In 2010, Bank of America posted a profit of negative $2.2 billion. For 2011, the goal is to stop losing money and start making it, stat. And it’s not just like a wish list, “it would be great if we could do this, if not, no biggie” type goal but a deadly serious one. So much so that it needs a special codename: Project New BAC, an initiative that was unveiled to employees yesterday by Brian Moynihan.

Led by 44 executives (and two consulting firms), PNBAC will “fan out around the company to ask employees low-and high-level for ideas on how they can do their jobs better and how BofA can tweak its financial-product offerings to make the more appealing,” in addition to “reducing expenses.” While the massive corporation would not normally ask anyone below the management level to weigh in on business, Moynihan is exhausted and to be honest? The top of the food chain has come up with nothing. This is everyone’s chance to pitch in, whether you’re a CEO emeritus or first year with a voice. Although there will be no cash reward, anyone whose idea** is implemented will receive 100 spirit points.

Bank of America Wants You To Help Fix The Bank [WSJ via BI]

**And don’t try suggesting getting rid of cups and introducing mandatory reusable mugs- Moynihan might be fooled but we have long memories.

Comments (88)

  1. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    This is a perfect job for UBS consultants!

  2. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    This is a perfect job for UBS consultants!

  3. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    This is a perfect job for UBS consultants!

  4. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    This is a perfect job for UBS consultants!

  5. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    This is a perfect job for UBS consultants!

  6. Posted by You're Welcome! | April 13, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    Well, first of all, reduce the “spirit points’ renumeration from 100 to 50.

  7. Posted by You're Welcome! | April 13, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    Well, first of all, reduce the “spirit points’ renumeration from 100 to 50.

  8. Posted by You're Welcome! | April 13, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    Well, first of all, reduce the “spirit points’ renumeration from 100 to 50.

  9. Posted by You're Welcome! | April 13, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    Well, first of all, reduce the “spirit points’ renumeration from 100 to 50.

  10. Posted by You're Welcome! | April 13, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    Well, first of all, reduce the “spirit points’ renumeration from 100 to 50.

  11. Posted by Hotdog | April 13, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    They should buy UBS, consolidate crappy companies and then blow the whole thing off the face of the earth.

  12. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 4:04 PM

    How about they start by terminating the two consulting firms and the 44 executives who apparently have no functional role in the bank? That should add something to the bottom line.

  13. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    Moynihan is way, way over his head with this wretched company.

  14. Posted by JBEV | April 13, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    1)Unblock dealbreaker
    2)Invent time machine, return to 1946 and loan Ken Lewis’s parents the money for an abortion

  15. Posted by La Flama Blanco | April 13, 2011 at 4:07 PM

    negative profits is NKI

  16. Posted by La Flama Blanco | April 13, 2011 at 4:07 PM

    negative profits is NKI

  17. Posted by guest | April 13, 2011 at 4:09 PM

    1) Borrow from the fed at dirt cheap rates and lend the money out at higher rates.
    2) Reduce crappy loan portfolio by selling said loans to groups like those set up by spouses of competitor banks (firm rhymes will ball).
    3) Seek guarantees from the US Government for other crappy loans.
    4) Based on 2 & 3, reduce ALL provision accordingly.

    5) Pay out bonuses to retain the talent that thought up 1-4.

    *If this doesn’t work, you must be doing something wrong or really, really hurting.

  18. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    Lift Mozilo by the ankles, give’m a good shake, and see what falls out of his pockets. Then let go.

  19. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    Wow, I was just going to suggest printed double-sided. You are a true genius.

  20. Posted by Mays School of Business | April 13, 2011 at 4:17 PM

    BAC should start giving away toasters with each new account/ business deal. Then, buy a toaster company to supply themselves with the give-aways!

  21. Posted by Tosh 1 | April 13, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    Naked pics of Bess Levin with the opening of a new account.

  22. Posted by Gartypoo | April 13, 2011 at 4:21 PM

    I already know what will happen.

    -Gartman

  23. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | April 13, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    It’s Boones double coupon day, get moving.

    Optionally, incorporate in New Hampshire for a permanent discount.

  24. Posted by El Vicko | April 13, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    I find that banning color copies works beautifully.

  25. Posted by Mr. Helpful | April 13, 2011 at 4:29 PM

    Buy additional BAC marketing ads printed on inflatable automobile airbags. Buy and control the world’s largest producer of red-colored ink.

  26. Posted by Dr. Rosenrose | April 13, 2011 at 4:31 PM

    Their plan to charge $25/mo for a fucking checking account probably won’t send any customers to an online competitor. Sending your Fed-instituted free lunch across the street was a bad start, asshats.
    -Guy who would sooner take his paycheck in change, not equal to the amount due, than pay for a checking account

  27. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    more hand bridge, less hand wringing

  28. Posted by Hy Roller | April 13, 2011 at 4:38 PM

    They could start by canning our BAML institutional research sales coverage. Aaron is as useless as mammaries on a bull.

  29. Posted by Reader | April 13, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    #1 is from the onion from a while back, no?

  30. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 4:46 PM

    For starters, they can make the first years buy their own skateboards.

  31. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    Spin Off Merrill Lynch…PLEASE!

  32. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    Lease the skateboards. The depreciate too rapidly to be purchased.

  33. Posted by Aaron | April 13, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    Hi there Hy!

    Let’s meet and discuss this at Minettas later.

  34. Posted by The Joke Briefer | April 13, 2011 at 5:10 PM

    Perhaps I can be of help in this airbag matter. Please reflect on this link to the Onion site mentioning airbag advertising:

    http://www.theonion.com/articles/general-motors-introduces-new-instantwin-airbags,1103/

    “Reader” should be complimented for his/her guffaw data recall! Your Joke Briefer first heard of the airbag ad gag from a tort lawyer in the early 1990s. Further research reveals that such “impact” advertising gags have been around for a while: Several cake shops in Paris wanted to have guillotine blade advertising during the time of Marie Antoinette’s troubles¹. Today’s so-called “urinal advertising” came from the oft repeatedly written graffito suggesting to men, “Why look here; the joke’s in your hand².
    ———————————————–
    1. “Advertissements et Les Outils De Coupe”, Marceau et Robespierre, Capeau Press, p. 238

    2. “Avoiding Piss Poor Advertising”, I.P. Freely, Whiz Magazine, September 1998, p.34

  35. Posted by And On and On | April 13, 2011 at 5:14 PM

    Advertise on the skateboards!

  36. Posted by Supraman | April 13, 2011 at 5:15 PM

    Repeal legacy “Free Boone’s Fridays” program.

  37. Posted by A Depressed Hyena | April 13, 2011 at 5:23 PM

    Have the employees do videos about why they love Bank of America.

  38. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 5:34 PM

    From: Ken Lewis
    To: Staff

    PLEASE LET US REFRAIN FROM LOSING MONEY IN THE FUTURE SO THAT WE DO NOT DISTINGUISH OURSELVES BY BEING THE ONLY BANK POSTING NEGATIVE PROFITS EVERY MORNING. (IT IS ALREADY EASY TO IDENTIFY US SINCE WE ARE SO EXPOSED.)

    IT REALLY SHOULDN’T BE AN OPTION TO DISTINGUISH OURSELVES BY BEING THE LAUGHING STOCK OF WALL STREET; ALTHOUGH THAT OUTCOME UNFORTUNATELY IS NOT ELIMINATED FOR US.

  39. Posted by CurrencyTrader | April 13, 2011 at 5:45 PM

    Joke briefer I love you but you need to get laid.

  40. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 5:49 PM

    Hey Bess how about a Dealbreaker contest: Any submitted item here that actually gets implemented gets the winner a free night at Connecticut’s finest leisure establishment!

  41. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 5:49 PM

    Hey Bess how about a Dealbreaker contest: Any submitted item here that actually gets implemented gets the winner a free night at Connecticut’s finest leisure establishment!

  42. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    there’s nothing to see here…

  43. Posted by Fmr_MER_Quant | April 13, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Fuck you bitter2010, id rather they spin off BOA….

  44. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 6:00 PM

    but how am I to know it’s you?

  45. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    Or Penn Station Taco Bell

  46. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | April 13, 2011 at 6:06 PM

    Feel free to punch this guy for me:

    “We are trying to provide you choices on how you compensate us,” said Joe L. Price, president of the company’s consumer and small business banking division.

  47. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    Even better…BOA sucks

  48. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 6:44 PM

    Worked there 2 years via an acquisition, FUBAR is a way of life….I would suggest nuking the place and starting over.

  49. Posted by Shucky Ducky | April 13, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    Move to Japan.

  50. Posted by Lewis Winthorpe III | April 13, 2011 at 6:57 PM

    You are management material.

  51. Posted by Vegaina | April 13, 2011 at 7:16 PM

    How about just be open 1 day a week. Save big on energy costs and still get the same amount of work done.

  52. Posted by Hix | April 13, 2011 at 7:16 PM

    It’s the only way to be sure.

  53. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    Shut the fuck up. No, seriously- shut the fuck up.

  54. Posted by CT | April 13, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    Rich coming from the guy who’s never touched a woman.

  55. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM

    CurrencyTrader I hate you and you need to kill yourself.

    -everyone

  56. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM

    co-signed.

  57. Posted by Anti CT | April 13, 2011 at 7:27 PM

    You making an offer?

  58. Posted by The Ghost of Steele Alphin | April 13, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    FYI: If you’re firewalled from Deal Breaker, you can get to it through your Bloomberg, unless of course BofA has now firewalled Bloomberg, which could possibly explain why they lost $2.2 billion

  59. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 7:46 PM

    Why does it always have to be the whites copied?

  60. Posted by RPIscrub | April 13, 2011 at 7:57 PM

    I’ll be the guy in Payless shoes and a gap button-up

    -BAML Trader

  61. Posted by Excellent! | April 13, 2011 at 8:04 PM

    I have been trying not to laugh out loud at all the funny comments today but that one got me.

    -Guy Who Laughed Out Loud

  62. Posted by Texashedge | April 13, 2011 at 8:04 PM

    Best comment since captain shortbus

  63. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    You forgot about the khaki Dockers.

  64. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 8:20 PM

    Hire me and 6 of the best looking slam pieces that work for me…must be at least 8s; selection of the 6 determined by a random selection of BofA bankers and traders. Ensconce us on the executive floor so some real work gets done there for once.
    Charge employees a buck and a half just to see them; appropriate scaling of fees for other services; minimum fees for MDs and ExecCom members; penalty fees for nonBofA employees.

    Madam pmco

  65. Posted by Burke | April 13, 2011 at 8:24 PM

    Ho-ho-hold on, hold on one second. This installation has a substantial dollar value attached to it

  66. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    I’ll pay points up front for $35mil of protection on BAC

    -Monty

  67. Posted by CurrencyTrader | April 13, 2011 at 8:34 PM

    Buncha fucking Boston Red Sox fans in here for christ’s sake. What? Pissed off because the Pirates spanked you guys like your daddy?

  68. Posted by Tanker2Banker | April 13, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Cockroaches like the ones in question are likely to survive the fallout. The only solution is the final one: forcibly remove them from the gubmint teat and LET. THEM. FAIL. FTW.

  69. Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    Wet T-Shirt contest with the sluttiest women in BAC.

  70. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    should I assume that’s a maxed out chase debit card in your wallet?

  71. Posted by Guest | April 13, 2011 at 9:32 PM

    Good idea. It’s definitely linear – you’ll see an 80% reduction in losses.

    - BofA Quant

  72. Posted by Wahoo | April 13, 2011 at 9:33 PM

    All it takes is one good idea, like the guy that invented the pet rock… He made a million dollars! I had an idea like that once… It was a “Jump to Conclusions” mat. You see, it would be this mat that you would put on the floor… and would have different CONCLUSIONS written on it that you could JUMP TO.

    - guy who concludes that BOFA is FUBAR

  73. Posted by True Story | April 14, 2011 at 1:37 AM

    February 2009: BAC dwellers have access to DB online, Bess puts out Layoff Watch post that 30% of US Trust & Private banking group to get laid off. Mad rush of BAC dwellers go to DB to check it out and compliance droids block the website same day. The layoffs happened and DB was never accessible again on a BAC computer.
    True story, I will swear my former lapel pin, nbk# and cheesy name tag on it.

  74. Posted by Adhtom | April 14, 2011 at 1:53 AM

    How about get rid of the bonuses!!! Ta Da!! E A S Y !
    New motto: If the company doesn’t make money, you get no bonus!

    Can I have my spirit points now?
    -Angela Tom (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

    Bank of America Investment Bankers To Receive Average Bonus of $400K
    First Posted: 02- 3-10 09:25 AM | Updated: 04- 5-10 05:12 AM

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/03/bank-of-america-investmen_n_447317.html
    Submit this story
    bloomberg.com:

    Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) — Bank of America Corp., the nation’s largest lender, will pay investment-banking employees bonuses of about $4.4 billion for last year, or an average of $400,000 each, a person close to the bank said.

  75. Posted by trader | April 14, 2011 at 4:17 AM

    Buy Oil and short your treasury stock.

  76. Posted by Anonymous | April 14, 2011 at 4:22 AM

    Angela/Mark Klein MD/resident of state that should be bulldozed,

    That story is a year old, but the investment bank (that’s the one without a drive through for you huffpo readers) made 6.3 billion last year.

    It was the mortgages of you rust belters that dragged down earnings. Also a former CEO’s proclivity for malted fruit wine.

    Please use birth control.

    xoxo hope that helps

  77. Posted by Adhtom | April 14, 2011 at 4:40 AM

    I KNOW how old the article is, I posted it! duh!

    Question: If the mortgages of the “rust belters” dragged down earnings, who specifically wrote those bad mortgages?

  78. Posted by Brudda | April 14, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    Burn it to the ground and salt the earth….

  79. Posted by Brudda | April 14, 2011 at 12:46 PM

    Maybe that $25 charge for a checking account could also allow access for customers…?

  80. Posted by Guest | April 14, 2011 at 11:19 PM

    The Accidental CEO, “Mumbles Moynihan” us clueless…became CEO 17 monthsago and just getting around to looking at costs? Everyone in Charlotte better get their parachutes on…

  81. Posted by p90xxy | April 16, 2011 at 6:26 PM

    Guys sitting in BofA retail branches selling mortgages. Not Merrill Lynch ibankers.

    You clearly have almost no idea how a bank works but it’s scarier to me that you know more about this situation than probably 90% of the US population

  82. Posted by Adhtom | April 18, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    Yeah, in 2009 they gave bonuses in cash. In 2010 they got smarter, and gave bonuses in stock.

    NOW the question by employees is: Hey, I got this shitty stock that isn’t doing well for a bonus! This won’t pay for my kid’s college! What do we do? Lets ask John Q. Public how to make our stock worth something so I can afford to send my kid to school!

    Well, now, in order to make the banks stock go up, those mortgages have to be given to people who can afford to pay. No jobs = no mortgage payment = no BoA stock increase!

    Henry Ford showed us how it was done. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist.

    Lower the mortgage interest rates, spread the payments out over 40 or 50 years (or whatever timeframe you want…people are living longer, ya know?) Get the PAYMENTS down, and you will have people lining up at your doors! You will then get to pick who to give the new mortgages to. (I would advise doing credit checks, background checks and citizenship checks this time.)

    Make more business loans. (same idea)

    BUT really, lets get honest, the bankers don’t want to fix the problem, they want to RESET our economy/currency while making it LOOK like they are trying to fix a problem that really doesn’t exist.

    “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”

  83. Posted by Adhtom | April 18, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    Yeah, in 2009 they gave bonuses in cash. In 2010 they got smarter, and gave bonuses in stock.

    NOW the question by employees is: Hey, I got this shitty stock that isn’t doing well for a bonus! This won’t pay for my kid’s college! What do we do? Lets ask John Q. Public how to make our stock worth something so I can afford to send my kid to school!

    Well, now, in order to make the banks stock go up, those mortgages have to be given to people who can afford to pay. No jobs = no mortgage payment = no BoA stock increase!

    Henry Ford showed us how it was done. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist.

    Lower the mortgage interest rates, spread the payments out over 40 or 50 years (or whatever timeframe you want…people are living longer, ya know?) Get the PAYMENTS down, and you will have people lining up at your doors! You will then get to pick who to give the new mortgages to. (I would advise doing credit checks, background checks and citizenship checks this time.)

    Make more business loans. (same idea)

    BUT really, lets get honest, the bankers don’t want to fix the problem, they want to RESET our economy/currency while making it LOOK like they are trying to fix a problem that really doesn’t exist.

    “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”

  84. Posted by Adhtom | April 18, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    Yeah, in 2009 they gave bonuses in cash. In 2010 they got smarter, and gave bonuses in stock.

    NOW the question by employees is: Hey, I got this shitty stock that isn’t doing well for a bonus! This won’t pay for my kid’s college! What do we do? Lets ask John Q. Public how to make our stock worth something so I can afford to send my kid to school!

    Well, now, in order to make the banks stock go up, those mortgages have to be given to people who can afford to pay. No jobs = no mortgage payment = no BoA stock increase!

    Henry Ford showed us how it was done. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist.

    Lower the mortgage interest rates, spread the payments out over 40 or 50 years (or whatever timeframe you want…people are living longer, ya know?) Get the PAYMENTS down, and you will have people lining up at your doors! You will then get to pick who to give the new mortgages to. (I would advise doing credit checks, background checks and citizenship checks this time.)

    Make more business loans. (same idea)

    BUT really, lets get honest, the bankers don’t want to fix the problem, they want to RESET our economy/currency while making it LOOK like they are trying to fix a problem that really doesn’t exist.

    “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”

  85. Posted by Adhtom | April 18, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    Yeah, in 2009 they gave bonuses in cash. In 2010 they got smarter, and gave bonuses in stock.

    NOW the question by employees is: Hey, I got this shitty stock that isn’t doing well for a bonus! This won’t pay for my kid’s college! What do we do? Lets ask John Q. Public how to make our stock worth something so I can afford to send my kid to school!

    Well, now, in order to make the banks stock go up, those mortgages have to be given to people who can afford to pay. No jobs = no mortgage payment = no BoA stock increase!

    Henry Ford showed us how it was done. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist.

    Lower the mortgage interest rates, spread the payments out over 40 or 50 years (or whatever timeframe you want…people are living longer, ya know?) Get the PAYMENTS down, and you will have people lining up at your doors! You will then get to pick who to give the new mortgages to. (I would advise doing credit checks, background checks and citizenship checks this time.)

    Make more business loans. (same idea)

    BUT really, lets get honest, the bankers don’t want to fix the problem, they want to RESET our economy/currency while making it LOOK like they are trying to fix a problem that really doesn’t exist.

    “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”

  86. Posted by Adhtom | April 18, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    Now I must admit, I don’t know exactly how the stock bonuses are given, but if it is in real BoA stock, doesn’t this water down the price?

    Hmmm, maybe stop giving stock as bonuses, give toasters instead.

  87. Posted by Adhtom | April 18, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    Now I must admit, I don’t know exactly how the stock bonuses are given, but if it is in real BoA stock, doesn’t this water down the price?

    Hmmm, maybe stop giving stock as bonuses, give toasters instead.

  88. Posted by Adhtom | April 18, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    Now I must admit, I don’t know exactly how the stock bonuses are given, but if it is in real BoA stock, doesn’t this water down the price?

    Hmmm, maybe stop giving stock as bonuses, give toasters instead.

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