Mark Bristow

Home & Personal Finance Editor

Mark Bristow is RateCity's Home & Personal Finances Editor, and an experienced analyst, researcher, and producer. Mark’s expertise includes home loans, energy and both 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.

773 articles written by Mark Bristow

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Term Deposits

How does a business term deposit work?

A fixed-term deposit can be a useful option for increasing your business’s cash reserve. Remember to compare business term deposit rates before deciding on one.

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Home Loans

Some of the best home loans in December 2020

We’re at the beginning of the end of what may be generously described as a challenging year, after months of social upheaval and economic recession. So, what are your options if you want to start 2021 strong?

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Home Loans

Some of the best home loans for investors in November 2020

When the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) made a partial cut to the national cash rate earlier this month, banks and other mortgage lenders slashed their own interest rates, mostly for new customers. This may offer property investors opportunities to refinance onto lower interest rates, and potentially put themselves in better long-term positions. 

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Home Loans

Some of the best investor mortgages at the end of October 2020

Despite disruptions to Australia’s economy in recent months, and the potential for further uncertainty in the immediate future, some property investors may instead be thinking about the longer term. With property often showing its value as an asset over a longer period than other investments, it’s important to consider whether your investment mortgage not only suits your needs now, but is likely to continue to do so in the future.

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Home Loans

How low can a home loan go?

With some economists forecasting that the RBA could further cut the national cash rate at its October or November meeting, possibly into negative rates for the first time in history, what could this mean for paying off your house?

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Term Deposits

When will term deposit rates go up?

On top of everything else that’s happened in 2020, interest rates on term deposits and savings accounts have been stagnating or declining to record lows over the year. It’s not yet clear when exactly these rates for savers are expected to start rising again.

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Home Loans

What you should know about home loan criteria for self-employed borrowers

Your friends and family may have given you a lot of info about applying for home loans, but does it all still apply to you if you’re self-employed? Special home loan criteria may apply for self-employed borrowers, so it’s important to be prepared to help ensure you get a home loan that will suit your needs.

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Home Loans

Some of the best owner occupier home loans in September 2020

Even if your home-buying plans have changed, falling prices could make it easier for some first home buyers to take the next step towards becoming home owners. Current owner occupiers may also be able to take advantage of interest rates being recently slashed to new record lows to refinance their home loans.

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Home Loans

Does HECS/HELP debt affect home loans?

If you have a university education in Australia, you’ll likely also have a HECS/HELP debt. It’s still possible to get your first home loan with a higher education debt owing, though like other outstanding loans, it could potentially affect your mortgage application.

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Home Loans

Can you Include Renovation Costs in a Mortgage? | RateCity

Traditional real estate advice says to buy the worst house in the best street – you can pay less today and renovate tomorrow. But renovating still costs money, so you may want to look into the options for using your home loan to help take care of your budget.