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If you don’t have 3-D printed shoes and your own personal emoji, are you even really living? The millennial generation has made customization the new norm — and that’s a good thing. Rather than conform to a one-size-fits-all formula, this generation expects a multitude of choice right at their fingertips, whether it’s shopping online, scrolling through a dating app, or deciding what to order on their lunch app.
Customization has also fueled the rise of smart technology. Innovations like smart thermostats and remote pet monitors give you greater control over your life, with the ultimate goal of making everyday things work more intelligently for you. Of course, this outlook also applies to money.
To meet this growing demand for control and customization, Bank of America kicked off the the new year with the introduction of a new Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card designed to fit your specific spending habits and help you rack up more rewards.
## Millennials are meeting savings goals
Older generations and even millennials themselves have been quick to judge Gen Y as being frivolous with money, but it turns out this isn’t the case at all. Bank of America’s 2018 Better Money Habits Millennial Report found that millennials are actually just as good, or better, than earlier generations when it comes to managing money. BoA found that 67% of millennials who have a savings goal stick to it nearly every month, and 73% of millennials who have a budget stick to it nearly every month. As a result, 47% of those millennials have $15,000 or more in savings and 16% have $100,000 or more in savings. The credit card you use can be one more financial tool for supporting those good habits.
## Maximize the power of choice
Even if you’re an ace at budgeting, your spending habits can fluctuate from month to month. The Bank of America Cash Rewards credit card takes a more customized approach to rewards by offering 3 percent cash back in a category of your choosing, 2 percent at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined quarterly purchases in these categories), and 1 percent on everything else. The new choice categories — which you can change once per billing cycle — include gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, and home improvements and furnishings.
## Make the most of your spending
To break it down, let’s say you’re going on a road trip and your gas spends will be significantly higher than usual, or you’re moving into a new apartment and buying new furniture and housewares. You can earn more cash back on those big purchases by changing your choice category to “gas” or “home improvements and furnishings,” respectively. The cash back you earn can then be redeemed as a deposit into your Bank of America checking or savings accounts; a credit to eligible Merrill Edge and Merrill Lynch accounts, including 529 accounts; a statement credit to your credit card; or a check.
To help you determine which category will help you earn the most cash back, Bank of America gives you a snapshot of your previous spends. Apply and earn cash back on your terms and enjoy the next generation of rewards today.
Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
