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.
The bank attracted wealthy clients with loans that have become a costly hurdle to finding a rescuer.
The company's new policy on head count, made clear in its first-quarter earnings report, aligns with decisions made by Morgan Stanley and Bank of America.
JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup are listed as falling short in an analysis by Ceres and the Transition Pathways Initiative.
The SEC enforcement action is another example of the agency's increased scrutiny of wrap-fee programs.
Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, one of the most aggressive state regulators, has issued a subpoena, his spokesperson said.
He is being replaced at Merrill Lynch by Lindsay Hans and Eric Schimpf, who have been appointed presidents and co-heads of Merrill Wealth Management.
After last year's Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, more companies face votes on reproductive health care.
The agency's document requests seek details on how firms monitor, review and retain 'off-channel' communications — all the way up to the senior executive level.
The stock led a broad-based rally in U.S. banks, with the KBW Regional Banking Index surging 4.8% for its biggest gain since January 2021.
Almost half the financial advisors hired by First Republic since 2010 came from Wells Fargo Advisors, J.P. Morgan Securities, UBS Financial Services and Morgan Stanley.
The rating agency lowered the bank's long-term issuer credit rating to B+ from BB+, having already downgraded the lender to junk last Wednesday.
The bank has been a significant destination for wirehouse advisors looking for a smaller firm, but its problems over the past week are likely to limit its recruiting.
The plan, which the banks devised with US regulators, is meant to stave off a widening panic in the wake of regulators' seizure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over the past week.
JPMorgan, Citigroup and Bank of America are among the big banks that are part of the discussion. Details of the rescue may be announced as soon as Thursday.
Keeping tabs on texts and messaging has been difficult for the industry, and fines have been mounting.
