Although it hasn’t received the fanfare that Herman Cain’s 999 plan has, a group called RATE – the name stems from the acronym, Reducing America’s Taxes Equitably – launched in September. Its members are companies and trade organizations advocating “sound and equitable reforms to the U.S. corporate tax code,” and hoping “to restore America’s competitiveness so the U.S. once again becomes a destination for investment, job creation and strong economic growth.”

Over the last month, the number of members in the group has risen from 13 to 16. Among them are a number of corporate heavy hitters, including AT&T, Boeing, and Verizon. Trade organizations belonging include the Association of American Railroads and the National Retail Federation. Co-chairs are Dr. Elaine Kamarck, former advisor to President Clinton and Vice President Gore, and James P. Pinkerton, former advisor to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. more

A new quarterly forecast of trade and international business, launched today by HSBC, shows world trade increasing by nearly three-quarters between now and 2025, when it will reach $48.5 trillion. That’s up from $27 trillion today. Driving the growth: Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Egypt’s trade volume, in fact, is predicted to rise by nearly 200 percent by 2025, as many companies in other countries see it as an entré to the Middle East. Trade in India will jump 156 percent, due to its strength in engineering and chemicals. Brazil’s trade volume will grow 144 percent, largely with countries in Asia, including Vietnam and China. more

With the recent introduction in Europe of a proposal to tax stock and bond transactions at a rate of 0.1 percent, and derivative contracts at a rate of 0.01 percent, as this KPMG summary highlights, the issue of a possible financial transactions tax here in the U.S. has arisen again.

While it’s critical that the pros and cons of such a tax be studied and debated, it’s worth correcting some misinformation regarding possible legislation on financial transaction taxes. According to Politifact.com/Oregon, an email has been spreading across the Internet, claiming “that (Rep. Peter) DeFazio (D-OR) wants to levy a 1 percent tax on every financial transaction, like depositing a Social Security check or cashing a paycheck. The letter claims his proposed legislation had the blessing of President Barack Obama’s ‘finance team’ and that Democrats are waiting until after the Nov. 2 election to pass H.R. 4646.” more

ATMs, not the kind at the gas station and grocery store that dispense cash in increments of $20s, but at-the-market transactions continue to grow in popularity. According to McNicoll Lewis & Vlak, LLC (MLV), an investment bank and broker-dealer, 98 ATMs were filed in 2011 through the end of August. That represented about one-fourth of all follow-on transactions, up from about 20 percent last year, says Dean Colucci, MLV’s president and chief operating officer. “ATMs are one of the most-used capital raising products that no one knows about,” he adds.

As described in this FAQ from the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP, an ATM is an “offering of securities into an existing trading market for outstanding shares of the same class, at other than a fixed price.”

An ATM provides a company that’s already public and eligible to issue secondary offerings (what’s sometimes referred to as “shelf eligible”) with the ability to sell additional shares at the market price, at a time and in the amount of the issuer’s choosing. more

As my post from earlier this year outlines, the idea of crowdfunding – that is, the use of online sites to garner investments from individuals – had attracted the attention, largely positive, of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Now it appears that the White House and Congress are interested, as well. A White House Fact Sheet on The American Jobs Act, introduced earlier this month, states that “as part of the President’s Startup America initiative, the Administration will work with the SEC to conduct a comprehensive review of securities regulations from the perspective of these small companies to reduce the regulatory burdens on small business capital formation in ways that are consistent with investor protection, including expanding “crowdfunding” opportunities and increasing mini-offerings.” more