Ownership Submission
FORM 3
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
01/30/2009
3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
BOULDER TOTAL RETURN FUND INC [BTF]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATE CENTER, 100 N TRYON STREET
4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director __X__ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

CHARLOTTE, NC 28255
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)
3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Auction Rate Preferred 406 (1)
I
By Subsidiary

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATE CENTER
100 N TRYON STREET
CHARLOTTE, NC 28255
    X    
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
4 WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER
NORTH TOWER
NEW YORK, NY 10080
    X    

Signatures

/s/ Debra I. Cho, Senior Vice President, Bank of America Corporation 02/10/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

/s/ Pia Thompson, Assistant Secretary, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. 02/10/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) The Auction Rate Preferred Shares ("Shares") reported in Table 1 represent 406 Shares beneficially owned by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. ("MLPFS"). MLPFS is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation ("Bank of America").
 
Remarks:
The Shares reported herein represent Bank of America's combined holdings in multiple series of auction rate preferred
 securities of the issuer, which are treated herein as one class of securities in accordance with the Auction Rate
 Securities-Global Exemptive Relief no-action letter issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 22,
 2008.  Bank of America undertakes to provide upon request by the SEC, the issuer or a security holder of the issuer,
 complete information regarding the number of equity securities of the issuer purchased or sold at each different price and
 date of all transactions in such securities that occurred after Bank of America became a 10% owner but prior to the date of
 this filing.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

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