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Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. – ‘424B3’ on 12/18/08

On:  Thursday, 12/18/08, at 3:58pm ET   ·   Accession #:  1193125-8-255865   ·   File #:  333-132911

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  As Of                Filer                Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size              Issuer               Agent

12/18/08  Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.         424B3                  1:645K                                   RR Donnelley/FA

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: 424B3       Final Term Sheet No. 3176                           HTML    130K 

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333-132911

The Notes will have the terms specified in this term sheet as supplemented by the documents indicated herein under “Additional Note Terms” (together the “Note Prospectus”). Investing in the Notes involves a number of risks. See “Risk Factors” on page TS-5 of this term sheet and beginning on page PS-4 of product supplement LIRN-4.

In connection with this offering, each of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and its broker-dealer affiliate First Republic Securities Company, LLC is acting in its capacity as a principal.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Note Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

“Leveraged Index Return Notes^®” and “LIRNs^®” are registered service marks of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

“Standard & Poor’s^®”, “Standard & Poor’s 500^®”, “S&P 500^®” and “S&P^®” are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and have been licensed for use by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. is an authorized sublicensee.

Merrill Lynch & Co.

December 12, 2008

Summary

The Capped Leveraged Index Return Notes^® Linked to the S&P 500^® Index due December 20, 2010 (the “Notes”) are senior unsecured debt securities of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (“ML&Co.”) and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or secured by collateral. The Notes will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt, and any payments due on the Notes, including any repayment of principal, will be subject to the credit risk of ML&Co. The Notes provide a leveraged return for investors, subject to a cap, if the level of the S&P 500^® Index (the “Index”) increases moderately from the Starting Value of the Index to the Ending Value of the Index determined on the Calculation Days shortly prior to the Maturity Date of the Notes. Investors must be willing to forgo interest payments on the Notes and be willing to accept a return that is capped or a repayment that may be less, and potentially significantly less, than the Original Public Offering Price of the Notes.

Terms of the Notes				Determining Payment at Maturity for the Notes

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Hypothetical Payout Profile

		This graph reflects the hypothetical returns on the Notes, including the Participation Rate of 300% and the Capped Value of 34.65%. The green line reflects the hypothetical returns on the Notes, while the gray dashed-line reflects the return of a hypothetical direct investment in the stocks included in the Index, excluding dividends.   This graph has been prepared for purposes of illustration only. Your actual return will depend on the actual Starting Value, Ending Value, Threshold Value and the term of your investment.

Hypothetical Payments at Maturity

Examples

Set forth below are four examples of payment at maturity calculations (rounded to three decimal places), assuming a hypothetical Starting Value of 879.73, the closing level of the Index on December 12, 2008, the date the Notes were priced for initial sale to the public (the “Pricing Date”), and reflecting the Capped Value of $13.465. The actual Starting Value will be determined after the expiration of the Starting Value Determination Period.

Example 1—The hypothetical Ending Value is 65% of the hypothetical Starting Value and less than the hypothetical Threshold Value:

Payment at maturity (per unit) = $7.500

Example 2—The hypothetical Ending Value is 95% of the hypothetical Starting Value and greater than the hypothetical Threshold Value:

Payment at maturity (per unit) = $10.000

If the Ending Value is less than the Starting Value but is greater than or equal to the Threshold Value, the payment at maturity (per unit) will equal the $10 Original Public Offering Price.

Example 3—The hypothetical Ending Value is equal to 104% of the hypothetical Starting Value:

Payment at maturity (per unit) = $11.200

Example 4—The hypothetical Ending Value is 150% of the hypothetical Starting Value:

Payment at maturity (per unit) = $13.465        (Payment at maturity cannot be greater than the Capped Value)

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The following table illustrates, for a hypothetical Starting Value of 879.73, a Threshold Value of 90% of the hypothetical Starting Value and a range of hypothetical Ending Values of the Index:

The table below reflects the Participation Rate of 300% and the Capped Value of $13.465.

The above figures are for purposes of illustration only. The actual amount you receive and the resulting total and pretax annualized rates of return will depend on the actual Starting Value, Ending Value, Threshold Value and the term of your investment.

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Risk Factors

An investment in the Notes involves significant risks. The following is a list of certain of the risks involved in investing in the Notes. You should carefully review the more detailed explanation of risks relating to the Notes in the “Risk Factors” sections included in the product supplement and MTN prospectus supplement identified below under “Additional Note Terms”. We also urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers before you invest in the Notes.

In addition to the risk factors, it is important to bear in mind that the Notes are senior debt securities of ML&Co. and are not guaranteed or insured by the FDIC or secured by collateral. The Notes will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt, and any payments due on the Notes, including any repayment of principal, will be subject to the credit risk of ML&Co.

Recent Developments

On September 15, 2008, we entered into a merger agreement with Bank of America Corporation (“Bank of America”). This agreement provides that ML&Co. will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The transaction has been approved by the board of directors of each company and is expected to close by the end of the year, pending the receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. This merger will create one of the leading financial institutions in the world.

Investor Considerations

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Other Provisions

We may deliver the Notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on a date that is in excess of three business days following the Pricing Date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in three business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, if the initial settlement on the Notes occurs more than three business days from the Pricing Date, purchasers who wish to trade Notes more than three business days prior to the original issue date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

If you place an order to purchase these offered securities, you are consenting to each of MLPF&S and its broker-dealer affiliate First Republic Securities Company, LLC acting as a principal in effecting the transaction for your account. MLPF&S is acting as an underwriter and/or selling agent for this offering and will receive underwriting compensation from the issuer of the securities.

“Market Measure Business Day”

The following definition replaces the definition of “Market Measure Business Day” set forth in product supplement LIRN-4: A “Market Measure Business Day” means a day on which (1) the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and the Nasdaq Stock Market (or any successor to the foregoing exchanges) are open for trading and (2) the Market Measure or any successor thereto is calculated and published.

Discontinuance of the Market Measure

The section entitled “Discontinuance of the Market Measure” in product supplement LIRN-4, as applicable to the determination of the Ending Value during the Calculation Days within the Calculation Period, shall apply to the same extent and in the same manner to the determination of the Starting Value during the Starting Value Determination Period.

Events of Default and Acceleration

If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes has occurred and is continuing during the Starting Value Determination Period, the Starting Value shall be calculated as though the final date of the Starting Value Determination Period were the date immediately preceding the occurrence of the Event of Default.

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Supplement to the Plan of Distribution

MLPF&S and First Republic Securities Company, LLC, each a broker-dealer subsidiary of ML&Co., are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”)) and will participate in the distribution of the Notes. Accordingly, offerings of the Notes will conform to the requirements of NASD Rule 2720.

MLPF&S and First Republic Securities Company, LLC may use this Note Prospectus for offers and sales in secondary market transactions and market-making transactions in the Notes but are not obligated to engage in such secondary market transactions and/or market-making transactions. MLPF&S and First Republic Securities Company, LLC may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and any such sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of the sale.

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The Index

The S&P 500 Index

All disclosure contained in this term sheet regarding the S&P 500 Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components has been derived from publicly available information prepared by Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“Standard & Poor’s” or “S&P”). ML&Co. and MLPF&S have not independently verified and make no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of such information. None of ML&Co., the calculation agent and MLPF&S accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the S&P 500 Index or any successor index.

Standard & Poor’s publishes the S&P 500 Index. The S&P 500 Index is maintained by the S&P Index Committee, a team of Standard & Poor’s economists and index analysts, who meet on a regular basis. The goal of the S&P Index Committee is to ensure that the S&P 500 Index remains a leading indicator of U.S. equities, reflecting the risk and return characteristics of the broader large market capitalization segment of the market on an on-going basis. The S&P Index Committee also monitors constituent liquidity to ensure efficient portfolio trading while keeping index turnover to a minimum.

The calculation of the level of the S&P 500 Index, discussed below in further detail, is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. Ten main groups of companies comprise the S&P 500 Index: 1) Consumer Discretionary; 2) Consumer Staples; 3) Energy; 4) Financials; 5) Health Care; 6) Industrials; 7) Information Technology; 8) Materials; 9) Telecommunication Services; and 10) Utilities.

When necessary, Standard & Poor’s may from time to time, in its sole discretion, add companies to, or delete companies from, the S&P 500 Index to achieve the objectives stated above. There is no annual or semi-annual reconstitution for the S&P 500 Index. Relevant criteria for index additions include:

Continued index membership is not necessarily subject to these guidelines. The S&P Index Committee aims to minimize unnecessary turnover in index membership and each removal is determined on a case-by-case basis. Relevant criteria for index removals include:

The S&P 500 Index does not reflect the payment of dividends on the stocks included in the S&P 500 Index. Because of this, the calculation of the Ending Value will not reflect the payment of dividends on these stocks that investors would receive if they were to purchase these stocks and hold them for a period equal to the term of the Notes.

Computation of the S&P 500 Index

While Standard & Poor’s currently employs the following methodology to calculate the S&P 500 Index, no assurance can be given that Standard & Poor’s will not modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect the amount an investor receives on the maturity date of the Notes.

Historically, the market value of any underlying stocks included in the S&P 500 Index was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of the then outstanding shares of that underlying stock. In March 2005, Standard & Poor’s began shifting the S&P 500 Index half way from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the S&P 500 Index to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. Standard & Poor’s criteria for selecting stocks for the S&P 500 Index did not change by the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the S&P 500 Index (i.e., its market value).

The goal of float adjustment is to distinguish strategic shareholders, whose holdings depend on concerns such as maintaining control rather than the economic fortunes of the company, from those holders whose investments depend on the stock’s price and their evaluation of the company’s future prospects. Shareholders concerned with control of a company include board members, founders and owners of large blocks of stock. Likewise, holdings of stock in one corporation by another corporation are normally for control, not investment, purposes. Normally government holdings are not investments made because a stock is expected to appreciate or the government entity is managing its excess funds through equity investments.

Share owners acting as investors will consider changes in the stock’s price, earnings or the company’s operations as possible reasons to buy or sell the stock. They hold the stock because they expect it to appreciate in value and believe the stock offers better risk and return opportunities than other

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investments. Further, a sharp rise or fall in the stock’s price could be a reason to adjust their positions. Mutual funds, pension plans and other institutional investors are usually in this category. The fact that an institutional investor has held a block of shares for several years is not evidence that the block is being held for control, rather than investment, reasons.

Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the S&P 500 Index reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. Standard and Poor’s defines three groups of shareholders whose holdings are presumed to be for control and are subject to float adjustment:

However, treasury stock, stock options, restricted shares, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. In cases where holdings in a group listed above exceed 10% of the outstanding shares of a company, the holdings of that group are excluded from the float-adjusted count of shares to be used in the S&P 500 Index calculation. Shares held by mutual funds, investment advisory firms, pension funds, or foundations not associated with the company and investment funds in insurance companies, shares of a United States company traded in Canada as “exchangeable shares,” shares that trust beneficiaries may buy or sell without difficulty or significant additional expense beyond typical brokerage fees, and, if a company has multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an unlisted or non-traded class if such shares are convertible by shareholders without undue delay and cost, are also part of the float.

For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing (x) the available float shares, defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held in one or more of the three groups listed above where the group holdings exceed 10% of the outstanding shares, by (y) the total shares outstanding. The float-adjusted index is then calculated by dividing (w) the sum of the IWF multiplied by both the price and the total shares outstanding for each stock by (z) the index divisor. For companies with multiple classes of stock, Standard & Poor’s calculates the weighted average IWF for each stock using the proportion of the total company market capitalization of each share class as weights.

The S&P 500 Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology: the level of the S&P 500 Index reflects the total market value of all 500 component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 (the “base period”). An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the value easier to work with and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed value of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941-43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the S&P 500 Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the S&P 500 Index, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the S&P 500 Index. The index divisor keeps the S&P 500 Index comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the S&P 500 Index.

S&P 500 Index Maintenance

The S&P Index Committee follows a set of published guidelines for maintaining the index. These guidelines provide the transparency required and fairness needed to enable investors to replicate the index and achieve the same performance as the S&P 500 Index.

In order to ensure that the level of the S&P 500 Index remains an accurate barometer of stock market performance over time, it is necessary to adjust the index divisor in response to any change that alters the total market value of the index while holding stock prices constant. Index maintenance—reflecting changes in shares outstanding, capital actions, addition or deletion of stocks to the S&P 500 Index—should not change the level of the index. If the S&P 500 Index closes at 1,250 and one stock is replaced by another, after the market close, the index should open at 1,250 the next morning if all of the opening prices are the same as the previous day’s closing prices. This is accomplished with an adjustment to the divisor.

Divisor adjustments are made “after the close” meaning that after the close of trading the closing prices are used to calculate the new divisor based on whatever changes are being made. It is, then, possible to provide two complete descriptions of the index—one as it existed at the close of trading and one as it will exist at the next opening of trading. If the same stock prices are used to calculate the index levels for these two descriptions, the index levels will be the same.

For cataloging changes, it is useful to separate changes caused by the management of the index from those stemming from corporate actions of the constituent companies. Among those changes driven by index management are adding or deleting companies, adjusting share counts and changes to IWFs and other factors affecting share counts or stock prices.

Index Management Related Changes. When a company is added to or deleted from the S&P 500 Index, the net change in the market value of the index is calculated and this is used to calculate the new divisor. The market values of stocks being added or deleted are based on the prices, shares outstanding, IWFs and any other share count adjustments. Specifically, if a company being added has a total market cap of US$10 billion, an IWF of 85% and, therefore, a float adjusted market cap of US$8.5 billion, the market value for the added company used is US$8.5 billion.

For most S&P indices, there are a few dates during the year when IWFs and share counts are updated. (Typically small changes in shares outstanding are reflected in indices once a quarter to avoid excessive changes to an index.) The revisions to the divisor resulting from these are calculated and a new divisor is determined.

Corporate Action Related Changes. There are a large range of different corporate actions ranging from routine share issuances or buy backs to unusual events like spin-offs or mergers. These are listed on the table below with notes about the necessary changes and whether the divisor is adjusted.

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Changes in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.0% or more due to mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, private placements, tender offers, Dutch auctions, or exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably possible. All other changes of 5.0% or more (due to, for example, company stock repurchases, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, subscription rights, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participations or other recapitalizations) are made weekly and are announced on Tuesdays for implementation after the close of trading on Wednesday. Changes of less than 5.0% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, and are usually announced two days prior.

Also, changes in IWFs of more than ten percentage points caused by corporate actions (such as merger and acquisition activity, restructurings, or spinoffs) will be made as soon as reasonably possible. Other changes in IWFs will be made annually, in September when IWFs are reviewed.

The S&P 500 Index is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement in the United States. The calculation of the level of the S&P 500 Index, discussed below in further detail, is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. As of November 28, 2008, 414 companies or 82.8% of the market capitalization of the S&P 500 Index traded on the New York Stock Exchange; 86 companies or 17.2% of the market capitalization of the S&P 500 Index traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market; and no companies traded on the American Stock Exchange. As of November 28, 2008, the aggregate market value of the companies included in the S&P 500 Index represented approximately 76% of the aggregate market value of stocks included in the Standard & Poor’s Stock Guide Database of domestic common stocks traded in the U.S., excluding American depositary receipts, limited partnerships and mutual funds. Standard & Poor’s chooses companies for inclusion in the S&P 500 Index with the aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of the Standard & Poor’s Stock Guide Database, which Standard & Poor’s uses as an assumed model for the composition of the total market. Relevant criteria employed by Standard & Poor’s include the viability of the particular company, the extent to which that company represents the industry group to which it is assigned, the extent to which the market price of that company’s common stock is generally responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company. Ten main groups of companies comprise the S&P 500 Index, with the approximate percentage of the market capitalization of the S&P 500 Index included in each group as of November 28, 2008 indicated in parentheses: Consumer Discretionary (8.0%); Consumer Staples (13.1%); Energy (14.3%); Financials (13.4%); Health Care (14.0%); Industrials (11.0%); Information Technology (15.1%); Materials (3.0%); Telecommunication Services (3.8%) and Utilities (4.2%). Standard & Poor’s may from time to time, in its sole discretion, add companies to, or delete companies from, the S&P 500 Index to achieve the objectives stated above.

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The following graph sets forth the monthly historical performance of the S&P 500 Index in the period from January 2003 through November 2008. This historical data on the S&P 500 Index is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the S&P 500 Index or what the value of the Notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the S&P 500 Index during any period set forth below is not an indication that the S&P 500 Index is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the Notes. On the Pricing Date, the closing level of the S&P 500 Index was 879.73.

License Agreement

Standard & Poor’s does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the S&P 500 Index or any data included in the S&P 500 Index. Standard & Poor’s makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the calculation agent, the holders of the Notes or any other person or entity from the use of the S&P 500 Index or any data included in the S&P 500 Index in connection with the rights licensed under the license agreement described in this term sheet or for any other use. Standard & Poor’s makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the S&P 500 Index or any data included in the S&P 500 Index. Without limiting any of the above information, in no event shall Standard & Poor’s have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damage; including lost profits, even if notified of the possibility of these damages.

Standard & Poor’s and MLPF&S have entered into or, to the extent required, will enter into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to MLPF&S, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by Standard & Poor’s in connection with some securities, including the Notes, and ML&Co. is an authorized sublicensee of MLPF&S. The license agreement between Standard & Poor’s and MLPF&S provides that the following language must be stated in this term sheet:

“The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the Notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Notes particularly or the ability of the S&P 500 Index to track general stock market performance. S&P’s only relationship to MLPF&S (other than transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business) is the licensing of certain service marks and trade names of S&P and of the S&P 500 Index which is determined, composed and calculated by S&P without regard to ML&Co. or the Notes. S&P has no obligation to take the needs of ML&Co. or the holders of the Notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500 Index. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of the sale of the Notes, prices at which the Notes are to initially be sold, or quantities of the Notes to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Notes are to be converted into cash. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Notes.”

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Summary Tax Consequences

You should consider the United States federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Notes, including the following:

Certain U.S. Federal Income Taxation Considerations

Set forth below is a summary of certain United States federal income tax considerations relating to an investment in the Notes. The following summary is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by the discussions under the sections entitled “United States Federal Income Taxation” in the accompanying product supplement LIRN-4 and MTN prospectus supplement, which you should carefully review prior to investing in the Notes.

General.    There are no statutory provisions, regulations, published rulings or judicial decisions addressing or involving the characterization and treatment, for United States federal income tax purposes, of the Notes or securities with terms substantially the same as the Notes. Accordingly, the proper United States federal income tax characterization and treatment of the Notes is uncertain. Pursuant to the terms of the Notes, ML&Co. and every holder of a Note agree (in the absence of an administrative determination, judicial ruling or other authoritative guidance to the contrary) to characterize and treat a Note for all tax purposes as a pre-paid cash-settled forward contract linked to the level of the Index. Due to the absence of authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the Notes, significant aspects of the United States federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Notes are not certain, and no assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or the courts will agree with the characterization and tax treatment described above. Accordingly, prospective purchasers are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the United States federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Notes (including alternative characterizations and tax treatments of the Notes) and with respect to any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.

Payment on the Maturity Date.    Assuming that the Notes are properly characterized and treated as pre-paid cash-settled forward contracts linked to the level of the Index, upon the receipt of cash on the maturity date of the Notes, a U.S. Holder (as defined in the accompanying product supplement LIRN-4) will recognize gain or loss. The amount of such gain or loss will be the extent to which the amount of the cash received differs from the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Note. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in a Note generally will equal the amount paid by the U.S. Holder to purchase the Note. It is uncertain whether any such gain or loss would be treated as ordinary income or loss or capital gain or loss. Absent a future clarification in current law (by an administrative determination, judicial ruling or otherwise), where required, ML&Co. intends to report any such gain or loss to the IRS in a manner consistent with the treatment of such gain or loss as capital gain or loss. If such gain or loss is treated as capital gain or loss, then any such gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has held the Note for more than one year as of the maturity date. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.

Sale or Exchange of the Notes.    Assuming that the Notes are properly characterized and treated as pre-paid cash-settled forward contracts linked to the level of the Index, upon a sale or exchange of a Note prior to the maturity date of the Notes, a U.S. Holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized on such sale or exchange and such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Note so sold or exchanged. Any such capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has held the Note for more than one year as of the date of such sale or exchange. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.

Possible Future Tax Law Changes.    On December 7, 2007, the IRS released a notice that could possibly affect the taxation of holders of the Notes. According to the notice, the IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury Department”) are actively considering, among other things, whether the holder of an instrument having terms similar to the Notes should be required to accrue either ordinary income or capital gain on a current basis, and they are seeking comments on the subject. It is not possible to determine what guidance they will ultimately issue, if any. It is possible, however, that under such guidance, holders of instruments having terms similar to the Notes will ultimately be required to accrue income currently and this could be applied on a retroactive basis. The IRS and the Treasury Department are also considering other relevant issues, including whether additional gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital, whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals, whether the tax treatment of such instruments should vary depending upon whether or not such instruments are traded on a securities exchange, whether such instruments should be treated as indebtedness, whether the tax treatment of such instruments should vary depending upon the nature of the underlying asset, and whether the special “constructive ownership rules” contained in Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, might be applied to such instruments. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the significance, and the potential impact, if any, of the above considerations to their investment in the Notes. ML&Co. intends to continue to treat the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described herein unless and until such time as the Treasury Department and IRS determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.

Prospective purchasers of the Notes should consult their own tax advisors concerning the tax consequences, in light of their particular circumstances, under the laws of the United States and any other taxing jurisdiction, of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes. See the discussion under the section entitled “United States Federal Income Taxation” in the accompanying product supplement LIRN-4.

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Experts

The consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference in this term sheet from Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2007 and the effectiveness of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, incorporated herein by reference (which reports (1) expressed an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements and included an explanatory paragraph regarding the changes in accounting methods in 2007 relating to the adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157, “Fair Value Measurement,” Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities—Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115,” and FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109,” and in 2006 for share-based payments to conform to Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (revised 2004), “Share-Based Payment,” and included an explanatory paragraph relating to the restatement discussed in Note 20 to the consolidated financial statements and (2) expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting). Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

With respect to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial information for the three-month periods ended March 28, 2008 and March 30, 2007, the three- and six-month periods ended June 27, 2008 and June 29, 2007 and the three- and nine-month periods ended September 26, 2008 and September 28, 2007 which are incorporated herein by reference, Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, have applied limited procedures in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) for a review of such information. However, as stated in their reports included in Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 28, 2008 (which report included an explanatory paragraph relating to the restatement discussed in Note 16 to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements), June 27, 2008 (which report included explanatory paragraphs related to the restatement discussed in Note 16 to the condensed consolidated interim financial statements and the transactions subsequent to the balance sheet date discussed in Note 18 to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements), and September 26, 2008 (which report included explanatory paragraphs related to the agreement and plan of merger with Bank of America Corporation discussed in Note 1 to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, the restatement discussed in Note 16 to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, and the securities purchase agreement with the U.S. Treasury pursuant to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, and participation in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program and the Federal Reserve’s Commercial Paper Funding Facility discussed in Note 18 to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements) and incorporated by reference herein, they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that interim financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their reports on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. Deloitte & Touche LLP are not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 for their reports on the unaudited interim financial information because those reports are not “reports” or a “part” of the Registration Statement prepared or certified by an accountant within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.

TS-13

Additional Note Terms

You should read this term sheet, together with the documents listed below (collectively, the “Note Prospectus”), which together contain the terms of the Notes and supersede all prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth under “Risk Factors” in the sections indicated on the cover of this term sheet. The Notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers before you invest in the Notes.

You may access the following documents on the SEC Website at http://www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC Website):

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/65100/000119312508066920/d424b2.htm

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/65100/000119312506070946/d424b5.htm

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/65100/000119312506070973/d424b5.htm

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/65100/000119312506070817/ds3asr.htm

Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC Website is 65100. References in this term sheet to “ML&Co.”, “we”, “us” and “our” are to Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and references to “MLPF&S” are to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

ML&Co. has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this term sheet relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement, and the other documents relating to this offering that ML&Co. has filed with the SEC for more complete information about ML&Co. and this offering. You may get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Website at http://www.sec.gov. Alternatively, ML&Co., any agent or any dealer participating in this offering, will arrange to send you the Note Prospectus if you so request by calling toll-free 1-866-500-5408.

Structured Investments Classification

ML&Co. classifies certain of its structured investments (the “Structured Investments”), including the Notes, into four categories, each with different investment characteristics. The description below is intended to briefly describe the four categories of Structured Investments offered: Principal Protection, Enhanced Income, Market Participation and Enhanced Participation. A Structured Investment may, however, combine characteristics that are relevant to one or more of the other categories. As such, a category should not be relied upon as a description of any particular Structured Investment.

Principal Protection: Principal Protected Structured Investments offer full or partial principal protection at maturity, while offering market exposure and the opportunity for a better return than may be available from comparable fixed income securities. Principal protection may not be achieved if the investment is sold prior to maturity.

Enhanced Income: Structured Investments offering enhanced income may offer an enhanced income stream through interim fixed or variable coupon payments. However, in exchange for receiving current income, investors may forfeit upside potential on the underlying asset. These investments generally do not include the principal protection feature.

Market Participation: Market Participation Structured Investments can offer investors exposure to specific market sectors, asset classes and/or strategies that may not be readily available through traditional investment alternatives. Returns obtained from these investments are tied to the performance of the underlying asset. As such, subject to certain fees, the returns will generally reflect any increases or decreases in the value of such assets. These investments are not structured to include the principal protection feature.

Enhanced Participation: Enhanced Participation Structured Investments may offer investors the potential to receive better than market returns on the performance of the underlying asset. Some structures may offer leverage in exchange for a capped or limited upside potential and also in exchange for downside risk. These investments are not structured to include the principal protection feature.

The classification of Structured Investments is meant solely for informational purposes and is not intended to fully describe any particular Structured Investment nor guarantee any particular performance.

TS-14

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Dates Referenced Herein   and   Documents Incorporated by Reference

This ‘424B3’ Filing		Date		Other Filings
		12/20/10
Filed on:		12/18/08		4,  424B3
		12/12/08
		11/28/08		4
		9/26/08		10-Q,  3,  4,  FWP,  SC 13D/A
		9/15/08		425,  8-K
		6/27/08		10-Q,  25-NSE,  424B3,  8-A12B,  8-K
		3/28/08		10-Q,  424B3,  8-K,  FWP
		3/27/08		4,  424B2,  8-A12B,  FWP
		12/28/07		10-K,  8-K/A
		12/7/07		8-K
		9/28/07		10-Q,  13F-HR,  13F-HR/A,  3,  4,  424B2,  424B3,  8-A12B,  FWP
		6/29/07		10-Q,  13F-HR,  25-NSE,  4,  424B3,  8-A12B,  8-K,  FWP
		3/30/07		10-Q,  13F-HR,  4,  424B3,  8-A12B
		3/31/06		10-Q,  13F-HR,  13F-HR/A,  4,  424B5,  8-A12B,  S-3ASR
		9/16/05
				List all Filings

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Filing Submission 0001193125-08-255865   –   Alternative Formats (Word / Rich Text, HTML, Plain Text, et al.)

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