Public meeting held on merger between Bank of America and FleetBoston Financial Corporation

Federal Reserve Bulletin, Winter, 2004

The Federal Reserve Board, on December 22, 2003, announced that public meetings would be held in

Boston, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California, on the proposal by Bank of America Corporation, Charlotte, North Carolina, to merge with FleetBoston Financial Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts.

The purpose of these meetings was to collect information relating to factors the Board is required to consider under the Bank Holding Company Act. These factors are the effects of the proposal on the financial and managerial resources and future prospects of the companies and banks involved in the proposal, competition in the relevant markets, and the convenience and needs of the communities to be served. Convenience and needs considerations include consideration of the records of performance of Bank of America and FleetBoston under the Community Reinvestment Act.

The specific dates, times, and locations of the meetings were the following:

* Boston--Wednesday, January 14, 2004, at 9:00 a.m. EST, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02106.

* San Francisco--Friday, January 16, 2004, at 8:30 a.m. PST, at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 101 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105.