U.S. stocks erased losses, sending the Standard & Poors 500 Index above its record close, after companies from Macys Inc. to Home Depot Inc. reported higher- than-estimated earnings.

Todays unions enjoy little support, representing just 11.3 percent of the workforce compared to more than 20 percent a few decades ago.

The panel has been convened by the Society of Actuaries to assess the current state of pension plan funding and make recommendations to improve the financial strength of public pension going forward.

The Massachusetts Securities Division is calling on 401(k) plan administrators to report how many companies have shifted to a lump-sum matching contribution once a year, a change that can undermine worker savings.