| | Benefits & Administration | | Low Interest Rates Ease Pension Debt Restructuring | | Prolonged low interest rates have prevented
pension plans from riding record-setting equity markets to a higher aggregate
funded status—but there is a flip side to low interest rates when it comes to
risk transfers and pension debt restructuring.Read more > | | | Products, Deals & People | | Towers Watson has acquired Acclaris, a provider
of software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based technology and services for
consumer-driven health care and reimbursement accounts, including health
savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and other
consumer-directed accounts. The acquisition enhances Towers Watson’s position
as a health benefits administration and exchange provider.Read more > | | | Economic Events | | In the week ending May 9, the advance
figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was
264,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of
265,000, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was
271,750, a decrease of 7,750 from the previous week’s unrevised average of
279,500. This is the lowest level for this average since April 22, 2000 when it
was 266,750.
The average interest rate for a 30-year,
fixed-rate mortgage is 3.85%, up from 3.80% one week ago, according to Freddie
Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage is 3.07%, up
from 3.02%.
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand fell
0.4% in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced. Final demand prices
rose 0.2% in March and decreased 0.5% in February. In April, index for final
demand goods declined 0.7%. Prices for final demand services edged down 0.1%.
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