Office address: 100 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28255
Website: bankofamerica.com
Year established: 1998
Company type: banking
Employees: 213,000+ (2024)
Expertise: commercial banking, wealth management, investment banking, asset management, credit cards, mortgage lending, equities trading, insurance, private equity, risk management
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Brian Moynihan (CEO); Alastair Borthwick (CFO); Jim DeMare, Lindsay Hans, Katy Knox, Matthew Koder, and Wendy Stewart (presidents)
Financing status: corporation
Bank of America (BofA) is a Charlotte-based financial services company. The bank serves 69 million clients, offers digital banking to 59 million users, and manages $1.88 trillion in assets. It is known for its broad range of services, including commercial banking, wealth management, and investment banking through Merrill and the Private Bank.
Bank of America was formally created in 1998 following the merger of NationsBank and BankAmerica. But its history extends much further into the past. In 1904, Amadeo Giannini founded the Bank of Italy in San Francisco to help immigrants and working families who were often turned away by other banks.
By 1928, the Bank of Italy merged with Bank of America, Los Angeles, and soon took on the Bank of America name. Giannini’s vision led to the first statewide branch banking system in the US. The company introduced new ideas, such as the BankAmericard in 1958, which later became Visa.
BofA expanded beyond California in the 1980s and 1990s, acquiring banks in other states and growing its reach. In 1998, NationsBank of Charlotte acquired BankAmerica, creating today’s Bank of America Corporation. The new company kept the Bank of America name and made Charlotte, North Carolina its headquarters.
The company continued to grow by acquiring FleetBoston in 2004, MBNA in 2006, and Merrill Lynch in 2008. These deals helped Bank of America become a leader in credit cards, wealth management, and investment banking.
In 2024, BofA’s wealth management balances reached $4.2 trillion, an 18% increase from the prior year. This growth showed the company’s strong performance and leading global position.
BofA provides products for individuals, businesses, and institutions, with an emphasis on investment and building wealth:
Bank of America also stands out for its digital tools, security features, and nationwide branch network. Clients benefit from integrated services, personalized support, and a commitment to responsible growth.
According to Bank of America, the company's culture values support, growth, and connection for all employees. The firm reports a work environment focused on collaboration, opportunity, and ongoing development, with programs for both current and former staff.
Employees are offered a variety of benefits designed to support their health, finances, and personal lives:
For environmental sustainability, Bank of America’s aims for net zero greenhouse gas emissions across financing, operations, and supply chain before 2050. The Environmental Business Initiative plans to mobilize $1 trillion by 2030 for low-carbon and sustainable projects. It supports the Paris Climate Agreement and targets areas like energy efficiency, clean transportation, and water conservation.
Brian Moynihan is chair of the board and CEO of Bank of America, and also chairs the Sustainable Markets Initiative. Before this, Moynihan held several leadership roles at BofA, including president of global banking. He volunteers as chancellor of Brown University’s Corporation and is active in groups focused on economic and market trends.
Bank of America’s leaders have strong experience and important roles across the company:
These leaders guide the bank’s growth and help meet client needs every day. Their skills cover finance, customer service, and global markets.
In 2025, Bank of America Merrill Lynch has also expanded its alternative investment platform, now focusing on ultra-high-net-worth clients with $50 million or more. The number of clients using this platform has more than doubled in five years, showing strong demand for private equity and other alternative funds. This move allows the company to provide more choices and advanced strategies to investors seeking alternative assets.
BofA’s derivatives team also saw a chance for investors to benefit from tech’s ongoing rally, even as some hedge funds sell. The bank suggested using a six-month call spread on the QQQ ETF, which could offer strong returns if tech stocks keep rising. This approach aims to manage risk and seek growth as markets change. It also highlights its role in guiding investors toward future opportunities.
To attract disaffected wirehouse reps, more independent financial firms are signing on to the industry's recruitment protocol.
High-net-worth donors relied more on lawyers and accountants for philanthropic advice than financial advisers in 2007, according to a survey released Monday by Bank of America.
Recent market volatility is forcing mutual fund managers to pay more attention to how much risk they are taking in their portfolios and to focus more on balance sheets.
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. has been accused of discriminating against African American and female brokers, a claim based on the retention bonus package that was announced to the firm’s brokers last Friday.
Recent market volatility is forcing mutual fund managers to pay more attention to how much risk they are taking in their portfolios and to focus more on balance sheets.
The Department of the Treasury has begun to purchase stakes in several regional banks as the government aims to halt the freeze of the credit markets,
The financial services industry yesterday called on Congress to enact sweeping regulatory reforms, including creating a “stability regulator” to oversee systemic risk in all financial services firms.
The following transcript is from "What the Crisis Means for Long-Term Investing," an InvestmentNews webcast held Oct. 7.
Wells Fargo & Co.'s anticipated acquisition of Wachovia Corp. will create a new mutual fund behemoth.
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. and Citigroup Inc. were walloped by third-quarter losses, while State Street Corp., The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. and Bank of New York Mellon Corp. posted profits.
In an effort to breathe life into the struggling economy, the Treasury Department will inject $250 billion into banks, while the FDIC took steps to help depositors.
The following is an edited transcript of the round-table discussion. It was moderated by InvestmentNews news editor Bruce Kelly and InvestmentNews reporter Jed Horowitz.
Some representatives and advisers wonder whether their broker-dealer will be able to cut it, and broker-dealer executives are dealing with the trials — and prospects — presented by the financial-markets crisis.
Inflation is no longer the nation's chief economic problem; it is deflation, according to Jeffrey L. Knight, deputy head of investments and chief investment officer at Putnam Investments of Boston.
