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mark-bristow

Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

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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.

1028 articles written by Mark Bristow

Home Insurance

Does home insurance cover animal damage?

Does your home insurance cover animal damage to your owner-occupied house or its contents? Or perhaps you are a landlord wishing to rent out your home to a pet owner, or you’re a pet owner looking to lease a house - what should both parties keep in mind before entering into an agreement?

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

30 Oct, 2023 -

5 min read

Home Insurance

Home insurance for older properties

Home insurance is an important part of owning your own home because it offers cover for any damage to the property that might occur. When it comes to older properties, you can face various challenges with both maintenance and repairs. Many of the materials used to build older homes are simply no longer available, and these repair jobs might also require specialised tradespeople, architects, and other experts.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

27 Oct, 2023 -

3 min read

Home Insurance

Do you need home renters’ insurance?

If you live in a rental property, you shouldn’t need to worry about home insurance, as that responsibility falls on your landlord. But you may want to consider protecting the possessions you keep inside your home.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

27 Oct, 2023 -

4 min read

Home Insurance

What is home and contents insurance?

A home insurance policy covers you if the building that you live in is damaged or destroyed by an insured event, such as a fire, a storm, or a break-in. Similarly, a contents insurance policy covers you if the belongings you keep in your home are lost, damaged or destroyed in an insured event.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

26 Oct, 2023 -

6 min read

Home Insurance

Do you need bushfire insurance in addition to regular home insurance?

In many cases if you already have home insurance, you’re already covered for fire damage to your property, so you may not need separate bushfire insurance. But if you live in an area with a higher-than-average bushfire risk, that could push up the cost of your insurance premiums.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

24 Oct, 2023 -

3 min read

Credit Score

5 ways to protect yourself from fraud

With increased awareness of the threat of cyberattacks, it’s easy to feel concerned about the safety of your personal information. Criminals with access to your details could steal your identity, fraudulently run up debts in your name, and ruin your credit score, making accessing money and credit in the future much harder.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

21 Oct, 2023 -

5 min read

Car Loans

How much do electric cars cost in Australia?

Ready to join the electric revolution? Upgrading from your petrol-powered car to an electric vehicle (EV) may seem daunting, but it may be worth it in the end when it comes to saving on fuel, as well as the positive environmental impact. Getting an idea of how much you’ll be expected to pay for an electric car is essential when it comes to working out a budget and sourcing vehicle finance.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

20 Oct, 2023 -

5 min read

Energy

A short guide to getting solar for your home

Whether your focus is the environment or your budget, you may be thinking of installing solar panels on your roof to generate your own electricity. Household solar can contribute to a better environment by reducing your reliance on fossil fuels, leading to a cleaner grid. It can also help you save money by buying less electricity and selling your excess power back to the grid. 

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

17 Oct, 2023 -

6 min read

Credit Score

How will debt consolidation affect my credit score?

If you have more debts than you can comfortably afford to repay, consolidating these debts into a single loan may not have an immediate effect on your credit score. But if consolidating your debts can help you build healthy financial habits, it’s possible that this could lead to your credit score improving over time.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

17 Oct, 2023 -

4 min read

Home Loans

House Appraisal vs Market Value: how much is your home worth?

What is a property actually worth? The answer may depend on if you were to ask a real estate agent or a valuer working for a mortgage lender.

mark-bristow

Mark Bristow -

17 Oct, 2023 -

6 min read