Bank of America Re-launch of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Brand Demonstrates the Bull Icon Is Stronger than Ever

Bank of America Re-launch of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Brand
Demonstrates the Bull Icon Is Stronger than Ever
Among Affluent Americans Needing Help Restructuring Investment Portfolios,
Survey Finds Nearly Half Are Unsure How to Move Back into the Markets
Following Economic Recession

NEW YORK, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America today announced the re-launch
of the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management brand, a clear demonstration of the
combined organization and its commitment to delivering personalized,
insightful financial advice, enhanced by industry-leading resources and access
to a range of products and services offered by Bank of America and Merrill
Lynch, to help clients pursue their financial goals. The brand re-launch
further showcases the critical role of the bull icon, which has long been a
point of pride for Merrill Lynch, representing strength and optimism.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050720/CLW086LOGO-b )

Accompanying the brand re-launch is the introduction of "Affluent Insights
Quarterly," a new Merrill Lynch Wealth Management survey of the values,
financial priorities and concerns of affluent Americans, the challenges and
opportunities they currently face and their aspirations for the future. Also
announced today was the upcoming launch of the new help2 marketing campaign
from Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, which reaffirms the value of the
combined organization and brings to life the powerful potential of the
one-to-one relationship between Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors and their
clients.

"Merrill Lynch Wealth Management exemplifies the positive relationships that
our financial advisors forge with clients," said Sallie Krawcheck, president
of Bank of America Global Wealth & Investment Management. "With our drive,
intelligence and innovative spirit, and our determination to build on the
Merrill Lynch tradition of putting clients first, Merrill Lynch Wealth
Management is creating a new standard of leadership in our industry as we
continue to strive to help our clients make measurable differences in their
lives."

Affluent Insights Quarterly

As revealed by the Affluent Insights Quarterly survey, a relationship with a
trusted financial advisor, someone who listens to and understands their
clients' personal needs and values, is among the highest financial priorities
of affluent Americans. Today, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management is better
positioned to address these needs, with the goal of making the one-to-one
relationships that financial advisors have with their clients even more
beneficial through its expanded resources and global presence.

"Every day our clients bring us more than their financial needs. They look to
us to help them make their lives better," said Krawcheck. "Our highly trained
financial advisors understand that with this incredible trust comes
significant responsibility. We want to understand our clients' financial
histories, their priorities and aspirations, and we want to champion their
interests. Drawing from a deep and sophisticated portfolio of financial
solutions, we help our clients pursue their financial goals by cutting through
the complexity of investing, and by providing personalized advice."

Other key findings of the Affluent Insights Quarterly survey included:

-- In ranking the important guiding principles in their lives, those
surveyed stated:
-- Having the freedom to do what I want (86%)
-- Securing the future of my family (85%)
-- Being well read and informed (84%)
-- Making life simple (78%)
-- Financial issues of high concern to survey respondents included:
-- Rising health care costs or expenses (75%)
-- The impact of the economy on my ability to meet financial goals (58%)
-- Preserving an inheritance for my children and/or grandchildren (54%)
-- The current state of my retirement plan (50%)
-- While health care costs are a concern to all affluent Americans,
respondents' most significant concerns varied by age group:
-- 18-to-34-year-olds are most concerned about the economy's impact on
financial goals (74%) and the cost of oil (74%)
-- 35-to-54-year-olds are more concerned with the state of their
retirement
plan than other age groups (62%) and preserving their inheritance
(67%)
-- Respondents 55 and older are most concerned with the possibility of
inflation (57%)
-- For those respondents indicating they needed assistance structuring or
restructuring their portfolios, 42% felt they needed guidance on how
to
move back into the investment markets following the recent economic
recession.
-- Forty-eight percent of those surveyed currently work with a financial
advisor (Merrill Lynch or another) and of those:
-- Respondents expect their financial advisor to understand their
personal
values when it comes to investing (80%)
-- Respondents are satisfied with their current financial advisor (79%)
-- Respondents speak to their financial advisor on at least a quarterly
basis (73%)
-- Eighty-four percent have been working with their current financial
advisor for at least one year, and more than 27% have been working
with
the same financial advisor for more than 10 years

-- More than 80 percent stated that their financial advisor is responsive
to their requests (84%), is someone they trust (81%), understands
their
needs and values (84%), is proactive (77%) and offers personalized
advice to address specific needs and challenges (78%)

Also confirmed by the Affluent Insights Quarterly survey were criteria
affluent Americans assign when choosing a wealth management firm. In addition
to key factors such as strength, stability and integrity, 62% of those
surveyed stated that access to a combination of banking and investment
solutions, knowledge and service together play an important role in their
decision. Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors are well positioned to meet these
demands and provide clients a wide breadth of products, services and market
insights.

Through collaboration with Bank of America wealth management bankers,
retirement specialists and other specialized groups of financial professionals
across U.S. Trust and the broader enterprise, Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors
offer clients innovative and integrated solutions that can encompass all
aspects of their financial lives. Clients also have access to Bank of
America's unparalleled network for their banking needs, including 6,100 retail
banking offices, nearly 18,500 ATMs, award-winning online banking, mobile
banking, and programs designed to help earn cash back or save money easily and
conveniently, including Add It Up® and Keep the Change®.

help2 Marketing Campaign

To showcase the re-launched Merrill Lynch Wealth Management brand and further
illustrate the powerful potential of one-to-one relationships between
financial advisors and clients, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has launched
its new help2 marketing campaign.

"Now, more than ever, clients expect more help and guidance from their
financial advisor," said Claire Huang, head of marketing for Global Wealth
Management, Global Banking and Global Markets. "As the help2 campaign
illustrates, Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors can deliver personalized advice,
now with access to the resources of Bank of America."

Some of the campaign's key themes include:

-- help2cherish: Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors are helping clients
navigate through the investment complexities of transferring their
wealth and values to the next generation
-- help2know: Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors are well positioned to
help
lead their clients through the economic recovery with personalized
advice tailored to their specific needs with access to extensive
research from BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research
-- help2comethrough: Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors are helping clients
build a "one size fits you" financial approach designed to help them
feel better prepared for their families' future needs, such as their
children's education or caring for an elderly parent

-- help2retire: Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors are helping clients stay
focused on their long-term retirement goals, while keeping their
footing
on near-term priorities

The help2 campaign officially launches on Oct. 5, 2009, and runs through the
end of December, with creative launching on television and radio, across a
range of online media and in a variety of daily and weekly publications and
trade magazines.

Affluent Insights Quarterly Methodology

Braun Research conducted the Affluent Insights Quarterly survey by phone
between Aug. 29 and Sept. 14, 2009, on behalf of Merrill Lynch Wealth
Management. Braun contacted a nationally representative sample of 1,000
affluent Americans with investable assets in excess of $250,000, and
oversampled 300 affluent Americans in each of six target markets including
Boston, Mass.; Charlotte, N.C.; San Francisco, Calif.; Fairfield County, Conn.
(Stamford, Greenwich and Westport); Washington, D.C.; Orange County, Calif.
(Irvine, Laguna Hills and Newport Beach). The margin of error is +/- 3.1% for
the national sample and +/- 5.7% for the oversampled markets, with both
reported at a 95% confidence level.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving
individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large
corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and
other financial and risk management products and services. The company
provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 53
million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail
banking offices, nearly 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 29
million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth
management companies and is 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. Bank
of America offers industry-leading support to more than 4 million small
business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and
services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries. Bank of
America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones
Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

www.bankofamerica.com

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered
by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) and other
subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks,
Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

Investment products:

Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank May Lose Value
Guaranteed

MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC and a wholly owned
subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

Selena Morris, Bank of America, +1-212-449-7283, selena_morris@ml.com