NEW YORK – Fitch Ratings has affirmed the long-and short-term-issuer default rating of Independent Bank Corp. at “BBB/F2.” The bank’s rating outlook has been classified as “stable.” The bank is the sole holding company and the sole shareholder of Rockland Trust Co. more

As the result of some friendly competition, the Southcoast Blood Bank received more than 200 pints of blood, and the Fall River Fire Department received $2,500 to put toward new defibrillators. more

Entwistle Financial Life Planning talks about the current state of the economy’s affect on retirement planning. more

Westport High School’s junior class is scheduled to take part in the Credit for Life Fair on April 11, supported by BayCoast Bank, Mechanics Cooperative Bank, Sovereign Bank and Westport Federal Credit Union. more

Local John Hancock Network firm Independence Financial Partners recently contributed more than $15,000 to Best Buddies Rhode Island, after participating in the Hyannis Port Best Buddies Challenge. more

The Citizens Bank Foundation is supporting the Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Campaign with a $15,000 grant for media outreach, according to a press release. more

To the Editor: Thanks to the Rhode Island Taxpayers’ Organization, word is getting out about the amount of special-interest legislation that long has been the source of the fiscal predicament that much of state and local government finds itself in at this time. more

QUINCY, Mass. – The Arbella Insurance Foundation last week announced that the fifth annual Let’s Drive Out Hunger raised $149,617 – more than double the previous year’s total of $62,775. more

Last week, Providence Business News held its third Chief Financial Officer Awards program, a celebration of the men and women who help secure the success of their companies. more

I once asked a potential client how much he paid for the last book he purchased. His response was $25. I then asked him if he read it. His answer was yes. I then asked if he read his cargo policy and he said no. I pointed out that he paid $25,000 for this policy, which contained less than 5 percent of the words in the novel, so why hadn’t he read it? His reply was “it was too difficult to understand.” more