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.
Many advisers do not want to be assigned clients or territories based on their race, national origin or other personal traits — but they are comfortable with relationships that evolve naturally from those factors.
Other banks may follow Bank of America Corp.’s decision this month to cut mortgage clients’ borrowing costs drastically, including waiving the requirement for private mortgage insurance, industry observers say.
Bank of America Corp. has been sued for race discrimination by allegedly steering wealthy clients to white co-workers.
Bank of America appoints Moynihan and Sevilla-Sacasa to head a wealth team that incorporates U.S. Trust Corp.
Citigroup Inc. today announced that it will spend $50 billion over the 10 years to address global climate change, the largest such move ever by Wall Street firm.
SAN FRANCISCO — Wachovia Wealth Management missed the mark set by its parent company last year as earnings growth was dampened by investments and growth pains in that division.
Bank of America Corp. has threatened to take legal action against ABN Amro Holding NV should it make any attempt to block its plans to buy LaSalle Bank Corp., ABN's Chicago-based subsidiary, according to the Financial Times.
Helping Wall Street firms to look more like the American public they serve is the idea behind a new internship program designed for students who attend historically black colleges and universities.
A group of banks led by the Royal Bank of Scotland today offered over $98 billion for ABN Amro, trumping the $90 billion offer by London-based Barclays PLC announced earlier in the week, according to published reports.
Barclays PLC today announced it would sell Chicago-based LaSalle Bank Corp., a unit of ABN Amro Holding NV, to Bank of America Corp. for more than $21 billion.
Bank of America Corp. recorded a 5% increase in first quarter net income, as fee income rose despite a challenging credit environment.
Peter Scaturro’s impending departure as chief executive of U.S. Trust has left Bank of America Corp., the venerable wealth manager’s prospective new owner, with a big mess on its hands.
Worried about giving clients a fair deal and keeping regulators at bay, some brokerage firms are tamping down the commissions on variable annuities that registered representatives and financial advisers sell.
SAN FRANCISCO — Thomson Financial’s recent acquisition of a Belgian software company is a clear indication of its desire to appeal to higher-end financial advisers, analysts say.
Bank of America Corp. chief executive Kenneth D. Lewis saw his stock options drop 8% to $10.8 million last year, compared with $11.7 million in 2005, according to Financial News.
