AEGON USA Realty Advisors and Bank of America Merrill Lynch Announce Joint Strategy

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AEGON USA Realty Advisors, LLC (AEGON) and Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA Merrill) today announced that they have entered into a formal agreement in which BofA Merrill will utilize AEGON’s commercial real estate lending expertise and significant industry relationships to source new lending opportunities that BofA Merrill can utilize in its securitization program.

“We’re excited about this new relationship,” said Steve Myers, executive vice president, head of real estate credit at AEGON. “BofA Merrill is one of the industry’s leading issuers of commercial mortgage-backed securities and we think this will be a beneficial relationship for both of us.”

“AEGON has a very successful and established commercial real estate lending platform,” said Mike Mazzei, global head of CMBS at BofA Merrill. “As the CMBS market continues to recover, this relationship will allow us to increase our securitization capacity and strengthen our CMBS origination capabilities.”

About AEGON USA Realty Advisors, LLC

AEGON USA Realty Advisors, LLC, the commercial real estate investment and management arm of the global AEGON Asset Management organization, has been providing real estate investment services for over 25 years. The organization is part of the Netherlands-based AEGON N.V., an international life insurance, pension and investment company with businesses in over twenty markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia. AEGON Asset Management businesses employ over 1,300 staff worldwide and have EUR200 billion in assets under management. For more information, visit www.aegonrealty.com.

About 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 57 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 5,900 retail banking offices and approximately 18,000 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 approximately 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 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.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., member FDIC. Securities, strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed globally by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“Investment Banking Affiliates”), including, in the United States, Banc of America Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, which are both registered broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, locally registered entities. Investment products offered by Investment Banking Affiliates: Are Not FDIC Insured * May Lose Value * Are Not Bank Guaranteed.

Copyright 2010 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Broadcort and their logos are trademarks of Bank of America Corporation and/or its affiliates.

www.bankofamerica.com

Reporters May Contact:Kerrie McHugh, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, 1.646.855.3375
[email protected]

Source: Bank of America Merrill Lynch