk management processes, we continually monitor 
these exposures through a rigorous review process. Additionally, 
internal  communications  are  regularly  circulated  to  maintain 
exposure  levels  and  are  in  compliance  with  established 
concentration guidelines.

98     Bank of America 2012

Table 48 Commercial Credit Exposure by Industry (1)

December 31

Commercial 
Utilized

Total Commercial
Committed

(Dollars in millions)

Diversified financials
Real estate (2)
Government and public education
Capital goods
Retailing
Healthcare equipment and services
Banking
Materials
Energy
Food, beverage and tobacco
Consumer services
Commercial services and supplies
Utilities
Media
Transportation
Individuals and trusts
Insurance, including monolines
Software and services
Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
Technology hardware and equipment
Telecommunication services
Religious and social organizations
Consumer durables and apparel
Automobiles and components
Food and staples retailing
Other

2012

$

66,201
47,479
41,449
25,071
28,065
29,396
40,245
21,809
17,684
14,738
23,093
19,020
8,410
13,091
13,791
13,916
8,519
5,549
3,854
5,118
4,029
6,850
4,246
3,312
3,528
3,264
$ 471,727

2011
$ 64,957
48,138
43,090
24,025
25,478
31,298
35,231
19,384
15,151
15,904
24,445
20,089
8,102
11,447
12,683
14,993
10,090
4,304
4,141
5,247
4,297
8,536
4,505
2,813
3,273
4,888
$ 466,509

$

2012

2011
$ 94,969
62,566
57,021
48,013
46,290
48,141
38,735
38,070
32,074
30,501
38,498
30,831
24,552
21,158
19,036
19,001
16,157
9,579
11,328
12,173
10,424
11,160
8,965
7,178
6,476
7,636
$ 750,532
  $ (14,657) $ (19,356)

99,673
65,639
50,285
49,196
47,719
45,488
45,238
40,493
38,464
37,344
36,367
30,257
23,432
21,705
20,255
17,801
14,145
12,125
11,409
11,108
10,297
9,107
8,438
7,675
6,838
6,507
$ 767,005

Total commercial credit exposure by industry
Net credit default protection purchased on total commitments (3)
Includes U.S. small business commercial exposure.
Industries are viewed from a variety of perspectives to best isolate the perceived risks. For purposes of this table, the real estate industry is defined based on the borrowers’ or counterparties’ 
primary business activity using operating cash flows and primary source of repayment as key factors.

(1) 

(2) 

(3)  Represents net notional credit protection purchased. See Risk Mitigation on page 100 for additional information.

Monoline Exposure
Monoline  exposure  is  reported  in  the  insurance  industry  and 
managed  under  insurance  portfolio  industry  limits.  We  have 
indirect exposure to monolines primarily in the form of guarantees 
supporting our loans, investment portfolios, securitizations and 
credit-enhanced securities as part of our public finance business 
and other selected products. Such indirect exposure exists when 
we purchase credit protection from monolines to hedge all or a 
portion  of  the  credit  risk  on  certain  credit  exposures  including 
loans and CDOs. We underwrite our public finance exposure by 
evaluating the underlying securities.

We also have indirect exposure to monolines in the form of 
guarantees supporting our mortgage and other loan sales. Indirect 
exposure may exist when credit protection was purchased from 
monolines to hedge all or a portion of the credit risk on certain 
mortgage and other loan exposures. A loss may occur when we 
are required to repurchase a loan and the market value of the loan 
has declined, or we are required to indemnify or provide recourse 
for  a  guarantor’s  loss.  For  additional  information  regarding  our 
exposure  to  representations  and  warranties,  see  Off-Balance 
Sheet 
– 
Representations  and  Warranties  on  page  50  and  Note  8  – 
Representations  and  Warranties  Obligations  and  Corporate 
Guarantees to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

and  Contractual  Obligations 

Arrangements 

Table  49  presents  the  notional  amount  of  our  monoline 
derivative  credit  exposure,  mark-to-market  adjustment  and  the 
counterparty credit valuation adjustment.

Table 49 Derivative Credit Exposures

(Dollars in millions)

Notional amount of monoline exposure

Mark-to-market
Counterparty credit valuation adjustment 

Net mark-to-market

Gains (losses) from credit valuation changes

December 31

2012

13,547

898
(118)
780

2011

21,070

1,766
(417)
1,349

$

$

$

2012

2011

213

$

(1,000)

$

$

$

$

The notional amount of monoline exposure at December 31, 
2012  decreased  $7.5  billion  from  December 31,  2011  due  to 
terminations, paydowns and maturities of monoline contracts. In 
addition,  $1.3  billion  of  monoline  exposure  with  a  single 
counterparty ($4.9 billion gross receivable less impairment) was 
included in other assets at December 31, 2012 and 2011. The 
contracts  are  no  longer  considered  to  be  derivative  trading 
instruments because of the inherent default risk and they no longer 

Bank of America 2012     99

 
 
 
provide a hedge benefit. We also have potential representations 
and warranties exposure with the same counterparty. 

Table 50 Credit Derivative Value-at-Risk

Risk Mitigation
We purchase credit protection to cover the funded portion as well 
as the unfunded portion of certain credit exposures. To lower the 
cost  of  obtaining  our  desired  credit  protection  levels,  credit 
exposure  may  be  added  within  an  industry,  borrower  or 
counterparty group by selling protection. 

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, net notional credit default 
protection purchased in our credit derivatives portfolio to hedge 
our funded and unfunded exposures for which we elected the fair 
value option, as well as certain other credit exposures, was $14.7 
billion and $19.4 billion. The mark-to-market effects resulted in 
net losses of $1.0 billion in 2012 compared to net gains of $121 
million in 2011. The gains and losses related to these instruments 
are offset by gains and losses on the exposures. Table 50 presents 
the  average  VaR  for  these  derivatives.  See  Trading  Risk 
Management on page 110 for a description of our VaR calculation 
for the market-based trading portfolio.

(Dollars in millions)

2012

2011

Average
Credit exposure average
Combined average (1)
(1)  Reflects  the  diversification  effect  between  net  credit  default  protection  hedging  our  credit 

60
74
38

52
79
24

$

$

exposure and the related credit exposure.

Tables 51 and 52 present the maturity profiles and the credit 
exposure debt ratings of the net credit default protection portfolio 
at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 

Table 51 Net Credit Default Protection by Maturity

Less than or equal to one year
Greater than one year and less than or equal to five 

years

Greater than five years

Total net credit default protection

December 31

2012

2011

21%

16%

75

4
100%

77

7
100%

Table 52 Net Credit Default Protection by Credit Exposure Debt Rating

(Dollars in millions)

Ratings (2, 3)
AAA
AA
A
BBB
BB
B
CCC and below
NR (4)

Total net credit default protection

(1)  Represents net credit default protection (purchased) sold.
(2)  Ratings are refreshed on a quarterly basis.
(3)  Ratings of BBB- or higher are considered to meet the definition of investment grade.
(4)  “NR” is comprised of names that have not been rated.

December 31

2012

2011

Net
Notional (1)

Percent of
Total

Net
Notional (1)

Percent of
Total

$

(120)
(474)
(5,861)
(6,067)
(1,101)
(937)
(247)
150
$ (14,657)

0.8% $
3.2
40.0
41.4
7.5
6.4
1.7
(1.0)

(32)
(779)
(7,184)
(7,436)
(1,527)
(1,534)
(661)
(203)
100.0% $ (19,356)

0.2%
4.0
37.1
38.4
7.9
7.9
3.4
1.1
100.0%

In  addition  to  our  net  notional  credit  default  protection 
purchased to cover the funded and unfunded portion of certain 
credit exposures, credit derivatives are used for market-making 
activities for clients and establishing positions intended to profit 
from directional or relative value changes. We execute the majority 
of  our  credit  derivative  trades  in  the  OTC  market  with  large, 
multinational financial institutions, including broker/dealers and, 
to a lesser degree, with a variety of other investors. Because these 
transactions are executed in the OTC market, we are  subject  to 

settlement risk. We are also subject to credit risk in the event that 
these  counterparties  fail  to  perform  under  the  terms  of  these 
contracts.  In  most  cases,  credit  derivative  transactions  are 
executed  on  a  daily  margin  basis.  Therefore,  events  such  as  a 
credit  downgrade,  depending  on  the  ultimate  rating  level,  or  a 
breach of credit covenants would typically require an increase in 
the  amount  of  collateral  required  of  the  counterparty,  where 
applicable, and/or allow us to take additional protective measures 
such as early termination of all trades.

100     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 53 presents the total contract/notional amount of credit 
derivatives outstanding and includes both purchased and written 
credit derivatives. The credit risk amounts are measured as net 
asset  exposure  by  counterparty,  taking  into  consideration  all 
contracts  and  collateral  with  that  counterparty.  The  contract/
notional amounts of credit derivatives decreased primarily due to 
portfolio optimization and increased utilization of clearinghouses 
in relation to certain regulatory initiatives and refinement of risk 
mitigation activities. For information on written credit derivatives, 

see Note 3 – Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
The  credit  risk  amounts  discussed  above  and  presented  in 
Table 53 take into consideration the effects of legally enforceable 
master netting agreements, while amounts disclosed in Note 3 – 
Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements are shown 
on a gross basis. Credit risk reflects the potential benefit from 
offsetting exposure to non-credit derivative products with the same 
counterparties that may be netted upon the occurrence of certain 
events, thereby reducing our overall exposure.

Table 53 Credit Derivatives

(Dollars in millions)

Purchased credit derivatives:

Credit default swaps
Total return swaps/other

Total purchased credit derivatives

Written credit derivatives:
Credit default swaps
Total return swaps/other

Total written credit derivatives

n/a = not applicable

Counterparty Credit Risk Valuation Adjustments
We record counterparty credit risk valuation adjustments (CVA) on 
certain derivative assets, including our credit default protection 
purchased,  in  order  to  properly  reflect  the  credit  risk  of  the 
counterparty.  We  calculate  CVA  based  on  a  modeled  expected 
exposure that incorporates current market risk factors including 
changes in market spreads and non-credit related market factors 
that affect the value of a derivative. The exposure also takes into 
consideration credit mitigants such as legally enforceable master 
netting  agreements  and  collateral.  Table  54  presents  credit 
valuation gains (losses), net of hedges, for 2012 and 2011. In 
2012,  we  refined  our  methodology  for  CVA  on  derivatives  on  a 
prospective basis. We no longer consider the probability of default 
for both the counterparty and the Corporation when calculating 
the counterparty CVA and now only consider the probability of the 
counterparty defaulting for CVA. For more information, see Note 3 
– Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The effect 
of this change in estimate on CVA is reflected in the table below. 
Credit valuation gains for 2012 were due to improved counterparty 
creditworthiness, partially offset by hedge results. For information 
on our monoline counterparty credit risk, see Monoline Exposure 
on page 99.

Table 54 Credit Valuation Gains and Losses

(Dollars in millions)

Gross

2012
Hedge

Net

Gross

2011
Hedge

Net

Credit valuation 
gains (losses)

$ 1,022 $ (731) $

291

$(1,863) $ 1,257 $ (606)

Non-U.S. Portfolio
Our non-U.S. credit and trading portfolios are subject to country 
risk. We define country risk as the risk of loss from unfavorable 
economic  and  political  conditions,  currency  fluctuations,  social 
instability and changes in government policies. A risk management 

December 31

2012

2011

Contract/
Notional

Credit Risk

Contract/
Notional

Credit Risk

$ 1,559,472
43,489
$ 1,602,961

$

$

8,987
402
9,389

$ 1,944,764
17,519
$ 1,962,283

$

$

14,163
776
14,939

$ 1,531,504
68,811
$ 1,600,315

n/a
n/a
n/a

$ 1,885,944
17,838
$ 1,903,782

n/a
n/a
n/a

framework  is  in  place  to  measure,  monitor  and  manage  non-
U.S. risk and exposures. Management oversight of country risk, 
including cross-border risk, is provided by the Country Credit Risk 
Committee, a subcommittee of the CRC. In addition to the direct 
risk of doing business in a country, we also are exposed to indirect 
country risks (for example, related to the collateral received on 
secured  financing  transactions  or  related  to  client  clearing 
activities). These indirect exposures are managed in the normal 
course  of  business  through  credit,  market  and  operational  risk 
governance, rather than through the country risk governance.

Table 55 presents our total non-U.S. exposure broken out by 
region at December 31, 2012 and 2011. Non-U.S. exposure is 
presented  on  an  internal  risk  management  basis  and  includes 
sovereign and non-sovereign credit exposure, securities and other 
investments issued by or domiciled in countries other than the 
U.S. Risk assignments by country can be adjusted for externally 
guaranteed  loans  outstanding  and  certain  collateral  types. 
Exposures which are subject to external guarantees are reported 
under  the  country  of  the  guarantor.  Exposures  with  tangible 
collateral are reflected in the country where the collateral is held. 
resale 
For  securities 
agreements,  outstandings  are  assigned  to  the  domicile  of  the 
issuer of the securities. 

than  cross-border 

received,  other 

Table 55 Total Non-U.S. Exposure by Region

(Dollars in millions)

Europe
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Middle East and Africa
Other (1)
Total

December 31

2012
$ 137,778
92,412
21,246
8,200
22,014
$ 281,650

2011
$ 121,778
75,828
15,133
5,533
18,795
$ 237,067

(1)  Other includes Canada exposure of $20.3 billion and $16.9 billion at December 31, 2012 and 

2011.

Bank of America 2012     101

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our 

increase  of  $44.6  billion 

total  non-U.S.  exposure  was  $281.7  billion  at 
December 31,  2012,  an 
from 
December 31, 2011. The increase in non-U.S. exposure was driven 
by our strategy to grow non-U.S. business in select countries and 
remained 
risk  globally.  Our  non-U.S.  exposure 
diversify 
concentrated in Europe which accounted for $137.8 billion, or 49 
percent of total non-U.S. exposure. The European exposure was 
mostly in Western Europe and was distributed across a variety of 
industries. Select European countries are further detailed in Table 
57. Asia Pacific was our second largest non-U.S. exposure at $92.4 
billion,  or  33  percent  of  total  non-U.S.  exposure.  Latin  America 
accounted  for  $21.2  billion,  or  eight  percent  of  total  non-
U.S. exposure. Middle East and Africa accounted for $8.2 billion, 
or  three  percent  of  total  non-U.S.  exposure.  Other  non-U.S. 
exposure  accounted  for  $22.0  billion  or  approximately  seven 
percent  of  total  non-U.S.  exposure.  For  information  on  country 
specific exposures, see Tables 56 and 57.

Funded loans and loan equivalents include loans, leases and 
other extensions of credit or funds including letters of credit and 
due from placements, which have not been reduced by collateral 
or  credit  default  protection.  Funded  loans  are  reported  net  of 
charge-offs but prior to any allowance for loan and lease losses. 
Unfunded commitments are the undrawn portion of legally binding 
commitments related to loans and loan equivalents. 

Net counterparty exposure includes the fair value of derivatives, 
including  the  counterparty  risk  associated  with  credit  default 
swaps  (CDS)  and  secured  financing  transactions.  Derivative 

Table 56 Top 20 Non-U.S. Countries Exposure

exposures are reported net of collateral, which is predominantly 
cash,  pledged  under  legally  enforceable  netting  agreements. 
Secured financing transaction exposures have been reduced by 
eligible  cash  or  securities  pledged  as  collateral.  Counterparty 
exposure  has  not  been  reduced  by  hedges  or  credit  default 
protection.

Securities  and  other  investments  are  marked-to-market  and 
long positions are netted against short positions with the same 
underlying  issuer  to,  but  not  below,  zero  (i.e.,  negative  issuer 
exposures are reported as zero). Other investments includes our 
GPI portfolio and strategic investments. 

Net country exposure represents country exposure less hedges 
and  credit  default  protection  purchased,  net  of  credit  default 
protection sold. We hedge certain of our country exposures with 
credit default protection primarily in the form of single-name, as 
well as index and tranche CDS. The exposures associated with 
these hedges represent the amount that would be realized upon 
the isolated default of an individual issuer in the relevant country 
assuming a zero recovery rate for that individual issuer, and are 
calculated based on the CDS notional amount less any fair value 
receivable or payable. Changes in the assumption of an isolated 
default can produce different results in a particular tranche.

Table 56 presents our 20 largest, non-U.S. country exposures. 
These exposures accounted for 89 percent of our total non-U.S. 
exposure  at  December 31,  2012  compared  to  88  percent  at 
December 31, 2011.

(Dollars in millions)

United Kingdom
Japan
Canada
France
India
Brazil
Germany
Netherlands
Singapore
Australia
China
South Korea
Switzerland
Hong Kong
Russian Federation
Italy
Mexico
Taiwan
United Arab Emirates
Spain

Total top 20 non-U.S. 
countries exposure

Funded Loans 
and Loan 
Equivalents

Unfunded 
Loan 
Commitments

Net 
Counterparty 
Exposure

Securities/
Other
Investments

Country
Exposure at
December 31
2012

Hedges and 
Credit Default 
Protection

Net Country
Exposure at
December 31
2012

Increase
(Decrease) from
December 31
2011

$

$

28,820
16,939
6,197
6,723
8,696
8,251
4,407
6,177
3,003
4,816
6,864
4,766
2,476
3,770
3,187
2,858
2,335
2,012
2,134
1,899

$

10,593
488
7,298
6,295
604
494
5,392
2,257
5,112
2,905
329
691
3,199
550
1,398
2,825
596
64
412
1,018

$

4,823
2,156
1,772
1,332
342
517
3,008
614
434
646
707
319
509
147
87
2,295
181
159
186
192

$

6,082
6,150
5,074
4,616
4,330
3,617
3,334
2,850
1,725
2,109
2,382
2,618
605
1,084
678
521
1,080
999
116
604

$

50,318
25,733
20,341
18,966
13,972
12,879
16,141
11,898
10,274
10,476
10,282
8,394
6,789
5,551
5,350
8,499
4,192
3,234
2,848
3,713

(3,126) $
(1,894)
(1,365)
(2,675)
(254)
(376)
(5,121)
(1,216)
(100)
(747)
(1,095)
(1,245)
(969)
(108)
(438)
(3,661)
(533)
(12)
(96)
(1,059)

$

47,192
23,839
18,976
16,291
13,718
12,503
11,020
10,682
10,174
9,729
9,187
7,149
5,820
5,443
4,912
4,838
3,659
3,222
2,752
2,654

(613)
6,760
3,082
4,504
2,444
4,548
6,020
6,054
4,379
578
634
(735)
1,450
735
3,297
(17)
567
445
1,217
117

$

126,330

$

52,520

$

20,426

$

50,574

$

249,850

$

(26,090) $

223,760

$

45,466

102     Bank of America 2012

Certain  European  countries,  including  Greece,  Ireland,  Italy, 
Portugal and Spain, have experienced varying degrees of financial 
stress in recent years. Risks from the ongoing debt crisis in these 
countries could continue to disrupt the financial markets which 
could have a detrimental impact on global economic conditions 
and sovereign and non-sovereign debt in these countries. In the 
fourth quarter of 2012, European policymakers continued to make 
incremental  progress  toward  greater  fiscal  and  monetary  unity; 
however, fundamental issues of competitiveness, growth and fiscal 
solvency remain as challenges. As a result, volatility is expected 
to continue. We expect to continue to support client activities in 
the region and our exposures may vary over time as we monitor 
the situation and manage our risk profile.

Table 57 Select European Countries

Table  57  presents  our  direct  sovereign  and  non-sovereign 
exposures in these countries at December 31, 2012. Our total 
sovereign  and  non-sovereign  exposure  to  these  countries  was 
$14.5 billion at December 31, 2012 compared to $15.2 billion at 
December 31, 2011. The total exposure to these countries, net 
of all hedges, was $9.5 billion at December 31, 2012 compared 
to $10.3 billion at December 31, 2011, of which $280 million and 
$362 million was sovereign exposure. At December 31, 2012 and 
2011, the value of hedges and credit default protection purchased, 
net of credit default protection sold, was $5.1 billion and $4.9 
billion.

Funded Loans 
and Loan 
Equivalents

Unfunded 
Loan 
Commitments

Net 
Counterparty 
Exposure (1)

Securities/
Other 
Investments (2)

Country
Exposure at
December 31
2012

Hedges and 
Credit Default 
Protection (3)

Net Country 
Exposure at 
December 31 
2012

Increase
(Decrease) from
December 31
2011

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

— $
—
173
173

$

19
437
587
1,043

14
1,373
1,471
2,858

$

$

$

$

— $
4
194
198

$

$

$

$

35
42
1,822
1,899

68
1,856
4,247

— $
—
139
139

$

— $
31
300
331

$

— $
18
2,807
2,825

$

— $
—
43
43

$

— $
7
1,011
1,018

$

— $
56
4,300

— $
—
19
19

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

27
106
32
165

1,843
200
252
2,295

31
1
4
36

64
69
59
192

1,965
376
366

2
6
2
10

22
40
33
95

58
85
378
521

$

$

$

$

$

$

— $
49
8
57

$

$

$

$

182
162
260
604

264
342
681

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

2
6
333
341

68
614
952
1,634

1,915
1,676
4,908
8,499

31
54
249
334

281
280
3,152
3,713

2,297
2,630
9,594

— $
(11)
(24)
(35) $

(10) $
(22)
(23)
(55) $

(1,885) $
(599)
(1,177)
(3,661) $

(68) $
(16)
(164)
(248) $

(54) $

(122)
(883)
(1,059) $

(2,017) $
(770)
(2,271)

2
(5)
309
306

58
592
929
1,579

30
1,077
3,731
4,838

$

$

$

$

$

$

(37) $
38
85
86

$

$

$

$

227
158
2,269
2,654

280
1,860
7,323

(27)
(2)
(125)
(154)

(63)
(206)
(566)
(835)

(184)
(654)
821
(17)

(28)
34
24
30

220
(504)
401
117

(82)
(1,332)
555

(Dollars in millions)

Greece

Sovereign
Financial institutions
Corporates

Total Greece

Ireland

Sovereign
Financial institutions
Corporates

Total Ireland

Italy

Sovereign
Financial institutions
Corporates
Total Italy

Portugal

Sovereign
Financial institutions
Corporates

Total Portugal

Spain

Sovereign
Financial institutions
Corporates

Total Spain

Total

Sovereign
Financial institutions
Corporates

Total select European 

exposure

$

6,171

$

4,356

$

2,707

$

1,287

$

14,521

$

(5,058) $

9,463

$

(859)

(1)  Net counterparty exposure includes the fair value of derivatives including the counterparty risk associated with credit default protection and secured financing transactions. Derivatives are presented 
net of $3.1 billion in collateral, predominantly in cash, pledged under legally enforceable netting agreements. Secured financing transactions are presented net of eligible cash or securities pledged. 
The notional amount of reverse repurchase transactions was $1.3 billion at December 31, 2012. Counterparty exposure is not presented net of hedges or credit default protection. 

(2)  Long securities exposures have been netted on a single-name basis to, but not below, zero by short positions of $6.5 billion and net CDS purchased of $1.8 billion, consisting of $2.0 billion of net 

single-name CDS purchased and $207 million of net index and tranched CDS sold.

(3)  Represents credit default protection purchased, net of credit default protection sold, which is used to mitigate the Corporation’s risk to country exposures as listed, including $2.7 billion, consisting 
of $3.0 billion in net single-name CDS purchased and $346 million in net index and tranched CDS sold, to hedge loans and securities, $2.3 billion in additional credit default protection purchased 
to hedge derivative assets and $60 million in other short positions.

The  majority  of  our  CDS  contracts  on  reference  assets  in 
Greece,  Ireland,  Italy,  Portugal  and  Spain  are  with  highly-rated 
financial institutions primarily outside of the Eurozone and we work 
to limit or eliminate correlated CDS. Due to our engagement in 
market-making activities, our CDS portfolio contains contracts with 
various maturities to a diverse set of counterparties. We work to 

limit  mismatches  in  maturities  between  our  exposures  and  the 
CDS  we  use  to  hedge  them.  However,  there  may  be  instances 
where the protection purchased has a different maturity from the 
exposure for which the protection was purchased, in which case, 
those exposures and hedges are subject to more active monitoring 
and management.

Bank of America 2012     103

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 58 presents the notional and fair value amounts of single-
name CDS purchased and sold on reference assets in Greece, 
Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Table 58 includes only single-
name  CDS  netted  at  the  counterparty  level,  whereas,  Table  57 
includes single-name, indexed and tranched CDS positions netted 
by the reference asset that they are intended to hedge; therefore, 
CDS purchased and sold information is not comparable between 
tables.

Table 58 Single-Name CDS with Reference Assets in 
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain (1)

(Dollars in billions)

Purchased

Sold

Purchased

Sold

December 31, 2012

Notional

Fair Value

Greece

Aggregate
After legally netting (2)

$

Ireland

Aggregate
After legally netting (2)

Italy

Aggregate
After legally netting (2)

Portugal

Aggregate
After legally netting (2)

Spain

Aggregate
After legally netting (2)

$

1.8
0.4

3.0
1.4

47.4
11.0

8.1
1.3

22.7
4.0

$

1.7
0.4

2.8
1.2

42.1
5.7

8.0
1.2

22.3
3.7

$

0.2
0.1

0.2
0.1

3.5
1.3

0.5
0.1

1.0
0.2

0.2
0.1

0.2
0.1

2.8
0.5

0.5
0.1

1.0
0.2

(1)  The majority of our CDS contracts on reference assets in Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and 

Spain are primarily with non-Eurozone counterparties. 

(2)  Amounts  listed  are  after  consideration  of  legally  enforceable  counterparty  master  netting 

agreements.

Losses could result even if there is credit default protection 
purchased because the purchased credit protection contracts only 
pay out under certain scenarios and thus not all losses may be 
covered by the credit protection contracts. The effectiveness of 
our CDS protection as a hedge of these risks is influenced by a 
number  of  factors,  including  the  contractual  terms  of  the  CDS. 

Generally, only the occurrence of a credit event as defined by the 
CDS terms (which may include, among other events, the failure to 
pay by, or restructuring of, the reference entity) results in a payment 
under 
the  purchased  credit  protection  contracts.  The 
determination as to whether a credit event has occurred is made 
by the relevant International Swaps and Derivatives Association, 
Inc. (ISDA) Determination Committee (comprised of various ISDA 
member  firms)  based  on  the  terms  of  the  CDS  and  facts  and 
circumstances for the event. Accordingly, uncertainties exist as to 
whether any particular strategy or policy action for addressing the 
European  debt  crisis  would  constitute  a  credit  event  under  the 
CDS. A voluntary restructuring may not trigger a credit event under 
CDS terms and consequently may not trigger a payment under the 
CDS contract.

In addition to our direct sovereign and non-sovereign exposures, 
a significant deterioration of the European debt crisis could result 
in material reductions in the value of sovereign debt and other 
asset classes, disruptions in capital markets, widening of credit 
spreads of U.S. and other financial institutions, loss of investor 
confidence in the financial services industry, a slowdown in global 
economic activity and other adverse developments. For additional 
information on the debt crisis in Europe, see Item 1A. Risk Factors 
of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Table 59 presents countries where total cross-border exposure 
exceeded one percent of our total assets. Cross-border exposures 
are  calculated  using  FFIEC  guidelines  and  not  our  internal  risk 
management  view;  therefore,  exposures  are  not  comparable 
between tables. Exposure includes cross-border claims by our non-
U.S. offices including loans, acceptances, time deposits placed, 
trading  account  assets,  securities,  derivative  assets,  other 
interest-earning investments and other monetary assets. Amounts 
also include unfunded commitments, letters of credit and financial 
guarantees,  and  the  notional  value  of  cash  lent  under  secured 
financing transactions. Sector definitions are consistent with FFIEC 
reporting requirements for preparing the Country Exposure Report. 
At December 31, 2012, the United Kingdom, France and Canada 
were  the  only  countries  where  total  cross-border  exposure 
exceeded one percent of our total assets. No other countries had 
exposure exceeding 0.75 percent of our total assets. 

Table 59 Total Cross-border Exposure Exceeding One Percent of Total Assets

(Dollars in millions)

United Kingdom

France (1)
Canada (2)
(1)  At December 31, 2011, total cross-border exposure for France was $16.1 billion, representing 0.75 percent of total assets.
(2)  At December 31, 2011, total cross-border exposure for Canada was $16.9 billion, representing 0.79 percent of total assets.

December 31

Public Sector

Banks

Private Sector

Cross-border
Exposure

Exposure as a
Percentage of
Total Assets

2012
2011
2012
2012

$

$

95
6,401
2,556
1,325

$

5,656
4,424
3,215
3,314

$

31,595
18,056
17,639
18,427

37,346
28,881
23,410
23,066

1.69%
1.36
1.06
1.04

104     Bank of America 2012

Provision for Credit Losses
The  provision  for  credit  losses  decreased  $5.2  billion  to  $8.2 
billion for 2012 compared to 2011. The provision for credit losses 
was $6.7 billion lower than net charge-offs for 2012, resulting in 
a  reduction  in  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  due  to  improved 
portfolio trends and increasing home prices in the consumer real 
estate  portfolios,  lower  bankruptcy  filings  and  delinquencies 
affecting the Card Services portfolio, and improvement in overall 
credit  quality  within  the  core  commercial  portfolio  (total 
commercial  products  excluding  U.S.  small  business).  Absent 
unexpected deterioration in the economy, we expect reductions in 
the allowance for credit losses, excluding the valuation allowance 
for PCI loans, to continue in the near term, though at a slower pace 
than in 2012.

The  provision  for  credit  losses  for  the  consumer  portfolio 
decreased $6.4 billion to $8.0 billion for 2012 compared to 2011. 
The improvement was primarily in the consumer real estate loan 
portfolios due to improved portfolio trends and an improved home 
price outlook in our PCI portfolios. The provision for credit losses 
related to the PCI loan portfolios was a provision benefit of $103 
million in 2012 as the home price outlook improved, compared to 
a provision expense of $2.2 billion in 2011.

The  provision  for  credit  losses  for  the  commercial  portfolio, 
including  the  unfunded  lending  commitments,  increased  $1.1 
billion  to  $197  million  in  2012  compared  to  2011  due  to 
stabilization of credit quality, loan growth and a higher volume of 
loan resolutions in the prior year, all within the core commercial 
portfolio.

Allowance for Credit Losses

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses
The  allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses  is  comprised  of  two 
components.  The 
first  component  covers  nonperforming 
commercial loans and TDRs. The second component covers loans 
and leases on which there are incurred losses that are not yet 
individually identifiable, as well as incurred losses that may not 
be  represented  in  the  loss  forecast  models.  We  evaluate  the 
adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses based on the 
total of these two components, each of which is described in more 
detail below. The allowance for loan and lease losses excludes 
LHFS and loans accounted for under the fair value option as the 
fair value reflects a credit risk component.

The first component of the allowance for loan and lease losses 
covers  both  the  nonperforming  commercial  loans  and  all  TDRs 
within the consumer and commercial portfolios. These loans are 
subject to impairment measurement based on the present value 
of  projected  future  cash  flows  discounted  at  the  loan’s  original 
effective  interest  rate,  or  in  certain  circumstances,  impairment 
may  also  be  based  upon  the  collateral  value  or  the  loan’s 
observable market price if available. Impairment measurement for 
the  renegotiated  credit  card,  unsecured  consumer  and  small 
business TDR portfolios is based on the present value of projected 
cash  flows  discounted  using  the  average  portfolio  contractual 
interest rate, excluding promotionally priced loans, in effect prior 
to  restructuring.  For  purposes  of  computing  this  specific  loss 
component of the allowance, larger impaired loans are evaluated 
individually and smaller impaired loans are evaluated as a pool 
using historical loss experience for the respective product types 
and risk ratings of the loans.

The  second  component  of  the  allowance  for  loan  and  lease 

losses covers the remaining consumer and commercial loans and 
leases  that  have  incurred  losses  which  are  not  yet  individually 
identifiable.  The  allowance 
for  consumer  and  certain 
homogeneous commercial loan and lease products is based on 
aggregated portfolio evaluations, generally by product type. Loss 
forecast  models  are  utilized  that  consider  a  variety  of  factors 
including, but not limited to, historical loss experience, estimated 
defaults or foreclosures based on portfolio trends, delinquencies, 
economic trends and credit scores. Our consumer real estate loss 
forecast  model  estimates  the  portion  of  loans  that  will  default 
based on individual loan attributes, the most significant of which 
are refreshed LTV or CLTV, and borrower credit score as well as 
vintage and geography, all of which are further broken down into 
current  delinquency  status.  Additionally,  we  incorporate  the 
delinquency status of underlying first-lien loans on our junior-lien 
home  equity  portfolio  in  our  allowance  process.  Incorporating 
refreshed LTV and CLTV into our probability of default allows us to 
factor the impact of changes in home prices into our allowance 
for loan and lease losses. These loss forecast models are updated 
on  a  quarterly  basis  to  incorporate  information  reflecting  the 
current economic environment. As of December 31, 2012, the loss 
forecast process resulted in reductions  in  the  allowance for  all 
major consumer portfolios.

and 

trends, 

geographic 

performance 

The  allowance  for  commercial  loan  and  lease  losses  is 
established  by  product  type  after  analyzing  historical  loss 
experience  by  internal  risk  rating,  current  economic  conditions, 
industry 
obligor 
concentrations  within  each  portfolio  and  any  other  pertinent 
information.  The  statistical  models  for  commercial  loans  are 
generally updated annually and utilize our historical database of 
actual  defaults  and  other  data.  The  loan  risk  ratings  and 
composition of the commercial portfolios used to calculate the 
allowance are updated at least quarterly to incorporate the most 
recent data reflecting the current economic environment. For risk-
rated commercial loans, we estimate the probability of default and 
the LGD based on our historical experience of defaults and credit 
losses. Factors considered when assessing the internal risk rating 
include  the  value  of  the  underlying  collateral,  if  applicable,  the 
industry in which the obligor operates, the obligor’s liquidity and 
other financial indicators, and other quantitative and qualitative 
factors relevant to the obligor’s credit risk. As of December 31, 
2012, updates to the loan risk ratings and portfolio composition 
resulted in reductions in the allowance for the commercial real 
estate,  U.S.  commercial  and  commercial  lease  financing 
portfolios.

Also included within the second component of the allowance 
for loan and lease losses are reserves to cover losses that are 
incurred  but,  in  our  assessment,  may  not  be  adequately 
represented in the historical loss data used in the loss forecast 
models.  For  example,  factors  that  we  consider  include,  among 
others, changes in lending policies and procedures, changes in 
economic and business conditions, changes in the nature and size 
of the portfolio, changes in the volume and severity of past due 
loans and nonaccrual loans and the effect of external factors such 
as competition, and legal and regulatory requirements. We also 
consider factors that are applicable to unique portfolio segments. 
For  example,  we  consider  the  risk  of  uncertainty  in  our  loss 
forecasting models related to junior-lien home equity loans that 
are current, but have first-lien loans that we do not service that 
are 30 days or more past due. In addition, we consider the inherent 
uncertainty in mathematical models that are built upon historical 
data.

Bank of America 2012     105

During 2012, the factors that impacted the allowance for loan 
and lease losses included significant overall improvements in the 
credit quality of the portfolios driven by improvements in the U.S. 
economy  and  labor  markets,  proactive  credit  risk  management 
initiatives  and  the  impact  of  recent  higher  credit  quality 
originations. Additionally, the resolution of uncertainties through 
current  recognition  of  net  charge-offs,  specifically  in  the  home 
loans portfolios, has impacted the amount of reserve needed in 
that portfolio. Evidencing the improvements in the U.S. economy 
and  labor  markets  are  modest  growth  in  consumer  spending, 
improvements in unemployment levels, a decrease in the absolute 
level and our share of national consumer bankruptcy filings, a rise 
in  both  residential  building  activity  and  overall  home  prices.  In 
addition  to  these  improvements,  paydowns,  charge-offs  and 
returns  to  performing  status  and  upgrades  out  of  criticized 
continued  to  outpace  new  nonaccrual  consumer  loans  and 
reservable criticized commercial loans, but such loans remained 
elevated relative to levels experienced prior to the financial crisis. 
We monitor differences between estimated and actual incurred 
loan and lease losses. This monitoring process includes periodic 
assessments by senior management of loan and lease portfolios 
and  the  models  used  to  estimate  incurred  losses  in  those 
portfolios.

Additions to, or reductions of, the allowance for loan and lease 
losses generally are recorded through charges or credits to the 
provision  for  credit  losses.  Credit  exposures  deemed  to  be 
uncollectible are charged against the allowance for loan and lease 
losses. Recoveries of previously charged off amounts are credited 
to the allowance for loan and lease losses.

The  allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses  for  the  consumer 
portfolio,  as  presented  in  Table  61,  was  $21.1  billion  at 
December 31,  2012,  a  decrease  of  $8.6  billion 
from 
December 31,  2011.  The  decrease  in  the  home  equity  and 
residential mortgage allowance was primarily driven by improved 
delinquencies  and  home  prices  as  evidenced  by  improving  LTV 
statistics as presented in Tables 25 and 27. In addition, the home 
equity  allowance  declined  due  to  reduced  exposures  to  current 
junior-lien loans that we estimate had a first-lien loan that was 90 
days or more past due. Also, the home equity allowance related 
to  the  PCI  portfolio  declined  $2.7  billion  primarily  due  to  the 

forgiveness of fully reserved home equity loans in connection with 
the National Mortgage Settlement. 

The decrease in the allowance related to the U.S. credit card 
and unsecured consumer lending portfolios in CBB was primarily 
due  to  improvement  in  delinquencies  and  bankruptcies.  For 
example, in the U.S. credit card portfolio, accruing loans 30 days 
or more past due decreased to $2.7 billion at December 31, 2012 
from $3.8 billion (to 2.90 percent from 3.74 percent of outstanding 
U.S. credit card loans) at December 31, 2011, and accruing loans 
90  days  or  more  past  due  decreased  to  $1.4  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 from $2.1 billion (to 1.52 percent from 2.02 
percent  of  outstanding  U.S.  credit  card  loans)  over  the  same 
period. See Tables 22, 23, 25, 27, 33 and 35 for additional details 
on key consumer credit statistics.

The allowance for loan and lease losses for the commercial 
portfolio  as  presented  in  Table  61  was  $3.1  billion  at 
December 31,  2012,  a  decrease  of  $1.0  billion 
from 
December 31,  2011.  The  decrease  was  driven  by  continued 
improvement in the credit quality of the core commercial portfolio. 
For example, the commercial utilized reservable criticized exposure 
decreased  to  $15.9  billion  at  December 31,  2012  from  $27.2 
billion  (to  4.10  percent  from  7.41  percent  of  total  commercial 
utilized  reservable  exposure)  at  December 31,  2011.  Similarly, 
nonperforming  commercial  loans  declined  to  $3.2  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 from $6.3 billion (to 0.93 percent from 2.04 
percent of outstanding commercial loans) at December 31, 2011. 
See Tables 39, 40 and 42 for additional details on key commercial 
credit statistics.

The allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of 
total  loans  and  leases  outstanding  was  2.69  percent  at 
December 31, 2012 compared to 3.68 percent at December 31, 
2011. The decrease in the ratio was largely due to improved credit 
quality  driven  by  improved  economic  conditions  and  the  home 
equity PCI loans that were forgiven which led to the reduction in 
the allowance for credit losses discussed above. The December 
31, 2012 and 2011 ratios above include the PCI loan portfolio. 
Excluding the PCI loan portfolio, the allowance for loan and lease 
losses as a percentage of total loans and leases outstanding was 
2.14 percent at December 31, 2012 compared to 2.86 percent 
at December 31, 2011.

106     Bank of America 2012

Table 60 presents a rollforward of the allowance for credit losses for 2012 and 2011.

Table 60 Allowance for Credit Losses

(Dollars in millions)

Allowance for loan and lease losses, January 1
Loans and leases charged off

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer charge-offs

U.S. commercial (1)
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial charge-offs
Total loans and leases charged off

Recoveries of loans and leases previously charged off

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer recoveries

U.S. commercial (2)
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial recoveries
Total recoveries of loans and leases previously charged off
Net charge-offs

Provision for loan and lease losses
Write-offs of home equity PCI loans
Other (3)

Allowance for loan and lease losses, December 31
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, January 1
Provision for unfunded lending commitments
Other (4)

Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, December 31
Allowance for credit losses, December 31

2012

2011

$

33,783

$

41,885

(3,211)
(4,566)
(72)
(5,360)
(835)
(1,258)
(274)
(15,576)
(1,309)
(719)
(32)
(36)
(2,096)
(17,672)

158
329
9
728
254
495
42
2,015
368
335
38
8
749
2,764
(14,908)
8,310
(2,820)
(186)
24,179
714
(141)
(60)
513
24,692

$

(4,195)
(4,990)
(106)
(8,114)
(1,691)
(2,190)
(252)
(21,538)
(1,690)
(1,298)
(61)
(155)
(3,204)
(24,742)

363
517
14
838
522
714
50
3,018
500
351
37
3
891
3,909
(20,833)
13,629
—
(898)
33,783
1,188
(219)
(255)
714
34,497

$

(1) 

(2) 

Includes U.S. small business commercial charge-offs of $799 million and $1.1 billion in 2012 and 2011.
Includes U.S. small business commercial recoveries of $100 million and $106 million in 2012 and 2011.

(3)  Primarily represents the net impact of portfolio sales, consolidations and deconsolidations, and foreign currency translation adjustments. In addition, the 2011 amount includes a $449 million 

reduction in the allowance for loan and lease losses related to Canadian consumer card loans that were transferred to LHFS.

(4)  Primarily represents accretion of the Merrill Lynch purchase accounting adjustment and the impact of funding previously unfunded positions.

Bank of America 2012     107

Table 60 Allowance for Credit Losses (continued)

(Dollars in millions)

Loan and allowance ratios:

2012

2011

Loans and leases outstanding at December 31 (5)
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases and outstanding at December 31 (5)
Consumer allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total consumer loans outstanding at December 31 (6)
Commercial allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total commercial loans and leases outstanding at December 31 (7)
Average loans and leases outstanding (5)
1.67%
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (5, 8)
1.99
Net charge-offs and PCI write-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (5, 9)
107
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and leases at December 31 (5, 10)
1.62
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs (8)
1.36
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs and PCI write-offs (9) 
Amounts included in the allowance for loan and lease losses that are excluded from nonperforming loans and leases at December 31 (11) $ 12,021
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and leases excluding amounts included in the 

2.69%
3.81
0.90
$ 890,337

$ 898,817

$ 917,396

3.68%
4.88
1.33
$ 929,661

2.24%
2.24
135
1.62
1.62
$ 17,490

allowance for loan and lease losses that are excluded from nonperforming loans and leases at December 31 (11)

54%

65%

Loan and allowance ratios excluding PCI loans and the related valuation allowance: (12)

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases outstanding at December 31 (5)
Consumer allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total consumer loans outstanding at December 31 (6)
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (5)
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and leases at December 31 (5, 10)
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs 

2.14%
2.95
1.73
82
1.25

2.86%
3.68
2.32
101
1.22

(5)  Outstanding loan and lease balances and ratios do not include loans accounted for under the fair value option. Loans accounted for under the fair value option were $9.0 billion and $8.8 billion at 

December 31, 2012 and 2011. Average loans accounted for under the fair value option were $8.4 billion in both 2012 and 2011.
(6)  Excludes consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option of $1.0 billion and $2.2 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
(7)  Excludes commercial loans accounted for under the fair value option of $8.0 billion and $6.6 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
(8)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012. These write-offs decreased the PCI valuation allowance included as part of the allowance 

for loan and lease losses. For information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

(9)  There were no write-offs of PCI loans in 2011.
(10)  For more information on our definition of nonperforming loans, see pages 89 and 97.
(11)  Primarily includes amounts allocated to U.S. credit card and unsecured consumer lending portfolios in CBB, PCI loans and the non-U.S. credit card portfolio in All Other.
(12)  For more information on the PCI loan portfolio and the valuation allowance for PCI loans, see Note 5 – Outstanding Loans and Leases and Note 6 – Allowance for Credit Losses to the Consolidated 

Financial Statements.

For reporting purposes, we allocate the allowance for credit losses across products. However, the allowance is generally available 

to absorb any credit losses without restriction. Table 61 presents our allocation by product type.

Table 61 Allocation of the Allowance for Credit Losses by Product Type

(Dollars in millions)

Allowance for loan and lease losses

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer
U.S. commercial (2)
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial
Total commercial (3)
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments

Allowance for credit losses (4)

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2011

Amount

Percent of
Total

Percent of
Loans and
Leases
Outstanding (1)

Amount

Percent of
Total

Percent of
Loans and
Leases
Outstanding (1)

$

$

5,004
7,845
2,084
4,718
600
718
104
21,073
1,885
846
78
297
3,106
24,179
513
24,692

20.69%
32.45
8.62
19.51
2.48
2.97
0.43
87.15
7.80
3.50
0.32
1.23
12.85
100.00%

2.06% $
7.26
21.07
4.97
5.13
0.86
6.40
3.81
0.90
2.19
0.33
0.40
0.90
2.69

$

5,715
13,094
2,270
6,322
946
1,153
148
29,648
2,441
1,349
92
253
4,135
33,783
714
34,497

16.92%
38.76
6.72
18.71
2.80
3.41
0.44
87.76
7.23
3.99
0.27
0.75
12.24
100.00%

2.18%

10.50
20.46
6.18
6.56
1.29
5.50
4.88
1.26
3.41
0.42
0.46
1.33
3.68

(1)  Ratios are calculated as allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of loans and leases outstanding excluding loans accounted for under the fair value option. Consumer loans accounted 
for under the fair value option included residential mortgage loans of $147 million and $906 million and discontinued real estate of $858 million and $1.3 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 
Commercial loans accounted for under the fair value option included U.S. commercial loans of $2.3 billion and $2.2 billion and non-U.S. commercial loans of $5.7 billion and $4.4 billion at December 
31, 2012 and 2011.
Includes allowance for loan and lease losses for U.S. small business commercial loans of $642 million and $893 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
Includes allowance for loan and lease losses for impaired commercial loans of $330 million and $545 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
Includes $5.5 billion and $8.5 billion of valuation allowance presented with the allowance for credit losses related to PCI loans at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(4) 

(3) 

(2) 

108     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
losses 

related 

to  unfunded 

Reserve for Unfunded Lending Commitments
In addition to the allowance for loan and lease losses, we also 
estimate  probable 
lending 
commitments  such  as  letters  of  credit,  financial  guarantees, 
unfunded bankers’ acceptances and binding loan commitments, 
excluding commitments accounted for under the fair value option. 
Unfunded  lending  commitments  are  subject  to  the  same 
assessment as funded loans, including estimates of probability 
of default and LGD. Due to the nature of unfunded commitments, 
the estimate of probable losses must also consider utilization. To 
estimate the portion of these undrawn commitments that is likely 
to be drawn by a borrower at the time of estimated default, analyses 
of  the  Corporation’s  historical  experience  are  applied  to  the 
unfunded commitments to estimate the funded EAD. The expected 
loss  for  unfunded  lending  commitments  is  the  product  of  the 
probability  of  default,  the  LGD  and  the  EAD,  adjusted  for  any 
qualitative  factors  including  economic  uncertainty  and  inherent 
imprecision in models.

The 

reserve 

for  unfunded 

lending  commitments  at 
December 31, 2012 was $513 million, $201 million lower than 
December 31,  2011  driven  by  improved  credit  quality  in  the 
unfunded  portfolio  and  accretion  of  purchase  accounting 
adjustments on acquired Merrill Lynch unfunded positions.

Market Risk Management
Market  risk  is  the  risk  that  values  of  assets  and  liabilities  or 
revenues  will  be  adversely  affected  by  changes  in  market 
conditions.  This  risk  is  inherent  in  the  financial  instruments 
associated with our operations and/or activities including loans, 
deposits, securities, short-term borrowings, long-term debt, trading 
account assets and liabilities, and derivatives. Market-sensitive 
assets and liabilities are generated through loans and deposits 
associated with our traditional banking business, customer and 
other trading operations, the ALM process, credit risk mitigation 
activities and mortgage banking activities. In the event of market 
volatility,  factors  such  as  underlying  market  movements  and 
liquidity have an impact on the results of the Corporation.

Our  traditional  banking  loan  and  deposit  products  are 
nontrading positions and are generally reported at amortized cost 
for  assets  or  the  amount  owed  for  liabilities  (historical  cost). 
However, these positions are still subject to changes in economic 
value based on varying market conditions, primarily changes in 
the levels of interest rates. The risk of adverse changes in the 
economic value of our nontrading positions is managed through 
our ALM activities. We have elected to account for certain assets 
and liabilities under the fair value option. For further information 
on the fair value of certain financial assets and liabilities, see Note 
21  –  Fair  Value  Measurements  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

Our trading positions are reported at fair value with changes 
currently  reflected  in  income.  Trading  positions  are  subject  to 
various risk factors, which include exposures to interest rates and 
foreign exchange rates, as well as mortgage, equity, commodity, 
issuer, credit and market liquidity risk factors. We seek to mitigate 
these risk exposures by using techniques that encompass a variety 
of financial instruments in both the cash and derivatives markets. 
The  following  discusses  the  key  risk  components  along  with 
respective risk mitigation techniques.

Interest Rate Risk
Interest  rate  risk  represents  exposures  to  instruments  whose 
values  vary  with  the  level  or  volatility  of  interest  rates.  These 
instruments include, but are not limited to, loans, debt securities, 
certain trading-related assets and liabilities, deposits, borrowings 
and derivatives. Hedging instruments used to mitigate these risks 
include derivatives such as options, futures, forwards and swaps.

Foreign Exchange Risk
Foreign  exchange  risk  represents  exposures  to  changes  in  the 
values of current holdings and future cash flows denominated in 
currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The types of instruments 
exposed to this risk include investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries, 
foreign  currency-denominated  loans  and  securities,  future  cash 
flows  in  foreign  currencies  arising  from  foreign  exchange 
transactions,  foreign  currency-denominated  debt  and  various 
foreign exchange derivatives whose values fluctuate with changes 
in  the  level  or  volatility  of  currency  exchange  rates  or  non-
U.S. interest rates. Hedging instruments used to mitigate this risk 
include  foreign  exchange  options,  currency  swaps,  futures, 
forwards, foreign currency-denominated debt and deposits.

certificates, 

commercial  mortgages 

Mortgage Risk
Mortgage risk represents exposures to changes in the value of 
mortgage-related instruments. The values of these instruments 
are sensitive to prepayment rates, mortgage rates, agency debt 
ratings,  default,  market  liquidity,  government  participation  and 
interest rate volatility. Our exposure to these instruments takes 
several  forms.  First,  we  trade  and  engage  in  market-making 
activities in a variety of mortgage securities including whole loans, 
pass-through 
and 
including  CDOs  using 
collateralized  mortgage  obligations 
mortgages as underlying collateral. Second, we originate a variety 
of MBS which involves the accumulation of mortgage-related loans 
in  anticipation  of  eventual  securitization.  Third,  we  may  hold 
positions in mortgage securities and residential mortgage loans 
as part of the ALM portfolio. Fourth, we create MSRs as part of 
our  mortgage  origination  activities.  See  Note  1  –  Summary  of 
Significant Accounting Principles and Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing 
Rights  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  additional 
information on MSRs. Hedging instruments used to mitigate this 
risk  include  contracts  and  derivatives  such  as  options,  swaps, 
futures and forwards.

Equity Market Risk
Equity  market  risk  represents  exposures  to  securities  that 
represent an ownership interest in a corporation in the form of 
domestic  and  foreign  common  stock  or  other  equity-linked 
instruments. Instruments that would lead to this exposure include, 
but  are  not  limited  to,  the  following:  common  stock,  exchange-
traded funds, American Depositary Receipts, convertible bonds, 
listed equity options (puts and calls), OTC equity options, equity 
total return swaps, equity index futures and other equity derivative 
products. Hedging instruments used to mitigate this risk include 
options, futures, swaps, convertible bonds and cash positions.

Bank of America 2012     109

Commodity Risk
Commodity  risk  represents  exposures  to  instruments  traded  in 
the  petroleum,  natural  gas,  power  and  metals  markets.  These 
instruments  consist  primarily  of  futures,  forwards,  swaps  and 
options. Hedging instruments used to mitigate this risk include 
options,  futures  and  swaps  in  the  same  or  similar  commodity 
product, as well as cash positions.

Issuer Credit Risk
Issuer  credit  risk  represents  exposures  to  changes  in  the 
creditworthiness of individual issuers or groups of issuers. Our 
portfolio is exposed to issuer credit risk where the value of an 
asset may be adversely impacted by changes in the levels of credit 
spreads, by credit migration or by defaults. Hedging instruments 
used  to  mitigate  this  risk  include  bonds,  CDS  and  other  credit 
fixed-income instruments.

Market Liquidity Risk
Market liquidity risk represents the risk that the level of expected 
market activity changes dramatically and, in certain cases, may 
even cease. This exposes us to the risk that we will not be able 
to  transact  business  and  execute  trades  in  an  orderly  manner 
which  may  impact  our  results.  This  impact  could  be  further 
exacerbated  if  expected  hedging  or  pricing  correlations  are 
compromised by disproportionate demand or lack of demand for 
certain instruments. We utilize various risk mitigating techniques 
as discussed in more detail in Trading Risk Management.

Trading Risk Management
Trading-related  revenues  represent  the  amount  earned  from 
trading  positions,  including  market-based  net  interest  income, 
which are taken in a diverse range of financial instruments and 
markets.  Trading  account  assets  and  liabilities  and  derivative 
positions are reported at fair value. For more information on fair 
value, see Note 21 – Fair Value Measurements to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements. Trading-related revenues can be volatile and 
are  largely  driven  by  general  market  conditions  and  customer 
demand.  Also,  trading-related  revenues  are  dependent  on  the 
volume and type of transactions, the level of risk assumed, and 
the volatility of price and rate movements at any given time within 
the ever-changing market environment.

The  Global  Markets  Risk  Committee  (GMRC),  chaired  by  the 
Global Markets Risk Executive, has been designated by ALMRC 
as  the  primary  governance  authority  for  global  markets  risk 
management  including  trading  risk  management.  The  GMRC’s 
focus is to take a forward-looking view of the primary credit and 
market risks impacting Global Markets and prioritize those that 
need a proactive risk mitigation strategy. Market risks that impact 
businesses outside of Global Markets are monitored and governed 
by their respective governance authorities.

The GMRC monitors significant daily revenues and losses by 
business  and  the  primary  drivers  of  the  revenues  or  losses. 
Thresholds  are  in  place  for  each  of  our  businesses  in  order  to 
determine if the revenue or loss is considered to be significant for 
that  business.  If  any  of  the  thresholds  are  exceeded,  an 
explanation  of  the  variance  is  provided  to  the  GMRC.  The 
thresholds are developed in coordination with the respective risk 
managers to highlight those revenues or losses that exceed what 
is considered to be normal daily income statement volatility.

110     Bank of America 2012

The histogram below is a graphic depiction of trading volatility 
and illustrates the daily level of trading-related revenue for 2012 
and  2011.  During  2012,  positive  trading-related  revenue  was 
recorded for 98 percent, or 243 of the 249 trading days of which 
80 percent (199 days) were daily trading gains of over $25 million, 
less than one percent (1 day) of the trading days had losses greater 

than  $25 million  and  the  largest  loss  was  $50 million.  This  is 
compared  to  2011,  where  positive  trading-related  revenue  was 
recorded for 86 percent, or 214 of the 250 trading days of which 
66 percent (165 days) were daily trading gains of over $25 million, 
five percent (12 days) of the trading days had losses greater than 
$25 million and the largest loss was $119 million.

To evaluate risk in our trading activities, we focus on the actual 
and potential volatility of individual positions as well as portfolios. 
VaR is a key statistic used to measure market risk. In order to 
manage day-to-day risks, VaR is subject to trading limits both for 
our overall trading portfolio and within individual businesses. All 
trading  limit  excesses  are  communicated  to  management  for 
review.

A VaR model simulates the value of a portfolio under a range 
of  hypothetical  scenarios  in  order  to  generate  a  distribution  of 
potential gains and losses. VaR represents the loss the portfolio 
is expected to experience within a given confidence level based 
on historical data. With any VaR model, there are significant and 
numerous assumptions that will differ from company to company. 
In addition, the accuracy of a VaR model depends on the availability 
and  quality  of  historical  data  for  each  of  the  positions  in  the 
portfolio.  A  VaR  model  may  require  additional  modeling 
assumptions for new products that do not have extensive historical 
price data or for illiquid positions for which accurate daily prices 
are not consistently available.

A VaR model is an effective tool in estimating ranges of potential 
gains  and  losses  on  our  trading  portfolios. There  are,  however, 
many limitations inherent in a VaR model as it utilizes historical 
results over a defined time period to estimate future performance. 
Historical results may not always be indicative of future results 
and  changes in market  conditions  or  in  the  composition  of the 
underlying portfolio could have a material impact on the accuracy 
of the VaR model. In order for the VaR model to reflect current 
market conditions, we update the historical data underlying our 
VaR  model  on  a  bi-weekly  basis  and  regularly  review  the 
assumptions underlying the model. Our VaR model utilizes three 
years of historical data. This time period was chosen to ensure 
that VaR reflects both a broad range of market movements as well 
as  being  sensitive  to  recent  changes  in  market  volatility.  In 
addition, certain types of risks associated with positions that are 
illiquid and/or unobservable are not included in VaR. If these risks 
are  determined  to  be  material,  the  VaR  model  results  will  be 
supplemented.

Bank of America 2012     111

We continually review, evaluate and enhance our VaR model so 
that it reflects the material risks in our trading portfolio. Changes 
to  the  VaR  model  are  reviewed  and  approved  prior  to 
implementation  and  any  material  changes  are  reported  to 
management  through  the  appropriate  governance  committees. 
Nevertheless, due to the limitations previously discussed, we have 
historically used the VaR model as only one of the components in 
managing our trading risk and also use other techniques such as 
stress testing and desk level limits. Periods of extreme market 
stress  influence  the  reliability  of  these  techniques  to  varying 
degrees.

The  accuracy  of  the  VaR  methodology  is  reviewed  by 
backtesting which compares the VaR results from historical data 
against the actual daily profit and loss. Graphic representation of 
the backtesting results with additional explanation of backtesting 
excesses are reported to the GMRC. Backtesting excesses occur 
when trading losses exceed VaR. Senior management reviews and 
evaluates the results of these tests. In periods of market stress, 

the GMRC members communicate daily to discuss losses and VaR 
limit excesses. As a result of this process, the businesses may 
selectively reduce risk. Where economically feasible, positions are 
sold  or  macroeconomic  hedges  are  executed  to  reduce  the 
exposure.

We  use  one  VaR  model  that  uses  a  historical  simulation 
approach based on three years of historical data and an expected 
shortfall methodology equivalent to a 99 percent confidence level. 
Statistically, this means that losses will exceed VaR, on average, 
one out of 100 trading days, or two to three times each year. The 
number of actual backtesting excesses observed is dependent on 
current market performance relative to historic market volatility. 
Actual losses did not exceed daily trading VaR in 2012 or 2011. 
The graph below shows daily trading-related revenue and VaR for 
2012. The large gains in daily trading-related revenue reflected 
near the end of the year, are due in part to above average activity 
in the markets leading up to news about the fiscal cliff.

Table 62 presents average, high and low daily trading VaR for 2012 and 2011.

Table 62 Market Risk VaR for Trading Activities

2012
High (1)

Low (1)

$

2011
High (1)

Low (1)

$

Average
21.4
$
46.3
49.5
34.1
27.8
13.0
(117.1)
75.0

$

34.3
75.3
80.7
45.0
54.8
17.7
—
$ 128.1

Average
20.0
$
50.6
109.9
80.0
50.5
18.9
(163.1)
$ 166.8

$

48.6
82.7
155.3
139.5
88.9
33.8
—
$ 318.6

11.5
29.8
31.1
27.6
14.6
7.2
—
41.9

5.6
29.2
54.8
31.5
25.1
8.4
—
75.0

Total market-based trading portfolio

$
(1)  The high and low for the total portfolio may not equal the sum of the individual components as the highs or lows of the individual portfolios may have occurred on different trading days.

$

$

(Dollars in millions)

Foreign exchange
Interest rate
Credit
Real estate/mortgage
Equities
Commodities
Portfolio diversification

112     Bank of America 2012

 
The  $92  million  decrease  in  average  VaR  during  2012  was 
driven by reduced risk across most asset classes, with the largest 
reductions  coming  from  the  credit,  real  estate/mortgage  and 
equities asset classes. In addition, volatile market data from 2008, 
which was a material contribution to the 2011 average, was no 
longer included in the three-year historical dataset for the 2012 
average. 

Counterparty credit risk is an adjustment to the mark-to-market 
value of our derivative exposures to reflect the impact of the credit 
quality  of  counterparties  on  our  derivative  assets.  Since 
counterparty credit exposure is not included in the VaR component 
of  the  regulatory  capital  allocation,  we  do  not  include  it  in  our 
trading VaR, and it is therefore not included in the daily trading-
related  revenue  illustrated  in  our  histogram  or  used  for 
backtesting.

Trading Portfolio Stress Testing
Because  the  very  nature  of  a  VaR  model  suggests  results  can 
exceed our estimates and it is dependent on a limited lookback 
window, we also stress test our portfolio. Stress testing estimates 
the  value  change  in  our  trading  portfolio  that  may  result  from 
abnormal market movements. Various scenarios, categorized as 
either historical or hypothetical, are regularly run and reported for 
the overall trading portfolio and individual businesses. Historical 
scenarios  simulate  the  impact  of  price  changes  that  occurred 
during a set of extended historical market events. Generally, a 10-
business-day window or longer, representing the most severe point 
during  a  crisis,  is  selected  for  each  historical  scenario. 
Hypothetical scenarios provide simulations of anticipated shocks 
from  pre-defined  market  stress  events.  These  stress  events 
include shocks to underlying market risk variables which may be 
well  beyond  the  shocks  found  in  the  historical  data  used  to 
calculate VaR. As with the historical scenarios, the hypothetical 
scenarios  are  designed  to  represent  a  short-term  market 
disruption. Scenarios are reviewed and updated as necessary in 
light  of  changing  positions  and  new  economic  or  political 
information. For example, we currently include stress tests that 
contemplate a full or partial break-up of the Eurozone. In addition 
to the value afforded by the results themselves, this information 
provides senior management with a clear picture of the trend of 
risk being taken given the relatively static nature of the shocks 
applied. Stress testing for the trading portfolio is also integrated 
with enterprise-wide stress testing and incorporated into the limits 
framework. A process is in place to promote consistency between 
the scenarios used for the trading portfolio and those used for 
enterprise-wide stress testing. The scenarios used for enterprise-
wide stress testing purposes differ from the typical trading portfolio 
scenarios in that they have a longer time horizon and the results 
are forecasted over multiple periods for use in consolidated capital 

and  liquidity  planning.  For  additional  information  on  enterprise-
wide stress testing, see page 64.

Interest Rate Risk Management for Nontrading 
Activities
The following discussion presents net interest income excluding 
the impact of trading-related activities.

Interest rate risk represents the most significant market risk 
exposure  to  our  nontrading  balance  sheet.  Interest  rate  risk  is 
measured as the potential volatility in net interest income caused 
by  changes  in  market  interest  rates.  Client-facing  activities, 
primarily lending and deposit-taking, create interest rate sensitive 
positions on our balance sheet.

We prepare forward-looking forecasts of net interest income. 
The  baseline  forecast  takes  into  consideration  expected  future 
business growth, ALM positioning and the direction of interest rate 
movements  as  implied  by  the  market-based  forward  curve.  We 
then measure and evaluate the impact that alternative interest 
rate scenarios have on the baseline forecast in order to assess 
interest rate sensitivity under varied conditions. The net interest 
income forecast is frequently updated for changing assumptions 
and  differing  outlooks  based  on  economic  trends,  market 
conditions and business strategies. Thus, we continually monitor 
our balance sheet position in an effort to maintain an acceptable 
level of exposure to interest rate changes.

in 

funding  mix,  product 

The interest rate scenarios that we analyze incorporate balance 
sheet assumptions such as loan and deposit growth and pricing, 
repricing  and  maturity 
changes 
characteristics,  but  do  not  include  the  impact  of  hedge 
ineffectiveness. Our overall goal is to manage interest rate risk so 
that  movements  in  interest  rates  do  not  significantly  adversely 
affect core net interest income and capital.

The  spot  and  12-month  forward  rates  used  in  our  baseline 
forecast at December 31, 2012 and 2011 are presented in Table 
63.

Table 63 Forward Rates

December 31, 2012
Three-
Month
LIBOR

10-Year
Swap

Federal
Funds

Spot rates
12-month forward rates

Spot rates
12-month forward rates

0.25%
0.25

0.31%
0.37

1.84%
2.10

December 31, 2011

0.25%
0.25

0.58%
0.75

2.03%
2.29

Bank of America 2012     113

 
Table  64  shows  the  pre-tax  dollar  impact  to  forecasted  net 
interest income over the next 12 months from December 31, 2012 
and 2011, resulting from instantaneous parallel and non-parallel 
shocks to the market-based forward curve. Periodically we evaluate 
the scenarios presented to ensure that they are meaningful in the 
context of the current rate environment. For more information, see 
Net Interest Income Excluding Trading-related Net Interest Income 
on page 32.

Table 64 Estimated Net Interest Income Excluding

Trading-related Net Interest Income

(Dollars in millions)

Curve Change
Parallel Shifts
+100 bps 

Short 
Rate (bps)

Long 
Rate (bps)

December 31

2012

2011

instantaneous shift

+100

+100

$

4,232

$

2,883

-50 bps 

instantaneous shift

-50

-50

(2,250)

(1,795)

Flatteners

Short end 

instantaneous change

+100

Long end 

instantaneous change

—

—

-50

2,159

979

(1,597)

(1,319)

Steepeners
Short end 

instantaneous change

Long end 

instantaneous change

-50

—

—

(655)

(464)

+100

2,091

1,935

The sensitivity analysis in Table 64 assumes that we take no 
action in response to these rate shocks. Our net interest income 
was asset sensitive to a parallel move in interest rates at both 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. As part of our ALM activities, we 
use securities, residential mortgages, and interest rate and foreign 
exchange derivatives in managing interest rate sensitivity. 

Securities
The securities portfolio is an integral part of our ALM positioning 
and is primarily comprised of debt securities including MBS and 
to a lesser extent U.S. Treasury, corporate, municipal and other 
debt securities. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, we held AFS 
debt  securities  with  a  fair  value  of  $286.9  billion  and  $276.2 
billion. During 2012 and 2011, we purchased AFS debt and other 
securities of $164.5 billion and $99.5 billion, sold $72.4 billion 
and $116.8 billion, and had maturities and received paydowns of 
$71.5 billion and $56.7 billion. We realized $1.7 billion and $3.4 
billion in net gains on sales of debt securities during 2012 and 
2011. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, we held $49.5 billion 
and $35.3 billion of held-to-maturity securities and $14.5 billion 
of  other  securities  classified  as  other  assets.  There  were  no 
securities classified as other assets during 2011.

Accumulated OCI included after-tax net unrealized gains of $4.4 
billion and $3.1 billion on AFS debt securities and $462 million 
and $3 million on AFS marketable equity securities at December 
31, 2012 and 2011. For additional information on accumulated 
OCI,  see  Note  15  – Accumulated  Other  Comprehensive  Income 
(Loss) to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The amount of 
pre-tax net unrealized gains on AFS debt securities increased $2.1 
billion during 2012 to $7.0 billion, primarily due to the impact of 
lower rates. For additional information on our securities portfolio, 
see Note 4 – Securities to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

114     Bank of America 2012

We recognized $53 million of other-than-temporary impairment 
(OTTI) losses in earnings on AFS debt securities in 2012 compared 
to $299 million in 2011. The recognition of OTTI is based on a 
variety of factors, including the length of time and extent to which 
the market value has been less than amortized cost, the financial 
condition of the issuer of the security including credit ratings and 
any  specific  events  affecting  the  operations  of  the  issuer, 
underlying assets that collateralize the debt security, other industry 
and macroeconomic conditions, and our intent and ability to hold 
the security to recovery.

Residential Mortgage Portfolio
At  December  31,  2012  and  2011,  our  residential  mortgage 
portfolio was $243.2 billion and $262.3 billion which excluded 
$9.9 billion and $11.1 billion of discontinued real estate loans 
and $1.0 billion and $2.2 billion of consumer loans accounted for 
under the fair value option. For more information on consumer fair 
value  option 
loans,  see  Consumer  Portfolio  Credit  Risk 
Management  –  Consumer  Loans  Accounted  for  Under  the  Fair 
Value Option on page 89. The $19.1 billion decrease in 2012 was 
due  to  paydowns,  charge-offs  and  transfers  to  foreclosed 
properties  which  more  than  offset  new  origination  volume  and 
repurchases  of  delinquent  FHA  loans  pursuant  to  our  servicing 
agreements with GNMA.

During 2012, CRES and GWIM originated $35.4 billion in first-
lien mortgages that we retained compared to $45.5 billion in 2011. 
Additionally, we repurchased $8.2 billion of delinquent FHA loans 
pursuant  to  our  servicing  agreements  with  GNMA  compared  to 
repurchases  of  $7.8  billion  in  2011.  We  received  paydowns  of 
$53.0 billion in 2012 compared to paydowns of $42.3 billion in 
2011. There were no purchases of residential mortgages related 
to ALM activities in 2012 compared to $72 million in 2011. We 
sold $305 million of residential mortgages in 2012 compared to 
$109  million  in  2011,  all  of  which  were  originated  residential 
mortgages.  Gains  recognized  on  the  sales  of  residential 
mortgages in both periods were minimal.

Interest Rate and Foreign Exchange Derivative 
Contracts
Interest rate and foreign exchange derivative contracts are utilized 
in our ALM activities and serve as an efficient tool to manage our 
interest  rate  and  foreign  exchange  risk.  We  use  derivatives  to 
hedge the variability in cash flows or changes in fair value on our 
balance  sheet  due  to  interest  rate  and  foreign  exchange 
components. For additional information on our hedging activities, 
see Note 3 – Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Our interest rate contracts are generally non-leveraged generic 
interest rate and foreign exchange basis swaps, options, futures 
and  forwards.  In  addition,  we  use  foreign  exchange  contracts, 
including  cross-currency  interest  rate  swaps,  foreign  currency 
forward contracts  and  options  to  mitigate  the foreign  exchange 
risk  associated  with  foreign  currency-denominated  assets  and 
liabilities. 

Changes to the composition of our derivatives portfolio during 
2012 reflect actions taken for interest rate and foreign exchange 
rate risk management. The decisions to reposition our derivatives 
portfolio are based on the current assessment of economic and 
financial conditions including the interest rate and foreign currency 
environments, balance sheet composition and trends, the asset 
sensitivity of our balance sheet and the relative mix of our cash 
and derivative positions. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table  65  presents  derivatives  utilized  in  our  ALM  activities 
including those designated as accounting and market risk hedging 
instruments and shows the notional amount, fair value, weighted-
average receive-fixed and pay-fixed rates, expected maturity and 

average  estimated  durations  of  our  open  ALM  derivatives  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. These amounts do not include 
derivative hedges on our MSRs.

Table 65 Asset and Liability Management Interest Rate and Foreign Exchange Contracts

December 31, 2012
Expected Maturity

(Dollars in millions, average estimated duration in
years)

Fair
Value

Receive-fixed interest rate swaps (1, 2)

$ 10,491

Total

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Thereafter

Notional amount
Weighted-average fixed-rate
Pay-fixed interest rate swaps (1, 2)

Notional amount
Weighted-average fixed-rate
Same-currency basis swaps (3)

Notional amount

Foreign exchange basis swaps (2, 4, 5)

Notional amount
Option products (6)

Notional amount (7)

Foreign exchange contracts (2, 5, 8)

Notional amount (7)

Futures and forward rate contracts

Notional amount (7)

Net ALM contracts

  $ 85,899

$

7,175

$

7,604

$ 11,785

$ 11,362

$ 19,693

$ 28,280

4.12%

4.06%

3.79%

3.56%

3.98%

3.89%

4.67%

(4,903)

  $ 26,548

$

3.09%

27
6.91%

$

3,989

$

0.79%

520
2.30%

$

1,025

$

1,527

$ 19,460

1.65%

1.84%

3.75%

45

  $ 213,458

$ 82,716

$ 54,534

$ 19,995

$ 20,361

$ 13,542

$ 22,310

431

(147)

5,636

24

$ 11,577

191,925

32,590

44,732

27,569

15,965

20,134

50,935

4,218

4,000

—

—

—

—

218

(1,200)

(23,438)

8,615

1,303

582

6,183

5,555

(11,595)

(11,595)

—

—

—

—

—

December 31, 2011
Expected Maturity

(Dollars in millions, average estimated duration in
years)

Fair
Value

Receive-fixed interest rate swaps (1, 2)

$ 13,989

Total

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Thereafter

Notional amount
Weighted-average fixed-rate
Pay-fixed interest rate swaps (1, 2)

Notional amount
Weighted-average fixed-rate
Same-currency basis swaps (3)

Notional amount

  $ 105,938

$ 22,422

$ 8,144

$ 7,604

$ 10,774

$ 11,660

$ 45,334

4.09%

2.65%

3.70%

3.79%

4.01%

3.96%

4.98%

(13,561)

  $ 77,985

$ 2,150

$ 1,496

$ 1,750

$ 15,026

$ 8,951

$ 48,612

3.29%

1.45%

2.68%

1.80%

2.35%

3.13%

3.76%

61

  $ 222,641

$ 44,898

$ 83,248

$ 35,678

$ 14,134

$ 17,113

$ 27,570

Foreign exchange basis swaps (2, 4, 5)

3,409

Notional amount
Option products (6)

Notional amount (7)

Foreign exchange contracts (2, 5, 8)

Notional amount (7)

Futures and forward rate contracts

Notional amount (7)

Net ALM contracts

(1,875)

2,522

153

$

4,698

262,428

60,359

49,161

55,111

20,401

43,360

34,036

10,413

1,500

2,950

600

300

458

4,605

52,328

20,470

3,556

10,165

2,071

2,603

13,463

12,160

12,160

—

—

—

—

—

Average
Estimated
Duration

5.30

15.47

Average
Estimated
Duration

5.99

12.17

(1)  At December 31, 2011, the receive-fixed interest rate swap notional amounts that represented forward starting swaps and which will not be effective until their respective contractual start dates 

totaled $1.7 billion compared to none at December 31, 2012. The forward starting pay-fixed swap positions at December 31, 2012 and 2011 were $520 million and $8.8 billion.

(2)  Does not include basis adjustments on either fixed-rate debt issued by the Corporation or AFS debt securities which are hedged using derivatives designated as fair value hedging instruments that 

substantially offset the fair values of these derivatives.

(3)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the notional amount of same-currency basis swaps consisted of $213.5 billion and $222.6 billion in both foreign currency and U.S. dollar-denominated basis swaps 

in which both sides of the swap are in the same currency.

(4)  Foreign exchange basis swaps consisted of cross-currency variable interest rate swaps used separately or in conjunction with receive-fixed interest rate swaps.
(5)  Does not include foreign currency translation adjustments on certain non-U.S. debt issued by the Corporation that substantially offset the fair values of these derivatives.
(6)  The notional amount of option products of $4.2 billion at December 31, 2012 were comprised of $18 million in purchased caps/floors and $4.2 billion in swaptions. Option products of $10.4 billion 

at December 31, 2011 were comprised of $30 million in purchased caps/floors and $10.4 billion in swaptions.

(7)  Reflects the net of long and short positions.
(8)  The notional amount of foreign exchange contracts of $(1.2) billion at December 31, 2012 was comprised of $41.9 billion in foreign currency-denominated and cross-currency receive-fixed swaps, 
$10.5 billion in foreign currency-denominated pay-fixed swaps, and $(32.6) billion in net foreign currency forward rate contracts. Foreign exchange contracts of $52.3 billion at December 31, 2011 
were comprised of $40.6 billion in foreign currency-denominated and cross-currency receive-fixed swaps, $647 million in foreign currency-denominated pay-fixed swaps and $12.4 billion in net foreign 
currency forward rate contracts. 

Bank of America 2012     115

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We  use  interest  rate  derivative  instruments  to  hedge  the 
variability in the cash flows of our assets and liabilities and other 
forecasted  transactions  (collectively  referred  to  as  cash  flow 
hedges). The net losses on both open and terminated cash flow 
hedge derivative instruments recorded in accumulated OCI, net-
of-tax, were $2.9 billion and $3.8 billion at December 31, 2012 
and 2011. These net losses are expected to be reclassified into 
earnings  in  the  same  period  as  the  hedged  cash  flows  affect 
earnings and will decrease income or increase expense on the 
respective hedged cash flows. Assuming no change in open cash 
flow derivative hedge positions and no changes in prices or interest 
rates  beyond  what  is  implied  in  forward  yield  curves  at 
December 31, 2012, the pre-tax net losses are expected to be 
reclassified into earnings as follows: $1.0 billion, or 22 percent 
within the next year, 58 percent in years two through five, and 13 
percent in years six through ten, with the remaining seven percent 
thereafter. For more information on derivatives designated as cash 
flow hedges, see Note 3 – Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements.

We hedge our net investment in non-U.S. operations determined 
to  have  functional  currencies  other  than  the  U.S.  dollar  using 
forward foreign exchange contracts that typically settle in less than 
180 days, cross-currency basis swaps, foreign exchange options 
and  foreign  currency-denominated  debt.  We  recorded  after-tax 
gains  on  derivatives  and  foreign  currency-denominated  debt  in 
accumulated OCI associated with net investment hedges which 
were offset by losses on our net investments in consolidated non-
U.S. entities at December 31, 2012.

Mortgage Banking Risk Management
We originate, fund and service mortgage loans, which subject us 
to  credit,  liquidity  and  interest  rate  risks,  among  others.  We 
determine whether loans will be HFI or held-for-sale at the time of 
commitment and manage credit and liquidity risks by selling or 
securitizing a portion of the loans we originate.

Interest  rate  risk  and  market  risk  can  be  substantial  in  the 
mortgage business. Fluctuations in interest rates drive consumer 
demand for new mortgages and the level of refinancing activity, 
which  in  turn,  affects  total  origination  and  service  fee  income. 
Typically,  a  decline  in  mortgage  interest  rates  will  lead  to  an 
increase in mortgage originations and fees and a decrease in the 
value  of  the  MSRs  driven  by  higher  prepayment  expectations. 
Hedging  the  various  sources  of  interest  rate  risk  in  mortgage 
banking is a complex process that requires complex modeling and 
ongoing  monitoring.  IRLCs  and  the  related  residential  first 
mortgage LHFS are subject to interest rate risk between the date 
of  the  IRLC  and  the  date  the  loans  are  sold  to  the  secondary 
market. To hedge interest rate risk, we utilize forward loan sale 
commitments  and  other  derivative 
including 
purchased options. These instruments are used to hedge certain 
market  risks  of  IRLCs  and  residential  first  mortgage  LHFS.  At 
December 31, 2012 and 2011, the notional amount of derivatives 
economically  hedging  the  IRLCs  and  residential  first  mortgage 
LHFS was $31.1 billion and $14.7 billion.

instruments 

MSRs  are  nonfinancial  assets  created  when  the  underlying 
mortgage loan is sold to investors and we retain the right to service 
the loan. We use certain derivatives such as interest rate options, 
interest rate swaps, forward settlement contracts and Eurodollar 
futures,  as  well  as  MBS  and  U.S.  Treasuries  to  hedge  certain 
market  risks  of  MSRs.  The  notional  amounts  of  the  derivative 

116     Bank of America 2012

contracts and principal value of other securities hedging the MSRs 
were  $2.5  trillion  and  $31.3  billion  at  December 31,  2012 
compared to $2.6 trillion and $46.3 billion at December 31, 2011. 
In 2012, we recorded gains in mortgage banking income of $2.3 
billion related to the change in fair value of the derivative contracts 
and other securities used to hedge the market risks of the MSRs 
compared to $6.3 billion for 2011. For additional information on 
MSRs, see Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights to the Consolidated 
Financial  Statements  and  for  more  information  on  mortgage 
banking income, see CRES on page 37.

Compliance Risk Management
Compliance risk is the risk of legal or regulatory sanctions, material 
financial  loss  or  damage  to  the  reputation  of  the  Corporation 
arising from the failure to comply with requirements applicable to 
banking  and  financial  services  laws,  rules  and  regulations. 
Compliance is at the core of the Corporation’s culture and is a key 
component of risk management discipline.

The Global Compliance organization is responsible for driving 
a  culture  of  compliance;  establishing  compliance  program 
requirements and related policies; executing the monitoring and 
testing of business controls; performing risk assessments on the 
businesses’ adherence to laws, rules and regulations as well as 
the effectiveness of business controls; overseeing remediation of 
compliance  risks  and  issues  executed  by  the  businesses  and 
supporting the identification, escalation and reporting of current, 
emerging  and  reputational  compliance  risk  matters  to  senior 
management and  the Board  (or  appropriate  committee).  Global 
Compliance  is  also  responsible  for  facilitating  processes  to 
effectively manage regulatory changes and maintain constructive 
relationships with regulators.

The Board provides oversight of compliance risks through its 

Audit Committee.

Operational Risk Management
The  Corporation  defines  operational  risk  as  the  risk  of  loss 
resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and 
systems  or  from  external  events.  Operational  risk  may  occur 
anywhere in the Corporation, not solely in operations functions, 
and its effects may extend beyond financial losses. Operational 
risk includes legal risk. Successful operational risk management 
financial  services 
is  particularly 
companies because of the nature, volume and complexity of the 
financial  services  business.  Global  banking  guidelines  and 
country-specific requirements for managing operational risk were 
established in Basel 2 which requires that the Corporation has 
internal operational risk management processes to assess and 
measure operational risk exposure and to set aside appropriate 
capital to address those exposures.

to  diversified 

important 

Under  the  advanced  measurement  rules  of  the  Basel 2 
Framework, an operational loss event is an event that results in 
a loss and is associated with any of the following seven operational 
loss event categories: internal fraud; external fraud; employment 
practices and workplace safety; clients, products and business 
practices;  damage  to  physical  assets;  business  disruption  and 
system failures; and execution, delivery and process management. 
Specific  examples  of  loss  events  include  robberies,  credit  card 
fraud,  processing  errors  and  physical  losses  from  natural 
disasters.

from 

risk  across 

risk  management 

We  approach  operational 

two 
perspectives to manage operational risk within the structure of 
the Corporation: (1) at the enterprise level to provide independent, 
integrated  management  of  operational 
the 
organization,  and  (2)  at  the  business  and  enterprise  control 
function levels to address operational risk in revenue producing 
and  non-revenue  producing  units.  The  Operational  Risk 
Management Program incorporates the overarching processes for 
identifying, measuring, mitigating, controlling, monitoring, testing, 
reviewing  operational  risk,  and  reporting  operational  risk 
information  to  management  and  the  Board.  A  sound  internal 
governance  structure  enhances  the  effectiveness  of  the 
Corporation’s  Operational  Risk  Management  Program  and  is 
accomplished at the enterprise level through formal oversight by 
the Board, the CRO and a variety of management committees and 
risk  oversight  groups  aligned  to  the  Corporation’s  overall  risk 
governance framework and practices. Of these, the Compliance 
and  Operational  Risk  Committee 
the 
Corporation’s policies and processes for sound operational risk 
management. The CORC also serves as an escalation point for 
critical operational risk matters within the Corporation. The CORC 
reports operational risk activities to the Enterprise Risk Committee 
of the Board.

(CORC)  oversees 

Within  the  Global  Risk  Management  organization,  the 
Corporate  Operational  Risk  team  develops  and  guides  the 
strategies, policies, practices, controls and monitoring tools for 
assessing and managing operational risks across the organization 
and reports results to businesses, enterprise control functions, 
senior management, governance committees and the Board.

Corporate  Audit  provides  independent  assessment  and 
validation through testing of key processes and controls across 
the  Corporation.  An  annual  Audit  Plan  ensures  that  coverage 
activities address the significant aspects of the Corporation’s risk 
profile.  Risk  assessments  incorporating  operational  risk  are 
completed within the audit planning process. 

The business and enterprise control functions are responsible 
for managing all the risks within their units, including operational 
risks.  In  addition  to  enterprise  risk  management  tools  such  as 
loss  reporting,  scenario  analysis  and  RCSAs,  operational  risk 
executives,  working 
in  conjunction  with  senior  business 
executives, have developed key tools to help identify, measure, 
mitigate and monitor risk in each business and enterprise control 
function.  Examples  of  these  include  personnel  management 
practices; data reconciliation processes; fraud management units; 
transaction  processing,  monitoring  and  analysis;  business 
recovery planning; and new product introduction processes. The 
business and enterprise control functions are also responsible for 
consistently 
to, 
corporate practices. 

implementing,  and  monitoring  adherence 

Business and enterprise control function management uses 
the enterprise RCSA process to identify and evaluate the status 
of  risk  and  control  issues,  including  mitigation  plans,  as 
appropriate.  The  goals  of  this  process  are  to  assess  changing 
market and business conditions, evaluate key risks impacting each 
business and enterprise control function and assess the controls 
in place to mitigate the risks. The RCSA process is documented 
at periodic intervals. Key operational risk indicators for these risks 
have  been  developed  and  are  used  to  help  identify  trends  and 
issues on an enterprise, business and enterprise control function 
level.  Independent  review  and  challenge  to  the  Corporation’s 
overall operational risk management framework is performed by 
the Corporate Operational Risk Validation Team.

Enterprise control functions have risk governance and control 
responsibilities  for  their  enterprise  programs  (e.g.,  Global 
Technology and Operations Group, Chief Financial Officer Group, 
Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Global Human Resources). 
They provide insights on day-to-day risk activities throughout the 
Company by overseeing and managing the performance of their 
functions  against  Company-wide  expectations.  The  enterprise 
control functions participate in the operational risk management 
process in two ways. First, these organizations manage risk in their 
functional  department.  Second,  they  provide  specialized  risk 
management  services  (e.g.,  information  management,  vendor 
management)  within  their  area  of  expertise  to  the  enterprise, 
businesses and other enterprise control functions they support. 
These  groups  also  work  with  business  and  risk  executives  to 
develop  and  guide  appropriate  strategies,  policies,  practices, 
controls and monitoring tools for each business and enterprise 
control function relative to these programs.
Additionally,  where  appropriate, 

insurance  policies  are 
purchased  to  mitigate  the  impact  of  operational  losses.  These 
insurance  policies  are  explicitly  incorporated  in  the  structural 
features of operational risk evaluation. As insurance recoveries, 
especially  given  recent  market  events,  are  subject  to  legal  and 
financial uncertainty, the inclusion of these insurance policies is 
subject to reductions in their expected mitigating benefits.

Complex Accounting Estimates
Our  significant  accounting  principles,  as  described  in  Note  1  – 
Summary of Significant Accounting Principles to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements are essential in understanding the MD&A. 
Many  of  our  significant  accounting  principles  require  complex 
judgments  to  estimate  the  values  of  assets  and  liabilities.  We 
have procedures and processes in place to facilitate making these 
judgments.

The more judgmental estimates are summarized in the following 
discussion. We have identified and described the development of 
the  variables  most  important  in  the  estimation  processes  that 
involve  mathematical  models  to  derive  the  estimates.  In  many 
cases, there are numerous alternative judgments that could be 
used in the process of determining the inputs to the models. Where 
alternatives  exist,  we  have  used  the  factors  that  we  believe 
represent  the  most  reasonable  value  in  developing  the  inputs. 
Actual  performance  that  differs  from  our  estimates  of  the  key 
variables could impact our results of operations. Separate from 
the possible future impact to our results of operations from input 
and model variables, the value of our lending portfolio and market-
sensitive  assets  and  liabilities  may  change  subsequent  to  the 
balance  sheet  date,  often  significantly,  due  to  the  nature  and 
magnitude of future credit and market conditions. Such credit and 
market conditions may change quickly and in unforeseen ways and 
the resulting volatility could have a significant, negative effect on 
future operating results. These fluctuations would not be indicative 
of deficiencies in our models or inputs.

Allowance for Credit Losses
The allowance for credit losses, which includes the allowance for 
loan  and  lease  losses  and  the  reserve  for  unfunded  lending 
commitments,  represents  management’s  estimate  of  probable 
losses inherent in the Corporation’s loan portfolio excluding those 
loans accounted for under the fair value option. Changes to the 
allowance  for  credit  losses  are  reported  in  the  Corporation’s 
Consolidated  Statement  of  Income  in  the  provision  for  credit 

Bank of America 2012     117

losses. Our process for determining the allowance for credit losses 
is  discussed  in  Note  1  –  Summary  of  Significant  Accounting 
Principles to the Consolidated Financial Statements. We evaluate 
our  allowance  at  the  portfolio  segment  level  and  our  portfolio 
segments are Home Loans, Credit Card and Other Consumer, and 
Commercial. Due to the variability in the drivers of the assumptions 
used in this process, estimates of the portfolio’s inherent risks 
and  overall  collectability  change  with  changes  in  the  economy, 
individual  industries,  countries,  and  borrowers’  ability  and 
willingness  to  repay  their  obligations.  The  degree  to  which  any 
particular  assumption  affects  the  allowance  for  credit  losses 
depends on the severity of the change and its relationship to the 
other assumptions.

Key  judgments  used  in  determining  the  allowance  for  credit 
losses  include  risk  ratings  for  pools  of  commercial  loans  and 
leases,  market  and  collateral  values  and  discount  rates  for 
individually  evaluated  loans,  product  type  classifications  for 
consumer and commercial loans and leases, loss rates used for 
consumer and commercial loans and leases, adjustments made 
to  address  current  events  and  conditions,  considerations 
regarding domestic and global economic uncertainty, and overall 
credit conditions.

in 

Our estimate for the allowance for loan and lease losses is 
sensitive to the loss rates and expected cash flows from our Home 
Loans and Credit Card and Other Consumer portfolio segments, 
as well as our U.S. small business commercial portfolio within the 
Commercial portfolio segment. For each one percent increase in 
the loss rates on loans collectively evaluated for impairment in 
our Home Loans portfolio segment, excluding PCI loans, coupled 
with a one percent decrease in the discounted cash flows on those 
loans  individually  evaluated  for  impairment  within  this  portfolio 
segment, the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31, 
2012 would have increased by $147 million. PCI loans within our 
Home Loans portfolio segment are initially recorded at fair value. 
Applicable accounting guidance prohibits carry-over or creation of 
valuation  allowances 
initial  accounting.  However, 
subsequent decreases in the expected cash flows from the date 
of acquisition result in a charge to the provision for credit losses 
and a corresponding increase to the allowance for loan and lease 
losses. We subject our PCI portfolio to stress scenarios to evaluate 
the potential impact given certain events. A one percent decrease 
in  the  expected  cash  flows  could  result  in  a  $208 million 
impairment of the portfolio, of which $99 million would be related 
to  our  discontinued  real  estate  portfolio.  For  each  one  percent 
increase  in  the  loss  rates  on  loans  collectively  evaluated  for 
impairment within our Credit Card and Other Consumer portfolio 
segment and U.S. small business commercial portfolio coupled 
with a one percent decrease in the expected cash flows on those 
loans  individually  evaluated  for  impairment  within  the  portfolio 
segment and the U.S. small business commercial portfolio, the 
allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31, 2012 would 
have increased by $60 million.

the 

Our allowance for loan and lease losses is sensitive to the risk 
ratings  assigned  to  loans  and  leases  within  the  Commercial 
portfolio segment (excluding the U.S. small business commercial 
portfolio). Assuming a downgrade of one level in the internal risk 
ratings for commercial loans and leases, except loans and leases 
already  risk-rated  Doubtful  as  defined  by  regulatory  authorities, 
the allowance for loan and lease losses would have increased by 
$2.2 billion at December 31, 2012.

118     Bank of America 2012

The allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of 
total loans and leases at December 31, 2012 was 2.69 percent 
and these hypothetical increases in the allowance would raise the 
ratio to 2.98 percent.

These  sensitivity  analyses  do  not  represent  management’s 
expectations of the deterioration in risk ratings or the increases 
in loss rates but are provided as hypothetical scenarios to assess 
the  sensitivity  of  the  allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses  to 
changes  in  key  inputs.  We  believe  the  risk  ratings  and  loss 
severities currently in use are appropriate and that the probability 
of the alternative scenarios outlined above occurring within a short 
period of time is remote.

The process of determining the level of the allowance for credit 
losses  requires  a  high  degree  of  judgment.  It  is  possible  that 
others, given the same information, may at any point in time reach 
different reasonable conclusions.

Mortgage Servicing Rights
MSRs are nonfinancial assets that are created when a mortgage 
loan is sold and we retain the right to service the loan. We account 
for consumer MSRs at fair value with changes in fair value recorded 
in  the  Corporation’s  Consolidated  Statement  of  Income  in 
mortgage  banking  income  (loss).  Commercial  and  residential 
reverse mortgage MSRs are accounted for using the amortization 
method, lower of cost or market value, with impairment recognized 
as  a  reduction  of  mortgage  banking 
(loss).  At 
December 31, 2012, our total MSR balance was $5.9 billion.

income 

We  determine  the  fair  value  of  our  consumer  MSRs  using  a 
valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated 
future net servicing income. The model incorporates key economic 
assumptions  including  estimates  of  prepayment  rates  and 
resultant  weighted-average  lives  of  the  MSRs,  and  the  option-
adjusted  spread  levels.  These  variables  can,  and  generally  do, 
change from quarter to quarter as market conditions and projected 
interest rates change. These assumptions are subjective in nature 
and  changes  in  these  assumptions  could  materially  affect  our 
operating results. For example, decreasing the prepayment rate 
assumption  used  in  the  valuation  of  our  consumer  MSRs  by 
10 percent while keeping all other assumptions unchanged could 
have resulted in an estimated increase of $510 million in MSRs 
and mortgage banking income (loss) at December 31, 2012. This 
impact  does  not  reflect  any  hedge  strategies  that  may  be 
undertaken to mitigate such risk.

We manage potential changes in the fair value of MSRs through 
a  comprehensive  risk  management  program.  The  intent  is  to 
mitigate the effects of changes in the fair value of MSRs through 
the use of risk management instruments. To reduce the sensitivity 
of  earnings  to  interest  rate  and  market  value  fluctuations, 
securities including MBS and U.S. Treasuries, as well as certain 
derivatives such as options and interest rate swaps may be used 
to hedge certain market risks of the MSRs, but are not designated 
as accounting hedges. These instruments are carried at fair value 
with changes in fair value recognized in mortgage banking income 
(loss).  For  more  information,  see  Mortgage  Banking  Risk 
Management on page 116.

For additional information on MSRs, including the sensitivity of 
weighted-average lives and the fair value of MSRs to changes in 
modeled assumptions, see Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights 
to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments
We classify the fair values of financial instruments based on the 
fair value hierarchy under applicable accounting guidance which 
requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and 
minimize  the  use  of  unobservable  inputs  when  measuring  fair 
value. Applicable accounting guidance establishes three levels of 
inputs used to measure fair value. We carry trading account assets 
and liabilities, derivative assets and liabilities, AFS debt and equity 
securities, certain MSRs and certain other assets at fair value. 
Also, we account for certain loans and loan commitments, LHFS, 
other  short-term  borrowings,  securities  financing  agreements, 
asset-backed  secured  financings,  long-term  deposits  and  long-
term debt under the fair value option. For more information, see 
Note 21 – Fair Value Measurements and Note 22 – Fair Value Option 
to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The  fair  values  of  assets  and  liabilities  may  include 
adjustments,  such  as  market  liquidity  and  credit  quality,  where 
appropriate.  Valuations  of  products  using  models  or  other 
techniques are sensitive to assumptions used for the significant 
inputs.  Where  market  data  is  available,  the  inputs  used  for 
valuation reflect that information as of our valuation date. Inputs 
to  valuation  models  are  considered  unobservable  if  they  are 
supported  by  little  or  no  market  activity.  In  periods  of  extreme 
volatility,  lessened  liquidity  or  in  illiquid  markets,  there  may  be 
more variability in market pricing or a lack of market data to use 
in the valuation process. In keeping with the prudent application 
of estimates and management judgment in determining the fair 
value of assets and liabilities, we have in place various processes 
and controls that include: a model validation policy that requires 
review and approval of quantitative models used for deal pricing, 
financial  statement 
risk 
quantification;  a  trading  product  valuation  policy  that  requires 
verification of all traded product valuations; and a periodic review 
and substantiation of daily profit and loss reporting for all traded 
products.  Primarily  through  validation  controls,  we  utilize  both 
broker and pricing service inputs which can and do include both 
market-observable and internally-modeled values and/or valuation 
inputs.  Our  reliance  on  this  information  is  tempered  by  the 
knowledge of how the broker and/or pricing service develops its 
data with a higher degree of  reliance  applied  to  those that  are 
more  directly  observable  and  lesser  reliance  applied  to  those 
developed through their own internal modeling. Similarly, broker 
quotes that are executable are given a higher level of reliance than 
indicative  broker  quotes,  which  are  not  executable.  These 
processes  and  controls  are  performed  independently  of  the 
business.

value  determination  and 

fair 

Trading account assets and liabilities are carried at fair value 
based primarily on actively traded markets where prices are from 
either direct market quotes or observed transactions. Liquidity is 
a significant factor in the determination of the fair value of trading 
account assets and liabilities. Market price quotes may not be 
readily available for some positions, or positions within a market 
sector where trading activity has slowed significantly or ceased. 
Situations of illiquidity generally are triggered by market perception 
of  credit  uncertainty  regarding  a  single  company  or  a  specific 
market sector. In these instances, fair value is determined based 
on  limited  available  market  information  and  other  factors, 

principally  from  reviewing  the  issuer’s  financial  statements  and 
changes  in  credit  ratings  made  by  one  or  more  of  the  rating 
agencies.

Trading account profits, which represent the net amount earned 
from our trading positions, can be volatile and are largely driven 
by  general  market  conditions  and  customer  demand.  Trading 
account  profits  are  dependent  on  the  volume  and  type  of 
transactions, the level of risk assumed, and the volatility of price 
and rate movements at any given time within the ever-changing 
market environment. To evaluate risk in our trading activities, we 
focus on the actual and potential volatility of individual positions 
as well as portfolios. At a portfolio and corporate level, we use 
trading limits, stress testing and tools such as VaR modeling, which 
estimates a potential daily loss that we do not expect to exceed 
with a specified confidence level, to measure and manage market 
risk. For more information on VaR, see Trading Risk Management 
on page 110.

The fair values of derivative assets and liabilities traded in the 
OTC market are determined using quantitative models that require 
the use of multiple market inputs including interest rates, prices 
and  indices  to  generate  continuous  yield  or  pricing  curves  and 
volatility factors, which are used to value the positions. The majority 
of market inputs are actively quoted and can be validated through 
external sources including brokers, market transactions and third-
party pricing services. Estimation risk is greater for derivative asset 
and liability positions that are either option-based or have longer 
maturity dates where observable market inputs are less readily 
available or are unobservable, in which case quantitative-based 
extrapolations  of  rate,  price  or  index  scenarios  are  used  in 
determining fair values. The Corporation incorporates within its 
fair value measurements of OTC derivatives a valuation adjustment 
to reflect the credit risk associated with the net position. Positions 
are netted by counterparty and fair value for net long exposures 
is adjusted for counterparty credit risk while the fair value for net 
short  exposures  is  adjusted  for  our  own  credit  risk.  The  credit 
adjustments are determined by reference to existing direct market 
reference  costs  of  credit,  or  where  direct  references  are  not 
available, a proxy is applied consistent with direct references for 
other counterparties that are similar in credit risk. An estimate of 
severity  of  loss  is  also  used  in  the  determination  of  fair  value, 
primarily  based  on  market  implied  experience  adjusted  for  any 
more recent name specific expectations.

that 

inputs 

require 

techniques 

Level 3 Assets and Liabilities
Financial  assets  and  liabilities  whose  values  are  based  on 
valuation 
that  are  both 
unobservable  and  are  significant  to  the  overall  fair  value 
measurement  are  classified  as  Level  3  under  the  fair  value 
hierarchy established in applicable accounting guidance. The Level 
3 financial assets and liabilities include certain loans, MBS, ABS, 
CDOs  and  structured  liabilities,  as  well  as  highly  structured, 
complex  or  long-dated  derivative  contracts,  private  equity 
investments and consumer MSRs. The fair value of these Level 3 
financial assets and liabilities is determined using pricing models, 
discounted  cash  flow  methodologies  or  similar  techniques  for 
which  the  determination  of  fair  value  requires  significant 
management judgment or estimation.

Bank of America 2012     119

Table 66 Level 3 Asset and Liability Summary

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2011

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets
Derivative assets
AFS debt securities
All other Level 3 assets at fair value
Total Level 3 assets at fair value (1)

Level 3
Fair Value

$

$

9,559
8,073
5,091
13,865
36,588

Level 3
Fair Value

As a %
of Total
Level 3
Assets

26.13%
22.06
13.91
37.90
100.00%

As a %
of Total
Level 3
Liabilities

Derivative liabilities
Long-term debt
All other Level 3 liabilities at fair value
Total Level 3 liabilities at fair value (1)

73.51%
25.61
0.88
100.00%
(1)  Level 3 total assets and liabilities are shown before the impact of counterparty netting related to our derivative positions.

6,605
2,301
79
8,985

$

$

As a %
of Total
Assets

Level 3
Fair Value

0.43% $
0.37
0.23
0.63
1.66% $

11,455
14,366
8,012
17,744
51,577

As a %
of Total
Liabilities

Level 3
Fair Value

0.33% $
0.12
0.01
0.46% $

8,500
2,943
128
11,571

As a %
of Total
Level 3
Assets

22.21%
27.85
15.53
34.41
100.00%

As a %
of Total
Level 3
Liabilities

73.46%
25.43
1.11
100.00%

As a %
of Total
Assets

0.54%
0.67
0.38
0.83
2.42%

As a %
of Total
Liabilities

0.45%
0.15
0.01
0.61%

During 2012, we recognized net gains of $136 million on Level 
3  assets  and  liabilities.  The  net  gains  were  primarily  gains  on 
trading  account  assets,  LHFS,  and  loans  and  leases,  offset  by 
losses  on  MSRs,  long-term  debt  and  net  derivative  assets. 
Unrealized gains on trading account assets were primarily due to 
mark-to-market gains on collateralized  loan  obligation  positions 
due to strong market conditions, as well as mark-to-market gains 
on secondary loan positions held in inventory. Unrealized gains on 
LHFS were due to improved market conditions for mortgage whole 
loans in EMEA. Unrealized gains on loans and leases were due to 
an overall improvement in housing prices and lower loss severity. 
Unrealized losses on MSRs were primarily due to the impact of 
the  decline  in  interest  rates  on  forecasted  prepayments. 
Unrealized losses on long-term debt were the result of improved 
credit spreads throughout the year. Losses on net derivative assets 
were primarily due to tightening spreads on credit derivatives and 
in  the  RMBS  indices,  as  well  as  mark-to-market  movement  in 
various equity instruments, offset by mortgage production gains. 
There were net unrealized gains of $65 million in accumulated OCI 
on  Level  3  assets  and  liabilities  at  December 31,  2012.  For 
additional  information  on  the  components  of  net  realized  and 
unrealized gains and losses during 2012, see Note 21 – Fair Value 
Measurements to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Level 3 financial instruments, such as our consumer MSRs, 
may be hedged with derivatives classified as Level 1 or 2; therefore, 
gains or losses associated with Level 3 financial instruments may 
be offset by gains or losses associated with financial instruments 
classified in other levels of the fair value hierarchy. The Level 3 
gains and losses recorded in earnings did not have a significant 
impact on our liquidity or capital resources.

We conduct a review of our fair value hierarchy classifications 
on a quarterly basis. Transfers into or out of Level 3 are made if 
the significant inputs used in the financial models measuring the 
fair values of the assets and liabilities became unobservable or 
observable,  respectively,  in  the  current  marketplace.  These 
transfers are considered to be effective as of the beginning of the 
quarter  in  which  they  occur.  For  additional  information  on  the 
significant transfers into and out of Level 3 during 2012, see Note 
21  –  Fair  Value  Measurements  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.

Global Principal Investments
GPI is included within Equity Investments in All Other on page 48. 
GPI is comprised of a diversified portfolio of private equity, real 
estate and other alternative investments in both privately-held and 
publicly-traded  companies.  These  investments  are  made  either 
directly  in  a  company  or  held  through  a  fund.  At  December 31, 
2012, this portfolio totaled $3.5 billion including $2.2 billion of 
non-public investments.

Certain  equity  investments  in  the  portfolio  are  subject  to 
investment  company  accounting  under  applicable  accounting 
guidance, and accordingly, are carried at fair value with changes 
in  fair  value  reported  in  equity  investment  income.  Initially  the 
transaction price of the investment is generally considered to be 
the  best  indicator  of  fair  value.  Thereafter,  valuation  of  direct 
investments  is  based  on  an  assessment  of  each  individual 
investment  using  methodologies  that  include  publicly-traded 
comparables derived by multiplying a key performance metric (e.g., 
earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of 
the portfolio company by the relevant valuation multiple observed 
for comparable companies, acquisition comparables, entry-level 
multiples  and  discounted  cash  flows,  and  are  subject  to 
appropriate discounts for lack of liquidity or marketability. Certain 
factors that may influence changes in fair value include but are 
not limited to, recapitalizations, subsequent rounds of financing 
and  offerings  in  the  equity  or  debt  capital  markets.  For  fund 
investments, we generally record the fair value of our proportionate 
interest in the fund’s capital as reported by the fund’s respective 
managers.

Accrued Income Taxes and Deferred Tax Assets
Accrued  income  taxes,  reported  as  a  component  of  accrued 
expenses and other liabilities on the Corporation’s Consolidated 
Balance Sheet, represent the net amount of current income taxes 
we  expect  to  pay  to  or  receive  from  various  taxing  jurisdictions 
attributable to our operations to date. We currently file income tax 
returns in more than 100 jurisdictions and consider many factors, 
including statutory, judicial and regulatory guidance, in estimating 
the appropriate accrued income taxes for each jurisdiction.

120     Bank of America 2012

 
 
In  applying  the  applicable  accounting  guidance,  we  monitor 
relevant  tax  authorities  and  change  our  estimate  of  accrued 
income  taxes  due  to  changes  in  income  tax  laws  and  their 
interpretation  by  the  courts  and  regulatory  authorities.  These 
revisions of our estimate of accrued income taxes, which also may 
result  from  our  income  tax  planning  and  from  the  resolution  of 
income tax controversies, may be material to our operating results 
for any given period.

Net  deferred  tax  assets,  reported  as  a  component  of  other 
assets  on  the  Corporation’s  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet, 
represent the net decrease in taxes expected to be paid in the 
future  because  of  net  operating  loss  (NOL)  and  tax  credit 
carryforwards  and  because  of  future  reversals  of  temporary 
differences in the bases of assets and liabilities as measured by 
tax laws and their bases as reported in the financial statements. 
NOL and tax credit carryforwards result in reductions to future tax 
liabilities, and many of these attributes can expire if not utilized 
within  certain  periods.  We  consider  the  need  for  valuation 
allowances to reduce net deferred tax assets to the amounts we 
estimate are more-likely-than-not to be realized.

While  we  have  established  some  valuation  allowances  for 
certain state and non-U.S. deferred tax assets, we have concluded 
that  our  various  estimates  of  future  taxable  income  will  be 
sufficient to realize all U.S. federal and U.K. deferred tax assets, 
including NOL and tax credit carryforwards, that are not subject to 
any special limitations (such as change-in-control limitations) prior 
to any expiration. The majority of our U.K. net deferred tax assets, 
which consist primarily of NOLs, are realizable by subsidiaries that 
have  a  recent  history  of  cumulative  losses.  These  deferred  tax 
assets related to NOLs will be realized over an extended number 
of years. Significant decreases to our estimates of future taxable 
income could materially change our conclusions about how much 
of our tax attributes and other deferred tax assets are more-likely-
than-not  to  be  realized  prior  to  their  expiration.  See  Note  20  – 
Income Taxes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a table 
of significant tax attributes and additional information.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Background
The nature of and accounting for goodwill and intangible assets 
are  discussed  in  Note  1  –  Summary  of  Significant  Accounting 
Principles  and  Note  9  –  Goodwill  and  Intangible  Assets  to  the 
Consolidated  Financial  Statements.  Goodwill  is  reviewed  for 
potential impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis, 
which for the Corporation is performed as of June 30, and in interim 
periods if events or circumstances indicate a potential impairment. 
A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below. As 
reporting units are determined after an acquisition or evolve with 
changes in business strategy, goodwill is assigned to reporting 
units  and  it  no  longer  retains  its  association  with  a  particular 
acquisition. All of the revenue streams and related activities of a 
reporting unit, whether acquired or organic, are available to support 
the value of the goodwill.

We use the reporting units’ allocated equity as a proxy for the 
carrying amount of equity for each reporting unit in our goodwill 
impairment  tests  as  we  do  not  maintain  a  record  of  equity  as 
defined under GAAP at the reporting unit level. Allocated equity 
includes economic capital, goodwill and a percentage of intangible 
assets allocated to the reporting units. The allocation of economic 
capital  to  the  reporting  units  utilized  for  goodwill  impairment 

testing has the same basis as the allocation of economic capital 
to our operating segments. Economic capital allocation plans are 
incorporated  into  the  Corporation’s  financial  plan  which  is 
approved  by  the  Board  on  an  annual  basis.  Allocated  equity  is 
updated on a quarterly basis.

The  Corporation’s  common  stock  price  remained  low  during 
2012 and 2011. During these periods, our market capitalization 
remained below our recorded book value. We estimate that the 
fair value of all reporting units with assigned goodwill in aggregate 
as  of  the  June 30,  2012  annual  goodwill  impairment  test  was 
$219.5 billion and the aggregate carrying value of all reporting 
units with assigned goodwill, as measured by allocated equity was 
$138.4  billion.  The  common  stock  market  capitalization  of  the 
Corporation at June 30, 2012 was $88.2 billion ($125.1 billion 
at December 31, 2012). As none of our reporting units are publicly-
traded, individual reporting unit fair value determinations do not 
directly  correlate  to  the  Corporation’s  stock  price.  Although  we 
believe  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  market  capitalization 
could be an indicator of fair value over time, we do not believe that 
our current market capitalization reflects the aggregate fair value 
of our individual reporting units.

Estimating  the  fair  value  of  reporting  units  is  a  subjective 
process  that  involves  the  use  of  estimates  and  judgments, 
particularly related to cash flows, the appropriate discount rates 
and an applicable control premium. We determined the fair values 
of the reporting units using a combination of valuation techniques 
consistent with the market approach and the income approach 
and also utilized independent valuation specialists.

The market approach we used estimates the fair value of the 
individual reporting units by incorporating any combination of the 
tangible  capital,  book  capital  and  earnings  multiples  from 
comparable publicly-traded companies in industries similar to that 
of  the  reporting  unit.  The  relative  weight  assigned  to  these 
multiples varies among the reporting units based on qualitative 
and  quantitative  characteristics,  primarily  the  size  and  relative 
profitability of the reporting unit as compared to the comparable 
publicly-traded companies. Since the fair values determined under 
the  market  approach  are  representative  of  a  noncontrolling 
interest, we added a control premium to arrive at the reporting 
units’ estimated fair values on a controlling basis.

For  purposes  of  the  income  approach,  we  calculated 
discounted cash flows by taking the net present value of estimated 
future  cash  flows  and  an  appropriate  terminal  value.  Our 
discounted  cash  flow  analysis  employs  a  capital  asset  pricing 
model in estimating the discount rate (i.e., cost of equity financing) 
for each reporting unit. The inputs to this model include the risk-
free rate of return, beta, which is a measure of the level of non-
diversifiable risk associated with comparable companies for each 
specific reporting unit, market equity risk premium and in certain 
cases  an  unsystematic  (company-specific)  risk  factor.  The 
unsystematic risk factor is the input that specifically addresses 
uncertainty  related  to  our  projections  of  earnings  and  growth, 
including the uncertainty related to loss expectations. We utilized 
discount  rates  that  we  believe  adequately  reflect  the  risk  and 
uncertainty in the financial markets generally and specifically in 
our internally developed forecasts. We estimated expected rates 
of equity returns based on historical market returns and risk/return 
rates  for  similar  industries  of  each  reporting  unit.  We  use  our 
internal forecasts to estimate future cash flows and actual results 
may differ from forecasted results.

Bank of America 2012     121

In  2012,  the  IWM  businesses  within  GWIM,  including  $230 
million of goodwill, were moved to All Other in connection with the 
agreement we entered into during 2012 to sell these businesses. 
Prior periods have been reclassified. 

that the remaining balance of goodwill of $2.6 billion was impaired, 
and accordingly, recorded a goodwill impairment charge to reduce 
the carrying value of the goodwill in CRES to zero.

2012 Annual Impairment Test 
During  the  three  months  ended  September  30,  2012,  we 
completed  our  annual  goodwill  impairment  test  as  of  June 30, 
2012 for all of our reporting units which had goodwill. Additionally, 
we also evaluated the U.K. Card business within All Other as the 
U.K. Card business comprises the majority of the goodwill included 
in  All  Other.  In  performing  the  first  step  of  the  annual  goodwill 
impairment test, we compared the fair value of each reporting unit 
to its estimated carrying value as measured by allocated equity, 
including  goodwill.  To  determine  fair  value,  we  utilized  a 
combination of the market approach and income approach. Under 
the market approach, we compared earnings and equity multiples 
of the individual reporting units to multiples of public companies 
comparable to the individual reporting units. The control premium 
used in the June 30, 2012 annual goodwill impairment test was 
35 percent for all reporting units. Under the income approach, we 
updated  our  assumptions  to  reflect  the  current  market 
environment. The discount rates used in the June 30, 2012 annual 
goodwill impairment test ranged from 11 percent to 14 percent 
depending on the relative risk of a reporting unit. Growth rates 
developed  by  management  for  individual  revenue  and  expense 
items  in  each  reporting  unit  ranged  from  (0.2)  percent  to  7.2 
percent. For certain revenue and expense items that have been 
significantly  affected  by  the  current  economic  environment, 
management developed separate long-term forecasts. 

Based  on  the  results  of  step  one  of  the  annual  goodwill 
impairment test, we determined that step two was not required 
for  any  of  the  reporting  units  as  their  respective  fair  values 
exceeded their carrying values indicating there was no impairment. 

2011 Impairment Tests
During the three months ended December 31, 2011, a goodwill 
impairment test was performed for the European consumer card
businesses reporting unit within All Other as it was likely that the 
carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeded the fair value due 
to  a  decrease  in  estimated  future  growth  projections.  We 
concluded that goodwill was impaired, and accordingly, recorded 
a goodwill impairment charge of $581 million.

During  the  three  months  ended  June  30,  2011,  as  a 
consequence of the BNY Mellon Settlement entered into by the 
Corporation  on  June  28,  2011,  the  adverse  impact  of  the 
incremental  mortgage-related  charges  and 
the  continued 
economic slowdown in the mortgage business, we performed a 
goodwill impairment test for the CRES reporting unit. We concluded 

Representations and Warranties
The methodology used to estimate the liability for obligations under 
representations and warranties related to transfers of residential 
mortgage loans is a function of the representations and warranties 
given  and  considers  a  variety  of  factors.  Depending  upon  the 
counterparty,  these  factors  include  actual  defaults,  estimated 
future defaults, historical loss experience, estimated home prices, 
other  economic  conditions,  estimated  probability  that  we  will 
receive a repurchase request, including consideration of whether 
presentation thresholds will be met, number of payments made 
by the borrower prior to default and estimated probability that we 
will  be  required  to  repurchase  a  loan.  It  also  considers  other 
relevant facts and circumstances, such as bulk settlements and 
identity of the counterparty or type of counterparty, as appropriate. 
The estimate of the liability for obligations under representations 
and  warranties  is  based  upon  currently  available  information, 
significant judgment, and a number of factors, including those set 
forth above, that are subject to change. Changes to any one of 
these factors could significantly impact the estimate of our liability.
The  representations  and  warranties  provision  may  vary 
significantly each period as the methodology used to estimate the 
expense continues to be refined based on the level and type of 
repurchase  requests  presented,  defects  identified,  the  latest 
experience  gained  on  repurchase  requests,  and  other  relevant 
facts  and  circumstances.  The  estimate  of  the  liability  for 
representations and warranties is sensitive to future defaults, loss 
severity and the net repurchase rate. An assumed simultaneous 
increase or decrease of 10 percent in estimated future defaults, 
loss  severity  and  the  net  repurchase  rate  would  result  in  an 
increase  of  approximately  $850  million  or  decrease  of 
approximately $750 million in the representations and warranties 
liability as of December 31, 2012, excluding amounts related to 
the FNMA Settlement. These sensitivities are hypothetical and are 
intended  to  provide  an  indication  of  the  impact  of  a  significant 
change  in  these  key  assumptions  on  the  representations  and 
warranties liability. In reality, changes in one assumption may result 
in changes in other assumptions, which may or may not counteract 
the sensitivity.

For additional information on representations and warranties 
exposure and the corresponding range of possible loss, see Off-
Balance  Sheet  Arrangements  and  Contractual  Obligations  – 
Representations and Warranties on page 50, as well as Note 8 – 
Representations  and  Warranties  Obligations  and  Corporate 
Guarantees and Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements.

122     Bank of America 2012

Litigation Reserve
In  accordance  with  applicable  accounting  guidance, 
the 
Corporation  establishes  an  accrued  liability  for  litigation  and 
regulatory matters when those matters present loss contingencies 
that are both probable and estimable. In such cases, there may 
be an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. When 
a  loss  contingency  is  not  both  probable  and  estimable,  the 
Corporation does not establish an accrued liability. As a litigation 
or regulatory matter develops, the Corporation, in conjunction with 
any outside counsel handling the matter, evaluates on an ongoing 
basis  whether  such  matter  presents  a  loss  contingency  that  is 
both probable and estimable. If, at the time of evaluation, the loss 
contingency related to a litigation or regulatory matter is not both 
probable and estimable, the matter will continue to be monitored 
for further developments that would make such loss contingency 
both probable and estimable. Once the loss contingency related 
to a litigation or regulatory matter is deemed to be both probable 
and estimable, the Corporation will establish an accrued liability 
with respect to such loss contingency and record a corresponding 
amount of litigation-related expense. The Corporation will continue 
to monitor the matter for further developments that could affect 
the  amount  of  the  accrued  liability  that  has  been  previously 
established.

For  a  limited  number  of  the  matters  disclosed  in  Note  13  – 
Commitments  and  Contingencies  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible in 
future periods, whether in excess of a related accrued liability or 
where there is no accrued liability, we are able to estimate a range 
of possible loss. In determining whether it is possible to provide 
an  estimate  of  loss  or  range  of  possible  loss,  the  Corporation 
reviews and evaluates its material litigation and regulatory matters 
on  an  ongoing  basis,  in  conjunction  with  any  outside  counsel 
handling the matter, in light of potentially relevant factual and legal 
developments. These may include information learned through the 
discovery  process,  rulings  on  dispositive  motions,  settlement 
discussions, and other rulings by courts, arbitrators or others. In 
cases in which the Corporation possesses sufficient information 
to  develop  an  estimate  of  loss  or  range  of  possible  loss,  that 
estimate is aggregated and disclosed in Note 13 – Commitments 
and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements. For 
other disclosed matters for which a loss is probable or reasonably 
possible,  such  an  estimate  is  not  possible.  Those  matters  for 
which  an  estimate  is  not  possible  are  not  included  within  this 
estimated range. Therefore, the estimated range of possible loss 
represents what we believe to be an estimate of possible loss only 
for certain matters meeting these criteria. It does not represent 
the Corporation’s maximum loss exposure. Information is provided 
in Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated 
Financial  Statements  regarding  the  nature  of  all  of  these 
contingencies  and,  where  specified,  the  amount  of  the  claim 
associated with these loss contingencies.

Consolidation and Accounting for Variable Interest 
Entities
In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, an entity that 
has a controlling financial interest in a VIE is referred to as the 
primary beneficiary and consolidates the VIE. The Corporation is 
deemed to have a controlling financial interest and is the primary 
beneficiary of a VIE if it has both the power to direct the activities 
of  the  VIE  that  most  significantly  impact  the  VIE’s  economic 
performance and an obligation to absorb losses or the right to 
receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Determining  whether  an  entity  has  a  controlling  financial 
interest  in  a  VIE  requires  significant  judgment.  An  entity  must 
assess the purpose and design of the VIE, including explicit and 
implicit contractual arrangements, and the entity’s involvement in 
both the design of the VIE and its ongoing activities. The entity 
must  then  determine  which  activities  have  the  most  significant 
impact on the economic performance of the VIE and whether the 
entity has the power to direct such activities. For VIEs that hold 
financial  assets,  the  party  that  services  the  assets  or  makes 
investment management decisions may have the power to direct 
the most significant activities of a VIE. Alternatively, a third party 
that has the unilateral right to replace the servicer or investment 
manager or to liquidate the VIE may be deemed to be the party 
with power. If there are no significant ongoing activities, the party 
that was responsible for the design of the VIE may be deemed to 
have power. If the entity determines that it has the power to direct 
the  most  significant  activities  of  the  VIE,  then  the  entity  must 
determine if it has either an obligation to absorb losses or the 
right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the 
VIE. Such economic interests may include investments in debt or 
equity instruments issued by the VIE, liquidity commitments, and 
explicit and implicit guarantees.

On a quarterly basis, we reassess whether we have a controlling 
financial  interest  and  are  the  primary  beneficiary  of  a  VIE.  The 
quarterly  reassessment  process  considers  whether  we  have 
acquired or divested the power to direct the activities of the VIE 
through changes in governing documents or other circumstances. 
The reassessment also considers whether we have acquired or 
disposed of a financial interest that could be significant to the VIE, 
or whether an interest in the VIE has become significant or is no 
longer significant. The consolidation status of the VIEs with which 
we are involved may change as a result of such reassessments. 
Changes  in  consolidation  status  are  applied  prospectively,  with 
assets and liabilities of a newly consolidated VIE initially recorded 
at fair value. A gain or loss may be recognized upon deconsolidation 
of  a  VIE  depending  on  the  carrying  amounts  of  deconsolidated 
assets  and  liabilities  compared  to  the  fair  value  of  retained 
interests and ongoing contractual arrangements.

Bank of America 2012     123

2011 Compared to 2010
The following discussion and analysis provides a comparison of 
our  results  of  operations  for  2011  and  2010.  This  discussion 
should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements and related Notes. Tables 7 and 8 contain financial 
data to supplement this discussion.

Overview

Net Income (Loss)
Net income was $1.4 billion in 2011 compared to a net loss of 
$2.2 billion in 2010. Including preferred stock dividends, the net 
income applicable to common shareholders was $85 million, or 
$0.01 per diluted share. Those results compared to a net loss 
applicable to common shareholders of $3.6 billion, or $0.37 per 
diluted share for 2010.

Net Interest Income
Net interest income on a FTE basis was $45.6 billion for 2011, a 
decrease  of  $7.1  billion  compared  to  2010.  The  decline  was 
primarily  due  to  lower  consumer  loan  balances  and  yields  and 
decreased investment security yields, including the acceleration 
of purchase premium amortization from an increase in modeled 
prepayment expectations, and increased hedge ineffectiveness. 
Lower trading-related net interest income also negatively impacted 
2011 results. These decreases were partially offset by ongoing 
reductions in our debt footprint and lower interest rates paid on 
deposits. The net interest yield on a FTE basis was 2.48 percent 
for 2011, a decrease of 30 bps compared to 2010 as the yield 
continued to be under pressure due to the aforementioned items 
and the low rate environment.

Noninterest Income
Noninterest income was $48.8 billion in 2011, a decrease of $9.9 
billion compared to 2010. 

Card  income  decreased  $924  million  primarily  due  to  the 
implementation of new interchange fee rules under the Durbin 
Amendment, which became effective on October 1, 2011 and 
the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act 
of 2009 (CARD Act) provisions that were implemented during 
2010. 
Service charges decreased $1.3 billion largely due to the impact 
of  overdraft  policy  changes  in  conjunction  with  Regulation  E, 
which became effective in the third quarter of 2010. 
Equity investment income increased $2.1 billion. The results for 
2011 included $6.5 billion of gains on the sale of CCB shares, 
partially  offset  by  $1.1  billion  of  impairment  charges  on  our 
merchant services joint venture. The prior year included $2.5 
billion of net gains which included the sales of certain strategic 
investments, $2.3 billion of gains in our GPI portfolio and $535 
million of CCB dividends. 
Trading account profits decreased $3.4 billion primarily due to 
adverse market conditions and extreme volatility in the credit 
markets compared to the prior year. Net DVA gains on derivatives 
were $1.0 billion in 2011 compared to $262 million in 2010 as 
a result of a widening of our credit spreads. Proprietary trading 
revenue was $434 million for the six months ended June 30, 
2011 compared to $1.4 billion for 2010 due to Global Markets 
exiting its stand-alone proprietary trading business as of June 
30, 2011. 

124     Bank of America 2012

Mortgage banking income decreased $11.6 billion primarily due 
to an $8.8 billion increase in the representations and warranties 
provision  which  was  largely  related  to  the  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement.  Also  contributing  to  the  decline  was  lower 
production income due to a reduction in new loan origination 
volumes partially offset by an increase in servicing income.
Other income increased $4.5 billion primarily due to positive 
fair value adjustments of $3.3 billion related to widening of our 
own credit spreads on structured liabilities compared to $18 
million in 2010. In addition, 2011 included a $771 million gain 
on the sale of Balboa as well as $1.2 billion of gains on the 
exchange of certain trust preferred securities for common stock 
and debt.

Provision for Credit Losses
The  provision  for  credit  losses  was  $13.4  billion  for  2011,  a 
decrease of $15.0 billion compared to 2010. The provision for 
credit losses was $7.4 billion lower than net charge-offs for 2011, 
resulting in a reduction in the allowance for credit losses primarily 
driven by lower delinquencies, improved collection rates and fewer 
bankruptcy  filings  across  the  U.S.  credit  card  and  unsecured 
consumer  lending  portfolios,  and  improvement  in  overall  credit 
quality in the commercial real estate portfolio partially offset by 
additions to consumer PCI loan portfolio reserves. This compared 
to a $5.9 billion reduction in the allowance for credit losses in 
2010. 

Net  charge-offs  totaled  $20.8  billion,  or  2.24  percent  of 
average loans and leases for 2011 compared to $34.3 billion, or 
3.60  percent  for  2010.  The  decrease  in  net  charge-offs  was 
primarily driven by improvements in general economic conditions 
that resulted in lower delinquencies, improved collection rates and 
fewer bankruptcy filings across the U.S. credit card and unsecured 
consumer lending portfolios, as well as lower losses in the home 
equity portfolio primarily driven by fewer delinquent loans.

Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense was $80.3 billion for 2011, a decrease of 
$2.8 billion compared to 2010. Goodwill impairment charges were 
$3.2 billion for 2011 compared to $12.4 billion in the prior year. 
Personnel expense increased $1.8 billion for 2011 attributable to 
personnel  costs  related  to  the  continued  build-out  of  certain 
businesses,  technology  costs  as  well  as  increases  in  default-
related servicing. Additionally, professional fees increased $686 
million related to consulting fees for regulatory initiatives as well 
as  higher  legal  expenses.  Other  general  operating  expenses 
increased $4.9 billion largely as a result of a $3.0 billion increase 
in litigation expense, primarily mortgage-related, and an increase 
of  $1.6  billion  in  mortgage-related  assessments  and  waivers 
costs. Merger and restructuring expenses decreased $1.2 billion 
in 2011.

Income Tax Expense
The income tax benefit was $1.7 billion on the pre-tax loss of $230 
million for 2011 compared to income tax expense of $915 million 
on the pre-tax loss of $1.3 billion for 2010. These amounts are 
before  FTE  adjustments.  The  income  tax  benefit  for  2011  was 
driven by recurring tax preference items, a $1.0 billion benefit from 
the release of the remaining valuation allowance applicable to the 
Merrill  Lynch  capital  loss  carryover  deferred  tax  asset,  and  a 
benefit  of  $823  million  for  planned  realization  of  previously 
unrecognized deferred tax assets related to the tax basis in certain 

subsidiaries.  These  benefits  were  partially  offset  by  the  $782 
million  tax  charge  related  to  the  enactment  of  a  two  percent 
reduction in the U.K. corporate income tax rate. The effective tax 
rate  for  2010  excluding  goodwill  impairment  charges  was  8.3 
percent. In addition to our recurring tax preference items, this rate 
was driven by a $1.7 billion benefit from the release of a portion 
of the valuation allowance applicable to the Merrill Lynch capital 
loss  carryover  deferred  tax  asset,  partially  offset  by  the  $392 
million charge from a one percent reduction to the U.K. corporate 
income tax rate enacted during 2010.

Business Segment Operations

Consumer & Business Banking
CBB recorded net income of $7.4 billion in 2011 compared to a 
net loss of $5.1 billion in 2010 primarily due to a $10.4 billion 
goodwill  impairment  charge  in  2010  and  a  decrease  in  the 
provision for credit losses, partially offset by a decline in revenue. 
The decline in revenue was primarily driven by lower average loan 
balances and yields, lower service charges reflecting the impact 
of overdraft policy changes in conjunction with Regulation E that 
were  fully  implemented  during  the  third  quarter  of  2010,  the 
implementation of the Durbin Amendment in the fourth quarter of 
2011, the gain on the sale of our MasterCard position in 2010 
and the implementation of the CARD Act. The provision for credit 
losses decreased $8.2 billion to $3.5 billion reflecting improving 
economic  conditions  and  lower  loan  balances.  Noninterest 
expense decreased $10.9 billion to $17.7 billion primarily due to 
the goodwill impairment charge in 2010 and lower litigation and 
operating  expenses,  partially  offset  by  an  increase  in  FDIC 
expense.

Consumer Real Estate Services
CRES recorded a net loss of $19.5 billion in 2011 compared to 
$8.9 billion in 2010 primarily due to an increase in representations 
and  warranties  provision,  lower  core  production  income,  a 
decrease in insurance income due to the sale of Balboa in 2011, 
and an increase in noninterest expense. Mortgage banking income 
declined driven by the increased representations and warranties 
provision and lower core production income due to a drop in market 
share combined with the decline in the overall market demand for 
mortgages in 2011. The provision for credit losses decreased $4.0 
billion to $4.5 billion primarily driven by improving portfolio trends, 
including  lower  reserve  additions  in  the  Countrywide  PCI  home 
equity  portfolio.  Noninterest  expense  increased  $7.0  billion  to 
$21.8 billion due to higher litigation expense, increased mortgage-
related assessments and waivers costs, higher default-related and 
other loss mitigation expenses and a higher goodwill impairment 
charge,  partially  offset  by  lower  insurance  and  production 
expenses.

Global Banking
Global  Banking  recorded  net  income  of  $6.0  billion  in  2011 
compared to $4.9 billion in 2010 primarily driven by lower provision 
for  credit  losses,  partially  offset  by  lower  revenue.  Revenue 
decreased $432 million to $17.3 billion primarily driven by lower 
net interest income related to ALM activities and lower accretion 
on  acquired  portfolios,  partially  offset  by  the  impact  of  higher 

average loan and deposit balances. The provision for credit losses 
improved  $2.4  billion  to  a  benefit  of  $1.1  billion  driven  by  the 
positive impact of the economic environment on the credit portfolio 
and an accelerated rate of loan resolutions in the commercial real 
estate portfolio. Noninterest expense increased $215 million to 
$8.9 billion as higher FDIC expense was partially offset by lower 
personnel and occupancy expenses.

Global Markets
Global  Markets  recorded  net  income  of  $1.0  billion  in  2011 
compared to $4.3 billion in 2010 driven by a decline in sales and 
trading revenue due to a challenging market environment, partially 
offset by net DVA gains. Sales and trading revenue, excluding net 
DVA, was $11.8 billion in 2011 compared to $16.4 billion in 2010. 
Noninterest  expense  increased  $470  million  to  $12.2  billion 
primarily  driven  by  increased  costs  related  to  investments  in 
infrastructure. Income tax expense included a $774 million charge 
to reduce the carrying value of the deferred tax assets as a result 
of a reduction in the U.K. corporate income tax rate enacted during 
2011 compared to a charge of $388 million for a rate reduction 
enacted in 2010.

Global Wealth & Investment Management
GWIM recorded net income of $1.7 billion in 2011 compared to 
$1.3  billion  in  2010  driven  by  higher  asset  management  fees, 
higher net interest income and lower credit costs, partially offset 
by  higher  noninterest  expense.  Net  interest  income  increased 
$338 million to $5.9 billion as the impact of higher average deposit 
balances more than offset the impact of a lower rate environment. 
Noninterest  income  increased  $774  million  to  $10.6  billion 
primarily due to higher asset management fees driven by higher 
average markets levels in 2011 compared to 2010 and continued 
long-term AUM flows. The provision for credit losses decreased 
$248 million to $398 million driven by improving portfolio trends. 
Noninterest expense increased $1.1 billion to $13.4 billion due 
primarily to higher volume-driven expenses and personnel costs 
associated with the continued investment in the business.

All Other
All Other recorded net income of $4.7 billion in 2011 compared 
to $1.3 billion in 2010 primarily due to higher noninterest income 
and lower merger and restructuring charges. Noninterest income 
increased $7.3 billion to $14.1 billion due to positive fair value 
adjustments  related  to  our  own  credit  spreads  on  structured 
liabilities of $3.3 billion in 2011 compared to $18 million in 2010. 
Equity investment income increased $2.5 billion as a result of a 
$6.5 billion gain from the sale of CCB shares partially offset by 
$1.1 billion of impairment charges on our merchant services joint 
venture and a decrease of $1.9 billion in GPI income. A goodwill 
impairment charge of $581 million was recorded during 2011 as 
a  result  of  a  change  in  the  estimated  value  of  the  European 
consumer card business. The prior year included $1.2 billion of 
gains on the sales of certain strategic investments. The provision 
for credit losses decreased $152 million to $6.2 billion primarily 
due  to  divestitures,  improvements  in  the  non-U.S.  credit  card 
portfolio and run-off, partially offset by the impact of a continuing 
decline in home prices.

Bank of America 2012     125

Statistical Tables

Table I  Average Balances and Interest Rates – FTE Basis

(Dollars in millions)

Earning assets

2012

Interest
Income/
Expense

Average
Balance

Yield/
Rate

Average
Balance

2011

Interest
Income/
Expense

Yield/
Rate

Average
Balance

2010

Interest
Income/
Expense

Yield/
Rate

Time deposits placed and other short-term investments (1)

$

22,888

$

237

1.03% $

28,242

$

366

1.29% $

27,419

$

292

1.06%

Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under

agreements to resell

Trading account assets

Debt securities (2)
Loans and leases (3):

Residential mortgage (4)
Home equity

Discontinued real estate

U.S. credit card

Non-U.S. credit card

Direct/Indirect consumer (5)

Other consumer (6)

Total consumer

U.S. commercial

Commercial real estate (7)

Commercial lease financing

Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial

Total loans and leases

Other earning assets

Total earning assets (8)

Cash and cash equivalents (1)
Other assets, less allowance for loan and lease losses

Total assets

Interest-bearing liabilities

U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Savings

NOW and money market deposit accounts

Consumer CDs and IRAs

Negotiable CDs, public funds and other deposits

Total U.S. interest-bearing deposits

Non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Banks located in non-U.S. countries

Governments and official institutions

Time, savings and other

Total non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits

Total interest-bearing deposits

Federal funds purchased, securities loaned or sold under

agreements to repurchase and other short-term borrowings

Trading account liabilities

Long-term debt

236,042

182,359
337,653

253,050

117,197

11,256

94,863

13,549

84,424
2,359

576,698

201,352

37,982

21,879

60,857

322,070

898,768

92,259

1,769,969
115,739

305,648

$ 2,191,356

$

41,453

$

466,096

95,559

20,928

624,036

14,644

1,019

53,411

69,074

1,502

5,306
8,798

9,470

4,418

383

9,504

1,572

2,900
140

28,387

6,979

1,332

874

1,594

10,779

39,166

3,103

58,112
189

45

693

693

128

1,559

94

4

333

431

693,110

1,990

318,400

78,554

316,393

3,572

1,763

9,419

Total interest-bearing liabilities (8)

1,406,457

16,744

Noninterest-bearing sources:

Noninterest-bearing deposits

Other liabilities

Shareholders’ equity

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

Net interest spread

Impact of noninterest-bearing sources

354,672

194,550

235,677

$ 2,191,356

Net interest income/yield on earning assets (1)

$

41,368

0.64

2.91
2.61

3.74

3.77

3.40

10.02

11.60

3.44
5.95

4.92

3.47

3.51

4.00

2.62

3.35

4.36

3.36

3.28

245,069

187,340
337,120

265,546

130,781

14,730

105,478

24,049

90,163

2,760

633,507

192,524

44,406

21,383

46,276

304,589

938,096

98,792

1,834,659
112,616

349,047

$ 2,296,322

0.11% $
0.15

0.73

0.61

0.25

0.64

0.35

0.62

0.62

0.29

1.12

2.24

2.98

1.19

40,364

$

470,519

110,922

17,227

639,032

20,563

1,985

61,851

84,399

723,431

3,002

4,599

2,212

11,807

21,620

324,269

84,689

421,229

1,553,618

312,371

201,238

229,095

$ 2,296,322

2,147

6,142
9,602

11,096

5,041

501

10,808

2,656

3,716

176

33,994

7,360

1,522

1,001

1,382

11,265

45,259

3,506

67,022
186

100

1,060

1,045

120

2,325

138

7

532

677

1,832

7,050
11,850

11,736

5,990
527

12,644

3,450

4,753
186

39,286

7,909

2,000

1,070

1,091
12,070

51,356

3,919
76,299
368

157

1,405

1,723
226

3,511

144

10
332

486

0.88

3.28
2.85

4.18

3.85

3.40

10.25

11.04

4.12

6.39

5.37

3.82

3.43

4.68

2.99

3.70

4.82

3.55

3.65

256,943

213,745
323,946

245,727

145,860
13,830

117,962
28,011

96,649

2,927

650,966

195,895
59,947

21,427

30,096

307,365

958,331

117,189
1,897,573

174,621

367,412
$ 2,439,606

0.25% $

36,649

$

441,589

142,648
17,683

638,569

18,102

3,349
55,059

76,510

0.23

0.94

0.70

0.36

0.67

0.35

0.86

0.80

0.42

1.42

2.61

2.80

1.39

715,079

3,997

3,699

2,571
13,707

23,974

430,329

91,669

490,497
1,727,574

273,507

205,290

233,235
$ 2,439,606

0.71

3.30
3.66

4.78

4.11

3.81

10.72

12.32

4.92

6.34

6.04

4.04

3.34

4.99

3.62

3.93

5.36

3.34

4.02

0.43%

0.32

1.21

1.28

0.55

0.80

0.28

0.60

0.64

0.56

0.86

2.80

2.79

1.39

2.63%

0.13

2.76%

2.09%

0.25

2.34%

2.26%

0.21

2.47%

$

45,402

$

52,325

(1)  For this presentation, fees earned on overnight deposits placed with the Federal Reserve are included in the cash and cash equivalents line, consistent with the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance 
Sheet presentation of these deposits. In addition, for 2012, fees earned on deposits, primarily overnight, placed with certain non-U.S. central banks, which are included in the time deposits placed 
and other short-term investments line in prior periods, have been included in the cash and cash equivalents line. Net interest income and net interest yield are calculated excluding these fees.

(2)  Yields on AFS debt securities are calculated based on fair value rather than the cost basis. The use of fair value does not have a material impact on net interest yield.
(3)  Nonperforming loans are included in the respective average loan balances. Income on these nonperforming loans is recognized on a cost recovery basis. PCI loans were recorded at fair value upon 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

acquisition and accrete interest income over the remaining life of the loan.
Includes non-U.S. residential mortgage loans of $90 million, $91 million and $410 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.
Includes non-U.S. consumer loans of $7.8 billion, $8.5 billion and $7.9 billion in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.
Includes consumer finance loans of $1.5 billion, $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion; other non-U.S. consumer loans of $699 million, $878 million and $731 million; and consumer overdrafts of $128 
million, $93 million and $111 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.
Includes U.S. commercial real estate loans of $36.4 billion, $42.1 billion and $57.3 billion; and non-U.S. commercial real estate loans of $1.6 billion, $2.3 billion and $2.7 billion in 2012, 2011 
and 2010, respectively.
Interest income includes the impact of interest rate risk management contracts, which decreased interest income on the underlying assets by $754 million, $2.6 billion and $1.4 billion in 2012, 
2011 and 2010, respectively. Interest expense includes the impact of interest rate risk management contracts, which decreased interest expense on the underlying liabilities by $2.3 billion, $2.6 
billion and $3.5 billion in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. For further information on interest rate contracts, see Interest Rate Risk Management for Nontrading Activities on page 113.

126     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table II  Analysis of Changes in Net Interest Income – FTE Basis

(Dollars in millions)

Increase (decrease) in interest income
Time deposits placed and other short-term investments (2)
Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell
Trading account assets
Debt securities
Loans and leases:

From 2011 to 2012

From 2010 to 2011

Due to Change in (1)

Due to Change in (1)

Volume

Rate

Net
Change

Volume

Rate

Net
Change

$

(71) $
(70)
(161)
21

(58) $

(575)
(675)
(825)

(129) $
(645)
(836)
(804)

7
(92)
(868)
489

$

67
407
(40)
(2,737)

$

74
315
(908)
(2,248)

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer
U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial
Total commercial
Total loans and leases

Other earning assets

Total interest income

Increase (decrease) in interest expense
U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Savings
NOW and money market deposit accounts
Consumer CDs and IRAs
Negotiable CDs, public funds and other deposits

Total U.S. interest-bearing deposits

Non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Banks located in non-U.S. countries
Governments and official institutions
Time, savings and other

Total non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits
Total interest-bearing deposits

(519)
(529)
(118)
(1,085)
(1,160)
(238)
(25)

332
(219)
23
438

(231)

4
12
(147)
26

(40)
(3)
(73)

$

(1,107)
(94)
—
(219)
76
(578)
(11)

(713)
29
(150)
(226)

(172)

(1,626)
(623)
(118)
(1,304)
(1,084)
(816)
(36)
(5,607)
(381)
(190)
(127)
212
(486)
(6,093)
(403)
  $ (8,910)

$

(59) $

(55) $

(379)
(205)
(18)

(4)
—
(126)

(367)
(352)
8
(766)

(44)
(3)
(199)
(246)
(1,012)

957
(615)
34
(1,337)
(487)
(317)
(11)

(131)
(517)
(3)
584

(619)

17
101
(381)
(5)

21
(4)
39

(1,597)
(334)
(60)
(499)
(307)
(720)
1

(418)
39
(66)
(293)

206

(640)
(949)
(26)
(1,836)
(794)
(1,037)
(10)
(5,292)
(549)
(478)
(69)
291
(805)
(6,097)
(413)
  $ (9,277)

$

(74) $

(446)
(297)
(101)

(27)
1
161

(57)
(345)
(678)
(106)
(1,186)

(6)
(3)
200
191
(995)

Federal funds purchased, securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase and

other short-term borrowings

(78)

(949)

(1,027)

(910)

1,810

900

Trading account liabilities
Long-term debt

(359)
(1,900)
(2,354)
  $ (6,923)
(1)  The changes for each category of interest income and expense are divided between the portion of change attributable to the variance in volume and the portion of change attributable to the variance 

Total interest expense
Net decrease in interest income (2)

(449)
(2,388)
(4,876)
  $ (4,034)

(200)
(1,955)

(162)
(2,948)

(159)
55

(287)
560

in rate for that category. The unallocated change in rate or volume variance is allocated between the rate and volume variances.

(2)  For this presentation, fees earned on overnight deposits placed with the Federal Reserve are included in the cash and cash equivalents line, consistent with the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance 
Sheet presentation of these deposits. In addition, for 2012, fees earned on deposits, primarily overnight, placed with certain non-U.S. central banks, which are included in the time deposits placed 
and other short-term investments line in prior periods, have been included in the cash and cash equivalents line. Net interest income in the table is calculated excluding these fees.

Bank of America 2012     127

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table III  Preferred Stock Cash Dividend Summary (as of February 28, 2013)

Preferred Stock

Series B (1)

December 31, 2012

Outstanding
Notional
Amount
(in millions)

$

1

Series D (2)

$

654

Series E (2)

$

317

Series F

Series G

$

$

141

493

Series H (2)

$

2,862

Series I (2)

$

365

Series J (2)

$

951

Series K (3, 4)

Series L

Series M (3, 4)

Series T (1)

$

$

$

$

1,544

3,080

1,310

5,000

Declaration Date

Record Date

Payment Date

Per Annum
Dividend Rate

Dividend Per
Share

January 23, 2013
October 24, 2012
July 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
January 11, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
July 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
December 17, 2012
September 17, 2012
June 15, 2012
March 16, 2012
October 1, 2012
April 3, 2012
December 17, 2012
September 17, 2012
June 15, 2012
March 16, 2012

April 11, 2013
January 11, 2013
October 11, 2012
July 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
February 28, 2013
November 30, 2012
August 31, 2012
May 31, 2012
February 29, 2012
January 31, 2013
October 31, 2012
July 31, 2012
April 30, 2012
January 31, 2012
February 28, 2013
November 30, 2012
August 31, 2012
May 31, 2012
February 28, 2013
November 30, 2012
August 31, 2012
May 31, 2012
January 15, 2013
October 15, 2012
July 15, 2012
April 15, 2012
January 15, 2012
March 15, 2013
December 15, 2012
September 15, 2012
June 15, 2012
March 15, 2012
January 15, 2013
October 15, 2012
July 15, 2012
April 15, 2012
January 15, 2012
January 15, 2013
July 15, 2012
January 15, 2012
January 1, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 1, 2012
April 1, 2012
October 31, 2012
April 30, 2012
December 31, 2012
September 24, 2012
June 25, 2012
March 26, 2012

April 25, 2013
January 25, 2013
October 25, 2012
July 25, 2012
April 25, 2012
March 14, 2013
December 14, 2012
September 14, 2012
June 14, 2012
March 14, 2012
February 15, 2013
November 15, 2012
August 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
February 15, 2012
March 15, 2013
December 17, 2012
September 17, 2012
June 15, 2012
March 15, 2013
December 17, 2012
September 17, 2012
June 15, 2012
February 1, 2013
November 1, 2012
August 1, 2012
May 1, 2012
February 1, 2012
April 1, 2013
January 2, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 2, 2012
April 2, 2012
February 1, 2013
November 1, 2012
August 1, 2012
May 1, 2012
February 1, 2012
January 30, 2013
July 30, 2012
January 30, 2012
January 30, 2013
October 30, 2012
July 30, 2012
April 30, 2012
November 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
January 10, 2013
October 10, 2012
July 10, 2012
April 10, 2012

7.00% $
7.00
7.00
7.00
7.00

$

6.204% $
6.204
6.204
6.204
6.204
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Adjustable
Adjustable
Adjustable
Adjustable

$

$

8.20% $
8.20
8.20
8.20
8.20

6.625% $
6.625
6.625
6.625
6.625

7.25% $
7.25
7.25
7.25
7.25
Fixed-to-floating
Fixed-to-floating
Fixed-to-floating

$

7.25% $
7.25
7.25
7.25
Fixed-to-floating
Fixed-to-floating

$

6.00% $
6.00
6.00
6.00

1.75
1.75
1.75
1.75
1.75
0.38775
0.38775
0.38775
0.38775
0.38775
0.25556
0.25556
0.25556
0.25000
0.25556
1,000.00
1,011.11
1,022.22
1,022.22
1,000.00
1,011.11
1,022.22
1,022.22
0.51250
0.51250
0.51250
0.51250
0.51250
0.41406
0.41406
0.41406
0.41406
0.41406
0.45312
0.45312
0.45312
0.45312
0.45312
40.00
40.00
40.00
18.125
18.125
18.125
18.125
40.625
40.625
1,500.00
1,500.00
1,500.00
1,500.00

(1)  Dividends are cumulative.
(2)  Dividends per depositary share, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of preferred stock.
(3) 

Initially pays dividends semi-annually.

(4)  Dividends per depositary share, each representing a 1/25th interest in a share of preferred stock.

128     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table III  Preferred Stock Cash Dividend Summary (as of February 28, 2013) (continued)

Preferred Stock

Series 1 (5)

December 31, 2012

Outstanding
Notional
Amount
(in millions)

$

98

Series 2 (5)

$

299

Series 3 (5)

$

653

Series 4 (5)

$

210

Series 5 (5)

$

422

Series 6 (6)

Series 7 (6)

$

$

59

17

Series 8 (5)

$

2,673

Declaration Date

Record Date

Payment Date

Per Annum
Dividend Rate

Dividend Per
Share

January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012
January 3, 2013
October 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
January 4, 2012

February 15, 2013
November 15, 2012
August 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
February 15, 2012
February 15, 2013
November 15, 2012
August 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
February 15, 2012
February 15, 2013
November 15, 2012
August 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
February 15, 2012
February 15, 2013
November 15, 2012
August 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
February 15, 2012
February 1, 2013
November 1, 2012
August 1, 2012
May 1, 2012
February 1, 2012
March 15, 2013
December 14, 2012
September 14, 2012
June 15, 2012
March 15, 2012
March 15, 2013
December 14, 2012
September 14, 2012
June 15, 2012
March 15, 2012
February 15, 2013
November 15, 2012
August 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
February 15, 2012

February 28, 2013
November 28, 2012
August 28, 2012
May 29, 2012
February 28, 2012
February 28, 2013
November 28, 2012
August 28, 2012
May 29, 2012
February 28, 2012
February 28, 2013
November 28, 2012
August 28, 2012
May 29, 2012
February 28, 2012
February 28, 2013
November 28, 2012
August 28, 2012
May 29, 2012
February 28, 2012
February 21, 2013
November 21, 2012
August 21, 2012
May 21, 2012
February 21, 2012
March 29, 2013
December 28, 2012
September 28, 2012
June 29, 2012
March 30, 2012
March 29, 2013
December 28, 2012
September 28, 2012
June 29, 2012
March 30, 2012
February 28, 2013
November 28, 2012
August 28, 2012
May 29, 2012
February 28, 2012

$

$

Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
6.375% $
6.375
6.375
6.375
6.375
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating

$

$

6.70% $
6.70
6.70
6.70
6.70
6.25% $
6.25
6.25
6.25
6.25

8.625% $
8.625
8.625
8.625
8.625

0.18750
0.18750
0.18750
0.18750
0.19167
0.19167
0.19167
0.19167
0.18750
0.19167
0.39843
0.39843
0.39843
0.39843
0.39843
0.25556
0.25556
0.25556
0.25000
0.25556
0.25556
0.25556
0.25556
0.25000
0.25556
0.41875
0.41875
0.41875
0.41875
0.41875
0.39062
0.39062
0.39062
0.39062
0.39062
0.53906
0.53906
0.53906
0.53906
0.53906

(5)  Dividends per depositary share, each representing a 1/1,200th interest in a share of preferred stock.
(6)  Dividends per depositary share, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of preferred stock.

Bank of America 2012     129

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table IV  Outstanding Loans and Leases

(Dollars in millions)

Consumer

Residential mortgage (2)
Home equity
Discontinued real estate (3)
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer (4)
Other consumer (5)

Total consumer loans

Consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option (6)

Total consumer

Commercial

U.S. commercial (7)
Commercial real estate (8)
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial loans

Commercial loans accounted for under the fair value option (6)

Total commercial
Total loans and leases

   2012 (1)

   2011 (1)

December 31
   2010 (1)

2009

2008

$ 243,181
107,996
9,892
94,835
11,697
83,205
1,628
552,434
1,005
553,439

209,719
38,637
23,843
74,184
346,383
7,997
354,380
$ 907,819

$ 262,290
124,699
11,095
102,291
14,418
89,713
2,688
607,194
2,190
609,384

193,199
39,596
21,989
55,418
310,202
6,614
316,816
$ 926,200

$ 257,973
137,981
13,108
113,785
27,465
90,308
2,830
643,450
—
643,450

190,305
49,393
21,942
32,029
293,669
3,321
296,990
$ 940,440

$ 242,129
149,126
14,854
49,453
21,656
97,236
3,110
577,564
—
577,564

198,903
69,447
22,199
27,079
317,628
4,936
322,564
$ 900,128

$ 248,063
152,483
19,981
64,128
17,146
83,436
3,442
588,679
—
588,679

219,233
64,701
22,400
31,020
337,354
5,413
342,767
$ 931,446

(1)  2012, 2011 and 2010 periods are presented in accordance with consolidation guidance that was effective January 1, 2010.
(2) 

Includes non-U.S. residential mortgage loans of $93 million, $85 million, $90 million and $552 million at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. There were no material non-U.S. 
residential mortgage loans prior to January 1, 2009.
Includes $8.8 billion, $9.9 billion, $11.8 billion, $13.4 billion and $18.2 billion of pay option loans, and $1.1 billion, $1.2 billion, $1.3 billion, $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion of subprime loans at 
December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. We no longer originate these products.
Includes dealer financial services loans of $35.9 billion, $43.0 billion, $43.3 billion, $41.6 billion and $40.1 billion, consumer lending loans of $4.7 billion, $8.0 billion, $12.4 billion, $19.7 billion 
and $28.2 billion, U.S. securities-based lending margin loans of $28.3 billion, $23.6 billion, $16.6 billion, $12.9 billion and $0, student loans of $4.8 billion, $6.0 billion, $6.8 billion, $10.8 billion 
and $8.3 billion, non-U.S. consumer loans of $8.3 billion, $7.6 billion, $8.0 billion, $8.0 billion and $1.8 billion, and other consumer loans of $1.2 billion, $1.5 billion, $3.2 billion, $4.2 billion and 
$5.0 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
Includes consumer finance loans of $1.4 billion, $1.7 billion, $1.9 billion, $2.3 billion and $2.6 billion, other non-U.S. consumer loans of $5 million, $929 million, $803 million, $709 million and 
$618 million, and consumer overdrafts of $177 million, $103 million, $88 million, $144 million and $211 million at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6)  Consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option were residential mortgage loans of $147 million and $906 million, discontinued real estate loans of $858 million and $1.3 billion at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. There were no consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option prior to 2011. Commercial loans accounted for under the fair value option were U.S. commercial 
loans of $2.3 billion, $2.2 billion, $1.6 billion, $3.0 billion and $3.5 billion, commercial real estate loans of $0, $0, $79 million, $90 million and $203 million, and non-U.S. commercial loans of 
$5.7 billion, $4.4 billion, $1.7 billion, $1.9 billion and $1.7 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. 
Includes U.S. small business commercial loans, including card-related products, of $12.6 billion, $13.3 billion, $14.7 billion, $17.5 billion and $19.1 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 
2009 and 2008, respectively.
Includes U.S. commercial real estate loans of $37.2 billion, $37.8 billion, $46.9 billion, $66.5 billion and $63.7 billion, and non-U.S. commercial real estate loans of $1.5 billion, $1.8 billion, $2.5 
billion, $3.0 billion and $979 million at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

(8) 

(7) 

130     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table V  Nonperforming Loans, Leases and Foreclosed Properties (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Consumer

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer (2)

Commercial

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial (3)
Total nonperforming loans and leases

Foreclosed properties

Total nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties

2012

2011

December 31
2010

2009

2008

$

$

14,808
4,281
248
92
2
19,431

1,484
1,513
44
68
3,109
115
3,224
22,655
900
23,555

$

$

15,970
2,453
290
40
15
18,768

2,174
3,880
26
143
6,223
114
6,337
25,105
2,603
27,708

$

$

17,691
2,694
331
90
48
20,854

3,453
5,829
117
233
9,632
204
9,836
30,690
1,974
32,664

$

$

16,596
3,804
249
86
104
20,839

4,925
7,286
115
177
12,503
200
12,703
33,542
2,205
35,747

$

$

7,057
2,637
77
26
91
9,888

2,040
3,906
56
290
6,292
205
6,497
16,385
1,827
18,212

(1)  Balances do not include PCI loans even though the customer may be contractually past due. PCI loans were recorded at fair value upon acquisition and accrete interest income over the remaining 

(2) 

(3) 

life of the loan. In addition, balances do not include foreclosed properties that are insured by the FHA of $2.5 billion and $1.4 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
In 2012, $2.7 billion in interest income was estimated to be contractually due on consumer loans and leases classified as nonperforming at December 31, 2012 provided that these loans and 
leases had been paying according to their terms and conditions, including TDRs of which $20.0 billion were performing at December 31, 2012 and not included in the table above. Approximately 
$1.2 billion of the estimated $2.7 billion in contractual interest was received and included in earnings for 2012.
In 2012, $266 million in interest income was estimated to be contractually due on commercial loans and leases classified as nonperforming at December 31, 2012 provided that these loans and 
leases had been paying according to their terms and conditions, including TDRs of which $1.7 billion were performing at December 31, 2012 and not included in the table above. Approximately $106 
million of the estimated $266 million in contractual interest was received and included in earnings for 2012.

Table VI  Accruing Loans and Leases Past Due 90 Days or More (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Consumer

Residential mortgage (2)
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer

Commercial

U.S. commercial 
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial
Total accruing loans and leases past due 90 days or more (3)

2012

2011

December 31
2010

2009

2008

$

$

22,157
1,437
212
545
2
24,353

65
29
15
—
109
120
229
24,582

$

$

21,164
2,070
342
746
2
24,324

75
7
14
—
96
216
312
24,636

$

$

16,768
3,320
599
1,058
2
21,747

236
47
18
6
307
325
632
22,379

$

$

11,680
2,158
515
1,488
3
15,844

213
80
32
67
392
624
1,016
16,860

$

$

372
2,197
368
1,370
4
4,311

381
52
23
7
463
640
1,103
5,414

(1)  Our policy is to classify consumer real estate-secured loans as nonperforming at 90 days past due, except the Countrywide PCI loan portfolio, the fully-insured loan portfolio and loans accounted for 

under the fair value option as referenced in footnote 3.

(2)  Balances are fully-insured loans.
(3)  Balances exclude loans accounted for under the fair value option. At December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2008, there were no loans accounted for under the fair value option that were past due 
90 days or more and still accruing interest. At December 31, 2009, approximately $87 million of loans accounted for under the fair value option were past due 90 days or more and still accruing 
interest.

Bank of America 2012     131

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table VII  Allowance for Credit Losses

(Dollars in millions)

Allowance for loan and lease losses, January 1 (1)
Loans and leases charged off

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer charge-offs

U.S. commercial (2)
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial charge-offs
Total loans and leases charged off

Recoveries of loans and leases previously charged off

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer recoveries

U.S. commercial (3)
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial recoveries
Total recoveries of loans and leases previously charged off
Net charge-offs

Provision for loan and lease losses
Write-offs of home equity PCI loans
Other (4)

Allowance for loan and lease losses, December 31
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, January 1
Provision for unfunded lending commitments
Other (5)

Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, December 31
Allowance for credit losses, December 31

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

$

33,783

$

41,885

$

47,988

$

23,071

$

11,588

(3,211)
(4,566)
(72)
(5,360)
(835)
(1,258)
(274)
(15,576)
(1,309)
(719)
(32)
(36)
(2,096)
(17,672)

158
329
9
728
254
495
42
2,015
368
335
38
8
749
2,764
(14,908)
8,310
(2,820)
(186)
24,179
714
(141)
(60)
513
24,692

$

(4,195)
(4,990)
(106)
(8,114)
(1,691)
(2,190)
(252)
(21,538)
(1,690)
(1,298)
(61)
(155)
(3,204)
(24,742)

363
517
14
838
522
714
50
3,018
500
351
37
3
891
3,909
(20,833)
13,629
—
(898)
33,783
1,188
(219)
(255)
714
34,497

$

(3,779)
(7,059)
(77)
(13,818)
(2,424)
(4,303)
(320)
(31,780)
(3,190)
(2,185)
(96)
(139)
(5,610)
(37,390)

109
278
9
791
217
967
59
2,430
391
168
39
28
626
3,056
(34,334)
28,195
—
36
41,885
1,487
240
(539)
1,188
43,073

$

(4,436)
(7,205)
(104)
(6,753)
(1,332)
(6,406)
(491)
(26,727)
(5,237)
(2,744)
(217)
(558)
(8,756)
(35,483)

86
155
3
206
93
943
63
1,549
161
42
22
21
246
1,795
(33,688)
48,366
—
(549)
37,200
421
204
862
1,487
38,687

$

(964)
(3,597)
(19)
(4,469)
(639)
(3,777)
(461)
(13,926)
(2,567)
(895)
(79)
(199)
(3,740)
(17,666)

39
101
3
308
88
663
62
1,264
118
8
19
26
171
1,435
(16,231)
26,922
—
792
23,071
518
(97)
—
421
23,492

$

(1)  The 2010 balance includes $10.8 billion of allowance for loan and lease losses related to the adoption of consolidation guidance that was effective January 1, 2010.
(2) 

Includes U.S. small business commercial charge-offs of $799 million, $1.1 billion, $2.0 billion, $3.0 billion and $2.0 billion in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
Includes U.S. small business commercial recoveries of $100 million, $106 million, $107 million, $65 million and $39 million in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

(3) 

(4)  The 2012 and 2011 amounts primarily represent the net impact of portfolio sales, consolidations and deconsolidations, and foreign currency translation adjustments. In addition, the 2011 amount 
includes a $449 million reduction in the allowance for loan and lease losses related to Canadian consumer card loans that were transferred to LHFS. The 2009 amount includes a $750 million 
reduction in the allowance for loan and lease losses related to credit card loans of $8.5 billion which were exchanged for $7.8 billion in held-to-maturity debt securities that were issued by the 
Corporation’s U.S. Credit Card Securitization Trust and retained by the Corporation. The 2008 amount includes the $1.2 billion addition to the Countrywide allowance for loan losses as of July 1, 
2008.

(5)  The 2012, 2011 and 2010 amounts primarily represent accretion of the Merrill Lynch purchase accounting adjustment and the impact of funding previously unfunded positions. The 2009 amount 
includes the remaining balance of the acquired Merrill Lynch reserve excluding those commitments accounted for under the fair value option, net of accretion, and the impact of funding previously 
unfunded positions.

132     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table VII  Allowance for Credit Losses (continued)

(Dollars in millions)

Loan and allowance ratios:

Loans and leases outstanding at December 31 (6)
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases 

outstanding at December 31 (6)

Consumer allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total consumer loans 

outstanding at December 31 (7)

Commercial allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total commercial 

loans and leases outstanding at December 31 (8)

Average loans and leases outstanding (6)
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (6, 9)
Net charge-offs and PCI write-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases 

outstanding (6, 10)

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and 

leases at December 31 (6, 11)

Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs (9)
Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs and 

PCI write-offs (10)

Amounts included in the allowance for loan and lease losses that are excluded from 

nonperforming loans and leases at December 31 (12)

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and 

leases, excluding amounts included in the allowance for loan and lease losses that are 
excluded from nonperforming loans and leases at December 31 (12)

Loan and allowance ratios excluding PCI loans and the related valuation allowance: (13)

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases 

outstanding at December 31 (6)

Consumer allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total consumer loans 

outstanding at December 31 (7)

Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases outstanding (6)

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and 

leases at December 31 (6, 11)

Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31 to net charge-offs 

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

$ 898,817

$ 917,396

$ 937,119

$ 895,192

$ 926,033

2.69%

3.68%

4.47%

4.16%

2.49%

3.81

0.90

4.88

1.33

5.40

2.44

4.81

2.96

2.83

1.90

$ 890,337

$ 929,661

$ 954,278

$ 941,862

$ 905,944

1.67%

2.24%

3.60%

3.58%

1.79%

1.99

107

1.62

1.36

2.24

135

1.62

1.62

3.60

136

1.22

1.22

3.58

111

1.10

1.10

1.79

141

1.42

1.42

$

12,021

$

17,490

$

22,908

$

17,690

$

11,679

54%

65%

62%

58%

70%

2.14%

2.86%

3.94%

3.88%

2.53%

2.95

1.73

82

1.25

3.68

2.32

101

1.22

4.66

3.73

116

1.04

4.43

3.71

99

1.00

2.91

1.83

136

1.38

(6)  Outstanding loan and lease balances and ratios do not include loans accounted for under the fair value option. Loans accounted for under the fair value option were $9.0 billion, $8.8 billion, 
$3.3 billion, $4.9 billion and $5.4 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. Average loans accounted for under the fair value option were $8.4 billion, $8.4 billion, 
$4.1 billion, $6.9 billion and $4.9 billion for 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

(7)  Excludes consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option of $1.0 billion and $2.2 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. There were no consumer loans accounted for under the fair 

value option prior to 2011.

(8)  Excludes commercial loans accounted for under the fair value option of $8.0 billion, $6.6 billion, $3.3 billion, $4.9 billion and $5.4 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, 

respectively. 

(9)  Net charge-offs exclude $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for 2012. These write-offs decreased the PCI valuation allowance included as part of the allowance 

for loan and lease losses. For information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

(10)  There were no write-offs of PCI loans in 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008.
(11)  For more information on our definition of nonperforming loans, see pages 89 and 97.
(12)  Primarily includes amounts allocated to the U.S. credit card and unsecured lending portfolios in CBB, PCI loans and the non-U.S. credit portfolio in All Other.
(13)  For more information on the PCI loan portfolio and the valuation allowance for PCI loans, see Note 5 – Outstanding Loans and Leases and Note 6 – Allowance for Credit Losses to the Consolidated 

Financial Statements. 

Bank of America 2012     133

 
 
 
 
Table VIII  Allocation of the Allowance for Credit Losses by Product Type

(Dollars in millions)

Allowance for loan and lease losses

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer
U.S. commercial (1)
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial
Total commercial (2)
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments

Allowance for credit losses (3)

2012

2011

December 31
2010

2009

2008

Amount

Percent
of Total

Amount

Percent
of Total

Amount

Percent
of Total

Amount

Percent
of Total

Amount

Percent
of Total

$ 5,004
7,845
2,084
4,718
600
718
104
21,073
1,885
846
78
297
3,106
24,179
513
$ 24,692

20.69% $ 5,715
32.45
13,094
8.62
2,270
19.51
6,322
2.48
946
2.97
1,153
0.43
148
87.15
29,648
7.80
2,441
3.50
1,349
0.32
92
1.23
253
12.85
4,135
100.00%
33,783
714
$ 34,497

16.92% $ 4,923
12,887
38.76
1,442
6.72
10,876
18.71
2,045
2.80
2,381
3.41
161
0.44
34,715
87.76
3,576
7.23
3,137
3.99
126
0.27
331
0.75
7,170
12.24
41,885
100.00%
1,188
  $ 43,073

11.76% $ 4,692
10,116
30.77
948
3.44
6,017
25.97
1,581
4.88
4,227
5.68
204
0.38
27,785
82.88
5,152
8.54
3,567
7.49
291
0.30
405
0.79
9,415
17.12
37,200
100.00%
1,487
$ 38,687

12.61% $ 1,382
5,385
27.19
658
2.55
3,947
16.18
742
4.25
4,341
11.36
203
0.55
16,658
74.69
4,339
13.85
1,465
9.59
223
0.78
386
1.09
6,413
25.31
23,071
100.00%
421
$ 23,492

5.99%

23.34
2.85
17.11
3.22
18.81
0.88
72.20
18.81
6.35
0.97
1.67
27.80
100.00%

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Includes allowance for loan and lease losses for U.S. small business commercial loans of $642 million, $893 million, $1.5 billion, $2.4 billion and $2.4 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 
2009 and 2008, respectively.
Includes allowance for loan and lease losses for impaired commercial loans of $330 million, $545 million, $1.1 billion, $1.2 billion and $691 million at December 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 
2008, respectively. 
Includes $5.5 billion, $8.5 billion, $6.4 billion, $3.9 billion and $750 million of valuation allowance presented with the allowance for credit losses related to PCI loans at December 31, 2012, 2011, 
2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

134     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table IX  Selected Loan Maturity Data (1, 2)

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. commercial
U.S. commercial real estate
Non-U.S. and other (3)

Total selected loans

Percent of total
Sensitivity of selected loans to changes in interest rates for loans due after one year:

Fixed interest rates
Floating or adjustable interest rates

Total

(1)  Loan maturities are based on the remaining maturities under contractual terms.
(2) 

Includes loans accounted for under the fair value option.

(3)  Loan maturities include non-U.S. commercial and commercial real estate loans.

Table X  Non-exchange Traded Commodity Contracts

(Dollars in millions)

Net fair value of contracts outstanding, January 1, 2012
Effects of legally enforceable master netting agreements

Gross fair value of contracts outstanding, January 1, 2012

Contracts realized or otherwise settled
Fair value of new contracts
Other changes in fair value

Gross fair value of contracts outstanding, December 31, 2012

Effects of legally enforceable master netting agreements

Net fair value of contracts outstanding, December 31, 2012

Table XI  Non-exchange Traded Commodity Contract Maturities

(Dollars in millions)

Less than one year
Greater than or equal to one year and less than three years
Greater than or equal to three years and less than five years
Greater than or equal to five years

Gross fair value of contracts outstanding

Effects of legally enforceable master netting agreements

Net fair value of contracts outstanding

December 31, 2012

Due in One
Year or Less

$

$

60,018
9,043
63,326
132,387

Due After
One Year
Through
Five Years

$

$

108,191
23,037
12,605
143,833

40%

44%

  $

  $

10,531
133,302
143,833

$

$

$

$

Due After
Five Years

43,760
5,075
5,482
54,317

$

$

Total

211,969
37,155
81,413
330,537

16%

100%

27,378
26,939
54,317

December 31, 2012

Asset
Positions

Liability
Positions

$

$

5,508
8,399
13,907
(8,755)
4,364
(365)
9,151
(5,110)
4,041

$

$

4,585
8,399
12,984
(7,926)
4,294
(265)
9,087
(5,110)
3,977

December 31, 2012

Asset
Positions

Liability
Positions

$

$

5,494
2,103
603
951
9,151
(5,110)
4,041

$

$

5,229
2,383
519
956
9,087
(5,110)
3,977

Bank of America 2012     135

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XII  Selected Quarterly Financial Data

(In millions, except per share information)
Income statement

Net interest income

Noninterest income

Total revenue, net of interest expense

Provision for credit losses

Goodwill impairment

Merger and restructuring charges

All other noninterest expense (1)
Income (loss) before income taxes

Income tax expense (benefit)

Net income (loss)

Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders

Average common shares issued and outstanding

Average diluted common shares issued and outstanding (2)

Performance ratios

Return on average assets

Four quarter trailing return on average assets (3)

Return on average common shareholders’ equity

Return on average tangible common shareholders’ equity (4)

Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity (4)
Total ending equity to total ending assets

Total average equity to total average assets

Dividend payout

Per common share data

Earnings (loss)

Diluted earnings (loss) (2)

Dividends paid

Book value

Tangible book value (4)

Market price per share of common stock

Closing

High closing

Low closing

Market capitalization

2012 Quarters

2011 Quarters

Fourth

Third

Second

First

Fourth

Third

Second

First

$

10,324

$

9,938

$

9,548

$

10,846

$

10,701

$

10,490

$

11,246

$

12,179

8,336

18,660

2,204

—

—
18,360

(1,904)

(2,636)

732

367

10,777

10,885

0.13%

0.19
0.67

1.01
1.77

10.72

10.79

29.33

0.03

0.03

0.01

20.24

13.36

11.61

11.61

8.93

$

$

10,490

20,428

1,774

—

—
17,544

1,110

770

340

(33)

10,776

10,776

0.06%

0.25

n/m

n/m
0.84

11.02

10.86

n/m

0.00

0.00

0.01

20.40

13.48

8.83

9.55

7.04

$

$

12,420

21,968

1,773

—

—
17,048

3,147

684

2,463

2,098

10,776

11,556

0.45%

0.51

3.89

5.95
6.16

10.92

10.73

5.60

0.19

0.19

0.01

20.16

13.22

8.18

9.68

6.83

$

$

11,432

22,278

2,418

—

—
19,141

719

66

653

328

10,651

10,762

0.12%

n/m

0.62

0.95
1.67

10.66

10.63

34.97

0.03

0.03

0.01

19.83

12.87

9.57

9.93

5.80

$

$

14,187

24,888

2,934

581

101
18,840

2,432

441

1,991

1,584

10,281

11,125

0.36%

0.06

3.00

4.72
5.20

10.81

10.34

6.60

0.15

0.15

0.01

20.09

12.95

5.56

7.35

4.99

17,963

28,453

3,407

—

176
17,437

7,433

1,201

6,232

5,889

10,116

10,464

1.07%

n/m

11.40

18.30
17.03

10.37

9.66

1.73

0.58

0.56

0.01

20.80

13.22

$

$

$

6.12

$

11.09

6.06

1,990

13,236

3,255

2,603

159
20,094

(12,875)

(4,049)

(8,826)

(9,127)

10,095

10,095

n/m

n/m

n/m

n/m
n/m

9.83%

10.05

n/m

(0.90)

(0.90)

0.01

20.29

12.65

10.96

13.72

10.50

$

$

14,698

26,877

3,814

—

202
20,081

2,780

731

2,049

1,739

10,076

10,181

0.36%

n/m

3.29

5.28
5.54

10.15

9.87

6.06

0.17

0.17

0.01

21.15

13.21

13.33

15.25

13.33

$

$

$ 125,136

$

95,163

$

88,155

$ 103,123

$

58,580

$

62,023

$ 111,060

$ 135,057

(1)  Excludes goodwill impairment charges and merger and restructuring charges.
(2)  Due to a net loss applicable to common shareholders for the third quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of 2011, the impact of antidilutive equity instruments was excluded from diluted earnings 

(loss) per share and average diluted common shares.

(3)  Calculated as total net income (loss) for four consecutive quarters divided by annualized average assets for four consecutive quarters.
(4)  Tangible equity ratios and tangible book value per share of common stock are non-GAAP financial measures. Other companies may define or calculate these measures differently. For additional 

information on these ratios and for corresponding reconciliations to GAAP financial measures, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31 and Statistical Table XVII.

(5)  For more information on the impact of the PCI loan portfolio on asset quality, see Consumer Portfolio Credit Risk Management on page 76. 
(6) 

Includes the allowance for loan and lease losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments.

(7)  Balances and ratios do not include loans accounted for under the fair value option. For additional exclusions from nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties, see Nonperforming Consumer 
Loans and Foreclosed Properties Activity on page 89 and corresponding Table 37, and Nonperforming Commercial Loans, Leases and Foreclosed Properties Activity on page 97 and corresponding 
Table 46.

(8)  Primarily includes amounts allocated to the U.S. credit card and unsecured consumer lending portfolios in CBB, PCI loans and the non-U.S. credit card portfolio in All Other.
(9)  Net charge-offs exclude $1.1 billion and $1.7 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home equity PCI loan portfolio for the fourth and third quarters of 2012. These write-offs decreased the PCI 

valuation allowance included as part of the allowance for loan and lease losses. For information on PCI write-offs, see Countrywide Purchased Credit-impaired Loan Portfolio on page 86.

(10) There were no write-offs of PCI loans in the second and first quarters of 2012, and in each of the quarters in 2011.
n/m = not meaningful

136     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XII  Selected Quarterly Financial Data (continued)

(Dollars in millions)
Average balance sheet

Total loans and leases

Total assets

Total deposits

Long-term debt

Common shareholders’ equity

Total shareholders’ equity

Asset quality (5)

Allowance for credit losses (6)

2012 Quarters

2011 Quarters

Fourth

Third

Second

First

Fourth

Third

Second

First

$ 893,166

$ 888,859

$ 899,498

$ 913,722

$ 932,898

$ 942,032

$ 938,513

$ 938,966

2,210,365

1,078,076

277,894

219,744

238,512

2,173,312

2,194,563

2,187,174

2,207,567

2,301,454

2,339,110

2,338,538

1,049,697

1,032,888

1,030,112

1,032,531

1,051,320

1,035,944

1,023,140

291,684

217,273

236,039

333,173

216,782

235,558

363,518

214,150

232,566

389,557

209,324

228,235

420,273

204,928

222,410

435,144

218,505

235,067

440,511

214,206

230,769

$

24,692

$

26,751

$

30,862

$

32,862

$

34,497

$

35,872

$

38,209

$

40,804

Nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties (7)

23,555

24,925

25,377

27,790

27,708

29,059

30,058

31,643

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans 

and leases outstanding (7)

2.69%

2.96%

3.43%

3.61%

3.68%

3.81%

4.00%

4.29%

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total 

nonperforming loans and leases (7)

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total 
nonperforming loans and leases, excluding the PCI loan 
portfolio (6)

Amounts included in allowance that are excluded from 

nonperforming loans and leases (8)

Allowance as a percentage of total nonperforming loans and 

leases, excluding amounts included in the allowance that are 
excluded from nonperforming loans and leases (8)

107

111

127

126

135

133

135

135

82

81

90

91

101

101

105

108

$

12,021

$

13,978

$

16,327

$

17,006

$

17,490

$

18,317

$

19,935

$

22,110

54%

52%

59%

60%

65%

63%

63%

60%

Net charge-offs (9)

$

3,104

$

4,122

$

3,626

$

4,056

$

4,054

$

5,086

$

5,665

$

6,028

Annualized net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and 

leases outstanding (7, 9)

1.40%

1.86%

1.64%

1.80%

1.74%

2.17%

2.44%

2.61%

Annualized net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and 

leases outstanding, excluding the PCI loan portfolio (7)

Annualized net charge-offs and PCI write-offs as a percentage of 

average loans and leases outstanding (7, 10)

Nonperforming loans and leases as a percentage of total loans and 

leases outstanding (7)

Nonperforming loans, leases and foreclosed properties as a 

percentage of total loans, leases and foreclosed properties (7)

Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at period end to 

annualized net charge-offs (9)

Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at period end to

annualized net charge-offs, excluding the PCI loan portfolio

Ratio of the allowance for loan and lease losses at period end to 

annualized net charge-offs and PCI write-offs (10)

1.44

1.90

2.52

2.62

1.96

1.51

1.44

1.93

2.63

2.68

2.81

1.60

1.17

1.13

1.69

1.64

2.70

2.87

2.08

1.46

2.08

1.87

1.80

2.85

3.10

1.97

1.43

1.97

1.81

1.74

2.74

3.01

2.10

1.57

2.10

2.25

2.17

2.87

3.15

1.74

1.33

1.74

2.54

2.44

2.96

3.22

1.64

1.28

1.64

2.71

2.61

3.19

3.40

1.63

1.31

1.63

Capital ratios (period end)

Risk-based capital:

Tier 1 common

Tier 1

Total

Tier 1 leverage

Tangible equity (4)
Tangible common equity (4)

For footnotes see page 136.

11.06%

12.89

16.31

7.37
7.62

6.74

11.41%

13.64

17.16

7.84
7.85

6.95

11.24%

13.80

17.51

7.84
7.73

6.83

10.78%

13.37

17.49

7.79
7.48

6.58

9.86%

8.65%

8.23%

8.64%

12.40

16.75

7.53
7.54

6.64

11.48

15.86

7.11
7.16

6.25

11.00

15.65

6.86
6.63

5.87

11.32

15.98

7.25
6.85

6.10

Bank of America 2012     137

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XIII  Quarterly Average Balances and Interest Rates – FTE Basis

(Dollars in millions)

Earning assets

Time deposits placed and other short-term investments (1)
Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell

Trading account assets

Debt securities (2)
Loans and leases (3):

Residential mortgage (4)
Home equity

Discontinued real estate

U.S. credit card

Non-U.S. credit card

Direct/Indirect consumer (5)

Other consumer (6)

Total consumer

U.S. commercial

Commercial real estate (7)

Commercial lease financing

Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial

Total loans and leases

Other earning assets

Total earning assets (8)

Cash and cash equivalents (1)

Other assets, less allowance for loan and lease losses

Total assets

Interest-bearing liabilities

U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Savings

NOW and money market deposit accounts

Consumer CDs and IRAs

Negotiable CDs, public funds and other deposits

Total U.S. interest-bearing deposits

Non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Banks located in non-U.S. countries

Governments and official institutions

Time, savings and other

Total non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits

Total interest-bearing deposits

Federal funds purchased, securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase and other short-term

borrowings

Trading account liabilities

Long-term debt

Total interest-bearing liabilities (8)

Noninterest-bearing sources:

Noninterest-bearing deposits

Other liabilities

Shareholders’ equity

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

Net interest spread

Fourth Quarter 2012

Third Quarter 2012

Average
Balance

Interest
Income/
Expense

Yield/
Rate

Average
Balance

Interest
Income/
Expense

Yield/
Rate

50

329

1,362

2,123

2,202

1,067

91

2,336

383

662

19

6,760

1,729

341

184

433

2,687

9,447

849
14,160

42

6

146

156

27

335

22

1

80

103

438

855

420

1,934

3,647

$

16,967

$

241,950

195,800

339,779

245,879

110,105

10,850

92,849

13,081

82,583

1,602

556,949

209,496

38,192

22,839

65,690

336,217

893,166

101,274
1,788,936

111,671

309,758

$ 2,210,365

$

41,294

$

479,130

91,256

19,904

631,584

11,964

876

53,655

66,495

698,079

336,341

80,084

277,894

1,392,398

379,997

199,458

238,512

$ 2,210,365

58
353

1,243

2,036

2,317

1,097

95

2,353
385

704

40

6,991

1,752
329

202

401

2,684

9,675
792
14,157

48

11
173

172

30
386

19

1

78

98
484

893

418

2,243

4,038

1.47%

0.60

2.80

2.39

3.70

3.77

3.45

10.04

11.48

3.39

6.03

4.89

3.47

3.54

3.75

2.67

3.35

4.34

3.40
3.22

0.10%

0.15

0.73

0.61

0.25

0.56

0.31

0.59

0.58

0.28

1.09

2.14

3.07

1.16

1.14% $
0.54

2.77

2.50

3.58

3.86

3.36

10.01

11.66

3.19

4.57

4.84

3.28

3.55

3.23

2.62

3.18

4.21

3.34
3.16

0.68

0.54

0.21

0.71

0.29

0.60

0.62

0.25

1.01

2.09

2.77

1.04

0.06% $
0.12

15,849

$

234,955

177,075

340,773

250,505

116,184
10,956

93,292

13,329

82,635

2,654

569,555

201,072
36,929

21,545

59,758

319,304

888,859
92,764
1,750,275

122,716

300,321
$ 2,173,312

41,581

$

465,679
94,140

19,587

620,987

13,883

1,019
52,175

67,077

688,064

325,023

77,528

291,684
1,382,299

361,633

193,341

236,039
$ 2,173,312

2.12%

2.06%

Impact of noninterest-bearing sources

Net interest income/yield on earning assets (1)

0.25
2.31%
(1)  For this presentation, fees earned on overnight deposits placed with the Federal Reserve are included in the cash and cash equivalents line, consistent with the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance 
Sheet presentation of these deposits. In addition, beginning in the third quarter of 2012, fees earned on deposits, primarily overnight, placed with certain non-U.S. central banks, which are included 
in the time deposits placed and other short-term investments line in prior periods, have been included in the cash and cash equivalents line. Net interest income and net interest yield are calculated 
excluding these fees.

0.22
2.34%

10,119

10,513

$

$

(2)  Yields on AFS debt securities are calculated based on fair value rather than the cost basis. The use of fair value does not have a material impact on net interest yield.
(3)  Nonperforming loans are included in the respective average loan balances. Income on these nonperforming loans is recognized on a cost recovery basis. PCI loans were recorded at fair value upon 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

acquisition and accrete interest income over the remaining life of the loan.
Includes non-U.S. residential mortgage loans of $93 million, $92 million, $89 million and $86 million in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $88 million in the fourth quarter of 
2011, respectively.
Includes non-U.S. consumer loans of $8.1 billion, $7.8 billion, $7.8 billion and $7.5 billion in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $8.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, 
respectively.
Includes consumer finance loans of $1.4 billion, $1.5 billion, $1.6 billion and $1.6 billion in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, 
respectively; other non-U.S. consumer loans of $4 million, $997 million, $895 million and $903 million in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $959 million in the fourth quarter 
of 2011, respectively; and consumer overdrafts of $156 million, $158 million, $108 million and $90 million in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $107 million in the fourth 
quarter of 2011, respectively.
Includes U.S. commercial real estate loans of $36.7 billion, $35.4 billion, $36.0 billion and $37.4 billion in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $38.7 billion in the fourth quarter 
of 2011, respectively; and non-U.S. commercial real estate loans of $1.5 billion, $1.5 billion, $1.6 billion and $1.8 billion in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $1.9 billion in 
the fourth quarter of 2011, respectively.
Interest income includes the impact of interest rate risk management contracts, which decreased interest income on the underlying assets by $146 million, $136 million, $366 million and $106 
million in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $427 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, respectively. Interest expense includes the impact of interest rate risk management 
contracts, which decreased interest expense on the underlying liabilities by $598 million, $454 million, $591 million and $658 million in the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and 
$763 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, respectively. For further information on interest rate contracts, see Interest Rate Risk Management for Nontrading Activities on page 113.

138     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XIII  Quarterly Average Balances and Interest Rates – FTE Basis (continued)

(Dollars in millions)

Earning assets

Second Quarter 2012

First Quarter 2012

Fourth Quarter 2011

Average
Balance

Interest
Income/
Expense

Yield/
Rate

Average
Balance

Interest
Income/
Expense

Yield/
Rate

Average
Balance

Interest
Income/
Expense

Yield/
Rate

Time deposits placed and other short-term investments (1)

$

27,476

$

64

0.94% $

31,404

$

65

0.83% $

27,688

$

85

1.19%

Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under

agreements to resell

Trading account assets

Debt securities (2)
Loans and leases (3):

Residential mortgage (4)

Home equity

Discontinued real estate

U.S. credit card

Non-U.S. credit card

Direct/Indirect consumer (5)

Other consumer (6)

Total consumer

U.S. commercial

Commercial real estate (7)

Commercial lease financing

Non-U.S. commercial

Total commercial

Total loans and leases

Other earning assets

Total earning assets (8)

Cash and cash equivalents (1)

Other assets, less allowance for loan and lease losses

Total assets

Interest-bearing liabilities

U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Savings

NOW and money market deposit accounts

Consumer CDs and IRAs

Negotiable CDs, public funds and other deposits

Total U.S. interest-bearing deposits

Non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits:

Banks located in non-U.S. countries

Governments and official institutions

Time, savings and other

Total non-U.S. interest-bearing deposits

Total interest-bearing deposits

Federal funds purchased, securities loaned or sold under

agreements to repurchase and other short-term borrowings

Trading account liabilities

Long-term debt

Total interest-bearing liabilities (8)

Noninterest-bearing sources:

Noninterest-bearing deposits

Other liabilities

Shareholders’ equity

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

Net interest spread

Impact of noninterest-bearing sources

234,148

180,694
342,244

255,349

119,657

11,144

95,018

13,641

84,198

2,565

581,572

199,644

37,627

21,446

59,209

317,926

899,498

88,508

360

1,302
1,907

2,462

1,090

94

2,356

396

733

41

7,172

1,742

323

216

369

2,650

9,822

719

1,772,568

14,174

52

14

188

171

35

408

25

1

85

111

519

943

448

2,534
4,444

116,025

305,970

$ 2,194,563

$

42,394

$

460,788

96,858

21,661

621,701

14,598

895

52,584

68,077

689,778

318,909

84,728

333,173
1,426,588

343,110

189,307

235,558

$ 2,194,563

460

1,399
2,732

2,489

1,164

103

2,459

408

801

40

7,464

1,756

339

272

391

2,758

10,222

743

15,621

47

14

186

194

36

430

28

1

90

119

549

881

477

2,708
4,615

0.62

2.89
2.23

3.86

3.66

3.36

9.97

11.68

3.50

6.41

4.95

3.51

3.46

4.02

2.50

3.35

4.38

3.26

3.21

233,061

175,778
327,758

260,573

122,933

12,082

98,334

14,151

88,321

2,617

599,011

195,111

39,190

21,679

58,731

314,711

913,722

86,382

1,768,105

112,512

306,557

$ 2,187,174

0.13% $

40,543

$

0.16

0.71

0.65

0.26

0.69

0.37

0.65

0.65

0.30

1.19

2.13

3.05
1.25

458,649

100,044

22,586

621,822

18,170

1,286

55,241

74,697

696,519

293,056

71,872

363,518
1,424,965

333,593

196,050

232,566

$ 2,187,174

449

1,354
2,245

2,596

1,207
128

2,603
420

863

41

7,858

1,798
343

204

395

2,740
10,598

904

15,635

36

16
192

220

34
462

29

1
124

154

616

921

411

2,764
4,712

0.79

3.19
3.33

3.82

3.80

3.42

10.06

11.60

3.65

6.24

5.00

3.62

3.48

5.01

2.68

3.52

4.49

3.46

3.55

237,453

161,848
332,990

266,144

126,251
14,073

102,241
15,981

90,861

2,751

618,302

196,778
40,673

21,278

55,867

314,596

932,898
91,109

1,783,986

94,287

329,294
$ 2,207,567

0.14% $

39,609

$

0.16

0.78

0.64

0.28

0.62

0.41

0.66

0.64

0.32

1.21

2.67

2.99
1.30

454,249

103,488
22,413

619,759

20,454

1,466
57,814

79,734

699,493

284,766

70,999

389,557
1,444,815

333,038

201,479

228,235
$ 2,207,567

1.96%

0.24

2.20%

2.25%

0.25

2.50%

$

11,006

$

10,923

0.75

3.33
2.69

3.90

3.80

3.65

10.10

10.41

3.77

6.14

5.06

3.63

3.34

3.84

2.80

3.46

4.52

3.95

3.49

0.16%

0.17

0.84

0.60

0.30

0.55

0.36

0.85

0.77

0.35

1.28

2.29

2.80
1.29

2.20%

0.24

2.44%

Net interest income/yield on earning assets (1)

$

9,730

For footnotes see page 138.

Bank of America 2012     139

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XIV  Quarterly Supplemental Financial Data (1)

(Dollars in millions, except per share information)

Fully taxable-equivalent basis data

Net interest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense
Net interest yield (2)
Efficiency ratio

Performance ratios, excluding goodwill impairment charges (3)

Per common share information

Earnings (loss)
Diluted earnings (loss)
Efficiency ratio (FTE basis)
Return on average assets
Four quarter trailing return on average assets (4)
Return on average common shareholders’ equity
Return on average tangible common shareholders’ equity
Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity

2012 Quarters

2011 Quarters

Fourth

Third

Second

First

Fourth

Third

Second

First

$ 10,555
18,891

$ 10,167
20,657

$ 9,782
22,202

$ 11,053
22,485

$ 10,959
25,146

$ 10,739
28,702

$ 11,493
13,483

$ 12,397
27,095

2.35%

97.19

2.32%

84.93

2.21%

76.79

2.51%

85.13

2.45%

77.64

2.32%

61.37

2.50%
n/m

2.67%

74.86

$

0.21
0.20
75.33%
0.46
0.20
4.10
6.46
6.72

$ (0.65)
(0.65)
n/m
n/m
n/m
n/m
n/m
n/m

(1)  Supplemental financial data on a FTE basis and performance measures and ratios excluding the impact of goodwill impairment charges are non-GAAP financial measures. Other companies may 
define or calculate these measures differently. For additional information on these performance measures and ratios, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31 and for corresponding reconciliations 
to GAAP financial measures, see Statistical Table XVII.

(2)  Calculation includes fees earned on overnight deposits placed with the Federal Reserve and, beginning in the third quarter of 2012, fees earned on deposits, primarily overnight, placed with certain 
non-U.S. central banks of $42 million, $48 million, $52 million and $47 million for the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2012, and $36 million, $38 million, $49 million and $63 million for 
the fourth, third, second and first quarters of 2011, respectively.

(3)  Performance ratios are calculated excluding the impact of the goodwill impairment charges of $581 million and $2.6 billion recorded during the fourth and second quarters of 2011.
(4)  Calculated as total net income for four consecutive quarters divided by annualized average assets for four consecutive quarters.
n/m = not meaningful

140     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XV  Five Year Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Measures (1)

(Dollars in millions, shares in thousands)
Reconciliation of net interest income to net interest income on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

Net interest income

Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment

Net interest income on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

Reconciliation of total revenue, net of interest expense to total revenue, net of interest expense on a fully

taxable-equivalent basis

Total revenue, net of interest expense

Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment

Total revenue, net of interest expense on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

Reconciliation of total noninterest expense to total noninterest expense, excluding goodwill impairment

charges

Total noninterest expense

Goodwill impairment charges

Total noninterest expense, excluding goodwill impairment charges

Reconciliation of income tax expense (benefit) to income tax expense (benefit) on a fully taxable-equivalent

basis

Income tax expense (benefit)

Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment

Income tax expense (benefit) on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

Reconciliation of net income (loss) to net income, excluding goodwill impairment charges

Net income (loss)

Goodwill impairment charges

Net income, excluding goodwill impairment charges

Reconciliation of net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders to net income (loss) applicable to

common shareholders, excluding goodwill impairment charges

Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders

Goodwill impairment charges

Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders, excluding goodwill impairment charges

Reconciliation of average common shareholders’ equity to average tangible common shareholders’ equity

Common shareholders’ equity

Common Equivalent Securities

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible common shareholders’ equity

Reconciliation of average shareholders’ equity to average tangible shareholders’ equity

Shareholders’ equity

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible shareholders’ equity

Reconciliation of year-end common shareholders’ equity to year-end tangible common shareholders’ equity

Common shareholders’ equity

Common Equivalent Securities

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible common shareholders’ equity

Reconciliation of year-end shareholders’ equity to year-end tangible shareholders’ equity

Shareholders’ equity

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible shareholders’ equity

Reconciliation of year-end assets to year-end tangible assets

Assets

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible assets

Reconciliation of year-end common shares outstanding to year-end tangible common shares outstanding

Common shares outstanding

Assumed conversion of common equivalent shares (2)

Tangible common shares outstanding

45,360

1,194

46,554

72,782

1,194

73,976

41,529

—
41,529

420

1,194

1,614

4,008

—
4,008

2,556

—
2,556

40,656

901

41,557

83,334

901

84,235

72,093

—

72,093

$

$

$

$

$

$

44,616

972

45,588

93,454

972

94,426

80,274

(3,184)

77,090

$

$

$

$

$

$

51,523

1,170

52,693

110,220

1,170

111,390

83,108

(12,400)

70,708

(1,116) $
901
(215) $

(1,676) $

972

(704) $

915

1,170

2,085

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

47,109

1,301
48,410

119,643

1,301

120,944

66,713

—
66,713

$

$

$

$

$

$

(1,916) $

1,301

(615) $

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

4,188

—

4,188

2,760

—

2,760

216,996

—

(69,974)

(7,366)

2,593

142,249

235,677

(69,974)

(7,366)

2,593

160,930

218,188

—

(69,976)

(6,684)
2,428

143,956

236,956

(69,976)

(6,684)

2,428

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,446

3,184

4,630

85

3,184

3,269

211,709

—

(72,334)

(9,180)

2,898

133,093

229,095

(72,334)

(9,180)

2,898

150,479

211,704

—

(69,967)

(8,021)
2,702

136,418

230,101

(69,967)

(8,021)

2,702

(2,238) $

6,276

12,400

—

10,162

$

6,276

$

$

(3,595) $

(2,204) $

—

(2,204) $

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

12,400

8,805

212,686

2,900

(82,600)

(10,985)

3,306

125,307

233,235

(82,600)

(10,985)

3,306

142,956

211,686

—

(73,861)

(9,923)
3,036

130,938

228,248

(73,861)

(9,923)

3,036

182,288

$

141,638

1,213

(86,034)

(12,220)

3,831
89,078

244,645

(86,034)

(12,220)

3,831

150,222

194,236
19,244

(86,314)

(12,026)
3,498

118,638

231,444

(86,314)

(12,026)

3,498

$

$

$

$

$

$

—
(79,827)
(9,502)
1,782

54,091

164,831
(79,827)
(9,502)
1,782

77,284

139,351

—
(81,934)
(8,535)
1,854

50,736

177,052
(81,934)
(8,535)
1,854

$

162,724

$

154,815

$

147,500

$

136,602

$

88,437

$ 2,209,974

$ 2,129,046

$ 2,264,909

(69,976)

(6,684)

2,428

(69,967)

(8,021)

2,702

(73,861)

(9,923)

3,036

$ 2,135,742

$ 2,053,760

$ 2,184,161

$ 2,230,232
(86,314)

(12,026)

3,498
$ 2,135,390

$ 1,817,943
(81,934)
(8,535)
1,854
$ 1,729,328

10,778,264

10,535,938

10,085,155

—

—

—

10,778,264

10,535,938

10,085,155

8,650,244

1,286,000

9,936,244

5,017,436

—
5,017,436

(1)  Presents reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures. We believe the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides additional clarity in assessing the results 
of the Corporation. Other companies may define or calculate these measures differently. For more information on non-GAAP financial measures and ratios we use in assessing the results of the 
Corporation, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

(2)  On February 24, 2010, the common equivalent shares converted into common shares.

Bank of America 2012     141

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XVI  Two Year Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Measures (1) 

(Dollars in millions)

Consumer & Business Banking

Reported net income
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)

Adjusted net income

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles

Average economic capital

Consumer Real Estate Services

Reported net loss
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)
Goodwill impairment charge

Adjusted net loss

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles (excluding MSRs)

Average economic capital

Global Banking

Reported net income
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)

Adjusted net income

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles

Average economic capital

Global Markets

Reported net income
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)

Adjusted net income

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles

Average economic capital

Global Wealth & Investment Management

Reported net income
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)

Adjusted net income

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles

Average economic capital

2012

2011

5,321
13
5,334

53,646
(30,468)
23,178

$

$

$

$

(6,507) $
—
—
(6,507) $

13,687
—
13,687

5,725
4
5,729

45,907
(24,854)
21,053

1,054
9
1,063

17,595
(4,639)
12,956

2,223
23
2,246

17,739
(10,380)
7,359

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

7,447
20
7,467

52,908
(30,635)
22,273

(19,465)
—
2,603
(16,862)

16,202
(1,350)
14,852

6,046
6
6,052

47,384
(24,623)
22,761

988
12
1,000

22,671
(4,625)
18,046

1,718
30
1,748

17,352
(10,486)
6,866

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

(1)  Presents reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures. We believe the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides additional clarity in assessing the results 
of the Corporation and our segments. Other companies may define or calculate these measures differently. For more information on non-GAAP financial measures and ratios we use in assessing the 
results of the Corporation, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

(2)  Represents cost of funds, earnings credits and certain expenses related to intangibles. 

142     Bank of America 2012

 
 
Table XVI  Two Year Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Measures (continued) (1) 

(Dollars in millions)

Consumer & Business Banking
Deposits

Reported net income
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)

Adjusted net income

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles

Average economic capital

Card Services

Reported net income
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)

Adjusted net income

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles

Average economic capital

Business Banking

Reported net income
Adjustment related to intangibles (2)

Adjusted net income

Average allocated equity
Adjustment related to goodwill and a percentage of intangibles

Average economic capital

For footnotes see page 142.

2012

2011

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

917
1
918

24,329
(17,924)
6,405

4,061
12
4,073

20,578
(10,447)
10,131

343
—
343

8,739
(2,097)
6,642

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,217
3
1,220

23,734
(17,948)
5,786

5,811
17
5,828

21,127
(10,589)
10,538

419
—
419

8,047
(2,098)
5,949

Bank of America 2012     143

 
 
Table XVII  Quarterly Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Measures (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Fourth

Third

Second

First

Fourth

Third

Second

First

2012 Quarters

2011 Quarters

Reconciliation of net interest income to net interest income on a fully

taxable-equivalent basis

Net interest income

Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment

Net interest income on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

Reconciliation of total revenue, net of interest expense to total revenue,

net of interest expense on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

$

$

10,324

231

10,555

$

$

9,938
229

10,167

$

$

9,548

234

9,782

$

$

10,846

207

11,053

$

$

10,701

258

10,959

$

$

10,490

249

10,739

$

$

11,246

247

11,493

$

$

12,179

218

12,397

Total revenue, net of interest expense

Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment

$

18,660

$

231

20,428
229

$

21,968

$

22,278

$

24,888

$

28,453

$

13,236

$

26,877

234

207

258

249

247

218

Total revenue, net of interest expense on a fully taxable-equivalent

basis

$

18,891

$

20,657

$

22,202

$

22,485

$

25,146

$

28,702

$

13,483

$

27,095

Reconciliation of total noninterest expense to total noninterest expense,

excluding goodwill impairment charges

Total noninterest expense

Goodwill impairment charges

Total noninterest expense, excluding goodwill impairment charges

Reconciliation of income tax expense (benefit) to income tax expense

(benefit) on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

Income tax expense (benefit)

Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment

Income tax expense (benefit) on a fully taxable-equivalent basis

Reconciliation of net income (loss) to net income (loss), excluding

goodwill impairment charges

Net income (loss)

Goodwill impairment charges

Net income (loss), excluding goodwill impairment charges

Reconciliation of net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders to

net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders, excluding
goodwill impairment charges

Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders

Goodwill impairment charges

Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders, excluding

goodwill impairment charges

Reconciliation of average common shareholders’ equity to average

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

18,360

—

18,360

$

$

17,544

—

17,544

(2,636) $
231
(2,405) $

732

—

732

$

$

770

229

999

340

—
340

$

$

$

$

$

$

17,048

—

17,048

684

234

918

2,463

—

2,463

$

$

$

$

$

$

19,141

—

19,141

66

207

273

653

—

653

$

$

$

$

$

$

19,522

(581)

18,941

441

258

699

1,991

581

2,572

$

$

$

$

$

$

17,613

—
17,613

1,201
249

1,450

6,232

—

6,232

$

$

$

$

$

$

22,856

(2,603)
20,253

$

$

20,283

—
20,283

(4,049) $
247

(3,802) $

731

218

949

(8,826) $

2,603

(6,223) $

2,049

—
2,049

367

$

(33) $

2,098

$

328

$

1,584

$

5,889

$

(9,127) $

1,739

—

—

—

—

581

—

2,603

—

367

$

(33) $

2,098

$

328

$

2,165

$

5,889

$

(6,524) $

1,739

tangible common shareholders’ equity

Common shareholders’ equity

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

$ 219,744

$ 217,273

$ 216,782

$ 214,150

$ 209,324

$ 204,928

$ 218,505

(69,976)

(6,874)

2,490

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,967)

(70,647)

(71,070)

(73,748)

(7,194)

2,556

(7,533)

2,626

(7,869)

2,700

(8,566)

2,775

(9,005)

2,852

(9,394)

2,932

Tangible common shareholders’ equity

$ 145,384

$ 142,659

$ 141,899

$ 139,014

$ 132,886

$ 127,705

$ 138,295

$ 214,206
(73,922)
(9,769)
3,035
$ 133,550

(1)  Presents reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures. We believe the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides additional clarity in assessing the results 
of the Corporation. Other companies may define or calculate these measures differently. For more information on non-GAAP financial measures and ratios we use in assessing the results of the 
Corporation, see Supplemental Financial Data on page 31.

144     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table XVII  Quarterly Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Measures (1) (continued)

(Dollars in millions)

Fourth

Third

Second

First

Fourth

Third

Second

First

2012 Quarters

2011 Quarters

Reconciliation of average shareholders’ equity to average tangible

shareholders’ equity

Shareholders’ equity

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible shareholders’ equity

Reconciliation of period-end common shareholders’ equity to period-end

tangible common shareholders’ equity

Common shareholders’ equity

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

$ 238,512

$ 236,039

$ 235,558

$ 232,566

$ 228,235

$ 222,410

$ 235,067

(69,976)

(6,874)

2,490

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,967)

(70,647)

(71,070)

(73,748)

(7,194)

2,556

(7,533)

2,626

(7,869)

2,700

(8,566)

2,775

(9,005)

2,852

(9,394)

2,932

$ 164,152

$ 161,425

$ 160,675

$ 157,430

$ 151,797

$ 145,187

$ 154,857

$ 218,188

$ 219,838

$ 217,213

$ 213,711

$ 211,704

$ 210,772

$ 205,614

(69,976)

(6,684)

2,428

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,967)

(70,832)

(71,074)

(7,030)

2,494

(7,335)

2,559

(7,696)

2,628

(8,021)

2,702

(8,764)

2,777

(9,176)

2,853

Tangible common shareholders’ equity

$ 143,956

$ 145,326

$ 142,461

$ 138,667

$ 136,418

$ 133,953

$ 128,217

Reconciliation of period-end shareholders’ equity to period-end tangible

$ 230,769
(73,922)
(9,769)
3,035
$ 150,113

$ 214,314
(73,869)
(9,560)
2,933
$ 133,818

$ 230,876
(73,869)
(9,560)
2,933
$ 150,380

shareholders’ equity

Shareholders’ equity

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible shareholders’ equity

Reconciliation of period-end assets to period-end tangible assets

Assets

Goodwill

Intangible assets (excluding MSRs)

Related deferred tax liabilities

Tangible assets

For footnote see page 144.

$ 236,956
(69,976)

(6,684)

2,428

$ 238,606

$ 235,975

$ 232,499

$ 230,101

$ 230,252

$ 222,176

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,967)

(70,832)

(71,074)

(7,030)

2,494

(7,335)

2,559

(7,696)

2,628

(8,021)

2,702

(8,764)

2,777

(9,176)

2,853

$ 162,724

$ 164,094

$ 161,223

$ 157,455

$ 154,815

$ 153,433

$ 144,779

$ 2,209,974

$2,166,162

$2,160,854

$2,181,449

$2,129,046

$2,219,628

(69,976)

(6,684)

2,428

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,976)

(69,967)

(70,832)

(7,030)

2,494

(7,335)

2,559

(7,696)

2,628

(8,021)

2,702

(8,764)

2,777

$ 2,135,742

$2,091,650

$2,086,102

$2,106,405

$2,053,760

$2,142,809

$2,261,319
(71,074)

(9,176)

2,853
$2,183,922

$2,274,532
(73,869)
(9,560)
2,933
$2,194,036

Bank of America 2012     145

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Glossary

Alt-A Mortgage – A type of U.S. mortgage that, for various reasons, 
is considered riskier than A-paper, or “prime,” and less risky than 
“subprime,” the riskiest category. Alt-A interest rates, which are 
determined by credit risk, therefore tend to be between those of 
prime  and  subprime  home  loans.  Typically,  Alt-A  mortgages  are 
characterized by borrowers with less than full documentation, lower 
credit scores and higher LTVs.

Assets  in  Custody  –  Consist  largely  of  custodial  and  non-
discretionary 
trust  assets  excluding  brokerage  assets 
administered for clients. Trust assets encompass a broad range 
of asset types including real estate, private company ownership 
interest, personal property and investments.

Assets  Under  Management  (AUM)  –  The  total  market  value  of 
assets  under  the  investment  advisory  and  discretion  of  GWIM 
which generate asset management fees based on a percentage 
of  the  assets’  market  values.  AUM  reflects  assets  that  are 
generally  managed  for  institutional,  high  net-worth  and  retail 
clients, and are distributed through various investment products 
including mutual funds, other commingled vehicles and separate 
accounts.

Carrying Value (with respect to loans) – The amount at which a loan 
is recorded on the balance sheet. For loans recorded at amortized 
cost,  carrying  value  is  the  unpaid  principal  balance  net  of 
unamortized  deferred  loan  origination  fees  and  costs,  and 
unamortized purchase premium or discount. For loans that are or 
have been on nonaccrual status, the carrying value is also reduced 
by any net charge-offs that have been recorded and the amount 
of interest payments applied as a reduction of principal under the 
cost recovery method. For PCI loans, the carrying value equals fair 
value upon acquisition adjusted for subsequent cash collections 
and yield accreted to date. For credit card loans, the carrying value 
also includes interest that has been billed to the customer. For 
loans  classified  as  held-for-sale,  carrying  value  is  the  lower  of 
carrying value as described in the sentences above, or fair value. 
For  loans  for  which  we  have  elected  the  fair  value  option,  the 
carrying value is fair value.

Client Brokerage Assets – Include client assets which are held in 
brokerage  accounts.  This  includes  non-discretionary  brokerage 
and fee-based assets which generate brokerage income and asset 
management fee revenue.

Committed  Credit  Exposure  –  Includes  any  funded  portion  of  a 
facility plus the unfunded portion of a facility on which the lender 
is legally bound to advance funds during a specified period under 
prescribed conditions.

Credit  Derivatives  –  Contractual  agreements  that  provide 
protection  against  a  credit  event  on  one  or  more  referenced 
obligations.  The  nature  of  a  credit  event  is  established  by  the 
protection purchaser and protection seller at the inception of the 
transaction,  and  such  events  generally  include  bankruptcy  or 
insolvency of the referenced credit entity, failure to meet payment 
obligations when due, as well as acceleration of indebtedness and 
payment repudiation or moratorium. The purchaser of the credit 

146     Bank of America 2012

derivative  pays  a  periodic  fee  in  return  for  a  payment  by  the 
protection seller upon the occurrence, if any, of such a credit event. 
A credit default swap is a type of a credit derivative.

Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) – A portfolio adjustment required 
to properly reflect the counterparty credit risk exposure as part of 
the fair value of derivative instruments. 

Debit Valuation Adjustment (DVA) – A portfolio adjustment required 
to properly reflect the Corporation’s own credit risk exposure as 
part of the fair value of derivative instruments.

Interest Rate Lock Commitment (IRLC) – Commitment with a loan 
applicant in which the loan terms, including interest rate and price, 
are guaranteed for a designated period of time subject to credit 
approval.

Letter of Credit – A document issued on behalf of a customer to 
a third party promising to pay the third party upon presentation of 
specified documents. A letter of credit effectively substitutes the 
issuer’s credit for that of the customer. 

Loan-to-value (LTV) – A commonly used credit quality metric that 
is  reported  in  terms  of  ending  and  average  LTV.  Ending  LTV  is 
calculated as the outstanding carrying value of the loan at the end 
of  the  period  divided  by  the  estimated  value  of  the  property 
securing  the  loan.  Estimated  property  values  are  primarily 
determined by utilizing the Case-Schiller Home Index, a widely used 
index based on data from repeat sales of single family homes. 
Case-Schiller indices are updated quarterly and are reported on a 
three-month or one-quarter lag. An additional metric related to LTV 
is combined loan-to-value (CLTV) which is similar to the LTV metric, 
yet combines the outstanding balance on the residential mortgage 
loan and the outstanding carrying value on the home equity loan 
or available line of credit, both of which are secured by the same 
property, divided by the estimated value of the property. A LTV of 
100 percent reflects a loan that is currently secured by a property 
valued at an amount exactly equal to the carrying value or available 
line of the loan. Under certain circumstances, estimated values 
can also be determined by utilizing an automated valuation method 
(AVM) or Mortgage Risk Assessment Corporation (MRAC) index. 
An AVM is a tool that estimates the value of a property by reference 
to large volumes of market data including sales of comparable 
properties  and  price  trends  specific  to  the  MSA  in  which  the 
property being valued is located. The MRAC index is similar to the 
Case-Schiller Home Index in that it is an index that is based on 
data from repeat sales of single family homes and is reported on 
a lag.

Margin Receivables – An extension of credit secured by eligible 
securities in certain brokerage accounts.

Mortgage Servicing Right (MSR) – The right to service a mortgage 
loan  when  the  underlying  loan  is  sold  or  securitized.  Servicing 
includes collections for principal, interest and escrow payments 
from  borrowers  and  accounting  for  and  remitting  principal  and 
interest payments to investors.

Net Interest Yield – Net interest income divided by average total 
interest-earning assets.

Nonperforming Loans and Leases – Includes loans and leases that 
have  been  placed  on  nonaccrual  status,  including  nonaccruing 
loans whose contractual terms have been restructured in a manner 
that  grants  a  concession  to  a  borrower  experiencing  financial 
difficulties (TDRs). Loans accounted for under the fair value option, 
PCI loans and LHFS are not reported as nonperforming loans and 
leases.  Consumer  credit  card  loans,  business  card  loans, 
consumer loans secured by personal property (except for certain 
secured consumer loans, including those that have been modified 
in a troubled debt restructuring), and consumer loans secured by 
real estate that are insured by the FHA or through long-term credit 
protection agreements with FNMA and FHLMC (fully-insured loan 
portfolio), are not placed on nonaccrual status and are, therefore, 
not reported as nonperforming loans and leases.

Purchased Credit-impaired (PCI) Loan – A loan purchased as an 
individual loan, in a portfolio of loans or in a business combination 
with evidence of deterioration in credit quality since origination for 
which  it  is  probable,  upon  acquisition,  that  the  investor  will  be 
unable to collect all contractually required payments. These loans 
are recorded at fair value upon acquisition.

Subprime  Loans  –  Although  a  standard  industry  definition  for 
subprime  loans  (including  subprime  mortgage  loans)  does  not 
exist, the Corporation defines subprime loans as specific product 
offerings for higher risk borrowers, including individuals with one 
or  a  combination  of  high  credit  risk  factors,  such  as  low  FICO 
scores, high debt to income ratios and inferior payment history. 

Tier  1  Common  Capital  –  Tier  1  capital  less  preferred  stock, 
qualifying  trust  preferred  securities,  hybrid  securities  and 
qualifying noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries.

Troubled Debt Restructurings (TDRs) – Loans whose contractual 
terms have been restructured in a manner that grants a concession 
to a borrower experiencing financial difficulties. Certain consumer 
loans for which a binding offer to restructure has been extended 
are also classified as TDRs. Concessions could include a reduction 
in  the  interest  rate  to  a  rate  that  is  below  market  on  the  loan, 
payment extensions, forgiveness of principal, forbearance, loans 
discharged in bankruptcy or other actions intended to maximize 
collection. Secured consumer loans that have been discharged in 
Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have not been reaffirmed by the borrower 
are classified as TDRs at the time of discharge from bankruptcy. 
TDRs are generally reported as nonperforming loans and leases 
while on nonaccrual status. Nonperforming TDRs may be returned 
to accrual status when, among other criteria, payment in full of all 
amounts due under the restructured terms is expected and the 
borrower  has  demonstrated  a  sustained  period  of  repayment 
performance, typically six months. TDRs that are on accrual status 
are reported as performing TDRs through the end of the calendar 
year in which the restructuring occurred or the year in which they 
are returned to accrual status. In addition, if accruing TDRs bear 
less than a market rate of interest at the time of modification, they 
are reported as performing TDRs throughout their remaining lives 
unless and until they cease to perform in accordance with their 
modified contractual terms, at which time they would be placed 
on nonaccrual status and reported as nonperforming TDRs.

Value-at-Risk (VaR) – VaR is a model that simulates the value of 
a  portfolio  under  a  range  of  hypothetical  scenarios  in  order  to 
generate  a  distribution  of  potential  gains  and  losses.  VaR 
represents the loss the portfolio is expected to experience with a 
given confidence level based on historical data. A VaR model is 
an effective tool in estimating ranges of potential gains and losses 
on our trading portfolios. 

Bank of America 2012     147

Acronyms

ABS

AFS

ALM

Asset-backed securities

Available-for-sale

Asset and liability management

ALMRC

Asset Liability Market Risk Committee

ARM

BHC

CDO

CLO

CES

CMBS

CORC

CRA

CRC

EAD

EU

FDIC

FFIEC

FHA

FHFA

Adjustable-rate mortgage

Bank holding company

Collateralized debt obligation

Collateralized loan obligation

Common Equivalent Securities

Commercial mortgage-backed securities

Compliance and Operational Risk Committee

Community Reinvestment Act

Credit Risk Committee

Exposure at default

European Union

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council

Federal Housing Administration

Federal Housing Finance Agency

FHLMC

Freddie Mac

FICC

FICO

FNMA

FTE

GAAP

GNMA

GMRC

GSE

Fixed income, currencies and commodities

Fair Isaac Corporation (credit score)

Fannie Mae

Fully taxable-equivalent

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America

Government National Mortgage Association

Global Markets Risk Committee

Government-sponsored enterprise

HELOC

Home equity lines of credit

HFI

HUD

IPO

LCR

LGD

LHFS

LIBOR

MBS

MD&A

MI

MSA

NSFR

OCC

OCI

OTC

OTTI

PPI

RMBS

ROTE

SBLCs

SEC

TLGP

VA

Held-for-investment

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Initial public offering

Liquidity coverage ratio

Loss given default

Loans held-for-sale

London InterBank Offered Rate

Mortgage-backed securities

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Mortgage insurance

Metropolitan statistical area

Net stable funding ratio

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Other comprehensive income

Over-the-counter

Other-than-temporary impairment

Payment protection insurance

Residential mortgage-backed securities

Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity

Standby letters of credit

Securities and Exchange Commission

Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

148     Bank of America 2012

 
Financial Statements and Notes Contents

Consolidated Statement of Income

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

Consolidated Balance Sheet

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Principles

Note 2 – Trading Account Assets and Liabilities

Note 3 – Derivatives

Note 4 – Securities

Note 5 – Outstanding Loans and Leases

Note 6 – Allowance for Credit Losses

Note 7 – Securitizations and Other Variable Interest Entities

Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations and Corporate Guarantees

Note 9 – Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Note 10 – Deposits

Note 11 – Federal Funds Sold, Securities Borrowed or Purchased Under Agreements to Resell and Short-term Borrowings

Note 12 – Long-term Debt

Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies

Note 14 – Shareholders’ Equity

Note 15 – Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Note 16 – Earnings Per Common Share

Note 17 – Regulatory Requirements and Restrictions

Note 18 – Employee Benefit Plans

Note 19 – Stock-based Compensation Plans

Note 20 – Income Taxes

Note 21 – Fair Value Measurements

Note 22 – Fair Value Option

Note 23 – Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights

Note 25 – Merger and Restructuring Activity

Note 26 – Business Segment Information

Note 27 – Parent Company Information

Note 28 – Performance by Geographical Area

Page

152

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154

156

157

158

169

170

179

184

198

200

207

216

217

218

219

223

234

238

239

239

241

249

251

253

266

268

270

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271

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276

Bank of America 2012     149

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

Management assessed the effectiveness of the Corporation’s 
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012 
based on the framework set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control – 
Integrated Framework. Based on that assessment, management 
concluded  that,  as  of  December 31,  2012,  the  Corporation’s 
internal control over financial reporting is effective based on the 
criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework.

The  Corporation’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting              
has 

of  December 31,  2012 

by 
as 
PricewaterhouseCoopers,  LLP,  an  independent  registered  public 
accounting  firm,  as  stated  in  their  accompanying  report  which 
expresses  an  unqualified  opinion  on  the  effectiveness  of  the 
Corporation’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of 
December 31, 2012.

audited 

been 

Brian T. Moynihan
Chief Executive Officer and President

Bruce R. Thompson
Chief Financial Officer

The management of Bank of America Corporation is responsible 
for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal  control  over 
financial reporting.

The Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting is a 
process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial 
statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting 
principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The 
Corporation’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  includes 
those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance 
of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect 
the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Corporation; 
(ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded 
as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of  financial  statements  in 
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the 
United States of America, and that receipts and expenditures of 
the  Corporation  are  being  made  only  in  accordance  with 
authorizations of management and directors of the Corporation; 
and  (iii)  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or 
timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition 
of the Corporation’s assets that could have a material effect on 
the financial statements.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over 
financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are 
subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because 
of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with 
the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

150     Bank of America 2012

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

financial 

internal  control  over 

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Bank 
of America Corporation:
In our opinion, the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet and 
the  related  Consolidated  Statement  of  Income,  Consolidated 
Statement of Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Statement of 
Changes in Shareholders’ Equity and Consolidated Statement of 
Cash Flows present fairly, in all material respects, the financial 
position of Bank of America Corporation and its subsidiaries at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the results of their operations 
and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended 
December 31,  2012  in  conformity  with  accounting  principles 
generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our 
opinion,  the  Corporation  maintained,  in  all  material  respects, 
effective 
reporting  as  of 
December 31,  2012,  based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal 
Control  –  Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of 
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). 
The Corporation’s management is responsible for these financial 
statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial 
reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal 
control  over  financial  reporting,  included  in  the  accompanying 
Report  of  Management  on  Internal  Control  Over  Financial 
Reporting.  Our  responsibility  is  to  express  opinions  on  these 
financial statements and on the Corporation’s internal control over 
financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted 
our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company 
Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United  States).  Those  standards 
require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable 
assurance  about  whether  the  financial  statements  are  free  of 
material misstatement and whether effective internal control over 
financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our 
audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test 
basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the 
financial  statements,  assessing  the  accounting  principles  used 
and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating 
the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal 
included  obtaining  an 
reporting 
control  over 

financial 

understanding  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting, 
assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing 
and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal 
control  based  on  the  assessed  risk.  Our  audits  also  included 
performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in 
the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable 
basis for our opinions.

A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is  a 
process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial 
statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with  generally 
accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over 
financial  reporting  includes  those  policies  and  procedures  that 
(i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, 
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of 
the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that 
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of 
financial  statements  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted 
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the 
company are being made only in accordance with authorizations 
of  management  and  directors  of  the  company;  and  (iii)  provide 
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of 
unauthorized  acquisition,  use,  or  disposition  of  the  company’s 
assets  that  could  have  a  material  effect  on  the  financial 
statements.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over 
financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are 
subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because 
of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with 
the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Charlotte, North Carolina
February 28, 2013

Bank of America 2012     151

Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statement of Income

(Dollars in millions, except per share information)

Interest income

Loans and leases
Debt securities
Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell
Trading account assets
Other interest income

Total interest income

Interest expense

Deposits
Short-term borrowings
Trading account liabilities
Long-term debt

Total interest expense
Net interest income

Noninterest income

Card income
Service charges
Investment and brokerage services
Investment banking income
Equity investment income
Trading account profits
Mortgage banking income (loss)
Insurance income (loss)
Gains on sales of debt securities
Other income (loss)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses on available-for-sale debt securities:

Total other-than-temporary impairment losses
Less: Portion of other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income

Net impairment losses recognized in earnings on available-for-sale debt securities

Total noninterest income
Total revenue, net of interest expense

Provision for credit losses

Noninterest expense

Personnel
Occupancy
Equipment
Marketing
Professional fees
Amortization of intangibles
Data processing
Telecommunications
Other general operating
Goodwill impairment
Merger and restructuring charges

Total noninterest expense
Income (loss) before income taxes

Income tax expense (benefit)

Net income (loss)
Preferred stock dividends

Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders

Per common share information

Earnings (loss)
Diluted earnings (loss)
Dividends paid

Average common shares issued and outstanding (in thousands)
Average diluted common shares issued and outstanding (in thousands)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

152     Bank of America 2012

$

$

$

2012

2011

2010

$

38,880
8,776
1,502
5,094
3,148
57,400

1,990
3,572
1,763
9,419
16,744
40,656

6,121
7,600
11,393
5,299
2,070
5,870
4,750
(195)
1,662
(1,839)

(57)
4
(53)
42,678
83,334

$

44,966
9,521
2,147
5,961
3,641
66,236

3,002
4,599
2,212
11,807
21,620
44,616

7,184
8,094
11,826
5,217
7,360
6,697
(8,830)
1,346
3,374
6,869

(360)
61
(299)
48,838
93,454

50,996
11,667
1,832
6,841
4,161
75,497

3,997
3,699
2,571
13,707
23,974
51,523

8,108
9,390
11,622
5,520
5,260
10,054
2,734
2,066
2,526
2,384

(2,174)
1,207
(967)
58,697
110,220

8,169

13,410

28,435

35,648
4,570
2,269
1,873
3,574
1,264
2,961
1,660
18,274
—
—
72,093
3,072
(1,116)
4,188
1,428
2,760

$

$

36,965
4,748
2,340
2,203
3,381
1,509
2,652
1,553
21,101
3,184
638
80,274
(230)
(1,676)
1,446
1,361
85

$

0.26
0.25
0.04
10,746,028
10,840,854

$

0.01
0.01
0.04
10,142,625
10,254,824

35,149
4,716
2,452
1,963
2,695
1,731
2,544
1,416
16,222
12,400
1,820
83,108
(1,323)
915
(2,238)
1,357
(3,595)

(0.37)
(0.37)
0.04
9,790,472
9,790,472

$

$

$

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

(Dollars in millions)

Net income (loss)
Other comprehensive income, net-of-tax:

Net change in available-for-sale debt and marketable equity securities
Net change in derivatives
Employee benefit plan adjustments
Net change in foreign currency translation adjustments

Other comprehensive income (loss)
Comprehensive income (loss)

2012

2011

2010

$

4,188

$

1,446

$

(2,238)

1,802
916
(65)
(13)
2,640
6,828

$

(4,270)
(549)
(444)
(108)
(5,371)
(3,925) $

5,872
(701)
145
237
5,553
3,315

$

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Bank of America 2012     153

Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheet

(Dollars in millions)

Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Time deposits placed and other short-term investments
Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell (includes $98,670 and $87,453 measured at fair 

value)

Trading account assets (includes $115,821 and $80,130 pledged as collateral)
Derivative assets
Debt securities:

Available-for-sale (includes $63,342 and $69,021 pledged as collateral)
Held-to-maturity, at cost (fair value – $50,270 and $35,442; $22,461 and $24,009 pledged as collateral)

Total debt securities

Loans and leases (includes $9,002 and $8,804 measured at fair value and $50,289 and $73,463 pledged as collateral)
Allowance for loan and lease losses

Loans and leases, net of allowance

Premises and equipment, net
Mortgage servicing rights (includes $5,716 and $7,378 measured at fair value)
Goodwill
Intangible assets
Loans held-for-sale (includes $11,659 and $7,630 measured at fair value)
Customer and other receivables
Other assets (includes $40,983 and $37,084 measured at fair value)

Total assets

Assets of consolidated variable interest entities included in total assets above (isolated to settle the liabilities of the variable interest entities)
Trading account assets
Derivative assets
Loans and leases
Allowance for loan and lease losses

Loans and leases, net of allowance

Loans held-for-sale
All other assets

Total assets of consolidated variable interest entities

December 31

2012

2011

$

110,752
18,694

$ 120,102
26,004

219,924

237,226
53,497

211,183

169,319
73,023

286,906
49,481
336,387
907,819
(24,179)
883,640
11,858
5,851
69,976
6,684
19,413
71,467
164,605
$ 2,209,974

276,151
35,265
311,416
926,200
(33,783)
892,417
13,637
7,510
69,967
8,021
13,762
66,999
145,686
$ 2,129,046

$

$

7,906
333
123,227
(3,658)
119,569
1,969
4,654
134,431

$

8,595
1,634
140,194
(5,066)
135,128
1,635
4,769
$ 151,761

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

154     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheet (continued)

(Dollars in millions)

Liabilities
Deposits in U.S. offices:
Noninterest-bearing
Interest-bearing (includes $2,262 and $3,297 measured at fair value)

Deposits in non-U.S. offices:

Noninterest-bearing
Interest-bearing
Total deposits

Federal funds purchased and securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase (includes $42,639 and $34,235 measured at fair 

value)

Trading account liabilities
Derivative liabilities
Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings (includes $4,074 and $6,558 measured at fair value)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (includes $16,594 and $15,743 measured at fair value and $513 and $714 of reserve for 

unfunded lending commitments)

Long-term debt (includes $49,161 and $46,239 measured at fair value)

Total liabilities

Commitments and contingencies (Note 7 – Securitizations and Other Variable Interest Entities, Note 8 – Representations and Warranties 

Obligations and Corporate Guarantees and Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies)

Shareholders’ equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; authorized – 100,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding – 3,685,410 and 3,689,084 shares
Common stock and additional paid-in capital, $0.01 par value; authorized – 12,800,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding – 

10,778,263,628 and 10,535,937,957 shares

Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

Total shareholders’ equity
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

Liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities included in total liabilities above
Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings (includes $872 and $650 of non-recourse liabilities)
Long-term debt (includes $29,476 and $44,976 of non-recourse debt)
All other liabilities (includes $149 and $225 of non-recourse liabilities)

Total liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities

December 31

2012

2011

$

372,546
654,332

$ 332,228
624,814

7,573
70,810
1,105,261

6,839
69,160
1,033,041

293,259

214,864

73,587
46,016
30,731

60,508
59,520
35,698

148,579

123,049

275,585
1,973,018

372,265
1,898,945

18,768

18,397

158,142

156,621

62,843
(2,797)
236,956
$ 2,209,974

60,520
(5,437)
230,101
$ 2,129,046

$

$

3,731
34,256
360
38,347

$

$

5,777
49,054
1,116
55,947

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Bank of America 2012     155

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

Preferred
Stock

Common Stock and
Additional Paid-in
Capital

Shares

Amount

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)

Retained
Earnings

Total
Shareholders’
Equity

Other

$ 37,208

8,650,244

$

128,734

$

71,233

$

(5,619) $

(112) $

231,444

(Dollars in millions, shares in thousands)

Balance, December 31, 2009
Cumulative adjustments for accounting changes:

Consolidation of certain variable interest entities
Credit-related notes

Net loss
Net change in available-for-sale debt and marketable 

equity securities

Net change in derivatives
Employee benefit plan adjustments
Net change in foreign currency translation adjustments
Dividends paid:
Common
Preferred

Common stock issued under employee plans and 

related tax effects

Mandatory convertible preferred stock conversion
Common Equivalent Securities conversion
Other
Balance, December 31, 2010
Net income
Net change in available-for-sale debt and marketable 

equity securities

Net change in derivatives
Employee benefit plan adjustments
Net change in foreign currency translation adjustments
Dividends paid:
Common
Preferred

(1,542)
(19,244)
140
16,562

98,557

50,354
1,286,000

1,385

1,542
19,244

10,085,155

150,905

Issuance of preferred stock and warrants 
Common stock issued in connection with exchanges of 

2,918

preferred stock and trust preferred securities

(1,083)

400,000

2,082

2,754

Common stock issued under employee plans and 

related tax effects

Other
Balance, December 31, 2011
Net income
Net change in available-for-sale debt and marketable

equity securities

Net change in derivatives
Employee benefit plan adjustments
Net change in foreign currency translation adjustments
Dividends paid:
Common
Preferred

Net issuance of preferred stock
Common stock issued in connection with exchanges of

50,783

880

18,397

10,535,938

156,621

667

preferred stock and trust preferred securities

(296)

49,867

412

44

Common stock issued under employee plans and

related tax effects

Balance, December 31, 2012

192,459

1,109

$

18,768

10,778,264

$

158,142

$

62,843

$

(2,797) $

— $

236,956

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

156     Bank of America 2012

(116)
229

5,759

(701)
145
237

(66)

(4,270)

(549)
(444)
(108)

(5,437)

1,802

916
(65)
(13)

(6,154)
(229)
(2,238)

(405)
(1,357)

(1)
60,849
1,446

(413)
(1,325)

(36)

(1)
60,520
4,188

(437)
(1,472)

(6,270)

(2,238)

5,759

(701)
145
237

(405)
(1,357)

103

1,488

7
(2)

146
228,248
1,446

2

—

(4,270)

(549)
(444)
(108)

(413)
(1,325)
5,000

1,635

882

(1)
230,101
4,188

1,802

916
(65)
(13)

(437)
(1,472)
667

160

1,109

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(Dollars in millions)

Operating activities
Net income (loss)
Reconciliation of net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

Provision for credit losses
Goodwill impairment
Gains on sales of debt securities
Fair value adjustments on structured liabilities
Depreciation and premises improvements amortization
Amortization of intangibles
Deferred income taxes
Net (increase) decrease in trading and derivative instruments
Net (increase) decrease in other assets
Net increase (decrease) in accrued expenses and other liabilities
Other operating activities, net

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

Investing activities
Net (increase) decrease in time deposits placed and other short-term investments
Net increase in federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell
Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale and other debt securities
Proceeds from paydowns and maturities of available-for-sale and other debt securities
Purchases of available-for-sale and other debt securities
Proceeds from maturities of held-to-maturity debt securities
Purchases of held-to-maturity debt securities
Proceeds from sales of loans and leases
Other changes in loans and leases, net
Net sales (purchases) of premises and equipment
Proceeds from sales of foreclosed properties
Cash received due to impact of adoption of consolidation guidance
Proceeds from sales of investments
Other investing activities, net

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

Financing activities
Net increase in deposits
Net increase (decrease) in federal funds purchased and securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase
Net decrease in commercial paper and other short-term borrowings
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt
Retirement of long-term debt
Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock and warrants
Cash dividends paid
Excess tax benefits on share-based payments
Other financing activities, net

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at January 1

Cash and cash equivalents at December 31

2012

2011

2010

$

4,188

$

1,446

$

(2,238)

8,169
—
(1,662)
5,107
1,774
1,264
(2,735)
(48,225)
(13,330)
24,061
7,531
(13,858)

7,310
(8,741)
74,068
71,509
(164,491)
6,261
(20,991)
1,673
(6,457)
5
2,799
—
198
(320)
(37,177)

72,220
78,395
(5,017)
22,200
(124,389)
667
(1,909)
13
236
42,416
(731)
(9,350)
120,102
110,752

$

13,410
3,184
(3,374)
(3,320)
1,976
1,509
(1,949)
20,230
50,230
(18,124)
(770)
64,448

105
(1,567)
120,125
56,732
(99,536)
602
(35,552)
2,409
(6,059)
(1,307)
2,532
—
14,840
(895)
52,429

28,435
12,400
(2,526)
(18)
2,181
1,731
608
20,775
5,213
14,069
1,911
82,541

(2,154)
(19,683)
100,047
70,868
(199,159)
11
(100)
8,046
(2,550)
(987)
3,107
2,807
10,856
(1,456)
(30,347)

22,611
(30,495)
(24,264)
26,001
(101,814)
5,000
(1,738)
42
3
(104,654)
(548)
11,675
108,427
$ 120,102

36,598
(9,826)
(31,698)
52,215
(110,919)
—
(1,762)
53
5
(65,334)
228
(12,912)
121,339
$ 108,427

Supplemental cash flow disclosures
21,166
Interest paid
1,465
Income taxes paid
(7,783)
Income taxes refunded
During 2011, the Corporation entered into an agreement with Assured Guaranty Ltd. and subsidiaries which resulted in non-cash increases to loans of $2.2 billion, other assets of $82 million and long-
term debt of $2.3 billion.
During 2011, the Corporation exchanged preferred stock, with a carrying value of $1.1 billion, for 92 million common shares valued at $522 million and senior notes valued at $360 million.
During 2011, the Corporation exchanged trust preferred securities for 308 million common shares valued at $1.7 billion and senior notes valued at $2.0 billion. The trust preferred securities, and 
underlying junior subordinated notes and stock purchase agreements, with a carrying value of $5.2 billion, were immediately canceled. 
During 2010, the Corporation securitized $2.4 billion of residential mortgage loans into mortgage-backed securities which were retained by the Corporation. There were no residential mortgage loans 
securitized into mortgage-backed securities which were retained by the Corporation during 2012 and 2011.
During 2010, the Corporation sold First Republic Bank in a non-cash transaction that reduced assets and liabilities by $19.5 billion and $18.1 billion.

25,207
1,653
(781)

18,268
1,372
(338)

$

$

$

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Bank of America 2012     157

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

NOTE 1 Summary of Significant Accounting 
Principles
Bank  of  America  Corporation  (together  with  its  consolidated 
subsidiaries, the Corporation), a bank holding company (BHC) and 
a financial holding company, provides a diverse range of financial 
services  and  products  throughout  the  U.S.  and  in  certain 
international markets. The term “the Corporation” as used herein 
may  refer  to  Bank  of  America  Corporation  individually,  Bank  of 
America  Corporation  and  its  subsidiaries,  or  certain  of  Bank  of 
America Corporation’s subsidiaries or affiliates.

The  Corporation  conducts  its  activities  through  banking  and 
nonbanking  subsidiaries.  The  Corporation  operates  its  banking 
activities primarily under two charters: Bank of America, National 
Association (Bank of America, N.A. or BANA) and FIA Card Services, 
National Association (FIA Card Services, N.A. or FIA).

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of 
the  Corporation  and  its  majority-owned  subsidiaries,  and  those 
variable  interest  entities  (VIEs)  where  the  Corporation  is  the 
primary beneficiary. Intercompany accounts and transactions have 
been eliminated. Results of operations of acquired companies are 
included from the dates of acquisition and for VIEs, from the dates 
that the Corporation became the primary beneficiary. Assets held 
in  an  agency  or  fiduciary  capacity  are  not  included  in  the 
Consolidated Financial Statements. The Corporation accounts for 
investments in companies for which it owns a voting interest and 
for which it has the ability to exercise significant influence over 
operating  and  financing  decisions  using  the  equity  method  of 
accounting  or  at  fair  value  under  the  fair  value  option.  These 
investments  are  included  in  other  assets.  Equity  method 
investments  are  subject  to 
impairment  testing  and  the 
Corporation’s proportionate share of income or loss is included in 
equity investment income.

The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in 
conformity  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the 
United States of America requires management to make estimates 
and assumptions that affect reported amounts and disclosures. 
Realized  results  could  differ 
from  those  estimates  and 
assumptions.

The Corporation evaluates subsequent events through the date 
of  filing  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (SEC). 
Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform 
to current period presentation.

New Accounting Pronouncements
In April 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) 
issued new accounting guidance that addresses effective control 
in  repurchase  agreements  and  eliminates  the  requirement  for 
entities to consider whether the transferor/seller has the ability 
to  repurchase  the  financial  assets  in  a  repurchase  agreement. 
This  new  accounting  guidance  was  effective,  on  a  prospective 
basis, 
for  new  transactions  or  modifications  to  existing 
transactions on January 1, 2012. The adoption of this guidance 
did not have a material impact on the Corporation’s consolidated 
financial position or results of operations.

158     Bank of America 2012

for  Level  3 

Effective  January  1,  2012, 

the  Corporation  adopted 
amendments from the FASB to the fair value accounting guidance. 
The amendments clarify the application of the highest and best 
use, and valuation premise concepts, preclude the application of 
“blockage factors” in the valuation of all financial instruments and 
include criteria for applying the fair value measurement principles 
to  portfolios  of  financial  instruments.  The  amendments  also 
prescribe  additional  disclosures 
fair  value 
measurements and financial instruments not carried at fair value. 
The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on 
the  Corporation’s  consolidated  financial  position  or  results  of 
operations. For the related disclosures, see Note 21 – Fair Value 
Measurements and Note 23 – Fair Value of Financial Instruments.
Effective  January  1,  2012,  the  Corporation  adopted  new 
accounting  guidance  from  the  FASB  on  the  presentation  of 
comprehensive income in financial statements. The Corporation 
adopted  the  new  guidance  by  reporting  the  components  of 
comprehensive 
two  separate  but  consecutive 
statements. For the new statement and related information, see 
the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income and Note 
15 – Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss).

income 

in 

Effective January 1, 2013, the Corporation will be required to 
retrospectively  adopt  new  accounting  guidance  from  the  FASB 
requiring  additional  disclosures  on  the  effect  of  netting 
arrangements  on  an  entity’s  financial  position.  The  disclosures 
relate to derivatives and securities financing agreements that are 
either  offset  on  the  balance  sheet  under  existing  accounting 
guidance or are subject to a legally enforceable master netting or 
similar agreement. This new guidance addresses only disclosures, 
and  accordingly,  will  have  no  impact  on  the  Corporation’s 
consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In December 2012, the FASB issued a proposed standard on 
accounting for expected credit losses. It would replace multiple 
existing impairment models, including an “incurred loss” model 
for  loans,  with  an  “expected  credit  loss”  model.  The  FASB 
announced it would establish the effective date when it issues the 
final standard. The Corporation cannot predict at this time whether 
or when a final standard will be issued, when it will be effective or 
what its final provisions will be. It is possible that the final standard 
could have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s results 
of operations once it is issued and becomes effective.

Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, cash items in 
the process of collection, and amounts due from correspondent 
banks and the Federal Reserve Bank.

Securities Financing Agreements
Securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell and 
securities  loaned  or  sold  under  agreements  to  repurchase 
(securities  financing  agreements)  are  treated  as  collateralized 
financing  transactions.  These  agreements  are  recorded  at  the 
amounts at which the securities were acquired or sold plus accrued 
interest, except for certain securities financing agreements that 
the Corporation accounts for under the fair value option. Changes 
in  the  fair  value  of  securities  financing  agreements  that  are 
accounted for under the fair value option are recorded in trading 

account profits in the Consolidated Statement of Income. For more 
information  on  securities 
the 
Corporation accounts for under the fair value option, see Note 22 
– Fair Value Option.

financing  agreements 

that 

The Corporation’s policy is to obtain possession of collateral 
with a market value equal to or in excess of the principal amount 
loaned under resale agreements. To ensure that the market value 
of  the  underlying  collateral  remains  sufficient,  collateral  is 
generally  valued  daily  and 
require 
counterparties  to  deposit  additional  collateral  or  may  return 
collateral  pledged  when  appropriate.  Securities 
financing 
agreements give rise to negligible credit risk as a result of these 
collateral provisions, and accordingly, no allowance for loan losses 
is considered necessary.

the  Corporation  may 

legally  enforceable  master 

Substantially  all  repurchase  and  resale  activities  are 
transacted  under 
repurchase 
agreements that give the Corporation, in the event of default by 
the counterparty, the right to liquidate securities held and to offset 
receivables  and  payables  with  the  same  counterparty.  The 
Corporation offsets repurchase and resale transactions with the 
same counterparty on the Consolidated Balance Sheet where it 
has  such  a  legally  enforceable  master  agreement  and  the 
transactions have the same maturity date.

In transactions where the Corporation acts as the lender in a 
securities lending agreement and receives securities that can be 
pledged  or  sold  as  collateral,  it  recognizes  an  asset  on  the 
Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  at  fair  value,  representing  the 
securities  received,  and  a  liability  for  the  same  amount, 
representing the obligation to return those securities.

the transactions, is parenthetically disclosed on the Consolidated 
Balance Sheet.

In  certain  cases,  the  Corporation  has  transferred  assets  to 
consolidated  VIEs  where  those  restricted  assets  serve  as 
collateral for the interests issued by the VIEs. These assets are 
included  on  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  in  Assets  of 
Consolidated VIEs.

In  addition,  the  Corporation  obtains  collateral  in  connection 
with  its  derivative  contracts.  Required  collateral  levels  vary 
depending on the credit risk rating and the type of counterparty. 
Generally, the Corporation accepts collateral in the form of cash, 
U.S. Treasury securities and other marketable securities. Based 
on  provisions  contained  in  master  netting  agreements,  the 
Corporation  nets  cash  collateral  received  against  derivative 
assets.  The  Corporation  also  pledges  collateral  on  its  own 
derivative  positions  which  can  be  applied  against  derivative 
liabilities.

Trading Instruments
Financial instruments utilized in trading activities are carried at 
fair value. Fair value is generally based on quoted market prices 
or quoted market prices for similar assets and liabilities. If these 
market prices are not available, fair values are estimated based 
on  dealer  quotes,  pricing  models,  discounted  cash  flow 
methodologies, or similar techniques where the determination of 
fair  value  may  require  significant  management  judgment  or 
estimation.  Realized  and  unrealized  gains  and  losses  are 
recognized in trading account profits.

(RTM) 

transactions. 

In repurchase transactions, typically, the termination date for 
a  repurchase  agreement  is  before  the  maturity  date  of  the 
underlying security. However, in certain situations, the Corporation 
may enter into repurchase agreements where the termination date 
of the repurchase transaction is the same as the maturity date of 
the underlying security and these transactions are referred to as 
“repo-to-maturity” 
In  accordance  with 
applicable accounting guidance, the Corporation accounts for RTM 
transactions  as  sales  and  purchases  when  the  transferred 
securities  are  highly  liquid.  In  instances  where  securities  are 
considered  sold  or  purchased,  the  Corporation  removes  or 
recognizes the securities from the Consolidated Balance Sheet 
and,  in  the  case  of  sales,  recognizes  a  gain  or  loss,  where 
applicable,  in  the  Consolidated  Statement  of  Income.  At 
December 31,  2012  and  2011,  the  Corporation  had  no 
outstanding  RTM  transactions  that  had  been  accounted  for  as 
sales and an immaterial amount of transactions that had been 
accounted for as purchases.

in 

include  derivatives 

risk  management  activities.  Derivatives  used 

Derivatives and Hedging Activities
Derivatives are entered into on behalf of customers, and for trading 
risk 
or 
management  activities 
that  are  both 
designated  in  qualifying  accounting  hedge  relationships  and 
derivatives used to hedge market risks in relationships that are 
not  designated  in  qualifying  accounting  hedge  relationships 
(referred  to  as  other  risk  management  activities).  Derivatives 
utilized  by  the  Corporation  include  swaps,  financial  futures  and 
forward  settlement  contracts,  and  option  contracts.  A  swap 
agreement is a contract between two parties to exchange cash 
flows  based  on  specified  underlying  notional  amounts,  assets 
and/or indices. Financial futures and forward settlement contracts 
are agreements to buy or sell a quantity of a financial instrument 
(including another derivative financial instrument), index, currency 
or commodity at a predetermined rate or price during a period or 
at a date in the future. Option agreements can be transacted on 
organized exchanges or directly between parties.

Collateral
The Corporation accepts securities as collateral that it is permitted 
by contract or custom to sell or repledge. At December 31, 2012 
and 2011, the fair value of this collateral was $513.2 billion and 
$393.9 billion of which $362.0 billion and $287.7 billion was sold 
or repledged. The primary source of this collateral is securities 
borrowed  or  purchased  under  agreements  to  resell.  The 
Corporation  also  pledges  firm-owned  securities  and  loans  as 
collateral  in  transactions  that  include  repurchase  agreements, 
securities loaned, public and trust deposits, U.S. Treasury tax and 
loan notes, and other short-term borrowings. This collateral, which 
in some cases can be sold or repledged by the counterparties to 

All derivatives are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet 
at  fair  value,  taking  into  consideration  the  effects  of  legally 
enforceable master netting agreements that allow the Corporation 
to settle positive and negative positions and offset cash collateral 
held with the same counterparty on a net basis. For exchange-
traded contracts, fair value is based on quoted market prices. For 
non-exchange  traded  contracts,  fair  value  is  based  on  dealer 
quotes, pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies or 
similar techniques for which the determination of fair value may 
require significant management judgment or estimation.

Valuations of derivative assets and liabilities reflect the value 
of the instrument including counterparty credit risk. These values 
also take into account the Corporation’s own credit standing.

Bank of America 2012     159

Trading Derivatives and Other Risk Management 
Activities
Derivatives  held  for  trading  purposes  are  included  in  derivative 
assets or derivative liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet 
with changes in fair value included in trading account profits.

Derivatives  used  for  other  risk  management  activities  are 
included in derivative assets or derivative liabilities. Derivatives 
used in other risk management activities have not been designated 
in a qualifying accounting hedge relationship because they did not 
qualify or the risk that is being mitigated pertains to an item that 
is  reported  at  fair  value  through  earnings  so  that  the  effect  of 
measuring the derivative instrument and the asset or liability to 
which the risk exposure pertains will offset in the Consolidated 
Statement of Income to the extent effective. The changes in the 
fair  value  of  derivatives  that  serve  to  mitigate  certain  risks 
associated with mortgage servicing rights (MSRs), interest rate 
lock commitments (IRLCs) and first mortgage loans held-for-sale 
(LHFS)  that  are  originated  by  the  Corporation  are  recorded  in 
mortgage  banking  income  (loss).  Changes  in  the  fair  value  of 
derivatives  that  serve  to  mitigate  interest  rate  risk  and  foreign 
currency risk are included in other income (loss). Credit derivatives 
are also used by the Corporation to protect the Corporation from 
various credit exposures. The changes in the fair value of these 
derivatives are included in other income (loss).

as  cash  flow  hedges  are  recorded  in  accumulated  other 
comprehensive income (OCI) and are reclassified into the line item 
in the income statement in which the hedged item is recorded and 
in  the  same  period  the  hedged  item  affects  earnings.  Hedge 
ineffectiveness and gains and losses on the excluded component 
of a derivative in assessing hedge effectiveness are recorded in 
earnings in the same income statement line item. The Corporation 
records changes in the fair value of derivatives used as hedges 
of the net investment in foreign operations, to the extent effective, 
as a component of accumulated OCI.

If a derivative instrument in a fair value hedge is terminated or 
the hedge designation removed, the previous adjustments to the 
carrying amount of the hedged asset or liability are subsequently 
accounted for in the same manner as other components of the 
carrying  amount  of  that  asset  or  liability.  For  interest-earning 
assets  and  interest-bearing  liabilities,  such  adjustments  are 
amortized  to  earnings  over  the  remaining  life  of  the  respective 
asset or liability. If a derivative instrument in a cash flow hedge is 
terminated or the hedge designation is removed, related amounts 
in  accumulated  OCI  are  reclassified  into  earnings  in  the  same 
period or periods during which the hedged forecasted transaction 
affects earnings. If it is probable that a forecasted transaction will 
not occur, any related amounts in accumulated OCI are reclassified 
into earnings in that period.

Derivatives Used For Hedge Accounting Purposes 
(Accounting Hedges)
For  accounting  hedges,  the  Corporation  formally  documents  at 
inception  all  relationships  between  hedging  instruments  and 
hedged  items,  as  well  as  the  risk  management  objectives  and 
strategies for undertaking various accounting hedges. Additionally, 
the Corporation primarily uses regression analysis at the inception 
of  a  hedge  and  for  each  reporting  period  thereafter  to  assess 
whether the derivative used in a hedging transaction is expected 
to be and has been highly effective in offsetting changes in the 
fair value or cash flows of a hedged item or forecasted transaction. 
The  Corporation  discontinues  hedge  accounting  when  it  is 
determined that a derivative is not expected to be or has ceased 
to be highly effective as a hedge, and then reflects changes in fair 
value of the derivative in earnings after termination of the hedge 
relationship.

The Corporation uses its accounting hedges as either fair value 
hedges, cash flow hedges or hedges of net investments in foreign 
operations.  The  Corporation  manages  interest  rate  and  foreign 
currency exchange rate sensitivity predominantly through the use 
of  derivatives.  Fair  value  hedges  are  used  to  protect  against 
changes in the fair value of the Corporation’s assets and liabilities 
that are attributable to interest rate or foreign exchange volatility. 
Cash flow hedges are used primarily to minimize the variability in 
cash  flows  of  assets  or  liabilities,  or  forecasted  transactions 
caused  by  interest  rate  or  foreign  exchange  fluctuations.  For 
terminated cash flow hedges, the maximum length of time over 
which  forecasted  transactions  are  hedged  is  approximately  25 
years, with a substantial portion of the hedged transactions being 
less  than  10  years.  For  open  or  future  cash  flow  hedges,  the 
maximum length of time over which forecasted transactions are 
or will be hedged is less than seven years.

Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated as fair value 
hedges are recorded in earnings, together and in the same income 
statement line item with changes in the fair value of the related 
hedged item. Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated 

Interest Rate Lock Commitments
The Corporation enters into IRLCs in connection with its mortgage 
banking activities to fund residential mortgage loans at specified 
times in the future. IRLCs that relate to the origination of mortgage 
loans  that  will  be  held-for-sale  are  considered  derivative 
instruments under applicable accounting guidance. As such, these 
IRLCs are recorded at fair value with changes in fair value recorded 
in mortgage banking income (loss), typically resulting in recognition 
of a gain when the Corporation enters into IRLCs.

In estimating the fair value of an IRLC, the Corporation assigns 
a probability that the loan commitment will be exercised and the 
loan will be funded. The fair value of the commitments is derived 
from the fair value of related mortgage loans which is based on 
observable market data and includes the expected net future cash 
flows related to servicing of the loans. Changes to the fair value 
of IRLCs are recognized based on interest rate changes, changes 
in the probability that the commitment will be exercised and the 
passage of time. Changes from the expected future cash flows 
related  to  the  customer  relationship  are  excluded  from  the 
valuation of IRLCs.

Outstanding IRLCs expose the Corporation to the risk that the 
price of the loans underlying the commitments might decline from 
inception of the rate lock to funding of the loan. To manage this 
risk, the Corporation utilizes forward loan sales commitments and 
other  derivative  instruments,  including  interest  rate  swaps  and 
options, to economically hedge the risk of potential changes in 
the value of the loans that would result from the commitments. 
The changes in the fair value of these derivatives are recorded in 
mortgage banking income (loss).

Securities
Debt securities are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet 
as of their trade date. Debt securities bought principally with the 
intent to buy and sell in the short term as part of the Corporation’s 
trading  activities  are  reported  at  fair  value  in  trading  account 
assets  with  unrealized  gains  and  losses  included  in  trading 

160     Bank of America 2012

account profits (losses). Debt securities purchased for longer term 
investment purposes, as part of asset and liability management 
(ALM) and other strategic activities are generally reported at fair 
value  as  available-for-sale  (AFS)  securities  with  net  unrealized 
gains  and  losses  included  in  accumulated  OCI.  Certain  debt 
securities  purchased  for  ALM  and  other  strategic  purposes  are 
reported in other assets at fair value with unrealized gains and 
losses  reported  in  other  income  (loss).  Debt  securities  which 
management has the intent and ability to hold to maturity (HTM) 
are reported at amortized cost. Other debt securities purchased 
for  use  in  other  risk  management  activities,  such  as  hedging 
certain market risks related to MSRs, are reported in other assets 
at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in the same 
line item as the item being hedged.

The Corporation regularly evaluates each AFS and HTM debt 
security  where  the  value  has  declined  below  amortized  cost  to 
assess whether the decline in fair value is other than temporary. 
In determining whether an impairment is other than temporary, the 
Corporation considers the severity and duration of the decline in 
fair value, the length of time expected for recovery, the financial 
condition of the issuer, and other qualitative factors, as well as 
whether the Corporation either plans to sell the security or it is 
more-likely-than-not that it will be required to sell the security before 
recovery of its amortized cost. If the impairment of the AFS or HTM 
debt security is credit-related, an other-than-temporary impairment 
(OTTI) is recorded in earnings. For AFS debt securities, the non-
credit-related impairment is recognized in accumulated OCI. If the 
Corporation intends to sell an AFS debt security or believes it will 
more-likely-than-not be required to sell a security, the Corporation 
records the full amount of the impairment as an OTTI.

Interest on debt securities, including amortization of premiums 
and accretion of discounts, is included in interest income. Realized 
gains and losses from the sales of debt securities are determined 
using the specific identification method.

Marketable  equity  securities  are  classified  based  on 
management’s intention on the date of purchase and recorded on 
the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of the trade date. Marketable 
equity  securities  that  are  bought  and  held  principally  for  the 
purpose of resale in the near term are classified as trading and 
are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included 
in trading account profits. Other marketable equity securities are 
accounted  for  as  AFS  and  classified  in  other  assets.  All  AFS 
marketable  equity  securities  are  carried  at  fair  value  with  net 
unrealized gains and losses included in accumulated OCI on an 
after-tax basis. If there is an other-than-temporary decline in the 
fair value of any individual AFS marketable equity security, the cost 
basis is reduced and the Corporation reclassifies the associated 
net unrealized loss out of accumulated OCI with a corresponding 
charge  to  equity  investment  income.  Dividend  income  on  AFS 
marketable  equity  securities  is  included  in  equity  investment 
income.  Realized  gains  and  losses  on  the  sale  of  all  AFS 
marketable  equity  securities,  which  are  recorded  in  equity 
investment 
the  specific 
identification method.

income,  are  determined  using 

Certain equity investments held by Global Principal Investments 
(GPI), the Corporation’s diversified equity investor in private equity, 
real  estate  and  other  alternative  investments,  are  subject  to 
investment  company  accounting  under  applicable  accounting 
guidance, and accordingly, are carried at fair value with changes 
in  fair  value  reported  in  equity  investment  income.  These 
investments are included in other assets. Initially, the transaction 
price  of  the  investment  is  generally  considered  to  be  the  best 

indicator of fair value. Thereafter, valuation of direct investments 
is based on an assessment of each individual investment using 
methodologies that include publicly-traded comparables derived 
by  multiplying  a  key  performance  metric  (e.g.,  earnings  before 
interest,  taxes,  depreciation  and  amortization)  of  the  portfolio 
company  by  the  relevant  valuation  multiple  observed  for 
comparable  companies,  acquisition  comparables,  entry  level 
multiples and discounted cash flow analyses, and are subject to 
appropriate discounts for lack of liquidity or marketability. Certain 
factors that may influence changes in fair value include but are 
not limited to recapitalizations, subsequent rounds of financing 
and  offerings  in  the  equity  or  debt  capital  markets.  For  fund 
investments, the Corporation generally records the fair value of its 
proportionate  interest  in  the  fund’s  capital  as  reported  by  the 
respective  fund  managers.  Other  investments  held  by  GPI  are 
accounted for under either the equity method or at cost, depending 
on the Corporation’s ownership interest, and are reported in other 
assets.

Loans and Leases
Loans measured at historical cost are reported at their outstanding 
principal  balances  net  of  any  unearned  income,  charge-offs, 
unamortized deferred fees and costs on originated loans, and for 
purchased loans, net of any unamortized premiums or discounts. 
Loan  origination  fees  and  certain  direct  origination  costs  are 
deferred and recognized as adjustments to interest income over 
the lives of the related loans. Unearned income, discounts and 
premiums  are  amortized  to  interest  income  using  a  level  yield 
methodology.  The  Corporation  elects  to  account  for  certain 
consumer and commercial loans under the fair value option with 
changes in fair value reported in other income (loss).

Under applicable accounting guidance, for reporting purposes, 
the loan and lease portfolio is categorized by portfolio segment 
and,  within  each  portfolio  segment,  by  class  of  financing 
receivables. A portfolio segment is defined as the level at which 
an entity develops and documents a systematic methodology to 
determine the allowance for credit losses, and a class of financing 
receivables is defined as the level of disaggregation of portfolio 
segments  based  on  the  initial  measurement  attribute,  risk 
characteristics and methods for assessing risk. The Corporation’s 
three portfolio segments are Home Loans, Credit Card and Other 
Consumer, and Commercial. The classes within the Home Loans 
portfolio segment are core portfolio residential mortgage, Legacy 
Assets  &  Servicing  residential  mortgage,  Countrywide  Financial 
Corporation (Countrywide) residential mortgage purchased credit-
impaired  (PCI),  core  portfolio  home  equity,  Legacy  Assets  & 
Servicing  home  equity,  Countrywide  home  equity  PCI,  Legacy 
Assets  &  Servicing  discontinued  real  estate  and  Countrywide 
discontinued real estate PCI. The classes within the Credit Card 
and Other Consumer portfolio segment are U.S. credit card, non-
U.S.  credit  card,  direct/indirect  consumer  and  other  consumer. 
The  classes  within  the  Commercial  portfolio  segment  are  U.S. 
commercial, commercial real estate, commercial lease financing, 
non-U.S. commercial and U.S. small business commercial.

Purchased Credit-impaired Loans
The  Corporation  purchases  loans  with  and  without  evidence  of 
credit  quality  deterioration  since  origination.  Evidence  of  credit 
quality deterioration as of the purchase date may include statistics 
such as past  due status, refreshed borrower  credit scores and 
refreshed  loan-to-value  (LTV)  ratios,  some  of  which  are  not 

Bank of America 2012     161

immediately available as of the purchase date. Purchased loans 
with evidence of credit quality deterioration for which it is probable 
that  the  Corporation  will  not  receive  all  contractually  required 
payments receivable are accounted for as PCI loans. The excess 
of the cash flows expected to be collected on PCI loans, measured 
as of the acquisition date, over the estimated fair value is referred 
to as the accretable yield and is recognized in interest income over 
the remaining life of the loan using a level yield methodology. The 
difference  between  contractually  required  payments  as  of  the 
acquisition date and the cash flows expected to be collected is 
referred to as the nonaccretable difference. PCI loans that have 
similar risk characteristics, primarily credit risk, collateral type and 
interest rate risk, are pooled and accounted for as a single asset 
with a single composite interest rate and an aggregate expectation 
of cash flows. Once a pool is assembled, it is treated as if it was 
one loan for purposes of applying the accounting guidance for PCI 
loans. An individual loan is removed from a PCI loan pool if it is 
sold, foreclosed, forgiven or the expectation of any future proceeds 
is remote. When a loan is removed from a PCI loan pool and the 
foreclosure or recovery value of the loan is less than the loan’s 
carrying value, the difference is first applied against the PCI pool’s 
nonaccretable difference. If the nonaccretable difference has been 
fully utilized, only then is the PCI pool’s basis applicable to that 
loan written-off against its valuation reserve; however, the integrity 
of the pool is maintained and it continues to be accounted for as 
if it was one loan.

The Corporation continues to estimate cash flows expected to 
be collected over the life of the PCI loans using internal credit risk, 
interest  rate  and  prepayment  risk  models  that  incorporate 
management’s best estimate of current key assumptions such as 
default  rates,  loss  severity  and  payment  speeds.  If,  upon 
subsequent evaluation, the Corporation determines it is probable 
that the present value of the expected cash flows has decreased, 
the PCI loan is considered to be further impaired resulting in a 
charge  to  the  provision  for  credit  losses  and  a  corresponding 
increase to a valuation allowance included in the allowance for 
loan  and  lease  losses.  If,  upon  subsequent  evaluation,  it  is 
probable  that  there  is  an  increase  in  the  present  value  of  the 
expected  cash  flows,  the  Corporation  reduces  any  remaining 
valuation allowance. If there is no remaining valuation allowance, 
the Corporation recalculates the amount of accretable yield as the 
excess of the revised expected cash flows over the current carrying 
value resulting in a reclassification from nonaccretable difference 
to accretable yield. The present value of the expected cash flows 
is determined using the PCI loans’ effective interest rate, adjusted 
for changes in the PCI loans’ interest rate indices.

Leases
The Corporation provides equipment financing to its customers 
through a variety of lease arrangements. Direct financing leases 
are carried at the aggregate of lease payments receivable plus 
estimated  residual  value  of  the  leased  property  less  unearned 
income. Leveraged leases, which are a form of financing leases, 
are  carried  net  of  non-recourse  debt.  Unearned  income  on 
leveraged  and  direct  financing  leases  is  accreted  to  interest 
income over the lease terms using methods that approximate the 
interest method.

Allowance for Credit Losses
The allowance for credit losses, which includes the allowance for 
loan  and  lease  losses  and  the  reserve  for  unfunded  lending 

162     Bank of America 2012

commitments,  represents  management’s  estimate  of  probable 
losses  inherent  in  the  Corporation’s  lending  activities.  The 
allowance for loan and lease losses and the reserve for unfunded 
lending commitments exclude amounts for loans and unfunded 
lending commitments accounted for under the fair value option as 
the fair values of these instruments reflect a credit component. 
The allowance for loan and lease losses does not include amounts 
related to accrued interest receivable, other than billed interest 
and fees on credit card receivables, as accrued interest receivable 
is  reversed  when  a  loan  is  placed  on  nonaccrual  status.  The 
allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses  represents  the  estimated 
probable credit losses on funded consumer and commercial loans 
and leases while the reserve for unfunded lending commitments, 
including standby letters of credit (SBLCs) and binding unfunded 
loan commitments, represents estimated probable credit losses 
on  these  unfunded  credit  instruments  based  on  utilization 
assumptions.  Lending-related  credit  exposures  deemed  to  be 
uncollectible,  excluding  loans  carried  at  fair  value,  are  charged 
against these accounts. Write-offs on PCI loans on which there is 
a  valuation  allowance  are  written-off  against  the  valuation 
allowance.  For  additional  information,  see  Purchased  Credit-
impaired  Loans.  Cash  recovered  on  previously  charged  off 
amounts  is  recorded  as  a  recovery  to  these  accounts. 
Management evaluates the adequacy of the allowance for credit 
losses based on the combined total of the allowance for loan and 
lease losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments.
The  Corporation  performs  periodic  and  systematic  detailed 
reviews  of  its  lending  portfolios  to  identify  credit  risks  and  to 
assess the overall collectability of those portfolios. The allowance 
on  certain  homogeneous  consumer  loan  portfolios,  which 
generally consist of consumer real estate within the Home Loans 
portfolio segment and credit card loans within the Credit Card and 
Other  Consumer  portfolio  segment,  is  based  on  aggregated 
portfolio  segment  evaluations  generally  by  product  type.  Loss 
forecast models are utilized for these portfolios which consider a 
variety  of  factors  including,  but  not  limited  to,  historical  loss 
experience, estimated defaults or foreclosures based on portfolio 
trends,  delinquencies,  bankruptcies,  economic  conditions  and 
credit scores.

The Corporation’s Home Loans portfolio segment is comprised 
primarily of large groups of homogeneous consumer loans secured 
by residential real estate. The amount of losses incurred in the 
homogeneous loan pools is estimated based upon how many of 
the loans will default and the loss in the event of default. Using 
modeling methodologies, the Corporation estimates how many of 
the homogeneous loans will default based on the individual loans’ 
attributes  aggregated  into  pools  of  homogeneous  loans  with 
similar attributes. The attributes that are most significant to the 
probability  of  default  and  are  used  to  estimate  default  include 
refreshed  LTV  or  in  the  case  of  a  subordinated  lien,  refreshed 
combined loan-to-value (CLTV), borrower credit score, months since 
origination (referred to as vintage) and geography, all of which are 
further broken down by present collection status (whether the loan 
is current, delinquent, in default or in bankruptcy). This estimate 
is based on the Corporation’s historical experience with the loan 
portfolio. The estimate is adjusted to reflect an assessment of 
environmental  factors  not  yet  reflected  in  the  historical  data 
underlying  the  loss  estimates,  such  as  changes  in  real  estate 
values, local and national economies, underwriting standards and 
the regulatory environment. The probability of default on a loan is 
based on an analysis of the movement of loans with the measured 
attributes from either current or any of the delinquency categories 

to default over a twelve-month period. On home equity loans where 
the Corporation holds only a second-lien position and foreclosure 
is not the best alternative, the loss severity is estimated at 100 
percent.

The allowance on certain commercial loans (except business 
card and certain small business loans) is calculated using loss 
rates delineated by risk rating and product type. Factors considered 
when  assessing  loss  rates  include  the  value  of  the  underlying 
collateral, if applicable, the industry of the obligor, and the obligor’s 
liquidity and other financial indicators along with certain qualitative 
factors. These statistical models are updated regularly for changes 
in economic and business conditions. Included in the analysis of 
consumer and commercial loan portfolios are reserves which are 
maintained  to  cover  uncertainties  that  affect  the  Corporation’s 
estimate  of  probable  losses  including  domestic  and  global 
economic uncertainty and large single name defaults.

The remaining portfolios, including nonperforming commercial 
loans, as well as consumer and commercial loans modified in a 
troubled debt restructuring (TDR) are reviewed in accordance with 
applicable accounting guidance on impaired loans and TDRs. If 
necessary, a specific allowance is established for these loans if 
they are deemed to be impaired. A loan is considered impaired 
when, based on current information and events, it is probable that 
the Corporation will be unable to collect all amounts due, including 
principal and/or interest, in accordance with the contractual terms 
of the agreement, and once a loan has been identified as impaired, 
management measures impairment. Impaired loans and TDRs are 
primarily  measured  based  on  the  present  value  of  payments 
expected to be received, discounted at the loans’ original effective 
contractual interest rates, or discounted at the portfolio average 
contractual annual percentage rate, excluding promotionally priced 
loans, in effect prior to restructuring. Impaired loans and TDRs 
may also be measured based on observable market prices, or for 
loans that are solely dependent on the collateral for repayment, 
the estimated fair value of the collateral less estimated costs to 
sell.  If  the  recorded  investment  in  impaired  loans  exceeds  this 
amount, a specific allowance is established as a component of 
the allowance for loan and lease losses unless these are secured 
consumer  loans  that  are  solely  dependent  on  the  collateral  for 
repayment, in which case the initial amount that exceeds the fair 
value of the collateral is charged off.

Generally,  when  determining  the  fair  value  of  the  collateral 
securing  consumer  real  estate-secured  loans  that  are  solely 
dependent on the collateral for repayment, prior to performing a 
detailed property valuation including a walk-through of a property, 
the Corporation initially estimates the fair value of the collateral 
securing  these  consumer  loans  using  an  automated  valuation 
method  (AVM).  An  AVM  is  a  tool  that  estimates  the  value  of  a 
property by reference to market data including sales of comparable 
properties and price trends specific to the Metropolitan Statistical 
Area in which the property being valued is located. In the event 
that  an  AVM  value  is  not  available,  the  Corporation  utilizes 
publicized  indices  or  if  these  methods  provide  less  reliable 
valuations,  the  Corporation  uses  appraisals  or  broker  price 
opinions to estimate the fair value of the collateral. While there is 
inherent imprecision in these valuations, the Corporation believes 
that they are representative of the portfolio in the aggregate.

In  addition  to  the  allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses,  the 
Corporation also estimates probable losses related to unfunded 
lending  commitments,  such  as  letters  of  credit  and  financial 
guarantees, and binding unfunded loan commitments. The reserve 
for  unfunded  lending  commitments  excludes  commitments 

accounted  for  under  the  fair  value  option.  Unfunded  lending 
commitments are subject to individual reviews and are analyzed 
and segregated by risk according to the Corporation’s internal risk 
rating  scale.  These  risk  classifications,  in  conjunction  with  an 
analysis  of  historical  loss  experience,  utilization  assumptions, 
current  economic  conditions,  performance  trends  within  the 
portfolio  and  any  other  pertinent  information,  result  in  the 
estimation of the reserve for unfunded lending commitments.

The allowance for credit losses related to the loan and lease 
portfolio is reported separately on the Consolidated Balance Sheet 
whereas  the  reserve  for  unfunded  lending  commitments  is 
reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in accrued expenses 
and other liabilities. The provision for credit losses related to the 
loan and lease portfolio and unfunded lending commitments is 
reported in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Nonperforming Loans and Leases, Charge-offs and 
Delinquencies
Nonperforming  loans  and  leases  generally  include  loans  and 
leases  that  have  been  placed  on  nonaccrual  status,  including 
nonaccruing 
terms  have  been 
restructured in a manner that grants a concession to a borrower 
experiencing financial difficulties. Loans accounted for under the 
fair  value  option,  PCI  loans  and  LHFS  are  not  reported  as 
nonperforming loans and leases.

loans  whose  contractual 

In accordance with the Corporation’s policies, consumer real 
estate-secured loans, including residential mortgages and home 
equity  loans,  are  generally  placed  on  nonaccrual  status  and 
classified as nonperforming at 90 days past due unless repayment 
of the loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) 
or through individually insured long-term standby agreements with 
Fannie  Mae  (FNMA)  or  Freddie  Mac  (FHLMC)  (the  fully-insured 
portfolio). Residential mortgage loans in the fully-insured portfolio 
are  not  placed  on  nonaccrual  status  and,  therefore,  are  not 
reported as nonperforming loans. Junior-lien home equity loans 
are placed on nonaccrual status and classified as nonperforming 
when  the  underlying  first-lien  mortgage  loan  becomes  90  days 
past due even if the junior-lien loan is current. Accrued interest 
receivable  is  reversed  when  a  consumer  loan  is  placed  on 
nonaccrual status. Interest collections on nonaccruing consumer 
loans for which the ultimate collectability of principal is uncertain 
are  generally  applied  as  principal  reductions;  otherwise,  such 
collections are credited to interest income when received. These 
loans may be restored to accrual status when all principal and 
interest is current and full repayment of the remaining contractual 
principal  and  interest  is  expected,  or  when  the  loan  otherwise 
becomes  well-secured  and  is  in  the  process  of  collection.  The 
outstanding balance of real estate-secured loans that is in excess 
of the estimated property value, less estimated costs to sell, is 
charged off no later than the end of the month in which the account 
becomes 180 days past due unless the loan is fully insured. The 
estimated  property  value,  less  estimated  costs  to  sell,  is 
determined  using  the  same  process  as  described  for  impaired 
loans in the Allowance for Credit Losses section of this Note.

Consumer loans secured by personal property, credit card loans 
and other unsecured consumer loans are not placed on nonaccrual 
status  prior  to  charge-off  and,  therefore,  are  not  reported  as 
nonperforming loans, except for certain secured consumer loans, 
including  those  that  have  been  modified  in  a  TDR.  Personal 
property-secured loans are charged off to collateral value no later 
than the end of the month in which the account becomes 120 

Bank of America 2012     163

days past due or, for loans in bankruptcy, 60 days past due. Credit 
card and other unsecured consumer loans are charged off no later 
than the end of the month in which the account becomes 180 
days  past  due  or  within  60  days  after  receipt  of  notification  of 
death or bankruptcy. 

Commercial loans and leases, excluding business card loans, 
that are past due 90 days or more as to principal or interest, or 
where reasonable doubt exists as to timely collection, including 
loans  that  are  individually  identified  as  being  impaired,  are 
generally  placed  on  nonaccrual  status  and  classified  as 
nonperforming  unless  well-secured  and  in  the  process  of 
collection. 

Accrued interest receivable is reversed when commercial loans 
and leases are placed on nonaccrual status. Interest collections 
on  nonaccruing  commercial  loans  and  leases  for  which  the 
ultimate  collectability  of  principal  is  uncertain  are  applied  as 
principal reductions; otherwise, such collections are credited to 
income  when  received.  Commercial  loans  and  leases  may  be 
restored to accrual status when all principal and interest is current 
and  full  repayment  of  the  remaining  contractual  principal  and 
interest is expected, or when the loan otherwise becomes well-
secured and is in the process of collection. Business card loans 
are charged off no later than the end of the month in which the 
account becomes 180 days past due or 60 days after receipt of 
notification  of  death  or  bankruptcy  filing.  These  loans  are  not 
placed on nonaccrual status prior to charge-off and, therefore, are 
not reported as nonperforming loans. Other commercial loans and 
leases  are  generally  charged  off  when  all  or  a  portion  of  the 
principal amount is determined to be uncollectible.

The entire balance of a consumer loan or commercial loan or 
lease is contractually delinquent if the minimum payment is not 
received  by  the  specified  due  date  on  the  customer’s  billing 
statement. Interest and fees continue to accrue on past due loans 
and leases until the date the loan is placed on nonaccrual status, 
if applicable.

PCI loans are recorded at fair value at the acquisition date. 
Although  the  PCI  loans  may  be  contractually  delinquent,  the 
Corporation does not classify these loans as nonperforming as 
the loans were written down to fair value at the acquisition date 
and the accretable yield is recognized in interest income over the 
remaining  life  of  the  loan.  In  addition,  reported  net  charge-offs 
exclude write-offs on PCI loans as the fair value already considers 
the estimated credit losses.

Troubled Debt Restructurings
Consumer  loans  and  commercial  loans  and  leases  whose 
contractual terms have been restructured in a manner that grants 
a concession to a borrower experiencing financial difficulties are 
classified as TDRs. Concessions could include a reduction in the 
interest rate to a rate that is below market on the loan, payment 
extensions, forgiveness of principal, forbearance, or other actions 
designed to maximize collections. Secured consumer loans that 
have been discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have not been 
reaffirmed by the borrower are classified as TDRs at the time of 
discharge. Consumer real estate-secured loans for which a binding 
offer to restructure has been extended are also classified as TDRs. 
Loans classified as TDRs are considered impaired loans. Loans 
that are carried at fair value, LHFS and PCI loans are not classified 
as TDRs.

Secured consumer loans whose contractual terms have been 
modified  in  a  TDR  and  are  current  at  the  time  of  restructuring 
generally  remain  on  accrual  status  if  there  is  demonstrated 
performance prior to the restructuring and payment in full under 
the  restructured  terms  is  expected.  Otherwise,  the  loans  are 
placed  on  nonaccrual  status  and  reported  as  nonperforming, 
except  for  the  fully-insured  loans,  until  there  is  sustained 
repayment  performance  for  a  reasonable  period,  generally  six 
months.  If  accruing  consumer  TDRs  cease  to  perform  in 
accordance with their modified contractual terms, they are placed 
on  nonaccrual  status  and  reported  as  nonperforming  TDRs. 
Consumer  TDRs  that  bear  a  below-market  rate  of  interest  are 
generally  reported  as  TDRs  throughout  their  remaining  lives. 
Secured consumer loans that have been discharged in Chapter 7 
bankruptcy are placed on nonaccrual status and written down to 
the collateral value, less estimated costs to sell, no later than the 
time of discharge. Interest collections on these loans are generally 
recorded in interest income on a cash basis. Credit card and other 
unsecured consumer loans that have been renegotiated in a TDR 
are  not  placed  on  nonaccrual  status.  Credit  card  and  other 
unsecured  consumer  loans  that  have  been  renegotiated  and 
placed on a fixed payment plan after July 1, 2012 are generally 
charged off no later than the end of the month in which the account 
becomes 120 days past due.

If 

Commercial loans and leases whose contractual terms have 
been modified in a TDR are typically placed on nonaccrual status 
and  reported  as  nonperforming  until  the  loans  or  leases  have 
performed for an adequate period of time under the restructured 
the  borrower  had 
agreement,  generally  six  months. 
demonstrated  performance  under  the  previous  terms  and  the 
underwriting process shows the capacity to continue to perform 
under the modified terms, the loan may remain on accrual status. 
Accruing  commercial  TDRs  are  reported  as  performing  TDRs 
through the end of the calendar year in which the loans are returned 
to accrual status. In addition, if accruing commercial TDRs bear 
less than a market rate of interest at the time of modification, they 
are reported as performing TDRs throughout their remaining lives 
unless and until they cease to perform in accordance with their 
modified  contractual  terms,  at  which  time  they  are  placed  on 
nonaccrual status and reported as nonperforming TDRs.

A  loan  that  had  previously  been  modified  in  a  TDR  and  is 
subsequently refinanced under current underwriting standards at 
a market rate with no concessionary terms is accounted for as a 
new loan and is no longer reported as a TDR.

Loans Held-for-sale
Loans  that  are  intended  to  be  sold  in  the  foreseeable  future, 
including residential mortgages, loan syndications, and to a lesser 
degree, commercial real estate, consumer finance and other loans, 
are reported as LHFS and are carried at the lower of aggregate 
cost  or  fair  value.  The  Corporation  accounts  for  certain  LHFS, 
including  first  mortgage  LHFS,  under  the  fair  value  option. 
Mortgage  loan  origination  costs  related  to  LHFS  that  the 
Corporation accounts for under the fair value option are recognized
in noninterest expense when incurred. Mortgage loan origination 
costs  for  LHFS  carried  at  the  lower  of  cost  or  fair  value  are 
capitalized  as  part  of  the  carrying  amount  of  the  loans  and 
recognized as a reduction of mortgage banking income upon the 
sale of such loans. LHFS that are on nonaccrual status and are 
reported as nonperforming, as defined in the policy herein, are 
reported separately from nonperforming loans and leases.

164     Bank of America 2012

Premises and Equipment
Premises  and  equipment  are  carried  at  cost  less  accumulated 
depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are 
recognized  using  the  straight-line  method  over  the  estimated 
useful lives of the assets. Estimated lives range up to 40 years 
for buildings, up to 12 years for furniture and equipment, and the 
shorter  of  lease  term  or  estimated  useful  life  for  leasehold 
improvements.

The Corporation capitalizes the costs associated with certain 
computer hardware, software and internally developed software, 
and amortizes the costs over the expected useful life. Direct project 
costs of internally developed software are capitalized when it is 
probable that the project will be completed and the software will 
be used for its intended function.

Mortgage Servicing Rights
The Corporation accounts for consumer-related MSRs at fair value 
with changes in fair value recorded in mortgage banking income 
(loss), while commercial-related and residential reverse mortgage 
MSRs are accounted for using the amortization method (lower of 
amortized  cost  or  fair  value)  with  impairment  recognized  as  a 
reduction  in  mortgage  banking  income  (loss).  To  reduce  the 
volatility  of  earnings  related  to  interest  rate  and  market  value 
fluctuations, U.S. Treasury securities, mortgage-backed securities 
(MBS) and derivatives such as options and interest rate swaps 
may  be  used  as  risk  management  derivatives  to  hedge  certain 
market risks of the MSRs, but are not designated as qualifying 
accounting hedges. These instruments are carried at fair value 
with changes in fair value recognized in mortgage banking income 
(loss).

The Corporation estimates the fair value of consumer MSRs 
using  a  valuation  model  that  calculates  the  present  value  of 
estimated future net servicing income and, when available, quoted 
prices from independent parties. The present value calculation is 
accomplished through an option-adjusted spread (OAS) valuation 
approach that factors in prepayment risk. This approach consists 
of  projecting  servicing  cash  flows  under  multiple  interest  rate 
scenarios and discounting these cash flows using risk-adjusted 
discount  rates.  The  key  economic  assumptions  used  in  MSR 
valuations  include  weighted-average  lives  of  the  MSRs and  the 
OAS levels. The OAS represents the spread that is added to the 
discount rate so that the sum of the discounted cash flows equals 
the market price; therefore, it is a measure of the extra yield over 
the reference discount factor that the Corporation expects to earn 
by holding the asset. 

Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill is the purchase premium after adjusting for the fair value 
of net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but is reviewed 
for potential impairment on an annual basis, or when events or 
circumstances indicate a potential impairment, at the reporting 
unit level. A reporting unit, as defined under applicable accounting 
guidance, is a business segment or one level below a business 
segment. The goodwill impairment analysis is a two-step test. The 
first step of the goodwill impairment test involves comparing the 
fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount including 
goodwill  as  measured  by  allocated  equity. 
In  certain 
circumstances, the first step may be performed using a qualitative 
assessment.  If  the  fair  value  of  the  reporting  unit  exceeds  its 
carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not 

impaired;  however,  if  the  carrying  amount  of  the  reporting  unit 
exceeds  its  fair  value,  the  second  step  must  be  performed  to 
measure potential impairment.

The second step involves calculating an implied fair value of 
goodwill for each reporting unit for which the first step indicated 
possible  impairment.  The  implied  fair  value  of  goodwill  is 
determined  in  the  same  manner  as  the  amount  of  goodwill 
recognized in a business combination, which is the excess of the 
fair value of the reporting unit, as determined in the first step, over 
the aggregate fair values of the assets, liabilities and identifiable 
intangibles as if the reporting unit was being acquired in a business 
combination. Measurement of the fair values of the assets and 
liabilities of a reporting unit is consistent with the requirements 
of the fair value measurements accounting guidance, as described 
herein.  The  adjustments  to  measure  the  assets,  liabilities  and 
intangibles  at  fair  value  are  for  the  purpose  of  measuring  the 
implied  fair  value  of  goodwill  and  such  adjustments  are  not 
reflected  in  the  Consolidated Balance  Sheet.  If  the  implied  fair 
value of goodwill exceeds the goodwill assigned to the reporting 
unit, there is no impairment. If the goodwill assigned to a reporting 
unit  exceeds  the  implied  fair  value  of  goodwill,  an  impairment 
charge is recorded for the excess. An impairment loss recognized 
cannot exceed the amount of goodwill assigned to a reporting unit. 
An impairment loss establishes a new basis in the goodwill and 
subsequent  reversals  of  goodwill  impairment  losses  are  not 
permitted under applicable accounting guidance.

For intangible assets subject to amortization, an impairment 
loss is recognized if the carrying amount of the intangible asset 
is not recoverable and exceeds fair value. The carrying amount of 
the intangible asset is considered not recoverable if it exceeds 
the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from 
the use of the asset.

Variable Interest Entities
A  VIE  is  an  entity  that  lacks  equity  investors  or  whose  equity 
investors do not have a controlling financial interest in the entity 
through their equity investments. The entity that has a controlling 
financial interest in a VIE is referred to as the primary beneficiary 
and consolidates the VIE. The Corporation is deemed to have a 
controlling financial interest and is the primary beneficiary of a VIE 
if it has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most 
significantly  impact  the  VIE’s  economic  performance  and  an 
obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that 
could potentially be significant to the VIE. On a quarterly basis, 
the Corporation reassesses whether it has a controlling financial 
interest in and is the primary beneficiary of a VIE. The quarterly 
reassessment  process  considers  whether  the  Corporation  has 
acquired or divested the power to direct the activities of the VIE 
through changes in governing documents or other circumstances. 
The reassessment also considers whether the Corporation has 
acquired or disposed of a financial interest that could be significant 
to the VIE, or whether an interest in the VIE has become significant 
or is no longer significant. The consolidation status of the VIEs 
with which the Corporation is involved may change as a result of 
such reassessments. Changes in consolidation status are applied 
prospectively, with assets and liabilities of a newly consolidated 
VIE initially recorded at fair value. A gain or loss may be recognized 
upon deconsolidation of a VIE depending on the carrying amounts 
of deconsolidated assets and liabilities compared to the fair value 
of retained interests and ongoing contractual arrangements.

Bank of America 2012     165

The  Corporation  primarily  uses  VIEs  for  its  securitization 
activities, in which the Corporation transfers whole loans or debt 
securities into a trust or other vehicle such that the assets are 
legally isolated from the creditors of the Corporation. Assets held 
in a trust can only be used to settle obligations of the trust. The 
creditors  of  these  trusts  typically  have  no  recourse  to  the 
Corporation  except 
in  accordance  with  the  Corporation’s 
obligations under standard representations and warranties.

When the Corporation is the servicer of whole loans held in a 
securitization trust, including non-agency residential mortgages, 
home  equity  loans,  credit  cards,  automobile  loans  and  student 
loans, the Corporation has the power to direct the most significant 
activities of the trust. The Corporation does not have the power 
to direct the most significant activities of a residential mortgage 
agency trust unless the Corporation holds substantially all of the 
issued securities and has the unilateral right to liquidate the trust. 
The power to direct the most significant activities of a commercial 
mortgage  securitization  trust  is  typically  held  by  the  special 
servicer  or  by  the  party  holding  specific  subordinate  securities 
which  embody  certain  controlling  rights.  The  Corporation 
consolidates a whole-loan securitization trust if it has the power 
to direct the most significant activities and also holds securities 
issued by the trust or has other contractual arrangements, other 
than  standard  representations  and  warranties,  that  could 
potentially be significant to the trust.

The Corporation may also transfer trading account securities 
and AFS securities into municipal bond or resecuritization trusts. 
The Corporation consolidates a municipal bond or resecuritization 
trust if it has control over the ongoing activities of the trust such 
as the remarketing of the trust’s liabilities or, if there are no ongoing 
activities, sole discretion over the design of the trust, including 
the identification of securities to be transferred in and the structure 
of  securities  to  be  issued,  and  also  retains  securities  or  has 
liquidity or other commitments that could potentially be significant 
to  the  trust.  The  Corporation  does  not  consolidate  a  municipal 
bond or resecuritization trust if one or a limited number of third-
party investors share responsibility for the design of the trust or 
have  control  over  the  significant  activities  of  the  trust  through 
liquidation or other substantive rights.

Other VIEs used by the Corporation include collateralized debt 
obligations  (CDOs),  investment  vehicles  created  on  behalf  of 
customers and other investment vehicles. The Corporation does 
not routinely serve as collateral manager for CDOs and, therefore, 
does not typically have the power to direct the activities that most 
significantly impact the economic performance of a CDO. However, 
following an event of default, if the Corporation is a majority holder 
of senior securities issued by a CDO and acquires the power to 
manage the assets of the CDO, the Corporation consolidates the 
CDO.

The Corporation consolidates a customer or other investment 
vehicle  if  it  has  control  over  the  initial  design  of  the  vehicle  or 
manages the assets in the vehicle and also absorbs potentially 
significant gains or losses through an investment in the vehicle, 
derivative contracts or other arrangements. The Corporation does 
not consolidate an investment vehicle if a single investor controlled 
the  initial  design  of  the  vehicle  or  manages  the  assets  in  the 
vehicles or if the Corporation does not have a variable interest 
that could potentially be significant to the vehicle.

Retained interests in securitized assets are initially recorded 
at  fair  value.  In  addition,  the  Corporation  may  invest  in  debt 
securities issued by unconsolidated VIEs. Fair values of these debt 
securities, which are AFS debt securities or trading account assets, 

166     Bank of America 2012

are based primarily on quoted market prices. Generally, quoted 
market  prices  for  retained  residual  interests  are  not  available; 
therefore,  the  Corporation  estimates  fair  values  based  on  the 
present value of the associated expected future cash flows. This 
may require management to estimate credit losses, prepayment 
speeds,  forward  interest  yield  curves,  discount  rates  and  other 
factors  that  impact  the  value  of  retained  interests.  Retained 
residual  interests  in  unconsolidated  securitization  trusts  are 
classified in trading account assets or other assets with changes 
in fair value recorded in income. The Corporation may also enter 
into derivatives with unconsolidated VIEs, which are carried at fair 
value with changes in fair value recorded in income.

Fair Value
The  Corporation  measures  the  fair  values  of  its  financial 
instruments in accordance with accounting guidance that requires 
an entity to base fair value on exit price. A three-level hierarchy for 
inputs is utilized in measuring fair value which maximizes the use 
of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs 
by requiring that observable inputs be used to determine the exit 
price when available. Under applicable accounting guidance, the 
Corporation categorizes its financial instruments, based on the 
priority of inputs to the valuation technique, into this three-level 
hierarchy,  as  described  below.  Trading  account  assets  and 
liabilities,  derivative  assets  and  liabilities,  AFS  debt  and  equity 
securities, MSRs and certain other assets are carried at fair value 
in  accordance  with  applicable  accounting  guidance.  The 
Corporation has also elected to account for certain assets and 
liabilities under the fair value option, including certain commercial 
and consumer loans and loan commitments, LHFS, other short-
term borrowings, securities financing agreements, asset-backed 
secured financings, long-term deposits and long-term debt. The 
following describes the three-level hierarchy.

Level 1  Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical 
assets or liabilities. Level 1 assets and liabilities include 
debt and equity securities and derivative contracts that 
are  traded  in  an  active  exchange  market,  as  well  as 
certain U.S. Treasury securities that are highly liquid and 
are actively traded in over-the-counter (OTC) markets.

than  exchange-traded 

Level 2  Observable  inputs  other  than  Level  1  prices,  such  as 
quoted  prices  for  similar  assets  or  liabilities,  quoted 
prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that 
are  observable  or  can  be  corroborated  by  observable 
market data for substantially the full term of the assets 
or liabilities. Level 2 assets and liabilities include debt 
securities  with  quoted  prices  that  are  traded  less 
frequently 
instruments  and 
derivative contracts where fair value is determined using 
a pricing model with inputs that are observable in the 
market or can be derived principally from or corroborated 
by  observable  market  data.  This  category  generally 
includes U.S. government and agency mortgage-backed 
debt  securities,  corporate  debt  securities,  derivative 
contracts, residential mortgage loans and certain LHFS.
Level 3  Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no 
market activity and that are significant to the overall fair 
value  of  the  assets  or  liabilities.  Level  3  assets  and 
liabilities  include  financial  instruments  for  which  the 
requires  significant 
determination  of 
management judgment or estimation. The fair value for 

fair  value 

techniques 

such assets and liabilities is generally determined using 
pricing  models,  market  comparables,  discounted  cash 
flow  methodologies  or  similar 
that 
incorporate the assumptions a market participant would 
use in pricing the asset or liability. This category generally 
includes  certain  private  equity  investments  and  other 
principal  investments,  retained  residual  interests  in 
securitizations, 
asset-backed 
residential  MSRs, 
securities (ABS), highly structured, complex or long-dated 
derivative  contracts,  certain  LHFS,  IRLCs  and  certain 
CDOs where independent pricing information cannot be 
obtained for a significant portion of the underlying assets.

Income Taxes
There are two components of income tax expense: current and 
deferred. Current income tax expense reflects taxes to be paid or 
refunded  for  the  current  period.  Deferred  income  tax  expense 
results from changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities between 
periods. These gross deferred tax assets and liabilities represent 
decreases or increases in taxes expected to be paid in the future 
because of future reversals of temporary differences in the bases 
of assets and liabilities as measured by tax laws and their bases 
as reported in the financial statements. Deferred tax assets are 
also recognized for tax attributes such as net operating loss (NOL) 
carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards. Valuation allowances 
are  recorded  to  reduce  deferred  tax  assets  to  the  amounts 
management concludes are more-likely-than-not to be realized.

Income tax benefits are recognized and measured based upon 
a two-step model: first, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not 
to be sustained based solely on its technical merits in order to be 
recognized, and second, the benefit is measured as the largest 
dollar  amount  of  that  position  that  is  more-likely-than-not  to  be 
sustained upon settlement. The difference between the benefit 
recognized and the tax benefit claimed on a tax return is referred 
to as an unrecognized tax benefit (UTB). The Corporation records 
income  tax-related  interest  and  penalties,  if  applicable,  within 
income tax expense.

Retirement Benefits
The  Corporation  has  established  retirement  plans  covering 
substantially all full-time and certain part-time employees. Pension 
expense under these plans is charged to current operations and 
consists  of  several  components  of  net  pension  cost  based  on 
various actuarial assumptions regarding future experience under 
the plans.

In  addition,  the  Corporation  has  established  unfunded 
supplemental  benefit  plans  and  supplemental  executive 
retirement plans (SERPs) for selected officers of the Corporation 
and its subsidiaries that provide benefits that cannot be paid from 
a  qualified  retirement  plan  due  to  Internal  Revenue  Code 
restrictions. The Corporation’s current executive officers do not 
earn additional retirement income under SERPs. These plans are 
nonqualified under the Internal Revenue Code and assets used to 
fund benefit payments are not segregated from other assets of 
the  Corporation;  therefore,  in  general,  a  participant’s  or 
beneficiary’s claim to benefits under these plans is as a general 
creditor.  In  addition,  the  Corporation  has  established  several 
postretirement healthcare and life insurance benefit plans.

In  connection  with  a  redesign  of  the  retirement  plans,  on 
January 24, 2012, the Corporation froze benefits earned in the 

Qualified Pension Plans effective June 30, 2012. As a result of 
this action, a curtailment was triggered and a remeasurement of 
the qualified pension obligations and plan assets occurred as of 
January  24,  2012.  For  additional  information,  see  Note  18  – 
Employee Benefit Plans.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
The Corporation records unrealized gains and losses on AFS debt 
and marketable equity securities, gains and losses on cash flow 
accounting hedges, certain employee benefit plan adjustments, 
foreign  currency  translation  adjustments  and  related  hedges  of 
net  investments  in  foreign  operations  and  the  cumulative 
adjustment related to certain accounting changes in accumulated 
OCI,  net-of-tax.  Unrealized  gains  and  losses  on  AFS  debt  and 
marketable equity securities are reclassified to earnings as the 
gains or losses are realized upon sale of the securities. Unrealized 
losses on AFS securities deemed to represent OTTI are reclassified 
to earnings at the time of the impairment charge. For AFS debt 
securities that the Corporation does not intend to sell or it is not 
more-likely-than-not that it will be required to sell, only the credit 
component of an unrealized loss is reclassified to earnings. Gains 
or losses on derivatives accounted for as cash flow hedges are 
reclassified  to  earnings  when  the  hedged  transaction  affects 
earnings.  Translation  gains  or  losses  on  foreign  currency 
translation  adjustments  are  reclassified  to  earnings  upon  the 
substantial sale or liquidation of investments in foreign operations.

Revenue Recognition
The following summarizes the Corporation’s revenue recognition 
policies as they relate to certain noninterest income line items in 
the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Card income is derived from fees such as interchange, cash 
advance,  annual,  late,  over-limit  and  other  miscellaneous  fees, 
which  are  recorded  as  revenue  when  earned,  primarily  on  an 
accrual basis. Uncollected fees are included in the customer card 
receivables balances with an amount recorded in the allowance 
for  loan  and  lease  losses  for  estimated  uncollectible  card 
receivables. Uncollected fees are written off when a card receivable 
reaches 180 days past due.

Service charges include fees for insufficient funds, overdrafts 
and  other  banking  services  and  are  recorded  as  revenue  when 
earned.  Uncollected  fees  are  included  in  outstanding  loan 
balances  with  an  amount  recorded  for  estimated  uncollectible 
service fees receivable. Uncollected fees are written off when a 
fee receivable reaches 60 days past due.

Investment and brokerage services revenue consists primarily 
of  asset  management  fees  and  brokerage  income  that  is 
recognized  over  the  period  the  services  are  provided  or  when 
commissions  are  earned.  Asset  management  fees  consist 
primarily of fees for investment management and trust services 
and are generally based on the dollar amount of the assets being 
managed.  Brokerage 
from 
commissions  and  fees  earned  on  the  sale  of  various  financial 
products.

is  generally  derived 

income 

Investment banking income consists primarily of advisory and 
underwriting fees that are recognized in income as the services 
are provided and no contingencies exist. Revenues are generally 
recognized net of any direct expenses. Non-reimbursed expenses 
are recorded as noninterest expense.

Bank of America 2012     167

Earnings Per Common Share
Earnings  per  common  share  (EPS)  is  computed  by  dividing  net 
income (loss) allocated to common shareholders by the weighted-
average  common  shares  outstanding,  except  that  it  does  not 
include  unvested  common  shares  subject  to  repurchase  or 
cancellation. Net income (loss) allocated to common shareholders 
represents net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders 
which is net income (loss) adjusted for preferred stock dividends 
including dividends declared, accretion of discounts on preferred 
stock  including  accelerated  accretion  when  preferred  stock  is 
repaid  early,  and  cumulative  dividends  related  to  the  current 
dividend period that have not been declared as of period end, less 
income  allocated  to  participating  securities  (see  below  for 
additional  information).  Diluted  EPS  is  computed  by  dividing 
income (loss) allocated to common shareholders plus dividends 
on  dilutive  convertible  preferred  stock  and  preferred  stock  that 
can  be  tendered  to  exercise  warrants  by  the  weighted-average 
common  shares  outstanding  plus  amounts  representing  the 
dilutive  effect  of  stock  options  outstanding,  restricted  stock, 
restricted  stock  units  (RSUs),  outstanding  warrants  and  the 
dilution  resulting  from  the  conversion  of  convertible  preferred 
stock,  if  applicable.  Certain  warrants  may  be  exercised,  at  the 
option  of  the  holder,  through  tendering  of  the  Corporation’s  6% 
Cumulative  Perpetual  Preferred  Stock,  Series  T  (the  Series  T 
Preferred Stock) or cash. Because it is currently more economical 
for the warrant holder to tender the Series T preferred stock, the 
common  shares  underlying  these  warrants  are  considered 
outstanding and the dividends on the preferred stock are added 
to income (loss) allocable to common shareholders in computing 
diluted EPS, unless the effect is antidilutive.

Unvested  share-based  payment  awards 

that  contain 
nonforfeitable rights to dividends are participating securities that 
are included in computing EPS using the two-class method. The 
two-class method is an earnings allocation formula under which 
EPS is calculated for common stock and participating securities 
according  to  dividends  declared  and  participating  rights  in 
undistributed  earnings.  Under  this  method,  all  earnings, 
distributed  and  undistributed,  are  allocated  to  participating 
securities and common shares based on their respective rights to 
receive dividends.

In  an  exchange  of  non-convertible  preferred  stock,  income 
allocated to common shareholders is adjusted for the difference 
between the carrying value of the preferred stock and the fair value 
of  the  consideration  exchanged.  In  an  induced  conversion  of 
convertible  preferred  stock,  income  allocated  to  common 
shareholders  is  reduced  by  the  excess  of  the  fair  value  of  the 
consideration exchanged over the fair value of the common stock 
that would have been issued under the original conversion terms.

Foreign Currency Translation
Assets,  liabilities  and  operations  of  foreign  branches  and 
subsidiaries are recorded based on the functional currency of each 
entity. For certain of the foreign operations, the functional currency 
is  the  local  currency,  in  which  case  the  assets,  liabilities  and 
operations  are  translated,  for  consolidation  purposes,  from  the 
local currency to the U.S. dollar reporting currency at period-end 
rates for assets and liabilities and generally at average rates for 
results of operations. The resulting unrealized gains or losses as 
well as gains and losses from certain hedges, are reported as a 
component  of  accumulated  OCI,  net-of-tax.  When  the  foreign 
entity’s functional currency is determined to be the U.S. dollar, the 
resulting  remeasurement  currency  gains  or  losses  on  foreign 
currency-denominated  assets  or  liabilities  are  included  in 
earnings.

Credit Card and Deposit Arrangements

Endorsing Organization Agreements
The Corporation contracts with other organizations to obtain their 
endorsement of the Corporation’s loan and deposit products. This 
endorsement may provide to the Corporation exclusive rights to 
market to the organization’s members or to customers on behalf 
of the Corporation. These organizations endorse the Corporation’s 
loan and deposit products and provide the Corporation with their 
mailing lists and marketing activities. These agreements generally 
have  terms  that  range  from  two  to  five  years.  The  Corporation 
typically  pays  royalties  in  exchange  for  the  endorsement. 
Compensation  costs  related  to  the  credit  card  agreements  are 
recorded as contra-revenue in card income.

Cardholder Reward Agreements
The Corporation offers reward programs that allow its cardholders 
to earn points that can be redeemed for a broad range of rewards 
including cash, travel and discounted products. The Corporation 
establishes a rewards liability based upon the points earned that 
are  expected  to  be  redeemed  and  the  average  cost  per  point 
redeemed. The points to be redeemed are estimated based on 
past redemption behavior, card product type, account transaction 
activity  and  other  historical  card  performance.  The  liability  is 
reduced as the points are redeemed. The estimated cost of the 
rewards programs is recorded as contra-revenue in card income.

168     Bank of America 2012

Insurance Income and Insurance Expense
Property and casualty and credit life and disability premiums are 
generally recognized over the term of the policies on a pro-rata 
basis for all policies except for certain of the lender-placed auto 
insurance and the guaranteed auto protection (GAP) policies. For 
lender-placed  auto  insurance,  premiums  are  recognized  when 
collections  become  probable  due  to  high  cancellation  rates 
experienced  early  in  the  life  of  the  policy.  For  GAP  insurance, 
revenue recognition is correlated to the exposure and accelerated 
over the life of the contract. Mortgage reinsurance premiums are 
recognized  as  earned.  Insurance  expense  includes  insurance 
claims, commissions and premium taxes, all of which are recorded 
in other general operating expense.

Accounting Policies
All significant accounting policies are discussed either in this Note 
or included in the Notes herein listed below.

Note 3 – Derivatives

Note 4 – Securities

Note 5 – Outstanding Loans and Leases
Note 7 – Securitizations and Other Variable Interest 
Entities
Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations 
and Corporate Guarantees

Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies

Note 18 – Employee Benefit Plans

Note 19 – Stock-based Compensation Plans

Note 20 – Income Taxes

Note 21 – Fair Value Measurements

Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights

Page

170

179

184

200

207

223

241

249

251

253

270

NOTE 2 Trading Account Assets and Liabilities
The table below presents the components of trading account assets and liabilities at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets

U.S. government and agency securities (1)
Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and asset-backed securities

Total trading account assets

Trading account liabilities

U.S. government and agency securities
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Corporate securities and other

Total trading account liabilities

(1) 

Includes $30.6 billion and $27.3 billion of government-sponsored enterprise obligations at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

December 31

2012

2011

$

86,974
37,900
43,315
52,197
16,840
$ 237,226

$ 52,613
36,571
23,674
42,946
13,515
$ 169,319

$

$

23,430
22,492
20,244
7,421
73,587

$ 20,710
14,594
17,440
7,764
$ 60,508

Bank of America 2012     169

 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 3 Derivatives

Derivative Balances
Derivatives are entered into on behalf of customers, for trading, 
or to support risk management activities. Derivatives used in risk 
management activities include derivatives that may or may not be 
designated 
relationships. 
Derivatives that are not designated in qualifying hedge accounting 
relationships are referred to as other risk management derivatives. 
For  additional  information  on  the  Corporation’s  derivatives  and 
hedging activities, see Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting 

in  qualifying  hedge  accounting 

Principles.  The  following  tables  present  derivative  instruments 
included  on  the  Corporation’s  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  in 
derivative assets and liabilities at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 
Balances are presented on a gross basis, prior to the application 
of counterparty and cash collateral netting. Total derivative assets 
and  liabilities  are  adjusted  on  an  aggregate  basis  to  take  into 
consideration  the  effects  of  legally  enforceable  master  netting 
agreements and have been reduced by the cash collateral received 
or paid.

Gross Derivative Assets

Gross Derivative Liabilities

December 31, 2012

(Dollars in billions)

Interest rate contracts

Swaps
Futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options

Foreign exchange contracts

Swaps
Spot, futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options

Equity contracts

Swaps
Futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options
Commodity contracts

Swaps
Futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options

Credit derivatives

Purchased credit derivatives:

Credit default swaps
Total return swaps/other

Written credit derivatives:
Credit default swaps
Total return swaps/other

Trading 
Derivatives 
and Other Risk 
Management 
Derivatives

Contract/
Notional (1)

Qualifying
Accounting
Hedges

Total

Trading 
Derivatives 
and Other Risk 
Management 
Derivatives

Qualifying
Accounting
Hedges

$

$ 34,667.4
11,950.5
2,343.5
2,162.6

$

1,075.4
2.8
—
105.5

$

13.8
—
—
—

$

1,089.2
2.8
—
105.5

$

1,062.6
2.7
106.0
—

47.4
31.5
—
6.5

1.6
1.0
—
20.4

2.5
4.8
—
7.1

35.6
2.5

1.4
0.4
—
—

—
—
—
—

0.1
—
—
—

—
—

48.8
31.9
—
6.5

1.6
1.0
—
20.4

2.6
4.8
—
7.1

35.6
2.5

53.2
30.5
7.3
—

2.0
1.0
20.2
—

4.0
2.7
7.4
—

22.1
2.9

2,489.0
3,023.0
363.3
321.8

127.1
58.4
295.3
271.0

60.5
498.9
166.4
168.2

1,559.5
43.5

1,531.5
68.8

Total

$

1,067.3
2.7
106.0
—

55.0
31.3
7.3
—

2.0
1.0
20.2
—

4.0
2.7
7.4
—

22.1
2.9

4.7
—
—
—

1.8
0.8
—
—

—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—

—
—

23.0
0.2
1,367.8

$

—
—
15.7

$

  $

32.6
0.3
1,357.5

$

$

23.0
0.2
1,383.5
(1,271.9)
(58.1)
53.5

—
—
7.3

$

  $

32.6
0.3
1,364.8
(1,271.9)
(46.9)
46.0

Gross derivative assets/liabilities

  $

Less: Legally enforceable master netting agreements
Less: Cash collateral received/paid

Total derivative assets/liabilities

(1)  Represents the total contract/notional amount of derivative assets and liabilities outstanding.

170     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Dollars in billions)

Interest rate contracts

Swaps
Futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options

Foreign exchange contracts

Swaps
Spot, futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options

Equity contracts

Swaps
Futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options
Commodity contracts

Swaps
Futures and forwards
Written options
Purchased options

Credit derivatives

Purchased credit derivatives:

Credit default swaps
Total return swaps/other

Written credit derivatives:
Credit default swaps
Total return swaps/other

Gross Derivative Assets

Gross Derivative Liabilities

December 31, 2011

Trading 
Derivatives 
and Other Risk 
Management 
Derivatives

Contract/
Notional (1)

Qualifying
Accounting
Hedges

Total

Trading 
Derivatives 
and Other Risk 
Management 
Derivatives

Qualifying
Accounting
Hedges

$

$ 40,473.7
12,105.8
2,534.0
2,467.2

$

1,490.7
2.9
—
120.0

$

$

15.9
0.2
—
—

1,506.6
3.1
—
120.0

$

1,473.0
3.4
117.8
—

48.3
37.2
—
9.0

1.5
1.8
—
19.6

4.9
5.3
—
9.5

95.8
0.6

2.6
1.3
—
—

—
—
—
—

0.1
—
—
—

—
—

50.9
38.5
—
9.0

1.5
1.8
—
19.6

5.0
5.3
—
9.5

95.8
0.6

58.9
39.2
9.4
—

1.7
1.5
17.7
—

5.9
3.2
9.5
—

13.8
0.3

2,381.6
2,548.8
368.5
341.0

75.5
52.1
367.1
360.2

73.8
470.5
142.3
141.3

1,944.8
17.5

1,885.9
17.8

12.3
—
—
—

2.2
0.3
—
—

—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—

—
—

Total

$

1,485.3
3.4
117.8
—

61.1
39.5
9.4
—

1.7
1.5
17.7
—

5.9
3.2
9.5
—

13.8
0.3

90.5
0.7
1,861.3
(1,749.9)
(51.9)
59.5

Gross derivative assets/liabilities

  $

Less: Legally enforceable master netting agreements
Less: Cash collateral received/paid

Total derivative assets/liabilities

14.1
0.5
1,861.7

$

—
—
20.1

$

  $

14.1
0.5
1,881.8
(1,749.9)
(58.9)
73.0

90.5
0.7
1,846.5

$

$

—
—
14.8

$

  $

(1)  Represents the total contract/notional amount of derivative assets and liabilities outstanding.

ALM and Risk Management Derivatives
The Corporation’s ALM and risk management activities include the 
use  of  derivatives  to  mitigate  risk  to  the  Corporation  including 
in  qualifying  hedge  accounting 
derivatives  designated 
relationships  and  derivatives  used  in  other  risk  management 
activities. Interest rate, foreign exchange, equity, commodity and 
credit  contracts  are  utilized  in  the  Corporation’s  ALM  and  risk 
management activities. 

The  Corporation  maintains  an  overall  interest  rate  risk 
management strategy that incorporates the use of interest rate 
contracts, which are generally non-leveraged generic interest rate 
and  basis  swaps,  options,  futures  and  forwards,  to  minimize 
significant fluctuations in earnings that are caused by interest rate 
volatility.  The  Corporation’s  goal  is  to  manage  interest  rate 
sensitivity and volatility so that movements in interest rates do 
not significantly adversely affect earnings or capital. As a result 
of interest rate fluctuations, hedged fixed-rate assets and liabilities 
appreciate  or  depreciate  in  fair  value.  Gains  or  losses  on  the 
derivative  instruments  that  are  linked  to  the  hedged  fixed-rate 
assets  and  liabilities  are  expected  to  substantially  offset  this 
unrealized appreciation or depreciation.

Market risk, including interest rate risk, can be substantial in 
the  mortgage  business.  Market  risk  is  the  risk  that  values  of 
mortgage assets or revenues will be adversely affected by changes 

in market conditions such as interest rate movements. To mitigate 
the interest rate risk in mortgage banking production income, the 
Corporation  utilizes  forward  loan  sale  commitments  and  other 
derivative  instruments  including  purchased  options  and  certain 
debt securities. The Corporation also utilizes derivatives such as 
interest  rate  options,  interest  rate  swaps,  forward  settlement 
contracts and Eurodollar futures to hedge certain market risks of 
MSRs. For additional information on MSRs, see Note 24 – Mortgage 
Servicing Rights.

The Corporation uses foreign exchange contracts to manage 
the foreign exchange risk associated with certain foreign currency-
denominated assets and liabilities, as well as the Corporation’s 
investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries. Foreign exchange contracts, 
which include spot and forward contracts, represent agreements 
to exchange the currency of one country for the currency of another 
country  at  an  agreed-upon  price  on  an  agreed-upon  settlement 
date. Exposure to loss on these contracts will increase or decrease 
over their respective lives as currency exchange and interest rates 
fluctuate. 

The  Corporation  enters  into  derivative  commodity  contracts 
such  as  futures,  swaps,  options  and  forwards  as  well  as  non-
derivative commodity contracts to provide price risk management 
services to customers or to manage price risk associated with its 
physical  and  financial  commodity  positions.  The  non-derivative 

Bank of America 2012     171

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
commodity  contracts  and  physical  inventories  of  commodities 
expose the Corporation to earnings volatility. Cash flow and fair 
value accounting hedges provide a method to mitigate a portion 
of this earnings volatility. 

The Corporation purchases credit derivatives to manage credit 
risk  related  to  certain  funded  and  unfunded  credit  exposures. 
Credit derivatives include credit default swaps (CDS), total return 
swaps  and  swaptions.  These  derivatives  are  recorded  on  the 
Corporation’s  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  at  fair  value  with 
changes in fair value recorded in other income (loss). 

Derivatives Designated as Accounting Hedges
The Corporation uses various types of interest rate, commodity 
and  foreign  exchange  derivative  contracts  to  protect  against 
changes  in  the  fair  value  of  its  assets  and  liabilities  due  to 
fluctuations  in  interest  rates,  commodity  prices  and  exchange 
rates (fair value hedges). The Corporation also uses these types 
of contracts and equity derivatives to protect against changes in 
the cash flows of its assets and liabilities, and other forecasted 
transactions (cash flow hedges). The Corporation hedges its net 

investment  in  consolidated  non-U.S.  operations  determined  to 
have functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar using forward 
exchange  contracts  and  cross-currency  basis  swaps,  and  by 
issuing  foreign  currency-denominated  debt  (net  investment 
hedges).

Fair Value Hedges
The  table  below  summarizes  certain  information  related  to  fair 
value  hedges  for  2012,  2011  and  2010,  including  hedges  of 
interest rate risk on long-term debt that were acquired as part of 
a business combination and redesignated. At redesignation, the 
fair  value  of  the  derivatives  was  negative.  As  the  derivatives 
mature,  the  fair  value  will  approach  zero.  As  a  result, 
ineffectiveness  may  occur  and  the  fair  value  changes  in  the 
derivatives  and  the  long-term  debt  being  hedged  may  be 
directionally the same in certain scenarios. Based on a regression 
analysis, the derivatives continue to be highly effective at offsetting 
changes  in  the  fair  value  of  the  long-term  debt  attributable  to 
interest rate risk.

Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedges

Gains (losses)

(Dollars in millions)

Interest rate risk on long-term debt (1)
Interest rate and foreign currency risk on long-term debt (1)
Interest rate risk on AFS securities (2)
Commodity price risk on commodity inventory (3)

Total

Interest rate risk on long-term debt (1)
Interest rate and foreign currency risk on long-term debt (1)
Interest rate risk on AFS securities (2)
Commodity price risk on commodity inventory (3)

Total

Interest rate risk on long-term debt (1)
Interest rate and foreign currency risk on long-term debt (1)
Interest rate risk on AFS securities (2)
Commodity price risk on commodity inventory (3)

Total

(1)  Amounts are recorded in interest expense on long-term debt and in other income (loss).
(2)  Amounts are recorded in interest income on debt securities.
(3)  Amounts relating to commodity inventory are recorded in trading account profits.

Derivative

2012
Hedged
Item

Hedge
Ineffectiveness

$

$

$

$

$

$

(195) $

(1,482)
(4)
(6)
(1,687) $

$

4,384
780
(11,386)
16
(6,206) $

$

2,952
(463)
(2,577)
19
(69) $

(770) $

1,225
91
6
552

$

2011

(4,969) $
(1,057)
10,490
(16)
4,448

$

2010

(3,496) $
130
2,667
(19)
(718) $

(965)
(257)
87
—
(1,135)

(585)
(277)
(896)
—
(1,758)

(544)
(333)
90
—
(787)

172     Bank of America 2012

 
 
Cash Flow and Net Investment Hedges
The table below summarizes certain information related to cash 
flow hedges and net investment hedges for 2012, 2011 and 2010. 
During the next 12 months, net losses in accumulated OCI of $981 
million  ($618  million  after-tax)  on  derivative  instruments  that 
qualify as cash flow hedges are expected to be reclassified into 
earnings. These net losses reclassified into earnings are expected 
to primarily reduce net interest income related to the respective 
hedged  items.  Amounts  related  to  commodity  price  risk 

reclassified from accumulated OCI are recorded in trading account 
profits with the underlying hedged item. Amounts related to price 
risk on restricted stock awards reclassified from accumulated OCI 
are recorded in personnel expense. 

Amounts  related  to  foreign  exchange  risk  recognized  in 
accumulated  OCI  on  derivatives  exclude  pre-tax  losses  of  $7 
million, and pre-tax gains of $82 million and $192 million related 
to long-term debt designated as a net investment hedge for 2012, 
2011 and 2010, respectively.

Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow and Net Investment Hedges

(Dollars in millions, amounts pre-tax)

Cash flow hedges

Interest rate risk on variable rate portfolios
Price risk on restricted stock awards

Total

Net investment hedges
Foreign exchange risk

Cash flow hedges

Interest rate risk on variable rate portfolios
Commodity price risk on forecasted purchases and sales
Price risk on restricted stock awards

Total

Net investment hedges
Foreign exchange risk

Cash flow hedges

Interest rate risk on variable rate portfolios
Commodity price risk on forecasted purchases and sales
Price risk on restricted stock awards
Price risk on equity investments included in AFS securities

Total

2012

Gains (losses)
Recognized in
Accumulated OCI
on Derivatives

Gains (losses)
in Income
Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI

Hedge
Ineffectiveness and
Amounts Excluded
from Effectiveness
Testing (1)

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

10
420
430

$

$

(957) $
(78)
(1,035) $

—
—
—

(771) $

(26) $

(269)

2011

(2,079) $
(3)
(408)
(2,490) $

(1,392) $
6
(231)
(1,617) $

(8)
(3)
—
(11)

1,055

$

384

$

(572)

2010

(1,876) $
32
(97)
186
(1,755) $

(410) $

25
(33)
(226)
(644) $

(30)
11
—
—
(19)

Net investment hedges
Foreign exchange risk

(315)
(1)  Amounts related to derivatives designated as cash flow hedges represent hedge ineffectiveness and amounts related to net investment hedges represent amounts excluded from effectiveness 

(482) $

— $

$

testing.

The Corporation enters into equity total return swaps to hedge 
a portion of RSUs granted to certain employees as part of their 
compensation. Certain awards contain clawback provisions which 
permit the Corporation to cancel all or a portion of the award under 
specified  circumstances,  and  certain  awards  may  be  settled  in 
cash. These RSUs are accrued as liabilities over the vesting period 
and adjusted to fair value based on changes in the share price of 
the  Corporation’s  common  stock.  From  time  to  time,  the 
Corporation  may  enter  into  equity  derivatives  to  minimize  the 
change in the expense driven by fluctuations in the share price of 

the common stock during the vesting period of any RSUs that may 
be granted, if any, subject to similar or other terms and conditions. 
Certain of these derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges 
of unrecognized unvested awards with changes in fair value of the 
hedge recorded in accumulated OCI and reclassified into earnings 
in the same period as the RSUs affect earnings. The remaining 
derivatives are other risk management derivatives and changes in 
fair value are recorded in personnel expense. For more information 
on  RSUs  and  related  hedges,  see  Note  19  –  Stock-based 
Compensation Plans.

Bank of America 2012     173

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Risk Management Derivatives
Other risk management derivatives are used by the Corporation to reduce certain risk exposures. These derivatives are not qualifying 
accounting hedges because either they did not qualify for or were not designated as accounting hedges. The table below presents 
gains (losses) on these derivatives for 2012, 2011 and 2010. These gains (losses) are largely offset by the income or expense that 
is recorded on the hedged item.

Other Risk Management Derivatives

Gains (losses)

(Dollars in millions)

Price risk on mortgage banking production income (1, 2)
Market-related risk on mortgage banking servicing income (1)
Credit risk on loans (3)
Interest rate and foreign currency risk on long-term debt and other foreign exchange transactions (4)
Price risk on restricted stock awards (5)
Other

Total

2012

2011

2010

$

$

3,022
2,000
(95)
424
1,008
58
6,417

$

$

2,852
3,612
30
(48)
(610)
281
6,117

$

$

9,109
3,878
(121)
(2,080)
(151)
42
10,677

(1)  Net gains on these derivatives are recorded in mortgage banking income (loss).
(2) 

Includes net gains on interest rate lock commitments related to the origination of mortgage loans that are held-for-sale, which are considered derivative instruments, of $3.0 billion, $3.8 billion and 
$8.7 billion for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

(3)  Net gains (losses) on these derivatives are recorded in other income (loss).
(4)  The majority of the balance is related to the revaluation of derivatives used to mitigate risk related to foreign currency-denominated debt which is recorded in other income (loss). The offsetting 

revaluation of the foreign currency-denominated debt, while not included in the table above, is also recorded in other income (loss).

(5)  Gains (losses) on these derivatives are recorded in personnel expense.

Sales and Trading Revenue
The Corporation enters into trading derivatives to facilitate client 
transactions, for principal trading purposes, and to manage risk 
exposures arising from trading account assets and liabilities. It is 
the Corporation’s policy to include these derivative instruments in 
its trading activities which include derivatives and non-derivative 
cash  instruments.  The  resulting  risk  from  these  derivatives  is 
managed on a portfolio basis as part of the Corporation’s Global 
Markets business segment. The related sales and trading revenue 
generated  within  Global  Markets  is  recorded  in  various  income 
statement  line  items  including  trading  account  profits  and  net 
interest income as well as other revenue categories. However, the 
majority of income related to derivative instruments is recorded 
in trading account profits. 

Sales and trading revenue includes changes in the fair value 
and realized gains and losses on the sales of trading and other 
assets, net interest income, and fees primarily from commissions 
on equity securities. Revenue is generated by the difference in the 
client price for an instrument and the price at which the trading 

desk  can  execute  the  trade  in  the  dealer  market.  For  equity 
securities,  commissions  related  to  purchases  and  sales  are 
recorded in other income (loss). Changes in the fair value of these 
securities  are  included  in  trading  account  profits.  For  debt 
securities, revenue, with the exception of interest associated with 
the debt securities, is typically included in trading account profits. 
Unlike commissions for equity securities, the initial revenue related 
to broker/dealer services for debt securities is typically included 
in the pricing of the instrument rather than being charged through 
separate fee arrangements. Therefore, this revenue is recorded 
in trading account profits as part of the initial mark to fair value. 
For derivatives, all revenue is included in trading account profits. 
In transactions where the Corporation acts as agent, which include 
exchange-traded futures and options, fees are recorded in other 
income (loss).

Gains (losses) on certain instruments, primarily loans, that the 
Global Markets business segment shares with Global Banking are 
not considered trading instruments and are excluded from sales 
and trading revenue in their entirety.

174     Bank of America 2012

The  table  below,  which  includes  both  derivatives  and  non-
derivative  cash  instruments,  identifies  the  amounts  in  the 
respective  income  statement  line  items  attributable  to  the 
Corporation’s  sales  and  trading  revenue  in  Global  Markets, 
categorized  by  primary  risk,  for  2012,  2011  and  2010.  The 
difference between total trading account profits in the table below 

and  in  the  Corporation’s  Consolidated  Statement  of  Income 
represents  trading  activities  in  business  segments  other  than 
Global  Markets.  Global  Markets  results  in  Note  26  –  Business 
Segment Information are presented on a fully taxable-equivalent 
(FTE) basis. The table below is not presented on a FTE basis. 

Sales and Trading Revenue

(Dollars in millions)

Interest rate risk
Foreign exchange risk
Equity risk
Credit risk
Other risk

Total sales and trading revenue

Interest rate risk
Foreign exchange risk
Equity risk
Credit risk
Other risk

Total sales and trading revenue

Interest rate risk
Foreign exchange risk
Equity risk
Credit risk
Other risk

Total sales and trading revenue

2012

Trading
Account
Profits

Net 
Interest 
Income

Other (1)

Total

$

$

$

$

$

$

580
909
1,181
2,496
540
5,706

2,118
1,088
1,482
1,096
633
6,417

2,032
903
1,650
4,592
447
9,624

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,040
5
(57)
2,321
(219)
3,090

$

$

(5) $
7
1,890
961
(42)
2,811

$

1,615
921
3,014
5,778
279
11,607

2011
$

923
8
128
2,604
(184)
3,479

659
—
16
3,557
(172)
4,060

2010
$

$

$

(63) $
(10)
2,346
553
(72)
2,754

2,978
1,086
3,956
4,253
377
$ 12,650

38
(9)
2,447
266
(4)
2,738

$

2,729
894
4,113
8,415
271
$ 16,422

(1)  Represents amounts in investment and brokerage services and other income (loss) that are recorded in Global Markets and included in the definition of sales and trading revenue. Includes investment 

and brokerage services revenue of $1.8 billion, $2.2 billion and $2.3 billion for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, primarily included in equity risk.

Credit Derivatives
The Corporation enters into credit derivatives primarily to facilitate 
client transactions and to manage credit risk exposures. Credit 
derivatives  derive  value  based  on  an  underlying  third-party 
referenced obligation or a portfolio of referenced obligations and 
generally require the Corporation, as the seller of credit protection, 
to make payments to a buyer upon the occurrence of a pre-defined 
credit event. Such credit events generally include bankruptcy of 

the referenced credit entity and failure to pay under the obligation, 
as well as acceleration of indebtedness and payment repudiation 
or  moratorium.  For  credit  derivatives  based  on  a  portfolio  of 
referenced credits or credit indices, the Corporation may not be 
required to make payment until a specified amount of loss has 
occurred and/or may only be required to make payment up to a 
specified amount.

Bank of America 2012     175

 
 
Credit derivative instruments where the Corporation is the seller of credit protection and their expiration are summarized at December 
31, 2012 and 2011 in the table below. These instruments are classified as investment and non-investment grade based on the credit 
quality of the underlying referenced obligation. The Corporation considers ratings of BBB- or higher as investment grade. Non-investment 
grade includes non-rated credit derivative instruments.

Credit Derivative Instruments

December 31, 2012
Carrying Value

Less than
One Year

One to
Three Years

Three to
Five Years

Over Five
Years

Total

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

52
923
975

39
57
96
1,071

4
116
120

260,177
79,861
340,038

43,536
5,566
49,102
389,140

795
4,236
5,031

—
522
522
5,553

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

— $

127
127

$

757
4,403
5,160

—
104
104
5,264

$

$

5,595
7,030
12,625

—
39
39
12,664

$

$

$

$

12
161
173
Maximum Payout/Notional

441
314
755

$

$

2,903
10,959
13,862

—
37
37
13,899

3,849
1,425
5,274

$

$

$

$

9,307
23,315
32,622

39
237
276
32,898

4,306
2,016
6,322

349,125
99,043
448,168

15
11,028
11,043
459,211

$

$

500,038
110,248
610,286

—
7,631
7,631
617,917

$

$

90,453
42,559
133,012

$ 1,199,793
331,711
1,531,504

—
1,035
1,035
134,047

43,551
25,260
68,811
$ 1,600,315

December 31, 2011
Carrying Value

5,011
11,438
16,449

—
2
2
16,451

7
85
92

$

$

$

$

17,271
18,072
35,343

30
33
63
35,406

208
132
340

$

$

$

$

7,325
26,339
33,664

1
128
129
33,793

2,947
1,732
4,679

$

$

$

$

30,402
60,085
90,487

31
685
716
91,203

3,162
2,076
5,238

Maximum Payout/Notional

$ 182,137
133,624
315,761

$ 401,914
228,327
630,241

$ 477,924
186,522
664,446

$ 127,570
147,926
275,496

$ 1,189,545
696,399
1,885,944

—
305
305
$ 316,066

—
2,023
2,023
$ 632,264

9,116
4,918
14,034
$ 678,480

—
1,476
1,476
$ 276,972

9,116
8,722
17,838
$ 1,903,782

(Dollars in millions)

Credit default swaps:
Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total

Total return swaps/other:

Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total
Total credit derivatives

Credit-related notes: (1)
Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total credit-related notes

Credit default swaps:
Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total

Total return swaps/other:

Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total
Total credit derivatives

(Dollars in millions)

Credit default swaps:
Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total

Total return swaps/other:

Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total
Total credit derivatives

Credit-related notes: (1)
Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total credit-related notes

Credit default swaps:
Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total

Total return swaps/other:

Investment grade
Non-investment grade

Total
Total credit derivatives

(1)  For credit-related notes, maximum payout/notional is the same as carrying value.

176     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The notional amount represents the maximum amount payable 
by  the  Corporation  for  most  credit  derivatives.  However,  the 
Corporation  does  not  monitor  its  exposure  to  credit  derivatives 
based solely on the notional amount because this measure does 
not take into consideration the probability of occurrence. As such, 
the notional amount is not a reliable indicator of the Corporation’s 
exposure to these contracts. Instead, a risk framework is used to 
define  risk  tolerances  and  establish  limits  to  help  ensure  that 
certain  credit  risk-related  losses  occur  within  acceptable, 
predefined limits.

The Corporation manages its market risk exposure to credit 
derivatives  by  entering  into  a  variety  of  offsetting  derivative 
contracts and security positions. For example, in certain instances, 
the  Corporation  may  purchase  credit  protection  with  identical 
underlying referenced names to offset its exposure. The carrying 
value and notional amount of written credit derivatives for which 
the Corporation held purchased credit derivatives with identical 
underlying referenced names and terms at December 31, 2012 
was $20.7 billion and $1.1 trillion compared to $48.0 billion and 
$1.0 trillion at December 31, 2011.

Credit-related  notes  in  the  table  on  page  176  include 
investments  in  securities  issued  by  CDO,  collateralized  loan 
obligation (CLO) and credit-linked note vehicles. These instruments 
are primarily classified as trading securities. The carrying value of 
these instruments equals the Corporation’s maximum exposure 
to loss. The Corporation is not obligated to make any payments 
to  the  entities  under  the  terms  of  the  securities  owned.  The 
Corporation discloses internal categorizations of investment grade 
and non-investment grade consistent with how risk is managed 
for these instruments.

Credit-related Contingent Features and Collateral
The Corporation executes the majority of its derivative contracts 
in the OTC market with large, international financial institutions, 
including broker/dealers and, to a lesser degree, with a variety of 
non-financial  companies.  Substantially  all  of  the  derivative 
transactions  are  executed  on  a  daily  margin  basis.  Therefore, 
events  such  as  a  credit  rating  downgrade  (depending  on  the 
ultimate rating level) or a breach of credit covenants would typically 
require  an  increase  in  the  amount  of  collateral  required  of  the 
counterparty, where applicable, and/or allow the Corporation to 
take additional protective measures such as early termination of 
all  trades.  Further,  as  previously  discussed  on  page  170,  the 
Corporation  enters  into  legally  enforceable  master  netting 
agreements  which  reduce  risk  by  permitting  the  closeout  and 
netting  of  transactions  with  the  same  counterparty  upon  the 
occurrence of certain events.

A  majority  of  the  Corporation’s  derivative  contracts  contain 
credit  risk  related  contingent  features,  primarily  in  the  form  of 
International  Swaps  and  Derivatives  Association,  Inc.  (ISDA) 
master netting agreements and credit support documentation that 
enhance the creditworthiness of these instruments compared to 
other  obligations  of  the  respective  counterparty  with  whom  the 
Corporation has transacted. These contingent features may be for 
the benefit of the Corporation as well as its counterparties with 
respect to changes in the Corporation’s creditworthiness and the 
mark-to-market  exposure  under  the  derivative  transactions.  At 
December  31,  2012  and  2011,  the  Corporation  held  cash  and 
securities collateral of $85.6 billion and $87.7 billion, and posted 
cash and securities collateral of $74.1 billion and $86.5 billion in 
the normal course of business under derivative agreements.

In connection with certain OTC derivative contracts and other 
trading agreements, the Corporation can be required to provide 
additional  collateral  or  to  terminate  transactions  with  certain 
counterparties  in  the  event  of  a  downgrade  of  the  senior  debt 
ratings of the Corporation or certain subsidiaries. The amount of 
additional  collateral  required  depends  on  the  contract  and  is 
usually a fixed incremental amount and/or the market value of the 
exposure. 

At December 31, 2012, the amount of collateral, calculated 
based  on  the  terms  of  the  contracts,  that  the  Corporation  and 
certain subsidiaries could be required to post to counterparties 
but had not yet posted to counterparties was approximately $2.2 
billion, comprised of $721 million for BANA and $1.5 billion for 
Merrill  Lynch  &  Co.,  Inc.  (Merrill  Lynch)  and  certain  of  its 
subsidiaries.

Some  counterparties  are  currently  able  to  unilaterally 
terminate  certain  contracts,  or  the  Corporation  or  certain 
subsidiaries may be required to take other action such as find a 
suitable  replacement  or  obtain  a  guarantee.  At  December 31, 
2012, the current liability recorded for these derivative contracts 
was  $1.7  billion,  against  which  the  Corporation  and  certain 
subsidiaries had posted approximately $1.6 billion of collateral.

At December 31, 2012, if the rating agencies had downgraded 
their long-term senior debt ratings for the Corporation or certain 
subsidiaries by one incremental notch, the amount of additional 
collateral contractually required by derivative contracts and other 
trading agreements would have been approximately $3.3 billion 
comprised of $2.9 billion for BANA and $418 million for Merrill 
Lynch  and  certain  of  its  subsidiaries.  If  the  agencies  had 
downgraded their long-term senior debt ratings for these entities 
by  a  second  incremental  notch,  approximately  $4.4  billion  in 
additional  incremental  collateral  comprised  of  $455  million  for 
BANA  and  $4.0  billion  for  Merrill  Lynch  and  certain  of  its 
subsidiaries would have been required. 

Also,  if  the  rating  agencies  had  downgraded  their  long-term 
senior debt ratings for the Corporation or certain subsidiaries by 
one incremental notch, the derivative liability that would be subject 
to  unilateral  termination  by  counterparties  as  of  December 31, 
2012 was $3.8 billion, against which $3.0 billion of collateral has 
been posted. If the rating agencies had downgraded their long-
term  senior  debt  ratings  for  the  Corporation  and  certain 
subsidiaries by a second incremental notch, the derivative liability 
that would be subject to unilateral termination by counterparties 
as of December 31, 2012 was an incremental $1.7 billion, against 
which $1.1 billion of collateral has been posted. 

Valuation Adjustments on Derivatives
The  Corporation  records  credit  risk  valuation  adjustments  on 
derivatives  in  order  to  properly  reflect  the  credit  quality  of  the 
counterparties  and  its  own  credit  quality.  The  Corporation 
calculates  valuation  adjustments  on  derivatives  based  on  a 
modeled expected exposure that incorporates current market risk 
factors.  The  exposure  also  takes  into  consideration  credit 
mitigants  such  as  enforceable  master  netting  agreements  and 
collateral.  CDS  spread  data  is  used  to  estimate  the  default 
probabilities  and  severities  that  are  applied  to  the  exposures. 
Where  no  observable  credit  default  data  is  available  for 
counterparties,  the  Corporation  uses  proxies  and  other  market 
data to estimate default probabilities and severity.

Valuation adjustments on derivatives are affected by changes 
in  market  spreads,  non-credit  related  market  factors  such  as 

Bank of America 2012     177

During  2012,  the  Corporation  refined  its  methodology  for 
calculating valuation adjustments on derivatives on a prospective 
basis.  The  Corporation  no  longer  considers  the  probability  of 
default  for  both  the  counterparty  and  the  Corporation  when 
calculating the counterparty CVA and DVA and now only considers 
the  probability  of  the  counterparty  defaulting  for  CVA  and  the 
Corporation defaulting for DVA.

The table below presents CVA and DVA gains (losses) for the 
Corporation on a gross and net of hedge basis, which are recorded 
in trading account profits.

Valuation Adjustments on Derivatives

(Dollars in millions)

Gross

Net

Gross

Net

2012

2011

Derivative assets (CVA) (1)
Derivative liabilities (DVA) (2)
(1)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the cumulative CVA reduced the derivative assets balance 

(1,863) $
1,385

1,022 $
(2,212)

291
(2,477)

(606)
1,000

$

$

by $2.4 billion and $2.8 billion.

(2)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Corporation’s cumulative DVA reduced the derivative 

liabilities balance by $807 million and $2.4 billion.

factors 

like  changes 

interest  rate  and  currency  changes  that  affect  the  expected 
exposure,  and  other 
in  collateral 
arrangements and partial payments. Credit spread changes and 
non-credit  factors  can  move  independently.  For  example,  for  an 
interest  rate  swap,  changes  in  interest  rates  may  increase  the 
expected exposure which would increase the counterparty credit 
valuation  adjustment  (CVA).  Independently,  counterparty  credit 
spreads may tighten, which would result in an offsetting decrease 
to CVA.

The Corporation may enter into risk management activities to 
offset market driven exposures. The Corporation often hedges the 
counterparty spread risk in CVA with CDS and often hedges the 
other market risks in both CVA and debit valuation adjustments 
(DVA) primarily with currency and interest rate swaps. Since the 
components  of  the  valuation  adjustments  on  derivatives  move 
independently and the Corporation may not hedge all of the market 
driven exposures, the effect of a hedge may increase the gross 
valuation  adjustments  on  derivatives  or  may  result  in  a  gross 
positive valuation adjustment on derivatives becoming a negative 
adjustment (or the reverse).

178     Bank of America 2012

NOTE 4 Securities
The table below presents the amortized cost, gross unrealized gains and losses, and fair value of debt and marketable equity securities 
at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(Dollars in millions)

Available-for-sale debt securities

U.S. Treasury and agency securities
Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations
Non-agency residential (1)
Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities, substantially all asset-backed securities

Total taxable securities

Tax-exempt securities

Total available-for-sale debt securities

Held-to-maturity debt securities, substantially all U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities

Total debt securities

Available-for-sale marketable equity securities (2)

Available-for-sale debt securities

U.S. Treasury and agency securities
Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations
Non-agency residential (1)
Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities, substantially all asset-backed securities

Total taxable securities

Tax-exempt securities

Total available-for-sale debt securities

Held-to-maturity debt securities, substantially all U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities

Total debt securities

December 31, 2012
Gross
Gross
Unrealized
Unrealized
Losses
Gains

Fair 
Value

Amortized
Cost

$

24,232

$

324

$

(84) $

24,472

183,247
36,329
9,231
3,576
5,574
1,415
12,089
275,693
4,167
279,860
49,481
329,341
780

$
$

$
$

5,048
1,427
391
348
50
51
54
7,693
13
7,706
815
8,521
732

$
$

(146)
(218)
(128)
—
(6)
(16)
(15)
(613)
(47)
(660)
(26)
(686) $
— $

188,149
37,538
9,494
3,924
5,618
1,450
12,128
282,773
4,133
286,906
50,270
337,176
1,512

December 31, 2011

$

43,433

$

242

$

(811) $

42,864

138,073
44,392
14,948
4,894
4,872
2,993
12,889
266,494
4,678
271,172
35,265
306,437
65

4,511
774
301
629
62
79
49
6,647
15
6,662
181
6,843
10

(21)
(167)
(482)
(1)
(14)
(37)
(60)
(1,593)
(90)
(1,683)
(4)
(1,687) $
(7) $

142,563
44,999
14,767
5,522
4,920
3,035
12,878
271,548
4,603
276,151
35,442
311,593
68

Available-for-sale marketable equity securities (2)
(1)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, includes approximately 91 percent and 89 percent prime, six percent and nine percent Alt-A, and three percent and two percent subprime. 
(2)  Classified in other assets on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

$
$

$
$

$
$

Bank of America 2012     179

 
 
 
 
 
At December 31, 2012, the accumulated net unrealized gains 
on AFS debt securities included in accumulated OCI were $4.4 
billion, net of the related income tax expense of $2.6 billion. At 
December 31,  2012  and  2011, 
the  Corporation  had 
nonperforming AFS debt securities of $91 million and $140 million.
The Corporation recorded OTTI losses on AFS debt securities 
for 2012, 2011 and 2010 as presented in the table below. A debt 
security is impaired when its fair value is less than its amortized 
cost.  If  the  Corporation  intends  or  will  more-likely-than-not  be 
required  to  sell  the  debt  securities  prior  to  recovery,  the  entire 
impairment  loss  is  recorded  in  the  Corporation’s  Consolidated 
Statement of Income. For debt securities the Corporation does 
not intend or will not more-likely-than-not be required to sell, an 

analysis is performed to determine if any of the impairment is due 
to credit or whether it is due to other factors (e.g., interest rate). 
Credit losses are considered unrecoverable and are recorded in 
the  Corporation’s  Consolidated  Statement  of  Income  with  the 
remaining  unrealized  losses  recorded  in  accumulated  OCI.  In 
certain instances, the credit loss on a debt security may exceed 
the total impairment, in which case, the portion of the credit loss 
that exceeds the total impairment is recorded as an unrealized 
gain in accumulated OCI. Balances in the table below exclude $5 
million, $9 million and $51 million of unrealized gains recorded in 
accumulated OCI related to these securities for 2012, 2011 and 
2010, respectively.

Net Impairment Losses Recognized in Earnings

(Dollars in millions)

Total OTTI losses (unrealized and realized)
Unrealized OTTI losses recognized in accumulated OCI

Net impairment losses recognized in earnings

Total OTTI losses (unrealized and realized)
Unrealized OTTI losses recognized in accumulated OCI

Net impairment losses recognized in earnings

Total OTTI losses (unrealized and realized)
Unrealized OTTI losses recognized in accumulated OCI

Net impairment losses recognized in earnings

Non-agency
Residential
MBS

Non-agency
Commercial
MBS

Non-U.S.
Securities

Corporate
Bonds

Other
Taxable
Securities

Total

2012

$

$

$

$

$

$

(50) $

4

(46) $

(7) $
—
(7) $

(348) $

(10) $

61

—

(287) $

(10) $

(1,305) $
817
(488) $

(19) $
15
(4) $

— $
—
— $

2011
— $
—
— $

2010
(276) $

16

(260) $

— $
—
— $

— $
—
— $

(6) $
2
(4) $

— $
—
— $

(2) $
—
(2) $

(57)
4
(53)

(360)
61
(299)

(568) $
357
(211) $

(2,174)
1,207
(967)

The Corporation’s net impairment losses recognized in earnings 
consist  of  write-downs  to  fair  value  on  AFS  securities  the 
Corporation has the intent to sell or will more-likely-than-not be 
required to sell and all credit losses. The table below presents a 

rollforward of the credit losses recognized in earnings in 2012, 
2011 and 2010 on AFS debt securities that the Corporation does 
not have the intent to sell or will not more-likely-than-not be required 
to sell.

Rollforward of Credit Losses Recognized

(Dollars in millions)

Balance, January 1

Additions for credit losses recognized on debt securities that had no previous impairment losses
Additions for credit losses recognized on debt securities that had previously incurred impairment losses
Reductions for debt securities sold or intended to be sold

Balance, December 31

2012

2011

2010

$

$

310
7
46
(120)
243

$

$

2,148
72
149
(2,059)
310

$

$

3,155
487
421
(1,915)
2,148

The Corporation estimates the portion of a loss on a security 
that is attributable to credit using a discounted cash flow model 
and estimates the expected cash flows of the underlying collateral 
using  internal  credit,  interest  rate  and  prepayment  risk  models 
that  incorporate  management’s  best  estimate  of  current  key 
assumptions such as default rates, loss severity and prepayment 
rates. Assumptions used for the underlying loans that support the 
MBS can vary widely from loan to loan and are influenced by such 

factors as loan interest rate, geographic location of the borrower, 
borrower  characteristics  and  collateral  type.  Based  on  these 
assumptions, the Corporation then determines how the underlying 
collateral cash flows will be distributed to each MBS issued from 
the  applicable  special  purpose  entity.  Expected  principal  and 
interest  cash  flows  on  an  impaired  AFS  debt  security  are 
discounted using the effective yield of each individual impaired 
AFS debt security.

180     Bank of America 2012

 
Significant assumptions used in estimating the expected cash 
flows  for  measuring  credit  losses  on  non-agency  residential 
mortgage-backed  securities 
follows  at 
December 31, 2012.

(RMBS)  were  as 

Significant Assumptions

Range (1)

Weighted-
average

10th 
Percentile (2)

90th 
Percentile (2)

Prepayment speed
Loss severity
Life default rate
(1)  Represents the range of inputs/assumptions based upon the underlying collateral.
(2)  The value of a variable below which the indicated percentile of observations will fall.

12.9%
49.5
52.4

24.2
2.4

3.1%

29.7%
63.1
98.2

Annual constant prepayment speed and loss severity rates are 
projected  considering  collateral  characteristics  such  as  LTV, 
creditworthiness of borrowers as measured using FICO scores and 
geographic  concentrations.  The  weighted-average  severity  by 
collateral type was 45.8 percent for prime, 50.6 percent for Alt-A 
and  55.9  percent  for  subprime  at  December 31,  2012. 
Additionally, default rates are projected by considering collateral 
characteristics  including,  but  not  limited  to,  LTV,  FICO  and 
geographic concentration. Weighted-average life default rates by 
collateral type were 39.5 percent for prime, 63.5 percent for Alt-
A and 41.8 percent for subprime at December 31, 2012. 

The  table  below  presents  the  fair  value  and  the  associated 
gross unrealized losses on AFS securities with gross unrealized 
losses  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011,  and  whether  these 
securities have had gross unrealized losses for less than twelve 
months or for twelve months or longer.

Temporarily Impaired and Other-than-temporarily Impaired Securities

(Dollars in millions)

Temporarily impaired available-for-sale debt securities

U.S. Treasury and agency securities
Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations
Non-agency residential

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities

Total taxable securities

Tax-exempt securities

Total temporarily impaired available-for-sale debt securities

Other-than-temporarily impaired available-for-sale debt securities (1)

  Less than Twelve Months

Fair 
Value

Gross
Unrealized
Losses

December 31, 2012
Twelve Months or Longer

Total

Fair 
Value

Gross
Unrealized
Losses

Fair 
Value

Gross
Unrealized
Losses

$

— $

— $

5,608

$

(84) $

5,608

$

(84)

15,593
5,135
592
1,715
—
1,678
24,713
1,609
26,322

(133)
(121)
(13)
(1)
—
(1)
(269)
(9)
(278)

735
4,994
1,555
563
277
1,436
15,168
1,072
16,240

(13)
(97)
(110)
(5)
(16)
(14)
(339)
(38)
(377)

16,328
10,129
2,147
2,278
277
3,114
39,881
2,681
42,562

(146)
(218)
(123)
(6)
(16)
(15)
(608)
(47)
(655)

Non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities

14

(1)

74

(4)

88

(5)

Total temporarily impaired and other-than-temporarily impaired available-for-

sale securities (2)

$

26,336

$

(279) $

16,314

$

(381) $

42,650

$

(660)

Temporarily impaired available-for-sale debt securities

U.S. Treasury and agency securities
Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations
Non-agency residential
Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities

Total taxable securities

Tax-exempt securities

Total temporarily impaired available-for-sale debt securities

Temporarily impaired available-for-sale marketable equity securities
Total temporarily impaired available-for-sale securities
Other-than-temporarily impaired available-for-sale debt securities (1)

December 31, 2011

$

— $

— $

38,269

$

(811) $

38,269

$

(811)

4,679
11,448
2,112
55
1,008
415
4,210
23,927
1,117
25,044
31
25,075

(13)
(134)
(59)
(1)
(13)
(29)
(41)
(290)
(25)
(315)
(1)
(316)

474
976
3,950
—
165
111
1,361
45,306
2,754
48,060
6
48,066

(8)
(33)
(350)
—
(1)
(8)
(19)
(1,230)
(65)
(1,295)
(6)
(1,301)

5,153
12,424
6,062
55
1,173
526
5,571
69,233
3,871
73,104
37
73,141

(21)
(167)
(409)
(1)
(14)
(37)
(60)
(1,520)
(90)
(1,610)
(7)
(1,617)

Non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities

158

(28)

489

(45)

647

(73)

Total temporarily impaired and other-than-temporarily impaired available-for-

sale securities (2)

$

25,233

$

(344) $

48,555

$

(1,346) $

73,788

$

(1,690)

(1) 

Includes other-than-temporarily impaired AFS debt securities on which an OTTI loss remains in OCI.

(2)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the amortized cost of approximately 2,600 and 3,800 AFS securities exceeded their fair value by $660 million and $1.7 billion.

Bank of America 2012     181

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The amortized cost and fair value of the Corporation’s investment in AFS and HTM debt securities from FNMA, the Government 
National Mortgage Association (GNMA), FHLMC and U.S. Treasury securities where the investment exceeded 10 percent of consolidated 
shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2012 and 2011 are presented in the table below.

Selected Securities Exceeding 10 Percent of Shareholders’ Equity

(Dollars in millions)

Government National Mortgage Association
Fannie Mae
Freddie Mac
U.S. Treasury securities

December 31

2012

2011

Amortized
Cost

$

$

124,348
121,522
22,995
21,269

Fair 
Value

127,541
123,933
23,502
21,305

Amortized
Cost

$ 102,960
87,898
26,617
39,946

Fair 
Value

$ 106,200
89,243
27,129
39,164

The  expected  maturity  distribution  of  the  Corporation’s  MBS 
and the contractual maturity distribution of the Corporation’s other 
AFS debt securities, and the yields on the Corporation’s AFS debt 
securities portfolio at December 31, 2012 are summarized in the 

table below. Actual maturities may differ from the contractual or 
expected maturities since borrowers may have the right to prepay 
obligations with or without prepayment penalties.

Debt Securities Maturities

(Dollars in millions)

Amortized cost of AFS debt securities

Due in One
Year or Less

Due after One Year
through Five Years

December 31, 2012

Due after Five Years
through Ten Years

Due after 
Ten Years

Total

Amount

Yield (1)

Amount

Yield (1)

Amount

Yield (1)

Amount

Yield (1)

Amount

Yield (1)

U.S. Treasury and agency securities

$

548

0.57% $

855

2.12% $

1,884

5.30% $ 20,945

2.80% $ 24,232

3.00%

Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency

Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations

Non-agency residential

Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities

Corporate/Agency bonds

Other taxable securities

Total taxable securities

Tax-exempt securities

Total amortized cost of AFS debt securities

Total amortized cost of held-to-maturity debt securities (2)

Fair value of AFS debt securities

U.S. Treasury and agency securities

Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency

Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations

Non-agency residential

Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities

Corporate/Agency bonds

Other taxable securities

Total taxable securities

Tax-exempt securities

Total fair value of AFS debt securities

Total fair value of held-to-maturity debt securities (2)

7

11

750

456

4,247

315

2,501

8,835

43

8,878

6

549

7

11

749

477

4,244

320

2,502

8,859

43

8,902

6

$

$

$

$

$

4.70

6.31

4.50

5.70

1.46

2.40

1.10

1.84

2.63

1.84

5.00

59,880

12,876

5,112

3,080

1,169

808

4,926

88,706

1,524

$ 90,230

$

8,616

3.10

1.20

4.30

5.90

6.10

2.80

1.10

2.91

1.40

2.88

2.30

123,075

23,427

2,767

22

158

185

3,803

155,321

1,185

$ 156,506

$ 40,836

2.90

3.10

4.00

3.70

2.20

4.52

1.82

2.95

2.02

2.95

2.40

285

15

602

18

—

107

859

22,831

1,415

$ 24,246

$

23

2.60

1.10

6.70

4.03

—

0.90

1.10

2.83

1.10

2.72

4.40

183,247

36,329

9,231

3,576

5,574

1,415

12,089

275,693

4,167

$ 279,860

$ 49,481

2.90

2.40

4.40

5.90

2.65

2.92

1.37

2.86

1.68

2.84

2.40

$

883

$

2,072

$ 20,968

$ 24,472

61,234

12,827

5,239

3,405

1,211

826

4,947

90,572

1,526

$ 92,098

$

8,790

126,619

24,684

2,841

24

163

207

3,825

160,435

1,184

$ 161,619

$ 41,451

289

16

665

18

—

97

854

22,907

1,380

$ 24,287

$

23

188,149

37,538

9,494

3,924

5,618

1,450

12,128

282,773

4,133

$ 286,906

$ 50,270

(1)  Average yield is computed using the effective yield of each security at the end of the period, weighted based on the amortized cost of each security. The effective yield considers the contractual 

coupon, amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts, and excludes the effect of related hedging derivatives.

(2)  Substantially all U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities.

182     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  gross  realized  gains  and  losses  on  sales  of  AFS  debt 
securities for 2012, 2011 and 2010 are presented in the table 
below.

Gains and Losses on Sales of AFS Debt Securities

(Dollars in millions)

Gross gains
Gross losses

Net gains on sales of AFS debt securities

Income tax expense attributable to realized
net gains on sales of AFS debt securities

2012
$ 2,128
(466)
$ 1,662

2011
$ 3,685
(311)
$ 3,374

2010
$ 3,995
(1,469)
$ 2,526

$

615

$ 1,248

$

935

Certain Corporate and Strategic Investments
At  December 31,  2012  and  2011,  the  Corporation  owned  2.0 
billion  shares  representing  approximately  one  percent  of  China 

Construction Bank Corporation (CCB). Sales restrictions on these 
shares continue until August 2013. Because the sales restrictions 
on these shares will expire within one year, these securities are 
accounted for as AFS marketable equity securities and are carried 
at  fair  value  with  the  after-tax  unrealized  gain  included  in 
accumulated  OCI.  At  December  31,  2011,  this  investment  was 
accounted  for  at  cost.  The  carrying  value  of  the  investment  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011 was $1.4 billion and $716 million, 
and the cost basis and the fair value were $716 million and $1.4 
billion for both periods. There is a strategic assistance agreement 
between the Corporation and CCB, which includes cooperation in 
specific business areas.

The  Corporation’s  49  percent  investment  in  a  merchant 
services joint venture had a carrying value of $3.3 billion and $3.4 
billion  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011.  For  additional 
information, see Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies.

Bank of America 2012     183

NOTE 5 Outstanding Loans and Leases
The following tables present total outstanding loans and leases and an aging analysis for the Corporation’s Home Loans, Credit Card 
and Other Consumer, and Commercial portfolio segments, by class of financing receivables, at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

December 31, 2012

30-59 Days 
Past Due (1)

60-89 Days 
Past Due (1)

90 Days or
More
Past Due (2)

Total Past
Due 30 Days
or More

Total Current 
or Less Than 
30 Days Past 
Due (3)

Purchased
Credit-
impaired (4)

Loans
Accounted
for Under the
Fair Value
Option

(Dollars in millions)

Home loans

Core portfolio

Residential mortgage (5)
Home equity

$

Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate (6)
Credit card and other consumer

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer (7)
Other consumer (8)

Total consumer loans
Consumer loans accounted for 
under the fair value option (9)

2,274
273

2,891
607
48

729
106
569
48
7,545

$

$

806
146

6,227
591

$

9,307
1,010

$ 160,809
59,841

1,696
356
19

582
85
239
19
3,948

26,494
1,444
234

1,437
212
573
4
37,216

31,081
2,407
301

2,748
403
1,381
71
48,709

$

33,247
36,191
757

8,737
8,547
8,834

92,087
11,294
81,824
1,557
477,607

26,118

Total consumer

7,545

3,948

37,216

48,709

477,607

26,118

  $

1,005

1,005

Commercial

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate (10)
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial loans
Commercial loans accounted for 
under the fair value option (9)

323
79
84
2
101
589

133
144
79
—
75
431

639
983
30
—
168
1,820

1,095
1,206
193
2
344
2,840

196,031
37,431
23,650
74,182
12,249
343,543

Total commercial
Total loans and leases

589
8,134

$

431
4,379

1,820
39,036

2,840
51,549

343,543
$ 821,150

$

$

$

$

26,118

$

7,997

7,997
9,002

$

Total
Outstandings

$

170,116
60,851

73,065
47,145
9,892

94,835
11,697
83,205
1,628
552,434

1,005

553,439

197,126
38,637
23,843
74,184
12,593
346,383

7,997

354,380
907,819

4.30%
Percentage of outstandings
(1)  Home loans 30-59 days past due includes $2.3 billion of fully-insured loans and $702 million of nonperforming loans. Home loans 60-89 days past due includes $1.3 billion of fully-insured loans 

90.45%

0.48%

0.90%

5.68%

2.88%

0.99%

and $558 million of nonperforming loans.

(2)  Home loans includes $22.2 billion of fully-insured loans.
(3)  Home loans includes $5.5 billion and direct/indirect consumer includes $63 million of nonperforming loans.
(4)  PCI loan amounts are shown gross of the valuation allowance.
(5)  Total outstandings includes non-U.S. residential mortgage loans of $93 million.
(6)  Total outstandings includes $8.8 billion of pay option loans and $1.1 billion of subprime loans. The Corporation no longer originates these products.
(7)  Total outstandings includes dealer financial services loans of $35.9 billion, consumer lending loans of $4.7 billion, U.S. securities-based lending margin loans of $28.3 billion, student loans of $4.8 

billion, non-U.S. consumer loans of $8.3 billion and other consumer loans of $1.2 billion.

(8)  Total outstandings includes consumer finance loans of $1.4 billion, other non-U.S. consumer loans of $5 million and consumer overdrafts of $177 million. 
(9)  Consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option were residential mortgage loans of $147 million and discontinued real estate loans of $858 million. Commercial loans accounted for under 
the fair value option were U.S. commercial loans of $2.3 billion and non-U.S. commercial loans of $5.7 billion. For additional information, see Note 21 – Fair Value Measurements and Note 22 – Fair 
Value Option.

(10)  Total outstandings includes U.S. commercial real estate loans of $37.2 billion and non-U.S. commercial real estate loans of $1.5 billion.

184     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30-59 Days
Past Due (1)

60-89 Days 
Past Due (1)

90 Days or
More
Past Due (2)

Total Past
Due 30 Days
or More

Total Current 
or Less Than 
30 Days 
Past Due (3)

Purchased
Credit-
impaired (4)

Loans
Accounted
for Under
the Fair
Value Option

December 31, 2011

(Dollars in millions)

Home loans

Core portfolio

Residential mortgage (5)
Home equity

$

2,151
260

$

$

751
155

3,017
429

$

5,919
844

$ 172,418
66,211

Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate (6)
Credit card and other consumer

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer (7)
Other consumer (8)

Total consumer loans
Consumer loans accounted for 
under the fair value option (9)

3,195
845
65

981
148
805
55
8,505

2,174
508
24

772
120
338
21
4,863

32,167
1,735
351

2,070
342
779
17
40,907

37,536
3,088
440

3,823
610
1,922
93
54,275

36,451
42,578
798

$

9,966
11,978
9,857

98,468
13,808
87,791
2,595
521,118

31,801

Total consumer

8,505

4,863

40,907

54,275

521,118

31,801

Commercial

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate (10)
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial loans
Commercial loans accounted for 
under the fair value option (9)

352
288
78
24
150
892

166
118
15
—
106
405

866
1,860
22
—
272
3,020

1,384
2,266
115
24
528
4,317

178,564
37,330
21,874
55,394
12,723
305,885

$

2,190

2,190

Total
Outstandings

  $

178,337
67,055

83,953
57,644
11,095

102,291
14,418
89,713
2,688
607,194

2,190

609,384

179,948
39,596
21,989
55,418
13,251
310,202

6,614

316,816
926,200

6,614

6,614
8,804

$

Total commercial
Total loans and leases

892
9,397

$

405
5,268

3,020
43,927

4,317
58,592

305,885
$ 827,003

$

$

$

$

31,801

$

Percentage of outstandings
4.74%
(1)  Home loans 30-59 days past due includes $2.2 billion of fully-insured loans and $372 million of nonperforming loans. Home loans 60-89 days past due includes $1.4 billion of fully-insured loans 

89.29%

1.02%

6.33%

3.43%

0.57%

0.95%

and $398 million of nonperforming loans.

(2)  Home loans includes $21.2 billion of fully-insured loans.
(3)  Home loans includes $1.8 billion and direct/indirect consumer includes $7 million of nonperforming loans.
(4)  PCI loan amounts are shown gross of the valuation allowance.
(5)  Total outstandings includes non-U.S. residential mortgage loans of $85 million.
(6)  Total outstandings includes $9.9 billion of pay option loans and $1.2 billion of subprime loans. The Corporation no longer originates these products.
(7)  Total outstandings includes dealer financial services loans of $43.0 billion, consumer lending loans of $8.0 billion, U.S. securities-based lending margin loans of $23.6 billion, student loans of $6.0 

billion, non-U.S. consumer loans of $7.6 billion and other consumer loans of $1.5 billion.

(8)  Total outstandings includes consumer finance loans of $1.7 billion, other non-U.S. consumer loans of $929 million and consumer overdrafts of $103 million.
(9)  Consumer loans accounted for under the fair value option were residential mortgage loans of $906 million and discontinued real estate loans of $1.3 billion. Commercial loans accounted for under 
the fair value option were U.S. commercial loans of $2.2 billion and non-U.S. commercial loans of $4.4 billion. For additional information, see Note 21 – Fair Value Measurements and Note 22 – Fair 
Value Option.

(10)  Total outstandings includes U.S. commercial real estate loans of $37.8 billion and non-U.S. commercial real estate loans of $1.8 billion.

Bank of America 2012     185

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Corporation  mitigates  a  portion  of  its  credit  risk  on  the 
residential  mortgage  portfolio  through  the  use  of  synthetic 
securitization vehicles. These vehicles issue long-term notes to 
investors, the proceeds of which are held as cash collateral. The 
Corporation pays a premium to the vehicles to purchase mezzanine 
loss protection on a portfolio of residential mortgage loans owned 
by the Corporation. Cash held in the vehicles is used to reimburse 
the Corporation in the event that losses on the mortgage portfolio 
exceed 10 basis points (bps) of the original pool balance, up to 
the remaining amount of purchased loss protection of $500 million 
and $783 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011. The vehicles 
from which the Corporation purchases credit protection are VIEs. 
The Corporation does not have a variable interest in these vehicles, 
and  accordingly,  these  vehicles  are  not  consolidated  by  the 
Corporation. Amounts due from the vehicles are recorded in other 
income  (loss)  when  the  Corporation  recognizes  a  reimbursable 
loss,  as  described  above.  Amounts  are  collected  when 
reimbursable losses are realized through the sale of the underlying 
collateral. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Corporation had 
a receivable of $305 million and $359 million from these vehicles 
for reimbursement of losses, and principal of $17.6 billion and 
$23.9 billion of residential mortgage loans was referenced under 
these agreements. The Corporation records an allowance for credit 
losses  on  these  loans  without  regard  to  the  existence  of  the 
purchased loss protection as the protection does not represent a 
guarantee of individual loans.

In addition, the Corporation has entered into long-term credit 
protection agreements with FNMA and FHLMC on loans totaling 
$24.3 billion and $24.4 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011, 
providing full protection on residential mortgage loans that become 
severely delinquent. All of these loans are individually insured and 
therefore the Corporation does not record an allowance for credit 
losses related to these loans. For additional information, see Note 
8  –  Representations  and  Warranties  Obligations  and  Corporate 
Guarantees. 

Nonperforming Loans and Leases
In 2012, the bank regulatory agencies jointly issued interagency 
supervisory  guidance  on  nonaccrual  status  for  junior-lien 
consumer  real  estate  loans.  In  accordance  with  this  regulatory 
interagency guidance, the Corporation classifies junior-lien home 
equity loans as nonperforming when the first-lien loan becomes 
90 days past due even if the junior-lien loan is performing, and as 
a result, an incremental $1.5 billion was included in nonperforming 
loans at December 31, 2012. The regulatory interagency guidance 
had no impact on the Corporation’s allowance for loan and lease 
losses or provision for credit losses as the delinquency status of 
the  underlying  first-lien  loans  was  already  considered  in  the 
Corporation’s reserving process.

In  2012,  new  regulatory  guidance  was  issued  addressing 
certain consumer real estate loans that have been discharged in 
Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In accordance with this new guidance, the 
Corporation  classifies  consumer  real  estate  and  other  secured 
consumer  loans  that  have  been  discharged  in  Chapter  7 
bankruptcy  and  not  reaffirmed  by  the  borrower  as  TDRs, 
irrespective of payment history or delinquency status, even if the 
repayment terms for the loan have not been otherwise modified. 
The  Corporation  continues  to  have  a  lien  on  the  underlying 
collateral. Previously, such loans were classified as TDRs only if 
there  had  been  a  change  in  contractual  payment  terms  that 
represented a concession to the borrower. The net impact upon 
implementation to the consumer loan portfolio of adopting this 
new regulatory guidance was $1.2 billion in net new nonperforming 
loans,  and  $1.1  billion  of  such  loans  were  included  in 
nonperforming loans at December 31, 2012. Of the $1.1 billion, 
$1.0  billion,  or  92  percent,  were  current  on  their  contractual 
payments.  Of  these  contractually  current  nonperforming  loans, 
more than 70 percent were discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy 
more  than  12  months  ago,  and  more  than  40  percent  were 
discharged 24 months or more ago. As subsequent cash payments 
are received, the interest component of the payments is generally 
recorded  as  interest  income  on  a  cash  basis  and  the  principal 
component  is  generally  recorded  as  a  reduction  in  the  carrying 
value of the loan.

186     Bank of America 2012

The  table  below  presents  the  Corporation’s  nonperforming 
loans  and  leases  including  nonperforming  TDRs  and  loans 
accruing past due 90 days or more at December 31, 2012 and 
2011.  Nonperforming  LHFS  are  excluded  from  nonperforming 

loans and leases as they are recorded at either fair value or the 
lower of cost or fair value. See Note 1 – Summary of Significant 
Accounting  Principles  for  further  information  on  the  criteria  for 
classification as nonperforming.

Credit Quality

(Dollars in millions)

Home loans

Core portfolio

Residential mortgage (2)
Home equity

Legacy Assets & Servicing portfolio

Residential mortgage (2)
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
Credit card and other consumer

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Other consumer

Total consumer

Commercial

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Commercial lease financing
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial

Total commercial
Total consumer and commercial

December 31

Nonperforming Loans 
and Leases (1)

Accruing Past Due
90 Days or More

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

3,190
1,265

2,414
439

$

$

3,984
—

883
—

11,618
3,016
248

n/a
n/a
92
2
19,431

13,556
2,014
290

n/a
n/a
40
15
18,768

1,484
1,513
44
68
115
3,224
$ 22,655

2,174
3,880
26
143
114
6,337
$ 25,105

$

18,173
—
—

1,437
212
545
2
24,353

65
29
15
—
120
229
24,582

20,281
—
—

2,070
342
746
2
24,324

75
7
14
—
216
312
$ 24,636

(1)  Nonperforming loan balances do not include nonaccruing TDRs removed from the PCI portfolio prior to January 1, 2010 of $521 million and $477 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
(2)  Residential mortgage loans accruing past due 90 days or more are fully-insured loans. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, residential mortgage includes $17.8 billion and $17.0 billion of loans on 
which interest has been curtailed by the FHA, and therefore are no longer accruing interest, although principal is still insured, and $4.4 billion and $4.2 billion of loans on which interest is still 
accruing.

n/a = not applicable

Credit Quality Indicators
The  Corporation  monitors  credit  quality  within  its  Home  Loans, 
Credit  Card  and  Other  Consumer,  and  Commercial  portfolio 
segments  based  on  primary  credit  quality  indicators.  For  more 
information on the portfolio segments, see Note 1 – Summary of 
Significant Accounting Principles. Within the Home Loans portfolio 
segment, the primary credit quality indicators are refreshed LTV 
and refreshed FICO score. Refreshed LTV measures the carrying 
value of the loan as a percentage of the value of property securing 
the  loan,  refreshed  quarterly.  Home  equity  loans  are  evaluated 
using CLTV which measures the carrying value of the combined 
loans that have liens against the property and the available line 
of credit as a percentage of the appraised value of the property 
securing the loan, refreshed quarterly. FICO score measures the 
creditworthiness of the borrower based on the financial obligations 
of the borrower and the borrower’s credit history. At a minimum, 

FICO  scores  are  refreshed  quarterly,  and  in  many  cases,  more 
frequently. FICO scores are also a primary credit quality indicator 
for the Credit Card and Other Consumer portfolio segment and the 
business card portfolio within U.S. small business commercial. 
Within  the  Commercial  portfolio  segment,  loans  are  evaluated 
using  the  internal  classifications  of  pass  rated  or  reservable 
criticized  as  the  primary  credit  quality  indicators.  The  term 
reservable  criticized  refers  to  those  commercial  loans  that  are 
internally classified or listed by the Corporation as Special Mention, 
Substandard or Doubtful, which are asset categories defined by 
regulatory authorities. These assets have an elevated level of risk 
and may have a high probability of default or total loss. Pass rated 
refers to all loans not considered reservable criticized. In addition 
to  these  primary  credit  quality  indicators,  the  Corporation  uses 
other credit quality indicators for certain types of loans.

Bank of America 2012     187

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following tables present certain credit quality indicators for the Corporation’s Home Loans, Credit Card and Other Consumer, 

and Commercial portfolio segments, by class of financing receivables, at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Home Loans – Credit Quality Indicators (1) 

(Dollars in millions)

Refreshed LTV (3)

Less than 90 percent

Greater than 90 percent but less than

100 percent

Greater than 100 percent

Fully-insured loans (4)

Total home loans

Refreshed FICO score

Less than 620

Greater than or equal to 620 and less than 680

Greater than or equal to 680 and less than 740

Greater than or equal to 740

Fully-insured loans (4)

Total home loans

Core Portfolio 
Residential
Mortgage (2)

Legacy Assets 
& Servicing 
Residential
Mortgage (2)

Countrywide
Residential
Mortgage PCI

Core Portfolio 
Home Equity (2)

Legacy Assets 
& Servicing 
Home Equity (2)

Countrywide
Home Equity
PCI

Legacy Assets 
& Servicing 
Discontinued
Real Estate (2)

Countrywide
Discontinued
Real Estate
PCI

December 31, 2012

$

80,585

$

19,904

$

3,516

$

44,971

$

15,907

$

2,050

$

719

$

5,093

$

$

8,891

12,984

67,656

170,116

6,366

8,561

25,141

62,392

67,656

$

$

$

$

5,000

16,226

23,198

64,328

13,900

6,006

8,411

12,813

23,198

$

$

1,312

3,909

—

8,737

3,249

1,381

1,886

2,221

—

$

$

5,825

10,055

—

60,851

2,586

4,500

12,625

41,140

—

$

$

4,507

18,184

—

38,598

5,408

5,885

10,387

16,918

—

$

$

788

5,709

—

8,547

1,930

1,500

2,278

2,839

—

$

$

102

237

—

1,058

429

160

206

263

—

1,067

2,674

—

8,834

5,471

1,359

1,106

898

—

$

170,116

$

64,328

$

8,737

$

60,851

$

38,598

$

8,547

$

1,058

$

8,834

(1)  Excludes $1.0 billion of loans accounted for under the fair value option.
(2)  Excludes Countrywide PCI loans.
(3)  Refreshed LTV percentages for PCI loans are calculated using the carrying value net of the related valuation allowance.
(4)  Credit quality indicators are not reported for fully-insured loans as principal repayment is insured.

Credit Card and Other Consumer – Credit Quality Indicators

(Dollars in millions)

Refreshed FICO score

Less than 620

Greater than or equal to 620 and less than 680

Greater than or equal to 680 and less than 740

Greater than or equal to 740

Other internal credit metrics (2, 3, 4)

Total credit card and other consumer

December 31, 2012

U.S. Credit
Card

Non-U.S.
Credit Card

Direct/Indirect
Consumer

Other
Consumer (1)

$

6,188

$

— $

1,896

$

13,947

37,167

37,533

—

—

—

—

11,697

3,367

9,592

25,164

43,186

668

301

232

212

215

$

94,835

$

11,697

$

83,205

$

1,628

(1)  87 percent of the other consumer portfolio is associated with portfolios from certain consumer finance businesses that the Corporation previously exited.
(2)  Other internal credit metrics may include delinquency status, geography or other factors.
(3)  Direct/indirect consumer includes $36.5 billion of securities-based lending which is overcollateralized and therefore has minimal credit risk and $4.8 billion of loans the Corporation no longer 

originates.

(4)  Non-U.S. credit card represents the U.K. credit card portfolio which is evaluated using internal credit metrics, including delinquency status. At December 31, 2012, 97 percent of this portfolio was 

current or less than 30 days past due, one percent was 30-89 days past due and two percent was 90 days or more past due.

Commercial – Credit Quality Indicators (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Risk ratings

Pass rated

Reservable criticized

Refreshed FICO score (3)

Less than 620

Greater than or equal to 620 and less than 680

Greater than or equal to 680 and less than 740

Greater than or equal to 740

Other internal credit metrics (3, 4)

Total commercial

December 31, 2012

U.S.
Commercial

Commercial
Real Estate

Commercial
Lease
Financing

Non-U.S.
Commercial

U.S. Small
Business
Commercial (2)

$

189,602

$

34,968

$

22,874

$

72,688

$

7,524

3,669

969

1,496

1,690

573

400

580

1,553

2,496

5,301

$

197,126

$

38,637

$

23,843

$

74,184

$

12,593

(1)  Excludes $8.0 billion of loans accounted for under the fair value option.
(2)  U.S. small business commercial includes $366 million of criticized business card and small business loans which are evaluated using refreshed FICO scores or internal credit metrics, including 

delinquency status, rather than risk ratings. At December 31, 2012, 98 percent of the balances where internal credit metrics are used were current or less than 30 days past due.

(3)  Refreshed FICO score and other internal credit metrics are applicable only to the U.S. small business commercial portfolio.
(4)  Other internal credit metrics may include delinquency status, application scores, geography or other factors.

188     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Home Loans – Credit Quality Indicators (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Refreshed LTV (3)

Less than 90 percent

Greater than 90 percent but less than

100 percent

Greater than 100 percent

Fully-insured loans (4)

Total home loans

Refreshed FICO score (5)

Less than 620

Greater than or equal to 620 and less than 680

Greater than or equal to 680 and less than 740

Greater than or equal to 740

Fully-insured loans (4)

Total home loans

Core Portfolio 
Residential
Mortgage (2)

Legacy Assets 
& Servicing 
Residential
Mortgage (2)

Countrywide
Residential
Mortgage PCI

Core Portfolio 
Home Equity (2)

Legacy Assets 
& Servicing 
Home Equity (2)

Countrywide
Hone Equity
PCI

Legacy Assets 
& Servicing 
Discontinued
Real Estate (2)

Countrywide
Discontinued
Real Estate
PCI

December 31, 2011

$

80,032

$

20,450

$

3,821

$

46,646

$

17,354

$

2,253

$

895

$

5,953

$

$

11,838

17,673

68,794

178,337

7,020

9,331

26,569

66,623

68,794

$

$

$

$

5,847

22,630

25,060

73,987

17,337

6,537

9,439

15,614

25,060

$

$

1,468

4,677

—

9,966

3,924

1,381

2,036

2,625

—

$

$

6,988

13,421

—

67,055

2,843

4,704

13,561

45,947

—

$

$

4,995

23,317

—

45,666

7,293

6,866

11,798

19,709

—

$

$

1,077

8,648

—

11,978

4,140

1,969

2,538

3,331

—

$

$

122

221

—

1,238

548

175

228

287

—

1,191

2,713

—

9,857

6,275

1,279

1,223

1,080

—

$

178,337

$

73,987

$

9,966

$

67,055

$

45,666

$

11,978

$

1,238

$

9,857

(1)  Excludes $2.2 billion of loans accounted for under the fair value option.
(2)  Excludes Countrywide PCI loans.
(3)  Refreshed LTV percentages for PCI loans are calculated using the carrying value net of the related valuation allowance.
(4)  Credit quality indicators are not reported for fully-insured loans as principal repayment is insured.
(5)  During 2012, refreshed home equity FICO metrics reflected an updated scoring model that is more representative of the credit risk of the Corporation’s borrowers. Prior period amounts were adjusted 

to reflect these updates.

Credit Card and Other Consumer – Credit Quality Indicators

(Dollars in millions)

Refreshed FICO score

Less than 620

Greater than or equal to 620 and less than 680

Greater than or equal to 680 and less than 740

Greater than or equal to 740

Other internal credit metrics (2, 3, 4)

Total credit card and other consumer

December 31, 2011

U.S. Credit
Card

Non-U.S.
Credit Card

Direct/Indirect
Consumer

Other
Consumer (1)

$

8,172

$

— $

3,325

$

15,474

39,525

39,120

—

—

—

—

14,418

4,665

12,351

29,965

39,407

$

102,291

$

14,418

$

89,713

$

802

348

262

244

1,032

2,688

(1)  96 percent of the other consumer portfolio is associated with portfolios from certain consumer finance businesses that the Corporation previously exited.
(2)  Other internal credit metrics may include delinquency status, geography or other factors.
(3)  Direct/indirect consumer includes $31.1 billion of securities-based lending which is overcollateralized and therefore has minimal credit risk and $6.0 billion of loans the Corporation no longer 

originates.

(4)  Non-U.S. credit card represents the U.K. credit card portfolio which is evaluated using internal credit metrics, including delinquency status. At December 31, 2011, 96 percent of this portfolio was 

current or less than 30 days past due, two percent was 30-89 days past due and two percent was 90 days or more past due.

Commercial – Credit Quality Indicators (1) 

(Dollars in millions)

Risk ratings

Pass rated

Reservable criticized

Refreshed FICO score (3)

Less than 620

Greater than or equal to 620 and less than 680

Greater than or equal to 680 and less than 740

Greater than or equal to 740

Other internal credit metrics (3, 4)

Total commercial

December 31, 2011

U.S.
Commercial

Commercial
Real Estate

Commercial
Lease
Financing

Non-U.S.
Commercial

U.S. Small
Business
Commercial (2)

$

169,599

$

28,602

$

20,850

$

53,945

$

10,349

10,994

1,139

1,473

2,392

836

562

624

1,612

2,438

4,787

$

179,948

$

39,596

$

21,989

$

55,418

$

13,251

(1)  Excludes $6.6 billion of loans accounted for under the fair value option.
(2)  U.S. small business commercial includes $491 million of criticized business card and small business loans which are evaluated using refreshed FICO scores or internal credit metrics, including 

delinquency status, rather than risk ratings. At December 31, 2011, 97 percent of the balances where internal credit metrics are used were current or less than 30 days past due.

(3)  Refreshed FICO score and other internal credit metrics are applicable only to the U.S. small business commercial portfolio.
(4)  Other internal credit metrics may include delinquency status, application scores, geography or other factors.

Bank of America 2012     189

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Impaired Loans and Troubled Debt Restructurings
A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information, 
it  is  probable  that  the  Corporation  will  be  unable  to  collect  all 
amounts due from the borrower in accordance with the contractual 
terms  of  the  loan.  Impaired  loans  include  nonperforming 
commercial  loans  and  all  consumer  and  commercial  TDRs. 
Impaired  loans  exclude  nonperforming  consumer  loans  and 
nonperforming commercial leases unless they are classified as 
TDRs. Loans accounted for under the fair value option are also 
excluded. PCI loans are excluded and reported separately on page 
197.

Home Loans
Impaired home loans within the Home Loans portfolio segment 
consist entirely of TDRs. Excluding PCI loans, most modifications 
of home loans meet the definition of TDRs when a binding offer 
is extended to a borrower. Modifications of home loans are done 
in  accordance  with  the  government’s  Making  Home  Affordable 
Program  (modifications  under  government  programs)  or  the 
Corporation’s  proprietary  programs 
(modifications  under 
proprietary programs). These modifications are considered to be 
TDRs if concessions have been granted to borrowers experiencing 
financial  difficulties.  Concessions  may  include  reductions  in 
interest rates, capitalization of past due amounts, principal and/
or  interest  forbearance,  payment  extensions,  principal  and/or 
interest  forgiveness,  or  combinations  thereof.  In  2012,  the 
Corporation  implemented  a  borrower  assistance  program  that 
provides forgiveness of principal balances in connection with the 
settlement agreement among the Corporation and certain of its 
affiliates and subsidiaries, together with the U.S. Department of 
Justice  (DOJ),  the  U.S.  Department  of  Housing  and  Urban 
Development  (HUD)  and  other  federal  agencies,  and  49  state 
Attorneys  General  concerning  the  terms  of  a  global  settlement 
resolving  investigations  into  certain  origination,  servicing  and 
foreclosure practices (National Mortgage Settlement).

to 

Prior  to  permanently  modifying  a  loan,  the  Corporation  may 
enter  into  trial  modifications  with  certain  borrowers  under  both 
government  and  proprietary  programs,  including  the  borrower 
assistance  program  pursuant 
the  National  Mortgage 
Settlement. Trial modifications generally represent a three- to four-
month period during which the borrower makes monthly payments 
under the anticipated modified payment terms. Upon successful 
completion of the trial period, the Corporation and the borrower 
enter into a permanent modification. Binding trial modifications 
are classified as TDRs when the trial offer is made and continue 
to be classified as TDRs regardless of whether the borrower enters 
into a permanent modification.

In  2012,  new  regulatory  guidance  was  issued  addressing 
certain  home  loans  that  have  been  discharged  in  Chapter  7 
bankruptcy,  and  as  a  result,  an  additional  $3.5  billion  of  home 
loans were included in TDRs at December 31, 2012, of which $1.2 
billion were current or less than 60 days past due. Of the $3.5 
billion of home loan TDRs, approximately 27 percent, 42 percent 
and 31 percent had been discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 
2012, 2011 and prior years, respectively. For more information on 

the  new  regulatory  guidance  on  loans  discharged  in  Chapter  7 
bankruptcy, see Nonperforming Loans and Leases in this Note.

In  accordance  with  applicable  accounting  guidance,  a  home 
loan,  excluding  PCI  loans  which  are  reported  separately,  is  not 
classified as impaired unless it is a TDR. Once such a loan has 
been  designated  as  a  TDR,  it  is  then  individually  assessed  for 
impairment. Home loan TDRs are measured primarily based on 
the net present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at 
the  loan’s  original  effective  interest  rate,  as  discussed  in  the 
paragraph  below.  If  the  carrying  value  of  a  TDR  exceeds  this 
amount, a specific allowance is recorded as a component of the 
allowance for loan and lease losses. Alternatively, home loan TDRs 
that are considered to be dependent solely on the collateral for 
repayment  (e.g.,  due  to  the  lack  of  income  verification  or  as  a 
result of being discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy) are measured 
based on the estimated fair value of the collateral and a charge-
off is recorded if the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the 
collateral. Home loans that reached 180 days past due prior to 
modification  had  been  charged  off  to  their  net  realizable  value 
before they were modified as TDRs in accordance with established 
policy. Therefore, modifications of home loans that are 180 days 
or more past due as TDRs do not have an impact on the allowance 
for loan and lease losses nor are additional charge-offs required 
at the time of modification. Subsequent declines in the fair value 
of the collateral after a loan has reached 180 days past due are 
recorded as charge-offs. Fully-insured loans are protected against 
principal loss, and therefore, the Corporation does not record an 
allowance for loan and lease losses on the outstanding principal 
balance, even after they have been modified in a TDR.

The net present value of the estimated cash flows is based on 
model-driven  estimates  of  projected  payments,  prepayments, 
defaults and loss-given-default (LGD). Using statistical modeling 
methodologies, the Corporation estimates the probability that a 
loan will default prior to maturity based on the attributes of each 
loan. The factors that are most relevant to the probability of default 
are  the  refreshed  LTV,  or  in  the  case  of  a  subordinated  lien, 
refreshed  CLTV,  borrower  credit  score,  months  since  origination 
(i.e.,  vintage)  and  geography.  Each  of  these  factors  is  further 
broken  down  by  present  collection  status  (whether  the  loan  is 
current, delinquent, in default or in bankruptcy). Severity (or LGD) 
is estimated based on the refreshed LTV for first mortgages or 
CLTV  for  subordinated  liens.  The  estimates  are  based  on  the 
Corporation’s historical experience, but are adjusted to reflect an 
assessment of environmental factors that may not be reflected in 
the historical data, such as changes in real estate values, local 
and  national  economies,  underwriting  standards  and  the 
regulatory  environment.  The  probability  of  default  models  also 
incorporate recent experience with modification programs, a loan’s 
default history prior to modification and the change in borrower 
payments post-modification.

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, remaining commitments to 
lend additional funds to debtors whose terms have been modified 
in  a  home  loan  TDR  were  immaterial.  Home  loan  foreclosed 
properties totaled $650 million and $2.0 billion at December 31, 
2012 and 2011.

190     Bank of America 2012

The table below presents impaired loans in the Corporation’s Home Loans portfolio segment at and for the years ended December 
31, 2012 and 2011 and includes primarily loans managed by Legacy Assets & Servicing. Certain impaired home loans do not have a 
related allowance as the current valuation of these impaired loans exceeded the carrying value.

Impaired Loans – Home Loans

(Dollars in millions)

With no recorded allowance

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
With an allowance recorded

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

With no recorded allowance

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
With an allowance recorded

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total

December 31, 2012

2012

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

Carrying
Value

Related
Allowance

Average
Carrying
Value

Interest
Income
Recognized (1)

$

$

$

$

$

19,758
2,624
468

14,080
1,256
143

33,838
3,880
611

14,707
1,103
260

13,051
1,022
107

27,758
2,125
367

$

$

December 31, 2011

10,907
1,747
421

12,296
1,551
213

$

8,168
479
240

$

11,119
1,297
159

$

$

$

n/a
n/a
n/a

1,233
448
19

1,233
448
19

n/a
n/a
n/a

1,295
622
29

$

$

10,697
734
240

11,439
1,145
136

22,136
1,879
376

2011

$

6,285
442
222

9,379
1,357
173

358
49
8

417
44
6

775
93
14

233
23
8

319
34
6

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate
Interest income recognized includes interest accrued and collected on the outstanding balances of accruing impaired loans as well as interest cash collections on nonaccruing impaired loans for 
which the principal is considered collectible. 

23,203
3,298
634

19,287
1,776
399

15,664
1,799
395

1,295
622
29

552
57
14

$

$

$

$

$

(1) 

n/a = not applicable

Bank of America 2012     191

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The table below presents the December 31, 2012 and 2011 
unpaid principal balance, carrying value, and average pre- and post-
modification interest rates of home loans that were modified in 
TDRs  during  2012  and  2011,  and  net  charge-offs  that  were 
recorded during the period in which the modification occurred. The 

following Home Loans portfolio segment tables include loans that 
were initially classified as TDRs during the period and also loans 
that had previously been classified as TDRs and were modified 
again  during  the  period.  These  TDRs  are  managed  by  Legacy 
Assets & Servicing.

Home Loans – TDRs Entered into During 2012 and 2011 (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

Total

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

December 31, 2012
Pre-
modification
Interest Rate

Carrying
Value

Post-
modification
Interest Rate

2012

Net Charge-
offs

$

$

14,929
1,721
159
16,809

$

$

12,143
858
85
13,086

5.52%
5.22
5.21
5.49

4.70% $
4.39
4.35
4.66

$

507
716
16
1,239

December 31, 2011

2011

Residential mortgage
Home equity
Discontinued real estate

299
239
9
547
(1)  TDRs entered into during 2012 include principal forgiveness as follows: residential mortgage modifications of $755 million, home equity modifications of $9 million and discontinued real estate 

5.16% $
5.25
5.08
5.17

9,903
556
88
10,547

11,623
1,112
141
12,876

5.94%
6.58
6.68
6.01

Total

$

$

$

$

$

modifications of $23 million. Prior to 2012, the principal forgiveness amount was not significant.

The table below presents the December 31, 2012 and 2011 carrying value for home loans that were modified in TDRs during 2012 

and 2011 by type of modification.

Home Loans – Modification Programs

(Dollars in millions)

Modifications under government programs

Contractual interest rate reduction
Principal and/or interest forbearance
Other modifications (1)

Total modifications under government programs

Modifications under proprietary programs

Contractual interest rate reduction
Capitalization of past due amounts
Principal and/or interest forbearance
Other modifications (1)

Total modifications under proprietary programs

Trial modifications
Loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy (2)

Total modifications

Modifications under government programs

Contractual interest rate reduction
Principal and/or interest forbearance
Other modifications (1)

Total modifications under government programs

Modifications under proprietary programs

Contractual interest rate reduction
Capitalization of past due amounts
Principal and/or interest forbearance
Other modifications (1)

Total modifications under proprietary programs

Trial modifications

Total modifications

TDRs Entered into During 2012

Residential
Mortgage

 Home Equity

 Discontinued
Real Estate

Total Carrying
Value

$

$

$

$

$

638
49
37
724

3,343
143
415
97
3,998
4,505
2,916
12,143

$

78
31
1
110

44
—
16
21
81
69
598
858

$

$

4
2
—
6

7
1
9
—
17
42
20
85

TDRs Entered into During 2011

984
187
64
1,235

3,508
408
936
439
5,291
3,377
9,903

$

$

189
36
5
230

101
1
49
34
185
141
556

$

$

10
2
—
12

23
2
10
2
37
39
88

$

$

$

$

720
82
38
840

3,394
144
440
118
4,096
4,616
3,534
13,086

1,183
225
69
1,477

3,632
411
995
475
5,513
3,557
10,547

(1) 

(2) 

Includes other modifications such as term or payment extensions and repayment plans.
Includes loans newly classified as TDRs in accordance with new regulatory guidance on loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy that was issued in 2012.

192     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
The  table  below  presents  the  carrying  value  of  loans  that 
entered into payment default during 2012 and 2011 and that were 
modified in a TDR during the 12 months preceding payment default. 
A  payment  default  for  home  loan  TDRs  is  recognized  when  a 
borrower  has  missed  three  monthly  payments  (not  necessarily 

consecutively)  since  modification.  Payment  default  on  trial 
modification where the borrower has not yet met the terms of the 
agreement are included in the table below if the borrower is 90 
days or more past due three months after the offer to modify is 
made.

Home Loans – TDRs Entering Payment Default That Were Modified During the Preceding Twelve Months

(Dollars in millions)

Modifications under government programs
Modifications under proprietary programs
Loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy (1)
Trial modifications

Total modifications

Modifications under government programs
Modifications under proprietary programs
Trial modifications

 Residential
Mortgage

Home Equity

 Discontinued
Real Estate

Total Carrying
Value

2012

$

$

$

200
933
1,216
2,323
4,672

350
2,086
1,094
3,530

$

$

$

$

8
14
53
20
95

$

$

2011
2
$
42
17
61

$

2
9
12
28
51

2
12
7
21

$

$

$

$

210
956
1,281
2,371
4,818

354
2,140
1,118
3,612

Total modifications
Includes loans classified as TDRs at December 31, 2012 due to loans discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2012 or 2011.

$

(1) 

Credit Card and Other Consumer
Impaired loans within the Credit Card and Other Consumer portfolio 
segment consist entirely of loans that have been modified in TDRs 
(the renegotiated credit card and other consumer TDR portfolio 
collectively  referred  to  as  the  renegotiated  TDR  portfolio).  The 
Corporation  seeks  to  assist  customers  that  are  experiencing 
financial difficulty by modifying loans while ensuring compliance 
with  federal  laws  and  guidelines.  Substantially  all  of  the 
Corporation’s credit card and other consumer loan modifications 
involve reducing the interest rate on the account and placing the 
customer on a fixed payment plan not exceeding 60 months, all 
of  which  are  considered  TDRs.  In  all  cases,  the  customer’s 
available line of credit is canceled. The Corporation makes loan 
modifications  directly  with  borrowers  for  debt  held  only  by  the 
Corporation  (internal  programs).  Additionally,  the  Corporation 
makes loan modifications for borrowers working with third-party 
renegotiation agencies that provide solutions to customers’ entire 
unsecured debt structures (external programs). 

In  2012,  new  regulatory  guidance  was  issued  addressing 
certain consumer real estate loans that have been discharged in 
Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The Corporation applies this guidance to 

other  secured  consumer  loans  that  have  been  discharged  in 
Chapter  7  bankruptcy,  and  such  loans  are  classified  as  TDRs, 
written down to collateral value and placed on nonaccrual status 
no later than the time of discharge.

All credit card and substantially all other consumer loans that 
have been modified in TDRs remain on accrual status until the 
loan is either paid in full or charged off, which occurs no later than 
the end of the month in which the loan becomes 180 days past 
due or 120 days past due for a loan that was placed on a fixed 
payment plan after July 1, 2012.

The allowance for impaired credit card loans is based on the 
present  value  of  projected  cash  flows,  which  incorporates  the 
Corporation’s historical payment default and loss experience on 
loans,  discounted  using  the  portfolio’s  average 
modified 
contractual interest rate, excluding promotionally priced loans, in 
effect prior to restructuring. Prior to modification, credit card and 
other consumer loans are included in homogeneous pools which 
are collectively evaluated for impairment. For these portfolios, loss 
forecast  models  are  utilized  that  consider  a  variety  of  factors 
including,  but  not 
loss  experience, 
delinquencies, economic trends and credit scores. 

limited  to,  historical 

Bank of America 2012     193

The table below provides information on the Corporation’s renegotiated TDR portfolio at and for the years ended December 31, 

2012 and 2011.

Impaired Loans – Credit Card and Other Consumer – Renegotiated TDRs

(Dollars in millions)

With an allowance recorded

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Without an allowance recorded
Direct/Indirect consumer

Total

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer

With an allowance recorded

December 31, 2012

2012

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

Carrying
Value (1)

Related
Allowance

Average
Carrying
Value

Interest
Income
Recognized (2)

$

$

$

$

2,856
311
633

105

2,856
311
738

$

$

2,871
316
636

58

2,871
316
694

$

$

719
198
210

—

719
198
210

$

$

4,085
464
929

58

4,085
464
987

253
10
50

—

253
10
50

December 31, 2011

2011

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Includes accrued interest and fees.
Interest income recognized includes interest accrued and collected on the outstanding balances of accruing impaired loans as well as interest cash collections on nonaccruing impaired loans for 
which the principal is considered collectible.

5,305
597
1,198

5,272
588
1,193

1,570
435
405

7,211
759
1,582

433
6
85

$

$

$

$

$

(1) 

(2) 

The table below provides information on the Corporation’s primary modification programs for the renegotiated TDR portfolio at 

December 31, 2012 and 2011. 

Credit Card and Other Consumer – Renegotiated TDRs by Program Type

Internal Programs

External Programs

Other

Total

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer
Total renegotiated TDRs

2012

$

$

1,887
99
405
2,391

2011
$ 3,788
218
784
$ 4,790

2012

$

$

953
38
225
1,216

2011
$ 1,436
113
392
$ 1,941

$

$

2012

2011

2012

31
179
64
274

$

$

81
266
22
369

$

$

2,871
316
694
3,881

2011
$ 5,305
597
1,198
$ 7,100

Percent of Balances Current or
Less Than 30 Days Past Due

2012

2011

81.48%
43.71
83.11
78.69

78.97%
54.02
80.01
77.05  

December 31

194     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At  December  31,  2012  and  2011,  the  Corporation  had  a 
renegotiated TDR portfolio of $3.9 billion and $7.1 billion of which 
$3.1 billion was current or less than 30 days past due under the 
modified terms at December 31, 2012.

The  table  below  provides  information  on  the  Corporation’s 

renegotiated TDR portfolio including the unpaid principal balance, 
carrying  value  and  average  pre-  and  post-modification  interest 
rates of loans that were modified in TDRs during 2012 and 2011, 
and net charge-offs that were recorded during the period in which 
the modification occurred.

Credit Card and Other Consumer – Renegotiated TDRs Entered into During 2012 and 2011

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer

Total

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer

Total
Includes accrued interest and fees.

(1) 

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

December 31, 2012
Pre-
modification
Interest Rate

Carrying 
Value (1)

Post-
modification
Interest Rate

2012

Net Charge-
offs

$

$

$

$

396
196
160
752

890
305
198
1,393

$

$

$

$

400
206
113
719

17.59%
26.19
9.59
18.79

6.36% $
1.15
5.72
4.77

$

December 31, 2011

2011

902
322
199
1,423

19.04%
26.32
15.63
20.20

6.16% $
1.04
5.22
4.87

$

45
190
52
287

106
291
23
420

The table below provides information on the Corporation’s primary modification programs for the renegotiated TDR portfolio for 

loans that were modified in TDRs during 2012 and 2011.

Credit Card and Other Consumer – Renegotiated TDRs by Program Type

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer

Total renegotiated TDR loans

U.S. credit card
Non-U.S. credit card
Direct/Indirect consumer

Total renegotiated TDR loans

Credit  card  and  other  consumer  loans  are  deemed  to  be  in 
payment default during the quarter in which a borrower misses the 
second of two consecutive payments. Payment defaults are one 
of the factors considered when projecting future cash flows in the 
calculation  of  the  allowance  for  loan  losses  for  impaired  credit 
card  and  other  consumer  loans.  At  December 31,  2012,  the 
allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses  on  the  Corporation’s 
renegotiated portfolio was 29.04 percent of the carrying value of 
these loans. Loans that entered into payment default during 2012 
and 2011 that had been modified in a TDR during the 12 months 
preceding payment default were $203 million and $863 million for 
U.S. credit card, $298 million and $409 million for non-U.S. credit 
card and $35 million and $180 million for direct/indirect consumer.

Commercial Loans
Impaired  commercial  loans,  which  include  nonperforming  loans 
and  TDRs  (both  performing  and  nonperforming)  are  primarily 

Renegotiated TDRs Entered into During 2012
December 31, 2012

Internal
Programs

External
Programs

Other

Total

248
112
36
396

$

$

152
94
19
265

$

$

— $
—
58
58

$

400
206
113
719

Renegotiated TDRs Entered into During 2011
December 31, 2011

492
163
112
767

$

$

407
158
87
652

$

$

3
1
—
4

$

$

902
322
199
1,423

$

$

$

$

measured based on the present value of payments expected to 
be  received,  discounted  at  the  loan’s  original  effective  interest 
rate. Commercial impaired loans may also be measured based on 
observable market prices or, for loans that are solely dependent 
on  the  collateral  for  repayment,  the  estimated  fair  value  of 
collateral less estimated costs to sell. If the carrying value of a 
loan exceeds this amount, a specific allowance is recorded as a 
component of the allowance for loan and lease losses.

Modifications  of  loans  to  commercial  borrowers  that  are 
experiencing  financial  difficulty  are  designed  to  reduce  the 
Corporation’s loss exposure while providing the borrower with an 
opportunity  to  work  through  financial  difficulties,  often  to  avoid 
foreclosure or bankruptcy. Each modification is unique and reflects 
the individual circumstances of the borrower. Modifications that 
result  in  a  TDR  may  include  extensions  of  maturity  at  a 
concessionary 
interest,  payment 
forbearances or other actions designed to benefit the customer 
while  mitigating  the  Corporation’s  risk  exposure.  Reductions  in 

(below  market) 

rate  of 

Bank of America 2012     195

interest  rates  are  rare.  Instead,  the  interest  rates  are  typically 
increased, although the increased rate may not represent a market 
rate  of  interest.  Infrequently,  concessions  may  also  include 
principal forgiveness in connection with foreclosure, short sale or 
other settlement agreements leading to termination or sale of the 
loan.

At the time of restructuring, the loans are remeasured to reflect 
the  impact,  if  any,  on  projected  cash  flows  resulting  from  the 
modified terms. If there was no forgiveness of principal and the 
interest rate was not decreased, the modification may have little 
or no impact on the allowance established for the loan. If a portion 
of  the  loan  is  deemed  to  be  uncollectible,  a  charge-off  may  be 
recorded  at  the  time  of  restructuring.  Alternatively,  a  charge-off 
may have already been recorded in a previous period such that no 

charge-off is required at the time of modification. For information 
concerning modifications for the U.S. small business commercial 
portfolio, see Credit Card and Other Consumer in this Note.

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, remaining commitments to 
lend additional funds to debtors whose terms have been modified 
in a commercial loan TDR were immaterial. Commercial foreclosed 
properties totaled $250 million and $612 million at December 31, 
2012 and 2011. 

The table below presents impaired loans in the Corporation’s 
Commercial  loan  portfolio  segment  at  and  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. Certain impaired commercial loans 
do not have a related allowance as the valuation of these impaired 
loans  exceeded  the  carrying  value,  which  is  net  of  previously 
recorded charge-offs.

Impaired Loans – Commercial

(Dollars in millions)

With no recorded allowance

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial

With an allowance recorded

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial (2)

Total

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial (2)

With no recorded allowance

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial

With an allowance recorded

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial (2)

Total

December 31, 2012

2012

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

Carrying
Value

Related
Allowance

Average
Carrying
Value

Interest
Income
Recognized (1)

$

$

$

$

$

1,220
1,003
240

1,782
2,287
280
361

3,002
3,290
520
361

1,109
902
120

1,138
1,262
33
317

2,247
2,164
153
317

December 31, 2011

$

1,482
2,587
216

2,654
3,329
308
531

985
2,095
101

1,987
2,384
58
503

$

$

$

$

$

$

n/a
n/a
n/a

68
147
18
97

68
147
18
97

n/a
n/a
n/a

232
135
6
172

$

$

1,089
1,496
129

1,603
1,749
52
409

2,692
3,245
181
409

2011

$

774
1,994
101

2,422
3,309
76
666

32
16
2

32
16
2
13

64
32
4
13

7
7
—

13
19
3
23

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial (2)
Interest income recognized includes interest accrued and collected on the outstanding balances of accruing impaired loans as well as interest cash collections on nonaccruing impaired loans for 
which the principal is considered collectible. 
Includes U.S. small business commercial renegotiated TDR loans and related allowance.

3,196
5,303
177
666

4,136
5,916
524
531

2,972
4,479
159
503

232
135
6
172

20
26
3
23

$

$

$

$

$

(1) 

(2) 

n/a = not applicable

196     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The table below presents the December 31, 2012 and 2011 
unpaid principal balance and carrying value of commercial loans 
that were modified as TDRs during 2012 and 2011, and net charge-
offs that were recorded during the period in which the modification 
occurred.

Commercial – TDRs Entered into During 2012 and 2011

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial (1)

Total

December 31, 2012
Unpaid
Principal
Balance

Carrying
Value

2012

Net
Charge-offs

$

$

590
793
90
22
1,495

$

$

558
721
89
22
1,390

$

$

34
20
1
5
60

December 31, 2011

2011

$

U.S. commercial
Commercial real estate
Non-U.S. commercial
U.S. small business commercial (1)

74
152
—
10
236
$
(1)  U.S. small business commercial TDRs are comprised of renegotiated small business card loans.

1,381
1,604
44
58
3,087

1,211
1,333
44
59
2,647

Total

$

$

$

$

A commercial TDR is generally deemed to be in payment default 
when the loan is 90 days or more past due, including delinquencies 
that  were  not  resolved  as  part  of  the  modification.  U.S.  small 
business commercial TDRs are deemed to be in payment default 
during the quarter in which a borrower misses the second of two 
consecutive payments. Payment defaults are one of the factors 
considered  when  projecting  future  cash  flows,  along  with 
observable market prices or fair value of collateral when measuring 
the allowance for loan losses. TDRs that were in payment default 
at December 31, 2012 and 2011 had a carrying value of $130 
million and $164 million for U.S. commercial, $455 million and 
$446 million for commercial real estate and $18 million and $68 
million for U.S. small business commercial.

Purchased Credit-impaired Loans
The  table  below  shows  activity  for  the  accretable  yield  on 
Countrywide  consumer  PCI 
from 
nonaccretable difference primarily result when there is a change 
in expected cash flows due to various factors, including changes 
in 
loans  and  prepayment 
assumptions. Changes in the prepayment assumption affect the 
expected remaining life of the portfolio which results in a change 
to the amount of future interest cash flows.

interest  rates  on  variable-rate 

loans.  Reclassifications 

Rollforward of Accretable Yield

(Dollars in millions)

Accretable yield, January 1, 2011

Accretion
Disposals/transfers
Reclassifications from nonaccretable difference

Accretable yield, December 31, 2011

Accretion
Disposals/transfers
Reclassifications from nonaccretable difference

Accretable yield, December 31, 2012

$ 5,481
(1,285)
(118)
912
4,990
(1,034)
(109)
797
$ 4,644

See Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Principles for 
further information on PCI loans and Note 6 – Allowance for Credit 
Losses  for  the  carrying  value  and  valuation  allowance  for 
Countrywide PCI loans.

Loans Held-for-sale
The Corporation had LHFS of $19.4 billion and $13.8 billion at 
December  31,  2012  and  2011.  Proceeds 
from  sales, 
securitizations and paydowns of LHFS were $55.9 billion, $147.5 
billion and $281.7 billion for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. 
Amounts used for originations and purchases of LHFS were $59.8 
billion, $118.2 billion and $263.0 billion for 2012, 2011 and 2010, 
respectively. 

Bank of America 2012     197

 
 
NOTE 6 Allowance for Credit Losses
The table below summarizes the changes in the allowance for credit losses by portfolio segment for 2012, 2011 and 2010.

2012

Home
Loans

Credit Card
and Other
Consumer

Commercial

Total 
Allowance

$

$

$

$

$

$

21,079
(7,849)
496
(7,353)
4,073
(2,820)
(46)
14,933
—
—
—
—
14,933

19,252
(9,291)
894
(8,397)
10,300
(76)
21,079
—
—
—
—
21,079

16,329
(10,915)
396
(10,519)
13,335
107
19,252
—
—
—
—
19,252

$

$

$

$

$

$

8,569
(7,727)
1,519
(6,208)
3,899
—
(120)
6,140
—
—
—
—
6,140

$

$

2011
$

15,463
(12,247)
2,124
(10,123)
4,025
(796)
8,569
—
—
—
—
8,569

22,243
(20,865)
2,034
(18,831)
12,115
(64)
15,463
—
—
—
—
15,463

$

2010
$

$

4,135
(2,096)
749
(1,347)
338
—
(20)
3,106
714
(141)
(60)
513
3,619

7,170
(3,204)
891
(2,313)
(696)
(26)
4,135
1,188
(219)
(255)
714
4,849

9,416
(5,610)
626
(4,984)
2,745
(7)
7,170
1,487
240
(539)
1,188
8,358

$

$

$

$

$

$

33,783
(17,672)
2,764
(14,908)
8,310
(2,820)
(186)
24,179
714
(141)
(60)
513
24,692

41,885
(24,742)
3,909
(20,833)
13,629
(898)
33,783
1,188
(219)
(255)
714
34,497

47,988
(37,390)
3,056
(34,334)
28,195
36
41,885
1,487
240
(539)
1,188
43,073

$8.5 billion and $6.4 billion at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 
2010, respectively.

the  net 

represents 

The “other” amount under allowance for loan and lease losses 
primarily 
impact  of  portfolio  sales, 
consolidations  and  deconsolidations,  and  foreign  currency 
translation  adjustments.  The  2011  amount  includes  a  $449 
million reduction in the allowance for loan and lease losses related 
to Canadian consumer card loans that were transferred to LHFS. 
The  “other”  amount  under  the  reserve  for  unfunded  lending 
commitments  for  2012,  2011  and  2010  primarily  represents 
accretion of the Merrill Lynch purchase accounting adjustment and 
the impact of funding previously unfunded positions.

(Dollars in millions)

Allowance for loan and lease losses, January 1

Loans and leases charged off
Recoveries of loans and leases previously charged off

Net charge-offs

Provision for loan and lease losses
Write-offs of home equity PCI loans
Other

Allowance for loan and lease losses, December 31
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, January 1

Provision for unfunded lending commitments
Other

Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, December 31
Allowance for credit losses, December 31

Allowance for loan and lease losses, January 1

Loans and leases charged off
Recoveries of loans and leases previously charged off

Net charge-offs

Provision for loan and lease losses
Other

Allowance for loan and lease losses, December 31
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, January 1

Provision for unfunded lending commitments
Other

Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, December 31
Allowance for credit losses, December 31

Allowance for loan and lease losses, January 1

Loans and leases charged off
Recoveries of loans and leases previously charged off

Net charge-offs

Provision for loan and lease losses
Other

Allowance for loan and lease losses, December 31
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, January 1

Provision for unfunded lending commitments
Other

Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, December 31
Allowance for credit losses, December 31

In 2012, for the PCI loan portfolio, the Corporation recorded a 
benefit  of  $103  million  in  provision  for  credit  losses  with  a 
corresponding  decrease  in  the  valuation  allowance  included  as 
part of the allowance for loan and lease losses. This compared to 
$2.2  billion  in  provision  for  credit  losses  and  a  corresponding 
increase in the valuation allowance in both 2011 and 2010. In 
2012, there were $2.8 billion of write-offs in the Countrywide home 
equity PCI loan portfolio primarily related to the National Mortgage 
Settlement  with  a  corresponding  decrease  in  the  PCI  valuation 
allowance.  These  write-offs  had  no  impact  on  the  provision  for 
credit losses as these loans were fully reserved. The valuation 
allowance associated with the PCI loan portfolio was $5.5 billion, 

198     Bank of America 2012

The table below presents the allowance and the carrying value of outstanding loans and leases by portfolio segment at December 

31, 2012 and 2011.

Allowance and Carrying Value by Portfolio Segment

(Dollars in millions)

Impaired loans and troubled debt restructurings (1)

Allowance for loan and lease losses (2)
Carrying value (3)
Allowance as a percentage of carrying value

Loans collectively evaluated for impairment

Allowance for loan and lease losses
Carrying value (3, 4)
Allowance as a percentage of carrying value (4)

Purchased credit-impaired loans

Valuation allowance
Carrying value gross of valuation allowance
Valuation allowance as a percentage of carrying value

Total

Allowance for loan and lease losses
Carrying value (3, 4)
Allowance as a percentage of carrying value (4)

Impaired loans and troubled debt restructurings (1)

Allowance for loan and lease losses (2)
Carrying value (3)
Allowance as a percentage of carrying value

Loans collectively evaluated for impairment

Allowance for loan and lease losses
Carrying value (3, 4)
Allowance as a percentage of carrying value (4)

Purchased credit-impaired loans

Valuation allowance
Carrying value gross of valuation allowance
Valuation allowance as a percentage of carrying value

Total

December 31, 2012

Home 
Loans

Credit Card
and Other
Consumer

Commercial

Total

$

1,700
30,250

$

5.62%

$

1,127
3,881
29.04%

330
4,881

6.76%

$

3,157
39,012

8.09%

$

7,697
304,701

$

5,013
187,484

$

2,776
341,502

$ 15,486
833,687

2.53%

2.67%

0.81%

1.86%

$

5,536
26,118

21.20%

n/a
n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a
n/a

$

5,536
26,118

21.20%

$ 14,933
361,069

$

6,140
191,365

$

3,106
346,383

$ 24,179
898,817

4.14%

3.21%

0.90%

2.69%

December 31, 2011

$

1,946
21,462

$

9.07%

2,410
7,100
33.94%

$

545
8,113

$

4,901
36,675

6.71%

13.36%

$ 10,674
344,821

$

6,159
202,010

$

3,590
302,089

$ 20,423
848,920

3.10%

3.05%

1.19%

2.41%

$

8,459
31,801

26.60%

n/a
n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a
n/a

$

8,459
31,801

26.60%

Allowance for loan and lease losses
Carrying value (3, 4)
Allowance as a percentage of carrying value (4)
3.68%
Impaired loans include nonperforming commercial loans and all TDRs, including both commercial and consumer TDRs. Impaired loans exclude nonperforming consumer loans unless they are TDRs, 
and all consumer and commercial loans accounted for under the fair value option.

$ 33,783
917,396

$ 21,079
398,084

4,135
310,202

8,569
209,110

1.33%

5.30%

4.10%

$

$

(1) 

(2)  Commercial impaired allowance for loan and lease losses includes $97 million and $172 million of renegotiated TDR loans related to U.S. small business commercial at December 31, 2012 and 

2011.

(3)  Amounts are presented gross of the allowance for loan and lease losses.
(4)  Outstanding loan and lease balances and ratios do not include loans accounted for under the fair value option of $9.0 billion and $8.8 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011.
n/a = not applicable

Bank of America 2012     199

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 7 Securitizations and Other Variable 
Interest Entities
The Corporation utilizes VIEs in the ordinary course of business 
to  support  its  own  and  its  customers’  financing  and  investing 
needs.  The  Corporation  routinely  securitizes  loans  and  debt 
securities using VIEs as a source of funding for the Corporation 
and as a means of transferring the economic risk of the loans or 
debt securities to third parties. The assets are transferred into a 
trust or other securitization vehicle such that the assets are legally 
isolated from the creditors of the Corporation and are not available 
to satisfy its obligations. These assets can only be used to settle 
obligations  of  the  trust  or  other  securitization  vehicle.  The 
Corporation also administers, structures or invests in other VIEs 
including  CDOs,  investment  vehicles  and  other  entities.  For 
additional information on the Corporation’s utilization of VIEs, see 
Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Principles.

The tables within this Note present the assets and liabilities 
of consolidated and unconsolidated VIEs at December 31, 2012 
and  2011,  in  situations  where  the  Corporation  has  continuing 
involvement with transferred assets or if the Corporation otherwise 
has  a  variable  interest  in  the  VIE.  The  tables  also  present  the 
Corporation’s maximum loss exposure at December 31, 2012 and 
2011 resulting from its involvement with consolidated VIEs and 
unconsolidated  VIEs  in  which  the  Corporation  holds  a  variable 
interest. The Corporation’s maximum loss exposure is based on 
the  unlikely  event  that  all  of  the  assets  in  the  VIEs  become 
worthless and incorporates not only potential losses associated 
with assets recorded on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance 
Sheet but also potential losses associated with off-balance sheet 
commitments such as unfunded liquidity commitments and other 
contractual  arrangements.  The  Corporation’s  maximum  loss 
exposure does not include losses previously recognized through 
write-downs of assets.

The Corporation invests in ABS issued by third-party VIEs with 
which it has no other form of involvement. These securities are 
included in Note 2 – Trading Account Assets and Liabilities and Note 
4 – Securities. In addition, the Corporation uses VIEs such as trust 
preferred securities trusts in connection with its funding activities. 

For  additional  information,  see  Note  12  –  Long-term  Debt.  The 
Corporation also uses VIEs in the form of synthetic securitization 
vehicles to mitigate a portion of the credit risk on its residential 
mortgage  loan  portfolio,  as  described  in  Note  5  –  Outstanding 
Loans and Leases. The Corporation uses VIEs, such as cash funds 
managed within Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), 
to provide investment opportunities for clients. These VIEs, which 
are not consolidated by the Corporation, are not included in the 
tables within this Note.

Except  as  described  below,  the  Corporation  did  not  provide 
financial support to consolidated or unconsolidated VIEs during 
2012 or 2011 that it was not previously contractually required to 
provide, nor does it intend to do so.

Mortgage-related Securitizations

First-lien Mortgages
As  part  of  its  mortgage  banking  activities,  the  Corporation 
securitizes a portion of the first-lien residential mortgage loans it 
originates or purchases from third parties, generally in the form 
of MBS guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises, FNMA 
and FHLMC (collectively the GSEs), or GNMA in the case of FHA-
insured and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-guaranteed 
mortgage loans. Securitization usually occurs in conjunction with 
or  shortly  after  loan  closing  or  purchase.  In  addition,  the 
Corporation  may,  from  time  to  time,  securitize  commercial 
mortgages  it  originates  or  purchases  from  other  entities.  The 
Corporation typically services the loans it securitizes. Further, the 
Corporation  may  retain  beneficial  interests  in  the  securitization 
trusts  including  senior  and  subordinate  securities  and  equity 
tranches issued by the trusts. Except as described below and in 
Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations and Corporate 
Guarantees,  the  Corporation  does  not  provide  guarantees  or 
recourse  to  the  securitization  trusts  other  than  standard 
representations and warranties.

The table below summarizes select information related to first-

lien mortgage securitizations for 2012 and 2011.

First-lien Mortgage Securitizations

(Dollars in millions)

Residential Mortgage

Agency

Non-agency

Commercial Mortgage

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

Cash proceeds from new securitizations (1)
Loss on securitizations, net of hedges (2)
(1)  The Corporation sells residential mortgage loans to GSEs in the normal course of business and receives MBS in exchange which may then be sold into the market to third-party investors for cash 

39,526 $ 142,910
(373)

903 $
—

4,468
—

— $
—

36
—

(212)

$

$

$

proceeds.

(2)  Substantially all of the first-lien residential mortgage loans securitized are initially classified as LHFS and accounted for under the fair value option. As such, gains are recognized on these LHFS prior 

to securitization. During 2012 and 2011, the Corporation recognized $1.9 billion and $2.9 billion of gains on these LHFS, net of hedges.

In addition to cash proceeds as reported in the table above, 
the Corporation received securities with an initial fair value of $28 
million  and  $545  million  in  connection  with  first-lien  mortgage 
securitizations,  principally  residential  agency  securitizations,  in 
2012 and 2011. All of these securities were initially classified as 
Level 2 assets within the fair value hierarchy. During 2012 and 
2011, there were no changes to the initial classification.

The Corporation recognizes consumer MSRs from the sale or 
securitization  of  first-lien  mortgage  loans.  Servicing  fee  and 
ancillary  fee  income  on  consumer  mortgage  loans  serviced, 
including  securitizations  where  the  Corporation  has  continuing 

involvement, were $4.7 billion and $5.8 billion in 2012 and 2011. 
Servicing  advances  on  consumer  mortgage  loans,  including 
securitizations where the Corporation has continuing involvement, 
were $23.2 billion and $26.0 billion at December 31, 2012 and 
2011.  The  Corporation  may  have  the  option  to  repurchase 
delinquent loans out of securitization trusts, which reduces the 
amount of servicing advances it is required to make. During 2012 
and 2011, $9.2 billion and $9.0 billion of loans were repurchased 
from first-lien securitization trusts as a result of loan delinquencies 
or in order to perform modifications. The majority of these loans 
repurchased  were  FHA-insured  mortgages  collateralizing  GNMA 

200     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
securities. In addition, the Corporation has retained commercial 
MSRs  from  the  sale  or  securitization  of  commercial  mortgage 
loans.  Servicing  advances  on  commercial  mortgage  loans, 
including  securitizations  where  the  Corporation  has  continuing 
involvement, were $186 million and $152 million at December 31, 

2012 and 2011. For additional information on MSRs, see Note 24 
– Mortgage Servicing Rights. 

The table below summarizes select information related to first-
lien mortgage securitization trusts in which the Corporation held 
a variable interest at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

First-lien VIEs

(Dollars in millions)

Unconsolidated VIEs
Maximum loss exposure (1)
On-balance sheet assets

Senior securities held (2):
Trading account assets
Available-for-sale debt securities

Subordinate securities held (2):

Trading account assets
Available-for-sale debt securities

Residual interests held
All other assets (3)

Total retained positions

Principal balance outstanding (4)

Consolidated VIEs
Maximum loss exposure (1)
On-balance sheet assets

Loans and leases
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Loans held-for-sale
All other assets
Total assets

On-balance sheet liabilities

Other short-term borrowings
Long-term debt
All other liabilities
Total liabilities

$

$

$
$

$

$

$

$

$

Residential Mortgage

Agency

December 31

Prime

Non-agency

Subprime

December 31

Alt-A

Commercial
Mortgage

December 31

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

28,591 $

37,519

$

2,038 $ 2,375

$

410 $

289

$

367 $

506

$

702 $

981

619 $

25,492

8,744
28,775

$

16 $

1,388

94
2,001

$

14 $

210

3
174

$

— $

128

343
163

$

12 $

581

21
846

—
—
—
2,480
28,591 $

—
—
—
—
37,519
797,315 $ 1,198,766

—
21
18
64

—
26
8
—
$
1,507 $ 2,129
$ 45,819 $ 61,207

3
9
9
1
246 $

30
30
9
—
$
246
$ 53,822 $ 73,949

—
—
—
239
367 $

—
—
—
—
$
506
$ 71,990 $101,622

13
—
40
—
646 $

3
—
43
—
$
913
$ 56,733 $ 76,645

46,959 $

50,648

45,991 $

(4)
—
972
46,959 $

50,159
(6)
—
495
50,648

$

$

$

104 $

450

283 $ 1,298
—
—
63
293 $ 1,361

—
—
10

$

$

$

390 $

419

722 $
—
914
91

892
—
622
59
1,727 $ 1,573

— $
—
—
— $

— $
—
—
— $

— $

— $

212
—

1,360
—
212 $ 1,360

$

741 $
941
—

650
911
57
1,682 $ 1,618

$

$

$

$

$

— $

— $

— $

— $
—
—
—
— $

— $
—
—
— $

— $
—
—
—
— $

— $
—
—
— $

— $
—
—
—
— $

— $
—
—
— $

—

—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—

(1)  Maximum loss exposure excludes the liability for representations and warranties obligations and corporate guarantees and also excludes servicing advances and MSRs. For more information, see 

Note 8 – Representations and Warranties Obligations and Corporate Guarantees and Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights.

(2)  As a holder of these securities, the Corporation receives scheduled principal and interest payments. During 2012 and 2011, there were no OTTI losses recorded on those securities classified as 

AFS debt securities.

(3)  Not included in the table above are all other assets of $12.1 billion and $11.0 billion, representing the unpaid principal balance of mortgage loans eligible for repurchase from unconsolidated 
residential mortgage securitization vehicles, principally guaranteed by GNMA, and all other liabilities of $12.1 billion and $11.0 billion, representing the principal amount that would be payable to the 
securitization vehicles if the Corporation were to exercise the repurchase option, at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(4)  Principal balance outstanding includes loans the Corporation transferred with which the Corporation has continuing involvement, which may include servicing the loans.

During  2012,  the  Corporation  deconsolidated  several  prime 
residential  mortgage  trusts  with  total  assets  of  $1.2  billion 
following the transfer of servicing to a third party.

As a result of a settlement agreement with Assured Guaranty 
Ltd.  and  its  subsidiaries  (Assured  Guaranty)  in  2011,  the 
Corporation entered into a loss-sharing reinsurance arrangement 
involving 21 first-lien RMBS trusts. This obligation is a variable 
interest that could potentially be significant to the trusts. To the 
extent that the Corporation services all or a majority of the loans 

in any of the 21 trusts, the Corporation is the primary beneficiary. 
At December 31, 2012, four of these trusts with total assets of 
$900  million  were  consolidated.  Assets  and  liabilities  of  the 
consolidated trusts and the Corporation’s maximum loss exposure 
to consolidated and unconsolidated trusts are included in the table 
above as non-agency prime and subprime trusts. For additional 
information,  see  Note  8  –  Representations  and  Warranties 
Obligations and Corporate Guarantees.

Bank of America 2012     201

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Home Equity Loans
The  Corporation  retains  interests  in  home  equity  securitization 
trusts to which it transferred home equity loans. These retained 
interests include senior and subordinate securities and residual 
interests. In addition, the Corporation may be obligated to provide 
subordinate funding to the trusts during a rapid amortization event. 
The Corporation also services the loans in the trusts. Except as 
described below and in Note 8 – Representations and Warranties 
Obligations and Corporate Guarantees, the Corporation does not 

provide guarantees or recourse to the securitization trusts other 
than  standard  representations  and  warranties.  There  were  no 
securitizations of home equity loans during 2012 and 2011. All 
of  the  home  equity  trusts  have  entered  the  rapid  amortization 
phase,  and  accordingly,  there  were  no  collections  reinvested  in 
revolving period securitizations in 2012 and 2011.

The table below summarizes select information related to home 
equity loan securitization trusts in which the Corporation held a 
variable interest at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Home Equity Loan VIEs

(Dollars in millions)

Maximum loss exposure (1)
On-balance sheet assets
Trading account assets
Available-for-sale debt securities
Loans and leases
Allowance for loan and lease losses

Total

On-balance sheet liabilities

Long-term debt
All other liabilities

Total

$

$

$

$

$
$

2012

December 31

Consolidated
VIEs

Unconsolidated
VIEs

Total

Consolidated
VIEs

2011
Unconsolidated
VIEs

2,004

$

6,707

— $
—
2,197
(193)
2,004

$

8
14
—
—
22

$

$

$

8,711

8
14
2,197
(193)
2,026

2,672

$

7,563

— $
—
2,975
(303)
2,672

$

5
13
—
—
18

Total

10,235

5
13
2,975
(303)
2,690

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$
$

2,331
92
2,423
2,197

$

$
$

— $
—
— $
$

2,331
92
2,423
14,841

3,081
66
3,147
2,975

$

$
$

— $
—
— $
$

3,081
66
3,147
17,397

Principal balance outstanding
(1)  For unconsolidated VIEs, the maximum loss exposure includes outstanding trust certificates issued by trusts in rapid amortization, net of recorded reserves, and excludes the liability for representations 

14,422

12,644

and warranties obligations and corporate guarantees.

in 

the 

Included 

table  above  are  consolidated  and 
unconsolidated home equity loan securitizations that have entered 
a  rapid  amortization  period  and  for  which  the  Corporation  is 
obligated to provide subordinated funding. During this period, cash 
payments from borrowers are accumulated to repay outstanding 
debt securities and the Corporation continues to make advances 
to  borrowers  when  they  draw  on  their  lines  of  credit.  The 
Corporation then transfers the newly generated receivables into 
the  securitization  vehicles  and  is  reimbursed  only  after  other 
parties in the securitization have received all of the cash flows to 
which they are entitled. If loan losses requiring draws on monoline 
insurers’  policies,  which  protect  the  bondholders  in  the 
securitization,  exceed  a  certain  level,  the  Corporation  may  not 
receive reimbursement for all of the funds advanced to borrowers, 
as the senior bondholders and the monoline insurers have priority 
for  repayment.  The  Corporation  evaluates  each  of  these 
securitizations  for  potential  losses  due  to  non-recoverable 
advances by estimating the amount and timing of future losses 
on the underlying loans, the excess spread available to cover such 
losses and potential cash flow shortfalls during rapid amortization. 
This evaluation, which includes the number of loans still in revolving 
status, the amount of available credit and when those loans will 
lose  revolving  status,  is  also  used  to  determine  whether  the 
Corporation has a variable interest that is more than insignificant 
and  must  consolidate  the  trust.  A  maximum  funding  obligation 

both 

including 

obligation, 

consolidated 

attributable to rapid amortization cannot be calculated as a home 
equity borrower has the ability to pay down and re-draw balances. 
At December 31, 2012 and 2011, home equity loan securitizations 
in rapid amortization for which the Corporation has a subordinated 
funding 
and 
unconsolidated trusts, had $9.0 billion and $10.7 billion of trust 
certificates outstanding. This amount is significantly greater than 
the amount the Corporation expects to fund. The charges that will 
ultimately be recorded as a result of the rapid amortization events 
depend on the undrawn available credit on the home equity lines, 
which  totaled  $196  million  and  $460  million  at  December 31, 
2012 and 2011, as well as performance of the loans, the amount 
of  subsequent  draws  and  the  timing  of  related  cash  flows.  At 
December 31, 2012 and 2011, the reserve for losses on expected 
future draw obligations on the home equity loan securitizations in 
rapid amortization for which the Corporation has a subordinated 
funding obligation was $51 million and $69 million.

The  Corporation  has  consumer  MSRs  from  the  sale  or 
securitization of home equity loans. The Corporation recorded $59 
million and $62 million of servicing fee income related to home 
equity loan securitizations during 2012 and 2011. The Corporation 
repurchased $87 million and $28 million of loans from home equity 
securitization trusts in order to perform modifications during 2012 
and 2011.

202     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit Card Securitizations
The Corporation securitizes originated and purchased credit card 
loans.  The  Corporation’s  continuing  involvement  with  the 
securitization trusts includes servicing the receivables, retaining 
an  undivided  interest  (seller’s  interest)  in  the  receivables,  and 
holding certain retained interests including senior and subordinate 
securities, discount receivables, subordinate interests in accrued 

interest and fees on the securitized receivables, and cash reserve 
accounts. The seller’s interest in the trusts, which is pari passu 
to  the  investors’  interest,  and  the  discount  receivables  are 
classified in loans and leases.

The  table  below  summarizes  select  information  related  to 
consolidated  credit  card  securitization  trusts  in  which  the 
Corporation held a variable interest at December 31, 2012 and 
2011.

Credit Card VIEs

(Dollars in millions)

Consolidated VIEs
Maximum loss exposure
On-balance sheet assets

Derivative assets
Loans and leases (1)
Allowance for loan and lease losses
All other assets (2)

Total

On-balance sheet liabilities

Long-term debt
All other liabilities

Total

December 31

2012

2011

$

$

$

$

$

42,487

323
66,427
(3,445)
1,567
64,872

22,291
94
22,385

$

$

$

$

$

38,282

788
74,793
(4,742)
723
71,562

33,076
204
33,280

(1)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, loans and leases included $33.5 billion and $28.7 billion of seller’s interest and $124 million and $1.0 billion of discount receivables.
(2)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, all other assets included restricted cash and short-term investment accounts and unbilled accrued interest and fees.

The Corporation holds subordinate securities with a notional 
principal  amount  of  $10.1  billion  and  $11.9  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011 and a stated interest rate of zero 
percent  issued  by  certain  credit  card  securitization  trusts.  In 
addition,  during  2010  and  2009,  the  Corporation  elected  to 
designate a specified percentage of new receivables transferred 
to  the  trusts  as  “discount  receivables”  such  that  principal 
collections thereon are added to finance charges which increases 
the yield in the trust. Through the designation of newly transferred 
receivables as discount receivables, the Corporation subordinated 

a portion of its seller’s interest to the investors’ interest. These 
actions were taken to address the decline in the excess spread 
of the U.S. and U.K. credit card securitization trusts.

During 2012, the Corporation transferred $553 million of credit 
card receivables to a third-party sponsored securitization vehicle. 
The Corporation no longer services the credit card receivables and 
does  not  consolidate  the  vehicle.  At  December 31,  2012,  the 
Corporation  held  a  senior  interest  of  $309  million  in  these 
receivables, classified as loans on the Corporation’s Consolidated 
Balance Sheet, that is not included in the table above.

Bank of America 2012     203

 
 
 
 
 
Other Asset-backed Securitizations
Other asset-backed securitizations include resecuritization trusts, municipal bond trusts, and automobile and other securitization trusts. 
The table below summarizes select information related to other asset-backed securitizations in which the Corporation held a variable 
interest at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Other Asset-backed VIEs

(Dollars in millions)

Unconsolidated VIEs
Maximum loss exposure
On-balance sheet assets

Senior securities held (1, 2):
Trading account assets
Available-for-sale debt securities

Subordinate securities held (1, 2):

Available-for-sale debt securities

Residual interests held (3)
All other assets

Total retained positions

Total assets of VIEs (4)

Consolidated VIEs
Maximum loss exposure
On-balance sheet assets
Trading account assets
Loans and leases
Allowance for loan and lease losses
All other assets
Total assets

On-balance sheet liabilities

Other short-term borrowings
Long-term debt
All other liabilities
Total liabilities

$

$

$
$

$

$

$

$

$

Resecuritization Trusts

Municipal Bond Trusts

December 31

December 31

Automobile and Other
Securitization Trusts

December 31

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

20,715

$

31,140

$

3,341

$

3,752

$

122

$

1,281
19,343

$

2,595
27,616

$

$

12
540

$

228
—

75
16
—
20,715
42,818

126

220
—
—
—
220

$
$

$

$

$

— $
94
—
94

$

544
385
—
31,140
60,459

$
$

—
—
—
552
4,980

— $

2,505

— $
—
—
—
— $

— $
—
—
— $

2,505
—
—
—
2,505

2,859
—
—
2,859

$
$

$

$

$

$

$

—
—
—
228
5,964

3,901

3,901
—
—
—
3,901

5,127
—
—
5,127

$
$

$

$

$

$

$

93

—
81

—
—
12
93
668

$

37
74

—
—
11
122
1,890

$
$

1,255

$

1,087

— $

2,523
(2)
250
2,771

$

— $

1,513
82
1,595

$

—
4,923
(7)
168
5,084

—
3,992
90
4,082

(1)  As a holder of these securities, the Corporation receives scheduled principal and interest payments. During 2012 and 2011, there were no OTTI losses recorded on those securities classified as 

AFS debt securities.

(2)  The retained senior and subordinate securities were valued using quoted market prices or observable market inputs (Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy).
(3)  The retained residual interests are carried at fair value which was derived using model valuations (Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy).
(4)  Total assets include loans the Corporation transferred with which the Corporation has continuing involvement, which may include servicing the loan.

Resecuritization Trusts
The Corporation transfers existing securities, typically MBS, into 
resecuritization  vehicles  at  the  request  of  customers  seeking 
securities with specific characteristics. The Corporation may also 
resecuritize securities within its investment portfolio for purposes 
of improving liquidity and capital, and managing credit or interest 
rate  risk.  Generally,  there  are  no  significant  ongoing  activities 
performed in a resecuritization trust and no single investor has 
the unilateral ability to liquidate the trust.

The  Corporation  resecuritized  $45.6  billion  of  securities  in 
2012 and $33.6 billion in 2011. All of the securities transferred 
into  resecuritization  vehicles  during  2012  were  classified  as 
trading  account  assets.  As  such,  changes  in  fair  value  were 
recorded in trading account profits prior to the resecuritization and 
no gain or loss on sale was recorded. Gains on sale of $909 million 
were  recorded  in  2011.  The  Corporation  consolidates  a 
resecuritization trust if it has sole discretion over the design of 
the trust, including the identification of securities to be transferred 
in and the structure of securities to be issued, and also retains a 
variable interest that could potentially be significant to the trust. 
If  one  or  a  limited  number  of  third-party  investors  share 
responsibility for the design of the trust and purchase a significant 

portion of securities, including subordinate securities issued by 
non-agency trusts, the Corporation does not consolidate the trust.

Municipal Bond Trusts
The Corporation administers municipal bond trusts that hold highly-
rated,  long-term,  fixed-rate  municipal  bonds.  A  majority  of  the 
bonds  are  rated  AAA  or  AA  and  some  benefit  from  insurance 
provided by third parties. The trusts obtain financing by issuing 
floating-rate  trust  certificates  that  reprice  on  a  weekly  or  other 
basis  to  third-party  investors.  The  Corporation  may  serve  as 
remarketing  agent  and/or  liquidity  provider  for  the  trusts.  The 
floating-rate investors have the right to tender the certificates at 
specified dates, often with as little as seven days’ notice. Should 
the Corporation be unable to remarket the tendered certificates, 
it is generally obligated to purchase them at par under standby 
liquidity facilities unless the bond’s credit rating has declined below 
investment  grade  or  there  has  been  an  event  of  default  or 
bankruptcy of the issuer and insurer.

The Corporation also provides credit enhancement to investors 
in  certain  municipal  bond  trusts  whereby  the  Corporation 
guarantees the payment of interest and principal on floating-rate 
certificates issued by these trusts in the event of default by the 

204     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
issuer of the underlying municipal bond. If a customer holds the 
residual  interest  in  a  trust,  that  customer  typically  has  the 
unilateral  ability  to  liquidate  the  trust  at  any  time,  while  the 
Corporation typically has the ability to trigger the liquidation of that 
trust if the market value of the bonds held in the trust declines 
below a specified threshold. This arrangement is designed to limit 
market  losses  to  an  amount  that  is  less  than  the  customer’s 
residual  interest,  effectively  preventing  the  Corporation  from 
absorbing losses incurred on assets held within that trust.

During 2012 and 2011, the Corporation was the transferor of 
assets into unconsolidated municipal bond trusts and received 
cash proceeds from new securitizations of $879 million and $733 
million. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the principal balance 
outstanding  for  unconsolidated  municipal  bond  securitization 
trusts for which the Corporation was transferor was $1.4 billion 
and $2.5 billion.

The  Corporation’s  liquidity  commitments  to  unconsolidated 
municipal bond trusts, including those for which the Corporation 
was  transferor,  totaled  $2.8  billion  and  $3.5  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. The weighted-average remaining 
life of bonds held in the trusts at December 31, 2012 was 8.4 
years. There were no material write-downs or downgrades of assets 
or issuers during 2012 and 2011.

Automobile and Other Securitization Trusts
The  Corporation  transfers  automobile  and  other  loans  into 
securitization trusts, typically to improve liquidity or manage credit 
risk. During 2012, the Corporation transferred automobile loans 
into an unconsolidated automobile trust, receiving cash proceeds 
of  $2.4  billion  and  recording  a  loss  on  sale  of  $7  million.  At 
December 31, 2012, the Corporation serviced assets or otherwise 

involvement  with  automobile  and  other 
had  continuing 
securitization  trusts  with  outstanding  balances  of  $4.7  billion, 
including trusts collateralized by automobile loans of $3.5 billion, 
student loans of $897 million and other loans of $290 million. At 
December 31, 2011, the Corporation serviced assets or otherwise 
had  continuing 
involvement  with  automobile  and  other 
securitization  trusts  with  outstanding  balances  of  $5.8  billion, 
including trusts collateralized by automobile loans of $3.9 billion, 
student loans of $1.2 billion and other loans of $668 million.

Collateralized Debt Obligation Vehicles
CDO  vehicles  hold  diversified  pools  of  fixed-income  securities, 
typically corporate debt or ABS, which they fund by issuing multiple 
tranches of debt and equity securities. Synthetic CDOs enter into 
a portfolio of CDS to synthetically create exposure to fixed-income 
securities. CLOs, which are a subset of CDOs, hold pools of loans, 
typically  corporate  loans  or  commercial  mortgages.  CDOs  are 
typically  managed  by  third-party  portfolio  managers.  The 
Corporation  transfers  assets  to  these  CDOs,  holds  securities 
issued by the CDOs and may be a derivative counterparty to the 
CDOs,  including  a  CDS  counterparty  for  synthetic  CDOs.  The 
Corporation has also entered into total return swaps with certain 
CDOs  whereby  the  Corporation  absorbs  the  economic  returns 
generated by specified assets held by the CDO. The Corporation 
receives fees for structuring CDOs and providing liquidity support 
for super senior tranches of securities issued by certain CDOs. 
No  third  parties  provide  a  significant  amount  of  similar 
commitments to these CDOs.

The table below summarizes select information related to CDO 
vehicles  in  which  the  Corporation  held  a  variable  interest  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011.

CDO Vehicle VIEs

(Dollars in millions)

Maximum loss exposure
On-balance sheet assets
Trading account assets
Derivative assets
All other assets

Total

On-balance sheet liabilities

Derivative liabilities
Long-term debt

Total

Total assets of VIEs

$

$

$

$

$
$

Consolidated

2,201

2,191
10
—
2,201

$

$

— $

2,806
2,806
2,201

$
$

2012
Unconsolidated
1,376
$

December 31

Total

Consolidated

2011
Unconsolidated
2,272
$

$

$

$

$

$
$

3,577

2,449
311
76
2,836

9
2,808
2,817
29,186

$

$

$

$

$
$

258
301
76
635

9
2
11
26,985

1,695

1,392
452
—
1,844

$

$

— $

2,712
2,712
1,844

$
$

Total

3,967

1,853
1,130
96
3,079

11
2,714
2,725
34,747

$

$

$

$

$
$

461
678
96
1,235

11
2
13
32,903

The Corporation’s maximum loss exposure of $3.6 billion at 
December 31,  2012  included  $2.2  billion  of  exposure  to  CDO 
financing facilities, $138 million of super senior CDO exposure 
and $1.3 billion of other non-super senior exposure. This exposure 
is calculated on a gross basis and does not reflect any benefit 
from insurance purchased from third parties. The CDO financing 
facilities, which are consolidated, obtain funding from third parties 
for CDO positions which are principally classified in trading account 
assets on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The CDO 
financing facilities’ long-term debt at December 31, 2012 totaled 
$2.8 billion, all of which has recourse to the general credit of the 
Corporation. For unconsolidated CDO vehicles in the table above, 
the Corporation’s maximum loss exposure is significantly less than 

the total assets of the VIEs because the Corporation typically has 
exposure to only a portion of the total assets.

At  December 31,  2012,  the  Corporation  had  $1.5  billion  of 
aggregate liquidity exposure to CDOs. This amount includes $108 
million of commitments to CDOs to provide funding for super senior 
exposures and $1.4 billion notional amount of derivative contracts 
with unconsolidated VIEs, principally CDO vehicles, which hold non-
super senior CDO debt securities or other debt securities on the 
Corporation’s  behalf.  See  Note  13  –  Commitments  and 
Contingencies  for  additional  information.  The  Corporation’s 
liquidity exposure to CDOs at December 31, 2012 is included in 
the table above to the extent that the Corporation sponsored the 
CDO vehicle or the liquidity exposure is more than insignificant 

Bank of America 2012     205

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
compared to total assets of the CDO vehicle. Liquidity exposure 
included in the table is reported net of previously recorded losses.

Customer Vehicles
Customer  vehicles  include  credit-linked  and  equity-linked  note 
vehicles,  repackaging  vehicles  and  asset  acquisition  vehicles, 

which are typically created on behalf of customers who wish to 
obtain market or credit exposure to a specific company or financial 
instrument.

The  table  below  summarizes  select  information  related  to 
customer vehicles in which the Corporation held a variable interest 
at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Customer Vehicle VIEs

(Dollars in millions)

Maximum loss exposure
On-balance sheet assets
Trading account assets
Derivative assets
Loans and leases
Loans held-for-sale
All other assets

Total

On-balance sheet liabilities

Derivative liabilities
Other short-term borrowings
Long-term debt
All other liabilities

Total

Total assets of VIEs

2012
Unconsolidated
1,401
$

$

$

$

$
$

98
516
—
—
—
614

7
—
—
382
389
4,055

$

$

$

$

$
$

December 31

Total

Consolidated

4,395

2,980
516
523
950
763
5,732

33
131
3,179
385
3,728
9,173

$

$

$

$

$
$

3,264

3,302
—
—
907
1,452
5,661

4
—
3,912
1
3,917
5,661

2011
Unconsolidated
2,116
$

$

$

$

$
$

211
905
—
—
—
1,116

42
—
—
448
490
5,302

Total

5,380

3,513
905
—
907
1,452
6,777

46
—
3,912
449
4,407
10,963

$

$

$

$

$
$

Consolidated

$

$

$

$

$
$

2,994

2,882
—
523
950
763
5,118

26
131
3,179
3
3,339
5,118

Credit-linked and equity-linked note vehicles issue notes which 
pay a return that is linked to the credit or equity risk of a specified 
company  or  debt  instrument.  The  vehicles  purchase  high-grade 
assets as collateral and enter into CDS or equity derivatives to 
synthetically create the credit or equity risk to pay the specified 
return on the notes. The Corporation is typically the counterparty 
for some or all of the credit and equity derivatives and, to a lesser 
extent,  it  may  invest  in  securities  issued  by  the  vehicles.  The 
Corporation may also enter into interest rate or foreign currency 
derivatives  with  the  vehicles.  The  Corporation  also  had  other 
liquidity commitments, including written put options and collateral 
value  guarantees,  with  unconsolidated  credit-linked  and  equity-
linked  note  vehicles  of  $742  million  and  $824  million  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Repackaging  vehicles  issue  notes  that  are  designed  to 
incorporate risk characteristics desired by customers. The vehicles 
hold debt instruments such as corporate bonds, convertible bonds 
or ABS with the desired credit risk profile. The Corporation enters 
into derivatives with the vehicles to change the interest rate or 
foreign currency profile of the debt instruments. If a vehicle holds 
convertible  bonds  and  the  Corporation  retains  the  conversion 
option, the Corporation is deemed to have a controlling financial 
interest and consolidates the vehicle.

Asset  acquisition  vehicles  acquire  financial  instruments, 
typically loans, at the direction of a single customer and obtain 

funding  through  the  issuance  of  structured  liabilities  to  the 
Corporation.  At  the  time  the  vehicle  acquires  an  asset,  the 
Corporation enters into total return swaps with the customer such 
that the economic returns of the asset are passed through to the 
customer. The Corporation is exposed to counterparty credit risk 
if the asset declines in value and the customer defaults on its 
obligation to the Corporation under the total return swaps. The 
Corporation’s  risk  may  be  mitigated  by  collateral  or  other 
arrangements.  The  Corporation  consolidates  these  vehicles 
because it has the power to manage the assets in the vehicles 
and holds all of the structured liabilities issued by the vehicles.

The  Corporation’s  maximum  loss  exposure  from  customer 
vehicles includes the notional amount of credit or equity derivatives 
to which the Corporation is a counterparty, net of losses previously 
recorded, and the Corporation’s investment, if any, in securities 
issued  by  the  vehicles.  It  has  not  been  reduced  to  reflect  the 
benefit  of  offsetting  swaps  with  the  customers  or  collateral 
arrangements.

Other Variable Interest Entities
Other consolidated VIEs primarily include investment vehicles and 
leveraged  lease  trusts.  Other  unconsolidated  VIEs  primarily 
include investment vehicles and real estate vehicles.

206     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The table below summarizes select information related to other VIEs in which the Corporation held a variable interest at December 31, 

2012 and 2011.

Other VIEs

(Dollars in millions)

Maximum loss exposure
On-balance sheet assets
Trading account assets
Derivative assets
Available-for-sale debt securities
Loans and leases
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Loans held-for-sale
All other assets

Total

On-balance sheet liabilities

Derivative liabilities
Long-term debt
All other liabilities

Total

Total assets of VIEs

$

$

$

$

$
$

Consolidated

5,608

108
—
—
4,561
(14)
105
1,001
5,761

$

$

— $

889
63
952
5,761

$
$

2012
Unconsolidated
6,492
$

December 31

Total

Consolidated

$

12,100

7,429

2011
Unconsolidated
7,286
$

Total

$

14,715

— $

460
39
67
—
157
5,768
6,491

9
—
1,683
1,692
8,660

$

$

$
$

108
460
39
4,628
(14)
262
6,769
12,252

9
889
1,746
2,644
14,421

$

$

$

$

$
$

— $

— $

394
—
5,154
(8)
106
1,809
7,455

$

— $
10
694
704
7,455

$
$

440
62
357
(1)
598
5,823
7,279

$

— $
—
1,705
1,705
11,055

$
$

—
834
62
5,511
(9)
704
7,632
14,734

—
10
2,399
2,409
18,510

Investment Vehicles
The Corporation sponsors, invests in or provides financing to a 
variety of investment vehicles that hold loans, real estate, debt 
securities  or  other  financial  instruments  and  are  designed  to 
provide  the  desired  investment  profile  to  investors  or  the 
Corporation. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Corporation’s 
consolidated investment vehicles had total assets of $1.3 billion 
and  $2.6  billion.  The  Corporation  also  held  investments  in 
unconsolidated vehicles with total assets of $3.0 billion and $5.5 
billion  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011.  The  Corporation’s 
maximum loss exposure associated with both consolidated and 
unconsolidated investment vehicles totaled $2.1 billion and $4.4 
billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011 comprised primarily of 
on-balance sheet assets less non-recourse liabilities.

Leveraged Lease Trusts
The Corporation’s net investment in consolidated leveraged lease 
trusts totaled $4.4 billion and $4.8 billion at December 31, 2012 
and 2011. The trusts hold long-lived equipment such as rail cars, 
power  generation  and  distribution  equipment,  and  commercial 
aircraft.  The  Corporation  structures  the  trusts  and  holds  a 
significant residual interest. The net investment represents the 
Corporation’s maximum loss exposure to the trusts in the unlikely 
event  that  the  leveraged  lease  investments  become  worthless. 
Debt issued by the leveraged lease trusts is non-recourse to the 
Corporation. The Corporation has no liquidity exposure to these 
leveraged lease trusts.

Real Estate Vehicles
The Corporation held investments in unconsolidated real estate 
vehicles of $5.4 billion at both December 31, 2012 and 2011, 
which primarily consist of investments in unconsolidated limited 
partnerships that finance  the construction  and  rehabilitation of 
affordable rental housing and commercial real estate. An unrelated 
third party is typically the general partner and has control over the 
significant activities of the partnership. The Corporation earns a 
return primarily through the receipt of tax credits allocated to the 

real estate projects. The Corporation’s risk of loss is mitigated by 
policies  requiring  that  the  project  qualify  for  the  expected  tax 
credits prior to making its investment. The Corporation may from 
time to time be asked to invest additional amounts to support a 
troubled project. Such additional investments have not been and 
are not expected to be significant.

Other Asset-backed Financing Arrangements
The  Corporation  transferred  pools  of  securities  to  certain 
independent  third  parties  and  provided  financing  for  up  to  75 
percent  of  the  purchase  price  under  asset-backed  financing 
arrangements.  At  December 31,  2012  and  2011, 
the 
Corporation’s  maximum  loss  exposure  under  these  financing 
arrangements was $2.5 billion and $4.7 billion, substantially all 
of  which  were  classified  as  loans  on  the  Corporation’s 
Consolidated Balance Sheet. All principal and interest payments 
have been received when due in accordance with their contractual 
terms.  These  arrangements  are  not  included  in  the  Other  VIEs 
table because the purchasers are not VIEs.

NOTE 8 Representations and Warranties 
Obligations and Corporate Guarantees

Background
The Corporation securitizes first-lien residential mortgage loans 
generally in the form of MBS guaranteed by the GSEs or by GNMA 
in  the  case  of  FHA-insured,  VA-guaranteed  and  Rural  Housing 
Service-guaranteed  mortgage  loans.  In  addition,  in  prior  years, 
legacy companies and certain subsidiaries sold pools of first-lien 
residential mortgage loans and home equity loans as private-label 
securitizations (in certain of these securitizations, monolines or 
financial guarantee providers insured all or some of the securities) 
or in the form of whole loans. In connection with these transactions, 
the Corporation or certain of its subsidiaries or legacy companies 
make or have made various representations and warranties. These 
representations and warranties, as set forth in the agreements, 

Bank of America 2012     207

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
related  to,  among  other  things,  the  ownership  of  the  loan,  the 
validity of the lien securing the loan, the absence of delinquent 
taxes or liens against the property securing the loan, the process 
used to select the loan for inclusion in a transaction, the loan’s 
compliance with any applicable loan criteria, including underwriting 
standards, and the loan’s compliance with applicable federal, state 
and local laws. Breaches of these representations and warranties 
may result in the requirement to repurchase mortgage loans or to 
otherwise make whole or provide other remedies to the GSEs, HUD 
with  respect  to  FHA-insured  loans,  VA,  whole-loan  investors, 
securitization  trusts,  monoline  insurers  or  other  financial 
guarantors  (collectively,  repurchases).  In  all  such  cases,  the 
Corporation  would  be  exposed  to  any  credit  loss  on  the 
repurchased mortgage loans after accounting for any mortgage 
insurance  (MI)  or  mortgage  guarantee  payments  that  it  may 
receive.

Subject to the requirements and limitations of the applicable 
sales and securitization agreements, these representations and 
warranties can be enforced by the GSEs, HUD, VA, the whole-loan 
investor, the securitization trustee or others as governed by the 
applicable  agreement  or,  in  certain  first-lien  and  home  equity 
securitizations  where  monoline  insurers  or  other  financial 
guarantee  providers  have  insured  all  or  some  of  the  securities 
issued, by the monoline insurer or other financial guarantor, where 
the contract so provides. In the case of loans sold to parties other 
than  the  GSEs  or  GNMA,  the  contractual  liability  to  repurchase 
typically arises only if there is a breach of the representations and 
warranties that materially and adversely affects the interest of the 
investor, or investors, or of the monoline insurer or other financial 
guarantor (as applicable) in the loan. Contracts with the GSEs do 
not  contain  equivalent  language,  while  GNMA  generally  limits 
repurchases  to  loans  that  are  not  insured  or  guaranteed  as 
required. The Corporation believes that the longer a loan performs 
prior to default, the less likely it is that an alleged underwriting 
breach of representations and warranties would have a material 
impact on the loan’s performance. Historically, most demands for 
repurchase  have  occurred  within  the  first  several  years  after 
origination, generally after a loan has defaulted. However, the time 
horizon  in  which  repurchase  claims  are  typically  brought  has 
lengthened primarily due to a significant increase in GSE claims 
related to loans where the borrower made at least 25 payments 
and to loans that had defaulted more than 18 months prior to the 
claim.

The Corporation’s credit loss would be reduced by any recourse 
it may have to organizations (e.g., correspondents) that, in turn, 
had sold such loans to the Corporation based upon its agreements 
with  these  organizations.  When  a  loan  is  originated  by  a 
correspondent or other third party, the Corporation typically has 
the right to seek a recovery of related repurchase losses from that 
originator. Many of the correspondent originators of loans in 2004 
through  2008  are  no  longer  in  business,  or  are  in  a  weakened 
condition, and the Corporation’s ability to recover on valid claims 
is  therefore  impacted,  or  eliminated  accordingly.  In  the  event  a 
loan is originated and underwritten by a correspondent who obtains 
FHA insurance, even if they are no longer in business, any breach 
of FHA guidelines is the direct obligation of the correspondent, not 
the Corporation. Generally the volume of unresolved repurchase 
claims  from  the  FHA  and  VA  for  loans  in  GNMA-guaranteed 
securities is not significant because the requests are limited in 
number and are typically resolved quickly. At December 31, 2012, 
approximately 26 percent of the outstanding repurchase claims 
relate to loans purchased from correspondents or other parties 

208     Bank of America 2012

compared to approximately 28 percent at December 31, 2011. 
During  2012,  the  Corporation  continued  to  recover  repurchase 
losses from correspondents and other parties; however, the actual 
recovery  rate  may  vary  from  period  to  period  based  upon  the 
underlying mix of correspondents and other parties.

The estimate of the liability for representations and warranties 
exposures and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss 
is based upon currently available information, significant judgment, 
and  a  number  of  factors  and  assumptions,  including  those 
discussed under Liability for Representations and Warranties and 
Corporate Guarantees in this Note, that are subject to change. 
Changes to any one of these factors could significantly impact the 
estimate of the liability and could have a material adverse impact 
on the Corporation’s results of operations for any particular period. 
Given  that  these  factors  vary  by  counterparty,  the  Corporation 
analyzes representations and warranties obligations based on the 
specific counterparty, or type of counterparty, with whom the sale 
was made. 

Settlement Actions
The  Corporation  has  vigorously  contested  any  request  for 
repurchase when it concludes that a valid basis for repurchase 
does not exist and will continue to do so in the future. However, 
in an effort to resolve these legacy mortgage-related issues, the 
Corporation has reached bulk settlements, or agreements for bulk 
settlements,  including  settlement  amounts  which  have  been 
material,  with  counterparties  in  lieu  of  a  loan-by-loan  review 
process. The Corporation may reach other settlements in the future 
if  opportunities  arise  on  terms  it  believes  to  be  advantageous. 
However, there can be no assurance that the Corporation will reach 
future settlements or, if it does, that the terms of past settlements 
can be relied upon to predict the terms of future settlements. The 
following provides a summary of the larger bulk settlement actions 
during the past few years.

Fannie Mae Settlement
On January 6, 2013, the Corporation entered into an agreement 
with FNMA to resolve substantially all outstanding and potential 
repurchase  and  certain  other  claims  relating  to  the  origination, 
sale and delivery of residential mortgage loans originated and sold 
directly  to  FNMA  from  January 1,  2000  through  December 31, 
2008 by entities related to legacy Countrywide and BANA.

This  agreement  covers  loans  with  an  aggregate  original 
principal balance of approximately $1.4 trillion and an aggregate 
outstanding  principal  balance  of  approximately  $300  billion. 
Unresolved  repurchase  claims  submitted  by  FNMA  for  alleged 
breaches of selling representations and warranties with respect 
to these loans totaled $12.2 billion of unpaid principal balance at 
December 31, 2012. This agreement extinguished substantially 
all of those unresolved repurchase claims, as well as any future 
representations and warranties repurchase claims associated with 
such loans, subject to certain exceptions which the Corporation 
does not expect to be material.

In  January  2013,  the  Corporation  made  a  cash  payment  to 
FNMA of $3.6 billion and also repurchased for $6.6 billion certain 
residential mortgage loans that had previously been sold to FNMA, 
which the Corporation has valued at less than the purchase price. 
This  agreement  also  clarified  the  parties’  obligations  with 
respect  to  MI  including  establishing  timeframes  for  certain 
payments and other actions, setting parameters for potential bulk 
settlements and providing for cooperation in future dealings with 

mortgage  insurers.  For  additional  information,  see  Mortgage 
Insurance Rescission Notices in this Note.

In addition, pursuant to a separate agreement, the Corporation 
settled substantially all of FNMA’s outstanding and future claims 
for compensatory fees arising out of past foreclosure delays.
Collectively, these agreements are the FNMA Settlement.

Monoline Settlements

Syncora Settlement
On July 17, 2012, the Corporation entered into a settlement with 
a monoline insurer, Syncora Guarantee Inc. and Syncora Holdings, 
Ltd. (Syncora), to resolve all of Syncora’s outstanding and potential 
claims related to alleged representations and warranties breaches 
involving eight first- and six second-lien private-label securitization 
trusts  where  it  provided  financial  guarantee  insurance.  The 
settlement covers private-label securitization trusts that had an 
original principal balance of first-lien mortgages of approximately 
$9.6  billion  and  second-lien  mortgages  of  approximately  $7.7 
billion. The settlement provided for a cash payment of $375 million 
to  Syncora  and  other  transactions  to  terminate  certain  other 
relationships among the parties.

its 

including 

Settlement with Assured Guaranty
On  April 14,  2011,  the  Corporation, 
legacy 
Countrywide  affiliates,  entered  into  a  settlement  with  Assured 
Guaranty  to  resolve  all  of  Assured  Guaranty’s  outstanding  and 
potential repurchase claims related to alleged representations and 
warranties breaches involving 21 first- and eight second-lien RMBS 
trusts  where  Assured  Guaranty  provided  financial  guarantee 
insurance. The settlement resolves historical loan servicing issues 
and  other  potential  liabilities  with  respect  to  those  trusts.  The 
settlement  covers  RMBS  trusts  that  had  an  original  principal 
balance of approximately $35.8 billion and total unpaid principal 
balance of approximately $20.2 billion as of April 14, 2011. The 
settlement  provided  for  cash  payments  totaling  approximately 
$1.1  billion  to  Assured  Guaranty,  a  loss-sharing  reinsurance 
arrangement with an expected value of approximately $470 million 
at the time of the settlement and other terms, including termination 
of certain derivative contracts. As a result of the settlement, the 
Corporation recorded consumer loans and the related trust debt 
on its Consolidated Balance Sheet due to the establishment of 
reinsurance contracts at the time of the settlement. The amount 
of  these  consumer  loans  and  the  related  trust  debt  was  $900 
million and $2.2 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. 

Settlement with the Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee
On June 28, 2011, the Corporation, BAC Home Loans Servicing, 
LP (BAC HLS, which was subsequently merged with and into BANA 
in July 2011), and its legacy Countrywide affiliates entered into a 
settlement agreement with Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon) 
as trustee (the Trustee), to resolve all outstanding and potential 
claims related to alleged representations and warranties breaches 
(including  repurchase  claims),  substantially  all  historical  loan 
servicing claims and certain other historical claims with respect 
to 525 legacy Countrywide first-lien and five second-lien non-GSE 
residential  mortgage-backed  securitization  trusts  (the  Covered 
Trusts) containing loans principally originated between 2004 and 
2008 for which BNY Mellon acts as trustee or indenture trustee 
(BNY  Mellon  Settlement).  The  Covered  Trusts  had  an  original 

principal  balance  of  approximately  $424  billion,  of  which  $409 
billion  was  originated  between  2004  and  2008,  and  total 
outstanding principal and unpaid principal balance of loans that 
had  defaulted 
(collectively  unpaid  principal  balance)  of 
approximately $220 billion at June 28, 2011, of which $217 billion 
was  originated  between  2004  and  2008.  The  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement is supported by a group of 22 institutional investors 
(the  Investor  Group)  and  is  subject  to  final  court  approval  and 
certain other conditions.

The BNY Mellon Settlement provides for a cash payment of 
$8.5 billion (the Settlement Payment) to the Trustee for distribution 
to the Covered Trusts after final court approval of the BNY Mellon 
Settlement. In addition to the Settlement Payment, the Corporation 
is obligated to pay attorneys’ fees and costs to the Investor Group’s 
counsel as well as all fees and expenses incurred by the Trustee 
related  to  obtaining  final  court  approval  of  the  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement and certain tax rulings, which are currently estimated 
at $100 million. 

The BNY Mellon Settlement does not cover a small number of 
legacy Countrywide-issued first-lien non-GSE RMBS transactions 
with  loans  originated  principally  between  2004  and  2008  for 
various  reasons,  including  for  example,  six  legacy  Countrywide-
issued first-lien non-GSE RMBS transactions in which BNY Mellon 
is not the trustee. The BNY Mellon Settlement also does not cover 
legacy Countrywide-issued second-lien securitization transactions 
in which a monoline insurer or other financial guarantor provides 
financial guaranty insurance. In addition, because the settlement 
is with the Trustee on behalf of the Covered Trusts and releases 
rights under the governing agreements for the Covered Trusts, the 
settlement  does  not  release  investors’  securities  law  or  fraud 
claims  based  upon  disclosures  made  in  connection  with  their 
decision to purchase, sell or hold securities issued by the Covered 
Trusts. To date, various investors, including certain members of 
the  Investor  Group,  are  pursuing  securities  law  or  fraud  claims 
related to one or more of the Covered Trusts. The Corporation is 
not able to determine whether any additional securities law or fraud 
claims  will  be  made  by  investors  in  the  Covered  Trusts.  For 
information about mortgage-related securities law or fraud claims, 
see Litigation and Regulatory Matters in Note 13 – Commitments 
and  Contingencies.  For  those  Covered  Trusts  where  a  monoline 
insurer or other financial guarantor has an independent right to 
assert repurchase claims directly, the BNY Mellon Settlement does 
not release such insurer’s or guarantor’s repurchase claims.

Under an order entered by the court in connection with the BNY 
Mellon  Settlement,  potentially  interested  persons  had  the 
opportunity  to  give  notice  of  intent  to  object  to  the  settlement 
(including on the basis that more information was needed) until 
August 30, 2011. Approximately 44 groups or entities appeared 
prior  to  the  deadline;  seven  of  those  groups  or  entities  have 
subsequently withdrawn from the proceeding and one motion to 
intervene  was  denied.  Certain  of  these  groups  or  entities  filed 
notices of intent to object, made motions to intervene, or both 
filed notices of intent to object and made motions to intervene. 
The  parties  filing  motions  to  intervene  include  the  Attorneys 
General of the states of New York and Delaware, whose motions 
to intervene were granted. Parties who filed notices stating that 
they  wished  to  obtain  more  information  about  the  settlement 
include the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the 
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Bank of America is not a 
party to the proceeding.

Bank of America 2012     209

Certain of the motions to intervene and/or notices of intent to 
object  allege  various  purported  bases  for  opposition  to  the 
settlement,  including  challenges  to  the  nature  of  the  court 
proceeding and the lack of an opt-out mechanism, alleged conflicts 
of interest on the part of the Investor Group and/or the Trustee, 
the  inadequacy  of  the  settlement  amount  and  the  method  of 
allocating the settlement amount among the Covered Trusts, while 
other motions do not make substantive objections but state that 
they need more information about the settlement.

It is not currently possible to predict how many parties who 
have appeared in the court proceeding will ultimately object to the 
BNY Mellon Settlement, whether the objections will prevent receipt 
of final court approval or the ultimate outcome of the court approval 
process, which can include appeals and could take a substantial 
period of time. On August 10, 2012, the Court issued an order 
setting a schedule for discovery and other proceedings, and setting 
May  30,  2013  as  the  date  for  the  final  court  hearing  on  the 
settlement  to  begin.  However,  there  may  be  changes  to  the 
schedule for the final court hearing and any appeals could take a 
substantial period of time. Accordingly, it is not possible to predict 
when the court approval process will be completed.

If final court approval is not obtained by December 31, 2015, 
the Corporation and legacy Countrywide may withdraw from the 
BNY Mellon Settlement, if the Trustee consents. The BNY Mellon 
Settlement also provides that if Covered Trusts holding loans with 
an  unpaid  principal  balance  exceeding  a  specified  amount  are 
excluded from the final BNY Mellon Settlement, based on investor 
objections or otherwise, the Corporation and legacy Countrywide 
have  the  option  to  withdraw  from  the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement 
pursuant to the terms of the BNY Mellon Settlement agreement.
There  can  be  no  assurance  that  final  court  approval  of  the 
settlement will be obtained, that all conditions to the BNY Mellon 
Settlement will be satisfied  or, if certain  conditions  to  the  BNY 
Mellon  Settlement  permitting  withdrawal  are  met,  that  the 
Corporation  and  legacy  Countrywide  will  not  withdraw  from  the 
settlement.  If  final  court  approval  is  not  obtained  or  if  the 
Corporation and legacy Countrywide withdraw from the BNY Mellon 
Settlement in accordance with its terms, the Corporation’s future 
representations  and  warranties  losses  could  be  substantially 
different  than  existing  accruals  and  the  estimated  range  of 
possible loss over existing accruals described under Whole Loan 
Sales and Private-label Securitizations Experience on page 215.

2010 Government-sponsored Enterprise Agreements
On December 31, 2010, the Corporation reached agreements with 
FHLMC and FNMA, under which the Corporation paid $2.8 billion 
to resolve certain repurchase claims involving first-lien residential 
mortgage  loans  sold  directly  to  the  GSEs  by  entities  related  to 
legacy Countrywide (the 2010 GSE Agreements). The agreement 
with FHLMC extinguished all outstanding and potential mortgage 
repurchase  and  make-whole  claims  arising  out  of  any  alleged 
breaches of selling representations and warranties related to loans 
sold  directly  by  legacy  Countrywide  to  FHLMC  through  2008, 
subject  to  certain  exceptions.  The  agreement  with  FNMA 
substantially resolved the existing pipeline of repurchase claims 
outstanding  as  of  September 20,  2010  arising  out  of  alleged 
breaches of selling representations and warranties related to loans 
sold  directly  by  legacy  Countrywide  to  FNMA.  The  2010  GSE 
Agreements  did  not  cover  outstanding  and  potential  mortgage 
repurchase claims arising out of any alleged breaches of selling 
representations and warranties related to legacy Bank of America 
first-lien residential mortgage loans sold directly to the GSEs or 

210     Bank of America 2012

other loans sold directly to the GSEs other than described above, 
loan servicing obligations, other contractual obligations or loans 
contained in private-label securitizations. 

Unresolved Repurchase Claims
Unresolved  representations  and  warranties  repurchase  claims 
represent  the  notional  amount  of  repurchase  claims  made  by 
counterparties, typically the outstanding principal balance or the 
unpaid principal balance at the time of default. In the case of first-
lien mortgages, the claim amount is often significantly greater than 
the expected loss amount due to the benefit of collateral and, in 
some cases, MI or mortgage guarantee payments. Claims received 
from a counterparty remain outstanding until the underlying loan 
is repurchased, the claim is rescinded by the counterparty, or the 
claim  is  otherwise  resolved.  When  a  claim  is  denied  and  the 
Corporation does not receive a response from the counterparty, 
the claim remains in the unresolved repurchase claims balance 
until resolution. 

The  table  below  presents  unresolved  repurchase  claims  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. The unresolved repurchase claims 
include  only  claims  where  the  Corporation  believes  that  the 
counterparty  has  a  basis  to  submit  claims.  For  additional 
information,  see  Whole  Loan  Sales  and  Private-label 
Securitizations Experience in this Note and Note 13 – Commitments 
and Contingencies. These repurchase claims do not include any 
repurchase claims related to the BNY Mellon Settlement regarding 
the Covered Trusts. 

Unresolved Repurchase Claims by Counterparty and 
Product Type

(Dollars in millions)

By counterparty (1, 2)

GSEs (3)
Monolines
Whole-loan investors, private-label securitization 

December 31

2012

2011

$ 13,530
2,449

$ 6,221
3,082

trustees, third-party securitization sponsors and other

12,299

3,304

Total unresolved repurchase claims by counterparty (3) $ 28,278

$ 12,607

By product type (1, 2)

Prime loans
Alt-A
Home equity
Pay option
Subprime
Other

$ 8,793
5,428
2,394
5,884
3,687
2,092
Total unresolved repurchase claims by product type (3) $ 28,278

$ 3,925
2,286
2,872
1,993
891
640
$ 12,607

(1)  Excludes certain MI rescission notices. However, at December 31, 2012 and 2011, included 
$2.3 billion and $1.2 billion of repurchase requests received from the GSEs that have resulted 
solely from MI rescission notices. For additional information, see Mortgage Insurance Rescission 
Notices in this Note.

(2)  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, unresolved repurchase claims did not include repurchase 
demands of $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion where the Corporation believes the claimants have 
not satisfied the contractual thresholds as noted on page 211.

(3)  As a result of the FNMA Settlement, $12.2 billion of these claims were resolved in January 

2013.

During  2012,  the  Corporation  received  $22.4  billion  in  new 
repurchase claims, including $10.3 billion submitted by FNMA and 
covered by the FNMA Settlement, $2.3 billion submitted by the 
GSEs  for  both  legacy  Countrywide  and  legacy  Bank  of  America 
originations not covered by the 2010 GSE Agreements or the FNMA 
Settlement, $8.0 billion submitted by private-label securitization 
trustees,  $1.5  billion  from  whole-loan  investors,  primarily  third-

 
 
 
 
 
party  securitization  sponsors,  and  $295  million  submitted  by 
monolines.  During  2012,  $6.6  billion  in  claims  were  resolved, 
primarily with the GSEs and through the Syncora Settlement. Of 
the resolved claims, $4.6 billion were resolved through rescissions 
and $2.0 billion were resolved through mortgage repurchases and 
make-whole payments.

The  notional  amount  of  unresolved  GSE  repurchase  claims 
totaled $13.5 billion at December 31, 2012 compared to $6.2 
billion at December 31, 2011. As a result of the FNMA Settlement, 
$12.2  billion  of  GSE  repurchase  claims  outstanding  at 
December 31, 2012 were resolved in January 2013. For further 
discussion  of  the  Corporation’s  experience  with  the  GSEs,  see 
Government-sponsored Enterprises Experience in this Note.

The  notional  amount  of  unresolved  monoline  repurchase 
claims totaled $2.4 billion at December 31, 2012 compared to 
$3.1 billion at December 31, 2011. The decrease in unresolved 
repurchase claims was driven by resolution of claims through the 
Syncora Settlement. The Corporation has had limited loan-level 
repurchase  claims  experience  with  monoline  insurers  due  to 
ongoing litigation. The Corporation has reviewed and declined to 
repurchase substantially all of the unresolved repurchase claims 
at  December 31,  2012  based  on  an  assessment  of  whether  a 
breach exists that materially and adversely affected the insurer’s 
interest  in  the  mortgage  loan.  Further,  in  the  Corporation’s 
experience,  the  monolines  have  been  generally  unwilling  to 
withdraw  repurchase  claims,  regardless  of  whether  and  what 
evidence  was  offered  to  refute  a  claim.  Substantially  all  of  the 
unresolved monoline claims pertain to second-lien loans and are 
currently  the  subject  of  litigation.  For  further  discussion  of  the 
Corporation’s practices regarding litigation accruals and range of 
possible loss for litigation and regulatory matters, which includes 
the  status  of  its  monoline  litigation,  see  Estimated  Range  of 
Possible Loss in this Note. 

The  notional  amount  of  unresolved  repurchase  claims  from 
private-label  securitization  trustees,  third-party  securitization 
sponsors,  whole-loan  investors  and  others  increased  to  $12.3 
billion  at  December 31,  2012  compared  to  $3.3  billion  at 
December 31,  2011.  The  increase  in  the  notional  amount  of 
unresolved repurchase claims is primarily due to increases in the 
submission of claims by private-label securitization trustees and 
a third-party securitization sponsor; the level of detail, support and 
analysis which impacts overall claim quality and, therefore, claims 
resolution;  and  the  lack  of  an  established  process  to  resolve 
disputes related to these claims. The Corporation anticipated an 
increase in aggregate non-GSE claims at the time of the BNY Mellon 
Settlement  in  June  2011,  and  such  increase  in  aggregate  non-
GSE  claims  was  taken  into  consideration  in  developing  the 
increase  in  the  Corporation’s  representations  and  warranties 
liability  at  that  time.  The  Corporation  expects  unresolved 
repurchase  claims  related  to  private-label  securitizations  to 
continue to increase as claims continue to be submitted by private-
third-party  securitization 
label  securitization 
sponsors, and there is not an established process for the ultimate 
resolution of claims on which there is a disagreement. For further 
discussion of the Corporation’s experience with whole loans and 
private-label securitizations, see Whole Loan Sales and Private-
label Securitizations Experience in this Note.

trustees  and 

In  addition  to  the  total  unresolved  repurchase  claims,  the 
Corporation has received repurchase demands from private-label 
securitization investors and a master servicer where it believes 
the  claimants  have  not  satisfied  the  contractual  thresholds  to 
direct the securitization trustee to take action and/or that these 

demands are otherwise procedurally or substantively invalid. The 
total amounts outstanding of such demands were $1.6 billion and 
$1.7 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. At December 31, 
2011, the $1.7 billion of demands outstanding were related to 
Covered Trusts in the BNY Mellon Settlement of which $1.4 billion 
were subsequently resolved through the July 2012 dismissal of a 
lawsuit  brought  by  Walnut  Place  (11  entities  with  the  common 
name Walnut Place, including Walnut Place LLC, and Walnut Place 
II LLC through Walnut Place XI LLC). Additional demands totaling 
$1.3 billion were received during 2012. The Corporation does not 
believe  that  the  $1.6  billion  in  demands  outstanding  at 
December 31, 2012 are valid repurchase claims, and therefore it 
is  not  possible  to  predict  the  resolution  with  respect  to  such 
demands. 

Mortgage Insurance Rescission Notices
In addition to repurchase claims, the Corporation receives notices 
from  mortgage 
insurance  companies  of  claim  denials, 
cancellations  or  coverage  rescission  (collectively,  MI  rescission 
notices) and the number of such notices has remained elevated. 
By way of background, MI compensates lenders or investors for 
certain losses resulting from borrower default on a mortgage loan. 
When there is disagreement with the mortgage insurer as to the 
resolution  of  a  MI  rescission  notice,  meaningful  dialogue  and 
negotiation  between  the  mortgage  insurance  company  and  the 
Corporation are generally necessary to reach a resolution on an 
individual  notice.  The  level  of  engagement  of  the  mortgage 
insurance companies varies and ongoing litigation involving some 
of  the  mortgage  insurance  companies  over  individual  and  bulk 
rescissions  or  claims  for  rescission  limits  the  ability  of  the 
Corporation  to  engage  in  constructive  dialogue  leading  to 
resolution. 

For  loans  sold  to  GSEs  or  private-label  securitization  trusts 
(including those wrapped by the monoline bond insurers), when 
the Corporation receives a MI rescission notice from a mortgage 
insurance company, it may give rise to a claim for breach of the 
applicable  representations  and  warranties  from  the  GSEs  or 
private-label  securitization  trusts,  depending  on  the  governing 
sales  contracts.  In  those  cases  where  the  governing  contract 
contains MI-related representations and warranties, which upon 
rescission  requires  the  Corporation  to  repurchase  the  affected 
loan or indemnify the investor for the related loss, the Corporation 
realizes  the  loss  without  the  benefit  of  MI.  See  below  for  a 
discussion  of  the  impact  of  the  FNMA  Settlement.  In  addition, 
mortgage insurance companies have in some cases asserted the 
ability to curtail MI payments as a result of alleged foreclosure 
delays, which if successful, would reduce the MI proceeds available 
to reduce the loss on the loan. 

At  December 31,  2012,  the  Corporation  had  approximately 
110,000  open  MI  rescission  notices  compared  to  90,000  at 
December 31,  2011,  including  49,000  pertaining  principally  to 
first-lien mortgages serviced for others, 11,000 pertaining to loans 
held-for-investment,  and  50,000  pertaining  to  ongoing  litigation 
for second-lien mortgages. Approximately 27,000 of the open MI 
rescission notices pertaining to first-lien mortgages serviced for 
others  are  related  to  loans  sold  to  FNMA.  As  of  December 31, 
2012, 32 percent of the MI rescission notices received have been 
resolved. Of those resolved, 20 percent were resolved through the 
Corporation’s acceptance of the MI rescission, 58 percent were 
resolved  through  reinstatement  of  coverage  or  payment  of  the 
claim by the mortgage insurance company, and 22 percent were 
resolved  on  an  aggregate  basis  through  settlement,  policy 

Bank of America 2012     211

commutation or similar arrangement. As of December 31, 2012, 
68  percent  of  the  MI  rescission  notices  the  Corporation  has 
received have not yet been resolved. Of those not yet resolved, 
46 percent are implicated by ongoing litigation where no loan-level 
review  is  currently  contemplated  nor  required  to  preserve  the 
Corporation’s legal rights. In this litigation, the litigating mortgage 
insurance companies are also seeking bulk rescission of certain 
policies,  separate  and  apart  from  loan-by-loan  denials  or 
rescissions.  The  Corporation  is  in  the  process  of  reviewing  37 
percent of the remaining open MI rescission notices, and it has 
reviewed and is contesting the MI rescission with respect to 63 
percent  of  these  remaining  open  MI  rescission  notices.  Of  the 
remaining  open  MI  rescission  notices,  40  percent  are  also  the 
subject  of  ongoing  litigation;  although,  at  present,  these  MI 
rescissions are being processed in a manner generally consistent 
with those not affected by litigation. 

In  addition  to  the  discussion  above,  the  FNMA  Settlement 
resolved  significant  representations  and  warranties  exposures 
including unresolved and potential repurchase claims from FNMA 
resulting solely from MI rescission notices relating to loans covered 
by the FNMA Settlement. The Corporation’s pipeline of unresolved 
repurchase  claims  from  the  GSEs  resulting  solely  from  MI 
rescission notices increased to $2.3 billion at December 31, 2012 
from $1.2 billion at December 31, 2011. The FNMA Settlement 
resolved approximately $1.9 billion of such unresolved repurchase 
claims.  In  2011,  FNMA  issued  an  announcement  requiring 
servicers to report all MI rescission notices with respect to loans 
sold to FNMA and confirmed FNMA’s view of its position that a 
mortgage insurance company’s issuance of a MI rescission notice 
in and of itself constitutes a breach of the lender’s representations 
and  warranties  and  permits  FNMA  to  require  the  lender  to 
repurchase  the  mortgage  loan  or  promptly  remit  a  make-whole 
payment covering FNMA’s loss even if the lender is contesting the 
MI rescission notice. The Corporation had informed FNMA that it 
did not believe that the new policy was valid under its contracts 
with FNMA. The parties resolved this and other MI-related issues 
as  part  of  the  FNMA  Settlement,  which  clarified  the  parties’ 
obligations with respect to MI including establishing timeframes 
for  certain  payments  and  other  actions,  setting  parameters  for 

Loan Repurchases and Indemnification Payments

potential bulk settlements and providing for cooperation in future 
dealings with mortgage insurers. As a result, the Corporation will 
be required to remit to FNMA the amount of certain MI coverage 
as a result of MI claims rescissions in advance of collection from 
the mortgage insurance companies and, in certain cases, it may 
not  ultimately  collect  all  such  amounts  from  the  mortgage 
insurance companies.

underwriting 

Cash Settlements
As  presented  in  the  table  below,  during  2012  and  2011,  the 
Corporation paid $1.8 billion and $5.2 billion to resolve $2.1 billion 
and  $6.2  billion  of  repurchase  claims  through  repurchase  or 
reimbursement to the investor or securitization trust for losses 
they incurred, resulting in a loss on the related loans at the time 
of repurchase or reimbursement of $847 million and $3.5 billion. 
Cash  paid  for  loan  repurchases  includes  the  unpaid  principal 
balance of the loan plus past due interest. The amount of loss for 
loan repurchases is reduced by the fair value of the underlying 
loan  collateral.  The  repurchase  of  loans  and  indemnification 
payments related to first-lien and home equity repurchase claims 
generally resulted from material breaches of representations and 
warranties  related  to  the  loans’  material  compliance  with  the 
applicable 
borrower 
sufficient 
misrepresentation, 
compensating  factors  and  non-compliance  with  underwriting 
procedures. The actual representations and warranties made in a 
sales 
repurchase  and 
indemnification activity can vary by transaction or investor. A direct 
relationship between the type of defect that causes the breach of 
representations and  warranties and  the  severity of  the  realized 
loss  has  not  been  observed.  Transactions  to  repurchase  or 
indemnification  payments 
residential 
related 
mortgages  primarily  involved  the  GSEs  while  transactions  to 
repurchase  or  indemnification  payments  for  home  equity  loans 
primarily involved the monoline insurers. The amounts shown in 
the table below do not include $1.8 billion in payments to settle 
monoline  claims.  The  table  below  presents  first-lien  and  home 
equity loan repurchases and indemnification payments for 2012 
and 2011. 

including 
exceptions  without 

transaction  and 

standards, 

resulting 

first-lien 

credit 

the 

to 

(Dollars in millions)

First-lien 

Repurchases
Indemnification payments

Total first-lien

Home equity

Repurchases
Indemnification payments

Total home equity
Total first-lien and home equity

December 31

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

2012

Cash Paid 
for
Repurchases

Loss

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

2011

Cash Paid 
for
Repurchases

Loss

$

$

1,184
831
2,015

24
36
60
2,075

$

$

1,273
425
1,698

24
33
57
1,755

$

$

389
425
814

—
33
33
847

$

$

2,713
3,329
6,042

28
99
127
6,169

$

$

3,067
2,026
5,093

28
99
127
5,220

$

$

1,346
2,026
3,372

14
99
113
3,485

Liability for Representations and Warranties and 
Corporate Guarantees
The  liability  for  representations  and  warranties  and  corporate 
guarantees is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities 
on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet and the related 

provision  is  included  in  mortgage  banking  income  (loss).  The 
liability  for  representations  and  warranties  is  established  when 
those obligations are both probable and reasonably estimable.

The Corporation’s estimated liability at December 31, 2012 for 
obligations  under  representations  and  warranties  given  to  the 

212     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GSEs and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss is 
primarily driven by the FNMA Settlement and also considers, and 
is necessarily dependent on, and limited by, a number of factors, 
including the Corporation’s experience related to actual defaults, 
projected  future  defaults,  historical  loss  experience,  estimated 
home prices and other economic conditions. The methodology also 
considers such factors as the number of payments made by the 
borrower prior to default as well as certain other assumptions and 
judgmental  factors.  See  the  Estimated  Range  of  Possible  Loss 
section  below  for  a  discussion  of  the  representations  and 
warranties  liability  and  the  corresponding  estimated  range  of 
possible loss.

The Corporation’s estimate of the non-GSE representations and 
warranties liability and the corresponding range of possible loss 
considers, among other things, repurchase experience based on 
the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement,  adjusted  to  reflect  differences 
between the Covered Trusts and the remainder of the population 
of private-label securitizations, and assumes that the conditions 
to  the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement  will  be  met.  Since  the  non-GSE 
securitization  trusts  that  were  included  in  the  BNY  Mellon 
Settlement differ from those that were not included in the BNY 
Mellon  Settlement,  the  Corporation  adjusted  the  repurchase 
experience  implied  in  the  settlement  in  order  to  determine  the 
estimated  non-GSE  representations  and  warranties  liability  and 
the  corresponding  range  of  possible  loss.  The  judgmental 
adjustments made include consideration of the differences in the 
mix  of  products  in  the  subject  securitizations,  loan  originator, 
likelihood  of  claims  expected,  the  differences  in  the  number  of 
payments  that  the  borrower  has  made  prior  to  default  and  the 
sponsor  of  the  securitizations.  Where  relevant,  the  Corporation 
also takes into account more recent experience, such as increased 
claims  and  other  facts  and  circumstances,  such  as  bulk 
settlements, as the Corporation believes appropriate.

repurchase  claimants  must  prove 

Additional factors that impact the non-GSE representations and 
warranties  liability  and  the  portion  of  the  estimated  range  of 
possible  loss  corresponding  to  non-GSE  representations  and 
warranties  exposures  include:  (1)  contractual  material  adverse 
effect  requirements;  (2)  the  representations  and  warranties 
provided; and (3) the requirement to meet certain presentation 
thresholds. The first factor is based on the Corporation’s belief 
that a non-GSE contractual liability to repurchase a loan generally 
arises  only  if  the  counterparties  prove  there  is  a  breach  of 
representations  and  warranties  that  materially  and  adversely 
affects  the  interest  of  the  investor  or  all  investors,  or  of  the 
monoline insurer or other financial guarantor (as applicable), in a 
securitization trust and, accordingly, the Corporation believes that 
the  alleged 
the 
representations and warranties breach was the cause of the loss. 
The  second  factor  is  based  on  the  differences  in  the  types  of 
representations and warranties given in non-GSE securitizations 
from those provided to the GSEs. The Corporation believes the 
non-GSE securitizations’ representations and warranties are less 
rigorous and actionable than the explicit provisions of comparable 
agreements with the GSEs without regard to any variations that 
may have arisen as a result of dealings with the GSEs. The third 
factor is related to certain presentation thresholds that need to 
be met in order for any repurchase claim to be asserted on the 
initiative  of  investors  under  the  non-GSE  agreements.  A 
securitization trustee may investigate or demand repurchase on 
its  own  action,  and  most  agreements  contain  a  presentation 
threshold, for example 25 percent of the voting rights per trust, 
that allows investors to declare a servicing event of default under 

that 

certain  circumstances  or  to  request  certain  action,  such  as 
requesting loan files, that the trustee may choose to accept and 
follow, exempt from liability, provided the trustee is acting in good 
faith.  If  there  is  an  uncured  servicing  event  of  default  and  the 
trustee fails to bring suit during a 60-day period, then, under most 
agreements,  investors  may  file  suit.  In  addition  to  this,  most 
agreements also allow investors to direct the securitization trustee 
to  investigate  loan  files  or  demand  the  repurchase  of  loans  if 
security  holders  hold  a  specified  percentage,  for  example,  25 
percent, of the voting rights of each tranche of the outstanding 
securities.  Although  the  Corporation  continues  to  believe  that 
presentation  thresholds  are  a  factor  in  the  determination  of 
probable loss, given the BNY Mellon Settlement, the estimated 
range of possible loss assumes that the presentation threshold 
can be met for all of the non-GSE securitization transactions. The 
population  of  private-label  securitizations  included  in  the  BNY 
Mellon Settlement encompasses almost all legacy Countrywide 
first-lien  private-label  securitizations  including  loans  originated 
principally  between  2004  and  2008.  For  the  remainder  of  the 
population  of  private-label  securitizations,  other  claimants  have 
come forward and the Corporation believes it is probable that other 
claimants in certain types of securitizations may continue to come 
forward with claims that meet the requirements of the terms of 
the securitizations. 

The  table  below  presents  a  rollforward  of  the  liability  for 

representations and warranties and corporate guarantees.

Representations and Warranties and Corporate
Guarantees

(Dollars in millions)

Liability for representations and warranties and

corporate guarantees, January 1

Additions for new sales
Charge-offs
Provision

2012

2011

$ 15,858

$ 5,438

28
(804)
3,939

20
(5,191)
15,591

Liability for representations and warranties and

corporate guarantees, December 31

$ 19,021

$ 15,858

For 2012, the provision for representations and warranties and 
corporate guarantees was $3.9 billion compared to $15.6 billion 
for 2011. The provision in 2012 included $2.5 billion in provision 
related to the FNMA Settlement and $500 million for obligations 
to FNMA related to MI rescissions. The provision in 2011 included 
$8.6 billion in provision and other expenses related to the BNY 
Mellon Settlement to resolve nearly all of the legacy Countrywide-
issued first-lien non-GSE repurchase exposures, and $7.0 billion 
in provision related to other non-GSE, and to a lesser extent, GSE 
exposures. 

Estimated Range of Possible Loss
The  representations  and  warranties  liability  represents  the 
Corporation’s  best  estimate  of  probable  incurred  losses  as  of 
December 31, 2012. However, it is reasonably possible that future 
representations and warranties losses may occur in excess of the 
amounts  recorded  for  these  exposures.  In  addition,  the 
Corporation has not recorded any representations and warranties 
liability for certain potential private-label securitization and whole-
loan  exposures  where  it  has  little  to  no  claim  experience.  The 
Corporation currently estimates that the range of possible loss for 
representations and warranties exposures could be up to $4 billion 

Bank of America 2012     213

over accruals at December 31, 2012 compared to up to $5 billion 
over  accruals  at  December 31,  2011 
for  only  non-GSE 
representations and warranties exposures. The range of possible 
loss  at  December 31,  2012  reflects  the  impact  of  the  FNMA 
Settlement  and,  as  a  result,  addresses  principally  non-GSE 
exposures.  The  reduction  in  the  range  of  possible  loss  from 
December 31, 2011 is the net impact of, among other changes, 
updated  assumptions  and  other  developments.  The  estimated 
range  of  possible  loss  related  to  these  representations  and 
warranties exposures does not represent a probable loss, and is 
based on currently available information, significant judgment and 
a number of assumptions, including those set forth below, that 
are subject to change.

from 

Future  provisions  and/or  ranges  of  possible  loss  for 
representations and warranties may be significantly impacted if 
actual  experiences  are  different 
the  Corporation’s 
assumptions in its predictive models, including, without limitation, 
ultimate  resolution  of  the  BNY  Mellon  Settlement,  estimated 
repurchase rates, economic conditions, estimated home prices, 
consumer  and  counterparty  behavior,  and  a  variety  of  other 
judgmental factors. Adverse developments with respect to one or 
more of the assumptions underlying the liability for representations 
and warranties and the corresponding estimated range of possible 
loss could result in significant increases to future provisions and/
or the estimated range of possible loss. For example, if courts, in 
the  context  of  claims  brought  by  private-label  securitization 
trustees,  were  to  disagree  with  the  Corporation’s  interpretation 
that the underlying agreements require a claimant to prove that 
the representations and warranties breach was the cause of the 
loss, it could significantly impact the estimated range of possible 
loss.  Additionally,  if  recent  court  rulings  related  to  monoline 
litigation,  including  one  related  to  the  Corporation,  that  have 
allowed sampling of loan files instead of requiring a loan-by-loan 
review to determine if a representations and warranties breach 
has  occurred,  are  followed  generally  by  the  courts  in  future 
monoline litigation, private-label securitization counterparties may 
view litigation as a more attractive alternative compared to a loan-
by-loan review. Finally, although the Corporation believes that the 
representations  and  warranties  typically  given  in  non-GSE 
transactions are less rigorous and actionable than those given in 
GSE  transactions,  the  Corporation  does  not  have  significant 
experience resolving loan-level claims in non-GSE transactions to 
measure the impact of these differences on the probability that a 
loan will be required to be repurchased.

The liability for obligations and representations and warranties 
exposures and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss 
do not consider any losses related to litigation matters, including 
litigation brought by monoline insurers, nor do they include any 
separate foreclosure costs and related costs, assessments and 
compensatory  fees  or  any  other  possible  losses  related  to 
potential  claims  for  breaches  of  performance  of  servicing 
obligations (except as such losses are included as potential costs 
of the BNY Mellon Settlement), potential securities law or fraud 
claims  or  potential  indemnity  or  other  claims  against  the 
Corporation, including claims related to loans insured by the FHA. 
The Corporation is not able to reasonably estimate the amount of 
any possible loss with respect to any such servicing, securities 
law, fraud or other claims against the Corporation, except to the 
extent reflected in the aggregate range of possible loss for litigation 
and regulatory matters disclosed in Note 13 – Commitments and 
Contingencies; however, such loss could be material.

214     Bank of America 2012

Government-sponsored Enterprises Experience
Generally,  the  Corporation  first  becomes  aware  that  a  GSE  is 
evaluating a particular loan for repurchase when the Corporation 
receives a request from a GSE to review the underlying loan file 
(file request). Upon completing its review, the GSE may submit a 
repurchase claim to the Corporation. As soon as practicable after 
receiving  a  repurchase  claim  from  a  GSE,  the  Corporation 
evaluates the claim and takes appropriate action. Claim disputes 
are  generally  handled  through  loan-level  negotiations  with  the 
GSEs and the Corporation seeks to resolve the repurchase claim 
within 90 to 120 days of the receipt of the claim although claims 
remain  open  beyond 
include 
reasonableness  of  stated  income,  occupancy,  undisclosed 
liabilities, and the validity of MI claim rescissions in the vintages 
with the highest default rates.

timeframe.  Disputes 

this 

The  Corporation  and  its  subsidiaries  have  an  established 
history of working with the GSEs on repurchase claims. In 2012, 
the Corporation continued to experience elevated levels of claims 
from FNMA, including claims on loans on which borrowers have 
made  a  significant  number  of  payments  (e.g.,  at  least  25 
payments) and, to a lesser extent, loans that defaulted more than 
18 months prior to the repurchase request. The FNMA Settlement 
resolved  substantially  all  of  the  claims  with  respect  to  loans 
originated  and  sold  to  FNMA  between  January  1,  2000  and 
December  31,  2008,  as  well  as  substantially  all  future 
representations and warranties repurchase claims associated with 
these loans. 

Monoline Insurers Experience
The Corporation has had limited representations and warranties 
repurchase claims experience with the monoline insurers, due to 
ongoing  litigation  against  legacy  Countrywide  and/or  Bank  of 
America. To the extent the Corporation received repurchase claims 
from the monolines that are properly presented, it generally reviews 
them on a loan-by-loan basis. Where a breach of representations 
and warranties given by the Corporation or subsidiaries or legacy 
companies is confirmed on a given loan, settlement is generally 
reached as to that loan within 60 to 90 days.

For the monolines that have instituted litigation against legacy 
Countrywide  and/or  Bank  of  America,  when  claims  from  these 
counterparties are denied, the Corporation does not indicate its 
reason for denial as it is not contractually obligated to do so. In 
the Corporation’s experience, the monolines have been generally 
unwilling  to  withdraw  repurchase  claims,  regardless  of  whether 
and what evidence was offered to refute a claim. When a claim 
has been denied and there has not been communication with the 
counterparty for six months, the Corporation views these claims 
as inactive; however, they remain in the outstanding claims balance 
until resolution.

To  the  extent  there  are  repurchase  claims  based  on  valid 
identified loan defects and the Corporation has determined that 
there is a breach of a representation and warranty and that any 
other requirements for repurchase have been met, a liability for 
representations  and  warranties  is  established.  Outside  of  the 
standard  quality  control  process  that  is  an  integral  part  of  the 
Corporation’s loan origination process, the Corporation does not 
generally  review  loan  files  until  a  repurchase  claim  is  received, 
including  with  respect  to  monoline  exposures.  In  view  of  the 
inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of those repurchase 
claims where a valid defect has not been identified or in predicting 
future  claim  requests  and  the  related  outcome  in  the  case  of 

unasserted  claims  to  repurchase  loans  from  the  securitization 
trusts in which these monolines have insured all or some of the 
related  bonds,  the  Corporation  cannot  reasonably  estimate  the 
eventual outcome through the repurchase process. As a result, a 
liability  for  representations  and  warranties  has  not  been 
established related to repurchase claims where a valid defect has 
not been identified, or in the case of any unasserted claims to 
repurchase  loans  from  the  securitization  trusts  in  which  such 
monolines  have  insured  all  or  some  of  the  related  bonds.  For 
additional  information  related  to  the  monolines,  see  Note  13  – 
Commitments and Contingencies.

resolved 

At December 31, 2012, for loans originated between 2004 and 
2008, the unpaid principal balance of loans related to unresolved 
monoline repurchase claims was $2.4 billion, substantially all of 
which the Corporation has reviewed and declined to repurchase 
based on an assessment of whether a material breach exists. As 
noted above, a portion of the repurchase claims that are initially 
denied  are  ultimately 
through  bulk  settlement, 
repurchase or make-whole payments, after additional dialogue and 
negotiation with the monoline insurer. At December 31, 2012, the 
unpaid principal balance of loans in these vintages for which the 
monolines had requested loan files for review but for which no 
repurchase claim had been received was $5.3 billion, excluding 
loans that had been paid in full or resolved through settlements. 
Of these file requests, $4.0 billion are aged and subject to ongoing 
litigation. There will likely be additional requests for loan files in 
the future leading to repurchase claims. Such claims may relate 
to  loans  that  are  currently  in  securitization  trusts  or  loans  that 
have defaulted and are no longer included in the unpaid principal 
balance of the loans in the trusts. However, it is unlikely that a 
repurchase claim will be received for every loan in a securitization 
or every file requested or that a valid defect exists for every loan 
repurchase claim. In addition, amounts paid on repurchase claims 
from a monoline are paid to the securitization trust and are applied 
in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  governing  securitization 
documents which may include use by the securitization trust to 
repay  any  outstanding  monoline  advances  or  reduce  future 
advances from the monolines. To the extent that a monoline has 
not advanced funds or does not anticipate that it will be required 
to  advance  funds  to  the  securitization  trust,  the  likelihood  of 
receiving a repurchase claim from a monoline may be reduced as 
the monoline would receive limited or no benefit from the payment 
of repurchase claims. Moreover, some monolines are not currently 
performing their obligations under the financial guarantee policies 
they  issued  which  may,  in  certain  circumstances,  impact  their 
ability  to  present  repurchase  claims,  although 
in  those 
circumstances, investors may be able to bring claims if contractual 
thresholds are met.

Whole Loan Sales and Private-label Securitizations 
Experience
The majority of the repurchase claims that the Corporation has 
received  and  resolved  outside  of  those  from  the  GSEs  and 
monolines  are 
investors.  The 
from  third-party  whole-loan 
Corporation  provided  representations  and  warranties  and  the 
whole-loan investors may retain those rights even when the loans 
were  aggregated  with  other  collateral 
into  private-label 
securitizations  sponsored  by  the  whole-loan  investors.  The 
Corporation  reviews  properly  presented  repurchase  claims  for 
these  whole  loans  on  a  loan-by-loan  basis.  If,  after  the 
Corporation’s review, it does not believe a claim is valid, it will deny 

the claim and generally indicate a reason for the denial. When the 
whole-loan  investor  agrees  with  the  Corporation’s  denial  of  the 
claim, the whole-loan investor may rescind the claim. When there 
is  disagreement  as  to  the  resolution  of  the  claim,  meaningful 
dialogue  and  negotiation  between  the  parties  are  generally 
necessary to reach a resolution on an individual claim. Generally, 
a whole-loan investor is engaged in the repurchase process and 
the  Corporation  and  the  whole-loan  investor  reach  resolution, 
either through loan-by-loan negotiation or at times, through a bulk 
settlement. As of December 31, 2012, 15 percent of the whole-
loan claims that the Corporation initially denied have subsequently 
been resolved through repurchase or make-whole payments and 
44 percent have been resolved through rescission or repayment 
in full by the borrower. Although the timeline for resolution varies, 
once an actionable breach is identified on a given loan, settlement 
is generally reached as to that loan within 60 to 90 days. When a 
claim  has  been  denied  and  the  Corporation  does  not  have 
communication  with  the  counterparty  for  six  months,  the 
Corporation views these claims as inactive; however, they remain 
in the outstanding claims balance until resolution.

toll 

relating 

limitation 

third-party  sponsors 

the  applicable  statutes  of 

In private-label securitizations, certain presentation thresholds 
need to be met in order for investors to direct a trustee to assert 
repurchase claims. Recent increases in new private-label claims 
are primarily related to repurchase requests received from trustees 
and 
for  private-label  securitization 
transactions not included in the BNY Mellon Settlement, including 
claims  related  to  first-lien  third-party  sponsored  securitizations 
that include monoline insurance. Over time, there has been an 
increase  in  requests  for  loan  files  from  certain  private-label 
securitization trustees, as well as requests for tolling agreements 
to 
to 
representations  and  warranties  repurchase  claims,  and  the 
Corporation believes it is likely that these requests will lead to an 
increase  in  repurchase  claims  from  private-label  securitization 
trustees with standing to bring such claims. The representations 
and  warranties,  as  governed  by  the  private-label  securitization 
agreements, generally require that counterparties have the ability 
to  both  assert  a  claim  and  actually  prove  that  a  loan  has  an 
actionable  defect  under  the  applicable  contracts.  While  the 
Corporation  believes 
for  private-label 
securitizations generally contain less rigorous representations and 
warranties  and  place  higher  burdens  on  investors  seeking 
repurchases 
the  express  provisions  of  comparable 
agreements with the GSEs, without regard to any variations that 
may  have  arisen  as  a  result  of  dealings  with  the  GSEs,  the 
agreements generally include a representation that underwriting 
practices were prudent and customary. In the case of private-label 
securitization trustees and third-party sponsors, there is currently 
no  established  process  in  place  for  the  parties  to  reach  a 
conclusion on an individual loan if there is a disagreement on the 
resolution of the claim. For additional information on repurchase 
demands, see Unresolved Repurchase Claims on page 210.

the  agreements 

than 

At December 31, 2012, for loans originated between 2004 and 
2008,  the  notional  amount  of  unresolved  repurchase  claims 
submitted by private-label securitization trustees and whole-loan 
investors was $12.2 billion. The Corporation has performed an 
initial review with respect to $10.9 billion of these claims and does 
not believe a valid basis for repurchase has been established by 
the claimant and is still in the process of reviewing the remaining 
$1.3 billion of these claims.

Bank of America 2012     215

NOTE 9 Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill
The table below presents goodwill balances by business segment 
at December 31, 2012 and 2011. The reporting units utilized for 
goodwill impairment tests are the operating segments or one level 
below. 

Goodwill

(Dollars in millions)

Consumer & Business Banking
Global Banking
Global Markets
Global Wealth & Investment Management
All Other

Total goodwill

December 31

2012

29,986
24,802
4,451
9,698
1,039
69,976

$

$

2011
$ 29,986
24,802
4,442
9,718
1,019
$ 69,967

In  2012,  the  International  Wealth  Management  (IWM) 
businesses within GWIM, including $230 million of goodwill, were 
moved to All Other in connection with the Corporation’s agreement 
during 2012 to sell these businesses. Prior periods have been 
reclassified. 

2012 Annual Impairment Test
During  the  three  months  ended  September  30,  2012,  the 
Corporation completed its annual goodwill impairment test as of 
June 30, 2012 for all reporting units. Based on the results of step 

one  of  the  annual  goodwill  impairment  test,  the  Corporation 
determined that step two was not required for any of the reporting 
units as their respective fair values exceeded their carrying values 
indicating there was no impairment. 

2011 Impairment Tests
During the three months ended December 31, 2011, a goodwill 
impairment test was performed for the European consumer card 
businesses reporting unit within All Other as it was likely that the 
carrying amount of the businesses exceeded the fair value due to 
a decrease in estimated future growth projections. The Corporation 
concluded that goodwill was impaired, and accordingly, recorded 
a goodwill impairment charge of $581 million.

During  the  three  months  ended  June  30,  2011,  as  a 
consequence of the BNY Mellon Settlement entered into by the 
Corporation  on  June  28,  2011,  the  adverse  impact  of  the 
incremental  mortgage-related  charges,  and 
the  continued 
economic slowdown in the mortgage business, the Corporation 
performed a goodwill impairment test for the Consumer Real Estate 
Services (CRES) reporting unit. The Corporation concluded that the 
remaining balance of goodwill of $2.6 billion was impaired, and 
accordingly, recorded a goodwill impairment charge to reduce the 
carrying value of the goodwill in CRES to zero.

Intangible Assets
The  table  below  presents  the  gross  carrying  amount  and 
accumulated amortization for intangible assets at December 31, 
2012 and 2011.

Intangible Assets (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Purchased credit card relationships
Core deposit intangibles
Customer relationships
Affinity relationships
Other intangibles

Total intangible assets

(1)  Excludes fully amortized intangible assets.

December 31

2012

2011

Gross
Carrying Value

Accumulated
Amortization

Gross
Carrying Value

Accumulated
Amortization

$

$

6,184
3,592
4,025
1,572
2,139
17,512

$

$

4,494
2,858
1,884
1,087
505
10,828

$

$

6,948
3,903
4,081
1,569
2,476
18,977

$

$

4,775
2,915
1,532
966
768
10,956

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, none of the intangible assets 
were  impaired.  Amortization  of  intangibles  expense  was  $1.3 
billion,  $1.5  billion  and  $1.7  billion  in  2012,  2011  and  2010, 
respectively.  The  Corporation  estimates  aggregate  amortization 

expense  will  be approximately  $1.1  billion,  $950  million, $840 
million, $770 million and $670 million for 2013 through 2017, 
respectively.

216     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
NOTE 10 Deposits
The Corporation had U.S. certificates of deposit and other U.S. time deposits of $100 thousand or more totaling $41.9 billion and 
$50.8 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. Non-U.S. certificates of deposit and other non-U.S. time deposits of $100 thousand 
or more totaled $29.1 billion and $34.0 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011. The table below presents the contractual maturities 
for time deposits of $100 thousand or more at December 31, 2012.

Time Deposits of $100 Thousand or More

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. certificates of deposit and other time deposits
Non-U.S. certificates of deposit and other time deposits

Three Months
or Less

Over Three
Months to
Twelve Months

Thereafter

Total

$

16,140
27,995

$

19,349
927

$

$

6,434
200

41,923
29,122

The scheduled contractual maturities for total time deposits at December 31, 2012 are presented in the table below.

Contractual Maturities of Total Time Deposits

(Dollars in millions)

Due in 2013
Due in 2014
Due in 2015
Due in 2016
Due in 2017
Thereafter

Total time deposits

U.S.

Non-U.S.

Total

$

$

80,720
8,356
2,319
1,407
1,116
2,671
96,589

$

$

29,437
865
58
28
3
—
30,391

$

$

110,157
9,221
2,377
1,435
1,119
2,671
126,980

Bank of America 2012     217

NOTE 11 Federal Funds Sold, Securities Borrowed or Purchased Under Agreements to Resell and 
Short-term Borrowings
The table below presents federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell and short-term borrowings 
which include federal funds purchased, securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase, commercial paper and other short-
term borrowings.

(Dollars in millions)

Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under agreements to resell

At December 31
Average during year
Maximum month-end balance during year

Federal funds purchased

At December 31
Average during year
Maximum month-end balance during year

Securities loaned or sold under agreements to repurchase

At December 31
Average during year
Maximum month-end balance during year

Commercial paper
At December 31
Average during year
Maximum month-end balance during year

Other short-term borrowings

At December 31
Average during year
Maximum month-end balance during year

n/a = not applicable

2012

2011

2010

Amount

Rate

Amount

Rate

Amount

Rate

$ 219,924
236,042
253,535

0.92% $ 211,183
0.64
245,069
n/a
270,473

0.76% $ 209,616
256,943
0.88
314,932
n/a

0.85%
0.71
n/a

1,151
384
1,211

292,108
281,515
319,401

100
49
172

30,631
36,452
40,129

0.17
0.11
n/a

1.11
0.98
n/a

0.19
0.30
n/a

3.14
2.23
n/a

243
1,658
4,133

214,621
270,718
293,519

23
8,897
21,212

35,675
42,996
47,087

0.06
0.08
n/a

1.08
1.31
n/a

1.70
0.53
n/a

2.35
2.31
n/a

1,458
4,718
8,320

243,901
348,936
458,532

15,093
25,923
36,236

44,869
50,752
63,081

0.14
0.15
n/a

1.15
0.74
n/a

0.65
0.56
n/a

2.02
1.88
n/a

Bank of America, N.A. maintains a global program to offer up 
to a maximum of $75 billion outstanding at any one time, of bank 
notes with fixed or floating rates and maturities of at least seven 
days from the date of issue. Short-term bank notes outstanding 
under  this  program  totaled  $3.9  billion  and  $6.3  billion  at 
December 31,  2012  and  2011.  These  short-term  bank  notes, 

along  with  Federal  Home  Loan  Bank  (FHLB)  advances,  U.S. 
Treasury tax and loan notes, and term federal funds purchased, 
are included in commercial paper and other short-term borrowings 
on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. See Note 12 – 
Long-term Debt for information regarding the long-term notes that 
have been issued under the $75 billion bank note program.

218     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 12 Long-term Debt
Long-term debt consists of borrowings having an original maturity of one year or more. The table below presents the balance of long-
term debt at December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the related contractual rates and maturity dates as of December 31, 2012.

(Dollars in millions)

Notes issued by Bank of America Corporation
Senior notes:

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 5.26%, ranging from 1.50% to 7.63%, due 2013 to 2043
Floating, with a weighted-average rate of 1.15%, ranging from 0.16% to 5.21%, due 2013 to 2041

Senior structured notes
Subordinated notes:

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 5.39%, ranging from 2.40% to 10.20%, due 2013 to 2038
Floating, with a weighted-average rate of 1.38%, ranging from 0.11% to 3.66%, due 2016 to 2019

Junior subordinated notes (related to trust preferred securities):

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 6.79%, ranging from 5.25% to 11.45%, due 2027 to 2036
Floating, with a weighted-average rate of 1.03%, ranging from 0.89% to 3.69%, due 2027 to 2056

Total notes issued by Bank of America Corporation
Notes issued by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and subsidiaries
Senior notes:

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 5.79%, ranging from 1.63% to 15.00%, due 2013 to 2034
Floating, with a weighted-average rate of 0.67%, ranging from 0.12% to 5.06%, due 2013 to 2044

Senior structured notes
Subordinated notes:

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 5.98%, ranging from 2.61% to 8.13%, due 2016 to 2038
Floating, with a weighted-average rate of 0.89%, ranging from 0.73% to 2.88%, due 2017 to 2026

Junior subordinated notes (related to trust preferred securities):

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 6.91%, ranging from 6.45% to 7.38%, due 2017 to 2067

Other long-term debt

Total notes issued by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and subsidiaries

Notes issued by Bank of America, N.A. and other subsidiaries
Senior notes:

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 7.00%, due 2014
Floating, with a weighted-average rate of 0.53%, ranging from 0.39% to 0.75%, due 2026 to 2051

Subordinated notes:

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 5.68%, ranging from 5.30% to 6.10%, due 2016 to 2036
Floating, with a weighted-average rate of 0.60%, ranging from 0.36% to 0.61%, due 2016 to 2019

Total notes issued by Bank of America, N.A. and other subsidiaries

Other debt
Senior structured notes
Subordinated notes
Advances from Federal Home Loan Banks:

Fixed, with a weighted-average rate of 4.87%, ranging from 0.01% to 7.72%, due 2013 to 2034

Other

Total other debt
Total long-term debt excluding consolidated VIEs

Long-term debt of consolidated VIEs

Total long-term debt

December 31

2012

2011

$

79,575
13,439
21,936

$ 95,199
28,064
18,920

14,787
449

24,509
704

3,186
567
133,939

12,859
1,165
181,420

35,064
11,964
27,288

9,331
1,318

3,809
992
89,766

178
2,686

5,230
1,401
9,495

864
—

41,103
18,480
27,578

11,454
1,207

3,600
701
104,123

164
8,029

5,273
1,401
14,867

1,187
983

6,277
988
8,129
241,329
34,256
$ 275,585

18,798
1,833
22,801
323,211
49,054
$ 372,265

Bank  of  America  Corporation,  Merrill  Lynch  &  Co.,  Inc.  and 
subsidiaries, and Bank of America, N.A. maintain various U.S. and 
non-U.S.  debt  programs  to  offer  both  senior  and  subordinated 
notes. The notes may be denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign 
currencies.  At  December 31,  2012  and  2011,  the  amount  of 
foreign  currency-denominated  debt  translated  into  U.S.  dollars 
included  in  total  long-term  debt  was  $95.3  billion  and  $117.0 
billion. Foreign currency contracts may be used to convert certain 
foreign currency-denominated debt into U.S. dollars. 

At December 31, 2012, long-term debt of consolidated VIEs in 
the table above included credit card, automobile, home equity and 
other VIEs of $22.3 billion, $713 million, $2.3 billion and $8.9 
billion, respectively. Long-term debt of VIEs is collateralized by the 
assets  of  the  VIEs.  For  more  information,  see  Note  7  – 
Securitizations and Other Variable Interest Entities. 

Bank of America 2012     219

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At December 31, 2012 and 2011, Bank of America Corporation 
had approximately $154.9 billion and $69.8 billion of authorized, 
but unissued corporate debt and other securities under its existing 
U.S.  shelf  registration  statements.  At  December 31,  2012  and 
2011, Bank of America, N.A. had approximately $65.5 billion and 
$62.4  billion  of  authorized,  but  unissued  bank  notes  under  its 
existing  $75  billion  bank  note  program.  Long-term  bank  notes 
issued and outstanding under the program totaled $5.6 billion and 
$6.3  billion  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011.  At  both 
December 31,  2012  and  2011,  Bank  of  America,  N.A.  had 
approximately $20.6 billion of authorized, but unissued mortgage 
notes under its $30.0 billion mortgage bond program.

The weighted-average effective interest rates for total long-term 
debt (excluding senior structured notes), total fixed-rate debt and 
total floating-rate debt were 4.71 percent, 5.52 percent and 0.93 
percent, respectively, at December 31, 2012 and 4.35 percent, 
5.17  percent  and  1.38  percent,  respectively,  at  December 31, 
2011. The Corporation’s ALM activities maintain an overall interest 
rate  risk  management  strategy  that  incorporates  the  use  of 
interest rate contracts to manage fluctuations in earnings that are 
caused  by  interest  rate  volatility.  The  Corporation’s  goal  is  to 
manage  interest  rate  sensitivity  so  that  movements  in  interest 

rates do not significantly adversely affect earnings and capital. 
The weighted-average rates are the contractual interest rates on 
the debt and do not reflect the impacts of derivative transactions.
The weighted-average interest rate for debt, excluding senior 
structured  notes,  issued  by  Merrill  Lynch  &  Co.,  Inc.  and 
subsidiaries was 4.73 percent and 4.74 percent at December 31, 
2012 and 2011. As of December 31, 2012, the Corporation has 
not assumed or guaranteed the $89.0 billion of long-term debt 
that was issued or guaranteed by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. or its 
subsidiaries  prior  to  the  acquisition  of  Merrill  Lynch  by  the 
Corporation. All existing Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. guarantees of 
securities  issued  by  certain  Merrill  Lynch  subsidiaries  under 
various  non-U.S.  securities  offering  programs  will  remain  in  full 
force and effect as long as those securities are outstanding, and 
the Corporation has not assumed any of those prior Merrill Lynch 
& Co., Inc. guarantees or otherwise guaranteed such securities.

Certain senior structured notes are accounted for under the 
fair value option. For more information on these senior structured 
notes, see Note 22 – Fair Value Option.

The table below shows the carrying value for aggregate annual 

maturities of long-term debt at December 31, 2012.

Long-term Debt by Maturity

(Dollars in millions)

Bank of America Corporation
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and subsidiaries
Bank of America, N.A. and other subsidiaries
Other debt

Total long-term debt excluding consolidated VIEs

Long-term debt of consolidated VIEs

Total long-term debt

2013
$ 12,457
24,000
62
4,858
41,377
13,820
55,197

$

2014
$ 20,888
18,207
1
1,547
40,643
8,734
49,377

$

2015
$ 16,812
5,156
—
204
22,172
1,460
23,632

$

2016
$ 20,401
3,542
1,095
15
25,053
2,091
27,144

$

2017
$ 19,575
8,886
6,472
17
34,950
1,815
36,765

$

Thereafter
$ 43,806
29,975
1,865
1,488
77,134
6,336
83,470

$

Total
$ 133,939
89,766
9,495
8,129
241,329
34,256
$ 275,585

Included in the above table are certain structured notes that 
contain provisions whereby the borrowings are redeemable at the 
option  of  the  holder  (put  options)  at  specified  dates  prior  to 
maturity. Other structured notes have coupon or repayment terms 
linked  to  the  performance  of  debt  or  equity  securities,  indices, 
currencies or commodities and the maturity may be accelerated 
based on the value of a referenced index or security. In both cases, 
the  Corporation  or  a  subsidiary  may  be  required  to  settle  the 
obligation  for  cash  or  other  securities  prior  to  the  contractual 
maturity date. These borrowings are reflected in the above table 
as maturing at their earliest put or redemption date.

In  2012,  in  a  combination  of  tender  offers,  calls  and  open-
market  transactions,  the  Corporation  purchased  senior  and 
subordinated long-term debt with a carrying value of $12.4 billion 
and recorded net gains of $1.3 billion in connection with these 
transactions.

Trust Preferred and Hybrid Securities
Trust preferred securities (Trust Securities) are primarily issued by 
trust companies (the Trusts) that are not consolidated. These Trust 
Securities  are  mandatorily 
redeemable  preferred  security 
obligations of the Trusts. The sole assets of the Trusts generally 
are  junior  subordinated  deferrable  interest  notes  of  the 
Corporation or its subsidiaries (the Notes). The Trusts generally 
are 100 percent-owned finance subsidiaries of the Corporation. 
Obligations associated with the Notes are included in the long-
term debt table on page 219. 

Certain of the Trust Securities were issued at a discount and 
may be redeemed prior to maturity at the option of the Corporation. 
The  Trusts  generally  have  invested  the  proceeds  of  such  Trust 
Securities in the Notes. Each issue of the Notes has an interest 
rate equal to the corresponding Trust Securities distribution rate. 
The Corporation has the right to defer payment of interest on the 
Notes at any time or from time to time for a period not exceeding 
five years provided that no extension period may extend beyond 
the  stated  maturity  of  the  relevant  Notes.  During  any  such 
extension period, distributions on the Trust Securities will also be 
deferred  and  the  Corporation’s  ability  to  pay  dividends  on  its 
common and preferred stock will be restricted.

The  Trust  Securities  generally  are  subject  to  mandatory 
redemption upon repayment of the related Notes at their stated 
maturity dates or their earlier redemption at a redemption price 
equal to their liquidation amount plus accrued distributions to the 
date  fixed  for  redemption  and  the  premium,  if  any,  paid  by  the 
Corporation upon concurrent repayment of the related Notes.

Periodic  cash  payments  and  payments  upon  liquidation  or 
redemption with respect to Trust Securities are guaranteed by the 
Corporation or its subsidiaries to the extent of funds held by the 
Trusts  (the  Preferred  Securities  Guarantee).  The  Preferred 
Securities Guarantee, when taken together with the Corporation’s 
other  obligations  including  its  obligations  under  the  Notes, 
generally will constitute a full and unconditional guarantee, on a 
subordinated basis, by the Corporation of payments due on the 
Trust Securities.

220     Bank of America 2012

In 2012, as described in Note 14 – Shareholders’ Equity, the 
Corporation  entered  into  various  agreements  with  certain  Trust 
Securities holders pursuant to which the Corporation issued 19 
million shares of common stock valued at $159 million and paid 
$9.4  billion  in  cash  in  exchange  for  $9.8  billion  aggregate 
liquidation amount of previously issued Trust Securities. Upon the 
exchange,  the  Corporation  immediately  surrendered  the  Trust 
Securities to the unconsolidated Trusts for cancellation, resulting 
in the cancellation of an equal amount of junior subordinated notes 
that  had  a  carrying  value  of  $9.9  billion,  resulting  in  a  gain  on 
extinguishment of debt of $282 million. 

During  2012,  the  Corporation  remarketed  the  remaining 
outstanding $141 million in aggregate principal amount of its BAC 
Capital  Trust  XIII  Floating-Rate  Preferred  Hybrid  Income  Term 
Securities (HITS) and the remaining outstanding $493 million in 
aggregate principal amount of its BAC Capital Trust XIV Fixed-to-
Floating Rate Preferred HITS. The Corporation repurchased and 
retired all of the remarketable notes in the remarketings. The net 
proceeds  from  the  remarketing  of  the  BAC  Capital  Trust  XIII 
Floating-Rate Preferred HITS were used to satisfy the obligations 
of Trust XIII under a stock purchase contract agreement, pursuant 
to which Trust XIII was obligated to purchase, and the Corporation 
was obligated to sell, 1,409 shares of the Corporation’s Series F 
Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock (Series F Preferred 
Stock). The net proceeds from the remarketing of the BAC Capital 
Trust XIV Fixed-to-Floating Rate Preferred HITS were used to satisfy 
the  obligations  of  Trust  XIV  under  a  stock  purchase  contract 
agreement, pursuant to which Trust XIV was obligated to purchase, 
and the Corporation was obligated to sell, 4,926 shares of the 
Corporation’s Series G Adjustable Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred 
Stock (Series G Preferred Stock). Following the remarketing of the 
notes and the subsequent purchase of the Corporation’s preferred 
stock  under  the  stock  purchase  contracts,  the  preferred  stock 
constitutes the sole asset of the applicable trust.

In 2011, the Corporation issued 282 million shares of common 
stock valued at $1.6 billion and senior notes valued at $1.5 billion 
in  exchange  for  $3.8  billion  aggregate  liquidation  amount  of 
previously  issued  Trust  Securities.  Upon  the  exchange,  the 
Corporation immediately surrendered the Trust Securities to the 
unconsolidated Trusts for cancellation, resulting in the cancellation 
of an equal amount of junior subordinated notes that had a carrying 
value of $4.3 billion, resulting in a gain on extinguishment of debt 
of  $1.2  billion.  In  addition,  the  Corporation  issued  26  million 
shares of common stock valued at $138 million and senior notes 
valued  at  $505  million  in  exchange  for  $917  million  aggregate 
liquidation amount of HITS. Upon the exchange, the Corporation 
immediately surrendered the HITS to the unconsolidated Trusts 
for cancellation, resulting in the cancellation of an equal amount 
of junior subordinated notes that had a carrying value of $915 
million,  and  the  cancellation  of  a  corresponding  amount  of  the 
underlying stock purchase contract, resulting in a $12 million loss 
on extinguishment of debt and an increase to additional paid-in 
capital of $284 million. 

The table below lists each series of Trust Securities or HITS, 
and the corresponding aggregate liquidation preference covered 
by the Exchange Agreements described in Note 14 – Shareholders’ 
Equity, and other redemption activity.

Negotiated Exchanges

(Dollars in millions)

HITS

Trust XIII
Trust XIV

Trust Securities

Bank of America Capital Trust I
Bank of America Capital Trust II
Bank of America Capital Trust III
Bank of America Capital Trust IV
Bank of America Capital Trust V
Bank of America Capital Trust VI
Bank of America Capital Trust VII (1)
Bank of America Capital Trust VIII
Bank of America Capital Trust X
Bank of America Capital Trust XI
Bank of America Capital Trust XII
Bank of America Capital Trust XV
NationsBank Capital Trust II
NationsBank Capital Trust III
NationsBank Capital Trust IV
BankAmerica Capital II
BankAmerica Capital III
BankAmerica Institutional Capital A
BankAmerica Institutional Capital B
Barnett Capital III
Fleet Capital Trust II
Fleet Capital Trust V
Fleet Capital Trust VIII
Fleet Capital Trust IX
BankBoston Capital Trust III
BankBoston Capital Trust IV
Progress Capital Trust I
Progress Capital Trust III
MBNA Capital Trust A
MBNA Capital Trust B
MBNA Capital Trust D
MBNA Capital Trust E
LaSalle Series I
LaSalle Series J

2012 
Aggregate 
Liquidation 
Amount 
Exchanged

2011 
Aggregate 
Liquidation 
Amount 
Exchanged

Total 
Aggregate 
Liquidation 
Amount 
Exchanged

$

— $
—

$

559
358

559
358

574
898
499
367
514
141
212
2
891
144
863
50
289
98
427
450
68
450
300
186
203
29
534
175
59
52
9
10
250
45
300
200
455
67
9,811

1
2
1
8
4
823
1,114
4
9
198
—
446
76
269
73
—
226
—
—
—
47
142
—
—
136
96
—
—
—
165
—
—
—
—
4,757

575
900
500
375
518
964
1,326
6
900
342
863
496
365
367
500
450
294
450
300
186
250
171
534
175
195
148
9
10
250
210
300
200
455
67
$ 14,568

$

Total exchanged

$

(1)  Notes were denominated in British Pound. Presentation currency is U.S. Dollar.

Bank of America 2012     221

On May 25, 2012, the Corporation completed the repurchase 
of $134 million aggregate liquidation amount of capital securities 
of BAC Capital Trust VI, pursuant to a previously announced tender 
offer  for  such  securities,  and  the  related  cancellation  and 
retirement of the underlying 5.625% Junior Subordinated Notes, 
due 2035 of the Corporation issued to and held by BAC Capital 
Trust VI. As a result of this repurchase of capital securities and 
the related cancellation and retirement of the underlying 5.625% 
Junior Subordinated Notes, the series of covered debt benefiting 
from  the  Corporation’s  replacement  capital  covenant,  executed 
February 16, 2007 in connection with the issuance by BAC Capital 
Trust  XIV  of  its  5.63%  Fixed-to-Floating  Rate  Preferred  Hybrid 
Income Term Securities (the Replacement Capital Covenant), was 
redesignated. Effective as of May 25, 2012, the 5.625% Junior 

Subordinated  Notes  ceased  being  the  covered  debt  under  the 
Replacement Capital Covenant. Also effective as of May 25, 2012, 
the Corporation’s 6.875% Junior Subordinated Notes, due 2055 
underlying the capital securities of BAC Capital Trust XII, became 
the covered debt with respect to and in accordance with the terms 
of the Replacement Capital Covenant.

The  Trust  Securities  Summary  table  details  the  outstanding 
Trust  Securities  and  the  related  Notes  previously  issued  which 
remained  outstanding  at  December 31,  2012,  as  originated  by 
Bank of America Corporation and its predecessor companies and 
subsidiaries.  For  additional  information  on  Trust  Securities  for 
regulatory  capital  purposes,  see  Note  17  –  Regulatory 
Requirements and Restrictions.

Trust Securities Summary

(Dollars in millions)

Issuer

Issuance Date

Aggregate
Principal
Amount
of Trust
Securities

Aggregate
Principal
Amount
of the
Notes

Bank of America
Capital Trust VI
Capital Trust VII (1)
Capital Trust VIII
Capital Trust XI
Capital Trust XV
NationsBank
Capital Trust III
BankAmerica
Capital III
Barnett
Capital III
Fleet
Capital Trust V
BankBoston
Capital Trust III
Capital Trust IV
Progress
Capital Trust II
Capital Trust IV
MBNA
Capital Trust B
ABN AMRO North America
Series I
Series II
Series III
Series IV
Series V
Series VI
Series VII
Series IX
Series X
Series XI
Series XII
Series XIII
LaSalle
Series I
Series J
Countrywide
Capital III
Capital IV
Capital V
Merrill Lynch
Preferred Capital Trust III
Preferred Capital Trust IV
Preferred Capital Trust V
Capital Trust I
Capital Trust II
Capital Trust III

Total

36
9
524
658
4

133

106

64

79

55
102

6
5

70

77
77
77
77
77
77
88
70
53
27
80
70

36
27

$

March 2005
August 2005
August 2005
May 2006
May 2007

February 1997

January 1997

January 1997

December 1998

June 1997
June 1998

July 2000
December 2002

January 1997

May 2001
May 2001
May 2001
May 2001
May 2001
May 2001
May 2001
June 2001
June 2001
June 2001
June 2001
June 2001

August 2000
September 2000

June 1997
April 2003
November 2006

January 1998
June 1998
November 1998
December 2006
May 2007
August 2007

(1)  Notes were denominated in British Pound. Presentation currency is U.S. Dollar.

222     Bank of America 2012

Stated Maturity
of the Trust 
Securities

March 2035
August 2035
August 2035
May 2036
June 2056

Per Annum Interest
Rate of the Notes

Interest Payment
Dates

Redemption Period

5.63%
5.25
6.00
6.63
3-mo. LIBOR +80 bps

3/8,9/8
2/10,8/10
2/25,5/25,8/25,11/25
5/23,11/23
3/1,6/1,9/1,12/1

Any time
Any time
On or after 8/25/10
Any time
On or after 6/01/37

January 2027

3-mo. LIBOR +55 bps

1/15,4/15,7/15,10/15

On or after 1/15/07

January 2027

3-mo. LIBOR +57 bps

1/15,4/15,7/15,10/15

On or after 1/15/02

$

37
9
540
678
4

137

109

66

February 2027

3-mo. LIBOR +62.5 bps

2/1,5/1,8/1,11/1

On or after 2/01/07

82

December 2028

3-mo. LIBOR +100 bps

3/18,6/18,9/18,12/18

On or after 12/18/03

57
106

June 2027
June 2028

3-mo. LIBOR +75 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +60 bps

3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15
3/8,6/8,9/8,12/8

On or after 6/15/07
On or after 6/08/03

6
5

73

77
77
77
77
77
77
88
70
53
27
80
70

36
27

July 2030
January 2033

11.45
3-mo. LIBOR +335 bps

1/19,7/19
1/7,4/7,7/7,10/7

On or after 7/19/10
On or after 1/07/08

February 2027

3-mo. LIBOR +80 bps

2/1,5/1,8/1,11/1

On or after 2/01/07

Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual

Perpetual
Perpetual

3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +275 bps

2/15,5/15,8/15,11/15
3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15
1/15,4/15,7/15,10/15
2/28,5/30,8/30,11/30
3/30,6/30,9/30,12/30
1/30,4/30,7/30,10/30
3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15
3/5,6/5,9/5,12/5
3/12,6/12,9/12,12/12
3/26,6/26,9/26,12/26
1/10,4/10,7/10,10/10
1/24,4/24,7/24,10/24

On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12
On or after 11/08/12

3-mo. LIBOR +105.5 bps
3-mo. LIBOR +105.5 bps

3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15
3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15

On or after 9/15/10
On or after 9/15/10

200
500
1,495

750
400
850
1,050
950
750
9,709

206
515
1,496

June 2027
April 2033
November 2036

901
480
1,021
1,051
951
751
10,194

$

Perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual
December 2066
June 2062
September 2062

$

8.05
6.75
7.00

7.00
7.12
7.28
6.45
6.45
7.375

6/15,12/15
1/1,4/1,7/1,10/1
2/1,5/1,8/1,11/1

Only under special event
On or after 4/11/08
On or after 11/01/11

3/30,6/30,9/30,12/30
3/30,6/30,9/30,12/30
3/30,6/30,9/30,12/30
3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15
3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15
3/15,6/15,9/15,12/15

On or after 3/08
On or after 6/08
On or after 9/08
On or after 12/11
On or after 6/12
On or after 9/12

NOTE 13 Commitments and Contingencies
In the normal course of business, the Corporation enters into a 
number of off-balance sheet commitments. These commitments 
expose the Corporation to varying degrees of credit and market 
risk and are subject to the same credit and market risk limitation 
reviews  as  those  instruments  recorded  on  the  Corporation’s 
Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Credit Extension Commitments
The Corporation enters into commitments to extend credit such 
as loan commitments, SBLCs and commercial letters of credit to 
meet the financing needs of its customers. The Credit Extension 
Commitments  table  includes  the  notional  amount  of  unfunded 
legally binding lending commitments net of amounts distributed 
(e.g.,  syndicated)  to  other  financial  institutions  of  $23.9  billion 
and  $27.1  billion  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011.  At 

December 31, 2012, the carrying amount of these commitments, 
excluding commitments accounted for under the fair value option, 
was $534 million, including deferred revenue of $21 million and 
a reserve for unfunded lending commitments of $513 million. At 
December 31, 2011, the comparable amounts were $741 million, 
$27 million and $714 million, respectively. The carrying amount 
of these commitments is classified in accrued expenses and other 
liabilities on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

The  table  below  also  includes  the  notional  amount  of 
commitments of $18.3 billion and $25.7 billion at December 31, 
2012 and 2011 that are accounted for under the fair value option. 
However,  the  table  below  excludes  cumulative  net  fair  value 
adjustments  of  $528  million  and  $1.2  billion  on  these 
commitments, which are classified in accrued expenses and other 
liabilities.  For  information  regarding  the  Corporation’s  loan 
commitments accounted for under the fair value option, see Note 
22 – Fair Value Option.

Credit Extension Commitments

(Dollars in millions)

Notional amount of credit extension commitments

Loan commitments
Home equity lines of credit
Standby letters of credit and financial guarantees (1)
Letters of credit

Legally binding commitments

Credit card lines (2)

Total credit extension commitments

Notional amount of credit extension commitments

Loan commitments
Home equity lines of credit
Standby letters of credit and financial guarantees (1)
Letters of credit

Legally binding commitments

Credit card lines (2)

Total credit extension commitments

December 31, 2012

Expire After
One
Year Through
Three Years

Expire After
Three
Years Through
Five Years

Expire After
Five
Years

Expire in One
Year or Less

$

$

$

$

103,791
2,134
24,593
2,003
132,521
414,044
546,565

96,291
1,679
26,965
2,828
127,763
449,097
576,860

$

$

$

$

83,885
13,584
11,387
70
108,926
—
108,926

$

$

130,805
23,344
3,094
10
157,253
—
157,253

December 31, 2011

85,413
7,765
18,932
27
112,137
—
112,137

$

$

120,770
20,963
6,433
5
148,171
—
148,171

$

$

$

$

19,942
21,856
4,751
546
47,095
—
47,095

15,009
37,066
5,505
383
57,963
—
57,963

$

$

$

$

Total

338,423
60,918
43,825
2,629
445,795
414,044
859,839

317,483
67,473
57,835
3,243
446,034
449,097
895,131

(1)   The notional amounts of SBLCs and financial guarantees classified as investment grade and non-investment grade based on the credit quality of the underlying reference name within the instrument 
were $31.5 billion and $11.6 billion at December 31, 2012, and $39.2 billion and $17.8 billion at December 31, 2011. Amounts include consumer SBLCs of $669 million and $859 million at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(2)   Includes business card unused lines of credit.

Legally binding commitments to extend credit generally have 
specified rates and maturities. Certain of these commitments have 
adverse  change  clauses  that  help  to  protect  the  Corporation 
against deterioration in the borrower’s ability to pay.

Other Commitments

Global Principal Investments and Other Equity 
Investments
At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Corporation had unfunded 
equity investment commitments of $307 million and $772 million. 
In light of proposed Basel regulatory capital changes related to 
unfunded commitments, over the past three years, the Corporation 
has  actively  reduced  these  commitments  in  a  series  of  sale 
transactions involving its private equity fund investments.

Other Commitments
At  December  31,  2012  and  2011,  the  Corporation  had 
commitments to purchase loans (e.g., residential mortgage and 
commercial real estate) of $1.3 billion and $2.5 billion, which upon 
settlement will be included in loans or LHFS.

At  December  31,  2012  and  2011,  the  Corporation  had 
commitments  to  enter  into  forward-dated  resale  and  securities 
borrowing  agreements  of  $67.3  billion  and  $67.0  billion  and 
commitments  to  enter  into  forward-dated  repurchase  and 
securities lending agreements of $42.3 billion and $42.0 billion. 
All of these commitments expire within the next 12 months.

The Corporation is a party to operating leases for certain of its 
premises and equipment. Commitments under these leases are 
approximately $3.0 billion, $2.5 billion, $2.1 billion, $1.7 billion 
and $1.5 billion for 2013 through 2017, respectively, and $6.2 
billion in the aggregate for all years thereafter.

Bank of America 2012     223

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Guarantees

Bank-owned Life Insurance Book Value Protection
The Corporation sells products that offer book value protection to 
insurance  carriers  who  offer  group  life  insurance  policies  to 
corporations,  primarily  banks.  The  book  value  protection  is 
provided  on  portfolios  of  intermediate  investment-grade  fixed-
income  securities  and  is  intended  to  cover  any  shortfall  in  the 
event that policyholders surrender their policies and market value 
is below book value. These guarantees are recorded as derivatives 
and carried at fair value in the trading portfolio. At December 31, 
2012 and 2011, the notional amount of these guarantees totaled 
$13.4 billion and $15.8 billion and the Corporation’s maximum 
exposure related to these guarantees totaled $3.0 billion and $3.4 
billion with estimated maturity dates between 2030 and 2040. 
The  net  fair  value  including  the  fee  receivable  associated  with 
these guarantees was $52 million and $48 million at December 
31, 2012 and 2011 and reflects the probability of surrender as 
well as the multiple structural protection features in the contracts.

Employee Retirement Protection
The Corporation sells products that offer book value protection 
primarily  to  plan  sponsors  of  the  Employee  Retirement  Income 
Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) governed pension plans, such as 401
(k) plans and 457 plans. The book value protection is provided on 
portfolios  of  intermediate/short-term  investment-grade  fixed-
income  securities  and  is  intended  to  cover  any  shortfall  in  the 
event that plan participants continue to make qualified withdrawals 
after all securities have been liquidated and there is remaining 
book value. The Corporation retains the option to exit the contract 
at any time. If the Corporation exercises its option, the investment 
manager will either terminate the contract or convert the portfolio 
into a high-quality fixed-income portfolio, typically all government 
or government-backed agency securities, with the proceeds of the 
liquidated assets to assure the return of principal. To manage its 
exposure, the Corporation imposes restrictions and constraints 
on the timing of the withdrawals, the manner in which the portfolio 
is  liquidated  and  the  funds  are  accessed,  and  the  investment 
parameters  of  the  underlying  portfolio.  These  constraints, 
combined with significant structural protections, are designed to 
provide adequate buffers and guard against payments even under 
extreme  stress  scenarios.  These  guarantees  are  recorded  as 
derivatives  and  carried  at  fair  value  in  the  trading  portfolio.  At 
December  31,  2012  and  2011,  the  notional  amount  of  these 
guarantees totaled $18.4 billion and $28.8 billion with estimated 
maturity dates up to 2015 if the exit option is exercised on all 
deals. As of December 31, 2012, the Corporation had not made 
a payment under these products.

Indemnifications
In the ordinary course of business, the Corporation enters into 
various  agreements  that  contain  indemnifications,  such  as  tax 
indemnifications, whereupon payment may become due if certain 
external  events  occur,  such  as  a  change  in  tax  law.  The 
indemnification clauses are often standard contractual terms and 
were entered into in the normal course of business based on an 
assessment  that  the  risk  of  loss  would  be  remote.  These 
agreements  typically  contain  an  early  termination  clause  that 
permits the Corporation to exit the agreement upon these events. 
The  maximum  potential  future  payment  under  indemnification 
agreements is difficult to assess for several reasons, including 

224     Bank of America 2012

the occurrence of an external event, the inability to predict future 
changes in tax and other laws, the difficulty in determining how 
such  laws  would  apply  to  parties  in  contracts,  the  absence  of 
exposure limits contained in standard contract language and the 
timing of the early termination clause. Historically, any payments 
made  under  these  guarantees  have  been  de  minimis.  The 
Corporation  has  assessed  the  probability  of  making  such 
payments in the future as remote.

Merchant Services
In  accordance  with  credit  and  debit  card  association  rules,  the 
Corporation sponsors merchant processing servicers that process 
credit and debit card transactions on behalf of various merchants. 
In connection with these services, a liability may arise in the event 
of a billing dispute between the merchant and a cardholder that 
is  ultimately  resolved  in  the  cardholder’s  favor.  If  the  merchant 
defaults  on  its  obligation  to  reimburse  the  cardholder,  the 
cardholder, through its issuing bank, generally has until six months 
after the date of the transaction to present a chargeback to the 
merchant  processor,  which  is  primarily  liable  for  any  losses  on 
covered transactions. However, if the merchant processor fails to 
meet  its  obligation  to  reimburse  the  cardholder  for  disputed 
transactions, then the Corporation, as the sponsor, could be held 
liable for the disputed amount. In 2012 and 2011, the sponsored 
entities processed and settled $604.2 billion and $460.4 billion 
of transactions and recorded losses of $10 million and $11 million. 
A significant portion of this activity was processed by a joint venture 
in  which  the  Corporation  holds  a  49  percent  ownership.  At 
December  31,  2012  and  2011,  the  sponsored  merchant 
processing  servicers  held  as  collateral  $202  million  and  $238 
million of merchant escrow deposits which may be used to offset 
amounts due from the individual merchants.

The Corporation believes the maximum potential exposure for 
chargebacks  would  not  exceed  the  total  amount  of  merchant 
transactions processed through Visa, MasterCard and Discover 
for the last six months, which represents the claim period for the 
cardholder, plus any outstanding delayed-delivery transactions. As 
of December 31, 2012 and 2011, the maximum potential exposure 
for  sponsored  transactions  totaled  $263.9  billion  and  $236.0 
billion.  However,  the  Corporation  believes  that  the  maximum 
potential  exposure  is  not  representative  of  the  actual  potential 
loss exposure and does not expect to make material payments in 
connection with these guarantees.

Other Derivative Contracts
The Corporation funds selected assets, including securities issued 
by  CDOs  and  CLOs,  through  derivative  contracts,  typically  total 
return swaps, with third parties and VIEs that are not consolidated 
on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. At December 
31, 2012 and 2011, the total notional amount of these derivative 
contracts was $2.9 billion and $3.2 billion with commercial banks 
and  $1.4  billion  and  $1.8  billion  with  VIEs.  The  underlying 
securities  are  senior  securities  and  substantially  all  of  the 
Corporation’s  exposures  are 
the 
Corporation’s exposure to loss consists principally of counterparty 
risk to the insurers. In certain circumstances, generally as a result 
of  ratings  downgrades,  the  Corporation  may  be  required  to 
purchase  the  underlying  assets,  which  would  not  result  in 
additional  gain  or  loss  to  the  Corporation  as  such  exposure  is 
already reflected in the fair value of the derivative contracts.

insured.  Accordingly, 

Other Guarantees
The Corporation has entered into additional guarantee agreements 
and  commitments,  including  lease-end  obligation  agreements, 
partial  credit  guarantees  on  certain  leases,  real  estate  joint 
venture  guarantees,  sold  risk  participation  swaps,  divested 
business commitments and sold put options that require gross 
settlement. The maximum potential future payment under these 
agreements  was  approximately  $3.1  billion  and  $3.7  billion  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. The estimated maturity dates of 
these obligations extend up to 2033. The Corporation has made 
no material payments under these guarantees.

In the normal course of business, the Corporation periodically 
guarantees  the  obligations  of  its  affiliates  in  a  variety  of 
transactions  including  ISDA-related  transactions  and  non  ISDA-
related  transactions  such  as  commodities  trading,  repurchase 
agreements, prime brokerage agreements and other transactions.

Payment Protection Insurance Claims Matter
In the U.K., the Corporation previously sold payment protection 
insurance (PPI) through its international card services business 
to credit card customers and consumer loan customers. PPI covers 
a consumer’s loan or debt repayment if certain events occur such 
as  loss  of  job  or  illness.  In  response  to  an  elevated  level  of 
customer  complaints  across  the  industry,  heightened  media 
coverage and pressure from consumer advocacy groups, the U.K. 
Financial  Services  Authority  (FSA)  investigated  and  raised 
concerns about the way some companies have handled complaints 
related to the sale of these insurance policies. In connection with 
this  matter,  the  Corporation  established  a  reserve  for  PPI.  The 
reserve was $510 million and $476 million at December 31, 2012 
and 2011. The Corporation recorded expense of $692 million and 
$77 million in 2012 and 2011. It is reasonably possible that the 
Corporation  will  incur  additional  expense  related  to  PPI  claims; 
however,  the  amount  of  such  additional  expense  cannot  be 
reasonably estimated.

Identity Theft Protection
The  Corporation  has  received  inquiries  from  and  has  been  in 
discussions  with  regulatory  authorities  concerning  activities 
related to identity theft protection services, including customers 
who may have paid for but did not receive certain of such services 
from  third-party  vendors  of  the  Corporation,  and  whether 
appropriate oversight existed.

Litigation and Regulatory Matters
In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  the  Corporation  and  its 
subsidiaries are routinely defendants in or parties to many pending 
and threatened legal actions and proceedings, including actions 
brought on behalf of various classes of claimants. These actions 
and  proceedings  are  generally  based  on  alleged  violations  of 
consumer  protection,  securities,  environmental,  banking, 
employment, contract and other laws. In some of these actions 
and proceedings, claims for substantial monetary damages are 
asserted against the Corporation and its subsidiaries.

In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  the  Corporation  and  its 
subsidiaries  are  also  subject  to  regulatory  examinations, 
information  gathering  requests,  inquiries,  investigations,  and 
threatened legal actions and proceedings. Certain subsidiaries of 
the  Corporation  are  registered  broker/dealers  or  investment 
advisors and are subject to regulation by the SEC, the Financial 
Industry  Regulatory  Authority,  the  FSA  and  other  domestic, 

international and state securities regulators. In connection with 
formal and informal inquiries by those agencies, such subsidiaries 
receive numerous requests, subpoenas and orders for documents, 
testimony and information in connection with various aspects of 
their regulated activities.

In view of the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of 
such  litigation  and  regulatory  matters,  particularly  where  the 
claimants seek very large or indeterminate damages or where the 
matters present novel legal theories or involve a large number of 
parties, the Corporation generally cannot predict what the eventual 
outcome of the pending matters will be, what the timing of the 
ultimate resolution of these matters will be, or what the eventual 
loss, fines or penalties related to each pending matter may be.

In  accordance  with  applicable  accounting  guidance,  the 
Corporation  establishes  an  accrued  liability  for  litigation  and 
regulatory matters when those matters present loss contingencies 
that are both probable and estimable. In such cases, there may 
be an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. When 
a  loss  contingency  is  not  both  probable  and  estimable,  the 
Corporation does not establish an accrued liability. As a litigation 
or regulatory matter develops, the Corporation, in conjunction with 
any outside counsel handling the matter, evaluates on an ongoing 
basis  whether  such  matter  presents  a  loss  contingency  that  is 
probable  and  estimable.  If,  at  the  time  of  evaluation,  the  loss 
contingency related to a litigation or regulatory matter is not both 
probable and estimable, the matter will continue to be monitored 
for further developments that would make such loss contingency 
both probable and estimable. Once the loss contingency related 
to a litigation or regulatory matter is deemed to be both probable 
and estimable, the Corporation will establish an accrued liability 
with respect to such loss contingency and record a corresponding 
amount of litigation-related expense. The Corporation continues 
to monitor the matter for further developments that could affect 
the  amount  of  the  accrued  liability  that  has  been  previously 
established.  Excluding  expenses  of  internal  or  external  legal 
service  providers,  litigation-related  expense  of  $4.2  billion  was 
recognized for 2012 compared to $5.6 billion for 2011.

For a limited number of the matters disclosed in this Note for 
which a loss is probable or reasonably possible in future periods, 
whether in excess of a related accrued liability or where there is 
no accrued liability, the Corporation is able to estimate a range of 
possible loss. In determining whether it is possible to provide an 
estimate of loss or range of possible loss, the Corporation reviews 
and evaluates its material litigation and regulatory matters on an 
ongoing basis, in conjunction with any outside counsel handling 
the  matter,  in  light  of  potentially  relevant  factual  and  legal 
developments. These may include information learned through the 
discovery  process,  rulings  on  dispositive  motions,  settlement 
discussions, and other rulings by courts, arbitrators or others. In 
cases in which the Corporation possesses sufficient appropriate 
information to develop an estimate of loss or range of possible 
loss, that estimate is aggregated and disclosed below. There may 
be  other  disclosed  matters  for  which  a  loss  is  probable  or 
reasonably possible but such an estimate may not be possible. 
For those matters where an estimate is possible, management 
currently estimates the aggregate range of possible loss is $0 to 
$3.1  billion  in  excess  of  the  accrued  liability  (if  any)  related  to 
those  matters.  This  estimated  range  of  possible  loss  is  based 
upon currently available information and is subject to significant 
judgment and a variety of assumptions, and known and unknown 
uncertainties.  The  matters  underlying  the  estimated  range  will 
change from time to time, and actual results may vary significantly 

Bank of America 2012     225

from the current estimate. Those matters for which an estimate 
is  not  possible  are  not  included  within  this  estimated  range. 
Therefore, this estimated range of possible loss represents what 
the Corporation believes to be an estimate of possible loss only 
for certain matters meeting these criteria. It does not represent 
the Corporation’s maximum loss exposure. Information is provided 
below regarding the nature of all of these contingencies and, where 
specified,  the  amount  of  the  claim  associated  with  these  loss 
contingencies. Based on current knowledge, management does 
not believe that loss contingencies arising from pending matters, 
including  the  matters  described  herein,  will  have  a  material 
adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or liquidity 
of the Corporation. However, in light of the inherent uncertainties 
involved  in  these  matters,  some  of  which  are  beyond  the 
Corporation’s control, and the very large or indeterminate damages 
sought in some of these matters, an adverse outcome in one or 
more  of  these  matters  could  be  material  to  the  Corporation’s 
results  of  operations  or  cash  flows  for  any  particular  reporting 
period.

Auction Rate Securities Litigation
Since October 2007, the Corporation, Merrill Lynch and certain 
affiliates have been named as defendants in a variety of lawsuits 
and other proceedings brought by customers, both individual and 
institutional  investors,  and  issuers  regarding  auction  rate 
securities (ARS). These actions generally allege that defendants: 
(i) misled plaintiffs into believing that there was a deeply liquid 
market for ARS, and (ii) failed to adequately disclose their or their 
affiliates’  practice  of  placing  their  own  bids  to  support  ARS 
auctions. Plaintiffs assert that ARS auctions started failing from 
August 2007 through February 2008 when defendants and other 
broker/dealers stopped placing those “support bids.” In addition 
to the matters described in more detail below, arbitrations and 
individual lawsuits have been filed against the Corporation, Merrill 
Lynch and certain affiliates by parties who purchased ARS and are 
seeking relief that includes compensatory and punitive damages 
and rescission, among other relief.

Antitrust Actions
On September 4, 2008, two putative antitrust class actions were 
filed  against  the  Corporation,  Merrill  Lynch  and  other  financial 
institutions in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of 
New York. Plaintiffs in both actions assert federal antitrust claims 
under  Section  1  of  the  Sherman  Act  based  on  allegations  that 
defendants conspired to restrain trade in ARS by placing support 
bids in ARS auctions, only to collectively withdraw those bids in 
February 2008, which allegedly caused ARS auctions to fail. In the 
first  action,  Mayor  and  City  Council  of  Baltimore,  Maryland  v. 
Citigroup, Inc., et al., plaintiff seeks to represent a class of issuers 
of ARS that defendants underwrote between May 12, 2003 and 
February 13, 2008. This issuer action seeks to recover, among 
other relief, the alleged above-market interest payments that ARS 
issuers  allegedly  have  had  to  make  after  defendants  allegedly 
stopped placing “support bids” in ARS auctions. In the second 
action,  Mayfield,  et  al.  v.  Citigroup,  Inc.,  et  al.,  plaintiff  seeks  to 
represent a class of investors that purchased ARS from defendants 
and held those securities when ARS auctions failed on February 
13,  2008.  Plaintiff  seeks  to  recover,  among  other  relief, 
unspecified  damages  for  losses  in  the  ARS’  market  value,  and 
rescission of the investors’ ARS purchases. Both actions also seek 
treble  damages  and  attorneys’  fees  under  the  Sherman  Act’s 

226     Bank of America 2012

private civil remedy. On January 25, 2010, the court dismissed 
both actions with prejudice and plaintiffs’ respective appeals are 
currently  pending  in  the  U.S.  Court  of  Appeals  for  the  Second 
Circuit.

Countrywide Bond Insurance Litigation
The Corporation, Countrywide and other Countrywide entities are 
subject  to  claims  from  several  monoline  bond  insurance 
companies.  These  claims  generally  relate  to  bond  insurance 
policies  provided  by  the  insurers  on  securitized  pools  of  home 
equity line of credit (HELOC) and fixed-rate second-lien mortgage 
loans. Plaintiffs in these cases generally allege that they have paid 
claims as a result of defaults in the underlying loans and assert 
the 
the  Countrywide  defendants  misrepresented 
that 
characteristics  of  the  underlying  loans  and  breached  certain 
contractual 
the 
underwriting and servicing of the loans. Plaintiffs also allege that 
the Corporation is liable based on successor liability theories.

representations  and  warranties 

regarding 

Ambac
The Corporation, Countrywide and other Countrywide entities are 
named as defendants in an action filed on September 29, 2010 
by  Ambac  Assurance  Corporation  (Ambac)  entitled  Ambac 
Assurance  Corporation  and  The  Segregated  Account  of  Ambac 
Assurance Corporation v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., et al. This 
action, currently pending in New York Supreme Court, New York 
County, relates to bond insurance policies provided by Ambac on 
certain securitized pools of first-lien HELOC and fixed-rate second-
lien  mortgage  loans.  Damages  sought  by  Ambac  include  the 
amount of payments for current and future claims it has paid or 
will pay under the policies, increasing over time as it pays claims 
under relevant policies.

FGIC
The Corporation, Countrywide and other Countrywide entities are 
named as defendants in an action filed on December 11, 2009 
by Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (FGIC) entitled Financial 
Guaranty Insurance Co. v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. This action, 
currently pending in New York Supreme Court, New York County, 
relates to bond insurance policies provided by FGIC on securitized 
pools  of  HELOC  and  fixed-rate  second-lien  mortgage  loans. 
Damages  sought  by  FGIC  include  the  amount  of  payments  for 
current and future claims it has paid or will pay under the policies, 
increasing over time as it pays claims under relevant policies.

MBIA
The Corporation, Countrywide and other Countrywide entities are 
named  as  defendants  in  two  actions  filed  by  MBIA  Insurance 
Corporation (MBIA). The first action, MBIA Insurance Corporation, 
Inc. v. Countrywide Home Loans, et al., filed on September 30, 2008 
is pending in New York Supreme Court, New York County. Damages 
sought by MBIA include the amount of payments for current and 
future claims it has paid or will pay under the policies, increasing 
over time as it pays claims under relevant policies.

On May 25, 2011, MBIA moved for partial summary judgment, 
seeking  rulings  that:  (i)  MBIA  does  not  have  to  show  that 
Countrywide’s alleged fraud and breaches of contract proximately 
caused MBIA’s losses; and (ii) the term “materially and adversely 
affects”  in  the  transaction  documents  does  not  limit  the 
repurchase remedy to defaulted loans, or require MBIA to show 
that Countrywide’s breaches of the representations and warranties 

caused the loans to default. On January 3, 2012, the court issued 
an order that granted in part and denied in part MBIA’s motion. 
The court ruled that under New York insurance law, MBIA does not 
need  to  prove  a  causal  link  between  Countrywide’s  alleged 
misrepresentations  and  the  payments  made  pursuant  to  the 
policies. The court also held that plaintiff could recover “rescissory 
damages” (the amounts it has been required to pay pursuant to 
the policies less premiums received) on such claims, but must 
prove  that  it  was  damaged  as  a  direct  result  of  Countrywide’s 
alleged material misrepresentations. The court denied the motion 
in its entirety on the issue of the interpretation of the “materially 
and  adversely  affects”  language.  On  January  25,  2012, 
Countrywide appealed the court’s decision and order to the extent 
it granted MBIA’s motion. On February 6, 2012, MBIA filed a cross-
appeal of the court’s decision and order to the extent it denied 
MBIA’s motion.

On  September  19,  2012,  Countrywide  moved  for  summary 
judgment on MBIA’s fraud, indemnification and punitive damages 
claims  and  for  partial  summary  judgment  on  MBIA’s  breach  of 
contract  claim.  On  that  same  date,  MBIA  moved  for  summary 
judgment on its insurance breach and repurchase breach claims. 
The court heard oral argument on the motions on December 12 
and 13, 2012. 

On September 28, 2012, the Corporation moved for summary 
judgment with respect to MBIA’s successor liability claims. On the 
same  day,  MBIA  moved  for  summary  judgment  in  its  favor  with 
respect to such claims. The motions were argued to the court on 
January 9 and 10, 2013.

The second MBIA action, MBIA Insurance Corporation, Inc. v. 
Bank of America Corporation, Countrywide Financial Corporation, 
Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., Countrywide Securities Corporation, 
et  al.,  filed  on  July  10,  2009,  is  pending  in  California  Superior 
Court, Los Angeles County. MBIA purports to bring this action as 
subrogee to the note holders for certain securitized pools of HELOC 
and fixed-rate second-lien mortgage loans and seeks unspecified 
damages  and  declaratory  relief.  On  May  17,  2010,  the  court 
dismissed  the  claims  against  the  Countrywide  defendants  with 
leave  to  amend,  but  denied  the  request  to  dismiss  MBIA’s 
successor  liability  claims  against  the  Corporation.  On  June  21, 
2010, MBIA filed an amended complaint re-asserting its previously 
dismissed  claims  against  the  Countrywide  defendants,  re-
asserting the successor liability claim against the Corporation and 
adding  Countrywide  Capital  Markets,  LLC  as  a  defendant.  The 
Countrywide  defendants  filed  a  demurrer  to  the  amended 
complaint,  but  the  court  declined  to  rule  on  the  demurrer  and 
instead entered an order staying the case until August 2011. On 
August 18, 2011, the court ordered a partial lifting of the stay to 
permit certain limited discovery to proceed. The stay otherwise 
remains in effect.

FIRREA and False Claims Act Litigation
On February 24, 2012, Edward O’Donnell filed a sealed qui tam 
complaint against the Corporation, individually, and as successor 
to  Countrywide,  Countrywide  Home  Loans,  Inc.  (CHL),  and  Full 
Spectrum  Lending.  On  October  24,  2012,  the  U.S.  DOJ  filed  a 
complaint-in-intervention  to  join  the  matter,  adding  BANA, 
Countrywide and CHL as defendants. The action is entitled United 
States of America, ex rel, Edward O’Donnell, appearing Qui Tam v. 
Bank of America Corp et al., and was filed in the U.S. District Court 
for the Southern District of New York. The complaint-in-intervention 
asserts certain fraud claims in connection with the sale of loans 
to FNMA and FHLMC by a Countrywide business division known 

as Full Spectrum Lending and by the Corporation and BANA from 
2006 continuing through 2009 and also asserts successor liability 
against the Corporation and BANA. Plaintiff seeks, among other 
relief, civil penalties pursuant to the Financial Institutions Reform, 
Recovery,  and  Enforcement  Act  of  1989  (FIRREA)  and  treble 
damages pursuant to the False Claims Act. On January 11, 2013, 
the  government  filed  an  amended  complaint  which  added 
Countrywide Bank, FSB and a former officer of the Corporation as 
defendants.

Fontainebleau Las Vegas Litigation
On June 9, 2009, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, LLC (FBLV), then a 
Chapter  11  debtor-in-possession,  commenced  an  adversary 
proceeding  entitled  Fontainebleau  Las  Vegas,  LLC  v.  Bank  of 
America, N.A., Merrill Lynch Capital Corporation, et al. (FBLV action) 
against a group of lenders, including BANA and Merrill Lynch Capital 
Corporation  (MLCC).  The  action  was  originally  filed  in  the  U.S. 
Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida, but was transferred 
to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The 
complaint alleges, among other things, that defendants breached 
an agreement to lend their respective committed amounts under 
an $800 million revolving loan facility, of which BANA and MLCC 
had  each  committed  $100  million,  in  connection  with  the 
construction of a resort and casino development. The complaint 
seeks  damages  in  excess  of  $3  billion  and  a  “turnover”  order 
under Section 542 of the Bankruptcy Code requiring the lenders 
to  fund  their  respective  commitments.  On  May  10,  2012,  the 
revolving  lender  group  and  the  trustee  agreed  to  settle  all 
outstanding issues (including the original breach of commitment 
claims), and the settlement was approved by the court on June 
12,  2012;  the  Corporation’s  share  of  this  settlement  was  not 
material to the Corporation’s results of operations.

On June 9, 2009, a related lawsuit, Avenue CLO Fund Ltd., et 
al. v. Bank of America, N.A., Merrill Lynch Capital Corporation, et al. 
(the  Avenue  action),  was  filed  in  the  U.S.  District  Court  for  the 
District of Nevada by certain project lenders. On September 21, 
2009, another related lawsuit, ACP Master, Ltd., et al. v. Bank of 
America,  N.A.,  Merrill  Lynch  Capital  Corporation,  et  al.  (the  ACP 
action), was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District 
of  New  York  by  the  purported  successors-in-interest  to  certain 
project lenders. These two actions were subsequently transferred 
by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to the 
U.S.  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  Florida  for 
coordinated pretrial proceedings with the FBLV action. Plaintiffs in 
the  Avenue  and  ACP  actions  (the  Term  Lenders)  repeat  FBLV’s 
allegations that BANA, MLCC and the other defendants breached 
their revolving loan facility commitments to FBLV. In addition, they 
allege that BANA breached its duties as disbursement agent under 
a separate agreement governing the disbursement of loaned funds 
to FBLV. The Term Lenders seek unspecified money damages on 
their claims.

On May 28, 2010, the district court in the Avenue action and 
the ACP action granted defendants’ motion to dismiss the revolving 
loan  facility  commitment  claims,  but  denied  BANA’s  motion  to 
dismiss the disbursement agent claims. On January 13, 2011, 
the district court granted the Term Lenders’ motion for entry of a 
partial final judgment on their revolving loan facility commitment 
claims. By decision dated February 20, 2013, the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed the dismissal, holding that 
the  Term  Lenders  lacked  standing  to  enforce  the  lending 
commitments.

Bank of America 2012     227

On  April  19,  2011,  the  district  court  dismissed  the 
disbursement agent claims against BANA in the ACP action after 
the Avenue action plaintiffs represented that they had acquired 
the  claims  belonging  to  the  ACP  action  plaintiffs  and  would  be 
pursuing those claims in the Avenue action. On March 19, 2012, 
the district court granted BANA’s motion for summary judgment 
on all causes of action against it in its capacity as disbursement 
agent  in  the  Avenue  Action,  and  denied  plaintiffs’  motion  for 
summary judgment on those claims. Plaintiffs filed an appeal to 
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Interchange and Related Litigation
In  2005,  a  group  of  merchants  filed  a  series  of  putative  class 
actions  and  individual  actions  directed  at  interchange  fees 
associated with Visa and MasterCard payment card transactions. 
These actions, which were consolidated in the U.S. District Court 
for the Eastern District of New York under the caption In Re Payment 
Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Anti-Trust Litigation 
(Interchange),  named  Visa,  MasterCard  and  several  banks  and 
BHCs, including the Corporation, as defendants. Plaintiffs allege 
that defendants conspired to fix the level of default interchange 
rates, which represent the fee an issuing bank charges an acquiring 
bank  on  every  transaction.  Plaintiffs  also  challenged  as 
unreasonable restraints of trade under Section 1 of the Sherman 
Act  certain  rules  of  Visa  and  MasterCard  related  to  merchant 
acceptance of payment cards at the point of sale. Plaintiffs sought 
unspecified damages and injunctive relief based on their assertion 
that interchange would be lower or eliminated absent the alleged 
conduct.

In  addition,  plaintiffs  filed  supplemental  complaints  against 
certain  defendants,  including  the  Corporation,  relating  to  initial 
public  offerings  (the  IPOs)  of  MasterCard  and  Visa.  Plaintiffs 
alleged that the IPOs violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act and 
Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Plaintiffs also asserted that the 
MasterCard  IPO  was  a  fraudulent  conveyance.  Plaintiffs  sought 
unspecified damages and to undo the IPOs.

On October 19, 2012, defendants entered an agreement to 
settle the class plaintiffs’ claims. The defendants also separately 
agreed  to  resolve  the  claims  brought  by  a  group  of  individual 
retailers  that  opted  out  of  the  class  to  pursue  independent 
litigation.  The  settlement  agreements  provide  for,  among  other 
things,  (i)  payments  by  defendants  to  the  class  and  individual 
plaintiffs  totaling  approximately  $6.6  billion;  (ii)  distribution  to 
class  merchants  of  an  amount  equal  to  10  bps  of  default 
interchange  across  all  Visa  and  MasterCard  credit  card 
transactions for a period of eight consecutive months, to begin by 
July 29, 2013, which otherwise would have been paid to issuers 
and which effectively reduces credit interchange for that period of 
time; and (iii) modifications to Visa and MasterCard rules regarding 
merchant point of sale practices.

Subject to the loss-sharing agreements the Corporation and 
certain  affiliates  previously  entered  with  Visa,  MasterCard  and 
other financial institutions, the Corporation will contribute a total 
of  $738  million  to  the  settlement  of  the  class  and  individual 
actions.  Of  that  amount,  $539  million  will  be  paid  from  the 
proceeds that Visa previously placed into an escrow fund pursuant 
to Visa’s Retrospective Responsibility Plan (the RRP) to cover the 
Corporation’s share of Visa-related claims.

The court granted preliminary approval of the class settlement 
agreement on November 9, 2012, over the objections of several 
class  members.  The  objecting  class  members  appealed  to  the 
U.S.  Court  of  Appeals  for  the  Second  Circuit,  which  denied 

228     Bank of America 2012

appellants’ motion for expedited appeal and deferred briefing until 
after final approval of the settlement. The final approval hearing 
is scheduled for September 12, 2013.

On  March  28,  2011,  an  action  entitled  Watson  v.  Bank  of 
America Corp. (Watson) was filed on in the Supreme Court of British 
Columbia, Canada, by a purported nationwide class of merchants 
that accept Visa and/or MasterCard credit cards in Canada. The 
action names as defendants Visa, MasterCard, and a number of 
other  banks  and  BHCs,  including  the  Corporation.  The  action 
alleges that defendants conspired to fix the merchant discount 
fees  that  merchants  pay  to  acquiring  banks  on  credit  card 
transactions. It also alleges that defendants conspired to impose 
certain rules relating to merchant acceptance of credit cards at 
the point of sale. The action asserts claims under section 45 of 
the  Competition  Act  and  other  common  law  claims,  and  seeks 
unspecified damages and injunctive relief based on the assertion 
that merchant discount fees would be lower absent the challenged 
conduct.  The  action  is  not  covered  by  the  RRP  or  loss-sharing 
agreements previously entered in connection with certain antitrust 
litigation,  including  Interchange.  In  addition  to  Watson,  the 
Corporation has been named as a defendant in similar putative 
class action claims filed in other jurisdictions in Canada.

In re Bank of America Securities, Derivative and Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Litigation
Beginning  in  January  2009,  the  Corporation,  as  well  as  certain 
current  and  former  officers  and  directors,  among  others,  were 
named  as  defendants  in  a  variety  of  actions  filed  in  state  and 
federal  courts  in  connection  with  securities  filings  by  the 
Corporation.  The  securities  filings  contained  information  with 
respect to events that took place from September 2008 through 
January 2009 contemporaneous with the Corporation’s acquisition 
of  Merrill  Lynch  (the  Acquisition).  These  cases  included  class 
action  and  individual  securities  lawsuits,  derivative  actions, 
actions under the ERISA, and an action brought by the New York 
Attorney General (NYAG) under the Martin Act and the New York 
Executive  Law.  Certain  federal  court  actions  were  consolidated 
and/or  coordinated  in  the  U.S.  District  Court  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York  under  the  caption  In  re  Bank  of  America 
Securities, Derivative and Employee Retirement Income Security Act 
(ERISA) Litigation (the Consolidated Action).

The claims in these actions generally concern alleged material 
misrepresentations and/or material omissions with respect to: (i) 
the  Acquisition;  (ii)  the  financial  condition  of  and  2008  fourth-
quarter losses experienced by the Corporation and Merrill Lynch; 
(iii) due diligence conducted in connection with the Acquisition; 
(iv)  the  terms  of  the  Acquisition  agreements  regarding  Merrill 
Lynch’s ability to pay bonuses to Merrill Lynch employees of up to 
$5.8 billion for the year 2008; (v) the Corporation’s discussions 
with  government  officials  in  December  2008  regarding  the 
Corporation’s  consideration  of  invoking  the  material  adverse 
change clause in the Acquisition agreement; (vi) the Corporation’s 
discussions with government officials in December 2008 regarding 
the possibility of obtaining government assistance in completing 
the  Acquisition;  and/or  (vii)  the  proxy  statement  and  related 
materials for the Acquisition.

Consolidated Securities Class Action
Plaintiffs (Securities Plaintiffs) in the securities class action in the 
Consolidated  Action  (Consolidated  Securities  Class  Action) 
asserted  claims  under  Sections  14(a),  10(b)  and  20(a)  of  the 

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), and Sections 
11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities 
Act) and asserted damages based on the drop in the stock price 
upon subsequent disclosures.

In  February  2012,  the  court  granted  a  motion  for  class 
certification. On November 30, 2012, the parties entered into a 
settlement agreement. The agreement, which is subject to court 
approval, provides for a payment by the Corporation of $2.4 billion, 
an amount that was fully accrued as of September 30, 2012, and 
the institution and/or continuation of certain corporate governance 
enhancements until the later of January 1, 2015 or 18 months 
following the court’s final approval of the settlement. In exchange, 
Securities Plaintiffs released their claims against all defendants 
and certain other persons or entities affiliated with defendants.

On  December  4,  2012,  the  court  issued  an  order  granting 
preliminary  approval  of  the  settlement  and  scheduling  a  final 
settlement hearing for April 5, 2013.

Individual Securities Actions
Certain shareholders have opted to pursue their claims under the 
Exchange Act and/or Securities Act apart from the Consolidated 
Securities  Class  Action,  and  these  individual  actions  were 
coordinated  for  pre-trial  purposes  in  the  Consolidated  Action. 
These individual plaintiffs assert substantially the same facts and 
claims as the class action plaintiffs.

Derivative Actions
On  October  9,  2009,  plaintiffs  in  the  derivative  action  in  the 
Consolidated  Action  (Derivative  Plaintiffs)  filed  a  consolidated 
amended  derivative  and  class  action  complaint.  The  amended 
complaint  named  as  defendants  certain  of  the  Corporation’s 
current and former directors, officers and financial advisors, and 
certain of Merrill Lynch’s current and former directors and officers. 
The Corporation was named as a nominal defendant with respect 
to the derivative claims. Derivative Plaintiffs asserted claims for, 
among  other  things:  (i)  violation  of  federal  securities  laws;  (ii) 
breach of fiduciary duties; (iii) the return of incentive compensation 
that is alleged to be inappropriate in view of the work performed 
and the results achieved by  certain  of  the  defendants;  and  (iv) 
contribution. On February 8, 2010, Derivative Plaintiffs voluntarily 
dismissed their claims against each of the former Merrill Lynch 
officers and directors without prejudice.

On  June  19,  2012,  the  parties  entered  into  a  settlement 
agreement. On January 11, 2013, the district court granted final 
approval of the settlement.

The Corporation and certain current and former directors are 
also named as defendants in a consolidated derivative action in 
the Delaware Court of Chancery under the caption In re Bank of 
America Corporation Stockholder Derivative Litigation  brought  by 
shareholders alleging breaches of fiduciary duties and waste of 
corporate  assets  in  connection  with  the  Acquisition.  The 
consolidated  derivative  complaint  seeks,  among  other  things, 
unspecified  monetary  damages,  equitable  remedies  and  other 
relief. On May 9, 2012, the court stayed the action pending the 
New York court’s consideration of the proposed settlement in the 
derivative action in the Consolidated Action. In the settlement of 
the derivative action in the Consolidated Action, plaintiffs in the 
Delaware action agreed to withdraw their claims.

ERISA Actions
On  October  9,  2009,  plaintiffs  in  the  ERISA  actions  in  the 
Consolidated Action (ERISA Plaintiffs) asserted claims on behalf 
of a purported class consisting of participants in certain of the 
Corporation’s 401(k) plans (collectively, the 401(k) Plans). ERISA 
Plaintiffs  alleged  violations  of  ERISA  and  sought  unspecified 
monetary damages, equitable remedies and other relief. On August 
27, 2010, the court dismissed the complaint and ERISA Plaintiffs 
appealed.  On  January  14,  2013,  the  parties  stipulated  to  the 
withdrawal of the appeal with prejudice.

NYAG Action
On February 4, 2010, the NYAG filed a civil complaint in New York 
Supreme Court entitled People of the State of New York v. Bank of 
America, et al. The complaint names as defendants the Corporation 
and the Corporation’s former CEO and CFO, and alleges violations 
of Sections 352, 352-c(1)(a), 352-c(1)(c) and 353 of the Martin 
Act,  and  Section  63(12)  of  the  New  York  Executive  Law.  The 
complaint  seeks  an  unspecified  amount  in  disgorgement, 
penalties, restitution, and damages and other equitable relief.

LIBOR and Other Reference Rate Inquiries and Litigation
The Corporation has received subpoenas and information requests 
from government authorities in North America, Europe and Asia, 
including  the  U.S.  DOJ,  the  U.S.  Commodity  Futures  Trading 
Commission and the U.K. FSA, concerning submissions made by 
panel banks in connection with the setting of London interbank 
offered rates (LIBOR) and European and other reference rates. The 
Corporation is cooperating with these inquiries.

In addition, the Corporation and BANA have been named as 
defendants along with most of the other LIBOR panel banks in a 
series of individual and class actions in various U.S. federal and 
state courts relating to defendants’ LIBOR contributions. All cases 
naming the Corporation have been or are in the process of being 
consolidated for pre-trial purposes in the U.S. District Court for 
the Southern District of New York by the JPML. The Corporation 
expects that any future cases naming the Corporation will similarly 
be consolidated for pre-trial purposes. Plaintiffs allege that they 
held or transacted in U.S. dollar LIBOR-based derivatives or other 
financial instruments and sustained losses as a result of collusion 
or manipulation by defendants regarding the setting of U.S. dollar 
LIBOR. Plaintiffs assert a variety of claims, including antitrust and 
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations claims and seek 
compensatory, treble and punitive damages, and injunctive relief.

Montgomery
The Corporation, several current and former officers and directors, 
Banc of America Securities LLC (BAS), Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner 
& Smith (MLPF&S) and other unaffiliated underwriters have been 
named as defendants in a putative class action filed in the U.S. 
District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York  entitled 
Montgomery v. Bank of America, et al. Plaintiff filed an amended 
complaint on January 14, 2011. Plaintiff seeks to sue on behalf 
of  all  persons  who  acquired  certain  series  of  preferred  stock 
offered  by  the  Corporation  pursuant  to  a  shelf  registration 
statement dated May 5, 2006. Plaintiff’s claims arise from three 
offerings dated January 24, 2008, January 28, 2008 and May 20, 
2008, from which the Corporation allegedly received proceeds of 
$15.8  billion.  The  amended  complaint  asserts  claims  under 
Sections 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, and 
alleges  that  the  prospectus  supplements  associated  with  the 

Bank of America 2012     229

offerings: (i) failed to disclose that the Corporation’s loans, leases, 
CDOs and commercial MBS were impaired to a greater extent than 
disclosed; (ii) misrepresented the extent of the impaired assets 
by failing to establish adequate reserves or properly record losses 
for its impaired assets; (iii) misrepresented the adequacy of the 
Corporation’s internal controls in light of the alleged impairment 
of its assets; (iv) misrepresented the Corporation’s capital base 
and  Tier  1  leverage  ratio  for  risk-based  capital  in  light  of  the 
allegedly 
the 
thoroughness and adequacy of the Corporation’s due diligence in 
connection  with  its  acquisition  of  Countrywide.  The  amended 
complaint seeks rescission, compensatory and other damages. 
Defendants  moved  to  dismiss  for  failure  to  state  a  claim.  On 
February  9,  2012,  the  magistrate  judge  concluded  that  the 
amended complaint does not adequately plead claims under the 
Securities Act of 1933 and recommended that the district court 
dismiss the amended complaint in its entirety and deny plaintiffs’ 
request to amend the complaint without prejudice.

impaired  assets;  and 

(v)  misrepresented 

On March 15, 2012, plaintiffs moved to file a second amended 
complaint  to  add  additional  factual  allegations.  On  March  16, 
2012, the district court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss 
the first amended complaint and referred the motion to amend to 
the magistrate judge. On February 15, 2013, the magistrate judge 
issued an opinion and order denying the motion to amend. 

Mortgage-backed Securities Litigation
The Corporation and its affiliates, Countrywide entities and their 
affiliates, and Merrill Lynch entities and their affiliates have been 
named as defendants in a number of cases relating to their various 
roles as issuer, originator, seller, depositor, sponsor, underwriter 
and/or controlling entity in MBS offerings, pursuant to which the 
MBS investors were entitled to a portion of the cash flow from the 
underlying  pools  of  mortgages.  These  cases  generally  include 
purported  class  action  suits  and  actions  by  individual  MBS 
purchasers. Although the allegations vary by lawsuit, these cases 
generally  allege  that  the  registration  statements,  prospectuses 
issued  by 
and  prospectus  supplements 
securitization trusts contained material misrepresentations and 
omissions,  in  violation  of  Sections  11,  12  and/or  15  of  the 
Securities Act of 1933, Sections 10(b) and/or 20 of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 and/or state securities laws and other state 
statutory and common laws.

for  securities 

These  cases  generally  involve  allegations  of  false  and 
misleading  statements  regarding:  (i)  the  process  by  which  the 
properties  that  served  as  collateral  for  the  mortgage  loans 
underlying the MBS were appraised; (ii) the percentage of equity 
that mortgage borrowers had in their homes; (iii) the borrowers’ 
ability to repay their mortgage loans; (iv) the underwriting practices 
by  which  those  mortgage  loans  were  originated;  (v)  the  ratings 
given to the different tranches of MBS by rating agencies; and (vi) 
the  validity  of  each  issuing  trust’s  title  to  the  mortgage  loans 
comprising  the  pool  for  that  securitization  (collectively,  MBS 
Claims).  Plaintiffs  in  these  cases  generally  seek  unspecified 
compensatory damages, unspecified costs and legal fees and, in 
some instances, seek rescission. A number of other entities have 
threatened legal actions against the Corporation and its affiliates, 
Countrywide entities and their affiliates, and Merrill Lynch entities 
and  their  affiliates  concerning  MBS  offerings.  On  January  11, 
2013, the Corporation preliminarily agreed on a settlement amount 
with the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to resolve 
claims  concerning  certain  MBS  offerings  that  the  NCUA  had 
threatened  to  bring  against  the  Corporation,  Merrill  Lynch, 

230     Bank of America 2012

Countrywide  and  certain  of  their  affiliates.  The  agreement  is 
subject  to  the  negotiation  and  execution  of  mutually  agreeable 
settlement documentation and approval by the NCUA board. The 
settlement amount would be covered by existing reserves.

On August 15, 2011, the JPML ordered multiple federal court 
cases  involving  Countrywide  MBS  consolidated  for  pretrial 
purposes  in  the  U.S.  District  Court  for  the  Central  District  of 
California,  in  a  multi-district  litigation  entitled  In  re  Countrywide 
Financial  Corp.  Mortgage-Backed  Securities  Litigation 
(the 
Countrywide RMBS MDL).

AIG Litigation
On August 8, 2011, American International Group, Inc. and certain 
of  its  affiliates  (collectively,  AIG)  filed  a  complaint  in  New  York 
Supreme  Court,  New  York  County,  in  a  case  entitled  American 
International Group, Inc. et al. v. Bank of America Corporation et al. 
AIG has named the Corporation, Merrill Lynch, CHL and a number 
of related entities as defendants. AIG’s complaint asserts certain 
MBS  Claims  pertaining  to  347  MBS  offerings  and  two  private 
placements in which it alleges that it purchased securities between 
2005  and  2007.  AIG  seeks  rescission  of  its  purchases  or  a 
rescissory  measure  of  damages  or, 
the  alternative, 
compensatory  damages  of  no  less  than  $10  billion,  punitive 
damages and other unspecified relief. Defendants removed the 
case to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New 
York. The district court denied AIG’s motion to remand the case 
to state court.

in 

On December 21, 2011, the JPML transferred the Countrywide 
MBS claims to the Countrywide RMBS MDL in the Central District 
of California. The non-Countrywide MBS claims will be heard in the 
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

On April 24, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second 
Circuit granted plaintiffs’ petition for leave to appeal the ruling of 
the  district  court  in  the  Southern  District  of  New  York  denying 
plaintiffs’ motion to remand the case to the New York Supreme 
Court. The appeal is pending.

On May 23, 2012, the district court in the Central District of 
California  dismissed  with  prejudice  plaintiffs’  federal securities 
claims and certain of the state law common law claims. On August 
31, 2012, AIG filed an amended complaint, which, among other 
things, added claims against the Corporation and certain related 
entities  for  constructive  fraudulent  conveyance  and  intentional 
fraudulent conveyance.

FHFA Litigation
The FHFA, as conservator for FNMA and FHLMC, filed an action on 
September 2, 2011 against the Corporation and related entities, 
Countrywide and related entities, certain former officers of these 
entities, and NB Holdings Corporation in New York Supreme Court, 
New  York  County,  entitled  Federal  Housing  Finance  Agency  v. 
Countrywide  Financial  Corporation,  et  al.  (the  FHFA  Countrywide 
Litigation).  FHFA’s  complaint  asserts  certain  MBS  Claims  in 
connection with allegations that FNMA and FHLMC purchased MBS 
issued  by  Countrywide-related  entities  in  86  MBS  offerings 
between  2005  and  2008.  The  FHFA  seeks  among  other  relief, 
rescission  of  the  consideration  paid  for  the  securities  or 
alternatively  damages  allegedly  incurred  by  FNMA  and  FHLMC, 
including consequential damages. The FHFA also seeks recovery 
of punitive damages.

On  September  30,  2011,  Countrywide  removed  the  FHFA 
Countrywide Litigation from New York Supreme Court to the U.S. 

District Court for the Southern District of New York. On February 
7, 2012, the JPML transferred the matter to the Countrywide RMBS 
MDL.  On  April  5,  2012,  the  court  denied  the  FHFA’s  motion  to 
remand  the  FHFA  Countrywide  Litigation  to  New  York  Supreme 
Court.  On  October  18,  2012,  the  court  dismissed  as  untimely 
FHFA’s  Section  11  claims  as  to  24  of  the  86  MBS  allegedly 
purchased by FNMA and FHLMC, but otherwise denied the motion 
to dismiss on statute of limitations and statute of repose grounds.
Also on September 2, 2011, the FHFA, as conservator for FNMA 
and  FHLMC,  filed  complaints  in  the  U.S.  District  Court  for  the 
Southern District of New York against the Corporation and Merrill 
Lynch related entities, and certain current and former officers and 
directors of these entities. The actions are entitled Federal Housing 
Finance Agency  v.  Bank  of America  Corporation,  et  al.  (the  FHFA 
Bank of America Litigation) and Federal Housing Finance Agency 
v. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., et al. (the FHFA Merrill Lynch Litigation). 
The complaints assert certain MBS Claims relating to MBS issued 
and/or underwritten by the Corporation, Merrill Lynch and related 
entities in 23 MBS offerings and in 72 MBS offerings, respectively, 
between 2005 and 2008 and allegedly purchased by either FNMA 
or FHLMC in their investment portfolio. The FHFA seeks among 
other relief, rescission of the consideration paid for the securities 
or alternatively damages allegedly incurred by FNMA and FHLMC, 
including consequential damages. The FHFA also seeks recovery 
of punitive damages in the FHFA Merrill Lynch Litigation. The FHFA 
Bank of America Litigation and the FHFA Merrill Lynch Litigation, 
along with 14 other cases filed by the FHFA against other financial 
institutions, have been coordinated before a single judge in the 
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. One action, 
FHFA v. UBS Americas, Inc., et al. (the UBS Action), was designated 
the lead action with respect to allegations and claims common to 
the pending FHFA cases. On May 4, 2012, the court denied in part 
and granted in part a motion to dismiss in the UBS Action. The 
court subsequently denied motions to dismiss in the FHFA Merrill 
Lynch  Litigation  and  the  FHFA  Bank  of  America  Litigation  on 
November  8,  2012  and  November  28,  2012,  respectively.  On 
August 14, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 
granted  the  UBS  defendants’  application  for  an  interlocutory 
appeal  of  the  district  court’s  ruling  pertaining  to  the  statute  of 
repose  on  the  federal  and  state  securities  law  claims  and  the 
statute of limitations on the federal securities law claims asserted 
in the UBS Action. The FHFA has asserted similar claims in the 
FHFA  Merrill  Lynch  Litigation  and  the  FHFA  Bank  of  America 
Litigation.

Federal Home Loan Bank Litigation
On  January  18,  2011,  the  Federal  Home  Loan  Bank  of  Atlanta 
(FHLB  Atlanta)  filed  a  complaint  asserting  certain  MBS  Claims 
against  the  Corporation,  Countrywide  and  other  Countrywide 
entities  in  Georgia  State  Court,  Fulton  County,  entitled  Federal 
Home Loan Bank of Atlanta v. Countrywide Financial Corporation, 
et  al.  FHLB  Atlanta  seeks  rescission  of  its  purchases  or  a 
rescissory measure of damages,  unspecified  punitive  damages 
and other unspecified relief in connection with its alleged purchase 
of 16 MBS offerings issued and/or underwritten by Countrywide-
related entities between 2004 and 2007.

On  March  15,  2010,  the  Federal  Home  Loan  Bank  of  San 
Francisco  (FHLB  San  Francisco)  filed  an  action  in  California 
Superior Court, San Francisco County, entitled Federal Home Loan 
Bank of San Francisco v. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, et al. 
FHLB  San  Francisco’s  complaint  asserts  certain  MBS  Claims 
against  BAS,  Countrywide  and  several  related  entities  in 

connection with its alleged purchase of 51 MBS offerings and one 
private placement issued and/or underwritten by those defendants 
between 2004 and 2007 and seeks rescission and unspecified 
damages. FHLB San Francisco dismissed the federal claims with 
prejudice on August 11, 2011. On September 8, 2011, the court 
denied defendants’ motions to dismiss the state law claims.

Luther Litigation and Related Actions
On November 14, 2007, David H. Luther and various pension funds 
(collectively,  the  Luther  Plaintiffs)  commenced  a  putative  class 
action against Countrywide, several of its affiliates, MLPF&S and 
certain former officers of these in California Superior Court, Los 
Angeles  County,  entitled  Luther  v.  Countrywide  Financial 
Corporation,  et  al.  (the  Luther  Action).  The  Luther  Plaintiffs’ 
complaint asserts certain MBS Claims in connection with MBS 
issued by subsidiaries of Countrywide in 429 offerings between 
2005 and 2007. The Luther Plaintiffs certified that they collectively 
purchased securities in 63 of 429 offerings for approximately $216 
million. The Luther Plaintiffs seek compensatory and/or rescissory 
damages and other unspecified relief. On January 6, 2010, the 
court granted Countrywide’s motion to dismiss with prejudice due 
to  lack  of  subject  matter  jurisdiction.  On  May  18,  2011,  the 
California Court of Appeal reversed the dismissal and remanded 
to  the  Superior  Court.  On  June  12,  2012,  the  Countrywide 
defendants removed the case from the California Superior Court 
to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. On 
August 31, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of 
California denied the plaintiffs’ motion to remand to the California 
Superior Court.

Following the previous dismissal of the Luther Action on January 
6, 2010, the Maine State Retirement System filed a putative class 
action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 
entitled Maine State Retirement System v. Countrywide Financial 
Corporation, et al. (the Maine Action). The Maine Action names the 
same defendants as the Luther Action, as well as the Corporation 
and NB Holdings Corporation, and asserts substantially the same 
allegations regarding 427 of the MBS offerings that were at issue 
in the Luther Action. Plaintiffs in the Maine Action (Maine Plaintiffs) 
seek  compensatory  and/or  rescissory  damages  and  other 
unspecified relief.

On November 4, 2010, the court granted Countrywide’s motion 
to dismiss the amended complaint in its entirety and held that the 
Maine Plaintiffs only have standing to sue over the 81 offerings in 
which they actually purchased MBS. The court also held that the 
applicable statute of limitations could be tolled by the filing of the 
Luther Action only with respect to the offerings in which the Luther 
Plaintiffs actually purchased MBS. As a result of these standing 
and tolling rulings, the number of offerings at issue in the Maine 
Action was reduced from 427 to 14. On December 6, 2010, the 
Maine Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint that relates to 
14 MBS offerings. On April 21, 2011, the court dismissed with 
prejudice  the  successor  liability  claims  against  the  Corporation 
and NB Holdings Corporation. On May 6, 2011, the court held that 
the Maine Plaintiffs only have standing to sue over the specific 
MBS tranches that they purchased, and that the applicable statute 
of limitations could be tolled by the filing of the Luther Action only 
with  respect  to  the  specific  tranches  of  MBS  that  the  Luther 
Plaintiffs purchased. As a result of these tranche-specific standing 
and tolling rulings, the Maine Action was further reduced from 14 
offerings to eight tranches. On June 6, 2011, the Maine Plaintiffs 
filed a third amended complaint that related to eight MBS tranches. 
On June 15, 2011, the court denied the Maine Plaintiffs’ motion 

Bank of America 2012     231

to permit immediate interlocutory appeal of the court’s orders on 
standing, tolling of the statute of limitations and successor liability. 
On October 12, 2011, upon stipulation by the parties, the court 
certified a class consisting of eight subclasses, one for each of 
the eight MBS tranches at issue.

On  November  17,  2010,  Western  Conference  of  Teamsters 
Pension  Trust  Fund  (Western  Teamsters)  filed  a  putative  class 
action against the same defendants named in the Maine Action 
in California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, entitled Western 
Conference  of  Teamsters  Pension  Trust  Fund  v.  Countrywide 
Financial Corporation, et al. Western Teamsters’ complaint asserts 
that  Western  Teamsters  and  other  unspecified 
investors 
purchased MBS issued in the 428 offerings that were also at issue 
in the Luther Action and asserts substantially the same allegations 
as the Luther Action. Western Teamsters has been coordinated 
with  the  Luther  Action.  Western  Teamsters  seeks  unspecified 
compensatory and/or rescissory damages and other unspecified 
relief. On June 12, 2012, the Countrywide defendants removed 
the  case  from  the  California  Superior  Court  to the  U.S.  District 
Court for the Central District of California. On August 31, 2012, 
the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied 
the plaintiffs’ motion to remand to the California Superior Court.
On January 27, 2011, Putnam Bank filed a putative class action 
lawsuit against Countrywide, the Corporation and several related 
entities, among others, in the U.S. District Court for the District 
of  Connecticut,  entitled  Putnam  Bank  v.  Countrywide  Financial 
Corporation, et al. Putnam Bank’s complaint asserts certain MBS 
Claims in connection with alleged purchases in eight MBS offerings 
issued  by  Countrywide  subsidiaries  between  2005  and  2007. 
Putnam Bank seeks rescission of its purchases or a rescissory 
measure of unspecified damages and/or compensatory damages 
and other unspecified relief. On August 15, 2011, the case was 
transferred to the Countrywide RMBS MDL. On March 9, 2012, 
the court dismissed the complaint in Putnam Bank v. Countrywide 
Financial Corporation, et al., as time-barred, with prejudice. On May 
23,  2012,  the  court  denied  Putnam  Bank’s  motion  to  seek 
immediate  interlocutory  appeal  of  the  court’s  order  dismissing 
the case, in its entirety and with prejudice, as time-barred.

Regulatory Investigations
The Corporation has received a number of subpoenas and other 
requests  for  information  from  regulators  and  governmental 
authorities  regarding  MBS  and  other  mortgage-related  matters, 
including  inquiries,  investigations  and  potential  proceedings 
related  to  a  number  of  transactions  involving  the  Corporation’s 
underwriting and issuance of MBS and its participation in certain 
CDO offerings. These inquiries and investigations include, among 
others, an investigation by the SEC related to Merrill Lynch’s risk 
control, valuation, structuring, marketing and purchase of CDOs, 
and  an  investigation  by  the  New  York  State  Attorney  General 
concerning  the  purchase,  securitization  and  underwriting  of 
mortgage  loans  and  MBS.  The  Corporation  has  provided 
documents and testimony and continues to cooperate fully with 
these inquiries and investigations.

Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and Countrywide may also be 
subject  to  contractual  indemnification  obligations  in  the  MBS 
matters discussed above.

232     Bank of America 2012

Mortgage Repurchase Litigation

TMST, Inc. Litigation

On April 29, 2011, the Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee for TMST, 
Inc. (formerly known as Thornburg Mortgage, Inc.) and for certain 
affiliated  entities  (collectively,  Thornburg),  along  with  Zuni 
Investors,  LLC  (ZI),  filed  an  adversary  proceeding  in  the  U.S. 
Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland entitled In Re TMST, 
Inc.,  f/k/a  Thornburg  Mortgage,  Inc.  against  CHL  and  the 
Corporation.  Plaintiffs  filed  an  amended  complaint  on  July  29, 
2011,  in  which  they  allege,  among  other  things,  that  CHL  sold 
residential  mortgage  loans  to  Thornburg  pursuant  to  two 
agreements,  and 
that  CHL  allegedly  breached  certain 
representations  and  warranties  contained  in  those  agreements 
concerning  property  appraisals,  prudent  and  customary  loan 
origination practices, accuracy of mortgage loan schedules and 
occupancy status. The complaint further alleges that those loans 
were  deposited  by  Thornburg  into  a  securitization  trust,  that  ZI 
purchased  certificates  issued  by  that  trust,  and  that  the 
securitization  trustee  subsequently  assigned  to  ZI  and  the 
bankruptcy trustee the right to pursue representation and warranty 
claims. Plaintiffs seek a court order requiring CHL to repurchase 
the mortgage loans at issue, or alternatively, unspecified damages 
for  alleged  breach  of  contract.  CHL  and  the  Corporation  filed 
motions  to  dismiss  the  case,  to  withdraw  the  reference  to  the 
Bankruptcy Court, and for transfer of venue to the United States 
District Court for the Central District of California. On July 12, 2012, 
the case was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District 
of Maryland, which on August 21, 2012, granted CHL’s and the 
Corporation’s  motions  to  transfer  venue  to  the  United  States 
District Court for the Central District of California. That court heard 
argument on CHL’s motion to dismiss on November 27, 2012. On 
February 26, 2013, the parties agreed to settle the case for an 
amount not material to the Corporation’s results of operations. 
The agreement is subject to, among other things, approval by the 
bankruptcy  court  overseeing  the  Thornburg  bankruptcy.  On 
February  26,  2013,  the  bankruptcy  trustee  filed  a  motion  to 
approve the settlement. The motion is tentatively scheduled to be 
heard on March 20, 2013.

U.S. Bank Litigation
On August 29, 2011, U.S. Bank, National Association (U.S. Bank), 
as trustee for the HarborView Mortgage Loan Trust 2005-10 (the 
Trust), a mortgage pool backed by loans originated by CHL, filed a 
complaint in New York Supreme Court, New York County, in a case 
entitled U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee for HarborView 
Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2005-10 v. Countrywide Home Loans, 
Inc.  (dba  Bank  of  America  Home  Loans),  Bank  of  America 
Corporation, Countrywide Financial Corporation, Bank of America, 
N.A., and NB Holdings Corporation. U.S. Bank asserts that, as a 
result of alleged misrepresentations by CHL in connection with its 
sale of the loans, defendants must repurchase all the loans in the 
pool, or in the alternative that it must repurchase a subset of those 
loans as to which U.S. Bank alleges that defendants have refused 
specific repurchase demands. U.S. Bank asserts claims for breach 
of contract and seeks specific performance of defendants’ alleged 
obligation to repurchase the entire pool of loans (alleged to have 
an  original  aggregate  principal  balance  of  $1.75  billion)  or 
alternatively  the  aforementioned  subset  (alleged  to  have  an 
aggregate principal balance of “over $100 million”), together with 
reimbursement  of  costs  and  expenses  and  other  unspecified 
relief. Defendants removed the case to the U.S. District Court for 

the Southern District of New York, and the JPML issued an order 
transferring the case to the Countrywide RMBS MDL in the U.S. 
District Court for the Central District of California. On April 5, 2012, 
the  U.S.  District  Court  for  the  Central  District  of  California 
remanded the case to New York Supreme Court.

Policemen’s Annuity Litigation
On April 11, 2012, the Policemen’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of the 
City of Chicago, on its own behalf and on behalf of a proposed 
class  of  purchasers  of  41  RMBS  trusts  collateralized  by 
Washington Mutual-originated (WaMu) mortgages, filed a proposed 
class action complaint in the United States District Court for the 
Southern  District  of  New  York,  entitled  Policemen’s Annuity  and 
Benefit Fund of the City of Chicago v. Bank of America, NA and U.S. 
Bank  National Association.  BANA  and  U.S.  Bank  are  named  as 
defendants in their capacities as trustees, with BANA (formerly 
LaSalle Bank National Association) having served as the original 
trustee and U.S. Bank having replaced BANA as trustee. Plaintiff 
asserts claims under the federal Trust Indenture Act as well as 
state  common  law  claims.  Plaintiff  alleges  that,  in  light  of  the 
performance of the RMBS at issue, and in the wake of publicly-
available  information  about  the  quality  of  loans  originated  by 
WaMu, the trustees were required to take certain steps to protect 
plaintiff’s interest in the value of the securities, and that plaintiff 
was damaged by defendants’ failures to notify it of deficiencies in 
the loans and of defaults under the relevant agreements, to ensure 
that the underlying mortgages could properly be foreclosed, and 
to enforce remedies available for loans that contained breaches 
of  representations  and  warranties.  Plaintiff  seeks  unspecified 
compensatory  damages  and/or  equitable  relief,  and  costs  and 
expenses.

On December 7, 2012, the court granted in part and denied 
in part defendants’ motion to dismiss, and granted plaintiff leave 
to replead some of the dismissed claims. The court ruled, among 
other things, that plaintiff has standing to pursue claims on behalf 
of  purchasers  of  certificates  in  certain  tranches  of  five  trusts. 
Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint on January 13, 2013, 
which added plaintiffs and asserted claims concerning 19 trusts. 

Ocala Litigation

Ocala Investor Actions
On November 25, 2009, BNP Paribas Mortgage Corporation and 
Deutsche Bank AG each filed claims (the 2009 Actions) against 
BANA in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New 
York entitled BNP Paribas Mortgage Corporation v. Bank of America, 
N.A. and Deutsche Bank AG v. Bank of America, N.A. Plaintiffs allege 
that BANA failed to properly perform its duties as indenture trustee, 
collateral agent, custodian and depositary for Ocala Funding, LLC 
(Ocala), a home mortgage warehousing facility, resulting in the loss 
of  plaintiffs’  investment  in  Ocala.  Ocala  was  a  wholly-owned 
subsidiary  of  Taylor,  Bean  &  Whitaker  Mortgage  Corp.  (TBW),  a 
home mortgage originator and servicer which is alleged to have 
committed fraud that led to its eventual bankruptcy. Ocala provided 
funding for TBW’s mortgage origination activities by issuing notes, 
the proceeds of which were to be used by TBW to originate home 
mortgages. Such mortgages and other Ocala assets in turn were 
pledged to BANA, as collateral agent, to secure the notes. Plaintiffs 
lost most or all of their investment in Ocala when, as the result of 
the alleged fraud committed by TBW, Ocala was unable to repay 
the  notes  purchased  by  plaintiffs  and  there  was  insufficient 
collateral to satisfy Ocala’s debt obligations. Plaintiffs allege that 

BANA breached its contractual, fiduciary and other duties to Ocala, 
thereby permitting TBW’s alleged fraud to go undetected. Plaintiffs 
seek compensatory damages and other relief from BANA, including 
interest and attorneys’ fees, in an unspecified amount, but which 
plaintiffs allege exceeds $1.6 billion.

On March 23, 2011, the U.S. District Court for the Southern 
District of New York issued an order granting in part and denying 
in part BANA’s motions to dismiss the 2009 Actions. The court 
dismissed  plaintiffs’  claims  against  BANA  in  its  capacity  as 
custodian  and  depositary,  as  well  as  plaintiffs’  claims  for 
contractual indemnification and other claims. The court retained 
the claims questioning BANA’s performance as indenture trustee 
and  collateral  agent.  Finally,  the  court  agreed  with  BANA  that 
plaintiffs may not pursue claims based upon Ocala notes issued 
prior to July 20, 2009 (the date on which plaintiffs purchased the 
last issuance of Ocala notes).

On  August  30,  2010,  plaintiffs  each  filed  new  lawsuits  (the 
2010  Actions)  against  BANA  in  the  U.S.  District  Court  for  the 
Southern  District  of  Florida  entitled  BNP  Paribas  Mortgage 
Corporation v. Bank of America, N.A. and Deutsche Bank AG v. Bank 
of America, N.A., which the parties agreed to transfer to the U.S. 
District Court for the Southern District of New York as related to 
the 2009 Actions. On December 29, 2011, plaintiffs voluntarily 
dismissed the 2010 Actions without prejudice and moved for leave 
to amend their complaints in the 2009 Actions to include additional 
contractual, tort and equitable claims. On June 5, 2012, the court 
granted plaintiffs’ motion. Plaintiffs filed amended complaints on 
October 1, 2012.

FDIC Action
On October 1, 2010, BANA filed suit in the U.S. District Court for 
the District of Columbia against the FDIC as receiver of Colonial 
Bank,  TBW’s  primary  bank,  and  Platinum  Community  Bank 
(Platinum,  a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  TBW)  entitled  Bank  of 
America, National Association as indenture trustee, custodian and 
collateral agent for Ocala Funding, LLC v. Federal Deposit Insurance 
Corporation (the FDIC Action). The suit seeks judicial review of the 
FDIC’s denial of the administrative claims brought by BANA in the 
FDIC’s  Colonial  and  Platinum  receivership  proceedings.  BANA’s 
claims allege that Ocala’s losses were in whole or in part the result 
of Colonial and Platinum’s participation in TBW’s alleged fraud. 
BANA seeks a court order requiring the FDIC to allow BANA’s claims 
in an amount equal to Ocala’s losses and, accordingly, to permit 
BANA, as trustee, collateral agent, custodian and depositary for 
Ocala, to share appropriately in distributions of any receivership 
assets that the FDIC makes to creditors of the two failed banks.
On August 5, 2011, the FDIC answered and moved to dismiss 
the  amended  complaint,  and  asserted  counterclaims  against 
BANA in BANA’s individual capacity seeking approximately $900 
million in damages. The counterclaims allege that Colonial sent 
4,808 loans to BANA as bailee; that BANA converted the loans 
into Ocala collateral without first ensuring that Colonial was paid; 
and that Colonial was never paid for these loans. BANA filed an 
opposition to the FDIC’s motion to dismiss on October 21, 2011, 
along with a motion to dismiss the FDIC’s counterclaims.

On December 10, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the District 
of Columbia granted in part and denied in part the FDIC’s motion 
to  dismiss  BANA’s  amended  complaint.  The  court  dismissed 
BANA’s claims to the extent they were brought on behalf of Ocala, 
holding that those claims were not administratively exhausted, and 
also  dismissed  three  equitable  claims,  but  allowed  BANA  to 
continue to pursue claims in its individual capacity and on behalf 

Bank of America 2012     233

of  Ocala’s  secured  parties,  principally  plaintiffs  in  the  2009 
Actions. The court also granted in part and denied in part BANA’s 
motion to dismiss the FDIC’s counterclaims, allowing all but one 
of the FDIC’s 16 counterclaims to go forward.

Ocala Bankruptcy
On July 10, 2012, Ocala filed a pre-arranged voluntary Chapter 11 
bankruptcy petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle 
District of Florida, pursuant to an agreement among Ocala, BANA, 
BNP Paribas Mortgage Corporation, Deutsche Bank AG, the FDIC 
and  Ocala’s  owner,  TBW.  Among  other  things,  the  proposed 
bankruptcy plan and certain side agreements would permit the 
Ocala bankruptcy trustee to pursue litigation against third parties 
to  mitigate  BANA’s  potential  losses  in  the  FDIC  Action  and  the 
2009  Actions.  Certain  agreements  embodied  by  that  plan, 
including an agreement among the parties to allow BANA to assign 
claims held in its representative capacities to the Ocala bankruptcy 
estate,  were  approved  by  the  Court  on  August  23,  2012.  The 
remainder  of  the  proposed  plan  is  subject  to  approval  by  the 
bankruptcy court.

NOTE 14 Shareholders’ Equity

Common Stock

Declared Quarterly Cash Dividends on Common Stock

Declaration Date

Record Date

Payment Date

Dividend
Per Share

January 23, 2013
October 24, 2012
July 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
January 11, 2012

March 1, 2013
December 7, 2012
September 7, 2012
June 1, 2012
March 2, 2012

March 22, 2013
December 28, 2012
September 28, 2012
June 22, 2012
March 23, 2012

$

0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01

In 2012 and 2011, in connection with the exchanges described 
in Preferred Stock in this Note, the Corporation issued 50 million 
and 400 million shares of common stock.

On  September  1,  2011,  the  Corporation  closed  the  sale  to 
Berkshire  Hathaway,  Inc.  (Berkshire)  of  50,000  shares  of  the 
Series T Preferred Stock and a warrant (the Warrant) to purchase 
700  million  shares  of  the  Corporation’s  common  stock  for  an 
aggregate purchase price of $5.0 billion in cash. Of the $5.0 billion 
in cash proceeds, $2.9 billion was allocated to preferred stock 
and $2.1 billion to the Warrant on a relative fair value basis. The 
discount on the Series T Preferred Stock is not subject to accretion. 
The portion of proceeds allocated to the Warrant was recorded as 
additional paid-in capital. The Warrant is exercisable at the holder’s 
option at any time, in whole or in part, until September 1, 2021, 
at an exercise price of $7.142857 per share of common stock. 
The Warrant may be settled in cash or by exchanging all or a portion 
of the Series T Preferred Stock. For additional information on the 
Berkshire investment and Series T Preferred Stock, see Preferred 
Stock in this Note.

At  December 31,  2012,  the  Corporation  had  warrants 
outstanding and exercisable to purchase 121.8 million shares of 
common stock at an exercise price of $30.79 per share expiring 
on October 28, 2018, and warrants outstanding and exercisable 
to purchase 150.4 million shares of common stock at an exercise 
price of $13.30 per share expiring on January 16, 2019. These 
warrants were originally issued in connection with preferred stock 

234     Bank of America 2012

issuances to the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2010 and 
are listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

In  connection  with  employee  stock  plans,  in  2012,  the 
Corporation  issued  approximately  297  million  shares  and 
repurchased  approximately  104  million  shares  of  its  common 
stock  to  satisfy  tax  withholding  obligations.  At  December 31, 
2012, the Corporation had reserved 1.9 billion unissued shares 
of common stock for future issuances under employee stock plans, 
common stock warrants, convertible notes and preferred stock. 

Preferred Stock
The dividends declared on preferred stock were $1.4 billion for 
2012, 2011 and 2010.

In 2012, the Corporation entered into various agreements with 
certain preferred stock and Trust Securities holders pursuant to 
which the Corporation and the holders of these securities agreed 
to exchange shares of various series of non-convertible preferred 
stock with a carrying value of $296 million and Trust Securities 
with a carrying value of $760 million for 50 million shares of the 
Corporation’s common stock with a fair value of $412 million, and 
$398 million in cash. The $246 million difference between the 
carrying value of the preferred stock and Trust Securities retired 
and the fair value of consideration issued was recorded in retained 
earnings as a $44 million reduction to preferred stock dividends 
and a $202 million gain in noninterest income. 

In 2012, the Corporation issued shares of the Corporation’s 
Series F Preferred Stock and Series G Preferred Stock for $633 
million under stock purchase contracts. For additional information, 
see Preferred Stock Summary in this Note and Note 12 – Long-
term Debt.

In 2011, the Corporation entered into separate agreements 
with  certain  institutional  preferred  stock  and  Trust  Securities 
holders  (the  Exchange  Agreements)  pursuant  to  which  the 
Corporation  and  the  holders  of  these  securities  agreed  to 
exchange  shares,  or  depository  shares  representing  fractional 
interests in shares, of various series of the Corporation’s preferred 
stock,  par  value  $0.01  per  share,  or  Trust  Securities  for  an 
aggregate  of  400  million  shares  of  the  Corporation’s  common 
stock valued at $2.2 billion and $2.3 billion aggregate principal 
amount of senior notes. The Exchange Agreements related to Trust 
Securities  are  described  in  Note  12  –  Long-term  Debt  and  the 
Exchange  Agreements  related  to  preferred  stock  are  described 
below.

As  part  of  the  Exchange  Agreements,  the  Corporation 
exchanged  non-convertible  preferred  stock,  with  an  aggregate 
liquidation preference of $815 million and carrying value of $814 
million, for 72 million shares of common stock valued at $399 
million and senior notes valued at $231 million. The $184 million 
difference  between  the  carrying  value  of  the  non-convertible 
preferred stock and the fair value of the consideration issued to 
the holders of the non-convertible preferred stock was recorded 
in retained earnings as a non-cash reduction to preferred stock 
dividends.

Additionally, as a part of the Exchange Agreements, a portion 
of  the  Series  L  7.25%  Non-Cumulative  Perpetual  Convertible 
Preferred  Stock  (Series  L  Preferred  Stock)  with  an  aggregate 
liquidation  preference  and  carrying  value  of  $269  million  was 
exchanged for 20 million common shares valued at $123 million 
and senior notes valued at $129 million. The $17 million difference 
between the carrying value of the Series L Preferred Stock and the 
fair value of the consideration issued to holders of the Series L 

The Series T Preferred Stock issued as part of the Berkshire 
investment  has  a  liquidation  value  of  $100,000  per  share  and 
dividends on the Series T Preferred Stock accrue on the liquidation 
value at a rate per annum of six percent but will be paid only when 
and if declared by the Board out of legally available funds. Subject 
to the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System,  the  Series  T  Preferred  Stock  may  be  redeemed  by  the 
Corporation at any time at a redemption price of $105,000 per 
share plus any accrued, unpaid dividends. The Series T Preferred 
Stock has no maturity date and ranks senior to the outstanding 
common  stock  with  respect  to  the  payment  of  dividends  and 
distributions  in  liquidation.  At  any  time  when  dividends  on  the 
Series T Preferred Stock have not been paid in full, the unpaid 
amounts will accrue dividends at a rate per annum of eight percent 
and the Corporation will not be permitted to pay dividends or other 
distributions on, or to repurchase, any outstanding common stock 
or  any  of  the  Corporation’s  outstanding  preferred  stock  of  any 
series. Following payment in full of accrued but unpaid dividends 
on the Series T Preferred Stock, the dividend rate remains at eight 
percent per annum. 

Preferred Stock was reclassified from preferred stock to common 
stock  and  additional  paid-in  capital.  Because  the  number  of 
common shares issued to the Series L Preferred Stock holders 
was in excess of the number of common shares issuable pursuant 
to  the  original  conversion  terms,  the  $220  million  fair  value  of 
consideration transferred to the Series L Preferred Stock holders 
in  excess  of  the  $32  million  fair  value  of  securities  issuable 
pursuant to the original conversion terms was recorded as a non-
cash preferred stock dividend. The dividend did not impact total 
shareholders’  equity  since  it  reduced  retained  earnings  and 
increased common stock and additional paid-in capital by the same 
amount. 

The table below lists the aggregate liquidation value of each 

series of preferred stock exchanged in 2012 and 2011.

Preferred Stock Exchanged

(Dollars in millions, actual shares)

Non-convertible

Series D
Series E
Series J
Series K
Series M
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
Series 5
Series 6

Total non-convertible

Convertible
Series L

Total exchanged

Preferred
Shares
Exchanged

Liquidation 
Value (1, 2)

$

260
6,800
1,058
4,929
4,958
1,587
7,579
563
5,965
6,134
5,612
45,445

269,139
314,584

$

7
170
26
123
124
47
227
17
179
185
6
1,111

269
1,380

(1)  Amounts shown are before third-party issuance costs.
(2)   Carrying value of preferred stock exchanged was $1,379 million.

Bank of America 2012     235

The  table  below  presents  a  summary  of  perpetual  preferred  stock  previously  issued  by  the  Corporation  and  outstanding  at 

December 31, 2012.

Preferred Stock Summary

(Dollars in millions, except as noted)

Series

Description

Series B (2)

Series D (3, 8)

Series E (3, 8)

Series F (3, 8)

Series G (3, 8)

Series H (3, 8)

Series I (3, 8)

Series J (3, 8)

Series K (3, 9)

Series L

7% Cumulative
Redeemable

6.204% Non-
Cumulative

Floating Rate Non-
Cumulative

Floating Rate Non-
Cumulative

Adjustable Rate Non-
Cumulative

8.20% Non-
Cumulative

6.625% Non-
Cumulative

7.25% Non-
Cumulative

Fixed-to-Floating Rate
Non-Cumulative

7.25% Non-
Cumulative Perpetual
Convertible

Initial
Issuance
Date

June
1997

September
2006

November
2006

March
2012

March
2012

May
2008

September
2007

November
2007

January
2008

January
2008

Total
Shares
Outstanding

Liquidation
Preference
per Share
(in dollars)

Carrying
Value (1)

Per Annum
Dividend Rate

7,571

$

100

$

1

26,174

25,000

654

7.00%

6.204%

12,691

25,000

317

3-mo. LIBOR + 35 bps (6)

1,409

100,000

141

3-mo. LIBOR + 40 bps (6)

4,926

100,000

493

3-mo. LIBOR + 40 bps (6)

114,483

25,000

2,862

14,584

25,000

38,053

25,000

365

951

8.20%

6.625%

7.25%

61,773

25,000

1,544

8.00% through 1/29/18;
3-mo. LIBOR + 363 bps
thereafter

Redemption Period

n/a

On or after
September 14, 2011

On or after
November 15, 2011

On or after
March 15, 2012

On or after
March 15, 2012

On or after
May 1, 2013

On or after
October 1, 2017

On or after
November 1, 2012

On or after
January 30, 2018

3,080,182

1,000

3,080

7.25%

n/a

Series M (3, 9)

Fixed-to-Floating Rate
Non-Cumulative

April
2008

52,399

25,000

1,310

8.125% through
5/14/18;
3-mo. LIBOR + 364 bps
thereafter

Series T

Series 1 (3, 4)

Series 2 (3, 4)

Series 3 (3, 4)

Series 4 (3, 4)

Series 5 (3, 4)

Series 6 (3, 7)

Series 7 (3, 7)

Series 8 (3, 4)

Total

6% Cumulative

Floating Rate Non-
Cumulative

Floating Rate Non-
Cumulative

6.375% Non-
Cumulative

Floating Rate Non-
Cumulative

Floating Rate Non-
Cumulative

6.70% Non-
Cumulative Perpetual

6.25% Non-
Cumulative Perpetual

8.625% Non-
Cumulative

September
2011

November
2004

March
2005

November
2005

November
2005

March
2007

September
2007

September
2007

April
2008

50,000

100,000

2,918

6.00%

3,275

30,000

98

3-mo. LIBOR + 75 bps (5)

9,967

30,000

299

3-mo. LIBOR + 65 bps (5)

21,773

30,000

653

6.375%

7,010

30,000

210

3-mo. LIBOR + 75 bps (6)

14,056

30,000

422

3-mo. LIBOR + 50 bps (6)

59,388

16,596

1,000

1,000

59

17

89,100

3,685,410

30,000

2,673

  $ 19,067

6.70%

6.25%

8.625%

On or after
May 15, 2018

See description in
Preferred Stock in this
Note

On or after
November 28, 2009

On or after
November 28, 2009

On or after
November 28, 2010

On or after
November 28, 2010

On or after
May 21, 2012

On or after
February 3, 2009

On or after
March 18, 2010

On or after
May 28, 2013

(1)  Amounts shown are before third-party issuance costs and other Merrill Lynch purchase accounting related adjustments of $299 million.
(2)  Series B Preferred Stock does not have early redemption/call rights.
(3)  The Corporation may redeem series of preferred stock on or after the redemption date, in whole or in part, at its option, at the liquidation preference plus declared and unpaid dividends.
(4)  Ownership is held in the form of depositary shares, each representing a 1/1,200th interest in a share of preferred stock, paying a quarterly cash dividend, if and when declared.
(5)  Subject to 3.00% minimum rate per annum.
(6)  Subject to 4.00% minimum rate per annum.
(7)  Ownership is held in the form of depositary shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of preferred stock, paying a quarterly cash dividend, if and when declared.
(8)  Ownership is held in the form of depositary shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of preferred stock, paying a quarterly cash dividend, if and when declared.
(9)  Ownership is held in the form of depositary shares, each representing a 1/25th interest in a share of preferred stock, paying a semi-annual cash dividend, if and when declared, until the redemption 

date adjusts to a quarterly cash dividend, if and when declared, thereafter.

n/a = not applicable

236     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
Series L Preferred Stock listed in the Preferred Stock Summary 
table does not have early redemption/call rights. Each share of 
the Series L Preferred Stock may be converted at any time, at the 
option of the holder, into 20 shares of the Corporation’s common 
stock plus cash in lieu of fractional shares. The Corporation may 
cause some or all of the Series L Preferred Stock, at its option, 
at any time or from time to time, to be converted into shares of 
common  stock  at  the  then-applicable  conversion  rate  if,  for  20 
trading days during any period of 30 consecutive trading days, the 
closing price of common stock exceeds 130 percent of the then-
applicable conversion price of the Series L Preferred Stock. If a 
conversion of Series L Preferred Stock occurs subsequent to a 
dividend record date but prior to the dividend payment date, the 
Corporation will still pay any accrued dividends payable.

All series of preferred stock in the Preferred Stock Summary 
table have a par value of $0.01 per share, are not subject to the 
operation of a sinking fund, have no participation rights, and with 
the exception of the Series L Preferred Stock, are not convertible. 
The holders of the Series B Preferred Stock and Series 1 through 

8 Preferred Stock have general voting rights, and the holders of 
the other series included in the table have no general voting rights. 
All outstanding series of preferred stock of the Corporation have 
preference over the Corporation’s common stock with respect to 
the  payment  of  dividends  and  distribution  of  the  Corporation’s 
assets  in  the  event  of  a  liquidation  or  dissolution.  With  the 
exception of the Series T Preferred Stock, if any dividend payable 
on these series is in arrears for three or more semi-annual or six 
or  more  quarterly  dividend  periods,  as  applicable  (whether 
consecutive  or  not),  the  holders  of  these  series  and  any  other 
class or series of preferred stock ranking equally as to payment 
of dividends and upon which equivalent voting rights have been 
conferred and are exercisable (voting as a single class), will be 
entitled to vote for the election of two additional directors. These 
voting  rights  terminate  when  the  Corporation  has  paid  in  full 
dividends  on  these  series  for  at  least  two  semi-annual  or  four 
quarterly dividend periods, as applicable, following the dividend 
arrearage.

Bank of America 2012     237

NOTE 15 Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The table below presents the changes in accumulated OCI after-tax for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

(Dollars in millions)

Balance, December 31, 2009

Net change

Balance, December 31, 2010

Net change

Balance, December 31, 2011

Net change

Available-for-
Sale Debt
Securities

Available-for-
Sale Marketable
Equity Securities

Derivatives

Employee
Benefit Plans (1)

Foreign
Currency (2)

Total

$

$

$

(628) $

$

$

1,342
714
2,386
3,100
1,343
4,443

$

$

$

2,129
4,530
6,659
(6,656)
3
459
462

(2,535) $
(701)
(3,236) $
(549)
(3,785) $
916
(2,869) $

(4,092) $
145
(3,947) $
(444)
(4,391) $
(65)
(4,456) $

(493) $
237
(256) $
(108)
(364) $
(13)
(377) $

(5,619)
5,553
(66)
(5,371)
(5,437)
2,640
(2,797)

Balance, December 31, 2012
(1)  Net change in fair value represents after-tax adjustments based on the final year-end actuarial valuations. For more information on employee benefit plans, see Note 18 – Employee Benefit Plans.
(2)  Net change in fair value represents the impact of changes in spot foreign exchange rates on the Corporation’s net investment in non-U.S. operations, and related hedges.

$

$

$

The table below presents the before- and after-tax changes in accumulated OCI for 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(Dollars in millions)

Available-for-sale debt securities:

Before-tax

2012
Tax effect

After-tax

Before-tax

2011
Tax effect

After-tax

Before-tax

2010
Tax effect

After-tax

Cumulative adjustments for accounting changes: 

Consolidation of certain variable interest entities
Credit-related notes

$

Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI
Net realized (gains) losses reclassified into earnings

Net change

Available-for-sale marketable equity securities:

Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI
Net realized (gains) losses reclassified into earnings

Net change

Derivatives:

Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI
Net realized (gains) losses reclassified into earnings

Net change
Employee benefit plans:

Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI
Net realized (gains) losses reclassified into earnings
Settlements and curtailments

Net change
Foreign currency:

— $
—
3,676
(1,609)
2,067

— $
—
(1,319)
595
(724)

— $
—
2,357
(1,014)
1,343

— $
—
6,925
(3,087)
3,838

— $
—
(2,594)
1,142
(1,452)

— $
—
4,331
(1,945)
2,386

(184) $
364
3,541
(1,557)
2,164

68
(135)
(1,331)
576
(822)

$ (116)
229
2,210
(981)
1,342

748
(19)
729

430
1,035
1,465

(1,891)
490
1,378
(23)

(277)
7
(270)

(166)
(383)
(549)

660
(192)
(510)
(42)

471
(12)
459

264
652
916

(1,231)
298
868
(65)

(4,114)
(6,501)
(10,615)

1,575
2,384
3,959

(2,490)
1,617
(873)

(1,171)
437
—
(734)

923
(599)
324

457
(167)
—
290

(2,539)
(4,117)
(6,656)

(1,567)
1,018
(549)

(714)
270
—
(444)

9,029
(1,789)
7,240

(1,755)
644
(1,111)

(162)
396
—
234

(3,372)
662
(2,710)

647
(237)
410

58
(147)
—
(89)

5,657
(1,127)
4,530

(1,108)
407
(701)

(104)
249
—
145

Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI
Net realized (gains) losses reclassified into earnings

Net change

Total other comprehensive income (loss)

$

(226)
(30)
(256)
3,982

233
10
243

7
(20)
(13)
$ (1,342) $ 2,640

145
(65)
80

(179)
(9)
(188)
$ (8,304) $ 2,933

(34)
(74)
(108)
$ (5,371) $

(204)
446
242
8,769

160
(165)
(5)

(44)
281
237
$ (3,216) $ 5,553

238     Bank of America 2012

NOTE 16 Earnings Per Common Share
The calculation of EPS and diluted EPS for 2012, 2011 and 2010 is presented below. See Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting 
Principles for additional information on the calculation of EPS.

(Dollars in millions, except per share information; shares in thousands)

2012

2011

2010

Earnings (loss) per common share
Net income (loss)
Preferred stock dividends

Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders

Dividends and undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities

Net income (loss) allocated to common shareholders

Average common shares issued and outstanding
Earnings (loss) per common share

Diluted earnings (loss) per common share
Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders
Dividends and undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities

Net income (loss) allocated to common shareholders

Average common shares issued and outstanding
Dilutive potential common shares (1)

Total diluted average common shares issued and outstanding

Diluted earnings (loss) per common share
(1) 

Includes incremental shares from RSUs, restricted stock, stock options and warrants.

For 2012 and 2011, 62 million and 66 million average dilutive 
potential common shares associated with the Series L Preferred 
Stock were not included in the diluted share count because the 
result  would  have  been  antidilutive  under  the  “if-converted” 
method. For 2010, 107 million average dilutive potential common 
shares  associated  with  the  Series  L  Preferred  Stock,  and  the 
mandatory convertible Preferred Stock Series 2 and Series 3 of 
Merrill Lynch were not included in the diluted share count because 
the result would have been antidilutive under the “if-converted” 
method. For 2012 and 2011, 700 million and 234 million average 
dilutive  potential  common  shares  associated  with  the  Series  T 
Preferred  Stock  were  not  included  in  the  diluted  share  count 
because  the  result  would  have  been  antidilutive  under  the  “if-
converted” method. For 2012, 2011 and 2010, average options 
to  purchase  163  million,  217  million  and  271  million  shares, 
respectively, of common stock were outstanding but not included 
in the computation of EPS because the result would have been 
antidilutive under the treasury stock method. For 2012, 2011 and 
2010,  average  warrants  to  purchase  272  million  shares  of 
common  stock  were  outstanding  but  not  included  in  the 
computation  of  EPS  because  the  result  would  have  been 
antidilutive under the treasury stock method. 

Due  to  the  net  loss  applicable  to  common  shareholders  for 
2010, no dilutive potential common shares were included in the 
calculation  of  diluted  EPS  because  they  would  have  been 
antidilutive.

In 2012 and 2011, in connection with the exchanges described 
in Note 14 – Shareholders’ Equity, the Corporation recorded a $44 
million reduction to preferred stock dividends and a net $36 million 
non-cash  preferred  stock  dividend  which  are  included  in  the 
calculation of net income allocated to common shareholders.

$

$

$

$

$

$

4,188
(1,428)
2,760
(2)
2,758
10,746,028
0.26

2,760
(2)
2,758
10,746,028
94,826
10,840,854
0.25

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,446
(1,361)
85
(1)
84
10,142,625
0.01

85
(1)
84
10,142,625
112,199
10,254,824
0.01

$

$

$

$

$

$

(2,238)
(1,357)
(3,595)
(4)
(3,599)
9,790,472
(0.37)

(3,595)
(4)
(3,599)
9,790,472
—
9,790,472
(0.37)

NOTE 17 Regulatory Requirements and 
Restrictions
The Corporation manages regulatory capital to adhere to internal 
capital guidelines and regulatory standards of capital adequacy 
based on its current understanding of the rules and the application 
of such rules to its business as currently conducted. 

The  Federal  Reserve,  OCC  (Office  of  the  Comptroller  of  the 
Currency)  and  FDIC  (collectively,  joint  agencies)  have  in  place 
regulatory capital guidelines for U.S. banking organizations. The 
regulatory  capital  guidelines  measure  capital  in  relation  to  the 
credit and market risks of both on- and off-balance sheet items 
using various risk weights. Under the regulatory capital guidelines, 
Total capital consists of three tiers of capital. Tier 1 capital includes 
the sum of “core capital elements,” the principal components of 
which are qualifying common shareholders’ equity and qualifying 
non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock. Also included in Tier 1 
capital are qualifying trust preferred securities (Trust Securities), 
hybrid  securities  and  qualifying  noncontrolling  interests  in 
subsidiaries which are subject to the rules governing “restricted 
core  capital  elements.”  Goodwill,  other  disallowed  intangible 
assets,  disallowed  deferred  tax  assets  and  the  cumulative 
changes in fair value of all financial liabilities accounted for under 
the fair value option that are included in retained earnings and are 
attributable to changes in the company’s own creditworthiness are 
deducted from the sum of core capital elements. Tier 2 capital 
consists of qualifying subordinated debt, a limited portion of the 
allowance for loan and lease losses, a portion of net unrealized 
gains on AFS marketable equity securities and other adjustments. 
Tier 3 capital includes subordinated debt that is unsecured, fully 
paid,  has  an  original  maturity  of  at  least  two  years,  is  not 
redeemable before maturity without prior approval by the Federal 
Reserve and includes a lock-in clause precluding payment of either 
interest or principal if the payment would cause the issuing bank’s 
risk-based  capital  ratio  to  fall  or  remain  below  the  required 
minimum.  Tier  3  capital  can  only  be  used  to  satisfy  the 
Corporation’s market risk capital requirement and may not be used 
to support its credit risk requirement. At December 31, 2012 and 
2011, the Corporation had no subordinated debt that qualified as 

Bank of America 2012     239

 
 
 
 
 
 
Tier 3 capital. Total capital for the Corporation is Tier 1 capital plus 
supplementary Tier 2 capital. 

To  meet  minimum,  adequately  capitalized 

regulatory 
requirements, an institution must maintain a Tier 1 capital ratio 
of four percent and a Total capital ratio of eight percent. A “well-
capitalized”  institution  must  generally  maintain  capital  ratios 
200 bps  higher  than  the  minimum  guidelines.  The  risk-based 
capital rules have been further supplemented by a Tier 1 leverage 
ratio, defined as Tier 1 capital divided by quarterly average total 
assets, after certain adjustments. BHCs must have a minimum 
Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least four percent. National banks must 
maintain  a  Tier  1  leverage  ratio  of  at  least  five  percent  to  be 
classified  as  “well-capitalized.”  Failure  to  meet  the  capital 
requirements established by the joint agencies can lead to certain 
mandatory and discretionary actions by regulators that could have 
a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s financial position. 
At  December 31,  2012,  the  Corporation’s  Tier  1  capital,  Total 
capital  and  Tier  1  leverage  ratios  were  12.89  percent,  16.31 
percent and 7.37 percent, respectively.

Current guidelines restrict certain core capital elements to 15 
percent  of  total  core  capital  elements  for  internationally  active 
BHCs. Internationally active BHCs are those that have significant 
activities  in  non-U.S.  markets  with  consolidated  assets  greater 
than $250 billion or on-balance sheet non-U.S. exposure greater 
than $10 billion, which includes the Corporation. In addition, the 
Federal  Reserve  revised  the  qualitative  standards  for  capital 
instruments included in regulatory capital. At December 31, 2012, 
the Corporation’s restricted core capital elements comprised 3.6 
percent  of  total  core  capital  elements.  The  Corporation  is  and 
expects to remain in compliance with the revised guidelines.

Tier 1 common capital is not an official regulatory ratio, but was 
introduced by the Federal Reserve during the Supervisory Capital 
Assessment Program in 2009. Tier 1 common capital is Tier 1 
capital less preferred stock, Trust Securities, hybrid securities and 
qualifying  noncontrolling 
in  subsidiaries.  The 
Corporation’s  Tier  1  common  capital  was  $133.4  billion  and 
$126.7  billion  and  the  Tier  1  common  capital  ratio  was  11.06 
percent and 9.86 percent at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

interests 

The  table  below  presents  actual  and  minimum  required 

regulatory capital amounts for 2012 and 2011.

Regulatory Capital

(Dollars in millions)

Risk-based capital
Tier 1 common

Bank of America Corporation

Tier 1

Bank of America Corporation
Bank of America, N.A.
FIA Card Services, N.A.

Total

Bank of America Corporation
Bank of America, N.A.
FIA Card Services, N.A.

Tier 1 leverage

Bank of America Corporation
Bank of America, N.A.
FIA Card Services, N.A.

(1)  Dollar amount required to meet guidelines for well-capitalized institutions.
n/a = not applicable

The Federal Reserve requires BHCs to submit a capital plan 
and requests for capital actions on an annual basis, consistent 
with the rules governing the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and 
Review (CCAR). The CCAR is the central element of the Federal 
Reserve’s approach to ensuring large BHCs have adequate capital 
and  robust  processes  for  managing  their  capital.  Requests  for 
capital actions by a BHC must be reviewed on an annual basis by 
the Federal Reserve. In January 2012, the Corporation submitted 
its 2012 capital plan and the Federal Reserve did not object to 
the  Corporation’s  2012  capital  plan.  On  January  7,  2013,  the 
Corporation  submitted  its  2013  capital  plan  and  related 
supervisory stress tests. The Federal Reserve has announced its 
intention to notify the 2013 CCAR participants of the supervisory 
stress test results on March 7, 2013 and the capital plan on March 
14, 2013.

240     Bank of America 2012

December 31

2012

Actual

2011

Actual

Ratio

Amount

Minimum
Required (1)

Ratio

Amount

Minimum
Required (1)

11.06% $ 133,403

n/a

9.86% $ 126,690

n/a

12.89
12.44
17.34

16.31
14.76
18.64

7.37
8.59
13.67

$

155,461
118,431
22,061

72,359
57,099
7,632

196,680
140,434
23,707

155,461
118,431
22,061

120,598
95,165
12,719

84,429
68,957
8,067

12.40
11.74
17.63

16.75
15.17
19.01

7.53
8.65
14.22

159,232
119,881
24,660

$

77,068
61,245
8,393

215,101
154,885
26,594

159,232
119,881
24,660

128,447
102,076
13,989

84,557
69,318
8,669

Regulatory Capital Developments
At December 31, 2012, the Corporation measured and reported 
its capital ratios and related information in accordance with Basel 
1 and the regulatory capital rules continue to expand and evolve. 
In June 2012, U.S. banking regulators issued the Market Risk Final 
Rule that amends the Basel 1 Market Risk rules (Market Risk Final 
Rule) which were effective January 1, 2013. The Market Risk Final 
Rule introduces new measures of market risk, a stressed Value-
at-Risk charge, an incremental risk charge and a comprehensive 
risk measure, as well as other technical modifications.

In  December  2007,  U.S.  banking  regulators  published  final 
Basel 2 rules (Basel 2). Basel 2 provides detailed requirements 
for  a  new  regulatory  capital  framework  related  to  credit  and 
operational  risk,  supervisory  requirements  and  disclosure 
requirements. Under Basel 2, market risk is measured consistent 
with Basel 1 guidelines, in accordance with the Market Risk Final 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rule. The Corporation measures and reports its capital ratios and 
related information under Basel 2 on a confidential basis to U.S. 
banking regulators during the required parallel period which will 
continue until the Corporation receives regulatory approval to exit 
parallel reporting and subsequently begin publicly reporting Basel 
2 regulatory capital results and related disclosures.

In June 2012, U.S. banking regulators issued three notices of 
proposed  rulemaking  (collectively,  the  Basel  3  NPRs),  which,  if 
adopted as proposed, would materially change Tier 1 common, 
Tier  1  and  Total  capital  calculations,  introduce  new  minimum 
capital  ratios  and  buffer  requirements,  expand  and  modify  the 
calculation of risk-weighted assets for credit and market risk (the 
Advanced Approach) and introduce a Standardized Approach for 
the calculation of risk-weighted assets, which would replace Basel 
1  and  provide  a  floor  for  minimum,  adequately  capitalized 
regulatory capital requirements under the Prompt Corrective Action 
framework. The Prompt Corrective Action framework establishes 
categories of capitalization, including “well-capitalized,” based on 
regulatory ratio requirements. U.S. banking regulators are required 
to take certain mandatory actions depending on the category of 
capitalization.  No  mandatory  actions  are  required  under  the 
Prompt Corrective Action framework for “well-capitalized” banking 
entities.

Under the Basel 3 NPRs, Trust Securities will be phased out 
of  Tier  1  capital  in  equal  annual  installments  over  a  three-year 
transition  period.  Many  of  the  changes  to  the  composition  of 
regulatory  capital  are  subject  to  a  transition  period  where  the 
impact  is  recognized  in  20  percent  increments,  phased  in 
incrementally each year over a five-year period. The majority of the 
other aspects of the Advanced Approach were proposed to become 
effective  on  January  1,  2013.  The  phase-in  period  for  the  new 
minimum capital requirements and related buffers is proposed to 
occur from the effective date of the Basel 3 NPRs through 2019. 
U.S. banking regulators announced that they did not expect any 
of the Basel 3 NPRs to become effective January 1, 2013. Final 
rules  for  Basel  3  have  not  yet  been  issued  by  U.S.  banking 
regulators.

Under the Basel 3 NPRs the Corporation will be subject to the 
Advanced Approach for measuring risk-weighted assets (Basel 3 
Advanced Approach) when finalized and implemented. The Basel 
3 Advanced Approach also requires approval by the U.S. regulatory 
agencies  of  analytical  models  used  as  part  of  capital 
measurement. If these models are not approved, it would likely 
lead to an increase in the Corporation’s risk-weighted assets, which 
in  some  cases  could  be  significant.  The  Basel  3  Advanced 
Approach,  if  adopted  as  proposed,  is  expected  to  substantially 
increase the Corporation’s capital requirements.

In 2011, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issued 
guidance  on  capital  requirements  for  global,  systemically 
important  financial  institutions,  including  the  methodology  for 
measuring  systemic  importance  (the  SIFI  buffer),  and  the 
arrangements  by  which  the  guidance  will  be  phased  in.  As 
proposed,  the  SIFI  buffer  would  increase  minimum  capital 
requirements for Tier 1 common capital from one percent to 2.5 
percent, and in certain circumstances, 3.5 percent. U.S. banking 
regulators have not yet issued proposed or final rules related to 
the SIFI buffer.

On December 20, 2011, the Federal Reserve issued proposed 
rules  to  implement  enhanced  supervisory  and  prudential 
requirements and the early remediation requirements established 
under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection 
Act.  The  enhanced  standards  include  risk-based  capital  and 

leverage  requirements,  liquidity  standards,  requirements  for 
overall risk management, single-counterparty credit limits, stress 
test requirements and a debt-to-equity limit for certain companies 
determined to pose a threat to financial stability. The final rules 
are  likely  to  influence  regulatory  capital  and  liquidity  planning 
processes, and may impose additional operational and compliance 
costs on the Corporation.

requires 

Other Regulatory Requirements
the  Corporation’s  banking 
The  Federal  Reserve 
subsidiaries to maintain reserve balances based on a percentage 
of certain deposits. Average daily reserve balances required by 
the Federal Reserve were $16.3 billion and $14.6 billion for 2012 
and 2011. Currency and coin residing in branches and cash vaults 
(vault cash) are used to partially satisfy the reserve requirement. 
The average daily reserve balances, in excess of vault cash, held 
with the Federal Reserve amounted to $7.9 billion and $6.5 billion 
for 2012 and 2011. As of December 31, 2012, the Corporation 
had cash in the amount of $8.5 billion and securities with a fair 
value  of  $5.9  billion  that  were  segregated  in  compliance  with 
securities regulations or deposited with clearing organizations.

The  primary  sources  of  funds  for  cash  distributions  by  the 
Corporation to its shareholders are capital distributions received 
from  its  banking  subsidiaries,  BANA  and  FIA.  In  2012,  the 
Corporation received $14.1 billion in dividends from BANA and FIA, 
and returned capital of $6.6 billion to the Corporation. In 2013, 
BANA can declare and pay dividends to the Corporation equal to 
their retained net profits for 2013 up to the date of any dividend 
declaration. The other subsidiary national banks paid $1.6 billion 
in dividends to the Corporation in 2012 and can pay dividends in 
aggregate of $203 million in 2013 plus an additional amount equal 
to their retained net profits for 2013 up to the date of any such 
dividend declaration. The amount of dividends that each subsidiary 
bank may declare in a calendar year is the subsidiary bank’s net 
profits for that year combined with its retained net profits for the 
preceding two years. Retained net profits, as defined by the OCC, 
consist of net income less dividends declared during the period.

NOTE 18 Employee Benefit Plans

Pension and Postretirement Plans
The Corporation sponsors noncontributory trusteed pension plans, 
a  number  of  noncontributory  nonqualified  pension  plans,  and 
postretirement health and life plans that cover eligible employees. 
As discussed below, certain of the pension plans were amended, 
effective  June  30,  2012,  to  freeze  benefits  earned.  The  plans 
provide defined benefits based on an employee’s compensation 
and  years  of  service.  The  Bank  of  America  Pension  Plan  (the 
Pension  Plan)  provides  participants  with  compensation  credits, 
generally based on years of service. For account balances based 
on compensation credits prior to January 1, 2008, the Pension 
Plan allows participants to select from various earnings measures, 
which are based on the returns of certain funds or common stock 
of the Corporation. The participant-selected earnings measures 
determine the earnings rate on the individual participant account 
balances  in  the  Pension  Plan.  Participants  may  elect  to  modify 
earnings measure allocations on a periodic basis subject to the 
provisions of the Pension Plan. For account balances based on 
compensation  credits  subsequent  to  December  31,  2007,  the 
account balance earnings rate is based on a benchmark rate. For 
eligible employees in the Pension Plan on or after January 1, 2008, 

Bank of America 2012     241

the  benefits  become  vested  upon  completion  of  three  years  of 
service. It is the policy of the Corporation to fund no less than the 
minimum funding amount required by ERISA.

The Pension Plan has a balance guarantee feature for account 
balances with participant-selected earnings, applied at the time a 
benefit payment is made from the plan that effectively provides 
principal  protection  for  participant  balances  transferred  and 
certain compensation credits. The Corporation is responsible for 
funding any shortfall on the guarantee feature.

As  a  result  of  acquisitions,  the  Corporation  assumed  the 
obligations  related  to  the  pension  plans  of  certain  legacy 
companies. These acquired pension plans have been merged into 
a separate defined benefit pension plan which, together with the 
Pension Plan, are referred to as the Qualified Pension Plans. The 
benefit structures under these acquired plans have not changed 
and remain intact in the merged plan. Certain benefit structures 
are  substantially  similar  to  the  Pension  Plan  discussed  above; 
however, certain of these structures do not allow participants to 
select  various  earnings  measures;  rather  the  earnings  rate  is 
based on a benchmark rate. In addition, these benefit structures 
include  participants  with  benefits  determined  under  formulas 
based on average or career compensation and years of service 
rather than by reference to a pension account. Certain of the other 
benefit  structures  provide  a  participant’s  retirement  benefits 
based on the number of years of benefit service and a percentage 
of the participant’s average annual compensation during the five 
highest paid consecutive years of the last ten years of employment.
In connection with a redesign of the Corporation’s retirement 
plans,  on  January  24,  2012,  the  Compensation  and  Benefits 
Committee of the Board approved amendments to freeze benefits 
earned in the Qualified Pension Plans effective June 30, 2012. As 
a result of freezing the Qualified Pension Plans, a curtailment was 
triggered  and  a  remeasurement  of  the  qualified  pension 
obligations and plan assets occurred as of January 24, 2012. As 
of the remeasurement date, the plan assets had increased in value 
from the prior measurement date resulting in an increase in the 
funded  status  of  the  plan  of  $431  million.  Additionally,  the 
curtailment  impact  reduced  the  projected  benefit  obligation  by 
$889  million.  The  combined  impact  resulted  in  a  $1.3  billion 
increase to the net pension assets recognized in other assets and 
a corresponding decrease in unrecognized losses in accumulated 
OCI  of  $1.3  billion  ($832  million  after-tax).  The  impact  of  the 
immediate recognition of the prior service cost of $58 million was 
recorded in personnel expense as a curtailment loss in 2012. All 
economic  assumptions  were  consistent  with  the  prior  year  end 
including the weighted-average discount rate of 4.95 percent used 
for remeasurement of the qualified pension plans.

As  a  result  of  freezing  the  Qualified  Pension  Plans,  the 
amortization period for actuarial gains and losses was changed 
from the average working life to the estimated average lifetime of 
benefits being paid. In addition, in 2013, the long-term expected 
return on asset assumption for the Qualified Pension Plans was 
reduced to 6.5 percent from 8.0 percent to reflect current market 
conditions  and  long-term  financial  goals.  The  reduction  in  net 
pension costs in 2013 due to these assumption changes is not 
expected to be significant.

The Corporation assumed the obligations related to the plans 
of Merrill Lynch. These plans include a terminated U.S. pension 
plan (the Other Pension Plan), non-U.S. pension plans, nonqualified 
pension  plans  and  postretirement  plans.  The  non-U.S.  pension 
plans vary based on the country and local practices.

The Corporation has an annuity contract, previously purchased 
by Merrill Lynch, that guarantees the payment of benefits vested 
under  the  Other  Pension  Plan.  The  Corporation,  under  a 
supplemental agreement, may be responsible for, or benefit from 
actual  experience  and  investment  performance  of  the  annuity 
assets.  The  Corporation  made  no  contribution  under  this 
agreement in 2012 or 2011. Contributions may be required in the 
future under this agreement.

The  Corporation  sponsors  a  number  of  noncontributory, 
nonqualified pension plans (the Nonqualified Pension Plans). As 
a result of acquisitions, the Corporation assumed the obligations 
related  to  the  noncontributory,  nonqualified  pension  plans  of 
certain  legacy  companies  including  Merrill  Lynch.  These  plans, 
which are unfunded, provide defined pension benefits to certain 
employees.

In addition to retirement pension benefits, full-time, salaried 
employees and certain part-time employees may become eligible 
to  continue  participation  as  retirees  in  health  care  and/or  life 
insurance plans sponsored by the Corporation. Based on the other 
provisions of the individual plans, certain retirees may also have 
the cost of these benefits partially paid by the Corporation. The 
obligations assumed as a result of acquisitions are substantially 
similar to the Corporation’s postretirement health and life plans, 
except for Countrywide which did not have a postretirement health 
and  life  plan.  Collectively,  these  plans  are  referred  to  as  the 
Postretirement Health and Life Plans.

The Pension and Postretirement Plans table summarizes the 
changes in the fair value of plan assets, changes in the projected 
benefit  obligation  (PBO),  the  funded  status  of  both  the 
accumulated  benefit  obligation  (ABO)  and  the  PBO,  and  the 
weighted-average  assumptions  used  to  determine  benefit 
obligations  for  the  pension  plans  and  postretirement  plans  at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011. Amounts recognized at December 
31, 2012 and 2011 are reflected in other assets, and accrued 
expenses and other liabilities on the Corporation’s Consolidated 
Balance Sheet. The discount rate assumption is based on a cash 
flow matching technique and is subject to change each year. This 
technique utilizes yield curves that are based on Aa-rated corporate 
bonds with cash flows that match estimated benefit payments of 
each of the plans to produce the discount rate assumptions. The 
asset valuation method for the Qualified Pension Plans recognizes 
60 percent of the prior year’s market gains or losses at the next 
measurement date with the remaining 40 percent spread equally 
over the subsequent four years.

The Corporation’s best estimate of its contributions to be made 
to the Non-U.S. Pension Plans, Nonqualified and Other Pension 
Plans, and Postretirement Health and Life Plans in 2013 is $109 
million,  $103  million  and  $107  million,  respectively.  The 
Corporation does not expect to make a contribution to the Qualified 
Pension Plans in 2013.

242     Bank of America 2012

Pension and Postretirement Plans

(Dollars in millions)

Change in fair value of plan assets
Fair value, January 1

Actual return on plan assets
Company contributions
Plan participant contributions
Benefits paid
Plan transfer
Federal subsidy on benefits paid
Foreign currency exchange rate changes

Fair value, December 31

Change in projected benefit obligation
Projected benefit obligation, January 1

Service cost
Interest cost
Plan participant contributions
Plan amendments
Curtailment
Actuarial loss (gain)
Benefits paid
Plan transfer
Federal subsidy on benefits paid
Foreign currency exchange rate changes

Projected benefit obligation, December 31
Amount recognized, December 31

Funded status, December 31

Accumulated benefit obligation
Overfunded (unfunded) status of ABO
Provision for future salaries
Projected benefit obligation

Weighted-average assumptions, December 31

Discount rate
Rate of compensation increase

Qualified
Pension Plans (1)

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans (1)

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans (1)

Postretirement
Health and Life 
Plans (1)

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

$ 15,070
2,020
—
—
(816)
—
n/a
n/a
$ 16,274

$ 14,891
236
681
—
—
(889)
1,552
(816)
—
n/a
n/a
$ 15,655
619
$

$ 15,648
182
—
—
(760)
—
n/a
n/a
$ 15,070

$ 13,938
423
746
—
(11)
—
555
(760)
—
n/a
n/a
$ 14,891
179
$

$ 15,655
619
—
15,655

$ 13,968
1,102
923
14,891

$

$

$

$
$

$

2,022
115
152
3
(77)
—
n/a
91
2,306

1,984
40
97
3
2
—
328
(77)
—
n/a
83
2,460
(154)

2,345
(39)
115
2,460

$

$

$

$
$

$

1,691
295
104
3
(63)
10
n/a
(18)
2,022

1,916
43
99
3
2
—
(19)
(63)
15
n/a
(12)
1,984
38

1,883
139
101
1,984

$

$

$

$
$

$

3,061
126
112
—
(236)
—
n/a
n/a
3,063

3,137
1
138
—
—
—
294
(236)
—
n/a
—
3,334
(271)

3,334
(271)
—
3,334

$

$

$

$
$

$

2,689
493
99
—
(220)
—
n/a
n/a
3,061

3,078
3
152
—
—
—
124
(220)
—
n/a
—
3,137
(76)

3,135
(74)
2
3,137

$

$

91
10
117
139
(290)
—
19
—
86

$

$

108
2
84
133
(255)
—
19
—
91

$

1,619
13
71
139
—
—
(4)
(290)
—
19
7
$
1,574
$ (1,488)

$

1,704
15
80
133
(21)
—
(56)
(255)
—
19
—
1,619
$
$ (1,528)

n/a
n/a
n/a
1,574

n/a
n/a
n/a
1,619

$

$

4.00%
n/a

4.95%
4.00

4.23%
4.37

4.87%
4.42

3.65%
4.00

4.65%
4.00

3.65%
n/a

4.65%
n/a

(1)  The measurement date for the Qualified Pension Plans, Non-U.S. Pension Plans, Nonqualified and Other Pension Plans, and Postretirement Health and Life Plans was December 31 of each year 

reported.

n/a = not applicable

Amounts recognized in the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2012 and 2011 are presented in the table 

below.

Amounts Recognized on Consolidated Balance Sheet

Qualified
Pension Plans

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans

Postretirement
Health and Life
Plans

(Dollars in millions)

Other assets
Accrued expenses and other liabilities

Net amount recognized at December 31

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

676
(57)
619

$

$

246
(67)
179

$

$

$

220
(374)
(154) $

342
(304)
38

$

$

908
(1,179)

$

$

1,096
(1,172)

(271) $

(76) $

— $

(1,488)
(1,488) $

—
(1,528)
(1,528)

Bank of America 2012     243

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pension Plans with ABO and PBO in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 are presented in the table below. 
For the non-qualified plans not subject to ERISA or non-U.S. pension plans, funding strategies vary due to legal requirements and local 
practices.

Plans with ABO and PBO in Excess of Plan Assets

(Dollars in millions)

Plans with ABO in excess of plan assets

PBO
ABO
Fair value of plan assets

Plans with PBO in excess of plan assets

PBO
Fair value of plan assets

Qualified
 Pension Plans

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

$

$

$

$

7,171
7,171
7,114

7,171
7,114

— $
—
—

$

6,624
6,557

$

$

883
843
510

896
522

$

$

732
698
428

732
428

$

$

1,182
1,181
2

1,182
2

1,174
1,173
2

1,174
2

Net periodic benefit cost of the Corporation’s plans for 2012, 2011 and 2010 included the following components.

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost

(Dollars in millions)

Components of net periodic benefit cost

Service cost
Interest cost
Expected return on plan assets
Amortization of prior service cost
Amortization of net actuarial loss (gain)
Recognized loss due to settlements and curtailments

Net periodic benefit cost (income)

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost for years ended December 31

Discount rate
Expected return on plan assets
Rate of compensation increase

(Dollars in millions)

Components of net periodic benefit cost

Service cost
Interest cost
Expected return on plan assets
Amortization of transition obligation
Amortization of prior service cost (credits)
Amortization of net actuarial loss (gain)
Recognized loss due to settlements and curtailments

Net periodic benefit cost (income)

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost for years ended December 31

Discount rate
Expected return on plan assets
Rate of compensation increase
Includes nonqualified pension plans and the terminated Merrill Lynch U.S. pension plan.

(1) 

n/a = not applicable

Qualified Pension Plans
2011

2010

2012

Non-U.S. Pension Plans
2011

2010

2012

$

$

236
681
(1,246)
9
469
58
207

$

$

423
746
(1,296)
20
387
—
280

$

$

397
748
(1,263)
28
362
—
272

$

$

4.95%
8.00
4.00

5.45%
8.00
4.00

5.75%
8.00
4.00

$

$

40
97
(137)
—
(9)
—
(9)

4.87%
6.65
4.42

$

$

43
99
(115)
—
—
—
27

5.32%
6.58
4.85

32
95
(97)
—
(1)
—
29

5.41%
6.60
4.67

Nonqualified and
Other Pension Plans (1)

Postretirement Health
and Life Plans

2012

2011

2010

2012

2011

2010

$

$

$

$

1
138
(152)
—
(3)
8
—
(8)

4.65%
5.25
4.00

$

$

3
152
(141)
—
(8)
16
3
25

5.20%
5.25
4.00

$

$

3
163
(138)
—
(8)
10
17
47

5.75%
5.25
4.00

13
71
(8)
32
4
(38)
—
74

$

$

15
80
(9)
31
4
(17)
—
104

$

$

14
92
(9)
31
6
(49)
—
85

4.65%
8.00
n/a

5.10%
8.00
n/a

5.75%
8.00
n/a

Net  periodic  postretirement  health  and  life  expense  was 
determined  using  the  “projected  unit  credit”  actuarial  method. 
Gains and losses for all benefits except postretirement health care 
are  recognized  in  accordance  with  the  standard  amortization 
provisions  of  the  applicable  accounting  guidance.  For  the 
Postretirement Health Care Plans, 50 percent of the unrecognized 
gain or loss at the beginning of the fiscal year (or at subsequent 
remeasurement) is recognized on a level basis during the year.

The discount rate and expected return on plan assets impact 
the net periodic benefit cost (income) recorded for the plans. With 
all  other  assumptions  held  constant,  a  25  bps  decline  in  the 
discount rate would not have a significant impact while a 25 bps 
decline in the expected return on plan assets would result in an 
increase of approximately $33 million for the Qualified Pension 
Plans. For the Non-U.S. Pension Plans, the Nonqualified and Other 

244     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pension Plans, and Postretirement Health and Life Plans, the 25 
bps decline in rates would not have a significant impact.

Assumed health care cost trend rates affect the postretirement 
benefit obligation and benefit cost reported for the Postretirement 
Health and Life Plans. The assumed health care cost trend rate 
used  to  measure  the  expected  cost  of  benefits  covered  by  the 
Postretirement Health and Life Plans was 7.50 percent for 2013, 
reducing in steps to 5.00 percent in 2019 and later years. A one-
percentage-point increase in assumed health care cost trend rates 

would  have  increased  the  service  and  interest  costs,  and  the 
benefit obligation by $3 million and $59 million in 2012. A one-
percentage-point  decrease  in  assumed  health  care  cost  trend 
rates would have lowered the service and interest costs, and the 
benefit obligation by $3 million and $52 million in 2012.

Pre-tax  amounts  included  in  accumulated  OCI  for  employee 
benefit plans at December 31, 2012 and 2011 are presented in 
the table below.

Pre-tax Amounts included in Accumulated OCI

Qualified
Pension Plans

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans

Postretirement
Health and
Life Plans

Total

(Dollars in millions)

Net actuarial loss (gain)
Transition obligation
Prior service cost (credits)

Amounts recognized in accumulated OCI

2012
$ 6,164
—
—
$ 6,164

2011
$ 6,743
—
67
$ 6,810

2012

$

$

144
—
5
149

2011
$ (212) $
—
3

$ (209) $

2012

718
—
—
718

2011
$ 409
—
(7)
$ 402

2012

2011

2012

$

$

(28) $
—
29
1

$

(59) $ 6,998
—
32
34
33
$ 7,032
6

2011
$ 6,881
32
96
$ 7,009

Pre-tax amounts recognized in OCI for employee benefit plans in 2012 included the following components.

Pre-tax Amounts Recognized in OCI

(Dollars in millions)

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in OCI

Current year actuarial loss (gain)
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)
Current year prior service cost
Amortization of prior service credits (cost)
Amortization of transition obligation

Amounts recognized in OCI

Qualified
Pension Plans

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans

Postretirement
Health and
Life Plans

Total

$

$

(110) $
(469)
—
(67)
—
(646) $

347
9
2
—
—
358

$

$

321
(12)
—
7
—
316

$

$

(7) $
38
—
(4)
(32)

(5) $

551
(434)
2
(64)
(32)
23

The estimated pre-tax amounts that will be amortized from accumulated OCI into expense in 2013 are presented in the table below.

Estimated Pre-tax Amounts from Accumulated OCI into Period Cost

(Dollars in millions)

Net actuarial loss (gain)
Prior service cost

Total amortized from accumulated OCI

Qualified
Pension Plans

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans

Postretirement
Health and
Life Plans

$

$

284
—
284

$

$

4
1
5

$

$

26
—
26

$

$

(20) $

4

(16) $

Total

294
5
299

Bank of America 2012     245

 
 
 
 
 
 
Plan Assets
The Qualified Pension Plans have been established as retirement 
vehicles  for  participants,  and  trusts  have  been  established  to 
secure benefits promised under the Qualified Pension Plans. The 
Corporation’s  policy  is  to  invest  the  trust  assets  in  a  prudent 
manner  for  the  exclusive  purpose  of  providing  benefits  to 
participants and defraying reasonable expenses of administration. 
The  Corporation’s  investment  strategy  is  designed  to  provide  a 
total return that, over the long term, increases the ratio of assets 
to liabilities. The strategy attempts to maximize the investment 
return  on  assets  at  a  level  of  risk  deemed  appropriate  by  the 
Corporation  while  complying  with  ERISA  and  any  applicable 
regulations  and  laws.  The  investment  strategy  utilizes  asset 
allocation  as  a  principal  determinant  for  establishing  the  risk/
return  profile  of  the  assets.  Asset  allocation  ranges  are 
established, periodically reviewed and adjusted as funding levels 
and liability characteristics change. Active and passive investment 
managers are employed to help enhance the risk/return profile of 
the assets. An additional aspect of the investment strategy used 
to  minimize  risk  (part  of  the  asset  allocation  plan)  includes 
matching  the  equity  exposure  of  participant-selected  earnings 
measures. For example, the common stock of the Corporation held 
in the trust is maintained as an offset to the exposure related to 
participants who elected to receive an earnings measure based 
on the return performance of common stock of the Corporation. 
No plan assets are expected to be returned to the Corporation 
during 2013.

The  assets  of  the  Non-U.S.  Pension  Plans  are  primarily 
attributable to a U.K. pension plan. This U.K. pension plan’s assets 

are invested prudently so that the benefits promised to members 
are provided with consideration given to the nature and the duration 
of the plan’s liabilities. The current investment strategy was set 
following  an  asset-liability  study  and  advice  from  the  trustee’s 
investment  advisors.  The  selected  asset  allocation  strategy  is 
designed to achieve a higher return than the lowest risk strategy 
while  maintaining  a  prudent  approach  to  meeting  the  plan’s 
liabilities.

The  expected  return  on  asset  assumption  was  developed 
through analysis of historical market returns, historical asset class 
volatility and correlations, current market conditions, anticipated 
future  asset  allocations,  the  funds’  past  experience,  and 
expectations  on  potential  future  market  returns.  The  expected 
return on asset assumption is determined using the calculated 
market-related value for the Qualified Pension Plans and the Other 
Pension Plan and the fair value for the Non-U.S. Pension Plans 
and Postretirement Health and Life Plans. The expected return on 
asset  assumption  represents  a  long-term  average  view  of  the 
performance of the assets in the Qualified Pension Plans, the Non-
U.S. Pension Plans, the Other Pension Plan, and Postretirement 
Health and Life Plans, a return that may or may not be achieved 
during any one calendar year. The terminated U.S. Pension Plan 
is invested solely in an annuity contract which is primarily invested 
in fixed-income securities structured such that asset maturities 
match the duration of the plan’s obligations.

The  target  allocations  for  2013  by  asset  category  for  the 
Qualified Pension Plans, Non-U.S. Pension Plans, Nonqualified and 
Other Pension Plans, and Postretirement Health and Life Plans are 
presented in the table below.

2013 Target Allocation Percentage

Asset Category

Equity securities
Debt securities
Real estate
Other

Qualified
Pension Plans

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans

Postretirement
Health and Life
Plans

50 – 80
25 – 50
0 – 5
0 – 10

10 – 60
20 – 65
0 – 15
5 – 40

0 – 5
95 – 100
0 – 5
0 – 5

50 – 75
25 – 45
0 – 5
0 – 5

Equity  securities  for  the  Qualified  Pension  Plans  include 
common stock of the Corporation in the amounts of $156 million 
(0.96 percent of total plan assets) and $82 million (0.55 percent 
of total plan assets) at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Fair Value Measurements
For information on fair value measurements, including descriptions 
of Level 1, 2 and 3 of the fair value hierarchy and the valuation 
methods employed by the Corporation, see Note 1 – Summary of 
Significant  Accounting  Principles  and  Note  21  –  Fair  Value 
Measurements.

246     Bank of America 2012

Plan investment assets measured at fair value by level and in total at December 31, 2012 and 2011 are summarized in the Fair 

Value Measurements table.

Fair Value Measurements

(Dollars in millions)

Cash and short-term investments

Money market and interest-bearing cash
Cash and cash equivalent commingled/mutual funds

Fixed income

U.S. government and government agency securities
Corporate debt securities
Asset-backed securities
Non-U.S. debt securities
Fixed income commingled/mutual funds

Equity

Common and preferred equity securities
Equity commingled/mutual funds
Public real estate investment trusts

Real estate

Private real estate
Real estate commingled/mutual funds

Limited partnerships
Other investments (1)

Total plan investment assets, at fair value

Cash and short-term investments

Money market and interest-bearing cash
Cash and cash equivalent commingled/mutual funds

Fixed income

U.S. government and government agency securities
Corporate debt securities
Asset-backed securities
Non-U.S. debt securities
Fixed income commingled/mutual funds

Equity

Common and preferred equity securities
Equity commingled/mutual funds
Public real estate investment trusts

Real estate

Private real estate
Real estate commingled/mutual funds

Limited partnerships
Other investments (1)

Total plan investment assets, at fair value

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

December 31, 2012

$

$

1,404
—

— $
96

— $
—

1,317
—
—
70
99

7,432
290
236

—
—
—
22
10,870

1,065
—

1,197
—
—
53
82

6,862
390
200

—
—
—
14
9,863

$

$

$

2,829
1,062
1,109
535
1,432

—
2,316
—

—
10
110
543
10,042

$

December 31, 2011

13
—
—
10
—

—
—
—

110
324
231
129
817

$

— $
30

— $
—

2,899
1,058
907
479
1,487

—
2,094
—

—
11
105
572
9,642

$

13
—
—
10
—

—
—
—

113
249
232
122
739

$

$

$

$

1,404
96

4,159
1,062
1,109
615
1,531

7,432
2,606
236

110
334
341
694
21,729

1,065
30

4,109
1,058
907
542
1,569

6,862
2,484
200

113
260
337
708
20,244

(1)  Other investments include interest rate swaps of $311 million and $467 million, participant loans of $76 million and $75 million, commodity and balanced funds of $239 million and $116 million 

and other various investments of $68 million and $50 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Bank of America 2012     247

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Level 3 Fair Value Measurements table presents a reconciliation of all plan investment assets measured at fair value using 

significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

(Dollars in millions)

Fixed income

U.S. government and government agency securities
Non-U.S. debt securities

Real estate

Private real estate
Real estate commingled/mutual funds

Limited partnerships
Other investments

Total

Fixed income

U.S. government and government agency securities
Non-U.S. debt securities

Real estate

Private real estate
Real estate commingled/mutual funds

Limited partnerships
Other investments

Total

Fixed income

U.S. government and government agency securities
Non-U.S. debt securities

Real estate

Private real estate
Real estate commingled/mutual funds

Limited partnerships
Other investments

Total

$

$

$

$

$

$

Actual Return on
Plan Assets Still
Held at the
Reporting Date

Balance
January 1

Purchases

Sales and
Settlements

Transfers into/
(out of) Level 3

Balance
December 31

2012

$

13
10

113
249
232
122
739

14
9

110
215
230
94
672

$

$

$

— $
6

119
195
162
188
670

$

— $
(1)

(2)
13
8
7
25

$

(1) $
—

—
26
(6)
1
20

$

— $
1

(9)
(4)
13
—
1

$

— $
1

— $
(1)

2
62
11
4
80

(3)
—
(20)
(4)

$

(28) $

2011

— $
3

3
9
13
26
54

$

2010

— $
—

1
24
7
18
50

$

— $
(2)

—
(1)
(5)
—
(8) $

— $
—

(1)
—
(5)
(1)
(7) $

— $
1

—
—
—
—
1

$

— $
—

—
—
—
1
1

14
2

$

$

—
—
53
(111)

(42) $

13
10

110
324
231
129
817

13
10

113
249
232
122
739

14
9

110
215
230
94
672

Projected Benefit Payments
Benefit payments projected to be made from the Qualified Pension Plans, Non-U.S. Pension Plans, Nonqualified and Other Pension 
Plans, and Postretirement Health and Life Plans are presented in the table below.

Projected Benefit Payments

Postretirement Health and Life Plans

(Dollars in millions)

Qualified
Pension Plans (1)

Non-U.S.
Pension Plans (2)

Nonqualified
and Other
Pension Plans (2)

Net Payments (3)

$

2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 – 2022
(1)  Benefit payments expected to be made from the plans’ assets.
(2)  Benefit payments expected to be made from a combination of the plans’ and the Corporation’s assets.
(3)  Benefit payments (net of retiree contributions) expected to be made from a combination of the plans’ and the Corporation’s assets.

887
931
913
900
888
4,329

63
67
68
73
76
455

$

$

$

234
238
239
240
237
1,133

147
147
145
141
136
595

Medicare
Subsidy

$

18
18
18
18
17
80

248     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Defined Contribution Plans
The  Corporation  maintains  qualified  defined  contribution 
retirement plans and nonqualified defined contribution retirement 
plans. As a result of the Merrill Lynch acquisition, the Corporation 
also maintains the defined contribution plans of Merrill Lynch which 
include the 401(k) Savings & Investment Plan (SIP), the Retirement 
and Accumulation Plan and the Employee Stock Ownership Plan. 
In 2012, these plans were merged with the SIP being the successor 
plan and is closed to new participants with certain exceptions. 
The Corporation contributed $886 million, $723 million and $670 
million  in  2012,  2011  and  2010,  respectively,  in  cash  to  the 
qualified  defined  contribution  plans.  In  connection  with  the 
redesign  of  the  Corporation’s  retirement  plans,  an  additional 
annual contribution will be made to certain of these plans. The 
expense in 2012 related to the additional annual contribution was 
$174 million. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, 235 million shares 
and 232 million shares of the Corporation’s common stock were 
held  by  these  plans.  Payments  to  the  plans  for  dividends  on 
common stock were $10 million, $9 million and $8 million in 2012, 
2011 and 2010, respectively.

Certain  non-U.S.  employees  are  covered  under  defined 
contribution  pension  plans  that  are  separately  administered  in 
accordance with local laws.

NOTE 19 Stock-based Compensation Plans
The  Corporation  administers  a  number  of  equity  compensation 
plans, including the Key Employee Stock Plan, the Key Associate 
Stock Plan and the Merrill Lynch Employee Stock Compensation 
Plan.  Descriptions  of  the  significant  features  of  the  equity 
compensation plans are below. Under these plans, the Corporation 
grants  stock-based  awards,  including  stock  options,  restricted 
stock and RSUs. Grants in 2012 include RSUs which generally 
vest in three equal annual installments beginning one year from 
the grant date, awards of restricted stock that were vested and 
released from restrictions on the grant date and certain awards 
which will vest subject to the attainment of specified performance 
goals.

For most awards, expense is generally recognized ratably over 
the  vesting  period  net  of  estimated  forfeitures,  unless  the 
employee meets certain retirement eligibility criteria. For awards 
to  employees  that  meet  retirement  eligibility  criteria,  the 
Corporation records the expense upon grant. For employees that 
become  retirement  eligible  during  the  vesting  period,  the 
Corporation recognizes expense from the grant date to the date 
on  which  the  employee  becomes  retirement  eligible,  net  of 
estimated forfeitures. The compensation cost for the stock-based 
plans was $2.3 billion, $2.6 billion and $2.0 billion in 2012, 2011 
and 2010, respectively. The related income tax benefit was $839 
million, $969 million and $727 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, 
respectively.

Key Employee Stock Plan
The Key Employee Stock Plan, as amended and restated, provided 
for  different  types  of  awards  including  stock  options,  restricted 
stock  and  RSUs.  Under  the  plan,  10-year  options  to  purchase 
approximately 260 million shares of common stock were granted 
through December 31, 2002 to certain employees at the closing 
market price on the respective grant dates. At December 31, 2012, 
there were no outstanding awards remaining under this plan and 
no further awards may be granted.

Key Associate Stock Plan
The Key Associate Stock Plan became effective January 1, 2003. 
It provides for different types of awards, including stock options, 
restricted  stock  and  RSUs.  As  of  December 31,  2012,  the 
shareholders had authorized approximately 1.1 billion shares for 
grant under this plan. Additionally, any shares covered by awards 
under  the  Key  Employee  Stock  Plan  or  certain  legacy  company 
plans that cancel, terminate, expire, lapse or settle in cash after 
a specified date may be re-granted under the Key Associate Stock 
Plan.

During  2012,  the  Corporation  issued  290  million  RSUs  to 
certain employees under the Key Associate Stock Plan. Certain 
awards  are  earned  based  on  the  achievement  of  specified 
performance criteria. RSUs may be settled in cash or in shares of 
common stock depending on the terms of the applicable award. 
In 2012, 7 million of these RSUs were authorized to be settled in 
shares of common stock with the remainder in cash only. Certain 
awards contain clawback provisions which permit the Corporation 
to  cancel  all  or  a  portion  of  the  award  under  specified 
circumstances.  The  compensation  cost  for  cash-settled  awards 
and awards subject to certain clawback provisions, which in the 
aggregate  represent  substantially  all  of  the  awards  in  2012,  is 
accrued over the vesting period and adjusted to fair value based 
upon  changes  in  the  share  price  of  the  Corporation’s  common 
stock. 

From time to time, the Corporation enters into equity total return 
swaps to hedge a portion of RSUs granted to certain employees 
as  part  of  their  compensation  in  prior  periods  to  minimize  the 
change in the expense to the Corporation driven by fluctuations 
in  the  fair  value  of  the  RSUs.  Certain  of  these  derivatives  are 
designated as cash flow hedges of unrecognized unvested awards 
with the changes in fair value of the hedge recorded in accumulated 
OCI and reclassified into earnings in the same period as the RSUs 
affect earnings. The remaining derivatives are used to hedge the 
price risk of cash-settled awards with changes in fair value recorded 
in personnel expense.

At December 31, 2012, approximately 130 million options were 
outstanding under this plan. There were no options granted under 
this plan during 2012, 2011 or 2010.

Merrill Lynch Employee Stock Compensation Plan
The  Corporation  assumed  the  Merrill  Lynch  Employee  Stock 
Compensation  Plan  with  the  acquisition  of  Merrill  Lynch. 
Approximately 8 million RSUs were granted in 2011 which generally 
vest in three equal annual installments beginning one year from 
the grant date. There were no shares granted under this plan during 
2012 or 2010. At December 31, 2012, there were approximately 
5 million unvested shares outstanding.

Other Stock Plans
As  a  result  of  the  Merrill  Lynch  acquisition,  the  Corporation 
assumed the obligations of outstanding awards granted under the 
Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Capital Accumulation Award Plan 
(FACAAP)  and  the  Merrill  Lynch  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan 
(ESPP). The FACAAP is no longer an active plan and no awards 
were granted in 2012, 2011 or 2010. Awards granted in 2003 
and  thereafter  are  generally  payable  eight  years  from  the  grant 
date in a fixed number of the Corporation’s common shares. For 
outstanding awards granted prior to 2003, payment is generally 
made  10  years  from  the  grant  date  in  a  fixed  number  of  the 
Corporation’s common shares unless the fair value of such shares 

Bank of America 2012     249

related 

At  December 31,  2012,  there  was  $1.7  billion  of  total 
unrecognized  compensation  cost 
to  share-based 
compensation arrangements for all awards and it is expected to 
be recognized over a period up to seven years, with a weighted-
average period of .5 years. The total fair value of restricted stock 
vested in 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $2.9 billion, $1.7 billion and 
$2.4 billion, respectively. In 2012, 2011 and 2010 the amount of 
cash paid to settle equity-based awards for all equity compensation 
plans  was  $779  million,  $489  million  and  $186  million, 
respectively.

Stock Options
The  table  below  presents  the  status  of  all  option  plans  at 
December 31,  2012  and  changes  during  2012.  Outstanding 
options at December 31, 2012 include 130 million options under 
the Key Associate Stock Plan and 25 million options to employees 
of predecessor company plans assumed in mergers.

Stock Options

Outstanding at January 1, 2012
Forfeited

Outstanding at December 31, 2012

Options

208,269,549
(53,345,926)
154,923,623
154,922,583
154,923,623

Weighted-
average
Exercise Price

$

46.93
49.02
46.22
46.22
46.22

Options exercisable at December 31, 2012
Options vested and expected to vest (1)
(1) 

Includes vested shares and nonvested shares after a forfeiture rate is applied.

At December 31, 2012, there was no aggregate intrinsic value 
of options outstanding, exercisable, and vested and expected to 
vest. The weighted-average remaining contractual term of options 
outstanding, exercisable, and vested and expected to vest was 
2.4  years  at  December 31,  2012.  These  remaining  contractual 
terms are the same because options have not been granted since 
2008 and they generally vest over three years.

is less than a specified minimum value, in which case the minimum 
value is paid in cash. At December 31, 2012, there were 11 million 
shares outstanding under this plan.

The  ESPP  was  discontinued  on  March  31,  2012.  The  final 
discounted  purchase  was  made  on  April  13,  2012.  The  ESPP 
allowed  eligible  employees  to  invest  from  one  percent  to  10 
percent of eligible compensation to purchase the Corporation’s 
common stock, subject to legal limits. Purchases were made at a 
discount of five percent of the average high and low market price 
on  the  relevant  purchase  date  and  the  maximum  annual 
contribution per employee was $23,750 in 2012. 

The weighted-average fair value of the ESPP stock purchase 
rights representing the five percent discount on the Corporation’s 
common stock purchases exercised by employees in 2012 was 
$0.39 per stock purchase right.

Restricted Stock/Units 
The table below presents the status of the share-settled restricted 
stock/units at December 31, 2012 and changes during 2012.

Restricted Stock/Units

Outstanding at January 1, 2012
Granted
Vested
Canceled

Outstanding at December 31, 2012

Shares/Units

253,966,818
196,979,019
(293,968,254)
(9,407,186)
147,570,397

Weighted-
average Grant 
Date Fair Value

$

$

13.46
7.78
9.80
13.46
13.18

Of the 197 million share-settled shares/units granted above, 
190 million were granted as awards of restricted stock shares that 
vested and were released from restrictions on the grant date.

The table below presents the status at December 31, 2012 of 
the cash-settled RSUs granted under the Key Associate Stock Plan 
and changes during 2012.

Restricted Unit Details

Outstanding at January 1, 2012
Granted
Vested
Canceled

Outstanding at December 31, 2012

Units
117,439,155
283,196,745
(53,912,279)
(17,167,153)
329,556,468

250     Bank of America 2012

NOTE 20 Income Taxes
The components of income tax expense (benefit) for 2012, 2011 
and 2010 are presented in the table below. 

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

(Dollars in millions)

2012

2011

2010

Current income tax expense (benefit)

U.S. federal
U.S. state and local
Non-U.S. 

Total current expense

$

$

458
592
569
1,619

(733) $
393
613
273

Deferred income tax expense (benefit)

U.S. federal
U.S. state and local
Non-U.S. 

Total deferred expense (benefit)
Total income tax expense (benefit)

$

(3,433)
(55)
753
(2,735)
(1,116) $

(2,673)
(584)
1,308
(1,949)
(1,676) $

(666)
158
815
307

(287)
201
694
608
915

foreign  currency 

Total income tax expense (benefit) does not reflect the deferred 
tax  effects  of  unrealized  gains  and  losses  on  AFS  debt  and 
marketable  equity  securities, 
translation 
adjustments, derivatives and employee benefit plan adjustments 
that  are  included  in  accumulated  OCI.  As  a  result  of  these  tax 
effects, accumulated OCI decreased $1.3 billion and $3.2 billion 
in 2012 and 2010, and increased $2.9 billion in 2011. In addition, 
total  income  tax  expense  (benefit)  does  not  reflect  tax  effects 
associated  with  the  Corporation’s  employee  stock  plans  which 
decreased  common  stock  and  additional  paid-in  capital  $277 
million and $98 million in 2012 and 2010, and increased common 
stock and additional paid-in capital $19 million in 2011.

Income tax expense (benefit) for 2012, 2011 and 2010 varied 
from the amount computed by applying the statutory income tax 
rate to income (loss) before income taxes. A reconciliation of the 
expected  U.S.  federal  income  tax  expense  applying  the  federal 
statutory tax rate of 35 percent to the Corporation’s actual income 
tax  expense  (benefit)  and  resulting  effective  tax  rate  for  2012, 
2011 and 2010 are presented in the Reconciliation of Income Tax 
Expense (Benefit) table.

Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

(Dollars in millions)

Expected U.S. federal income tax expense (benefit)
Increase (decrease) in taxes resulting from:

2012

2011

2010

Amount

Percent

Amount

Percent

Amount

Percent

$

1,075

35.0 % $

(81)

35.0 % $
(1)%

(463)

35.0 %

State tax expense (benefit), net of federal effect
Non-U.S. tax differential (1)
Low-income housing credits/other credits
Tax-exempt income, including dividends
Changes in prior period UTBs (including interest)
Non-U.S. statutory rate reductions
Nondeductible expenses
Leveraged lease tax differential
Change in federal and non-U.S. valuation allowances
Goodwill – impairment and other
Subsidiary sales and liquidations
Other

(17.6)
14.4
55.4
74.2
26.4
(29.7)
(7.5)
(7.4)
125.4
(341.0)
—
3.2
(69.2)%
(1)   Includes in 2012, $1.7 billion income tax benefit attributable to the excess of foreign tax credits recognized in the U.S. upon repatriation of the earnings of certain non-U.S. subsidiaries over the 

(124)
(383)
(800)
(614)
(239)
860
119
121
(1,102)
1,420
(823)
(30)
(1,676)

233
(190)
(732)
(981)
(349)
392
99
98
(1,657)
4,508
—
(43)
915

349
(1,968)
(783)
(576)
(198)
788
231
83
41
—
—
(158)
(1,116)

11.4
(64.1)
(25.5)
(18.8)
(6.4)
25.7
7.5
2.7
1.3
—
—
(5.1)

Total income tax expense (benefit)

(36.3)% $

n/m $

$

related U.S. tax liability.

n/m = not meaningful

The reconciliation of the beginning unrecognized tax benefits (UTB) balance to the ending balance is presented in the table below.

Reconciliation of the Change in Unrecognized Tax Benefits

(Dollars in millions)

Beginning balance

Increases related to positions taken during the current year
Increases related to positions taken during prior years (1)
Decreases related to positions taken during prior years (1)
Settlements
Expiration of statute of limitations

Ending balance

2012

2011

2010

$

$

4,203
352
142
(711)
(205)
(104)
3,677

$

$

5,169
219
879
(1,669)
(277)
(118)
4,203

$

$

5,253
172
755
(657)
(305)
(49)
5,169

(1)  The sum per year of positions taken during prior years differs from the $198 million, $239 million and $349 million in the Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) table due to temporary 

items and jurisdictional offsets, as well as the inclusion of interest in the Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) table.

Bank of America 2012     251

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Significant components of the Corporation’s net deferred tax 
assets  and  liabilities  at  December 31,  2012  and  2011  are 
presented in the Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities table.

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

(Dollars in millions)

Deferred tax assets

Net operating loss carryforwards
Tax credit carryforwards
Allowance for credit losses
Accrued expenses
Employee compensation and retirement benefits
Security, loan and debt valuations
State income taxes
Other

Gross deferred tax assets

Valuation allowance

Total deferred tax assets, net of valuation

allowance

Deferred tax liabilities

Equipment lease financing
Long-term borrowings
Available-for-sale securities
Mortgage servicing rights
Intangibles
Fee income
Other

Gross deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax assets

December 31

2012

2011

13,863
9,529
8,463
8,099
4,612
2,712
2,766
725
50,769
(2,211)

$ 14,307
4,510
11,824
8,340
4,792
1,091
2,489
1,654
49,007
(1,796)

48,558

47,211

3,371
3,215
2,877
1,986
1,708
901
1,462
15,520
33,038

3,042
3,360
1,811
1,993
1,894
1,038
2,074
15,212
$ 31,999

$

$

The  table  below  summarizes  the  deferred  tax  assets  and 
related valuation allowances recognized for the NOL and tax credit 
carryforwards at December 31, 2012.

Net Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards

(Dollars in millions)

Deferred
Tax Asset

Valuation
Allowance

Net
Deferred
Tax Asset

First Year
Expiring

Net operating losses – U.S.  $ 4,911
8,483
Net operating losses – U.K.
Net operating losses –

$

— $ 4,911
8,483
—

After 2027
None (1)

other non-U.S. 

469

(296)

173

Various

Net operating losses – U.S. 

states (2)

2,136

(932)

1,204

Various

General business credits
Foreign tax credits
(1)  The U.K. net operating losses may be carried forward indefinitely.
(2)  The net operating losses and related valuation allowances for U.S. states before considering 

After 2027
After 2017

3,349
6,180

3,349
5,909

—
(271)

the benefit of federal deductions were $3.3 billion and $1.4 billion.

At December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, the balance of the 
Corporation’s  UTBs  which  would,  if  recognized,  affect  the 
Corporation’s effective tax rate was $3.1 billion, $3.3 billion and 
$3.4 billion, respectively. Included in the UTB balance are some 
items the recognition of which would not affect the effective tax 
rate, such as the tax effect of certain temporary differences, the 
portion of gross state UTBs that would be offset by the tax benefit 
of the associated federal deduction and the portion of gross non-
U.S.  UTBs  that  would  be  offset  by  tax  reductions  in  other 
jurisdictions.

The Corporation files income tax returns in more than 100 state 
and  non-U.S.  jurisdictions  each  year.  The  IRS  and  other  tax 
authorities in countries and states in which the Corporation has 
significant business operations examine tax returns periodically 
(continuously in some jurisdictions). The Tax Examination Status 
table  summarizes  the  status  of  significant  examinations  (U.S. 
federal unless otherwise noted) for the Corporation and various 
subsidiaries as of December 31, 2012.

Tax Examination Status

Years under
Examination

Status at
December 31
2012

Bank of America Corporation – U.S.
Bank of America Corporation – U.S.
Bank of America Corporation – New York (1)
Merrill Lynch – U.S. 
Various – U.K.
(1)  All tax years subsequent to the years shown remain open to examination.

2001 – 2009
2010 – 2011
2004 – 2008
2004 – 2008
2011

See below
Field examination
Field examination
See below
Field examination

During 2012, the Corporation and the IRS continued to make 
progress toward resolving all federal income tax examinations for 
Bank of America Corporation tax years through 2009 and Merrill 
Lynch tax years through 2008. While subject to final agreement, 
including review by the Joint Committee on Taxation of the U.S. 
Congress for certain years, the Corporation believes that these 
examinations may be concluded during 2013.

Considering all examinations, it is reasonably possible that the 
UTB balance may decrease by as much as $2.6 billion during the 
next twelve months, since resolved items will be removed from the 
balance whether their resolution results in payment or recognition. 
If such decrease were to occur, it likely would primarily result from 
outcomes consistent with management expectations.

During 2012, the Corporation recognized a $99 million expense 
and, in 2011, a benefit of $168 million for interest and penalties, 
net-of-tax, in income tax benefit. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, 
the Corporation’s accrual for interest and penalties that related to 
income taxes, net of taxes and remittances, was $775 million and 
$787 million.

252     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
Management  concluded  that  no  valuation  allowance  is 
necessary to reduce the U.K. NOL carryforwards and U.S. NOL and 
general  business  credit  carryforwards  since  estimated  future 
taxable income will be sufficient to utilize these assets prior to 
their expiration. The majority of the Corporation’s U.K. net deferred 
tax  assets,  which  consist  primarily  of  NOLs,  are  realizable  by 
certain  subsidiaries  that  have  a  recent  history  of  cumulative 
losses.  For  the  deferred  tax  assets  of  those  subsidiaries,  the 
cessation of certain business activities, changes to capital and 
funding, forecasts of business volumes and the indefinite period 
to  carry  forward  NOLs  represent  significant  positive  evidence 
supporting  management’s  conclusion.  However,  significant 
changes  to  those  estimates,  such  as  changes  that  would  be 
caused by a substantial and prolonged worsening of the condition 
of Europe’s capital markets, could lead management to reassess 
its U.K. valuation allowance conclusions.

At December 31, 2012, U.S. federal income taxes had not been 
provided  on  $17.2  billion  of  undistributed  earnings  of  non-U.S. 
subsidiaries  that  management  has  determined  have  been 
reinvested for an indefinite period of time. If the Corporation were 
to  record  a  deferred  tax  liability  associated  with  these 
undistributed earnings, the amount would be approximately $4.3 
billion at December 31, 2012. 

NOTE 21 Fair Value Measurements
Under applicable accounting guidance, fair value is defined as the 
exchange  price  that  would  be  received  for  an  asset  or  paid  to 
transfer  a  liability  (an  exit  price)  in  the  principal  or  most 
advantageous  market  for  the  asset  or  liability  in  an  orderly 
transaction  between  market  participants  on  the  measurement 
date. The Corporation determines the fair values of its financial 
instruments based on the fair value hierarchy established under 
applicable  accounting  guidance  which  requires  an  entity  to 
maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of 
unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. There are three 
levels  of  inputs  used  to  measure  fair  value.  The  Corporation 
conducts a review of its fair value hierarchy classifications on a 
quarterly  basis.  Transfers  into  or  out  of  fair  value  hierarchy 
classifications  are  made  if  the  significant  inputs  used  in  the 
financial  models  measuring  the  fair  values  of  the  assets  and 
liabilities became unobservable or observable, respectively, in the 
current  marketplace.  These  transfers  are  considered  to  be 
effective as of the beginning of the quarter in which they occur. 
For more information regarding the fair value hierarchy and how 
the Corporation measures fair value, see Note 1 – Summary of 
Significant  Accounting  Principles.  The  Corporation  accounts  for 
certain financial instruments under the fair value option. For more 
information, see Note 22 – Fair Value Option.

Valuation Processes and Techniques
The Corporation has various processes and controls in place to 
ensure that fair value is reasonably estimated. A model validation 
policy governs the use and control of valuation models used to 
estimate  fair  value.  This  policy  requires  review  and  approval  of 
models by personnel who are independent of the front office, and 
periodic  re-assessments  of  models  to  ensure  that  they  are 
continuing to perform as designed. In addition, detailed reviews 
of  trading  gains  and  losses  are  conducted  on  a  daily  basis  by 
personnel  who  are  independent  of  the  front  office.  A  price 
verification group, which is also independent of the front office, 
utilizes  available  market  information  including  executed  trades, 

market prices and market-observable valuation model inputs to 
ensure that fair values are reasonably estimated. The Corporation 
performs due diligence procedures over third-party pricing service 
providers in order to support their use in the valuation process. 
Where  market  information  is  not  available  to  support  internal 
valuations, independent reviews of the valuations are performed 
and any material exposures are escalated through a management 
review process.

While  the  Corporation  believes  its  valuation  methods  are 
appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use 
of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair 
value of certain financial instruments could result in a different 
estimate of fair value at the reporting date.

During  2012,  there  were  no  changes  to  the  valuation 
techniques that had, or are expected to have, a material impact 
on its consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Level 1, 2 and 3 Valuation Techniques
Financial instruments are considered Level 1 when the valuation 
is based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets 
or liabilities. Level 2 financial instruments are valued using quoted 
prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets 
that are not active, or models using inputs that are observable or 
can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially 
the full term of the assets or liabilities. Financial instruments are 
considered Level 3 when their values are determined using pricing 
models,  discounted  cash 
flow  methodologies  or  similar 
techniques, and at least one significant model assumption or input 
is unobservable and when determination of the fair value requires 
significant management judgment or estimation.

Trading Account Assets and Liabilities and Available-for-
sale Debt Securities
The fair values of trading account assets and liabilities are primarily 
based on actively traded markets where prices are based on either 
direct market quotes or observed transactions. The fair values of 
AFS debt securities are generally based on quoted market prices 
or market prices for similar assets. Liquidity is a significant factor 
in the determination of the fair values of trading account assets 
and liabilities and AFS debt securities. Market price quotes may 
not be readily available for some positions, or positions within a 
market  sector  where  trading  activity  has  slowed  significantly  or 
ceased. Some of these instruments are valued using a discounted 
cash flow model, which estimates the fair value of the securities 
using internal credit risk, interest rate and prepayment risk models 
that  incorporate  management’s  best  estimate  of  current  key 
assumptions such as default rates, loss severity and prepayment 
rates. Principal and interest cash flows are discounted using an 
observable discount rate for similar instruments with adjustments 
that management believes a market participant would consider in 
determining fair value for the specific security. Other instruments 
are valued using a net asset value approach which considers the 
value of the underlying securities. Underlying assets are valued 
using external pricing services, where available, or matrix pricing 
based on the vintages and ratings. Situations of illiquidity generally 
are  triggered  by  the  market’s  perception  of  credit  uncertainty 
regarding a single company or a specific market sector. In these 
instances,  fair  value  is  determined  based  on  limited  available 
market information and other factors, principally from reviewing 
the  issuer’s  financial  statements  and  changes  in  credit  ratings 
made by one or more rating agencies.

Bank of America 2012     253

Other Assets
The fair values of certain debt securities and AFS marketable equity 
securities are generally based on quoted market prices or market 
prices  for  similar  assets.  However,  non-public  investments  are 
initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently adjusted 
when evidence is available to support such adjustments. 

Securities Financing Agreements
The  fair  values  of  certain  reverse  repurchase  agreements, 
repurchase agreements and securities borrowed transactions are 
determined using quantitative models, including discounted cash 
flow models that require the use of multiple market inputs including 
interest rates and spreads to generate continuous yield or pricing 
curves, and volatility factors. The majority of market inputs are 
actively  quoted  and  can  be  validated  through  external  sources, 
including  brokers,  market  transactions  and  third-party  pricing 
services.

Deposits and Other Short-term Borrowings
The fair values of deposits and other short-term borrowings are 
determined using quantitative models, including discounted cash 
flow models that require the use of multiple market inputs including 
interest rates and spreads to generate continuous yield or pricing 
curves, and volatility factors. The majority of market inputs are 
actively  quoted  and  can  be  validated  through  external  sources, 
including  brokers,  market  transactions  and  third-party  pricing 
services. The Corporation considers the impact of its own credit 
spreads  in  the  valuation  of  these  liabilities.  The  credit  risk  is 
determined  by  reference  to  observable  credit  spreads  in  the 
secondary cash market.

Long-term Debt
The Corporation issues structured liabilities that have coupons or 
repayment  terms  linked  to  the  performance  of  debt  or  equity 
securities, indices, currencies or commodities. The fair values of 
these  structured  liabilities  are  estimated  using  quantitative 
models for the combined derivative and debt portions of the notes. 
These  models  incorporate  observable  and,  in  some  instances, 
unobservable inputs including security prices, interest rate yield 
curves, option volatility, currency, commodity or equity rates and 
correlations between these inputs. The Corporation also considers 
the impact of its own credit spreads in determining the discount 
rate used to value these liabilities. The credit spread is determined 
by reference to observable spreads in the secondary bond market.

Asset-backed Secured Financings
The fair values of asset-backed secured financings are based on 
external  broker  bids,  where  available,  or  are  determined  by 
discounting  estimated  cash 
rates 
approximating  the  Corporation’s  current  origination  rates  for 
similar loans adjusted to reflect the inherent credit risk.

flows  using 

interest 

Derivative Assets and Liabilities
The fair values of derivative assets and liabilities traded in the 
OTC market are determined using quantitative models that utilize 
multiple market inputs including interest rates, prices and indices 
to generate continuous yield or pricing curves and volatility factors 
to value the position. The majority of market inputs are actively 
quoted and can be validated through external sources, including 
brokers,  market  transactions  and  third-party  pricing  services. 
When  third-party  pricing  services  are  used,  the  methods  and 
assumptions  used  are  reviewed  by  the  Corporation.  Estimation 
risk is greater for derivative asset and liability positions that are 
either  option-based  or  have  longer  maturity  dates  where 
observable  market  inputs  are  less  readily  available,  or  are 
unobservable, in which case, quantitative-based extrapolations of 
rate, price or index scenarios are used in determining fair values. 
The  fair  values  of  derivative  assets  and  liabilities  include 
adjustments for market liquidity, counterparty credit quality and 
other instrument-specific factors, where appropriate. In addition, 
the Corporation incorporates within its fair value measurements 
of OTC derivatives a valuation adjustment to reflect the credit risk 
associated  with  the  net  position.  Positions  are  netted  by 
counterparty, and fair value for net long exposures is adjusted for 
counterparty credit risk while the fair value for net short exposures 
is adjusted for the Corporation’s own credit risk. An estimate of 
severity  of  loss  is  also  used  in  the  determination  of  fair  value, 
primarily based on market data.

Loans and Loan Commitments
The  fair  values  of  loans  and  loan  commitments  are  based  on 
market prices, where available, or discounted cash flow analyses 
using  market-based  credit  spreads  of  comparable  debt 
instruments  or  credit  derivatives  of  the  specific  borrower  or 
flow 
comparable  borrowers.  Results  of  discounted  cash 
calculations  may  be  adjusted,  as  appropriate,  to  reflect  other 
market conditions or the perceived credit risk of the borrower.

Mortgage Servicing Rights
The fair values of MSRs are determined using models that rely on 
estimates  of  prepayment  rates,  the  resultant  weighted-average 
lives of the MSRs and the OAS levels. For more information on 
MSRs, see Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights.

Loans Held-for-sale
The fair values of LHFS are based on quoted market prices, where 
available, or are determined by discounting estimated cash flows 
using  interest  rates  approximating  the  Corporation’s  current 
origination rates for similar loans adjusted to reflect the inherent 
credit risk.

254     Bank of America 2012

Recurring Fair Value
Assets and liabilities carried at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2012 and 2011, including financial instruments which 
the Corporation accounts for under the fair value option, are summarized in the following tables.

(Dollars in millions)

Assets

Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under

agreements to resell

Trading account assets:

U.S. government and agency securities
Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Derivative assets (3)
AFS debt securities:

U.S. Treasury securities and agency securities
Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations
Non-agency residential
Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale
Other assets

Total assets

Liabilities

Interest-bearing deposits in U.S. offices
Federal funds purchased and securities loaned or sold under

agreements to repurchase

Trading account liabilities:

U.S. government and agency securities
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Corporate securities and other

Total trading account liabilities
Derivative liabilities (3)
Other short-term borrowings
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
Long-term debt

Total liabilities

Fair Value Measurements

December 31, 2012

Level 1 (1)

Level 2 (1)

Level 3

Netting 
Adjustments (2)

Assets/Liabilities
at Fair Value

$

— $

98,670

$

— $

— $

98,670

57,655
1,292
28,144
38,405
—
125,496
2,997

29,319
32,882
14,626
13,439
11,905
102,171
1,372,398

21,514

2,958

—
—
—
—
2,637
—
20
—
24,171
—
—
—
19,026
171,690

$

188,149
37,538
9,494
3,914
2,981
1,358
8,180
3,072
257,644
6,715
—
8,926
18,828
1,865,352

— $

2,262

—

42,639

22,351
19,852
18,875
487
61,565
2,859
—
15,457
—
79,881

$

1,079
2,640
1,369
6,870
11,958
1,355,309
4,074
1,122
46,860
1,464,224

$

$

$

$

$

$

—
3,726
545
353
4,935
9,559
8,073

—

—
—
—
10
—
92
3,928
1,061
5,091
2,287
5,716
2,733
3,129
36,588

—
—
—
—
—
—
(1,329,971)

—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

$

(1,329,971) $

86,974
37,900
43,315
52,197
16,840
237,226
53,497

24,472

188,149
37,538
9,494
3,924
5,618
1,450
12,128
4,133
286,906
9,002
5,716
11,659
40,983
743,659

— $

— $

2,262

—

—
—
—
64
64
6,605
—
15
2,301
8,985

—

42,639

—
—
—
—
—
(1,318,757)
—
—
—

$

(1,318,757) $

23,430
22,492
20,244
7,421
73,587
46,016
4,074
16,594
49,161
234,333

(1)  During 2012, $2.0 billion and $350 million of assets and liabilities were transferred from Level 1 to Level 2, and $785 million and $40 million of assets and liabilities were transferred from Level 
2 to Level 1. Of the asset transfers from Level 1 to Level 2, $940 million was due to a restriction that became effective for a private equity investment during 2012, while $535 million of the transfers 
from Level 2 to Level 1 was due to the lapse of this restriction during 2012. The remaining transfers were the result of additional information associated with certain equities, derivative contracts 
and private equity investments.

(2)  Amounts represent the impact of legally enforceable master netting agreements and also cash collateral held or placed with the same counterparties.
(3)  For further disaggregation of derivative assets and liabilities, see Note 3 – Derivatives.

Bank of America 2012     255

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fair Value Measurements

December 31, 2011

Level 1 (1)

Level 2 (1)

Level 3

Netting 
Adjustments (2)

Assets/Liabilities
at Fair Value

$

— $

87,453

$

— $

— $

87,453

(Dollars in millions)

Assets

Federal funds sold and securities borrowed or purchased under

agreements to resell

Trading account assets:

U.S. government and agency securities
Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Derivative assets (3)
AFS debt securities:

U.S. Treasury securities and agency securities
Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Agency-collateralized mortgage obligations
Non-agency residential
Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale
Other assets

Total assets

Liabilities

Interest-bearing deposits in U.S. offices
Federal funds purchased and securities loaned or sold under

agreements to repurchase

Trading account liabilities:

U.S. government and agency securities
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Corporate securities and other

Total trading account liabilities
Derivative liabilities (3)
Other short-term borrowings
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
Long-term debt

$

$

30,540
1,067
17,181
33,667
—
82,455
2,186

39,389

—
—
—
—
1,664
—
20
—
41,073
—
—
—
18,963
144,677

19,120
13,259
16,760
829
49,968
2,055
—
13,832
—
65,855

22,073
28,624
5,949
8,937
9,826
75,409
1,865,310

—
6,880
544
342
3,689
11,455
14,366

—
—
—
—
—
—
(1,808,839)

3,475

—

52,613
36,571
23,674
42,946
13,515
169,319
73,023

42,864

142,563
44,999
14,767
5,522
4,920
3,035
12,878
4,603
276,151
8,804
7,378
7,630
37,084
666,842

—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

$

(1,808,839) $

—
—
—
—
—
(1,801,839)
—
—
—

(1,801,839) $

20,710
14,594
17,440
7,764
60,508
59,520
6,558
15,743
46,239
226,100

142,526
44,999
13,907
5,482
3,256
2,873
8,593
1,955
227,066
6,060
—
4,243
13,886
2,279,427

$

$

$

1,590
1,335
680
6,821
10,426
1,850,804
6,558
1,897
43,296
1,950,513

37
—
860
40
—
162
4,265
2,648
8,012
2,744
7,378
3,387
4,235
51,577

—
—
—
114
114
8,500
—
14
2,943
11,571

— $

3,297

— $

— $

3,297

—

34,235

—

—

34,235

Total liabilities

$
(1)  Gross transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during 2011 were not significant.
(2)  Amounts represent the impact of legally enforceable master netting agreements and also cash collateral held or placed with the same counterparties.
(3)  For further disaggregation of derivative assets and liabilities, see Note 3 – Derivatives.

$

$

$

256     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following tables present a reconciliation of all assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant 
unobservable inputs (Level 3) during 2012, 2011 and 2010, including net realized and unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings 
and accumulated OCI.

Level 3 – Fair Value Measurements (1)

Balance
January 1
2012

Gains
(Losses)
in Earnings

Gains
(Losses)
in OCI

Purchases

Sales

Issuances

Settlements

Gross
Transfers
into
Level 3 

Gross
Transfers
out of
Level 3 

Balance 
December 31 
2012

2012

Gross

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and 

other (2)

$ 6,880 $

195 $

— $

2,798 $ (4,556) $

— $

(1,077) $

436 $

(950) $

Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS (2)

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets (3)
AFS debt securities:

Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Non-agency residential
Non-agency commercial

Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (4, 5)
Mortgage servicing rights (5)
Loans held-for-sale (4)
Other assets (6)
Trading account liabilities – Corporate

securities and other

544
342
3,689
11,455
5,866

37
860
40
162
4,265
2,648
8,012
2,744
7,378
3,387
4,235

31
8
215
449
(221)

—
(69)
—
(2)
23
61
13
334
(430)
352
(54)

(114)

4

—
—
—
—
—

—
19
—
—
26
20
65
—
—
—
—

—

201
388
2,574
5,961
893

—
—
—
(2)
3,196
—
3,194
564
—
794
109

(271)
(359)
(1,536)
(6,722)
(1,012)

—
(306)
(24)
—
(28)
(133)
(491)
(1,520)
(122)
(834)
(1,039)

116

(136)

—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
374
—
270

—

27
(5)
(678)
(1,733)
(3,328)

(4)
(2)
(6)
(39)
(3,345)
(1,535)
(4,931)
(274)
(1,484)
(414)
(381)

90
—
844
1,370
(269)

(77)
(21)
(173)
(1,221)
(461)

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
450
—
80
—

(33)
(502)
—
(27)
(209)
—
(771)
(11)
—
(632)
(11)

3,726

545
353
4,935
9,559
1,468

—
—
10
92
3,928
1,061
5,091
2,287
5,716
2,733
3,129

80

(68)

54

(64)

Other short-term borrowings (4)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (4)
Long-term debt (4)
(1)  Assets (liabilities). For assets, increase / (decrease) to Level 3 and for liabilities, (increase) / decrease to Level 3.
(2)  During 2012, approximately $900 million was reclassified from Trading account assets - Corporate securities, trading loans and other to Trading account assets - Mortgage trading loans and ABS. 
In the table above, this reclassification is presented as a sale of Trading account assets - Corporate securities, trading loans and other and as a purchase of Trading account assets - Mortgage trading 
loans and ABS.

—
(15)
(2,301)

—
(14)
(2,943)

—
—
(2,040)

—
4
1,752

232
—
1,239

(232)
(9)
(259)

—
(4)
(307)

—
—
(33)

—
8
290

—
—
—

(3)  Net derivatives include derivative assets of $8.1 billion and derivative liabilities of $6.6 billion.
(4)  Amounts represent instruments that are accounted for under the fair value option.
(5) 

Issuances represent loan originations and mortgage servicing rights retained following securitizations or whole loan sales.

(6)  Other assets is primarily comprised of net monoline exposure to a single counterparty and private equity investments.

During 2012, the transfers into Level 3 included $1.4 billion of 
trading  account  assets,  $269  million  of  net  derivative  assets, 
$450 million of loans and leases, and $2.0 billion of long-term 
debt.  Transfers  into  Level  3  for  trading  account  assets  were 
primarily  the  result  of  decreased  market  liquidity  for  certain 
corporate loans and updated information related to certain CLOs. 
Transfers into Level 3 for net derivative assets primarily related to 
decreased  price  observability  for  certain  long-dated  equity 
derivative liabilities due to a lack of independent pricing. Transfers 
into Level 3 for loans and leases were due to updated information 
related to certain commercial loans. Transfers into Level 3 for long-
term  debt  were  primarily  due  to  changes  in  the  impact  of 
unobservable inputs on the value of certain structured liabilities. 
Transfers  occur  on  a  regular  basis  for  these  long-term  debt 
instruments due to changes in the impact of unobservable inputs 
on  the  value  of  the  embedded  derivative  in  relation  to  the 
instrument as a whole.

During 2012, the transfers out of Level 3 included $1.2 billion 
of trading account assets, $461 million of net derivative assets, 
$771  million  of  AFS  debt  securities,  $632  million  of  LHFS  and 
$1.8 billion of long-term debt. Transfers out of Level 3 for trading 
account assets primarily related to increased market liquidity for 
certain corporate and commercial real estate loans. Transfers out 
of Level 3 for net derivative assets primarily related to increased 
price observability (i.e., market comparables for the referenced 
instruments) for certain total return swaps and foreign exchange 
swaps. Transfers out of Level 3 for AFS debt securities primarily 
related  to  increased  price  observability  for  certain  non-agency 
RMBS and ABS. Transfers out of Level 3 for LHFS primarily related 
to  increased  observable  inputs,  primarily  liquid  comparables. 
Transfers out of Level 3 for long-term debt were primarily due to 
changes  in  the  impact  of  unobservable  inputs  on  the  value  of 
certain structured liabilities.

Bank of America 2012     257

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Level 3 – Fair Value Measurements (1)

Balance
January 1
2011

Consolidation
of VIEs

Gains
(Losses)
in Earnings

Gains
(Losses)
in OCI

Purchases

Sales

Issuances

Settlements

Gross
Transfers
into
Level 3 

Gross
Transfers
out of 
Level 3 

Balance
December 31
2011

2011

Gross

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading 

loans and other

$ 7,751 $

— $

490 $

— $ 5,683 $ (6,664) $

— $

(1,362) $

1,695 $

(713) $

6,880

Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets (2)
AFS debt securities:

Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Agency collateralized 
mortgage obligations

Non-agency residential
Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (3, 4)
Mortgage servicing rights (4)
Loans held-for-sale (3)
Other assets (5)
Trading account liabilities – 

Corporate securities and other

Other short-term borrowings (3)
Accrued expenses and other 

liabilities (3)

557
243
6,908
15,459
7,745

4

—

1,468
19
3
137
13,018
1,224
15,873
3,321
14,900
4,140
6,922

(7)

(706)

(828)

—
—
—
—
—

—

—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
5,194
—
—
—

—

—

—

49
87
442
1,068
5,199

—

—

(158)
—
—
(12)
26
21
(123)
(55)
(5,661)
36
140

4

(30)

61

—
—
—
—
—

—

—

41
—
—
(8)
21
(35)
19
—
—
—
—

—

—

—

335
188
2,222
8,428
1,235

(362)
(137)
(4,713)
(11,876)
(1,553)

14

56

11
15
—
304
3,876
2,862
7,138
21
—
157
1,932

(11)

(56)

(307)
—
—
(17)
(2,245)
(92)
(2,728)
(2,644)
(896)
(483)
(2,391)

133

(189)

—

—

—

(2)

(72)

—
—
—
—
—

—

—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
3,118
1,656
—
—

—

—

(9)

(520)

(140)
(3)
(440)
(1,945)
(7,779)

—

—

(568)
—
—
—
(5,112)
(697)
(6,377)
(1,830)
(2,621)
(961)
(768)

—

86

3

838

132
8
75
1,910
1,199

34

—

373
6
88
7
2
38
548
5
—
565
375

(65)

—

—

(27)
(44)
(805)
(1,589)
(180)

(4)

—

—
—
(91)
(249)
(5,321)
(673)
(6,338)
(4,386)
—
(67)
(1,975)

10

650

761

544
342
3,689
11,455
5,866

37

—

860
40
—
162
4,265
2,648
8,012
2,744
7,378
3,387
4,235

(114)

—

(14)

(2,111)

1,576

(2,943)

Long-term debt (3)
(1)  Assets (liabilities). For assets, increase / (decrease) to Level 3 and for liabilities, (increase) / decrease to Level 3.
(2)  Net derivatives include derivative assets of $14.4 billion and derivative liabilities of $8.5 billion.
(3)  Amounts represent instruments that are accounted for under the fair value option.
(4) 

Issuances represent loan originations and mortgage servicing rights retained following securitizations or whole loan sales.

(2,986)

(188)

520

—

—

(5)  Other assets is primarily comprised of net monoline exposure to a single counterparty and private equity investments.

During 2011, the transfers into Level 3 included $1.9 billion of 
trading account assets, $1.2 billion of net derivative assets and 
$2.1 billion of long-term debt. Transfers into Level 3 for trading 
account assets were primarily certain CLOs, corporate loans and 
bonds  that  were  transferred  due  to  decreased  market  activity. 
Transfers into Level 3 for net derivative assets were the result of 
changes  in  the  valuation  methodology  for  certain  total  return 
swaps, in addition to increases in certain equity derivatives with 
significant unobservable inputs. Transfers into Level 3 for long-
term  debt  were  primarily  due  to  changes  in  the  impact  of 
unobservable inputs on the value of certain structured liabilities. 
Transfers  occur  on  a  regular  basis  for  these  long-term  debt 
instruments due to changes in the impact of unobservable inputs 
on  the  value  of  the  embedded  derivative  in  relation  to  the 
instrument as a whole.

During 2011, the transfers out of Level 3 included $1.6 billion 
of trading account assets, $6.3 billion of AFS debt securities, $4.4 
billion of loans and leases, $2.0 billion of other assets and $1.6 
billion of long-term debt. Transfers out of Level 3 for trading account 
assets  were  primarily  due  to  increased  price  observability  on 
certain  RMBS,  commercial  mortgage-backed  securities  (CMBS) 
and consumer ABS portfolios, as well as certain corporate bond 
positions due to increased trading volume. Transfers out of Level 
3 for AFS debt securities primarily related to auto, credit card and 
student loan ABS portfolios due to increased trading volume in 
the secondary market for similar securities. Transfers out of Level 
3 for loans and leases were due to increased observable inputs, 
primarily liquid comparables, for certain corporate loans. Transfers 
out of Level 3 for other assets were primarily the result of an IPO 
of an equity investment. Transfers out of Level 3 for long-term debt 
were primarily due to changes in the impact of unobservable inputs 
on the value of certain structured liabilities.

258     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Level 3 – Fair Value Measurements (1)

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

$

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets (2)
AFS debt securities:

Mortgage-backed securities:

Agency
Non-agency residential
Non-agency commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (3)
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale (3)
Other assets (4)
Trading account liabilities:
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Corporate securities and other

Balance
January 1
2010

Consolidation 
of VIEs

Gains
(Losses) 
in Earnings

Gains
(Losses) 
in OCI

Purchases,
Issuances
and
Settlements

Gross 
Transfers 
into 
Level 3

Gross 
Transfers
out of
Level 3 

Balance
December 31
2010

2010

11,080
1,084
1,143
7,770
21,077
7,863

—
7,216
258
468
927
9,854
1,623
20,346
4,936
19,465
6,942
7,821

(386)
(10)
(396)
(707)
(891)
(4,660)

$

$

117
—
—
175
292
—

$

848
(81)
(138)
653
1,282
8,118

— $
—
—
—
—
—

(4,852) $
(342)
(157)
(1,659)
(7,010)
(8,778)

—
113
—
—
—
5,603
—
5,716
—
—
—
—

—
(646)
(13)
(125)
(3)
(296)
(25)
(1,108)
(89)
(4,321)
482
1,946

—
—
—
—
—
—

23
(5)
18
(95)
146
697

—
(169)
(31)
(75)
47
44
(9)
(193)
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—

4
(6,767)
(178)
(321)
(847)
(3,263)
(574)
(11,946)
(1,526)
(244)
(3,714)
(2,612)

(17)
11
(6)
96
(83)
1,074

2,599
131
115
396
3,241
1,067

—
1,909
71
56
32
1,119
316
3,503
—
—
624
—

—
(52)
(52)
—
—
(1,881)

$

(2,041) $
(169)
(720)
(427)
(3,357)
(525)

7,751
623
243
6,908
15,525
7,745

—
(188)
(88)
—
(19)
(43)
(107)
(445)
—
—
(194)
(299)

380
49
429
—
—
1,784

4
1,468
19
3
137
13,018
1,224
15,873
3,321
14,900
4,140
6,856

—
(7)
(7)
(706)
(828)
(2,986)

Total trading account liabilities
Other short-term borrowings (3)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (3)
Long-term debt (3)
(1)  Assets (liabilities). For assets, increase / (decrease) to Level 3 and for liabilities, (increase) / decrease to Level 3.
(2)  Net derivatives include derivative assets of $18.8 billion and derivative liabilities of $11.0 billion.
(3)  Amounts represent instruments that are accounted for under the fair value option.
(4)  Other assets is primarily comprised of AFS marketable equity securities.

During 2010, the transfers into Level 3 included $3.2 billion of 
trading account assets, $3.5 billion of AFS debt securities, $1.1 
billion of net derivative assets and $1.9 billion of long-term debt. 
Transfers  into  Level  3  for  trading  account  assets  were  due  to 
reduced price transparency as a result of lower levels of trading 
activity for certain municipal ARS and corporate debt securities as 
well as a change in valuation methodology for certain ABS to a 
discounted cash flow model. Transfers into Level 3 for AFS debt 
securities were due to an increase in the number of non-agency 
RMBS and other taxable securities priced using a discounted cash 
flow model. Transfers into Level 3 for net derivative contracts were 
primarily related to a lack of price observability for certain credit 
default and total return swaps. Transfers into Level 3 for long-term 

debt were primarily due to changes in the impact of unobservable 
inputs on the value of certain structured liabilities. Transfers occur 
on a regular basis for these long-term debt instruments due to 
changes in the impact of unobservable inputs on the value of the 
embedded derivative in relation to the instrument as a whole.

During 2010, the transfers out of Level 3 included $3.4 billion 
of  trading  account  assets  and  $1.8  billion  of  long-term  debt. 
Transfers out of Level 3 for trading account assets were due to 
increased price verification of certain MBS, corporate debt and 
non-U.S. government and agency securities. Transfers out of Level 
3 for long-term debt were primarily due to changes in the impact 
of unobservable inputs on the value of certain structured liabilities.

Bank of America 2012     259

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following tables summarize gains (losses) due to changes in fair value, including both realized and unrealized gains (losses), 
recorded in earnings for Level 3 assets and liabilities during 2012, 2011 and 2010. These amounts include gains (losses) on loans, 
LHFS, loan commitments and structured liabilities that are accounted for under the fair value option.

Level 3 – Total Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings

Equity
Investment
Income
(Loss)

Trading
Account
Profits
(Losses)

2012

Mortgage
Banking
Income
(Loss) (1)

Other
Income
(Loss)

Total

$

$

$

$

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—

195
31
8
215
449
(3,208)

— $
—
—
—
—
2,987

— $
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
97
—
—
—
97

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
242
—
—
—
—
242

$

—
—
2
—
2
—
—
—
—
4
—
(133)
(2,886) $

490
49
87
442
1,068
1,516

—
—
16
(3)
13
—
—
—
—
4
—
(10)
(106)
2,485

$

$

—
—
—
—
—
—
(430)
148
(74)
—
—
—
2,631

$

2011

— $
—
—
—
—
3,683

—
—
—
—
—
(13)
(5,661)
(108)
(51)
—
(30)
71
—
(2,109) $

(69)
(2)
21
61
11
334
—
204
(77)
—
(4)
(174)
294

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—

(158)
(12)
10
24
(136)
(42)
—
144
(51)
—
—
—
(82)
(167) $

195
31
8
215
449
(221)

(69)
(2)
23
61
13
334
(430)
352
(54)
4
(4)
(307)
136

490
49
87
442
1,068
5,199

(158)
(12)
26
21
(123)
(55)
(5,661)
36
140
4
(30)
61
(188)
451

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets
AFS debt securities:

Non-agency residential MBS
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (2)
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale (2)
Other assets
Trading account liabilities – Corporate securities and other
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (2)
Long-term debt (2)

Total

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets
AFS debt securities:

Non-agency residential MBS
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (2)
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale (2)
Other assets
Trading account liabilities – Corporate securities and other
Other short-term borrowings (2)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (2)
Long-term debt (2)

Total

(1)  Mortgage banking income (loss) does not reflect the impact of Level 1 and Level 2 hedges on MSRs.
(2)  Amounts represent instruments that are accounted for under the fair value option.

260     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Level 3 – Total Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) Included in Earnings

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets
AFS debt securities:
Non-agency MBS:

Residential
Commercial

Non-U.S. securities
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (2)
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale (2)
Other assets
Trading account liabilities:
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Corporate securities and other

Total trading account liabilities
Other short-term borrowings (2)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (2)
Long-term debt (2)
Total

(1)  Mortgage banking income (loss) does not reflect the impact of Level 1 and Level 2 hedges on MSRs.
(2)  Amounts represent instruments that are accounted for under the fair value option.

Equity
Investment
Income
(Loss)

Trading
Account
Profits
(Losses)

2010

Mortgage
Banking
Income
(Loss) (1)

Other
Income
(Loss)

Total

$

$

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—

848
(81)
(138)
653
1,282
(1,257)

— $
—
—
—
—
9,375

— $
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1,967

—
—
—
—
—
—
1,967

$

—
—
—
—
(295)
23
(272)
—
—
—
—

23
(5)
18
—
(26)
677
422

$

(16)
—
—
—
—
—
(16)
—
(4,321)
72
(21)

—
—
—
(95)
—
—
4,994

(630)
(13)
(125)
(3)
(1)
(48)
(820)
(89)
—
410
—

—
—
—
—
172
20

$

(307) $

848
(81)
(138)
653
1,282
8,118

(646)
(13)
(125)
(3)
(296)
(25)
(1,108)
(89)
(4,321)
482
1,946

23
(5)
18
(95)
146
697
7,076

Bank of America 2012     261

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following tables summarize changes in unrealized gains (losses) recorded in earnings during 2012, 2011 and 2010 for Level 
3 assets and liabilities that were still held at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. These amounts include changes in fair value on 
loans, LHFS, loan commitments and structured liabilities that are accounted for under the fair value option.

Level 3 – Changes in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Relating to Assets and Liabilities Still Held at Reporting Date

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets
AFS debt securities – Other taxable securities
Loans and leases (2)
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale (2)
Other assets
Trading account liabilities – Corporate securities and other
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (2)
Long-term debt (2)

Total

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets
AFS debt securities:

Non-agency residential MBS
Corporate/Agency bonds
Other taxable securities
Total AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (2)
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale (2)
Other assets
Trading account liabilities – Corporate securities and other
Long-term debt (2)

Total

(1)  Mortgage banking income (loss) does not reflect the impact of Level 1 and Level 2 hedges on MSRs.
(2)  Amounts represent instruments that are accounted for under the fair value option.

Equity
Investment
Income
(Loss)

Trading
Account
Profits
(Losses)

2012

Mortgage
Banking
Income
(Loss) (1)

Other
Income
(Loss)

Total

$

$

$

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
141
—
—
—
141

$

(19) $
17
20
36
54
(2,782)
2
—
—
—
—
4
—
(136)
(2,858) $

— $
—
—
—
—
2,020
—
—
(1,100)
121
(71)
—
—
—
970

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—

(86) $
(60)
101
30
(15)
1,430

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(309)
—
—
(309) $

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
3
(107)
1,311

$

2011

— $
—
—
—
—
1,351

—
—
—
—
—
(6,958)
(153)
(53)
—
—
(5,813) $

— $
—
—
—
—
—
—
291
—
168
(74)
—
(2)
(173)
210

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—

(195)
(14)
13
(196)
(260)
—
5
(51)
—
(94)
(596) $

(19)
17
20
36
54
(762)
2
291
(1,100)
289
(4)
4
(2)
(309)
(1,537)

(86)
(60)
101
30
(15)
2,781

(195)
(14)
13
(196)
(260)
(6,958)
(148)
(413)
3
(201)
(5,407)

262     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Level 3 – Changes in Unrealized Gains (Losses) Relating to Assets and Liabilities Still Held at Reporting Date

(Dollars in millions)

Trading account assets:

Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Equity securities
Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Mortgage trading loans and ABS

Total trading account assets
Net derivative assets
Non-agency residential MBS AFS debt securities
Loans and leases (2)
Mortgage servicing rights
Loans held-for-sale (2)
Other assets
Trading account liabilities – Non-U.S. sovereign debt
Other short-term borrowings (2)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (2)
Long-term debt (2)

Total

Equity
Investment
Income
(Loss)

Trading
Account
Profits
(Losses)

2010

Mortgage
Banking
Income
(Loss) (1)

Other
Income
(Loss)

Total

$

$

— $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
50
—
—
—
—
50

$

289
(50)
(144)
227
322
(945)
—
—
—
10
—
52
—
—
585
24

$

$

— $
—
—
—
—
676
(2)
—
(5,740)
(9)
(22)
—
(46)
—
—
(5,143) $

— $
—
—
—
—
—
(162)
(142)
—
258
—
—
—
(182)
43

(185) $

289
(50)
(144)
227
322
(269)
(164)
(142)
(5,740)
259
28
52
(46)
(182)
628
(5,254)

(1)  Mortgage banking income (loss) does not reflect the impact of Level 1 and Level 2 hedges on MSRs.
(2)  Amounts represent instruments that are accounted for under the fair value option.

The following tables present information about significant unobservable inputs related to the Corporation’s material categories of 

Level 3 financial assets and liabilities at December 31, 2012.

Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

(Dollars in millions)

Inputs

Fair
Value

Valuation
Technique

Significant Unobservable 
Inputs

Ranges of 
Inputs

Weighted 
Average

Financial Instrument

Loans and Securities (1)

Instruments backed by residential real estate assets

Trading account assets – Mortgage trading loans and ABS
Loans and leases
Loans held-for-sale

$ 4,478
459
1,286
2,733

Discounted cash
flow, Market
comparables

Instruments backed by commercial real estate assets

$ 1,910 Discounted cash

Other assets

Commercial loans, debt securities and other

Trading account assets – Corporate securities, trading loans and other
Trading account assets – Mortgage trading loans and ABS
AFS debt securities – Other taxable securities
Loans and leases
Auction rate securities

Trading account assets – Corporate securities, trading loans and other
AFS debt securities – Other taxable securities
AFS debt securities – Tax-exempt securities

Structured liabilities

Long-term debt (2)

1,910
$10,778
2,289
4,476
3,012
1,001
$ 3,414
1,437
916
1,061

$ (2,301)

flow

Discounted cash
flow, Market
comparables

Discounted cash
flow, Market
comparables

Industry 
standard 
derivative 
pricing (3)

Yield
Prepayment speed
Default rate
Loss severity
Yield
Loss severity
Yield
Enterprise value/EBITDA multiple
Prepayment speed
Default rate
Loss severity
Discount rate
Projected tender price/Re-

financing level

2% to 25%
1% to 30% CPR
0% to 44% CDR
6% to 85%
5%
51% to 100%
0% to 25%
2x to 11x
5% to 30%
1% to 5%
25% to 40%
0% to 10%
50% to 100%

6%
11%
8%
36%
n/a
88%
4%
5x
20%
4%
35%
4%
92%

Equity correlation
Long-dated volatilities

30% to 97%
20% to 70%

n/m
n/m

(1)  The categories are aggregated based on product type which differs from financial statement classification. The following is a reconciliation to the line items in the table on page 257: Trading account 
assets – Corporate securities, trading loans and other of $3.7 billion, Trading account assets – Mortgage trading loans and ABS of $4.9 billion, AFS debt securities – Other taxable securities of $3.9 
billion, AFS debt securities – Tax-exempt securities of $1.1 billion, Loans and leases of $2.3 billion, LHFS of $2.7 billion and Other assets of $1.9 billion.

(2)  For additional information on the ranges of inputs for equity correlation and long-dated volatilities, see the qualitative equity derivatives discussion on page 264.
(3) 

Includes models such as Monte Carlo simulation and Black-Scholes.

n/a = not applicable 
n/m = not meaningful
CPR = Constant Prepayment Rate
CDR = Constant Default Rate
EBITDA = Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization

Bank of America 2012     263

 
Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements (continued)

(Dollars in millions)

Net derivatives assets
Credit derivatives

Financial Instrument

Fair
Value

$ 2,327

Equity derivatives

Commodity derivatives
Interest rate derivatives

Valuation Technique

Significant Unobservable
Inputs

Ranges of Inputs

Inputs

Discounted cash flow,
Stochastic recovery
correlation model

$ (1,295)

Industry standard 
derivative pricing (4)

Yield
Credit spreads
Upfront points
Spread to index
Credit correlation
Prepayment speed
Default rate
Loss severity
Equity correlation
Long-dated volatilities

2% to 25%
58 bps to 615 bps
25 points to 99 points
-2,080 bps to 1,972 bps
19% to 75%
3% to 30% CPR
0% to 8% CDR
25% to 42%
30% to 97%
20% to 70%

$
$

(5) Discounted cash flow Long-term natural gas basis

441

Industry standard 
derivative pricing (4)

Correlation (IR/IR)
Correlation (FX/IR)
Long-dated inflation rates
Long-dated inflation volatilities
Long-dated volatilities (FX)
Long-dated swap rates

-$0.30 to $0.30
15% to 99%
-65% to 50%
2% to 3%
0% to 1%
5% to 36%
8% to 10%

Total net derivative assets

$ 1,468

(4)  Includes models such as Monte Carlo simulation, Black-Scholes and other methods that model the joint dynamics of interest, inflation and foreign exchange rates.
CPR = Constant Prepayment Rate
CDR = Constant Default Rate
IR = Interest Rate
FX = Foreign Exchange

In  the  tables  above,  instruments  backed  by  residential  and 
commercial real estate assets include RMBS, CMBS, whole loans, 
mortgage CDOs and net monoline exposure. Commercial loans, 
debt  securities  and  other  includes  corporate  CLOs  and  CDOs, 
commercial loans and bonds, and securities backed by non-real 
estate assets. Structured liabilities primarily includes equity-linked 
notes that are accounted for under the fair value option.

In  addition  to  the  instruments  in  the  tables  above,  the 
Corporation holds $1.2 billion of instruments consisting primarily 
of certain direct private equity investments and private equity funds 
that are classified as Level 3 and reported within other assets. 
Valuations of direct private equity investments are based on the 
most  recent  company  financial  information.  Inputs  generally 
include market and acquisition comparables, entry level multiples, 
as  well  as  other  variables.  The  Corporation  selects  a  valuation 
methodology (e.g., market comparables) for each investment and, 
in certain instances, multiple inputs are weighted to derive the 
most representative value. Discounts are applied as appropriate 
to consider the lack of liquidity and marketability versus publicly-
traded companies. For private equity funds, fair value is determined 
using  the  net  asset  value  as  provided  by  the  individual  fund’s 
general partner.

For  information  on  the  inputs  and  techniques  used  in  the 

valuation of MSRs, see Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights.

The Corporation uses multiple market approaches in valuing 
certain of its Level 3 financial instruments. For example, market 
comparables and discounted cash flows are used together. For a 
given  product,  such  as  corporate  debt  securities,  market 
comparables may be used to estimate some of the unobservable 
inputs and then these inputs are incorporated into a discounted 
cash flow model. Therefore, the balances disclosed encompass 
both of these techniques.

The  level  of  aggregation  and  diversity  within  the  products 
disclosed in the table result in certain ranges of inputs being wide 
and unevenly distributed across asset and liability categories.

For credit derivatives, the range of credit spreads represents 
positions  with  varying  levels  of  default  risk  to  the  underlying 
instruments.  The  lower  end  of  the  credit  spread  range  typically 
represents  shorter-dated  instruments  and  those  with  better 
perceived credit risk. The higher end of the range comprises longer-
dated instruments and those referencing debt issuances that are 
more likely to be impaired or nonperforming. The majority of inputs 
are concentrated in the lower end of the range. Similarly, the spread 
to index can vary significantly based on the risk of the instrument. 
The spread will be positive for instruments that have a higher risk 
of default than the index (which is based on a weighted average 
of its components) and negative for instruments that have a lower 
risk  of  default  than  the  index.  Inputs  are  distributed  evenly 
throughout  the  range  for  spread  to  index.  For  yield  and  credit 
correlation, the majority of the inputs are concentrated in the center 
of the range. Inputs are concentrated in the middle to lower end 
of the range for upfront points. The range for loss severity reflects 
exposures that are concentrated in the middle to upper end of the 
range while the ranges for prepayment speed and default rates 
reflect exposures that are concentrated in the lower end of the 
range.

For equity derivatives, including those embedded in long-term 
debt, the range for equity correlation represents exposure primarily 
concentrated toward the upper end of the range. The range for 
long-dated volatilities represents exposure primarily concentrated 
toward the lower end of the range.

For  interest  rate  derivatives,  the  diversity  in  the  portfolio  is 
reflected in wide ranges of inputs because the variety of currencies 
and  tenors  of  the  transactions  requires  the  use  of  numerous 
foreign exchange and interest rate curves. Since foreign exchange 

264     Bank of America 2012

and interest rate correlations are measured between curves and 
across the various tenors on the same curve, the range of potential 
values  can  include  both  negative  and  positive  values.  For  the 
correlation (IR/IR) range, the exposure represents the valuation 
of  interest  rate  correlations  on  less  liquid  pairings  and  is 
concentrated at the upper end of the range. For the correlation 
(FX/IR) range, the exposure is the sensitivity to a broad mix of 
interest rate and foreign exchange correlations and is distributed 
evenly  throughout  the  range.  For  long-dated  inflation  rates  and 
volatilities  as  well  as  long-dated  volatilities  (FX),  the  inputs  are 
concentrated in the middle of the range. 

Sensitivity of Fair Value Measurements to Changes in 
Unobservable Inputs

Loans and Securities
For  instruments  backed  by  residential  real  estate  assets, 
commercial  real  estate  assets,  and  commercial  loans,  debt 
securities and other, a significant increase in market yields, default 
rates or loss severities would result in a significantly lower fair 
value for long positions. Short positions would be impacted in a 
directionally opposite way. The impact of changes in prepayment 
speeds would have differing impacts depending on the seniority 
of the instrument and, in the case of CLOs, whether prepayments 
can be reinvested.

For closed-end ARS, a significant increase in discount rates 
would result in a significantly lower fair value. For student loan and 
municipal ARS, a significant increase in projected tender price/
refinancing levels would result in a significantly higher fair value.

Structured Liabilities and Derivatives
For  credit  derivatives,  a  significant  increase  in  market  yield, 
including spreads to indices, upfront points (i.e., a single upfront 
payment made by a protection buyer at inception), credit spreads, 
default rates or loss severities would result in a significantly lower 
fair value for protection sellers and higher fair value for protection 
buyers. The impact of changes in prepayment speeds would have 
differing impacts depending on the seniority of the instrument and, 
in the case of CLOs, whether prepayments can be reinvested.

Structured credit derivatives, which include tranched portfolio 
CDS and derivatives with derivative product company (DPC) and 
monoline  counterparties,  are  impacted  by  credit  correlation, 
including default and wrong-way correlation. Default correlation is 
a  parameter  that  describes  the  degree  of  dependence  among 
credit default rates within a credit portfolio that underlies a credit 
derivative instrument. The sensitivity of this input on the fair value 
varies depending on the level of subordination of the tranche. For 

senior tranches that are net purchases of protection, a significant 
increase in default correlation would result in a significantly higher 
fair value. Net short protection positions would be impacted in a 
directionally opposite way. Wrong-way correlation is a parameter 
that describes the probability that as exposure to a counterparty 
increases,  the  credit  quality  of  the  counterparty  decreases.  A 
significantly higher degree of wrong-way correlation between a DPC 
counterparty and underlying derivative exposure would result in a 
significantly lower fair value. 

For equity derivatives, equity-linked long-term debt (structured 
liabilities)  and  interest  rate  derivatives,  a  significant  change  in 
long-dated rates and volatilities and correlation inputs (e.g., the 
degree  of  correlation  between  an  equity  security  and  an  index, 
between two different interest rates, or between interest rates and 
foreign exchange rates) would result in a significant impact to the 
fair  value;  however,  the  magnitude  and  direction  of  the  impact 
depends on whether the Corporation is long or short the exposure.

Nonrecurring Fair Value
The Corporation holds certain assets that are measured at fair 
value, but only in certain situations (for example, impairment) and 
these measurements are referred to herein as nonrecurring. These 
assets  primarily  include  LHFS,  certain  loans  and  leases,  and 
foreclosed properties. The amounts below represent only balances 
measured at fair value during 2012, 2011 and 2010, and still held 
as of the reporting date.

Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

(Dollars in millions)

Assets

December 31

2012

2011

Level 2

Level 3

Level 2

Level 3

Loans held-for-sale
Loans and leases
Foreclosed properties (1)
Other assets

$

5,692
21
33
36

$

1,136
9,184
1,918
12

$ 2,662
9
—
44

$ 1,008
10,629
2,531
885

(Dollars in millions)

Assets

Gains (Losses)
2011

2010

2012

$

Loans held-for-sale
Loans and leases (2)
Foreclosed properties
Other assets

174
(6,074)
(240)
(50)
(1)  Amounts are included in other assets on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet and 
represent  fair  value  and  related  losses  on  foreclosed  properties  that  were  written  down 
subsequent to their initial classification as foreclosed properties.

(4,813)
(333)
—

(3,116)
(188)
(16)

(181) $

(8) $

(2)  Losses represent charge-offs on real estate-secured loans.

Bank of America 2012     265

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The table below presents information about significant unobservable inputs related to the Corporation’s nonrecurring Level 3 financial 

assets and liabilities at December 31, 2012.

Quantitative Information about Nonrecurring Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

(Dollars in millions)

Instruments backed by residential real estate assets

Financial Instrument

Loans held-for-sale
Loans and leases

Fair
Value

$ 9,932
748
9,184

Valuation
Technique

Significant Unobservable 
Inputs

Ranges of
Inputs

Weighted 
Average

Inputs

Discounted cash 
flow, Market 
comparables

Yield
Prepayment speed
Default rate
Loss severity
OREO discount
Cost to sell
Yield
Loss severity

3% to 5%
3% to 30%
0% to 55%
6% to 66%
0% to 28%
8%
4% to 13%
24% to 88%

3%
15%
7%
48%
15%
n/a
6%
53%

Instruments backed by commercial real estate assets

Loans held-for-sale

n/a = not applicable

$

388 Discounted cash 
388

flow

Instruments backed by residential real estate assets represent 
residential mortgages where the loan has been written down to 
the fair value of the underlying collateral or, in the case of LHFS, 
are carried at the lower of cost or fair value.

In addition to the instruments disclosed in the table above, the 
Corporation holds foreclosed residential properties where the fair 
value is based on unadjusted third-party appraisals or broker price 
opinions.  Appraisals  are  conducted  every  90  days.  Factors 
considered in determining the fair value include geographic sales 
trends, the value of comparable surrounding properties as well as 
the condition of the property. 

NOTE 22 Fair Value Option

Loans and Loan Commitments
The  Corporation  elects  to  account  for  certain  consumer  and 
commercial  loans  and  loan  commitments  that  exceeded  the 
Corporation’s  single  name  credit  risk  concentration  guidelines 
under the fair value option. Lending commitments, both funded 
and  unfunded,  are  actively  managed  and  monitored  and,  as 
appropriate,  credit  risk  for  these  lending  relationships  may  be 
mitigated  through  the  use  of  credit  derivatives,  with  the 
Corporation’s  public  side  credit  view  and  market  perspectives 
determining the size and timing of the hedging activity. These credit 
derivatives  do  not  meet  the  requirements  for  designation  as 
accounting  hedges  and  therefore  are  carried  at  fair  value  with 
changes in fair value recorded in other income (loss). Electing the 
fair value option allows the Corporation to carry these loans and 
loan  commitments  at  fair  value,  which  is  more  consistent  with 
management’s view of the underlying economics and the manner 
in which they are managed. In addition, election of the fair value 
option allows the Corporation to reduce the accounting volatility 
that  would  otherwise  result  from  the  asymmetry  created  by 
accounting for the financial instruments at historical cost and the 
credit  derivatives  at  fair  value.  Of  the  changes  in  fair  value  for 
these loans, $1.2 billion was attributable to changes in borrower-
specific credit risk. 

Loans Held-for-sale
The Corporation elects to account for residential mortgage LHFS, 
commercial mortgage LHFS and other LHFS under the fair value 
option  with  interest  income  on  these  LHFS  recorded  in  other 
interest income. These loans are actively managed and monitored 
and,  as  appropriate,  certain  market  risks  of  the  loans  may  be 
mitigated  through  the  use  of  derivatives.  The  Corporation  has 
elected not to designate the derivatives as qualifying accounting 
hedges and therefore they are carried at fair value with changes 
in fair value recorded in other income (loss). The changes in fair 
value of the loans are largely offset by changes in the fair value 
of the derivatives. Of the changes in fair value for these loans, 
$425  million  was  attributable  to  changes  in  borrower-specific 
credit risk. Election of the fair value option allows the Corporation 
to reduce the accounting volatility that would otherwise result from 
the asymmetry created by accounting for the financial instruments 
at the lower of cost or fair value and the derivatives at fair value. 
The Corporation has not elected to account for other LHFS under 
the fair value option primarily because these loans are floating-
rate loans that are not hedged using derivative instruments. 

Loans Reported as Trading Account Assets
The Corporation elects to account for certain loans that are held 
for the purpose of trading and risk-managed on a fair value basis 
under the fair value option. An immaterial portion of the changes 
in fair value for these loans was attributable to changes in borrower-
specific credit risk.

Other Assets
The  Corporation  elects  to  account  for  certain  private  equity 
investments that are not in an investment company under the fair 
value  option  as  this  measurement  basis  is  consistent  with 
applicable accounting guidance for similar investments that are 
in an investment company. The Corporation also elects to account 
for certain long-term fixed-rate margin loans that are hedged with 
derivatives under the fair value option. Election of the fair value 
option allows the Corporation to reduce the accounting volatility 
that  would  otherwise  result  from  the  asymmetry  created  by 
accounting for the financial instruments at historical cost and the 
derivatives at fair value.

266     Bank of America 2012

Securities Financing Agreements
The Corporation elects to account for certain securities financing 
agreements, including resale and repurchase agreements, under 
the fair value option based on the tenor of the agreements, which 
reflects the magnitude of the interest rate risk. The majority of 
securities financing agreements collateralized by U.S. government 
securities  are  not  accounted  for  under  the  fair  value  option  as 
these  contracts  are  generally  short-dated  and  therefore  the 
interest rate risk is not significant.

Long-term Deposits
The Corporation elects to account for certain long-term fixed-rate 
and rate-linked deposits that are hedged with derivatives and do 
not  qualify  for  hedge  accounting  under  the  fair  value  option. 
Election of the fair value option allows the Corporation to reduce 
the  accounting  volatility  that  would  otherwise  result  from  the 
asymmetry created by accounting for the financial instruments at 
historical cost and the derivatives at fair value. The Corporation 
did not elect to carry other long-term deposits at fair value because 
they were not hedged using derivatives.

Other Short-term Borrowings
The  Corporation  elects  to  account  for  certain  other  short-term 
borrowings under the fair value option because this debt is risk-
managed on a fair value basis.

Long-term Debt
The  Corporation  elects  to  account  for  certain  long-term  debt, 
primarily structured liabilities, under the fair value option. This long-
term debt is either risk-managed on a fair value basis or the related 
hedges do not qualify for hedge accounting.

Asset-backed Secured Financings
The  Corporation  elects  to  account  for  certain  asset-backed 
secured  financings,  which  are  classified  in  other  short-term 
borrowings, under the fair value option. Election of the fair value 
option allows the Corporation to reduce the accounting volatility 
that  would  otherwise  result  from  the  asymmetry  created  by 
accounting for the asset-backed secured financings at historical 
cost  and  the  corresponding  mortgage  LHFS  securing  these 
financings at fair value.

The  table  below  provides  information  about  the  fair  value 
carrying  amount  and  the  contractual  principal  outstanding  of 
assets and liabilities accounted for under the fair value option at 
December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Fair Value Option Elections

(Dollars in millions)

2012

2011

December 31

Fair Value
Carrying
Amount

Contractual
Principal
Outstanding

Fair Value
Carrying
Amount Less
Unpaid
Principal

Fair Value
Carrying
Amount

Contractual
Principal
Outstanding

Fair Value
Carrying
Amount Less
Unpaid
Principal

$

$

$

(1,220)
Loans reported as trading account assets
n/a
Trading inventory - other
(2,019)
Consumer and commercial loans
(2,043)
Loans held-for-sale
596
Securities financing agreements
n/a
Other assets
Long-term deposits
262
(621)
Asset-backed secured financings
n/a
Unfunded loan commitments
(1)
Other short-term borrowings
(9,615)
Long-term debt (1)
(1)  The majority of the difference between the fair value carrying amount and contractual principal outstanding at December 31, 2012 and 2011 relates to the impact of the Corporation’s credit spreads 

(1,216) $
n/a
(574)
(1,017)
518
183
216
(435)
n/a
—
(1,631)

2,371
n/a
10,823
9,673
121,092
n/a
3,035
1,271
n/a
5,909
55,854

1,151
1,173
8,804
7,630
121,688
251
3,297
650
1,249
5,908
46,239

1,663
2,170
9,002
11,659
141,309
453
2,262
741
528
3,333
49,161

2,879
n/a
9,576
12,676
140,791
270
2,046
1,176
n/a
3,333
50,792

$

$

as well as the fair value of the embedded derivative, where applicable.

n/a = not applicable

Bank of America 2012     267

 
 
The table below provides information about where changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities accounted for under the fair 

value option are included in the Corporation’s Consolidated Statement of Income for 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Gains (Losses) Relating to Assets and Liabilities Accounted for Under the Fair Value Option

(Dollars in millions)

Loans reported as trading account assets
Consumer and commercial loans
Loans held-for-sale
Securities financing agreements
Other assets
Long-term deposits
Asset-backed secured financings
Unfunded loan commitments
Other short-term borrowings
Long-term debt (1)

Total

Loans reported as trading account assets
Consumer and commercial loans
Loans held-for-sale
Securities financing agreements
Other assets
Long-term deposits
Asset-backed secured financings
Unfunded loan commitments
Other short-term borrowings
Long-term debt (1)

Total

2012

Trading
Account
Profits
(Losses)

Mortgage 
Banking 
Income 
(Loss)

Other 
Income 
(Loss)

Total

$

$

$

$

$

232
17
75
(90)
—
—
—
—
1
(1,888)
(1,653) $

73
15
(20)
127
—
—
—
—
261
2,149
2,605

$

$

— $
—
2,116
—
—
—
(180)
—
—
—
1,936

$

2011
— $
—
4,137
—
—
—
(30)
—
—
—
4,107

$

— $

542
190
—
12
29
—
704
—
(5,107)
(3,630) $

— $

(275)
148
—
196
(77)
—
(429)
—
3,320
2,883

$

232
559
2,381
(90)
12
29
(180)
704
1
(6,995)
(3,347)

73
(260)
4,265
127
196
(77)
(30)
(429)
261
5,469
9,595

$

Loans reported as trading account assets
Commercial loans
Loans held-for-sale
Securities financing agreements
Other assets
Long-term deposits
Asset-backed secured financings
Unfunded loan commitments
Other short-term borrowings
Long-term debt (1)

157
84
9,584
52
107
(48)
(95)
23
(192)
(603)
9,069
(1)   The majority of the net gains (losses) in trading account profits (losses) relate to the embedded derivative in structured liabilities and are offset by gains (losses) on derivatives and securities that 

157
2
—
52
—
—
—
—
(192)
(621)
(602) $

— $
82
493
—
107
(48)
—
23
—
18
675

Total

$

$

$

2010
— $
—
9,091
—
—
—
(95)
—
—
—
8,996

$

hedge these liabilities. The net gains (losses) in other income (loss) relate to the impact on structured liabilities of changes in the Corporation’s credit spread.

NOTE 23 Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair values of financial instruments and their classifications 
within  the  fair  value  hierarchy  have  been  derived  using 
methodologies described in Note 21 – Fair Value Measurements. 
The following disclosures include financial instruments where only 
a portion of the ending balance at December 31, 2012 and 2011 
was carried at fair value on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance 
Sheet.

Short-term Financial Instruments
The carrying value of short-term financial instruments, including 
cash and cash equivalents, time deposits placed and other short-
term investments, federal funds sold and purchased, resale and 
certain repurchase agreements, customer and other receivables, 
customer payables (within accrued expenses and other liabilities 

on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet), and other short-
term borrowings approximates the fair value of these instruments. 
These financial instruments generally expose the Corporation to 
limited credit risk and have no stated maturities or have short-
term maturities and carry interest rates that approximate market. 
The  Corporation  elected  to  account  for  certain  repurchase 
agreements under the fair value option.

Under the fair value hierarchy, cash and cash equivalents are 
classified as Level 1. Time deposits placed and other short-term 
investments, such as U.S. government securities and short-term 
commercial paper, are classified as Level 1 and Level 2. Federal 
funds sold and purchased are classified as Level 2. Resale and 
repurchase agreements are classified as Level 2 because they 
are  generally  short-dated  and/or  variable-rate  instruments 
collateralized by U.S. government or agency securities. Customer 

268     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
and other receivables primarily consist of margin loans, servicing 
advances  and  other  accounts  receivable  and  are  classified  as 
Level 2 and Level 3. Customer payables (within accrued expenses 
and other liabilities) and other short-term borrowings are classified 
as Level 2.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying values and fair values by fair value hierarchy of certain 
financial instruments where only a portion of the ending balance 
was carried at fair value are presented in the table below.

Held-to-maturity Debt Securities
HTM debt securities, which consist of U.S. agency debt securities, 
are classified as Level 2 using the same methodologies as AFS 
U.S.  agency  debt  securities.  For  additional  information  on  HTM 
debt securities, see Note 4 – Securities.

Loans
Fair values were generally determined by discounting both principal 
and interest cash flows expected to be collected using a discount 
rate for similar instruments with adjustments that the Corporation 
believes a market participant would consider in determining fair 
value. The Corporation estimates the cash flows expected to be 
collected using internal credit risk, interest rate and prepayment 
risk models that incorporate the Corporation’s best estimate of 
current key assumptions, such as default rates, loss severity and 
prepayment speeds for the life of the loan. The carrying value of 
loans is presented net of the applicable allowance for loan losses 
and  excludes  leases.  The  Corporation  elected  to  account  for 
certain large commercial loans that exceeded the Corporation’s 
single name credit risk concentration guidelines by an amount that 
would require hedging under the fair value option.

Mortgage Servicing Rights
Commercial and residential reverse MSRs, which are carried at 
the  lower  of  cost  or  market  value  and  accounted  for  using  the 
amortization  method,  are  classified  as  Level  3.  For  additional 
information on MSRs, see Note 24 – Mortgage Servicing Rights.

Deposits
The  fair  value  for  certain  deposits  with  stated  maturities  was 
determined by discounting contractual cash flows using current 
market rates for instruments with similar maturities. The carrying 
value  of  non-U.S.  time  deposits  approximates  fair  value.  For 
deposits  with  no  stated  maturities,  the  carrying  value  was 
considered  to  approximate  fair  value  and  does  not  take  into 
account the significant value of the cost advantage and stability 
of the Corporation’s long-term relationships with depositors. The 
Corporation accounts for certain long-term fixed-rate deposits that 
are hedged with derivatives on a risk management basis under 
the fair value option.

Long-term Debt
The  Corporation  uses  quoted  market  prices,  when  available,  to 
estimate  fair  value  for  its  long-term  debt.  When  quoted  market 
prices are not available, fair value is estimated based on current 
market interest rates and credit spreads for debt with similar terms 
and maturities. The Corporation accounts for certain structured 
liabilities under the fair value option.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

December 31, 2012

Fair Value

Carrying
Value

Level 2

Level 3

Total

$ 859,875
19,413

$ 105,119
15,087

$ 772,761
4,321

$ 877,880
19,408

1,105,261
275,585

1,105,669
281,173

— 1,105,669
283,474

2,301

(Dollars in millions)

Financial assets

Loans
Loans held-for-sale

Financial liabilities

Deposits
Long-term debt

The  carrying  values  and  fair  values  of  certain  financial 
instruments where only a portion of the ending balance was carried 
at fair value are presented in the table below.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

(Dollars in millions)

Financial assets

Loans

Financial liabilities

Deposits
Long-term debt

December 31, 2011
Carrying
Value

Fair
Value

$ 870,520

$ 849,685

1,033,041
372,265

1,033,248
343,211

Commercial Unfunded Lending Commitments
Fair  values  were  generally  determined  using  a  discounted  cash 
flow valuation approach which is applied using market-based CDS 
or internally developed benchmark credit curves. The Corporation 
accounts for certain loan commitments under the fair value option.
The  carrying  values  and  fair  values  of  the  Corporation’s 
commercial unfunded lending commitments were $1.0 billion and 
$4.5  billion  at  December 31,  2012,  and  $2.0  billion  and  $7.1 
billion  at  December 31,  2011.  Commercial  unfunded  lending 
commitments are primarily classified as Level 3. The carrying value 
of these commitments is classified in accrued expenses and other 
liabilities on the Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

The Corporation does not estimate the fair values of consumer 
unfunded lending commitments because, in many instances, the 
Corporation can reduce or cancel these commitments by providing 
notice to the borrower. For additional information on commitments, 
see Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies.

Bank of America 2012     269

 
 
 
 
 
MSRs.  The  Corporation  used  the  prices  in  the  proposals,  as 
adjusted to exclude the portion of the pricing that was not specific 
to the MSRs, as a third-party pricing source in the valuation of the 
MSRs. Use of this pricing source had the effect of increasing the 
fair value of the MSRs by $342 million, which is included in Other 
model changes in the table above, to bring the fair value of the 
MSRs to an amount consistent with the third-party price discovery.
The significant economic assumptions used in determining the 
fair value of MSRs at December 31, 2012 and 2011 are presented 
below.

Significant Economic Assumptions

Weighted-average OAS
Weighted-average life, in years

December 31

2012

2011

Fixed

4.00%
3.65

Adjustable
6.63%
2.10

Fixed

2.80%
3.78

Adjustable
5.61%
2.10

The  table  below  presents  the  sensitivity  of  the  weighted-
average  lives  and  fair  value  of  MSRs  to  changes  in  modeled 
assumptions. These sensitivities are hypothetical and should be 
used with caution. As the amounts indicate, changes in fair value 
based  on  variations  in  assumptions  generally  cannot  be 
extrapolated because the relationship of the change in assumption 
to the change in fair value may not be linear. Also, the effect of a 
variation in a particular assumption on the fair value of MSRs that 
continue  to  be  held  by  the  Corporation  is  calculated  without 
changing any other assumption. In reality, changes in one factor 
may result in changes in another, which might magnify or counteract 
the sensitivities. The below sensitivities do not reflect any hedge 
strategies that may be undertaken to mitigate such risk.

Sensitivity Impacts

(Dollars in millions)

Prepayment rates

Impact of 10% decrease
Impact of 20% decrease
Impact of 10% increase
Impact of 20% increase

OAS level

Impact of 100 bps decrease
Impact of 200 bps decrease
Impact of 100 bps increase
Impact of 200 bps increase

December 31, 2012

Change in
Weighted-average Lives

Fixed

Adjustable

Change in
Fair Value

0.31 years
0.67
(0.27)
(0.51)

$

0.20 years
0.43
(0.17)
(0.32)

  $

510
1,094
(450)
(849)

256
535
(237)
(455)

NOTE 24 Mortgage Servicing Rights
The Corporation accounts for consumer MSRs at fair value with 
changes in fair value recorded in the Corporation’s Consolidated 
Statement  of  Income  in  mortgage  banking  income  (loss).  The 
Corporation  manages  the  risk  in  these  MSRs  with  securities 
including MBS and U.S. Treasuries, as well as certain derivatives 
such as options and interest rate swaps, which are not designated 
as accounting hedges. The securities used to manage the risk in 
the MSRs are classified in other assets with changes in the fair 
value of the securities and the related interest income recorded 
in mortgage banking income (loss).

The table below presents activity for residential first-lien MSRs 
for 2012 and 2011. Commercial and residential reverse MSRs, 
which  are  carried  at  the  lower  of  cost  or  market  value  and 
accounted for using the amortization method, totaled $135 million 
and $132 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, and are not 
included in the tables in this Note.

Rollforward of Mortgage Servicing Rights

(Dollars in millions)

Balance, January 1

Additions
Sales
Impact of customer payments (1)
Impact of changes in interest rates and other market 

factors (2)

Model and other cash flow assumption changes: (3)

Projected cash flows, primarily due to (increases) 

$

2012

7,378
374
(122)
(1,484)

2011
$ 14,900
1,656
(896)
(2,621)

(867)

(4,890)

decreases in costs to service loans (4)

443

(2,306)

Impact of changes in the Home Price Index
Impact of changes to the prepayment model
Other model changes

Balance, December 31

(112)
435
(329)
5,716
1,045

428
1,818
(711)
$ 7,378
$ 1,379

$
$

Mortgage loans serviced for investors (in billions)
(1)  Represents the change in the market value of the MSR asset due to the impact of customer 

payments received during the period.

(2)  These amounts reflect the changes in modeled MSR fair value primarily due to observed changes 

in interest rates, volatility, spreads and the shape of the forward swap curve.

(3)  These amounts reflect periodic adjustments to the valuation model as well as changes in certain 

cash flow assumptions such as cost to service and ancillary income per loan.

(4)  As part of the MSR fair value estimation process, the Corporation increased its estimated cost 
to service during 2011 due to higher costs expected from foreclosure delays and procedures, 
the implementation of various loan modification programs, and compliance with new banking 
regulations.  During  2012,  the  Corporation  has  continued  to  refine  its  estimates  of  cost  to 
service and ancillary income to be consistent with market participants’ view which resulted in 
a decrease to the estimated cost to service.

The  Corporation  primarily  uses  an  OAS  valuation  approach 
which  factors  in  prepayment  risk  to  determine  the  fair  value  of 
MSRs. This approach consists of projecting servicing cash flows 
under multiple interest rate scenarios and discounting these cash 
flows  using  risk-adjusted  discount  rates.  In  late  2012,  the 
Corporation  solicited  and  received  multiple  proposals  from 
independent  third  parties  for  the  purchase  of  a  portion  of  the 

270     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 25 Merger and Restructuring Activity
Merger and restructuring charges are recorded in the Corporation’s 
Consolidated Statement of Income and include incremental costs 
to integrate the operations of the Corporation and its most recent 
acquisitions.  These  charges  represent  costs  associated  with 
these activities and do not represent ongoing costs of the fully 
integrated combined organization. The table below presents the 
components of merger and restructuring charges. 

Merger and Restructuring Charges

(Dollars in millions)

Severance and employee-related charges
Systems integrations and related charges
Other

Total merger and restructuring charges

2011

2010

$

$

226
285
127
638

$

455
1,137
228
$ 1,820

There were no merger and restructuring charges in 2012. For 
2011,  all  merger-related  charges  related  to  the  Merrill  Lynch 
acquisition. For 2010, merger-related charges include $1.6 billion 
related to the Merrill Lynch acquisition and $202 million related 
to earlier acquisitions.

The table below presents the changes in restructuring reserves 
for 2012 and 2011. Restructuring reserves are established by a 
charge to merger and restructuring charges, and the restructuring 
charges are included in the table. Substantially all of the amounts 
in the table relate to the Merrill Lynch acquisition.

Restructuring Reserves

(Dollars in millions)

Balance, January 1
Exit costs and restructuring charges
Cash payments and other
Balance, December 31

2012

2011

$

$

$

234
—
(234)

— $

336
217
(319)
234

Amounts added to the restructuring reserves in 2011 related 

to severance and other employee-related costs.

NOTE 26 Business Segment Information
The Corporation reports the results of its operations through five 
business  segments:  Consumer  &  Business  Banking  (CBB), 
Consumer  Real  Estate  Services  (CRES),  Global  Banking,  Global 
Markets and Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), with 
the remaining operations recorded in All Other.

Consumer & Business Banking
CBB offers a diversified range of credit, banking and investment 
products and services to consumers and businesses. CBB product 
offerings  include  traditional  savings  accounts,  money  market 
savings accounts, CDs and IRAs, noninterest- and interest-bearing 
checking accounts, investment accounts and products as well as 
credit  and  debit  cards  in  the  U.S.  to  consumers  and  small 
businesses. Customers and clients have access to a franchise 
that stretches coast to coast through 32 states and the District 
of Columbia. The franchise network includes approximately 5,500 
banking centers, 16,300 ATMs, nationwide call centers, and online 
and mobile platforms. CBB also offers a wide range of lending-

related  products  and  services,  integrated  working  capital 
management and treasury solutions through a network of offices 
and client relationship teams along with various product partners 
to U.S.-based companies generally with annual sales of $1 million 
to $50 million. CBB results are impacted by the migration of clients 
and their deposit and loan balances between CBB and other client-
managed businesses. Subsequent to the date of migration, the 
associated  net 
income  and 
noninterest expense are recorded in the business to which the 
clients migrated. 

income,  noninterest 

interest 

Consumer Real Estate Services
CRES provides an extensive line of consumer real estate products 
and  services  to  customers  nationwide.  CRES  products  include 
fixed-  and  adjustable-rate  first-lien  mortgage  loans  for  home 
purchase and refinancing needs, HELOC and home equity loans. 
First  mortgage  products  are  either  sold  into  the  secondary 
mortgage market to investors, while generally retaining MSRs and 
the Bank of America customer relationships, or are held on the 
Corporation’s  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  in  All  Other  for  ALM 
purposes. HELOC and home equity loans are retained on the CRES 
balance  sheet.  CRES  services  mortgage  loans,  including  those 
loans it owns, loans owned by other business segments and All 
Other, and loans owned by outside investors. 

The financial results of the on-balance sheet loans are reported 
in the business segment that owns the loans or All Other. CRES 
is  not  impacted  by  the  Corporation’s  first  mortgage  production 
retention decisions as CRES is compensated for loans held for 
ALM  purposes  on  a  management  accounting  basis,  with  a 
corresponding offset recorded in All Other, and for servicing loans 
owned  by  other  business  segments  and  All  Other.  CRES  also 
includes the impact of transferring customers and their related 
loan  balances  between  GWIM  and  CRES  based  on  client 
segmentation thresholds. Subsequent to the date of transfer, the 
associated  net  interest  income  and  noninterest  expense  are 
recorded in the business segment to which loans were transferred.

treasury  solutions  business 

Global Banking
Global Banking provides a wide range of lending-related products 
and services, integrated working capital management and treasury 
solutions  to  clients,  and  underwriting  and  advisory  services 
through the Corporation’s network of offices and client relationship 
teams  along  with  various  product  partners.  Global  Banking’s 
lending products and services include commercial loans, leases, 
commitment facilities, trade finance, real estate lending, asset-
based  lending  and  direct/indirect  consumer  loans.  Global 
Banking’s 
treasury 
management, foreign exchange and short-term investing options. 
Global  Banking  also  works  with  clients  to  provide  investment 
banking  products  such  as  debt  and  equity  underwriting  and 
distribution, and merger-related and other advisory services. The 
economics  of  certain  investment  banking  and  underwriting 
activities are shared primarily between Global Banking and Global 
Markets based on the contribution by, and involvement of each 
include  middle-market 
segment.  Global  Banking  clients 
companies, commercial real estate firms, auto dealerships, not-
for-profit 
governments, 
federal  and 
municipalities, large global corporations, financial institutions and 
leasing clients. 

companies, 

includes 

state 

Bank of America 2012     271

Global Markets
Global  Markets  offers  sales  and  trading  services,  including 
research,  to  institutional  clients  across  fixed  income,  credit, 
currency,  commodity  and  equity  businesses.  Global  Markets 
product coverage includes securities and derivative products in 
both the primary and secondary markets. Global Markets provides 
market-making,  financing,  securities  clearing,  settlement  and 
custody services globally to institutional investor clients in support 
of their investing and trading activities. Global Markets also works 
with commercial and corporate clients to provide risk management 
products using interest rate, equity, credit, currency and commodity 
derivatives, foreign exchange, fixed-income and mortgage-related 
products. As a result of market-making activities in these products, 
Global  Markets  may  be  required  to  manage  risk  in  government 
securities, equity and equity-linked securities, high-grade and high-
yield  corporate  debt  securities,  commercial  paper,  MBS, 
commodities  and  ABS.  The  economics  of  certain  investment 
banking and underwriting activities are shared primarily between 
Global  Markets  and  Global  Banking  based  on  the  activities 
performed by each segment.

Global Wealth & Investment Management
GWIM provides comprehensive wealth management solutions to 
a broad base of clients from emerging affluent to the ultra-wealthy. 
These services include investment and brokerage services, estate 
and financial planning, fiduciary portfolio management, cash and 
liability  management,  and  specialty  asset  management.  GWIM 
also provides retirement and benefit plan services, philanthropic 
management  and  asset  management 
individual  and 
institutional clients. GWIM results are impacted by the migration 
of clients and their deposit and loan balances between GWIM and 
other  client-managed  businesses.  Subsequent  to  the  date  of 
migration, the associated net interest income, noninterest income 
and noninterest expense are recorded in the business to which 
the  clients  migrated.  In  2012,  the  Corporation  entered  into  an 
agreement to sell the GWIM IWM businesses based outside of the 
U.S. and sold its Japanese brokerage joint venture. As a result of 
these actions, the IWM businesses and the Japanese brokerage 
joint venture results were moved to All Other and prior periods have 
been reclassified.

to 

All Other
All Other consists of ALM activities, equity investments, liquidating 
businesses and other. ALM activities encompass the whole-loan 
residential mortgage portfolio and investment securities, interest 
rate and foreign currency risk management activities including the 
residual net interest income allocation, gains/losses on structured 
liabilities, and the impact of certain allocation methodologies and 
accounting hedge ineffectiveness. Additionally, All Other includes 

certain residential mortgage and discontinued real estate loans 
that are managed by CRES. In 2012, the IWM businesses and the 
Japanese brokerage joint venture results were moved to All Other 
from GWIM and prior periods have been reclassified.

Basis of Presentation
The  management  accounting  and  reporting  process  derives 
segment  and  business 
results  by  utilizing  allocation 
methodologies for revenue and expense. The net income derived 
for the businesses is dependent upon revenue and cost allocations 
using an activity-based costing model, funds transfer pricing, and 
other methodologies and assumptions management believes are 
appropriate to reflect the results of the business.

Total revenue, net of interest expense, includes net interest 
income on a FTE basis and noninterest income. The adjustment 
of net interest income to a FTE basis results in a corresponding 
increase in income tax expense. The segment results also reflect 
certain revenue and expense methodologies that are utilized to 
determine net income. The net interest income of the businesses 
includes  the  results  of  a  funds  transfer  pricing  process  that 
matches assets and liabilities with similar interest rate sensitivity 
and  maturity  characteristics.  For  presentation  purposes,  in 
segments where the total of liabilities and equity exceeds assets, 
which  are  generally  deposit-taking  segments,  the  Corporation 
allocates assets to match liabilities. Net interest income of the 
business  segments  also  includes  an  allocation  of  net  interest 
income generated by the Corporation’s ALM activities.

The Corporation’s ALM activities include an overall interest rate 
risk  management  strategy  that  incorporates  the  use  of  various 
derivatives  and  cash  instruments  to  manage  fluctuations  in 
earnings and capital that are caused by interest rate volatility. The 
Corporation’s goal is to manage interest rate sensitivity so that 
movements in interest rates do not significantly adversely affect 
earnings  and  capital.  The  majority  of  the  Corporation’s  ALM 
activities are allocated to the business segments and fluctuate 
based  on  performance.  ALM  activities  include  external  product 
pricing decisions including deposit pricing strategies, the effects 
of the Corporation’s internal funds transfer pricing process and 
the net effects of other ALM activities.

Certain  expenses  not  directly  attributable  to  a  specific 
business  segment  are  allocated  to  the  segments.  The  most 
significant of these expenses include data and item processing 
costs and certain centralized or shared functions. Data processing 
costs are allocated to the segments based on equipment usage. 
Item processing costs are allocated to the segments based on 
the volume of items processed for each segment. The costs of 
certain other centralized or shared functions are allocated based 
on methodologies that reflect utilization.

272     Bank of America 2012

The following tables present total revenue, net of interest expense, on a FTE basis, and net income (loss) for 2012, 2011 and 2010, 

and total assets at December 31, 2012 and 2011 for each business segment, as well as All Other.

Business Segments

At and for the Year Ended December 31
(Dollars in millions)

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income (loss)

$

Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

Provision for credit losses
Amortization of intangibles
Goodwill impairment
Other noninterest expense

Income (loss) before income taxes
Income tax expense (benefit) (FTE basis)

Net income (loss)
Year-end total assets

Total Corporation (1)
2011

2012

2010

41,557 $
42,678
84,235
8,169
1,264
—
70,829
3,973
(215)
4,188 $

45,588 $ 52,693
48,838
58,697
111,390
94,426
28,435
13,410
1,731
1,509
12,400
3,184
68,977
75,581
(153)
742
2,085
(704)
(2,238) $
1,446 $

$

Consumer Real Estate Services
2012
2010
2011

Consumer & Business Banking
2012
2010
2011
$ 19,125 $ 21,378 $ 24,299
13,888
38,187
11,647
870
10,400
17,316
(2,046)
3,089

9,898
29,023
3,941
626
—
16,167
8,289
2,968
5,321 $
  $ 554,878 $521,097

2,959 $
4,662
5,800
5,667
11,502
8,759
10,329
32,880
1,442
8,490
3,490
—
38
759
—
2,000
—
17,306
12,762
16,960
(9,989)
(12,961)
11,671
(3,482)
4,224
(4,068)
7,447 $ (5,135) $ (6,507) $ (19,465) $ (8,893)

3,207 $
(6,361)
(3,154)
4,524
11
2,603
19,177
(29,469)
(10,004)

  $ 132,388 $163,712

$
$ 2,209,974 $ 2,129,046

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income

Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

$

Provision for credit losses
Amortization of intangibles
Other noninterest expense

Income before income taxes
Income tax expense (FTE basis)

Net income

Year-end total assets

Net interest income (FTE basis)
Noninterest income (loss)

Total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)

Provision for credit losses
Amortization of intangibles
Goodwill impairment
Other noninterest expense

Income (loss) before income taxes
Income tax expense (benefit) (FTE basis)

Net income (loss)
Year-end total assets
(1)  There were no material intersegment revenues.

Global Banking
2011

2012

2010

2012

Global Markets
2011

2010

9,225 $
7,982
17,207
(103)
79
8,229
9,002
3,277
5,725 $

9,490 $ 10,062
7,682
7,822
17,744
17,312
1,298
(1,118)
121
102
8,548
8,782
7,777
9,546
2,887
3,500
4,890
6,046 $

$
$ 362,797 $348,773

$

3,310 $

3,682 $

11,116
14,798
(56)
66
12,178
2,610
1,622

10,209
13,519
3
64
10,775
2,677
1,623
1,054 $
  $ 615,297 $501,867

$

988 $

4,332
14,799
19,131
30
66
11,708
7,327
3,076
4,251

Global Wealth &
Investment Management

All Other

2012

2011

2010

2012

2011

2010

$

5,827 $

5,885 $

10,690
16,517
266
414
—
12,341
3,496
1,273
2,223 $

10,610
16,495
398
438
—
12,945
2,714
996
1,718 $

$
$ 297,330 $273,106

5,547
9,836
15,383
646
458
—
11,861
2,418
1,076
1,342

$

1,111 $
(1,901)
(790)
2,620
81
—
6,011
(9,502)
(5,874)
$ (3,628) $

1,946 $

14,149
16,095
6,172
133
581
5,539
3,670
(1,042)
4,712 $

3,791
6,825
10,616
6,324
178
—
6,782
(2,668)
(3,975)
1,307

  $ 247,284 $320,491

Bank of America 2012     273

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following tables present a reconciliation of the five business segments’ total revenue, net of interest expense, on a FTE basis, 
and net income (loss) to the Corporation’s Consolidated Statement of Income, and total assets to the Corporation’s Consolidated 
Balance  Sheet.  The  adjustments  presented  in  the  following  tables  include  consolidated  income,  expense  and  asset  amounts  not 
specifically allocated to individual business segments.

Business Segment Reconciliations

(Dollars in millions)

Segments’ total revenue, net of interest expense (FTE basis)
Adjustments:

ALM activities (1)
Equity investment income
Liquidating businesses
FTE basis adjustment
Other

Consolidated revenue, net of interest expense

Segments’ net income (loss)
Adjustments, net of taxes:

ALM activities
Equity investment income
Liquidating businesses
Merger and restructuring charges
Other

Consolidated net income (loss)

Segments’ total assets
Adjustments:

ALM activities, including securities portfolio
Equity investments
Liquidating businesses
Elimination of segment excess asset allocations to match liabilities
Other

Consolidated total assets

2012

2011

$

85,025

$

78,331

2010
$ 100,774

(2,412)
1,135
2,279
(901)
(1,792)
83,334
7,816

(4,088)
715
226
—
(481)
4,188

$
$

$

7,576
7,105
3,526
(972)
(2,112)
93,454
(3,266) $

1,872
4,629
6,005
(1,170)
(1,890)
$ 110,220
(3,545)

513
4,476
(263)
(402)
388
1,446

$

(2,480)
2,916
635
(1,146)
1,382
(2,238)

$
$

$

December 31

2012
$ 1,962,690

2011
$ 1,808,555

622,722
5,508
32,597
(554,426)
140,883
$ 2,209,974

611,793
7,098
37,570
(492,251)
156,281
$ 2,129,046

(1)   Includes negative fair value adjustments on structured liabilities of $5.1 billion in 2012 and positive fair value adjustments on structured liabilities of $3.3 billion and $18 million in 2011 and 2010. 

274     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 27 Parent Company Information
The following tables present the Parent Company-only financial information.

Condensed Statement of Income

(Dollars in millions)

Income
Dividends from subsidiaries:

Bank holding companies and related subsidiaries
Nonbank companies and related subsidiaries

Interest from subsidiaries
Other income (loss) (1)
Total income

Expense
Interest on borrowed funds
Noninterest expense (2)
Total expense
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries

Income tax benefit
Income before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries:

Bank holding companies and related subsidiaries
Nonbank companies and related subsidiaries

Total equity in undistributed losses of subsidiaries
Net income (loss)
Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders

2012

2011

2010

$

16,213
542
627
(304)
17,078

5,376
11,643
17,019
59
(5,883)
5,942

$

$ 10,277
553
869
10,603
22,302

6,234
11,861
18,095
4,207
(2,783)
6,990

7,263
226
999
2,781
11,269

4,484
8,030
12,514
(1,245)
(3,709)
2,464

1,072
(2,826)
(1,754)
4,188
2,760

6,650
(12,194)
(5,544)
1,446
85

7,647
(12,349)
(4,702)
(2,238)
(3,595)

$
$

$
$

$
$

(1)  Includes $6.5 billion of gains related to the sale of the Corporation’s investment in CCB in 2011.
(2)  Includes, in aggregate, $4.1 billion, $6.9 billion and $3.5 billion in 2012, 2011 and 2010 of representations and warranties provision, which is presented as a component of mortgage banking 
income on the Corporation’s Consolidated Statement of Income, litigation expense and in 2012 an expense related to an agreement with the Federal Reserve and the OCC to cease the Independent 
Foreclosure Review and replace it with an accelerated remediation process. The Parent Company-only financial information is presented in accordance with bank regulatory reporting requirements.

Condensed Balance Sheet

(Dollars in millions)

Assets
Cash held at bank subsidiaries
Securities
Receivables from subsidiaries:

Bank holding companies and related subsidiaries
Nonbank companies and related subsidiaries

Investments in subsidiaries:

Bank holding companies and related subsidiaries
Nonbank companies and related subsidiaries

Other assets

Total assets

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
Payables to subsidiaries:

Bank holding companies and related subsidiaries
Nonbank companies and related subsidiaries

Long-term debt
Shareholders’ equity

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

December 31

2012

2011

$ 101,831
1,959

$ 124,991
515

33,481
3,861

48,679
7,385

185,803
65,300
15,208
$ 407,443

191,278
53,213
11,720
$ 437,781

$

100
34,364

$

401
22,419

1,396
688
133,939
236,956
$ 407,443

2,925
515
181,420
230,101
$ 437,781

Bank of America 2012     275

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Condensed Statement of Cash Flows

(Dollars in millions)

Operating activities
Net income (loss)
Reconciliation of net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:

Equity in undistributed losses of subsidiaries
Other operating activities, net

Net cash provided by operating activities

Investing activities
Net sales of securities
Net payments from subsidiaries
Other investing activities, net

Net cash provided by investing activities

Financing activities
Net increase (decrease) in commercial paper and other short-term borrowings
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt
Retirement of long-term debt
Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock and warrants
Cash dividends paid
Other financing activities, net

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
Net increase (decrease) in cash held at bank subsidiaries
Cash held at bank subsidiaries at January 1

Cash held at bank subsidiaries at December 31

2012

2011

2010

$

4,188

$

1,446

$

(2,238)

1,754
(3,432)
2,510

13
12,973
445
13,431

5,544
6,716
13,706

8,444
5,780
(8)
14,216

4,702
(996)
1,468

5,972
3,531
2,592
12,095

(616)
17,176
(63,851)
667
(1,909)
9,432
(39,101)
(23,160)
124,991
$ 101,831

(13,172)
16,047
(21,742)
5,000
(1,738)
(4,450)
(20,055)
7,867
117,124
$ 124,991

8,052
29,275
(27,176)
—
(1,762)
3,280
11,669
25,232
91,892
$ 117,124

NOTE 28 Performance by Geographical Area
Since the Corporation’s operations are highly integrated, certain asset, liability, income and expense amounts must be allocated to 
arrive at total assets, total revenue, net of interest expense, income (loss) before income taxes and net income (loss) by geographic 
area. The Corporation identifies its geographic performance based on the business unit structure used to manage the capital or expense 
deployed in the region as applicable. This requires certain judgments related to the allocation of revenue so that revenue can be 
appropriately matched with the related expense or capital deployed in the region.

(Dollars in millions)

U.S. (3)

Asia (4)

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

Total Non-U.S. 

Total Consolidated

Year

2012
2011
2010
2012
2011
2010
2012
2011
2010
2012
2011
2010
2012
2011
2010
2012
2011
2010

December 31

Total Assets (1)

Total Revenue, 
Net of Interest 
Expense (2)

Year Ended December 31
Income (Loss)
Before Income
Taxes

Net Income
(Loss)

$

1,902,946
1,856,654

$

102,492
95,776

171,209
151,956

33,327
24,660

307,028
272,392

$

2,209,974
2,129,046

$

$

$

72,175
73,613
95,115
3,478
10,890
4,187
6,011
7,320
8,490
1,670
1,631
2,428
11,159
19,841
15,105
83,334
93,454
110,220

$

$

1,867
(9,261)
(5,676)
353
7,598
1,372
323
1,009
1,549
529
424
1,432
1,205
9,031
4,353
3,072
(230)
(1,323)

4,116
(3,471)
(4,727)
282
4,787
864
(543)
(137)
723
333
267
902
72
4,917
2,489
4,188
1,446
(2,238)

(1)  Total assets include long-lived assets, which are primarily located in the U.S.
(2)  There were no material intercompany revenues between geographic regions for any of the periods presented.
(3) 

Includes the Corporation’s Canadian operations, which had total assets of $8.3 billion and $8.1 billion at December 31, 2012 and 2011; total revenue, net of interest expense of $317 million, $1.3 
billion and $1.3 billion; income before income taxes of $202 million, $621 million and $458 million; and net income of $141 million, $528 million and $328 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, 
respectively.

(4)  Amounts include pre-tax gains of $6.5 billion ($4.1 billion net-of-tax) on the sale of common shares of the Corporation’s investment in CCB during 2011.

276     Bank of America 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

As of the end of the period covered by this report and pursuant to 
Rule 13a-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange 
Act), Bank of America’s management, including the Chief Executive 
Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the 
effectiveness  and  design  of  our  disclosure  controls  and 
procedures  (as  that  term  is  defined  in  Rule  13a-15(e)  of  the 
Exchange  Act).  Based  upon  that  evaluation,  Bank  of  America’s 

Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that 
Bank  of  America’s  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  were 
effective, as of the end of the period covered by this report, in 
recording,  processing,  summarizing  and  reporting  information 
required to be disclosed, within the time periods specified in the 
SEC’s rules and forms.

Bank of America 2012     277

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Bank of America Corporation and Subsidiaries

To the Board of Directors of Bank of America 
Corporation:
We have examined, based on criteria established in Internal Control 
– Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring 
Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission,  Bank  of  America 
Corporation’s (the “Corporation”) assertion, included under Item 
9A, that the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures were 
effective as of December 31, 2012 (“Management’s Assertion”). 
Disclosure  controls  and  procedures  mean  controls  and  other 
procedures  of  an  issuer  that  are  designed  to  ensure  that 
information required to be disclosed by an issuer in reports that 
it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is 
recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time 
periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 
rules and forms, and that information required to be disclosed by 
an issuer in reports that it files or submits under the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 is accumulated and communicated to the 
issuer’s  management,  including  its  principal  executive  and 
principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, 
as  appropriate,  to  allow  timely  decisions  regarding  required 
disclosure.  The  Corporation’s  management  is  responsible  for 
maintaining effective disclosure controls and procedures and for 
Management’s  Assertion  of  the  effectiveness  of  its  disclosure 
controls  and  procedures.  Our  responsibility  is  to  express  an 
opinion on Management’s Assertion based on our examination.

There  are  inherent  limitations  to  disclosure  controls  and 
procedures.  Because  of  these  inherent  limitations,  effective 
disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable 
assurance  of  achieving  the  intended  objectives.  Disclosure 
controls and procedures may not prevent, or detect and correct, 
material misstatements, and they may not identify all information 
relating to the Corporation to be accumulated and communicated 
to  the  Corporation’s  management  to  allow  timely  decisions 
regarding required disclosures. Also, projections of any evaluation 

of  effectiveness  to  future  periods  are  subject  to  the  risk  that 
disclosure  controls  and  procedures  may  become  inadequate 
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance 
with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

We conducted our examination in accordance with attestation 
standards  established  by  the  Public  Company  Accounting 
Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we 
plan and perform the examination to obtain reasonable assurance 
about whether effective disclosure controls and procedures were 
maintained  in  all  material  respects.  Our  examination  included 
obtaining  an  understanding  of  the  Corporation’s  disclosure 
controls  and  procedures  and  testing  and  evaluating  the  design 
and  operating  effectiveness  of  the  Corporation’s  disclosure 
controls  and  procedures  based  on  the  assessed  risk.  Our 
examination also included performing such other procedures as 
we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that 
our examination provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. Our 
examination was not conducted for the purpose of expressing an 
opinion, and accordingly we express no opinion, on the accuracy 
or completeness of the Corporation’s disclosures in its reports, 
or whether such disclosures comply with the rules and regulations 
adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In our opinion, Management’s Assertion that the Corporation’s 
disclosure  controls  and  procedures  were  effective  as  of 
December 31, 2012 is fairly stated, in all material respects, based 
on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework 
issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the 
Treadway Commission.

Charlotte, North Carolina
February 28, 2013

278     Bank of America 2012

Executive Management Team and Board of Directors
Bank of America Corporation

Executive Management Team
Brian T. Moynihan*
Chief Executive Officer

Catherine P. Bessant
Global Technology and
Operations Executive

David C. Darnell*
Co-chief Operating Officer

Anne M. Finucane
Global Strategy and
Marketing Officer

Christine P. Katziff
Corporate General Auditor

Terrence P. Laughlin*
Chief Risk Officer

Gary G. Lynch*
Global General Counsel 
and Head of Compliance 
and Regulatory Relations

Thomas K. Montag*
Co-chief Operating Officer

Andrea B. Smith
Global Head of Human Resources

Ron D. Sturzenegger
Legacy Asset Servicing Executive

Bruce R. Thompson*
Chief Financial Officer

Board of Directors
Charles O. Holliday, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
Bank of America Corporation

Sharon L. Allen
Former Chairman 
Deloitte LLP

Mukesh D. Ambani
Chairman and Managing Director
Reliance Industries Limited

Susan S. Bies
Former Member
Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System

Jack O. Bovender, Jr.
Former Chairman and 
Chief Executive Officer 
HCA, Inc.

Frank P. Bramble, Sr.
Former Executive Officer
MBNA Corporation

Virgis W. Colbert
Senior Advisor
MillerCoors Company

Arnold W. Donald
Former President and 
Chief Executive Officer 
The Executive Leadership Council

Charles K. Gifford
Former Chairman
Bank of America Corporation

Linda P. Hudson
President and Chief Executive Officer 
BAE Systems, Inc.

Monica C. Lozano
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ImpreMedia, LLC

Thomas J. May
President and Chief Executive Officer 
Northeast Utilities

Brian T. Moynihan
Chief Executive Officer
Bank of America Corporation

Lionel L. Nowell, III
Former Senior Vice President 
and Treasurer 
PepsiCo, Inc.

Donald E. Powell
Former Chairman
Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation

Charles O. Rossotti
Senior Advisor
The Carlyle Group

Robert W. Scully
Former Member
Office of the Chairman 
Morgan Stanley

R. David Yost
Former Chief Executive Officer 
AmerisourceBergen Corporation

*Executive Officer

Bank of America 2012  279

 
 
Corporate Information
Bank of America Corporation

Headquarters
The principal executive offices of Bank of America Corporation  
(the Corporation) are located in the Bank of America Corporate 
Center, 100 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28255.

Annual Report on Form 10-K
The Corporation’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K is available 
at http://investor.bankofamerica.com. The Corporation also will 
provide a copy of the 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K (without 
exhibits) upon written request addressed to:

Stock Listing
The Corporation’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock 
Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol BAC. The Corporation’s  
common stock is also listed on the London Stock Exchange,  
and certain shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  
The stock is typically listed as BankAm in newspapers. As of 
February 25, 2013, there were 226,396 registered holders of 
the Corporation’s common stock.

Investor Relations
Analysts, portfolio managers and other investors seeking  
additional information about Bank of America stock should  
contact our Equity Investor Relations group at 1.704.386.5681 
or i_r@bankofamerica.com. For additional information about 
Bank of America from a credit perspective, including debt and 
preferred securities, contact our Fixed Income Investor Relations 
group at 1.866.607.1234 or fixedincomeir@bankofamerica.com. 
Visit the Investor Relations area of the Bank of America website,  
http://investor.bankofamerica.com, for stock and dividend  
information, financial news releases, links to Bank of America  
SEC filings, electronic versions of our annual reports and other 
items of interest to the Corporation’s shareholders.

Customers
For assistance with Bank of America products and services,  
call 1.800.432.1000, or visit the Bank of America website at  
www.bankofamerica.com. Additional toll-free numbers for  
specific products and services are listed on our website at  
www.bankofamerica.com/contact.

News Media
News media seeking information should visit our online  
newsroom at www.bankofamerica.com/newsroom for news 
releases, speeches and other items relating to the Corporation, 
including a complete list of the Corporation’s media relations 
specialists grouped by business specialty or geography.

Bank of America Corporation
Office of the Corporate Secretary
NC1-027-20-05
Hearst Tower, 214 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28255

Shareholder Inquiries
For inquiries concerning dividend checks, electronic deposit  
of dividends, dividend reinvestment, tax statements, electronic 
delivery, transferring ownership, address changes or lost or 
stolen stock certificates, contact Bank of America Shareholder 
Services at Computershare Trust Company, N.A. via the Internet 
at www.computershare.com/bac; call 1.800.642.9855; or write 
to P.O. Box 43078, Providence, RI 02940-3078. For general 
shareholder information, contact Bank of America Office of the 
Corporate Secretary at 1.800.521.3984. Shareholders outside 
of the United States and Canada may call 1.781.575.2621.

Electronic Delivery
As part of our commitment to reduce paper consumption by  
20% by 2015, we offer electronic methods for customer  
communications and transactions. In 2012, we delivered more 
than 392 million digital correspondences through Online Bank-
ing and other channels, and continued use of Image ATMs, 
electronic payments and an employee print reduction program, 
preventing 34,102 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. 
Customers can sign up to receive online statements through 
their Bank of America or Merrill Lynch account website. In  
2012, we adopted the SEC’s Notice and Access rule, which  
allows certain issuers to inform shareholders of the electronic  
availability of Proxy materials, including the Annual Report,  
which significantly reduced the number of printed copies we  
produce and mail to shareholders. Shareholders still receiving  
printed copies can join our efforts by electing to receive an  
electronic copy of the Annual Report and Proxy materials.  
If you have an account maintained in your name at 
Computershare Investor Services, you may sign up for this  
service at www.computershare.com/bac. If your shares are  
held by a broker, bank or other nominee, you may elect to  
receive an electronic copy of the Annual Report and Proxy  
materials online at www.proxyvote.com, or contact your broker.

280  Bank of America 2012

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Bank of America Corporation (“Bank of America”) is a financial holding company that, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, provides banking and nonbanking 
financial services. Global Wealth & Investment Management is a division of Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”). Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, U.S. Trust, Bank 
of America Merrill Lynch and BofA™ Global Capital Management are affiliated subdivisions within Global Wealth & Investment Management. Merrill Lynch Wealth 
Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S”) and other subsidiaries of BAC. Merrill 
Edge® is the marketing name for two businesses: Merrill Edge Advisory Center, which offers team-based advice and guidance brokerage services; and a self-directed online 
investing platform. Both are made available through MLPF&S. U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management operates through Bank of America, N.A., and other 
subsidiaries of BAC. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is a marketing name for the Retirement Services businesses of BAC. BofA™ Global Capital Management Group, LLC 
(“BofA Global Capital Management”) is an asset management division of BAC. BofA Global Capital Management entities furnish investment management services and 
products for institutional and individual investors. 

Case studies are intended to illustrate brokerage and banking products and services available at Merrill Lynch. You should not consider these as an endorsement of Merrill 
Lynch as an investment adviser or as a testimonial about a client’s experiences with us as an investment adviser. Case studies do not necessarily represent the experiences 
of other clients, nor do they indicate future performance. Investment results may vary. The investment strategies discussed are not appropriate for every investor and 
should be considered given a person’s investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs. Clients should review with their Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor the 
terms, conditions and risks involved with specific products and services.

Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of BAC.

Investment Products:    Are Not FDIC Insured    Are Not Bank Guaranteed    May Lose Value

MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BAC.

© 2013 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

 Please recycle. The annual report is printed on 30% post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled paper.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bank of America Corporation  
2012 Annual Report

 Please recycle.

© 2013 Bank of America Corporation
3/2013
00-04-1368B