Australia’s largest private hospital operator, Ramsay Health Care, said its first-half net profit fell, hurt by major restructuring at its French operations, that includes job cuts over three years.

Net profit fell 3.7 per cent to $246.5 million in the six months ended December 31 from $255.9 million in the year-earlier period. Core net profit rose 7.5 per cent to $288 million from $267.8 million, the company said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

Revenue rose 3 per cent to $4.4 billion from $4.3 billion in the year-earlier period. Ramsay will pay a 57.7¢ fully franked interim dividend on March 29, an 8.5 per cent increase from the year-earlier payout.

Chief executive Craig McNally said Ramsay Générale de Sa…

Read the full article at: http://www.afr.com/business/health/hospitals-and-gps/ramsay-health-care-interim-profit-falls-37pc-flags-french-unit-restructuring-20180227-h0wpx8

Leicestershire, UK – Most of the world is in some sort of debt. Unfortunately, many individuals are having a hard time paying off their debt, causing the situation to only get worse. Increasing debt can be intimidating, and for many individuals strapped with debt, it can start to feel like there is no way out. East Midlands Money Advice helps over-indebted individuals find solutions and relief to their money problems. They provide expert debt advice to those who are in serious need of it across the Midlands. Their advice service is funded by the money advice service based in Leicester, which ensures that all their advice is of a consistently high quality.

While 15.9% of the entire population currently in debt, there are numerous …

Read the full article at: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3676053

SUBCONTRACTORS and new home clients are counting the costs after another Gold Coast builder collapsed this week.

Future Urban Residential, a Varsity Lakes-based business, went into liquidation late on Monday, leaving homes unfinished and subbies bills unpaid.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission is investigating the collapse and has referred the case to Federal regulator ASIC.

Q1 HOMES LIQUIDATOR SUSPECTS “ILLEGAL PHOENIX ACTIVITIES”

Future Urban’s sole director, makeup saleswoman Kirsty Thew, was last night yet to lodge any documents showing the scale of the collapse, however the company was licensed to complete up to $12 million worth of work a year.

The QBCC suspe…

Read the full article at: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/gold-coast-builder-future-urban-residential-collap/3348016/

A QUEENSLAND owned and operated organic retailer has gone into liquidation, owing $2.8 million to more than 200 creditors.

Wray Organic Pty Ltd, which operates stores under the Wray Organic banner in Toowoomba, Ipswich, and Newmarket, was established by owner Deborah Wray and her partner Gary Davis at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast in 2005.

The three stores will close if they can not be sold “as a going concern”.

Ben Ismay, liquidator and director of insolvency firm Shaw Gidley, said the six other independent Wray Organic franchises around Queensland would be unaffected by the liquidation.

Mr Ismay said his priority was to find buyers for the three stores owned and run by Wray Organic Pty Ltd.

“The reality i…

Read the full article at: https://www.news-mail.com.au/news/buyer-sought-retailer-enters-liquidation-owing-28m/3347639/

A QUEENSLAND owned and operated organic retailer has gone into liquidation, owing $2.8 million to more than 200 creditors.

Wray Organic Pty Ltd, which operates stores under the Wray Organic banner in Toowoomba, Ipswich, and Newmarket, was established by owner Deborah Wray and her partner Gary Davis at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast in 2005.

The three stores will close if they can not be sold “as a going concern”.

Ben Ismay, liquidator and director of insolvency firm Shaw Gidley, said the six other independent Wray Organic franchises around Queensland would be unaffected by the liquidation.

Mr Ismay said his priority was to find buyers for the three stores owned and run by Wray Organic Pty Ltd.

“The reality i…

Read the full article at: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/buyer-sought-retailer-enters-liquidation-owing-28m/3347639/

LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) – Britains Financial Conduct Authority ordered banks on Tuesday to take steps to help people with persistent credit card debt to keep up with repayments.

The FCAs new rules will, however, will still allow banks to ultimately suspend a credit card if a customer fails to make any progress in repaying debts.

The changes are based on an FCA market study of 34 million credit card customers over a period of five years.

They come into force next month and will save consumers 310 million to 1.3 billion pounds a year in lower interest charges, the FCA said. The sector has until September to comply.

The aim is to stop people using credit card debt as an expensive long-term loan that is not repaid.

Under the new rules firms…

Read the full article at: https://www.reuters.com/article/banks-creditcards-regulator/british-banks-ordered-to-help-people-pay-off-credit-card-debts-idUSL8N1QH3HE

By Huw Jones

LONDON (Reuters) Britains Financial Conduct Authority ordered banks on Tuesday to take steps to help people with persistent credit card debt to keep up with repayments.

The FCAs new rules will, however, will still allow banks to ultimately suspend a credit card if a customer fails to make any progress in repaying debts.

The changes are based on an FCA market study of 34 million credit card customers over a period of five years.

They come into force next month and will save consumers 310 million to 1.3 billion pounds a year in lower interest charges, the FCA said. The sector has until September to comply.

The aim is to stop people using credit card debt as an expensive long-term loan that is not…

Read the full article at: http://www.euronews.com/2018/02/27/british-banks-ordered-to-help-people-pay-off-credit-card-debts