Strictly Business

Retiring at 50: Could You Follow This Woman's Extreme Savings Plan?

Here's the story of Marlene Konkoly, who found creative ways to spend less and save more so she can retire at 50. This story is the first in our series about Extreme Savers.

Americans may be living longer, but their retirement plans aren’t keeping up. Which means people are living longer with smaller bank accounts. But Marlene Konkoly will retire at age 50. How did she do it? She contributes a whopping 45 percent of the gross annual income she earns as a procurement officer for an automotive finance company to her retirement—all while owning a home and remaining debt-free. Konkoly is actually well ahead of the retirement savings curve compared to many of her fellow Americans. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, fewer than half of Americans even know how much money they would need to retire. And nearly a third of employees who had access to a defined contribution plan such as a 401(k) did not participate…

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Strictly Business

Delegation Seeks to Give Fishermen Say on Squid

Jack Reed, Jim Langevin and Sheldon Whitehouse are petitioning for two Rhode Island seats on a fishery council.

Release courtesy the office of Senator Jack Reed. At 10:15 a.m. Thursday in Galilee, U.S. Senator Jack Reed will be joined by U.S. Representative Jim Langevin, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit and local fisherman in pushing for legislation to give them a seat at the table of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, a regional management board that establishes fishery management rules for stocks primarily caught in federal waters adjacent to the mid-Atlantic coast.  The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Fairness Act, which Senator Reed authored and will soon reintroduce in the U.S. Senate, and Congressman Langevin will introduce in the House, would add Rhode Island to the list of seven states with voting …

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Strictly Business

Washington Trust Promotes SK’s DiSanto

South Kingstown resident Kristen Di Santo has been appointed Executive Vice President of Human Resources by Washington Trust.

Release courtesy of Washington Trust. Washington Trust has announced that Kristen L. DiSanto, of South Kingstown, has been appointed Executive Vice President of Human Resources. DiSanto is responsible for leading all human resources functions, including staffing, training, organizational development and employee relations. In addition, she assists the board with executive compensation matters and SEC disclosures. DiSanto joined Washington Trust in 1994, and most recently served as Senior Vice President. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, DiSanto has a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication. She is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island. DiSanto serves on the …

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Strictly Business

Wakefield Books Celebrates 2nd Year

The independent bookstore is holding a 25 percent off sale to celebrate its second year of operation at the Wakefield Mall.

Release courtesy Bob Ryan of Wakefield Books. Wakefield Books opened two years ago this month as South County’s locally owned independent bookstore in the Wakefield Mall.   We want to thank our customers, so this weekend we are celebrating this milestone with 25 percent off everything in the store on Saturday and Sunday. There will be 75 percent off select titles from sections all around the store and 50 percent off selected bargain books. All remaining 2013 calendars will be just $1 each. Customers can also register to win our anniversary raffle, which will have multiple prizes including a locally-themed gift basket, gift certificates, and books. At Wakefield Books, we are very thankful for the support the community has given us to allow …

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Casey's Closing, Rebranding for 2013

The landmark on Old Tower Hill Road will be flipping styles, to steak and seafood, starting in 2013.

Strictly Business

Black Friday and Small Business Saturday Sales – Updated!

We’ve added in some suggestions from Wednesday, but like that Thanksgiving turkey, we’re going in for seconds.

Patch wants to give small businesses a chance to post their hours and locations for Small Business Saturday in one place so local shoppers can find you. Just add your business name, address, hours, and telephone number in the comments below — and note some of the products you have. And hey, the deal totally applies to Black Friday as well! So don’t be shy. If you have a listing on the South Kingstown and Narragansett Patch Places Directory, you can also add that link to your comment so readers can easily find other info about your business. Don't have a listing? E-mail stephen.greenwell@patch.com and we'll set up a free listing for you. As I get comments and e-mails with deals, I’ll add them in to this article. So far: For more of Business…

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Strictly Business

Post Your Black Friday, Small Business Saturday Deals Here

Patch is looking for business owners to tell our readers where they can support small business.

Patch wants to give small businesses a chance to post their hours and locations for Small Business Saturday in one place so local shoppers can find you. Just add your business name, address, hours, and telephone number in the comments below — and note some of the products you have. And hey, the deal totally applies to Black Friday as well! So don’t be shy. If you have a listing on the South Kingstown and Narragansett Patch Places Directory, you can also add that link to your comment so readers can easily find other info about your business. Don't have a listing? E-mail stephen.greenwell@patch.com and we'll set up a free listing for you. As I get comments and e-mails with deals, I’ll add them in to this article. So far: For more of Business…

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Locals Helping With Sandy Relief Efforts

A truck of donations, organized by Waves of Creation owner Laura Winward, will soon be pulling into New York and New Jersey.

Thanks to Waves of Creation owner Laura Winward, and several other local businesses, a truck full of goods will be on its way this weekend to hurricane-affected areas in New York and New Jersey. According to Karen Forber, who is volunteering and helping Winward, donations have come in from Welcome House, Pier Pizza, Staples, Belmont Market, Sweenor’s and individuals. Forber said Winward grew up in New Jersey and Manhattan, which is why she organized the drive. “She’s been working her tail off on this,” Forber said. Other businesses identified as helping out on Waves’ Facebook page are Liberty Rentals, Point Judith Boats, Job Lot and Welcome Mart. More than 150 boxes have been filled so far. Other Efforts in Washington County

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Shaw's Cutting Jobs Across New England

Sources say 700 jobs are cut across a number of stores in New England.

Shaw's and Star Market are planning to make some cuts to their workforce in New England, estimated at as many as 700, according to sources.  Steve Sylven, a company spokesman, confirmed that local stores will be impacted. The company is not disclosing store specific job cuts, said Sylven. “A decision of this nature is never easy, but after careful evaluation, it is unfortunately the necessary step for us to take to help improve our business, reduce expenses and reinvest in more customer-facing initiatives,” said Mike Stigers, Shaw’s president. “As we continue to look at the best ways to achieve success, we recognized an opportunity to align our workforce to more effectively serve the marketplace by scheduling team members more …

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Strictly Business

New Tattoo Artist Inking in Peacedale

Single mother Rachel WS is the owner and operator at a new custom tattoo shop at the Lily Pads Professional Complex in Peacedale.

South Kingstown and Narragansett residents now have a second option for local tattoos, as the Rachel WS Custom Tattoo Studio recently opened for business in Peacedale. Owned by a 10-year resident of Narragansett, the studio joins Marco’s Tattoo as another option for locals. Rachel has extensive samples of her work on her Facebook page, and a few are also attached to this article. Rachel grew up in Norton, MA, but she’s lived the past decade in Rhode Island, and specifically, Narragansett. She moved after earning a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Sculpture. She’s a single mother of two children, so as a result, she’s worked a variety of jobs – at one point, four at once, and six days a week. Before opening her own shop, she was an …

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