Long-term U.S. mortgage rates declined this week, moving closer to historically low levels.

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday the average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage eased to 3.47 percent from 3.52 percent last week. The benchmark rate is down from 3.76 percent a year ago and close to its all-time low of 3.31 percent in November 2012.

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, popular with homeowners who are refinancing, ticked down to 2.78 percent from 2.79 percent.

The low rates have continued to lure buyers into the market. Data issued Thursday by the National Association of Realtors showed that more people signed contracts to buy homes in September, an increase that likely points to rising sales in the closing months of the year.

The Realtors' seasonally adjusted pending home sales index rose 1.5 percent last month to 110. Pending sales contracts are a barometer of future purchases.

To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country at the beginning of each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.

Samsung chair's son joins board

Samsung Electronics is still trying to figure out why its Galaxy Note7 smartphones were catching fire, the company said Thursday, as shareholders appointed the grandson of the company's founder to its board.

The shift of 48-year-old vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, chairman Lee Kun-hee's only son, to a bigger role comes at a crucial time for Samsung, South Korea's biggest company.

Samsung reported a sharp fall in its quarterly earnings after the recall and discontinuation of fire-prone Galaxy Note7 smartphones wiped out its mobile profit in the last quarter.

Samsung CEO Shin Jong-kyun, said Thursday the company is looking into all possible issues.

Canada, EU near trade agreement

The European Union and Canada are on the cusp of sealing a landmark free trade deal after the Belgian government on Thursday overcame an impasse with its regional authorities, who had been seeking more protections from multinationals.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said he had finally reached a deal with Wallonia, a region of 3.6 million people that had used its power to block the deal between over 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians for several weeks.

The EU needed unanimity among all its 28 members and Belgium needed the backing of all its regions.

“This is good news,” Michel said.

THE BOTTOM LINE

$265M The amount that Amtrak will pay to settle claims related to a crash last year that killed eight people and injured more than 200 others when a speeding train derailed on a curve. The settlement allows victims to have their awards in hand by June instead of waiting years for lawsuits to play out, their lawyers said Thursday. The deadline to join the settlement program is Nov. 21. Amtrak has agreed to put up the money by Feb. 28.