Mark Hamrick

Mark Hamrick brings decades of experience, a rich personal history, and a deep well of professional credibility to his insights and conversations about the economy and personal finance. A trusted weaver of numbers and narratives, Mark serves as Senior Economic Analyst and Washington Bureau Chief for Bankrate, and Senior Director at parent company Red Ventures.

A Kansas native, Mark began his journalism career as a high schooler working in radio in his hometown of Coffeyville. He joined Bankrate in 2013 after two decades leading business news coverage for Associated Press Broadcast in Washington. Since then, he’s become a go-to
resource across media of all kinds hundreds of times a year to interpret economic and policy developments with clarity, warmth, authority, and calm.

He is also one of the few journalists to attend Federal Reserve news conferences since they began in 2011, bringing rare access and deep institutional knowledge to his reporting. Mark has twice served as president of leading journalism organizations: the National Press Club, and SABEW (Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing), where he launched the First Amendment Committee to champion press freedom. Today, he also mentors young professionals through Red Ventures’ Road to Hire program.

His advocacy for financial literacy and empowerment is rooted in both mission and family legacy — his pioneering Hamrick ancestor emigrated to Virginia before the American Revolution. Fifth great-grandfather, Benjamin Hamrick, fought under General George Washington.

Mark lives outside the Washington, D.C., Beltway with his wife Jeanne. Their son, Christopher, lives in Los Angeles. At home, Mark is known not only for his insights — but also for his cooking, proudly serving as the family’s “chef.”

Find Mark beyond Bankrate

• Yahoo! Finance video
• Fox Business video
• 7 ways a recession could be good for you financially
• Faced with a $1,000 emergency, most Americans say they wouldn't have the money
• Job openings shrank more than expected in February in a positive sign for the Fed

Mark wants you to know

No matter where an individual is in their personal financial journey, there will be challenges to address and opportunities to leverage. One of the things I love most about being part of our team is the opportunity to connect with people who are looking to connect the dots between their personal finances and a complicated world.

Mark's recommended readings

• Michelle Singletary’s money milestones for every age
• As emergency savings drop and credit card balances rise, experts say taking 3 steps can help
• Millennials may be using credit cards as a ‘de facto emergency fund’—here’s why they shouldn’t