New York Life Retirement Plan Services announced Wednesday the availability of a new service powered by Anova Consulting Group, a financial services market research and sales training firm, that it says will help retirement plan advisors assess client satisfaction and measure themselves against peers.

Mail is getting lighterand insurance companies have something to do with it.

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell further last week, ending the year on a three-month run of declines that point to stronger hiring in 2012.

Ten member companies have purchased SPARK and its lobbying wing, the SPARK Institute, transforming the retirement plan trade association into a non-profit.

Chartis is expanding its relationship with Reader's Digest to market and sell accident, health, property and casualty insurance worldwide, the company said Thursday.

CEO confidence experienced the largest quarterly gain in the fourth quarter of 2011 at 98.8, up from 83.5 in the third quarter, according to the Vistage CEO Confidence Index.

U.S. service companies grew at a faster pace in December, helped by an economy that gained strength in the final months of the year.

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell in the final week of 2011 for the fourth time in five weeks.