Mark Bristow is RateCity's Home & Personal Finances Editor, and an experienced analyst, researcher, and producer. While primarily focused on Australian mortgage and home loan expertise, he has experience across energy, home and travel insurances. Mark has been a journalist and writer in the financial space for over ten years, previously researching and writing commercial real estate at CoreLogic. In the years since, Mark has worked for the Winning Group, Expedia, and has seen articles published at Lifehacker and Business Insider. Mark has also completed RG 146 (Tier 1), making him compliant to provide general advice for general insurance products like car, home, travel and health insurance, as well as giving him knowledge of investment options such as shares, derivatives, futures, managed investments, currencies and commodities.
1050 articles written by Mark Bristow

Counting the cost of overseas fees in 2017
Australian travellers lost $442 million in overseas bank fees and charge over 2017, according to new research from ING. At the individual level, this breaks down to paying $155 per person, per trip, for the convenience of accessing their finances internationally.

Mark Bristow -
09 Feb, 2018 -
2 min read

Banking organisations respond to Productivity Commission
Australia’s banking organisations have responded to the release of the draft report from the Productivity Commission (PC) on competition in Australia’s financial sector, looking closely at issues affecting both their members and Australian bank customers.

Mark Bristow -
08 Feb, 2018 -
3 min read

Rising costs affecting vulnerable households
Pensioners and other recipients of government benefits have been the most affected by rising prices for goods and services, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Mark Bristow -
07 Feb, 2018 -
3 min read

Brisbane housing forecast to shine
The Aussie capital with the best-performing housing market over the next few years may not be the usual suspects of Sydney or Melbourne, but rather Brisbane, thanks to more affordable housing and strong jobs growth and interstate migration.

Mark Bristow -
05 Feb, 2018 -
4 min read

75% of Aussie capitals see dwelling values drop in January
The latest hedonic home value index from CoreLogic found that six out of the eight Australian capital cities experienced a drop in dwelling values over the first month of 2018, and unless something changes, the market may continue to soften over the course of the year.

Mark Bristow -
02 Feb, 2018 -
3 min read

Low CPI's effect on rents, interest rates
While the pace of Australian inflation remained steady over the December 2017 quarter, rental inflation dipped to a 25-year low over the same period. While some industry commentators forecast interest rates remaining on hold in the immediate future, others feel that these inflation figures could be a sign of rate hikes on the horizon.

Mark Bristow -
01 Feb, 2018 -
3 min read

ASIC accuses CBA of unconscionable conduct
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has taken the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to the Federal Court over allegations of unconscionable conduct and market manipulation.

Mark Bristow -
31 Jan, 2018 -
2 min read

Perth prepared for 2018
The Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) is forecasting steady and moderate improvement to the Perth property market in 2018, though we shouldn’t expect rapid growth in either the established housing or rental markets over the coming year.

Mark Bristow -
30 Jan, 2018 -
2 min read

HomesVic launched to support Victorian first homebuyers
The Victorian government recently launched HomesVic – a new housing affordability scheme intended to assist struggling first home buyers to take their first step onto the property ladder.

Mark Bristow -
29 Jan, 2018 -
3 min read

Adding up the back-to-school bills
As parents count down to the start of a new school year, they’re also counting up the growing costs of sending the kids back to school, thanks in part to the increasing emphasis on technology in the classroom.

Mark Bristow -
25 Jan, 2018 -
3 min read